Patent ID: 7458687

Claim:
A digital cinema projection apparatus comprising: a) an illumination source having a first etendue value for providing polarized polychromatic light; b) a first lens element in the path of the polarized polychromatic light for forming a substantially telecentric polarized polychromatic light beam; c) a color separator for separating the telecentric polarized polychromatic light beam into at least two telecentric color light beams; d) at least two transmissive spatial light modulators that modulate the two telecentric color light beams and form at least two modulated color beams, wherein there is an etendue value associated with each spatial light modulator, and wherein the etendue value is within 15% or greater than the first etendue value corresponding to the illumination source; e) a color combiner for combining the modulated color beams along a common optical axis, forming a multicolor modulated beam thereby; and f) a projection lens for directing the multicolor modulated beam toward a display surface.