D-ILA®- an officially registered trademark of JVC, which means that this product uses an original design based on an LCoS display, a reticulated polarizing filter and a mercury lamp. D-ILA implies a three-chip LCoS solution. You can also often see the abbreviation HD-ILA - D-ILA technology with Full HD resolution.
SXRD™ is a registered trademark of Sony for products made with LCoS technology
Technology principle
The principle of operation of a modern LCoS projector is close to 3LCD, but unlike the latter, it uses not translucent LCD matrices, but reflective ones (this LCoS is already related to DLP technology).
General scheme of a three-chip projector based on LCoS.
A reflective layer is located on the semiconductor substrate of the LCoS crystal, on top of which there is a liquid crystal matrix and a polarizer. Under the influence of electrical signals, liquid crystals either cover the reflective surface or open, allowing light from an external directional source to be reflected from the crystal's mirror substrate.
As in LCD projectors, LCoS projectors today use only three-chip circuits based on monochrome LCoS matrices. As in 3LCD technology, three LCoS crystals, a prism, dichroic mirrors, and red, blue, and green color filters are used to form a color image.
In the late 90s, at the dawn of technology, JVC offered single-chip solutions based on LCoS color matrices. In them, the light flux was divided into RGB components directly in the matrix itself using an HCF filter (eng. Hologram Color Filter - holographic color filter ). This technology is called SD-ILA(English) single D-ILA). Philips also developed single-matrix solutions.
But single-chip LCoS projectors not widely used due to a number of shortcomings: a threefold loss of light flux when passing through the filter, which, among other things, imposed restrictions due to overheating of the matrix, low color rendering quality, and a more complex technology for the production of color LCoS chips.
History
history of technology
The prehistory of the emergence of LCoS technology begins in the 60-70s of the XX century. And, like many other technologies, including DLP, it was born thanks to military orders.
In 1972, the LCLV was invented at the Hughes Research Labs of Howard Hughes' Hughes Aircraft Company, which at that time was the center of the most advanced research in the field of optics and electronics. Liquid Cristal Light Valve - liquid crystal optical modulator ). For the first time, LCLV technology was used to display information on large screens in US Navy command and control centers. Back then, these devices could only display static information.
The development of technology continued and the term English. Liquid Cristal Light Valve was replaced by English. Image Light Amplifier (ILA) as more appropriate.
ILA differs from D-ILA in that liquid crystals are controlled by a photoresist, which is subjected to a modulating beam generated by a cathode ray tube.
In the early 90s, Hudges and JVC decided to join forces to work on ILA technology. September 1, 1992 was the official date for the formation of the joint venture Hughes-JVC Technology Corp.
The first commercial projector based on ILA technology was demonstrated by JVC in 1993. Over 3,000 of these projectors were sold during the 1990s.
The use of a cathode ray tube as an image modulator in ILA devices imposed restrictions on the resolution, dimensions, and cost of the device and required complex alignment of optical paths. Therefore, JVC continues to research to create a revolutionary new reflective matrix that would solve these problems while maintaining the advantages of the technology. And in 1998, the company demonstrates the first projector made using D-ILA technology, in which the image modulating device in the form of a CRT beam - photoresist bundle is replaced by CMOS control elements implemented in the semiconductor structure of the substrate - hence the name of the "direct drive ILA" technology - ILA with direct control. Sometimes D-ILA stands for "digital ILA" (digital ILA), this is not entirely true, but it also correctly reflects the essence of the changes in D-ILA technology from analog device controlled (CRT) ILA.
There was also an intermediate, also already digital, technology between ILA and D-ILA, which was not widely used - FO-ILA, - where the control cathode ray tube was replaced by a bundle of fiber optics (Fiber Optic), which transmitted a modulating signal from the surface of a monochrome monitor.
first wave
second wave and disappointments
Philips
Despite multi-million dollar plans, Philips is wrapping up LCoS production by the end of 2004.
Intel
In January 2004 at CES, Full HD took over a significant share of it, making LCoS technology mass. However, by the end of 2004, Intel announced that this project was being phased out.
The main reason for this was most likely not technological problems (although LCoS chips are much more complicated in production than CMOS chips - processors), but the lack of market prospects - by this time it had already become clear that the FullHD TV market would be captured by more technologically advanced and cheaper LCD TVs. And the market for projection TVs and projectors per se is too small to justify the investment.
Intel spent 5 years and $50 million on LCoS technology. investment
Sony
The first SXRD projector (based on a proprietary chip) was demonstrated by Sony in June 2003. The following year, Sony announced a projection TV based on SXRD technology. By 2008, the company had phased out all projection TVs, including models based on SXRD technology.
But the company did not refuse to release projectors. Today, Sony launches installation projectors with a resolution of 4096x2160 (based on the 4K-SXRD chip) and aperture up to 11000 ANSI lumens
Advantages and disadvantages of technology
Benefits determined by the technological capabilities of LCoS compared to competing 3LCD and DLP technologies:
- Greater coefficient of useful filling of the working space of the matrix. Since LCoS control elements are placed behind the reflective layer, they do not interfere with the passage of light, unlike translucent LCD matrices, which reduces the "mesh" of the image and minimizes the "comb effect". The distance between the matrix elements is only a few tens of micrometers, and the fill factor (the ratio of the total working area of the pixels to the total area of the matrix) for LCoS exceeds this figure for both LCD projectors and DLP.
- LCoS chips are more resistant to powerful radiation than DLP and LCD matrices. That allows you to make the most powerful installation projectors using LCoS technology.
- LCoS is ahead of LCD and DLP in terms of the maximum available resolution.
- Deeper blacks and higher contrast than 3LCD projectors.
- The response time of liquid crystals of the LCoS matrix is less than the crystals used in transmissive matrices in 3LCD technology.
- LCoS inherits the advantages of 3LCD technology over single-chip DLP projectors - no flicker and "rainbow effect".
Projectors based on LCoS
Despite the disappointments of the mass market players, LCoS technology continues to attract interest from manufacturers and consumers.
Projectors based on it are positioned in the segment of the highest quality level and in the professional field of application - ultra-large resolution projectors for cinemas.
To date, projectors using LCoS technology (D-ILA, SXRD) are produced by Canon, LG, Barco, CrystalView, DreamVision.
