THE FRONT LINE: APRIL 10, 2006
Mitsubishi’s 2006 HDTV Line Show
Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America (MDEA) held its annual line show for the press on April 7th at the Hyatt Regency Resort in Huntington Beach, CA. The 2006 line of TVs isn’t as big as in past years, but the company’s focus is quite clear — 1080p. And there was a trick up their sleeve, too.
Figure 1. MHD star Mayleen Ramey hosts a panel discussion with Mitsubishi executives (left to right) Frank DeMartin, Max Wasinger, and Marty Zanfino.
Mitsubishi, long known for selling high-end rear-projection CRT TVs through selected dealers to the high-end market, has undergone big changes in recent years, adopting microdisplay (DLP and LCD) technology and adjusting their pricing downwards to reflect the brave new world of “big box store” channel distribution.
It’s a strategy that has proven difficult to pull off for other Japanese companies, with Sony a notable exception — their SXRD 1080p rear-projection sets helped the company grab the #1 slot in RPTV sales for the fourth quarter of 2005 with 53.8% worldwide market share, while Mitsubishi landed back in 5th place with just 5.5% market share. (Source: DisplaySearch)
Still, the “three diamonds” are still a force to contend with in the TV marketplace. This year’s lineup features 11 new RP sets and two new screen sizes; all but two of these sets use 1080p DLP modulators.
At the top of the line are three Diamond-series sets, the 57-inch WD-57831 ($3,799 SVP), the 65-inch WD-65831 ($4,599), and the 73-inch WD-73831 ($6,499). All three sets offer Plush1080p processing, Dark Detailer contrast enhancement, TV Guide Onscreen, NetCommand, and integrated NTSC/ATSC/QAM tuning with CableCARD. A black high-gloss finish is standard.
Figure 2. Marty Zanfino, director of product development, explains the new 6-primary color wheel used in most of the 2006 rear-projection sets.
The 57-inch and 65-inch sets also incorporate a new six-primary color wheel (red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow), which Mitsubishi claims will generate more accurate and saturated color palettes. A process known as PerfecTint is used to adjust hue and tint for all six primaries.
Three Medallion-series RPTVs, also 1080p, are offered in the same screen sizes with a black gloss finish. The feature sets are similar to the Diamond series with the 57-inch WD-57732 ($3,299) and 65-inch WD-65732 ($3,999) incorporating the new 6-primary color wheel. (I wonder why neither of the 73-inch RPTVs have this feature?)
Two 731-series sets (WD-57731, $3,099 and WD-65731, $3,799) and the 52-inch WD-52631 ($2,799) round out the line. 731-series RPTVs have a dark silver finish, while the WD-52631 has a black finish. All three come with six-primary color wheels, Plush1080p, Tru1080p processing, and have CableCARD slots.
Figure 3. The WD-65831 represents a new screen size for Mitsubishi.
The bottom of the batting order is made up of two 531-series LCD TVs with 720p resolution, the 52-inch WD-52531 ($2,399) and 62-inch WD-62531 ($3,099). These sets don’t have the six-color primary system, but do offer Plush720p and a dynamic iris. Although there is a QAM/ATSC/NTSC tuner, the CableCARD slot has been left off.
Given the low prices on these two sets and the competitive landscape at 720p resolution, I wouldn’t expect these two 720p sets to remain in the line for very long. Either that, or they’ll wind up in wholesale clubs or sold online — for only $400 more, a customer can get 1080p in the same screen size.
A new feature, ClearThought Easy Connect, allows simple and fast connection and identification of peripherals such as DVD players and set-top boxes. It’s standard on all 2006 Mitsubishi RPTVs, as are two HDMI connectors.
In a major change, Mitsubishi has dropped plasma TVs from the line, favoring LCD flat panel technology instead. Why? In a sidebar conversation with Mitsubishi senior VP of sales and marketing Max Wasinger, he told me that the company felt they’d be more competitive with an LCD product than with plasma. Given the recent price drops in big screen plasma sets (see my review of Vizio’s $2,499 P50HDM), he’s probably right.
The LCD line includes a pair of 37-inch 1080p screens. The LT-37131 ($3,299) offers Plush1080p, PerfectColor, ClearThought, and two HDMI inputs, while the LT-37132 ($3,499) adds TV Guide Onscreen and NetCommand. The equivalent 46-inch products are the LT-46131 ($4,899) and LT-46132 ($5,199).
Figure 4. There are two new 37-inch 1080p LCD TVs in the line for 2006.
Now, for that “trick up their sleeve”: Mitsubishi had a demo of a laser-engined RPTV, using the 1080p DLP chips. This demo, which was shown privately at CES 2006, was more of a curiosity than anything else, despite the company’s statement that they would push to have the product into retail by Q4 of 2007.
At first glance, lasers would seem to be an intriguing replacement for projection lamps. The three primary colors (red, green, and blue) are generated with equal intensities, which should make color mixing a snap. Lasers are instant-on, instant-off devices, and should last long beyond the time you’re in your grave.
The catch? Speckle. Lasers are coherent light sources, and speckle (a distinct, shifting pattern of grain) comes with the territory. To get rid of speckle, you must diffuse the light from the laser. Diffusion is also a must from a safety standpoint, as coherent laser light can damage your retina if it is intense enough.
As you diffuse laser light, the luminous intensity also drops. By the time you’ve completely eliminated any speckle, your light source is so dim you might as well go back to using a regular projection lamp. (To put things into perspective, a typical laser operates with a fraction of the power of the short-arc projection lamp used in the WD-65731!)
Figure 5. The Mitsubishi laser RPTV demo. The laser power supplies and control electronics are hidden under that large black base.
Not surprisingly, the demo RPTV had plenty of speckle, not to mention over-saturated greens and reds. The speckle from the lasers was aggravated by the natural “grain” of the micro lenses in the rear-projection screen. The images were about as bright as those on conventional RPTVs, but the combination of speckle and the interference patterns with the RP screen’s lenses resulted in some pretty soft-looking HD clips.
It’s more likely you’ll see switched-mode LED light sources in RPTVs before you see lasers. Samsung, Akai, and others showed LED RPTVs at CES 2006, and if they can solve the power consumption issues, that type of light engine could be very successful.
Of course, that depends on where the future market for RPTVs goes. With flat panels gaining in size and dropping in price every quarter, analysts are predicting the market for RPTVs will peak out somewhere around 2008 and decline after that. For Mitsubishi, that means it’s time to make hay while the sun shines…
For more information on Mitsubishi’s 2006 line, go to www.mitsubishi-tv.com
