foxjam

My Hitachi 50" rear projection TV died this week so I am looking for a replacement. To get the size TV I would like (bigger than 55") it seems like I can go either plasma or DLP. It seem only Mitsubishi makes the DLP rear projector and that worries me a bit. How long will DLP be around? Should I go Plasma? I'm not prepared to get a front projector at this time. Thanks.

DJ_Longfellow

I think the Mitsubishi is a viable option. I have a Sony 60A20 (I believe that is the model) and it has been pretty good. You basically get more TV for the money. If DLP suits your room, I think you would be ok.

Mits just put out an 82" Projection TV...get that

foxjam

Thanks for your reply. I saw the 82" for about 4 thousand at hhgregg and thought that seemed like quite a deal. I was just worried that no one else was making the DLP TV's and that down the road that might mean problems for parts and repair.

bsmith

If you are thinking of going that big I would look into a front projection system instead. Back in 2003 I debated between rear projection for ease of setup and front projection for better experience and I'm glad I went front projection (I use a 92" screen). Front projection systems can be had for the same amount if you have a setup that can accommodate it. I have a regular sized 36" TV for general family room viewing and the front projection system in the basement for movie and sports viewing.

DJ_Longfellow

I believe Onecall.com has it cheaper...CostCo also carries it. Although, 82" seems HUGE. I was joking....how far away are you going to sit from it?

Joe Schmoe

I have a 73" DLP Mits. I debated going with a projector before I bought it, but I was unimpressed with the quality of DVDs I saw magnified on huge screens in stores. I suppose Blu-rays would have looked much better, but at the time the stores were only projecting DVDs and the image quality was quite fuzzy. I was also worried my room wouldn't be dark enough for a projector. My Mits has 6 colors and 120hz. I don't know if any projectors have that many colors or 120hz. Just something to think about.

tommyp007

I have a Mits. WD57734,and it's great after over a year, quite a few hours a day.

Spiky

120Hz doesn't really benefit DLP, so I think the marketers got you. And a 6 color wheel is now low end. The quite basic Infocus X10 uses a 7 segment wheel. Generally speaking, the front versions have always been more advanced than the rear projectors.

Although really, the number of color segments is far from the most important factor in DLP picture quality. The processor is the main issue. They are now up to Darkchip4, but not all TVs use the latest. The X10 I mentioned still is using a version of the DC1. And note the DLP engines are all made by the same company, Texas Instruments, so it's really more about which internals they put into which TV.

I don't mean to rip on you or your Mits. No doubt that is a great TV, and bigger than most people have. Just clarifying some stuff.

foxjam

Thanks for all of the information. My seating is presently 15 feet from the TV but I can move in either direction easily. One reason I'm hesitant to go with a front projector is mounting it on the ceiling. Seems like it would be quite a project. I'm going to keep looking and evaluating my options.

bsmith

Not everyone mounts a projector to a ceiling, some locate it on a back shelf. However, while some manage a projector/screen combo in an open room like a family room I wouldn't personally. I would only do it in a light controlled envirnonment. It really isn't as difficult a setup as one might think.

My father-in-law has a 73" Mits RP DLP in a great room. It's great for him and he uses it everyday. It is probably about 3 years old now. He did have a problem with the ligh engine at one point and instead of replacing it they gave him a newer model of the same TV.

At this point I'm not sure I would go DLP. My first projector was a Sharp 10K DLP and after 5 years the color wheel started to whine. It was going to be a $600 fix and based on how these depreciate I decided to just upgrade to another projector and type. This time I went with a Sony HW10 SXRD (no color wheel). Five years ago DLP seemed to be king but in the last few years the other technologies have really improved and stayed cheap, while DLP has improved at a cost (3 chip DLPs still very expensive).

There still is no comparison with a front projection system when trying to achieve a home theater feel. However, you can't look at one's in BestBuy's or other relatively mid-level stores to see how it looks. They generally, aren't setup right, demoing low-end projectors, or have no light control. You have to see it at a high-end dealer or check out a forum like AVS you might find someone in your area that would demo theirs to you.

Good luck.

Joe Schmoe

I'm sure there are TV's out there using more than 6 colors now. (That's the nature of progress.) But how many TV's actually have more than 6? Isn't 3 colors most common (red, blue and green)? I definitely see a difference in PQ between my 73" Mits and 32" no-name LCD I got on clearance at Walmart. High Def material is very sharp on the 32" TV, but I doubt it's using more than 3 colors because I can see a much wider range of colors on the bigger TV when comparing the same material on both sets.

