Projection TV Reviews

The reviews below are assigned ratings by ConsumerSearch. These ratings are based on credibility in testing, evaluating and identifying the best Projection TV. See our ratings criteria

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Projection TV Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Projection TV Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. CNet.com	Editors' top rear-projection HDTVs David Katzmaier Aug. 31, 2007		CNet.com's electronics editors regularly review rear-projection TVs, with the top scoring sets landing on the site's list of top rear-projection HDTVs. Testing is thorough, and results are reported, but some other resources, such as The Perfect Vision, do a better job dissecting technical performance. The Sony KDS-R60XBR2 offers great feature quality and a "prodigious feature set." Though the Mitsubishi WD-65734's performance falls short of some other rear-projection sets, it has a ton of features and is less susceptible to the rainbow effect than many other DLP models have. The LED-powered Samsung HL-T5687S has some problems with screen uniformity, but at just 14 inches thick, editors say it is a great budget alternative to a plasma TV. The JVC HD-58S998 is thinner still -- less than 11 inches -- and provides solid image quality, but some geometry issues spoil the picture a bit.

Projection TV Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Projection TV Ratings Comments on Reviews

2. The Perfect Vision >> Details/Subscribe	Rear-projection TVs (RPTVs) Editors of The Perfect Vision As of Nov. 2007		The Perfect Vision covers RPTVs on a regular basis in extensive individual reviews and occasional multi-set roundups. The reviews are packed with details, and the results of technical tests run by reviewers are often posted. Among recently reviewed RPTVs, the JVC HD-58S998 has trouble displaying perfectly straight horizontal lines, but that does not show up with most program material and the set has many strong points -- including incredible black levels and an ultra thin cabinet -- to recommend it. The Sony KDS-55A2020 "paints an exceedingly pleasing picture that’s worth a long look." Even though the NuVision 52LEDLP isn't an impressive performer on the test bench, the picture looks surprisingly good. The Sony RDS-R60XBR2 scores well in a "mini-review."
3. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Projection TVs Editors of Consumer Reports June 2007		Along with general buying advice, Consumer Reports provides a ratings chart of rear-projection TVs that includes 20 sets in the most recent update. Unfortunately, the individual write-ups are very short -- no more than a few sentences -- and lack the insight offered by other resources. According to editors, 1080p rear projectors generally offer the best picture quality, but non-1080p sets can also be competitive and are considerably less expensive. This report from June is now dated.

Projection TV Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Projection TV Ratings Comments on Reviews

4. Home Theater Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Buyer's Guide: Rear Projection TVs Editors of Home Theater Magazine As of Nov. 2007		Home Theater magazine regularly reviews rear-projection TVs in detailed single-set reports and multi-TV roundups, as well as in brief capsule reports. While many of the models on this "best-of" list have been discontinued, the still current Sony KDS-R60XBR2 is described as, "a righteous three-chip 60-inch rig that produces a picture that's hard to fault." Home Theater magazine continues to regularly review rear-projection TVs, but recent models have not faired particularly well.
5. Ultimate AV Magazine	Buyer's Guide: Rear Projection TVs Editors of UltimateAV magazine As of Nov. 2007		The editors at UltimateAV magazine review rear-projection TVs in highly detailed single-product reports that are packed with technical details. Top performing sets are named Ultimate Choices, Premier Choices or Budget Choices. One negative is that these listings include many discontinued models, limiting their usefulness somewhat. Current Ultimate Choice RPTVs are the Sony KDS-R60XBR2 and Syntax-Brillian 6580iFB03. All the RPTVs in the "Premier" category are now discontinued, and, interestingly, the editors don't identify any favorites in the budget category.
6. Sound & Vision Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Sound and Vision's Best Editors of Sound and Vision Magazine As of Nov. 2007		Sound and Vision magazine publishes highly detailed single-TV reviews and occasional multi-set roundups. Top rated products receive the magazine's Sound and Vision “Certified and Recommended” tag, but no current RPTVs make the cut. The NuVision 52LEDLP is very pricey, but has outstanding image quality. The JVC HD-58S998 is near perfect, but, as others have noted, suffers from geometry problems.
7. PC Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Rear-Projection TVs Editors of PC Magazine As of Nov. 2007		PC Magazine's HDTV reviews are comprehensive and complete. Each TV undergoes both bench and viewing tests, and the results are reported in detail. Objective sub-ratings for image quality, value and usability are provided, as is an overall grade. Unfortunately, PC Magazine reviews fewer rear-projection TVs than CNet and Consumer Reports. PC Magazine editors have only reviewed two rear-projection TVs this year. The most recent of those, the Sony KDS-55A2020, scores well thanks to its good picture quality and user-friendly interface, but a newer Sony model is now available.

