Greetings all,

I need some advice on purchasing a big TV. I have been reading stuff all over the net on several models of large televisions and the more reviews I read, the more I get confused. Let me tell you what I’m looking for and the models I’m considering and I’ll let you all have a field day weighing in your opinions.
I’m looking at a set between 50-65 inches; I want to spend no more than $3500; it will be used primarily to watch digital cable and DVD’s played on my Denon 2200. I’m also leaning towards either a DLP or LCD. Plasma’s are too expensive for me.
This said; the sets I have been looking at are:
1. Sony KDF-55WF655
2. Toshiba 52HMX94
3. Samsung HLP6163W OR HLP5063W

I have heard and read that both Sony and Toshiba have terrible customer support track records with these kinds of TV’s.
I have done a lot of reading on C/Net’s web site and they have glowing user reviews of all of these models sprinkled with a few “Don’t Buy this set” negative reviews telling horror story’s of them screwing up royally topped with no support from the companies.
I want to buy a new big screen soon and hope you all can steer me in the right direction. Please tell me what you all own/recommend and why. I trust your opinions over all these web sites that I have been reading on.
Thanks
Mac

Denon AVR-3805
Denon DVD-2200
SVS PB1-ISD
Axiom Audio M80ti
Axiom Audio VP150
Axiom Audio QS8

“I feel more like I do now than when I got here!”

i recently got the toshiba 52hm84 and i like it a lot the problems i have with it may not be specific to my model more my type of tv. hdtv and digital cable screen size stretch or no stretch thats the type of problems i have so far.oh and my ps2 does not look great but again i dont blame the tv for that. i think xbox is better for hd. i paid $2400 for mine shipped with 3 year extended warranty from onecall.com

I have just spent 3 months trying to decide on a big screen. I was really looking at the Sony 70 inch and the Mitsubishi DLP. I ended up going with a Panasonic AE700 projector. If you can do front projection I strongly recommend looking into it. I spent 2700 on the projector and a very nice screen.

The best advice I can give you is go out to a local electronics store and look at it. There is no such thing as the best tv. What I did was researched the positive and negative took that information with me and previewed them. Most of the negative comments you will read are from very nitpicky people. Half of the things I read about I didn't see.

If you aren't interested in a projector. Take a look at the Mitsubishi DLP. That was my number 1 in picture, the sony was great for shear awe.

Every time we walked into one of the electronics stores with dozens of TVs, my wife and I picked out the Sony Grand WEGA LCD as the best picture - so we bought a 42" (also comes in 50" and 60"). At this point I wish I had bought the 60" and I have been looking at prices. It is about $3700 around here (San Antonio) after a rebate right now. The only concern regarding quality/service is that the bulbs are problematic and once it burns out it is hard to come by if you want to get it from Sony so you should get an extended service contract - and then when the Sony bulb goes out you can get another (manufactured by someone other than Sony) bulb immediately (on a Sunday with in-house service in my case) rather than wait several weeks for a Sony bulb to come in so you can go pick it up. Except for that problem (after 1 month) we have had 16 months of great trouble-free viewing. The $399 for the service contract for 4 years is well worth it and the picture is great. I have 3 friends waiting for me to pull the trigger on a 60" so they can buy my 42" off me. I paid about $3000 counting the tax and service contract and all 3 are willing to give me $2000 for a used set because they think it is the best picture they have ever seen (both in my house and in the store). With the service contract the 60" may be more than you want to spend, so check out the 50".

I'm wondering how my friends are going to take it when I put the three of them in an auction against each other...? :-)

Foghorn, the Sony was my wife's favorite. It is a very good tv. Have you taken a look at the Mitsubishi though? To me it slightly beat the Sony.

Out of all the pictures I've seen so far the Sony looked best but I still worry about the bulb going out after weeks. Do they pay for the new bulb with the extended service contract? or do you buy it and they install it?

Hey Mac,

If your room can accomodate one, get a front projection. There is nothing like having a true movie experience at 100-120" diag in your own home. Besides, it is much easier to get a 12lb unit repaired than a ship anchor.

good luck on your decisions.

"Out of all the pictures I've seen so far the Sony looked best but I still worry about the bulb going out after weeks. Do they pay for the new bulb with the extended service contract? or do you buy it and they install it?"

With the service contract (at least with the one I bought from Circuit City) they come to your house on the day that you call (7 days a week) and bring some parts to do minor work in the house if possible - if not, they take the TV and bring it back when it is fixed.

I don't recall looking at the Mitsubishi, per se. I just remember that the Sony looked the best - but this was toward the end of 2003 so the model you are referring to may not have been available - for that matter there may be a lot of TVs better than my Sony at this point...

Oh yeah, on the service contract all parts and labor are free.

The Mitsubishi DLP's just came out last year. When I visited The Good Guys last, they stood out as being the best looking sets in the store.

Go big, go cheap. Upgrade in 5-7 years when the TVs will be even better and cheaper.

I'm in love with the Sammy 5063. The technology is pretty neat...

They took their DLP board and turned in 1/8, making each pixel a diamond. They then swivel each mirror on two axes, and project the image in two passes (interlaced). The image has a 1/2 pixel overlap on each pixel, meaning pixel structure is almost completely lost. (This is harder to explain, by, the way, than I thought...). The process is called "wobulation" (no joke)

Essentially it's like sideways interlacing. Imagine the screen width as having 1020 lines of resolution. This chip takes its mirrors and projects an image onto pixels in each odd line, starting with 1, and going through 1019. Since the vertical line information is square, but the pixels are diamonds, each pixel bleeds slightly into the next line. Next, the even lines 2-1020 are rendered, and again, there is some pixel bleeding. Do this fast enough, and the pixel structure dissappears entirely.

There are some drawbacks - softness is one of them. But on an HD source, its nearly impossible to notice any of the softness because the 1020 lines of resolution are so close together. With standard broadcast (where several lines of resolution share the same information - resulting in blockiness, jaggies, etc.), the image is much improved.

Beware that this techonology is not favored by some who prefer a more geometrical clarity/"hardness" to their image, and reject softness out of hand (even though I believe it makes video look more "film like"). Also, Sammy is coming out with new TVs with new chips that are supposed to far surpass the 5063 technology.

As always, your mileage may vary. Go to the store and see for yourself. For one, I really hate the screen door effect on the Sony GW. I find that the macro-blocking that occurs with regular TV is amplified to a point where the image doesn't look good.