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The big picture: Large screen TVs for your home theatre
By Sean Carruthers, posted 10/6/2003 1:45:17 PM

If you're thinking of trading up to a new wide-screen television, it's best not to think TOO big. While the idea of dropping a massive screen into your entertainment area may be very compelling, it's worth keeping in mind some of the drawbacks.

First, if your new screen doesn't have a wide viewing angle, it's possible that not everyone will be able to see it in the same way. If the room isn't long enough to minimize the difference between viewing positions, people at the corners of the room may not be able to see it properly.

Even if you're planning to watch the screen by yourself from dead centre, you may find yourself staring at the pixels rather than the image as a whole if your screen is too large. This is especially noticeable on LED and plasma screens with a resolution just short of full HDTV. It becomes even more problematic with DVD playback, which uses a compression algorithm that occasionally results in blockiness in patches of the picture that are considered less important.

If you're planning to put your new television into a smaller room, consider scaling back your ambitions to fit the room.

One of the key components of any home theatre setup is a good screen in the middle. After all, what's the point of setting up a ripping sound system if you have a tiny 12-inch screen with a picture that goes funny every time the guy next door opens his garage door? The good news is that the prices of large-screen televisions are within the range of many more households today, so it may be time to consider the options.

The three main types of large-screen televisions are rear-projection, plasma, and LCD.

Rear-projection models have been around for some time, but the technology inside has improved even while prices have dropped. With these screens, a series of mirrors reflects a much smaller source image (now often provided by a small LCD display) into a much larger display on the inside panel of the screen. As with other projection technology, these televisions have a fairly expensive bulb inside that must periodically be replaced.

Plasma screens are far more compact, using a series of tiny fluorescent lights set up in a grid to recreate the picture. While this generates a sharper and brighter picture than most projection screens, it also generates a lot of heat, sucks back a lot of electricity, and costs a lot more money. As I write, budget 42-inch plasma screens start at around $4,000, but a more fully-featured brand name screen will cost more.

LCD screens provide the sharpest picture -- some might say too sharp -- and typically remain smaller and more power-efficient than plasma screens. Unfortunately, they also tend to be the most expensive of the three by far. The higher cost is mostly because each screen needs to be cut from a single larger sheet and the larger a piece is, the more likely it is to have flaws and the more waste there is around the edges of the master sheet. There are a number of affordable LCD television models that under 30 inches (diagonally), but over that you're currently looking at a price tag approaching or exceeding $10,000.

Last month we looked at a 46-inch plasma screen from BenQ. This month, we round out the trio of TV technologies with a look at projection screen and LCD models.

Samsung HCN553W Projection TV
http://www.samsung.ca
Estimated price: $2,999

Above a certain size, tube-based TVs become too heavy and expensive, which accounts for the rise of rear-projection TVs. For a fairly reasonable price, you can get an extremely large screen without the distortion of a curved tube.

Samsung's 55-inch model has full HDTV compatibility and an imposing presence. At 130x65x140 cm and 99.5 kg, you'll need to clear a good-sized spot in your living room. But, as a bonus, the base has a compartment with a flip-up door that's perfect for a VCR and DVD player. The lower half of the set features built-in 30-watt stereo speakers.

As with all screens of this size, the image doesn't look so hot close up -- especially from steep angles -- but take a few steps back and the picture looks great.

If you have a problem with the picture, you can use the auto-focus option or adjust the convergence manually at 15 different locations on the screen. Setting up the screen is reasonably easy, thanks to the simple remote control and the on-screen menu (which admittedly takes a bit more practice). You can specify your input settings as well as picture-in-picture setup (including up to 13 pictures in one, plus a stock ticker mode).

The most intimidating part will be connecting your audio and video components. The rear panel features dual CATV connectors, three component video inputs, two composite video inputs, S-Video input, and a DVI connector for connection to a PC or high-definition DVD player. It also has multiple RCA stereo audio connections on the rear. Outputs include CATV and composite. And, so you don't have to reach around the back to hook things up, it has a small door on the side that hides composite and S-Video inputs (for connecting a video camera) and another RCA audio input.

Bottom line: despite being a massive addition to your living room, the HCN553W is a very nice screen if you have the space... and
the money.

(Samsung's projection TV family includes 42-, 43-, 47 and 65-inch models.)

Sharp Aquos LC-37HV4U
http://www.sharpusa.com
Estimated price: $9,999

A more compact option is an LCD television. Sharp Electronics has gained a name for itself in this space with the Aquos line of flat-panel TVs, previously available in fairly small sizes (20 inches or less) in a standard 4:3 aspect ratio. The new LC-37HV4U is a whopping 37 inches diagonally and has a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio.

At a glance, the 37-inch Aquos is similar to previous models, with an ultra-thin screen component sitting atop a swivel stand. This model comes with a separate AVC System box that handles all of the connections to and from the unit -- in other words, it can maintain its clean lines because all of the audio and video inputs do not connect to the back of the screen. However, you'll have to find a spot for the AVC System box close by unless you get the 10 m cable (available separately). The rear of the box features a number of audio and video inputs (dual CATV connections, component video, two S-Video connections, one DVI, and two composite video connections) as well as two pairs of stereo RCA audio inputs.

The biggest advantage LCD has over rear-projection and plasma screens is the amazingly sharp, flicker-free picture, with a viewing angle of 170 degrees in all directions, so it'll look good no matter where you sit. It also sounds reasonably good, with a pair of detachable 10-watt speakers (complete with table stands). We did find the remote control more complicated than it needed to be, but if you spend time familiarizing yourself with the buttons, you should be fine.

As with all LCDs this size, the real drawback is price: roughly $10,000. But the Aquos manages to feature a huge screen and a lot of video inputs without taking up half your living room.