Please do not mistake flat-panel LCD (which we will talk about later) with rear-projection LCD. While in DLP rear-projectors the light is reflected by the mirror-coated DMD chip, here it goes through a liquid crystal chip made of several pixels to form an image. An electric current stimulates the pixels to either let the light go through or block it. The system uses three colored LCD chips (red, green and blue) to create the final color image. Resolution depends on the number of pixels contained in the chip – it goes as high as 768 but does not achieve Full HD status (i.e., 1080 pixels). Defective individual pixels are a problem: they can either go dead, appearing as a black dot on the screen, or be forever lit, and therefore being seen as a white dot. Other common problem is the “screen-door effect”: individual pixels can be seen forming the image on the screen.

Model example: Panasonic PT52LCX66 (52”)

Strong points

• Even tough is way bigger than its flat-pannel cousins, the LCD rear-projection is still less bulky than a CRT rear-projectors.
• Low energy consumption.
• Cheaper maintenance than those of DLP rear-projectors.

Weak points

• Bulkier set than those of DLP rear-projectors.
• Poor black level: the closest it gets is a very dark gray.
• Fixed number of pixels.
• Defective pixels.
• “Screen-door effect”: individual pixels can be seen forming the image on the screen.