HDTV tweakers - the new snake-oil salesmen

Kane arrived, lugging a laptop, a light meter and a small black case stuffed with software. His assistant, Marshall Bennett, trailed.

Gefen fired up his $12,000 Samsung front-projection television.

Everyone in the room marveled at the picture quality. Everyone, that is, except Kane.

"It's not very bright," Kane said. "Let's get a reading."

Bennett set up the spectra-radiometer, which measures the light reflected by the 8-foot-wide screen. "Eight foot-lamberts," Bennett called out. It should have been nine.

Man, if I ever need a job, I should get in on this racket.

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