Sony's new KP-61S65 is the largest of the S series of rear-projection TVs, with a 61-inch screen. The 61S65 has Sony's BrightView dual-component screen, which uses fresnel and lenticular screens to give you more brightness and contrast, with a viewing angle of 130 degrees horizontal by 55 degrees vertical. Brightness is rated at 380 foot lamberts. Microfocus CRTs and lenses heighten picture clarity and richness of color, according to Sony. The 3-line digital comb filter reduces video noise and dot crawl, and a picture stabilizer controls distortion during sudden changes between bright and dark images. There's also a shading compensation circuit to reduce hot spots and even out brightness. The Sony shows 640 lines of horizontal resolution, a decent number for a non-HDTV.An MTS decoder provides stereo capability and the potential for SAP reception, and Matrix Surround processing simulates surround sound with the two built-in 12-watt loudspeakers. The KP-61S65 has twin-tuner picture-in-picture; the inset picture can be displayed at 1/9 or 1/16 actual size, and can be frozen. A trilingual onscreen display eases your setup woes, and programmable parental controls help you keep the wee ones from watching things they shouldn't. Other conveniences include a sleep timer for dozing off with David or Jay, SA-VA controls for handling volume levels on any Sony speakers you attach to the TV, and a preprogrammed universal remote. This remote works the TV and also controls most VCRs, satellite systems, and cable boxes.

This 61-inch television has wide viewing angles (horizontal 130 inches/vertical 55 inches) with a minimum viewing distance of only 5 feet. The built-in high contrast protective screen delivers brighter pictures, improved screen contrast, and more vibrant colors while being virtually fingerprint- and scratch-proof. Shading compensation circuitry allows for more uniform center-to-corner brightness, eliminates a hot spot in the center, and minimizes visible color shift, ensuring a consistently bright picture. The advanced picture stabilizer maintains constant picture quality by responding quickly to scene changes, such as sudden dark-to-bright transitions. The advanced picture stabilizer also reduces zooming effect, minimizes picture distortion, and corrects blooming (poor focus).