Customer Reviews

Mitsubishi WD-60738 60-Inch 3D DLP HDTV

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We've had this TV for about two weeks now, and so far it's been great. Coming from a 42-inch Toshiba 720p flat-panel LCD TV, we wanted to get something considerably larger and similar sized LCDs or plasmas were simply more than we wanted to pay. Overall, we've been extremely happy with it, but there are definitely a few minor issues and gripes, and one major issue.

Picture Quality:
As far as picture quality goes compared to our old TV, I would say that for 1080p content and gaming (on both PS3 and Xbox 360...haven't tried our Wii yet), this Mitsubishi is better than our LCD was. However, for 1080i content(Comcast HD cable), I feel that our old TV looked better. I think this is in the settings though. I calibrated both TVs using the Digital Video Essentials Blu-Ray...I simply think that I need to go back and try calibrating the cable input again (I'm hoping it's not an issue of the TV processing a 1080i signal poorly). A nice feature of this TV is that each input can have multiple, custom calibrations. One thing to keep in mind though is that you can set multiple, custom settings, but there is only one advanced calibration setting per input...of course most TVs don't even have advanced calibration (without going into professional service menus), so that's not really that big of a deal to me. Our Toshiba had multiple, preset settings with one custom per input, but not advanced settings. HD Cable aside, blu-ray movies and gaming does look amazing though... also, I haven't noticed any instances of ghosting or motion-blur so far. I do think you would have take the time to calibrate the picture, or at the very least change it from the default setting (Brilliant). Both the "Brilliant" and "Bright" presets are simply way too bright to give an accurate color representation...the "Natural" preset is pretty good though. Also, strangely enough, while I feel like this TV's picture quality for 1080i HD cable isn't as good as our old TV (yet), I think it does a better job with SD cable than our old TV did.

Sound Quality:
To be honest, I cannot tell you if the sound is good. On the day that we got it, I tried it to make sure the speakers worked...and then I immediately turned them off after. I have the TV hooked up to a home theater system.

Internet Apps:
I have the TV connected via Ethernet cable. I browsed through the internet apps and it seems to be a pretty cool feature with a lot of apps (a lot more than I was expecting), although its a feature that I probably won't need or use. The only internet app that I would regularly is Netflix, which this TV does not have. For those looking for on-demand movies, Vudu seems like it may be a good alternative to cable...the prices per movie are about the same as on-demand movies through cable (on Comcast anyway) and they may have some movies that on-demand cable does not. That being said though, I think in a market with Netflix streaming and Redbox, I feel that it is a little expensive per movie.

Remote:
The remote seems to have a nice layout, weight, and balance to it, but I honestly haven't used it much. I'm using a Logitech Harmony remote with the TV... which is also one of the big issues with the TV, which I'll address further below.

3D Picture:
Unfortunately, Mitsubishi's promotion where they were giving away free 3D glasses ended about a week before we bought this TV...so for now, I have no way of testing 3D content on this TV, as I am certainly not ready to shell out for the current price of $130-150 per pair of 3D glasses right now. When (if) I get the 3D glasses, I'll update this review with my impressions of it.

Size:
The screen size is obviously pretty big, especially if you are coming from an LCD or a plasma, as the chances are this is bigger than what you have now. By this category, I thought it would be worth mentioning more about the dimensions and weight of the TV. If you're OK putting this on a TV stand, then the dimensions really aren't that big of a deal. The base of the TV isn't as wide as the screen itself, so we actually are using the same stand we had for our 42-inch TV. There's a slight extension of about 2.5 inches on either side, but it's really not that bad. The TV has some depth to it, but it's nothing like the projection TVs of old... it fits nicely on our TV stand for our 42-inch, and is completely stable. Also, the TV is deceptively light. At only 62 pounds, it's actually lighter than many of the similar-sized LCDs and plasmas on the market.

Minor Issues: So far, I've noticed a few minor issues, and one major issue (which is not actually a Mitsubishi issue, and I was able to resolve). The first minor issue is the picture quality on HD cable as I stated earlier under the "Picture Quality" section. This one isn't a big deal yet, as I don't know for sure if it's simply that I calibrated it incorrectly, or if the TV truly does do a poor job with a 1080i signal. Once I have time to calibrate it again, I'll update this review. The second minor issue, is that every so often on the HDMI 1 input, which is my cable box, when the content switches from HD to SD, the screen turns blue, as if I was switching between different inputs altogether. This isn't really that much of an issue...just more of an annoyance as it looks unpolished.

