With the popularity of flat panel TVs, many manufacturers have put their rear-projection sets on a diet. This is readily apparent with the new LCoS sets from JVC, including the HD-58S998. At just about 10.75-inches, this is as thin as they get (at least until next year, anyway). The 58-inch set from the side view almost has the appearance of a flat panel set. At 136 pounds, it is not exactly a featherweight, but is still far from monolithic.

JVC created a very nice outer casing for this set, and it makes for a handsome design. Twin front-firing direct drive speakers and a subwoofer are housed below the screen, and these do a reasonable job with the audio--they just won't replace a dedicated home theater surround sound system. More importantly, this is one of the truly wall-mounted rear-projection sets on the market today, and JVC even sells a wall-mount kit for this model. In addition, you can also choose a matching TV stand and still slide this set all the way to the wall, as the HD-58S998 features all of the primary input jacks on the side in a recessed bay rather than at the rear. This is one of those "why didn't they think of this sooner" innovations.

Tucked into the bay are the various connections you'll need to watch TV and movies. These include dual HDMI inputs, two HD component video inputs, S-Video and 3 AV inputs (one side and two in the rear), as well as PC input (15 pin D-SUB XGA/VGA). This is a nice selection of options, but it is far from overkill, and if you've have a plethora of HD devices you'll find that the set comes up a tad short--especially as some of the options are "either/or." On the plus side, the set features the VGA-computer/composite video input on the front. The downside here is that the PC input is limited to 1,024x768 resolution, which is surprisingly lacking considered the video options with many new Windows Vista PCs.

The HD-58S998 provides an extremely bright and crisp picture. The black levels are generally very good, and the set displays accurate color. Natural progressive line doubling is an option with this set, but actual results varied depending on the source materials. However, more impressive are the five video statues modes, including those for theater and gaming. On the downside the picture settings are shared across the various inputs, except for the HDMI ones. It is a minor complaint since many users probably won't take the time to make such adjustments.

The set has plenty of other options to let you get the most out of your viewing pleasure including high/low color temperature settings, video noise reduction and multiple aspect settings. The newly designed remote will put you in control, and it features full backlighting, which is still a necessary feature to have at showtime when the lights are down. This unit's remote can further take command of up to five other components.

The JVC HD-S8S998 is a great set that tries very hard to be a flat panel display. But for a price that is only a few hundred dollars more, there are reasonable alternatives in the flat panel space, which leaves this set in a difficult spot. For a few hundred less you could get a set just a few inches thicker, and for a few hundred dollars more you could get a true flat panel. This is a set that has squeezed into a very thin market, and that's as thin as it gets.


Pros: Side inputs, ultra slim cabinet, easy access to the lamp
Cons: Picture settings shared in various modes, low maximum resolution from the PC input

Warranty
1 year, parts and labor