OT... anyone know about bigscreens/DLPs?

[TC535i]

Looking at picking up last year's Samsung 56" (Samsung HL-S5679W). DLP, uses LEDs instead of bulbs (+ no color wheel = no rainbow effect), 1080p thru DVI or VGA. Built-in QAM/ATSC for OTA HD (which I'll hook up).

I use my TV for DVD's, video games (PS2), and the occasional local channels. No cable/dish. I'd like to hook the computer up and watch stuff on there, so 1080p is a must.

Amazon's closing it out at $1500. Free delivery & removal of packing materials. No tax.

Do it?

[Tiger]

Wow... that's new... the LED thing. We once had HP 1080P DLP projection... at HD the picture is incredible... but when viewing regular stuff is horrible.

In your case, DVD need to be the upconverting one... cheap is fine. Unless you can afford Blue Ray.

PS2 however is gonna look ugly.

Local HD reception will give you outstanding picture.

All in all... for the price, I think I'd rather buy plasma TV... it is about the same price range and thin... The projection TV just takes too much room even though it is slim compared to older projection...

[Adnan]

Hi,

I would encourage you to check out the AVS Forum at avsforum.com in the rear projection section. Those guys really know their stuff.

I recall reading that although the LEDs are supposed to eliminate the rainbows, or RBE, the first generation Sammy's left a lot to be desired. The second generation is supposed to be much improved.

Do you know if you are sensitive to RBE? If so, the Sony SXRD may be a better option. As the new A3000 models show up this summer, the older A2020 may drop in price. In fact, if you can find an A2000 now (the model prior to the A2020), it should be a steal.

Regarding poor quality with non-HD material, it has a lot to do with the video processing. Some are better than others.

Regards,
Adnan

[TC535i]

Yup, LED's kill rainbow... no colorwheel necessary.

I'm trying to decide on a DVD player now. Do I just feed it 480i/p signal via HDMI and let the TV upconvert to 1080p? Or do I buy a DVD player that does the conversion, and feed it 1080p signal?

Whose scalers are better?

[TC535i]

Wow... that's new... the LED thing. We once had HP 1080P DLP projection... at HD the picture is incredible... but when viewing regular stuff is horrible.

In your case, DVD need to be the upconverting one... cheap is fine. Unless you can afford Blue Ray.

PS2 however is gonna look ugly.

Local HD reception will give you outstanding picture.

All in all... for the price, I think I'd rather buy plasma TV... it is about the same price range and thin... The projection TV just takes too much room even though it is slim compared to older projection...
The newer projections are much better... old ones, especially without line doubling, etc, were pretty shitty on a normal feed.

[TC535i]

btw, the main difference between the first and second generation LED Samsungs was the contrast. 2006 is 4,000:1, 2007 (new) is 10,000:1

Nice, but not necessary... I'll be ok with 4,000:1

[bones]

just a bit of knowledge,we have a 42 inch samsung that has fantastic sound and clarity,WHEN IT WORKS! ive replaced the convergence board and than a capacitor blew on the high voltage power supply.The amount of money that you spend on one of these electronic marvels is only relative to the picture and sound quality when its working.in no way shape or form can you buy reliability on these units they are still to new.the life expectancy for this technology is less than 5 years.ours went 3 years and 4 months and is now a maintanance hog. bones.

[Tiger]

Cheap upconversion DVD player is good enough... it will boost it to like 560 and then the TV will upconvert the rest to near 760 even though the DVD said 1080i...

You need the DVD player with HDMI hookup. I have tried both way... component and HDMI... big big difference. DVD player will not upconvert on component hookup... only HDMI.

[Tiger]

I still think you are far better off with HD Plasma TV... you get much better overall pictures expecially when you are watching regular channels and PS2.

[Bill R.]

I went through this about a year ago and

ended up going with the sony 60 inch grand wega kdf-e60a20. I compared everything out there visually and read all the support groups on the various makes and models. Plasma was ruled out due to power consumption, heat generation and short life. Lcd was chosen due to picture quality, ease of maintenance, changing the bulb is the only routine maintenance needed typically on the sony according to most of the forums/digests. That and the fact that the bulb is available on ebay pretty cheap and needs replacement maybe every 3 years or so based on use.
After reading through many many posts, it turns out that Costco and now Sams club are the best places to buy them. At Costco for example there is a no questions asked return policy on TV's, if you have a problem for any reason return it for a full refund. They don't even sell an extended warranty at costco for this reason. You have to keep the box and associated packing materials though. Sam's started the same policy since they had to keep up with Costco. In my own mind if it gives me trouble in the first 2 years i have no qualms about returning it and getting a full refund or another tv.... after 2 years and my conscience will start to come into play. The one i ended up buying is just under a year old now. I also ended up buying an oppo dvd player Hd yada yada.. based on opinions also found on the AVS forum , which in my mind is the most useful info i've found on TV and DVD stuff.

