Laser TV

All rights reserved. Wired Magazine 2008

It’s getting close to the end of the year, so brace yourself for those best-of-the-year lists. Time recently listed the Laservue as the second best gadget of 2008, with the Optima PICO micro-projector coming in first.  The development of laser technology is also timely for pocket projectors, as laser engines are compact, very bright and energy efficient.

Wired Magazine listed the Laservue as the 5th “Top Product Which Helped us Forget 2008.”

Long overdue and much speculated about, Mitsubishi’s LaserVue laser television has arrived just in time for Black Friday and the holiday shopping season. Priced at $6,999 for the 65-inch model, this laser-powered luxury shockingly stands out when compared to the surplus of affordable flat screen models. However, LaserVue is attempting to bring back market interest in rear-projection TV with cutting edge technology and arguably the best looking picture quality your eyes have ever seen.

The LaserVue is 3D-ready, wall mountable, and happens to be energy efficient – using less power than a comparable LCD or plasma set. So if you are looking for the purest picture imaginable, and price is no object, Mitsubishi has this one of a kind TV for you.  Crutchfield is apparently out of stock, but Amazon has a few left in stock.  A 73-inch LaserVue is due to be released later this year.

It’s been a busy week for laser tv news on the web.  To sum things up, Mitsubishi is now shipping its 65-inch LaserVue laser television to select retailers in North America.  Most articles rehash the LaserVue’s top selling points: “twice the color and half the power.”

A few articles recount the tech lounge head-to-head comparison with a Pioneer Kuro.  Read more here.  I look forward to more direct comparisons with other plasma and lcd models (recently price-reduced) and news on the wider release in 2009.

Until we get our hands on a demo LaserVue (Mitsubishi says demand is strong and they only have 2 demo sets to pass around until Q2 2009) we must rely on others for reviews.  The thetechlounge guys are at it again, and this time they came armed with a few Blu-ray discs to compare Mitsubishi’s LaserVue L65-A90 with a similarly priced Pioneer Kuro PRO-151FD 60 inch Plasma.

“At the end of the day, I think this tech is going to make a significant impact on future generations of DLP sets. The advantages run across the board, and the only real limiting factor at this point is price.  It’ll bring you Grade-A, bona fide HD satisfaction. Once the price inevitably drops, it’s going to be even more attractive.”

Read the tech-laden and very positve HD Guru review of the LaserVue.

Laser TV has finally arrived, in San Antonio, Texas at least.  A kind reader tipped us off to an very early review from thetechlounge guys at the Laservue World Premier from Bjorn’s.

“Our experience with Mitsubishi’s newest tech was great, but we’re reserving judgment until we do some in-depth testing with some different source material and in a more suitable viewing environment to get a better idea of real-world performance.”

As news and information continues to trickle in regarding Mitsubishi’s $7,000 LaserVue Laser TV, one finds it hard to believe it’s actually on sale.  However, the rumors must be true because Mitsubishi is proudly offering a LaserVue Premier Account to all LaserVue owners.  There’s even a secret toll free hotline.  For those of us who cannot enjoy an evening of irradiated glow from a new 65-inch LaserVue, there’s always the specs:

Spec Sheet

Dimension Sheet

Owner’s Guide

Height:39.8",Width:54.7", Depth w/o base:10.6", Weight w/ base:136.4 lbs

Bitstream recently broke the news that the 65-inch LaserVue laser TV, shipping later this month to select Mitsubishi Diamond retailers, will retail for $6,999.  While this price does not come close to some of the early and overly-optimistic price projections by Novalux et al., this confirms Mitsubishi is targeting the high-end big screen market.  Is the market ready for a 130-pound, 10-inch deep RPTV costing $7,000, while domination by cheaper flat screen alternatives is all but a forgone conclusion?  A larger 73-inch LaserVue is planned to be released prior to Christmas.

Mitsubishi has been publicly criticized for the lack of details on the availability of its forthcoming LaserVue laser tv, but perhaps we are on the verge of a media blitz. The official website has been renamed to laservuetv.com and the following 30-second spot has surfaced.

Stay tuned as always.

Each of our 3D Ready large-screen DLP HDTV’s feature a slim design, lightweight construction, and energy efficient operation,” said Frank DeMartin, Vice President of Marketing for Mitsubishi. “The first 3D content will be PC video games, followed by movies, then later sporting events and television sitcoms or other broadcasts.”

DeMartin says 3D content is already gaining in popularity and points to the recent theatrical success of movies such as Beowulf, The Hannah Montana 3D Concert, and this summer’s 3D Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Another exciting introduction is Mitsubishi’s LaserVue TV.

“LaserVue will raise the bar for large screen television by delivering twice the color at half the power of today’s HDTVs while at the same time providing an unparalleled 3D viewing experience. Mitsubishi has effectively engineered laser beams to function as the ultimate light engine for this premium large screen television product. Making laser TV a reality represents another history-making milestone in a long legacy of industry firsts for Mitsubishi.”

Look for the 65″ Laser TV – Model L65-A90 to begin shipping to retailers in North America by the end of September (3Q).  Details on when it actually goes on sale are not yet known, but speculation is that it might be not be available to buy until after Thanksgiving.

Note:  Mitsubishi’s answer to my question for clarification on shipping and availability was “I wish I had more information to provide at this point but please stay tuned.  Mitsubishi will be releasing more information within the next 60 days.”

Read more from RTO Online

QPC Lasers Inc, the manufacturer of lasers for consumer, industrial, defense and medical markets, revealed that the customer involved in its initial $12m laser TV development deal is Taiwan-based Asia Optical Co Inc (AOCI), a manufacturer of optical consumer electronics equipment and components.

“Less than eight months later [after agreeing the contract], we have delivered our lasers to spec and Asia Optical has already demonstrated a very large and impressive first image,” says co-founder and CEO Dr Jeffrey Ungar.

Mitsubishi is scheduled to release its laser-lit LaserVue TV this fall in the United States.  While the fanfare hasn’t been spectacular, the Asian electronic market may prove to be the testing ground for laser based display systems.  Australia based optoelectronic manufacturer Arasor and electronics firm ZTE of China have also secured the strategic support of the China Development Bank to provide large scale financing for their joint venture to produce six million laser engines for use in Asian displays, in a deal worth up to US $300 million.

Read the full Semiconductor Today article.