Projector store in Moscow HDtime invites you to shop! On the shelves of our store you will find a wide range of projectors of different price categories and characteristics, both for home and office. Multimedia equipment available in our store are projectors for home cinema, as well as for use in the office. You will be pleasantly pleased with the prices of goods presented in our store from the most famous manufacturers, for the quality of which we are ready to vouch.
How to choose the right projector?
No matter how high the requirements for technology, you always want to buy a projector as inexpensively as possible. In our online store in Moscow, you can choose the best model among multimedia presentation equipment and home projectors and buy it inexpensively - at the lowest prices in Moscow.
Pay your attention to a variety of promotions and discounts - this will help you make an even better purchase. We make sure that you are satisfied with the cooperation with our store, so we are always ready to meet halfway and help with the choice.
You don't have to be a technical expert to choose a home projector. It is enough to decide on the answers to a few key questions.
It is important to understand what exactly you will use the projector for: it depends on whether an inexpensive home projector is suitable for you or it is better to turn your attention to more expensive and multifunctional, powerful equipment. In general, the price of the projector is determined by its characteristics: the price starts at an average of 10 thousand rubles and confidently tends to infinity.
Before you start looking for the perfect projector, decide:
- Why do you need a projector?
- what price range is acceptable for you;
- Do you have maintenance requirements?
For more advanced users and those who are able to clearly articulate their purchase requirements, there are a number of preferred features. These include:
- color quality;
- brightness and contrast;
- methods of installation of equipment;
- connectors and interface options;
- support for additional functions (3D);
- lamp capabilities and other nuances.
Selecting the type of projector
Conventionally, we can divide all projectors into three types.
In most cases, the use of the projector is planned in a room where there is a light source. It can be an office, lecture hall, office and any other similar room. That is why one of the key criteria for projectors designed to work in such conditions is the ability of technology to produce a bright image, regardless of the presence of artificial lighting. Most often, such projectors have rather modest dimensions, they can be transported from place to place, they are mobile. Focusing on this type of equipment, you can buy a projector for a school or office to make presentations, accompany reports, etc.
Another frequent request: buy a projector for a cinema. These are more professional models, they work with the lights off, so the brightness of the image is not the main thing here. The main thing is color reproduction and contrast. It will not be superfluous and the possibility of demonstrating 3D video.
Well, the third type is installation projectors, which are the most powerful and professional equipment. The possibilities of such technology are far beyond those that any home projector is capable of.
In our online store you will find a variety of models of equipment, both professional and home projectors. Take the opportunity to buy a cheap home theater projector to use the technique for watching movies. The best prices and excellent quality are waiting for you! In addition to a great image, you can save a lot: pay the price of the projector once and forget about expensive movie tickets, because now you will have your own personal cinema! Thanks to this multimedia equipment, you can expand your range of opportunities and enjoy your favorite movies while sitting comfortably at home on your favorite couch.
Shopping at Hdtime online store
We are happy to help you choose a projector that will fully meet your requirements and at the same time will have an affordable price. Even if your technical knowledge is very modest, do not forget that the Hdtime store has a team of professionals who are always ready to help and find the best option.
Choose wisely, deciding in favor of quality, and then your projector will please you for a long time with uninterrupted excellent work. Happy and profitable shopping!
Judging by the statistics, this topic is of interest to many readers and I will gladly continue it.
Today, as I promised, we will talk about LCD technology, or rather 3LCD (why I will tell you below).
If we turn to the great and terrible Wiki, then the history of the emergence of LCD projectors goes back to the 70-80s of the last century, when an American inventor Gene (Eugene) Dolgoff (judging by the name and surname of a native American) began development and brought to life the design of the LCD- a projector capable of competing with the then “God” of projectors - a CRT-based device (cathode ray tube).
Accordingly, the first LCD projectors contained a single LCD matrix, similar to those used in televisions. The advantage of this scheme was simplicity. But in fact, a drawback immediately emerged - with an increase in the power of the light source, which was necessary to increase the luminous flux, and as a result of the brightness of the image, the LCD panel began to overheat. The result of “work on the bugs” was the emergence in 1988 of a technology called 3LCD, and in 1989, 3 companies Epson, InFocus and Sharp released the first projectors based on it.
What did the engineers come up with, and where did the name 3LCD come from?
How a 3LCD projector works. To form an image, a system of lenses, dichroic mirrors and three LCD matrices are installed in the 3LCD projector. It all works like this. The light from the source (in the case of an LCD projector, it is always a lamp, since the only LCD LED projector prototype presented by Epson never went to the masses) falls on the so-called dichroic mirrors installed in the optical unit. These mirrors (filters) transmit light of one of the colors (light in a certain spectrum) and reflect the rest of the light. Passing through a system of mirrors, the light is divided into 3 main components R, G, B (red, green and blue), each of the colors falls on the LCD matrix intended for it.
By themselves, the matrices installed in the LCD projector are monochrome (that is, they form a black and white image). They work in the same way as in LCD TV, i.e., unlike the DLP chip, they do not reflect, but transmit light, and at high magnification, figuratively, they are a lattice, where the bars carry control channels, and voids between the bars - pixels - points of the image.
These same pixels can close and open, thereby passing or not passing light (or passing it partially). When light hits the matrix of one of the colors, the LCD panel forms an image of this color and sends it to a prism, where the images of three colors are added to a full-color image, then sent through the lens to the screen. Hence the name 3LCD. I hope the description is clear, and if not, watch the video describing my tirade clearly.
Such a scheme, as usual, has its advantages and disadvantages.
Due to the fact that the image is formed inside the projector, and it hits the screen already “blinded”, and is not displayed by color, it is believed that the image from LCD projectors is less straining on the eyes. In Japan, there have even been studies on this topic, and they seem to have proved this fact, but I have no evidence of this, nor evidence to the contrary. But the fact remains that in LCD and LCOS projectors the picture is projected onto the screen in full color, in single-matrix DLP projectors it is a sequence of color images added in the brain.
One of the benefits stemming from the paragraph above is the absence of the “rainbow effect” I talked about in my post about DLP projectors. Here it cannot exist as such.