Also one of the people on here who's opinion i respect said to get the Sony wega too.Martin that is. I have been very pleased with it so far.





Looking at picking up last year's Samsung 56" (Samsung HL-S5679W). DLP, uses LEDs instead of bulbs (+ no color wheel = no rainbow effect), 1080p thru DVI or VGA. Built-in QAM/ATSC for OTA HD (which I'll hook up).

I use my TV for DVD's, video games (PS2), and the occasional local channels. No cable/dish. I'd like to hook the computer up and watch stuff on there, so 1080p is a must.

Amazon's closing it out at $1500. Free delivery & removal of packing materials. No tax.

Do it?

[Elekta]

I have last year's 42 Samsung Plasma, and I love it. On occasion it goes to black and white. Anyone know what that is all about?

I got the 3 year home warranty with it from Circuit City and about to have a service call, but I'd like to have an idea of what's messing up if anyone's had a similar problem.

Best picture I've ever seen though

[Jr ///M5]

I went through this about a year ago and ended up going with the sony 60 inch grand wega kdf-e60a20. I compared everything out there visually and read all the support groups on the various makes and models. Plasma was ruled out due to power consumption, heat generation and short life. Lcd was chosen due to picture quality, ease of maintenance, changing the bulb is the only routine maintenance needed typically on the sony according to most of the forums/digests. That and the fact that the bulb is available on ebay pretty cheap and needs replacement maybe every 3 years or so based on use.
Also one of the people on here who's opinion i respect said to get the Sony wega too.Martin that is. I have been very pleased with it so far.


I just went though this last month. Did all the research, read all the reviews. Then I went and watched them at 4 different stores. The Sony ended up being the one I chose based on the quality of the picture and viewing angles.

It was the KDS-50A-2000 model. I also upgraded my receiver to a Sony HDMI compatible model along with a Sony upconvert DVD player that was HDMI compatible.

Scott Hersted turned me on to BLUE JEAN CABLES. A place where they make their own HDMI cables at a very decent price. Since I needed one 25' long plus a couple of 3 footers, I ordered it all from them. You should check out their prices on line and really consider HDMI connections if possible. There is a difference.

Overall, I learned a lot. But like Bill R., did a lot of homework and found that the Sony was the best buy for my wants and needs.

I only wish Speed Vision would broadcast in HD...

So here's another vote for the Sony from the ol' timers.

JR

[TC535i]

I just went though this last month. Did all the research, read all the reviews. Then I went and watched them at 4 different stores. The Sony ended up being the one I chose based on the quality of the picture and viewing angles.

It was the KDS-50A-2000 model. I also upgraded my receiver to a Sony HDMI compatible model along with a Sony upconvert DVD player that was HDMI compatible.

Scott Hersted turned me on to BLUE JEAN CABLES. A place where they make their own HDMI cables at a very decent price. Since I needed one 25' long plus a couple of 3 footers, I ordered it all from them. You should check out their prices on line and really consider HDMI connections if possible. There is a difference.

Overall, I learned a lot. But like Bill R., did a lot of homework and found that the Sony was the best buy for my wants and needs.

I only wish Speed Vision would broadcast in HD...

So here's another vote for the Sony from the ol' timers.

JR

I just picked up cheap HDMI cables... from everything I heard, there wasn't much difference as long as they'd support 1080p? Got my cable for like $9 shipped.

At this point tho, I don't even think I'll be using the HDMI cable, I'll probably just run the VGA in at 1080p and play DVD's off my computer at full res.

BTW, I really did look around... but to get anything like 40+ with 1080p, I'm looking at paying AT LEAST as much or more.

[TC535i]

"UPDATE: There is a common thread running through all users questions/comments: how does this set compair to Sony's new SXRDs. I can't say for the XBR line as they are just now shipping but as far as the A2000 line, this set seems just as clear and bright as those sets. It would be hard to tell which one is 'better' without 'em side by side but I can say this DLP does provide what seems to be better color uniformity then the bright SXRDs. However, this set is priced to compete with the higher quality XBR line so we will have to wait and see how those new sets look. Thanks for the questions and keep 'em coming. "

That pricing comment was referring to the original price ($3,999), I've heard anywhere form 3200-4000+ original retail (compared to $1,500 delivered).

http://www.engadgethd.com/2006/10/03/engadget-hd-review-samsung-hls-5679w-led-dlp/

[nixter]

I have the 50" Samsung DLP and it rocks. I just bought an HP pavillion laptop with HDMI out that I connect to the tv. SOOOO crisp! I sit on my couch with a wireless keyboard and mouse and surf porn, errr....the internet.

n

[TC535i]

I have the 50" Samsung DLP and it rocks. I just bought an HP pavillion laptop with HDMI out that I connect to the tv. SOOOO crisp! I sit on my couch with a wireless keyboard and mouse and surf porn, errr....the internet.

n
I'm gonna have my other home computer run as a HTPC. 1080p via VGA direct into the TV. It's a beautiful thing. :)

[bbig119]

I'm gonna have my other home computer run as a HTPC. 1080p via VGA direct into the TV. It's a beautiful thing. :)

I have a good friend shopping the exact same models...last year and this years sammy LED DLPs.He told me he went to a hifi store that had them side by side and the the salesman calibrated the displays with one of the popular DVDs that are available. He told me he had a hard time noticing the difference in picture quality. That being said, some reviews I've seen indicate that the picture is much improved in the newer line. Don't forget that the new line also have HMDI 1.3 which is 'supposedly' be the standard for at least a few years. I recommend trying to find stores where you can compare these two guys directly(hopefully side by side like my friend).

