Building a new home theater
 

I have begun the long (and agonizing) process of piecing together a new home theater system.

I'm a picture guy, so my 5-year old Kenwood VR-309 receiver will do me just fine in the sound department.

So, I'm almost dead set on the 43" Sammy DLP television. It's an incredible television, and I'm a big fan, to say the least. It's unlikely I'll go to 46", but not impossible. I just depends on how the finances swing.

So, the questions start out like this: Where is the best place to secure the television? I see these tvs on Ebay for about $3k, plus roughly $300 in shipping, which is still less than the $3500 your gonna pay at a Best Buy (not to mention the sales tax)?

The other question is about the new DVD player I'm going to have to get. I'm skeptical about the Sammy HD931 because of all the issues I've heard about it. I looked into the Denon 910, primarily because it has the Faroujda DCDi, but then I realized that the television has the Faroujda, as well, so it seems kind of a waste of money if I can get a solid player for less than $300.

So, where to get the DLP and which dvd player for less than $300 should I fix myself upon?

Re: Building a new home theater
 

The DLP is pretty hot right now. Doubt you will find much of a discount on it. Personally for this item and cost, I would not go thru ebay. Just MHO.

Tho the price on line is about the same as BB and CC, I would call here,

http://ww2.onecall.com/PID_20962.htm

They may work with you on shipping and/or the price a little. Tho for that TV maybe not. They are known for being a good reliable dealer.

They (onecall.com) has a special price on it for $2818.66! That is before shipping but still a better deal than $3499.00

Did you try amazon? They have an amazing price on the 617 right now. Haven't seen what they have the 43" for. Don't forget, Samsung is eliminating the 43" in the HLP line.

Also, I would absolutley match a dvi player to the Samsung. Since the 931 is not perfect, it might be worhtwhile to wait a little to see what comes out soon.

For new tech tv, I think that the best place to purchase one is B&M stores. Many people have reported problems, particularly the three blinking light problem, at avsforum. If you buy it over the internet, you would have to pack up the set and ship it back if you decided to do a return. You normally can get a good price at Sears by watching for their 10% off promotion, price-matching, and use the 10% coupon that can be bought on eBay.

Outside of the Faroudja DCDi, is there any significant performance difference between the HLN4365W and the HLN437W?

Those two sets are identical except for the outside bezels. Faroudja DCDi is present in both sets. Please also be aware that 2004 models (HLO ?) are coming out later this year. The new models will use new Texas Instruments DLP chip. From what I read, there will be improvements in contrast and black levels, among many things, in the new models.

If you're really a "picture guy" then why go with dlp now? That technology is still on the improvement curve. I'd recommend going with a sweet 55-65" crt rptv: cheaper than what you're looking to spend, better pq, and *bigger*!!!

Although CRT RPTV generally has better PQ, DLP/LCD RPTV has advantages of

1. Brightness
2. Wider angle of viewing
3. Burn-in free
4. Weight
5. Depth
6. Always in focus and does not require $300+ annual ISF calibration to keep the pq at optimal

I bought my LCD RPTV knowing that it does not have the best PQ. However, the PQ is acceptable to me and it is a great compromise considering that I can watch 4:3 materials in that AR without having to worry about burn-in and that I can watch the TV with the curtains up.

Back to the original question, the Bravo D2 ($249) is supposed to come out soon. DVI connection and 1:1 pixel mapping will provide superior DVD image on your display.

I would take the DLP/LCD RPTV anyday over a CRT based RPTV. The PQ is amazing, and the CRT RPTVs are just too big and bulky for what you get. Or... you could go front projection and step up to where the real fun starts. Just my $0.02 though.

Agree to disagree. Yes, I like the DLPs for their angle and weight/depth. But the pq on a decently-tweaked crt is still better ime (in my experience!) and brightness is not an issue at all. (My *old* rptv was in a room with large south-facing windows, new one is in an averagely-lit room with *no* curtains and brightness is fine day or night.)

And you *don't* need a $300-every-year ISO calibration. My pq is damned near optimal with simple. occasional DIY tweaks (linearity, overscan, convergence about once a month and it usually doesn't need much at all. Focus set once and has stayed fine.)

Don't get me wrong--there's a dlp or plasma in my future, but not for a couple of years or so. I like to keep my tvs (and cars!) for many years, and don't want to be too envious of newer sets or regretful of the price I paid in a couple of short
years.

I agree that a properly tweaked CRT RPTV is king in pq. I have read posts saying that ISF recommends a yearly calibration. Their reasons also make sense. Each year the adjusted focus can drift. Each year phosphor can be unevenly burnt between the three color guns. Maybe it is part of a scam, who knows.

My friend has a Toshibe SWX CRT RPTV and it is useless with the blind open in his family room during the daytime (windows all around the room). For me, the biggest reason I bought my LCD is "burn-in" and that my TV will last a lot longer than 20,000 hours. I bought it knowing that something better and cheaper will be released within a year or two. However, it is a compromise. What I really want is a three-chip 1080p DLP, which is not available today. I can afford to "burn" a couple of grands for the four years in which I think that such set will be available at a reasonable price.

Well, I appreciate the input, but I'm pretty sold on the DLP. One of the biggest pros that the DLP offers that you can't get from the standard CRT RPTV is the excellent daytime viewing conditions that the DLP offers. When I look at the glare that the CRTs have, it drives me bonkers.

The actual thing that I'm more interested in, strangely enough, is input on the DVD player to go with the DLP. I don't necessarily have to have a DVI out player, but I'm not against it. Something sub-$300, ideally.

The best DVD player for you DLP is one that can do 1:1 pixel mapping and with DVI or HDMI out. The only available players that are in your price range are Bravo D1 (www.vinc.com), Momitsu V880 (region free), and Samsung HD931. However, the D1 and V880 are also known for problems with their [stock] loaders. At CES, there were many DVI/HDMI DVD players annouced. The one that will be released the soonest is Bravo D2 which promised to have fixed the loader issue and add an ability to adjust contrast and other corrections through its DVI output.

bcelmins,
You might want to see if there's a Tweeter in your area. That's where I bought my HLN467. I wanted someone local in case something went wrong with the set. I got the 5-yr extended warranty, so I'm in good shape.

I have the HD931 DVD player hooked up via DVI and haven't noticed any problems. I considered the Bravo D1, but didn't really want to wait for one. You can get the 931 from BB or CC and try it out. The DVI did improve the picture quality over component.

Didja know that most rptv's have a protective/"glare" screen on them? And that it's removeable? I took mine off first thing. Hated the reflections and glare. There's no hint of either now. Just sixty-five inches of bright, clear viewing goodness, day and night.

Just my experience. Looks like you'll be getting a dlp before me tho. $^)