3LCD is one of a number of contemporary flat panel display technologies including; Plasma Display Panel (PDP), Organic Light Emitting Diode (OELD), Thin-film Electroluminescent (TFEL) and Field Emission Display (FED). Using microdisplays provides manufacturers with a projection solution for increasing resolution while maintaining compactness.

Beginning in 1995, 3LCD technology has been adopted by numerous front projector and later (2002) rear projection TV manufacturers (Fujitsu, Hitachi, Panasonic, Sanyo and Sony) for its compactness and image quality.

3LCD Technology

Briefly, 3LCD technology is a video projection system that uses three LCD panels to produce an image. It is marketed as having three key advantages:

• A brighter picture even in high ambient light situations
• More natural colors
• Greater resolution – high definition performance

More precisely, 3LCD is an active-matrix, HTPS (high-temperature polysilicon) LCD projection technology. It inherits sharp images, brightness and excellent color reproduction from its active matrix technology. Deeper blacks are contributed by the HTPS technology. To understand 3LCD requires an understanding of these evolutionary technology building blocks.

Liquid Crystal Display

LCD is a termed a transmissive technology as it requires a backlight light source (generally an ultra-high-pressure mercury lamp). The light produced by the backlight is regulated by “liquid crystals”. The liquid crystal solution is sandwiched between two sheets of a polarizing material (glass or plastic). Varying the electric current passing through the solution changes the crystals opaqueness allowing the desired image on the display screen to be produced.

Control of the liquid crystal layer is by either passive or active matrix technology.

Passive matrix technology employs a grid system with horizontal and vertical wires to direct electric current to a specific location. It’s a less expensive technology with slower response time, less color differentiation, and poorer picture quality when compared to active matrix displays.

Active matrix technology (also called TFT (thin film transistor) produces sharper, clearer images.

As mentioned, 3LCD technology uses active matrix LCDs.

HTPS (high-temperature polysilicon) Projection System

HTPS uses microdisplays and tri primary color (red, green and blue) lighting. The primary colors (which make up the elements of each pixel of a display screen) are produced through filtering of white light into separate wavelength components (colors) through dichromic mirrors. Each color light passes through its own small (from 0.73 inches) microdisplay LCD panel which creates the required image. A prism merges all three images back into a single image. Optical lenses are used to enlarge the images from the prism to a suitable display size.

Continued Development

3LCD projection technology development continues with improvements like the recent introduction of HTPS panels using an inorganic alignment layer for improved contrast levels and deeper blacks.

Further Reading

3LCD RPTV’s

Sony KDF-50E2000 50 inch 3LCD RPTV
Sony KDF-46E2000 46 inch 3LCD RPTV

3LCD Projectors

Panasonic PT-AE1000 3LCD projector
Panasonic PT-AX100 3LCD projector
Epson Powerlite ProCinema 810 and 810-HQV
Epson Powerlite 6100i 3CD projector