The Difference in Technology

LCD projectors - start with a source of light (lamp) and split the light into three beams. Each beam passes through its own LCD panel. The LCD panels have hundreds of thousands of tiny pixels, the higher the resolution, the more pixels. Data determines whether light is allowed to pass through each one. One panel has a red filter, one a green, and one a blue filter. The light is then recombined, using a prism. The combined image passes through the lens and hits your screen.

DLP projectors (except 3 chip) – Start with a lamp light source. Instead of passing light through an LCD panel, it is reflected off of a DLP chip (composed hundreds of thousands of tiny mirrors), which modulates the light. A color wheel, combined with timing, allows the light to come out the correct colors, and pass through the lens on its way to the screen.

DLP projectors - One chip or Three chip?

The vast majority of DLP projectors use a single monochrome DLP chip, and the color wheel to generate colors. There is however another group of DLP projectors, 3 chip models. These are currently at the top of the food chain, in terms of performance, whether for business or home theater. Three chip DLP projectors function like LCD projectors as the light source is split into 3 beams. Light is still reflected off of the DLP chips instead of passing through as is done with LCD panels; however, like LCD projectors the three beams are recombined into a single beam and pass through the lens.

In the portable projector arena, the smallest/lightest projectors around are DLP projectors. If you want a 2 or 3 pound projector, today, it is DLP. The lightest XGA resolution LCD projector is currently about 4 pounds and there are only a handful under 5 pounds. In comparison, there are dozens of DLP projector models between 2-4 pounds. So if you want the lightest and smallest, you will want a DLP projector.

Advantages of each:

LCD Projectors: Strengths

DLP Projectors: Strengths

• Smoother video.
• Physically smaller.
• Pixels far less visible.
• More “film like” playback for DVD and HD content.
• Generates deeper blacks.