Laser TV – What Is It?
There is much hype around this type of TV, yet the technology has been around for a number of years. The term Laser TV refers to the principle of literally firing a laser onto the inside of a TV screen in order to produce an excellent quality image. This process is more efficient in producing an image compared to our current plasma and LCD TVs. When you consider the range of colors that are visible to the a human eye (known as color gamut), plasma and LCD can only manage to produce 40% of these colors, whereas laser TV technology can produce an excellent 90%.
The Technology Behind Laser TV
Lets take a simple look at the principle behind the technology, to truly understand how it works.
Current TV technology produces red, green and blue light (RGB). In principle it is possible to combine these three colors to produce a complete full range of visible colors, however in reality, visual displays are only capable of displaying a limited range of these colors. However, in a Laser TV, three distinct wavelengths are used, these are simply light beams which project accurately and brightly onto the screen, producing brilliant blacks.
The whole technology is based around the principle of projection, with this in mind Laser TVs are a perfect improvement on our current rear projection TVs, these are TVs whose images are projected from the rear of the TV on to the back of the screen. A typical rear projection display tends to measure from 50 inchs to 100 inches and are regularly used in public spaces. It is the ultra High Performance Lamp (UHP) which is the basis for the technology, however laser technology essentially replaces this and as a result very much suits the larger screen size.
What Laser TVs Are Available To Buy?
Mitsubishi became the first manufacturer ever to make a commercial Laser TV available to consumers in stores in November 2008. Aptly named Laservue, this TV was priced at around $7,000. A little pricey for today’s market. The Laservue is available in 65 inch or 73 inch versions and is also 3D ready and as you would expect these days it is perfect for wall mounting.
Rumors of Toshiba entering the market are spreading rapidly. Whether many other manufacturers wish to enter the race remains to be seen.
LASER TV vs. OLED – How They Stack Up?
To be honest, as the two technologies stand at the moment, Laser TV is suited to one end of the TV market and OLED the other. Laser TV technology currently suits the large display market and at present OLED technology suits the smaller display market, of course this will change as both develop over time. The two technologies are not yet going head to head in the TV market.
Take a look at the features of each:
LASER TV:
– Wider range of colors displayed (roughly doubling standard HDTV’s)
– The intensity of the laser is maintained for the lifespan of the TV, meaning a high
 quality image is maintained throughout the life of the TV, unlike current HDTV
 technology
- Laser TVs utilize roughly a quarter of power used by current TV technology
- Laser TVs tend to be half the weight of current HDTV’s
- First TV commercially available in 65 and 73 inch versions
OLED TV:
- Excellent image quality at 1000000:1 contrast ratio
– Better image quality means wider viewing angle of 180 degrees
– Ultra thin screens measuring 3mm thin
– Power consumption is less that current technology since no backlight is required
- First TV commercially available in 11inchs
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So What Are The Disadvantages?
There always seems to be a worry around any laser technology, scare mongers will raise issues around potential eye damage from a laser should a Laser TV become damaged. These concerns are yet to be proven. However it is suggested that special filters can be fitted within the TV to remove this potential fret.
Another concern is the speckle effect. Laser TV technology can produce an effect on the human eye which resembles speckling, this is caused by a number of waves joining together to produce a wave with varying intensity. This issue is being addressed by manufacturers, expect this to be overcome in near future.
Which Technology Wins? – Laser Or OLED
Laser TVs are on sale now and available to all….well to most, if your bank balance can support it and your home is large enough. If this suits your circumstance then laser TV is a possibility for you at this time. OLED TV is cheaper by comparison, but not at the prices the average consumer would be happy with and screen sizes do not reflect what we have become used to for our homes.
As yet, laser technology has a way to develop, as more manufacturers take up the challenge. Prices should decrease and so will screen sizes. Likewise OLED screen sizes are set to increase. There does seem to be more of a buzz and excitement in the industry around OLED. Image wise these two technologies are truly head and shoulders above the rest and once these TVs truly develop and become TVs we can afford and want in our homes then there could be more of a head to head battle.
Which technology is better you ask? Considering all other factors, at this stage, it is just too early to tell.
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