Developing “Laser Illumination” for Digital Projectors faced a number of challenges. One was that there were already several competing Spatial Light Modulator (SLM) technologies used in projectors to change RED GREEN BLUE (RGB) illumination light into digitally controlled 2D (and later 3D) images. The main contenders in the 90s were MEMs (with huge, albeit unsuccessful, investments for optical switching.) LCD and its variant LCoS, and 1D scanned modulators. Even with these various SLM options, in the 90s, the available Laser sources were not yet suitable for the task.
Never-the-less, a few impressive demonstration prototypes did emerge. I did not participate in this phase of “pre-development”, but it was sufficient to keep interest on the back burner while lamp-based digital projectors improved and became more popular.
The first big breakthrough came when Texas Instruments (TI) demonstrated Hollywood content with their 1.2K MEMs (DLP™) SLM chips, illuminated by Cinema-familiar Xenon Arc Lamps. That milestone was achieved about 25 years ago with one of the Star Wars titles for content, winning TI’s Dr. Larry Hornbeck an Oscar in 2015. TI had the tech and clout to get some of Hollywood’s fussiest gatekeepers to open the gates…slightly. In 2000, no supply, but nascent demand. It still took another few years to start the commercial transition to Lamp-based Digital Cinema.
The design targets were still moving but starting to form segments of opportunity that could be modeled and at least discussed with investors. DC28 gave all participants a difficult but common target to work toward – for Cinema. Non-Cinema digital projector segments were simply “The Wild West”. Going off in all directions, but still no good Lasers.
Despite billions invested in Lasers for Telecom (c. 1999-2003), none of these were useful. Fortunately for projection (and lighting, material processing and sensing applications) another Oscar winner, Nichia, was developing SEMICONDUCTOR Lasers that emitted BLUE light – with it’s breakthrough “GaN” (Gallium-Nitride) material system. GaN semiconductors are the most significant Laser development for projection and lighting. But this breakthrough faced its own challenges. Digital images and movies are in Color. Having BLUE but not RED and GREEN Laser technology was useless for developing even a prototype RGB Laser illuminated digital projector. Fortunately for LLE, it was able to focus on RED and GREEN which its architecture produced with good efficiency and could now use Nichia’s BLUE diodes to produce the right white balance needed for Cinema and other high performance projection. Small breakthrough. LLE was able to increase white-balanced RGB power with a hybrid design. We began to focus on meeting DC28 specs and start showing Hollywood DC28 digital content in our small demonstration theater.
[P4 – 10/21/25]