hdiHDI Laser TV

(Oct. 30, 2009) The Los Gatos, California based startup HDI Limited announced today it has entered into an agreement with an undisclosed manufacturer to mass produce its laser powered 100″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) 3D television in 2010. In a phone interview, HDI co-founder Ingemar Jansson revealed details of its upcoming entry into the 3D television market.

HDI’s 100″ 3D HDTV is a rear projector less than 10″  deep that uses two proprietary .81″ LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) 1920 x 1080 HD microdisplay chips, according to Jansson.

The 100″ 3D HDTV features three HDI developed technologies: 1) A “Laser Module” made up of 3-1watt (red, blue and green) lasers. 2) An “Image Module” consisting of the two LCoS chips, prisms to split the laser in two for left and right images, and a projection lens. 3) A proprietary rear projection screen that is not the customary Fresnel/lenticular design found in other rear projection televisions.

Unlike the “Full HD” 3D prototypes shown at the recent CEATEC electronics show by Panasonic, Sony, Sharp and Toshiba, the HDI Laser 3D HDTV will not make use of shutter glasses for viewing 3D images. Instead, it uses lower cost circular polarized glasses similar to the ones handed out for 3D movie viewing at your local cinema.

The HDI projector creates the 3D image using field-sequential color that fires each color (R, G, B) 360 times per second, for a total of 1080 fields per second. Cost (according to the press release) is “a street price potentially 60% less than current 2D flat screen” displays. Given that the largest flat panel available today is an 85″ plasma monitor that retails for $30,000; this would put the price at around $12,000.

Whether 3D has sufficient allure to drive consumers back to the RPTV from their current fixation with thin flat screens, whether LCD or plasma, remains to be seen.

The HD Guru plans to take a trip out to HDI shortly and make an eyewitness report in a blog post in HD Guru’s soon to launch 3D HDTV website. Stay tuned for an announcement.

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