Mitsubishi Grows Share of Large-Screen DLP

For calendar year 2007 through August, Mitsubishi held the biggest share of large-screen (70 inches or larger) microdisplay HD sets, according to NPD Group, a retail market analyst. In recent months, Mitsubishi began dedicating a growing percentage of its large-screen microdisplay (DLP) output to 1080p products.

DLP is a micromirror technology invented 20 years ago by Texas Instruments.

Also in August 2007, Mitsubishi held a nearly one-third (32 percent) share of all DTV units sold in the microdisplay category of 60 inches—and a nearly three-quarters share (73 percent) for sets 70 inches and bigger.

Consumers, generally speaking, have gravitated to larger screen sizes in the past year, with 50-inch units selling almost as well today as 40- and 42-inch screens were selling in 2005 and 2006, said NPD. Mitsubishi said some of its DLP monitors as large as 73 inches are striving to achieve about the same price points as somewhat smaller LCD screens.