All TVs manufactured after May 10th (that’s now!) are required to prominently display one of the Federal Trade Commissions’ stylish new Energy Guide labels.

Starting July 11, websites that sell televisions will be required to display an image of the full label as well, given that you can’t, you know, see the TV.

More info and Guru-tized analysis after the jump.

The Energy Guide labels are similar to those found on appliances, and must be displayed conspicuously on each TV. Each label will show the estimated yearly cost of that particular TV, based on a certain number of hours and cost per hour of electricity. In current (pun!) examples, this is $0.11 per kilowatt hour, with 5 hours a day of use.

More useful on the label is the comparison to other TVs of similar size, and where the TV discussed fits in the range of best and worst in that size category.

The power consumption is found using ENERGYSTAR testing procedures. We first wrote about ENERGYSTAR here.

Analysis

We at HD Guru think it’s a great idea to give consumers power consumption data, but there are a few details our readers should know when comparing different TVs.

The first is the real difference between “energy efficient” LED models, and “power hungry” plasmas. In a recent discussion with LG, for example, they said their 47-inch 47LW6500 LED LCD will have a Energy Guide yearly estimated cost of $13. Their 42-inch 42PT350 plasma, on the other hand, will have an estimated cost of $21. Given the vast price discrepancy between the average plasma and the average LED LCD (in our example, over $500), it is highly unlikely you would ever see a return on your investment, power consumption-wise (62.5 years, between these two).

The second is that if you change your TV’s initial settings, the power consumption will change. With LCDs (both LED and regular), increasing the backlight will increase power consumption. With plasmas increasing the contrast setting in the picture menu will increase power consumption. Increasing the contrast control with LCDs will have a negligible effect on power consumption.

As we’ve said before, the best setting for any LCD is the lowest backlight setting you can stand. This will supply the best black levels and conveniently the lowest power consumption possible while still creating an image you can actually see.

John Taylor, VP of Government Affairs for LG Electronics USA, told HD Guru: “LG embraces the new FTC labeling, as we believe it’s always helpful to give consumers more and valuable information.”

We expect other manufacturers would voice similar sentiments.

You can read more about the new labels here.

Geoff Morrison @TechWriterGeoff
Check out Geoff’s book.

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Copyright 2011 HD Guru Inc. All rights reserved. HDGURU is a registered trademark.

Mitsubishi’s TV division, now called Mitsubishi Electric Visual Solutions America introduced its 2011 line today consisting of four model series of rear projection DLP HDTVs with screen sizes from 73″ to an all new whopping 92″ model. Included in the new series is its 3rd generation LaserVue TV using a new light engine which incorporates  red, blue and green Lasers to produce a brighter  than ever 75″ laser image with only 84.6 watts of power consumption, making it one of the  most energy efficient HDTVs available. The L-75A94 adds a new high contrast screen for improved daytime viewing, wireless Internet connection with VUDU. We list all the main features below.

The 740 series and above series include a built-in IR emitter for 3Dglasses sync, eliminating the need for an external unit.

The 2011 Mitsubishi DLP Home Cinema projectors use new 3D glasses (model 3DG-X103 and the 3DG-EX103), the latter is packed with the IR emitter for the 640 series models. According to Frank DeMartin, Mitsubishi Electric Visual Solutions America VP of sales, the new 103 series glasses will work with earlier model year 3D ready Mitsubishi DLP TVs. However, last year’s and prior series glasses will not sync with the 2011 models. The 103 series glasses ship this month and are priced at $119 and $149 each.

Below is a breakdown of the 2011 line with prices and availability dates. To learn more about Mitsubishi’s DLP Cinema projectors go to our article here (link), it contains more  information about DLP rear projections and links  to  incredible 2010 model closeout deals.

Mitsubishi 640 Series 3D DLP Home Cinema TV Series. Available in June in the 73-inch screen size for $1,599.00. Features include:

• New cosmetic design
• Built-in 3DTV
• 3D external emitter (DLP link & VESA jack)
• Plush 1080p®
• 3 HDMI inputs
• 120Hz sub-frame rate
• Advanced calibration mode
• Digital audio out
• Brilliant, bright, natural, and game modes

Mitsubishi 740 Series 3D DLP Home Cinema TV Series. Features a new built-in 3D IR emitter, and StreamTV with high-def and 3D movies from VUDU, as well as 100 applications for sports, news, social media and entertainment, make this the perfect model for serious TV lovers. In 73- and 82-inch screen sizes available in June with prices of $2,099.00 and $3,499.00, respectively, features add to the 640 series:

• New built-in 3D IR emitter
• Wireless Internet capable
• StreamTV Internet media, including VUDU apps
• New TV remote with Internet controls
• iPhone, iPod Touch^®, iPad remote control app

Mitsubishi Diamond 840 3D DLP Home Cinema TV Series. Headlined by Mitsubishi’s 92-inch 3D DLP Home Cinema TV, the Diamond 840 Series also includes 73- and 82-inch sizes that add the new Clear Contrast Screen for high-quality viewing of 3D and high-definition programming and content. The ultimate in large-screen home entertainment, the Diamond 840 Series includes an immersive sound technology (IST) 16-speaker Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound system and Bluetooth Audio, without adding wires and other components. Priced at $2,599.00 (73-inch), $4,199.00 (82-inch) and $5,999.00 (92-inch) and shipping in July, features include all above plus:

• New 92-inch screen size
• New Clear Contrast Screen
• 16-speaker integrated IST
• Center channel mode and surround channel outputs
• Bluetooth Audio
• Sub-woofer output
• 4 HDMI inputs
• PerfectColorâ„¢/PerfecTintâ„¢
• Wired IR Input
• ISFccc

Mitsubishi L75-A94 LaserVue. A new Clear Contrast Screen, with VUDU movies and applications, this 75-inch large-screen laser TV is one of the most visually stunning consumer TVs in the world. Priced at $5999.99 it ships this month (June) From 740 Series, the LaserVue adds:

• New Clear Contrast Screen
• Built-In Wireless Internet
• 4 HDMI inputs
• Variable Smooth 120 Hz Film Motion
• PerfectColor/PerfecTint
• DeepField Imagerâ„¢
• EdgeEnhance
• Wired IR Input
• ISFccc

Have a question for the HD Guru? HD GURU|Email Copyright ©2011 HD Guru Inc. All rights reserved. HDGURU is a registered trademark.

