Texas Instruments would like you to say hello to its little friend: the DLPC8445. The name might not be very exciting, but what it promises is: ultra-small 4K projectors with super-speedy refresh rates. The most portable we've seen so far is the LG CineBeam Q, but it's basically in a class of one right now, and that could change.
The DLPC8445 is a new digital light processing (DLP) controller, and according to Texas Instruments, it's the smallest of its kind, some 90% smaller than previous generations. According to the manufacturer it's been created "to replicate the display experiences of high-end televisions and gaming monitors in the form of a compact projector." That means 100-inch 4K projection with the promise of low lag, little image stuttering, and refresh rates of up to 240Hz for gaming.
Not only that, but Texas Instruments claims it'll deliver "sub-millisecond latency matching or exceeding the world's most high-end gaming monitors."
That's the good news. The bad news is that you'll need to wait a little longer for it to make its way into the best portable projectors: the chip has just been launched, so now it's up to manufacturers to actually use it. But use it they will, and that means some seriously impressive projectors are imminent – we'd expect to see some ultra-small new additions to the world of the best 4K projectors at CES 2025 in January. A 4K version of the Samsung Freestyle? Here's hoping.
What's so great about Texas Instruments' new DLP chip
There's lots here to delight home entertainment fans and gamers: as New Atlas reports, the specs include variable refresh rates, dynamic image correction and a range of possible applications that aren't just limited to projectors. While 4K projectors are the most obvious applications for the new chip – and it's been designed with portable, battery-powered projectors in mind – Texas Instruments also says that it's been designed for a range of different applications, resolutions and hardware, including augmented reality glasses.
One of the reasons this is so significant is because of TI's sheer popularity: it invented DLP back in the 1980s and its chipsets are in stacks of projectors today, including pro movie theater projectors as well as home theater options. So a brand new, more powerful and significantly smaller DLP is big news.
According to TI's Jeff Marsh, "Where consumers once needed a big TV or monitor for a crisp and clear display, they can now use a lifestyle or gaming projector and transform a wall into the screen size of their choosing with 4K UHD quality" – and this new chip means that'll be easy for engineers to "develop epic displays for entertainment that can be taken anywhere."
Instead of looking at one of the best TVs for your next bedroom or office screen, maybe a super-portable projector will be a more flexible options, especially if you mostly watch from the best streaming services. We wouldn't bet on projectors replacing the 4K TV any time soon (they'll still have issues in bright rooms), but a tiny, gaming-friendly 4K projector might tempt a lot of people away from a big box.
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