OTHER TECH

Front Projectors

When it comes to dollar per square inch of screen size, you can't beat a front projector. These things easily produce images more than 6 feet wide. Many DVD-resolution models cost less than $1,000, while you can get some high-def LCD models for less than $2,000.

How It Works Whether DLP or LCD, a budget projector relies on a powerful lamp that interacts with an imaging chip containing a certain number of pixels. Unlike microdisplays, many budget front projectors have EDTV resolution (852 x 480), while step-up HDTV models have a higher pixel count (typically 1,280 x 720).

Pros •Huge images •Portable. Unlike every other big-screen technology, a small projector can be stored in a closet when not in use and easily taken to another room, over to a friend's house, or even on your next RV odyssey.

Cons •Projectors need a darkened room to look good - or even show a recognizable picture at all. •At a minimum, you need a big patch of light-colored wall. For optimum image quality, you need a screen, which will cost at least a few hundred bucks. •Budget projectors use LCD or DLP technology and are subject to many of the same limitations as microdisplays.

Entry Point: $1,800 We featured four high-def LCD projectors in April's "Super-size HDTV," including the excellent $2,300 Sony VPL-HS51 and the bargain-priced $1,800 Panasonic PT-AE700U. (Going by Panasonic's maximum recommended image size of 200 inches, that works out to a dime per square inch of picture!) Entry-level DLP-based high-def models now sell for $2,500 and up.