While consumers are still weighing up the benefits of plasma versus LCD televisions, manufacturers will next year be introducing another option: rear-projection laser TVs.
Optoelecronics manufacturer Arasor and laser specialist Novalux unveiled a working "laser TV" prototype in Sydney on Tuesday, a modified 52-inch Mitsubishi WD-52627 using Arasor's optical chips and lasers to drive the display.
Compared to LCD or plasma TVs, the benefits of rear-projection laser televisions are twice the colour range reproduction, 75 percent less power usage and half the weight of similar sized sets, according to Novalux CEO Jean-Michel Pelaprat. For the demonstration, 1080p high-definition video was simultaneously played through the prototype laser TV and a 52-inch Samsung plasma, both featuring 1920 by 1080-pixel native resolution displays.
Our impressions of the laser TV were that colours certainly seemed extremely vivid. We did notice some colour bleeding between the red and magenta bars in test patterns during the demonstration and a "Rainbow Effect" similar to some DLP rear-projection units. Pelaprat told CNET.com.au that the colour wheel had been taken out of the prototype TV and that Mitsubishi and other manufacturers will have eliminated this flaw when commercial sets are released. As it is a rear-projection set, the laser TV was much thicker than the Samsung panel, but Novalux expect release units to come down in size to between 10 to 15 cm deep.
"Laser televisions will be in shops in time for Christmas 2007," Pelaprat said, but declined to comment on availability in specific markets. Pricing is yet to be confirmed but Novalux estimates a 65-inch model will cost around AU$2,500, significantly less than a similar-sized plasma.
Another next-generation flat panel display technology called SED (Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display) is also expected to debut at that time, according to Canon and Toshiba.
Las Vegas is set to become the battleground for the competing technologies with Pelaprat claiming eight of the top consumer electronics manufacturers will be showcasing laser TVs at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Mitsubishi and Samsung are as yet the only confirmed manufacturers introducing laser technology into televisions, but Novalux is also working with Epson to produce high-definition front projectors.
Similar light engines are also being developed for use in mobile phones, camcorders, PDAs, PCs and car windshield displays.
The unveiling of the laser TV comes as Arasor plans to publically float on the Australian Stock Exchange later this month. "Australia's intellectual property laws are the best in the world... that is why we chose here," co-chairmain of Arasor Australia Larry Marshall said during the press conference. Arasor currently has production and R&D facilities in Silicon Valley, China and Japan, and on Tuesday announced it would expand operations into Australia.
Mitsubishi "Laser TV" with Arasor and Novalux components (left) and Samsung plasma (right)
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brett allen
12/10/2006 08:51 AM
Love to plug the xbox 360 into that!
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Marcus M
15/10/2006 01:52 PM
I think the colour, contrast and brightness settings on the Samsung are not set correctly. Funny that.
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Tommo
15/10/2006 03:25 PM
I think is you have the sapce for a cinema, than that would be better too. This is crazy technilogy, thinking bigger is better.... Tommo
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mitch
16/10/2006 10:27 AM
i have a 42" samsung plasma at home and it looks better than that thing they've got sitting there as a samsung plasma. what a joke. If you're going to get a tv that size you might as well go the full blown home cinema; who would want to watch the news or home and away on that thing.
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Jeremy
16/10/2006 02:55 PM
Marcus, I think you might be right. The Samsung set seemed really dull -- even when they had the "laser tv" switched off. The saturation levels looked far too low on the Samsung and far too high on the Mitsubishi. Would have been interesting to see the results after running DVD Essentials or a similar test disc through both.
