LaserVue L65-A90 has World Premiere at Retailer

The release of the Mitsubishi Laser TV is drawing closer. Over the weekend Mitsubishi held a promotion event at a retailer in San Antonio's high-end audio/video emporium Bjorn's in Texas introducing the LaserVue Laser TV.

The guys from The Techlounge have been there and published a report of their encounter with the first Laser TV. On display was the 65 inch LaserVue L65-A90.
The hands-on experience of the 3D capability of the LaserVue did impress. The present Mitsubishi reps did acknowledge though that there is not much 3D material available yet to benefit from the 3D feature.

In a comparative setup the LaserVue showed the promised much better color performance when compared to a Pioneer Kuro and Sharp display. The black performance of the LaserVue was mostly on par with the Kuro.

Advent Laser TV and OLED, Blu-ray only “5 years” left

A top Samsung UK executive has demolished Blu-ray’s chances of being relevant for more than about 5 years, if that, in an interview with UK tech site Pocket-link. How “blu” must Sony be feeling with Samsung right now?!

When HD-DVD was dealt its death blow at CES thanks to Warner definitively choosing the Blu-ray format, Sony’s Howard Stringer said at the Blu-ray press launch words to the effect that “We’re all feeling Blu today – in a good way!”

But perhaps Sony is feeling “blue” instead today, at least with its LCD screen manufacturing partner Samsung, after comments to UK tech site Pocket-lint by Andy Griffiths, Samsung’s “Director of Consumer Electronics” in the UK.

Griffiths made some bold statements, saying: “I think it [Blu-ray] has 5 years left, I certainly wouldn't give it 10".

But then he said that 2008 is “going to be huge" for Blu-ray, and that "We are heavily back-ordered at the moment”, clearly suggesting that while Samsung thinks Blu-ray’s future is bleak, right now things are still quite rosy.

He also told Pocket-link about rental sites and stores offering more Blu-ray titles, which ensured that while the Blu-ray format was the HD winner now, that wouldn’t be the case forever.

Samsung believes its future profits will come from OLED technology (organic light emitting diode). Promising better picture quality and colour depth than LCD or plasma, “high manufacturing costs” have prevented its widespread release, although 2010 is being flagged as the year of OLED.

Of course, we’ve also heard of Laser TV in the meantime, and if it too launches by 2010, it could easily be OLED TV’s biggest competitor, with both formats potentially leaving LCD and plasma in the digital dust.

QPC Lasers Finishes Development Phase of Laser TV Contract

QPC Lasers, Inc. “QPC,” a maker and developer of high power semiconductor chip-based lasers, reported that it has successfully met the performance requirements for red, blue, and green lasers related to its recently announced $12 million laser TV contract. The company noted that it had thereby completed the technology development phase of the contract with an unnamed major Asian manufacturer of consumer electronics. According to the contract, QPC will be the exclusive laser supplier over the next three years for $11 million. The contract reportedly carries a potential value of up to $230 million over the 10 year term of the contract. QPC previously demonstrated its green laser technology based on frequency doubling of its proprietary BrightLase single-mode laser technology in Sept. 2007. At the time, the company boasted of continuous wave and peak conversion efficiencies of greater than 50 percent.

“QPC is enabling a new generation of lower cost and dramatically improved high definition large screen televisions by replacing today’s poor quality light sources with our bright, power efficient, cost effective and ultra compact lasers,” said QPC co-founder and CEO Dr. Jeffrey Ungar. “Utilizing QPC’s unique laser technology instead of LEDs, OLEDs and other poor quality and inefficient light beam sources, consumers will see a broader visible color spectrum, and a sharper, brighter, more vivid image than today’s LCD or Plasmas can offer,” continued Dr. Ungar. Ungar also indicated that a variety of projection displays and ultra-portable projectors for cell phones and laptops could benefit from the technology

source

QPC Lasers Announces Completion of Development Milestones for $12 Million Laser TV Contract

Leader in high power chip-based laser technology demonstrates prototype high brightness red-green-blue lasers for next generation Laser TV