Why doesn't 120hz benefit DLP?

bsmith

RGB and color wheels are different beasts. Many DLPs were using 4 color wheels in the late 90's early 2000. They were up to 5 color wheels when I bought my projector in 2003. Then 6 color wheels started coming out. The number of colors in the wheel actually isn't as important as the processing included. In other words, a projector with a 6 color wheel may not be perceived as better then a projector with better processing and a 5 color wheel. As stated early, when equal chip sets are used it is the individual processing available by the different manufacturers that makes the difference.

Also, color wheel is based on DLP technology only. Other technologies such as LCD, LCOS, SXRD, LED, and plasma don't use color wheels. The problem with the cheap 32" LCD you saw was probably in the implementation by the "no-name" manufacturer and not because of the technology itself.

In the end, the reason we have all these technologies is because not one of them is perfect. They all have flaws and it just depends on which best suits your needs. DLP reigned king for a while because it had higher contrast and deeper blacks then anything else, other then CRT. However, DLP suffers rainbows that is a deal killer for any that see them. LCD typically had screen door effect issue and less then stellar blacks in the past, but these aren't really noticeable issues any more. However, LCD projection can suffer from "dust-blobs" due to the non-sealed light path in some systems, while DLP color wheels can cause a squeaking/grinding noise over time..

As far as 120hz goes (not sure about the DLP comment), it is good and bad depending on the implementation and what you are watching. For sports and live broadcast it can be good because it makes thing more lifelike as if you are there. However, for movies it can destroy the atmosphere because of the perceived "video" look instead of "film" look. Some implementations allow more features then others to control the look.

My father-in-law has the same TV as you but a slightly earliar model since he does not have the 120hz capability, so I am very familar with the quality of the output. It is a nice set and my father-in-law enjoys it very much, but it is not better them my front projection system. I play DVD's all the time and it is not fuzzy in the least unless the DVD contains a soft image. I sit about 15' back from a 92" screen. Seating 12' from a 120" screen would benefit BR over DVD but other then that DVD plays just fine. So you must have seen an inferiorly setup front projection system.

Spiky

120Hz is all the rage for LCDs because historically, the LCD cells "twist" slowly. Twist means turning on/off. Getting the tech of the LCD cells themselves up to 120Hz was necessary just to get the slow cells to be fast enough to keep up with the standard 60Hz TV signal. In a 60Hz LCD TV, the processor could tell the cells to switch on/off at 60Hz, but they didn't finish fast enough, and you got picture trails. Here's something interesting on the topic:
http://www.displaymate.com/mb_shots.html

DLP, plasma, and others don't have this inherent slowness in the technology, so they have been able to match up with the 60Hz TV signals just fine. Or, at least, better. Since the signal is 60Hz (or 24Hz from Bluray), a TV doesn't really need to be faster than that, if it actually displays each frame correctly.

"120Hz mode", like I think bsmith is discussing, is usually a processing gimmick available in TVs capable of 120Hz to give a certain look to the picture. Purists are probably going to avoid such things. But I really haven't studied these modes, so I guess I can't really speak too coherently.

Spiky

I agree. I sit 12' from a 90" screen and good DVDs look excellent. I do have an excellent de-interlacer in my player, which helps. Wouldn't surprise me at all if a chain store setup wasn't even in focus, let alone a myriad of other possible issues. One thing about front projection, there are a lot more things to consider. If you don't want to do so, it is probably better to stay with normal TVs.

SUPERMANROB

Unless you have complete control of your lighting coming into your room,I would go another route other than front projection.
I can see a considerable difference on my 151 when a have even a little bit of ambient light. It would be nice to have a good front projector but unless I have total control of of the light coming in then it's just not an option for me .

Sdallnct

Not to repeat with others have said, but there is little doubt in my mind that going FJ would be a better movie watching experience. And a better sports watching experience. And a better watching TV experience.

Look at my theater room in my link. I built it originally several years ago with the idea of putting in a "regular" big TV (rear projector, most likely DLP). But they were so expensive than I went with a simple X1 (non-HD). I figured it would be used for movie watching Saturday nights. It turned into watching every day all the time. Of course about 18 months ago went to a HD pj and things got even better and more watched.

