DLP. Yes or No?

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

I am heavily considering a DLP set since they are less expensive overall, and I have the room to fit one no problem.

In particular either a 50" Samsung or Sony.

My "allowance" from my wife is $1500, lower would be better, and I naturally want to get 1080p.

Viewing Distance is from 7-12 feet, depending on where I am sitting.

I was at Circuit City tonight, saw two sets that fit into the criteria above, and they looked pretty decent to me, but I am still not convinced overall that the picture quality is in the same league as an LCD. It very well can be my mind making me believe this as I have always been turned off by DLP's because one of my friends years ago bought a DLP set and I thought the picture was horrid.

Honestly if it is a Do Not Consider, I will probably hold off overall until things come down as if I get a new TV I want to go at least 46" with an LCD, and definitely 1080p. I currently have a 40" Samsung LNS-4051D. That is why a 50" would be sweet, as it is a nice boost size wise.I do realize this is a situation where bigger is not always better, but hell, why would I not want to play COD4 on a 50" screen is my rationale...

The Reason, Where It Would Be Going

The one and only reason I am thinking of a new TV is me and my wife finally have gotten furniture for our house, so what is happening is we pretty much have 2 "living rooms" so to speak. One is more like a Den though, and that is where I currently do my Gaming.

So she has given me the permission to get another TV for the Den, and our current TV will go into the Living Room.

So this new TV I will be using for watching the majority of our TV on and also gaming naturally. The main reason I am really antsy to get one is I will then have much more time to game, as right now f I want to game and she wants to watch something, which happens pretty much every night, instead of her always getting to watch something as by default she always gets to watch TV more often then not, she can just go watch the TV in the other room. :yes:

So just curious what everyone's thoughts are.

TV 01 I am Considering

TV 02 I am Considering

[+StevoFC MVC]

I almost always say get samsungs but of those 2 i would have to pick the sony this time. it kind of sucks though that the sony only has 2 hdmi inputs.

depending on how the room is set up it's hard to say if a dlp would be any worse for you. will you be directly in front of the tv? if so, not much difference from an lcd. but if you will be viewing it from other angles it won't be so great. Normally the response time on a dlp is slightly slower than an lcd, but not necessarily bad.

Edited March 22, 2008 by StevoFC

[EcPercy]

I would go with Samsung, but I would make sure to go with the LED model of DLP so that you aren't replacing light bulbs.

I have an HLT-5087S and I love it. It's a 1080p set 50" and I sit around 5-10' away. The picture on it is stunning. I wouldn't buy your TV at a B&M store. Check out amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-HLT5087SAX-5...3711&sr=8-1

For the same TV I have they want $1199.88 (+ no tax) and I know from experience that their shipping (which is free) and white glove delivery (which is also free) is a deal too good to be passed up. (Just make sure if you decide to buy a TV off of amazon.com that it's sold and shipped by amazon)

I bought mine with the 4 year service plan which runs another $229.99. Definitely want a warranty with the price of this investment.

I would seriously shop around for a better deal. Don't settle for B&M pricing. Good luck whatever you decide!

[TheNay]

DLP is outdated, and parts will be more expensive if you need servicing when your warranty is over.

DLP is cheap because it's on the way out. I'd get an LCD TV.

[TruckWEB]

DLP is very good. I have both at my house, Sony 50" SXRD and Sharp Aquos 46" LCD, so I know. Be sure to get a 1080p LED DLP (Samsung is very good!), no bulb to replace in the long run.

You will be able to buy a larger TV for less money than a smaller LCD.

** The only REAL "problem" with DLP is the room you're going to put it. In order for DLP to give the BEST image quality, the room needs to be dark. So watching TV in bright sunlight will reduce the picture quality. You also get that problem with LCD, but it's far less visible.

DLP = excellent for dark room.

[I am Reid]

I would go with Samsung, but I would make sure to go with the LED model of DLP so that you aren't replacing light bulbs.

I have an HLT-5087S and I love it. It's a 1080p set 50" and I sit around 5-10' away. The picture on it is stunning. I wouldn't buy your TV at a B&M store. Check out amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-HLT5087SAX-5...3711&sr=8-1

For the same TV I have they want $1199.88 (+ no tax) and I know from experience that their shipping (which is free) and white glove delivery (which is also free) is a deal too good to be passed up. (Just make sure if you decide to buy a TV off of amazon.com that it's sold and shipped by amazon)

I bought mine with the 4 year service plan which runs another $229.99. Definitely want a warranty with the price of this investment.

I would seriously shop around for a better deal. Don't settle for B&M pricing. Good luck whatever you decide!

