We know, that's a lot of numbers and letters to throw at you, so let's simplify: 1080p DLP HDTVs stands for "Afforable Big Ass TVs that Will Rock Your Blu-Ray."
Mitsubishi has unveiled a new line of HDTVs that start at 60" and
stretch all the way up to 73", each one delivering full 1080p high
definition image (assuming you sprung for the HDMI connector cable for
your PS3, which, c'mon, you absolutely should have) that won't cause
you to make that serious "TV or food?" decision.
The
60" we checked out retails for just under 2 grand and it's a lot of TV
for the money. Not completely flat, but certainly not as bulky as the
old tube sets, the DLPs are surprisingly light and offer three HDMI
hook-ups—essentially removing any chance of a crappy picture. The sets
are advertised as being much brighter than older models, and you can
see the difference when you view them head-on (they are still
projection TVs, so you lose sharpness when you view them on an angle).
If you plop yourself dead center, though, the colors are bright and
vivid.
The
best part is that it's almost entirely an instructional manual-free
set-up. "Intuitive" is the word some might use (but we wouldn't, on
principle), but all we know is that we were able to hook up all of our
systems, label them in the on-screen menu using Mitsubishi's pre-set
labels (one for "Xbox," one for "DVD," etc.), and get to the watching
of the
Casino Royale in just a few minutes. The TV will even
tell you if the image you're viewing is in standard definition, 720p,
1080i, or 1080p (care of a corner pop-up that comes up when you change
channels or pop in a DVD or a game) so the guesswork is taken out.
This
new line of HDTVs started hitting stores this past April, and
Mitsubishi also has a series of ultra-thin LCDs and 3D-ready "LaserVue"
TVs coming out that we're keen to investigate further (read: we'll be
begging Mitsubishi to send some of those over, too). But for now, we're
content to drown out our lives in the sweet embrace of 60-inches of
1080p mayhem.