With larger LCD and plasma TVs available, and front projectors coming down in price, you have more big-screen TV options than ever.

But rear-projection sets offer the most for the money.

The venerable CRT-based models that started the rear-projection craze are now the lowest-priced big-screen TVs you can buy. High-definition (HD) models with 50-inch-plus screens start at less than $1,000. If you like the price of the CRT-based sets and have the room for one (their floor-standing cabinets take up as much space as a love seat), start shopping now. In terms of available products, models using this technology have begun to be edged out.

Edging in are new, slimmer rear-projection TVs that use LCD, DLP or LCoS technology. While they’re called microdisplays, they’re not as tiny as the name might suggest. Most are at least 15 inches deep, but that’s svelte compared with a 28-inch-deep CRT-based set. Meanwhile, prices for these new-technology TVs are roughly double what you’d pay for a comparable CRT-based set.

As for picture quality, no projection technology was consistently better than another in our tests, although DLP sets using a single chip are subject to a potentially unsettling flash of color called the “rainbow effect.” Reliability is another matter. Based on our survey data, 5-year-old, CRT-based rear-projection TVs have been more repair-prone than conventional picture-tube TVs. Microdisplay technologies are newer and haven’t established a track record for long-term reliability, although preliminary data for the first year of use indicate a repair rate at least as high as 1-year-old CRT rear-projection sets.

This 57-inch Sony KP-57WS520, listed for ,800, was named a best value in rear-projection TV by Consumer Reports.

Our test sets had screens ranging in size from 47 inches to 61 inches (measured diagonally) and were all HD models with an aspect ratio of 16:9. (Their rectangular screens were 16 units wide for every nine units high.) Most scored well in overall picture quality, which considered HD and regular TV signals, as well as output from a progressive-scan DVD player. Sound quality of the sets’ built-in speakers was generally very good or excellent.

The best values in rear-projection TVs we tested were CRT-based sets. If you can find space for a unit that’s 27 inches deep, consider the Sony KP-57WS520 ($1,800; 57-inch screen) or the 26-inch deep SONY KP-51WS520 ($1,500; 51-inch screen). Smaller (47-inch screen) but deeper (28 inches) is the Panasonic PT-47X54 ($1,200). However, it may be hard to find, since the manufacturer has stopped making CRT-based rear-projection sets altogether. All these models have automatic and manual convergence – an occasional necessity with this type of set, particularly after you move one.

If you prefer a slimmer set, check out the top-rated microdisplay Sharp 56DR650, a 56-inch DLP model that sells for $2,500. It was the only set we tested to score “excellent” for HD programming – yet it was merely “fair” for regular-TV. The 61-inch JVC HD-61Z886 ($2,800) uses HD-ILA, a variant of LCoS. It scored “very good” for HD reception and “good” for regular TV received via S-video (high-quality) input. The Sharp and JVC are 16 and 19 inches deep, respectively.

The manufacturer’s warranty for each of these sets covers parts and labor for one year. While their relatively low price argues against buying an extended warranty for CRT-based models, you should seriously consider one for a microdisplay unit. Look for a three- or four-year plan (most begin when you buy the set, so there’s overlap with the standard warranty) priced at no more than 15 percent to 20 percent of the TV’s cost. Don’t be turned off if you’re initially quoted something higher: The markup on extended warranties is high, and you may be able to bargain for a lower price.