JVC Unveils 8K x 4K Projector with 1,100,000:1 Contrast Ratio
Victor Company of Japan Ltd (JVC) showcased a front-projection projector whose number of display pixels is 8,192 × 4,320 (about 35 million) at CEATEC JAPAN 2008. The contrast ratio of the projector is as high as 1.1 million to one. It is intended to be used for displaying 7,680 × 4,320 pixel images called Super High Vision, which is defined by the ITU-R BT.1769 and SMPTE 2036 standards. JVC developed it in collaboration with Japan Broadcasting Corp (NHK).
The prototype projector is mounted with four microdisplays, which are three 3,840 × 2,160 pixel microdisplays and one 8,192 × 4,320 pixel microdisplay, developed by JVC as display devices. To display an image, a full-color image is made by using the three 3,840 × 2,160 pixel display devices, and an 8,192 × 4,320 pixel monochrome image is made based on the luminance component of input signals. Then, those two images are combined to produce an image. The contrast ratio of 1.1 million to one is the product of the contrast ratios of the two images.
The 8,192 × 4,320 display device is equipped with the "1.75-inch 8K4K D-ILA Device," a microdisplay announced in May 2008. Its pixel pitch is 4.8μm and the gap between pixels is as short as 0.24μm with an aperture ratio of more than 90%. The contrast ratio of the display device is 20,000:1 and its response time is 4.5ms.
By Shinya Saeki, Nikkei Electronics
