# Mitsubishi is ending rear-projection TVs, ceases production of DLP and laser models



## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

Source: Engadget


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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

I am sad to hear Mitsubishi is ending it's rear pro but I can easily understand why they are ending the line..

I own a Mitsubishi 55 inch rear pro and it has been working great and is now over 12+ years old..


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## Sevenfeet (Feb 2, 2009)

Mitsubishi was the king of RPTV. I should know...I still own a 65813 with 9" CRT guns. That product was the best TV on the market...in 2003. Nine years later, it's still a good picture but Mitsubishi as a manufacturer never kept up with the times. They spent far too much time on DLP when most of the competition had moved on and was doing LCD flat panels in the lab. Mitsu got into that business too but they were never able to translate their RPTV success to the flat panel market. Once they lost the top end customers, they chased the bottom end by slashing prices as the RPTV models, to no avail.

I'll tell my wife that with Mitsubishi exiting the market that we finally need to invest in a new TV.


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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

I remember a few years back going into one of the local AV stores and the poor Rear Pro's had no customers even thou the price per square inch was a lot cheaper then the LED/LCD/Plasma models which had folks all around them.. Too bad Mitsubishi couldn't or wouldn't read the words on the wall.


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

Actually, they did. They recognized that getting into LCD production for TVs was a losing proposition and the stayed in the RP DLP market and captured a market segment that everyone else had abandoned. They never expected that it would do anything but fade away. The TV market has been a black hole for profit for a couple of decades and the LCD market is limited by cheap production out of China for panels and price erosion at retail. They squeezed what they could out of a market segment that they owned for a few years.


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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

It is very hard to beat the prices on the LED/LCD/Plasma tv's.. 

Thankfully they are staying around in the projector arena.. Hopefully they will remain there for some time.


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## Sevenfeet (Feb 2, 2009)

lcaillo said:


> Actually, they did. They recognized that getting into LCD production for TVs was a losing proposition and the stayed in the RP DLP market and captured a market segment that everyone else had abandoned. They never expected that it would do anything but fade away. The TV market has been a black hole for profit for a couple of decades and the LCD market is limited by cheap production out of China for panels and price erosion at retail. They squeezed what they could out of a market segment that they owned for a few years.


Yes, but Samsung apparently made it work. But they are crushing Sony, Mitsubishi and Sharp would be history too if they weren't being propped up by Apple these days. It's amazing that the mainline Japanese consumer electronics companies never quite understood how to compete against the Koreans and the Chinese supply chain.


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

Sevenfeet said:


> Yes, but Samsung apparently made it work. But they are crushing Sony, Mitsubishi and Sharp would be history too if they weren't being propped up by Apple these days. It's amazing that the mainline Japanese consumer electronics companies never quite understood how to compete against the Koreans and the Chinese supply chain.


What is amazing about it? The US could not compete with them either. There are good reasons for it. They are brutal corporate players with support from government that would not be allowed here. They have driven prices so low that no manufacturer can afford to provide decent service support any more and they rely on cheap labor to make many of their parts. And we keep buying the stuff they make. Samsung has been recognized for years for having traded build quality for price points. The reason that they can get away with it is that electronics have gotten more reliable overall with more integration and the move to PDP and LCD in displays. Look at what tends to fail in TVs...electrolytic capacitors, the one area where significant technological advances have not changed the basic reliability of the component. Guess who has the worst reputation for failures of this type...Chinese and Korean electronics.


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

The bottom line is that ever since flat panel displays became affordable, the public really does not desire RPTV. Mitsubishi just squeezed the end of that market segment as far as they could. The others bailed sooner.


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## B- one (Jan 13, 2013)

I have a 73 inch Mitsubishi rptv and love it paid 1000 for it when cc went under. Now I'm considering the 82 inch or whatever size it is my local shop has two left and it would be around 1500. Only problem with the two I have had were bulb replacements guess I just love the size for the price.


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

Lamps are pretty cheap these days. I think these sets are a steal. My only concern would be the availability and cost of parts in a few years.


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## B- one (Jan 13, 2013)

I can chuck it in the trash by then and go full frontal. Never spent over 80 a bulb lucky to not have any other problems.


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## 8086 (Aug 4, 2009)

I had my Eyes on a LaserVUE. This for me is as bad as the news of Pioneer killing the Kuro and Sony ending its CRT production; I love my GDM-FW900, still not a single monitor I have found that can replace it. Well, I still have hope KURO OLED can and will surpass Plasma and Laser DLP.


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## Sevenfeet (Feb 2, 2009)

lcaillo said:


> What is amazing about it? The US could not compete with them either. There are good reasons for it. They are brutal corporate players with support from government that would not be allowed here. They have driven prices so low that no manufacturer can afford to provide decent service support any more and they rely on cheap labor to make many of their parts. And we keep buying the stuff they make. Samsung has been recognized for years for having traded build quality for price points. The reason that they can get away with it is that electronics have gotten more reliable overall with more integration and the move to PDP and LCD in displays. Look at what tends to fail in TVs...electrolytic capacitors, the one area where significant technological advances have not changed the basic reliability of the component. Guess who has the worst reputation for failures of this type...Chinese and Korean electronics.


Well that hasn't stopped Vizio. They use the Chinese supply chain to their advantage. The Japanese companies have largely not. I'm sure historical politics have something to do with it, but their business model has been under an attack for a generation.

One thing for sure...I now have to figure out what it going to replace my classic Mitsu 65813 CRT RPTV with the 9" guns...state of the art tech in 2003. My TV is dying (one of the guns is failing) and I'm not sure what to invest in right now. It would have been nice to hold out until 4K prices comes down too earth in a year or so, but I doubt I'll get the opportunity.


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## jevans64 (Dec 24, 2012)

To me. DLP is more " cinematic " than LCD or Plasma. LCD is fine for computer monitors, but I want a cinema feel to my TV viewing. Not saying " cinematic " is better or worse. Front PJ DLP would be ideal cinematic, but I have tons of light coming into my room.

I'll probably end up picking up one of the last 73" or 82" Mitsubishi DLP's that roll out of the warehouse to replace my aging 2008 DLP 65833. Only on my 3rd lamp and just bought a backup lamp with housing for $105 shipped. Parts will still be readily available new for at least 3 years and refurbished light engines and such for a bit longer.


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## 8086 (Aug 4, 2009)

jevans64 said:


> To me. DLP is more " cinematic " than LCD or Plasma. LCD is fine for computer monitors, but I want a cinema feel to my TV viewing. Not saying " cinematic " is better or worse. Front PJ DLP would be ideal cinematic, but I have tons of light coming into my room.
> 
> I'll probably end up picking up one of the last 73" or 82" Mitsubishi DLP's that roll out of the warehouse to replace my aging 2008 DLP 65833. Only on my 3rd lamp and just bought a backup lamp with housing for $105 shipped. Parts will still be readily available new for at least 3 years and refurbished light engines and such for a bit longer.


Grab a LaserVUE while you still can. If anything will hold its value like a Kuro, those will.


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