You can be living large when you watch the Optoma front-projector TV. It can accommodate a screen that is a mega 110 inches. You can only get a picture that big with a front projector and a separate screen. And prices have fallen dramatically. In fact, the Optoma costs about a $1,000—far less than front projectors a year ago. But you need to watch a projection TV in a dark room, otherwise the video washes out and it's hard to see it.
If a plasma or LCD TV is a better fit for your home, Consumer Reports just evaluated more than 90. Both can give you a great picture. But plasmas usually do a better job with dark scenes, while LCDs look better in a bright room. That's because in bright light LCDs actually absorb the light so you hold your contrast, whereas plasmas reflect all the ambient light so you lose the contrast and your black levels become brighter.
But LCD TVs generally don't look as good when they're viewed from the side. And Consumer Reports' tests show LCDs can have difficulty with fast-moving images. That can be a problem if you're watching programming with fast-paced action, like a football game. But some LCD TVs now have technology that speeds up the TV's frame rate, which can help reduce blurring.
One of them is the 52-inch Toshiba Regza 52XV648U. It has excellent picture quality, and at around $1,400, it costs $500 less than a similar set a year ago.
Plasma TVs have also come way down in price. Consumer Reports found a 50-inch plasma for under $700 that's a Best Buy. It's from Insignia and costs $650. The model number is NS-P501Q-10A.
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Consumer Reports Magazine Best Buys
LCD TVs::
52 and 55-inch:
-Toshiba Regza Cinema Series 52XV648U - $1400:
-Vizio VF550M - $1400:
46 and 47-inch:
Toshiba Regza 46XV645U - $1000:
40 and 42-inch:
Insignia NS-L42Q-10A - $650:
LG 42LF11 - $700:
Sanyo DP42849 - $630:
32-inch:
Vizio V0320E (720p) - $390:
25-inch:
Sanyo DP26649 - $300:
Plasma TVs::
50-inch:
LG 50PQ30 (720p) - $800:
Insignia NS-P501Q-10A (720p) - $650:
42 and 46-inch:
Panasonic Viera TC-42PX14 - $550:
LG 42PQ30 (720p) - $650:
Home-theater System:
Yamaha YHT-391 - $300:
