Christie LHD878-DS Laser Projector Review - Special Features

Posted on December 15, 2019 by Diane and Phil Jones

Christie LHD878-DS Laser Projector Review – Special Features: Laser Light Engine, Interchangeable Lenses, Edge Blending & Projection Warping

LASER LIGHT ENGINE

The Christie LHD878-DS, like all the models in the DS series, utilizes a dual blue laser light engine. A portion the blue lasers beams hit a phosphor wheel to generate red and green beams, while the other blue laser handles the blue component. As with all 3LCD projectors a dichroic prism is used to re-assemble the three different colors into a single full color image.

Christie rates their laser light engine for 20,000 hours at full power up to 50,000 hours in 50% Light mode. There are four modes to adjust the brightness output of the laser light source:

Normal which sets the brightness its maximum which is ideal for conference rooms, auditoriums, lecture halls, etc.
Light 75% sets brightness to 75% of full power and adjust cooling to extend the life of the laser light source.
Light 50% also sets the brightness to 50% and adjust cooling to extend the life of the laser light source. In this mode the LHD878 laser lamp is rated for 50,000 hours
Quiet Mode lowers brightness and reduces the fan speed which dramatically reduces fan noise. This is great for quiet environments like libraries, art galleries and theaters. I used this mode for most of my viewing in my home theater. When set to quiet mode, the fan noise was barely louder than my reference theater projector while delivering nearly 4 times the brightness.

When the LHD878-DS encounters a “black frame” of information, it can shut down the laser engine completely projecting a true black frame. Another benefit is power consumption is greatly reduced when this feature is implemented.

INTERCHANGEABLE LENSES

While the Christie LHD878-DS does not ship with a lens, for maximum flexibility it is compatible with a total of seven lenses ranging from a .38.1 Fixed Short Throw model to a 4.9-8.3:1 Zoom unit.

This selection of lens allows for a throw distance for a 100" image of between 0.84m to 18.1m. In addition to motorized zoom, focus and shift, there are also three lens memories.

Christie provided a Short-zoom Lens (121-129103)

Christie Ultra Short Throw Lens (121-128102-01)

❮ ❯

For this review the 121-129103 lens was provided. It is a Shrort-zoom lens with a throw range of 1.2 to 1.8. The LHD878-DS equipped with this lens has a vertical shift range of -23.5%/+64.4% and a horizontal shift range of -10.9%/+10.2%.

EDGE BLENDING AND PROJECTION WARPING

The LHD878-DS includes a Projector Warping feature which lets you correct image distortion caused by projecting an image onto a curved screen. To make the adjustments easier, Christie offers free PC software tool. The LHD878-DS will need to be connected to a PC via LAN cable to make adjustments via the software.

If you need more light output or want to utilize multiple projectors to display a larger, wider aspect image, the LHD878 is also equipped with Edge Blending to make that goal easier.

By utilizing Edge Blending, you can split an image over multiple projectors and display it as one large image while reducing the hard transition from one projector to another. By using several menu adjustments like Blending Region” and Blending Level, you can fine-tune the blend’s starting position and the width of the blended area. The Christie LHD878-DS also has the necessary controls to match color and brightness across multiple projectors. The Edge Blending feature ensures that images from several projectors can be stitched together into one seamless video.

Due to the LHD878-DS projector’s laser light engine, multiple projectors should all be able to work together seamlessly for more 20,000 hours with little additional adjustment required.

Christie LHD878-DS Laser Projector Review – Special Features: Laser Light Engine, Interchangeable Lenses, Edge Blending & Projection Warping

LASER LIGHT ENGINE

The Christie LHD878-DS, like all the models in the DS series, utilizes a dual blue laser light engine. A portion the blue lasers beams hit a phosphor wheel to generate red and green beams, while the other blue laser handles the blue component. As with all 3LCD projectors a dichroic prism is used to re-assemble the three different colors into a single full color image.

Christie rates their laser light engine for 20,000 hours at full power up to 50,000 hours in 50% Light mode. There are four modes to adjust the brightness output of the laser light source:

Normal which sets the brightness its maximum which is ideal for conference rooms, auditoriums, lecture halls, etc.
Light 75% sets brightness to 75% of full power and adjust cooling to extend the life of the laser light source.
Light 50% also sets the brightness to 50% and adjust cooling to extend the life of the laser light source. In this mode the LHD878 laser lamp is rated for 50,000 hours
Quiet Mode lowers brightness and reduces the fan speed which dramatically reduces fan noise. This is great for quiet environments like libraries, art galleries and theaters. I used this mode for most of my viewing in my home theater. When set to quiet mode, the fan noise was barely louder than my reference theater projector while delivering nearly 4 times the brightness.

When the LHD878-DS encounters a “black frame” of information, it can shut down the laser engine completely projecting a true black frame. Another benefit is power consumption is greatly reduced when this feature is implemented.

INTERCHANGEABLE LENSES

While the Christie LHD878-DS does not ship with a lens, for maximum flexibility it is compatible with a total of seven lenses ranging from a .38.1 Fixed Short Throw model to a 4.9-8.3:1 Zoom unit.

This selection of lens allows for a throw distance for a 100" image of between 0.84m to 18.1m. In addition to motorized zoom, focus and shift, there are also three lens memories.

Christie provided a Short-zoom Lens (121-129103)

Christie Ultra Short Throw Lens (121-128102-01)

❮ ❯

For this review the 121-129103 lens was provided. It is a Shrort-zoom lens with a throw range of 1.2 to 1.8. The LHD878-DS equipped with this lens has a vertical shift range of -23.5%/+64.4% and a horizontal shift range of -10.9%/+10.2%.

EDGE BLENDING AND PROJECTION WARPING

The LHD878-DS includes a Projector Warping feature which lets you correct image distortion caused by projecting an image onto a curved screen. To make the adjustments easier, Christie offers free PC software tool. The LHD878-DS will need to be connected to a PC via LAN cable to make adjustments via the software.

If you need more light output or want to utilize multiple projectors to display a larger, wider aspect image, the LHD878 is also equipped with Edge Blending to make that goal easier.

By utilizing Edge Blending, you can split an image over multiple projectors and display it as one large image while reducing the hard transition from one projector to another. By using several menu adjustments like Blending Region” and Blending Level, you can fine-tune the blend’s starting position and the width of the blended area. The Christie LHD878-DS also has the necessary controls to match color and brightness across multiple projectors. The Edge Blending feature ensures that images from several projectors can be stitched together into one seamless video.

Due to the LHD878-DS projector’s laser light engine, multiple projectors should all be able to work together seamlessly for more 20,000 hours with little additional adjustment required.