It's astonishing how DLP - now the dominant force in video projectors - is revitalising the rear-projection TV market. Only a short time ago, anything other than a flatpanel display - be it plasma or LCD - looked to have no future on the high street.

But the benefits of a DLP light engine - combining high picture resolution, relatively low unit price and small cabinet size - have enabled rear-pro TVs to rise phoenix-like from the ashes.

Thomson, both in Europe and under its RCA brand in America, has been a huge supporter of these microdevice displays. Indeed, it's already up to a second-generation set, with this, the 50DSZ645.

Aesthetically, it's in a different class to its predecessor, and to the vast majority of its rivals, come to that. The combination of matt grey and glossy black on the fascia is gorgeous enough in itself. But add the extravagant slenderness of the speakers and you've got one of the most gorgeous rear-pros available.

It's not just the speakers that are slim, though. Somehow Thomson has kept the unit just 174mm deep. The company even suggests that you could fit the 50DSZ645 to the wall with its ACCSDLP01 optional bracket - but having nearly given myself a hernia moving the thing around my viewing room, I'd beg to differ...

The 50DSZ645 has excellent connectivity. As evidence of its higher-definition aspirations, there's a DVI jack equipped with the necessary HDCP protocols for receiving Sky's high-definition broadcasts.

Multiple inputs

For analogue HDTV and progressive scan DVD, meanwhile, there's a set of component video inputs, while more run-of-the-mill options include a trio of Scarts (two RGB enabled), and the usual front-facing AV inputs. The only thing missing is a D-Sub PC connection.

The 50DSZ645's onscreen menus will lead you to some interesting features. In the Picture menu, there's an option to switch the DVI jack between PC and video mode (make sure you don't forget to set it to video for movies!); a contrast booster; a film mode for improving the appearance of motion; picture-in-picture facilities; and unusually for a rear-pro set, the option to adjust the lamp output for a more dynamic picture.

Audio is well catered for, too, with both Pro-Logic II and SRS TruSurround XT processing provided to boost the basic Nicam system's cinematic impact. You can even adjust the clarity of dialogue with the SRS system.

There's something else important working in a behind-the-scenes capacity, too: Hi-Pix HDTV. This is a high-def-friendly update of Thomson's old Hi-Pix system, which analyses incoming pictures and calculates extra pixels of detail, and doubles the sampling of the red and blue elements of the YUV colour system during its digitalisation process to, hopefully, deliver brighter, sharper colours.

Flipside of the coin

The 50DSZ645's pictures don't jump out at you like they do with rival rear-pro sets. Some murky scenes can thus look a little bit flat. Furthermore, bright segments of a picture are occasionally accompanied by an off-putting ghostly aura. I also noticed that there can be quite a bit of aliasing around especially contrasty edges.

But, by reining in the brightness, Thomson has done a cracking job of suppressing the noise that can plague DLP technology. Particularly noteworthy is the almost complete absence of dotty green noise over dark picture areas. And I was also struck by how little rainbow effect I spotted, along with the almost total removal of DLP's traditional fizzing over horizontal motion. The result is a very cinematic, natural picture.