A friend of mine was thinking of getting a Samsung HL-R5688W off of craigslist for 1500. It still is on extended warranty, not sure how much longer though.

Basically, would it be a waste to get this TV now, given it's age?

Wasn't this considered a great TV back when it came out?

Anything that he should be concerned about when looking into this set?

At this price would he be better off buying a new comparable TV?

thanks

I have owned this TV going on 2 years now. The picture is still amazing. You can't go wrong with this TV as long as you can handle the massive stand it sits on. Sure, it could use a few more HDMI ports, but I got an HDMI extender off of monoprice to fix that issue. The tech specs say its 1080p, but I am having trouble getting the ps3 to show 1080p on the set, which is why I came to avs, and thus how I found your post.

I have extremely high PQ standards and this TV meets just about all of them. You should note that for the same price you can get the Samsung - 56" 1080p Slim-Depth DLP HDTV new.
Model: HL56A650 | SKU: 8749492
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8749492&type=product&id=1202649425028

I don't own it and have never seen it so I can't speak to its PQ. Having trouble finding a good review of it as well.

I have the 6188 which is, for all practical purposes, the same thing except larger. These sets have some geometry issues, watch 4x3 material and you'll see the black bars bow as you move toward the bottom. The difference can vary from set to set, but they all do it. Almost every one I've seen has smudges in the screen stack that can be seen with on an all white picture, or a light picture like the sky. I had mine cleaned and it is almost entirely gone. Still, this is a common problem and I'd check it before I bought. Finally, the blub is $130 or more and you have no idea how old this one is or how long it may last.

The only realy weakness these sets have is RBE and black levels that are only average. If you don't see RBE and won't be watching in a totally dark room these sets are still very good. They can be ISF calibrated to nearly perfect color, something very few sets can claim.

In my opinion $1500 is much to steep. I'd sell my ISF calibrated 6188 for that. $1000 tops.

I have had the HLR 5688w for 2 1/2 years. It was considered the top of the line when it was new. It was the only pedestal 1080p built, and the next year there were no more pedestal tvs, they were discontinued. I don't use it too much so have had no problems. The bulb is getting dimmer, but still works fine. So he may need a new bulb, about $150. All the DLPs can need new color wheels, and some of them have had the DMD board fail. The DMD board is the motherboard and if it fails, the tv is probably not worth fixing.

Having said all that, the picture on this tv is great. I have never seen geometry issues with this model due to it's different build, so 16:9 and 4:3 all look fine. Just be sure he sees the tv, checks out the picture quailty, check that all the inputs work and finds out why they are selling it.

I think $1500 is too much. Under $1000 with a warranty, probably a good deal. PS-be sure the warranty is transferable, some are, some aren't.

I sold my HLr6168 for only $200. Most people don't want an RP set anymore.

thanks for the replies guys. The above 1500 dollar TV looks like it would be a much better option. I will check into it a bit more. thanks

thanks for the replies guys. The above 1500 dollar TV looks like it would be a much better option. I will check into it a bit more. thanks


You can get 10% off that price too with a coupon. I got some off the auction site for under $2. And that would save you $150 off the current price. Which would cover over half of the BestBuy extended warranty.