New Technology TV

Digital Light Processing (DLP) is a special kind of technology that was developed by Texas Instruments in 1987. Its name is derived from the way it functions: in the production of an image, light is processed digitally by means of a semiconductor called a Digital Micromirror Device. The device is a small chip made up of more than a million tiny mirrors. The mirrors are smaller than a single human hair, yet they work together to produce a video image.

DLP video components are available in either one or three-chip versions. Single-chip models work with a projection lamp and a color wheel. The lamp sends white light through the wheel, which creates red, blue and green colors in projecting an image on the screen, Three-chip models also use a lamp, which sends white light into a prism. The prism produces individual beams of red, green and blue, which are then transferred to corresponding chips to produce a video image. Single-chip components can produce pictures with more than 16 million colors, while three-chip versions produce more than 35 million colors.

Three-chip models are more expensive than one-chip models, offering the type of display required for large screens. Single-chip devices are great for home viewing, providing excellent detail and crisp color. On average, DLP televison sets start at around $1500. They cost less than liquid crystal display TVs and plasma TVs. A DLP video projector will cost about $1000, going up to $10,000.

DLP TV sets come in a variety of sizes, beginning with 44-inch models and going up to 65 inches. It’s a good idea to get a DLP set that has high definition (HD) capabilities, as more and more HD programming is going to be available in the future. Many DLP sets come equipped with HD tuners that read HD signals.

The projection lamps in DLP sets should be replaced after 1000-2000 hours of viewing. Signs that the lamp needs replacing include a noticeable loss of brightness in the images on the screen. Lamps cost about $200 and are easy very to replace.

DLP sets offer excellent image quality. There is no burn-in of images, which is a common problem with plasma TVs and rear projection sets. Viewers may experience what’s known as the “rainbow effect” when watching a DLP set. This effect shows up as a brief flash of red, green or blue and is experienced when a bright white image is shown on the screen against a dark background. Overall, though, DLP sets are considered to be the best of all the high tech TV models now available, providing excellent picture quality with superior contrast and detail, and overall vividness.