Digital Light Processing can be considered as the pinnacle of science and technology that has focused its resources on the gigantic possibilities of improving digital entertainment. You may be wondering what digital light processing is and how it will help, or better yet, change digital entertainment. Here’s a sneak peek at what digital light processing is and what it looks like.
Digital light processing was originally developed in 1987 by Texas Instruments scientist Larry Hornbeck. Hornbeck had been testing experiments on how to manipulate reflected light since 1977 and developed the digital micromirror device. Five years after the development of Hornbeck’s Digital Micromirror Device, the Texas Institute began exploring the commercial possibilities of the Digital Micromirror Device. After a year of intense development, TI named its new technology Digital Light Processing, or DLP for short. His next step was to create a separate group to further develop commercial DLP display applications. His new group was aptly named the DLP Products division.
The prototype for Digital Light Processors was first seen in 1994. Recognizing how promising the new technology could be, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences chose Digital Light Processing to screen films at the Oscars. This was also the first time three-chip DLP technology was introduced in Hollywood.
The first public release of DLP was in 1999, with the release of the George Lucas film “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.” After the successful launch of DLP, more than two million DLP subsystems were shipped in December 2002.
The achievements of Digital Light Processing’s products were also recognized when they received two Emmy Awards. One was for excellence in transmission in 1998 and in 2003 for technology and engineering.
How does DLP or digital light processing work? DLP is basically a nanotech transformation of the basic survival technique of using a mirror to call for help. You may be wondering how such an advanced system compares to something so basic. Let me explain. The concept in both apps is the same, by shining a controlled series of light flashes on a target you can send a message. The mirror in the DLP box is part of an optical semiconductor that is the DMD, also known as a digital micromirror device. The DMD chip contains not just 1 but millions of microscopic mirrors, each 16 micrometers in size or less than five times smaller than a human hair.
The DMD chip works by translating graphics signals into a corresponding mirror. By adding a projection lens and light source, mirrors can reflect any image onto any available surface. Mirrors create light or dark images when tilted from a light source. This is achieved by tilting two small hinges attached to each mirror.
With the benefit of smooth, flicker-free images, without the burn-in effect experienced by plasma TVs, good color depth and contrast, and being smaller, thinner and lighter than CTR-based options, Digital Light Processing is is fast becoming a major player in the rear projection television market. Although the Texas Institute remains the sole developer of this technology, many companies that have seen the capabilities and promise of DLP have obtained licenses with the Texas Institute to market products based on and built on the DMD chipset.