292 of 294 people found the following review helpful:
Best bang for the buck, great features of LED
Very happy with this TV! Much improved over last years LED sets. Excellent picture, great performance, and nice, efficient LED engine. Does it have the best picture available? No, that's probably the 9G Pioneer Kuro plasma, but that costs about $3000 more. Even the new Mitsubishi bulb based DLP's have a slightly better picture, since they use the newer TI Darkchip4 DLP...
95 of 107 people found the following review helpful:
Lost Image in 1 day
Ordered from Amazon LLC. Delivered in 3 days. Super fast. But the unit stopped working on the 2nd day -- only after 3.5 hours of usage. Lost image in the middle of a show. Unit started to shut down and re-start by itself. After a few tries, all 3 indicators on the front panel began to blink. According to the manual, this means: "LED defect. Call a certified technician." I...
This review is from: Samsung HL61A750 61-Inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV (Electronics)
Very happy with this TV! Much improved over last years LED sets. Excellent picture, great performance, and nice, efficient LED engine. Does it have the best picture available? No, that's probably the 9G Pioneer Kuro plasma, but that costs about $3000 more. Even the new Mitsubishi bulb based DLP's have a slightly better picture, since they use the newer TI Darkchip4 DLP chip, and the Samsung uses the Darkchip3. But, I feel the advantages of the LED light engine outweigh any slight picture quality difference. In my opinion, this TV has the best bang for the buck, by far.
I wrote a FAQ on AVS forum, so I will include some of that here:
- Why should I get a 750 LED series over the 650 bulb series?
* The 750 comes in bigger sizes, 61" and 67".
* The 750 has an LED light source that should last the life of the set. No bulbs to replace.
* The 750 uses the CinemaPure Color Engine that creates brilliant, realistic images and displays color that's 40% brighter than traditional HDTVs. (Note that most sources don't take advantage of this extra color space. Some Camcorders do support it.)
* Nearly instant startup times, with instant brightness no need for the bulb or ballast to warm up.
* No spinning color wheel, so quieter TV (color wheels spin fast and can sometimes have a high pitch whine), and less moving parts
* Much, much less chance of seeing rainbows as the LED's cycle much faster than the color wheel.
* "Green" TV. The LED set uses much less power than bulb based sets and has one of the lowest energy consumption of TV's. Note that actual energy usage is less than the max rated watts listed on the TV.
- Why should I get the 750 series over a competitor, like the Mitsubishi
* The 750 has an LED light source that should last the life of the set. No bulbs to replace.
* Nearly instant startup times, with instant brightness no need for the bulb or ballast to warm up.
* No spinning color wheel, so quieter TV (color wheels spin fast and can sometimes have a high pitch whine), and less moving parts
* Much, much less chance of seeing rainbows as the LED's cycle much faster than the color wheel.
* "Green" TV. The LED set uses much less power than bulb based sets and has one of the lowest energy consumption of TV's. Note that actual energy usage is less than the max rated watts listed on the TV.
* The Samsung has 120Hz video processing for smooth, judder free playback of 24 fps film based material, such as Blu-Ray movies. Have to move to the expensive Diamond series to get this in the Mitsubishi.
* Extensive user menu settings for picture adjustments
* The Phlatlight LED engine is made in the USA.
This TV has A LOT of options for adjusting the picture. So many, that some may get confused, so I will post my suggested settings. First of all, when you get the set or see it in the store, it defaults to Dynamic mode, which in my opinion looks HORRIBLE!!! Don't judge this set too much by how it looks in the store, it looks waaay better in person.
Suggested Picture settings
Picture mode: Standard
Usage: What I like for normal Cable/HD viewing. Provides extra "pop", and 3D-ish look but clearly over saturated.
