Video Projections: What to Expect in 2007

We gaze into our 1080p crystal ball and predict the major display products and trends for the year ahead.

1080p is the big new thing. And it’s coming to a lot of HDTVs near you. Only you’ll still have to pay a premium for it over resolutions like 720p and 1080i, the latter of which is interlaced, meaning only half the lines are visible at one time.



You’ll find 1080p in flat-panel TVs, rear-projection sets and front projectors. Video projectors capable of displaying content in 1080p resolution will be the rage in 2007, with manufacturers continuing to roll out products.

We expect prices to drop, but heading into the holiday season, you could expect to pay $2,300 and up (mostly up) for any type of 1080p display, while many 720p and 1080i devices are half as much or less.

Also expect to see rear-projection DLP (digital light processing), LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) and 3LCD (three-panel liquid crystal display) units—also known as microdisplays—get thinner. Samsung’s new 46-inch 720p HL-S4676S DLP set is just 10 inches deep and weighs 46 pounds.

Its girth may be a far cry from slender 3- and 4-inch-thick flat-panel displays, but remember that microdisplays are replacing those huge rear-projection CRTs that are about 24-inches deep and weigh as much as Sumo wrestlers.

Some previous microdisplays were as thin as 16 inches. Look for even more thin models, especially in DLP TVs, to debut this year.

To read more video projections for 2007, check out
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