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You have to sit quite a ways back from the Mitsubishi WD-62628, because at 62 inches diagonally it's one of the biggest DLP-based sets you can buy. (PC World recommends sitting back at least twice the diagonal measurement, which would be about 10 feet with this model.) The WD-62628 is packed with features, including 1080 progressive resolution (and the ability to accept 1080p sources, unlike some 1080p sets); however, it didn't score very well in our image-quality tests.
Our main complaint with the WD-62628 ($4699, as of 1/20/06) was that its images weren't as sharp as the two other models in our test set, even taking into account that it is slightly larger than the other two. For example, long green grass in a high-definition program looked blurry in some spots and grainy in others. You can use a special video noise-reduction setting, but that just made the entire screen look blurry in our test loops. Colors looked a bit dark, even after calibration, but the set will let you adjust six colors independently. As with all rear-projection sets, the angle of view--particularly vertically--is somewhat narrow.
The set has a large selection of rear-mounted ports, including two HDMI inputs, three sets of component inputs, a digital-coaxial audio output (though no optical audio output), and two FireWire ports for connecting a digital-VHS deck or a camcorder. You'll also find a FireWire port on the front of the set, along with S-Video and composite ports, but all of the front-mounted ports are located in a kind of crease between the speaker panel and the base, so they're hard to access. A seven-in-one memory card reader in between the speakers is easier to reach.
You can use the very large remote control to operate many different types of components, either through the FireWire ports, the AV/C ports on the back of the set, or through a special four-headed IR cable that comes with the set. The remote-control system, called NetCommand, enables the remote to "learn" control codes from any other remote; pushing buttons on the remote instructs the TV to send the commands to the components. Of course, many such teachable remote controls can send commands to multiple components without the need for all the cabling; the advantage of Mitsubishi's system is that pushing one button can make multiple things happen--for example, it will change the input selection on your receiver when you choose a different input on the TV. You can also schedule recordings using the system with the TV's on-screen TV Guide program listings.
The Mitsubishi's powerful remote control is a big plus, but the sharper picture of less-expensive sets makes the WD-62628 difficult to recommend.
Upshot: This TV offers a very big screen and a ton of inputs, but image quality wasn't as good as we would have expected from a 1080p set.
Alan Stafford
