JVC D-ILA

Digital Direct Drive Image Light Amplifier (D-ILA) LCOS Projection

Technology Overview & Description
The D-ILA device, a special LCOS technology developed by JVC, is a reflective type of LCD that delivers a greater amount of light than a transmissive LCD panel and is comprised of groups of pixels which correspond to each image dot. Also, unlike conventional LCD panels (in which the switches and electronics are mounted on the same surface as the pixels), the D-ILA 's driving IC substrate is located behind the liquid crystal layer. Because of this, the “screen door effect” found in many LCD projectors is eliminated almost entirely, leaving a nearly-seamless picture which is very impressive. D-ILA and DLP will be battling it out for the next several years, something that will undoubtedly be good for the market and will result in some excellent "trickle-down" technologies for the home theater user.

Note: D-ILA is essentially JVC's flavor of LCOS and is presented here due, in part, to the significant differences between LCOS front projection and rear projection solutions and applications. D-ILA also particularly impressed us at CES and we feel it has a tremendous potential for home theater markets once higher yield versions of the light valve are possible.

The D-ILA technology is based on an innovation in microchip design that packs 2048 x 1536 pixels on a single 1.3" chip (labeled a QXGA device). This makes possible display of HD images at full-spec resolution of 1920 x 1080 (with support for 1080p possible). Overall, D-ILA projectors produce higher resolutions, better contrast ratios, less image artifacts, and better tonal and color information than just about any LCD front projection device.

How it works
The light from the xenon lamp travels through a polarized beam splitter (PSB), which is reflected off the D-ILA device, then passed through the projection lens and onto the screen. High brightness and high resolution are achieved using a reflective LCOS device with a high aperture ratio (93%) and high-density pixels, providing real resolution with pixels that blend almost seamlessly together. High contrast is achieved using vertical alignment liquid crystals of normally black operation and a high-precision optical system. Analog gradation makes it possible to reproduce dark areas with high S/N (signal-to-noise ratio) because the D-ILA� device has an S-shape response. In combination with the high-speed response of the vertical alignment liquid crystal, JVC's D-ILA� technology makes it possible to reproduce smooth, noiseless motion pictures with clear, sharp high definition and film-like picture quality.

What’s Next?
JVC is currently developing the next-generation of D-ILA chips, including a new 0.7" device (1400 x 1050) which is designed to take advantage of higher yields (and lower costs) while offering the same HD resolution, and will enable to production of home theater projectors as well as business presentation models. This should create much needed competition for next-generation LCD and DLP projectors. Right now the contrast ratios on these projectors is greater than LCD, but far less than even single-chip DLP projectors. LCD technology, be it reflective or transmissive has a long way to go to gain significant ground in this one area, but its unique characteristics put it somewhat into a class of its own.

D-ILA Projection Advantages	D-ILA Projection Disadvantages
Excellent color reproduction Excellent contrast ratios Nearly seamless images	Very expensive Currently geared towards high-end and commercial uses