Screen Tests
Big HDTVs are big news--so we lined up eight plasma and DLP models in our lab to separate the flat-out fabulous from the flops. Plus: A guide to getting high-definition programming.
Sean Captain
RCA Scenium HDLP50W151
Price when reviewed: $3899; Current prices (if available)
Color deficiencies dampened our enthusiasm for this otherwise swanky TV. In an HD clip from an auto show, for example, a sports car that looked candy-apple red on the other DLP sets appeared orange-red on the RCA. Likewise, some skin tones were a bit sallow. RCA says it deliberately uses less-intense reds to make images look more realistic, but we found the reds a bit too weak.
Though the RCA Scenium trailed the OptomaTV in three of our image tests, it jumped far ahead in brightness and contrast. A glossy screen filter gives images a vibrant appearance that helped this RCA TV excel in our bright-light torture test. But it showed distracting reflections, especially in a very bright room.
Built-in speakers sounded rich and powerful. The TV's impressive options include seven presets for specific content, a seven-band graphic equalizer, and ports for adding speakers or using the built-ins in a home theater setup.
The RCA has two standard and one HD tuner. You can connect other devices via two FireWire ports; an Ethernet port lets you connect to a network and surf the Web using the built-in browser and remote. But text viewed this way looked blurry, so don't chuck the PC just yet.
