Summer of Samsung: 1080p DLP HDTVs hit the streets

Get ready for another number in high-def. "1080p," the native resolution that promises the ultimate in native resolutions, is coming en masse to DLP-powered rear-projection HDTVs, and this weekend a couple of select models are finally available in stores and online. The first one with prices at CNET is the Samsung HL-R5688W, a 56-inch pedestal model that's selling for a couple of hundred dollars more than MSRP from some vendors. Hot on its heels is Mitsubishi's WD-52627, a 52-inch tabletop version. We expect a few more to trickle through to online merchants in the next couple of days, including Samsung's own non-pedestal sets. All of these HDTVs employ the latest DLP chipset from Texas Instruments, which should allow them to more fully resolve 1080i high-def broadcasts and render individual on-screen pixels essentially invisible. We can't verify any of this until we get our hands on a review sample or two--the links below lead to previews--but if you just can't wait, go ahead and write a user opinion. And if you prefer a flat-panel set, you may be interested in a couple of the older 1080p flat-panel LCDs out there; expect the trickle of these to increase to a flood in the next couple of months.

More resources

Should you hold out for an ultra-HD HDTV? Rear-projection HDTVs explained

Samsung's 2005 DLP lineup Mitsubishi's 2005 DLP/LCD lineup