PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILIPS    PHILIPS 44-IN. CINEOS 44PL9773   Suggested Retail: $3,500   www.consumer.philips.com

REAR-PROJECTION LCOS
Size Range: 44 in. to 57 in.
Price Range: $3,200 to $9,000

Advancing past the LCD rear-projection TVs, "liquid crystal on silicon" sets are capable of delivering the highest resolution available for a TV. Toshiba's LCOS uses three separate panels for maximum performance; Philips uses just one panel, which keeps the price a bit closer to Planet Earth. Because light is reflected off of the LCOS instead of passed through it, it has deeper contrast than LCD rear-projection models, but like those sets, LCOS TVs are slimmer and lighter than the competition.