Laser TV

It’s all about efficiency. Consuming about 100 watts of power, Mitsubishi’s LaserVue laser tv is a visual marvel and a class-leader in big screen energy efficiency. Mitsubishi is wise to tout the LaserVue’s low power consumption, as the FTC is currently investigating the expansion of the EnergyGuide label to cover televisions, which are one of the largest energy users within a home. All major home appliances must meet the Appliance Standards Program set by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Manufacturers must use standard test procedures developed by the DOE to prove the energy use and efficiency of their products. Test results are printed on yellow EnergyGuide labels, which manufacturers are required to display on many appliances. This label estimates how much energy the appliance uses, etc.

On a separate front, Sumitomo Electric has apparently cracked the impossibility of developing a laser diode emitting in the pure-green region at 531nm. They have developed the first “true” green laser diode. Until now, creating a green beam of laser light involved doubling the frequency of an infared laser, which resulted in very poor efficiency. Many predict energy efficient blue, red and green laser diodes will revolutionize the display world, and laser tv may be the first step in this direction.

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.

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 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.

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More Laser TV and laser light source news as it happens…