I am interested in the new Dell 37" LCD HDTV, but Consumer Reports has not rated it, it is not in my local Dell store to look at, and I have read nothing from anyone who has tried one. Are there any new owners of this HDTV out there, who would be willing to share their experience so far, and/or is this HDTV rated or reviewed anyplace?

Thanks

Ron

yah seriously. no reviews except the stupid cnet prevew that doesn't actually have the panel to test!

dell marketing should all be fired.

I'm in the same boat. I've been waiting for opinions on the new 32" W3201C but no one has it yet. There's someone here who posted that he should be getting his any day now so.

There is one brief review from a user at the dell website support forums for displays and another user briefly reviewed it on the digital home canada forums. Both seem to be very pleased with it. It does not have adjustable backlight though, but that might not be an issue if you can control your room lighting althougth it should have that feature. I'm considering it also.

Somebody should publish a review of reviewers. Consumer Report will be at the bottom.

Somebody should publish a review of reviewers. Consumer Report will be at the bottom.

Somebody already did:

Reviewing the Reviews (http://www.consumersearch.com/www/electronics/lcd-tv/reviews.html)

And they don't agree with you - at least not entirely. I personally don't take much stock in Consumer Report's reviews of electronics. They don't seem to put much time or effort into reviewing the actual audio or video quality. They're great for washers and dryers, but LCD's and such...

Dave

I just received mine today. It's my first HDTV LCD TV so I'm not really sure what to expect. I've tested out my Rogers Digital Cable with it and it looks great. I don't have an HD STB yet, so I can't test that out yet. I hooked up my XBOX as well as my PC to play Counter-Strike and it was running very smoothly. No ghosting of any kind was visible. The blacks are very black and the whites are very white. Overall, I'm pretty happy with it. Can't wait to test out Call Of Duty 2 on my X360 next week. :)

I just received my Xbox 360 and hooked it up to my newly received Dell W3201C. The 16MS response rate isn't a factor. This is a great HDTV. It looks amazing. I'd say it looks on par with what the Samsung LCD's at the X360 kiosks look like. I have no regrets buying this TV. I think Dell might be onto something great with their TV's. I highly recommend it.

I am interested in the new Dell 37" LCD HDTV, but Consumer Reports has not rated it, it is not in my local Dell store to look at, and I have read nothing from anyone who has tried one. Are there any new owners of this HDTV out there, who would be willing to share their experience so far, and/or is this HDTV rated or reviewed anyplace?

Thanks

Ron

Hi Ron

It looks like you and I have both have found another common forum. And it looks like we're not alone. Keep in touch and let me know if you take the plunge on the 37 inch Dell.

Best Regards

Dane

. Wanted to hear impressions of what people think of this LCD TV? Looks pretty good. Loce the detachable speakers and the general look of the TV.

Does anyone own this TV?

Impressions would be greatly appreciated!

Is it that bad of TV? Anyone?

It is brand new. Hardly anyone has had a chance to receive one yet.

Hey guys! Just joined this forum now because I just ordered one of these bad boys!! I'll have it within the week apparently.. I'll let you know how it is once I get it..

My primary input at the moment for it will only be my PC and a standard dvd player.

I'm currently using my PC with s-video out to my 32" Hitachi Ultravision tube to watch all my favorite divx shows and stuff. I'm hoping this will be an improvement!! LOL

I'm hoping I can setup the 37" as my secondary monitor and my 19" tube as the primary. My ATI radeon 9000 pro has both a vga and dvi connector and I have the dvi-vga converter and a cable.

Will I have to use powerstrip to get the resolution?

Regards,
Ethos

Hey guys just recently found this forum and decided to join since I just ordered my very first ever HD LCD tv.. I'm getting the dell 37" and I should have it within the week!! :)

My primary source for video is my pc and a dvd player.. no satellite yet.. I'd like to setup the 37" as my secondary monitor with my ati radeon 9000 pro which has a rgb and dvi connector and I have the dvi/vga converter and cable. will I need to use powerstrip to set the resolution??

anything else I need to know?

Regards,
Ethos

Does this tv have the de-interlacing capability (2:3) and a cable card slot? I also read that this panel was manufactured in the same plant as one of the current Sharp 37" panels. Is that true, and if so, is it the same?

I just noticed it has a 16ms response time. Ouch.

Between the Dell you mentioned and the Spectre 37"er I'd be inclined to go for the Spectre - Higher res. Also Dell tends to put together any parts that are the cheapest that day, you never quite know what you'll get. It will match the specs but what about quality?

Does this tv have the de-interlacing capability (2:3) and a cable card slot? I also read that this panel was manufactured in the same plant as one of the current Sharp 37" panels. Is that true, and if so, is it the same?

No to Cablecard...

I don't see de-interlacing on Dell site or Costco site. How bad is this?

KM23 and Ethos -- really hope you'll stop back and give us your impressions.

My order is still "In Process" will give you my impressions once I get the unit and have had a chance to play around with it.

Will be connecting an HD Set Top box with Cox, an Xbox 360, and later, my gaming PC.

16ms is not too bad... I have the Dell E193FP 19" LCD and it's 16ms. Looks great to me. Depends on the person.

I'll be sure to let you know my impressions once I get it.. They said 7 to 12 days..

Any advice for me? Do I need to use powerstrip to get the 1366x768 resolution with my radeon 9000 pro?

Ethos

I'll be sure to let you know my impressions once I get it.. They said 7 to 12 days..

Any advice for me? Do I need to use powerstrip to get the 1366x768 resolution with my radeon 9000 pro?

Ethos

You shouldn't have any difficulty. I have that card and am running the Dell 2405FPW at 1900x1200 using only the ATI drivers.

Let us know how it turns out.

The DELL plasma fared ok on the CR review, the Cnet review liked it slightly less. Since DELL has done lcd monitors, wondering who they use for that and who they used for the tv's, someone else to manufacturer them or themselves. I would love to see a review too, Ihave a feeling it will be good but not fantastic. And if the problems with the plasma extend to the LCD TV, that wouldn't be good either. Hopefully they will be a solid offering.

This just came on the Costco site and I snapped it up.

Snapped is right. Gone from Costco as of yesterday.

Aren't all Dells made along side their Sharp cousins?

Got the TV today, but I won't be able to mess around with it until Friday night and all day Saturday. Work away M - F. :(

Will get the HD DVR on Saturday as well. Will give my impressions then.

http://www.costco.com/Images/Content/ProductLarge/975118LL.jpg

Looks real good, but I will have to wait on impressions by a few people before I decide to spend $500 more than the 37" Vizio.

