Audioholics looks into DLP vs. 3LCD
By Steven Kim 
posted Dec 2nd 2007 8:04AM
posted Dec 2nd 2007 8:04AM
Audioholics takes an interesting look at the competition between 3LCD and 3-chip DLP. To simplify things, they focus on FP setups, which seems fair given the current marketplace's love for direct-view sets over RP setups. We'll ignore their portability argument and get to the HT-centric goodness. The real crux of their examination: why are 3-chip DLP projectors so expensive relative to their single chip brethren, and how does this position DLP against 3LCD? We're not big on conspiracy theories of 3-chip DLP being kept artificially high to bolster the sales of commercial DLP solutions, but we'd agree that 3LCD projectors are competitive in both performance and cost. Seems like an opening for a solution with three calibrated single-chip DLP projectors (each handling one color channel) homebrew solution exists; any takers?
quote: "If Chevy Chase were making Fletch 3, his tag line would be "It's all flat panels these days!"
wow. just wow.
This is something I have always wondered about. Many folks setups I do are not using the one-chip DLP HDTVs because there is one person in the household that sees the RBE and a 3-chip design would eliminated the colour wheel. LED DLPs do not require colour wheels at all, so there is less of a concern, just the "wooble" effect of those "micro-mirrors" inside the set.
In a new age of flat panel sets that are not only decreasing rapidly in price and increasing in overall quality, RPTVs seem doomed in the "smaller" size diagonal set ranges under 61".
I get clients that would prefer a 58" plasma on sale over a 60" RPTV, even though the RPTV is half the price, simply because they can treat their plasma like their old CRT and the RPTV has a bulb that can burn out anytime (like during a game).
Until you get over 58" size (like the Samsung or Panasonic plasma panels) or maybe, the 60" Visio plasma (if that does it for you), RPTVs offer good prices vs. flat panels.
Try pricing a 65" LCD or Plasma panel or higher: It's still well beyond what an RPTV costs.
Since my 3LCD 70" Hitachi is no longer manufactured, I would have to wait for delivery on the newest Sony SXRD 70" (XBR5)or find a JVC 70", both RPTVs, to replace it since neither 65" (smaller in size by 16%) since no one makes the 3LCD versions anymore and I do not find the RBE non-existant in the latest batch of DLPs, either. (No,front projection will not work in my current location).
A 3-chip DLP would be great for maybe a 70+ (75-85" RPTV), but I think these 3-chip designs are either an expensive manufacturing process (for real) or something manufacturers just won't do.
yeah, I've always wondered about the inflated 3-chip DLP prices... if they'd drop the silly color wheel, I'd be willing to consider one for my next projector. As it stands now, though, the best 1080 options are in LCD and DILA. TI must have a VERY tight leash on their flock... we all know that if, say, Optoma dropped a 3-chip DLP model for under $3k, they'd make a killing!
"Point 2" of the article doesn't seem to understand that DLP chips are silicon-based.
I'm kind of annoyed at the "3LCD" term, LCD projectors were "3 LCD" long before they came up with that lameness. I'm not sure if it's possible to get acceptable results with fewer LCD chips. It's just lame marketing, and an attempt to pick on single chip DLP.
The 3 chip DLP's definitely have the 3LCD projectors beat on PQ and is great because of the elimination of the rainbow effect. In general, I believe DLP projectors are favored because they don't experience color fade or discoloration over time, and are generally more durable than LCD panels.