Image projector including a lamp for emitting beams of lights, a color wheel for splitting particular color beams in succession from the beams of lights, a rod lens for making distribution of the color beams from the color wheel uniform, a polarized beam converter for converting the color beams into beams of a particular pole, an optical system for focusing the color beams converted into beams of a particular pole, a display for producing a picture beam of a video signal according to the video signal by using the color beams from the optical system, a polarization beam sprite prism between the optical system and the display for reflecting the color beams from the optical system and transmitting the picture beams from the display, and a projection lens for enlarging, and projecting the picture beams.
Aspects of the invention can provide an illuminator and others, which are able to supply polarized light having a certain oscillating direction as well as a certain wavelength range with high efficiency, and are suitable for a single-plate type projector using an LCD type spatial light modulator. The illuminator can include a light source, a rod integrator, a reflective polarizing plate, and a color filter. A reflecting mirror reflects polarized light, which has been reflected by the reflective polarizing plate, got injected into the rod integrator again through an emitting end, and progresses in the direction toward an injection end, in the direction toward the emitting end. Further, the reflecting mirror reflects light of any other wavelength range, which has been emitted through a first position of the emitting end, reflected by the color filter, got injected into the rod integrator again, and progresses in the direction toward an injection end, in the direction toward the emitting end to emit the light a second position that is different from the first position of the emitting end.
