Big TVs With 1080p Resolution

REVIEWS & RANKINOS /
Big TVs With 1080p Resolution
definition standards, browse
to "Ten HDTV Myths" (find.
pcworld.com/51924).
The HP MD5880n earned
our Best Buy award by dominating our image-qualitytests
and offering some unique
design touches. The image
quality of the other two sets
was disappointing. The Mitsubishi's picture was the least
sharp, marred by bluny spots
and grainy patches, and the
image crawled at several
points. The JVC's picture
sometimes looked sharp, but
with certain programs, areas
of sparkling color distracted
our viewing, especially with
standard-definitionprogramming. To read full reviews of
all three shipping sets, visit
find.pcworld.com/51624.
going
to shell out thousands of dollars for a big highdefinition television set, you
probably want it to deliver the
highest resolution available so
it won't be obsolete in six
months. We tested three of
the largest, newest microdisplay sets that offer 1920 by
1080 progressive resolutionthe most you can get in a TV.
However, you won't find
any 1080p sources (yet);getting a 1080p TV now is useful
only for future-proofing. And
not all so-called 1080p sets wiU
accept 1080p video when it
does become available. For
example, the 56-inch JVC HD56FH96 ($4000) that we tested does not accept 1080p
sources; rather, it upconverts
signals to 1080p resolutionso JVC can call it a 1080p set.
The other two televisions we
looked at, the 58-inch HP
MD588On ($4000) and the 62inch Mitsubishi WD-62628
($4699), will accept 1080p
sources. For more, see "No
TV Shows at 1080p" on page
62; for an explanation of highIF YOU ARE
THC REALLY
810 PICTURE
THE H P MD5880N and the
Mitsubishi WD-62628 use a
Texas Instruments DLP (Digital Light Processing) chip,
while the JVC HD-56FH96
uses three LCoS (liquid crystal
on silicon) chips. These televisions, like all rear-projection
..-...
-a
Very (
.-.y 6ood
SDW. Very Good
DVD: Very Good
* Overall design: Very Good
sets, have large cabinets.- The
acceptable viewing angle with
these models is narrower than
you get with plasmas, directview CRTs, or LCD sets.
HP says the TV uses technology to project two slightly
overlapping, shifting images
to create a sharper picture.
That may just be hype, but the
HP had the most accurate
color, the best contrast, and
the sharpest picture, whether
5&lnch screen
Tuners: one NTSC. one ATSC
Inputs: two HDMI, two component
Cablecard ready
...I..II..,. .
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.......-..I-.
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k(toll Ibw DLP set aced our image-quality tests handily, and has unique, easily accessiblefront-mounted ports.
Tuners: one NTSC, one ATSC
Inputs: two HDMI, three component
- -1
'
e
9
4of the,&&re,
the WD-62628 has a ton of inputs, but irnaqe quality wasn't as good as we'd expected.
56-Inch screen
Tuners: one NTSC, one ATSC
Inpts: two HDMI, two component
JVC HD-56FH96
CHART NOTES: Ratinas are as of VZ0106. For more details abo~tthe products listea in this chart. see find.pcworld.com/51624.
50
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/
APRIL 2006
HP'S 58-INCH M D 5 8 8 0 n
d e l i v e r s h l q h l m a q e quallty, a n d
w i l l accept 1080~
v ~ d e osources.
it was displaying HDTV content, standard-definitionprogramming, or DVD movies.
The HP's ports sit behind a
large panel on the front of the
set, making it easy to connect
components. But to hide the
cables, you'll have to snake
them through the chassis.
All three sets have CableCard slots, digital and analog
tuners, and two HDMI inputs. The Mitsubishi has a
few more inputs than the
other models (including three
sets of component inputs).
Any of these sqts CO& a lot
less than a flat-vanelTV of the
same size (if you
can find
,
one). ~ h o u g hthe constricted
viewing angle is' a drawback if
you want a big TV with 1080p
resolution, you'll get the most
for your dollar w&h FP's DLP.
.