What is the difference between LCD and DLP projectors?
Image Processing: LCD vs. DLP
LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and DLP (Digital Light Processing) are the two main image processing technologies used in projectors. They take white light from the source and use different methods to turn it into a color image.
LCD projectors split white light into red, green, and blue using dichroic mirrors. Each color passes through its own LCD panel, then all three colors are recombined through a dichroic prism and projected through the lens. LCD projectors are widely available above 10,000 lumens and are relatively affordable compared to DLP.
DLP projectors use a digital micromirror device (DMD), which is an array of microscopically small rotatable mirrors. Each mirror tilts on or off depending on the pixel information in the video signal. Three-chip DLP projectors have the highest brightness, the best video performance and fill factor, the best uniformity, and are the top choice for multi-projector blend applications.
Read more about projectors in our Comprehensive Guide to Projectors article.