Sony KDS-70R2000 review

Perhaps the best way to sum up the experience of watching HD on the 70R2000 is to say that it's akin to looking through a huge window at a life-sized real world on the other side. You can't really ask for much more than that, especially when you've only spent £3,650.

Weaknesses
Although Sony's designers have cleverly minimised the impact of a 70-inch rear projection TV on your living room, it still 'takes over' considerably more than a flat TV would.

Also, terrific though the 70R2000's pictures are, they're not completely flawless. As you might anticipate, for instance, the quality drops off markedly when watching standard definition via the built-in digital tuner. But while we'd always expect to see this happen to some extent, especially on a screen this large, the degree of extra softness revealed is slightly worse than anticipated.

The other problem is a drop off in brightness if you view from above or below the screen. Obviously, though, with a screen this big you're only ever likely to experience this brightness issue if you're standing up or lying on the floor. It shouldn't be a problem at all during normal couch potato sessions.

Conclusion
If you're thinking a flat TV is the only way to go, think again. Provided you've got plenty of HD food for it, this Sony rear projection giant can give you truly huge high-quality pictures far more affordably than any current flat TV can -- and has specs to die for. Apparently, rumours of rear projection's death have been greatly exaggerated.

Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Shannon Doubleday