Sony SXRD 4K User Manual
™
SXRD 4K Projection
Technology for Visualization, Simulation,
Auditoriums and Postproduction
Introduction
When the history of digital projection is written, October 2005 will stand
out as a milestone. After numerous demonstrations, impassioned industry
discussions and mounting anticipation, it was in October 2005 that the Sony
SRX-R110 and SRX-R105 became the world's first commercially available 4K
projectors, with deliveries to Landmark Theaters, the National Geographic
Society and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Since that time, Sony 4K projection has become a fixture in auditoriums,
research universities, flight simulators, control rooms and trade shows as well as
movie theaters. In short, Sony 4K is called on for any application that demands
ultimate size, resolution and picture quality. And Sony has extended the product
line, adding two models with a pre-installed DVI input (SRX-S110 and SRXS105) and two dedicated Digital Cinema models (SRX-R220 and SRX-R210).
As with any such dramatic departure, Sony 4K projection raises many
questions.
• Why has Sony entered the high-end digital projection market? Why has
such a large company, so well known in other categories, decided to
pursue such a niche?
• What is the significance of 4K (4096 x 2160) resolution? What source
devices support 4K? What signal transport delivers 4K? What
applications does 4K serve?
• What is the technology behind the projectors' microdisplay device: Sony's
Silicon X-tal Reflective Display (SXRD™) panel? How does it perform, not
simply in terms of resolution, but also the vital parameters of contrast,
brightness, response time, aperture ratio and long-term stability?
• How do Sony 4K projectors work? How are they connected and
controlled?
To begin to answer these questions, Sony has prepared this document.
Here we will take a close look at the Sony 4K projectors for Visualization,
Simulation, Auditoriums and Postproduction. These are the 100 Series
projectors, the SRX-S110, S105, R110 and R105. (For detailed information on
the Sony 4K projectors for Digital Cinema—the SRX-R220 and R210—please
refer to sony.com/digitalcinema.)
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Table of Contents
Introduction ...........................................................................................................2
Table of Contents..................................................................................................3
Sony and Digital Projection...................................................................................4
4K Resolution .......................................................................................................6
The SXRD Microdisplay......................................................................................12
The Projectors ....................................................................................................28
A Final Word .......................................................................................................33
Specifications...................................................................................................... 34
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Sony and Digital Projection
To casual observers, Sony's involvement in Large Venue and Digital
Cinema projection may come as a surprise. But industry insiders understand
Sony's deep involvement in the technology of digital entertainment almost every
step of the way, from acquisition and production to postproduction and projection.
In addition, modern microdisplay technologies are shared between large-venue
and home theater digital projectors. As a company that also makes consumer
products, Sony has a multi-million dollar incentive to excel in microdisplays.
• Sony and projection. We announced our first video projection system
when Richard Nixon was in the White House and the original Godfather
was in first-run theaters. The year was 1972. We were also the first
company to deliver a consumer video projector in the United States.
Since that time, we've been a leader in projection systems for commercial
airliners, lecture halls, casino sports book, command & control rooms,
conference rooms and living rooms. We launched our first "universal"
PAL/NTSC/RGB projector, the VPH-1020Q in 1982. In 1989, our HDIH2000 high definition projector found such high profile applications as the
"World of Coke" exhibit in Atlanta. And we continued to develop and
refine professional CRT projectors up to the much loved VPH-G90U
(1999). Today's 4K models represent the latest generation in Sony
projection technology.
Our first projection systems (left) and our legendary 9-inch CRT projector,
the VPH-G90U (right).
• Sony and display picture quality. Sony professional monitors are used
for critical picture evaluation. Our BVM Series monitors are front and
center when digital program content is scrutinized for exposure, focus,
color, contrast and detail.
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Sony digital production equipment includes such landmarks as the F23
CineAlta camera and BVM-L230 master monitor.
