Projector

There is provided a projector comprising: a radiation source; an illuminating system having an arrangement of the first and second polarizing beam splitters and a phase plate, in which dividing surfaces of both of the polarizing beam splitters are parallel with each other, the phase plate is arranged between both of the dividing surfaces, the first polarizing beam splitter reflects an S polarizing component in a white beam from the radiation source and transmits a P polarizing component and leads to the phase plate, and the second polarizing beam splitter reflects another S polarizing component which occurred by the phase plate; a cross dichroic mirror system which receives the beam from the arrangement; a first optical modulator for modulating a polarizing plane of the red component of the beam from the mirror system, for reflecting the red component, and for generating a first beam indicative of a first image; a second optical modulator for modulating a polarizing plane of a green component of the beam from the mirror system, for reflecting the green component, and for generating a second beam indicative of a second image; a third optical modulator for modulating a polarizing plane of a blue component of the beam from the mirror system, for reflecting the blue component, and for generating a third beam indicative of a third image; and a projection optical system for receiving the first to third beams through the mirror system and both of the dividing surfaces of the arrangement and for projecting a color image in which the first to third images were overlaid by those beams.