After running the measurements and test patterns I decided to pop in a few movies to see how the Mitsubishi played some of my favorite test scenes. I chose the following movies and scenes because of color reproduction and detail.

DVD: Finding Nemo

Finding Nemo is one of my new favorite DVDs for seeing color depth and hue. Look at the scenes in the Dentist's office where Pixar had a lot of fun integrating a ton of detail and "set design" elements into the fish tank. There is a tremendous amount of color and fast movement, allowing for a thorough test of the Mitsubishi's ability to deliver a stunning picture. Look especially during the introductory scenes when Nemo is first meeting the other "captives". As with CRT technology in general, the bright picture and color is best in class and is only now being challenged by newer digital technologies. In comparing this picture to an older NEC LCD front projector, for example, it's like viewing color for the first time - the saturation difference is so great. One other thing I like about digital animation is that it allows you to examine the tight convergence in a real-world application. Finding Nemo has some excellent hard contrast throughout the film that shows dramatic color juxtapositions and really demonstrate the television's ability to show off its strengths.

DVD: The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers

I always love to call up the beautiful scenery during the scenes shot in Rohan and also within Fangorn Forest . There was so much set design put into these scenes that it's a great est of your display's ability to render the exquisite detail that is present in these scenes. The lush Fangorn forest was meticulously assembled from casts of selected bark and included (quite literally) tons of moss and actual tree limbs to deliver the final effect that was a detailed replica of a living, breathing ancient forest. Viewing these scenes on the Mitsubishi with the Yamaha reference player enabled me to see, for the first time, some excellent details that I had missed on previous viewings of the DVD.

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (even before this year's Return of the King 11 Oscar sweep) won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects - and for good reason. The incredible time and effort put into both the CG scenes and physical set design really shows. Just examine the scene detail when Frodo, Samwise and Faramir are attacked by the Ringwraith's winged creature at Osgiliath. The skin texture on the flying beast is incredibly detailed as is the background set of Osgiliath as it falls to the forces of Sauron. In general, a great amount of detail is to be found in this movie, but especially pay attention to the beautiful New Zealand scenery. It lends itself to an incredible source for seeing just how pleasing your display can render the images.

DVD: Pirates of the Caribbean - Curse of the Black Pearl

This movie, as I've mentioned before, is an excellent way to test the limits of your system's black levels. Take a look at the scenes which take place in the dungeons and where the pirate treasure is hidden. Here you will see the strength of the Mitsubishi in its full glory. Black levels are reproduced with amazing accuracy. If you expect to see this type of black level reproduction on a digital set, be prepared to wait a year or two, or shell out quite a bit of money. A flagship rear projection television like the WS-55813 easily wins this category without breaking a sweat.

One thing I did notice was that, as I mentioned previously, the initial contrast and brightness settings were set way off from optimal. This is, unfortunately, very common in television as people like to see bright sets in the showroom floor and a properly calibrated set would probably look dull and out of place. In reality, once the Mitsubishi is set up correctly, you will notice an amazing amount of shadow detail that you would have missed before setting the correct levels.

Conclusion

The Mitsubishi is a top performer. It will outclass just about anything on the market today and does so at a reasonable price. Its user-calibration options are extensive and I found its ease-of-use to be perfect for those wanting maximum flexibility and options without sacrificing simplicity. The ability to handle just about any input format, including a majority of today's Memory Card formats puts it a cut above even the latest digital televisions on the market.

While some people prefer the flat or lighter technologies of plasma, rear projection DLP or LCD, you will simply not find the same color depth, contrast ratio (black level and dark detail) that you will get with this flagship rear projection CRT television. I would recommend this television for those people looking for the highest quality performance and who are not opposed to sacrificing a little weight or size savings in order to get the best picture quality possible.

Mitsubishi WS-55813

MSRP: $3999