New Color Performance Standard to Revolutionize Projector Purchase Criteria

LAS VEGAS, June 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- (InfoComm, Booth #C5115) – The projector market has been in existence for more than two decades and almost 60 million projectors have been sold for use in schools, theaters, homes and businesses.  During this time, superior image quality has consistently been at the top of the purchase criteria list in every market and until now, there has been no standardized specification to measure the color performance in displays. 

Last week, a revolutionary document was released by the Society for Information Display (SID), a highly respected, global professional organization dedicated to the development of the display industry. The International Display Measurement Standard (IDMS) document outlines standardized measurement methodologies for displays, including projectors.  After extensive research and evaluation, the SID concluded that a color performance standard was scientifically valid and relevant for the display industry and included the methodology in the IDMS. This measurement tool (referred to by the SID as color light output), will provide consumers with a specification to evaluate color performance, a critical aspect of image quality.

"We have been tracking end-user purchase criteria in the projector market for the last 10 years," said Tanya Lippke, principal at TFCinfo, a strategic market research and publishing firm.  "In all market segments, from large corporations to education, image quality has consistently been the most important factor in selecting a projector."

The overwhelming importance of image quality for consumers is due in part to the evolution of content used with projectors.  The explosion and availability of content – from the internet, digital imaging and computers – has driven a sea-change in projection. 

"Twenty years ago, a typical projector presentation was text-based, usually plain black and white," said Lippke.  "Today, users demand high quality photos, graphics and video in their daily presentations, driving the demand for superior image quality."  

Historically, projector manufacturers have relied on basic industry specifications to educate the market on their projectors and differences.  Three specifications are typically provided to evaluate a projector's performance; resolution, brightness and contrast ratio, yet, none of these specifications informs the consumer about the color performance of a projector. 

The new color performance metric will complement existing specifications.  With the specification, users will be able to quickly, easily and accurately evaluate color performance between competing projector models.  Color light output can also be easily measured by end users themselves with a simple light meter.  

"A color light output specification should be of real benefit to users, and those responsible for projector selection, and makes it possible to properly compare different projector technologies," said Art Feierman, president of ProjectorReviews.com.  "Many projectors produce a hefty amount of white lumens, but come up very short when trying to produce rich, accurate colors."

See the Difference: InfoComm attendees can visit the 3LCD booth (#C5115) to experience a side-by-side color light output demonstration

"The lumens rating created by measuring white light output does little to describe how well one projector handles colorful, real world images and video compared to another," said Mike McNamara, principal at the McNamara Report, a leading imaging consulting firm. "The only specification that lets you compare both the potential image quality and brightness of a projector displaying real world content is the color light output rating and it's great to see an organization as respected as the SID support and promote this as a standard."

3LCD supports the decision by SID to publish a color performance metric, as other industry specifications do not provide any guidance to consumers on a projector's ability to reproduce color.  3LCD, the choice technology powering projectors in the education, business and home theater space, has a strong advantage in color performance.  3LCD projectors consistently have significantly higher color light output than projectors built on the competing technology.

Color light output is scientifically valid, easy to measure and provides critical information to projector buyers regarding the differences in color performance of competing projectors.  The development of the IDMS and the color light output specification benefited from the expertise of the SID, whose members include display metrologists, electrical, mechanical, software and optical engineers, physicists, vision scientists, and professionals in many other display-related disciplines. 

Details on the International Display Measurement Standard and the methodology provided in the color performance specification are available, free of charge at http://www.icdm-sid.org/downloads/, or on the SID website, www.SID.org.

For more information about 3LCD technology and the wide variety of products and leading manufacturers that use it, visit www.3LCD.com.

About 3LCD Technology
3LCD is the world's leading projection technology, delivering unbelievably bright and natural color, amazing detail and road-tested reliability. Using an advanced, 3-chip optical engine, 3LCD offers full-time color for brilliant quality images. 3LCD is based on LCD technology, which is used by leading manufacturers worldwide for the ultimate viewing experience in flat panel TVs and projectors. To find out why more users choose 3LCD than all other projection technologies combined and to get the latest list of leading companies offering 3LCD technology in their products, visit the 3LCD website at http://www.3LCD.com.

SOURCE 3LCD

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