Introduction
The JVC D-ILA (Direct-Drive Image Light Amplifier) technology, has been at the leading edge of reflective LC micro displays (LCOS) starting with the first production SXGA+ projectors in 1998. This continued with the first QXGA 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution projector in 1999. The first demonstration of a projector of any projection technology at 4K x 2K pixels was a D-ILA projector at SIGGRAPH in 2001 in Los Angeles. In 2005 at the Aichi Expo in Nagoya Japan, JVC demonstrated an 8K x 4K D-ILA based projection system. JVC has placed in production image quality leading front projectors for home theatre, business and simulation based on these landmark projector "firsts".
Following the benchmark RS-1 in 2007 for the ultimate HDTV home theater performance, the D-ILA technology in the new DLA-RS2 packs 1920x1080 pixels a total of over 2 million pixels-on a 0.7" chip. This makes possible display of 1080p HD images at full-spec resolution of 1920 x 1080 with native contrast ratio of over 30,000:1. This is done without use of an iris which limits the range of brightness of an image. Outstanding color gamut is achieved with new color filter selections and color management techniques. The RS2 is shown in Figure 1.
LCOS technology "sandwiches" liquid crystals between a cover glass and a silicon chip with a hyper polished aluminum matrix of pixels. JVC has the most advanced version of LCOS technology with its Direct-Drive Image Light Amplifier (D-ILA), based on an innovation in digital microchip design that permits the viewer to enjoy the full range of benefits from any high quality source whether from a video deck or a computer device.
The D-ILA's innovative placement of the CMOS electronics and high density pixel array is the key to reproducing all the details in a high-definition picture. By placing the matrix addressing switches and electronics right behind (not between) the light-modulating liquid crystal layer, JVC has created a D-ILA chip with a "three-dimensional" layout. The result is a near 90% fill factor and virtual elimination of the annoying "grid" or "screen door effect," so evident in other fixed-matrix display technologies. The unique digital backplane matrix addressing switch design insures the highest level of color and grayscale rendition.
What is the end result? Wide dynamic range Images as smooth and natural as film with impeccable reproduction of all the details and information contained in the original source. What supports this high picture quality is accurate color temperature at the proper light level, high resolution, high contrast and digital gradation. Accurate color temperature is achieved with an advanced optical illumination system. High resolution is achieved using a reflective device with a high aperture ratio and high-density pixel structure, providing real resolution with invisible pixels. High contrast is achieved using vertical alignment liquid crystals of normally black operation and a high-precision wire grid optical system. In combination with the high-speed response of the vertical alignment liquid crystal, JVC's D-ILA technology makes it possible to reproduce smooth, noiseless motion pictures with clear, sharp high definition and film-like picture quality. These attributes are summarized in Figure 2.
Figure 1. RS2 D-ILA projector with full 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and 30,000:1 contrast ratio for home theater applications
Figure 2. D-ILA Image Quality Factors
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