RCA P52940 52 in. TV

"Note: This is a revised epinion of the RCA P52929 which, from what I can ascertain, is a relatively new model, not listed at www.rca.com as of December 2000. I've seen it sold at both Circuit City and Sears (it's listed at both of their on-line store sites). The P52929 is relatively close, feature-wise, to the P52940 and the P52921."

That's a quote from m001's Epinion. I found that review to be very well written, but it seemed like m001 may have received a bad unit. m001 has a salient point about RCA's poor track record according to Consumer Reports, but I just wanted to post a review from a user who is very happy with it regardless.

I have a fairly large VHS library (taped in EP mode, no less), so one of my primary concerns the picture quality on a 52" TV. Well, it's pretty bad, but of all the projection TVs I considered, it sucked the least on this RCA. It had the best sharpness and color fidelity, and while $1500 was a bit more than I was hoping to spend, Circuit City was giving out a free DVD player with its purchase so I gave in.

My secondary concern was actually getting the unit to my house. Circuity City offers free delivery (as do the Good Guys), and one morning their delivery ppl showed up and wheeled it in -- completely unpacked and ready to be plugged in. My gripe (if you can call it that) is that it's really big. You will not have a sense of how big this TV is until it's in your home. This is exacerbated by the fact that I have a smallish apartment; sometimes the room feels like a temple dedicated to my TV.

All told, after living with it for three weeks, I have to say that I'm very pleased. The EP-mode VHS tapes aren't something to crow about, but their quality is tolerable. The P52929 shines with a high-resolution source like a DVD player. The sound system booms. I haven't even bothered hooking it up to my Cambridge SoundWorks speakers because it's so good.

Despite the fact that the TV weighs almost twice as much as I do, it's very maneuverable on a flat surface thanks to its mounted wheels.

I usually think that Extended Service Plans are not worth the price, but I sprang for a 4-year plan just for the piece of mind. To me, projection TVs seem like one of those fickle devices that spontaneously develop defects. Given my fear, irrational or not, Circuit City's ESP seemed reasonable for the additional $240.

Finally, shopping for a projection TV is a bewildering and tiring experience. Take your time, look around at various shops, and keep looking at sales flyers for special promotions. Above all, keep your watching habits in mind and narrow down your choices based on the features that are most important to you.