TV Guide: Alphabet Soup

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• LCD True liquid-crystal display is basically a larger version of the pixel-based technology used in computer monitors.
PRO: Each new generation of LCDs looks sharper and costs less.
CON: Problems with contrast and a slow refresh rate mean that for now, it's hard to make large-screen LCD TVs.
HOT BRAND: Sharp, $650-$9,000

• PLASMA Ultraviolet rays bombard a screen covered in tiny specks of phosphor.
PRO: The Rolls-Royce of flat panels, it's equally bright from every angle.
CON: Heavy. Expect to spend up to $15,000 on a good model. Cheaper sets can't handle high-definition TV.
HOT BRAND: Panasonic, $1,800-$25,000

REAR-PROJECTION TVs
New chip-based technologies have spawned three kinds of TVs that are almost as good as flat panels but cheaper.

• REAR-PROJECTION LCD Three separate LCD chips—red, green and blue—are aimed at a mirror that projects them onto the screen, like regular TV tubes.
PRO: Handles all the extra lines of HDTV.
CON: Not as thin as flat-panel LCD or plasma TVs. Black areas of the screen look gray.
HOT BRAND: Sony, $2,000-$7,000

• DLP Digital Light Processing projects a spinning color wheel on top of a grayscale image.
PRO: Black areas look better than on LCDs, and prices are low.
CON: Videophiles say they see a rainbow-like shimmering that can cause eye strain.
HOT BRAND: Samsung, $1,900-$5,000

• LCOS Liquid Crystal On Silicon projects directly onto the screen with no mirrors.
PRO: High contrast and high resolution.
CON: There aren't many LCOS sets yet. Philips has discontinued its models.
HOT BRAND: JVC, $3,000-$4,500