RCA DLP TV Review

Model: RCA HDLP50W151 DLP Television
Description: 50-inch HDTV Rear-Projection DLP TV, Widescreen 16:9 Format
Resolution: 1280 x 720 (WXGA)
Includes: Built-in ATSC tuner with QAM-in-the-clear digital cable decoder, 4 speakers (2 tweeters + 2 mid-range) with 60W total power, and universal remote control
Color: Silver base with black "borderless" frame around screen
Reviewer: William Becker
Review Date: 05.20.04

An Overview of DLP Technology

Texas Instruments introduced DLP (digital light processing) technology in 1996, hailing its unique ability to deliver a digital video signal from start to finish -- i.e., without compressing it into an analog signal. DLPs utilize Digital Micromirror Devices (DMDs), which literally reflect digital information as sequences of red, green, and blue light.

Each frame of a movie is separated into its respective red, green, and blue components and then digitized into samples for each color. Each of the DMD's 921,600 (or 1280 mirrors horizontally by 780 mirrors vertically) micromirrors is, in turn, controlled by one of those color samples. These micromirrors reflect (or deflect) the reds, greens, and blues coming off a backlit color wheel, according to how much of each color is "written into" the digital video signal for each frame. DLPs display color images as rapid sequences of red, green, and blue sub-frames projected on to a screen, one right after another.

In the end, it is the human visual system that integrates or "reads" this digital signal cum RGB color sequence as a full-color image. All the blending of color and image formation is done on the viewer's end, so you might say that DLPs deliver digital video signals all the way up to the time the brain interprets them as analog (or "whole picture") signals.

INTRODUCTION

The HDLP50W151 is the flagship model of RCA's Scenium line of premium high-definition home theater products. It is a 50-inch (diagonal) fully integrated rear-projection HDTV based on Texas Instruments's DLP technology, which incorporates TI's second-generation Mustang/HD 2 chip for improved brightness and contrast. The slick styling of this Scenium is a far cry from the boxy styling of the company's older models. The HDLP50W151 certainly looks the part of the cutting-edge A/V display: Its burnished aluminum cabinet lends it definite "curb appeal," as do its decidedly modest (for a rear-projection unit, anyway) dimensions. At 46.9" x 39.21" x 15.96", the RCA Scenium packs a lot of picture into a diminutive footprint. All in all, the HDLP50W151 is a good-looking television set-impressive yet understated. This next-generation Scenium HDTV has all the minimalist panache we've come to expect from high-end A/V equipment, with a touch of the visual "heft" appropriate to a tabletop unit of its caliber.

Picture: 87/100

The HDLP50W151 exemplifies the real genius of DLP technology in its light output. This is an extremely bright display, capable of pumping out more than 100 foot-lamberts (ft-L) without any noticeable "blooming" occurring in the white parts of the picture. As tested with the Sencore CP-5000, the unit produced 109ftL (on WARM setting), which makes the RCA ideal for anyone who watches television during the day or in especially bright settings, since ambient light tends to wash out the pictures on all but the very brightest sets. This RCA DLP TV actually thrives in environments with modest ambient light levels.

Given the RCA's considerable brightness, one would expect it to have decent, if not above-average, black levels -- deep blacks to complement those stellar whites (and boost contrast ratios). Not so. This became apparent once we started watching Seabiscuit. The opening scenes in Seabiscuit neatly point up this deficiency: The black-and-white photomontage of Henry Ford's Model Ts lacked punch. The whites and the grays were there, but the blacks were unremarkable. Without sufficient black levels to anchor those images, their gray-scale detail suffered.

I used the pluge pattern on Video Essentials to calibrate the black levels on the HDLP50W151 at 51% (out of 100%). Jacking up the black levels to overcompensate for their deficiencies only throws off the whites in the picture. So, we learned to live with the RCA's decidedly low-key blacks. Properly calibrated, we measured the HDLP50W151's black levels at .21ftL, giving it a contrast ratio in the neighborhood of 519:1.

We found that the RCA's principal shortcoming had to do with color. The colors on this unit were not sufficiently saturated. This seems to be RCA's shtick: Its just-slightly undersaturated color schemes differentiate its picture from the typically oversaturated color pallets of its competitors. Some people don't mind this; others complain the picture looks washed-out.

The HDLP50W151 has some particular problems with its green channel. We first observed this early on in Seabiscuit, when it cuts to the scene where Tom Smith (Seabiscuit's eventual trainer) is out on the plains, roping wild horses. There is not much grass in this scene, but what there was simply not green enough.

After some research, we discovered that one could use the GREEN STRETCH function (under the ADVANCED SETTINGS menu option) to make greens "greener" and increase the color saturation:

Here's how to boost the RCA's green levels:

(1) Press the MENU button on the remote.
(2) Select the PICTURE SETTINGS option (scroll down to this option or press #1 on the remote number pad).
(3) Select ADVANCED SETTINGS option (press #6 on remote number pad).
(4) Select GREEN STRETCH option (press #2 on remote number pad).
(5) Select LOW or HIGH to increase the green levels on your set. The default setting is OFF, which is why the greens seem muted out of the box.

Using this RCA DLP TV's on-screen menu system is easy enough, though it does tend to require a lot of button pushing on your part. RCA makes much of the Scenium's ease of use factor, and, for the most part, these boasts are well founded. One example is the PICTURE SETTINGS menu, which includes gages for contrast, color, tint, black level, and sharpness. The nice thing about adjusting, say, the contrast level is that (1) the menu displays all the settings as once, which is nice when one needs to switch among them to achieve optimal picture calibration, and (2) the menu's graphics go translucent while one is making his or her adjustments. This kind of thoughtful design more than makes up for the occasionally clumsy "digging" one has to do to get to the screen for the variable one wants to change. (E.g., to adjust the picture, one has to go under the PICTURE QUALITY menu to get to the PICTURE SETTINGS menu -- an unnecessary step, since RCA could have just as easily made the latter part of the former's screen.)

