Projectors are widely used, and it is pretty interesting how they work. The making of the colors is fascinating, which I will explain below in a very simple way.
You will easily understand the process, and you will be able to explain it to everyone who wonders how does an LCD projector work. Thus, without any further ado, let’s take a closer look at this process.
How Does an LCD Projector Work
As you already know, LCD means a liquid crystal display, so an LCD projector has three liquid crystal panels, mirrors, a prism, and a lamp, all of which create the images on the screen.
The way that the LCD projector works is pretty intriguing. The white light from the bulb gets separated into differently colored wavelengths of light. Then, all of them are combined, resulting in striking colors, and coloring the picture projected on the screen.
To understand exactly how an LCD projector works, you first must know the parts from which the projector is made, as each is crucial for a projector’s proper work. The LCD projectors are created from the following parts:
- A bulb that emits white light;
- Dichroic mirrors that reflect the light;
- Regular mirrors that bounce the light around;
- Liquid crystal display arrays;
- Dichroic prism, which combines all the light;
- The lens that magnifies the light and displays it on a screen.
Each of these things does a different thing, resulting in a spotless projection. In addition, now that you know what’s inside an LCD projector, let’s see how the magic is done, step by step.
Step 1: The light source
The light source is where it all starts. The light source in the LCD projector is usually a lamp that shines a strong white light on the LCD panel. The light goes through a few regular and dichroic mirrors.
What’s interesting is that the dichroic mirrors separate the white light that passes through them and split it into three colors: red, green, and blue.
Step 2: The mirrors
The light from the bulb first hits the red dichroic mirror, and this dichroic mirror reflects only the red light. Then, the red light bounced off another regular mirror, leading it into an LCD array. From there, it is directed into the dichroic prism.
The same happens with the green and the blue wavelengths of light. The green light hits the next dichroic mirror, which reflects just the green wavelength of length, directs it to the other regular mirrors, bounces off them, and goes into the LCD array, and then into the dichroic prism. Also, the same happens with blue light.
Read more: How Does a DLP Projector Work
Step 3: The LCD array and the dichroic prism
The LCD array consists of countless colorless pixels, which allow some of the light to pass and block some of the light from passing through.
First, the projector’s LCD screens project the same gray image. The three wavelengths of light end up in the dichroic prism. In it, they are combined. Then, that combination of colors passes through the lens that magnifies and directs it onto the display.
That’s how we are able to see the gray image is colored with vivid, vibrant colors that are the result of combining the red, green, and blue wavelengths of light displayed on the screen.
Also read: How Much Power Does a Projector Use
LCD Projector Advantages
If you are still not sure if you need an LCD projector, read the advantages that you can expect to gain from owning one.
- The LCD projector has a higher resolution, a lot higher compared to what the regular projector provides
- Because the LCD projector is usually bigger than the regular ones, its projections are also larger, providing more detailed images
- The LCD projector gives sharp images, vibrant colors, and amazing contrast
- The LCD projector has low power consumption and no radiation emission
- LCD projectors are small and lightweight, so you can easily bring yours anywhere
- The LCD projectors are very simple to operate and easy to clean
- The LCD projectors allow the image to be displayed on any surface, and they also allow you to adjust the size of the screen to your preferences
- Because you can customize the projected image size, you can enlarge it and avoid straining your eyes
Tips for Maintaining Your LCD Projector
If you take proper care of things, they will last longer. So, that was the reason why I decided to include some tips for that. Although you’ve learned how an LCD projector works, you can consider using these tips to properly maintain yours.
- To avoid an unequally shaped image, make sure to place the LCD projector on a flat surface that’s the proper size
- Always leave space within a radius of 10 inches around the projector so that the device can get the proper ventilation
- Remember to clean the projector air filters at least once every four to five months to prolong the projector’s lifespan
- Be careful not to overheat the projector, so when you binge-watch, make sure to pause, turn off the device and let it cool down
- If you are packing the projector after every use, don’t do that immediately; wait for it to cool down, and then put it in its box
Conclusion
The way the light separates and they mix up again, resulting in excellent images projected on the wall, is pretty interesting, right?
Now that you’ve understood how does an LCD projector work, you can share your knowledge and easily explain this process to anyone.
The advantages of an LCD projector should help you make up your mind if you are thinking about buying one for yourself, and the tips for taking care of this device should guide you to keep it and use it properly.