A few months ago we ran a story where I said that there was no reason to spend a lot of money on HDMI cables. I still stand by that. Most cable companies are so incredibly misleading in their marketing/advertising it borders on outright lying.

Others just lie.

So we decided to put a test together to see if there really was any difference in cables. The results were… interesting.

The Plan
We gathered seven cables from four manufacturers/retailers, all over 50ft. Why over 50ft? Because the differences are going to be more pronounced than over shorter cables. Also, short HDMI cables, even the most horribly made ones, are highly likely to work just fine. In fact, I have yet to see a short HDMI cable that didn’t work.

A Bit of Background
The industry standard methodology is using a test pattern generator and a waveform monitor. That’s all well and good, but we felt that a “real world” test would give more useful results, showing what problems arise in actual systems. Turns out, there’s a lot.

There are four basic items in play when you’re trying to get an signal over HDMI from one place to another. The first is the source. There is a tiny transmitter in each source component that attempts to send a signal out along the cable. It’s not very powerful, but it is fairly robust. Presuming it has enough power to do its job (not a given) they work pretty well.

The next step is the cable itself. HDMI cables are actually made up of several individual tiny copper wires. The quality of the metal and gauge of the wire varies greatly, and both affect how well the signal from the transmitter can travel along the cable.

In the display, there’s a receiver that, well, receives the signal. At this point, presuming there’s enough signal to read, it gets decoded.

Resolution is the final factor. 1080p requires twice the bandwidth of 1080i/720p. This is why, as you’ll see in the testing, everything passed 1080i, but not necessarily 1080p.

If you want some more technical details, I talk about the science and technology of HDMI on my CNET blog.

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Not Better than, IS or ISN’T
This is the most important fact in this article: An HDMI cable either works, or it doesn’t. If it doesn’t, you’ll see it, have no doubt. What you’ll see, though, is not a softer image, or more noise. These are what happens to an analog signal when it degrades, not a digital one. With HDMI’s digital signal, if not enough of the data is received by the TV, you’ll get: sparkles, partial image, blank screen, and of course your TV saying there is “no signal.” I saw all of these in my testing.

Sparkles is perhaps the most insidious of the bunch, as the rest of the image looks fine, but random white dots appear on the screen. This was generally severe enough for anyone to go “wtf?” but on a few occasions, it was fairly mild. Still enough, though, that one would notice it and want a better cable. Even if it was mild, this still registered as a “fail” in my testing. Heeeeeeeeeeeeere’s some sparkles:

To a lesser or greater degree, these are “sparkles.” White spots that look like snowflakes. Or dandruff. This is what a signal looks like that’s staring down the precipice of total signal failure. You can’t see it in this small picture, but the rest of the image on the TV looks just as detailed as it did using a cable that actually worked. It was as if it had started snowing inside the TV.

With the fails, there’s either no image, or an unwatchable image (flickering, etc). In all these cases, the cable is faulty or inadequate, and you should return it for a different cable.

So when a salesman says “this will give you a better picture” he is either lying, or doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

The Test
I used a Panasonic Plasma, a Samsung Plasma, a Sony LCD, and JVC and Sharp projectors. All were current or last year’s models. For sources, I used Oppo, Toshiba, and Sony Blu-ray players. The Oppo and Toshiba were also put through a Marantz receiver that merely switches (no upconverting). Lastly, I used my AT&T U-verse Motorola VIP1225. Early in the testing process I also used Apple TV and Roku boxes, but as even the worst cable was able to pass these signals, I stopped testing them.

The source breakdown is like this:

Oppo BD – 1080p/60
Oppo BD – 3D (Avatar BD)
Oppo BD – 1080p/24 (Avatar BD – not tested on the Sony as it wasn’t a 3D TV)
Toshiba BD – 1080p/60
Sony BD – 1080p/60
Marantz Receiver w/Oppo BD – 1080p/60
Marantz Receiver w/Toshiba BD – 1080p/60
U-verse – 1080i

Source material was a mixture of real video and test patterns, all from Blu-ray. Each display was tested with each source on its primary HDMI input and its “last” HDMI input (#4 in the case of the Panasonic and Samsung, #2 for the JVC and Sharp). If there was a discrepancy between these two, the remaining inputs were tested. The Sony, having two on the back and two on the side, occasionally had odd results, so each of its inputs were tested each round.

Each cable/signal was given a reasonable amount of time to sync up, though it was usually pretty clear very quick what worked and what didn’t. The image (when there was one) was inspected at close distance for any sparkles or other artifacts (which predictably, there weren’t).

All cables tested had “High Speed” on their jackets, though some were labeled “Standard Speed” on their company’s website. The difference is that “High Speed” is supposed to pass at least 1080p.

One final word on this testing methodology. Technically, a cable could pass 1080p, but still not conform to the full definition of “High Speed” or “Category 2″ cabling, which requires successful transmission of much higher resolutions. As none of these higher resolutions are in any current or future video spec, this is sort of irrelevant.

*****PLEASE NOTE***** In no way is this a test or indictment of the products used for testing. These are meant to be a sampling of available gear, not “Product A doesn’t work with Product B.” That is a completely different article.

Key:
Red=Fail
Green=Pass
* = Sparkles

Monoprice 2678 – 50ft ($53.32)

Right off the bat, we’re got a compelling case for cheap cables. This is a $53 cable, listed as “Standard Speed,” yet passes 1080p just fine. No issues whatsoever. We might as well just stop here.

Monster Cable Monster MC 1000HD-50 –  50ft (MSRP: $499.95, $299.00 on Amazon)

So here’s the question. Like the Monoprice 2678, the 1000HD passes all signals to all the gear. Yet it’s 4x the price. Also, the 1000HD is decidedly one way. If you swap the cable ends, you get nothing. Odd for a passive cable. Overall build quality between the two was about the same, with the Monoprice cable being a little thicker, but the Monster having a better jacket and “feel” of connector. One thing in the Monster’s favor is that their plug was very grippy, locking into the HDMI connector on source and display more solidly than most other cables. Is this worth $250? No.

Straight Wire Super HDMI Cable – 52ft (MSRP: $400)

The Straight Wire cable has a built-in signal correcting circuit (as did two of the longer Monoprice cables). Like the Monster and 2678, it performed well in testing, though I got an odd fail with the Marantz/Toshiba combo.

Straight Wire told me to flip the cable around (“backwards” from what the instructions said) and it worked fine. So I listed them as pass for everything.

