Reviews of LCoS Projectors

It’s not only on the home theater side of life that LCoS fares well. Canon has built an impressive reputation on the scientific and business side, especially in the medical fields with their DICOM capable REALiS LCoS projector models. Definitely on the expensive side but top performance usually is.

LCoS (“Liquid Crystal on Silicon”) projectors are best known for great color, superb black levels, least visible pixel structure and accurate performance. It’s not that other technologies can’t produce these results, it’s just that LCoS technology has some real advantages.

LCoS projectors are more expensive than the competing technologies, typically costing between $3,000-$25,000. In contrast, entry-level DLP projectors are available for under $500 and LCD projectors don’t start out much higher. LCoS projectors offer the least visible pixels, and excellent dynamic range. In the home theater projectors that translates into images that pop, and excellent black level performance. On the business, education and government side of things LCoS is associated with precision, and the ability to project difficult images such as medical CATs, MRIs, and X-Rays.

There is some additional practical information covering differences between projector technologies: 3LCD vs LCoS vs DLP projectors.

LCoS (“Liquid Crystal on Silicon”) projectors are a more recent variation of LCD technology, as LCoS also uses three panels of red, blue and green. However, LCoS uses reflexive technology as opposed to transmissive, which allows the pixel structure of LCoS projectors to be much less visible than the competition (virtually invisible at normal seating distance). This minimizes the visibility of individual pixels, eliminating the “screen door” effect. With no spinning color wheel (unlike DLPs), there is no annoying rainbow effect that is visible to some people.

JVC, Sony and Canon dominate the LCoS industry… Each designs and manufacturers their own LCoS panels, unlike the DLP world, where Texas Instruments manufacturers all DLP chips for all the DLP projector companies, or LCD projectors, wherelmost all the world’s LCD panels come from Epson.

JVC projectors are often commeded for producing the best native black level performance, although Sony is breathing down their neck. Canon business projectors have developed a superb reputation amongst all types who require high quality picture with exceptional color, such as videographers and photographers.

Because of their varied strengths, JVC and Sony projectors are two of the most talked about home theater projectors, but Canon dominates LCoS in the commercial sector.

Below is a data image from a Canon REALiS series projector. Canon is a huge favorite amongst photographers, camera clubs, scientists, medical presenters, universities museums and more. Note the superb red, green, and blue colors. Canon’s highest-end business projectors are all LCoS and they usually are one of the first to market with the highest new resolutions.

Let us put in perspective the difference between LCoS technology and the competition.

Current LCoS JVC models have taken our highest home theater award “Best In Class” for the $3,500-10,000 price range in our Annual Home Projector Comparison Report three years in a row, while this year Sony’s giving them a run for the money. None of the DLP projectors can match the LCoS projectors at the moment, in terms of black levels and handling dark scenes.

In the business segment, LCoS projectors are about the same size as LCD models because they are both “3-chip” technologies. Both technologies are offered in small portable as well as larger projectors.

Like LCD, even the smallest LCoS projectors are still a size larger than the smallest DLP projectors. Recently, though, the first pico projectors using LCoS technology are entering the market (well, back at the end of 2010).

In the business segment, LCoS projectors are about the same size as LCD models (or slightly larger), afterall, they are both “3-chip” technologies. Both technologies are offered in relatively small sizes, but if small, or low cost is what you need, whether home cinema or commercial use, then your choice is probably another technology.