Sony SXRD 4K manual High Pixel Density, High aperture ratio

High Pixel Density

All other things being equal, smaller microdisplay panels are better than larger. Smaller panels not only mean lower manufacturing costs for the microdisplays themselves. They also mean smaller size and lower cost for the optical engine and for the projection lens that focuses the picture onto the screen.

For this reason, the "pixel density" of a microdisplay is of enormous practical importance. Higher pixel density is the key to delivering high performance at reasonable prices. While it is possible to measure the density as pixels per square inch or square millimeter, the more common measure is "pixel pitch." This measures the center-to-center distance of adjacent pixels, taking into account not only the size of the pixel itself but also the gap between the pixels. Sony's 4K SXRD panel has a pixel pitch of just 8.5 micrometers. In comparison, a human hair is roughly 70 micrometers thick. It is this 8.5-micrometer pitch that enables Sony to deliver 8.8 Megapixels on a device not much bigger than a competing panel that delivers just 2.2 Megapixels.

PIXELS

1.55" SXRD

4K Panel

8M

╋

7 μm

9 μm

11 μm

13 μm

15 μm

pitch

pitch

pitch

pitch

pitch

4M

Pixel Density

3M

0.61" SXRD

HD Panel

╋

◆

2M

╋

1.26" 2K

0.78" SXRD

HD Panel

Competing

1M

Panel

500K

0.9

1.0

1.3

1.6

2.0

3.0

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

PANEL SIZE (inches diagonal)

To achieve maximum resolution at minimum cost, microdisplay panel suppliers are pushing toward higher pixel density. Sony SXRD panels have the highest pixel density currently available.

High aperture ratio

On all fixed-pixel panels, the pixels are separated by gaps that contain no picture information. To generate the effect of a seamless, continuous picture, these gaps should be minimized. In the SXRD panel design, all the transistors

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