Monitor Type / Display Type: TFT Color LCD HDTV
Native Resolution: 1366 x768 @60Hz
Display Area: 32.27" x 18.14"
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 widescreen
Digital TV Capability: 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i
Brightness (typical): 500 cd/m2 (typical)
Contrast Ratio: 800:1 (typical)
Response Time: 16 ms (b/w, typical)
TV Tuner: Dual, one analog (NTSC) and one combo digital/analog (NTSC/ATSC)
Display Weight: Without Stand: 48.5 lbs (22kg), With Stand: 57.2 lbs (26kg), With Stand & Speakers: 67.8 lbs (30.8kg)
Audio/Video Input Signal: Composite (3); S-Video (3), HDTV component (2), TV In/Coax (2), HDMI (2), Audio 8 (RCA L+R); 1 mini-stereo for PC
Audio/Video Output Signal: Composite (1); Audio (RCA L+R, 1 pair)
Picture / Picture Features: PIP, POP, PBP, PC Graphics on PC graphics; video on PC Graphics; video on video
Dimension Display only (W X H x D): 35.84" x 21.75" x 4.41"
Dimension Display & Stand (W X H x D): 42.30" x 24.98" x 9.84"
Horizontal Viewing Angle: +/- 85 degrees
Vertical Viewing Angle: +/- 85 degrees
Cables Included: Power Cord, RF Coaxial, Component Video, RCA Audio
Speaker Drivers: Two way detachable speakers with bass reflex designWatts / Channel: 15 Watts per Channel (30 Watts total)

I like the duel HDMI inputs.

:(

http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/Dell_W3706MC/4505-6482_16-31562822-2.html?tag=nav

Downside: We weren't big fans of the last Dell LCD we tested, the W3000, but Dell claims this model is redesigned and improved. While we can't confirm that until we test it, we do feel the $2,150 price tag is a little steep. For example, the similarly sized Westinghouse LVM-37W1 has 1080p resolution, it performed relatively well in our tests, and it can be found online for significantly less. The W3706MC also lacks a CableCard slot, so you'll need a cable box to receive digital cable. However, given the limitations of first-generation CableCard technology, such as no video-on-demand or electronic programming guide, this might not be that much of a drawback (more info). Also, keep in mind that if you're looking for a flat-panel home-theater display, we tend to favor plasma over LCD.

http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/Dell_W3706MC/4864-6482_16-31562822.html?ctype=msgid&messageSiteID=16&messageID=1577336&cval=1577336&tag=uolst

7 out of 10"

Nice overall. Bright Picture. Great Sound. Tons of inputs!"
by jbray4913 - December 2, 2005

Pros:Nice looking. Easy to setup and operate. Great HD Picture. Analog not bad either.

Cons:Remote control needs improvement. Startup time is way too long.

Full user opinion

I purchased this LCD to replace a Dell W4200HD that was a bit too large for our new furniture. Got this LCD home and hooked it up to my Cox HD DVR and went right to Discovery HD Theater. WOW. HD Picture on this unit is crystal clear. I choose to use the HDMI connection from my DVR to the LCD. Picture and sound are great on HD programming and regular 4:3 programming is not bad either. If you decide on this unit, I think it's best to use the HDMI connection to get the best picture and sound.

One thing I dislike about this LCD is the black levels. I was used to the W4200HD and how black the blacks were. I know it's probably not Dell's fault that the blacks are not the same as the Plasma, it's common with LCDs, but it is definatly noticeable.

Not much else to say. Still getting used to it.

Happy shopping. Hope this review helped!

Do I need to use powerstrip to get the 1366x768 resolution with my radeon 9000 pro?

I suggest you read up on geting 1:1 pixel mapping on 1366x768 lcd tvs

I noticed that the Response Time: 16 ms (b/w, typical) is shown is their a big difference than grey to grey and black to black for response times?

^ Does anyone know? :confused:

Hey all, I just got my W3706MC today and am currently typing this with it. I haven't had much time to play around with it yet, but it does have a 1:1 option and using my DVI/VGA adapter from the computer to the VGA input on the TV it seems to lock the TV to 1280x768 (I dont have a DVI/DVI/HDMI cable to test yet). Using 1:1 mode with the computer at 1280x768 it's pixel perfect with 1 inch black bars on either side. When I press the info button on the TV's remote it shows 1:1 Theater Stereo 1280x768 at 60 hz. Without switching resolution if I change to widescreen mode on the TV is still looks alright but it's got some scaling and still shows 1280x768 resolution on the TV's info.

All I can say from the few minutes I've had to play with this so far is WOW!! I never thought it would be so nice and my puny 19" monitor sitting next to my desk looks so small! LOL

More info as I continue my testing.. I'm setting up a webpage and will do an informal review as I go.. I'll post the URL soon enough.. :)

Regards,
Ethos

Hey all, I just got my W3706MC today and am currently typing this with it. I haven't had much time to play around with it yet, but it does have a 1:1 option and using my DVI/VGA adapter from the computer to the VGA input on the TV it seems to lock the TV to 1280x768 (I dont have a DVI/DVI/HDMI cable to test yet). Using 1:1 mode with the computer at 1280x768 it's pixel perfect with 1 inch black bars on either side. When I press the info button on the TV's remote it shows 1:1 Theater Stereo 1280x768 at 60 hz. Without switching resolution if I change to widescreen mode on the TV is still looks alright but it's got some scaling and still shows 1280x768 resolution on the TV's info.

All I can say from the few minutes I've had to play with this so far is WOW!! I never thought it would be so nice and my puny 19" monitor sitting next to my desk looks so small! LOL

More info as I continue my testing.. I'm setting up a webpage and will do an informal review as I go.. I'll post the URL soon enough.. :)

Regards,
Ethos


Umm isn't the set's native resolution 1366 x768 @60Hz?!

/confused

stranx44 I'm a little confused too... Everything I read says it's 1366x768 and using vga I'm getting perfect pixels at 1280x768 in the tv's 1:1 mode.. Any ideas as to why this is?

Anyways, been playing around some more.. I hooked up my dvd player using component video and it looks awesome. When I press info when watching a dvd using component it says it's in 480i mode.

I need to get a dvi to hdmi cable for my pc and see what happens..

back to testing.. um, watching a movie! :)


EDIT: check it out.. I took a quick pic to show.. I'll have more pics and higher res pics when I do my webpage review.

Ethos

stranx44 I figured it out (kinda).. The TV is auto detecting what resolution I'm running and in 1:1 mode of course it'll be pixel perfect.. lol

I installed some new ati vid card drivers and had to reboot at 640x480 resolution and in 1:1 mode it was very tiny on the 37" and the tv info reported it at 640x480 and the same for 800x600..

So, it seems I'm capped at 1280x768 using the vga because the tv wont let the resolution go any higher than that..

Next test will be to get the dvi-hdmi cable and see if that helps..

Ethos

^ Response Time??? :confused:

Hey all, I just got my W3706MC today and am currently typing this with it. I haven't had much time to play around with it yet, but it does have a 1:1 option and using my DVI/VGA adapter from the computer to the VGA input on the TV it seems to lock the TV to 1280x768 (I dont have a DVI/DVI/HDMI cable to test yet). Using 1:1 mode with the computer at 1280x768 it's pixel perfect with 1 inch black bars on either side. When I press the info button on the TV's remote it shows 1:1 Theater Stereo 1280x768 at 60 hz. Without switching resolution if I change to widescreen mode on the TV is still looks alright but it's got some scaling and still shows 1280x768 resolution on the TV's info.