Amazon 50ft HDMI Cable ($19.54)

There are several “no-name” 50ft HDMI cables on Amazon, but this one claimed to be 1080p and “10.2 Gbps” which implies High Speed (also known as Category 2), even though these words weren’t specifically mentioned.

As you can see from the chart, performance was pretty terrible. It works with some gear, but fails completely with others. I’d be curious what Amazon’s return rate is on this cable. I have several short no-name Amazon cables, and they work fine.

One odd result is worth noting. On the Panasonic with the Oppo at 1080p/60, inputs 1 and 2 worked, but 3 and 4 didn’t. This is possible on many products, as the quality of the HDMI receiver isn’t always consistent across different inputs. I have been told something as simple as the length of the internal wiring from the connector to the chip can have an effect. The Samsung had the opposite problem with the Marantz/Oppo pair, failing on input 1 but passing on 2, 3, and 4.

If you are frustrated that the cheapest HDMI cable didn’t work as well as the more expensive models, I feel your pain.

Monoprice 7697 -75ft ($47.70)

Like the Straightwire, the 7697 has a signal correcting nubbin. There’s an 8-position dial on the top to help you fine-tune performance. The fails listed in the chart were where no setting garnered a picture. Some gear required an adjustment of the dial, others didn’t. Of those that did, some would only work in one position, others, several.

These cables are clearly labeled for use in one direction, and only work as such. Overall performance was very good, with only the Panasonic/Toshiba 1080p causing an issue on input 1 and 2. The Oppo at 24p was even stranger, as 3D and 60p require far more bandwidth, yet those passed.

Monoprice 2894 – 100ft ($76.23)

Most cable manufactures will tell you that a passive 100-foot cable shouldn’t work at all, never mind working with 1080p. Yet here it is. Performance wasn’t great, with the Sharp not really getting anything, and the Sony and Panasonic not liking the Oppo. Still, for a ridiculous length of 100ft, and costing only $76.23, it’s worth trying the 2894 to see if it works with your gear, if you need this kind of run. If you do, this cable will likely be going through walls or something, so PLEASE test the cable before you put it in the wall.

Monoprice 7698 – 100ft ($57.00)

For a little less money, the 7698 has a signal correcting nubbin, like the 7697, but is a thinner gauge than the 2894.

Performance was actually a little better than the 2894, trading the Samsung/Marantz for the JVC and getting a few more sources to work with the Sharp.

Subjective
As I discussed above, it’s not possible for one cable to look better than another. It either works and you see 100% of the signal, or it doesn’t work and you get nothing, sparkles, snow, or flickering. But, there were going to be people who would freak out if I didn’t give these cables a subjective component as well. These people (cable manufacturers) claim that certain HDMI cables look and sound better than others.

Now this is bull when it comes to video, but with each cable I looked for any increase in noise, or decrease in resolution, using actual video and test patterns. You can accuse me of bias all you want, but if I did see a difference, that would be a fascinating story so I was looking for it. The cables that worked all looked the same. Surprise surprise surprise

But audio… Now this is a little more complex. It is next to impossible for there to be any difference in audio when playing back Dolby or DTS codecs (of any resolution). This is due to how these formats are encoded and transmitted.

It is, however, at least theoretically possible for there to be an audible difference with PCM. This is due to the amount of jitter with HDMI, which can vary depending on manufacturing quality (true of any digital cable). There is so much conflicting data on this, I think it warrants its own article. So look for that in the near future.

In the mean time, use the decoder in your receiver instead of the BD player and you should be fine.

Conclusions
In all, I was rather surprised by the variety of performance among these long cables. Even so, our standard recommendation stands:

Buy the cheapest cable you can. If it works, you’re good to go.

That said, we have to add some caveats. Just because the cheap cable you buy works now with your current gear, doesn’t mean it still will if you replace your BD player, receiver, or TV. That much is very clear from the testing, there’s a lot of variety.

From this survey, the more expensive cables really were more likely to work on all the gear with different bandwidth signals. As frustrating as this is for all the deal-hunters out there (myself included) it does offer a “buy and forget” option for those that don’t want to worry about it. For those of us where $50 and $400 is a big difference, the cheaper cables are a fantastic deal, when they work. As long as you can return the cable if it doesn’t work, there is no risk in getting the cheaper cables. Even if in a year you get a new BD player and the cable no longer “works,” buying a new one will still save you $200 in the long run over the more expensive cables.

The fact is, below 50 feet, performance is going to be a LOT more uniform. In other words, you’ll have more cables that will work on everything. As such, it’s even more likely that a cheap cable will perform the same as their more expensive counterparts. At short distances (under 10 feet), like we’ve always said, there’s not going to be any difference.

The most important thing to remember is if you’re running HDMI through your wall, test it first!!! Also make sure it’s rated to match your local building codes.

Geoff Morrison – Follow me on Twitter @TechWriterGeoff
Check out Geoff’s book.

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(March 18,2011) Big screen TV maker Mitsubishi announced today that it is exiting the LCD TV market this year to concentrate on its DLP rear projection business.

Mitsubishi remains the only maker of rear projection televisions sold in the US with an assembly plant in Mexicali, Mexico. The company has a storied name in the TV business, having introduced the first 35″ CRT in the 1980s and one of the first plasma TVs in 1997.

An early proponent of rear projection TVs, Mitsubishi made an early transition from big screen CRT models to lamp driven microdisplay sets. As the TV industry moved on to flat panels, Mitsubishi opted not to built its own LCD panel factory, relying instead on outside vendors.

They currently offer 2010 models in 60-Inch , 65-Inch , 73-Inch and 82-Inch screen sizes. All feature 3D capability. Rear projection provides viewers with the biggest HDTV screens for the lowest prices in the industry (article link), starting at under $850.00 for the 60-inch model widescreen 1080p HDTV and under $1200 for a 73-inch. By comparison the largest LED LCD offered today is a 65-Inch The Samsung models prices begin at over $4000. (Sharp and LG will begin selling a 70-inch and 72-inch models respectively, later this year for even higher prices).

Mitsubishi UHP lamp and Laser driven rear projectors will continue with 2011 models in sizes 73-inches and above according to its corporate communications department.  Mitsubishi announced at 2011 CES  92-inch model to ship later this year.

Notice To Our Readers

HD Guru extends our sympathies to the victims and their families of the disasters in Japan.

To aid victims of the Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami with a direct contribution, here is a link to the  Red Cross Relief Website.

