June 25, 2007
Mitsubishi says it will exhibit the new ‘Laser HDTV’ at this January’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, a New York Times article from yesterday states…
The highly-anticipated Laser TV technology has the capacity to offer brighter, crisper images because the laser enables a more precise blend of colors. Plus, using a laser, as opposed to a bulb or tube, improves energy efficiency.
“If you look at any screen today, the color content is roughly about 30-35 per cent of what the eye can see,” says Jean-Michel Pelaprat, CEO of Novalux, a U.S. firm involved in the development of Laser TV. “But for the very first time with a laser TV we’ll be able to see 90 per cent of what the eye can see. All of a sudden what you see is a lifelike image on display.”
Companies, however, have struggled to perfect the technology so that Laser TV can be mass produced in sets worldwide, but Mitsubishi’s CES exhibit indicates that the Laser TV is getting closer to market.
“It will spawn a new category for the premium end of the market,” said Frank DeMartin, Mitsubishi VP for marketing and product development.
Paul Semenza, a researcher at iSuppli, told the newspaper that the Laser TV technology could boost rear projection sales which have declined lately due to increased popularity of flat-screen TVs. Rear projection makers can use the laser technology instead of a lamp, which is costly to replace. “Consumers like thin,” Semenza said. “But innovation in color could stave off the competition…(And) after a year or two, the (rear projection) lamp goes out. You spend $3,000 on the TV and then have to buy a light bulb for $300.”