The next positive point in the three-matrix system is the constancy and high brightness of the color image. I have already said that when it comes to office DLP projectors, manufacturers use a white segment in the color wheel to increase brightness, which spoils color reproduction. In the case of an LCD projector, the light is also absorbed by the system components, but in the end, LCD projectors turn out to be more profitable in terms of efficiency when displaying a color image, and their color reproduction quality does not depend on the brightness of the projector.
The disadvantages of LCD projectors are non-convergence, low black level and low contrast, the so-called Screen door effect and “matrix burn-in”.
Not mixing. In fact, this deficiency is quite rare. It consists in the appearance of colored contours of objects on the image. The fact is that, as you already know, the projector uses three matrices, each of which is responsible for its own color. If these matrices are not set accurately enough in relation to each other, then the picture of one color will slightly “move out” in relation to images of other colors, then, for example, you can see a blue outline to the right of the object, and a red one to the left. Fortunately, LCD projector manufacturers are very fine-tuning the position of the panels, despite their tiny size (and imagine how big the pixels are in them!), so this misalignment usually does not exceed half a pixel (such a contour can only be seen close to the screen, and this is absolutely does not affect the image). But of course, there are cases when non-convergence can be 2 or 3 or more pixels. In this case, the user has a direct road to the service or to the seller.
Contrast and black level. DLP projectors, having appeared in 1996, made a splash in terms of black color and contrast, and from the first days, fans of this technology and manufacturers of DLP projectors actively promoted this advantage over the “oldies” in the face of LCD devices. Indeed, you could see the difference in black between DLP and LCD projectors with the naked eye. Where Malevich's "Black Square" looked really close to black on a DLP projector, LCD projectors gave out frank gray. Manufacturers of LCD matrices have begun modifying their panels, and today, about ten generations of these devices have changed (DMD chips have changed 4 generations). And one of the things that improved from generation to generation was black levels and contrast. Today it can be stated that in home theater projectors, the best representatives of the LCD camp are not inferior, and sometimes even surpass their “DLP friends” in terms of contrast and black level. AT office area and in education, the gap in numbers and viewing in the dark remains, but firstly, it is no longer so noticeable, and secondly, black color and contrast during presentations in ambient light conditions are not so important, because black on a white screen in the light in principle, no, and cannot be.
Screen door effect. This favorite item of ardent “DLPers” “pleased me even at a time when monitors were square, and one could only dream of a 720p projector. Screen door effect is the so-called “lattice effect”. The thing is that the distance between the pixels of the DMD chip, LCD chip and LCOS chip is different. This is due to the control of chips: in LCOS and DMD, the operation of individual pixels is controlled “behind” the chip, while with the “translucent” LCD technology this is impossible, and to control the cells of the chip, it is necessary to lay control channels between them. Thus, the distance between pixels in the LCOS panel is minimal, and the useful area of the chip is maximum. In LCD, on the contrary, the minimum of the three technologies is the useful area of the chip and the maximum distance between image points. DLP is in between.
Despite the fact that the resolution of projectors is growing, some manufacturers of DLP projectors continue to insist that when viewing an image from an LCD projector, a grating can be seen on the screen. If you sit close to the screen - I agree with that. But if you look at the image from an adequate distance ... With SVGA resolution on a screen 2 meters wide, we have a pixel 2.5 mm in size, and the distance between them is a little less than a millimeter, and if desired, and at a distance of up to 3 meters from the screen, you can see the grating . At XGA resolution, the pixel size becomes less than 2 mm, at WXGA - 1.5 mm, at FullHD - 1 mm. What pixels and lattices can we talk about? Of course, you can see the pixels on Retina iPhone display... With a magnifying glass! But the viewer does not look at the pixels, but at the picture, and here, with the normal quality of the content, you don’t notice any pixels.
"Matrix burnout". Have you ever seen a yellow image on a projector? No, not in the sense of a yellow lemon in the picture, but the whole image that smacks of yellow! There can be three reasons for such an incident.
Cigarette smoke. Often in bars, projectors hang. If smoking is allowed in the room where the projector is hung, the projector will start to turn yellow some time after installation.
It's all about cigarette smoke and the tar it contains. When deposited on the optical components of the projector, they turn into a yellow coating, which makes the image yellow and reduces brightness. And no matter what technology is used (some manufacturers of DLP projectors claim that they have a sealed optical block, so this problem does not concern them, the resin settles everywhere, including on the lens) - sooner or later the image will fade and turn yellow. And cleaning the optics from this muck is still a problem, so in a bar it is better to isolate the projector from smokers to the maximum.
Wrong setting. Everything is trite here - for example, the color temperature is set too low and voila, the image is too warm.
And finally, the “matrix burn-in” of the LCD projector. Specifically, the degradation of the polarizer of the LCD panel, which is responsible for the formation of the blue component of the image, as a result of which the image does not receive blue color and, as a result, yellowness appears.
At one time, TI (Texas Instruments), a manufacturer of DMD chips and the main opponent of LCD manufacturers on the market, conducted a study that showed that degradation occurs after 3000 hours. But the conditions under which these studies were carried out seem to be very controversial. They took the most compact, and therefore designed for mobile presentations on the road, projectors and launched them around the clock. Manufacturers of such equipment never claim that it is designed for round-the-clock operation, and mobile projectors in general are usually used no more than 3-4 hours a day.
Under normal operating conditions, degradation occurs much later - this time. 3,000 hours is 3 years of daily (on weekdays) four-hour presentations - that's two. Since the experiment, and it was carried out, if my memory serves me, in the year 2004-2005, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge and 5 generations of LCD panels have changed - that's three. Today, I would no longer pay attention to such statements.
For reference: at home, I’ve been using an LCD projector for 5 years now - it’s not that yellowness has appeared, I haven’t even changed the lamp yet (this is a word about users’ fear that the lamp needs to be changed often)!
And finally, let's get back to the good. Another significant advantage of LCD projectors is lens shift. Of course, a lens shift system can be installed in virtually any projector (regular sizes), but only in "entry" level LCD projectors it is present, while in DLP and LCOS-cameras, these will be devices of a different price range. Why did I use quotes? Because today the most affordable of FullHD-projectors with lens shift costs about 50 thousand rubles.
