Well for a couple of weeks now I've been researching T.V.'s for my apartment. Just moved in about a month ago (graduated from college and got a nice job) and I need a real T.V. Right now I have my FiOS hooked up to my 24" computer monitor; although it gets the job done it's just not the same as having a real T.V.

At first I was sold on plasma. I want to stay away from LCD mainly because out of the main 3 (LCD, plasma and DLP), from what I have read LCD has the worst picture quality. I was set on plasma since DLP had the issues with the rainbow effect, color wheel noise, etc. Then I read about LED DLP and am now completely sold on it. From what I've read, LED DLP has the best picture quality (along with deeper blacks), best prices and absolutely no chance of burn-in (which is good since I will be playing videogames on it too).

My budget will be around $2000. I would like to go no higher for a T.V. and stand but I'm willing to pay a little bit more if I need to. I originally wanted a 50" T.V. but after measuring the space I have, I found I have the space for a 61", so why not? :p I plan on sitting about 8 feet away from the T.V., no more than 9 feet. So as the title says, I'm pretty much set on the 61" Samsung LED DLP. Just have a few more questions.

I'll definitely be hooking up my computer to this T.V. since that is where I store all of my movies, mostly HD. I noticed that the T.V. has a VGA input. Would there be a noticeable difference between using the VGA input (DVI -> VGA from my computer) or buying a videocard with HDMI? Right now I have the Nvidia 8800GT but if it matters I'd be willing to buy a different videocard.

For purchasing this T.V., would you recommend spending a little extra and being able to pick it up from Circuit City or Best Buy; or ordering from a site like Amazon.com?

Are there any major things I should know about this T.V. before I decide to buy it? I've read about the bowing and a few other issues but some of those seem to be fairly rare or easily fixed.

Man sorry for the long post, I'm just excited about getting this T.V. It would be great if people could post images of their T.V. in action. I think we should have a dedicated screenshot thread since it's a pain to search through threads for pictures. Thanks! :cool:

Online or local? Well as someone who's bought 2 large panasonic plasma's(58" & 50")online without issue, I decided to spend the extra money to buy my 67a750 locally.

Imo people seem to be having enough issues with these that for my piece of mind I like the option of having an easy outlet to swap the set if needed.

My BB had to order the 67" and it should be @ the store by wednesday.

Pricing:
If you have a Sears store nearby you might want to also check them out. Last week when I was shopping they had the 61a750 for easily the best price of any b&m in my area. They don't advertise the Sammy rptv's online so you have to call or go to a b&m to get their price. If nothing else you can use their price as a match @ BB or CC which have been doing 3yr same as cash.

Good luck,
Ken

my 67"

As far as hooking up your PC, don't go with the VGA output, get a DVI to HDMI cable and you're set. About $10 online...

Well, the price from Amazon.com is $1416 while Circuit City has it for $1799. That's almost a $400 difference, so I'm leaning toward Amazon.com. Do they still do the installation and check to make sure the T.V. is fine? I can't seem to find it on the page.

Nice pics, domingo. Do you have any pictures of HD movies on your T.V.?

I forgot that I already have a dvi -> hdmi cable from my cable box to my monitor so I'm set with that.

Thanks for your responses.

Well, the price from Amazon.com is $1416 while Circuit City has it for $1799. That's almost a $400 difference, so I'm leaning toward Amazon.com. Do they still do the installation and check to make sure the T.V. is fine? I can't seem to find it on the page.

Nice pics, domingo. Do you have any pictures of HD movies on your T.V.?

I forgot that I already have a dvi -> hdmi cable from my cable box to my monitor so I'm set with that.

Thanks for your responses.

Just curious, why would you trust the seller to install your new TV and make sure it's all right? I'd invest some time reading the A750 FAQ and make sure myself! This is definitely no time to be lazy and miss out on the wealth of info Mike has put in the FAQ for the set you're about to buy. Become your own expert...

Just curious, why would you trust the seller to install your new TV and make sure it's all right? I'd invest some time reading the A750 FAQ and make sure myself! This is definitely no time to be lazy and miss out on the wealth of info Mike has put in the FAQ for the set you're about to buy. Become your own expert...

