Rear Projection Televisions
If you want a big screen for a lot less money than you would pay for an LCD or plasma TV, then a rear projection TV is the right direction to head in. Rear projection televisions  come with 42" to 70" screens with enclosure depths of about 20" plus. They are rather large, heavy and bulky, but once installed they are perfect for watching sports and movies in your home theater. Unlike LCDs and plasmas, CRT rear projection TVs aren't free standing or capable of wall mounting since they are floor standing models on wheels (weighing around 200 pounds). There are some microdisplay models (LCD, DLP or LCoS) available which are lighter (around 100 pounds), slimmer (15" to 20"), and more expensive. They are also usually tabletop models instead of floor standing, which means that they are significantly smaller. Rear projection TVs come in 16:9 widescreen formats.
Most of the newer models are HD ready, which is the way to go for crystal-clear picture quality. Remember that HD-ready is not the same as HD integrated and they will require an additional purchase of an HDTV tuner. For more information on HD-ready, DCR (Digital Cable Ready) and integrated HDTV, please see the HDTV buying guide.
Top Rated Rear Projection TVs
(from CNet.com) |
Types of Rear Projection TVs
There are four kinds of Rear Projection TVs (RPTVs) on the market. - Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)
- CRT RPTVs are the oldest of the four kinds.
- CRT sets are very large and very deep, sometimes more than 24".
- Screens start at about 50".
- Most are widescreen and HD-ready.
- Narrow viewing angle.
- Need periodic maintenance.
- Don't bother with a non-HD CRT; in just a few years, digital will replace analog and all analog TV owners will need to purchase a separate device to convert the signal.
- If you're investing in a large home theater system, you might as well buy an HD model. There are very few analog sets left on the market anyway.
- Digital Light Processing (DLP)
- DLP projectors are not subject to burn-in, misconvergence or declining brightness with age.
- Light weight and shallow cabinet depth.
- All current DLP rear-projection TVs are wide-screen displays with a resolution of 1280x720 (720p).
- Screens range from 43" to 61" diagonal.
- Prices run from about $3200 to $5000.
- LCD
- All LCD rear-projection TVs are wide-screen displays, usually with a resolution of either 1280x720 (720p) or 1366 by 768.
- Screens range from 40" to 60" diagonal, and prices range from about $2500 to $5000.
- Billed as lightweight and high-performance rear-projection TVs.
- Not susceptible to burn-in or misconvergence.
- LCoS
- Liquid crystal on silicon, or LCOS is a liquid-crystal display technology.
- Screens range from 44" to 82" diagonal; prices range from about $3200 to $20,000.
What To Look For- Picture in Picture: Also known as PIP. This allows for watching two or more channels in side-by side-mode.
- Audio Outputs: Speaker quality is usually pretty good on rear projection TVs, but if you already have a home theater system set up for audio you will need outputs to hook up your receiver and speakers.
- Automatic Volume Control: This keeps the volume balanced despite changing levels between commercials and shows.
- Auto-convergence: Because CRTs are built with tubes, they need to be realigned periodically. To avoid having to do this, an auto-convergence feature allows for one-touch buttons to fix it. Some come in manual convergence as well.
Sizing
Big screens are great, but not if you don't have the space for it. Don't try squeezing a 60" TV into a living room that doesn't have at least 7 to 9 feet of viewing distance. Otherwise images will appear pixelated and not sharp. Also keep in mind where you will be viewing the screen from. If it is straight on only, then the images will be clear. However, if you have a wrap-around couch that allows for viewing the screen from different angles or you plan to have various viewers watching at once, be sure to keep size in perspective because the image can lose quality when viewed from an angle. Images can appear washed out or dimmer from a lower or higher position as well.
Especially for Sports Fantatics
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No more missing games! A variety of rear-projection TVs have dual tuners. These allow you to view more than one channel at a time. No more flipping back and forth between games, and no more fighting over the remote. |
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