Rear Projection question

[Pete Schumacher ®]

Any of you out there have a rear projection DLP?

Simple question. How do you like them?

One more. How do they compare to Flat Panel (LCD, Plasma)?

I know how they technically compare. What are your subjective opinions of how they look?

[donparsons]

I have a 4 year old mitsubushi 65" DLP. I think the picture is nice. It takes a little tuning, but that shouldn't be a problem. I also have a Sony LCD in our bedroom. I would say the RP is every bit as good. The only down side with our tv is the screen protector is a little too reflective and if the bright light is on in the kitchen there is a big reflection.

[danseals]

I'll throw my 2 cents out there.
I have a rear projection LCD. I have owned it for 3 years now.
If I had to buy a new TV today I would go for a flat panel.
With the bulbs involved in a rear projection there are cooling fans and with my particular tv they are noisy and one of them has begun to squeal. The bulb has not been replaced yet, but that is an additional cost that is coming.
Picture wise it is just as good as some of the cheaper to midrange flat panels. The better flat panels have better blacks and the picture looks like it has more depth.
Just my opinion of course.

[Mark65]

I don't own a DLP, but I've seen a good number of them in my job as a cable tech, along with plasma's, LCD's, true old school RP's, and CRT's. The DLP will hold its own in a picture quality test, given identical resolution, although at 1080i they seem to lack some of the clarity of an LCD. At 720p, they're virtually identical, a good LCD has maybe a shade better contrast. To me, though the difference is in price, especially when you go big (55" or more) the DLP's in that category are, for the most part hundreds less than their LCD or Plasma counterparts. I also have not seen ANY cheap, no name DLP's, they are all built by legitimate brands, AFAIK. For the record, I'm not that impressed with plasma, especially the older 720p sets.

My 2 cents


Mark

[peter_m]

Samsung has a DLP that uses LED as a light source so it will last much longer then a conventional light source. A friend of mine has it and it is breath taking. At 61" or larger, flat panels are likely to be much more expensive.

Having said that, the difference between LCD Plasma and DLP is getting smaller and smaller. LCD still gives you the best in bright situations, Plasma gives you best blacks, DLP gives you bigger sized screens...

[mattk]

I had a Sony LCD RPTV that I liked until the light engine developed a blue blotch, which was a known problem. Sony actually offered replacement TVs when the problem became widespread, but of course the offer ended in December and mine didn't have a problem until February. I now have a Samsung LCD that is really nice.

I looked at DLPs when I bought the Sony, but I was one of the people who occasionally saw the rainbows caused by the color wheel. I was also leery of having an electromechanical TV. The picture was awfully nice, but I like my current flat panel better.

[Dirk]

Proud owner of a 50" Samsung HL-S5086. It was the last of the 720p models and uses a traditional UHP lamp.

Advantages? Probably the best display technology for bright rooms. Punchy, vibrant colors. Unlike LCD, there's no wear of the DLP chip over time. Color balance on a projection LCD will shift to yellow/green as the panels age. There's absolutely no possibility of phosphor burn in / image retention (plasmas can burn-in and LCDs can retain images).

Disadvantages? Rainbows. If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't go looking. If you opt for a LED-based model, you can ignore this anyway since there's no color wheel in those models. Also, the black levels aren't that great, although if you use a little bias lighting in the room (ie, NOT watch TV in the pitch black) it's not a big deal. Then again, black levels aren't that great on anything that's not a plasma...

Notes? To get the best picture, it seems like you need to be back from the screen about 10' in order for brightness uniformity, but again, that's a RPTV for you. I am VERY happy with the horizontal off-axis, though.

I also own a 42" plasma. When we bought the house, the family room really needed something on the wall as opposed to a large TV stand. Compared to the plasma, I find the plasma to have a picture quality more like the CRT displays we grew up with (makes sense, they're both "glowing phosphor" technology). That plasma, though, kind of sucks during the day because of the glare off the glass. That's something the DLP *never* did.

My DLP has been stupidly reliable, where my plasma was repaired twice, my buddy's plasma has been in-and-out of the shop and my brother-in-law's Hitachi LCD went yellow in about 2 years. Knock on wood, but I've got well over 4,000 hours on the lamp and there's been no real difference in picture quality (though obviously the lamp is a little less bright). I'm actually hoping the lamp will FAIL soon so I can get it replaced before my 4-year warranty is up.

[dubbreak]

Samsung has a DLP that uses LED as a light source so it will last much longer then a conventional light source. A friend of mine has it and it is breath taking...

Not only longer life on LED lighting, but much lower heat production. That should help with component lifetimes and eliminate the need for fans.

I want to see some of the newer LED backlit LCD monitors first person and see how they compare to what else is out there. They cost way more than they should imho, but I'm sure they'll come down in price soon enough.

[Dirk]

I want to see some of the newer LED backlit LCD monitors first person and see how they compare to what else is out there. They cost way more than they should imho, but I'm sure they'll come down in price soon enough.

Eh, they're about the same as far as picture quality. They do run much cooler, though.

[dubbreak]

Eh, they're about the same as far as picture quality. They do run much cooler, though.

Hmm, I'd say depends. Not all led backlit screens are equal.

Models with "local dimming" should have much better contrast ratios and the blacks should be noticeably better.

Side lit led backlit lcd screens should be basically the same picture, but lower power consumption and thinner overall (good benefits for a laptop, not really of value in a tv or home monitor imho).

[donparsons]

As to the additional cost of the bulbs, I have had my tv for four and a half years, the cost of a new bulb is $139 delivered and it takes about 4 minutes to replace. That is a $2.32 per month cost of operation.

I am of the opinion that if you take the time to calibrate the tv after you have it in the room you will be quite pleased with the RP DLP. I am just using the Avia DVD not even getting into service menus and such.

[Cinemadesigner X]

If you want to be real picky about pic quality Planar makes very good rear projection screens with stunning brightness uniformity.

They are not a brand found at best buy if you want something different.

[Pete Schumacher ®]

Thanks for all the feedback so far. It is appreciated.

[Casshern]

I can't speak for DLPs, but to retort Dirk's comment about my Plasma being in and out of the shop. Turned out to be related to the TV Guide OS related hardware. Did a factory reset of the unit, fully disabled TV Guide, and working fine now. Dug deeper with the service manual and internet forum chat that others had similar issue.

Otherwise, I have loved both my Pioneer 50" 720p set and my new Samsung 42" 720p set. Picture is very good on the Samsung, excellent on the Pioneer.

I'd have to recommend a Plasma, though I'm partial to rainbows.

[Jason]

If your room can support it, a front projector is something else to consider, especially if screen size is a factor (and I assume it is if you're looking at rear projection). I'll be the first to admit that front projection isn't practical in all rooms, but even a 720p front projector can throw a huge and impressive image. Prices have really come down, and there are a lot of great options out there. I have an older Optoma HD70 projecting on a 106" screen - I have to bite my tongue when people start bragging up their 50" "big screen"

[arlis_1957@yahoo.com]

i bought the 46 inch samsung dlp about 6 yrs ago. no hd tuner and only 720. was a great tv. had over 9000 hours on the first bulb! the new "better" bulb was not as bright which made it rough for daytime viewing. but now the color wheel has gone out. the 46 inch screen was always a little small for my seating distance, so i went and bought a 55" vizio lcd..wow!