Well yeah, obviously I would inspect it too before they left. I just don't want them to ship it to me and leave as soon as they bring the box into my apartment. I want them to stay until I can physically inspect it for any shipping damages, issues, etc. I'm still a couple of weeks away from ordering it too so I definitely have time to read up on everything I need.

BTW, RBE and color wheels are rarely an issue for most people buying lamp models...

I've been thinking and I may re-arrange my living room. If I do that, I can go bigger :cool: The HL67A750 looks really tempting at ~$2000. I've also read that the 67" is much less prone to the geometry issues? By the time I'm ready to buy the T.V. (most likely a few weeks to a month from now), the price should come down a bit on the 67". :D

I have the 61" a750 and it is great. Fry's had it on sell for $1499 and CC matched the price, but not the extra 10 percent. Of course there was tax also, so it ended up $1622 out the door.

the ~1400 price tag you mentioned is basic shipping. they just deliver it to your doorstep and walk away. total comes to around ~1600.

if you want the "installation" youre better off ordering direct from the seller and selecting the alternate delivery option that includes install (which btw costs ~200$ more - bringing your total to ~1800)

I think the Sammy LED is a good set, but be sure to be checking them out in the store, too, as you may see some differences in the sets. (I posted in another thread about my LED experiences in the store, but your experience may be different).

Don't forget about some of the online shops like Crutchfield. I paid about the same @ Crutchfield as it would've cost at BestBuy for a DLP set (maybe a tad less), but also got a matching stand for free, free white glove shipping (where they come in and set it up), no tax, and Crutchfield is solid in cases of returns/warranty. (Frankly, I don't have a way to transport the TVs anyway, so it doesn't much matter if the store is a few miles away, but YMMV.)

My personal experience w/ Amazon ... if it's not sold directly by Amazon (it will list who the actually seller is), I'm a bit cautious about purchases like this in cases where you may need to ship it back, etc. Be sure to check who the seller is first.

Yeah I'll go to Best Buy or Circuit City soon and see how they look in person (I need to decide between the 61" and 67" :D). I've read on here that you can't really judge a T.V. by what it looks like in the store; it definitely won't look the same in your house when you have configured it.

I've been trying to shop around a bit but I won't make any decisions on where I will buy it now since I am going to buy it in a few weeks (I could finance but I'd rather pay it all up front).

I'm having a hard time choosing between the 61" and 67". Either way, I'd be sitting about 7.5' from the T.V., 8' maximum. Do you think I'd be better off with a 61" or will a 67" still be comfortable to watch?

Seeing them in person I find is crucial and helping make that decision -- if you can tinker with the settings, all the better. You do have to take each store with a grain of salt, however, over the past few months I've been to 4 or so Best Buys that I pass while traveling, CC's, Tweeters, and I just see what they look like in a given environment. You see a pattern develop. And, I don't mean this to dissuade you b/c I think the Sammy LED sets are excellent, but after seeing many in person I decided to not get one.

At 8' ... 67" would be fine I would suspect, but that's up to personal preferences. May be tough in the store to judge. What I've done, as silly as this sounds, is cut a piece of cardboard or whatever the size of the TV, and prop it up where the TV will go. Helps me visualize how big it will be in relation to the walls, etc. May or may not work for you.

I'm having a hard time choosing between the 61" and 67". Either way, I'd be sitting about 7.5' from the T.V., 8' maximum. Do you think I'd be better off with a 61" or will a 67" still be comfortable to watch?

Go with the 67"; you'll kick yourself later if you settle on the 61", trust me. ;)

Got my 67" three months ago from Amazon for $2000 (no tax/free white glove delivery via CEVA) and have had absolutely no problems. I sit 8' from the set and that is perfect, IMO. This was my first big box purchase from Amazon and I couldn't have been happier with the experience. I could have had it in less than a week, but had to wait a few extra days so it could be delivered on a Saturday. The CEVA guys were on time, brought the set up one flight of stairs, even helped me move my old 50" DLP to the bedroom. They unboxed the set, placed it on the stand and waited for me to inspect for damages and turn it on. They would have taken the shipping container away, but suggested leaving it, just in case there were a need to return.