All I can say from the few minutes I've had to play with this so far is WOW!! I never thought it would be so nice and my puny 19" monitor sitting next to my desk looks so small! LOL

More info as I continue my testing.. I'm setting up a webpage and will do an informal review as I go.. I'll post the URL soon enough.. :)

Regards,
Ethos

So there are 1 inch black bars to the left and right? Is it noticeable and annoying?

Also what panel is Dell using?

So there are 1 inch black bars to the left and right? Is it noticeable and annoying?

Also what panel is Dell using?

Seconding this re: the imposed black panels -- what the f***?

Anyone else have one, strongly considering buying the 37 inch in the next week or so, and want to know it will be worth my 2 grand!!!

Can hardly wait to see your review Ethos!

The 1" black bars at the side of the screen are there when using the 1:1 mode at 1280x768. I dont think they'd be there in 1366x768 1:1 mode, but I cant test that yet because using VGA I can only seem to get 1280x768 max. I need to get a dvi-hdmi cable and test that..

response time is 16 ms and to me it looks great. I even played a little UT2004 last night at 1280x768 and it was great considering I have a crappy radeon 9000 pro card...

DVD movies using component video look very good. I dont have any HD sources to test with yet.

Like I say, I'm working on an informal review and will have it posted at my site soon.

Ethos

I just got mine yesterday!! I love it!! :)

Haven't had much time to play around yet but here's some highlights..

It has a 1:1 mode and centers your source on the screen. Using VGA I can only get a max 1280x768 so there is a 1" black bar on either side of the screen. I dont have a dvi-hdmi cable yet so I cant test it, but I imagine I'd be able to get the full resolution with it. If I turn off the 1:1 mode it fill the entire screen with some scaling but still looks very good.

Using a DVD player with component video looks great!

I dont have a HD source yet..

I'm going to do an review and post it at my site soon.

Ethos

<< I'm going to do an review and post it at my site soon. >>

How about posting it here too?

Moderator: Note THREE threads on this topic....

<< I'm going to do an review and post it at my site soon. >>

How about posting it here too?

will do! :)

Ethos

Moderator: Note THREE threads on this topic....

Oops -- can they be combined?

Moderator: Note THREE threads on this topic....

Merged threads

(still looking for third!)

merged threads.. that reads interesting.. LOL

anyways just another quick report on my new 37".

This may sound like a noob discovery, but hey, give me a break.. :) Ok, I discovered cleartype fonts in xp pro and was amazed at how much better it looks compared to before. It gets better though, now using cleartype fonts I can run my vga 1280x768 resolution I'm locked at in fullscreen (not 1:1 mode, 1280x768 scaled to 1366x768). It's looks 'almost' perfect and is very usable.

Of course it would probably look fantastic at the full 1366x768 (or 1360x768 1:1) using a dvi-hdmi cable. Payday..

BTW, I was at my local FutureShop the other day and they had these Monster cables 6 ft dvi-hdmi cable for $159 canadian!!! HOLY CRAP thats expensive!

btw, it's awesome being able to put Firefox fullscreen on the 37" and have all my icons and various things on my 19" beside it and sitting back in my chair and being able to see everything and read everything so cleary and big!! :) check out the attached pic to get an idea...

Ethos

Ethos....have you ran any fast paced graphics/ games on it yet? Any obvious ghosting? is the 16 ms resp time a factor?

I'm also kinda disappointed Dell didn't go with a black bezel..

Ethos....have you ran any fast paced graphics/ games on it yet? Any obvious ghosting? is the 16 ms resp time a factor?

I've been playing ut2004 at 1280x768 with fov 106 and it's great! I cant see any ghosting that I know of. Though I'm using a dated and slowish radeon 9000 pro though, it's very playable even though I'm only averaging around 40 fps..

Ethos

One concern I have for a bedroom application is the 85º viewing angle when industry standard is 170º

BTW, I was at my local FutureShop the other day and they had these Monster cables 6 ft dvi-hdmi cable for $159 canadian!!! HOLY CRAP thats expensive!


Check out svideotorca.com or monoprice.com

both have very good prices on cables, you should be able to get one for about $10 USD. the first site has free shipping in the usa at least.. to canada shouldn't be much more and its going to be way cheaper than monster cables.

Do you know which cable specifically to get? Male to Female, Male to Male? So many to choose from, I'm confused.

One concern I have for a bedroom application is the 85º viewing angle when industry standard is 170º

I may be wrong but I think +/- 85º on the DELL is 170º as a whole.

- 85º plus + 85º = 170º

I hope that's the case.

Hey guys, I'm looking into getting the W2306C (the 23" model, sans digital tuner).

I will be using this monitor a lot to play Xbox, PS2 and the next generation stuff. Anybody using the screens for this? How does it look using component cables and the 480p? Anybody tried 720p games on this? Xbox 360 is completely 720p methinks. I will also be using this as a secondary PC display for video (downloaded TV etc.)

I have a Radeon 9500 Pro with 1 VGA and 1 DVI. Will I have problems going 1366x768 using DVI?

[edit] Removed price talk. Oops.

I've been playing ut2004 at 1280x768 with fov 106 and it's great! I cant see any ghosting that I know of. Though I'm using a dated and slowish radeon 9000 pro though, it's very playable even though I'm only averaging around 40 fps..

Ethos

Could you post a picture of the screen with PIP engaged? Specifically, I'm trying to figure out how it handles an HD and SDTV picture at once.

Also, if anyone knows where to download the instruction manual, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Owner's Manual and other documentation can be found here :

http://support.dell.com/support/systemsinfo/documentation.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~cat=35

Owner's Manual and other documentation can be found here :

http://support.dell.com/support/systemsinfo/documentation.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~cat=35


Thanks! Dell online support had no idea.

Ethos, I'll be interested in seeing your writeup when it's ready. I too am interested in this tv. It would be an all round device for PC, Xbox360, and tv viewing. I'm considering getting a 37" Sharp Aquos instead, but their connectivity really sux compared to the dell.

Some interesting things you might want to include are
how SD tv looks on it (and HD if you get that eventually)
how is the refresh rate for ghosting on fast dvd's and FPS's
How the color, brightness, and contrast look in different viewing lights.
How you think text looks in PC mode
And how DVI/HDMI / Component / VGA / etc hookups effect the viewing quality.


Just suggestions. It would be really appreciated since no one has done any reviews on it really. (one guy gave it a 7/10 on cnet)

How are the blacks with games/movies in-home with a dark room?

How does HD programming look through a regular antenna. I don't have any other special cables and was planning to just use the built in HD tuner. Anyone know how it looks?

Hey all, I know I promised a review but I've been a little bogged down the last few days with work and all.. I've been thinking that this thread itself might be considered an ongoing review I guess, I'm sure it'll evolve into a quite detailed look at this tv once myself and more people that own it contribute to it.

