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Although the battle between the LCD and plasma displays hasn’t ended yet, a new technology is set to stir things up once again on the display market. Presented a couple of years ago, the laser rear-projection displays are ready to be commercialized sometime this year.

Mitsubishi first presented its brand new rear-projection laser-based TV tech dubbed LaserVue back at CES this year. The Japanese maker claims that the new display models should be hitting stores worldwide in Q3 2008.

LaserVue will be primarily released in 65-inch and 73-inch versions. Engadget reports that Mitsubishi didn’t reveal much about the laser technology, other than the fact that LaserVue provides 200 percent color gamut, more than twice of what most traditional HDTVs are capable of. Mitsubishi’s models also run at 120Hz, and boast 500 nits of brightness. When compared to the current LCD and plasma displays, LaserVue doesn’t seem to be offering anything else besides improved color depth (particularly in the red part of the spectrum).

All in all, it looks like blacks are black and the viewing angles puts any DLP out there to shame. The 10-inch thick laser displays will have prices comparable to those of LCDs and plasmas, which could make these models best sellers towards the end of 2008. Las, but ot least, Mitsubishi claims that LaserVue draws under 200 watts, about half that of LCD and a third of plasma.