Issues for Logitech Harmony Remote Users: The final two issues both deal with people who use or are planning on using a Logitech Harmony remote with the TV (actually, it probably applies to people who use other universal remotes as well). The first is pretty minor issue. Because this is a DLP, when initially turning it on, there is a slight amount of warm-up time for the bulb. When the TV initially turns on, it stays on a blue screen (where it is unresponsive to remote input) for a few moments before showing the feed for the input it was last on. If you use a universal remote that automatically switches inputs to the activity, then you may have an issue here. For example, on my Harmony One, when I choose "Watch TV", it turns the TV on and sets the input to HDMI 1. When I choose "Watch a Movie", it turns the TV on and sets the input to HDMI 2. The problem is that if the TV was last set to, say, HDMI 1, and I am choosing "Watch a Movie"... the TV turns on, goes to the blue screen, the PS3 turns on, and the TV stays on the blue screen because its still set to HDMI 1. The command to set the TV to HDMI 2 goes out, while the TV is on the initial boot up blue screen and does not register. This can be fixed for Harmony users, as they can set a time delay for outgoing IR commands. For users of other universal remotes with macros though, this may be an unavoidable issue.

Now, for the major issue for Logitech Harmony Users (and universal remote users with macros). At the current time of writing, the TV is in the Harmony database...but the IR commands for HDMI 2 and HDMI 3 are not correct. Additionally, on the Mitsubishi remote, there isn't a direct button to switch to HDMI 2 or HDMI 3, so you can't simply put the Harmony (or other universal remote) in learning mode and learn the IR command. You need to first put the Mitsubishi remote in "Direct Functions Mode" (I'm going to refer to it as DFM after this) and then teach the Harmony or other remote the IR commands.

To put the Mitsubishi remote in DFM, you need to first press and hold the power button until it flashes red twice. Then you need to press 0,0,0,9,0 on the Mitsubishi remote. This puts the remote in DFM. Then you need to put your Harmony or universal remote in learning mode. Remember to name the new commands with something easy to remember (I named mine HDMI2-IR and HDMI3-IR). The button on the Mitsubishi remote that sends the IR command for HDMI 2 is the "Fast Forward" button. The button for HDMI 3 is the "Play" button. After you teach your Harmony the IR commands for HDMI 2 and HDMI 3, then you need to put your Mitsubishi remote back in the regular mode. To do this, hold the power button until it flashes red twice again, then press 0,0,9,3,5. After all of that, you need to go into the Harmony software and custom set the functions to correspond with the newly learned IR commands.

Concluding thoughts:
Sorry for the lengthy review... I simply know how important research can be on a big ticket item such as this. Overall, even with the minor issues (and the resolved major one), this TV is an excellent purchase. It provides great picture quality at an enormous size, without compromising price. Unless you are dead set on wall-mounting your TV, I think this is by far the best TV in this price range. It has a great amount of features such as advanced picture settings, 3D capability, and internet applications...I think it would be very difficult to find a better TV for the price.

Below is my initial review, however I have changed my opinion. This TV seemed almost too perfect at first, however now has some terrible artifacts in the image. On certain channels, the darker color are all over the place searching for color. I see graininess and color shifting. I plan to return within my 30 day period and am disappointed as I initially had high hopes for this TV. My old SONY rear projection LCD had none of these issues. I had thought it was my signal or cables, however that was not the case.

Initial Review.

Purchased this unit after an old SONY rear projection LCD began to fail. Although I've seen poor reviews on the long term sustainability of DLP, I believe the technology has come a long way in the last couple of years, plus Mitsubishi wouldn't be selling a bad product. The TV arrived in just a few days and was pretty much 'plug and play.' The FIOS box and DVD installed easily.

Then I noticed a small black line in the bottom left of the picture. It appeared that part of the frame was projecting in front of the projector causing a shadow. I called Mitsubishi service and within 2 days a tech came out and fixed the issue. Great response time.

The picture is amazing and has various settings to adjust. It's so good, it shows all the imperfections in the standard def channels that my SONY didn't. The sound was terrible at first, however after playing around with the settings I was able to activate a surround sound type feature that gave it a boost. You'd think it would've been a pre-set.

One thing that really pushed me towards this model was the streaming internet TV. You can buy a wireless adapter or hardwire. The problem for me is that my internet connection is on my third floor and wireless is spotty. I spent a day searching, but found a coax to ethernet converter from Actiontec (bought through Amazon) which works with FIOS. Still waiting for it to arrive.

Overall great purchase and best bang for your buck for size of screen.