• Sony digital production equipment. We build the CineAlta™ digital
cinema equipment used to shoot more high-profile movies than all other
digital systems combined. We're also a leader in high definition broadcast
cameras, recorders and switchers.
• Sony Pictures Entertainment. Not only is Sony actively involved in
digital production of movies and television shows, but Sony Pictures
Imageworks is also an innovator in photorealistic digital effects. And Sony
Pictures Studios offer world renowned production and postproduction
facilities.
As you can see, Sony's involvement in digital production is comprehensive.
Our commitment to display picture quality is legendary. And our passion for
projection is measured not in months or years, but in decades.
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4K Resolution
Sony launched the world's first commercially available 4K projectors. That
raises some obvious questions. What is 4K? What signal sources support it?
For what applications is 4K suited? And how do you get a 4K signal into the
projectors?
In the metric system, "K" is short for kilo, the prefix for 1000. But in the
binary system of computers, "K" equals 2 to the tenth power, or 1024. In the
jargon of digital cinema, "4K" refers to an image that's 4 x 1024, or 4096 pixels
wide. Sony 4K projectors achieve a resolution of 4096 pixels horizontal x 2160
pixels vertical. This is slightly more than four times the pixels of the highest high
definition TV specification (1920 x 1080). You can think of 4K as delivering four
times the pixels per square inch. For example, if you held a credit card up to a
screen 27 feet wide, the card would be covered by over 1,000 pixels. And each
pixel would be the size of the letter "E" in the word LIBERTY on a US quarter.
Greater immersion
Just as high definition is more involving than standard definition, 4K is far
more immersive than HD. 4K projection enables you to sit close to the screen
and still retain the illusion of a seamless, continuous picture. As you sit closer,
you become more immersed in the visual experience.
Home SDTV
720 H x 480 V
345,600 pixels
SXGA
1280 H x 1024 V
1,310,720 pixels
More pixels make for a far larger, far more immersive viewing experience
and provide space for more visual information.
1080p Home
HDTV
1920 H x 1080 V
2,073,600 pixels
4K Projection
4096 H x 2160 V
8,847,360 pixels
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More visual information
If your business depends on rapid decision-making based on visual
information, it pays to make that information as clear and accessible as
technology will allow. That's why Command & Control and Visualization
customers have "edge blended" multiple projectors into a single image. This
incurred some sacrifice in real estate at the edges, as well as distracting shifts in
brightness and color. 4K SXRD projection represents a major advance.
Compared to edge blending, the 4K projection presents a giant canvas of 4096 x
2160 with no sacrifices. Third party vendors and system integrators have been
quick to use this pixel real estate to provide incredibly panoramic displays.
These can include multiple, configured-on-the-fly computer graphic windows,
each in its native resolution.
4K content, delivery and connection
4K content has originated from scanning 35mm or 65mm motion picture
film, from computer animation and from 4K digital cameras. For Digital Cinema,
this content is typically played from a growing selection of servers that are
compatible with the 4K signal.
The Sony 100 Series 4K projectors (SRX-S110, S105, R110 and R105)
have four input card slots, which can be configured to accept analog Y/Pb/Pr,
analog RGB, SD-SDI 4:2:2, HD-SDI 4:2:2, DC-SDI, dual link HD-SDI 4:4:4, dual
link DC-SDI and DVI inputs. A single standard definition video, high definition
video, computer RGB or 2K Digital Cinema source can be displayed across the
entire screen. Or four inputs can be displayed on four quadrants of the screen
simultaneously, a valuable feature for multi-point videoconferencing and multipart Sports Book display.
Superior presentation of HD content
Sony 4K SXRD projection enhances the display of HD and 2K sources,
making these projectors a smart choice even if you don't plan to show 4K content
in the immediate future. For audience members sitting close to the screen,
conventional HD projectors can reveal "jaggies"—unwanted pixel stair steps that
are particularly visible on hard-line picture edges, such as text and graphics.
