Chicago (IL) – Mitsubishi’s LaserVue LCD, according to the company the world’s first laser-powered TV, will be on store shelves at the end of this month and will sell in its 65” version for pretty much what the company promised – the price of an average 65” LCD TV. It is not cheap, but it may one of most technologically advanced televisions on the market many enthusiasts can afford.

High definition home theaters can be a money pit without bottom. Despite declining average selling prices of LCD TVs, you can sink tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars into your video and audio system – such as Sharp’s $185,000 108”, Panasonic’s $75,000 (including stand) 103” plasma TVs or Sony’s $30,000 Bravia XBR LCD TV. But there are other options for enthusiasts who aren’t deep-pocketed enough to purchase such a TV. The most interesting enthusiast TVs to come along in some time are Mitsubishi’s LaserVue LCD TVs.

Announce at CES in January of this year, the LaserVue series will be initially available as a 65” model this month. MSRP has been set as $6999, which is about the MSRP range of average 65” LCD TVs today (street prices for the segment range from about $3000 to $16,000, according to Pricegrabber.com). A 73” model will follow in the fourth quarter and should cost at least $10,000, if Mitsubishi maintains its pricing strategy.

The manufacturer claims that the LaserVue TVs offer about twice the color range of non-laser-powered LCD TVs. The 120 Hz LaserVues are promised to provide a brightness of 500 nits, 3D viewing capability and consume less than 200 watts, which would actually be only half of some other 65” LCD TVs. 65” plasma TVs can consume more than 500 watts.

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