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Customer Reviews: Average Rating:  Rating :  - Excellent choice for the price
Well, after 14 years with our 32" tube TV, we decided to upgrade to HDTV. However, we are not upgrading our satellite service as yet. So - which kind of TV to get? The choices are LCD, Plasma, and DLP. We ended up getting this model, but first let me say why we did NOT get one of the others:
LCD:
The advantage of a LCD is that is doesn't burn in images, and it has a very bright display.
The disadvantage is that it can tend to blur the moving images, unless you spring for the more expensive models. I think that most people get used to it. However, it does not look as good with Standard Definition (SD) inputs. Since we need SD input, LCD presented problems for us.
Plasma:
A plasma display has good color, great black, and works well with SD inputs.
The disadvantage with plasma is that it can burn in parts of the screen, especially if they don't change much. Since my son plays games a lot, there would be static "control areas". The newer Plasma displays have pixel shifting, where the entire screen moves (but won't be noticed), and have ways to fix any burn in. But it was still a worry.
DLP:
The DLP does not have any problem with moving images, and it has a great display. Also, it tends to be very inexpensive for the larger sizes. They are also light weight for their size, and have a thinner bezel (the area around the edge).
The disadvantages of DLP are that they use a color wheel and bulbs, both of which can fail. Also, they are deeper in back (about 16" on this model), so they are less suitable for wall mount.
The choice:
This model has all the advantages of DLP, but it also adds some features that diminish the disadvantages.
- It uses LED to light the screen, and the bulbs should last a very long time.
- It does not use a color wheel, so that will not wear out.
- LEDs are more efficient, so it uses less power.
Now on to the TV itself:
There are a lot of customizations available. It has three built in modes: Standard, Cinema, and Dynamic. Each ones sets the TV to certain video settings. The cinema works great with up-converting DVD players (I don't own a blu-ray disk yet). Or you can do your own "custom" settings. The audio is fine for normal listening - I use the TV audio for HDTV via the antenna, and a home theater system for satellite and DVD playback.
Broadcast:
Great. It will automatically scan the airwaves and assign the channels. One gripe I have is that it assigns both the air channel (analog), which looks terrible, and the corresponding digital channel, which look great. There are controls to have the set automatically read the screen resolution and change it as appropriate, and other controls to automatically adjust the volume when the channel is changed.
Standard Definition:
Very Good. Our Dish Network system runs through a home theater, which uses component video inputs to the HDTV. The picture looks almost as good as on our tube TV, when we set the screen ratio to 4:3. I haven't seen a program that did not look good yet, including our DVR playbacks.
DVD:
I am using a Panasonic blu-ray player with DVI connection to the TV and a optical sound connection to the home theater. The up-converting DVD output looks great.
Controls and connections:
All of the inputs are on the right side, which is unfortunate for me because my satellite and home theater are on the left! But it works fine with longer cables. The on-screen controls are easy to use. One thing I like is the capability of "renaming" the various inputs, so that the family knows that it is not just "component 1", but rather that it is the Cable/SATV. I'm using a Wii connected to component 2, a home theater receiver connected to Component 1, and the DVD player connected to the HDMI connector.
Problems:
The only issue I have had so far is that the WII connection via component input has a hum on the main screen and some of the game screens - not while playing, but while choosing options & etc. I will have to investigate this further. The picture looks very good.
The other issue is that stupid blue circle under the screen, which is annoying, but I finally found the menu to turn it off.
Conclusion:
This is a great choice if you have room for a 61" screen - make no mistake, this is some serious television real estate! + See Full Customer Review |  |
