David Katzmaier

Every Body Loves Plasma

The inside story on those sleek, sexy — and pricey — TVs

By David Katzmaier
Posted March 21, 2002

Ever since that Philips commercial where a European-looking couple try hanging their thin TV in every room of a minimalist apartment, finally settling for a spot on the ceiling above the bed, plasma sets have been creating a stir. From airports to movie theaters to corporate boardrooms, these slimmed-down big-screen TVs draw stares from almost everybody.

» Read More

Rear-Projection HDTVs

The latest crop of rear-projection sets is better and more affordable than ever.

By David Katzmaier
Posted December 19, 2002

Dreaming about a great big box under the tree this year? Sure there'll be rectangular boxes containing new shirts and maybe a bigger one with a jacket. You'll unwrap packages from the kids filled with golf tees and ties, and maybe even a nice-size box containing a new DVD player. But those miniature thrills just can't compare to what you really want: a big-screen HDTV.

» Read More

Totally Tubeless

The next generation of video displays shuns the traditional tube for radical new technologies.

By David Katzmaier
Posted April 10, 2003

Photo by Tony Cordoza All diagrams by Dimitry Schidlovsky except for the LCD which is by Mark Schrieder. Given that cathode-ray tubes (CRTs) provide the best pictures, why are so many companies moving away from tubes and into new technologies? Because that's how they can make the thinner and lighter TVs everybody's clamoring for.

» Read More

Mitsubishi WT-42311 42-inch Rear-Projection HDTV Monitor

TEST REPORT

By David Katzmaier
Posted April 16, 2003

Photos by Tony Cordoza When buying a 42-inch widescreen HDTV, you pretty much have two cut-and-dried choices. On one hand, you could plunk down around seven grand for the privilege of owning a plasma monitor, with its ultra-thin design and futuristic cachet.

» Read More

Toshiba 57HLX82 57-inch 1080p LCoS HDTV Monitor

By David Katzmaier
Posted June 2, 2003

Photos by Tony Cordoza Television is here to stay, but the days of the tube are numbered. Admittedly, cathode-ray tubes (CRTs), the devices that create the entertaining, enlightening, and sometimes mind-numbing images in nearly every American living room, will likely remain for many years in direct-view sets with screens that measure 40 inches or less (diagonal).

» Read More

Philips 60PW9383 60-inch Rear-Projection HDTV Monitor

By David Katzmaier
Posted July 8, 2003

Photos by Tony Cordoza

» Read More

Zenith R49W36 49-inch HDTV Monitor

By David Katzmaier
Posted September 11, 2003

Photos by Tony Cordoza A newcomer to HDTV has to face so many new abbreviations and technical terms that he could end up feeling like a freshman at MIT. Competing for your hard-earned buck are technologies like LCD, DLP, plasma, LCoS, and CRT - all of which can be found in sets that feature 1080i, 720p, and 480p scanning, ATSC tuners, and DVI with HDCP.

» Read More

3 Roads to HDTV

Tubes are still here, but new TV technologies offer even more paths to high-def viewing pleasure

By David Katzmaier
Posted September 16, 2003

Photos by Tony Cordoza

» Read More

Mitsubishi WL-82913 82-inch LCoS Rear-Projection HDTV

By David Katzmaier
Posted November 11, 2003

Photos by Tony Cordoza My uncle is an architect who works in Orange County, California, and I've always loved visiting the palatial homes he helps design while they're still under construction.

» Read More

Hitachi 57T500 57-inch Rear-Projection HDTV Monitor

By David Katzmaier
Posted December 2, 2003

Photos by Tony Cordoza

» Read More