SYLMAR, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--QPC Lasers, Inc. (OTCBB:QPCI) "QPC," a world leader in the design and manufacture of high brightness, high power semiconductor chip-based lasers for the consumer electronics, industrial, defense, and medical markets, announced that the company has successfully met the laser performance milestones for all three colors (red, green and blue) in connection with its recently announced $12 Million Laser TV contract, thereby completing the technology development phase of the contract. The contract with a major Asian manufacturer of consumer electronics provides for an exclusive supply relationship, and provides for an $11 Million supply agreement to be delivered over the next three years and carries a potential value of up to $230 million over the 10 year term of the contract.

"QPC is enabling a new generation of lower cost and dramatically improved high definition large screen televisions by replacing today's poor quality light sources with our bright, power efficient, cost effective and ultra compact lasers," said QPC co-founder and CEO Dr. Jeffrey Ungar. "Utilizing QPC's unique laser technology instead of LEDs, OLEDs and other poor quality and inefficient light beam sources, consumers will see a broader visible color spectrum, and a sharper, brighter, more vivid image than today's LCD or Plasmas can offer," continued Dr. Ungar.

"In addition to televisions, a variety of projection displays are in position to profit from QPC's superior laser light sources including portable projectors for cell phones and laptops, home and commercial theatre, as well as 3 Dimensional applications for which we announced a $3.5 Million contract last week," Ungar concluded.

QPC previously demonstrated its green laser based on frequency doubling of its proprietary BrightLase® single-mode laser technology. [See prior announcement, September 18, 2007.] BrightLase® single-mode lasers produce single frequency output powers exceeding 9 Watts continuous wave and peak conversion efficiencies greater than 50%.

QPC Demonstrates Lasers at Projection Summit 2008

QPC Lasers, a company in the design and manufacture of high brightness, high power semiconductor lasers, exhibited at this week's Projection Summit 2008 and demonstrated its miniature BrightLase Red-Green-Blue RGB laser.

Leveraging QPC's proprietary semiconductor technology, the company noted, the laser is designed to enable a bright, high resolution image in the 100 lumens output range from portable consumer electronic devices, such as miniature pocket projectors.

Company executive Drew Osterman is speaking about the company's current and potential laser applications for the projection market in Session 1, which showcases LED and laser projector component and product manufacturers. Participation in this highly respected display industry event further establishes brand leadership in visible wavelength technologies for projection displays, a large and growing target market for the company.

QPC's game changing advances in lasers for projection displays are enabling the real opportunity to bring laser technology into the palms of consumers, said Director of Strategic Development of QPC Lasers, Drew Osterman. Increasing consumer demands require consumer electronics manufacturers to seek out the most innovative technologies in order to constantly stay ahead of the curve, and QPC is commercializing the eminent laser solution to meet this need.

Our miniature Red-Green-Blue integrated laser produces enough power for 100 lumen projection, resulting in large and vivid projection images even in ambient lighting. QPC's laser technology is incredibly versatile and enables laser products for a wide range of projection applications including pocket projectors and ultimately embedded technologies in PDAs and cell phones, as well as larger display formats such as Laser TV, home theatre, and laser cinema, concluded Osterman.

-tradingmarkets.com

Interview with Mitsubishi about LaserTV

Mitsubishi introduced the first LaserTV at the CES 2008. We got the chance to conduct an email interview with Frank DeMartin, General Manager for Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America to try to find out more about the upcoming Mitsubishi LaserTV.

At the CES, Mitsubishi showed a 65 inch LaserTV that is supposed to go on sale this fall. Pricing is supposed to be in the range of premium flat-panel TVs in the same size category. There seems to be still a lot of undetermined aspects that Mitsubishi has to hammer out before the market entry of the first Laser TV.

Still, the interview below gives a bit more insight on how Mitsubishi sees their LaserTV product.

