If all things were equal, you could rate a television by its native pixel count, or resolution. All things are rarely equal, though. Numerous manufacturers are now introducing higher-definition television sets, but the picture quality and utility of these sets can differ substantially.

JVC is no stranger to this game—the HD-ILA (high-definition image light amplifier) technology at the heart of its TVs is known for being a step ahead when it comes to resolution. The latest generation of HD-ILA TVs delivers full 1080-line progressive (1080p) resolution. It will not actually display 1080p signals, which do not exist yet but may be included in the upcoming Blu-ray high-def DVD players. But in theory, it should deliver the best possible reproduction of 1080-line interlaced (1080i) signals. Let’s find out.

As I connect the HD56FH96 into my system, I am met with numerous options, including analog component inputs, and digital HDMI and FireWire connections. I am impressed to learn that if I route composite, S-video, and component signals from my receiver to Input 1 on the TV and enable the Smart Input function, the TV automatically defaults to the source I select on my receiver. Unfortunately, this feature does not work for the HDMI or CableCard inputs.

It would be a better idea to have your dealer set up the TV, as the setup procedures are not intuitive. The on-screen menus, for example, offer endless adjustments laid out in one giant list, with only a few functions visible at any given time. If you lack ESP, or neglect the manual, you can miss the other important adjustments that are available. And comparing the graphic layout of this set to the menus on other modern TVs is like comparing Asteroids to an Xbox 360 game.

The remote is not attractive enough to have on my coffee table (and I am really not that picky). The lack of discrete functions, such as a separate button for selecting each video input, will drive your installer batty when he goes to program your touchscreen remote. Fortunately, JVC did include one smart twist: If you press the channel up or down button, the set automatically switches to the TV tuner.

While I hate having to push the same button repeatedly to get to the input I want, I appreciate knowing that I can fine-tune the picture quality separately for each one. The TV has a manual iris function that is particularly useful; pressing it cycles through the Standard, Dynamic, and Theater preset settings. In Theater mode the iris closes to 50 percent. The image gets darker, but the blacks also get deeper. This improves the set’s contrast in my dark room where I do not need the extra light output, anyway. The Standard mode opens the iris to 75 percent while the Dynamic mode keeps it at 100 percent. The brighter modes raise black levels slightly, but never deleteriously, and they lighten the picture substantially if you have a bright room.

Even in the Theater mode, the TV offers an extremely bright image with deep, rich blacks. There’s plenty of contrast to give scenes an exceptional level of depth and dimension, too. The picture’s color balance—with the color temperature set to High—is reasonably accurate. Colors are vibrant yet seem reasonably natural. The Low color temperature setting makes the image too red. In High, measurements show that the image has a mild blue tint, especially in brighter images; darker images tend to be more accurate. This gives the image more snap. Professional calibration makes little improvement. The primary colors of the set’s red, green, and blue imaging panels are a bit oversaturated, but this gives those colors a richer hue.

Incidentally, so-called "microdisplay" rear-projection TVs such as the HD56FH96 incorporate a bulb that must be replaced periodically, but fortunately JVC chose a bulb with a long projected life of 6,000 hours. A new bulb costs about $300.The TV does a great job of converting all signals to the screen’s 1080p resolution. With video sources, the processing induces only a few jagged diagonal edges, which are never distracting. The television appropriately compensates for film-based material and even properly deinterlaces 1080-line interlaced signals to 1080p—something that’s surprisingly rare. The pickiest of viewers may notice a bit of artificial edge enhancement, but for most people, the set provides as sharp and detailed an image as you could expect from each respective source.

If you’re looking for a great HDTV picture with the highest resolution possible, this TV should be on your shortlist. Although it may be tempting to set up a TV like this yourself, have the dealer do the job for you. If you do, you will get a taste of what more and more theatergoers are now experiencing in the country’s best commercial cinemas.

DESCRIPTION
56-inch HD-ILA (LCoS)-based rear-projection TV with analog and digital TV tuners. Sits on a low table or inside a cabinet

DISPLAY CAPABILITIES
Native 16:9 widescreen display. Accepts 720-line progressive and 1080-line interlaced HDTV, VGA (640 by 480) and XGA (1024 by 768) computer signals, and 480-line progressive and interlaced signals

RESOLUTION
1920 by 1080 pixels

CONNECTIONS
Video: two HDMI (only 1 audio input for both) inputs, two FireWire inputs, two component inputs, DB-15 computer RGB input (no accompanying audio input), three S-video inputs (two back, one side), four composite inputs (three back, one side), CableCard slot, two RF inputs for analog and digital antenna or cable, S-video and composite video outputs
Audio: seven stereo analog audio inputs (six back, one side), center-channel input, two stereo analog audio outputs, optical digital audio output
Control: AV Compulink for IR command relay, RS-232 for touchscreen control

DIMENSIONS
52 x 38.1 17.1 inches (hwd)

PRICE/CONTACT
PRICE: $4,999
CONTACT: 800.252.5722, jvc.com