Projector Technology Transition – have 3LCD projectors met their match with 4LED?

In 2003, the best TV you could buy was a plasma TV. But despite great contrast and picture quality, in a few years LED technology offered better performance at a similar price – and plasma TV’s disappeared. In 2023, a new game-changing projector technology has emerged that offers better image quality, longer life, and lower cost of ownership than the traditional lamp-powered 3LCD projector. Has 3LCD color performance met its match with the new 4LED projectors available today? We’ll look at the five key advantages 4LED has over 3LCD technology.

• Color and HDR performance
• Contrast 
• 24/7 Use and Reliability
• Maintenance-Free Design 
• Projector Cost
  

With a traditional 3LCD projector, three different panels and other hardware are needed to separate the colors from the white light coming from the lamp to create complex color images. With 4LED technology, the color comes from the LED’s themselves – making it much easier to create a compelling image using a single chip to create a picture that looks better – and lasts longer. This enables five significant advantages compared to a 3LCD lamp projector.

One reason plasma TV’s disappeared so fast is that LED powered TVs had better color and more saturation. The same is true for 4LED projector technology when compared to similar projectors using mercury lamps. The latest 4LED projectors such as the BenQ LH730 has better color saturation, wider color gamut, and the ability to support HDR10 video – that isn’t available on any similar 3LCD business projectors.

4LED technology delivers amazing contrast at high brightness levels by using advanced techniques such as dynamic dimming to adjust the brightness of each frame – and even specific sections of the image. This means that you don’t have to have turn the lights down when using the projector to read the smaller text on the screen.

For many 3LCD projector models, using the projector too much can void the warranty. Leading brands like Epson and NEC/Sharp have specific language in their 3LCD projector warranties that prohibit the user from using the projector “excessively” or more than a specific number of hours per day. Not so with 4LED technology. This technology enables models like the BenQ LH730 to be rated for 24/7 use – without worrying about voiding the warranty or the having projector turn yellow over time.

Many 3LCD projectors advertise “virtually maintenance free²” but still have filters that may need to be cleaned or replaced as often as every month when used commercially. Sort of like virtual reality.

The latest 4LED powered projectors don’t have any filters, so there are no “clean filter now” warnings or sections in the manual that warn you that lack of maintenance can void the warranty. These sealed engine projectors on a 4LED projector mean that you can set it and forget it and get back to running your business and watching movies.

Traditional mercury lamp 3LCD projectors are inexpensive, but replacement lamps are costly and a hassle to replace. In 2023 – 4LED technology can enable you to buy a longer lasting (up to 30,000 hours) projector at the brightness you need – for less than the cost of a similar 3LCD laser model. Let’s look at how some popular models of 4LED projectors stack up compared to 3LCD lamp and laser alternatives using Futuresource average price data for the first half of 2023 in the United States.

While 4LED technology is quite new, the latest projectors using 4LED technology are winning rave reviews and awards from critical review sites such as projectorcentral.com, PC Magazine, Tech Radar, and other reviewers worldwide. The combination of stunning color performance and long-lasting maintenance-free design could have an impact on legacy lamp-powered 3LCD projectors that require cleaning messy filters.