It seems that Mitsubishi is dipping their toes into laser. Michael Fremer from Ultimate AV doesn’t love what he sees yet, but these were just prototypes to start getting the hype up.

Will we see laser HDTV’s in the near future?

Brighter. Colored lasers so possibly no color wheel required. Low or no heat. Longer lasting. As Dvorak puts it:

Like an LED-driven display, the Laser HDTV uses less power and delivers a greater color gamut (in this case, up to 1.8 times greater than an LCD TV). In addition, although it may not be flat, it’s not nearly as deep as a CRT and uses far less power than a plasma

The other future technology on the block is SED (Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display). Say that 10 times real fast. In essence it is a souped up version of CRT. CRT has a big advantage to all of the current technologies out there (DLP, LCD, LCOS etc…). Contrast. Depending on what you read, you can see contrast ratios for CRT from 20,000:1 to 50,000:1. SED claims to hopefully deliver:

* Response Time: Less than 1ms
* Contrast Ratio: 100,000:1
* Viewing Angle: 180° in each direction (full hemisphere)
* Power Consumption: Less than LCDs, highly efficient
* SED is also expected to fully support all HDTV video modes (1080i, 720p, etc.)

100,000:1? That would be something to see. Some units were on display at CES this year, but only yielded a 10,000:1 ratio. only.

Anyway look for more on on SED later this summer and fall, and laser technologies most likely at CES ‘07.

Ultimate AV: There’s No Business Like The TV Business

GotFrag Hardware - Hardware Home News Story - SED: The Next Big Thing

Many people own CRT televisions. Actually, even given the popularity of DLP, LCD, and plasma technologies, CRT’s are still in more homes than any other technology. But sales are on the decline as the newer technologies grab the eyes of consumers. LCD televisions and plasma displays are just so sexy it’s hard to resist their charms.

But Samsung has a knockout CRT display that it expects to do quite well, thank-you very much. Their slim CRT TV lineup is expected to increase in sales, not decrease. And I can understand why. CRT is still the best technology if you’re looking for the best in picture quality. The biggest drawbacks of CRT have always been size and burn-in. And at least plasma also suffers from burn-in, and Samsung’s slim CRT’s have at least reduce the size problem. So it’s no surprise that people have been snatching up these sets.

Although overall CRT market is shrinking, Samsung SDI expects slim CRT TV segment to double in size in 2Q

My brother just bought a Sony 34″ CRT HDTV, probably very similar to this one.

Leading this year’s direct-view lineup is the 34-inch 16:9 KD-34XBR970 model with top-of-the-line performance features and advanced picture technologies.
With such advanced image functions as Digital Reality Creation Multi Function Circuitry® (DRC-MF), CineMotion® inverse 3:2 pulldown, Dynamic Picture™ processor circuitry, ClearEdge VM™ and Trinitone® color temperature technology, this HD set delivers stunning picture performance.

The 1080i native resolution model also features a built-in ATSC 8VSB digital tuner with clear QAM and a NTSC tuner for easy access to high-definition and standard-definition programming. Additionally, the set offers an HDMI™ (High Definition Multimedia Interface) and two component inputs for connecting other devices, such as an high-definition cable or satellite tuner and a DVD player.

I am very happy with my SD 35″ XBR TV. I think Sony does a great job with it XBR line of CRT’s.

Widescreen Review - Sony Continues To Market Direct-View CRT Televisions With The Debut Of Both HD And Standard-Definition Models

CRT is dead. Long live CRT!

The death of CRT has long been predicted, but it seems to be a technology that just won’t die. First we have SED displays, which are built on the same basic premise, and now we learn that Samsung has breathed some new life into the CRT segment with their slim CRTs.

Samsung SDI (CEO Kim Sun-Taek) is gearing up to affiliate, expand, and reorganize the CRT division in response to increasing global slim CRT sales and strong sales of tube TVs in Brazil, Russia, India and China, or the BRICs.

Shipments of super-slim CRT TVs by Samsung SDI surpassed 120,000 units in September after staying at 40,000~50,000 units from its initial mass production of in February through the first half of this year. In addition, overall CRT shipments jumped roughly 7% on-quarter from 14.3 million units in the second quarter, showing that the CRT TV market is turning into a recovery phase.

I don’t know if these particular sets are HDTV or not, is anyone’s memory better than mine?

Displaybank - All about Display Industry

Sharp Canada announced yesterday that it’s not selling CRTs in Canada anymore. It will now focus on selling its AQUOS line of LCD HDTVs, and unveiled 11 new models for its lineup. Some of them have 1080p resolution, others have 720p, and the rest have something else entirely.

