Televisions Reviews

We've split our television reviews into five separate reports; this one focuses on "direct-view" standard TVs. These sets use cathode ray tubes (CRTs), the same technology that has been in our homes for years. Other ConsumerSearch reports address flat-panel plasma TV and LCD TVs . Rear-projection TVs , which offer large screens for less money, are bulkier than flat-panel models but thinner than standard CRT televisions. Home-theater projectors produce the largest images of all, but require low light and either a screen or flat white wall. Our fifth report on HDTV tackles high-definition technology in greater depth.

While standard televisions offer some significant advantages over other technologies, changes in consumer preferences have put sales into a tailspin. Consumer Reports is one of the few professional review publications still testing direct-view sets. Consumer Guide also looks at CRT TVs, but the reports are more superficial and little (if any) formal testing appears to have been conducted. CNet.com has stopped reviewing standard TVs, but at least one tested TV remains available, and you can find user comments about other TVs on the site. User reviews are also available at Amazon.com, Epinions, CircuitCity.com and Sears.com. Another good resource is AVSForum.com, a good site for user-to-user information. About.com's Home Theater Guide, Robert Silva, has some good general information on choosing a television, but because of the quickly changing marketplace, most of Silva's standard-TV reviews are outdated.

The days of direct-view TVs and HDTVs are rapidly drawing to a close. Most manufacturers have stopped making this type of television altogether, concentrating instead on LCD and plasma technologies. Sony is the most recent example; the company stopped selling CRT-based TVs in the U.S. earlier this year. Samsung is a notable exception -- the company is still producing several CRT-based HDTVs, and even introducing some technology innovations. You can also still find an occasional set from JVC and RCA here and there, as well as sets bearing store or off-brand names.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

Samsung SlimFit HDTV sets, which offer the benefits of a CRT but in a much slimmer case, have rapidly become the most popular CRT TV with shoppers. There have been some reports of geometry problems, particularly in HDTVs, but new circuitry promises to address that issue. JVC's standard-definition TVs get some nice feedback; the company's sole direct-view HDTV also does well but is hard to find. Toshiba makes a handful of standard-definition digital TVs, and these can be good budget picks.