The LCD Projector
Is the LCD Projector - aka LIQUID CRYSTAL DIODE display the near future of HDTV?
See also: Front Screen Projectors;
Flat Panel displays
Is this Home Theater Projector the near future of HDTV?
We say YES!
Hampered by a technobabble name and maybe the fact that we've seen liquid crystal displays on everything from watches to toys for years (and weren't really IMPRESSED by them,) technology has jumped a long long way. These 50-60 inch LCD Projector High Definition displays are the ones you see in many stores, but think are Plasmas. Easier to build larger than Plasma displays, rear projectors in the most popular sizes can still sit on a stand or be placed in a cabinet. These are basically the little standalone projector of front screen projection, folded inside a box, with a mirror that allows less depth to the screen than if straight on. The 60 inch lcd projector models might be 22 inches or less DEEP, though depth is shrinking as manufacturers try to serve a wider audience with smaller rooms.
In one type of lcd projector, a bright light shines through a chip or chips. In another, a bright light is reflected off a chip (or chips). An advantage to either: when the bright light burns out (let's say, two years from now) you can put another in yourself (cost estimate: $200-300). So, unlike PLASMAS, where the picture is generated by the thing you are looking at and can't be replaced or brightened when it eventually fades, in an LCD Projector TV, you can replace the bulb.
LCoS
LCoS is short for Liquid Crystal on Silicon. Like DLP technology, LCoS is reflective (LCD panels used in LCD rear-projectors are transmissive -- the light shines through the panels.) I don't think many people even know about LCoS based on the relative few (very few) searches people make on that term. But it IS a worthy technology and is seen on top line Sonys, among others. Sony's new for 2005/6 50 and 60 inch LCoS displays rate VERY highly.
LCD Rear Projector Plusses:
Won't "burn-in."
No magnetic shielding necessary from your loudspeakers.
No altitude limits.
Projector light bulb is replaceable.
A Big WOW factor.
Less glare in room light (but watch for screen reflectivity!)
LCD Rear Projector Minuses:
Contrast lacking compared with best Plasma displays.
Older models had some screen door effect up close (closer than you should sit).
Check depth to wall measurement.
OPINION
This is what I'd buy. I would buy an LCD Projection TV today. In the review section I'll take you to the ONE I'd buy. But I can't afford it. Neither can I afford the OTHER ONE I'd buy if cost were no object. But that's okay - the technology keeps improving and I believe LCD is leaping ahead. It won't be long before the expensive circuits, etc. are commonplace in the whole line. Prices will drop and/or features and better improved pictures will rule!
Sony will bring out new 1920 x 1080p 50 and 60 inch models in the 2006 model year. Other manufacturers are in line too!
See TRENDS for an updated list
But you know, DLPs are getting better quickly, too. In the Digital Light Processing (DLP, get it?) section, you'll be wowed again.
In the magazines, SONY now is aiming their LCD technology against the DLPs by showing a pinwheel to represent the color wheel inside a DLP. It's a clever jibe.
What you will see in both camps from now on, is a focus on the new higher resolution (1920x1080p) displays, even though there is no distributed picture source that good - it surely will come along before your set is old.
In the Digital Light Processing (DLP, get it?) section, you'll be wowed again.
Unless you buy an old set or one that's broken, you'll love either LCD or DLP rear projection!
Hint: Remember, most sets will come with factory presets which aren't the best picture. They CAN be adjusted by you. They can be adjusted even better by a certified technician. There are controls you can't get to. He can.
Recommended Lcd Projectors
Sony KDF-60XBR950 lcd projector
Release date: November 1, 2003
Recently discontinued, but you still might find one at a good discount.
The replacement model will display at 1920 x 1080p
Expensive 60 inch LCD RPTV, severely accentuates reds; calibration a must for peak performance.
Some say it has one of the best pictures going. Some say great out of the box. We wonder if they have tapped its full potential. Reds could be overblown unless adjusted. 1366 x 768 pixels. 5 wide screen modes. No HDMI input, but DVI, plus a zillion other connection options.
Hitachi 50VS810 lcd projector
HITACHI 50VS810 50" UltraVision CineForm LCD Projection HDTV
A year old as of this writing (Sept 2005) and maybe that’s good. Some users reported initial problems with “splotches” on their screens. Some went away as the set warmed up. Others are in absolute unrequited love with this lcd projector display.
This Hitachi has a trio of LCD chips with a native resolution of 1,280x720, which exactly matches that of 720p HDTV sources. The set can accept and display 1080i HDTV.
29 inches tall, 55 inches wide, and 16 inches deep, and it weighs 110 pounds. It doesn't include a stand, so most buyers will probably opt to buy the matching stand from Hitachi, model SPF50 ($399 list), or stick the set into a custom entertainment center.
Plusses:
The set comes equipped with a CableCard slot, so it can tune digital and HDTV cable channels without an external box. It also has a built-in HDTV tuner to grab over-the-air digital channels if you want to run an antenna.
Many picture adjustments for the user” adjustable color decoder (color balance), and, separate day and night independent memories for each input. Bonus! Hitachi added a timer that automatically switches from one to the other depending on the time of day.
Why would you care? In a brighter room, you’ll enjoy the brighter compensatory setting.
Aspect-ratio controls allow choice from six modes for standard-def sources, while high-def and HDMI sources allow three modes, and the Zoom modes allow you to adjust the image up or down.
Two HDMI inputs.
A USB port that's strictly for displaying digital photos onscreen.
Form factor of plasma (excluding depth)
Minuses:
New reflective screen.
Lighter blacks and the screen-door effect.
Here they are – spankin’ new (in fall 2005) – the two Sony LCoS (LCD) Grand Wega SXRD High-Definition 1080p rear-projection TVs.
XBR is Sony’s high end, or was, till the Qualia series was placed above it (at much higher price points.) Note: Under new leadership, SONY may drop the Qualia name badge, as the SXRDs are now considered XBRs.
These killer sets use Sony's exclusive silicon crystal reflective display (SXRD) technology, a version of LCoS that reduces the screen-door effect significantly and provides a few other wowser image quality benefits: better black levels; a native resolution of 1,920x1,080 or 1080p; extensive connectivity: two HDMI inputs, a PC input, a Memory Stick reader, and three FireWire (IEEE 1394) inputs, or iLink, as Sony calls it.
CableCard equipped. Loaded with features. This may be THE ONE to shoot for, in 50 or 60 inch screen size.
To read more. See one. Or order one, simply click below. These may be the best lcd projectors available today!
Sony KDS-R50XBR1 50" Grand Wega SXRD High-Definition 1080p rear-projection TV
Sony KDS-R60XBR1 60" Grand Wega SXRD High-Definition 1080p rear-projection TV
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