26 Jul 2007 05:38 am
Laser TV FAQ
What is Laser TV?
Laser TV is the next generation television display. Laser TVs employ a laser light engine as the light source, composed of 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.
How much will a Laser TV cost?
Laser TV is not commercially available yet, so the market price has not been announced. Look for Mitsubishi’s line of Laser TV to be available later this year. Mitsubishi has announced its model will be competitively priced with flat panel displays, so expect initial models to be priced around $5,000. Due to less parts and the growing mass production of laser light engines, Laser TVs may eventually cost significantly less than plasma and LCD models.
How much will a Laser TV weigh?
Televisions powered by lasers will weigh significantly less than plasma, SED, and traditional rear projection TVs. Laser TVs will have a slimmer carriage, because of less parts, and employ lightweight plastic screens, instead of heavy glass substrates. Mitsubishi’s demo 65-inch Laser TV was only 10 inches thick.
How come Laser TV has been delayed for so long?
Until recently, lasers have been too expensive to manufacture for mass production in televisions. Mitsubishi is a leader in the market of red lasers which will allow it to manufacture economical laser engines for its Laser TV. Novalux has developed an inexpensive laser it calls NECSEL (Novalux Extended Cavity Surface Emitting Laser), which is enclosed in a case about the size of a matchbook. Novalux already has an agreement with China’s ZTE telecom to produce 6 million laser engines for use in Asian cell phones and microdisplays.
Will watching Laser TV be uncomfortable or dangerous?
No. Laser TVs will employ safety filters and other technology to protect consumers from exposure to the laser engine. The shimmering effect caused by viewing laser light on a surface, will be solved by the use of diffusers or other optical disturbances, filtering the laser light before it’s viewed on the screen, making it comfortable for viewing.
Is a Laser TV picture really that much better than LCD or plasma?
You will have to decide for yourself, but the reviews from Mitsubishi’s Laser TV debut at the January 2008 Consumer Electronics Show have been overwhelmingly positive. The technology behind Laser TV and the laser light engine is capable of producing a very bright, colorful and sharp image, due to the extremely stable properties of laser light.
on 21 Jan 2008 at 12:22 am 1.Marco said …
Hello people,
The laser TV is an interesting product.
But can you tell me; What’s the refresh rate / response time of the Laser TV?
Greetz from The Netherlands.
Marco
on 21 Jan 2008 at 8:01 pm 2.admin said …
Hello Marco, thanks for checking out the site. While each Laser TV model will have its own specs, the refresh rates will be very fast. Lasers offer a continuous stream of red, green and blue light, which means the response time will be quicker than anything else on the market!
on 22 Jan 2008 at 11:57 am 3.Marco said …
Thanks. That’s clear.
Marco
on 23 Jan 2008 at 1:28 pm 4.Eric Helton said …
I’m happy to see someone posting a lot of info on these sets. I have been waiting since 2006 to upgrade my current system for one of these since I first saw them.
I read a while back that it was estimated that with all the moving parts removed for the most part this made production cost a lot less making the TV’s able to sell for $1000 or less for a 50 inch TV. Reference “http://gear.ign.com/articles/738/738336p1.html”
I could only dream that was true however it would make much more since even if this was true to have a higher price to maximize profit.
Anyway great site can’t wait to read the first reviews when they hit the market…
on 29 Jan 2008 at 9:24 pm 5.Jessica said …
How is the response time measured? Black to Black, or Grey to Grey????
on 29 Jan 2008 at 10:30 pm 6.admin said …
Response time is typically measured from black to white and then back to black. A lower measured response time is preferred, leading to a crisp image with less distortion and ghosting. There is no publicly available information on the response time for any laser based tv, at this time. However, Mitsubishi’s DLP HDTV models have very impressive response times, as the reflecting micromirrors can change angles very fast.
on 10 Feb 2008 at 12:08 pm 7.Karel said …
I have to say I was just about to buy a plasma when I saw the news on this laser TV. After doing some research I am absolutely convinced I will be waiting a couple of months so I can buy a laser TV.
How ever I do have some questions…
Will Mitsubishi be the only brand launching Laser TV?
Are there any negatives to a laser TV? As upto now I’ve only heard positives, and that just sounds too good.
When will these laser TV’s start reaching Europe?
on 10 Feb 2008 at 2:37 pm 8.LaserTV said …
Karel, unfortunately you may be waiting more than a few months for a Laser TV to be available in Europe. Mitsubishi plans to release its model, likely to be sold under the newly trademarked brand LAZRTV, available later this year in North America. Other companies may be interested in laser technology, but they have not formerly announced any release dates. Some of the downsides probably include low availability, models will only be rear-projection (not flat screen), and the initial price will likely be more than that of similarly sized LCD or plasma. Laser TV is probably at least 18 months away from being a viable alternative to the current display market.
on 21 Feb 2008 at 1:47 am 9.Jason said …
Hi, can you explain the angled view quality of the laser TV? LCD and DLP TVs lose brightness if you view the screen from an angle. Plasma and picture tubes are the only technology I know of that remain the same brightness from all directions.
on 21 Feb 2008 at 6:59 pm 10.LaserTV said …
Laser TV will have not have any practical angled view distortions. Mitsubishi’s demo model has been described as having amazing viewing angles. The wide viewing angle screen coupled with superior brightness and color saturation promises to deliver a tremendous picture.
on 29 Feb 2008 at 12:58 pm 11.Greg said …
How will Laser TV be affected by the up and coming OLED TV? They are claiming 1,000,000 to 1 contrast ratio. What will the contrast ratio be on Laser TV and the eventual thickness of the screen? This technology really interests me.
on 29 Feb 2008 at 6:18 pm 12.LaserTV said …
Laser TV will initially target the bigscreen HDTV market (TVs 50 inches and larger). OLED TV looks fantastic, but it’s a new technology and very expensive to produce right now. It will be several years before home models are affordable. Laser TV will produce a brighter and more colorful picture, and will have very high contrast ratios. No stats have been published yet, but the equation is real simple for the light source: low laser light = gray levels and no laser light = true blacks. I imagine Mitsubishi’s model debuting this fall will have a 5-inch thick cabinet, with future rear-projection models slimming down even further. Look for laser engines to eventually be integrated into front-projection models.
on 07 Apr 2008 at 11:26 am 13.stan said …
can i hang this laser tv on my friggin wall?
on 25 Apr 2008 at 11:07 pm 14.LaserTV said …
Stan: Mitsubishi says yes.