Elite PRO-710HD 64: Pioneer has been manufacturing rear-projection big screen televisions for some time, so it's no surprise to see that for 2000 they're offering a brand new flagship big screen HDTV.

Combining a 64-inch 16:9 aspect ratio screen with high resolution CRTs and Pioneer's proprietary "PureCinema" automatic film detection, the PRO-710HD offers the features that demanding videophiles require.

As a full-fledged HDTV, the PRO-710HD supports a myriad of HDTV broadcast resolutions including 480i/480p, 720p, and 1080i. Better yet, the PRO-710HD also features an integrated line doubler that can convert lower quality 480i interlaced broadcast signals from a standard DVD player, satellite system, or other 480i source, into a true 480p progressive scan image.

For those still confused by the differences between a 480i interlaced and a 480p progressive scan image, please see our brief summary of the two displays here.

The impressive PRO-710HD will go on sale in February for approximately $8,300.

Sharky Extreme opinion: With all of the public interest concerning "flat TVs" that are based on plasma display technology (you've seen them, they're the TVs that can hang on a wall due to their 4" thickness) you'd think that large rear-projection HDTVs would be on their way out.

But the reality that we witnessed over and over at CES, from multiple plasma flat TV manufacturers, is that every rear-projection or directview tube-based HDTV blew away all of the ultra-thin plasma HDTVs in terms of visual quality by a large margin.

A very large margin.

After seeing dozens of 42" 16:9 flat TVs, including Pioneer's newest $10,000 model, we're convinced that the discerning video enthusiast won't waste their time or money on these inferior solutions, which pale in comparison to their thicker cousins.

In that light the $8,300 PRO-710HD big screen HDTV from Pioneer is a sharp choice for any home theater system, particularly because of its integrated 480p progressive scan line doubling technology. This feature will soon be standard on all HDTVs, but by jumping on it early Pioneer has an advantage over some of the other rear-projection HDTVs in the 61 - 65-inch size category.