The cost of 4k laser projection. Speculation Red Laser Price.

[Wayne Morellini]

We have seen those near $100 doller pocket laser video projectors for some time. By putting multiple projectors in a frame you can project a 4k image for around $2000 or so. I am sure that these will not have the features, brightness or quality of the Red Laser which nay have new 3D technique, but gives some realistic pricing of how cheap it can be done (plain low powered 4k projector, non encoded cinema system).

But being an inventor, I have known for a very long time that you can get just one of these projectors to do 4k, at a lot cheaper cost, 8k not many times more. The biggest factors are power level (there are real limitations in safety classifications, with recent research showing more limitations needed), resolution input processing, and resolution itself. However we maybe talking about hundreds of dollers in bulk. So $500 4k projector is possible, thought producers will likely will charge at least $2000 for this even if they are a low end Chinese manufacturer. Of course, this industry works by charging people through the teeth for old technology and low resolutions, but there are substantial cost savings to be had with alternative projection technologues. So our prospects of seeing a soon 4k $2000 projector at 60p are silm, unless some type of goidwill hero company intervenes :-) _

I am probably overstating the case, and a very basic 4k projector can be done much cheaper than $500. The sorts I were investigating doing were much cheaper and others over 19k resolution possible one day. However, a lot of people are oblivious to these technologies.


There are also a number of alternative laser projectors out there:
http://www.laserfocusworld.com/conte...ctor&x=45&y=17

The recent safety research (of interest for Red too I think):
http://www.laserfocusworld.com/artic...rojectors.html

[Martin Weiss]

If you make one, I'll happily buy it. My experience is that things are never as easy and cheap as they seem.

Until then I find $10k for a 4k projector an amazing deal.

[Zach Swena]

You can't compare 50 lumen pocket projectors to what RED is developing. It just doesn't compare. From what RED has stated their projector is going to be equivalent to the 5k-10k lumen projectors on the market today. (ok I am vastly understating this for the sake of a safe argument!!!) We are talking about 100-200 times the brightness here. Also you have no grounds to assume brightness and cost have a linear relationship. If they are like many other things I would say it isn't linear, and cost/lumen probably increases with increased brightness.

Now from a resolution standpoint you need 12 xga projectors to cover a 4k screen. Some of that resolution goes in to edge blending so you will end up with probably something like quad HD. Ok lets assume that a 5000 lumen array of projectors will have equivalent brightness as the RED Laser home version. (Again I am vastly lowering the expected specs on the RED Laser projector to strengthen my argument) You now need 100 sets of 12 projectors to match this brightness. So we now need 120 pocket projectors at $100 each. That turns out to be $12k. Ok so if we buy them in bulk for wholsale price directly imported from china then we would spend about $6k on pocket projectors. We then need to buy a computer to do the edge blending. You will need $500 for software and a $300 graphics card for every 6 projectors. To save money lets pirate the software, and also buy the graphics cards wholesale from china from someone who stole them off the shipping crate. We then need to buy 20 graphics cards for $200 each. That is $4k in graphics cards. We can only put 4 of them in each computer so we need to build 5 cheap computers at $500 each to run them. That is $3k for computers.

So now using horrid math and slightly illegal means to cut the cost to a reasonable level we will be spending $13k on our array of projectors. Any takers?

It is not kind or helpful to red to post about price in this manner. I hope you can see how unrealistic your proposal is. While it is entirely possible to build what you propose, the cost becomes enormous.

Wait, I didn't say anything about the reduced contrast and color depth such a setup would have...

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Technologies and component cost aside, there is still all the other overhead costs of R&D, marketing, employees, facilities, profit, etc.. I'm sure RED's projector will be a great piece of technology for a great price. If it can be sitting on my doorstep for $10K and is on par with what Barco or Christie are selling for $110K and superior to what Sony is selling for $65K, then I'll be one happy guy.

[Mohamed Younis]

4k under 4k$. :P

[Gabriele Turchi]

i very much look forward to Red Laser projector ...point is WHEN and IF will ever be released ... REDRAY is "coming" since couple of years ...

it would be the Best NAB if they accept preorders and going to ship before the summer ..

g

[Brandon J.F.]

They are both coming. Have faith.

[Gabriele Turchi]

They are both coming. Have faith.

well until RED does not say when (and if that might means delay ) ... that statement does not really mean anything to me ...

g

[L. Langer]

I just hope it's not a Big Bertha-type box. I don't expect it to be the size of a $700 DLP projector, but a bit smaller than Sony's 4K SXRD bricks would be nice and palatable for the market.

[Les Dittert]

Scaling up the microvision laser pico projector ( I have one , great toy! ) isn't so easy.
Moving the 1mm DEMS mirror is easy. It's small mass is easy to vibrate.
More power means bigger mirror means more expensive. Moving at 4k pixel placement accuracy is hard too.
The microvision is 1mw power. You would want a few watts for a good projector. More money there as well.
Modulating the 4K beam at about 80 MHZ is tough as well, at those powers.
I'm sure RED is having fun with all this !
The color gamut is amazing on the pico projector, and when it's black, the lasers are off and it's pretty much black too.