When you think of projectors, you probably think of large, bulky technology from years ago. However, projectors have come a long way since their invention in 1917. Today, projectors are smaller, portable, and more powerful than ever before. In this blog post, we will explore the history of projectors and take a look at some of the latest models on the market.
How the lantern evolved into modern projectors.
The lantern may very well have been the first projector. A lantern is nothing more than an apparatus consisting of a glass chimney and a burning flame; most lanterns are bright enough to create a faint image on a wall.
Although lanterns were around in ancient times, it wasn’t overly until the 17th century that they started being used for projecting images. The 1696 French philosopher and scientist Alexis Claude Clairaut is recorded as using a mirror and a lantern to project an image of the sun onto paper.
In the early 1800s, Antonio Maria Valseca, an Italian physicist, recorded drawing a scale model of the solar system using lantern slides as his medium.
It wasn’t until 1839 that Frenchman Paul Julius Gottlieb Nipkow (pictured on the right) invented the Nipkow Disk – an early form of a liquid crystal display.
This disk was made up of viewable elements (pixels) that were able to rotate through 90 degrees. This disk was mounted on an axis and viewed by rotating the disk in sync using a motor.
The first projection of an image.
The first projection of an image.
Projectors have come a long way since Thomas Edison first introduced the first commercial projector in 1890. Back then, films were extremely grainy, and the projector itself was bulky and unwieldy. Today, projectors are nothing like their predecessors; modern projectors are lightweight, compact, and capable of projecting crystal-clear images.
So what’s the history of projectors and how did we get to today’s state-of-the-art models? Here’s a brief history of projectors to give you a bit of background on how far they’ve come.
1890 – The first projector was introduced by Edison in 1890. This projector was capable of projecting an image up to 8 inches in diameter.
1899 – The first cinema projector was introduced by W.K.L. Dickson, an avid photographer. His “Cinematograph” projector was used to show films at vaudeville and theatre shows.
1900 – William Kennedy Dickson, who invented the first commercially available movie projector, patented a system for projecting movies.
1928 – RCA (Radio Corporation of America) bought Dickson’s patent and established the RCA Photophone Corporation.
1931 – RCA released the first commercial television, the 10-inch “Radiola”.
1934 – The 25-inch “Radiovision” was released, featuring a built-in projector.
1938 – The 22-inch “Radiovision” was released.
1954 – The Sony Corporation released the first electronic, cathode-ray tube, high-definition television.
1966 – The Sony Corporation released the first solid-state television, the “Trinitron”.
1969 – Texas Instruments released the first pocket-sized, battery-powered television.
1970 – Texas Instruments released their first video cassette recorder.
The first projectors used in the late 1800’s.
The first projectors used in the late 1800’s. Projectors are devices that project light through lenses onto a screen to create an image. Many projectors use digital light processing technology today. Before digital light processing projectors, several technologies used in the early projectors.
The first projectors used in the late 1800’s. Projectors are devices that project light through lenses onto a screen to create an image. Many projectors use digital light processing technology today. Before digital light processing projectors, several technologies used in the early projectors.
M. Bessie Pease’s Photophone was an experimental device that used a photo-electric cell. It used a rotating disk to store images as light was beamed onto the photo-electric cell. The image was converted to a sound wave that played back through a loudspeaker.
The Nipkow disk used a rotating disk of light-sensitive phosphorous. A motorized mirror reflected the light up through a hole in the disk and onto a photocell. The image was stored as light from a light source was reflected onto the light-sensitive phosphorous.
The Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) used an electron beam to illuminate an image on a phosphor coating. The CRT had programs and data stored on the cathode ray tube. The image was reflected off of an electron gun into a phosphor coating.
All of these technologies had limitations. The Photophone could only store one image per disk. The Nipkow disk was slow and could only store one image. The Cathode Ray Tube had several limitations including slow response time and a bright glow.
The next projector was invented by Dr. T. K. Land. He created the Image Dissector, a device that use a rotating mirror. Images were bounced off a mirror into an image receiving cell. The image was stored as an electric signal and played back through a loudspeaker.
The Photophone was the first projector used in the late 1800’s. The Image Dissector was an improvement over the Photophone. The Image Dissector used a rotating mirror to create a moving image.
Eventually the Image Dis
Early projectors used in the early 1900’s.
Early projectors used in the early 1900’s were mechanical devices.
The first electronic projectors were shown in 1928, and in 1930 the first European projector was introduced by the company Emitron, which used light valves. The Emitron projector was the first projector to project images onto the screen.
In 1931, the first American projector was introduced by the Engineering Research Associates (ERA) Corporation, and in 1936, the first American light valve projector was introduced by Teleview. In 1936, General Electric Company (GE) introduced a color television to the public. In 1937, ERA Corporation made a film projector that used two light valves.
In 1938, ERA Corporation started making acoustical sound projectors and in 1940, Teleview made the first electronic, sound-equipped projector. In 1950, the first portable projector was introduced by the RCA Corporation.
In 1951, ERA Corporation introduced the first movie projector that used an electronic light valve. In 1952, Teleview made the first projector that was equipped with sound, a photoelectric cell, and rotated the shutter electronically. In 1955, the ERA Company released the first motorized film projector.
In 1961, the RCA Corporation introduced the first portable, hand-held electronic light valve projector. In 1962, the ERA Corporation made the first portable, hand-held light valve projector. In 1972, RCA Corporation made the first slide projector.
In 1977, the ERA Company made the first projector that used a laser. In 1978, the company Kodak released the first slide projector, which used a laser. In 1979, the ERA Company made the first projector that had a built-in printer. In 1981, the ERA Company made the first projector that had an electronic zoom.
How modern projectors work.
Projectors have been around for over 100 years. The history and evolution of projectors is fascinating.
The first projector was invented in 1900 by a man called Thomas Wilfred. Wilfred used 35mm film and a metal parabolic mirror to create the images. The projector worked by reflecting the light from the lamp onto the mirror. The mirror would then reflect this light on to the film, and the viewer would be able to see a projected image.
The first projectors were very expensive, and the technology wasn’t perfected until the 1920s. The first improved models had longer bulbs that could make images on much larger screens. The current models use LCD or DLP technology.
The first LED technology was developed by Texas Instruments in 1995. The LED projectors allow users to make images up to 300 inches across.
The first 3D projectors were developed in 2007. These projectors allowed users to view 3D images without the use of any special glasses.
The first laser projectors were developed in 200
Conclusion
In today’s global market, Projectors are one of the most developed products for the consumers. People love to watch their favorite movies and play games on their projectors. Projectors are easy to carry and easy to use. Projectors can be installed in home as well as in office. They have become a common and most important product in everyone’s life. For more info visit Topline Projector.