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Given the recent announcements of ultra-widescreen LCDs and projectors, we thought it time to revisit one of the more confusing aspects (pun intended) of TVs and movies: aspect ratio.

No matter what, every TV is going to have black bars on some content, and the reasons why are complex. Let’s take a look at the what and the why of HDTV aspect ratios.

In the olden days of the 90′s and before, all TVs were 4×3. This means that for every four inches of screen width, it was three inches tall. If you prefer decimals, this is also called 1.33:1. Here’s a 4×3 image of some tower I saw on a vacation a few years ago.

Movies have long been wider than that, initially to give something different to audiences than that upstart television (more on this later). So when HDTV came out, it was decided to give the consumer a wider display, to be more like those neeto movies. Many films are 1.85:1, all TV programming at the time was 1.33:1, so some genius decided that instead of having some programming that didn’t have black bars, an entirely new aspect ratio was created: 1.78:1, or 16×9 (math majors will note that it’s really 1.777777:1, but let’s not muddle the point). Here’s the same shot, but 16×9:

Notice there’s more on the sides. Overall it looks a little cooler, right? A little more cinematic? The problem is, we’ve had 60 years of 4×3 content. So anything 4×3 you want to watch ends up looking like this:

Now I’ve never understood why people get apoplectic about black bars, but there you go. Some get fixated on the black bars instead of just watching the TV. Unfortunately for them, it gets worse.

As I mentioned above, many movies are 1.85:1. If you’re watching one of these films, and you’re not overscanning (and presuming the film is being presented in its original aspect ratio), it’s going to look like this:

Not that big of a deal, right? Barely noticeable bars. We’ve had movies even longer than TV, and there has never been a “standard” aspect ratio. The common ones are 1.85:1, 2.35:1 and 2:40:1, though a few films were even wider, 2.55:1 or even 2.76:1. Most big Hollywood movies are 2.35:1 (usually pre-1970) or 2.40:1 (after 1970) though there are exceptions. Here’s what a 2:40:1 movie would look like on a 16×9 screen:

These aspect ratios are often referred to as “Cinemascope” though this isn’t really accurate (just like not all copy machines are Xerox, not all hook-and-loop is Velcro, and not all tissue is Kleenex).

Anamorphic Lenses

Over the past few years, anamorphic lenses have become popular in home theaters. These, in conjunction with a projector that supports it, allow for a 2.40:1 image to be shown on a 2.40:1 screen using only a 16×9 aspect ratio projector. The projector stretches the image vertically to fill the 16×9 chip, which looks like this:

Then the lens stretches it out to fill the screen:

This is very cool from a presentation standpoint. There are also some other benefits. If the scaling is done correctly, you could gain a slight increase in perceived resolution in the same way that scaling a DVD does. After all, a 2.40:1 movie on a Blu-ray is only using 800 lines of vertical resolution, the other 280 lines are just wasted on the black bars. So scaling this up to fill the DLP, LCD, or LCOS chip (or chips) isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Done poorly, though, and you could introduce artifacts. Using the entire chip (or chips) could also boost the light output somewhat, as the entire chip is being used to create the image, instead of just a portion.

There are some negatives, though. In addition to the potential for scaling artifacts, the lens itself can be a problem. Cheap lenses will reduce light output, potentially offsetting or at least diminishing the gain caused by using the whole chip/chips. They could reduce resolution as well. Even with excellent lenses, diffraction is issue. The light is exiting the glass or plastic projector’s lens, then entering a whole new lens, then exiting that lens. These extra layers of diffraction are almost certainly going to reduce contrast ratio. Some of the light is going to be reflected back into the projector’s lens, adding further light pollution to the engine, decreasing contrast ratio further. Is it going to diminish performance enough for you to care? Maybe, maybe not, but it’s worth noting that adding lenses isn’t without a cost.

Constant Height/adjustable width/masking

The next level in the anti-black-bar camp is constant height, where the screen is able to adjust its aspect ratio to match the video. This is usually done with curtains or some other material on the sides that hide the unused portions of the screen from view. This masking tricks the eye into thinking the screen is exactly the same aspect as the material. Unless you want to do it yourself, it’s pretty expensive as it requires a lot of mechanicals to move the masking around.

Native Wider-Screen

Recently, Vizio, projectiondesign, and others have released displays with a wider-than-wide native aspect ratio. The projectiondesign projectors are 2.35:1 natively, with a resolution of 2538 x 1080. The Vizio models have a resolution of 2560 x 1080, or 2.37:1/21×9. While it’s mildly frustrating that this isn’t exactly 2.35 or 2.40:1, it is at least right in the middle, allowing for only slight back bars on either. Here’s what a 2.40:1 movie looks like on a 2.37:1 screen, notice the tiny, tiny bars on top and bottom:

This is also basically what a 2.40:1 movie will look like on the projectiondesign’s 2.35:1 screen. At the resolutions of these images, you wouldn’t really be able to see the difference.

Here’s a 2.35:1 image on a 2.37:1 screen, notice the tiny bars on the sides.

Honestly, if black bars this size bother you, I would have to recommend alternate assistance.

But, and there’s always a but. When you watch 16×9 material on one of these displays, it looks like this:

And 4×3 looks like this:

Admittedly, that’s a bit more substantial.

“Zooming In”

While it may seem obvious to just use the TV (whatever it’s native aspect) to “zoom in” on the image to eliminate the black bars, there are several reasons why this is a bad idea. The first is that you’re losing resolution. No matter how good the scaler is in the TV, zooming in on the image will result in a softer image. If the scaler in the TV isn’t good, there could be significant artifacts introduced that aren’t there in a “per-pixel” or “native” mode. These could range from jaggies to moiré patterns that are far worse than just “black bars.”

Also, and this is the argument that most often falls on deaf ears, the aspect ratio of the movie is what the director intended. They designed a shot with a specific idea in mind. Cropping the sides loses information. If you don’t care about this, well that’s your decision, but personally I don’t understand it. You’re trusting this director to entertain you for 2 hours, but not enough to assume he knows more than you what a shot is supposed to look like? *Shrug*

Conclusion

No matter what, you’re going to have black bars. If you’re the type of person who can’t handle this, well, constant height projection is really the only option. I can’t advocate zooming in on the image for the reasons listed above. Not only does it diminish the image, but it ruins the director’s intent.

