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The introduction of the widescreen TV format several years ago was
met with much scepticism and was slow to be adopted by broadcasters;
however the recent introduction of Digital TV, Plasma TV and DVD has
fuelled the home entertainment revolution to epic proportions!
For some, home cinema may well invoke a vision of ugly rear
projection TV, resembling something similar to an industrial brick
standing neglected in the corner of the living room; an impulsive
purchase of yesteryear, with an image so grainy that the picture can
hardly be distinguished. Today’s home cinema solutions could not be
further removed from this unpleasant vision. The technology
revolution has seen a rapid advancement in home theatre technology
and with it, a growing interest amongst an eclectic group of people
all seeking to own the experience.
The development of Digital Light ProcessingTM (DLPTM) over the last
5 years has contributed significantly to this improvement in home
theatre technology, leading to a screen image that is so vibrant and
rich with a depth of colour so impressive that the image almost
appears to be three dimensional.
A diversity of home cinema options available in today’s market can
cater for most budgets and living environments from dedicated home
cinema rooms and converted garages, to discreet installations within
a multifunctional living room.
Projection Methods:
Rear Projectors
Beaming light on to a translucent screen and viewing from the other
side is called rear projection. Rear projection is utilised in many
large screen standalone TVs. A benefit of rear projection is the
quality and depth of image produced over and above other that of
other large TV technologies.
Front Projectors
This is the most commonly used projection method in cinemas. It
requires a front projector that can be positioned on the ceiling or
desk mounted. Light is beamed from the projector, directly on to a
screen that can be either a fixed screen or an electric screen. An
electric screen can be retracted into a discreet box that is located
close to the ceiling when not in use.
Projection Technologies:
CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) technology has been around since the 19th
century, and the first commercially practical CRT for television was
produced in 1931. It’s a well established technology that has served
us well, yet the recent onset of digitally sourced material such as
DVD and digital broadcasts has highlighted the need for a truly
digital display device. The main benefits are space saving (compare
the depth of a plasma or rear projection DLP set to that of a
traditional 36"widescreen TV) and resolution, where the future
benefits of high definition films and television broadcasts will be
fully realised.
LCD technology has also been with us for many years. Liquid crystals
were first discovered in 1888, although some 80 years elapsed before
the technology was enhanced to produce the first experimental LCD.
Since then there have been various developments that have taken the
technology to quite extraordinary levels of complexity and more
refinements continue to be made. One of the downsides currently is
the ability of the technology to deal with dark scenes in films.
Compared to CRT, projected images featuring dark scenes tend to look
grey instead of black. This leads to a compromise in the overall
contrast of the picture.
DLP (Digital Light Processing) technology is relatively new. At the
heart of every DLP projection system is an optical semiconductor
known as a DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) containing a rectangular
array of many hundreds of thousands of hinge mounted microscopic
mirrors, each of which corresponds to a pixel of light that can be
switched on and off thousands of times each second. It was invented
by Dr Larry Hornbeck of Texas Instruments in 1987 and used in
projection systems since 1996. The picture quality achievable
utilising this technology is breathtaking. Combined with good
quality optics and an expertise in video processing, the projected
image will in many ways be superior to that of the local cinema. For
more information on DLP technology, visit www.dlp.com
A true home cinema experience is now attainable within the luxury of
your own living space and can be enjoyed under your own criteria and
not that of others; no screaming child, noisy popcorn muncher or
amateur narrator sitting amongst the crowd, unless or course you
favour this atmosphere and welcome such individuals to your private
auditorium!
Please contact SIM2 UK for further information on home theatre
products:
SIM2 UK Ltd
Tel: +44 (0)1825 750850 E-mail:
info@sim2.co.uk
Website: www.sim2.co.uk
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