Projection TV Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Projection TV Ratings Comments on Reviews

8. Digital Trends.com	Mitsubishi WD-57831 Dennis Barker Jan. 7, 2007		Digital Trends rarely reviews rear-projection TVs, but the older yet still available Mitsubishi WD-57831 gets the once-over here. The write-up is better than some we've seen on this site, and it does a fairly good job of describing things from a user's point of view. Some basic testing is also performed and described.
9. PC World >> Details/Subscribe	How to Buy a Rear-Projection TV Editors of PC World Magazine June 1, 2007		This article serves as a good introduction to rear-projection and its different TV technologies. The pros and cons of LCoS, LCD, DLP and CRT sets are discussed, and the editors put the importance of various specifications and features into context. A discussion of the different types of inputs found on RPTVs is particularly helpful. The article ends with some tips to help make the experience of shopping for an RPTV more productive and less stressful.
10. AVSForum.com	Rear Projection Units Contributors to AVSForum.com As of Nov. 2007		While discussions are sometimes spirited and have a tendency to go off topic, there's also lots of useful first-hand information here about home entertainment equipment. For example, there's a forum dedicated specifically to rear-projection TVs, and models often get their own "official" thread that discusses specifications, features, problems, fixes and more. Some of the threads are lengthy, and a few even contain more than 10,000 posts, so be prepared to spend time when looking into a particular TV set. The site also features industry news, press releases and other tidbits.
11. CircuitCity.com	Projection TVs Contributors to CircuitCity.com As of Nov. 2007		CircuitCity.com gives users a forum where they can rate products they own. Many of the RPTVs get plenty of feedback, making this one of the better user review sites on the Internet. Naturally, since these are non-professional reviews, their quality and usefulness can vary -- but their number makes it easy to spot overall trends, indicating which sets owners like most.
12. Amazon.com	Projection TVs Contributors to Amazon.com As of Nov. 2007		Like Circuit City, Amazon.com invites owners to rate and review their TVs. While this may be a worthwhile stop once you've got your choice narrowed down, you'll be surfing forever trying to figure out which TVs are better-rated than others, as there are many TVs listed, including discontinued models. However, Amazon.com is good for affirming conclusions of professional reviewers.
13. BestBuy.com	Projection Televisions Contributors to BestBuy.com As of Nov. 2007		This giant consumer electronics retailer recently added customer reviews to its site. Rear-projection TVs get plenty of feedback from users, though Amazon.com and CircuitCity.com have a larger volume of reviews right now. However, the BestBuy.com website is easier to navigate because you can see both the rating and the number of reviews without clicking on a product first. Both CircuitCity.com and Amazon.com show the rating, but they don't tell you if the rating is based on one or 100 reviews without clicking through to the product.
14. Consumer Guide.com	DLP TVs Reviews and Prices Editors of ConsumerGuide.com As of Nov. 2007		In the past, Consumer Guide offered little of value when it came to product recommendations. Now, following a partnership with HowStuffWorks.com, the site is clearly on the upswing. You still won't see any serious bench testing, but the site does provide a nice and appropriately critical consumer's-eye view of how an RPTV works. There's still room for improvement, however, and far too much use of manufacturer-supplied information. Also, many of the sets listed were discontinued long ago, which makes the site a bit frustrating to use.

Projection TV Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Projection TV Ratings Comments on Reviews

15. Epinions	Projection Televisions Contributors to Epinions As of Nov. 2007		Epinions offers the same advantages and drawbacks as the owner-written commentary found at BestBuy.com, Amazon.com and Circuit City's website. Its major drawback is that it gets less traffic in this category, so current televisions tend to have very few reviews compared to those sites.
16. About.com	Television Product Reviews and Top Picks Robert Silva As of Nov. 2007		This landing page includes links to lists of top rear-projection TVs. Unfortunately, the lists do not shed much light as the reviews are brief -- just a paragraph on each -- and there's no evidence that any actual testing has taken place. In addition, while some current models are named, there are also lots of discontinued rear-projection HDTVs included on the lists, which further decreases this article's usefulness. (Note that ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com).