Projector light source technology has seen a great many changes in recent years – from improvements to traditional projector lamps through to the introduction of lasers. The latest light sources are more efficient, more environmentally friendly and longer-lasting than their predecessors.
Here is a list of the most common light sources on the market and a brief look at what to expect in the future.
The technologies at a glance
Projector lamps
The majority of today's projectors use lamps as their light source. Compared with the newer technologies, the future of lamps looks rather dim. (Pun intended.)
Metal halide lamps and UHP (Ultra High Performance) lamps are the most common types of projector lamp.
Metal halide lamps, discovered in the late 1960s, use a combination of rare-earth metal salts and mercury vapour to produce light. They last around 3,000 hours.
UHP lamps were developed by Philips in 1995 as a more efficient alternative to metal halide lamps. They offer similar brightness while using less energy. They also last around 3,000 hours.
The newest lamp on the scene is Epson's E-TORL, which features a new housing and a newly developed lamp shape. These improvements minimise light scattering and losses and concentrate as much as possible on brightness. This lamp lasts around 4,000 hours.
LED
Used in most pico projectors, LEDs (light-emitting diodes) are essentially tiny light bulbs.
Unlike conventional bulbs in desk lamps, LEDs fit directly into an electrical circuit and are lit by a flow of electrons. LEDs have no filaments and therefore last longer. The absence of filaments also lets LEDs work more efficiently: they don't get as hot and require far less power than normal light bulbs.
LED light sources are mercury-free and can therefore be switched on and off as often as you like. They don't need heat management and are therefore ideal for quieter, smaller projectors. LED projectors are generally not as bright as projectors with other light sources.
Hybrid light sources
Casio was the first full-size projector manufacturer to work without lamps. Its hybrid light source uses the best of laser, phosphor and LED technologies to produce an image as bright as one from mercury lamps; in addition, the technology is more environmentally friendly, uses less power and lasts longer. This type of technology is expected to spread quickly in the projector world.
With 2,000–3,000 ANSI lumens, this hybrid projector outperforms its LED predecessors. The light source uses red LEDs and a blue laser; a phosphor element converts the blue laser light into green light.
While the performance of conventional mercury projectors visibly declines with age, brightness and superior colours remain consistent here.
The hybrid light source lasts up to 20,000 hours. It reaches maximum brightness in just eight seconds and requires no cooling phase – old mercury vapour lamps can be damaged if you switch them off before the cooling phase.
On the horizon… laser!
In spring 2010, Sony announced the development of a highly efficient RGB laser light source with a lifespan of 10,000 hours.
The light source uses red, green and blue high-power lasers with a 21-watt output, equivalent to 5,000 ANSI lumens. With a consumption of only 110 watts, Sony achieves an 18% energy efficiency ratio – a very respectable performance for such a technology. Low energy consumption also means a lower electricity bill for you.
Also impressive is that the laser offers considerably higher brightness, better contrast and a wider colour gamut than conventional projector lamps.
back to projector technology and terms
Matching product categories in the shop:
Further guides:
- Projector buying guide using the BEAM method – overview of all guides
- Projector A–Z – glossary of projection technology & projector terms – glossary of technical terms
- 4K projectors for bright living rooms 2026 – models for rooms with ambient light
