Although they are not as “sexy” as those LCD and plasma flat screen beauties, you might be surprised to learn that there is a lot to appreciate when it comes to rear projection HDTV sets.
They certainly aren’t pushed as hard by the salespeople in the big electronic discounts stores when compared with the flat panel models, and I have heard stories that some retailers intentionally adjust the settings on the display models in their stores to make the less expensive rear projection TVs look inferior to the flat panel models they would prefer to sell. Who knows if that’s true but some people in a video forum said they had experienced that, and even had arguments with salespeople about it.
Today’s rear projection TVs no longer use the old standard CRT TV tubes so many of us watched our favorite shows on for decades, which are very similar to the tubes in the older rear projection sets from a few years ago. The new generation of rear projection HDTV sets are a breed apart. Instead of a CRT tubes, the new sets use something called a “microdisplay.” The new microdisplay eliminates the need for the big, heavy CRT tubes of the past that were also susceptible to screen “burn in” due to the phosphor coating used on them.
The most common microdisplay type in use today is referred to as DLP, which stands for Digital Light Processing. DLP TVs are capable of producing beautiful picture quality that is close to film quality. Although the LCD and plasma models seem to get all the attention, DLP sets are capable of producing picture quality that is equal to most LCD and plasma sets.
You may want to consider a DLP set for the following reasons:
Unlike the older rear projection sets, the newer ones are slimmer and lighter.Some are almost as thin as the flat panel models and generally weigh less than an LCD or plasma set with the same screen size.
Another disadvantage of the old CRT-based sets, as well as today’s plasma sets, is that they are subject to the screen “burn in” I mentioned earlier where an image left on the screen in one spot for too long can cause a “ghost” of that image to be burned into the screen’s phosphor permanently. Rear projection DLP sets are not subject to screen “burn in.”
The new rear projection DLP sets also boast a brighter picture than their CRT-based ancestors, and are known to produce vivid picture quality with superior contrast and black levels.
The picture is very consistent all the way from the center of the screen to the very edges, unlike some of the older CRT-based rear projection models.
Like just about anything else, there are a few disadvantages when it comes to rear-projection DLP sets, such as:
Narrower viewing angle. If you are not viewing from straight in front of the set or nearly so, the picture becomes dimmer and quality is diminished. This is true whether you are viewing from off to the side or even above or below the optimal viewing angle.
Some viewers report a phenomenon known as “rainbows” when watching a DLP set. This is due to the way the colors are projected with a DLP set, and most people will not notice this effect, although those that do should consider another type. This reminds me of my brother, who was always bothered by low settings for screen refresh on his computer monitors, although I was never able to see the same problem when looking at the same computer monitor.
Rear projection sets have certainly come a long way in the last few years, and some of them are available with very large screen sizes, such as 73 inches, and oftentimes for less money than it would cost for a smaller LCD or plasma set.
I happen to own a rear projection set myself, and although it is an older model with the CRT-based screen, it still delivers great HDTV picture quality, even though it is only capable of 1080i HD and not the top-of-the-line 1080p. I got a great deal on it a couple of years ago, and doing my research revealed that the set was capable of very good picture quality, so I could not resist buying it for such a reasonable price.
I can just imagine how wonderful these new DLP sets look. But I think I’ll do my best to avoid seeing one until I am ready to buy one!