Marketnews.ca - Sharp Unveils 11 New LCD TVs; Halts CRT Sales

Say you’re in a hotel and have a hanckering for something high-def. Paramount Pictures and LodgeNet will be willing to oblige you!

Paramount Pictures and LodgeNet announced this week that they have signed an agreement to distribute Paramount titles in high-definition to hotel rooms on demand. The first two movies to be released as part of the distribution deal are the summer blockbusters “War of the Worlds” and “The Longest Yard.” The initial hotel to offer the new technology is the Hard Rock Hotel in Chicago.

1080eye - Paramount, LodgeNet Ink HD VOD Deal

Two companies, Nippon Electric Glass and Asahi Glass, have announced that they will cease production of CRT glass. It seems to be part of a growing trend to move away from CRT technology and towards LCD, DLP, plasma, and LCOS. Personally, I think it’s a little sad. CRT still gives the best picture quality.

DigiTimes - Does CRT TV technology stand a chance?

1080p seems all the rage these days, with good reason. It represents the pinnacle of the HD format, offering a 1920 x 1080 resolution, scanned progressively. With HD-DVD and Blu-ray coming down the pike, and the PS3 as well, 1080p interest is soaring. I even saw a website dedicated to 1080p (sorry, I forget the URL). So it is with much interest that we found out that TI is starting to sell true 1080p chips (forget wobulation, that’s so 6 months ago). The Action! model three 1080 features TI’s new 0.95″ 1080p chip.

The Action! model three 1080 fe The Action! model three 1080 features a 0.95in 1080p Texas Instruments DC3 chip and is claimed to have a highly impressive true contrast ratio of 7500:1. Furthermore, the projector features two lamps, two colour wheels and dual light formatters the new projector to help deliver a huge 2500 lumens light output.

AVreview - The world’s first true HD DLP projector?

In what is almost a commercial for DLP, Displaybank has done an analysis of the technology versus its competitors for HDTV sets. They have a chart which compares DLP with other RPTV technologies, comparing CRT, LCD, DLP, and LCOS. Unfortunately, the chart does not mention black level, a very important factor when it comes to image quality.

They also have a few interesting prices charts, showing how plasma and LCD have been coming down in price, while only the smaller DLP sets have been doing so.

Take the prose with a grain of salt, but the charts make interesting reading.

Displaybank - DLP RPTV Price Competitiveness Analysis

Samsung is working hard to make sure that CRT remains a viable alternative to television shoppers. A promotional slideshow playing on a CRT display says it best: “The news of my demise is greatly exaggerated!”

Measuring 16 inches deep and weighing 120 pounds, Samsung’s new 30-inch screen slimmer CRT is still far too clunky to hang on a wall. But its $1,000 price tag beats many high-definition digital displays. Samsung’s 32-inch screen liquid crystal display, or LCD, television may be only 4 inches thick and 36 pounds, but it lists for more than twice as much, at $2,500.

Personally, I’m a big fan of CRT. My current big-screen television is a RPTV CRT (the Hitachi 57T500) and my previous television, still in use in the kids’ room, is a direct-view Sony 35″ XBR. Which, incidentally, is a really great television - even my grandmother noticed the nice picture quality. So it comes as no surprise to me that someone is trying to keep CRTs alive. They still produce the best looking picture. (I assume SED displays will give them a run for the money, but that’s yet to be seen.)

Link: MSNBC - Trying to save cathode-ray tube TVs

If you think thin and like plasma and LCDs for that reason, but want the performance characteristics of CRT, then maybe Samsung has something for you. While not quite as slim as plasmas or LCDs, Samsung’s 30″ SlimFit HDTV is only 15.5″ deep. It costs only $875, another big advantage over LCDs or plasma.

Link: Luxist - Samsung SlimFit HDTV
Link: Samsung - TX-R3079WH SlimFit TV

[Update 25may05: ultimate AV has some coverage with pictures]

At its line-up show in New Mexico on May 19th, Toshiba announced a whole slew of products. FST PURE CRT televisions, DVD recorders and players with upconversion capability using HDMI, Plasma, and LCD displays, and even 1080p DLP displays were all in evidence. Read the rest of this entry »

Some equipment information for you here:

Link: ViewSonic 40″ LCD and 42″ Plasma
Link: Epson EMP-732
Link: Panasonic DTM1 Range
Link: Panasonic DTX11 Range

The expense of an HDTV is often cited as a reason not to purchase (see Pricing Deters From HDTV). But there are some HDTV’s out there that are reasonably priced. Sure, they’re not HUGE monsters, but they’re still HDTV.

Link: OnHD.TV