I agree that you should deal directly with Amazon as the seller, not a third party, as Amazon has a terrific return policy. I'd also check out getting an extended warranty. Some don't believe this is really necessary, as do I most of the time for smaller purchases. But for ~$150 for a 3-yr. MACK warranty, I figured what the hell. You never know. You're not buying a toaster here.

I have my set hooked up to my HTPC, running DVI>HDMI from an nVidia 7600GT card. Looks great, although you may see what is loosely called "convergence" issues on white text towards the outer edges if you get up real close to the set. But from 8' it's not all that noticeable, and I'm not using the set primarily as a monitor anyway, so who cares. Lots more info in the owners' thread. Great source of info there, worth the look.

Bottom line, I think this a great set. Beautiful PQ, right out of the box. I have very, very slight geometry issues: the picture is centered perfectly horizontally, but there is a barely 1/4" upward shift and a 3/16" upward tilt on the right side, but only noticeable if you put up a grid. I don't expect perfection, and this is totally acceptable to me and my borderline OCD. :D

Good luck!

Go with the 67"; you'll kick yourself later if you settle on the 61", trust me. ;)

Got my 67" three months ago from Amazon for $2000 (no tax/free white glove delivery via CEVA) and have had absolutely no problems. I sit 8' from the set and that is perfect, IMO. This was my first big box purchase from Amazon and I couldn't have been happier with the experience....
+1

67" for a little more money (if you have the room) makes sense.

I have used Amazon for my last 3 HDTV purchases (all Sammies, btw).

As mentioned elsewhere, DO NOT go strictly by what you see in the stores. Do your homework. My 67A750 looked absolutely terrible in two stores, but is spectactular in my family room.

Mickey

At 8' I think 67" is too large so be 100% sure before you pull the trigger. The poster board idea is a good one, it'll give you a feel for how the set will look in your room.

When deciding between the 61 and 67 it is important to realize that the 67 will raise the vertical center of the screen 2 more inches. You mentioned you will sit 8 to 9 feet away but you did not mention the height of your stand which is even more important. You want the center of the screen to be at eye level (probably around 36 to 38 inches max). And you want the sides of the screen to be not so wide that you have to turn you head or look side to side a lot with your eyes. So if the width of the screen takes up your entire field of view and the height of the center of the screen is at eye level then you have the perfect size. If your setting the unit on a very tall stand then you should not get the 67 unless you can sit farther back. At only 8 feet the height of your stand starts to become very important. Ideally you would probably need a stand that is only 16 to 18 inches tall. A couple inches higher will probably still be ok but you really need to think about the vertical viewing angle. The lower your eyes are in realation to the screen the darker the screen will become. Remeber the set only claims to have 60 degrees vertical viewing angle which means only 30 degrees up and down from the center.

At 8' I think 67" is too large so be 100% sure before you pull the trigger. The poster board idea is a good one, it'll give you a feel for how the set will look in your room.

Perhaps as a piece of furniture. Doesn't have a thing to do with the issue whether 8' is too close or not to the image on the screen.

MrEman makes a valid point about the height of stand vis-a-vis one's line of sight. But, IMO, at 8' (assuming the right height) the field of vision is perfect.

When deciding between the 61 and 67 it is important to realize that the 67 will raise the vertical center of the screen 2 more inches. You mentioned you will sit 8 to 9 feet away but you did not mention the height of your stand which is even more important. You want the center of the screen to be at eye level (probably around 36 to 38 inches max). And you want the sides of the screen to be not so wide that you have to turn you head or look side to side a lot with your eyes. So if the width of the screen takes up your entire field of view and the height of the center of the screen is at eye level then you have the perfect size. If your setting the unit on a very tall stand then you should not get the 67 unless you can sit farther back. At only 8 feet the height of your stand starts to become very important. Ideally you would probably need a stand that is only 16 to 18 inches tall. A couple inches higher will probably still be ok but you really need to think about the vertical viewing angle. The lower your eyes are in realation to the screen the darker the screen will become. Remeber the set only claims to have 60 degrees vertical viewing angle which means only 30 degrees up and down from the center.

