The Best/Worst CRT Projectors List

Model

EM
Focus

Entry-Level CRT Projectors  (GOOD)

Intermediate Level CRT Projectors  (BETTER)

High Performance CRT Projectors  (BEST)

CRT Size/LC: Although manufacturers measurements will vary, these measurements are the agreed upon measurements by most enthusiasts. Actual raster corner to corner measurements will vary based on the installation. LC is noted for tubes that are liquid-coupled (as opposed to air-coupled). LC'ed tubes offer greater contrast and less halo'ing.

Peak Lumens: Lumens relate to the amount of energy (light) that's coming from the CRT.  It describes the potential of the projector, but little of the actual brightness you will get on screen.  The brightness depends on many factors.  The most important being the screen size and material as well as ambient light conditions.

Max resolution: This is the maximum resolution that the projector can accept (and sync to) as an input signal. Important: While the projector may be able accept the signal, it may not be able to fully resolve the information on screen without overlapping of scan lines resulting in a softening of the picture. That is, the manufacturer resolution specifications do not necessarily reflect real world resolving capability.

HDTV resolutions supported: The maximum HDTV resolution that the projector will display.
* These projectors are able to display a 1080p signal but the resulting image will definitely be too soft or smeared to be usable.  It is best to use 720p or 1080i on these projectors (1080i is preferred, especially if the content is Blu-ray or broadcast HD).

** These projectors are able to display a 1080p signal, but some users may prefer 1080i instead as it will be a bit sharper. It is best to try both and see which you prefer.

As mentioned previously, manufacturer specifications do not necessarily reflect real world resolving capability.

Bandwidth:  A projector's bandwidth must be high enough to display a signal without smearing or softening the image.  The higher the resolution you want to display, the higher the bandwidth you require in order to properly resolve the information displayed. For example for a projector to line double standard NTSC signals (480i at 15.75khz horizontal) from DVD, VCR or cable/Satellite to 480p, requires 31.5 Khz of horizontal scan rate and enough bandwidth to handle twice the picture information. HDTV at 1080i requires a horizontal rate of 33.75 Khz and 50 Mhz bandwidth.  720p requires a horizontal rate of 45 Khz with 50 Mhz bandwidth.