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DLP vs. LCD
DLP™ technology is superior to LCD projection in numerous ways. Digital Light Processing™ technology ensures that every pixel on your projected image gets exactly the same amount of light, there is no fading around the edges of the screen, and colours look sharp. DLP™ consists of one single chip, instead of three bulky LCD panels, resulting in smaller projectors without any loss of image quality. Reduced pixelation is another benefit of DLP™. LCDs were always known for their visible pixel structure, often referred to as the screen-door effect because it appears as though the picture is being viewed through a screen-door. Inherently, DLP™ will always give you the better visual image.
The Advantages of DLP™
Brighter: DLP projectors are among the brightest available because DLP technology brings more light from lamp to screen, resulting in more effective presentations even when ambient light is difficult to control.
Sharper: DLP projection's unique reflective technology comes closest to producing the exact mirror image of an incoming video or graphic signal, resulting in projection that's seamless at any resolution.
Versatile: DLP technology allows projectors to be small and light, often weighing as little as 1.8kg - making them versatile enough for use in conference rooms, living rooms and classrooms.
More Reliable: Display systems using DLPtechnology are able to recreate their incoming source material with each projection, ensuring a full-impact projection experience that will not fade over time.
How DLP™ Projection Works
DLP™ technology relies on the Digital Micromirror Device (DMD), a thumbnail-sized semiconductor. The DMD device acts as a light switch consisting of up to 1.3 million microscopic mirrors, each of which is able to tilt back and forth (on or off) at up to 5,000 times per second.
Incoming video or graphic signals are turned into a digital code of binary data (0s and 1s) that tilts the DMD mirrors accordingly. When the DMD panel is coordinated with a lamp, colour wheel and projection lens, these tilting mirrors combine to reflect a seamless digital image onto a presentation wall, movie screen, or television screen.
Aspect Ratio
What is a native aspect ratio and why does it matter?
"Aspect ratio" means the number of units wide by the number of units high of your display. A 4:3 display produces an image that is more square, and a 16:9 ratio produces an image that is more panoramic in shape.
There are currently two commonly manufactured native aspect ratios available for fixed display devices like DLP and LCD projectors, and Flat Panel TV's. Those two aspect ratios are 4:3 format (like the televisions and monitors most of us use) and 16:9 (also known as wide-screen) format.
There are also two different broadcast standards for television (16:9 format HDTV and 4:3 format NTSC) in Australia. DVD media also comes in both wide-screen and standard output options. Therefore, there isn't one obvious native resolution solution.
So how do I watch everything I want on a 4:3 or 16:9 projector or LCD TV?
Unless you limit the type of material to one aspect ratio or the other, there has to be a trade-off with either the 4:3 or the 16:9 options.
The good news is that the trade-off doesn't mean you can't watch what you want. It simply means you will see black bars on the top and bottom or along the sides of your image when viewing material that does not match the native resolution of your LCD TV or projector. But based on the type of entertainment you watch most frequently, you can make an informed decision about which is best for you.
Which aspect ratio is best for me?
For business uses such as PowerPoint™ presentations and viewing spreadsheets, 4:3 displays are still your best bet and you will still be able to take your projector home and watch movies on the weekends.
If you are looking for a display for home theatre, consider what you watch most often. The chart below outlines some general guidelines based on your viewing habits.
| Video Resource |
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4:3 Aspect Ratio |
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16:9 Aspect Ratio |
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| Will your new display replace your current television? |
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If so, you may want to select a 4:3 display to remain consistent with your current viewing habits, particularly if your neighbourhood does not currently have access to HDTV broadcasts. You will still be able to enjoy widescreen DVDs, and HDTV broadcasts when they become available. |
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If you have HDTV signals available in your area and you plan to upgrade to an HDTV receiver in the near future, a 16:9 LCD or DLP™ projector is a great choice for you. |
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| Will your new display become a part of a dedicated home theatre? |
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If so, and you typically watch VHS video tapes or DVDs in standard format, 4:3 is still a great choice for you. You can still enjoy widescreen DVDs when desired. |
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If so, and you want to watch primarily widescreen DVDs and HDTV movie broadcasts, 16:9 is the right choice for you. |
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| Advantages of each display format. |
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Whether from computers, standard NTSC TV broadcasts, video games, VHS and DVD movies, 4:3 broadcast content is available in abundance today. You can count on 4:3 content being around for years to come. |
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Widescreen images, particularly high-definition, look phenomenal. The technology has become standardised, broadcasters have been given a federal mandate to make HDTV available, and the prices are becoming accessible to the average consumer. |
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| Recommended applications for each display format. |
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Standard DVDs
Standard Australian television (NTSC)
Video games (console)
Video games (computer)
Computer presentations
VHS video tapes |
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Widescreen DVDs
HDTV broadcasts
Video games (console with select games and special adapters) |
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Cables & Connections
RCA or Composite Cables
These are the most common cables, used to hook up your standard VCR and stereo equipment. Typically, they are colour-coded: red, white, and yellow. Red is for right channel audio. White is for left channel audio. Yellow is for video. The entire video signal is transmitted by one cable. This is the lowest quality cable for a video source, but again, it is also the most common. Most new televisions, all video cam-corders, all VCRs, and all videodisc players will have RCA jacks for these cables.
