Best TV Review

DLP televisions have been nearly lost in the sea of sales, falling victim to the attractive LCD and plasma models. This makes us sad at Best TV, and is mainly due to the fact that DLP technology was falling a bit behind. However, newer DLP 1080p models (specifically the 2009 lineup) have stepped up to the plate, and will surely give the other HDTVs a run for their money. Because the DLP market has taken such a big dip in sales, there are only a handful manufacturers that still have the guts to produce them, the major two being Samsung and Mitsubishi.

TVs with DLP 1080p technology uses a chip with millions of tiny mirrors to create one of the most realistic pictures you can find on an HDTV. Many believe this chip allows for a crisper, sharper image than other technologies because it minimizes the distance between pixels used to produce an image. DLP 1080p technology boasts the highest number of pixels on a 1920 x 1080 resolution, over 2 millions, and can display up to 20 trillion colors (twice as many as other HDTVs).  While other HDTVs tend to suffer from motion blur, DLP 1080p TVs have an ultra fast 8-microsecond response time, virtually eliminating the problem. Also, unlike plasma and CRT TVs, DLPs have no way from suffering from “burn-in,” so while gaming or watching movies, you will not see an “after image” on the display.

The biggest advantage of DLP 1080p televisions (if you ask us at Best TV) is the price, especially in the struggling state of the economy. If you look at the 60″ Mitsubishi WD-60c9 (Best Buy Electronics), which costs $1,199.99, and a comparable 60″ Pioneer plasma, which costs $3,999.98, it is easy to see the cost benefit. They have nearly the same technology specs, but the DLP 1080p model is nearly 1/4 of the price. Mitsubishi has broken new ground and released a model that is a breathtaking 85 inches.

With DLP you get more size for your money, and the picture quality is not compromised with an increase in size. DLP 1080p TVs have actually become increasingly slimmer and more lightweight, weighing less than plasmas in most cases. They have a contrast ratio of up to 12:000: 1, and display deep black levels comparable to leading plasma models. Some say that DLP 1080p TVs suffer from disease called the “rainbow effect,” where shadows of colors can be seen on contrasting backgrounds. However, research has found that only 1-2% of the population would have eyes sensitive enough for this to be a problem, and only 3 out of over 920 people reported having noticed such an effect. They also consume up to 50% less energy than LCD and plasma televisions.

The Best TV bottom line is: DLP 1080p televisions are just as strong, if not stronger, than comparable LCD, plasma, or CRT models. They are great for watching any form of TV or movie, and are fantastic for gaming. They have a magnificent display with trillions of colors, and have rich black levels. They offer everything the higher end TVs have, at a fraction of the cost.

Consider this Best TV advice when buying a big screen TV:

1. Choose the Right Screen Size for your Room

Your seating distance will determine your sense of picture clarity and detail as well as the quality of the viewing experience. If all you watch are true HDTV images, then you can sit as close as twice the diagonal screen size– about 8 feet away for a 46-inch or a bit more for a 50-inch diagonal screen. But sitting that close may not be practical, because until the final conversion to all-HDTV broadcasting is completed (that’s at least 5 years away) a lot of your TV viewing may well be conventional analog TV, and those images may look fairly crummy up close. (Remember early big screen TVs?) If you watch regular non-HD TV sitting too close to a big screen, you’ll see all the flaws.

2. Flat Panel or Box

Those futuristic and very cool plasma and LCD flat panels that are only a few inches thick are appealing, but budget, screen size, and your need for optimal HDTV clarity are big factors you must consider. To get full HDTV resolution on a plasma panel means getting a 50-inch diagonal screen, and that’s expensive (about $3,000+). If you are willing to abandon the flat panel and accept a more conventional box (one that’s no more than 14 inches deep), you can get full HDTV resolution for a fraction of that amount. A 50-inch diagonal DLP rear-projection set that’s only 14 inches deep and weighs about 75 pounds would be $3,200. Also, you will still get a bright, stunningly good HD picture, minus the ultra-cool flat-panel appeal, of course. If you still like the flat panel and are willing to accept good but not true HD picture quality, you can save a lot of money on a smaller LCD or plasma display.

