A variety of front projectors capable of displaying full-HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) 3D images are on display at IFA2010, a trade show on consumer devices, which is running from Sept 3, 2010, in Berlin.
This time, Sony Corp announced that it will release a 3D front projector, while Mitsubishi Electric Corp, Sharp Corp, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, etc demonstrated their prototypes at the show. They are all single lens projectors. The competition among 3D projector manufacturers seems to be heating up in the Europe and US markets, where there is high demand for home projectors.
Sony
Sony's 3D front projector, "VPL-VW90ES," uses the "SXRD" reflective panel, which is based on the LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) method developed by the company, as a display element. The projector will be released in Europe in November 2010.
The size of the display element is 0.61 inches, and the pixel pitch is 0.2μm. By the frame sequential method, images are displayed for the right and left eyes at 240Hz. To view 3D images, active-shutter glasses are required.
The light source of the projector is a 200W high-pressure mercury lamp. The brightness is 1,000lm, and the contrast ratio is as high as 150,000:1.
Mitsubishi Electric
Mitsubishi Electric prototyped a 3D front projector with almost the same capabilities as the VPL-VW90ES and exhibited it at IFA2010. It uses the SXRD reflective panel as a display element and projects images for the right and left eyes at 240Hz by using the frame sequential method. The display element of the projector seems to be the same as that of the VPL-VW90ES.
Mitsubishi Electric aims to commercialize the projector at the end of 2010 for the European market. Though its detailed specifications have not been determined yet, the contract ratio and brightness of the prototype are 120,000:1 and 1000lm, respectively. At the trade show, the company was asking visitors to name the projector.
LG Electronics
LG Electronics Inc also demonstrated a 3D projector using the SXRD as a display element. The projector, which was announced at CES in 2010, has two optical engines and two lamps for each eye.
It projects images through one lens by using the circular polarized method. In the demonstration, the company projected images on a so-called "silver screen," whose light reflectance is higher than that of a normal screen.
Samsung showcased a projector that is based on the DLP method and capable of converting 2D images into 3D. The company plans to commercialize the projector in early 2011. As in the case of Sony's and Mitsubishi Electric's projectors, it displays 3D images by using the frame sequential method and requires active-shutter glasses for viewing 3D images. It has an HDMI 1.4 port.
Furthermore, Sharp exhibited a prototype of a 3D projector based on the DLP method and had a demonstration of projecting images by using the frame sequential method.
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