Mitsubishi's WS-48515 is a 48-inch rear-projection HDTV with an integrated ATSC tuner that will admirably serve as the center of a home theater system. The two-tone gray cabinet has front-panel controls and inputs located below the monitor, which is protected from scratches by a removable shield. This TV eliminates the need for a cable box and its associated remote, as it can be outfitted with a CableCARD (although a cable box is still needed for interactive cable services). Twin tuners deliver a range of picture-in-picture functions, from a single PIP window to multiple windows and a split screen. The entire screen can even be frozen by simply pressing a button on the remote.

The picture on the wide-format screen is impressive, with even low-resolution analog programming up-converted to 1,080i for a crystal-clear picture. A motion-adaptive 3-D Y/C digital comb filter suppresses any dot crawl and eliminates rainbow effects. A 64-point convergence system makes periodic focus adjustments very precise, and colors can be fine-tuned using the six-color adjustment system rather than a two-color system employed by most sets. Velocity scanning modulation is selectable and memorized for each input, and 3:2 pulldown conversion is automatically activated when film content is being viewed, ensuring smooth, even action. Wide-format digital content and analog 1,080i signals can be viewed in either of two picture formats, while standard aspect ratio content or native analog 480i or 480p content can be switched into any of six screen formats, offering plenty of flexibility.

A pair of 5-inch stereo speakers located in the base produces 10 watts of audio output each, and there is a choice of sending the audio to external speakers using the Dolby Digital audio output or the fixed stereo audio output. One of the unusual features on the WS-48515 is the on-screen list of channels, which allows the selection of channels from a menu. Mitsubishi's NetCommand system is also quite visual, and an integrated home theater system can be set up with icons on the screen for each of the system components.

The front panel contains an audio/video and S-video input for quick access, while the rear panel has two RF inputs, two audio/video and S-video inputs, two component video inputs, an HDMI interface, and two FireWire connectors that can be used to network with other home theater components. The universal remote control has a slide button to switch between a cable/satellite controller, VCR, DVD player, stereo receiver, and the TV.

Warranty
30 days screen, 1 year parts and labor, in-home service