LED-based projectors are lampless, convenient and growing in popularity and maturity.
By Dave Sniadak
August 22, 2012
Projectors have been around for decades and yet they have just taken a giant leap forward in technology. You no longer need to use incremental increases in lamp life as a metric for your purchasing decisions. There is now a more energy-efficient alternative to traditional lamp-based projector technology. Projector manufacturers have captured the bright lights of light-emitting diode (LED) technology and supplanted it into packages that work within a variety of applications. The technology hasn’t reached its full potential, but it’s getting there.
To date, several companies have introduced LED-based projectors that range from the popular hand-held size, on up to full-scale, theater and auditorium worthy capacities. LED projectors offer superior performance against lamp-based projectors on several fronts, but perhaps the most impressive is the minimal maintenance required for upkeep. Since there are no costly bulbs to replace or protect, users of LED projectors can enjoy proven performance measured in years, not hours.
Additionally, energy consumption is significantly reduced when using LED projectors. With average life spans breaching the 20,000-hour threshold, LED technology has proven to save users upwards of 30 percent on their utilities needed to run their projectors.
Powering up Performance
Unlike traditional lamp projectors, LED technology sends light into a series of liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, which reflect the light at varying illumination rates. Each panel features millions of crystals that bounce the light at different angles, depending on the projector settings.
Each diode is designated as a primary color — red, green, blue — that creates a wave of light that matches the requirements of a projector’s technical design. Some projectors feature LCD displays, and others use digital light processing (DLP)-based optical drivers. While traditional lamp-based projectors may offer greater luminosity for now, LEDs deliver truer colors, cleaner pictures and efficiency that lamps have never even come close to.
And speaking of power, two under-appreciated assets of LED-based technology is the multiple power-saving modes, which can reduce the strain on your projector, extending the already impressive shelf-life. In addition, the cool-running light source means you won’t have to wait for lamps to cool down before packing up, or replacing a burnt bulb.
While ANSI lumens rates for LED projectors may not be on par with some of the more powerful lamp-based projectors, LED projectors still offer an impressive picture under a variety of lighting conditions. Using individual RGB diodes, LED projectors offer extensive color ranges that can’t be matched by lamps.
LED users will enjoy stronger color saturation, stabilized images and cleaner, greener energy consumption. For businesses trying to maintain the highest presentation, both on screen and on paper, LED projectors may just be the direction they should consider when vetting potential projectors.
As technology continues to evolve in the commercial projection industry, businesses, schools, and worship halls will be able to punctuate their presentations with amazing visuals. LED projectors will continue to be developed by manufacturers, and customers will continue to learn about the cost-saving benefits of this emerging technology. 
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