I’ll end with this: I’ve had a 2.40:1 screen as my main “TV” for over a year. The VAST majority of what I watch on it is 16×9. In the dark, no one notices the “bars” on either side. For those big movies, though, having an uber-wide 10-foot screen is way cool.

—Geoff Morrison

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Once upon a time, all big-screen TVs were RPTVs. If you wanted something bigger than a tube TV, projection was your only choice. With the advent of flat panels, the reign of RPTVs was clearly at an end.

Except, it wasn’t. Not completely. So the question is, with today’s cheap flat panels, is there any reason why someone should get a RPTV?

Well, yes, actually.

Let’s get one thing straight up front: there’s only one company that makes RPTVs anymore and that’s Mitsubishi. So any discussion of RPTVs is going to be intrinsically linked to that brand. This article isn’t, though, a review of their various models. Instead, we’ll take a look at the technology as if Samsung,  Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, JVC, et al. hadn’t pulled out of the business a few years ago.

Pro: Size
When it comes to sheer dollar-per-screen-inch value, still nothing beats RPTVs. For a comparable dollar, an RPTV could easily have 10-15 inches more screen diagonal. Take, for example, the Mitsubishi WD-65638 ($817.36 with free shipping). Compare that to the new Panasonic TC-P46ST30 or Samsung UN46D6000 (both $1,299.99). Mits has models up to 82-inches right now, with a 92-inch model coming soon. If you really just want a huge TV without robbing a bank, RPTVs are fantastic.

Pro: 3D
All of Mitsubishi’s RPTVs are 3D-ready. With the 2010 models you’ll only need to buy Mitsubishi 3D glasses for the TV to display 3D. Previous model years are upgradeable to 3D. So if you’ve bought a Mits RPTV in the past few years, you probably have a 3D TV already. All you need is one of Mitsubishi’s 3D Starter packs.

Con: Size (the other kind)
Even though RPTVs are far thinner than they once were, they’re still 10+ inches deep. On the other hand, most people don’t care. Studies have shown that regardless of what they want to do before they buy it, well over 50% of the people who buy a flat panel never mount it on a wall. This means that it’s on a table/TV stand, or in a cabinet. In these cases, the depth of the TV is irrelevant.

Well, almost irrelevant (see “Not a flat panel” below).

Pro: Brightness (Sort of)
RPTVs are generally on par with LCDs and plasmas in terms of brightness. More importantly, they are WAY brighter than front projectors. Front projection offers even larger screen sizes than RPTVs, but you need to have absolute light control in the room in order for them to work. Not everyone wants to always be in a dark room watching a TV. In this case, RPTVs offer plenty of brightness for such a large screen size.

Con: Contrast Ratio
The comparison to the Panasonic plasma and Samsung LED LCD above isn’t entirely fair. The picture quality isn’t going to be quite as good as those TVs, and that mostly has to do with contrast ratio. The DMD chip that is the core of every DLP display has a decent but not amazing contrast ratio. The recent generation of chips I’ve reviewed in front projectors have performed pretty much the same as those from 4-5 years ago. They haven’t gotten much better while LCDs and plasmas have.

That other aspect that reduces a RPTV’s contrast ratio is the amount of light inside the cabinet. Some of the light that is supposed to reach your eyes ends up bouncing around inside the cabinet. Eventually it makes its way out, but not in the same place it was intended. If there’s a lot of bright areas on the screen, the dark areas will not be able to be as dark as they would be on a plasma or local dimming LED LCD. Mitsubishi has historically had excellent cabinets with the least about of errant light in their designs, but it’s not possible to be perfect.

Yes, there are irises and variable light sources that help to create a decent dynamic contrast ratio (how dark a black screen can be compared to how bright a full white screen can be), but like all dynamic contrast ratios, this isn’t what really makes the image “pop.” A real contrasty image requires an excellent intra-scene contrast ratio, and on a RPTV that is limited by the DMD and the light in the cabinet.

If you plan on watching the TV during the day, though, this is less of an issue as you won’t be able to notice deep blacks anyway.

Pro: LASERS!!!!!
Mitsubishi’s LaserVue models use frickin laser beams as a light source. There are two models, a 75-inch (L75-A91, $5,279), and a 65-inch (L65A90, $6,299). As cool as lasers are, there is little reason to pay such a substantial premium for them. The contrast ratio is still limited by the DMD, and the claims of substantial color potential is negated by the fact that even color-wheel, lamp-based RPTVs can easily exceed the maximum color potential of Blu-ray/HDTV. In other words, the “200% HDTV color” boast just means that they are more colorful, however by exceeding the rather constricted HDTV color standard they can’t be accurate. Thankfully, Mitsubishi has a mode that brings the color gamut close the HDTV standard.

The big advantages of lasers is the lifespan and low power consumption. The lasers should last a lifetime, while the bulbs in the lamp type RPTV need to be periodically replaced. The LaserVue TVs are also incredibly energy efficient, using less power that other big screen TVs.

Con: Lamps
With the exception of the LaserVue models, Mitsubishi RPTVs use lamps as their light source. These have a finite lifespan and must be replaced (usually around 6,000 hours). Worse, they don’t age gracefully. They get dimmer over time, and then eventually they just go “poof.” In addition, nearly all of these lamps are UHP designs which contain mercury, and mercury isn’t remotely eco-friendly so please properly dispose. (BTW, CFL lamps for standard light fixtures also contain mercury.)

Mits doesn’t exactly hide the fact their TVs need lamps. Lamps for current Mitsubishi models cost only $100, older models lamps from Mitsubishi and other companies can cost more.

Con: Not a flat panel
As mentioned above. No matter how big or how cool an RPTV is, it just isn’t a flat panel. Keep in mind that you’re going to have to justify your purchase to those not “in the know.” If you drive a Toyota not a Lexus, a Ford not a Lincoln, and your speakers aren’t found in Best Buy, then you probably won’t care that your neighbor doesn’t get why your TV is so deep.

If on the other hand there are logos visible on all your clothes and you own any Bose product, it’s likely you won’t be happy with an RPTV.

Conclusion
What it comes down to is this: if you want a really, really big TV and don’t want the strict blackout conditions required for a front projector (or having to plunder your kids college fund to build a dedicated home theater) then RPTVs are still the high-value option for a new TV, and do look pretty damn good.

Mitsubishi seems to still think RPTVs are the way to go. After all, they don’t show any signs of giving up a market they have entirely to themselves.

