Laser Shows can severely damage projectors and cameras

Damage to projectors and cameras caused by Laser Shows and how to avoid it

Laser Shows can severely and easily damage various types of electronic equipment present in the show or among the audience. This is a basic fact that everyone should know. Starting from the suppliers of this equipment, but also the manufacturers or organizers who include them in the show, as well as, finally, the suppliers of video projectors or video and photographic recording devices.
The equipment most sensitive to laser light are the sensors of cameras, photographic cameras (CMOS in particular) and especially the image generation components in video projectors, such as DLPs or LCD panels

Causes and visible effects

Damage to sensors occurs when a laser beam penetrates the optics of a camera or projector. The optics, due to their constructive characteristics, direct the light towards the optical engine which is physically damaged in one or more parts. Physical damage means a real burning of the pixels with which the laser came into contact. This is visible in projection in the form of inactive areas of the panel or dark or differently colored bands. In DLPs, depending on the angle of incidence with the projector's optics, the laser light can damage one or more satellites (DLP) that contribute to the formation of the image. Therefore, vertical or horizontal bands of different colors will appear in the projection frame depending on the DLP affected.
This type of damage is irreversible and permanently compromises the functionality of the component

How a DLP damaged by a laser appears in projection. The damage is not repairable and requires component replacement

Laser Shows can severely damage projectors and cameras (In-depth analysis) – (Continue reading)

In the meantime, you can download this technical bulletin applicable to any video projector