Mitsubishi memo reveals the end of the road

Rear-projections TVs finally die

A leaked memo from Mitsubishi has revealed that the Japanese company plans to ditch its line of rear-projection TV – the last manufacturer to do so.

According to CE Pro, a memo from Mitsubishi CEO Junichi Nose was issued to authorised service centres announcing that the company would be ‘discontinuing the manufacture of 73-inch, 82-inch and 92-inch DLP projection televisions’.

The move is apparently part of a wider plan to change Mitsubishi’s business direction that will see it focusing more on the B2B market, producing items like projectors, display walls, printers, digital signage and monitors, as well as targeting the home theatre projector market.

Mitsubishi is the last of the major manufacturers to abandon the rear-projection format, which has been commercially available since the 1970s. Sony abandoned the market in 2007, while Samsung ditched the format in 2008.

While it’s possible that other smaller manufacturers may continue to make rear-projection TV’s for use in developing markets, it’s unlikely that we’ll see new models made for western distribution.

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