Contrast 97
Brightness 48
Sharp 0
Color 49
Tint 46/54
Detailed Settings
Black Adj off
Dyn Contrast Low (Adds the "pop" many people are looking for)
LED Control Auto (Sometimes turn down to medium at night)
Gamma 0
White Bal -4
Flesh Tone -3
Edge Ehancement off
xvYCC off
Picture Options
Color Tone Normal
Size Just Scan
Digital NR Auto
DNIe Off
HDMI Black Lvl Normal * See notes below
Film Mode Auto
Blue Only Mode off
Color Gamut sRGB
Picture mode Movie
Usage: Movies, Blu Ray playback. Generally, the most accurate mode
Contrast 100
Brightness 47
Sharp 0
Color 49
Tint 50/50
Detailed Settings
Black Adj off
Dyn Contrast off
LED Control Medium
Gamma -3
White Bal 0
Flesh Tone 0
Edge Ehancement off
xvYCC off
Picture Options
Color Tone Warm 2
Size Just Scan
Digital NR Auto
DNIe off
HDMI Black Lvl Normal * See notes below
Film Mode Auto
Blue Only Mode off
Color Gamut sRGB
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This review is from: Samsung HL61A750 61-Inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV (Electronics)
Almost bought the HLT series from Samsung when I read that it was being replaced by this model. Several issues were addressed, one concerning a halo effect that effected some of the sets, which Samsung later had a fix for. When shopping, went to BB and CC to compare this set with larger screen lcd, plasmas and dlp models. Chose this over other brands of dlp because there is no bulb to replace in the Samsung (led light source). For the same quality picture I found that the plasmas and lcd sets were far more expensive in this screen size range.
Ordered from Amazon, was delivered, unboxed, and hooked up to make sure everything was fine, by the trucking co. Very satisfied with their white glove delivery. In fact, it was better than I expected.
The picture on this set is much better at home than what you see in well-lit stores. The contrast, color and resolution are amazing. Even up close the picture is excellent. Replaced a Toshiba 60" (HD) that was about six years old. Major improvement in HD. The screen on this has no reflective glare as the older one did. Always had a reflection of something in the screen, a light, window... Have directv, so was able to use the HDMI hook up, that replaced the 3 wire component, and two wire audio to the set--now just one. The sound from the set is ample,(it has SRS) however, I hooked it up to surround which gives the viewing experience a lot more kick!
I highly recommend this set on my personal satisfaction, and Amazon for their excellent customer service and the delivery.
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This review is from: Samsung HL61A750 61-Inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV (Electronics)
We recently purchased a new townhome and I spent a large amount of time researching TVs for our living room's home theater set-up. After much deliberation, I purchased this Samsung 61" A750 DLP. After 3 months of daily usage, we have been very happy with the TV, but there are some issues to be aware of.
Pros:
- Overall picture quality for HD sources (cable or Blu-ray disc) is excellent. The set has life-like colors and a bright picture. Blacks are very dark, even though it only has a 10,000:1 Contrast Ratio. My bedroom set has 30,000:1 CR (a Panasonic PZ85U Plasma), and this Samsung looks almost as good as that for blacks. Keep in mind that black levels are very important as they also affect how vibrant other colors appear.
- The set is very sleek. I really like how thin the bezel is around the set. This isn't your father's projection TV. The Comcast Cable installer actually thought it was a plasma set.
- The large screen size makes for a fantastic home theater experience at our viewing distance of 12 feet. I haven't been to a movie theater in a while as this set brings the theater to you. The large size is especially great for watching sports and movies. After watching TV on this set, I complain about the 42" set in my bedroom because it looks small. And the price for this much screen makes for an excellent value.
- Firmware can be easily updated through the USB slot.
- Unlike past DLPs, there is no bulb to replace.
- Unlike LCDs, no motion blur at all for sports (and I watch a lot of sports).
- Unlike plasmas, the energy consumption is very low. This set does not run hot at all.
Cons:
- All rear projection TVs are subject to something called Silk Screen Effect (due to the screen material used). Think of it as someone holding up a silk screen or clear panty hose up against the screen, and trying to watch TV through it. While it can be downplayed by lowering the contrast ratio, it cannot be eliminated. This set has a fair amount of Silk Screen Effect, generally only noticeable when watching a bright scene. A lot of people only notice it when watching all white events, such as hockey or skiing. But I notice it sometimes in other colors as well, and it's annoying when I do. It detracts from the "3D" experience that you get when watching a high-end plasma. My wife has not noticed it at all though, so maybe I'm just being picky.