Depending on microdisplay technology, conventional HD projectors can also
make the gaps between pixels readily visible on the screen. This unwanted
artifact is often called "screen door effect," because the picture appears to be
viewed through a screen door. Sony SXRD 4K projectors minimize both artifacts.
First, with SXRD the gaps between the pixels are unusually narrow in
proportion to the live image area. Roughly 92% of the image is live, with only
about 8% devoted to gaps. Then SXRD 4K projection presses this advantage
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further still, with pixels that are roughly 1/4 the area of HD pixels at a given
screen size. In this way, the gaps are rendered all but invisible with SXRD 4K
projection.
Here's an enlargement of a section of the screen where an HD projector
shows four pixels (left). In this same area, a 4K projector shows 16
pixels (right). This makes the gaps between the pixels far less visible.
Next, every Sony 4K projector can use Intelligent Smoothing, a Sony
circuit that scales an incoming HD or 2K picture up to the resolution of the 4K
screen. In the process, Intelligent Smoothing interpolates new display pixels "in
between" the source pixels. In HD-to-4K upscaling, the projector circuitry creates
three new pixel values for each pixel in the source signal. These new pixel
values do not represent additional picture information. (That can only come from
the source.) But the interpolated pixels do enable a more seamless display, for a
visible reduction in stairstep jaggies.
Sony 4K projectors feature Intelligent Smoothing, a circuit that performs
HD-to-4K upscaling. For each pixel in the HD source (dark circles), t he
circuit creates three new pixel values (light circles) for a more seamless
picture.
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With Sony's HD-to-4K upscaling, the stairstep jaggies of HD images are
visibly reduced in 4K projection. You don't get added resolution. (That
can only come from the source.) But you do get a noticeably smoother
picture.
4 HD images
Thanks to the four input slots, Sony 4K SXRD projectors can also accept
four HD inputs to display four simultaneous high definition images. Each image
appears complete in its own quadrant of the common screen. And each retains
full 1920 x 1080 resolution. Here's a decisive advantage for Command & Control
applications that depend on multiple feeds, for Museum Exhibits, Casino Sports
Book and for any application that tracks more than one video feed at a time. The
projectors also support side-by-side display of two HD feeds.
High Definition Image 1
1920 H x 1080 V
High Definition Image 3
1920 H x 1080 V
Sony's 4K SXRD projectors can display four simultaneous HD pictures.
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High Definition Image 2
1920 H x 1080 V
High Definition Image 4
1920 H x 1080 V
High Definition Image 1
1920 H x 1080 V
The projectors can also display two side-by-side, full-resolution HD video
feeds.
High Definition Image 2
1920 H x 1080 V
Differentiation
Until recently, Large Venues, Rental and Staging, Trade Shows and
Museums could count on high definition projection to deliver a reliable "wow
factor." Unfortunately, this impact is fast being eroded. A growing share of home
HDTVs is now capable of displaying the full resolution of a 1080-line high
definition picture. These so-called "1080p" home televisions include LCD flat
panels, microdisplay rear projection televisions and even a few plasma panels.
These TVs are offered not only by Sony, but also by Hitachi, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi,
Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp and Toshiba. Computer displays are also migrating
to ever higher resolutions. As the home theater improves, out-of-home venues
need to offer a better viewing experience to maintain an advantage. Sony 4K
projection is a powerful way to set your audience experience apart from home
theater.
4K Applications
Since the launch of Sony 4K projection, end-users, integrators and thirdparty vendors in various industries have embraced the technology. Sony 4K is
now featured in diverse applications where its higher resolution is making a
meaningful difference.
• Command and Control. With the ability to display one, two or four
simultaneous HD video feeds at full 1920 x 1080 resolution, these Sony
projectors enable a new generation of mission-critical video monitoring.
Of course, you can display even more simultaneous feeds by driving the
4K projector from an external video processor. RGB inputs of full 4096 x
2160 resolution enable these projectors to display data, text and computer
graphics with superb clarity.
