Mitsubishi Drops Price (And Ball) On LaserVue HDTV’s

I remember how excited I was when I first got wind of Mitsubishi’s revolutionary new HDTV called LaserVue. It was introduced a year or so back at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and It was the biggest buzz product at the event. A Laser TV that offered twice the color and picture, at a third of the price of the top of the line plasma and LCD sets. It sounded like Mitsubishi was going to turn the HDTV market on its ear with this new set……….

And then somebody got greedy!!!

Mitsubishi had stated at the Consumer Electronics Show that the cost of making these sets rivaled what DLP sets cost to make. So instead of making these sets very affordable along with one of the best pictures offered, Mitsubishi priced the 65-inch set starting at nearly $7000. A far cry from the $2000 price tag that was briefly talked about, and quite a bit of money for a new (unproven) technology. Well Mitsubishi has heard your cries and has dropped the price a whole $500 to entice you to max out the credit card. Now granted I don’t know the exact manufacturing cost of these new Laser TV sets, but when they were introduced Mitsubishi said that the technology was based similar to the DLP sets. Mitsubishi also stated that the cost would be similar to the DLP sets that are available now…… So what happened?

Visio doesn’t make the best HDTV sets out there but what makes them a player in the HDTV world is their pricing. Your average Joe doesn’t have 6 or 7 grand to spend on a HDTV, so they go with the cheap set with an average picture. The missed opportunity that Mitsubishi had was to offer one of the best pictures HDTV sets out there at a very reasonable price (i.e. $2000), and a chance at owning the average Joe market. They could have been THE major player in the HDTV world……. But as usual, greed always seems to win.

[Crunchgear]

Mitsubishi LaserVue Drops In The Fall

I’ve been on the prowl for a new HDTV for sometime now, and now details of one of the most promising sets is out. Mitsubishi’s new LaserVue sets that debut at the CES is on target for release this fall, with 65 and 73 inchers to start with. Engadget had a chance to see this baby up close and personal, and here’s what they had to say:

“Head to head against LCD and plasma sets we had trouble finding the differences, other than the color depth (particularly in the reds, almost too much so, though we're sure you can tweak that). Have no fear: the blacks are black, the brights are bright, and the viewing angle puts DLP to shame”

The set is said to also run at 120Hz, and boast 500 nits of brightness, and unlike previous reports, the price range is said to be more around plasma and LCD then DLP. That might be a hard sell to most people, considering that there will be no wall hanging with a set that’s 10 inches thick.

Mitsubishi Renames LaserTV, LaserVue

You might remember Mitsubishi introduced their new innovative "Lazer TV" at the 2008 CES show. It was said that it was the best looking TV that many experts have ever seen, and Mitsubishi claims that it costs less to make than plasma and LCD TV's. It's similar to DLP TV's, but uses lasers to create what Mitsubishi claims is the purest form of light.

Well Mitsubishi renamed the new sets that are scheduled to come out in Q3 to LaserVue. The picture is said to be absolutely amazing, and if you're in the market for a HDTV, you might want to wait for this one. Even HD Guru said that the LaserVue set popped colors that were "the most vivid of any display device I had ever seen" besting a Pioneer Kuro and Sharp LCD in a side-by-side.

The Pioneer Kuro is said to be the best HDTV in the world, so that's pretty high praise.

[HD Guru via Crunchgear]

Mitsubishi Intros New “Laser TV” At CES

Mitsubishi unveiled their new “Laser TV” yesterday at the Palm Hotel in Las Vegas, and what a showing it was. Gizmodo had a chance to see the new technology up close, and said that it was the “most vivid color we've ever seen on any TV, especially the primary colors of red, green and blue. The blacks were midnight-dark, too, and there was even a 3D version of the TV”. Crunchgear also had a chance to check it out and said “the picture quality on the 65-inch Laser TV is stunning and produces twice the color of HDTVs today. Crunchgear also said that they over heard a buyer talking, and stated that the set could retail at $1,800.

LCD and Plasma may not have to totally shake in their boots because the “Laser TV” is rear projection, so hanging them on the wall is most likely not going to be an option. But if this new tech is said to be cheaper to manufacture and produces a better picture, which might be a huge advantage for this HDTV. Hopefully the savings will be passed on to the consumer. A 65-inch HDTV which has twice the color of today’s HDTVs, at a retail cost of $1,800? Once the specs and the life of the TV come out, this might be the set for me!!!

Mitsubishi said to look for it to drop later this year.