The Advantages of DLP Technology
There are many factors buyers should take into account when deciding which projector to buy, including resolution, brightness, weight and size, connectivity and, most importantly, price. But, a recent study conducted by the Munsell Color Science Laboratory at the Rochester Institute of Technology - commissioned by Texas Instruments (TI) - revealed that projectors featuring DLP (digital light processing) technology deliver out-of-the-box image quality for many thousands of hours. By contrast, the picture quality delivered by projectors using LCD technology degrades both measurably and visibly - so much so that the projector is rendered virtually unusable over time. TI's scientists have concluded that this degradation is caused by long-term exposure of the organic materials used in LCD technology to blue and ultraviolet light.
The impact of this is clear: projectors based on LCD technology will need to be replaced more frequently than projectors featuring DLP technology, resulting in a lower total cost of ownership for the latter. However, the cost savings is only one of the many advantages of DLP projectors. The higher contrast and minimal pixellation of DLP technology delivers superior image quality, especially in video applications. The technology's digital nature means that it is inherently more reliable and more capable of faithful image reproduction. And its single-panel architecture results in projectors that are smaller and lighter, making them more portable and flexible.
School systems today are struggling to make the most out of ever-shrinking budgets by making sound investments in equipment. When purchasing a projector, it's still important to compare features such as resolution, brightness and weight. But keep in mind that in the end, it is a projector's reliability that will provide the greatest return on your investment. For more information about TI's DLP technology, visit www.dlp.com.
This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2003 issue of THE Journal.