- Check out the owners thread for this set on AVS Forums. This model has pretty big geometry problems. Again, pretty much every set has it, but the seriousness varies from set to set. Basically the casing used to house the TV is very thin and flimsy, and the outside borders are not always straight. For example, my set has a dip in the top middle of the screen, and a rise in the bottom middle of the screen. Pull up a linear grid from the service menu and you will be able to see just how bad the bowing is. Luckily for me, I never notice the bowing when I watch something. But it can be seen if you are looking directly at the bowing. I also have serious bowing on the side black bars when I watch 4:3 standard definition content (looks like an hourglass shape). I do not watch much SD content so it doesn't bother me that much. Again, check out AVS Forums and you will see a lot of people have returned or exchanged this set due to bowing problems.
- Sound quality is pretty poor. I hooked up a 5.1 surround system and never expect to use the internal speakers again. Make sure you invest in a surround package if you buy this TV.
- Standard definition content looks terrible. Trying to watch "Seinfeld" re-runs on TBS or an SD baseball game is not enjoyable at all.
Overall, mainly due to Silk Screen Effect, I would say I prefer the picture of my Panasonic PZ85U plasma over this Samsung A750. But a 60"+ plasma is very expensive and that is why I am happy with my Samsung purchase. You get 90% of a high-end plasma's picture quality, at a much lower price. If you do decide to buy this TV, you may want to get it at a local store though instead of online. Due to the bowing issue, you may need to exchange it once or twice before getting a set you can be happy with.
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This review is from: Samsung HL61A750 61-Inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV (Electronics)
I ordered this last Sunday. It shipped out Monday from Reno and got to LAX by Tuesday. I called CEVA on Wednesday and had it delivered Friday morning. I was apprehensive of the bowing issues I've been reading about on avsforum.com, but I do not see any bowing on mine. Also, mine came with the updated firmware already installed (it was manufactured 3/31/08). The picture is fantastic -- it's replacing a 5 year old Samsung HLM507W. I have DirecTV and a PS3 feeding it. The SD picture is also much, much better than my old set. The price dropped 3 times since I ordered it, and I was able to get a refund for the price difference already because of Amazon's 30-day price guarantee. Couldn't be happier with it.
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This review is from: Samsung HL61A750 61-Inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV (Electronics)
Ordered from Amazon LLC. Delivered in 3 days. Super fast. But the unit stopped working on the 2nd day -- only after 3.5 hours of usage. Lost image in the middle of a show. Unit started to shut down and re-start by itself. After a few tries, all 3 indicators on the front panel began to blink. According to the manual, this means: "LED defect. Call a certified technician." I called Amazon and was told that a technician would call me in 24 hours to schedule a visit and "we will see from there." FRUSTRATED!!!!
UPDATE: July 2, 2008
Amazon first suggested to contact 1-800-SAMSUNG to see if the manufacturer can arrange for a quick refund or exchange. Called, but was told by a Samsung representative that the manufacturer does not arrange for exchange or refund unless the problem is not fixable or has been repeated for numeral times. Thus, the best Samsung can do at the moment is to have a technician come over to fix it.
But I have lost confidence in DLP TVs. So I decide to go with an LCD, even though that means, for the same price, I need to reduce the size from 61' to 52'. I need a reliable unit.
I then called Amazon and asked for a straightforward refund. The representative was very nice. She said she would send a request to the courier, who would then call me to arrange a time for pick up. I wanted to "swap" for an LCD TV, but was told they cannot do that, the two orders have to be processed separately. The TV will be sent back to the warehouse. Upon verification of the defect, a full refund will be issued to my credit card. The total time for the refund will take around 2-4 weeks.
I am now waiting for my money back so I can purchase a new TV. I do not want to pay 20% interest to the credit card company. Will write another update when I receive the refund.
UPDATE: July 9, 2008
The delivery picked up the unit today. Now, I am officially waiting for the refund from Amazon.
The pickup people are not as professional as the ones who delivered the TV. I guess we receive "white glove" delivery for our purchase, but not necessarily "white glove" pickup for returns. But anyway, as long as I can get my money back, I am happy with it.
