LCoS Renews Push in Home Theater Market with 3D-Capable Front Projectors

LCoS technology is mounting a new push in the home theater market, this time as a key element in 3D-capable front projectors. At least three CE manufacturers -- Sony, Mitsubishi and LG Electronics -- are expected to demonstrate models at CEDIA this week using three 0.61-inch Sony 240 Hz LCoS panels with 1,920x1,080p resolution, industry officials said. JVC also is expected to show 3D-capable projectors using its D-ILA LCoS panels.

Sony’s VPL-VW90ES is expected to ship in November in Europe with the Mitsubishi model to arrive in some markets in early 2011. Sony and Mitsubishi officials weren’t available for comment. LG Electronics plans to have a prototype at CEDIA, but sales and marketing will be handled by the company’s business projector group, Tim Alessi, director of new product development, told us. JVC is said to be planning to field three 3D-capable projectors that will start shipping in December. The model’s specs weren’t available at our deadline, but JVC has a news conference at CEDIA scheduled for Thursday morning. A JVC spokesman declined to comment.

The LCoS projectors are said to require active shutter glasses. In addition to 1080p resolution, the Mitsubishi Diamond model features a 1.4a HDMI connector, 1,000 lumens, 1.8:1 power zoom with 17 clustered elements for high contrast, 120 Hz drive circuit to minimize motion blur, power focus and powered H/V lens shift. The Sony projector adds Advanced Iris 3 technology to improve color depth and brightness and is said to have 150,000:1 contrast ratio. The LG projector, which was first announced at CES, has many of the same features.

The new projector would represent a comeback of sorts for Sony’s 0.61-inch SXRD LCoS panel, which was introduced for 50- and 60-inch rear projection TVs (CED Aug 17/05 p1). The use of Sony’s LCoS panels by competitors also represents a change for the company, which previously largely confined the technology to its own products. Some companies, like Video Display Corp., used Sony’s SRX-R105 front projector with 1.55-inch panels in a rear projection application for flight simulation. Technic Electronic Conseil also fielded the Cineversum BlackWing One home theater projector using 0.7-inch Sony LCoS panels. JVC also deployed its D-ILA panels in rear projection sets. Both companies dropped rear projection TVs several years ago as the market shifted to flat-panel sets. The adoption of LCoS technology represents a major change for Mitsubishi, which has largely focused its front projectors on LCD or DLP panels.