Chipmaker Texas Instruments has unveiled a new DLP display controller that’s much smaller than previous generations – small enough, in fact, to power a new generation of more compact 4K UHD projectors, and even augmented reality glasses, it says,.
The company is one of the main providers of the computer chips that power the advanced Digital Light Processing technology that sits at the heart of some of the best and most premium projector models available today.
Its latest product, the DLPC8445 display controller, is much more compact than previous iterations, measuring just 9 x 9 millimeters, making it about 90% smaller than its last such product. Because of this, Texas Instruments believes the new chipset will be able to power various new gadgets in significantly more compact forms, without any impact on image quality.
The promise, in other words, is that compact projectors such as those made by the likes of ViewSonic and Xgimi will be able to deliver a level of picture quality that’s much more comparable to higher-end projectors. They’re not likely to surpass the awesome visuals of something like JVC’s D-ILA home cinema projector series, but they will certainly improve vastly on the average portable projector models available today, which mostly max out at Full HD resolution.
According to Texas Instruments, the new chip is able to “replicate the display experiences of high-end televisions and gaming monitors in the form of a compact projector”. By integrating the chip alongside a compatible digital micromirror and a light source, compact projector makers should be able to deliver 4K images at up to 100 diagonal inches, the company said.
Just as exciting is that the DLPC8445 promises to enable extremely rapid frame rates of up to 240Hz, which should go some way towards eliminating lag, image tearing and stuttering, further boosting the overall image quality.
In addition, the DLPC8445 is the first chip of its kind to support variable refresh rates, allowing it to “show frames without delay as they arrive from the source”, even if that source dynamically switches its frame rate. What this means is that high-end console gaming experiences with compact projectors will soon be a distinct possibility. Texas Instruments said that the new chip will be able to “react to changes in frame rates in less than 1 ms.”
The company specified that the new chip is designed specifically for battery-powered laser projectors and comes with features for image correction, so users will be able to adjust dynamically for surface imperfections during setup.
Besides small projectors, the chip is also aimed at wearable devices such as augmented reality glasses that can deliver even more immersive applications.
Texas Instruments said it’s making the DLPC8445 controller available to manufacturers now, which means that we could see the first, much more powerful compact projectors going on sale before the end of the year. It didn’t name any customers, but if the chip is as good as the company claims, it’s likely to command a lot of interest.
Jeff Marsh, vice president of the DLP business at Texas Instruments, said immersive display entertainment is increasingly being sought out by everyday consumers, as opposed to movie buffs and hardcore console gamers.
“Where consumers once needed a big monitor or TV for a crisp and clear display, they can now use a lifestyle of gaming projector and transform a wall into the screen size of their choosing, with 4K UHD image quality,” Marsh enthused. “Our new controller is the latest example of how TI DLP technology is helping engineers develop epic displays for entertainment that can be taken anywhere."