Yeah I was starting to think about that too. The Samsung stands are just under 20" high. Do you happen to know the height from the base of the T.V. to the center of the screen? That would help a lot.
I've been leaning towards the 61" now since my living room is pretty small. From wall to wall it's about 10 feet, then from window/sliding glass door to the couch (how I have it arranged now) is about 11 feet or so. I would prefer not to block the whole window so I'm not sure how I'm going to re-arrange it yet. I could maybe put it diagonally.

Well referring to http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/detail/spec.do?group=televisions&type=televisions&subtype=dlptv&model_cd=HL61A750A1FXZA for the 61" and doing a little math it looks like dead center of the screen is about 23" above the surface the TV sits on. So if the stand is 18" then your eyes should be at a level of 41" to be dead on to the center of the screen.

Maybe someone who owns the set could measure to double check my math but I'm probably pretty close.

I came here looking for a bit of information about the diff DLPs, and I think i'm definately sold on the 61". I've got a bit larger space but I am absolutely going to buy one of these things.

Yeah me too. I came here looking for opinions about the Panasonic Viera line and now I'm dead set on getting an LED DLP. I'm having thoughts about waiting until the Laser DLP's come out but if I keep waiting for new stuff to come out I'll never have a T.V. :eek:

Yeah me too. I came here looking for opinions about the Panasonic Viera line and now I'm dead set on getting an LED DLP. I'm having thoughts about waiting until the Laser DLP's come out but if I keep waiting for new stuff to come out I'll never have a T.V. :eek:

waiting for a $7000 DLP WHEN U CAN GET THE 67" FOR $2000?

are u nuts?

Ideally you would probably need a stand that is only 16 to 18 inches tall. A couple inches higher will probably still be ok but you really need to think about the vertical viewing angle. The lower your eyes are in realation to the screen the darker the screen will become. Remeber the set only claims to have 60 degrees vertical viewing angle which means only 30 degrees up and down from the center.

Yeah I was starting to think about that too. The Samsung stands are just under 20" high. Do you happen to know the height from the base of the T.V. to the center of the screen? That would help a lot.
I've been leaning towards the 61" now since my living room is pretty small. From wall to wall it's about 10 feet, then from window/sliding glass door to the couch (how I have it arranged now) is about 11 feet or so. I would prefer not to block the whole window so I'm not sure how I'm going to re-arrange it yet. I could maybe put it diagonally.

Well referring to http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/detail/spec.do?group=televisions&type=televisions&subtype=dlptv&model_cd=HL61A750A1FXZA for the 61" and doing a little math it looks like dead center of the screen is about 23" above the surface the TV sits on. So if the stand is 18" then your eyes should be at a level of 41" to be dead on to the center of the screen.

Maybe someone who owns the set could measure to double check my math but I'm probably pretty close.

At a 9-foot viewing distance, the center of the screen can be no more than 15.5 inches above the level of your eyes to stay within the vertical viewing angle of the set. If it's higher than that, you'll get some dimming.

At a 9-foot viewing distance, the center of the screen can be no more than 15.5 inches above the level of your eyes to stay within the vertical viewing angle of the set. If it's higher than that, you'll get some dimming.

And it would be especially crucial for eye level to be at the center of the screen if you're viewing a 67" at 8' as vertical angle could quickly become a problem. Not a large margin for error.

waiting for a $7000 DLP WHEN U CAN GET THE 67" FOR $2000?

are u nuts?

hahaha yeah. I've been reading a little bit about laster T.V.'s and after I made that post I found the prices and let's just say I won't be waiting for the new technology. :)

I sat on my couch and measured my eye level from the floor and it is exactly 41" so no need to worry about that from sitting about 7.5 feet away.

I'm still torn between the 61" and 67". I know the 61" will definitely be amazing from 7.5 feet away but as everyone here knows, the bigger the T.V. the better. I try to keep telling myself that it's only a 6" difference and I wouldn't notice the extra size (this will be replacing a 24" LCD) but I still want the best T.V. watching/movie viewing experience I can get.

