Types of Projectors - LCD vs DLP

As projection mapping requires a projector, let's go over the projector technologies that are the most prevalent today. There are TWO main styles of projectors, each having their own pros and cons. The first is LCD and the second is DLP. 

Projector Types:

LCD - A light source that produces white light passes through a set of three dichroic mirrors. The dichroic mirrors only reflect a certain wavelength of light, and in the projectors case red, green, and blue. Each beam of light is then sent though a LCD panel. The LCD panel receives a signal from the processor of the projector telling it how to arrange the pixels by either letting light pass through or blocking it. The three beams of colored light are then merged back together and exit the projector as an image. 

  

One Chip DLP- A light source that produces white light passes through a spinning color wheel (basic ones use red, green, and blue where as more advanced ones support magenta, cyan..etc). The light then bounces off of a “digital micromirror device”, also known as a DMD. The DMD contains a tiny microscopic mirror for each pixel that orientates itself to reflect or absorb the light thus creating a light or dark pixel.  

  

Three Chip DLP- A light source that produces white light passes through a prism that splits the light into different colors(red, green, and blue) then each is bounced off a separate DMD chip. The three beams are then merged back together creating the final image. 

  

Now that you know that there are different projector technologies, you may be asking yourself which one you need. And unfortunately, I can’t say that there isn't one projector that is better than the other. This is simply because each has characteristics that benefit different situations. Also, projectors of the same type vary greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer. 

In general, if you have a project that requires large-scale extensive projection, and have a large budget, DLP is going to be a contender for you. If you have a smaller project, LCD may provide you the exact same outcome as DLP without the high cost. One thing to keep in mind is the brand of projector as well as the features it offers. Professional projectors made by companies like Christie and Barco cost much more than standard projectors. This is because they in general will have much better optics(lenses), as well as internal features such as lens shift.