For those with the Samsung 5x87 TV's - how is the fan noise? I just returned another rear projection set due to what I considered a too noisy fan. If you have the audio off, can you still hear the fan from your normal sitting position? (I don't want anything to interfere with the enjoyment of my Axiom!)

thanks

The fan noise on my 5687 is substantially less than my former set (HLN4365W). I never hear it when the set is on, and only notice it if listen specifically for it after turning the set off. It never calls attention to itself. I have heard of some having noisier than usual fans on the HL-S models, but it seems to be a few isolated incidents.

i have not noticed any fan noise from my seating position at all (approx 8-9 feet away)

Thanks for the replies. Unfortunately, I hesitated last night (had it in my cart at Circuit City, for a local pickup at a very good price), but this price was gone this afternoon. I went to the store tonight, they gave me a so-so discount price if I get the 4 yr extended warranty - I passed. I am tempted to order on-line... This was a great experience for the Axiom's and computer gear, but am a little worried about a projection TV.

"He who hesitates is lost." Who the heck said that?

I don't blame you for having concerns about ordering an HDTV from an internet vendor. I bought my first HDTV from BB, and it turned out to be a faulty set which needed to be replaced within a week. BB was very prompt and helpful. I was impressed.

But, when it came time to get a new one last May, I found I couldn't pass up the superior prices available on line. I was very concerned about what would happen if I had a problem right out of the box. Fortunately, I received a set that had no problems whatsoever, and was delighted with the whole experience internet buying experience.

If you decide to buy from an internet vendor do your homework! Research the vendor at ResellersRatings.com, and elsewhere. Search the forums to see what others have to say about their buying experience with that particular vendor. If you find one or two vendors that interest you, don't hesitate to ask for opinions on the forums, including this one. Don't expect to find a vendor that has pleased everybody, but be wary of those who have a high percentage of complaints from buyers. In general, avoid the vendors in Brooklyn, and NYC/NJ and those that have "photo" in their names (an exception might be B&H Photo).

Know and understand the vendor's return policy. I recommend talking to a customer service/sales rep to confirm availability, shipping policy, and return policy, and while you're at it, pay attention to how your treated. While a positive customer service conversation is no guarantee you won't have problems, but a negative CS conversation should raise a red flag.

Good hunting and good luck.

If it is just a couple hundred more at CC or BB i would still buy it there as opposed to many internet sites. If you get stuck with shipping that in itself will negate any savings you would have made online. And a lot of these new technology TV's seem to have bugs in them. Darn things are pretty complex compared to old tv's.

And the fact that any model I buy, of basically anything, seems to have some serious manufacturing or design flaw, has made me paranoid. Ford Contour, one of the most hated cars I have found on the internet, My Nissan Murano has already had a couple of recalls and other parts fail, my Toshiba laptop, which had a class action law suit against it for overheating. My refrigereator, My Cerwin Vega speakers LS-15 which continously fried tweeters for some unknown reason. Etc etc....I am Mr. Bad Luck when it comes to buying stuff. So far so good with Axiom's at least. That's why I am sticking to the big names in buying expensive items, they have some customer support. And they send items to nearest authorized repair center if it needs to be sent back.

i purchased mine form best buy, and they through in the 4 year warrenty for only $200. i went in there plannin not to get the warrenty, but $200 for 4 years i couldnt pass up, only downside is lamp only covered for one year.. no problems so far

Woohoo! thanks for your comments and help. I now have a 5087W sitting in my house, let the setup begin... It was very significantly cheaper online (with free delivery from that big bookseller) so I took a chance. And I used American Express credit card, which supposedly extends the warranty by another year. It turned out that it shipped from Reno NV and I am just north of San Francisco, I ordered it Tuesday morning. Doesn't appear to have any issues at all so far.

Everything else I have is LCD (front projector, small flat panel, computer monitors) so it might take me a while to get used to this, my first DLP. Sure seems bright so far. I am using comcast cable and the HD looks good, SD is so-so but that was expected.

Congratulations on the new toy, emiburke. Like most TVs, the Samsungs leave the factory set to a blinding brightness level in order to look better in a brightly lit showroom. Here are some initial settings provided by a nationally known, well respected ISF calibrator. You might try using them as a starting point and go from there.

"Congrats on your new display! Here are some settings that you may want to use that'll likely render a more accurate image.

Digital NR - OFF
DNIe - Off
Mode - Movie
Contrast - 40
Brightness - 45
Sharpness - 0
Color - 45
Tint - G50/R50
Color Tone - Warm2

If you want to take it up another level, I'd suggest performing a Digital Video Essentials (DVE) user-level setup. Here's a link to a tutorial that Dave Abrams and I wrote for American Wired a few months ago that may assist you with the procedure.

Avical's DVE user-level video calibration tutorial"

I started with these settings, and, using DVE lowered the brightness and contrast even more. Much mo' betta! It's still a bit too "hot," and a touch blue heavy, but It's giving me a very good picture. I'm having my 5687 calibrated in less than a month, and that will all be corrected by my calibrator.

While it's certainly possible for an end user to achieve a PQ with which they are satisfied, I highly recommend having your set ISF calibrated if the budget will allow. It can make a world of difference. The professional can calibrate your HDTV to a standard (SMPTE) end users are unable to achieve. Without a professional calibration, you won't be realizing the potential of which your set is capable.

Yeah, contrast was too high, those settings look better already. I lent my DVE disk to a friend so I will need to get it back. I think I will check out pricing for a local calibrator, my Panasonic AE900 could probably use it as well. Well, I am supposed to be telecommuting for work today, so I better stop playing for a while.

Glad those settings helped. Here's my experience with ISF calibrators.

I had my first HDTV (Samsung HLN4365) calibrated by a local guy in 2003. What he did was an improvement, but when it came time to have it calibrated again, I couldn't find the local guy (out of business? Moved?). I decided to go with a nationally known ISF calibrator who participates on a lot of these online forums and tours nationally. He did a much better job, and I've stayed with him ever since.

The point is, with a local guy, you can't be sure what you are getting. He might be completely competent. Might not be. With any of the calibrators that are well known on the forums, chances are you're going to get a professional job. Here a few worth investigating.

Lion Audio/Video Consultants (I use Gregg Loewen)

Avical (Eliab, whose suggestions for initial settings I posted above. I respect Eliab for all the free assistance he provides over at the AVS forum)

AccuCal (Another helpful contributor over at AVS - screen name "UMR")

I've linked to their tour pages, but you can find all the information you need (prices,etc) on other pages on the web sites.

I provide these only as a suggestion. I didn't have a great experience with the local guy I used, and had a bad report from a local owner on another local calbrator. It's entirely possible your experience with a local guy would be completely different. If at all possible, try to get some opinions from some of his clients.