Rear Projection Television Buying Guide

Tips to find the best rear projection television

Learn how to compare television prices to find the lowest price

Although the trend for many online shoppers is to purchase a fancy flat screen LCD or plasma model, the tried and tested rear projection television should not be overlooked if you are in the market for a TV.

Still, with dozens of television brands and models on the market, shopping for the best rear projection TV at the lowest price can be a daunting task. Just figuring out which model is appropriate for your needs, and then comparing TV prices to find the lowest price can be trying, especially when you're approached with hard sales pitches, manufacturer claims, and customer reviews. Where do you even start?

This guide is designed to help you understand why rear projection may be the best option for you, as well as the features that make up today's best rear projection TVs. We'll also help you make the distinction between today's best rear projection TVs and more popular flat screen models. Finally, we'll explain how you can compare TV prices while shopping to find the lowest price.

Why Rear Projection?

The fact is, many of today's best rear projection TVs offer much great picture quality. Recent improvements in technology have both raised the performance of rear projection models while reducing their overall size and weight.

Unfortunately, the flat screen trend has taken hold of many shoppers, who in turn have completely ignored the rear projection option. This very fact, however, does have its advantages. The dramatic decrease in demand for rear projection models has reduced their prices, and in some cases the savings is over half that of more compact flat screen models. So, which model is the best rear projection TV for you? Read on to understand the types of rear projection models available and the things you should be on the lookout for before buying the best rear projection TV for you.

CRT, LCD, and DLP explained

CRT
For over 50 years, CRT has been the primary means to deliver television pictures. Still regarded as the most popular TV, the technology in CRT models has fully matured. Taking the honors of being the bulkiest and heaviest rear projection unit when compared to LCDs or DLPs, CRTs are also prone to burn-in, declining brightness, and hot spotting (all explained below), which significantly compromise the integrity of your picture. The upside, however, is that CRT televisions are the least expensive and still provide the best bang for the buck. The lowest price rear projection TV in this category will be around $1,000, while the best rear projection TV can run $7,000.

LCD
A popular alternative to CRT technology is LCD (liquid crystal display). The technology employed through LCDs makes them much more compact, and they weigh considerably less than CRT models. Unlike rear projection CRTs, LCDs are not prone to burn-in, declining brightness, and hot spotting, which significantly compromise the integrity of your picture. The only downside to LCD, however, is that some models have difficulty producing the color grey and black. Aside from this small issue, this is perhaps the leading choice in rear projection technology. Expect the lowest price television in the LCD category to cost around $2,500, while the best rear projection TV in the same category will cost you around $5,000.

DLP
Another popular alternative to CRT technology is DLP (digital light processing). Although the technology employed through DLPs is different than LCDs, their qualities are nearly identical. DLPs are more compact, they weigh less, and they are not prone to burn-in, declining brightness, and hot spotting. Unlike LCDs, you will not have a problem viewing the color grey or black with DLP units. Unfortunately, these benefits come at a high premium, as the lowest price rear projection TV in the DLP category can cost around $3,200. The best rear projection TV in the same category will cost you around $5,000.

Things to know before shopping for the best rear projection TV

Black level
Black level is the ability for your rear projection TV to produce the color grey or black. This may sound trivial, but the reality is that some rear projection models display contrast better than others. The only way to test a TV for the black level is to watch a demo unit, preferably with your own DVD that contains a dark scene, and see which model provides the best contrast. In general, CRT and DLP sets display the best contrast, while LCD sets have a harder time producing the color grey and black.

Burn-in
Burn-in occurs when the picture is kept consistent (paused, for example), for a long period of time. The consequence of this is an unsightly "ghost" effect, which can compromise the quality of the picture for the life of your television. While CRT models are prone to this problem, LCD and DLP type models are not.

Declining brightness
An unfortunate side effect with even the best rear projection televisions is declining brightness, where over time the brightness of the TV falls off gradually. This problem is most common in CRT sets, but virtually non-existent in LCD and DLP television sets.

Hot spotting
Another unfortunate side effect of even the best rear projection TVs is hot spotting; a condition where the center of the screen is brighter than the surrounding picture. Again, this problem is most common in CRT sets, but virtually non-existent in LCD and DLP television sets.

Glare
Glare occurs when light in a room reflects off the television screen back to you. The resulting effect is a faded picture. This problem is inherent in even the best rear projection models due to their curved screen. Our best advice is to browse different models and see which TVs have the least amount of glare.

Rear Projection vs. Flat Screen

If you haven't yet made the choice between purchasing a rear projection model and a flat screen LCD or Plasma model, this section should help you make the distinctions a little clearer.

In general, even the best rear projection televisions are much less expensive than their flat screen counterparts. With modern advances in technology, their size has also reduced dramatically. Although rear projection models are not as compact as flat screens, they have shrunk over time. In fact, even 60 inch rear projection units can be as little as 18 inches wide and less than 100 pounds. When it comes to picture quality, however, the flat panel television will always prevail. Without being technical, the limitations a rear projection model has when projecting color onto the screen makes them inferior to flat screen models. Put in simple terms, flat screen TVs can do it better, and they achieve better color quality as a result. Like we discuss in the least section of our article, we recommend using the Dealio Toolbar to compare TV prices while shopping so you always find the lowest price.