Holding off on buying a Digital Light Producing (DLP) TV because they're too bulky? The sleek, compact HL-T5676S DLP HDTV from Samsung boasts a depth of just 10.6 inches. While it's kind of bulky compared to plasma or LCD units, it's super-slim for a rear-projection DLP TV. So slim, in fact, that you could actually mount this set on a wall, a feat unheard of even just a few years ago.

Unlike flat-panel TVs, DLP TVs are rear-projection, and use millions of tiny, hinge-mounted mirrors to reflect a digital image onto the screen. Each mirror either tilts toward or away from the light source up to several thousand times a second. The mirror-based technology allows DLP TVs--this model included--to run circles around their traditional rear-projection siblings, particularly when it comes to picture sharpness.

The HL-T5676S combines several high-tech features to deliver a crisp, impressive picture, especially for its price. (So much so that Consumer Guide has designated the Samsung HL-T5676S a Budget Buy.) This model's color wheel spins at an admirable 14,400 rpm, which is fast enough to cut down on pixel breakup and produces a consistently smooth picture, even in fast-motion scenes and elaborate transitions. Samsung's Digital Natural Image engine enhances and sharpens the image, no matter if it's coming from something as low-tech as old-fashioned as an analog VCR or as new-fangled as an HD-DVD player.

The color on this model is realistic and bright, and generates accurate representations of everything from lush green grass to the multiple shades of gray in a pile of dirty snow. The color wheel and image enhancer also all but eliminate what's known as the rainbow effect--streaks of color that some people are more sensitive to than others--that used to plague older DLP units when they relied on much slower color wheel designs. Another nice color feature of the Samsung HL-T5676S DLP HDTV: each of the three major colors (red, green and blue) can be individually adjusted to customize the output.

Samsung touts this model's 10,000-to-one contrast ratio, which on paper is impressive, but in practice doesn't deliver blacks with quite as much depth as you'd expect. The blacks are indeed much deeper (and the whites are whiter) than those generated by traditional rear-projection models, but they're not on par with some of the other higher-end DLP TVs on the market.

Most TV speakers are barely worth discussing, but the HL-T5676S DLP HDTV delivers as close to surround-sound quality as two in-unit speakers can provide. They're nicely hidden within the frame, too, which leaves more room for the screen. And that's a good thing, considering the screen on this model is just 56 inches--Samsung's smallest DLP offering. The relatively compact screen doesn't fill you with as much awe as a 73-incher, but it's still pretty darn big. This model comes with three side HDMI ports, which makes it easy to attach components.

The Samsung HL-T5676S DLP HDTV is a compact and relatively inexpensive DLP TV that delivers notable color, sharpness, fast-motion imagery and quality audio.

Pros: Extremely compact for a DLP TV; price
Cons: Moderate contrast; smaller screen

Warranty
1 year, limited