I have already spoken about “Lens Shift” more than once, including in the previous article in the cycle about DLP projectors, but once again I will remind you what it is. If the projector has a lens shift (Lens Shift) or, as it is also called “Lens Shift”, this means that the projector has a lens system that allows you to move the image without moving the projector itself. The shift is vertical and horizontal. Vertical lens shift has a larger range than horizontal and is much more common (until recently, it was only found in mid-range DLP projectors, and horizontal was added to high-end models). What is its function? To simplify the installation of the projector. Imagine a situation where there is no way to center the projector on the screen, but there is lens shift. In this case, the projector is installed, for example, to the left of the screen, and the picture is shifted to the right with a wheel, lever or button on the case or remote control (depending on the model of the projector). Accordingly, lens shift can be manual (wheel) or motorized (button). Unlike simply rotating or tilting the projector, lens shift does not produce keystone distortion that requires electronic correction to distort the original image. An example of how manual lens shift works is shown in the video.
The thing is mega-comfortable!
Well, that seems to be all that I wanted to tell you about 3LCD projectors. If I forgot something, comments are welcome.
The next article in this series will focus on LCOS. Don't switch
All projectors, as well as screens, lamps, mounts and other accessories are in my .
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CANON was founded in 1937 and quickly became known as a manufacturer of quality photographic equipment. The company entered the market of professional installation projectors relatively recently, but now many projects use CANON projection solutions based on LCOS technology. About this technology, about the most interesting models of the XEED line, as well as about the cases in which the manufacturer's projectors "lit up", says the company's projector specialist Alexei Makarov.
How did the history of CANON projectors begin?
CANON started producing projection lenses in 1990, and this was a logical step in the development of a lens company. After all, a projector, in fact, is a camera in reverse: light enters the camera from the outside and is focused on the matrix through the lenses, while in the projector the image appears inside and is focused on the screen through the lens.
LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) technology was developed by JVC Corporation.
The principle of operation of an LCoS projector is close to 3LCD, but LCoS does not use translucent LCD matrices, but reflective ones. On the substrate of the LCoS-crystal there is a reflective layer, on top of which there is a liquid crystal matrix and a polarizer. Under the influence of electrical signals, liquid crystals either cover the reflective surface or open, allowing light from an external source to reflect off the crystal's mirror substrate.
The benefits of LCOS technology include:
- Greater coefficient of useful filling of the working space of the matrix. Since LCoS control elements are placed behind the reflective layer, they do not interfere with the passage of light, unlike translucent LCD matrices, which reduces the "mesh" of the image and minimizes the "comb effect". The distance between the matrix elements is only a few tens of microns and the fill factor is higher than that of LCD and DLP.
- LCoS chips are more resistant to powerful radiation than DLP and LCD matrices, since all elements are placed on a cooling substrate.
- LCoS is ahead of LCD and DLP in terms of maximum available resolution.
- LCoS provides deeper blacks and higher contrast than LCD.
- The response time of the liquid crystals of the LCoS matrix is less than that of the crystals used in translucent matrices in LCD technology.
What innovation did CANON bring to its products, given that third-party manufacturers were involved in the development of the actual projection technology?
First of all, a good optical system - lenses. To LCOS technology, we have added better light transmission both in the internal path and outside, and, in addition, LCOS itself (its improved version, called AISYS) is also made by us. The word XEED stands for the name of the projector line, and if the model is marked in this way, you can be sure that inside the projector there is a real LCOS and real CANON technologies. Another important point: LCOS projectors are always very small size, allowing us to make some of the smallest 4K projectors in the world.
What is special about the optics of CANON projectors?
In projection devices, good optics are of the utmost importance. A range of CANON projector lenses use true aspherical lenses and true ED optics to achieve depth of field, significantly better focus across the entire screen area, and the ability to project images on complex surfaces, not just flat screens. Also, expensive lenses can eliminate such unpleasant phenomena as chromatic aberration, when some color separation is visible at the edges of the frame, associated with the passage of light along the edges of the lens.
If we are talking about 4K projectors, then they can also do the so-called “peripheral focusing”. This is important for objects such as, say, flight simulators where curved screens are used. Here, both the edges of the screen and the center should be in focus, and CANON 4K projectors have very tricky fixed lenses that allow for complex peripheral focusing. This is precisely the optical system, not software capabilities. Projectors XEED LCOS technology are positioned as installation and therefore all models in this series are suitable for creating multi-projections: they easily cope with geometric distortions.
Among other advantages, I would also note low weight: a 4K projector weighs about 17 kilograms and is one of the smallest in the world. So if you have a slightly larger budget than standard DLP and don't need huge lumens, LCOS projectors can be used with great success.
Tell us about the models of projectors for multi-projections
Examples of using Canon projectors for multi-projection
At a Canon in-house event in Austria: 8-projector stitching projecting a city panorama onto a large screen in high light
In flight simulators
A'DAM Toren Observation Deck, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: two projectors shine on a model of the city of Amsterdam. This is an ordinary video mapping, it tells its story, shows the sights, it all looks great.
Mobile planetarium in Germany (together with AV Stumpfl).
Museum of the history of the city of Borovichi, Borovichi region: two projectors show various artifacts on the screen in 3D.
Museum complex "Kulikovo field" (Tula region, the village of Monastyrshchino). Biggest project of 2016, honored with a special prize at the ProIntegration Awards 2016
The two hottest models to date are the WUX6010 and the most recent WUX6500, our seventh generation of installation projectors with LCOS technology, motorized zoom, lens shift, focus and a choice of five interchangeable objects. The stitching function is also built into the projectors, and working with this option is extremely simple: you set the area of the frame and select the thickness of the overlap from the menu. In general, everything. That is, for simple installations, you can simply take two projectors and quickly stitch them together by pressing a button in the menu. More complex projects will require some software, but in any case, with projectors of this class, you can make wonderful multi-projections, and we have a lot of examples of such installations: this is a stitching of 8 projectors at a Canon internal event, and the A'DAM Toren observation deck, where two projectors shine on the layout of the city of Amsterdam and, using video mapping, tell the history of the Dutch capital, show its main attractions, and a mobile planetarium in Germany, where CANON projectors are used along with additional equipment and software.