Will 6" really make THAT much of a difference from 7.5' away? Do you think it's justifiable to spend the extra money and get 6" more for a small living room? I know that in the end, only my opinion matters but I'd like to hear what others think from their own experiences.

It depends. Some people like to be immersed completely by the display, others don't want to be moving their eyes left and right constantly like following a tennis match. You have to look at them in the store from your viewing distance and then be honest with yourself. At 8', 56-61" is plenty for me, may not be for you. Don't let anyone tell you what to choose, you must decide.

hahaha yeah. I've been reading a little bit about laster T.V.'s and after I made that post I found the prices and let's just say I won't be waiting for the new technology. :)

I sat on my couch and measured my eye level from the floor and it is exactly 41" so no need to worry about that from sitting about 7.5 feet away.

I'm still torn between the 61" and 67". I know the 61" will definitely be amazing from 7.5 feet away but as everyone here knows, the bigger the T.V. the better. I try to keep telling myself that it's only a 6" difference and I wouldn't notice the extra size (this will be replacing a 24" LCD) but I still want the best T.V. watching/movie viewing experience I can get.

Will 6" really make THAT much of a difference from 7.5' away? Do you think it's justifiable to spend the extra money and get 6" more for a small living room? I know that in the end, only my opinion matters but I'd like to hear what others think from their own experiences.

i think u should probaby go with the 61"

The topic of viewing distance also depends greatly on your source quality going into the set. For good signals like high quality dvd and hd you can sit much closer to the set but if your mixing in equal parts of sd material, especially over compressed cable and satellite, then your not going to want to sit nearly as close.

Having said that I moved from a 57" hd crt to the 67" a750 and I don't feel the need to move my seats back at all. I'm about 12' from the screen. It handles Directv sd pretty well...hd (especailly hd video gaming) is fantastic on this set.

Yeah I definitely agree. I'll be watching maybe 85% HD and 15% SD on this T.V. and playing videogames (Xbox 360, Wii and old-school roms I have on my computer). I've been thinking about also buying a PS3 but I doubt I'll have the time for it between work and other things. I don't want to have to move my eyes to see the whole T.V. from where I sit, that's fine in the theater but at home I don't really want that. I'm going down to Circuit City today so I'll judge for myself. Thanks.

Go Big
Bigger
;)

Well I just came back from Circuit City and saw both the 67" and 61" side by side. Of course they were at a level where if I was sitting on the floor my eyes would be at the center of the screen... but regardless they both looked amazing. The farthest I could stand away was about 6-7' and even at that distance, the 67" was still completely in my field of vision and I didn't have to move my eyes to see what was on the whole screen. Side by side, the two T.V.'s didn't really look THAT much different, size-wise. I think the 67" would definitely be a good decision now; I just want to wait for it to come down a couple hundred dollars on Amazon before I buy. :D

I was just at CC and saw the 61". I'm torn - on the one hand it's a handsome set and the price is excellent, but it bugs me how the brightness of the picture diminishes from both the horizontal and vertical viewing angles. Even 9' back from the set, as I elevated or lowered my head I could see the brightness increase or fade relative to where my eyes were positioned. So watching a movie lying down on my couch versus sitting up definitely would be a different experience.

I think I'm going to have to fork out the extra $1000 or so to go with a Panasonic 58" plasma instead. The uneven performance from my couch and side chairs from the DLP just won't cut it. I can definitely see why people love this tv, it's just not ideal for me or my room setup - if I had just one couch and didn't have such a tall tv stand to start with, it may be a different story.

I was just at CC and saw the 61". I'm torn - on the one hand it's a handsome set and the price is excellent, but it bugs me how the brightness of the picture diminishes from both the horizontal and vertical viewing angles. Even 9' back from the set, as I elevated or lowered my head I could see the brightness increase or fade relative to where my eyes were positioned. So watching a movie lying down on my couch versus sitting up definitely would be a different experience.

