4. CRT Rear Projection

This is an old technology that has been used in homes and larger venues for decades, consisting of three large lamps (red, green and blue) projecting light onto a screen to create an image. Remember those old huge projection televisions from the 1970s and 1980s? That same technology was one of the first HDTV options throughout the 1990s, but it has largely been overtaken by digital projection technology such as DLP and LCD projection.

While there are a few high-end models that have decent image quality with good contrast performance, most CRT projection displays appear a bit soft compared to newer technologies. Also, CRT projection displays have a very small sweet spot, which requires that you sit at eye level and almost directly in front of the display in order to avoid a severe drop-off in brightness, and they also are usually bulkier than other digital rear projection displays.

Despite its shortcomings, CRT rear-projection HDTVs had a nice niche as you could get a large HDTV screen at a lower price than the newer digital projection displays. But in the past few years, prices on the digital models have dropped to the point where CRT projection no longer has much appeal. For example, one of the few CRT projection displays I could find was a 52" HDTV model for $850, but similar sized DLP models are selling for $950-$1,000.

Pros: Lots of size for a low price, some models have good contrast performance.
Cons: Soft resolution relative to other projection offerings, small viewing sweet spot, bulky.
Who's it for? A non-discriminating viewer on a very tight budget who can't pull-off a front-projection setup.

Suggested Models

Suggested models are recommended based on a combination of personal viewing experience, other user experiences, comparative pricing, and company reputation.

There aren't many left, but the Hitachi 57F59A might be a good choice. Hitachi CRT models have been held in high regard.

Hitachi 57F59A