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Rear-projection TV shines but still can't beat a good CRT
When Hitachi invited Wired to compare its latest 43-inch rear-projection, high-definition television against any competitor's 36-inch CRT, I was beside myself with gear-junkie joy - and called Sony for a review unit. I'd have a front-row seat as two Japanese giants duked it out for AV supremacy.
Given the enormous size of cathode-ray tubes, screens on traditional TVs generally can't be bigger than 40 inches. Rear projection solves this problem by using a small CRT and then amplifying the projected image. Although this means you get a relatively compact giant-screen TV, the rear-projection image hasn't been nearly as bright as that of a tube TV. Hitachi says it has solved the brightness problem - thus the challenge.
The Hitachi was first to arrive. The delivery guy and I hefted the 148-pound set up to my second-story apartment. At 20 inches deep, it fit nicely against the wall of my relatively small hovel. Not true for the Sony. This 235-pound monster nearly herniated the two gorillas delivering it, and, at 24.5 inches deep, it just didn't fit into the room as neatly.
Both TVs have a seemingly endless array of functions, including complete interconnectivity with any and all of your other audio/video equipment. They each feature one-touch theater mode adjustment, allowing you to quickly alter image settings to best suit the program you are watching. Hitachi's functions are more effective, given that they also adjust sound.
They both also offer picture-in-picture, and with the Sony set you can view images from multiple sources simultaneously, watching that DVD of Fletch that's due back in an hour while keeping an eye on the Oilers game.
Functionality aside, the big question remains: Which has the better image? Both are flat-screen HDTVs, so DVD viewing on either one is a thing of great beauty. Yes, that huge 43-inch Hitachi display can be pretty breathtaking. But Sony's Trinitron tube still offers a brighter picture. So, if you need a big screen and a lightweight machine, rear projection may be right for you - but when it comes to image quality, the tube television remains the reigning champ.
Hitachi: (800) 448 2244, www.hitachi.com;
Sony: (800) 222 7669, www.sonystyle.com.
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