If you've been eying something a touch larger than Samsung's 61-inch HL61A650, why not consider Mitsubishi's WD-65835? The 65-inch Diamond series set was overshadowed by the altogether more intriguing LaserVue when it was introduced this Spring, but there's still a lot here worth loving. The surprisingly lightweight set was found to have accurate colors, "convincingly deep blacks" and a "bright, punchy, dimensional image," all of which sound characteristically Mitsu. Truth be told, critics had a tough time knocking the image quality at all under real-world scenarios, noting that its "exceptional contrast and solid blacks" easily trumped all but a few flat-panels. All that praise for a 65-incher under three grand? Smells like a winner if you've got the space.

Let's face it: there aren't too many new RPTVs hitting the market these days, but for those looking to save a little coin at the expense of a little depth, Samsung's HL61A650 is worth a look. The reviewers over at Home Theater Mag were able to take this beast in for a sit-down, and overall, they were duly impressed. The 61-incher included a respectable amount of ports, sufficient picture controls, very accurate colors and a swell remote. The main knock (outside of the bulky size) was the lackluster black level; in fact, critics noted that it was "among the worst that it had measured." That aside (if you can overlook it), but HDTV was said to perform "well above its pay grade," meaning that it could be an "ideal set at the right price for the casual viewer who will leave it in Dynamic mode and watch a heavy dose of sports in a brightly lit room."

With DirecTV launching HD service in Latin America, we'd say it's about time its residents realized that flat-panels are the wave of the future present. According to a fresh iSuppli report, the Latin American television market is expected to make a hasty and noticeable transition between now and 2012. Reportedly, LCD TV shipments to the region are set to rise and account for over 83% of the market in under four years; meanwhile, shipments of bulky CRT sets will decline to make up around 8% of the total market. The numbers are pretty baffling when you consider that CRTs held 77.4% of the market just last year, and it's actually rather scary to think where all of those soon-to-be-unwanted sets will end up.

People love their money, sure, but people still love their style. A thought-provoking article over at CNET has us pondering whether or not these tough economic times will actually increase sales of thick RPTVs during the holiday season. After all, the desire for high-def isn't apt to wane while the belt tightens, but consumers may begin to sacrifice thinness in order to finally bring home a big screen of their own. In our estimation, we can't say in good faith that we think CRT / RPTV sales will skyrocket while flat-panels struggle, particularly when you realize just how cheap these wall-mountable sets will be on Black Friday and during the run-up to that final week in December. It's a cute gesture, but we're still saying the heartbeat for chunky sets is growing weaker by the day.

[Thanks, Anthony]

Initially teased at CES, Texas Instruments promises the future of DLP could include two people sitting on a couch wearing odd glasses, watching the same television but seeing two entirely different things while actively ignoring and disregarding the other's presence (at least one will have to wear headphones.) While passive aggressive Fridays at the Engadget lounge are always interesting, whether Dual View can catch on with the rest of the world or find a better use, like hiding Madden playcalls, remains to be seen, but should be soon since the company announced Thursday that it plans to show off the tech by year end.

It's not often this day and age to see two RPTVs duking it out within the same fortnight, but shortly after CNET got ahold of Samsung's HL61A750 for review, the Mitsubishi WD-65735 showed up for its time on the test bench. For starters, critics couldn't deny that this 65-incher was big in more ways than one. Granted, consumers know full well what they're getting into with a DLP-based RPTV, but those not completely okay with a rather bulky set in their living room can stop right here and move on. Unfortunately, it seems that even those still with us will be looking for alternatives, as reviewers harshed on the inaccurate colors, soft details, lack of a PC input and lackluster array of controls. The unusually low 6.5 out of 10 rating suggests that there is value to be had for those looking for a big screen at the lowest possible cost, but the shoddy image quality will likely turn most folks away.

Canon is apparently the latest in a veritable slew of companies jumping off the RPTV ship, according to Japan's Corporate News. While the end of its development of rear projection technology is no surprise at this point, this may bode well for the long, long awaited SED technology. Even with Canon's Hitachi/Panasonic flat panel tie-up, its still working on getting its surface-conduction electron-emitter display to the people, and with the promise of 100,000:1 contrast ratios, we're still hoping they do.

[Via TV Snob]

At the same time as some manufacturers are getting out of the RPTV market, Texas Instruments is continuing to find ways to add legs to their RPTV light engine technology. We don't think anyone would try to argue that front projector setups are going anywhere anytime soon, but RPTVs need some extra features to give them an edge over its thinner competitors. The most intriguing new feature is "3D Ready" and with the correct equipment this feature can enable you to enjoy 3D entertainment at home. DualView also sounds pretty cool, the way it would work is that two gamers could play against each other on the same TV without seeing the same video, but unfortunately they'd have to wear some customized DualView eye-wear. Although these features sound interesting, who knows when they will be a reality, but we have already seen a few new sets featuring at least one of them.

