Hitachi's latest addition to the HD market is the 43UWX10B rear-projection HD monitor, a 16:9 version of the 43-inch 4:3 set I reviewed back in February. Hitachi has taken a proactive approach in developing convenient-sized rear-projection displays for smaller home theaters: This unit's modest 20.625-inch depth and 39-inch height make it a great fit in a bookcase or for use in a small room, and the 43-inch screen is becoming a very popular size for rear-projection TVs and plasma flat-panel displays. I should point out, though, that this is a 16:9-shaped screen and 43 inches is its diagonal measurement, so it's not as big as you might think. Nonetheless, Hitachi has packed a lot in this small package. The 43UWX10B has many operational and engineering features that make this HD unit worth a closer look.

Taking advantage of new technology is always a good thing. It's even better when the base technology has a proven track record. Mitsubishi has entered the DLP-projection marketplace with their WD 6500, a 16:9, high-definition rear-projection television.

As the HDTV market grows, so do the variations in the types of sets we have to choose from. Here is an entry from Hitachi that has a 4:3-shaped image and is classified as an HD monitor. There's some discussion on whether the conventional 4:3 aspect ratio is preferable to the newer 16:9 shape. I have been of the opinion that, if you're going to watch HD, it should be on a wide screen, but the 43FDX01 B and other receiver/monitors have slowly convinced me that I should take a good second look.

While most manufacturers are working on their first or maybe their second generation of HD-ready products, Mitsubishi is releasing their third-generation line of displays. The WT-46807 is the first in this new line, and some great new features demonstrate how the company's experience has paid off.

In this age of high-definition/digital television, it might seem odd for us to be reviewing NTSC (aka analog) displays. After all, digital television (DTV) and its subgroup, high-definition television (HDTV), are the way of the future, destined to replace our analog NTSC system. However, even if you consider the current crop of digital programming adequate enough to warrant purchasing one of the newer, more-advanced ATSC (aka digital) displays, they're still fairly expensive. If you're looking to spend more than $3,000 on a display, we strongly suggest that you consider DTV or DTV-ready products. However, for those of us who didn't cash in our Internet stock options in time, there are some good deals to be had on big TVs, and, as usual, Home Theater is here to point you in the right direction.

"Timber!" was the first word out of my mouth as we rolled Philip's high-definition television into our evaluation room. I could have sworn the TV was going to fall over and crush John, our burly assistant. Fortunately, the cabinet's attractively curved front baseboard makes the set more like a Weeble than a Suzuki 4 x 4 in a Consumer Reports road test. It didn't take more than a nudge from the back to make the TV lean forward; however, no matter how hard I pushed, I couldn't make it crash to the floor. Satisfied that John was safe from being squashed, I dissected the display's performance.

I might be dating myself (or just admitting more than I should), but as a kid I used to read a lot of those "choose your own adventure" books. You know, the ones where a junior adventurer goes looking for Mayan treasure, and, at the end of each page, the reader must choose which subsequent page to turn to and thus which path the story will take. Sometimes, you'd end up dead; other times, you'd strike it rich. The books were a literary video game. It was pretty much the only thing my parents could get me to read (hence the lack of Hemingway influence in my writing).