Review of Big Screen TVs.

1. conventional direct-view TV (standard, HD-ready) 27" to 40"
2. Rear-projection TV (standard, HD-ready, HDTV) 42" to 73"
3. LCD TV (HD-ready, HDTV) 10" to 40"
4. Plasma TV (HD-ready, HDTV) 32" to 63"
5. Projectors (theoretically up to greater than 150" image)

All options for big screen TVs have their pros and cons. Some big screen TV types suffer in picture quality copared with others (rear projection) while other suffer from brightness problems depending on viewing angle (rear projection, LCD). What is certain is the type you can afford to purchase, depends on your budget limitations.

In this section I will provide my one best pick for 4 of the 5 big screen TV types above. Sort of a best-of-the-best. For more specific reviews on the type of big screen TVs you are interested in, take a look at the Big Screen TV Reviews page where I provide links to specialized sections for each TV category. Or click to see a general view of all big screen TVs available.

Conventional Direct-View Big Screen TVs - I own a 36" direct-view television from Panasonic. Not the biggest, not the best, but regardless, I recommend a 36-incher in this category. A 27-incher just won't cut it, regardless of your living room size, and a 40-incher is just over-priced compared to the more advanced rear-projection and plasma sets. It was priced in the range that I could afford and was the size that best fits in my living room.

If I could do it again, I would now make a different choice. I recommend the Sony KV-36HS510 FD Trinitron WEGA 36" HD-Ready Television. If having a TV which is high definition capable is not a concern for you, or if price is an issue, I recommend its little brother, the Sony KV-36FV310. It is the same size as the HD-ready Sony, but is not HD capable. Plus, it is considerably cheaper. Both models offer excellent picture and sound quality, plus picture in picture tuners, and 4:3 aspect ratio flat screens. I suggest you don't consider aything other than these two models.

Rear-Projection Big Screen TVs - Just to let you know, I'm not a big fan of rear-projection televisions. I don't like the drastic decrease in picture quality when not viewd from directly head on. Moving a few feet right or left of center of some televisions (also vertically up and down as well) significantly decreases the brightness of the picture. Not a very good option in living rooms with viewing positions considerably lateral of the direct center of the television.

All of that being said, the obvious attraction with rear-projection models is the size of screen they can accomodate. Nowadays up to an astonishing 82 inches, greater than 6 feet. In this field I could not imagine buying anything other than an HD-ready set. If you're going to go for the big screen option in this category, take advantage of the better picture quality of high definition. Here I have two recommendations depending on your budget (a.k.a. screen size).

The Sony KP-43HT20 43" Hi-Scan Big Screen HDTV is a 43 inch HD-ready set with a 16:9 aspect widescreen ratio. It performs better than most when displaying antenna, cable, and S-video images. Unfortunately it's ease of use suffers when compared to other models in this genre. This is offset because it uses a modified projection instrument instead of a rear tube to project its image, thus increasing image quality substantially, especially for HD-images (720p). The Sony KP-57WV600 is a marginally more expensive 57 inch rear-projection model, with a 16:9 aspect widescreen ratio. Like its little brother above it is very good at displaying S-video images. However it has much more user friendly controls and adjustments.

Plasma Big Screen TVs - Once you enter the realm of plasma televisions you're entering today's cutting edge technology. Accordingly priced of course. My one pick for a plasma TV is the Sony KE-42TS2 42" 16:9 Plasma WEGA Flat Panel Television. Imagine a television for which technology hasn't caught up yet. This TV is actually capable of outperforming anything currently on the market. This is what rock stars own. There are larger models of course. If you can afford them, buy them! It has a capable resolution of 1024 X 768 and can display 16,770,000 different colors. Luxury has been defined.

Projectors - Projectors are another current luxury in the big screen TVs field. Not an actual TV per se, if I had the available wallspace to use one, I would buy one. This is the closest to movie theater video that you can experience at home. I suggest the InFocus X2 Media Projector. An unbelievable image, a surprisingly reasonable price. Remember, a viewing screen is extra. NOTE: a bedsheet just won't cut it here.

Big screen TVs are one of the most important components of the home theater experience. You could have the best DVD player, receiver, and speaker that money can buy. If you are using these components on a 27 inch television you might as well just turn them all off until you go larger. Big screen TVs are here to stay and have become essential to the realistic and enjoyable home theater experience. Why do you think big screen TVs are the most expensive home theater component?