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Display Types
Direct-view CRT | Rear projection | Flat Panels | Front projection | Back to HDTV Overview
Direct-view CRT (cathode-ray tube)
Tube TVs have been around for decades, and though they’re slowly going away as big-name brands focus on new technologies, the best of the breed can still deliver superb pictures. And they’re affordable ($1,000 or less, with come sets available for as little as $500 or $600). But the screens on direct-view models are relatively small — 34 inches at the most nowadays — and their cabinets are bulky and very heavy. (They’re called “direct-view” because you look right at the tube, unlike rear-projection CRT TVs, in which the beams from separate red, green, and blue tubes combine to form a full-color image on the screen.)
Rear Projection (RPTV)
Many people associate “rear projection” with fuzzy, out-of-focus images unwatchable from anywhere other than right in front of the screen. But today’s rear-projection TVs (RPTVs) bear little resemblance to their poor-performing ancestors. New "microdisplay" technologies such as DLP (Digital Light Processing) and LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon, a.k.a. Direct-drive Light Amplifier, or D-ILA, and Silicon X-tal Reflective Display, or SXRD) deliver stunningly bright, detailed pictures from their tiny imaging chips and permit far wider viewing angles than traditional CRT-based RPTVs. And though they do tend to cost a little more, the premium is not necessarily large, with 50-inch microdisplay sets going for as little as $1,500 and 61-inch LCD models for just over $2,000. CRT models, on the other hand, still offer the biggest screens for the lowest prices, with models in the 50-inch range hugging close to $1,000. There aren't many left, however, and it would not be surprising if CRTs were to vanish from RPTVs altogether in the near future.
Sizewise, RPTV screens range from 42 to almost 80 inches diagonal. These big screens used to mean big — and heavy — floorstanding cabinets, but the newer technologies have allowed for much slimmer designs, many less than 17 inches deep for a 50-inch screen and some only 7 to 10 inches. Plus, most weigh only about 100 pounds (or less) and are designed to be mounted on a stand or in a cabinet. All current rear-projection TVs are widescreen (16:9) high-definition models, usually with 720p or 1080p resolution.
Flat Panels
The sexiest designs by far are flat, hang-on-the-wall plasma and LCD sets. Measuring less than 5 inches thick, these high-tech marvels provide amazingly bright pictures while taking up virtually no space. LCD owns the market at sizes less than 40 inches and has rapidly increased its presence among larger screens, where plasma once stood alone. Prices increase dramatically with size, however, especially for the LCD models. LCD sets range from 10-inch models selling for about $250 up to 65 inchers that go for more than $10,000. Plasma displays start with 37- and 42-inch models priced as low as $1,200 and go up to 65 inches at a list price of about $10,000. Larger displays (up to 108 inches) based on both technologies have been shown but are not widely available.
Both plasma and LCD sets offer bright, detailed images, are very resistant to glare, and and can be viewed from well off to the side. That said, plasmas typically offer a wider viewing angle and may be preferred in rooms that are not strongly lit. LCDs excel in sunlit and other intensely illuminated environments. Historically, the weakest points of plasma and LCD displays have been susceptibility to image burn-in and blurring of fast motion, respectively, but both technologies have improved to the extent that these are much smaller issues than they once were.
Front Projection
For the ultimate home theater experience, a front projector is the thing. Similar to movie-theater projectors because they project the image onto a screen on the other side of the room, these models can create detailed images as big as the side of your house — though 80 to 120 inches is typical. And a front-projection system can disappear when not in use. With a motorized screen and recessed projector mount, even the largest screen and projector can completely vanish. Three-tube CRT front projectors, which once ruled this market, have essentially vanished, replaced by smaller, cheaper, more installation-friendly technologies such as LCD ($1,600 and up for a high-def projector), DLP ($1,000 and up), and LCoS ($5,000 and up). The new technologies use a single lens instead of a CRT projector’s three, making them easier to install and maintain. Entry-level models start at less than $700 but have only EDTV resolution. If, on the other hand, you still crave the CRT look, it can be yours — for a mere $20,000 or so.
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