Customer Reviews

RCA 61" Widescreen DLP(TM) HDTV with Integrated ATSC & QAM Tuner (HD61LPW42)

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I bought this TV used a few years ago for cheap b/c it was loud (had a bad bearing in the color wheel.) I replaced the color wheel myself, easy to do, for around $100 for an upgraded part with better bearing design, and the TV has run flawlessly since. I'm still using the same bulb that came with the TV, but I run the lamp setting on Low, which isn't much of a difference from bright. Another reason I use the low lamp setting is b/c the lamps run very hot and high heat is the enemy of electronics, the lamp will run significantly cooler on the lower setting which will decrease the potential for other electronic component issues. I have this thing on all the time as I use it for watching HDTV via Comcast cable with set top box, watching movies on Blue Ray player and gaming on Xbox 360. Something to note is this TV does not accept 720p signal. This could be a problem with a couple channels if getting HD reception through Antenna or Sat, but cable all comes through at 1080i in my area, so not an issue for me. Also most high def devices such as gaming systems and Blue Ray players allow the user to select which HD signal to use. I have both my Xbox 360 and Blue Ray set at 1080i, and the TV works great for all my needs. Picture quality isn't far off a new Mitsubishi 1080p DLP I had for a few days. I bought the Mitsu to upgrade, but it was louder in operation and not much of a difference in picture quality, so I returned it and am keeping this one till it dies; or the newer technologies eventually become rediculously cheap. The design is a bit dated, so it's kind of a sleeper; It always surprises people when the TV is off and I click it on and they see how good of a picture this dated looking beast puts out. These old DLPs have kind of a bad rep from bulbs burning out etc. but a lot of these are probably attributed to people getting the cheap knock offs, not the genuine Phillips bulbs which are rated for 6000-10000 hours, and possibly beyond using the low lamp setting. Overall, this TV puts out great picture, is very inexpensive and has proven reliable for my use. If you are on a budget but still want a large TV with great picture it's a good deal.

This tv is basically only for watching movies if you want to play games as i was hoping to do most of them are native 720p display. This is a big problem for this TV because it does not support 720p this sounds stupid and was odd to me because the tv supports 1080i perfectly. The tv is also very loud and the bulbs are unreliable I have had it for a week and I am already looking for a new tv. I would recommend spending a little extra on a samsung or sony model.