• Visualization. By achieving 4096 x 2160 resolution on a single screen,
one projector can deliver more compelling, more involving, more realistic
visualizations than ever before. Compared to "edge blending" multiple
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projectors, this minimizes the loss of real estate at the edges and
distracting shifts in brightness or color. This also eliminates the effort and
cost of running and maintaining multiple projectors to cover the same field,
as well as the cost of external processing.
• Simulation. Unprecedented resolution and a visually seamless picture
combine to deliver the most immersive display available from a fixed-pixel
projector. Now your trainees can react to subtle visual cues rather than
distracting display artifacts.
• Museums. Sony 4K projection is making visitors more excited, more
impressed and more motivated for a return visit.
• Rental and Staging. Customers need to deliver a message loudly,
clearly and memorably in trade shows and conferences. Nothing makes
more of a statement than a 4K image.
• Casino Sports Book. With ever larger slices of the sports calendar
going high definition, SD projection will soon look boring and dated. Sony
4K SXRD projection supports up to four simultaneous high definition feeds
on a single screen. External processing can display even more windows
of standard definition, high definition or computer-based content at full or
scaled resolution on the 4K screen. And for high-profile events, you can
switch the entire screen to a single source.
• Planetarium. The smaller the pixel, the more accurate the sky. With
Sony 4K SXRD projection, the stars are bright and distinct. Compared to
multiple, edge-blended projectors, you get superb detail in a much simpler
system, which lowers costs.
• Digital Cinema. Sony offered the world's first commercially-available
projectors to match the 4096 x 2160 resolution defined in the Digital
Cinema Initiatives version 1.0 recommended specification. As of
September 2007, they remain the world's ONLY commercially-available
projectors to do so. And Sony has introduced dedicated cinema models:
the SRX-R220 and SRX-R210. For more information, visit
sony.com/digitalcinema.
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The SXRD Microdisplay
In the United States, literally hundreds of fixed-pixel projector models are
available from dozens of companies. These projectors serve every conceivable
market from home television rear projection to custom installation front projectors,
portable business projectors, fixed installation projectors, large venue projectors
and digital cinema projectors. But behind the apparent diversity, almost every
one of these projectors depends on just three types of microdisplays.
High Temperature Polysilicon Liquid Crystal Display (H-LCD) is a
transmissive technology in which the light shines through the panel. Digital
Light Processing™ (DLP™) panels use a reflective micro-mirror array. Liquid
Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) is a category of reflective panels that includes the
Direct drive Image Light Amplifier (D-ILA™) display.
From the outset, Sony was determined to create a fundamentally better
microdisplay. We set our sights on an ambitious development project, targeting
the full range of projector performance:
• High Resolution. We were committed to breaking through the
conventional limits of projector performance, delivering the first consumer
microdisplay projectors with full 1920 x 1080 HD display, and the first
commercially-available professional projectors with 4096 x 2160 resolution.
• High Pixel Density. Microdisplay panel size has an impact not only on
the cost of the panels themselves, but also on the cost of the associated
optical engine and projection lens. For this reason, Sony sought to
achieve maximum pixel count in minimum space.
• High Aperture Ratio. Aperture ratio, also known as fill factor, describes
the percentage of screen area occupied by active pixels. Larger gaps
between the pixels, such as those used in H-LCD panels, reduce the
aperture ratio and heighten the visibility of the individual pixels.
• Accurate Motion Rendering. Some displays can render still pictures
beautifully, yet introduce unwanted blur during fast motion sequences.
Slow panel switching is the culprit. Sony aimed for high switching speed.
• High Contrast Ratio. Resolution by itself does not guarantee picture
quality. Resolution and contrast work hand-in-hand to create the
perception of image detail.
• Low Dark Level. Some liquid-crystal designs tend to create milky blacks.
Sony sought to overcome this limitation.
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