As for me, I've bought a 50 inch sammy DLP a year and a half ago. I've not had any issues and usually have make a conscious effort to see rainbows(although if you watch Sin City you are guaranteed to see them because of the black and white). I am happy with the TV and have no regrets although I do wish I could have afforded a 1080p when I bought mine as I also have an HTPC.

If you plan to use the TV as a monitor, and by this I mean have your normal windows desktop its well worth getting 1080p. I have no problems with 720p, but it would be crisper with the higher resolution. If you have any questions on hooking up/setting up the HTPC I'd be happy to offer advice. Lots of fun, but its an endless cycle customization, optimization and tweaking.

Good luck with the purchase.

[TC535i]

I will be running HTPC as my DVD player, but I need more info on what software to run, etc.

It will be sweet tho, looking forward to it. I guess mine doesn't have rainbows since it doesn't use colorwheels with the LEDs.

[bbig119]

I will be running HTPC as my DVD player, but I need more info on what software to run, etc.

It will be sweet tho, looking forward to it. I guess mine doesn't have rainbows since it doesn't use colorwheels with the LEDs.

The LED based DLP shouldn't have rainbows-- if it does, you may want your eyes checked.:)

Are you planning on using the HTPC as a DVR and music/mp3 player? There is plenty of software to use. Clearly Vista offers their media center interface and its worth a shot. I gave windows MCE a try when I first built mine but for a number of small but annoying reasons I opted to drop it and go with a SageTV instead(I haven't regretted it a bit as it handles all my TIVO/DVR functionality, DVD and music playback. You'll definitely want to use some piece of software that offers you the big sharp looking 10' interface that will allow you to use the HTPC for all your media needs easily with a remote.

For instance I've got my HTPC setup such that Sage recognizes ripped DVDs on my hard drive and allows me to browse through them like you would browse music albums using iTunes, only this uses a remote. A few clicks and I'm watching a movie without having to touch the disc. The music interface works the same way in that ripped CDs/mp3s show up with album art and its easy to navigate using a remote with 10' interface provided by the software(Sage of Mediacenter, as well as others).

If your primary goal is DVD playback, you'll need to buy/download a decoder. People have opinions as to which is best but you can experiment for yourself as most that cost money allow a free trial. In addition to using Sage for playback of DVDs and videos, I also use Zoomplayer as it supports just about everything and is very customizable to your tastes. I highly recommend this program. I know several people who choose to use this program to play DVDs over the player through their 10' interface of choice. There are actually plugins for SageTV that will load an external program like Zoom to play DVDs automatically.

Have you built the system yet? I thought the hardware would be the most difficult part of the process but I was completely wrong. With several main players to choose from for each function of an HTPC, there's a ton of research. All this software is constantly evolving with updates, plugins and such. Its alot of fun, but it quickly becomes a hobby.

Enjoy it though and there are plenty of resources online to help you if you need advice or at stuck.

[nixter]

I've not had any issues and usually have make a conscious effort to see rainbows(although if you watch Sin City you are guaranteed to see them because of the black and white)

Oh haha! I had no idea what this "rainbow" stuff was until I read this. What you guys are calling "rainbows" is actually known as "banding" It comes from a limitation in the color bit depth of the signal. The way this is dealt with is to add noise to the image. The inherent grain in an image is what softens artifacts such as banding. It will be interesting to see how the TV industry adapts once technology like RED cameras become more common place. RED cameras capture digital images with ZERO grain. They are going to make my life hell as I work in digital visual effects for film and tv.

n

[bbig119]

Oh haha! I had no idea what this "rainbow" stuff was until I read this. What you guys are calling "rainbows" is actually known as "banding" It comes from a limitation in the color bit depth of the signal. The way this is dealt with is to add noise to the image. The inherent grain in an image is what softens artifacts such as banding. It will be interesting to see how the TV industry adapts once technology like RED cameras become more common place. RED cameras capture digital images with ZERO grain. They are going to make my life hell as I work in digital visual effects for film and tv.

n


That's strange, and maybe I just don't fully understand your explanation, but I always thought that the rainbow was an artifact of a physically spinning color wheel. Why is it so much more noticeable on black and white material then? I've got to think that its more than the obvious that the rainbow is always there and I just notice it more against black and white material.