Scenium 61-inch TV
KEY FEATURES
• Built-in HDTV tuner
• DVI and FireWire digital inputs
• Built-in Web-browsing capability for broadband connection
INPUTS/OUTPUTS
front composite/S-video and stereo audio inputs
rear two wideband component-video inputs with stereo audio; two DTV-Link (FireWire) inputs; DVI input with stereo audio; two composite/S-video inputs with stereo audio; center-channel speaker input; two RF antenna inputs; Ethernet port; composite-video and two stereo audio outputs; optical digital audio output; external stereo speaker output
DIMENSIONS 56 1/2 inches wide, 58 inches high, 22 3/4 inches deep
WEIGHT 180 pounds
PRICE $3,799
MANUFACTURER Thomson, Dept. S&V, 10330 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN 46290; www.rca.com; 800-336-1900
HIGH POINTS
• Impressive picture quality with HDTV and progressive-scan DVD.
• Great styling.
• Wide array of video inputs.
• Good sound from built-in speakers.
LOW POINTS
• Input-only FireWire connection.
• Highly reflective screen shield.
• No aspect ratio control for progressive-scan signals.
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IN THE LAB
Color temperature
(Warm setting before/after calibration)
Low window 7,208/6,594 K
High window 6,555/6,586 K
Brightness
(before/after calibration) 31.3/30 ftL
With its Warm color-temperature preset selected, the RCA HD61W140 measured close to the NTSC 6,500-K standard at both ends of the grayscale. After calibration, the set displayed fair grayscale linearity, tracking within ±500 K of the standard at each 10-IRE increment. (Calibration needs to be performed by a qualified technician with specialized equipment, so discuss it with your dealer before purchase, or call the Imaging Science Foundation at 561-997-9073.)
Out of the box, the set's picture geometry was excellent, but the auto-convergence mode didn't fully converge its three CRTs, so touchups using service-menu controls were required. With a progressive-scan DVD player connected and the resolution test pattern from Ovation Software's Avia disc selected, the set cleanly displayed alternating black and white lines in the 6.75-MHz patch, indicating that it can easily handle the DVD format's maximum 540-line resolution. Color decoding was generally accurate. Overscan was a better than average 3 to 4%. - A.G.
