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The screen |
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Currently, standard 4:3-aspect-ratio sets range in size from 43 inches to 80 inches while 16:9, wide-screen, HD-ready sets range in size from 42 inches to 73 inches (all screen sizes are measured diagonally). With anything larger than 57 inches, you're getting into pretty monstrous territory, so make sure that you have the space to support such a big TV. It's also important to remember that RPTV screens get washed out in direct sunlight and are best viewed in a darkened room. |
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| Analog |
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Analog-only sets (as opposed to HDTV-ready) are less expensive but cannot receive and display output from a progressive-scan DVD player or an HDTV in its full-blown resolution. However, HDTV can be displayed on these sets if the signal is down-converted (made to be a lower resolution) by the HDTV set-top box. |
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| Digital HDTV-capable |
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HDTV-capable digital RPTVs are becoming more and more popular as prices come down. However, most HDTV-ready sets don't have built-in HDTV decoders. That means that you'll have to buy one--they run about $400--or rent one on a monthly basis from your cable or satellite-TV provider if it offers that service. |
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| Display technology |
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Cathode-ray-tube (CRT) technology is still the most common and affordable type of RPTV, though a few new technologies are emerging: Digital Light Processing (DLP), JVC's D'alia, and Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS). Those technologies promise to get better and cheaper, but your best bet today is to go with CRT. |
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| Aspect ratio |
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Rear-projection HDTV-capable sets come in either standard 4:3 or 16:9 wide-screen design. The standard 4:3 design is optimal for viewing cable or off-air TV, while the wide-screen design is best for viewing HDTV and wide-screen DVDs. You can still watch standard TV on a wide-screen set, but if you want the picture displayed across the entire screen (as opposed to a 4:3 square with black bars on each side), it will have to be stretched. Even though 16:9 screens are not optimal for viewing standard TV, we recommend this design because its benefits outweigh its downsides. |
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| Anamorphic-squeeze mode |
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Many of the new 4:3 HDTVs have an anamorphic aspect ratio that yields 30 percent more vertical resolution from anamorphic DVDs. This is often called anamorphic squeeze, but some set manufacturers call it enhanced 16:9 mode. Either way, it's a good thing and a must-have feature if you're buying a set with a 4:3 design. |
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| Component-video inputs |
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Most--though not all--RPTVs offer at least one set of component-video inputs, which provide the best video quality from a DVD player with like outputs. Ideally, you'll want an HDTV with two sets of broadband component-video inputs. This will allow for hookup of both a progressive-scan DVD player and an HDTV set-top box without the need for an expensive component-video switcher. |
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| Comb filter |
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The four best types of comb filters to look for (in ascending order of greatness) are two-line digital, two-line adaptive, thre-line digital, and the king of the category, 3D-YC. A good comb filter will help reduce NTSC artifacts such as dot crawl and give you a sharper, better picture on all of your NTSC sources when using composite and S-Video sources. |
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| Picture-in-picture (PIP) |
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There are a couple of varieties of PIP. Single-tuner PIP is the most basic, while dual-tuner PIP is the better of the two. With single-tuner PIP, you need the tuner from a VCR or a cable box in order to watch a program on one channel and get another in the small PIP window. Dual-tuner PIP allows the TV to do this without the external tuner. Some high-end HDTV RPTVs actually have a dual-tuner PIP that will allow you to use it with both an NTSC source (standard TV) and an HDTV source simultaneously. |
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| Audio |
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Simulated surround sound |
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If you don't have a full home-theater setup, you may want to look for a set with the simulated-surround-sound feature. This emulates surround sound through the TV's two stereo speakers. |
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| Built-in subwoofer |
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Some midlevel to high-end RPTVs actually incorporate an integrated subwoofer. If you already have a full-blown surround-sound system, you should look for another model in the line without this feature; doing so will save you some money. |
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Center channel speaker |
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This is a rare audio feature, but one worth looking into if you have only a two-channel audio setup or no external audio setup at all. Most of a movie's soundtrack is actually the dialogue, which resides in the center channel of the audio mix. Therefore, a set with a center channel will have better dialogue intelligibility.
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Rear-channel speaker outputs |
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Usually found only on higher-end sets, these are generally wire-clip-type outputs that allow you to hook up external speakers (which are driven by an internal amplifier). Again, this is a good feature if you have only a two-channel audio system or if you're relying solely on the TV's internal speakers for your sound.
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