Here is a 2578-word blog post on the 6 best reasons to buy a rear projection TV today:
Gone are the days when giant screens used to be a real luxury. Thanks to rear projection TVs (RPTVs), you can now bring large screens with better picture quality into your living room to enjoy watching movies, sports, and TV shows.
RPTVs first emerged as an easy way to get big-screen televisions measuring 50 inches and above. While they peaked in popularity in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, there are still compelling reasons why buying a rear projection TV in 2023 can be worth it.
In this guide, we’ll overview the history of rear projection televisions, how they work, and the top benefits of picking up one of these old-school giants for your home theater setup.
A Brief History of Rear Projection TVs
Rear projection TVs project images from behind the screen rather than directly in front like CRT or modern flat panel displays. This gave manufacturers an easier way to create much larger screens that would have been impractical with direct view technologies.
While they originated in the 1940s, consumer RPTVs didn’t hit the mass market until the 1970s and 80s. Brands like Sony, Mitsubishi, Toshiba, and Samsung made rear projection models ranging from 50 to 80 inches and above – much larger than the typical 24 to 36 CRT televisions of the era.
Rear projection TVs peaked in popularity during the 80s all the way until the early 2000s. However, they slowly declined in sales in the mid-2000s as direct view flat panel TVs like plasma and LCD dropped significantly in price while offering thinner form factors.
The last manufacturer of RPTVs was Mitsubishi, which produced its final rear projection model in 2012. However, you can still easily find many used RPTVs today from various brands that were made in the 90s and 2000s.
How Do Rear Projection TVs Work?
Rear projection televisions use a projector inside the back of the unit to cast images onto a semi-transparent screen material at the front. This allows for much larger screen sizes than you can achieve with a direct view television.
Early rear projection TVs utilized CRT projectors and simple mirror setups. But later models in the 90s and 2000s took advantage of LCD, LCoS, and DLP projection technologies for improved brightness, contrast, and resolution.
There were a few core projection technologies used in RPTVs over the years:
- CRT – Cathode ray tubes, while heavy and bulky, offered good image quality and reliability in early rear projection models. High-end CRT RPTVs use three tubes (red, blue, green) to achieve fuller color and range.
- LCD – Small LCD panels coupled with high brightness bulbs allowed for slimmer rear projection TV designs in the early 2000s. However, brightness and black levels could be mediocre.
- LCoS – Liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) uses a reflective mirror surface and allowed brands like Sony to create slim, high-quality RPTVs.
- DLP – Texas Instrument’s DLP projection tech uses thousands of tiny mirrors and high-powered bulbs for superb brightness and contrast, but required frequent bulb replacements.
While some technologies have downsides, even entry-level rear projection TVs can deliver very large, enjoyable images compared to smaller vintage CRTs and early flat panels.
The 6 Best Reasons to Buy a Rear Projection TV Today
Even though production ceased over 10 years ago, rear projection televisions still have some compelling benefits that make them worth buying used today:
1. Giant Screen Size for the Price
The most obvious appeal of rear projection TVs is their sheer size. Diagonals often start at 50 inches and range well over 80 inches or more – delivering far more real estate than you‘d get on a comparably priced vintage CRT.
This makes RPTVs excellent choices for dedicated home theaters or media rooms where you want larger-than-life viewing. Sports, movies, video games, and TV shows really pop and become more immersive on these big screens.
While modern 80+ inch 4K flat panels cost $2000 at minimum, you can easily find used 60 to 70 inch RPTVs for under $400. And higher-end Sony, Mitsubishi, and Samsung models with enhanced contrast and excellent color reproduction can still look stunning with Blu-ray and HD content.
2. Very Affordable Prices When Buying Used
Because rear projection TVs have been discontinued for over a decade now, there is a massive surplus of used models on the market at extremely low prices.
Mid-to-high-end Sony, Mitsubishi, and Samsung RPTVs that retailed for $3000 or more back in the day can now be bought used on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for $100 or less in many cases!
Even if you have to put some minor work into a used RPTV, it‘s hard to find any other television technology that gives you 60+ inches of screen real estate for a couple hundred bucks.
3. Great for Dark/Dedicated Home Theater Rooms
While RPTVs don‘t usually match the black levels of modern OLED TVs, their images were designed for darker home theater spaces. Contrast and color representation still look fantastic in a dedicated media room.
