Rear projection CRT television uses 3 separate cathode ray tubes and lenses to create an image on the back of a screen. Read details of it:
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/tv.htm
CRT Technology is most definitely a long drawn out explanation, but it is still considered by many to be the standard by which all other displays are to be measured against.
Most regular CRT televisions, the ones that are not projection, but are about 34" or smaller and are HDTV are usually of very good quality, often in a cheap plastic case. What determines what makes one better than another is measured in labs as much as anywhere else. Good materials, excellent color, good image processing. The same things that make all other displays good also apply to CRT, but CRT will almost always handle shadow details far better and therefore have superior contrast ratio.
Source, such as DVD via HDMI has very little to do with image quality. Pixel size, image processing, color, and shadow detail make up the image. Pixels are only distinguishable to the human eye when you are within a certain distance of the display. So, the 42" EDTV plasma that has good color, shadows, processing, etc. can appear as good as a plasma costing thousands more MUCH more often than people are led to believe. This is marketing hype. It is also very common for people to believe that HDMI and DVI digital connections provide a superior image than component, when in the labs it is about a 50/50 toss up as to when the digital connection is going to provide a better image. ESPECIALLY with DVD players. Upconverted DVD is not necessarily better than the regular DVD footage on the disc going into your TV via component cables, and if the processing is poor inside the DVD player, then the image almost is guaranteed to be worse.
There is a lot that determines image quality, but given two displays of the same size and the same technology both of them ISF calibrated, price is usually a factor in the quality, but once again, not always. You also have to consider reliability and customer service if it is necessary. Sony often provides a top notch TV, but if you need to contact Sony for customer support... GOOD LUCK! Other larger companies are also very poor with customer service, but they produce excellent displays and you hope you never have to call them.
The bottom line for me is that almost every display out there is NOT properly calibrated and typically is not viewable in 'home' type viewing situations. This makes it exteremely difficult to accurately judge the quality of any display. Magazines almost all do a piss-poor job of honest analysis and review, which leaves a lot of websites which are often in the same situation of not being readily able to give poor reviews of any product. So, you are usually in better shape by paying more, but it most definitely is not a guarantee... IE: Runco.