I'm more than 100% happy with this TV even though I have yet to experience everything this set offers. I'm thinking of buying a Bell ExpressVu HD receiver on payday and if that happens I will finally have a HD source!

I'll work on getting pics of PIP/PBP and POP but at the moment I dont have any other source than my PC. I borrowed my dvd player to someone (maybe permanently) since I'm now using my PC to play DVD's. I'm still using the VGA input at the moment, I'll probably get a DVI-HDMI cable on payday and switch to using the HDMI input and finally be able to run at 1360x768 in 1:1 mode.

Ok, In my opinion blacks look black on this set, not as black as my CRT though but I think that's a given right? It looks awesome though watching movies in a dark room.

I bought 'Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith' and it looks FANTASTIC! I was blown away by it on this set.. By far the best quality dvd I've seen (but that isn't many)..

DVD movies are not 16:9 right? Being a videophile novice I am, I thought by having a widescreen set I'd be able to get rid of the letterbox.. It still kinda annoys me to see letterboxing but at least it's not as bad a 4:3 set..

Ok, now for some specifics...

- how SD tv looks on it (and HD if you get that eventually)

Other than my PC, I have only had a chance to try a standard DVD player using component video and it's looks great IMO.

- how is the refresh rate for ghosting on fast dvd's and FPS's

I haven't noticed any kind of ghosting while watching DVD (on pc or dvd player) or while playing UT2004. Of course I might not be seeing it because I dont know what to look for..

- How the color, brightness, and contrast look in different viewing lights.

It's very easy to see standing almost directly to the side of it although kinda washed out at that point.

- How you think text looks in PC mode
And how DVI/HDMI / Component / VGA / etc hookups effect the viewing quality.

Text in PC mode using 1:1 mode is pixel perfect and looks great especially using cleartype fonts. If in fullscreen mode, it's less than pixel perfect but the cleartype fonts make it very tolerable, as a matter of fact I have become quite used to it and I prefer it fullscreen over 1:1 mode (dont like letterboxes horizontally or vertically).. When I get the DVI-HDMI cable I'm sure I'll enjoy it even more using 1:1 mode because i'd only have about 3 pixel vertical letterboxes.

whew.. :)

Ethos

having a 16:9 set, a widescreen DVD should take up the whole screen, and there should be no letterboxing. And as for ghosting: Ghosting is the term used to describe an after image of a previously displayed screen image still on the screen after a new image is displayed.

A good way to visualize ghosting is to think of it is what happens with your eyes when you look at a bright light and quickly look away and you can still see the ghost of the light. (but ghosting is less prominent).

Best way to see, is to play a FPS, and turn rapidly. Are objects moving smoothly, or is there anything that tends to take too long to disappear?

Drizz - you are partially wrong. A widescreen DVD might be an aspect ratio that is wider than 16:9 such as 2.35:1 like Star Wars. In that case it will still have small black bars on a 16:9 tv.

Dell 37 owners - can you tell me if there is a "User" setting for the colour temperature? Thanks!

One other thing. I was searching on the specs, but no where does it say that the HDMI connectors support HDCP (the copy protection that is used on most devices such as DVD players and HDTV set-top-boxes using an authentication and key exchange procedure before video and audio is presented). This is only for HDMI / DVI, since there is no protection on analog connections like component or VGA. But if the HDMI doesn't support this, we won't be able to view HD content with the Digital connections. I don't suppose it mentions anything about HDCP (High Definition Content Protocol) in your manual???

For anyone who is interested.

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/w3706/en/index.htm#printed_documentation

DrizztD0Urden, from what I understand and have read about HDMI is that if there is an HDMI connector then it is HDCP compliant. I could be wrong though..

ZZen, yes there is a user color setting..

One feature I found and like alot is the 'auto adjust' option under the image setting's menu. It automatically adjusts PHASE and PIXEL CLOCK on the tv. When I first hooked up the computer to the tv, I noticed some blurry text in 1:1 mode, then I played with phase and pixel clock settings, but when I selected auto adjust, it cleaned up all the blurry text and made it perfect.

Ethos

I'm, just going through that manual. looks like the color tep settings are
Natural: the native panel temperature
• Normal: 6500K
• Blue: 9300K
• Red: 5700K

There is also color tint and color saturation

color settings are

Natural Color
Normal Color (SRGB)
Blue Preset
Red Preset
User Preset

those are the options on my set.

Ethos

I'm interested in using this for htpc. For those of you who tried 1366x768 via DVI, did you use powerstrip?

I'm thinking that is the best route, since I've read HDMI (dvi->hdmi) is not capable of 1366x768 (or custom resolutions). search forum for "hdmi resolutions"

I have yet to try dvi-hdmi yet on this set (using vga I can only get 1280x768). I think when I get dvi-hdmi I'm going to use my vid cards standard resolution of 1360x768 in 1:1 mode, I think it'll look great and only be losing 3 pixels on either side which isn't that much.

It's confirmed I'm buying a HD Bell ExpressVu receiver on payday (about a week away). I can't wait to try a HD source!!

Ethos

It's late and I haven't reread this review, but here it is. Let me know if you have any additional questions. Sorry about jumping in the review.


Here are my quick first impressions of the new Dell 37” LCD.

I was finally able to open the TV on Friday night. The box was nicely packaged and taking out the TV was relatively easy. At first glance, I really like the look of the TV. The silver outlining and the black borders around the LCD look great and are very good to look at. The stand looks good and sturdy. The speakers came detached from the TV… I attached those as I do not have a surround sound system at the moment. Even with the speakers on, the set looks great. The controller looks good as well. Black and silver just like the set. The controller lights up in blue and looks good overall.

Looking at the back of the TV, you’ll see the plethora of connections this TV has. 2 HDMI, 2 component, 3 RCA, 1 on the left side and an S-video port on the right. Not to mention the VGA cable port as well. On the controller, you can click on the “Input” button and directly enter a specific input. This is a great feature, as the Panasonic did not include this.

The LCD panel could be a Philips. The remote came with Philips batteries… can this be a sign? J I hope so, since we all know Philips makes great TV’s.

I hooked up the TiVo as the Hi-Def box was not yet installed. Standard definition looks great to me. I owned a Panasonic 43” RP LCD for about 30 days and this TV looks better. The text is much more crisp, although I did sit closer to the 43” TV since I was living in another location.

The Hi-Def box finally came and was installed. At first, HD didn’t look that great. With MINOR tweaking, the picture looked much better and I was very impressed. Some channels look better than others, but the picture is sharp, contrast looks great, and the overall picture quality looked like the action was happening right in front of you. There is red push, but I have not had time to adjust this yet. I will later. Once this is tweaked, I think the picture will look even better. Overall, I think the Hi-Def picture quality is very good.

I’m looking forward to the chance to hook up a PC and play some Call of Duty 2 and Half-Life, both of which support widescreen. I have a DVI to HDMI cable coming and I will next order a HDMI cable since my HD DVR is connected through component. 37” gaming? Count me in!!!

