"The report of my death was an exaggeration," said Mark Twain in 1897. And the same could potentially apply to Mitsubishi's consumer HDTV business. Just last week, Mitsubishi announced that it was dropping TVs under 65 inches and changing the name of its TV business unit to Mitsubishi Electric Visual Solutions America, Inc. However, that doesn't mean that the company is getting out of the TV game entirely. Oh, quite the contrary. Instead, they're putting the "big" in big screen TV.
Today, Mitsubishi unveiled its TV plan for 2011, with DLP TVs ranging from 73 to a whopping 92 inches.
"Consumers are demanding outrageously large screens with the high speed response and picture quality to transform 3D TV watching into a bigger-than-life, fully immersive experience," says Max Wasinger, executive VP of sales and marketing, Mitsubishi Electric Visual Solutions America. "We're responding with a new strategic focus that clearly differentiates Mitsubishi from the commoditized TV market.
"Bigger is better, especially as 3D captures the imagination and passion of consumers who want more from their TV viewing," Wasinger added. "They want TV entertainment on an order of magnitude larger than what they've experienced up to now."
Speaking of big 3D TVs, Mitsubishi will have a 92-inch 3D DLP Home Cinema TV, making it the largest of the company's 3D DLP Home Cinema line. It's actually part of the company's Diamond 840 3D DLP Home Cinema TV Series, which also includes 73- and 82-inch sizes. Some key 840 features include the new Clear Contrast Screen, an immersive sound technology (IST) 16-speaker Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound system, Bluetooth Audio, a subwoofer output, ISFccc calibration support, and four HDMI inputs.
The 840 series includes Mitsubishi's StreamTV feature. This provides on-screen access to VUDU, Pandora, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, The New York Times, and tons of other apps. All three models are also compatible with Mitsubishi's remote control app. Available for free via the Apple Store, this provides wireless control via any iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.
For something slightly smaller, Mitsubishi has the 640 Series 3D DLP Home Cinema TV Series. So far, there's only one 73-incher in this line. This one includes a 3D emitter, as well as a 120Hz sub-frame rate, a new cosmetic design, an advanced calibration mode, and three HDMI inputs.
Mitsubishi's 740 Series 3D DLP Home Cinema TV Series also has the StreamTV feature, as well as a new built-in 3D IR emitter, and the option to go wireless via an add-on adapter. Both the 73- and 82-inch screen sizes also work with Mitsubishi's iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad remote control app.
On the flip side is Mitsubishi's 75-inch LaserVue, the world's only laser-powered TV. Featuring built-in Wi-Fi, this single model includes StreamTV access, the Clear Contrast Screen, and Mitsubishi's proprietary laser light engine. Also, because it only consumes 84.6 watts, Mitsubishi says that the LaserVue is one of Energy Star's most efficient. Other features include Smooth 120 Hz Film Motion technology, ISFccc support, EdgeEnhance and DeepField Imager, a wired IR input, and four HDMI inputs.
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