In Russia, our partner, the A3V company, actively uses our projectors in various museum installations: in the Museum of the History of the City of Borovichi, in the Kulikovo Field Museum Complex. The latter was the largest project for CANON last year and was awarded a special prize at the ProIntegration Awards 2016. In total, about 30 of our projectors, including the WUX6010, are used in this project.
How much do these installation devices cost?
WUX6010 retails for 350 thousand rubles without a lens. The cost of the latter starts from 47 thousand. A more compact version of the XEED WUX500, which is equipped with the same technologies as its older brother, but with a fixed lens with a 1.8x zoom, costs 350 thousand rubles with a lens. Here, focusing, zooming and lens shift will have to be done manually, and this is the main difference between these two models, but if you put up with the need to adjust everything manually, then for this amount you get a professional installation projector weighing only about 6 kg. You can take it with you in your bag and easily place it in the cabin of the aircraft.
Are there short throw devices in the CANON projector range?
Of course, because they are very convenient. There are no very bright projectors in the CANON portfolio, and when it is possible to use a cheaper short-throw projector instead of an expensive bright projector that is installed far from the screen, we always remind the customer of this: the cable is saved, and the light does not hit the eyes, and can be used for rear projection when there is not much space behind the screen. The CANON lineup includes the WUX450ST short throw projector with a complex non-zoom lens. Its cost is 500 thousand rubles, but it is not in vain that it costs such money, because the scope of its application is incredibly wide. By the way, at the ISE 2017 exhibition, I first saw a table specially made for this projector: the projector was mounted under the tabletop and displayed the image at the level at which people are used to seeing it.
The fact is that this projector has a huge vertical lens shift, and this function is somewhat unique. The image is not distorted, not defocused, which opens up great opportunities: the projector can be mounted under the table and show the picture from above, or mounted to the ceiling and lower the picture down. The geometry is also easy to deduce.
In the project of the A3V company, the Kulikovo Field Museum, you can see a timeline indicating various historical events that have taken place in Rus' over the centuries. At first glance, it seems that the entire image on the wall is formed by two projectors, but in fact there is a third one, which is hidden from below. Due to the large lens shift, the image is aligned in geometry without any problems.
Examples of using the WUX450ST projector
In the city of Utrecht, near Amsterdam, recently, where everything but food is a projection. It is everywhere: on the walls, on the table, and even on the visitors. Projectors are placed under the ceiling, and mechanisms are screwed to the tables, which sometimes make the tables shake, a large fan also creates a certain effect. In the complex, all this is such a kind of 3D restaurant. A huge number of short-throw projectors are used here, precisely because there is little space and it is impossible to shine into people's eyes. CANON devices do their job perfectly.
ISE2015: co-installation with AV Stumpfl - a large number of projectors under the ceiling, which illuminate a large surface of the floor and walls. All this is bright, colorful and at the same time quite budgetary.
Museum of Artistic Culture of the Novgorod Land (in the process of building the exposition). Under the ceiling 10 Canon short throw projectors
What was interesting at the CANON booth at ISE 2017?
I would single out one of the installations: a special mirror was installed next to the large screen, onto which our laser-phosphorus projector projected an image. The mirror displayed the picture on a huge screen, allowing the viewer to feel himself in the thick of things: various images, panoramic photographs and so on grew before his eyes. Looked impressive and innovative.
And I would also like to tell you about the installation created jointly with the Enfitek company. They have developed a special kind of passive 3D: these are special filters that are placed either inside the projector lens or directly in front of it. To view the image, special passive glasses are used. In the installation at our booth, a rear projection was made using two 4K projectors mounted behind a screen, which, using Enfitek filters, showed a real 4K 3D image with real-time rendering. Together, this was intended to create interest in the use of high resolution projectors in all kinds of visualization projects. By the way, LCOS projectors are most often used for passive 3D.
Where can I buy Canon projectors?
One of our largest and most active distributors is the Merlion company, which always has a warehouse stock of equipment. Also, CANON equipment can be purchased from A3V, an integrator that deals with museum equipment, and from our new partner, Askrin.
Another of our distributors is located in Perm, this is the Audiovisual Systems company, which is engaged in large, serious projects - flight simulators, planetariums - and has accumulated vast experience in this difficult business. Therefore, if you have complex projects and many technical issues, you may well cooperate with them.
I am happy to answer your questions in person, offline, by phone or by email. e-mail. So write, let's talk.
The VPL-HW30ES has replaced the VPL-HW20 in Sony's new line of cinema projectors. Outwardly, the models are very similar, the declared characteristics also practically coincide, however, the "thirty" has one very important difference - it supports stereoscopic mode in conjunction with shutter glasses.
Passport characteristics, scope of delivery and price
| Passport characteristics | |
| Projection technology | SXRD |
| Matrix | 0.61″ (15.4 mm), 3 panels, 16:9 |
| Matrix resolution | 1920×1080 |
| Lens | zoom 1.6x, F2.52-3.02, f=18.7-29.7mm |
| Lamp | 200W UHP |
| Lamp life | There is no data |
| Light flow | 1300 ANSI lm |
| Contrast | 70,000:1 (full on/full off, dynamic) |
| Projected image size, diagonal, 16:9 (in brackets - the distance to the screen at the extreme zoom values) | minimum 1.02 m (1.20 - 1.84 m) |
| maximum 7.62 m (9.31 - 14.1 m) | |
| Interfaces |
|
| Component analog video Y/Cb/Cr (Y/Pb/Pr): 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i | |
| analog RGB signals: VGA-WXGA: 640x350-1280x768 (MonInfo report) | |
| digital signals (HDMI): 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, [email protected]/50/60Hz, 640x480-1920x1080 (MonInfo report) | |
| Noise level | 22 dB (in dimmed mode) |
| Peculiarities |
|
| Dimensions (W×H×D) | 407.4×179.2×463.9mm |
| Weight | 10 kg |
| Power consumption | 300W maximum, 8W or 0.5W standby |
| Supply voltage | 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz |
| Contents of delivery |
|
| Additional accessories |
|
| Link to the manufacturer's website | |
| Medium current price (number of offers) in Moscow retail (ruble equivalent - in a tooltip) | $2193() |
Appearance
The design of the projector is very neat and strict. The case is black (but there is also a modification in a white case - VPL-HW30ES/W). Body material - plastic. The surface of most of the body is matte, and only the top panel is mirror-smooth, apparently with a coating that is relatively resistant to scratches. On the top panel, closer to the lens, there are two status indicators and lens shift wheels. The lens is recessed into the body, but still slightly protrudes beyond the dimensions. Control buttons, including a miniature joystick, are placed on the right side surface.