You I'm not going to lie to you. It was work putting it all in and ceiling mounting. Measuring, running wires, etc. But keep in mind one thing, you only have to do all that once! Only once! So spend a weekend (yes at most a weekend is all that is needed), planning, running wires, installing. Then have an awesome, awesome experience for a long time.

And btw, I actually prefer the image overall of my 720p DLP projector to that of my 1080p LCD flat panel I have in the living room. Sure the LCD is razor sharp and incredibly bright, but it is lacking in black level, depth and color. The LCD looks digital. The PJ has a natural look and almost 3-D look to it, especially on BR or HD DVD. And if your "concerned" about only having 720p, there are newer pj that are 1080p starting at less than a grand.

Todays FJ's are not only inexpensive, but bright, hight quality image and have enough flexibility to work in a variety of locations.

Highly recommended!

Shannon Nutt

I have a Samsung 61" DLP (61A750 model) and love it...as far as I know, Sammy is still in the DLP business.

RichC2

Very viable, and to note:

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthr...0603&t=1521575

Solid deal

cverneau

I saw this deal yesterday and pulled the trigger on it this morning. $1459 shipped (after BING) is awesome!! Bulb replacement for these (if it ever becomes necessary) is only about $100 through Mitsubishi. You can't beat this deal....

starman9000

Awesome deal, my father in law just ordered a 63 inch this weekend for a little more than that (which was itself a pretty good deal).

starman9000

So, we got the 63 inch hooked up and a blu-ray player to go with it. Both the Blu-Ray and Direct TV are hooked up via HDMI. t

The problem is, the Audio on both kind of clicks and pops through the TV (only when watching HD on Direct TV but always on the Blu). I tried upgrading to the higher version of HDMI (1.3 or whatever), but that didn't help. Anyone have any suggestions?

I've worked around it for now by hooking up the Direct TV via Component and RCA for Audio, and the Blu-Ray with Coax audio through the surround system.

TylerDurden_73

I had to go with a 65" DLP last year because my basement has a overhang over where the screen would go. So I did alot of research into DLP. I was very happy with the picture my friend had on his older mitsubishi. Best decision I could have made. Once it arrived I was so happy. Picture on it is awesome, Bulbs are cheap($99.00) and easy to replace. Blacks are black, colors are bright and vivid, all this after I calibrated the picture using digital video essentials disc on Blu-ray. Animated movies on blu-ray like Wall*e and Kung fu Panda look 3D on it. Most quality animated movies i.e. SLeeping Beauty, Pinnochio, Pixar movies, and Dreamworks animation all look exceptional. I definitley reccomend a Blu-ray player after your TV purchase.

Spiky

Turn off the audio in the TV. You don't need it, you have a surround system.

Or maybe you said something else, I'm not sure I understood.

starman9000

He has an older surround system with only one digital input. I have done a work around that works fine for him (using the surround for Blu and just red/white audio for the TV), but am more concerned as to what the problem is with getting audio via HDMI through the TV. I guess I'm wondering if it's something he should contact the store about or Mits. I know he wouldn't want to send it away for 2 weeks just to get a minor issue fixed.

Alan Smithee

I know it's too early to ask, but does anyone know the chance that these will work with the 3-D standard for Blu-Ray? I've been putting off getting a new TV until I can get one that will work with it, but my current TV (Mits 40-inch picture tube) is 13 years old and still works like new but I'm getting REALLY impatient since I have lots of HD-DVDs and some Blu-Rays I'd like to start enjoying now, so I'm probably going to snap and get something soon, then maybe try to sell it after the 3-D stuff comes out (plus I'm working on my college degree, so maybe I'll have graduated and gotten a job that pays real money by the time 3-D gets up to speed.) I was gonna get the 55-inch Vizio LCD since it's inexpensive but still an improvement over what I've got now, but if the DLPs stand a better chance of working with 3-D I might get one of those instead since they've been getting cheap.

In the meantime I also have most of the IMAX field-sequential 3-D DVDs and several VHS movies I bought from 3-D TV Corporation in the early 90s, and all the 3-D games for the Sega Master System which uses the same format. I've tried these on an LCD TV and they don't work- you can see some depth when things are moving, but most of the time the TV tries to combine the fields together so you get a double-image in both eyes. Has anyone used field-sequential 3-D with a DLP? The quality isn't the greatest but it's much preferable to that anaglyphic crap, and right now the only way to see Andy Warhol's Frankenstein or Cat Women Of The Moon in 3-D. I was gonna keep my old TV just to watch these but I just don't have room for 2 screens right now.