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Brightness requirements are one of the key considerations to account for when designing any projection system.
The terms projector brightness and image brightness are used throughout this paper. Here is how they are defined for the sake of this paper:
The term projector can often have limiting connotations. Classically, a projector is a system used only to display a video or image on a wall, and while this is still the case, projection systems can be utilized to display any form of visuals or infographics on virtually any display surface. These can be used for smart home displays, digital signage, laser TVs, and many other potential applications. DLP technology enables projection systems of many sizes for use in countless applications, in addition to supporting bright, vivid displays for classically defined projectors.
The two of the most frequently asked questions from customers who are new to TI DLP technology are: “How much brightness is needed for my application,” and “how bright can the projection system get?” In other words:
The first question is often asked by product developers for whom image quality is the highest priority, whereas the second question is often asked by product developers who have certain technical constraints, most frequently power, size, and cost, which will ultimately constrain the maximum brightness of the projection system.
Answering the two most frequently asked questions proposed in Section 1 depends on the following variables:
Ultimately, necessary brightness is a subjective assessment. This paper will focus specifically on how a projection system’s brightness requirement is impacted by ambient light level and screen size.
Ambient light levels vary significantly across different use environments. Consider for example the ambient light level of a movie theater compared to that of a typical office environment. Because the ambient light level in a movie theater is both well controlled and very low, the cinema industry standard for image brightness is relatively low (~50 nits).
Based upon empirical testing by TI, the estimated minimum image brightness for different ambient light environments is summarized in Table 3-1.
Ambient Lighting Environment | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dark Room | Dim Room | Lit Room | Bright Room | Outdoors | |
Example environment | A room at night with all lights turned off | A room with soft lighting at night | A well-lit office conference room with no daylight (Home Theater) | Well-lit room with windows and indirect daylight (TV) | Indirect sunlight |
Suggested image brightness | 50 nits | 100 nits | 200 nits | 300-400 nits | 600+ nits |