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jim
16/10/2006 08:47 PM
hey, no plasma looks like that other than maybe a centrex, poor, poor comparison
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john
03/11/2006 10:18 PM
if a plasma is under intense light, the contrast decrease, therfore the blacks look grey. probably what has happened in this image. compare in a dark room and then comment on the difference, or compare to a 2006 panasonic plasma which has a much higher contrast ratio. claim of 10000:1
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Bob Ingram
08/11/2006 05:08 PM
PLease let me know when they will arrive in South Australia and who will have them etc
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Mike Gershtein
14/11/2006 06:59 PM
I've seen prior Novalux demos. This is their typical approach - they would play with settings on the competing technology TV till it looks like garbage. Despite this dirty and completely unprofessional marketing, laser technology looks impressive. Apparently, these are not cheap semiconductor lasers and some complex color conversion is involved so it will cost a lot despite what they are saying. But I would not mind to pay a little extra if it is a little.
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Mikey
06/12/2006 11:34 AM
I'm surprised CNET still have this page - it is rumoured that this whole demo was just a scam mounted by Arasor before listing on the ASX Mitsubishi were not invited to the demo, have never heard of Arasor and several US technology organisations have now also said they intend to sue Arasor for over $17.9 million dollars, relating to alleged loss of future profits and breach of the Trade Practices Act. Apparently the TV used in the demo was a Mitsubishi plasma with the contrast ratio and colour cranked to max, which would explain the colour bleeding referred to in the article.
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Glenn
25/01/2007 08:32 PM
"Four major TV manufacturers - Fujitsu, Pioneer, Samsung and Philips - have said they have no immediate plans to incorporate laser TV into their product lines, having already made significant investments in plasma and LCD." A couple of points... 1. Does this suggest that they heard of Laser TV although they denied knowing about it. 2. If they have made major ivestment into LCD & Plasma they are not going to got to Laser too quick before they have recouped their investment therfore they may deny knowledge of the Laser tv. 3. Where is the Lawsuit, Mitsubishi V Arasor? Why would Arasor implicate Mitsubishi if they were not really involved. This would just open Arasor up to a legal battle. Maybe it was a mistake that Mitsubishi was discussed.
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investor
27/01/2007 12:45 PM
Stock has gone from $1.50 opening to a high of $3.80 in about 2 months since it floated.
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trident26au
05/02/2007 07:39 AM
does anyone knows how much the price would be on this laser tv?
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torspo
06/02/2007 09:24 PM
Obviously you're not going to see how great Laser TV looks if you're looking at a photo of it on a LCD monitor.
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SpinyNorman
23/05/2007 10:54 PM
Mikey, I found a recent article about the Mitsibishi laser TV line, and wrote to the journalist, asking him who his contact was at Mitsubishi, and expressed my concerns about the rumored fraud and lawsuit. He said he spoke with a VP of U.S. marketing and that Mitsubishi is on schedule to release their first line of laser sets by the end of 2007. I was really skeptical, but he insisted he sourced it thoroughly, so it's possible all the hoopla is not much more than an anxious market's imagination running wild in the absence of real information. We'll see, I guess.
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roda
22/07/2007 08:43 PM
does anyone care about the life of laser t.v if its anything to go by it will have the same life as lcd/dlp rear projections at 8000hrs or less, then comes the cost for new globe. plasma and lcd will generally run at 60,000 hours. you be the judge
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HORRO
14/09/2007 09:38 PM
PS3 on that = MAGIC
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kryten
21/12/2007 03:40 AM
hey roda.... laser tv is gunna be the new best thing, and everything is supposed to be better on it than plasma and lcd, the lamp runtime goes for the life of plasma, which is the 60,000 hours.. its gunna be great, and the lamp only cost near nothing.. because its laser technology.. it was supposed to be out at christmas, but i have heard nothing of it, and it is now the 22nd of december lol.. its christmas and i am seeing no lsaer tv haha... they reckin these laser tv's can go up to 110 inch, but at a cost ofcourse, they are made for 50 inches and beyond.. pretty much home cinema stuff.. i have a feeling they will be here next christmas, exactly 1 year away.. grrrrr...
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Nader2000
19/01/2008 08:58 AM
Hey guys, I knew about the laser Tv since last year, I saw the add on zoo magazine, what I need to know is where to buy one from a store in Australia, they don't seem to look like they are in stores right now, the magzine said the y will be released after the past christmas, can you give me more information please. Regards : Nader
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