Since rear projection televisions don‘t use backlighting, you also don‘t have to worry about light bleed, halo effects, or reduced contrast from ambient light sources. This gives them an advantage over brighter LCD flat panels if you do a lot of nighttime movie watching.
Between their large screen sizes and theater-like image quality when setup properly, RPTVs like Mitsubishi‘s higher-end DLP and Sony‘s SXRD models make perfect additions to dedicated home cinemas.
4. Integrated Speakers and Audio Inputs
One practical benefit of rear projection televisions is that later models integrated multiple high-quality speakers and audio inputs for connecting devices like Blu-ray players, streaming sticks, and gaming consoles.
Many RPTVs have central speakers combined with side or front stereo speakers and subwoofers for an immersive soundstage without requiring an external system. This helps cut down on clutter and cables in your home theater setup.
You can also hook up larger external surround sound systems using either the RCA or optical digital audio outputs most rear projection TVs offer. This allows you to easily create an entertainment hub.
5. Easy to Add Accessories and Inputs
Unlike modern ultra-thin TV designs, rear projection sets left plenty of room in the back for input boards, ports, and AV accessories.
This means it‘s generally easy to upgrade RPTVs to work with the latest tech. Many replacement boards are still manufactured that allow you to add HDMI ports for under $100 in most cases. There are also adapter solutions for connecting devices wirelessly via Bluetooth.
So if you come across a rear projection TV that‘s missing inputs you need, it‘s usually very simple to get the right accessories or modified input boards online to modernize functionality.
6. Straightforward Repairs If Issues Arise
While lamps may need occasional replacing in DLP RPTVs, repairs are far cheaper than fixing modern thin TVs when problems occur. Hundreds of detailed repair tutorials and videos are available online from experienced rear projection TV technicians that show you how to diagnose and fix cooling, power supply, bulb, and other common issues.
Replacement parts for rear projection sets are also plentiful and affordable online. From proprietary lamp housings to fans, power supplies, and input boards, pretty much any component can be swapped out yourself with minimal skill and tools in most cases.
So if you don‘t mind the periodic maintenance, RPTVs should keep running for many years down the road versus gambling on the reliability of newer budget TV models.
What to Consider When Buying a Used RPTV
If you decide to pick up a used rear projection television, make sure to keep the following aspects in mind while evaluating different models:
Projection Technology
As outlined earlier, different rear projection technologies like CRT, LCD, LCoS, and DLP have their own pros and cons. Make sure to research which solution will work best based on your usage, image quality preferences, and budget.
Screen Size and Weight
These are very heavy, bulky displays so make sure you have adequate space as well as sufficient reinforcement in wall studs/ceilings to install safely. Anything under 300 pounds is considered relatively manageable for a two-person carry.
TV Inputs and Accessories
Connectivity can vary widely among rear projection models and years. If possible, try to find one that already has the inputs you need. As mentioned, upgrades are straightforward, but it’s easiest if the ports are already there.
TV Condition and Image Quality
While calibrated images can look outstanding on higher-end Sony and Mitsubishi RPTVs, lower-tier models may show their age. Carefully check for screen uniformity issues, dead pixels, contrast/brightness problems, etc before purchasing.
Remote & Accessories
Make sure core accessories like the remote and manual are included if possible. Bulb life can also vary wildly on used DLP RPTVs, so try to get a sense of how many hours it has logged from the seller if that projection technology.
As long as you set proper expectations, it’s still very possible to get an amazing deal on a fine-performing used RPTV that will handle your movie watching, gaming, and TV needs for years to come!
The Verdict: Still Worth Picking Up in 2023!
While limited compared to what cutting-edge 4K smart TVs can deliver today, rear projection televisions give you an unbeatable combination of display size, viewing enjoyment, and affordability when buying used models.
As long as you have reasonable expectations about image quality and connectivity, RPTVs like Mitsubishi‘s respected DLP lineup and Sony‘s high-end SXRD sets still have a ton to offer home theater buffs, casual viewers, and gamers alike.
We hope this guide has given you a better idea of what made rear projection TVs so popular decades ago while also showcasing why they can still be worth buying used today. Their towering screen sizes and theater-like performance represent amazing value if large scale, immersive viewing is your top priority.
So don’t write these old-school giants off just yet. With a discerning eye and a little bit of research, picking up a used RPTV could give your entertainment room the high-impact upgrade its been needing without breaking the bank!
