MITSUBISHI WD-65837 65 inch 1080p DLP HDTV

1.      Mitsubishi’s DLP rear projection sets are a cheaper alternative to flat panels for anyone wanting a large screen HDTV that they don’t plan on wall mounting. At 16 inches it is deeper than a plasma or LCD flat panel, but it should fit comfortably on most AV furniture. Thanks to its clean lines and thin bezel it can easily be mistaken for a flat panel when viewed from the front. Mitsubishi’s 837 series 120Hz 1080P HDTVs are their top of the line models with 4 HDMI 1.3 ports, a RS232 control port, and they are even 3D ready.   A very cool feature is the USB port that allows you to view pictures or playback audio files. With the touch of a button you can even view your photos in a slideshow set to the music stored on your USB flash drive. Like most televisions the Mitsubishi needed some tweaking with the controls to produce the best picture. If you don’t want to spring for professional calibration to take advantage of the sets ISF mode you will at least want to use a calibration disc (I recommend Spears & Munsil High Definition Benchmark Blu-ray).

Once calibrated, the set had a very good picture and pretty good black levels thanks to the DC4 DLP chip. TIP: A small percentage of people notice something called “rainbow effect” on single chip bulb based DLP video displays, for that reason you shouldn’t buy a DLP based product until you have had a chance to see one to verify that you can’t see it or aren’t bothered by it. If you want to “crazy huge” the set is also available in a 73 inch for $2999 and an 82 inch for $4999. While a rear projection set may not work for everyone, it is worth checking out if you are looking for a full featured large size HDTV on a budget. Mitsubishi typically offers rebates or long term financing offers that may make the pricing even more attractive, so be sure to ask.