1) How will you position the first Laser TV to compete on the market with LCD and Plasma?
Mitsubishi LaserTV provides a true dimension experience with brighter, richer colors, wider gamut, more detail, richer blacks….PLUS, when combined with 3D capability provides the ultimate, most advanced 3D experience available.

2) What sizes will be initially available?
Mitsubishi showcased a 65" at CES. Other available sizes are still being reviewed and have not yet been announced.

3) How many will you produce in 2008?
This information is not yet available.

4) Will you target initially Enthusiasts that want an image with the most colors or a broader customer segment?
A final determination on customer segment targets has not been announced.

5) Is the initial price-tag going to be competitive with existing display technologies or will it be much higher?
Mitsubishi LaserTV will be competitive with similar size, premium flat panel technology

6) You showed the 3D capabilities at the CES, Will that be anything that consumers will be able to enjoy at home any time soon?
This is an industry introduction involving many players. Mitsubishi TV is ahead of the curve and on leading edge of high quality display technology that is 3D compatible today.

7) What are the areas of improvements for the next generation of Laser TVs?
As the technology advances, form factor will continue to evolve to meet changing lifestyles and consumer demand.

8) How much is Novalux involved in the development of your Laser TV technology?
Due to the proprietary nature of Laser technology, we are not free to disclose this information.

9) Are you aware of other companies working on Laser TVs?
At this point, we have no substantial information regarding competitive products.

10) What should our readers be excited about when the Laser TV hits the market?
Mitsubishi is revolutionizing big screen television with groundbreaking Laser Technology. Precise and focused, the purity of laser light surpasses high definition standards. Today's hi-def televisions display only 40 percent of the color spectrum the eye can see. Now, for the first time ever, consumers can experience twice the color. Laser beams give the widest range of rich, complex colors and the most distinct clarity and depth of field. Breakthrough laser technology creates a portal to an intensely real and vivid world. LaserTV is 3D capability and offers the ultimate 3D experience. Beyond flat tv, LaserTV is a true dimension television.  

-Luigi Lugmayr, i4unews

Mitsubishi Laser TV - what we know so far

The last press information from Mitsubishi about the Laser TV got published along with new images of the 65" Laser TV prototype in Japan in Mid-February. The announcement is just a repeat of what has been announced at the CES 2008. It looks like Japan is not the first release target for the Mitsubishi Laser TV, the U.S. home theaters will have the honor of adopting a Laser TV first this fall. Mitsubishi also manufactures HDTVs in the North America.

We don't currently know that much about the upcoming Mitsubishi Laser TVs and many questions are still open.
The first Mitsubishi Laser TV will have a size of 65 inches, possible a depth of 10 inches. Laser TVs can display twice the colors compared to current flatpanel displays. Mitsubishi enabled 3D viewing with glasses similar to what Samsung is doing with their latest ultra-high contrast Plasma HDTV.

The biggest open question is price followed by the final design of the Laser TV. I am still very excited about the Laser TV concept and hope Mitsubishi delivers on its promises this fall.

 -Luigi Lugmayr, i4unews

Mitsubishi intros slew of HDTVs, says LaseVue is coming in Q3

Mitsubishi and the onset of Spring can only mean one thing: an onslaught of HDTVs. Just as it did last year, the aforementioned outfit is busting out a plethora of high-definition sets to whet your appetite. As for the new line of April-bound DLPs ($1,799 to $4,699), you can expect the entire lot -- which ranges from 60- to 73-inches in size -- to sport 1080p panels, thinner frames than those on prior models, increased brightness, Mitsu's own 6-Color Processor and 3D-readiness.

Moving on, we've got the new family of Ultra Thin Frame 1080p LCD HDTVs ($2,499 to $4,499; shipping in May), which span between 40- and 52-inches and feature low-profile speakers, Smooth 120Hz Film Motion / GalleryPlayer technology, 10-bit panels, 6-Color Processor, x.v.Color and Deep Color. For these and the DLPs, those who opt for the Diamond series will be treated to Variable Smooth 120Hz Film Motion technology, a DeepField Imager and an oh-so-desirable blue light accent.