This TV is an amazing bargain. True, you can't hang it on the wall, but it looks great on a stand, and the thick part isn't visible unless you view it from the side. There is a free software update that downloaded automatically. With this, you do not need the 3D adaptor or IR emitter, just a 3D source and DLP Link glasses. The picture is bright, and the colors well saturated. It looked good out of the box with the default settings. The picture is almost too good, with some cable channels looking much better than others, although all purport to be HD. Using a 3D Blu-Ray player results in a spectacular picture. The IMAX "Under the Sea" DVD really felt like an IMAX theatre experience. The depth, brightness, color, and resolution were stunning. 3D material is very limited, and unlike some competitive sets, the Mitsubishi does not convert 2D to pseudo-3D. You will be limited to programs produced in 3D. The sound was mediocre with the default settings, but improved markedly by enabling the surround sound, adjusting the bass and treble, and connecting a subwoofer. BTW, you only get pseudo-surround sound with the internal speakers. If you want the real thing, you'll need a surround sound amp and speakers.

Pros:
Excellent value
Bright, saturated colors
Stunning 3D
No 3D adaptor or IR emitter required when free software upgrade is downloaded

Cons:
You can't hang it on the wall. It's 15.1 inches thick
Does not convert 2D to pseudo 3D

Pros: price, picture quality, inputs, weight, ease of use
Cons: relatively small vertical viewing angle, can't wall mount

I've had this TV for a month and a Mitsubishi WD-60837 (also 60" DLP) for 7 months. Both have a very good picture, though not as good as a top of the line plasma costing 3 times as much. It has less glare than plasmas, no image burn, and weighs a lot less than a plasma of the same size. You'll want to set it on a short stand, around 2 ft high, for maximum brightness because the vertical viewing angle is smaller than other TVs. At 3 ft off the ground you notice it's not as bright. My stands are 29" & 30.5" tall. Brightness diminishes horizontally too, but not as much and it's still watchable from a very wide angle. I highly recommend the Mitsubishi DLP TVs. They are at the sweet spot of balancing price, picture, and glare.

I bought the 60837 through Amazon and the 60738 at Ultimate Electronics. Both were good experiences.

I recently purchased this TV as an open box item from another online retailer for $599. When it arrived, it was missing the remote. (Now, I know why it was an open box item.) Other than that little hiccup, this is a fantastic TV!! And in my little living room in my apartment, it's HUGE! (This was a birthday present to myself. Previously, I had a 19-inch tube TV.) The picture quality (especially from Blu-rays) is stunning! Since I didn't have a remote (I've since ordered one), I was able to get into the menu using the buttons on the TV. I set the picture mode to Natural and that works fine for now. I eventually want to calibrate it for a more precise picture with accurate colors and contrast.

I had also purchased the Panasonic SC-BTT350 3D Blu-ray Home Theater System (a 3D Blu-ray player with 5.1 surround sound system) to utilize the 3D capabilities of this TV. Setup was a little clunky since I didn't have a remote, but I eventually got it set up and working properly. I have two pairs of the Optoma BG-ZD101 DLP Link 3D glasses (got those for $69 here on Amazon) and turned on a pair and put them on. The very first thing I watched was the 3D TRON: Legacy Blu-ray disc and I watched it in 3D. WOW!! The 3D was FANTASTIC! I am a HUGE TRON fan and I saw TRON: Legacy in 3D at the theater on opening day, December 17, 2010. Watching it on this TV was on par with, possibly even better than, my experience at the movie theater! The 3D worked flawlessly! I can't wait to get other 3D movies and see how they look!

So, I've been watching this TV for about a week now and it is great! I know lots of people have put down DLP TV's because you "can't hang them on a wall". That's not an issue for me as I have it on a stand anyway. It's a very lightweight TV, as it only weighs about 60 lbs. I'm able to move it by myself, but I would recommend having two people due to it's sheer size and bulkiness. I've read in other reviews about the TV speakers not working very well. I use the Panasonic Home Theater system I purchased for watching movies, but I've been using the TV speakers for regular TV viewing. They seem to work fine for me, with no rattling or other issues that some have described. The bulb does take about one minute to warm up and come to full brightness, but it doesn't bother me at all. I usually turn on the TV, go in the kitchen to get the snacks and by the time I get back to the living room, the TV is at full brightness. I have yet to hear the fan (that cools the bulb) that others have mentioned. I don't even hear it when watching the TV. I have intermittently experienced the "rainbow effect", but it's so infrequent that it's not an issue for me. The vibrant color depth and stunning picture quality of this TV make for an absolutely wonderful viewing experience.

