Mitsubishi Announces Laser TV Pricing

Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America said late Monday that its first laser TV will begin shipping at the end of the third quarter in the United States. The 65-inch LaserVue will retail for $6,999 at the end of the third quarter through authorized retailers, the company said. A 75-inch version is also expected this fall, although Mitsubishi did not announce it.

Mitsubishi is believed to be working with Novalux, the manufacturer of the core laser technology. In today's existing rear-projection TVs, light from a mercury lamp located in the rear section of the unit is split up into red, blue and green to create the images on the front screen. In lieu of white-light mercury lamps, a laser TV uses red, blue and green lasers to generate those images; only the laser produces much brighter and deeper colors.

Furthermore, they use about a third of the power of conventional, large-screen displays that typically rely on high-powered lamps, according to Novalux. Mitsubishi confirmed this, claiming that the LaserVue would require half the operating power consumption of similar-sized LCD TVs, and a third that of plasma HDTVs.

LaserVue TVs also come equipped with 3D-ready viewing technology, Mitsubishi said. Still, the technology obviously comes at a premium. A 65-inch LCD from Sharp was priced at $4,000 at press time.

By Mark Hachman, PC Magazine