Big-game big-screens: six football-ready HDTVs

David Katzmaier, Senior Editor August 24, 2006

Every year, football season seems to start a little earlier. In 2006, it not only starts earlier, it starts often in high-def. With the new NFL Network in HD, ESPN/ESPNHD taking over Monday Night Football, and hundreds of network stations broadcasting local games in high-def, all of those close-up replays, wide-angle deep bombs and ribcage-crushing tackles will look and sound more intense than ever. Of course, to see those games in high-resolution you'll want as big of a screen as your den--or tap-equipped, long-sofa rumpus room--can handle.

To help you decide on the altar for your pigskin shrine, we've gathered a six-pack of high-def-capable bigscreens, in a variety of prices, technologies and big sizes. They start with a pair of 50-inch plasmas: the bargain model from Vizio and the performer from Panasonic. Stepping up in size there's a pair of 56-inch rear-projectors, including a relatively inexpensive, solid JVC and a 1080p-resolution Samsung. Even larger and more expensive is a great-performing 60-inch Sony. Finally, no discussion of big screens would be complete without a projector; with Sony's $10,000 SXRD aimed at a 100-inch screen, the picture is sure to make your football buddies drool into their Buds.

More Resources

Editors' top HDTVs,

HDTV World,

Boot camp: HDTV basics,

Four styles of HDTV,

Three ways to get HDTV programming,

HDsportsguide.com