Advances in projection illumination technologies, and why not everybody cares about it

In the past month, Panasonic and Samsung announced new microdisplay rear projection televisions that abandon HID (High Intensity Discharge) lamps in favor of new, high tech light sources. New Samsung units will use a high output LED in place of the fragile, short-lived HID lamps, and Panasonic has partered with Luxim for a new longer life light engine.

My point (and I did have one): two weeks ago I pigeonholed a source at Hitachi, and asked him, in Socratic fashion: "Gee, two major brands are trumpeting their breakthroughs in rear projection technology. At the same time, I notice that your line of plasma and LCD flat panels is expanding, even as your line of microdisplay rear projections is shrinking. Given how Hitachi prides itself on being an innovator, is it reasonable to assume that you don't believe there is a future in rear projection technology, and rather than design a better deck chair for the Titanic, you intend to throw all your weight behind the flat panel market?"

Playing the Glaucon to my Socrates, he confirmed that Hitachi sees no point in gussying up the RP business, since its days are numbered due to the increasing acceptance and decreasing price points of flat panel technology. Don't forget, after Sony debuted the WEGA flat-front picture tubes in 1998, the entire industry chased them, trying to offer flat-front tubes of their own. In 2001, Hitachi very pointedly abandoned the tube television business entirely. Why spend money perfecting a flat tube of our own (they declared) when the writing is on the wall for tubes in general? Instead, they eliminated their tube business, and turned their resources over to becoming a major Japanese plasma maker, and have enjoyed great success not only with their own brand, but OEM'ing their panels to other brands as well.

Back to my point: a 65-inch CRT-rear projection HDTV was $6500 in 2002. Today, it's $1499. Next year there won't be any. In 2005 a 65-inch DLP rear projection HDTV was $4999. In 2008, will there even be any?

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