Sam Runco is known as both a tinkerer and a talker. A motivational speaker before he became an inventor, Runco relied heavily on both skills when launching the video company that bears his name. His efforts in the 20 years since have paid off, though, in a series of front projectors and rear-projection and flat-panel TVs that have consistently set new standards for high-end home theater.
KALEID-O-SET In the modern TV world of huge screens and off-the-scale resolution, color matters more than ever. The palette in Mitsubishi's 57-inch 1080p set is run by a 6-Primary Color System, which creates the "subtractive" colors (cyan, magenta, and yellow) directly instead of mixing red, green, and blue.
HDTV FEAST If you give your TV a workout every time you turn it on - throwing everything from HD shows to discs to games at it - has Olevia got the TV for you. The 742i 42-inch LCD panel is equipped with a slew of high-def inputs, including a pair of HDMI ports, as well as two (count 'em!) HDTV tuners. The Olevia showcases it all in 1080p, the Rolls-Royce of HD formats.
SIZE MATTERS If you went straight to the extra-large aisle when you were at the plasma-TV store, your next stop should be wherever they sell the Totem Tribe II. Made specifically to match flat-panel sets with 50- to 55-inch screens, the Tribe II is 29 inches long and less than 4 inches deep. Your wall's about to become the place to be.