Prysm laser TV promises lower power consumption

Posted on 24 Jun 2010 at 13:10

You'd be forgiven for not having heard of Prysm before, but the plucky Californian start-up has a singular goal: to become the dominant name in TV technology within the next three years with its range of laser-based TVs.

As reported over on [a
href="http://spectrum.ieee.org/consumer-electronics/audiovideo/laser-tv-launches"]IEEE
Spectrum[/a], the company launched its first laser television product
- the 25in TD1, which is designed to be tiled into large-area displays
- at the InfoComm conference, and the technology certainly bears a second look.

Taking a radical departure from LCD and plasma displays, the TD1 takes its cues from traditional CRT TV sets with a layer of phosphor coating a glass screen. Rather than a cathode-ray tube, however, the phosphor in this set is excited via lasers which are directed by rapidly-spinning mirrors to shine UV light wherever they are required.

The advantages of such a system include true black levels - something which it is easy to forget was possible with phosphor-based displays in these days of 'dynamic' contrast ratios - and an incredibly low power consumption. In fact, the company claims that the 36cm deep TV set draws one-quarter of the power of an LCD of the same size, and just 10 per cent of the power of a plasma-based display.

While the company's initial product range will be aimed at corporate customers - and priced accordingly - Prysm hopes that laser TVs will become the norm for both commercial and home use within the next three to five years. As it holds a patent on the technology, its founders could be set for a comfortable retirement.

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