Mitsubishi: No more rear-projection TVs

TOKYO, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Japanese electronics company Mitsubishi, the last company producing rear-projection screen televisions, says it is exiting the market for such devices.

With most of the industry shifting their production strategy from rear-projection models to focus on LCD television sets, Mitsubishi had been the only source for the older technology.

Sony abandoned the rear-projection screen TV market in 2007, while Samsung turned its back on the category in 2008.

The announcement of the end came in a letter Mitsubishi sent to authorized service centers notifying them production on 72-inch, 82-inch, and 92-inch versions of the so-called digital light processing televisions would cease, TG Daily reported Tuesday.

"We are in the midst of an orderly exit from the DLP TV business," Mitsubishi executives told CE Pro.

Rear-projection screen TVs had been popular with some consumers for their low cost versus screen size.

A 75-inch screen Mitsubishi LaserVue rear-projection TV cost about $4,000 while an LCD or plasma TV of the same screen size carries a significantly higher price tag.