Since my living room is so small, my viewing position is about 6 to 6.5 feet from the screen. People have warned me about "eye strain" being so close to the screen. Honestly, I've been watching this TV a LOT over the past week, and I have had absolutely no issues with eye strain or any other such problems. To be perfectly honest, watching a Blu-ray movie with DTS HD-Master Audio surround sound is like having my own personal movie theater right there in my living room! This TV is absolutely fantastic!

I did a lot of research before buying this TV. I looked at the pros and cons of the different technologies, like LCD, LED, Plasma and DLP. For me, DLP was the way to go and I'm extremely pleased with my TV. DLP is the technology used in most digital 3D movie theaters today. Besides, what other technology is going to offer you such a large screen with such excellent picture quality for such a relatively inexpensive price? When I was doing my research, part of what sold me on this TV was all the glowing reviews it had. I was still a little skeptical, even after purchasing it, so I was going on faith and those reviews. But once it arrived and I set it all up and started watching TRON: Legacy, I was blown away by how stunning the picture is on this television. If you're like I was and wondering whether all those reviews could be true....BELIEVE IT! This is a fantastic television, and for the price, you can't beat it!

I purchased this TV about 3 months ago and have liked it most of the time. On 2 different occurances, I have had what some people on the internet call the "Blinking green light of death". That means that the status light blinks rapidly and the TV won't turn on. The light blinking rapidly is supposed to mean that the lamp is cooling down, but sometimes it gets stuck. The problem has resolved itself after about 10 minutes the first time and 14 hours the second. Most people online get the blinking light problem and have to have their TV repaired so I was lucky that it resolved itself. It is probably just a matter of time before I have a dead TV and a repair man on the way.

Image can be as good as plasma, LCD, front projection. Decent color with a few simple adjustments. The 738 series has advanced color calibration but 90% of the presets will be fine unless you have a colorimeter. Sources vary so much anyway that even a perfectly calibrated TV will look "off" on some video. The internet apps are ok, but Netflix is a major ommission.

3D looks very good. DLP has no ghosting and using DLP-Link and some $60 shutter glasses is the cheapest active 3D option.

The things that bother me about this set:

1. overscan. 1808x1032 is the resolution I used to see the whole windows desktop - everything else is cut off. Not as noticeable on video, but for games and computer use, the lack of 1:1 full frame pixel mapping is weak.

2. lines are not straight, the geometry can be adjusted, but will never be perfect.

3. the screen has a glittery graininess to it - noticeable on bright whites.

4. the TV tuner is crude. OTA looks fine. channel changing takes 2-3 seconds on digital cable and there is no option for turning off encrypted vs clear QAM channels meaning it may find 100s of channels you can't watch. To manually go thru all these channels, wait 10 seconds each to see which ones you can actually see then edit a channel bank to weed them out is very clunky. Plan on using this with satellite or digital cable box to prevent the headaches.

5. DLP rainbows. If you see them, they can be annoying. I kinda got used to them but even when i didn't see them, I still got slight headaches after watching. Lighting conditions make a difference.

6. My set has HDCP issues and will often not show video from PS3 or cable box. All cabling and devices were replaced or checked on other sources and worked perfectly. A factory reset will get it working again, but erases all user settings. This is a common issue that replacing the TVs main board may or may not fix.

7. $100 every year or two for bulb replacement.

In summary, this is a cheap TV for the 60'+ sizes, looks great on video and 3D but is not ideal for computer and some gaming. With the price of fixed pixel displays dropping, I think the disadvantages of DLP will become a deciding factor except for the very large sizes 73, 82. Even then front projection may be a better option.

My review of this TV is based on my experience with a Viewsonic Pro8100 projector @106", Panasonic 50" S2 plasma and Sony 46ex710 LCD TV. Overall I'm satisfied because I got this TV for under 6 bills (open box) and wanted to try 3D, but plan on replacing it with 3D front projection within a year.

The picture is great.The tv take alittle long to turn on and turn off but i am ok with it.The price is great.

I got this TV 8 months ago and I've had no issues with it. It simply does what it is supposed to. I use it for my Xbox 360 and my PS3, which both look great on it. Blu-ray movies look fantastic on it and it has decent sound. I do plan on buying a new lamp for it just in case its lamp goes out, but amazon has the replacement lamp for only $90 to $120. Which isn't bad at all. I love my tv, it works great.

The only thing I wish it had was more inputs. I had to get a converter for a vga input. There are no side inputs, which I like to have for quick easy access. It only has 3 hdmi inputs and no s-video.

Other than that, I love it.

I bought this TV back in September 2010. I'm in love with it. The picture quality is great, the color is vibrant, and it's honestly not that heavy. Amazon delivered it, but did not set it up. I was able to lift it by myself and move it around just fine. It is easy to use, great picture, and overall great for the price.