—Geoff Morrison

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Back in July 2010 we wrote about an upcoming one piece solution that will allow the 700,000 owners of legacy Samsung DLP rear projectors to view 3D content from  cable, satellite and Blu-ray 3D disc on their 2007 and 2008 model year HDTVs (link). A kit is now available directly from Mitsubishi.

Called the 3DC-100S, the package consists of a new Mitsubishi 3D signal adapter, a remote control for the adapter, two pairs of active Mitsubishi 3D glasses, an infra-red emitter (to sync the glasses to the 3D TV), a 3D demo Disney Blu-ray disc and one HDMI connection cable.

The adapter will only work with specified series of Samsung DLP rear projection televisions and twelve series of Mitsubishi rear projectors. It will not work with Samsung’s pre-2010 series 3D capable plasma TVs.

The list (provided by Misubishi) of the 19 compatible Samsung models is as follows:

HL61A650C1F,HL50A650C1F,HL56A650C1F,HL72A650C1F,HL61A750A1F,HL67A7501F,HL-T5075S,HL-T4675S,HL-T5675S,HL-T6776S,HL-5076S,HL-T5676S,HL-T5687S,HL-T5087S, HT6187S,HL-T7288S,HL-T5089S,HL-T569S,HL-T6189S.

The package sells for $449.00 and is currently only sold by Mitsubishi on its website (link).

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This year’s Consumer Electronics Show was the biggest ever, taking up the Las Vegas Convention Center from end to end. With over 20,000 new products on display, we limited ourselves to all things high definition, as it is quite easy to miss many product introductions just covering our category.

Reviewing our notes, press releases and all other information we’ve come up with our top ten products. Seven will arrive sometime this year while three models are prototypes. We expect them to evolve into real products in 2012.

In no particular order, we present our list.

1) Samsung/Real D Z-Screen Full HD Passive 3D TV

Months ago we learned about this upcoming technology (link). We arranged for a screening off site at RealD’s hotel suite. We were not disappointed. The demo model: a highly modified 55-inch Samsung LED LCD TV.

We met with RealD’s president Bob Mayson. He laid out the ground rules, no photos of the prototype and deferred all product production questions to Samsung (they would not discuss it other than tell us it is not currently planned as a 2011 product). Nevertheless, we were able to get a demonstration and general explanation of the technology.

The Z-screen 3D TV is two LCD panels in one. A Full HD LCD panel with LED back light and a second LCD screen attached directly in front of the main panel called a Z-screen.

The front Z-screen panel flips its circular polarization every 120th of second, allowing the use of passive 3D glasses. To solve technical issues, the TV backlight scans from top to bottom during each frame, while the Z-screen sequentially flips its polarization in sections from the top to the bottom of the screen. The result was outstanding. Unlike the passive 3D Film Patterned Retarder (FPR) technology seen in the all upcoming Vizio and select LG and Toshiba 3D models (link) the Real D prototype produced a full HD image (1920 x 1080) without scan lines. There was no loss of the 3D effect when moving one’s eyes in excess of 13 degrees above or below center, as occurs with FPR. Nor did we see any compression of depth as we moved left or right of center. Questions remain are to when will it arrive and how much of a cost the second LCD panel add to the price.

2) Motorola XOOM Tablet

There were many tablet announcements at CES, but only one with an HDTV screen and a release date. The Motorola XOOM has a 10.1″ display as well as HDMI output to allow connection to your big screen HDTV for playback of video content. The XOOM uses the NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GHz dual core processor, and can capture 720p video through its camera and playback video content with resolutions up to 1080p via HDMI. It will ship in Q1 with a price to be announced. (photo at top)

3) Panasonic VT30 Plasma HDTVs

All the big TV manufacturers displayed new products at CES. We evaluated models from every major vendor and the VT30 plasmas displayed the best images at the show. The 2011 Panasonics employ improved phosphors to produce a brighter picture while improving energy efficiency by 25% along with deeper blacks when compared to the VT25 models they replace. The VT30 series models come in the 55″ and 65″ screen sizes. Panasonic’s new top of the line models earned the “HD Guru 2011 CES Top Picks” for Best in Show and Best 3D TV Awards.

4) Toshiba Glasses Free 3D HDTV Prototypes

Toshiba had a 56″ and 65″ glasses free 3D TV. Both units had 4K resolution (4096 x 2160) four times higher than Full HD. While a Toshiba spokesperson would not say the number of viewing positions, the resolution per viewer was stated at over one million pixels. This implies eight 3D viewing positions at one-half full HD.

The technical name for glasses free 3D is auto-stereoscopic and the technique for this type of display is called “parallax barrier”.  The spokesman added the TV may be viewed in 2D mode as well, implying a second LCD screen placed over the main one to produce the barrier needed for the parallax barrier method. This method has limitations, in this case a limited viewing arc of perhaps 30 degrees and viewers must be in set positions within the arc to see the 3D effect. If one move out of the viewing position the image becomes fuzzy 2D. This limitation, in our opinion needs to be eliminated, to make big screen auto-stereoscopic 3D mass market product. The price of a 65″ 4K dual layer LCD screen would be quite high compared to as standard 2K HDTV that uses active shutter glasses. Toshiba’s spokesman added they expect to bring an auto-stereoscopic large screen HDTV to the US market by spring of 2012.

5) Toshiba Glasses Free 3D Laptop Prototype

This Toshiba Qosmio laptop has a 15.1-inch 3D single viewer auto-stereoscopic screen which tracks the user’s eyes and adjusts the “sweet spot” to provide a continuous 3D experience without glasses. No price or availability. We believe eye tracking will become a feature on many single user glasses free displays such as laptops and tablets.

6) iCoat 3D Passive Glasses

iCoat’s specialty is proprietary lens coatings that enhance the performance of passive 3D images (such as upcoming the Vizio, select LG and select Toshiba 2011 3D TV models). Its line of Sfirex 3D glasses provides brighter, higher contrast images than the Real D models. We made a comparison at CES with our Real D passive glasses and verified a significant improvement in image quality with the Sfirex model. An iCoat executive told us their glasses have 15% higher brightness and 88% less reflection causing glare as compared to Real D models (like the ones you receive in a movie theater). These new Sfirex 3D glasses are expected to arrive in optical stores by spring.

Photo Courtesy of the Entertainment Technology Center@USC

7) Samsung’s 75″ 3D LED LCD

This was the biggest production ready flat screen HDTV at the CES (there were some bigger professional monitors such as the 150″ Panasonic). Like the other high end Samsung LEDs, it has all the top features including Internet streaming and apps, remote with second screen and full HD 3D using RF shutter glasses. The unit is ensconced in a silver bezel. Samsung has not provided a release date, although a spokesman said it will ship sometime in 2011.

