[guanna]

ok, here it is in a nutshell. some of these statements can be argued, but this is a picture i will paint with very broad strokes for the sake of simplicity.

CRT or glass tube tv: honstly, its some of the best PQ (picture quality) available......for SD (standard def) there are few HD CRTs and even fewer widescreen ones. These are the traditional tv, heavy, bulky, and some of the best black levels youll ever see.

DLP color wheel: inexpensive for the size, most BIG tvs are dlps 50+ inches i mean. can be excellent PQ for HD, generally inferior PQ for SD due to most dlps being massive. really good black levels, very light wieght, my 65" wieghed in at 65 pounds. suffers from a visual shitfest known as "rainbow effect" some folks dont see it ever. once you do, if ever, you always will, with more frequency i might add. imagine when you blink your eyes or shift them even the slightest amount, everything on the screen splits into 3 lines 1 red, 1 blue, and 1 green for a split second. (remember, broad strokes) look forward to replacing a 250$ bulb every 2-3 years. silk screen effect, screen door effect (google) side angle viewing dropoff.

DLP LED: the evolution of the dlp tv. heavier, tho not by much, same PQ (some report a softer image than the traditional dlp sets) no bulbs to replace, no rainbows, use far less power than a trad dlp as well. silk screen effect and screen door effect still possibly an issue (its rear projection sets as a whole that suffer from this.) side angle viewing dropoff. its hard to beat DLP for value, but there are some serious cons if you get into too cheap of a set, but even the best can still have these issues (it depends on the person viewing) sean is right led is better than color wheel, but a bit more $$ are needed.

SXRD: i know this isnt really a tech, but just what sony calls it, the rightful name escapes me atm. thisis another rear projection unit made by sony (couple of others too, but only sony calls it the SXRD) same cons as the other 2 RP set types, screen door, silk screen, no rainbow effect here. no side angle viewing dropoff (well a tiny bit, but nothing like dlp sets) excellent PQ for movies, not so much for games or tv. these sets are made for film, a very soft, slightly grainy picture. if razor sharp HD is what youre after, skip this type. a lot pricier than dlp of either type.

Plasma:honestly, probably the best in HD PQ. the best black levels, by far. shadow detail is through the roof. to find a 1080p plasma worth a shit will require 5-6k. that being said most plasmas on the market are 720p. plasmas are HIGHLY reflective, daytime viewing in a well lit room is next to impossible. they get extremely hot to the touch and consume the most power of any set type avail now. perfect tvs for a home theater room. image retention is always a concern, "burn in"as it is also called. some will say they game just fine on plasma, and probably do, but it is a concern. i demoed gears of war via componant video cables on a 720p pioneer elite plasma, around 4k retail. it was the best i have ever seen gears look to this date. i personally decided against plasma because i game a lot, didnt want to ever have to worry that ive played too long and need to let my tv rest. 10k hours of life on average, i just found out this can be reduced to as low as around 4k hours of life for the set of you have "dirty"power and leave it unconditioned. (this is what i was told, no sources for verification on this)

LCD: inexpensive ones (except for westinghouse for some reason) will leave you unsatisfied. high end LCD def will deliver with excellent PQ, low power consumption, the razer sharp HD edges we all ohh and ahh over. not a soft picture at all. can and will reveal imperfections in the source material you would not see on another type of set, usually pixelizations, this is due to very poor black levels (broad strokes) in comparison to other types. high ends will get you a true black, cheaper sets will have a washed out black level to one extent or another due to the back lighting, also whites can very easily be WAY TOO white. proper tuning of this set to your viewing space is mandatory for acceptable viewing. these suckers arent light either, my 46"lcd outwieghs my 65"dlp by 35 pounds or so. price on larger sets 46" is still VERY high.3k minimum. relativly low cons vs lots of pros for high end lcds. cheap ones, the cons outwiegh the pros for sure. rated backlight life of 25 years of 24/7 useage on my mits diamond lcd. i dont think that is the norm tho.

front projection setups: dunno too much, these are the ones you project onto a screen, usually massive. i do know the prices on 1080p projectors have dropped from 7-8k to 1-2k in the last year. if you buy a DLP powered front prjector you can see rainbow effect. you "can"project onto a wall, but if youre gonna do it right youll want a screen. average quality 103"screen is 3k.

im bound to piss people off with my generalizations, but after doing two years of casual researching, this is what i have come up with. what ive written is very broadly generalized and is intened not to be gospel, but merely a starting point for your own research.