PIP/POP/PBP are all great features. I only have one video input now, so I can only see the PIP etc boxes without any source. Still cool though. You can change the position of the PIP and change the size. You can even put 5 or 6 sources, but I have to play with this until I get some more sources plugged in.

Is the TV the best TV without any flaws? Ummmmm, no J I wish, but there are some downsides. First, the viewing angle of the TV. It says 85 degrees and some people were wondering if this is 85 + 85 for 170. The answer is no. Look at the TV at more than 95 or so degrees gives a washed out picture and you can tell the viewing angle is not 170 degrees. The good part is that the stand swivels so you can easily change the viewing angle of the TV.

The next downside is the blacks. While not bad overall, there is no mistaking that a plasma or CRT has much better blacks. If this bothers you, then this TV is not for you. I don’t find it bothersome and most people will find it adequate. This is the price to pay for the size of the TV. With regards to the black level performance, the TV does have some backlighting issues when the screen is completely black. Standard problem with LCDs and this is not a glaring problem, although again, some people may not like it.

+SD looks great
+TV set looks great.. love the look of the TV
+Inputs galore
+PC Gaming should be great
+Very good to great HD quality
+Can't see motion blur... sports look fine. Hope the same for games.
-Medium quality black levels
-Backlighting issue
-Power on time is slow if you leave the TV off for long periods of time
-Minor red push that can be fixed with calibration and changing of some settings

If I had to give it a score now, it would be an 8.5/10. With calibration, maybe a 9.


My question is to Ethos or whoever can find a way to get 1:1 with the DVI to HDMI. Let me know how you did it so I can test the PC part of this as well. Thanks!

km23 or Ethos, does the tv remember the individual picture settings for each input or are they set globally? Thanks

km23, I finally managed to get a dvi-hdmi cable and now with my PC I can get 1360x768 but using hdmi the tv doesn't have a 1:1 option, but my vid card drivers for my ati Radeon now recognize the tv and I can turn on/off a centered or stretched (1:1) option in the drivers which works exactly the same. So I now use 1360x768 and it looks great especially with cleartype fonts..

efjay, I think it remembers settings for each input seems that way to me so far.

I went out and bought and activated a Bell ExpressVu HDTV 6100 receiver yesterday put the second dual lnb on and the included sw21 switch with the proper connections. But for the life of me I cant seem to get a lock on satellite 82 which is where all the hd stuff is. I'm thinking I may have to put a second dish up and aim it at sat 82..

BTW, I'm currently only using component video to connect my new 6100 receiver to my set. I need to get another dvi-hdmi cable for it.

Ethos

Thanks for the reply Ethos. Im really considering this TV to replace a 27" Toshiba flatscreen CRT. I like it for its many inputs as i will be connecting a DVD, Xbox and possible Xbox 360 plus DTV sat receiver.

km23 - could you please expand on what you mean by "backlighting issues"? Have you played with the brightness control? Thanks.

has anyone played the 360 or even ps2 on this? And was ghosting present?

Can someone comment on how the stretch modes work? Any restrictions based on input source selected? Thanks

If watch the screen with a black scene, you'll see a little light coming through the corners where it looks like someone is shining a very low powered flashlight. If you concentrate, you'll slightly notice it, but if you just look at the TV as normal viewing, it shouldn't be an issue. I pointed it out since some people may find it annoying.



I did not notice any ghosting with sports. My monitor is 16ms and all games look fine.

Does anyone know how this unit performs when compare with the HP LC3700N? The spec of the two units look similar on paper (except HP has cablecard slot while Dell has PIP).

Also, for owners of the Dell W3706MC, are there an optical and an coax digital audio output jacks on the unit?

TIA!

Cousin Vinny, yes to 'optical and coax' digital audio out on back.

question though, what good is digital audio out on the tv?

Ethos

Does anyone know how this unit performs when compare with the HP LC3700N? The spec of the two units look similar on paper (except HP has cablecard slot while Dell has PIP).

Also, for owners of the Dell W3706MC, are there an optical and an coax digital audio output jacks on the unit?

TIA!

The HP's appear to be the same as the Sharp Aquos. Only difference is the HP's have all the inputs. There user manual is online at HP's website, as is Sharp's at sharpusa.com.

Anyone know who's making these units for Dell?

Cousin Vinny, yes to 'optical and coax' digital audio out on back.

question though, what good is digital audio out on the tv?

Ethos


It gives you audio from the ATSC tuner.

Steve.

Does anyone know how this unit performs when compare with the HP LC3700N? The spec of the two units look similar on paper (except HP has cablecard slot while Dell has PIP).

Also, for owners of the Dell W3706MC, are there an optical and an coax digital audio output jacks on the unit?

TIA!
The HP LC3700N is a mix of the Sharp specs. Its got all the connections of the older GB5U but with the newer 12ms panel of the current Sharps. Even the back connection panel is sim between the HP and the Sharp with just some minor cosmetic looking diffs in the plastics. All the connections are almost located indentical. Its still has the CMS options which a lot of the newer Sharps have discontinued. It has a swivel base and removable speakers like some of the older 37" Sharps had. I think Mike53 who works for Sharp confirms that the newer HP LCDs are made on the same assebly line as the Sharps in Mexico. I love how the set works with my HTPC. Sorry I dont know who makes the Dell's. The HP was also cheaper then the equivalent Sharp.

Ethos, km23 or others -

I was reading the Info thread on the Dell 4200HD plasma and noticed that depending on the input, the selection of options was different. For example, ONLY the VGA and DVI inputs had a "User" Color Temp setting, while HDMI, Component, and all other inputs had NO "user" Color temp setting (only presets). Also, Tint and Saturation settings were NOT available on DVI or HDMI inputs. I find that this may make adjustments while using the HDMI inputs (for upconverting DVD player and HDTV, SDTV through cable box) on the Dell very difficult.

Can someone confirm how the Dell 37 LCD behaves with regards to these issues? Really appreciate it!

Any further thoughts on this tv from owners? Any glitches or still going strong? I'm itching to buy a tv and the current price/performance ratio looks very good to me.

Add me to the list of new owners. Mine arrived two days ago. Since I'm remodeling the area where it will reside, it is currently sitting on the coffee table connected to SD cable. The HD cable will be connected next Wednesday when I'm finished with the remodel. Everything looks and works great out of the box.

I was so, so close to buying a Sharp but ended up buying the Dell from Costco because of price, extra warranty and the return policy.

I just bought one of these on Wednesday. It will arrive Monday, so I will post my impressions after I get some time to play with it. Thanks for the contributions of others in this thread, it helped me when I was making my own decision.

I too am considering this TV. I've narrowed the 37" tv choices down to the Dell 37" lcd and the sharp aquos LC-37GB5U.

they are about the same price. BUT at the price of the dell i have to buy the sharp from an internet retailer which i'm very scared about doing.

the dell i can get from either costco or dell. costco is about 250 more expensive but has that awesome return policy.

i just read a thread on this forum, about dell and the fact that its impossible to get dell or anyone else to repair their TV's after their warranty is up. is this true? i am not thrilled by the idea of paying for 4 or 5 years of extra warranty. i expect this tv to last me at least 5 years.

besides this stuff, does anyone have any opinions on the pros and cons of the dell vs. sharp aquos?

