Many major electronic companies have recently stopped making rear projection sets and others maybe examining a departure, too. Most consumers are buying plasma and LCD flat panels instead of projection HDTV’s. Since the majority of rear projection back lights only have a rated life of about 5,000 hours, you will reach that around four years time for the average consumer. At $200 – $400 for a replacement bulb and another $200 for professional installation that’s about half the cost of a nice size LCD or plasma set. Still, to be fair, some companies are using other types of back lights that can put an end to the need to replace the bulb during the life of the TV and even broaden the range of colors.

After CNET recommended the Samsung HL61A750 as an Editors’ Choice, Matthew Moskovciak of CNET’s Crave stated, “Perhaps the more interesting question is: how much longer will rear-projection HDTVs be around? Will we be able to give a rear-projection HDTV an Editors’ Choice next year, or will large screen flat-panels drop in price enough to make rear-pros an irrelevant category?”

No one can be certain how much longer projection TV’s will be around, but I believe the writing is on the wall. What are your thoughts?

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