If you are looking for a big screen TV, chances are you may have ruled out plasma and LCD TVs. While these TVs are available in large sizes, the cost associated with these giant flat panel televisions is astronomical. This is where DLP televisions have a clear advantage.

DLP TVs provide an outstanding picture at a very reasonable price. This is accomplished by using a high energy lamp as a light source. This light is shone through a series of lenses and then reflected off the DLP chip. This chip houses millions of microscopic mirrors that either reflect the light onto the screen, or away from it, depending on whether or not the pixel is supposed to be active. The light then passes through a color wheel. This wheel is divided into different colored segments (red, green, and blue) and then ultimately displayed on the screen.

DLP TVs are similar to LCD projection televisions. Both use a lamp as the primary source of illumination. Both technologies offer slimmer and lighter projection TVs than were available 10 years ago. Since DLP TVs reflect the light off the surface of the chip rather than pass the light through it, there is no “screen door” effect. This allows DLP TVs to produce an image that is slightly sharper than the same image on an LCD projection set.

In this site, you'll find articles on DLP TVs, news stories and comprehensive reviews on DLP televisions that will help you make an informed decision on which DLP TV is right for you. At TopTenREVIEWS – We do the research so you don’t have to.

Most of the DLP TVs are similar in that the DLP chip is manufactured by Texas Instruments. So you might ask yourself “since they all use the same chip, aren’t they all the same?” The answer is no. While they do use the same DLP chip, what happens to the light between the lamp and the screen can vary. Some DLP TVs will use an additional color in the color wheel, affecting the picture. Also, every manufacturer will use its own video processing, thus affecting the picture quality.

Look for a DLP TV with extra features too, such as memory card slots, multiple HDMI inputs, and don’t forget a good set of speakers.

Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate DLP TVs:

Resolution: You will want a DLP TV capable of displaying the high resolutions of today’s HD sources. The best DLP TVs will be capable of displaying 1080p.

Contrast Ratio: DLP TVs that have a good picture will always have a good contrast ratio. While contrast ratio measures the difference between black and white colors, it also makes all the other colors appear more vibrant.

Brightness: Obviously you want a DLP TV that is bright, and is easy to see even in bright room conditions.

Viewing Angle: A good DLP TV will be bright from almost any angle.

Digital Tuner: If you haven’t heard, you need to have a digital tuner after February 2009. Most TVs have one built in now, but not all.