Novalux develops 1.5 W red arrays for laser TV

05 Dec 2006

Company says high power red laser output is milestone toward high-definition laser TVs based on "Necsel" color.

Novalux, developer of Necsel laser technology, has delivered red 1.5 W Necsel laser prototypes to its key consumer electronics partners interested in developing laser-based TV.

The laser's 1.5 W output is twice the power of previous red Necsel devices and puts Novalux on track to produce RGB (red, green, blue) Necsel lasers for integration into high-definition projection TVs (see related stories), the company claims.

"Reaching 1.5 W with our red arrays is a significant step toward our goal of shipping RGB lasers that produce 3 W per color for our initial product," said Greg Niven, Novalux's VP marketing. "We reached 3 W power output with green and blue some time ago and we've been able to apply what we learned with that product development to our red technology. We are on track to deliver all-Necsel RGB sources to our consumer electronics partners for integration into HD laser TVs by Christmas 2007."

Necsel-based laser TV offers consumers advantages over competing display technologies, such as plasma and UHP lamp-based projection TV. "Right now plasma in particular has momentum in the over-50-inch, big-screen marketplace, but Necsel laser TVs offer twice the color range for one quarter of the power consumption," added Niven.

Plasma TVs consume about 1 kW of power, so a typical US consumer could save around $300 per year in electricity cost alone after buying a laser TV."

Prototype laser RPTVs show a dramatically expanded color range, higher brightness and striking image contrast over competing display technologies. Ultimately, Necsel technology could enable home theater systems that combine over 200% of NTSC color coverage, high-brightness, high-resolution images, a thin, wide viewing angle architecture, and unsurpassed light source lifetime-all at an affordable cost.

All-Necsel RGB sources could benefit TV manufacturers over other types of lasers because they provide desirable output wavelengths, increase display performance, and allow lower overall system cost, says Novalux.

Specifically, red Necsel arrays can produce light in the 615 to 625 nm range - a wavelength that matches existing TV-screen phosphors. Competing red edge-emitter laser technology can only go as low as 635 nm and currently has poor lifetime. With a Necsel system the same type of laser emits each of the three colors, so they share the same device parameters.

Novalux will demonstrate its Necsel technology during the Consumer Electronics Show 2007 January 8-11 in Las Vegas, Nevada. "We'll be showing completely new laser product applications, including prototype laser TVs, a laser cinema projector, and portable laser projectors," said Niven.