In particular, I am not a normal home theatre user. i will have the flat panel connected to a HTPC. the HTPC will do everything. DVD, music server, movie server, jukebox, everything. I won't have any other componants at least for now.

so you can't adjust the backlight of the dell. how is that going with the current dell owners.

can you change the individual red, blue green color settings or can you only use presets? do the color settings save per input?

is it easy to set up with the PC via dvi-HDMI cable? can you get 13xx - 768 easily? sometimes its hard to get a 1:1 pixel match.

anyone seen the dell vs. the sharp side by side and comment on the quality of the SD PQ. i'm sure the HD on both will be superb so SD is key, since there are still alot of SD content out there.

dell has no qam and no cable card right? this model of the sharp doesn't either. its not that important to me.

thanks

also. viewing angle. can anyone comment on the viewing angles? how is the dell viewing angles?
the sharp says:
Viewing Angles 170º H / 170º V

the dell says
Horizontal Viewing Angle: +/- 85 degrees
Vertical Viewing Angle: +/- 85 degrees

this seems like a VERY significant difference. can anyone commnet? isn't 85 degrees closer to what a DLP or LCD rear projection gets? i mean jeez, the reason i want a LCD is it has beetter viewing angles.

please comment pls.

Just do the math +-85 each side of center is 170 total.

is that what +/- means? meaning on either side of the center axis? sorry didn't know. ok.

so i still need to make a decision. i'm leaning towards the dell because i can't get the sharp at a local store or a reputable retailer for less than 2k. hmm. buying a tv is so stressful. espcially since i can't actually go see the dell anywhere. sharp is definately a nice picture i am just worried about ordering such a large item on the internet without a good return policy.

Ethos, km23 or others -

I was reading the Info thread on the Dell 4200HD plasma and noticed that depending on the input, the selection of options was different. For example, ONLY the VGA and DVI inputs had a "User" Color Temp setting, while HDMI, Component, and all other inputs had NO "user" Color temp setting (only presets). Also, Tint and Saturation settings were NOT available on DVI or HDMI inputs. I find that this may make adjustments while using the HDMI inputs (for upconverting DVD player and HDTV, SDTV through cable box) on the Dell very difficult.

Can someone confirm how the Dell 37 LCD behaves with regards to these issues? Really appreciate it!

Any info on the quoted issues? I will add that the lack of a USER color temp setting on all inputs is what I'm mostly concerned with. Thanks.

I've had my Dell 37" LCD for 3 weeks now. I have never had a digital tv before and went from a $400 32" RCA CRT to this. I was lucky enough to get this TV for $$$ through a Dell rep so the price was right. I like it I guess but I'm not blown away by any means. The blacks are decent but not near as good as plasmas/crts. I've yet to experience an hd signal but purchased a Samsung HDMI upconverting DVD player. The DVDs in 720P and 1080i don't look that great (definitely not HD quality). SD TV via my Dish 625 receiver looks quite fuzzy actually but that is expected due to the compression Dish uses. So, until I'm able to get an HD receiver from Dish, I can't really justify spending $$$ for it (I actually got it for $$$ because I found a couple of stuck pixels so Dell refunded me $100). BTW, has anyone noticed any stuck/dead pixels on theirs? I had to get right up on the screen and switch to an input that wasn't available in order to get the screen black. I have one noticeable green pixel and 5-6 white or blue "specks" scattered across the screen (hardly noticeable unless you look really hard).

EDIT>>

mod note: no price talk

Just do the math +-85 each side of center is 170 total.

On the previous page here:

"Is the TV the best TV without any flaws? Ummmmm, no J I wish, but there are some downsides. First, the viewing angle of the TV. It says 85 degrees and some people were wondering if this is 85 + 85 for 170. The answer is no. Look at the TV at more than 95 or so degrees gives a washed out picture and you can tell the viewing angle is not 170 degrees. The good part is that the stand swivels so you can easily change the viewing angle of the TV."

Bump for ethos, km23 or others to answer my questions regarding lack of USER color temp on HDMI and component.

ZZen I just checked using my pc to tv via dvi-hdmi and there is a personal setting for color/tint/temp/etc/etc/..

Just checked component input from my expressvu and yes it has a personal setting too...

no dead pixels that I can see. I've had my 37" for a week or so now and I'm very happy with it.

using my expressvu with SD source I'm quite happy with it, some channels are a little worse than others but that's all to do with satellite compression. I haven't been able to get my dish setup for HD programming yet due to -30 windchill but soon enough I'll have a HD source to try out.

Ethos

Can someone tell me if you can watch two channels at the same time on the Dell 37 lcd or Dell 42 plasma. I want to use both tuners at the same time in PIP.

According to the manual, as long as you have two sources that are not both HDMI, you can display both with PIP, POP, or whatever other method you so choose.

Thanks ethos. I know each input has a Personal setting, but under that can you confirm that the Color Temp setting has a User preset? I've heard only the VGA has a USER color temp setting (which you did confirm for me before). Thanks again.

Zzen, ok I get what your asking.. Just checked both component and dvi-hdmi and it does not have a custom color temp setting only red, blue, normal and natural.

Is that bad?

Ethos

Thanks yet again Ethos. Is it bad? Well depends I guess. Since there is no Tint/Hue/Saturation control for HDMI and since there is no User color temp it means there is no way to adjust/calibrate colours for a settop box of DVD player plugged into HDMI. True, in theory digital shouldn't need any adjusting of colours but it is still often useful for fine tuning.

That being said I just went for it an ordered it from Dell Canada (though I think my order taker/sales person was in India...I thought just tech support was there?) for a good price. I hope I like it!

ZZen there is tint/saturation/brightness/contrast and sharpness as well as the 4 presets for color temp using hdmi.

Congrats on ordering I look forward to hearing how you like it.

Ethos

I'll report back when I get it. *hoping for no dead/stuck pixels* *knocks on wood*

can you comment on the viewing angle please. someone earlier said it was washed out looking past 95 degrees off the center axis.

does anyone know if dell charges a restocking fee if you open and try out the unit and then return the unit within 21 days?

Costco sells the Dell W3201c and W3706mc for the same price as the dell website as of today. It might be easier to visit Costco to check out if you have one close buy. Costco website lists store locations. I will be checking both models out this week.

i just ordered the dell 37" lcd.

i must say, tv buying is very stressful. i hope i made the right choice.

swordman, I'd like to hear your impressions on the tv once you receive it, keep us informed!

*bump

Ethos

I ordered a W3706MC today, hopefully im getting it around january 10. Its going to be set up with a Samsung dvd-hd950, Xbox 360 and a HTPC. I can post some pictures and my first impressions then :)

Ethos and others, can you tell me how the audio out connectors work? For instance can you use the digital outputs for all sound from the tv or just the Digital signal? And what about the analog RCA output? Thanks

efjay, I dont know about the digital audio yet, I dont have a surround decoder and am only using L/R output from my expressvu to the TV, also using a 5.1 Altec Lansing system for my PC.

