Most HDTVs come in the form of Plasma and LCD televisions. However, the rear projection HDTV is worth considering, too. While LCD televisions use liquid crystals to display images and Plasma TVs use noble gases, rear projection televisions use microchip projectors. They are more popular for their large screen sizes, though, which make them perfect for High Definition technology.
Rear projection televisions have improved over the years. Other than CRT-based rear projection TVs, there are now also LCD DLP and LCoS televisions, which all provide far better images and appear more compact. The term rear projection HDTV, though, usually applies to DLP televisions, which use microscopic mirrors to provide the best images of them all.
Like other types of HDTV, rear projection televisions have their pros and cons. One of its pros is good color reproduction. In fact, they come closest to CRT televisions in terms of color quality. The black levels on a rear projection HDTV are particularly deep, if not absolute – something which LCD televisions and even some Plasma TVs fail to achieve. The excellent contrast ratio and impeccable shadow detail are worth noting, as well, adding to the superior image quality which is guaranteed to last through time.
Other pros of rear projection HDTVs include their capability to handle very high resolutions, the brightness of their panels and the fact that they are relatively easy to repair. They also have an edge over Plasma TVs in the sense that they do not suffer from screen burn-in or image retention. They are better than LCD televisions, too, in terms of pixel response time and viewing angle.
As for the cons, rear projection HD televisions operate on a lamp-based technology, which means that their lifespan is only as long as that of their lamps, which, unfortunately, is relatively short – 6,000 to 8,000 hours or less than a year compared to the 60,000 hours that an LCD backlight usually lasts. This means you will have to change lamps annually, which can be costly in the long run.
The rainbow effect is also another con of rear projection HDTVs. This is especially evident when light colored objects are set against a dark background, during which you might be able to see tinges of separate colors, particularly red, blue and green. Not everyone can perceive this effect, though, which is gradually being eliminated with the increased speed of color wheels.
Other cons of the rear projection HDTV include the noise coming from the moving color wheel and the cooling fans, which can disrupt your viewing pleasure, or its relatively high energy consumption. Dead pixels or defective pixels which remain unlit can also be an issue, though these are becoming more rare. Also, while it is true that the size and weight of rear projection televisions have reduced over time, they are still bulky compared to their Plasma and LCD counterparts, making them difficult to wall-mount.
A rear projection HDTV can be very expensive, as well, so make sure you take a good look at your budget before buying one. IS it worth its price? Well, if you want a slimmer, longer lasting HDTV that consumes less energy, you might want to spend your cash on an LCD TV or Plasma TV instead, but if you want a large HDTV with excellent colors that doesn’t suffer from burn-in or a slow response time, you can be sure the rear projection HDTV will live up to your expectations.
