Laser TV

Despite global economic woes, news continues to trickle in regarding the development of laser tv techology and 3D TV.  The following article from one year ago, recalls SpectronIQ’s foray into the laser tv market, and its plans to introduce a 72-inch model in 2009.  It remains to be seen if any new laser technology will be showcased at the 2009 CES running from January 8-11.  However, you will want to check out Mitsubishi’s booth at South 1/20333 as they will be showing off plenty of 3D TV and 3D gaming on Laservues.

CES: The Laser Cutting Edge

While the reviews for Mitsubishi’s 65-inch Laservue laser tv have been overwhelmingly positive, they have also been relatively sparse.  A 73-inch version was supposed to ship in late 2008, but obviously these plans have changed.  Hopefully more reviews will be forthcoming from this year’s CES.

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.”

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.”

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.

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.