I haven't used either the digital or analog RCA out, yet...

I finally got my dish aimed properly and am now receiving HD channels on my Expressvu! This is my first HD experience and I'm very happy so far with how it looks, compared to SD channels, it looks GREAT!.. I'm using component video out to the TV (not dvi-hdmi yet).

Ethos

The digital audio outputs only work with the ATSC tuner.

The analog audio output is documented as only working with the NTSC tuner, but I *thought* I read somewhere else that it worked with some of the other inputs. May just have been my imagination.

Steve.

The digital audio outputs only work with the ATSC tuner.

The analog audio output is documented as only working with the NTSC tuner, but I *thought* I read somewhere else that it worked with some of the other inputs. May just have been my imagination.

Steve.

I'm not sure what this means. Can I digital-out form this TV to receiver (w/out regards to HDTV, for the time being)?

Let me try another way :) The digital audio outputs will only send sound from the ATSC tuner. You can't use the TV as a switch - it wont take an incoming audio signal associated with composite, component, S-Video, HDMI, whatever and push it out through the digital audio outputs. You have to go straight from the source to the receiver. So if you have multiple sources they each have to go to the receiver, no sending them all through the TV.

Steve.

Thanks for the replies guys.

Hi all.

Sorry for noob question but that I am :).

I want to buy this Dell 37" to be my primary PC Monitor. I have 7800GTX and x2 3800 AMD so computer is not a problem.

What I want to ask you is what is the picture quality on this monitor in 1080i resolution? How it is for gaming, and most important for work in windows and word and CAD?

I know that Westinghouse and Sceptre 37" with 1080p support would be better solution, but here in EU (Germany) I cannot find reseler for that LCD!

Here in EU most of LCD 37 and 40" have native resolution 1366x768 I think. No LCD with 1080p resolution:(. I think that 720p resolution is too low for 37" monitor.

Thanks in advance and best regards

well, this Dell has a 1366x768 resolution. So if you think it's too low, you'll have to find a 1080p

ZZen: have you received your purchase yet???

I ordered the 23" LCD on dell.ca on Dec 18...according to the Order Tracking, Order Date = Production Date = Ship Date = 18/12/05

Order tracking also saying that Estimated Delivery Date = 21/12/05 (TODAY)
Now, i've checked with purolator (courier company in Canada) using the link that they provide, and each time i call purolator, they're still telling me they havent received anything from Dell....

So where did my LCD go???

snoopy - I just checked my order status and it says it has shipped. So I ordered on Saturday the 17th (got the special price of the 18th), then it shipped on either the 19 or 20th (not sure), and it says estimated delivery date of the 29th. The link on the order status page for shipping info takes me to the Purolator page showing it as being in transit in the US.

I think sometimes the dates on the order status page are a little screwy and sometimes it takes 24-48 hrs for the correct info to be updated to the system.

ZZen:

thanks...i'll keep checking purolator...hopefully they didnt oversell and there's another W2600 situation like the UK...

to be honest, i'm starting to wonder if the savings was worth it...i mean, i could've picked up my order by now from a FS/BB etc

Can someone tell me what size wall mount this TV needs? There's an implication from the specs that it's VESA 100x100 or 200x100. But there's someone in the Dell forum who measured it as 550mmW X 235mmH!! I had assumed there was a removable back panel covering the hole mounts (like the W2600), but he says not.

Steve.

Aarionn, I'm using the W3706MC as my primary display and a 19" CRT as my secondary display with my PC via dvi-hdmi.. Using 1360x768 (1:1 mode via ATI drivers) and it looks fantastic! You may have to get used the limited resulotion, but it's definitely easy to look at..

I've been using my HD ExpressVu (component video) in 1080i mode and HD looks fantastic!

In 720p I think I see some pixelation so I use 1080i and to me it looks better...

Ethos

Thank you Ethos.

Last night I was in Media Markt (that is shop in Germany) and I saw PC picture in 1360x768. It really looks great!

I just want to know can you get 1080i from pc on this LCD and is it good? Please can you answer me? I am such a noob /shame when it comes to HTPC and HDTV. sorry

best regards

Aarionn, looking at my ATI video card settings it doesn't look like I can run anything 1080..

What is the PC equivalent resulution for 1080i?

Ethos

Does anyone have an xbox 360 on their dell? Would really love to see some pics of an xbox360 playing on this lcd. Kinda doubting between this 37 inch dell and a really nice 32 inch philips I saw. Unfortunately there isn't alot of info about this dell lcd, no real good reviews and stuff.

Thanku in advance :cool:

I just recieved mine last week. can anyone shed some light on the wall mounts? i don't see any screw holes for wall mounting. there are 4 screws where the table stand screwes into the bottom of the tv. and there are the screws for the detachable side speakers but thats it. the back panel isn't user removable. the screws holding the back panel use a star shaped screw not a philips or anything standard. Anyone? am i forced to buy the wall mount through dell?

so far i'm pretty happy with the tv. i think the viewing angles are not as good as some of the sharp LCDs i've seen in the store, but then again my tv is currently on the floor. so i'm hoping that it will be better once its mounted on the wall at couch level.

also i get some glare from the patio window which is the the right side of the tv. not sure if there should be that much glare. i heard lcd tvs are the best for anti-glare. but really its atypical for me to watch much tv during the day. usually after work its dark and just on the weekends will there by daylight tv.

no ghosting so far, and standard def tv from basic cable (just broadcast chanels) are excellent, much better than i expected, but when you pop in a dvd my wife said "wow you can really tell the difference can't you?"

i don't have an antenna hooked up yet but it seems to pull in regular non-hd channels and those look good when the signal is good.

It's late and I haven't reread this review, but here it is. Let me know if you have any additional questions. Sorry about jumping in the review.


Here are my quick first impressions of the new Dell 37” LCD.

I was finally able to open the TV on Friday night. The box was nicely packaged and taking out the TV was relatively easy. At first glance, I really like the look of the TV. The silver outlining and the black borders around the LCD look great and are very good to look at. The stand looks good and sturdy. The speakers came detached from the TV… I attached those as I do not have a surround sound system at the moment. Even with the speakers on, the set looks great. The controller looks good as well. Black and silver just like the set. The controller lights up in blue and looks good overall.

Looking at the back of the TV, you’ll see the plethora of connections this TV has. 2 HDMI, 2 component, 3 RCA, 1 on the left side and an S-video port on the right. Not to mention the VGA cable port as well. On the controller, you can click on the “Input” button and directly enter a specific input. This is a great feature, as the Panasonic did not include this.

The LCD panel could be a Philips. The remote came with Philips batteries… can this be a sign? J I hope so, since we all know Philips makes great TV’s.