OTHER USERS' COMMENTS
A couple of friends commented to this message that a quick firmware upgrade should fix the problem. But I did some research on the web, and am not so sure it will do the trick. First, those people who reported having upgraded their firmware seemed to have a different problem from mine. That is, their DLPs occassionally turned on and off automatically. But my unit does not even start from the beginning. Second, I asked 1-800SAMSUNG regarding firmware upgrage. The representative said it probably wouldn't fix my problem. Sure, he's a telephone representative, not a certified technician. But, since I have decided to return the unit, I'd better not touch it. What if Amazon/Samsung later says that it is me who damaged the unit during the process of firmware upgrade? After all, Samsung advised to wait for a "certified technician". If I insist on doing some self-help, I bear my own risks, right? I am sure for people who has passed their 30-day return period, a quick firmware upgrade is definitely something to try. But for me, I rather return it for a full refund.
In any event, thanks for those friends who commented on this message. Really appreciated.
July 24, 2008 UPDATE:
Full refund received with no hassle. No shipping. No repackaging fee. Amazon's services are still top notch. Strongly recommended if anyone is buying expensive electronics on the web.
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This review is from: Samsung HL61A750 61-Inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV (Electronics)
I've been watching Samsung's LED DLP technology for about a year now, so when the next generation came out a few months ago, I got ready to buy. And I happily did so from Amazon.com.
LED's provide pure red, green, and blue light, and those in this set claim a life rating of 60,000 hours (that's 8 hours per day for 20 years). No lamp to replace, no spinning color wheel, no rainbow effects, no motor/fan noise. The whites are bright, and the darks are black. My unit shipped with the current firmware already installed.
I'm not hung up on having a TV that's wall mountable, so I wasn't limited to plasma and LCD sets. And at less than 16 inches deep, my options are still open for cabinets and stands. My only challenge with this form factor so far has been mounting the center speaker, but I just ordered a OmniMount CCH1B Center Channel Speaker Shelf from Amazon, so that should do the trick.
I've gone high-tech geek [almost] all the way for the sources and connections. I say "almost" because I haven't invested in Blue-Ray just yet. But, I do have a TiVo HD, HD cable box, and up-scaling DVDR all connected by HDMI, and our Wii is using the component cables. All pictures are pristine and crisp! The colors are amazing, but I may need to tone down the brightness just a tad: watching the Stanley Cup playoffs, the ice is almost blinding, but the set's 10,000:1 contrast ratio is very apparent with the darkness of the puck and players' uniforms. And, although the Wii is not breaking any graphics barriers compared to Xbox or PlayStation, the video is detailed and vibrant. Hooking up to my laptop with a RGB cable was sweet -- a 61" computer monitor!
In my opinion, reviews are most helpful when they aren't all positive or negative, so now I'll mention some drawbacks or less fortunate issues I've experienced. As noted in the manual, the optical output from the TV is only 5.1 channel for stations tuned by the TV itself. All of the other digital sources coming in only get 2-channel audio out the optical connection. This is a bit lame, but all that means is that I have to use my surround sound receiver to change inputs for digital audio. I guess I could go buy one that has HDMI switching capabilities. Also, since I've had the set, 3 times when I turned it on, I got a message, "Check Fan No. 3". Each time I turned the TV off and back on and the message didn't reappear. I'd want to place a service call, but the inconsistency would make it difficult to troubleshoot. I have a warranty -- I'll keep my eye on it. Lastly, although I have the TV's speakers turned off in its menu settings, occasionally, the TV speakers will turn on very loudly. I have to navigate the menu, turn the speakers on, turn down the volume, and then turn the speakers back off. This has only been happening since I started using a Harmony remote with my set up, so it's probably not the TV, just a stray or errant signal coming from my remote.
In summary, this is an excellent television that I highly recommend. The picture is awesome, the array of inputs is excellent, and the price is affordable (and dropping) -- I've already been refunded [...] with Amazon's Post-Order Price Guarantee.