Lastly, the Laser TV which made its debut at CES 2008 is on track for a Q3 release, and just as predicted, it'll be going by the name LaserVue and sporting a currently undisclosed price tag. Hit the read link for the full breakdown.

-engadget

Will laser TVs be the next big thing?

Frank DeMartin, general manager of Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, was nice enough to talk a little laser TV with us just before the unveiling of the new laser TV -- we're not exaggerating about the "little" part. While it all sounds fantastic, we were disappointed that he wasn't willing to even begin to satisfy our unlimited thirst for technical details. But he was confident that a laser TV could provide the ultimate in picture quality because "laser has the ability to hit color points that no other technology can." We understand his desire not to spill trade secrets, but any technical information beyond, "it's the best" would've been better than nothing. So while we don't know how the TV works, we do know that the principal makes sense; lasers offer the purest form of light, while at the same time use less power than other light sources. The problem of course is that the competition in the HDTV market is a fast moving target, and with the delays Mitsubishi has been dealing with, we wonder how competitively priced this new technology will be -- though Frank assured us that Mitsubishi's dominance in the red laser market will help . Frank says, "it'll be competitive with flat panel prices," and that's great and all, but price isn't the only factor needed to compete against flat panels, people like thin TVs and the laser TV isn't thin -- it's about as thin as a DLP. But regardless of being the same price, Mitsu thinks the superior picture quality will trump thin because "people want it flat, but they want it large too." Either way, we'll have to wait until some unknown time this year to see if the laser TV can live up to the hype, but with what we know right now, we're not sold just yet.  -Ben Drawbaugh, engadget

Make Way for LaserTV

Check out LaserTv technology from Novalux. According to RealTechNews:

Plasma was king until LCD got bigger and better. And just when you thought you could settle down in front of a huge LCD screen and enjoy some high-def peace of mind comes LaserTV. Developed by Novalux, LaserTV has this little calling card: it costs 50% less to produce, has double the color range, and uses 75% less power.

The article continues:

    So here is where LaserTV fits, in the big picture (so to speak.) LaserTV is a projection technology, so if you like micro-thin flat panels, this is not for you. The technology replaces the spinning UHP lamp in the back of projection DLP and LCD TVs with laser-beaming hardware. The lasers are faster and use less power, and they create a picture that side by side, has blown away the best plasma, projection and LCDs sets currently on the market.

So just like LCOS, if you're looking for a sleek flat-screen then LaserTV probably isn't for you. If you can handle a larger projection TV that's affordable, the LaserTv may be right down your alley. -tvsnob

Sony displayed a laser TV at CES

LCD and plasma may be all the rage when it comes to current HDTV implementations, but next year should see the emergence of laser TV—sort of an offshoot of DLP technology—, which has double the color range and costs manufacturers a lot less to produce. For us that means lower prices, or at least it should. From a performance standpoint, laser TV pretty much makes plasma and LCD look silly, but the two oldies still have one thing going for them: size. Since laser TV is a projection technology, you’re not likely to be able to hang it up on the wall all that easily.

Sony displayed a laser TV at CES this year (yup, that’s it up there) and was said to be the best looking TV in its arsenal.

-crunchgear

Mitsubishi's Laser HDTV is named: LASERVUE?

News about Mitsubishi's laser TV may be short on specs and specifics, but it's already got plenty of naming options. Following up on earlier nomenclature rumors pointing towards LAZRTV, an anonymous tipster gave the heads up of yet another filing, dated January 24, attributed to Mitsubishi and attorney Ronald L. Taylor:

LASERVUE. As far as we know, Motorola hasn't beaten them to the punch on this one, so maybe it will stick. According to the tip, an official announcement could be due the first week of April, so at least we'll have something to look forward to when our NCAA tournament brackets have long been torn up and discarded.

