Is it correct that as far as brightness is concerned, the "hierarchy" is CRT, plasma, LCD, then the various front/rear projector types?

Our viewing room is very bright and cannot be feasibly darkened without drastic (i.e. unacceptable to the wife) measures. Well...I suppose if I really worked at it, much of the ambient light could be suppressed, but it seems less hassle to just get a brighter monitor.

Go with a DLP. Nice picture and bright.

Really bright locations will always be a compromise. Brightness & contrast ratio work against each other. Contrast ratio is the difference between the whitess whites & the blackest blacks. As the brightness increases, so must the contrast ratio or you end up with dark grey blacks & washed out colors. But don't read the manufacturer's specs as gospel, everybody lies & there is no industry standard for specifications.

Look at plasmas, DLP & LCD TVs for bright locations. CRt's are still 'the most natural' but with size vs bulk limitations.

Ian

bill v,
any updates on the hitachi? hits? misses?

thanks.

I bought a Dell 3201 32" LCD HDTV in December and we love it. It's a Phillips model that Dell sells and the picture is magnificent and the screen is less than 4 inches deep, so it easily fits into an entertainment center. 32" is plenty for our family room.

I purchased aprox. 6 months ago a Magnavox 50 inch rear projection DLP and so far it is fantastic. It is aprox. 10 -12 inches in depth and weighs about 60 pounds and fits on a stand. The TV was relatively inexpensive compared to the thinner LCD units to the point I purchased a 4 year extended warranty and still walked out of the store for much less money than a LCD. I may not have the absolute best technology but for me it made the best compromise of size,quality,price and hopefully longevity.

Used to be a Sony guy but for big screen or HD Mitsubishi is one of the best. Have a 65 inch platinum plus versions and love it, there is just nothing close to the clarity and quality.

Got mine at Fry's electronics when they were on sale, plus 18 months free financing and paid it off cash on the 17th month. Hard to beat...

We picked up a Viewsonic 32" LCD about 6 months ago and are very happy with it. Nice and bright even in the middle of the day in a fairly bright room.

Picking up a Philips 42" LCD from Costco that goes on sale July 3rd for $1799.

Same here.

I bought the Mitsubishi 65" Platinum Plus as well. LOVE IT. Can't say enough good about it.

Huge footprint and have to have a large room, but no remnant problems like the plasmas, 1080 resolution, and less than half the cost. Plasma is cool to hang on the wall.

E

2yrs old now, still extremely pleased.

The price has droped to 50% of what I paid.

Just saw a 50" Toshiba Plasma at Costco. The picture was amazing. Not sure of 1080(I-P) capabilitys. Price: $2999
Very tempting.