The HDLP50W151 includes three global picture presets: CINEMATIC, NATURAL, and VIBRANT. The VIBRANT option seemed to exaggerate the color levels a bit too much. The RCA has a separate, custom memory function for reach video input. It also has an AUTO COLOR function, which minimizes the flesh tone variations in the TV's picture. The EDGE ENHANCEMENT feature makes the edges of the video steeper and sharper, and this crispness is quite noticeable -- and not altogether disagreeable -- set on HIGH.

Three display modes are available: NORMAL (to view 4:3 programs with gray bars), STRETCH (to fit 4:3 programs to widescreen specs), and ZOOM (to crop the picture on all sides, which is ideal for "letterboxed" programs). Note: None of these display modes work with 480p or 1080i signal sources.

Other Considerations: 88/100

The RCA Scenium line boasts a number of nice, built-in features that add to the value of its 50-inch model. The set comes with an integrated ATSC tuner and is cable-ready. With the NetConnect feature, you can access the Internet using your TV (provided a high-speed connection [cable or DSL] and an established ISP). The unit has a web browser that works with the remote or an optional keyboard, which costs around $50.

As for the RCA's basic performance, we must admit we were a bit disappointed (and distracted) by the HDLP50W151's noisiness, which doesn't really abate until some time after the unit has been turned off for a while. Compared to other DLPs, this one is fairly loud, which can be a bit irksome during really quiet scenes in movies.

This rear-projection DLP TV features a high-gloss black screen area that separates the different elements of the television's design (i.e., the display from its silver chassis/sound system). RCA calls this CinemaScreen, since the "borderless" screen creates the illusion of a floating picture. This feature also serves to brighten the picture, thus enhancing the set's overall contrast levels slightly. The screen shield, however, is highly reflective; so any backlighting from a lamp or window will be reflected on the screen.

The remote included with this unit is quite nice and well balanced in the hand. The back of the remote has a "grip" for the forefinger, which makes it comfortable to use. It is long and thin, with a smart layout that makes it easy to operate with one's thumb -- once one gets used to the diminutive buttons, that is. The blue illumination mode makes the remote easy to use in the dark, though only the most important buttons get lit. One can also program the top keys to directly access different inputs, and, since it is a "learning" model, the remote can operate just about any A/V component.

The Scenium HDLP 50W151's connectivity includes: 2 composite video inputs, 2 S-video inputs, 2 component video inputs, and a DVI (HDCP-enabled) digital video interface.

Input Jacks on the RCA HDLP50W151 DLP TV

Value: 90/100

With a plethora of features and excellent connectivity, this Scenium will not become obsolete any time soon. And, with an MSRP just under $4000, it is a decent value, comparable, price-wise, to the Toshiba 52HM84 and Samsung HLN507W. The RCA HDLP50W151 is one of the few fixed-pixel DLP displays that comes with a tuner, which is a real space/budget saver. Whatever video foibles this DLP TV might exhibit are made up for by the RCA's elegant design and solid performance in real-world lighting conditions. In short, the HDLP50W151 is a full-featured model with a bright display that is perfect for people who watch TV (not just DVDs) in a variety of situations.

Overall Rating (with picture double-weighted): 88/100

RCA 50" DLP TV Review by D. F. Bravermann from Cambridge, MA

Q: Please describe in detail your buying experience

A: I bought the RCA 50" Scenium. I'm not ashamed to admit that I watch a lot of television (public broadcasting, mostly), and that I like to have the TV on when I'm doing work or reading just so I can ignore it. Helps me concentrate. So I'd probably burn a plasma set out pretty quickly. I've never liked the look of LCDs, but I still wanted to really high-resolution picture.

I wasn't familiar with DLP until I did what the salesperson at DTVCity suggested--go to Best Buy and check one out, then get it from a REAL electronics vendore. So I did, and I must say that the RCA looks and acts amazingly! You really can't even see the pixels making up the picture. I really like the TV's coloration, too. Some of the nwer TV's can be a little too colorful (unnatural), but my RCA is right on in terms of color. It sounds good as is. So I don't have to try to get any extra equipment and cram it into my studio apt..

Overall, I am really pleased with my new RCA DLP TV. I know people love how thin plasmas are, but my DLP really isn't THAT bulky. I couldn't hang a plasma on my wall anyway (landlord would flip, and I'd be paying to patch plaster, etc.). So why not save a month'd worth of rent and still get a great picture? Plus, if I move...when I move, I won't have to worry too much about damaging a plasma screen, keeping it upright, blah, blah, blah. I can just move my Scenium like a regular TV. Simple..

To anyone who hasn't considered DLP before, I woiuld say this: Give it a look. I personally liked the Scenium line best. It's really durable. You can even replace the bulb yourself. (I haven't had to yet, but a salesguy walked me through the process. Nothing to it.)

Q: Where did you purchase your DLP TV, please include comments about your buying experience

A: I purchased my DLP TV from DTVCity.com Above all, it was easy. The DTVCity.com sales guy who helped me really knew what he was talking about (no stories about recharging" phosphors, etc.), and he was able to help me choose the set that was right for me. I was leaning toward plasma when I started out, but, it turns out, DLP technology was really the right one for me. No burn in, no burn out.
DTVCity just seemed the most credible of the vendors I was considering. They're recognized by the Better Business Bureau, have corporate clients, and buy direct. Worked for me.


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