The HP MD588ON is most famous for being one of the few HDTV’s that can both display and accept a 1080p signal. Take note all future PS3 and Blu-ray owners. This is one of the few sets that can display everything (resolution-wise, at least) those formats have to offer. It does so with a 960 x 1080 DLP chip from TI that uses wobulation to get the full 1920 x 1080.

Ultimate AV has a crack at the set with a review by Thomas J. Norton.

The Good

I already mentioned that this is a 1080p DLP display that accepts 1080p signals (over HDMI). That a big feature right there. It also has a CableCARD slot and VGA input. Rainbows on the set were not as apparant as with previous DLP designs. The image is quite sharp. The black levels are good - the best Mr. Norton has seen in a rear-projection set. Hotspotting (a problem common to all rear-projection televisions) also wasn’t too bad.

The Bad

The set uses wobulation for 1080p, and hence is not an “honest” 1920 x 1080p set. (The review points out that other sets that use wobulation call it “SmoothPicture”.) But in the end, that might not matter. The set seems to perform pretty well. It also has some limitations with its zoom modes, as detailed in the review.

The Conclusion

… in the here and now I am immensely impressed with this model from HP. This is a great debut for a company previously known mainly for its computer products; HP hit the target from almost every direction. I could live happily with this set—if not ever after, at least until the next big jump in video display devices, whatever and whenever that may be.

Ultimate AV: HP md5880n 1080p HDTV