8) Mitsubishi 92″ 3D Rear Projector

The Mitsubishi 92-incher provides a projection home theater experience without the need for blackout shades or curtains due to its rear projection design utilizing a very bright UHP lamp.

The 92-inch 3D Home Cinema TV features include: Fully integrated 3D TV with built-in emitter, StreamTV™ Internet Media, Multi-speaker Immersive Sound Technology (IST), Center Channel Mode w/Center Channel input, Rear Channel Pre-outputs, Sub-woofer Output, Bluetooth Streaming Audio, 4 HDMI input, ISFccc, USB Media player, Advanced Calibration Mode, Universal Remote Control, 120Hz Sub-Frame Rate, Jade User Interface and New Clear Contrast Screen.

A great centerpiece for any home theater, the 92 inch Mitsubishi WD-92840 will ship later in 2011 at a price between $5K and $6K.

9) Motorola Atrix Smartphone

The NVIDIA Tegra 2-powered smartphone uses two operating systems at once: Google’s Android 2.2 and a customized Motorola version of Linux. The Atrix can turn into a desktop or laptop PC with matching optional docks.  The beauty of the unit is the ability to download high definition content from the phone, the laptop or the PC conversion and send it over the adapter’s built-in HDMI connector to your big screen TV for a viewing experience of up to 1080 line resolution.

The Atrix is a normal looking top end smart phone with a 960 x 540 screen resolution. It features 802.11n, 1GB RAM, 1 GB internal storage and a microSD card slot. It can be inserted into its multimedia dock consisting of connections for a monitor, keyboard and mouse as well as HDMI output or the slim laptop dock.

Either way it can play downloaded videos to your HDTV. The Motorola Atrix ships in Q1 2011 with the price to be announced. The video above is courtesy of our friend Suzanne at techlicious.com

10) LG Smart TV Upgrader

The LG Smart TV Upgrader is a small box that packs a lot of punch. It can be attached to any legacy HDTV with a HDMI input and convert your old dumb TV into a smart one with Internet streaming videos services like Amazon Video on Demand and VUDU, TV Apps, Widgets (such as stocks and weather). It also includes an Internet browser. Similar to the Logitech review in functionality (however LG’s unit the QWERTY keyboard is on-screen), the LG will retail for $149.99 when it ships later this year, versus $299.99 retail for the Logitech unit (although it currently sells for $249.99 on Amazon

The LG SmartTV Upgrader received the HD GURU “CES 2011 Top Pick Award” for Best New Home Theater Component.

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Time to go big. There’s nothing quite like a really big TV. Prices have plummeted recently on big screen HDTVs. Click through for all the day’s deals from Amazon on TVs from Panasonic, LG, Toshiba and Samsung.

Even if you don’t plan on buying from Amazon directly, use these deals as a price guide for other online shopping, or for negotiating a price with your local brick and mortar retailer. To help you get the best deal read our “Getting the Best HDTV Price” article. To help guide you to the right size screen, click on are “HDTV Viewing Distance Chart” which show the maximum “viewer to screen” distance for seeing full HD resolution for every size screen.

Also Check Out: Amazon’s Black Friday Deals Start Today

On to today’s list

1) Toshiba 55UX600U 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV with Net TV- List: $2,399.99 Amazon: $1,499.98 (38% discount)

2) Mitsubishi WD-60638 60-Inch 1080p 3D-Ready DLP HDTV- List: $999.00 Amazon: $899.00 (10% discount)

3) Samsung UN55C6300 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV- List: $2,499.99 Amazon: $1,897.00 (24% discount)

4) Samsung UN55C8000 55-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D LED HDTV- List: $3,499.99 Amazon: $2,798.00 (20% discount)

5) Panasonic VIERA TC-P50G25 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV- List: $1,399.95 Amazon: $1,078.00 (23% discount)

6) Panasonic TC-P58S2 58-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV- List: $1,799.95 Amazon: $1,257.92 (30% discount)

7) Samsung UN55C7000 55-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D LED HDTV- List: $3,299.99 Amazon: $2,597.00 (21% discount)

8 ) Samsung PN50C550 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV- List: $1,299.99 Amazon: $1,077.00 (17% discount)

9) Panasonic TC-P54G25 54-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV- List: $1,899.95 Amazon: $1,400.02 (26% discount)

10) Samsung LN55C650 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV- List: $2,099.99 Amazon: $1,399.99 (33% discount)

Also check out the top 3 Blu-ray titles:

3) Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy (+ Digital Copy)- List $79.98 Amazon: $47.99 (40% discount)

3) Inception (Three-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)- List $35.99 Amazon: $24.99 (31% discount)

1) Avatar (Three-Disc Extended Collector’s Edition + BD-Live)- List $54.99 Amazon: $24.99 (55% discount)

Here’s the complete list best selling Blu-ray titles.

(Note: Amazon prices may change; please keep checking our links.)

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Sony recently posted a YouTube video on its website “here” entitled “How to Choose the Right HDTV. Hosted by Sony spokesperson Veronica Belmont, the video strews an amalgam of facts, partial facts and fiction that has the potential to mislead folks into buying the “wrong” HDTV. The video should be called called “How to Choose a Sony HDTV“.We have the video posted after the break.

Here’s the breakdown:

Proper Viewing Distance (partially correct)- Veronica states you should measure the couch-to-TV distance and divide by two. So if you are 100″ from your TV you should buy a 50″ set. What Sony and Veronica don’t take into account is screen resolution. We have our viewing distance chart “here” that provides the optimum viewing distance for any screen size from 17″-120″ for both 720p and 1080p displays. Our chart is based on the furthest distance where someone with normal vision can perceive all of the picture detail. For 1080p sets it’s 1.57 times the screen size, for a 720p display its 2.35 times. The average living room viewer-to-screen distance is 9 feet, called the “Lechner Distance”.  Using Sony’s formula, which we consider inaccurate, it recommends a 54″ TV regardless of screen resolution. In reality, the optimum 1080p screen size is about 68″ for the 9 ft. distance while for a 720p set, a 46″ screen is better.

