Barry D. Silverstein

Design Improvements for Motion Picture Film Projectors

This paper describes improvements developed for motion picture film projectors, in particular, new designs for the intermittent, or Geneva mechanism, and for a Universal lamp house. These new designs are intended to improve the quality of the overall screen image as well as light efficiency and uniformity, resulting in significant increases in screen luminance.

25.4: A Laser-Based Digital Cinema Projector

A fully functional DCI capable prototype Laser Digital Cinema Projector has been developed by Eastman Kodak Company using an innovative optical architecture. The prototype demonstrates the potential of the long life and lower operational costs of lasers while minimizing the incremental costs to manufacture. The projector provides over 10,000:1 contrast ratio, an increased color gamut, and an integrated 3D capability that is significantly brighter than is common today in cinema. These attributes are delivered while addressing the impact of laser speckle, eye safety, and other potential impediments to commercialization.

12.1: Digital Cinema Projection with R-LCOS Displays

A digital cinema projector developed by Eastman Kodak Company, utilizing three JVC QXGA liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and providing 12,000 lumens, 2,000:1 contrast, and 3 Mpixel resolution, is described. This system, which has a novel optical configuration, wire grid polarizers and polarization compensators, provides high contrast at low F#, a large color gamut, and minimal stress birefringence at high power.

An LCOS-based digital-cinema projector

— A digital cinema projector that utilizes three JVC QXGALCDs, and provides 12,000 lumens, 2000:1 contrast, and 3-Mpixel resolution was developed. This system, which was described in a prior paper (see Ref. 10), has a novel optical configuration based on the use of intermediate imaging optics and wire-grid polarizers and is described in greater detail in this paper. The polarization optics, including the polarization compensators, contribute to a system that provides high contrast at a low f/#, with a wide color gamut and minimal color shading at high power.

Write noise from optical heads with nonachromatic beam expansion prisms

The purposes for achromatizing the optics in an optical recording head are: (a) to reduce focal shifts of the spot at the disk and in the focus sensing system, and (b) to eliminate lateral shifts of the spot at the disk when the laser wavelength shifts. Reference 1 discusses the use of a very low dispersion glass in the fabrication of molded singlet lenses for use in optical data storage. This paper discusses an effect of a lateral shift of the focal spot that occurs, due to the dispersion in the beam expansion prism, when the laser mode hops.