Patent ID: 8427409

Claim:
A projector comprising: an illumination device configured to emit an illumination light flux; a color-separating optical system configured to separate light from the illumination device into plural color lights and configured to lead each of the separated plural color lights to an illuminated area; plural liquid crystal light valves having liquid crystal panels of a TN type and a normally white system and emission-side polarizers arranged on light emission sides of the liquid crystal panels, each of the plural liquid crystal light valves: configured to modulate one of the respective plural color lights received from the color-separating optical system in accordance with image information, and configured such that a light transmittance, in a wavelength region, of the liquid crystal light valve is maximized in a voltage OFF state when no driving voltage is applied to the liquid crystal panel, the wavelength region being located in at least one of: (a) a color light wavelength region having a wavelength of the color light modulated by the liquid crystal light valve, and (b) a long wavelength region having a wavelength greater than the color light wavelength region; a color-combining optical system configured to combine the respective plural color lights modulated by the plural liquid crystal light valves into image light; a projection optical system configured to project the image light; a liquid-crystal driving device configured to control the plural liquid crystal light valves; and a voltage applying device configured to apply, when the projector displays an image with a highest luminance, a predetermined bias voltage to at least one of the liquid crystal panels so that the light transmittance of the color light modulated by the corresponding liquid crystal light valve draws closer to the maximum, the predetermined bias voltage being different from a voltage applied, when the projector displays an image with a highest luminance, to another one of the liquid crystal panels.