Below, in a shallow niche - interface connectors. There is only one IR receiver - in front.
The projector is equipped with two front feet that can be screwed out (by 10 mm) from the chassis to correct slight skew and/or slightly raise the front of the projector when placed on a horizontal surface. There are 3 threaded metal bushings embedded in the bottom of the projector for mounting to a ceiling bracket. The lamp cover and air filter cover are on the bottom, but they do not go beyond the triangle of mounting holes, so there may be ceiling brackets that are designed to allow you to change the lamp and remove the filter for cleaning / replacement without dismantling the projector from the bracket. Air for cooling the insides is taken in through numerous grilles (but not the bottom itself) and blown out through two symmetrical grilles in the front of the case (mainly through the right).
Remote controller
The design is made in corporate identity, including ribbing on the bottom surface. The body of the remote control is made of black plastic with a matte finish. On the sides there are plastic inserts with a silver coating. The remote is comfortable in the hand. There are few buttons, the most necessary, including a group with a four-position navigation button in the center and three rocker buttons for quickly changing the most important settings images are easily found by touch. There is a uniform and fairly bright blue LED backlighting of all buttons, except for three in the first row, which are phosphorescent.
Switching
The planned tendency to get rid of composite and S-Video interfaces in Full HD devices is supported - they are not in this projector. The projector is equipped with two HDMI, VGA and component inputs. The mini D-sub 15 pin connector is universal - it is compatible with both computer VGA signals and component color difference and GBR video signals. The type of video signal on this connector is determined automatically, but you can force it. Switching between sources is carried out by searching through all using the button INPUT on the projector cabinet or remote control. However, if the auto search function is enabled, the projector automatically skips inactive inputs. The minijack socket is for connecting an external IR receiver. Declared limited support for HDMI control - the projector can automatically turn on when you turn on (start to play) the connected via HDMI equipment, on the contrary, turn off the connected equipment when you turn it off. However, the connected projector was not detected and did not react to commands in any way. The RJ45 connector is for connecting an external shutter spectacle sync emitter. The point is that the user can use the available network cables desired length and standard connectors for connecting the optional TMR-PJ1 emitter. The RS-232C interface, apparently, is intended for remote control and, possibly, firmware updates.
Menu and localization
The menu uses a readable even font. Navigation is convenient and economical. When adjusting parameters that affect the image, a minimum of information is displayed on the screen - only a list of modes or sliders - which makes it easy to adjust the picture.
The bottom line displays a hint on the functions of the buttons. There is a Russian version of the menu, the translation is adequate, except that there are too many abbreviations.
The projector is supplied with a printed detailed guide user in Russian. Translation quality is high.
Projection control
Focusing and changing the focal length are carried out by two ribbed rings on the lens (the zoom ring has a ledge-lever). Two wheels adjust the position of the lens relative to the matrix (shift up to 65% of the projection height up and down vertically and up to 25% of the width to the right and left horizontally).
The limit of the allowed position of the lens is a rhombus, i.e. when shifting horizontally, the range of shifting vertically decreases and vice versa. There is a manual digital vertical keystone correction function. Protection of the lens from dust is provided by a translucent cover that is put on the lens and is not attached to the body in any way.
Several modes of geometric transformation will allow you to optimally fit the picture to the screen format:
Normal- the image without distortion is enlarged to the boundaries of the projection area, optimal for watching movies in 4:3 format, Full- the picture is enlarged and stretched to the boundaries of the projection area (up to a ratio of 16: 9), ideal for anamorphic films and films in HD quality, Increase- isotropic zoom to screen width, suitable for LetterBox format, Shir. increase- the same as Full, but with slightly more vertical stretch, so that the top and bottom are cut off a bit. In the case of computer signals, the choice is reduced to 3: Full 1— increase to the boundaries of the projection while maintaining the original proportions, Full 2- magnification over the entire projection area, and Increase. In mode Increase the image can be stretched / compressed in the vertical direction and the visible part can be moved up and down. There is a function to crop the edges of the picture Fig. off screen, while for 1080 modes you can turn off zoom to avoid interpolation. Optional function Extinguishing allows you to selectively crop the projection area on four sides. Function Straightening panels it has almost no practical significance, since it allows you to adjust the mixing of colors exclusively by software.
The projection type is selected in the menu (frontal/translucent, normal/ceiling mount). The projector is medium-focus, and at the maximum focal length of the lens, it is rather long-focus, so when projecting frontally, it is better to place it approximately on the line of the first row of viewers or behind it.
Image Adjustment
The standard set of settings is supplemented with a choice of aperture operation modes (two automatic with three speed levels and manual adjustment), adjustments for video noise reduction and elimination of MPEG compression artifacts, a choice of an advanced deinterlacing mode, a choice of a gamma correction profile and fine detail adjustment in the shadows. Function RPC(Real Color Processing) allows selective adjustment of selected colors.
Customization Colour. simplicity, affecting the color gamut, can be left at Wide 1, as the colors become creepier, but not parrot-like yet. (Depending on the current mode and connection type, some settings may not be available.) x.v.Color xvYCC color space is supported. Selecting for parameter Reg. Lamps meaning Short, you can reduce the brightness of the lamp, and at the same time the noise from the ventilation system. Setting combinations are stored in seven preset but editable profiles and two custom profiles. Also, picture settings are saved for each connection type. button RESET on the remote control, you can return the current parameter to the preset value.
Additional features
You can enable the automatic switch to low power mode (with lamp off) after 10 minutes of no signal.
Luminance measurement
Luminous flux, contrast and illumination uniformity were measured according to the ANSI method.
