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Get the Picture
Improve your image by stepping up to high-definition TV
Steve Morgenstern
From the Print Edition:
Cigar of the Year, Jan/Feb 2005
(continued from page 4)
50-inch screen, $15,500, integrated HD tuner; 50" x 29" x 3.9", weight 99.9 lbs.; www.pioneerelectronics.com, 800-746-6337
Sharp LC-45GX6U outdoes even Sharp's own industry-leading efforts in turning the LCD technology developed for calculator screens and computers into high-performance TV displays. It's the largest full-featured LCD set on the market and the best-looking, with excellent color reproduction, very wide viewing angles and rock-solid video performance. Another plus: all your messy input wiring feeds into a single system box, which then connects to the TV with a single neat cable.
45-inch screen, $8,499, Integrated HD tuner, CableCARD; 42.7" x 25.4" x 3.7", weight 48.5 lbs; www.sharpusa.com, 800-237-4277
HP LC3040N is a prime example that consumer electronics firms aren't the only source for high-quality TVs anymore—computer
makers Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Gateway are getting into the act, producing impressive digital displays at very competitive prices. The HP 30-inch, HD-ready LCD incorporates industry-leading image processing technologies to provide smooth, artifact-free images, even during demanding high-speed movie and video sequences.
30-inch screen, $2,499, requires external HD tuner; 29.7" x 19.4" x 3.8", weight 38.5 lbs.; www.hp.com, 888-999-4747
Front Projectors
For the biggest possible screen size, front projectors are the way to go, but they're not a mainstream HD solution—unless you're setting up a home theater and can kill the lights as effectively as your local ultramultiplex. Like rear projectors, front projectors employ CRT, LCD, DLP and LCoS systems to create an image. And, of course, you'll also need to invest in a screen (a white wall will do in a pinch, but if you're setting up a home theater, you'll want to pony up for the higher brightness a screen provides).
Sony Qualia 004 is the video projector for Sony's ne plus ultra Qualia line. It employs a new LCD technology called SXRD: by cramming more points of light together with less space between them, the SXRD panel produces an exceptionally smooth high-resolution image. The Qualia 004 reproduces detailed HDTV pictures with stunning clarity, from dimly lit indoor scenes to the sweeping vistas of Lawrence of Arabia. And when there's nothing good on TV, it's fun to just look at the projector itself—this is one seriously handsome piece of hardware.
$30,000 (including lens), requires external HD tuner; 29.8" x 23.6" x 8.1", weight 88 lbs.; www.qualia.sony.us, 877-782-5423
Steve Morgenstern is a freelance writer living in New York.
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