Remember DLP?

[desura]

Whatever happened to DLP technology? I always thought it was neat, kinda weird how it died out.

 

[Pacfanweb]

It was solid. Could have gotten even better. The LED DLP's were awesome.

The thin TV craze did them in, though.

 

[giantpandaman2]

It still exists for projectors. In fact, hybrids of DLP and LCD-Sony's SXRD and JVC's D-ILA-make some of the best projectors.

Technology getting drummed out is pretty normal. It just seems to happen more quickly in display tech than in other tech. After all, we're still using a keyboard design from the late 19th century.

Larger screens killed CRT's.
Thinness killed DLP.
Super high-res 4k killed plasma.
?? will kill LCD's.

 

[SithSolo1]

I'm still rockin the DLP I bought in '06. I've never had it calibrated but it still looks pretty good. At this point I'm waiting for OLED to come down in price before I buy a new set.

 

[Kaido]

I'm still rockin the DLP I bought in '06. I've never had it calibrated but it still looks pretty good. At this point I'm waiting for OLED to come down in price before I buy a new set.

Same here. I have a 60" Mitsubishi DLP & a BenQ DLP projector. I don't care how for the way LED televisions look, too pixely and not filmic enough for me. I love love love the LG 4K OLED screens, but not for the current asking prices (plus lack of available 4K content).

 

[Kaido]

The thin TV craze did them in, though.

Yup. Plus, people generally don't care about picture quality, as long as it's "good enough". Most people are overjoyed to get a 55" for $399 these days, even though stuff like the black levels are mushy. And to be fair, the PQ has improved over time...most sets look pretty good these days. I was at Costco the other day and I'd say probably 80% of the sets on display had very good picture quality for being LED screens.

But yeah, flatscreens killed DLP RPTV sets. The ability to hang it on your wall, move it easily, bring it home easily, no lamp or colorwheel to worry about, and of course, dropping prices...you can buy a 70" Vizio for $1249 these days, which is awesome. It's made big screens accessible to pretty much everyone.

 

[desura]

So I started this thread also because I'm looking for a good projector. I don't want one of those LCD-like projectors. I want like a colorwheel projector.

It looks like they've been 720p/1080p for a while now, since like 2007-2008. What's a good used model to pick up for not too much? I'm thinking maybe like the Optoma HD70?

 

[Kaido]

So I started this thread also because I'm looking for a good projector. I don't want one of those LCD-like projectors. I want like a colorwheel projector.

It looks like they've been 720p/1080p for a while now, since like 2007-2008. What's a good used model to pick up for not too much? I'm thinking maybe like the Optoma HD70?

I picked up a BenQ HT2050 recently ($799). The previous model is pretty much the same (W1070), but for $100 less, and you can save a few more bucks by buying used. I'm super happy with the picture quality, brightness, and adjustable size. Also, the onboard speaker is actually fantastic.

 

[ControlD]

So I started this thread also because I'm looking for a good projector. I don't want one of those LCD-like projectors. I want like a colorwheel projector.

It looks like they've been 720p/1080p for a while now, since like 2007-2008. What's a good used model to pick up for not too much? I'm thinking maybe like the Optoma HD70?

If you have a chance, try to watch a DLP and a 3-LCD projector first hand before you make the decision. I was pretty much set on getting a DLP projector until I started seeing those crazy rainbow effects on things. Some people are more sensitive to the DLP rainbow effect than others, but once you see them you will have a hard time ignoring them (at least that was the case for me). I imagine it varies greatly from projector to projector as well, so read plenty of user reviews.

Of course the LCD projectors have their own drawbacks, as do LED projectors.

 

[JeffMD]

Moving parts break faster.

 

[MustISO]

My parents still have their 61" DLP (JVC). Works great and has only gone through one bulb in the 9 or so years they've had it.

 

[NutBucket]

Moving parts break but a light engine for my Mitsu DLP was under $200. What does a new LCD panel run? Same for when I spend $100 for a new bulb.

Luckily my wife could care less about thin when we bought our DLP in 2010.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Moving parts break faster.

Jeff, not sure I understand this. The DMD has millions of moving parts, called mirrors. Even in LCD, the liquid crystal has movement of microscopic miniblands that move based on a polar setting and can wear and fail, just like a mirror in a DMD (digital micromirror display).

Unless we are talking about cathode ray tube, the pretty much all digital displays are moving something, but just on microscopic level. And plenty of people have seen dead pixels on LCD, LED, DLP and even LCoS.

 

[Railgun]

Whatever happened to DLP technology? I always thought it was neat, kinda weird how it died out.

Been to the movies lately?

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Been to the movies lately?

Not since 2004. My home theater with its complete light control, 10' wide acoustically transparent screen, etc., etc., etc. bred patience in me to wait for the BD.

DLP = Devil's Light Projection. ()

 

[NutBucket]

So what projector are you using? DLP still has the best contrast ratio out there unless you're talking about CRT.

