Laser TVs to chop power hogs

IF you thought high-definition plasma or LCD televisions were the only choices for flatpanel visuals, be prepared for a shock.

Next year consumers will be faced with a choice of two new flatpanel standards to blur the home entertainment picture.
Most recently, US company Arasor demonstrated a new type of laser-driven television here.

It showed off a prototype of what it said was the world's first laser television.

Side by with a current high-definition plasma television by Samsung, the prototype showed identical and synchronised high-definition content.

Although there was some suspicion that the Samsung plasma was less than optimally configured, there is no doubt the colour and brightness of the prototype Mitsubishi laser television blew it out of the water.

Arasor and partner Novalux say such televisions will be half the price, twice as good, and use a quarter of the electricity of plasma, on par with LCD TVs.

According to the company, a number of leading manufacturers will be releasing laser televisions, and the first models are due in Australia by Christmas next year.

These sets will range from watch-size to the size of a wall. If that isn't enough, Japanese companies Canon and Toshiba have been hitting the world trade show circuit with demonstrations of their new flatpanel standard: surface-conduction electron-emitter display technology.

Offering conventional cathode tube-type reception in a flat package, with lower power consumption, SED televisions are also expected next year.

New entrant: Arasor's laser-driven television

Laser TVs to chop power hogs

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