Buying a tv that you have never even seen is a horrible idea

just to let you know

[+StevoFC MVC]

Buying a tv that you have never even seen is a horrible idea

just to let you know

where did he mention never seeing it? all he said was it's cheaper to buy online. you can go to a store and look at it then go home and buy it online. what's the big deal?

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

Thanks for the feedback so far everyone.

After doing much more research and looking online, I believe I am going with this model.

Sony Bravia SXRD KDS-50A3000

It got CNets Editors Choice, a 9.0 Rating from users and the 55' got an 8.5 in it's review, and they also named it the best projection TV of 2007 in the video review actually.

I also saw a set in this series that was older in person, and it did have the best picture I thought overall.

While I myself am usually a Samsung man also, it appears Sony may have them in the projection category.

This one also has 3 HDMI's as well.

From Amazon I can get it for 1,587.72 and that includes shipping.

I may actually be able to get it for less from B&H online, a store that is in NY, but there website is currently offline and not allowing online purchases. But Froogle lists them as having it for $1400, just have to wait until 8 to see what the shipping is.

So I should know a little later what price I get it for.

I have a good 4 hours so interested in hearing some feedback on this choice.

[EcPercy]

where did he mention never seeing it? all he said was it's cheaper to buy online. you can go to a store and look at it then go home and buy it online. what's the big deal?

Exactly. I never said anything about not seeing the TV. I actually went to sears before I bought my TV just to look at them. They happened to have a similar model to the one I was looking at and it was playing a movie on Blue Ray, but they wanted $1800 + tax and delivery fees (not including a service plan). At that time I was able to go to amazon and get the TV for $1800 w/ delivery and the 4 year service plan. I figure I saved at least $500 just buying online.

[TruckWEB]

Thanks for the feedback so far everyone.

After doing much more research and looking online, I believe I am going with this model.

Sony Bravia SXRD KDS-50A3000

Well, my SXRD is the KDS-50A2000, an older model. I love it very much, and I have a PS3 and Xbox360 connected to it. SXRD are the best Rear projection TV in my book.

Good choice.

[+StevoFC MVC]

Thanks for the feedback so far everyone.

After doing much more research and looking online, I believe I am going with this model.

Sony Bravia SXRD KDS-50A3000

It got CNets Editors Choice, a 9.0 Rating from users and the 55' got an 8.5 in it's review, and they also named it the best projection TV of 2007 in the video review actually.

I also saw a set in this series that was older in person, and it did have the best picture I thought overall.

While I myself am usually a Samsung man also, it appears Sony may have them in the projection category.

This one also has 3 HDMI's as well.

From Amazon I can get it for 1,587.72 and that includes shipping.

I may actually be able to get it for less from B&H online, a store that is in NY, but there website is currently offline and not allowing online purchases. But Froogle lists them as having it for $1400, just have to wait until 8 to see what the shipping is.

So I should know a little later what price I get it for.

I have a good 4 hours so interested in hearing some feedback on this choice.

that looks pretty sweet. 120hz too so that's a huge plus.

[Peter Lyon]

Exactly. I never said anything about not seeing the TV. I actually went to sears before I bought my TV just to look at them. They happened to have a similar model to the one I was looking at and it was playing a movie on Blue Ray, but they wanted $1800 + tax and delivery fees (not including a service plan). At that time I was able to go to amazon and get the TV for $1800 w/ delivery and the 4 year service plan. I figure I saved at least $500 just buying online.

was it a big, chain run shop, if not, then you're a horrible horrible person (i'm from the uk, i have absolutely no idea what sears is)

[EcPercy]

was it a big, chain run shop, if not, then you're a horrible horrible person (i'm from the uk, i have absolutely no idea what sears is)

Yes, Sears is a big chain of stores here in the US. They offer a little of everything, but their main items of interest are Craftsman tools and clothing. They also have a pretty big electronics department.

Their prices at that time were pretty close to what everyone else (e.g. Circuit City and Best Buy) wanted for the TV I was looking at.

[+StevoFC MVC]

was it a big, chain run shop, if not, then you're a horrible horrible person (i'm from the uk, i have absolutely no idea what sears is)

yeah it is.

edit: posted at the same time...

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

As already been mentioned,

If you don't mind the size of a TV, there are couple more things you need to consider:

- DLPs perform terribly in bright rooms. Not much of a big deal if you only watch the TV at night or if you have blinds on your windows.

- There's no natural black color and almost always you get a really dark grey instead. Again, this is more of an issue if you watch the TV during the day; at night - no problem.

[bangbang023 Veteran]

Well, the SXRD you're looking at isn't DLP, but that's a good thing. It's LCoS and is, IMO, a superior technology. However, there is something to consider here: Sony has ceased manufacturing projection televisions so, if the thing does need service, it's not going to be cheap. Image wise, though, it's a beautiful set and one of the best projection televisions I've had a chance to see. I'm not a fan of Samsung projos, at all, so the Sony would get my support, fully.

