If you’ve ever used a laptop computer, cell phone, PDA, or just about any kind of electronic device with a screen, then you’ve used an LCD (or liquid-crystal display). LCDs range in size from tiny, sub-1-inch models to huge 40-plus-inch versions

LCD projection TVs tend to use LCDs from the smaller end of this continuum, often as small as 1 inch or less. Like CRT RPTVs, LCD RPTVs use not one, but three image sources _an individual LCD each for red, green and blue. Unlike CRTs, however, these LCDs don’t require periodic alignment (convergence), which makes owning an LCD RPTV a much easier task for those of us who don’t specialize in TV maintenance.

The small size of these LCDs accounts for what we think is the biggest advantage of the LCD RPTV when compared to a CRT model _LCD models are simply much thinner, closer to a flat-panel TV than a traditional RPTV in depth. So they can fit into your tight family room better than an older-tech CRT TV.

There are a couple of disadvantages of LCD projectors, however, including the following:

Screen doors:
LCD screens consist of a large number of sharply defined, square-shaped pixels that make up the image. When blown up to big-screen size (generally speaking, 50 inches or greater), these pixels can become visible. You’ll notice this when you feel like you’re looking out your home’s screen door. Better LCD HDTVs avoid this syndrome, but it can show up on even the best projectors for very large images.

Poor black reproduction:
LCDs are a transmissive technology _light shines through the LCD. It’s hard for LCDs to become totally black (some light leaks though), so dark scenes look more like dark gray than true black. Better LCD HDTVs have better black levels, but none match a CRT projector.

Dead pixels:
This is a huge deal for some folks, others won’t even notice it. There are literally millions of pixels between the three LCDs found in an LCD-projection HDTV. Occasionally one of these pixels malfunctions or becomes “stuck,” resulting in a visible dark or bright spot on your HDTV’s screen. The real problem is that many manufacturers won’t fix or replace your HDTV if you only have a few of these malfunctioning pixels _so if this sort of thing really drives you crazy, check out the warranty terms before you buy!

Lamp death:
The super-bright lamp that powers an LCD projector system has a limited lifespan _usually after a few thousand hours of use, the bulbs either dim to below usable levels or burn out altogether. While changing a bulb isn’t too hard or too expensive in most cases (usually less than a couple of hundred dollars), it is a bit of a pain.

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