TIs New Home Cinema Device

Texas Instruments doesn't think that your home entertainment center is high-tech enough. In support of its strategy to make Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology the "must have" toy for home projection/display systems, TI just let us know about the availability of a new version of the Digital Micromirror Device (DMD), the semiconductor chip at the heart of DLP. The new DMD is a new version of the previously-announced HD-1, but optimized for front-projection. At the same time, Sharp Electronics announced the XV-Z9000U single-panel DLP-enabled, high-definition front projector for home theater based on TI's chips. The HD-1 features an array of 1,280 x 720 pixels, allowing it to deliver native support for 720p as well as a 16:9 aspect ratio. The HD resolution of the new device offers improved sharpness for all picture formats and sources such as NTSC- and PAL-originated DVDs. Graphics applications such as PC games are also supported. The HD-1 also benefits from a new production process that allows the XV-Z9000U to achieve a contrast ratio of 1,100:1 with reduced pixellation. There are now over fifty products based on DLP technology on the market and over 750,000 DLP subsystems have been shipped.