I think I'm going to have to fork out the extra $1000 or so to go with a Panasonic 58" plasma instead. The uneven performance from my couch and side chairs from the DLP just won't cut it. I can definitely see why people love this tv, it's just not ideal for me or my room setup - if I had just one couch and didn't have such a tall tv stand to start with, it may be a different story.

Ah man I just responded to your PM before I read this. Instead of spending the extra $1000 and getting a smaller T.V., why not spend an extra few hundred dollars and get a different stand? Maybe you could position your T.V. diagonally in your room or something.

waiting for a $7000 DLP WHEN U CAN GET THE 67" FOR $2000?

are u nuts?

Well, with the rare exception of having a ridiculously valuable coupon that expires, the price of these TVs doesn't go up. :) I always love that when salesmen try to get you to pull the trigger right away, saying "it's the best price" -- blah blah blah.

In my case, I too am waiting for the LaserVue (assuming it comes out this year) -- not because I can afford it, but because I want to see what it has to offer. If it's that good, it would only drive prices of other sets down even further.

Plus you can angle the TV down by putting door stops behind it. I have read of several people doing that. My room is 13 x 13, with chairs on three sides. The chairs on the side of the TV are close to 6.5' to the side and about 7 feet from it. The pictures is plenty good there. My stand is probably 34" tall. I have the TV angled down by placing a wood stip under the back of the TV. I love the picture.

I would buy one from a local store that has a liberal return policy and try it. Worst you could do is find out it won't work but on the other hand, could save you a bundle of money.

You really can notice a difference when laying down or sitting up on a couch?
In picture quality..

Well I just ordered the T.V.!! I decided to go with the 61" since my living room is small and I couldn't justify the extra 400+ dollars for only 6" of T.V. size. I was on Circuit City's website and saw they have it on sale for 1750 plus a 10% off coupon code. This came to about 1653 total, which is a damn good deal and I don't think i would have found a better one if I kept waiting. Going to pick it up in-store next saturday. This is a great birthday gift to give to myself :D:D

I wanted to finance it for a few months but when I signed up for the Circuit City credit card, instead of giving me an account instantly it said it will let me know in 30 days. This deal wouldn't be around that long so I did some calculations and found that I can pay it off in full or if I really need to I can pay for 3/4 of it and save the rest for next month's bill.

Now I just need to decide on a T.V. stand, does anyone have any opinions on this one:

http://www.bushfurniturecollection.com/Bush-Furniture-VS44850-03-Midnight-Mist-Collection.htm

I want to buy a stand from Circuit City so I can pick it all up at once but this seems like the only one I like for a good price (and is ~20" tall).

Looks like a perfectly suitable stand from the pictures. You did look at the Samsung TR500X3B I guess but I notice that CC doesn't carry it anymore...

but Amazon does http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-TR500X3B-projection-screen-floor-standing/dp/B0016H04KW/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_a
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-TR-500X3BX-Adjustable-61-Inch-Stand/dp/B000P53JRG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1223227243&sr=1-1

Looks like a perfectly suitable stand from the pictures. You did look at the Samsung TR500X3B I guess but I notice that CC doesn't carry it anymore...

but Amazon does http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-TR500X3B-projection-screen-floor-standing/dp/B0016H04KW/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_a
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-TR-500X3BX-Adjustable-61-Inch-Stand/dp/B000P53JRG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1223227243&sr=1-1

Yeah I really want the Bush Napa T.V. stand; I'd like a wood stand because it would just look nicer in my place. I looked around a bit more and apparently Circuit City and Best Buy have no stands in-store; they're all online only and the good ones ship within 5-6 business days. It's almost impossible to find a stand that will be shipped here by next Saturday. I'm really considering the Samsung stand or a Mitsubishi one just like it since I can get those shipped to me by the end of the week for a decent price.

Actually I can get the Bush Napa from Circuit City for $376.25 shipped and it will arrive by the 10th. I might do that. My viewing height will be about 37-41" from my couch, so do you think this stand will affect my viewing at all?
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Bush-Napa-Collection-Console-Video-Base-VS05250-03/sem/rpsm/oid/206260/catOid/-12892/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do#availability