Thursday, February 5 12:07 PM ET
DALLAS (BUSINESS WIRE) - When the first projectors based on TI's
(NYSE:TXN) unique Digital Light Processing(TM) (DLP(TM)) technology
came to market just over a year ago, the typical reaction was: "Great image!
Now, can we have the same great image but brighter and in a package that's
smaller, lighter and easier to carry?"
Now, developments by TI scientists and engineers in Digital Light
Processing technology are allowing the introduction of the world's smallest
data projectors -- which also feature outstanding brightness for their size
and weight. TI developers not only found ways to shrink the DLP
electronics by half to enable the creation of smaller-sized projectors, but
also substantially enhanced the performance of the Digital Micromirror
Device(TM) (DMD(TM)), which is at the heart of Digital Light Processing
technology.
The newest projectors, classified as ultraportables (i.e., weighing less than
10 pounds) are half the weight of first-generation projectors using DLP
technology, and are only slightly larger than laptop computers. These new
projectors are also brighter and have higher contrast than earlier
DLP-based systems. This combination of size, weight, brightness and image
quality was achievable because of the highly compact optics design enabled
by the need to use only a single DMD (as opposed to the need to use
multiple panels in alternative technologies), and because of the innovations
of TI's DLP OEMs.
The recently-announced In Focus LP420 was the first DLP-based
ultraportable projector. Weighting less than seven pounds, this SVGA
resolution product is positioned as the world's lightest multimedia
projector. The In Focus LP420 offers 500 lumens of brightness, which
allows "lights-on" presentations. Also, recently announced by Plus
Corporation, was the UP-800, an SVGA-resolution projector which weights
less than 10 pounds and features 600 lumens of brightness -- making it the
world's brightest ultraportable. The Davis Litebeam, scheduled for
shipment early this year, also weighs less than 10 pounds and is claimed by
Davis to feature unsurpassed SVGA image quality in a highly featured
package. These three DLP systems are capable of projector both data and
video.
"DLP technology is enabling the development of a whole need class of
projectors which we believe will cause a dramatic expansion in the market.
Our second generation DLP technology puts DLP-based projectors into
brief cases, which means that sharp, clear, bright, high-quality images can
be presented almost anywhere with ease," said Sherel Horsley, senior vice
president of TI's Digital Imaging group. "Continued growth in brightness
and resolution in this small form factor package is made possible by the
inherent aperture efficiency of DLP technology, and this will continue to
keep DLP-based projectors at the forefront of the market when it comes to
performance and image quality."
"TI's DLP technology made it possible for In Focus to build the first
data/video projector designed to meet today's business traveler's needs --
light weight, high brightness and easy to use," said Stuart Cohen, In Focus
vice president of worldwide marketing. "In fact, a recent portability index
listed the In Focus LP420's portability factor four times better than its
closest competitor. This breakthrough in projector technology was made
possible by two industry leaders, In Focus and Texas Instruments, working
together to find better business solutions." |