While the rest of the world seems to be bailing on RPTVs, Samsung is using CES to showcase a pair of all new DLP rear-projection sets. Up to bat first is the 61- / 67-inch HL67A750A, and here's a look at what it's packing:

• Next-generation LED light engine: no color wheel, longer set life (30,000 hours)
• Full HD 1080p resolution and 10,000:1 contrast ratio
  
• 3D Ready integration with 3D accessory kit (sold separately)
  
• Four HDMI 1.3 ports with CEC
  
• USB 2.0 socket for PMPs, cameras, etc.
• Single-tuner picture-in-picture (PIP) can display two separate sources without an external tuner

But wait, there's more! Click on through to see it.

Remember how we told you that Sony, like so many others, is quitting the rear-projection TV business? Well, they finally decided to officially announce as much today, stating that come February its three RPTV plants would quit production of the sets and the company would focus its energy henceforth on LCD and OLED (huge surprise there). Don't let the door-of-obsolecense hit your ass on the way out, RPTV.

According to the linked article, the time is right for a consolidation of HD display technologies. Certainly, LCDs look like they're destined to take over direct view displays and move PDPs and RPTVs to the margins. But just because the writing is on the wall doesn't mean it's time to abandon PDP or RPTV technology just yet. We think the market will divide something like: RPTVs for ultimate size-per-dollar; PDPs for high-end quality freaks; and LCDs for everybody else. Multiple technologies in play makes a healthier (if more confusing) market. We remember when our first big-cabinet CRT RPTVs were high-end -- those big cabinets were a market opportunity that in part spurred improvements in plasma displays. And would development of dynamic LED backlighting been so aggressive without PDPs showing superior motion resolution? In the end, judge with your eyes, vote with your dollars and let the market decide when a display technology should be abandoned. Artificially limiting choices is lame; we here in the US-of-A power innovation and progress through competition!

[Image courtesy of The Curious Shopper]

It's unconfirmed at the moment, but we're hearing that Sony is planning to discontinue sales of all rear-projection HDTVs, including its 3LCD and SXRD lines, after current inventories are exhausted to focus on the hot-selling Bravia LCD line. We've been tipped on it twice today and now This Week In Consumer Electronics is reporting that a Sony spokesperson has told them that "We are moving our resources more toward LCD TV, because that's what people really want." It looks like all backorders for the KDSZ70XBR5 are being canceled, as the unit will never be manufactured, and Sony's making a "no promises" effort to fill backorders for the KDF46E3000 and KDS60A3000. The move isn't exactly unprecedented or even all that surprising -- Toshiba, Philips and Hitachi have all stopped producing rear-projection sets, but Sony's SXRDs were still extremely popular and it's strange to see them get dropped just like that. Check the full leaked email we got after the break.

It was around this time last year when we saw RPTV sales hit an unexpected jump, but honestly, we wouldn't read too much into it. Manufacturers are bailing from the aging technology left and right, and even though sales were up 27-percent in October over September (tallying "the highest unit sales since May"), these figures are still "less than half" of what was seen in January. Additionally, 1080p LCDs outsold 1080p plasmas in the 50- to 54-inch arena "by nearly three to one," and research from Pacific Media Associates also discovered that LCDs "made up 80-percent of flat panels sold" in the 26-inches or larger category. Also of note, street prices sunk around 30-percent from the same month a year ago, and while Samsung led the flat-panel market with a nearly 20-percent share, Toshiba's 32-inch 32HL67 was said to be the best seller.

[Image courtesy of NFM]

Not even a full month after Hitachi pulled the plug on its own RPTVs and started looking to sell off its CRT operations, Seiko Epson has come forward and announced that it too will discontinue the production and sales of its rear-projection televisions. Reportedly, the outfit will be refocusing efforts on front projectors, and judging by its installation at CEDIA, we can't say we're shocked to hear it. It should be noted that the firm will "continue its research and development activities for rear-projection models," and moreover, a company spokesman proclaimed that it wasn't totally withdrawing from the rear-projection TV "business" -- whatever that means. Another one bites the dust, we suppose.

[Image courtesy of Astera]

Not even a month after Hitachi announced that it would be axing production and sales of RPTVs in North America, the firm has followed up by stating its intentions to sell its entire stake in a Chinese joint venture that produces CRTs. More specifically, the firm will offload its 25-percent stake in Shenzhen SEG Hitachi Color Display Devices to a local investor for 175 million yuan, or around $24 million. Reportedly, the company will be focusing the newly-freed resources on "growth areas such as plasmas," but that doesn't exactly jive with Hitachi's previous viewpoints on the generally shaky PDP market. Nevertheless, we can't say that we're shocked to hear of this exit, but so long as we're headed onwards and upwards, you won't find us tearing up over the loss.