Flat-panels are obviously the hot video technology du jour, but despite dismissive comments from some pundits that rear-projection TVs are “value products� —and the reality that they’re generally not custom install products—the category was a strong one at CEDIA.

RPTVs were demonstrated by JVC, Mitsubishi, Samsung, Sony, and others. At CEDIA, Sony was showing its Grand WEGA A2000 lineup, which debuted in June. The microdisplay-powered sets come in three sizes—50�, 55�, and 60�—and sport two 1080p HDMI inputs, the WEGA Engine system, and the same 0.61-inch SXRD chips found in the XBR line. Sony’s “Cinema Black Pro� technology is claimed to deliver a contrast of up to 10,000:1.

Sony’s KDS-50A2000, KDS-55A2000, and KDS-60A2000 models are available now at prices of about $3,500, $4,000, and $4,500, respectively. Coming soon: new models KDS-R70XBR2 (70�) and KDS-R60XBR2 (60�), at $7,800 and $5,300, respectively.

JVC showed a slew of DILA rear projectors, including 1280 x 720p models like the 52� HD-52G787 and 61� HD-61G787, with three-chip microdisplay engines and 5-point color adjustment. Also on the show floor were 1080p models such as the 56� HD-56FH97, a 1920 x 1080 unit with gold-plated jacks and an RS-232 port for deep integration. JVC’s rear-projectors range as large as 70�. Prices given on the convention floor were either wholesale or vastly reduced from what appears on JVC’s website. At www.jvc.com, the HD-56FH97 is shown with an MSRP of $4199.95; at CEDIA, a JVC rep quoted the same model at $2999.

Mitsubishi had an impressive number of rear-projectors in its big booth, including two models in the “531� series, both of them 720p LCD models, at 52� and 62� diagonally. The company has three series (designated 631, 722, and 731) of 1080p RPTVs, and made a huge splash with the launch of two new 73� models, the WD-73732 and WD-73831. The TVs are said to benefit from Texas Instruments’ “largest DLP chip available� and a proprietary “TurboLight180 high aperture lens system,� said to generate a 10% brighter image than is usually possible with a 180-degree lamp. Amenities include two HDMI inputs, and IEEE 1394 connectivity.

Most impressive was a demonstration of Mitsubishi’s six-color light engine, which enables an unprecedented level of color adjustment. Two color-adjustment features (“PerfectColor� and “PerfecTint�) allow tweaking the intensity and tint of each color independently and separately for each input. Other video processing techniques, like “Dark Detailer,� provide exceptional image quality.

Samsung also demonstrated a half-dozen DLP rear-projectors, among them the 71� HLS-7178W. This impressive1080p set has two HDMI (v. 1.2) inputs, an RS-232 port, and a suggested list price of $4999. Two smaller versions, the 61� HLS-6188W and the 50� HLS-5088W, sell for $2999 and $2199, respectively. There was also a 720p model, the 56� HLS-5686W, with twin HDMI ports.

Standouts in the Samsung RPTV lineup included the 46� HLS-4676, a shallow-depth 720p unit with 2500:1 contrast ratio, selling for only $1699. The 56� HLS-5679 is only 17� deep, with full 1920 x 1080 resolution, a 4000:1 contrast ratio, and “no expensive lamp to replace,� according to Samsung representative Dave Albors. The HLS-5679 is one of a new generation of DLP products using LED light sources. It also has “no color wheel� but “exceeds the NTSC color gamut,� Albors said. Price: $3999.

Last of a dying breed, the lone CRT at CEDIA belonged to Samsung—a fine-looking 30� widescreen flat-front TV only 16.3� deep. The TX-S3082W also sports two HDMI inputs, and delivered picture quality that competed with the best on the floor: great dynamic range, excellent shadow detail, and super-fast response time. Despite widespread worship of flat-panels, “CRTs are still the gold standard by which all others are judged,� Albors noted. Amen to that, and to the set’s $799 list price.