• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

mkpeReport

top analysis covering digital cinema, 3-D, HFR, and laser illumination

  • Reports
  • About
  • mkpe.com
  • cinepedia.com

Will Lasers Change Everything?

September 2010 by Michael Karagosian

Kodak announced the development of a laser projector this month, and its intent to license the technology to others. On September 30, Kodak demonstrated its technology at its facilities in Rochester, NY. Barry Silverstein, the researcher behind Kodak’s laser projection technology, dressed in a tuxedo, humorously noted that the day was not only the 50th anniversary of the invention of the laser, but also the 50th anniversary of the Flintstones, a popular TV show.

Kodak’s development, however, while not as revolutionary as the invention of the laser itself, was also certainly a lot more exciting than the Flintstones. Kodak did what others have only talked about: it developed a light engine optimized for laser light. The specific light engine that was developed utilizes DLP chips, either 2K or 4K. The one prototype projector developed lights a 40-foot screen using three discrete lasers. Each primary was created from 12 x 3W lasers. The laser primaries, however, were not “DCI,” meaning that they did not match those used in available digital cinema projectors.

Images were viewed on-screen from the laser projector alone, and in a butterfly test with a xenon-driven DLP projector. For this viewer, the laser images had a noticeable blue cast. This cast was attributed to metamerism, where the narrow distribution of wavelengths for each primary leads to a different interpretation of color among viewers. Barry said that they chose their primary intensities based on measurements made of 20 viewers, and noted that even his own perception of color fell outside of the norm. (I.e., he wasn’t satisfied with what he saw, either.) The question remained, however, as to whether the problem arose due to the variance in primaries from those used in the “standard” projector.

Metamers issues aside, the brilliance of Kodak’s work is that they threw out the prism-based light engine common in all projectors today, and started from scratch. With xenon lamps, the prism assembly is necessary to separate white light into primary colors. With laser-driven primaries, the prisms are no longer needed, saving substantial cost. The optical light engine that Kodak developed (no photos allowed) is elegant, and relatively inexpensive. The use of lasers allows slower optics to be used. Barry quoted that the light path of the laser projector could have an f# of 6, while a xenon-driven light engine has an f# of 2.4. The higher f number further reduces the cost of the light engine. To illustrate, with a Kodak light engine, a standard 35mm film lens can be used.

The pièce de résistance, however, was the light efficiency possible with 3-D. Laser light is inherently polarized, and the polarization can be switched at the laser in synchronization with the flash rate. No Z-screen

Filed Under: Projectors Tagged With: Kodak, Laser Projectors

Primary Sidebar

Search

Topics

  • 3-D
  • Accessibility
  • Alt Content & Advertising
  • Anti-Piracy
  • Color
  • Communications
  • Deployment Entities
  • Distributors
  • Exhibitors
  • Fulfillment
  • High Dynamic Range
  • Higher Frame Rates
  • Installations
  • Patents
  • Projectors
  • Servers and IMBs
  • Sound
  • Technical Bodies
  • Theatre Management Systems
  • Trade Organizations and Shows

Full Archives

a publication of
MKPE Consulting LLC

Footer

Important Stuff

  • About
  • Privacy Policy

Archives

  • Category & Monthly Archives
Archives date back to 2008.

MKPE

mkpeReport is a publication of MKPE, a world-class consultancy building business at the crossroads of cinema and technology.
Learn more about MKPE.

copyright © 2008 - 2023 mkpe consulting llc

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of all cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo