I am looking at buying a widescreen tv and don't know if I should get LCD or DLP. My brother has a LCD and loves it. I was told that with DLP the bulb burns out pretty early and it cost $300.00 to replace. Do you have to take in the tv to get the bulp replaced or can you do it yourself?

Step 1: Look at a DLP TV.

Step 2: Look at an LCD TV.

Step 3: Decide which one you like better and buy it.


Seriously, they look different enough that you'll probably prefer one or the other. As far as bulbs go, they both have them; bulb life and cost should be similar, and they're user-replaceable.

I have a DLP and bought a service protection plan with it. It also covers the cost of a new bulb and its installation. I've also had my set for over a year now with very regular use and no problems to report.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of LCD vs DLP? In LCDs, are dead pixels an issue? I'm leaning towards DLP...probably a Samsung. I'd like to get a 45" to 50" TV by the end of the summer. Are there other recommendations? I've just recently thought about upgrading my TV so I'm going to start some research into this. Thanks for any information you can provide.

Don't know how big you want, but this is a good deal at Costco, it evidently is $2,500 with cart and with the "in store flyer coupon".

Panasonic PT-60LCX64 60" LCD Projection TV

Broadcast Format Displayed: 480i (SDTV), 720p (HDTV)
Broadcast Format Supported: 1080i (HDTV), 480i (SDTV), 480p (EDTV), 720p (HDTV)
Detailed Specifications
Product Type: LCD Rear Projection TV
Features: SAP
General Features: 3/2 Pulldown, Anti-Reflection Glass Coating, Closed Caption, Multi-Language Menu, Sleep Timer, V-Chip
Remote Control: Same Brand Remote
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (Widescreen)
Audio Format Supported: BBE High Definition Sound, MTS Stereo with DBX® Noise Reduction, Surround Sound
Brightness: 300 cd/m2
Comb Filter: Motion-Adaptive 3D-Y/C
Diagonal Screen Size: 60 in
HDTV Built-in Tuner: Yes
HDTV Compatible: Yes
Picture in Picture: Dual Tuner PIP
Progressive Scan: Yes
Resolution: 1280 x 720
Video Broadcast Standards: ATSC (Digital), NTSC (analog)
Input: A/V (Composite), Analog Coaxial(RF), HD Component Video, HDMI, S-Video, Video - 15 pin High-Density D-shell (VGA)
Output: A/V (Composite)
Slots: cableCARD, SD Card
Height: 41.3 in
Width: 64.4 in
Depth: 18.1 in
Weight: 103 lbs

Found this TV in the weekly coupon flyer for 7/25-7/31

It's better to repost the info here.

You have but to ask, oh great X! Done!

I've heard that some people (only some people) see a rainbow effect with DLP. Has anyone here experienced that?

I have not had a problem with it on my projector (X-1). For me, if there is a dark area of the picture and I move my eyes back and forth between the light and dark areas real quick, I "think" I notice it. But that is about it. I have shown movies to about 10 different people with it, and no one has reported any issues.

And I HAVE experienced it, even on my MT700 with a much faster wheel (5x) than most. It is not horrible, mostly just when I turn away I catch a rainbow as I turn. I think I can get rid of it with proper calibration, anyway. I have to get that done.

Like Sdallnct, I have an X1 with a 2x color wheel. I ran a test at one point that was designed for the rainbow effect and was able to see it then. In real life viewing, I've never seen it though. Evidently it's a very individual problem, so I must not be too susceptible to it. The best thing to do is probably to find a display device that you are interested and take some time to actually sit down and watch it before making a purchase.

I'm still trying to decide between the Panny PT61LCX65 LCD and the Sammy HLP6163 DLP (both can be found for around $2500). It's strictly for regular TV watching and DVDs. In stores, the LCD looks much crisper and brighter to me, but I've read LCDs look worse once you've actually gotten them home (?).

My main concern is dead pixels / burn-in. I don't want an egg timer on my coffee table so I know when it's time to change the black bars to grey bars, stretch the 4:3 image, etc. If those are necessary to properly maintain an LCD, I guess I'll go with the DLP. Thoughts?

I have the HLP6163...its wonderful.

The bulb is supposed to last about 5000-8000 hours (if my memory serves me right)....so you should have to replace it for a long time. Ive had mine over a year and havent had an issue with the bulb.

DLP is great because there is no burnin and they have made great strides in the picture quality. There is no more rainbow effect since they added more colors to the color wheel. The HLP has 7 colors whereas the older models had 6.

Best bet...go look at them in the store. Also, if you do get one, have it calibrated by an ISF tech. I had mine calibrated and it made a big difference.

Good luck.

I see rainbows on my DLP,but it doesn't bother me much.
They are pretty easy to see,just stare at the middle of the screen and then quickly look diagonally toward one of the top corners(works best on dark scenes i find).

I have heard that the black levels suck on LCD and LCD projection TVs. Any thoughts?

I too am looking (but only at a 42") and want to be as informed as I can be before taking the plunge.

Black levels on DLP and LCD are not as dark as they are on a CRT. Just the nature of the beast.

There is nothing quite like a dark movie scene on an 80inch CRT screen.

But, I love my DLP and the black levels are genuinely decent. This is one reason that ISF calibration is VERY VERY important. They will set the proper grayscale levels.

ISF Calibration? Sorry, I'm not familiar with the term. I'm such a n00b.

Here are a couple good sites....

http://www.keohi.com/keohihdtv/isf/isf.html
http://www.imagingscience.com/isf-trained.cfm (I found my ISF tech on this site Topp Robertson in DFW area... he was great)

Basically, they will get into the service menus of your tv and make necessary changes to get the best possible picture for you. This goes WAY beyond just adjusting the contrast, brightness, color and so on.

http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/S-...02.html?page=2

I'm pretty confident that either the DLP or LCD will make me a happy camper. My only concern at this point is having to pay more attention to what I'm watching with the LCD as it relates to screen degredation.

You wont be disappointed with DLP. Again, the bulbs are about $200, but you only have to change them out every few years (3-4 for the average viewer).

3 number of years X 365 days X 4 hours per day = 4380 hours

Again, you should get about 5000-8000 hours on one bulb.

CC says up to 10000 hours, but I bet thats stretching it.

http://www.circuitcity.com/rpsm/cat/...d/lookLearn.do

One other note that leans toward the Panasonic - it has a built-in HDTV tuner, while the Sammy does not. That would make waiting for DirecTV to get their HDTivo act together a LOT more tolerable.

The DLP my friend had gave him headaches when watching it for more than an hour so he had to bring it back. I hear that only a VERY small percent of people have this problem tho.... Now we both have 50 inch Sony WEGA LCD sets. I've had mine for 4 months and love it. Now I feel like I can wait for the dvd of almost any movie and get the full experience.

Yeah, I think the older DLP models had this issue (sammy HLN model), but since they improved the color wheel, I havent seen any reports of it.

I wouldn't say they suck. Most that I have seen have been very good. However if you want the absolute ultimate in picture quality and that is your ONLY concern, most folks still say to stick with good old CRT and have it properly calibrated by a professional.

Rarely however is PQ the ONLY consideration in getting a TV. Cost, size, ease of set up, maintence, viewing distiance/angle, room light, light control, source material, etc, etc, all play a factor in deciding on what TV is right for you.

Yep, I had a Mitsubishi 55in widescreen CRT. The *****er was 300lbs, on rollers and almost 30 inches deep!!!

My Sammy 61in DLP is less than 100lbs and only 16 inches deep.

It gave me alot more space in my living room, yet the screen is 6 inches bigger.