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This review is from: Samsung HL61A750 61-Inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV (Electronics)
I recieved the TV about a month ago and I've always been impressed with the picture. This TV was a trade in for my HLT5687SAX which had several issues. The TV has a great picture, added menu features and picture in picture over the old HLT set. I wasn't shopping for anything with out an LED light engine.
The TV did not come without issues; the TV would intermittatly turn off and then power back on. Recently a new issue of firmware has been put out and upgrading is a snap. No issues since the new firmware and the TV looks great. There have been other people with geometry issues such as bowing and alignment issues. Mine doesn't have these problems and if it does its not visible from normal viewing distances. When checking against a test grid only one of the four sides has some tilt and it is less than 1/4" from the top to the bottom. The viewing angles are about the same if not a little better than the HLT set and I think the black levels have also improved slightly.
Overall I am very happy with the set and would recommend it with an Oppo DVD player or Blue Ray. Do not expect this set to have the same picture quality as a plasma but do expect to save a bundle for the size of the TV with an above average picture. If not for the issue with the TV powering on and off this would get a 5 of 5. I'll call it 4.5 and recommend it to anyone looking for a DLP set.
Edit: Go to the AVS Forums and there is a huge thread on this TV describing the firmware upgrade...
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This review is from: Samsung HL61A750 61-Inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV (Electronics)
On my fourth week of owning this set now. The settings out of the box are (as most HDTVs) set exaggeratedly high for brightness, contrast and sharpness, but turning off the edge enhancement, and cranking down the settings provides a phenomenal picture for both HD and SD sources. Brightness and viewable angles are excellent, and the form factor is great.
Black levels are excellent as well.
I was trying to decide between this set and the 60" Kuro Plasma from Pioneer....and for 1/3 the cost, this is probably still 90% of the picture of the Kuro (except for those amazing blacks).
There was an early issue with the set randomly resetting, but Samsung has published a firmware update that addresses it completely.
The ability to show photos via USB is also pretty cool though not something I'll use a ton.
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Details: I know this is supposed to be a product review, but I want to extend a hardy thank you to Amazon for what may be the best online purchasing experience I've had. I buy a lot online, from simple $1 items up to big ticket items and I've always considered myself fortunate for having mostly good experiences. Primarily I chalk that up to research and making good choices on my end, but sometimes a vendor stands out and needs to be recognized. I ordered the item late at night on 5/13/08 and received an estimated delivery date of 5/23. OK for free shipping... I tracked the item online and when it arrived at the local terminal on 5/16, I called the carrier (CEVA) to arrange delivery. They delivered it the next day, on Saturday! The unit arrived within the window given and was carried into the house and unpacked. One of the deliverymen even helped me plug it in and run through the menus to be sure everything worked. They were both very courteous and professional. True White-Glove service!
On to the TV... Again, WOW! I waited a full month after receiving it to post a review. My expectations were met fully on day one and our excitement level hasn't diminished since.
My 2-1/2 year old Toshiba 62HM95 suffered a light engine failure that was going to cost $1K to repair. Since I was already frustrated with other product shortcomings and particularly Toshiba's terrible product performance and their abandoning both DLP and HD-DVD, I decided to find a replacement. Not needing or desiring to hang a unit from the wall and actually preferring the advantages of a DLP, EXCEPT for the bulb replacement issues, I was excited as heck by the LED option. One very exciting advantage of this set is that it's the "greenest" large screen set available, requiring the lowest power usage I've found! If that doesn't matter to you now, it probably will someday...
I researched online and picked out the Samsung HL-61A750 as my first choice. I visited all the usual local suspects to quiz the geeks onhand and physically compare what's available and again settled on this product, both because of and in spite of, what some of the geeks had to say about what they thought I needed... Amazon had the best price available by far and I've never had any trouble with delivery or response to inquiries before, so the decision was an easy one. I actually did haggle the local Circuit City down $300 from $2099, but that was still over $100 more than Amazon, NOT including taxes, nor would it have included free shipping, which I did get from Amazon! I was careful to ensure I bought from Amazon and not a third-party to ensure their high level of support after the purchase, just in case.
