Front-projection TVs

At the top of the screen-size ladder, you'll find displays that don't really qualify as TVs: front projectors. These light cannons can easily fill 100-inch screens, but they're not for everybody since they require a light-controlled environment and plenty of room. Plus, for optimal picture quality, you'll want to buy a dedicated screen, although you can use a white wall in a pinch. Screen makers such as Da-Lite and Stewart have special, low-gain screens designed to improve black-level performance for LCD and DLP projectors.

CRTs are also used in front-projectors; think of those three-tube monstrosities that hang from the ceiling in the coach compartments of older airplanes. We won't discuss them here, however, namely because CRT projectors are quite expensive and are generally reserved for high-end, custom installations, where they put the local cineplex to shame. We'll forgo a discussion on LCoS front projectors, which are also generally quite expensive, until we review one.

DLP, LCD, and LCoS projectors, on the other hand, often cost much less than their rear-projection cousins and sometimes much more. All three technologies project the kind of huge picture--from units as small as a shoebox--that you enjoy at the theater.

DLP

	Upside:		Downside:		Forecast:
	Can get extremely bright; decent uniformity; generally better black-level performance than LCD.		More expensive than similar-resolution LCD models; rainbow effect.		Already the most popular technology for home-theater projection, new less-expensive 720p versions will make DLP even more desirable.

DLP-based projectors come in all prices, resolutions, and picture qualities, so it's tougher than usual to generalize about them. That won't stop us from saying, in general, that DLP projectors can produce a brighter image than their LCD counterparts, and their black-level performance is also usually slightly better. DLPs suffer from the same rainbow effect as their rear-projection brethren, although very expensive three-chip models do not.

Historically, 720p resolution DLP units have cost significantly more than the LCD competition, but in the last year, a slew of more affordable 720p DLP projectors have begun to hit the market. They still cost a bit more than the LCDs and usually don't offer features such as lens shift, but nonetheless, they're destined to seriously increase the popularity of HDTV-resolution DLP models. At the other end of the spectrum, true 1080p resolution DLP projectors are available, such as the Marantz pictured above, that cost a bundle and perform extremely well. The extra resolution of 1080p is especially evident when an image is blown up to projector size.

LCD

	Upside:		Downside:		Forecast:
	Usually less expensive with more features than DLP models of the same resolution.		Some screen-door effects; often not as bright as DLP models.		The advent of cheap DLP models is forcing LCD to improve in every regard, as well as drop in price.

LCD and DLP are very close in terms of performance, and even LCD's ability to produce good blacks has improved quite a bit. DLP still enjoys a slight edge in contrast ratio, however, mainly because its projectors can get a bit brighter than those of LCDs. The screen-door effect, which appears as a fine grid of pixels overlaying the screen, is also more noticeable on most LCD projectors. As we mentioned above, however, 720p LCD projectors still enjoy more features than their budget 720p DLP competition, including highly desirable items such as horizontal and vertical lens shift. No consumer-priced 1080p LCD projectors are currently available.

LCoS

	Upside:		Downside:		Forecast:
	Excellent black levels on SXRD models; good value for 1080p projection.		Inaccurate color on SXRD models; some convergence errors.		As long as Sony continues selling SXRDs, LCoS will challenge DLP among high-performance projectors.

Until Sony's VPL-VW100 came along, there were no 1080p resolution projectors that could be optimistically called "affordable." Now its step-down brother, the VPL-VW50, sells for around $5,000 and holds the title as the most affordable 1080p projector on the market. We expect even less-expensive SXRD models to come out this year. JVC announced an LCoS-based unit of its own, the DLA-HD1, that we haven't tested yet. Its specs look promising though.


Source: http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5108443-4.html?tag=arw