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