To correctly compare this projector with others that have a fixed lens position, measurements were taken with the lens shifted up by about 50% (the bottom of the image was approximately on the lens axis). Measurement results for the Sony VPL-HW30ES projector (unless otherwise indicated, the aperture is maximally open, the profile selected Dynamic and high brightness mode is on):
The maximum luminous flux is slightly higher than the passport value (declared 1300 lm). The uniformity is good. The contrast is high. We also measured contrast by measuring the illumination in the center of the screen for white and black areas, the so-called. contrast full on/full off.
Native contrast is high. It increases slightly as the focal length increases. Even when dynamic iris control is enabled ( Improved Aperture) the contrast is lower than the declared value of 70,000:1, but in this case this discrepancy is not of fundamental importance.
When switching from a black field (after 5 s shutter speed) to a white field in fast mode, the aperture fires in about 0.7 s, and in the slowest mode it does not open completely even in 5 s:
To assess the nature of the increase in brightness on the gray scale, we measured the brightness of 256 shades of gray (from 0, 0, 0 to 255, 255, 255) with gamma correction turned off (only with the settings Contrast and Brightness we adjusted the black and white levels to an extended range). The graph below shows the increase (not an absolute value!) in brightness between adjacent halftones:
The upward trend in the increase in brightness is maintained throughout the range, and each next shade is significantly brighter than the previous one, starting from the shade closest to black:
Approximation of the obtained gamma curve gave the value of the indicator 2,13 , which is slightly below the standard value of 2.2. At the same time, the real gamma curve practically coincided with the exponential function:
In high brightness mode, power consumption was 266 W, dimmed - 209 W, standby - 0,6 Tue
Sound characteristics
Attention! The reported sound pressure levels from the cooling system are based on our method and cannot be directly compared with the projector ratings.
| Mode | Noise level, dBA | Subjective assessment |
| high brightness | 31 | Very quiet |
| Reduced brightness | 25,5 | Very quiet |
The projector is quiet, and in dimmed mode it can be considered silent from a practical point of view. The dynamic iris is very quiet, you can actually hear it only if you press your ear against the projector body.
Video path testing
VGA connection
1920 x 1080 resolution is not supported with VGA connection. In the 1280x720 mode, everything is fine, and you can use it to watch movies and play games with a VGA connection. The shades on the gray scale vary from 0 to 255 in increments of 1.
DVI connection
When connected to the DVI output of a computer video card (using an HDMI to DVI adapter cable), modes up to and including 1920 by 1080 pixels at 60 Hz frame rate are supported. The white field looks evenly lit and has no color streaks. The black field is uniform, there are no glare and color streaks. The geometry is close to ideal - the deflection along the upper edge down when shifted up by 50% is only about 1-2 mm per 1.5 m of width. Clarity is high. Thin colored lines one pixel thick are output without losing color fidelity. Chromatic aberrations of the lens are small - in the center they are minimal, and towards the corners the width of the color border does not exceed 1/3 of a pixel. The dark border between pixels is practically absent. The uniformity of focusing is slightly disturbed in places, but not so much that it affects the image quality. When you shift the lens and change the focal length, the image quality does not change significantly.
HDMI connection
HDMI connection tested when connected to . 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i and [email protected]/50/60 Hz. The picture is clear, the colors are correct, overscan is turned off. There is real support for the 1080p mode at 24 fps (in this mode, the frames have equal duration), in addition, the projector can perform the reverse conversion - from interleaving frames 2-3 at 60 fps, restore the original 24 fps with equal frame duration. Subtle gradations of hue differ in both shadows and highlights. Brightness and color clarity are always very high.
Working with a Component Analog Video Source
The quality of the component interface is high. The clarity of the image corresponds to the capabilities of the interface and the type of signal. Test charts with color gradients and grayscale did not reveal any image artifacts. Weak gradations of shades in the shadows and in the light areas of the image are well distinguished. The color balance is correct.
Video signal processing functions
In the case of interlaced signals and if the parameter Movie mode installed in Auto 1 or Auto 2, the projector tries to completely restore the original frame using adjacent fields. In the case of 576i / 480i and 1080i signals, the projector usually glued frames correctly both in the case of alternating fields 2-2 and 3-2 (breakdowns happened, but rarely), and only in very difficult cases did the characteristic “comb” sometimes slip through. For regular resolution video signals, jagged edges are smoothed, but not for 1080i. The noise reduction functions work non-aggressively, without bringing the process of improving the picture to the appearance of artifacts.
This projector has a tweening function (the previous model did not have it). Note that this function can also be enabled in stereoscopic mode with a 24 fps signal. The function of inserting intermediate frames in the Russian version of the menu is not translated and is called motion flow. When it is turned on, the smoothness of movement and the clarity of objects in motion increase, the picture becomes more pleasing to the eye. When changing the level from Short before Tall increases the speed of movement in the block for which interpolation is performed. The quality of this function is high and in the vast majority of cases there will be no complaints about its work. However, films like "Avatar" (or rather, some fragments from this film) set a new bar: at the level Tall with a very fast and complex movement of the background, the calculation of intermediate images periodically stops for a couple of seconds and the picture is displayed in 24 fps mode, in addition, some foreground objects often have their twins from the phases of movement forward and backward in time. In such cases, it is better to choose the mode Short, in which clarity and smoothness are lower, but artifacts are less noticeable.
Apparently, at 60 fps, one intermediate frame is calculated, at 24 fps, two intermediate frames are calculated. To illustrate, here are pictures taken with the arrow moving one division per frame on the screen with the tween function enabled for 60 fps and 24 fps:
60 fps.
24 fps.
The segments between the divisions are the calculated intermediate positions of the arrow.
Determining response time and output delay
The peaks are narrow and not very intense, so no flicker is visible, but they interfere with the calculations. It can be roughly estimated that the response time for the black-white-black transition is 6,5 ms ( 5 ms on + 1,5 ms off). For halftone transitions, the average total response time was approximately 7,5 ms. Such a speed of the matrices is quite enough both for watching movies and for playing dynamic games.
The image output delay relative to the CRT monitor was about 15 ms at VGA-, and 22 ms for HDMI(DVI) connection (projector as primary monitor in systems). This is a small latency value that does not interfere with playing fast-paced games. When the tweening feature is enabled, the delay increases to 51 ms, which may already be noticeable, but in games it is still better to disable frame insertion.
