Laser TV

These are the two major raps about Mitsubishi’s forthcoming LaserVue laser tv. A press release from June provided us with a little more information, but not enough for the fans who have been following the development of laser television for several years.

Screen Sizes: 65-inch models (L65A90) under the Diamond Line will ship to retailers in the third quarter of this year, and the 73-inch model (L73A90) to follow by Christmas.

Thickness: approximately 10 inches deep, designed for both floor stand and wall-mount applications.

Weight: 130 pounds (65-inch)

Brightness: 500 nits

Color Gamut: BT.709 (a standard for color measurement in televisions) approximately 200-percent

3D Capability: REALD (3D) chip

Power Consumption: < 200 watts

Viewing Angle: 160 degrees

Other Features: Smooth 120hz and x.v. Color

120Hz, 500 nits of brightness, under 200 watts of power consumed…click the pic for more.

It’s very quiet on the Laser TV Front.  Mitsubishi is still scheduled to release its LaserVue model in the 3rd Quarter of 2008 in North America.  The initial models will be huge; a 65-inch model will debut in the Fall, and a 73-inch model is scheduled to be available by the end of the year.  Why such large screen sizes many people ask?

Rear-projection TV (RPTV) is a dying breed. Mitsubishi probably realized it would be suicidal to introduce a new line of RPTV in the mainstream TV market, which is already flooded with scores of affordable flat screen TVs. A first production LaserVue will not be cheap, so Mitsubishi’s plan to initially target the big screen TV market could be brilliant.  Big screen TV consumers probably don’t analyze cabinet depths or even worry about getting the best overall value.  They simply want the biggest and the best picture.

If LaserVue delivers the stunning picture quality we’ve all read about, look for laser engines to be integrated into smaller TVs and other products such as cell phones, computer monitors, projectors, etc.  As the manufacturing costs of laser engines begin to fall rapidly in the next year or so, laser lit displays could become commonplace.

Mitsubishi Electric has updated its LaserVue website with some new FAQs and a couple of snapshots from its April dealer Line Show in Huntington Beach, California.

As Laser TV inches closer to market, let’s take a moment to consider what we know. Mitsubishi, announcing at a press conference on April 4, 2008, will be selling a laser based TV under the brand name LaserVue.  Initial models will be arriving at select dealers this summer and will go on sale by Fall of 2008 (3Q 2008).

Screen sizes and prices will be determined and announced at a later date. Mitsubishi’s LaserVue site has not been updated in several months, so hopefully new information will be posted in the coming months.

First Hand Review:

“The Mitsubishi LaserVue looked quite impressive to this reviewer. The colors were deep and rich with amazing reds and blacks as compared to competitive plasma and LCD 1080p panels. Contrast and clarity were among the best that this reviewer has seen in a long, long time. Surprisingly, it appeared that the depth of the LaserVue HDTVs appeared to be about 10-inches deep, and could easily be placed on the wall.” – Dennis Barker, Digital TV Designline

Laser TV is the next generation television display. Laser TVs employ a laser light engine as the light source – a compact trio of red, green, and blue lasers. Laser light is capable of reproducing up to 90% of the visible color spectrum, twice what the current HDTV market can offer. Laser TVs capitalize on the unparalleled qualities of laser light; which is capable of producing a brighter, sharper and more colorful image than current LCD and PDP models. Manufacturers are also claiming Laser TVs will cost less and use less energy than current technologies.

Mitsubishi officially announced today that its line of Laser TV, LaserVue, will be available in Q3 2008. We should be seeing the sets as early as this summer in select showrooms. Mitsubishi is billing Laser TV as the next generation HDTV, featuring up to twice the color range of conventional HDTV sets while consuming half the power of LCD and plasma models. LaserVue will also sport 3D capabilities with Real D technology.

Read Press Release

Read an early review from New York Times Blog – “One immediate impact: with a laser light engine, colors don’t look so much as if they’re painted on the screen as if they’re shooting out from it. Colors are alive and vibrant in a way that mimics the brightness of neon light…”

Engadget is reporting a rumor that LASERVUE may be the designated brand name for Mitsubishi’s forthcoming line of Laser TV. Their anonymous tipster is also reporting an announcement from Mitsubishi may come as early as April. This corroborates with our own recent intelligence suggesting new information from Mitsubishi will be “coming in the next month or so.” LAZRTV and LAZRTELEVISION have also been reported as potential brand names for the Laser TV line.

