This article is about them going into RPTV's but it looks like they could fit in a projector too, if you can stand just a little bigger box.

Here is the link with a photo of the lamp: http://displaydaily.com/2007/01/10/a-new-lamp-for-panasonic-rptv/

And here is the text:

"A New Lamp for Panasonic RPTV

January 10th, 2007

Panasonic announced on Sunday that all its RPTV sets in the future will use the Luxim LiFi lamp instead of UHP-type, xenon lamps, lasers or LEDs. LiFi stands for Light Fidelity, a reference to the improved spectrum and color of the lamp, compared to a UHP type spectrum. In the Panasonic booth at CES this week, there is not only a LiFi-powered RPTV but there is an operating lamp on display.


Matt Brennesholtz
Insight Media AnalystPanasonic touts three advantages this lamp has over conventional HID lamps:

Improved color, especially red color, compared to UHP-type lamps.

Shorter warm-up times, about 3 to 10 seconds compared to the approximate 1 minute for UHP-type lamps.

Longer lifetime, 20,000 hours or more, compared to the 4,000 hours of a UHP-type lamp with comparable light output.

Insight Media will vouch for the improved colorimetry. In the demonstration projectors the reds were clearly superior to the reds we have come expect out of an RPTV.

According to the Panasonic announcement, the short warm up time is due to the small size of the bulb, about 1/8 the size of the bulb on a conventional HID lamp. This small size bulb then heats up quickly, vaporizing the fill material. In the Panasonic booth was a sample LiFi source cycling on and off every thirty seconds or so. This allowed CES attendees to see for themselves how fast the warm up is. After it is turned off, the lamp must be off for at least 20 seconds before it can be restarted.

This lamp, unlike conventional HID lamps, has no electrodes. Instead the plasma is driven with microwave power in a resonant cavity. Since the electrodes are often a major factor in the failure of a HID lamp, eliminating the electrodes eliminates several major failure mechanisms of HID lamps. This allows the long life, and makes it possible to design systems that never need lamp replacement. According to Luxim, this 20,000 hours is not a hard limit, but is limited more by the testing data than by the lamp. As additional data is accumulated, the specified lamp life may be extended.

The lamp has a couple of disadvantages, however. First, it is physically bigger than the UHP-type lamp it replaces. This is not seen as a problem in RPTV sets, but it might be an issue in front projectors. Second, it is less power efficient. The LiFi lamp plus microwave driver in the Panasonic set consumes about 250W. It replaces a 180W lamp used in previous Panasonic 3LCD RPTV sets. The 180W lamp also dissipated about 30W in the ballast, for a total of 210W vs 250W for LiFi. Finally, while neither Luxim nor Panasonic would talk about the price of the lamp, Insight Media believes it is currently more expensive than the mature UHP-type it replaces. Since Panasonic is committed to using the lamp in all its RPTV sets, apparently they feel the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

More details on this system and other large screen systems at CES will be in the February Projection Monthly with Flat Panel Coverage. Coverage of smaller displays at CES will be in the January and February issues of Mobile Display Report."

Sounds like this could solve several of our frequent problems.

Second, it is less power efficient.

It has been discussed a bit. The above is going to be an issue for the people here, though. It translates into louder fan noise for a given lumen value.

BB

How inefficient are we talking? Sounds like it takes 250 watts to get the brightness of a 180 watt UHP (which consumes 210 watts with ballast).

But does 250 watts consumption, necessarily mean proportionately more heat? Or proportionately more heat in the part of the apparatus that needs to be cooled?

"But does 250 watts consumption, necessarily mean proportionately more heat? Or proportionately more heat in the part of the apparatus that needs to be cooled?"

Yes to both.

250 W is 250 W, and it would all be dissipated within the pj.

One they not mentioned but potentially significant is that w/no electrolodes to burn away, these lamps may not suffer the big loss in light with aging that the other types do.

So a double set of fans and a bigger box, same lumens, better color, no dimming and 20 times the life. Seems like that would offset a substantial price differential. Where is the issue, other than the current bulb manufacturers will fight it like crazy?

Lets thank Panasonic for starting to break the UHP dominance.
I have posted before that if some company can build a 500 D65 ANSI lumen projector with this technology I am interested.

You cannot 100% contain microwave energy. I'll wait for the laser projectors! They will be brighter and cooler and last over 30,000. hours.

IB

You cannot 100% contain microwave energy. I'll wait for the laser projectors! They will be brighter and cooler and last over 30,000. hours.

IB

Instant popcorn without having to go into the kitchen!

That is great news. I have a Pearl and the lamp is starting to dim at 700 hrs. These UHP lamps have to go. Give me something more stable and longer lasting. I will hold on to my Pearl until I can buy a projector that will incorporate some new lamp technology. I hope no later than Cedia 08.

You cannot 100% contain microwave energy. I'll wait for the laser projectors! They will be brighter and cooler and last over 30,000. hours.

IB


Though you do have a point, with most projectors placed above viewer's heads.

Better find my tin foil helmet.. ;)

Though you do have a point, with most projectors placed above viewer's heads.

Better find my tin foil helmet.. ;)


And you look so handsome in it too.

"Where is the issue, other than the current bulb manufacturers will fight it like crazy?"

I doubt that would be an issue; current lamps are a major PITA for pj mfgr's and I'm sure they'd ditch them at the first opportunity.

Lets thank Panasonic for starting to break the UHP dominance.


Samsung and texas instruments are also doing their part...they're already on the 2nd generation l.e.d./dlp rptv's. Seems they're good for about 20k hours as well. It looks like that is the lamp life "benchmark" for all the new lighting technologies...sure beats 3-5k most bulbs do now. :)

One advantage led rptv's have is low power consumption and heat generation. In the future days of extreme energy efficiency led's seem ideal.
Another, at least for dlp sets, is the rainbow effects is greatly reduced since the leds replace the color wheel...the three primary colored leds cycle as needed to create the image. Basically the leds are built into the light engine and would be replaced as a unit.

I think it's just a matter of time before they ramp up the output a bit and get this into front projectors.

I wish we could hear some concrete plans. They've all been struggling forever to get good contrast, a pixel free image and invisible signal processing and just when they get there, it becomes a price war. I bet they are a little irritated they have to put an even more expensive light engine in to beat the remaining longevity/dimming-over-time problem.