S-Video
This cable might also be referred to as a SVHS cable and can be found on most high-end televisions, all videodisc players, cam-corders, digital cable and satellite set top boxes, and SVHS VCRs. S-video cables differ from composite cables in that they split video signal into two different components, luminance and chrominance. The S-video cable will offer marked improvement over a composite cable.
Component Cables
Component cables look just like composite cables. The difference is that, where a composite cable carries the entire video signal on a single cable, component cables split the signal in three. This connection gives a superior image over composite or S-video connections. The signal itself is referred to as either Y,Cr,Cb, or Y,Pb,Pr. Most manufacturers make connecting these cables easy by colour coordinating them. The tips of the cables and jacks will be red, green and blue. Unfortunately, this can be a bit confusing because computer RGB connections are coloured the same way. A good rule of thumb is that, if the connections are RCA type, it is usually a component cable. Computer RGB cables will usually be BNC type. Most high-end DVD players and HDTV tuners will have component connections.
VGA Cables
This is your standard monitor cable. It is typically male-to-male with three rows, 15 pins. A VGA cable is used for computer to monitor, or computer to projector connections. Its only home theatre application may be as a connection to a HDTV decoder.
DVI Connections
DVI - Digital Visual Interface
Digital Versus Analog
Digital Visual Interface connections allow users to create a digital-to-digital connection between their display and source.
The signal your television receives with an antenna is analog. Sometimes the picture is fuzzy, sometimes it comes in perfectly clear, and sometimes it fades in and out. With a digital signal, the signal is either on or off, so "fuzziness" is not possible. That is not to say that an analog signal always looks fuzzy. A high quality analog signal also produces beautiful, clear images. The signals are just not quite as consistent as digital.
DVI At A Glance:
DVI is the only current cable that can create a Digital-to-digital connection. Digital signals are comprised of a series of 1's and 0's. By comparison, an analog signal can be partially on or off. For example, an analog signal may measure 0.93 or a 1.09 rather than a 1. Some DVI connectors can support both digital and analog signals.
Digital to Analog to Digital -- Computers and Digital Displays
To experience the greatest benefits of using a digital display device, a digital connection is necessary. You may think that when you connect a computer, which is a digital device, to a digital display, you automatically have a digital to digital signal. However, without a digital cable connecting them, it is not the case.
When data from a computer leaves your computer memory, it has to go through what is called a RAMDAC (Random Access Memory Digital to Analog Converter), which converts the signal from digital to analog in order for a VGA or another analog cable to carry the signal to the monitor. Once converted, the VGA cable carries the signal to your monitor. If your monitor is a digital monitor, it has to be converted once more to digital.
Each conversion create small amounts of signal loss which impact the overall quality of the picture. DVI has eliminated the need for these conversions.
DVI is a relatively new standard, but is quickly being adopted by computer and projectors. Many expect that DVI will replace VGA as the most common connection for computers to displays. DVI is capable of processing large amounts of data at high speed, which is one reason for its success. High-bandwidth content like HDTV, and high-resolution display devices are becoming more popular and have outgrown current technology.
DVI Details
One additional benefit of DVI is that it can support both analog and digital connections. DVI-D is a smaller connector, and supports only digital signals. DVI-I is slightly larger and can accommodate both digital and analog signals.
DVI transfers data using what is called the transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS) protocol. The DVI protocol calls for at least one TMDS "link" which has three data channels (RGB) and one clock control channel. In some cases two or "dual" TMDS links may be used to increase the bandwidth of the connection.
ABN: 39 253 957 680
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