Rear Projection TV Buying Guide

Wallet Impact

Price	Description	Good Pick  (see all Rear Projection Televisions)
$	For around $1,000 you can own a single-chip DLP or LCD rear projection television. Native resolution tends to be limited to 720p for entry-level rear projection televisions, and sound systems are basic. Finding a model with a built-in ATSC tuner, 1080i resolution, or HDMI inputs at this range is a steal—if you like its picture quality. Good Pick: Samsung HL-T4675S	Samsung HL-T4675S 46 in. HDTV Television Compare prices at 5 stores $1,038 - $1,600
$$	Between $1,500 and $2,500 are many new models of rear projection TVs offering native 1080p resolution, dual ATSC and NTSC tuners, high contrast ratios, and good sound systems. Look for LCoS and three-chip DLP rear projection TVs that deliver a sharper, brighter picture than less-expensive sets. Good Pick: Samsung HL-T6187S	Samsung HL-T6187S Television Compare prices at 7 stores $1,649 - $2,599
$$$	Top of the line rear projection TVs begin at around $3,500. You should expect native 1080p resolution at this price and a built-in ATSC tuner. Screen sizes scale up, but so does cabinet size, so make sure you’ve got the room. Sound systems are also much better in these rear projection TVs, eliminating the need for a separate audio receiver. Also look for alternative lighting technologies, such as LED, that replace traditional lamps and provide more hours of illumination. Good Pick: Mitsubishi WD-73831	Mitsubishi WD-73831 73-inch 1080p DLP HDTV Buy now at Hometheaterstore.com $4,999.00

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The highest resolution of high definition programming available on a rear projection TV. It has 1,080 lines of horizontal resolution, progressively scanned, so every frame of the image is displayed.

A built-in tuner that allows a rear projection TV to receive high definition programming.

The difference in light intensity between the brightest white and the darkest black on a rear projection TV. A higher contrast ratio delivers a sharper picture.

Cathode ray tube. This technology was used to power direct-view and rear projection TVs until the late 1990s.

Digital Light Projection. This rear projection TV technology projects the image onto a chip coated with millions of tiny mirrors. Newer rear projection TVs can have up to three DLP chips, one each for red, green, and blue.

A rear projection TV that creates the image by shining a light through tiny red, blue, and green liquid crystal displays.

Similar to LCD but with a more vivid picture, these rear projection TVs shine the light through the LCD displays, off a mirror, then back through the displays and onto the screen.

The number of pixels that make up the display area. When buying, look for the second number, either 720 or 1080, in the pixel dimensions to determine the resolution.

A built-in tuner that allows a rear projection TV to receive standard analog programming.

A built-in tuner that can decode encrypted cable signals. This won’t give you free cable, but it may let you control cable channels with the rear projection TVs remote.