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Sony's design program for SXRD projection called for the closest possible
fidelity to the original picture. For this reason, SXRD projection does not resort to
color wheels, optical actuators, special dithering or sub-pixel processing.
Color Wheels. These are a throwback to the mechanical color television
proposals of the 1950s. Color is separated by a rotating color wheel that is timed
to coincide with a subframe for each color segment on the wheel, such as Red,
Green and Blue. Contemporary color wheels now use as many as eight
segments. Regardless of the number of segments, this system can only flash
one color at a time. In fact, the colors remain completely separate until they are
combined by the human visual system.
This single-chip system generates adequate color under many viewing
conditions. However, under certain high-contrast conditions, rainbow flashes of
the individual colors may be seen. This can occur when looking away from the
screen or even blinking.
Color separation
via rotating filter
wheel
Screen
flashes Red,
Green & Blue
Colors
combined by
human visual
system
Color breakup
One panel
Single Chip
Single ChipSingle Chip
Single Chip
Color separation
via dichroic
mirrors
Colors combined
by prism
Three SXRD
panels
Stable, natural
color to viewers
No color breakup
Three Chips
Projectors with a single microdisplay panel and color wheel are subject
to color breakup, which may be visible or concern certain viewers.
SXRD projectors use three separate panels for Red, Green and Blue to
display all the colors all the time. So color breakup is never a problem.
(Sample illustration of color breakup that may be visible to viewers with a
high-contrast image.)
Even the least expensive consumer SXRD televisions use three
independent microdisplay panels, one each for Red, Green and Blue. In this way,
SXRD projectors display all the colors, all the time. Thanks to this three-panel