Sony creates high res LCD projector

Sony creates high res LCD projector SONY HAS MANAGED a big step forward in projection technology with its new SXRD display device. Measuring just 0.78" diagonally, the LCD panel boasts a resolution of 1920x1080 and an amazing contrast ratio of 3000:1.

The contrast ratio is the biggest leap, most current high-end LCD projection panels can only manage 1000:1. Sony has managed to create what it calls "Vertically Aligned Liquid Crystal" materials that perform far better than conventional liquid crystal technology. The enhanced contrast should make for far richer colours on screen. The higher the contrast ratio, the better the output, it is a measure of the difference between the brightest and darkest areas of the screen.

Sony also claims that the SXRD should improve picture quality. Many projectors suffer from blockiness where the gap between pixels causes a mosaic effect on the projection screen. Each pixel on the new panel is just 9µm across. The SXRD has a gap between pixels of only 0.35µm. According to Sony, that's the world's smallest inter-pixel spacing, a 10 fold improvement over competiting technology.

All this would be useless without a good refresh rate and the SXRD scores here too. The pixels have a 5 millisecond response time. There is no indication yet of how much the new panels will cost, though w