-engadgetHD

65 inches OLED Killer from Mitsubishi

Laser TV will kill OLED before it ever really takes off. Mitsubishi has a working experimental 65-inch model. At ten inches thick, it is a fatty compared to the ultra slim OLED monitors that are starting to hit the market, but it is 65-inches, which puts their puny size to shame. New technology in the pipeline, namely the "super wide angular optical engine" promises to get the thickness down to acceptable levels by the time the first commercial models roll out.

With twice the color spectrum, twice the contrast ratio and the capability of displaying three-dimensional images, Mitsubishi looks to have a real winner on its hands. It is possible that we will start seeing the first commercial models as early as this year. If that is the case, OLED might never make it out of smaller screens.

Laser TV "plasma killer" Delayed

THE launch of the device which was supposed to sweep the plasma television off the shelves this Christmas, the Laser TV, has been delayed.

Mitsubishi Digital Electronics, has told the television industry to expect a major laser TV announcement at a US trade show in January. However it will not say how long it will take before the technology goes on sale afterwards.

Either way the first laser TV was supposed to be in the shops in time for this Christmas.

Laser TVs can produce twice the range of colours of current flat panel models while being thinner, lighter and use less juice.

It was believed that the technology would take over from plasma at the 40 inch screen size and above leaving the smaller screens to LCDs.

The delay appears to be at the production side of the release rather than anything to do with the television technology.

Laser TV unveiled

Read this article from Adam Bennett

IT'S being hailed by its developers as the next revolution in visual technology - a laser television that will make plasma screens obsolete.

Soon-to-be-listed Australian company Arasor International and its US partner Novalux unveiled what they claimed to be the world's first laser television in Sydney today, with a pitch that it would be half the price, twice as good, and use a quarter of the electricity of conventional plasma and LCD TVs.

Manufacturing company Arasor produces the unique optoelectronic chip central to the laser projection device being developed by Silicon Valley-based Novalux, which is being used by a number of television manufacturers.

And displayed beside a conventional 50 inch plasma TV this afternoon, the Mitsubishi-built prototype does appear brighter and clearer than its “older” rival.

With a worldwide launch date scheduled for Christmas 2007, under recognisable brands like Mitsubishi and Samsung, Novalux chief executive Jean-Michel Pelaprat is so bold as to predict the death of plasma.

“If you look at any screen today, the colour content is roughly about 30-35 per cent of what the eye can see,” he said.

“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.”

Combine that with energy efficiency, price advantage and the fact that the laser TVs will be half the weight and depth of plasma TVS, and Mr Pelaprat says “plasma is now something of the past”.

Mr Pelaprat predicted LCD TVs would come to dominate the market below 40 inches, and laser television the market above that screen size, displacing plasma.

The optoelectronic chip-laser technology won't be confined to TVs.

The technology is also being trialled in mobile phones, where it will be used to project images onto any surface, and in home theatres and cinemas.

What is Laser TV?

Laser TV is a proposed new video display technology using laser optoelectronics. Although proposed as long ago as 1966, laser illumination remained too costly and too poor in performance to viably replace lamps except in some rare ultra-high-end projectors

At the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show in 2006, Novalux Inc., developer of Necsel™ semiconductor laser technology, demonstrated their laser illumination source for projection displays and a prototype rear-projection "laser" TV

First reports on the development of a commercial Laser TV were published as early as 2006-02-16 with a decision on the large-scale availability of laser televisions expected by early 2008.
On January 7, 2008, at an event associated with the Consumer Electronics Show 2008, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, a key player in the LED laser market, unveiled their first commercial Laser TV, a 65" Full HD model.

First audiences who were shown reference clips from popular movies reported that they were blown away by a Laser TV's hitherto unseen color-display prowess. Some even described it as being too intense to the point of seeming artificial.

These DLP-based rear-projection TVs are expected to go on sale by Black Friday 2008 under the LAZRTV trademark. For plausibility, it may be worthy to note that Mitsubishi invented the first rear-projection television and was the first to sell a complete high-definition TV system in the U.S.

SYCO of China released a 120-inch Laser TV, the biggest in the world so far, and it will be used in cinema in late 2007.

-wikipedia