EPSON 3LCD TECHNOLOGy – FOR BRIGHT, FAITHFUL COLOURS
COLOUR LIGHT OUTPUT – TRUE COLOURS SHINING THROUGH
3LCD projectors offer brighter and more accurate colours as they produce
different shades and hues by filtering, then mixing beams of the three primary
colours (red, green and blue).
In a 3LCD projector, white light is first split into the three beams of primary
colours. Each beam is then filtered through its own LCD that will give each
individual pixel of the image its exact brightness for each colour. The colour
beams are then perfectly recombined in a prism before being projected out
as a complete image.
• An independent test by projector review media ProjectorCentral.com in 2009 of about 800 projectors found that on average,
3LCD projectors use 25% less power than single-chip projectors.
3LCD projector : RGB are projected at the same time, which makes the single composite image easy on the eyes.
The Brightness Myth
Did you know that the brightness specification (in lumens) for projectors is
only a measurement of its white light output?
In fact, many manufacturers artificially boost their projectors’ brightness
rating by increasing their white light production capability at the expense of
colour brightness.
CLO to Enlighten
To help buyers make better-educated decisions, colour scientists at the U.S.
government’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST – www.nist.gov)
have developed Colour Light Output (CLO) as a specification to provide
critical information on a projector’s ability to deliver colour.
Colour Light Output is critically important because it measures the brightness
of Red, Green and Blue. In a 3LCD projector, these primary colours create
white when combined in the right proportions. Beautifully balanced colour is
possible when Red, Green and Blue combine to produce the exact colours
required. Colour Light Output provides users with an additional way to
evaluate a projector and make more discerning buying decisions.
How is Colour Light Output measured?
Brightness (or White Light Output)
measures the total amount of white
light projected in lumens on a nine
point grid. It does not measure colour.
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Colour Light Output
uses 3 sets of a
nine-point grid to measure the primary
colours - red, green and blue, using
the same approach used to measure
White Light Output in lumens.
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Red
Red
Green
Green
Blue
Blue
Red
Blue
Green
This compares to projectors using single-chip technology that actually project
individual colours sequentially by filtering their single white light beam through
a colour wheel, and then relying on human colour perception to combine the
colours in the viewers’ minds.
As a result, 3LCD projectors also offer greater detail, smoother gradations,
no “colour breakup” effect, are easier on viewers’ eyes, and consumer about
25% less power to achieve the same brightness compared to a single-chip
projector using a lamp of the same wattage.
www.colorlightoutput.com
www.3lcd.com
Brand X
Low CLO
White Light Output
Colour Light Output
800 Lumens
=/
2200 Lumens
=
2200 Lumens
2200 Lumens
White Light Output
Colour Light Output
3LCD
Projector
High CLO