If you go by Veronica’s recommendation of a 32″ TV for the bedroom, Sony’s own 2X screen size formula would imply you were 64″ or just over 5ft from the TV. We suspect this is far closer than where most people would put a bedroom television. Most people position their TV at or beyond the foot of the bed, not to the side. This would be 8 feet or more, or at least a 42″ TV by Sony’s calculation. 50+ inches by ours. Of course you can choose a smaller than optimum HDTV, but only after you have the facts to make a properly informed decision.

Flat Panel Set Types (incomplete):Veronica says “there are two types of HDTVs: LED LCD and plasma.” This overly simplifies the picture. There are four types of HDTVs. They are LED LCD (the LED s are used as the light source and are are placed at the edge of the screen or behind the screen depending on the design), LCD (with cold cathode fluorescent lamp as the light source, called “CCFL backlight”) rear projection and plasma. Sony makes both LED LCD and CCFL backlit LCD. There are three major plasma manufacturers—Panasonic, Samsung and LG—that also make LED backlit LCDs and CCFL backlit LCDs. Mitsubishi makes a line of rear projection HDTVs  and LED lit LCDs a.

Viewing Condition Choices (some fact, some fiction): Veronica states “Plasmas are known for producing deeper black levels.” That is true. However, she adds, “if you can guarantee perfect viewing conditions, for instance a dark room, then plasma’s right for you” and then “most people can’t get darkness in the living room during the day”—the implication being if you can’t get “pitch black” darkness during the day you should buy an LCD set. We find this bit of advice highly manipulative and factually specious. All HDTVs, regardless of technology, will suffer washed out blacks if exposed to bright light. While ultimate brightness is higher for LED and LCD HDTVs, plasmas don’t need a “dark room” to produce outstanding images. For the best pictures possible, any TV technology benefits from room “lighting control.” Most people, unless they are exhibitionists, have window shades and/or blinds.

Glare Resistance (specious oversimplification): “LCDs are better at resisting glare,” Veronica announces. In fact, glare resistance depends more upon the type of screen coating employed (either “anti-glare” or “anti-reflective”) than on the display technology. Most current HDTVs, whether plasma, LED (LCD) or CCFL LCD, employ the “anti-reflective” type coating, which appears smooth and mirror like.

“Anti-glare” finishes have a dull appearance, like a matte surface photograph. “Anti-glare” screens do limit the amount of reflected glare from ambient light sources, but at the expense of image contrast, which makes  picture content appear less “punchy.”

For this reason, many HDTVs including LED and LCD (CCFL) employ the shiny “anti-reflective” filters. While this generally makes the LCD images better and more “punchy,” most of the ambient light rejection advantage over plasmas is lost—and that wasn’t stated in the video. Perhaps that would have been an appropriate omission in a television commercial but not in a video that purports to be an authoritative guide.

“Anti-glare” coated LCD models can be found most often in the 32″ and below screen sizes, which are only available in LED and CCFL LCD since 42” diagonal is the smallest available plasma screen size.

Set Depth, Energy Efficiency and “Green” Friendly (True but “glaringly” incomplete): Veronica continues, “Most LCDs are generally slimmer and more energy efficient than their plasma counterparts.” This is true. However, big screen LCD and LEDs (over 50″) generally cost far more than their plasma counterparts, requiring a decade or longer to possibly realize any long term dollar savings in energy costs—a fact that Sony, as an LED/LCD maker, omits.

Veronica states “Some of the newer HDTVs run the backlights across the edge, making them remarkably thin and energy efficient.” That is an accurate statement, although it’s only true for the higher priced LED lit LCDs. The CCFL LCD models are not side lit, nor are they as thin. Plasma sets today run as shallow as 1.4″ up to about 3.5″ for low end models—hardly what we would call “thick.”

About LED and LCD sets Veronica says “They have incredibly sharp contrast.” That is true but she doesn’t add that this is true only at or near the straight-on viewing axis. Contrast on all LED and LCDs diminishes as one moves off-center. As you move to the side, the black level rises and peak brightness diminishes, significantly dropping the contrast ratio. This phenomenon is limited to LCDs (both CCFL and LED). Sony chooses to omit this major plasma advantage. Again, that would be appropriate in a commercial, but not in a guide that purports to be authoritative.

Veronica’s statement “And (LEDs) display beautiful, rich color,” is correct in that they can, but LED lighting does not guarantee any richer or better color than any other lighting technology (plasma or CCFL). It depends on many other design factors.

Calling them LCD TVs and aided by a graphic, Veronica says “And they contain no mercury, so they are less harmful to the environment.” Yes, mercury is indeed toxic, but the statement is incomplete as this only applies to LED LCD.

The most widely sold LCD HDTVs (and currently 40% of Sony’s TV line) have CCFL lamps. All CCFL lamps contain mercury and multiple lamps are required within each TV. So yes, it is possible for an LED based LCD to be mercury free, but it is impossible for any CCFL based LCD to be mercury free. Plasma TVs contain no mercury. Rear and front projectors usually use a single UHP lamp that does contain mercury.

Her statement “If you really like watching movies, you want to be sure your TV is full HD 1080p” is marketing bunk. As stated above, whether you can see all the resolution available with a 1080p set requires the proper viewing distance for a given screen size—a huge variable that is not mentioned.

“If you are a sports or gaming enthusiast you want to make sure you have high frame rate technology, 120Hz or higher for smooth motion” is a somewhat misleading statement. While 120Hz (or more) within LED and LCD TVs reduces motion blur, it is still present. Our tests reveal motion resolution drops image resolution from 1080 lines (per picture height) to 300 with a 60 Hz LED or LCD while a 120Hz TV produces around 600 out of 1080 lines.

Furthermore, 120 Hz processing introduces other artifacts in the picture, making film look more like video, a condition many viewers do not like. These circuits, called Motion Estimation/Motion Compensation (ME/MC) cause response delays that gamers may  not desire. Most TVs have a “Game Mode” that bypasses the circuit; however it also defeats the motion blur reduction characteristics of 120Hz and higher refresh. For gamers that prefer action games, like first person shooters, the tradeoff between blurry motion and image lag due to processing would be like choosing between being punched in the face or kicked in the groin. Plasmas work on a different technology and do not have motion blur, though the processing that causes image lag could still be a factor depending on the TV (many models have a game mode too, which reduces image lag but doesn’t create motion blur). The video concludes “there are many great HDTVs to choose from and you should do online research.” We concur. We recommend to our readers reviews from unbiased, accurate review websites (naturally including this one), and others like CNET and Consumer Reports.

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