Projection TV review

Projection TVs are barely hanging on

The popularity of flat-panel plasma and LCD TVs has essentially relegated large-screen rear-projection TVs (RPTVs) to an afterthought, In fact, only one manufacturer -- Mitsubishi -- still manufactures RPTVs. If you want a really big television, you can get a giant 72- or 82-inch Mitsubishi projection TV for less than $4,000. LCD and plasma TVs aren't even available in sizes this big, and even if they were, they'd sell for a lot more.

Still, recent and well-detailed reviews of individual projection TVs can be found. CNET and Sound & Vision magazine provide comprehensive, testing-based reports that offer clear conclusions. HDGuru.com does not review a lot of TVs, but does report on one RPTV. Although the report is competent and authoritative, the technical details might be overkill for some. On the other hand, the one RPTV review in First Glimpse magazine offers little that can't be gleaned from manufacturer literature. That's still more than you can learn from ConsumerReports.org, which hasn't updated its coverage of rear-projection TVs in a very long time. User reviews aren't very plentiful -- reflecting the declining popularity of RPTVs -- but a decent amount can still be found at sites like Amazon.com and BestBuy.com.

Up until recently, four different technologies were competing for RPTV market share, but those choices have dwindled to one -- Digital Light Processing (DLP). DLP projection TVs shoot light through a spinning color wheel onto nearly a million tiny mirrors, which in turn flash the color on the screen to produce an image. One significant drawback to this technique is rainbow effect, which appears as a multicolored shadow around an object. The seriousness of this problem is subject to some debate. Only a very small percentage of the population can see rainbows in the first place, and advances in technology have minimized it. Some of those who can see it say it's not a big deal, but others say it ruins the TV watching experience and, in severe cases, gives rise to eyestrain, headaches and the like. In any event, if you're not sure whether or not you can see DLP rainbows, auditioning a set in a showroom might be a good idea.

Rear-projection TVs are available in screen sizes that range from 60 inches to 82 inches. Cabinets are notably deeper than flat-panel sets, but are not nearly as bulky as projection TVs or recent CRT TVs -- some cabinets measure less than 16 inches deep.

At the same time, one of the more expensive TVs available today is an RPTV. The 65-inch, laser-driven Mitsubishi LaserVue L65-A90 (*Est. $6,000) draws raves for its picture quality, but comes with a hefty price tag. The RPTV uses DLP technology but replaces the lamp and spinning wheel with a system of colored lasers. The advantages, reports say, are tremendous color capability, long lamp life (the lamps in regular rear-projection HDTVs need to be replaced every two years or so), and elimination of rainbows. However, the expense puts it out of the reach of all but the most financially secure videophiles, and even then, this 65-incher is competing with the best larger LCD and plasma TVs.