The panacea of home DLP was when Mitsubishi released their laser light source. Man, 3 absolutely pure color sources blended to your heart's content? Amazing. I couldn't bring myself to buy one even though the wife was good with it.

 

[BurnItDwn]

My Mitsu DLP has been great
http://www.projectorcentral.com/Mitsubishi-HC3800.htm

I did have to replace the bulb after like 3000ish hours, but otherwise its been pretty solid.

Hoping to squeeze several more years from it and then upgrade to 4K when hopefully prices come down to the 1-2K level.

 

[JeffMD]

Jeff, not sure I understand this. The DMD has millions of moving parts, called mirrors. Even in LCD, the liquid crystal has movement of microscopic miniblands that move based on a polar setting and can wear and fail, just like a mirror in a DMD (digital micromirror display).
.

Lcd is NOT considered a moving part, even in the slightest.

DMD's mirrors and color wheel are considered mechanical moving parts, a frequently DO breakdown.

Replacement parts don't nearly cost as much as an entire lcd panel, but that would go under the pro/cons section of the display, like view angles and such.

 

[Aikouka]

Lcd is NOT considered a moving part, even in the slightest.

I think his point was really that all of the TVs have something that can break. Yeah, DLPs are far more mechanical than other TVs and like HDDs vs SSDs, that can be seen as a potential point of failure; however, that doesn't mean that it will fail.

I bought a Samsung DLP back in 2006, and if you look it up on Amazon, it has horrid reviews. Why? It was notorious for the "white dot problem" where mirrors would get stuck in the on position. I did have this happen to me, and it cost me about $200 to fix it. Part of my solution was replacing their horrid thermal pad (DMDs have a heatsink) with actual high-end TIM that we use on CPUs. Now, it could be that the replacement was far better or that my TIM worked, but the TV has been working great ever since.

I sold a Mitsubishi DLP to a friend of mine a couple years ago, and he ended up getting a "halo effect". He took the TV apart, and discovered that the DMD's window had a haze around the perimeter. We still aren't 100% sure what caused it, but we're assuming that it may have been vaping? However, I figured that the DMDs would operate in a sealed chamber, so vaping or smoking shouldn't affect it?

Anyway, the point of these anecdotes is just to note that while they do breakdown, DLPs have one nice advantage: they're pretty easy to fix. The most expensive part in a DLP will run you about $200-250.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Lcd is NOT considered a moving part, even in the slightest.

DMD's mirrors and color wheel are considered mechanical moving parts, a frequently DO breakdown.

Replacement parts don't nearly cost as much as an entire lcd panel, but that would go under the pro/cons section of the display, like view angles and such.

Nematic-phasing thin film liquid crystals move in and out of orientation based on the long axis alignment. This movement is physical. It is understood by looking under the framework of Williams domains. While on a small scale to be considered by some (you) as not mechanical, it still involves physical changes (movement to align) and can and will fail over time in thin films.

Ask anyone where the panel has failed over a course of many hours. It isn't always the electronic driver that fails to produce a dead pixel, but the actual LC.

BTW, I am not knocking LC, or LCD, but just stating just because we live in a large scaled world doesn't mean we should ignore the microscopic constraints that can exhibit in our world.

I've always analogized the nematic thin film application much like that of silver nitrate in cellulose films in negatives. When the film fatigues ...

 

[poofyhairguy]

Who can forget DLP?

"Its the meers"

 

[Zaap]

I'm still enjoying the 56" Samsung DLP I bought in 2008.

I've entertained the thought of replacing it a few times, and eventually a larger 4K TV will probably tempt me to do so, but for now, the Sammy is still giving me my money's worth 8 years on.

The thickness of the unit is actually perfect for where it is in our den- the screen is out on the front edge of the entertainment center I built for it from two modified IKEA cabinets, but its thickness eliminates any possibility of it toppling off.

I can't picture enjoying a thin TV in the same space as it'd have to be pushed back much farther on the cabinet, or hung on the wall, moving it back quite a bit. My wife actually thinks I'm joking when I say I'll HAVE to have at least a 70" flat screen to compensate for the 'distance' loss from the DLP... but I'm not joking in the least!

I bought both a replacement parts for the DLP (blub, chip) but so far, even after 8 years of use, I haven't had to replace either (knock wood).

 

[thesmokingman]

I used to have a 67" Sammy DLP. We finally moved on after a couple bulb changes to a Vizio P70. It was 2/3rds the price of the 67". I really liked the old Sammy but on to bigger and better.

 

[DaveSimmons]

My '06 Samsung 50" 1080p DLP is still working well, though it did need a free fix around '10 for a "sagging light tunnel" defect that was apparently common for this model.

I'm going to miss it if I have to replace it with an LCD before OLED becomes cheap and reliable.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I loved my 720p Samsung DLP for many years. It finally conked out (color wheel shattered, and the replacement I had bought didn't quite fit) just before the last season of Breaking Bad. I happily replaced it with an F8500 - amazing set!