Patent ID: 7518662

Claim:
An optical projection system for projecting modulated light from a liquid crystal (LC) panel along a light path, the projection system comprising: a polarizing beam splitter operable to direct a polarized input light along an illumination portion of the light path, the polarizing beam splitter having a light-splitting interface; an LC panel positioned in the light path, the LC panel being substantially planar and operable to receive the polarized input light and to modulate the input light to form a modulated light that travels along a modulated light portion of the light path, the LC panel imparting a first polarization upon certain portions of the input light, and the LC panel imparting a second polarization upon other portions of the input light; and a compensator positioned along the light path, the compensator being substantially planar, wherein the compensator has an optic axis that is tilted relative to the plane of the LC panel and further wherein the optic axis of the compensator is tilted relative to the light-splitting interface of the polarizing beam splitter.