My wife wasn't too happy about me paying "so much" for a TV so soon after having paid twice that for our Toshiba, but she changed her tune after only a few days watching and using the new set. It integrates seamlessly with our existing Samsung TIB and is very easy to use. We use Charter Digital HD TV and a regular DVD player and I don't feel any need to jump to Blue-Ray at this point. I will upgrade at some point and look forward to it, but not now. I took a few minutes initially to flatten out all the settings to the midrange from their high ends, as all TV makers ship their products. This made a huge difference in producing a watchable image in my home! I continued tweaking a bit as we watched SD and HD TV along with several movies and am very pleased with the results. I may even skip calibration! I'd suggest a search at the AVS forums at www.avsforum.com for the "HL61A750 owner's thread" for recommendations and in depth discussion of the set.
There is a lot of information regarding new firmware updates (10 minutes to download and automatically install using a USB flashdrive!) that resolves some early release issues. From my understanding, units now being shipped include the latest firmware already. There have also been concerns regarding bowing and geometry on some sets, but mine and many others have none and many of those reported can only be noticed when viewing test patterns designed to show them. If it's a concern, be sure to check for them early and schedule a service call for adjustment or replacement, if needed. Again, from my understanding, Samsung has been very supportive in this area. I also purchased a three year warranty extension that begins after Samsung's one year warranty expires. The best deal I found was the Mack Warranty from Texas Tapeworks. Only $120 (price is based on purchase price of TV) and I've read nothing but positive reviews of their support!
From pressing the power button to viewing an image takes about 8-10 seconds, which might seem long to some, but it's nearly instantaneous compared to our Toshiba! The image is amazing and while the sound may be a little flat, it's fine for most TV programming. Many people, spending thousands on a TV like this, won't hesitate to spend at least a couple hundred dollars more on an inexpensive TIB with surround sound. If you need better, good for you! Go for it! Oh yeah, and there's absolutely no sound at all, other than from the speakers. I'd grown very tired of the ever present fan noises from my previous set, whether it was turned on or not.
We've found that for our tastes, once we found the settings we preferred, the TV is basically on auto-pilot from there on! It automatically up-scales even the crappiest SD programming to provide a much greater viewing experience. The blackest blacks and whitest whites I've seen with minimal to no crush depending on how much "pop" you want in your image.
The TV automatically senses when a movie has been inserted into our Samsung TIB and switches inputs. Basically, we just pop a DVD in and everything turns on and the movie menu pops up! When we turn off the DVD player, the TV switches back to TV on it's own! No more fiddling with power buttons and input settings and whatever else...
I've compared this set extensively with other DLPs, LCDs and Plasmas and I definitely made the right choice! I have already recommended this model to others without reservations. RESEARCH YOUR CHOICES!!!
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This review is from: Samsung HL61A750 61-Inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV (Electronics)
UPDATED 10/27
OK.
So I decided one day, quite randomly actually, to upgrade my current TV (LG 42PC5D 42-inch 720p Plasma HDTV, for reference) to something somewhat larger and more capable of higher HD resolution. I was debating whether to replace with a newer plasma, or go back to LCD (the technology has improved significantly since the last time I owned one, specifically the blurring issue and sharpness). However, a lot of things are important to me that others might not care about. Some of these are:
- I like a TV to be light. Plasma screens for the most part are quite light indeed. The plasma I current have that I mentioned is quite light indeed, which was a selling point.
- The motion blur effect causes headaches and some lightheadedness. It's not pleasant. Any TV I buy must NOT have the motion blur, or have so little that I can't see it.
- I like TVs that can resize old 4:3 broadcasts to fit the screen without distorting the picture. My plasma actually couldn't do this, but I tolerated it for quality reasons.
- I like slim TVs. This kind of goes hand-in-hand with the weight issue, but it's also a visual preference.
- I like my TV to have a small screen border. Maximize the viewable area.
