Inventor of the DLP chip honoured with Academy Award

9th February 2015

Barney Scott

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Larry J. Hornbeck, PhD, the inventor of the Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) or DLP chip, the technology that led to the design and development of DLP Cinema display technology from Texas Instruments, has been awarded an Academy Award of Merit - more commonly known as an Oscar - for his contribution to revolutionising the creation, distribution and viewing of motion pictures.

The industry’s conversion from 35mm motion picture film to digital cinema is nearly complete worldwide, with DLP Cinema technology now powering more than eight out of 10 digital movie theatre screens.

DLP Cinema technology gives viewers consistent brightness and colour-accurate images, compared to 35mm motion picture film. The technology not only makes it easier for studios to package and distribute movies, but also enables audiences to experience the true vision of the creators of the content.

As a result of Hornbeck’s invention, TI's DLP product innovations have solved some of the world’s most complex display and light-control issues in the personal electronics, industrial and automotive markets with powerful, flexible, programmable optical chipsets.

Development of the DLP chip began in TI’s Central Research Laboratories in 1977 when Hornbeck first created ‘deformable mirrors’ to manipulate light in an analogue fashion. But the analogue technology consistently fell short of expectations. It was not until 1987 that he invented the DMD, the breakthrough technology that would become known as the DLP chip. During the mid-1990s, TI established the DLP Cinema team, chartered to develop a digital projector that could match the quality of 35mm motion picture film.

After years of testing and perfecting, the resulting technology made its public debut in 1999, when ‘Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace’ was released as the first full-length motion picture shown with DLP Cinema technology. Over the subsequent 15 years, the cinema industry has nearly completed the conversion from film projectors to digital cinema projectors. Today, digital projectors powered by DLP Cinema technology are installed in more than 118,000 theatre screens around the globe, according to TI.

“It’s wonderful to be recognised by the Academy. Following the initial inventions that defined the core technology, I was fortunate to work with a team of brilliant Texas Instruments engineers to turn the first DMD into a disruptive innovation,” said Hornbeck, who has 34 U.S. patents for his groundbreaking work in DMD technology. “Clearly, the early and continuing development of innovative digital cinema technologies by the DLP Cinema team created a definitive advancement in the motion picture industry beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.”

In addition to Hornbeck’s recognition, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) recognised several past and present TI employees, who received a Scientific and Engineering Award or Technical Achievement Award for their contributions to DLP Cinema technology. The Academy’s 87^th Scientific and Technical Awards Ceremony was held on 7^th February 2015. Highlights of the awards ceremony can be found on the official Oscars website.

Visit the TI DLP products website for full details about the latest DLP technology.