HID projectors

Discharge lamps

— by itself, the term "discharge" describes a fairly broad category of lamps. However, only non-mercury lamps are included in this clause (see the relevant clause). Most often, these are xenon lamps, in which light is emitted directly by an electric arc (discharge inside the bulb). Such lamps are noticeably brighter than mercury lamps, moreover, they have a uniform glow spectrum, which is important for high-quality colour reproduction. On the other hand, they are noticeably more expensive, and more difficult to replace — high pressure in the flask requires extra care. Therefore, such lamps are rare, they are used where other light sources are poorly suited — in particular, in 3D projectors, for which high brightness is critical.