Rating the quality of color reproduction
To assess the quality of color rendering, a spectrophotometer and was used.
Color gamut depends on setting value Colour. simple. At Wide 3 maximum coverage, Normal coverage is exactly sRGB:
Below are the spectra for the white field (white line) superimposed on the spectra of the red, green and blue fields (lines of the corresponding colors) at Colour. simple. = Wide 3 and at Normal:
Wide 3.
Normal.
It can be seen that the components are well separated, and this allows you to get a wide color gamut, and to bring it to the sRGB standard, it cross-mixes the components. Color reproduction closest to standard in case of profile Movie 1, taking it as a basis, we tried to bring the color reproduction closer to the standard 6500 K in the white and dark gray areas by adjusting the gain of the three primary colors. The graphs below show the color temperature in different parts of the gray scale and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (parameter ΔE):
The range close to black can be ignored, since the color rendering is not so important in it, and the measurement error of color characteristics is high. It can be seen that manual correction brought the color reproduction on the white field closer to the target, but for correction in the shadows, you must also use offset adjustments. However, even without correction, there are no particular complaints about the quality of color reproduction, since the changes in ΔE and color temperature are monotonous when moving into the dark area, which visually has little effect on the image.
Stereoscopic testing
To create a stereoscopic image, the full frame interleaving method is used. The projector sequentially displays frames for the right and left eyes, and the active glasses block the eyes in sync with the frames, leaving open the one for which the currently displayed frame is intended.
Glasses are not included in the delivery package of this projector, they will have to be purchased separately (however, the VPL-HW30AES modification with glasses and a synchronizer is included). Sony offers the TDG-PJ1 glasses for use with this projector. The glasses have an elegant design, they are comfortable to wear even with corrective glasses, the viewing angle is large enough, the glasses cover the head with flexible temples and are suitable for small and large heads. True, by modern standards, the glasses are a bit heavy - 59 g. The glasses come with a soft two-layer case designed to store the glasses. The glasses are powered by a built-in battery. It takes 30 minutes to fully charge, and the goggles last 30 hours on a single charge. 3 minutes of recharging provides 3 hours of operation (manufacturer's data). For charging, a cable (1.2 m) with micro USB and USB type A connectors is used. The first connector is connected to the connector on the glasses under the plug, the second to the power supply unit or port on the computer. The goggles do not charge while in use. Oddly enough, the projector comes with a small power supply unit with a USB socket, designed to charge the glasses. The glasses are synchronized by the IR signal from the projector. The receiver is located in the center between the panes. The glasses are turned on with a button on the top. Turn off - after a few minutes of no reception of the clock signal.
The sync emitter will also have to be purchased separately. It connects to the projector via a twisted pair cable. The manufacturer indicates that the cable length can be up to 15 m, and the emitter ensures the operation of glasses at distances from 1 to 9 m.
The projector supports three methods of receiving a stereo pair of packed frames, when two full frames (with a resolution of up to 1920 by 1080 pixels each) are transmitted for both eyes, and two combined formats: horizontal ( Nearby, in the right half of the frame a frame is compressed twice horizontally for one eye, in the left half - for the second), and vertically ( One above the other, similar to the previous one, only frames for the eyes are placed in the lower and upper half of the frame). In mode Auto the transmission method is determined automatically by the characteristics transmitted via HDMI.
Of course, regardless of how the projector receives a stereo pair, the 3D image is always displayed in sequential mode - a frame for one eye, then a frame for the other eye. There is also a mode for automatically converting an ordinary "flat" picture into a stereoscopic one, we did not test this mode. Note that in stereoscopic 1080p at 24 fps, you can enable the insertion of intermediate frames. There is an option in the stereoscopic settings 3D glasses brightness, which controls the duration of the period when the glasses transmit light. When changing from Max before Min(only 5 steps), the transparency period decreases, and the brightness of the visible image decreases accordingly.
We tested the packed frames stereoscopic mode using a computer equipped with a Blu-ray drive, while the AMD Radeon HD 6850 video card was responsible for displaying the image. Player - CyberLink PowerDVD 10 Ultra. Testing has shown that acceptable stereo image quality is achieved already at the second stage in the direction of lowering the brightness, while the image brightness remains at a sufficiently high level for comfortable viewing on a screen with a diagonal of 2-2.5 m, or maybe a little more. With a decrease in the transparency period, the brightness decreases, but a significant increase in the quality of the separation of stereopairs is no longer observed. To test the separation efficiency for the eyes, we ran three test images with a black box on a white background, a white box on a black background, and a light gray box on a dark gray background. In stereo pairs, the rectangles were shifted relative to each other, so when viewed through glasses at 100% separation, one would see only one rectangle. The photographs below were taken through glasses at a signal of 24 fps, while the exposure was chosen so that the white field in the photographs was as bright as possible, but not yet overexposed. 3D glasses brightness installed on Max(image brightness and glasses transparency period are maximum):
The separation quality does not change significantly when changing the frame rate of the input signal from 24 to 50 and 60 fps.
Brightness measurements through glasses made it possible to determine how much the brightness decreases in stereoscopic mode.
The data given in the last column needs comments. It should be taken into account that the perceived brightness of the image does not decrease when one eye is closed, and the measurements were carried out only through one glass. As a result, to estimate the maximum possible perceived brightness in stereoscopic mode, you need to multiply the data of the middle column by 2. The result of this action is shown in the last column.
findings
In the usual "two-dimensional" mode, the new Sony VPL-HW30ES projector is not much different from the previous Sony VPL-HW20 model, except that frame insertion has appeared. Here support for stereoscopic mode is a completely different matter. Yes, you will have to buy additional glasses and a synchronizer, but it's worth it, because in 3D mode the projector shows very well - with a minimum level of crosstalk at a fairly high brightness. In terms of the quality of the stereoscopic mode, this projector overtakes even the top model of the previous Sony line - the VPL-VW90ES projector.
Advantages:
- High image quality
- Low crosstalk and sufficiently high brightness in stereoscopic mode
- Very quiet operation
- Vertical and horizontal lens shift
- There is a function to insert intermediate frames
- Strict case design
- Convenient backlit remote control
- Russified menu
Disadvantages:
- 1920x1080 resolution not supported with VGA connection