A microminiaturized display, typically with a screen size less than two inches diagonal. They are used in rear-projection TVs and their data projector counterparts, in head mounted displays (HMDs) and in the viewfinders of digital cameras. Although microdisplay research goes back to the mid-1980s, commercial products emerged in the late 1990s.
Reflective and Transmissive
Reflective microdisplay bounce light into the viewer's lens or the projection lens. For example, in a DLP microdisplay, tiny mirrors divert light into the projection path (see DLP).
LCD microdisplays are transmissive, allowing light to pass through the display like backlit, laptop computer screens. See rear-projection TV.
A Microdisplay Unit
This amazing screen is used in HMDs and digital camera viewfinders. The reflective LCD display provides an 800x600 resolution in a half-inch screen that uses only 45 milliwatts of energy, as much as ten times less than transmissive displays. (Image courtesy of Three-Five Systems, Inc.)
Reflective and Transmissive
Reflective microdisplay bounce light into the viewer's lens or the projection lens. For example, in a DLP microdisplay, tiny mirrors divert light into the projection path (see DLP).
LCD microdisplays are transmissive, allowing light to pass through the display like backlit, laptop computer screens. See rear-projection TV.
A Microdisplay Unit
This amazing screen is used in HMDs and digital camera viewfinders. The reflective LCD display provides an 800x600 resolution in a half-inch screen that uses only 45 milliwatts of energy, as much as ten times less than transmissive displays. (Image courtesy of Three-Five Systems, Inc.)
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Photos: An iPhone as a movie projector?
- Already in prototype, microdisplay technology from Micron could soon make it possible to project anything anywhere and any time from very small devices. by CNET News.com
- Image galleries 2009-07-11
- Heads up! Interactive data eyeglasses
- A team of scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS in Dresden, Germany, is working on a device which incorporates eye tracking to influence the content presented to the viewer. Without having to use any other devices to enter instructions, the wearer can display new content, scroll through...
- Blog posts 2009-06-08
- Samsung HL61A750
- Rear-projection HDTVs, as a category, are on their way out, and DLP-based sets are the only microdisplay choice available, now that all manufacturers of LCD- and LCoS-based rear-projection displays have basically ceased production. Samsung and Mitsubishi are pretty much the only players left in this category--they're the only two...
- Product reviews 2008-07-18
- Sony XEL-1 OLED TV
- One of the most-common questions we get as CNET HDTV reviewers, after the overwhelming favorite "What HDTV should I buy?," is "What's the next big thing in HDTV?" Granted, we don't hear that question as often as we used to, perhaps because LCD, plasma and microdisplay sets have become more...
- Product reviews 2008-02-21
- Panasonic PT-61LCZ70
- Ever since the introduction of microdisplay rear-projection HDTVs based on DLP, LCD and LCoS technology, the bother and expense of having to replace their bulbs in your television has been an issue. Most of these behemoth TVs use conventional bulbs, just like compact two-piece projectors, to power their pictures, and...
- Product reviews 2007-10-04
- Mitsubishi WD-65734
- As large-screen plasma displays become less and less expensive, the tried-and-true rear-projection HDTV becomes less and less appealing to Americans with lots of room and a penchant for gigantic images. At 65 inches, however, the Mitsubishi WD-65734 stands in a size class where plasma still breaks the bank. This DLP...
- Product reviews 2007-09-19
- Why you probably don't need that extended warranty
- A study by ConsumerReports.org suggests that non-savvy consumers will fork out a total of $1.6 billion on warranties this year. Newsflash - theyre not worth the money!Extended warranties and service plans are a great gig for the retailer. When they sell you a TV for $500 they make...
- Blog posts 2006-11-20
- Panasonic PT-61DLX76
- Panasonic is a major HDTV player, but its big-screen cards have mostly been of the flat-panel variety as opposed to rear-projection. The PT-DLX76 series, which includes a 56-inch model as well as the 61-inch PT-61DLX76 ($3,299 MSRP) reviewed here, changes all that. It's the company's first foray into the lucrative...
- Product reviews 2006-07-24
- Would you wear video glasses?
- According to EE Times, an Israeli company has developed a personal video display device that looks like a simple pair of glasses. You can use these glasses with various sources, such as a portable media player or your cell phone. This technology promises to eliminate the dizziness phenomenon usually associated...
- Blog posts 2006-05-05
- Sony DVP-NS70H
- HD-DVD and Blu-ray players are still a way from being mainstream, so upconverting DVD players currently provide the closest thing to a high-def DVD experience. Upconverting DVD players don't magically make DVDs high-definition--there's no high-def picture data on the disc--but they scale the available picture to fit HDTV resolutions. And...
- Product reviews 2006-04-10
- 5.6 mln rear-projection TVs will be sold in 2004
- Shipments of rear-projection sets will rise to 5.6 mln units in 2004, up 11.4% from 5 mln in 2003, iSuppli predicts. Rear-projection TV RPTV set shipments will swell to 7.5 mln in 2008, rising at a CAGR compound annual growth rate of 8.3% from 2003. Rear-projection sets compete in the...
- Blog posts 2004-09-17
Neighboring Terms
Premier Vendor Content Whitepapers, webcasts & resources from our Power Center Sponsors
- Learn more about tools to grow your business
-
The Business Essentials Guide provides you useful tools and templates to help grow your business and save you time with automated shipping solutions.
- Save time with the UPS Business Essentials Guide
- The more you simplify, the more you save
-
When you transition from your existing Red Hat environment to SUSE Linux Enterprise from Novell, you can recognize dramatic cost savings, perhaps as much 50%
- Learn more >>
- Keep Up With The Latest In Document Management with The DocuMentor.
-
Doc delivers the scoop on today's enterprise content management, printer maintenance, and all other issues related to document management. It's the DocuMentor Blog.
- Learn more >>
- New Online Dashboard for IT Leaders
-
Read about top issues IT decision-makers face every day, plus get cost-effective solutions to real-life IT problems.
- Learn more >>
- Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online - Free Six-Month Trial for Eligible Organizations
-
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online provides fast online access, simple contact management and better sales performance for a low monthly cost - the best value on the market today.
- Learn more about the free, six-month trial offer>>
Meet Doc
-
-
Here to help you with your Document Management Needs
- Check out Doc’s Blog on ZDNet
- Help your company, help the earth I want to share with you the Environmental Defense Fund Paper Calculator, which allows you to gauge your organization's environmental impact.
- Which is Greener: Paper or Digital? The Answer May Surprise You Anything we can do to reduce paper consumption is good. But what about the impact of digital waste?
-
Produced by
ZDNet and -