Since its debut at the 2008 CES Show, Mitsubishi has closely guarded the details surrounding the release of its laser television. Hopefully, release date, price, and availability details will be shared soon.

Laservue Trademark Application

At the core of Laser TV is a trio of red, green, and blue lasers. Historically, the color red has been one of the harder colors to reproduce on television. Black light can be difficult too, often resulting in shades of gray. In the still above from the apocalyptic planet, Mustafar, as seen in the Star Wars movie, Mitisubishi Electric shows off its impressive red laser capabilities at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. Mitsubishi is the world leader in manufacturing red laser diodes, capturing a large portion of the overall market share. Laser TV also boasts very high contrast ratios and black levels, simply because the lasers can be completely turned off, creating amazing blacks.

Mitsubishi’s Laser TV is expected to debut this Fall under the LAZRTV brand name.

QPC Lasers Inc.

Lasers are hot. Defense contractors, research companies, medical device manufacturers, industrial companies, and electronics makers, all have a growing need for laser diodes and semiconductor lasers. QPC Lasers, based in Sylmar, California, is poised to capitalize on just such a demand for lasers.

As a recent article suggests, Laser TV and laser based displays, will provide new markets for laser manufacturers. QPC Lasers secured a potentially huge contract last year to develop and deliver lasers to be used in television displays. An unknown international manufacturer of consumer electronics, secured the rights to QPCI’s proprietary BrightLase® semiconductor lasers. The contract carries a top value of up to $230 million over the 10 year life of the pact. An initial $11 million purchase order is expected to be filled by 2011.

QPC trades on the OTCBB and has been in a steady decline since reaching a share price of $3 in 2006. It currently trades near $0.57 which represents a market cap of a little over $22 million. While shareholders may be disappointed, they may take some solace in the new patent awarded to the company for combating weak beams operating at high power. Also, the secret may be getting out as QPC recently announced revenues grew 158% in 2007.

March 16, 2008 Update:  “Pursuant to the contract, we recognized $1 million of initial milestone revenues in the fourth quarter of 2007, and continue to expect deliveries under the $11 million purchase order over the next three years,” said QPC co-founder and CFO George Lintz.”

Press Release

*Any information contained in this article should not be construed as investment advice, but strictly as the thoughts and opinions of the author.*

Microvision Inc.

Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Redmond, Washington, Microvision Inc. is a leading developer of miniature display and imaging engines based on integrated photonics modules. Microvision is marketing a standalone microprojector called a Pico Projector, and this technology will be affordably embedded into cell phones and PDAs in the very near future. While this company does not produce parts for Laser TV, the use of laser engines in portable electronics could have a significant impact on the television and display market.

Microvision’s portable projector is laser based and uses a single mirror system, which is purportedly more affordable than the competition’s (TI) multiple micromirror system. Microvision has contracts in place with Motorola and two unnamed parties, an automotive supplier and Asian electronics manufacturer, for use of Microvision’s proprietary technology in cell phones, digital cameras and personal media players.

Microvision’s stock is coming off of highs near $6 a share last summer, and currently trades near $2.50 a share. According to one recent report “Companion and integrated pico projectors are now forecast to reach nearly 30 million units in 2012.” If this report is true, now may be the time to start looking at some of the key and novel players in laser engine technology.

Arasor International Ltd.

Arasor International Ltd. recently acquired Novalux, Inc., which focuses on laser technology, for $7 million in Arasor stock and the assumption of $13 million in debt. Sydney, Australia-based Arasor is an optoelectronics firm, specializing in chips for use in laser based displays. By acquiring Novalux, Arasor said the acquisition will let it provide an end-to-end solution in the manufacture of light sources in the laser display industry.

In November of 2007, Arasor entered into a $300 million joint venture with ZTE Corp. (Zhong Xing Telecommunication Equipment Co. Ltd.) of China to develop and manufacture up to six million laser engines for use in Asian displays in televisions, projectors and mobile devices including cellular phones, PDAs and notebooks. Arasor will own 51 percent of the joint venture.

Arasor’s stock has been pummeled recently, it trades publicly on the Australian Exchange, but is trading under $1 on the Pink Sheets in the U.S., off of highs over $3 only one year ago. Arasor may have made some early PR blunders, but it does appear revenues are growing handsomely, and this company is certainly well positioned if Laser TV and laser based monitors become the new market standard.

*Any information contained in this article should not be construed as investment advice, but strictly as the thoughts and opinions of the author.*