One thing to keep an eye out for, though, is the model transition occurring now. New models are coming out and old ones are being sold off feverishly. You may be able to catch a nice deal along the line from a place trying to dump older inventory.

PS: Sorry I never replied to your PM. I've been out for the past 3 days and haven't had time to really sit down and give it a decent amount of attention.

[nexx]

I have the 42" version of the Sony 3LCD. It's a great TV. The Sony SXRD sets are even better again, if I had the money I would have bought it over any other TV on the market, no hesitation.

There are drawbacks to rear projection, but they're also much cheaper. I've had no problems watching my TV in a bright room.

[TruckWEB]

I am heavily considering a DLP set since they are less expensive overall, and I have the room to fit one no problem.

So, have you made your mind about what TV to get? Did you put one on order?

[SnowRanger13]

I have a DLP and at the time it was one of the best as it was using the newest DLP chip. It looks great but a few friends have LCDs that make me jealous.

I'd wait and save up more for a LCD but thats just me. If you want a TV now without the wait and can't move your budget DLP is a great choice.

[jerzdawg]

So, have you made your mind about what TV to get? Did you put one on order?

he already ordered and received it(as i stopped over his house on sat to see it).. so im sure he will give his full review soon... all i can say is being an owner of an older 50" sony sxrd(1080i) I am jealous of how nice the 1080p(CoD4 looks just perfect) looks/the 3 hdmi ports/the fact that the component inputs accepts 1080p and the the menu/setup screens.

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

Thanks all for the replies... and no problem at all bangbang, you have helped me out so much in the past with this aspect of things you are covered for the rest of my life as far as I am concerned.

As jerzdawg stated above, I did indeed receive it this past Friday, and I feel like I got the bargain on the century, I truly do.

The picture looks fantastic, especially on sources that do support 1080p, which as he mentions, turns out I got a set where the component actually does support 1080p, which I did not even know, so my XBox 360 looks fantastic.

PS3 also looks unreal, that is straight HDMI.

My cable box, which is 1080i, looks just as good as it did on my Samsung 40" LCD. I was watching March Madness basketball this weekend and it looked fantastic.

I will say if you plan on using this TV in a very bright room, I can perhaps see there being issues, but I dont know, the picture is pretty damn bright. And I have heard some statements about the blacks not being black, and perhaps I am not all that picky, or perhaps I do not notice (although being a graphic designer as a profession I tend to notice things and have an eye for detail), but the blacks look perfectly black to me TBH.

So I really am BEYOND happy with this purchase. Like I said, I feel like I got one over somehow, as similar priced LCD's with all of the funcitonality of this TV (3 HDMI, Built In Tuner, etc.) come in at about $1000+ more for the 50" size, easily.

Also one thing I was worried about was getting it fixed, and well they made it so replacing the bulb is a super simple process the user can do. So hopefully if something ever does go wrong, it is the bulb, and I can replace it no problem at all.

I did realize they discontinued making these completely, and I have a feeling that is why I got it at the price I did. From my research, this model came out in November, and they discontinued them shortly thereafter, so I get "the latest" model in the series.

Finally, I am actually better at FPS simply because I see better. My eyes must be going on me being 33 years old now, and perhaps it was just coincedence, but I never have played COD4 better than I did this past weekend, literally. Once I got used to things, which was not that long, I was going 23 and 2 in Team Death Hardcore, which I have never come close to doing (keep in mind I do not play all that often, still level 37 I believe, have not hit first prestige). I fired up the GT Prolougue Japanese demo on my PS3, and WOW, just looked outstanding. Then I put in the I Am Legend BluRay and DAMN... The detail was STUNNING.

As crazy as it may sound, I got this mainly for gaming first, and it has exceeded my expectations in that department.

I without a doubt recommend this TV to people as an alternative to LCD's considering the price point and especially the picture and performance. There is also a TON of fine tuning one can do with the image if you so desire, way more options than I had on my Samsung LCD (and I love that TV, I do).

Overall I am extremely, extremely happy, and I fully admit, I was worried, as many people were against it, and I only saw an older model in the series in person, so I was going on that more than anything else. So I was definitely worried I took a $1500 gamble, but it paid off amazingly, and perhaps an LCD would look even that much better than this does, but I cannot see it looking so much better that it would justify spending more money and me truly being able to notice the difference to a point it would make me unhappy with this purchase.

[Revolution.]

get a plasma ! .. :ninja: .. without a doubt. .!

[+StevoFC MVC]

he already ordered and received it(as i stopped over his house on sat to see it)

What the hell???

I wasn't invited!

Damn DL... :p

[Crazysah]

GOod choice mate though I would have gone for the LCD.