MANY LCoS SUPPLIERS
The number of LCoS suppliers of chip sets and systems entering the market continues to balloon. According to its manufacturer, MicroDisplay Corp., the singlepanel FHD system offers more brightness levels, higher contrast ratios, and faster response times than other systems on the market. Used in 52-in. 1080p HD RPTVs, they deliver 400 nits of brightness and a contrast ratio of 700:1.
The eHD70 eXTREME digital1080p microdisplay from eLCOS also can deliver 4000:1 contrast ratios. It's been tested on JDS Uniphase's UltreX projection engine, which uses JDSU's proprietary Birefringent Compensating Element (BCE) for contrast enhancement. Also, JVC showed off its proprietary second-generation HD-ILA family of LCoS TVs last year. The company's Direct-Image Light Amplifier (D-ILA) technology powers the three-chip microdisplays.
A STRONGER OUTLOOK
Microdisplays for HD RPTVs face a much better future today as opposed to a couple of years ago. This is particularly true for LCoS and DLP technologies.
Large companies like LG Electronics plan to introduce 71-in. diagonal LCoS models, with SpatiaLight Inc. supplying LG with a tailored LCoS chip set. Hitachi, which previously dropped out of the LCoS market, waits in the wings with 60- and 70-in. LCoS models. Syntax Corp., a supplier of low-cost direct-view LCD TVs, also has a 50-in. LCoS model on the market, acquired through its controlling interest in Brillian Corp.
LCoS pioneer Brillian has been ramping up production of 720p and 1080p LCoS TVs on its Gen II LCoS process. According to the company, this process significantly decreases manufacturing costs.
In addition, Canon, which has investedin surface-emitting display (SED) technology, indicates it wants to enter the LCoS market for TVs with a system it presently uses in front projectors.
Still, Texas Instruments' DLP technology is a major force in many HD RPTV applications, with a market share of at least 25%, according to market analysts. Constant improvements to DLP technology have brought down the prices for DLP-based TVs. In fact, it's widely used on HD RPTVs made by Samsung.
TI's latest DLP improvement, reflected in its Smooth Picture approach, provides higher resolution and lower cost than the original DLP engines. Its digital micromirrors are oriented in a diamond pattern instead of the traditional rectangular pattern, while an optical actuator is used to shift the light path by a half-pixel sideways on alternate frames. As a result, the DLP engine can reproduce all of the pixels in a high-definition image using only half the number of micromirrors.
TI also enjoys a smoothly functioning supply chain with light engines based on its reference design and a long list of systems integrators. The supply chain has been a major problem for LCoS manufacturers. Typically, they deal with many different IP-based light-engine designs that have little commonality in available parts and manufacturing methodologies.
The fact remains that HD RPTVs are comparatively large and bulky compared with large-screen LC plasmapanel displays and have less perceived image quality. But that's the cost of very large screens, and apparently many home-theater enthusiasts don't mind this tradeoff.