Introduction

Lasers were invented over 60 years ago, but a lot of us still think of them as belonging to the realm of science fiction, like Goldfinger almost slicing James Bond in half, or X-Wing and TIE Fighters spinning through what always looks like the biggest traffic jam ever in space. Yet these days we use lasers to make things like, well, laser light projectors, which you can project onto a 120” screen without burning your walls down with high energy beams of light.

Laser TVs represent the fifth generation of TV, the descendant of such ancestors as the color TV, the LCD TV, the plasma TV, and the OLED TV. At Hisense, laser TVs come as a kit with two main equipment pieces:

1. An Ultra-Short Throw (UST) projector.

2. A wall-mounted Ambient Light Rejection (ALR) screen.

Think of this setup as similar to the design of a movie theater, but with the UST projector sitting below the ALR screen; no need for difficult ceiling installations or casting silhouettes whenever someone walks in front of the projector. And unlike large screen TV’s, you can set up Laser TV’s in any space - from walk up apartments to man caves to walls without studs - so long as you have a wall big enough, of course.

Ever turned on a TV and realized that the glow from a lamp in the room is blotting out the movie? That’s because the lamp is an ambient light source, and it competes with the light in the TV. The point of an ALR is to reject that ambient lighting, and accept light from a specific direction — like the UST — reflecting light straight out from itself so the picture appears glare-free.

Not keen on a laser projector? Then your other options are, typically, an LED projector or a traditional bulb projector. Many countries are phasing out traditional bulb projectors, however, since they often contain mercury. So today we’re going to compare laser light projectors with LED projectors, which project images with light-emitting diodes (LEDs). So that’s the question before you: Laser or LED? Who you got? Before you commit, let’s delve into the details.

Factors to Consider

●      Cost

We’ll say it like this: You get what you pay for. While laser projectors tend to be more expensive upfront, you’re buying superior color accuracy, low operating costs, and a long-term investment well worth the price. Yes, you can find a cheap LED projector, but they tend to be just that: Cheap. The picture quality is flawed, and some makers even publish incorrect lumen counts.

●      Maintenance

Both LED projectors and laser projectors are fairly easy to maintain. LED projectors use less energy than laser projectors but Laser TV’s start up more quickly than LEDs.

●      Lifespan

A laser projector and LED projector can both last around 20,000 hours. Think of 20,000 hours like this: If you used the laser projector four hours a day, seven days a week, all year round, it can serve you dutifully for over a dozen years.

●      Colors

Laser projectors are capable of producing a wider range of color than LED projectors. The picture on a laser TV also appears more alive with details and displays better contrast ratios than LEDs.

●      Brightness

Heard of a lumen? That’s a measurement of the light visible to the human eye from a single source. LED projectors usually max out at around 2,000 lumens. Laser projectors usually produce around 2,000–3,000 lumens. The brightness of a laser projector diminishes over time. But their luminosity dims at a slower rate than an LED projector.

Pros and Cons

Lasers

●      Pros

When you put it together, the pros of a laser projector are extensive: Simple setup. High contrast ratio. Widest color gamut and most accurate colors. Requires little to no maintenance. Capacity to operate in sunlit rooms. (Vampires, take note.) We could blast on, but you get the picture — it’s practically the highest-end product of its kind on the market right now. Buy one and you won’t keep up with the Joneses. You’ll impress them.

●      Cons

Probably the single downside to a laser projector is you’ll encounter a steeper upfront cost. Prices have come down over the last few years, however — a trend that will continue as they become even more widely adopted.

LED Projectors

●      Pros

Many of the pros of LED projectors come into focus when you compare LEDs with projectors that use incandescent bulbs. LED projectors last longer, consume less electricity, and require less maintenance.

●      Cons

Compared with laser projectors, though, LEDs tend to fall short; the images they project aren’t as brilliant.

Upgrade your entertainment experience with Hisense.

We’re not knocking projectors powered with traditional bulbs, whether they’re incandescent or LEDs. But laser is the future. Hisense laser TVs deliver a high-quality viewing experience capable of showing over a billion colors in extreme detail. Check out our products and get the laser TV of your dreams today.