05-02-2004, 01:00 AM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Samsung DLP HDTV's - Thoughts?
Five years ago, I purchased a 51" Hitachi TV (I love watching movies), and while it has served me very well, it's time for an upgrade. I've had my eye on wide-screen TVs for a couple of years, but I've been waiting for the right price/performance combination. I think I've found it in the Samsung DLP line of TVs. The thing that has kept me from getting an HDTV so far is the issue of resolution and interpolation. Let me explain...
I use LCD monitors on my desktop, and of course on my laptop. So I'm very familiar with issues of resolution, and more specifically what happens to the quality of the image when the monitors are not at their native resolution. Interpolation, when the monitor is displaying something other than it's native resolution, is something I avoid at all costs. When my computer couldn't comfortably keep up with games at the native 1280 x 1024 resolution of my Samsung 17" monitors, I upgraded the video card so it could. Native resolution is a must-have goal in my world.
So when I spent an hour at a local electronics shop, I was a little dismayed at what I was seeing. All of the HDTVs have 1280 x 720 resolution. DVDs are 720 x 480 resolution. So guess what that means? You guessed it - interpolation of the signal, resulting in jagged edges and fuzziness. I left more than a little disappointed at what I saw.
Fast forward about six months, and I decided to give the HDTVs another go. I went in with a more realistic mindset about how picky I was going to be, and a realization that I should be evaluating the display quality from the same distance as I'd be watching the TV (couch distance). Things were quite a bit better this time around, even though I still saw most of the same problems. I plan on having this TV for at least five years, if not longer, so when HD DVDs finally hit, I'll be ready for them. HD DVDs should be 1280 x 720 resolution, a natural match for HDTVs such as this one. Unless the DVD groups battling for format supremacy manager to screw that up too. :roll:
The TV I've ordered is the 56" thin-bezel version. I love the way the thin bezel looks: it makes the TV look even bigger than it is because the screen seems to "float". The anti-glare coating on the screen is nothing short of heart-stopping, and the picture is extremely bright and vibrant.
Any Samsung DLP owners out there? Any words of advice or warning? Is this a good choice for an HDTV?
UPDATE: I cancelled the order...read the thread to see why! (I'm waiting for the new versions to come out)
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