One of the best things about putting together your very own home theater system is that you can choose and manipulate your viewing experience exactly to your liking. Most home theater enthusiasts will tell you that bigger are better. It's a large television screen is very important to you; you will definitely want to look into the world of the rear projection television.



With the rear projection television sets, you are not limited by the size constraints of a traditional direct view television. This is because the rear projection television screen does not use a single cathode ray tube in order to display the picture. Instead, as the name indicates, this type of screen uses a projection screen. Here are some basics about the rear projection television set so you can get an idea of what options you have in creating your own home theater system.

A rear projection television screen with multiple cathode ray tubes

The first type of rear projection television screen to hit the market used the traditional cathode ray tube format. But rear projection television screens alter the traditional format by using three different cathode ray tubes, one each for blue, red and green. These rear projection television screens can provide excellent contrast and a great sharp picture, but they're usually very bulky and heavy.

Rear projection television sets using Digital Light processing

Another popular format for the rear projection sat is the use of three digital micro mirror devices that work together to create the pixels that make up your television screen. These greens tend to create a very good picture, but they have also been known to produce what is called the screen door effect, causing a hazy sheen over the picture at times. Other users have complained of a rainbow effect when there focuses move from one part of the screen to another.

The liquid crystal display format

Another popular screen format found across many different rear projection television sets is a liquid crystal display. This format works directly with slight passing through liquid crystals in order to magnify the picture and projected across the screen. Part of the great appeal of the liquid crystal display format is that it creates a slim and lightweight screen. However, one of the major drawbacks of the liquid crystal display formats is that it does not give good black level. Black level refers to the ability of the screen to create a true black contrast, allowing for sharp and crisp detail.

The new liquid crystal on silicon display

One of the newer types of digital screen formats is a liquid crystal on silicon. This format is a kind of hybrid between liquid crystal display and Digital Light processing. This format aims to reduce the appearance of the screen door rainbow effect. However, the liquid crystal on silicon format also has trouble with creating a good black level.

Conclusion

When shopping for a rear projection screen for your home theater system, compare are screen size, resolution and display. Take in account where the screen will be in your home, what kind of lighting it will receive, and what kind of space you have to work in.