Texas Instruments intros lamp-free projectors

tech_why_1 Your next projector (or first projector?) may very well not have a lamp in it. Texas Instruments recently showed off some prototype devices using what it’s calling “PhlatLight” LED lighting. Cool, it’s like the “F” in FlatLight is actually “Ph” instead. That’s both radical and extreme at the same time.

Anyhoo, TI claims that this new technology will eliminate the need to replace projector bulbs and filters, so that oughta save everyone a nice chunk o’ change. Units containing the new awesomely-named PhlatLight technology will be shipping “in late 2008,” according to the company.

Texas Instruments also announced “the world’s first DLP 3-D front projector product,” which has a 120Hz refresh rate and 1,400 x 1,050 resolution. It’ll be used “for the demanding scientific visualisation, simulation and entertainment environments.”

Finally, those Pico-Projectors we’ve all been waiting for will finally be made into actual products. They’ll start to show up in Europe and Asia later this year, with the rest of the world to get them early next year.