Mitsubishi's Summer of Laser

Lasers make everything better. At least, that's what Mitsubishi hopes consumers will think when they see the company's new laser-powered HDTVs in stores this summer.

The company announced Monday that its laser sets, now officially dubbed LaserVue, will be available by the third quarter of 2008. It didn't offer many specific details about the new line, but if what Mitsubishi showed off at the Consumer Electronics Show in January is any indication, the sets will be big (think in the 50-inch and over range) and thick (these are more like DLP sets than LCDs).

Mitsubishi did say the LaserVue sets will all be 3-D capable, though 3-D glasses will not be included with the TVs. According to Mitsubishi, its LaserVue sets display twice the colors of other current HD televisions. But consumers will only believe that if retailers calibrate them well in stores, so here's hoping Mitsubishi sends the salesmen good instructions. Otherwise, consumers won't see a reason to buy a LaserVue TV instead of one of Mitsubishi's other brand new - and presumably cheaper - big screen non-laser rear-projection HD DLP sets.

By the way, you won't hear Mitsubishi refer to "rear projection" technology in its marketing. The company prefers to call them "60-inch and above big screen." -Rachel Rosmarin

PRNewswire

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