After much research (and price checking), I decided on a DLP TV. Seeing that DLPs were just so darn cheap compared to LCDs of the same size, it only made logical sense. But I needed to actually see it for myself in order to make a decision; so I made a trip down to Circuit City. On display were the Mitsubishi and Samsung versions in this size. What I noticed was that the Samsumg retailed (at Circuit City) for over $2,000...mind you, the LED version was more expensive than the lamp version ($1,400). But Circuit City had an open box LED DLP for only $1350. My company has a discount deal with CC which effectively paid for the tax. Bought it on the spot (yes, I lifted it out of my car and up about 30 stair steps by myself, dead-lifted. That should indicate just how light it really is...lighter than my plasma yet 20 inches more screen space).
Once I got it hooked up (I have an integrated HDMI system, so I only have one cable to set up a new TV to everything), I immediately checked out some HD programming. I wasn't quite impressed...but I know that has to do with the fact that I'm seeing more defects on the larger screen than I did on the smaller screen, so no big deal. It's not that it looks bad...just not as great as I was used to or expected. It did do quite a bit of cleanup of regular non-HD broadcasts, especially close ups (far shots still looked terrible as always). There are a number of additional options in the menus to do more cleanup, but I didn't get to toy with them too much as the open box didn't come with a remote (had to order one. Be careful, they'll try to rip you off. Buy it from Amazon if you can).
The next step was to test true high definition. Of course, anyone who knows HD knows that there's really only one option to truly push a TV's HD output: Planet Earth on HD-DVD or Blu-ray. And my goodness...this TV is built for HD movies - 1080p. Videophiles will be able to clearly tell the difference between 720p on a smaller screen and 1080p. Additionally, this TV has a much more discriminate color space than my plasma; the plasma was more saturated but not as finely detailed. The DLP was so crisp that it felt like you were standing there. Someone new to HD likely won't be able to see the distinction, but after having viewed everything in 720p for years, I can easily tell the difference.
That doesn't mean there aren't negatives, some of which aren't the TV's fault.
- 720p and 1080i don't look so hot on this TV for some reason. Again, not terrible, and not bad, just not great. Why that matters? Everything broadcast on HDTV is usually in one of those two resolutions; there isn't capacity to transmit in 1080p. Doesn't mean you won't get enjoyment out of those shows and if your TV is more than 20 feet away from your seating area, you won't care.
- You have to "force" the TV to autoscan for resolution changes between shows. The problem is that most digital broadcasts of older shows send in 4:3, which the TV will show. If you don't like the black boxes on the side, you'll have to again "force" the TV to stretch the image. If you leave it on stretch mode and view a show that naturally fills the screen, it will overscan and you'll miss some of the edges of the show. Minor irritant.
- No carry handles. Minor irritant.
- Horrible built in speakers, but quite frankly if you're buying a TV like this you should have or be willing to buy a decent surround system to go with it.
I didn't cover all of the features of the set because honestly, I buy a TV to watch...well...TV. And movies and other video-centric things. I know it supports MP3s off the USB and other features, but I just don't care about those. If I want to play music, I can tap in my 360 Media Center and run everything that way, wirelessly, from my whole library rather than a few songs on a USB stick, but if you like it, to each their own.
This is a great TV. Don't let the display model throw you; it's not calibrated properly, I assure you. Additionally, it's hooked up to a terrible feed that is split amongst all TVs there, so the quality is severely degraded. Finally, stores are trying to steer customers to the LCD lines because sales of those models are bottoming out for a couple of reasons - VIZIO has stolen market share with rock bottom prices and DLPs like this one are showing that they can put out quality comparable to or even better than their flat panel counterparts. You walk into the store and they have a 1080p LCD hooked up by itself to a Blu-ray player that is showing some outstanding quality movie, and it's all a ploy to get you to buy it, when the truth is, space is really the only reason not to get one of these.
UPDATE: Something important you should know. This TV doesn't play nice with certain receivers; namely, the Sony STR-DG910. There is a setting under the Menu (I think it's 7-VIDEO), inside there is an Audio setting where you can set TV+AMP or AMP. It is CRITICAL that you set this to AMP. If you set it to TV+AMP, the amp will do its best to send audio to the TV, but the TV won't accept anything other than PCM - affecting all of your surround speakers. So set it to AMP so you get the optimal quality out of this thing. This is only an HDMI issue, to my knowledge.
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