You don't usually think of a computer company when shopping for a big-screen HDTV, but Hewlett-Packard delivers a winner with its MD5880n. This 58-inch HDTV offers just about everything you could hope for, including a stunning 1,080p DLP picture, a powerful five-speaker audio system, HDMI connectivity and a CableCARD slot and QAM tuner for digital cable readiness.

The stylish black MD5880n features an innovative design unique to HP models that places all of the inputs and outputs behind a flip-down door running the width of the front panel. The jack panel has its own light that turns on when the door is opened, and a channel below the MD5880n lets you run cables out behind the TV. Menu controls and other buttons are lined along the side panels of the cabinet, and there are even recessed handholds to make moving this big HDTV much easier.

Thanks in part to a pixel-shifting process called "Wobulation," the MD5880n achieves a crisp picture at a native resolution of 1,920X1,080. Colors can be dialed in to your exacting standards through simple on-screen menus, and there are four video presets for quick adjustments. The audio system is among the most sophisticated found on a rear-projection HDTV, with a pair of tweeters, a pair of midrange speakers and an integrated subwoofer producing a whopping 85 total watts of stereo output.

The MD5880n has a full complement of picture-in-picture and picture-out-of-picture options, as well as more common convenience features like an adjustable sleep timer and closed captions. The MD5880n offers an unusual on-screen thumbnail view of up to ten connected components, so you can jump to the component of your choice in rapid fashion.

The connectivity options are about what you should expect for a TV of this size, including three composite video/S-video inputs, two component video inputs, two HDMI inputs, two RF inputs, a VGA input with audio for computer content, a composite video output and a coaxial digital audio output. A USB port allows you to display images on the big screen directly from a digital camera, and it offers a means of upgrading the MD5880n in the future.

The included universal remote control has an unusual but functional design, though it has no illuminated buttons. In sum, HP's MD5880n combines smart design, exceptional audio and video performance and useful features to create a very attractive big-screen HDTV.

Pros: 1,080p performance, powerful five-speaker audio system, innovative front-panel inputs
Cons: Remote not illuminated, relatively heavy cabinet

Warranty
1 year parts and labor, in-home service