4 styles of HDTV

Once upon a time, when only analog, tube TVs were around, buying a new set used to be a whole lot less of a nerve-racking experience. Now, there are all sorts of questions. Do you go wide or not? Is LCD better than plasma? And what's the difference between rear-projection LCD, LCoS, and DLP HDTVs? If all the tech jargon has you confused, don't worry. Read our guide to the pros and cons of high-tech TVs, and you'll feel a whole lot more confident when you hit your local electronics store.

Direct-view (tube) TVs

Direct view is how industry insiders refer to any television that doesn't use projection technology. Many of them are the familiar tube TVs you see everywhere--they're called tubes because the glass forms the business end of a cathode-ray tube (CRT). Direct-view tube TVs can be found in sizes up to 36 inches (diagonal), and as their screen sizes increase, so do their heft and depth. Sony's 34-inch KD-34XBR960, for example, tips the scales at nearly 200 pounds, measures 24 inches deep, and requires a minimum of two--and probably three--burly guys to lift it onto a stand. Because of size and weight issues, it doesn't pay for companies to make larger tube TVs; they simply aren't practical.

High-end tube TVs can give a great-looking picture. CRTs are still the kings of black level, a term used to describe the quality and the depth of black, the darker the better. Direct-view tube sets look good from any angle, so unlike flat-panel LCDs and rear-projection sets, the picture quality doesn't change depending on where you sit. Compared with newer TV technologies, however, direct-view sets often look softer with high-definition material because they can't deliver as much detail. Most tubes won't accept high-resolution PC sources. Also, tubes suffer from more geometry errors than do flat-panel sets, which can make straight vertical and horizontal lines appear to bend onscreen.

http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5108443-1.html?tag=txt