3. Do You Really Need HDTV Resolution?

Best TV understands how attractive (if not sexy) a flat panel TV can be. Let’s say you won’t give up on the thin flat panel display, that you simply must have it. If you are satisfied with DVD clarity– it’s called Standard Definition (480 lines).  There is also Enhanced Definition (EDTV) with 480-line progressive scanning (480p).  The picture won’t be HDTV, because the plasma screen will convert incoming HD signals to its own resolution, but DVD’s will look great, and any programs shot in HD will look a lot better than on your old analog set. And you’ll have your flat panel!

4. Wide-Screen 16:9 vs. Standard 4:3

Though the widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio (the ratio of the screen’s width to its height) is the HDTV standard, and matches most movies on DVD and HDTV programs, there are many TV series and news shows shot in the conventional, squarish TV shape of 4:3. Give some thought to the ratio of material you watch, and whether you’d prefer a digital HD 4:3 set that will display conventional TV programs full-screen, and wide-screen HD programs with black bars at the top and bottom. Remember that if you choose a wide-screen HD set, regular TV 4:3 programs will have large black bars to each side, unless you use the set’s stretch mode, which will extend the edges of the image to fill the wide screen, at the expense of sometimes considerable image distortion. Some 4:3 sets also have raster compression, a vertical compression mode that maintains HD 1080i or 720p scanning lines so you get true HD clarity. You should look for that feature in a 4:3 HD set.

5. Big-Screen Choices: Know the Virtues and Flaws

If you are set on a big HD screen (Best TV Review understands) and you don’t want the hassle of a front projector that requires a totally darkened room, then a rear-projection TV (RPTV) is a logical and in some instances, a more economical choice. Most RPTV sets will get you true HD picture resolution, and will cost much less than a 50-inch plasma flat panel. The least expensive are the big and bulky CRT rear-projection sets, available in a wide choice of screen sizes, from 40 to 80 inches diagonal, almost all in HD versions with 16:9 widescreen displays. Like direct-view HD CRT sets, rear-projection CRTs are very heavy and have considerable depth. The image looks its best in a dimly lit room, and at increasing angles, the screen typically becomes dim or darkish. Uniform brightness over a wide viewing angle is not a virtue of CRT rear-pro sets. Lifespan on average is about 7 to 10 years.

Digital Light Processing (DLP) was invented in 1987 by Texas Instruments. It is named for its ability to process light digitally with the aid of an optical semiconductor called a Digital Micromirror Device or DMD chip. The DMD chip is made up of over one million mirrors. The size of each mirror is less than 1/5” the width of a human hair.  They are not susceptible to burn-in, but some people do notice a glitch called Rainbow Effect (red/blue/green shadows).  They are basically modern day tube tvs (CRTs).

Like digital video camcorders, DLP devices come in either one or three-chip models. One-chip DLP systems use a projection lamp to pass white light through a color wheel that sends red-green-blue colors to the DMD chip in a sequential order to create an image on-screen. Three-chip DLP systems use a projection lamp to send white light through a prism, which creates separate red, green, and blue light beams. Each beam is sent to their respective red, green, and blue DMD chip to process the image for display on-screen.

One-chip models are said to produce a display of over 16-million colors. Three-chip models can produce a display of over 35-trillion colors.  Most consumers will be looking at the One-chips, because the three-chips are generally for very large screens, such as movie theaters.  The three-chip TVs do not suffer from the “Rainbow Effect.”  The one-chip models are still very good televisions, and have a clear and detailed display.

DLP TVs are lighter and skinnier than tubes, but are too heavy and bulky to hang from a wall.  They range in size from around 44″-75″ and weigh between 65 and 215 lbs (most weigh 75-150).  They are 7-22″ deep, but most models range from 15-20″.

DLP televisions vary in price, but generally will run you for around $1,500+.  This price is still a lot cheaper than comparable LCD and Plasma screens, but you either buy a big tv for a good amount of money, or get nothing.  So if you are looking for a smaller TV and do not want to spend over $1,500, look elsewhere.  The cost to replace the bulbs must also be taken into account (usually $200 per bulb).

The DLP recieves a Best TV rating of 7.

The Good: Significantly cheaper than LCD or plasma, very good picture quality for the price, pretty cheap for the size of the TV, excellent grayscale, no burn-in, smooth-stable image at 1080p,

The Bad: Bulbs need to be changed every couple of years (depending on use), bulky, slow refresh rate, not very strong with gaming/watching sports/action movies, the “Rainbow Effect,” you wont find smaller models (or prices under $1,500), weak angles, the technology is becoming dated

**If you buy a DLP TV, Best TV suggests purchasing a warranty, because the bulbs will eventually have problems