Tag Archives: LCD Projectors

The History Of The Projector

Reflective technology was well established during China’s Han Dynasty more than 2000 years ago. Intricate brass “light penetration mirrors,” also known as Chinese Magic Mirrors in the west, were created by skilled metalworkers. The complex designs and motifs on one hand contrasted with the smooth metal surface on the back, which was riddled with tiny flaws. The decorative design on the opposite side appears out of nowhere as light bounces off the slightly concave mirror side.

Shadow Play theater presentations were invented in Asia at the same period in the first millennium BCE. On a backlit cloth set, performers told stories by projecting shadows. Ethereal cloth and leather puppets appeared on set.

Over the course of many decades, the projector has changed in size and technology. Today we see the projector as a daily tool used in office settings, classrooms, and homes! Here’s a quick history lesson on how the projectors became what they are today!

The Creation of The Magic Lantern

Back in 1659, there was an inventor named Christiaan Huygens. Renowned for creating the wave light theory and the true shape of the rings of Saturn, Christiaan created the device known as the Magic Lantern. Similar to a projector, the Magic Lantern used a concave mirror to shine light from a lamp through a glass slide with an image to project onto a wall. The Magic Lantern was used for educational and entertainment purposes.

DUX Episcope made of Bakelite Origin Germany circa. 1940 - Catawiki

Following in the 1750s, the Swiss physicist Leonhard Euler developed the first projector, Opaque Projector, better known as the episcope. This device worked similar to the Magic Lantern in terms of technology, however instead of a concave mirror with direct light being shined from a lamp, prisms and mirrors were used to project an object inside the projector to reveal an image on a screen.

The Golden Age of Projectors

During the mid-1900s, computers were finally being developed and technology had advanced immensely. The first-ever slide projector was made using the same concept as the Magic Lamp. Using transparent photographic slides, light from an incandescent light would pass through each slight and focused through a lens to project a large image onto a screen. Typically used for family pictures and slide shows, the slide projector was made for the people at home and presentations.

Following the Slide Projector was the Overhead projector. This projector uses light and transparencies to shine through a reverse mirror overhead of the projector to emit an image on a screen. An easier example of this would be shadow puppets! The Overhead projector was seen throughout the 1950s all the way up until the early 2000s, as they were typically used at schools for educational purposes.

The Digital Age of Projectors

Fast forward now to the present time, there are now multiple variants of projectors! Some of these variants consist of DLP Projectors, LCD Projectors, LCoS Projectors, 4K Projectors, Pico Projectors, and Smart Projectors. It was fairly easy to decide on what type of projector you wanted to buy back then. With these different variants, you can focus on the aspects and features you are specifically looking for!

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below on what we should talk about next!

DLP vs. LCD Projectors: Picking Out The Right Projector for YOU!

Projectors are a daily tool used in many different ways. Some use projectors for demonstration purposes and some use projectors to create designs! Are you struggling with deciding on what type of projector you want and don’t know the difference between DLP and LCD? Well, today’s your lucky day, we’re going to explain the differences between a DLP projector and an LCD projector. They both have big differences between one another and have different functions, but this should help you figure out what projector will be the best for you!

What is DLP?

DLP stands for Digital Light Processing. Most DLP projectors are standalone and are usually used in a business environment. An example of this would be a classroom projector or a projector being used for the cinema! DLP projectors are comprised of chipsets and rely on micromirrors to project the image. The DLP chip is the key component in a DLP Projector to be able to project the image files a person uses and a spinning wheel that projects red, green, and blue light to create the images that are to be projected.

What is LCD?

LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. This type of technology is typically seen on most modern televisions, monitors, tablets, and smartphones. LCD projectors channel light through a metal lamp then through a prism that divides the light into 3 different panel colors; red, blue, and green. A polarized light moves through each of the panels to project the desired image.

The Advantages?

The advantages of having a DLP projector are its; portability, grayscaling, wide color range, and not requiring as much maintenance. Whereas the advantages of having an LCD projector are its; versatile projection, high light capacity, 3LCD chips that offer less energy consumption with a higher brightness than usual LCD projectors.

AAXA Technologies P6X 1100-Lumen WXGA Portable DLP Projector

Which is The Best for YOU

There are a lot of factors that can come into play when deciding which projector to go for. Some of the biggest factors can be; budget, how the projector is going to be used, brightness, color contrast, portability, and special features. DLP and LCD Projectors can vary in price depending on the certain specifications you are looking for. In terms of brightness, LCD projectors triumph because of the option of having 3LCD chips in some. For true colors and portability, DLP would be the better option for you. A straightforward answer would be if you plan on purchasing a projector for office settings where the projector will always be traveling a DLP projector would be the best fit for you. An LCD projector would be best for anyone using it for still images or having it in a fixed spot.

Here’s a list of some of the best DLP projectors to buy:

AAXA P6X DLP Projector
Optoma HD146X
ViewSonic PA503S

Here’s a list of some of the best LCD projectors to buy:

YABER Y60
VANKYO LEISURE 3 Mini
DBPOWER L21 LCD Video Projector

Tells your thoughts and what you decided to go for in the comments below!