I hooked up the TiVo as the Hi-Def box was not yet installed. Standard definition looks great to me. I owned a Panasonic 43” RP LCD for about 30 days and this TV looks better. The text is much more crisp, although I did sit closer to the 43” TV since I was living in another location.

The Hi-Def box finally came and was installed. At first, HD didn’t look that great. With MINOR tweaking, the picture looked much better and I was very impressed. Some channels look better than others, but the picture is sharp, contrast looks great, and the overall picture quality looked like the action was happening right in front of you. There is red push, but I have not had time to adjust this yet. I will later. Once this is tweaked, I think the picture will look even better. Overall, I think the Hi-Def picture quality is very good.

I’m looking forward to the chance to hook up a PC and play some Call of Duty 2 and Half-Life, both of which support widescreen. I have a DVI to HDMI cable coming and I will next order a HDMI cable since my HD DVR is connected through component. 37” gaming? Count me in!!!

PIP/POP/PBP are all great features. I only have one video input now, so I can only see the PIP etc boxes without any source. Still cool though. You can change the position of the PIP and change the size. You can even put 5 or 6 sources, but I have to play with this until I get some more sources plugged in.

Is the TV the best TV without any flaws? Ummmmm, no J I wish, but there are some downsides. First, the viewing angle of the TV. It says 85 degrees and some people were wondering if this is 85 + 85 for 170. The answer is no. Look at the TV at more than 95 or so degrees gives a washed out picture and you can tell the viewing angle is not 170 degrees. The good part is that the stand swivels so you can easily change the viewing angle of the TV.

The next downside is the blacks. While not bad overall, there is no mistaking that a plasma or CRT has much better blacks. If this bothers you, then this TV is not for you. I don’t find it bothersome and most people will find it adequate. This is the price to pay for the size of the TV. With regards to the black level performance, the TV does have some backlighting issues when the screen is completely black. Standard problem with LCDs and this is not a glaring problem, although again, some people may not like it.

+SD looks great
+TV set looks great.. love the look of the TV
+Inputs galore
+PC Gaming should be great
+Very good to great HD quality
+Can't see motion blur... sports look fine. Hope the same for games.
-Medium quality black levels
-Backlighting issue
-Power on time is slow if you leave the TV off for long periods of time
-Minor red push that can be fixed with calibration and changing of some settings

If I had to give it a score now, it would be an 8.5/10. With calibration, maybe a 9.


My question is to Ethos or whoever can find a way to get 1:1 with the DVI to HDMI. Let me know how you did it so I can test the PC part of this as well. Thanks!


Appreciate you taking time to review the TV. One quick question. ANy false contouring/posterization issues?

Anyway, Dell is running their Delf program again so I went to the Dell Direct kiosk at King of Prussia mall and I have to admit, this LCD does look pretty good - they ran a WMV-HD file from a laptop they had hooked up via a VGA cable and it looked good. It was NASCAR and I thought that the fast motion looked very good as well.

I was a little concerned with the blacks but I guess that's the case with all LCDs. It's not a deal-breaker but the viewing angle issue might be. I didn't have much of an opportunity to check out the LCD from the sides but I hope to go back at some point this week. I appreciate all the people who have this LCD posting their opinions and results on this forum - it's really helping. Thanks.

I'm very satisfied with mine so far. I don't think the viewing angles are quite as good as the Sharp's but they aren't bad. Having the panel at eye level makes a huge difference (re: poster who had his on the floor) I had mine sitting on a coffee table for a few days while remodeling and it was much worse. Now with it at eye level, it is much improved. Where I sit a lot (at the computer) is about 7' away and probably 65 to 70 degrees off center. The picture is great. I was concerned that I might have to turn the panel toward me at that location but it isn't necessary.

Mines on its way via UPS. Has anyone else had it delivered by UPS? I thought they used a specialist courier to ship their tvs.

Hey, I was looking at the CNet review (http://reviews.cnet.com/Dell_W3201C/4505-6482_7-31626316-2.html?tag=sub) of the 32" Dell LCD and this little piece caught my eye.

With a native resolution of 1,366x768, the 32-inch Dell W3201C has plenty of pixels to display all of the detail of 720p HDTV signals. As usual, all incoming resolutions, including 720p and 1080i HDTV, are scaled to fit the pixels. It's worth noting that both of the HDMI ports successfully accepted a 1080p signal from our test generator--something few HDTVs can claim. It's also worth noting that the benefits of 1080p aren't really visible on a TV of this size and resolution.

Any idea as to whether or not the 37" has the same capabilities?

I just ordered the Dell W3706MC LCD from Costco website and I am planning to hang this unit on my living room wall. I am concerned about some posts indicating there are no Vesa holes on the back to connect to a wall mount. How can this be? Can any existing owners confirm or deny this?

The wall mount I have my eye on is the Omnimount FP-CL cantilever. Buy website has the mount for 38% off suggested retail price.

Thank You for any comments or suggestions.

JVarghese81,

The product release date on the Dell W3201C LCD TV was 9-28-05 and for the W3706MC LCD TV it was 10-18-05 so I am assuming they both share the same technical features you are asking about. I have a W3706MC on order and I am waiting for delivery.

I just got the W3201C and can confirm the above, I can only agree since the W32 and W37 are very similar that it may be the same.

Someone on the Dell TV forum reported the W3201C as having a VESA 400x200mm mount pattern. I looked at a W3706MC at a Dell Direct kiosk today and couldn't see anything that looked like a standard VESA mount pattern. Unfotunately, I couldn't actually get my hands on the thing.

Steve.

If the holes on the back of the unit are not labeled VESA 75, 100, 200, here is a guide to determine what you have.

VESA 75 = 4 holes in a square pattern 75mm = 2.95 inches between holes

VESA 100 = 4 holes in a square pattern 100mm = 3.94 inches between holes

VESA 100/200 = 6 holes in a rectangle pattern 200mm = 7.88 inches between holes farthest from one another (corners)

VESA 200 = 4 holes in a square pattern 200 mm = 7.88 inches between holes

I just looked at the back more closely and I'm pretty sure that the same holes that mount the desktop stand would be the ones for the wallmount once you remove the stand.

4 holes, doesn't appear to be in square formation... I didn't feel like pulling it out to look too closely...

Of course I could be wrong in which case I have no clue... I'm thinking about wall mounting mine as well..

Ethos

That would be a pretty odd place for a wall mount - right at the bottom of the TV. And from memory and looking at the web site, the desktop stand hole pattern is neither square nor rectangular.

Steve.

It would nice to here from any Dell W3706mc LCD owners who have actually wall mounted this unit. There has to be somebody who has. One of advantages of the LCD is the small footprint. If not I guess I will be the first to try and hopefully succeed once this unit is delivered and provided it has the VESA holes.

there are 4 screws in the back of the display. from right to left they measure 55cm = 550mm

from top to bottom they measure around 25cm =250 mm (this one is approximate i can't remember what i measured yesterday.

there is a back panel that is removable but it has small screws with a star shaped head instead of a philips or flat screw driver head. i don't think its meant to come off.

the stand is connected via four screws at the very bottom of the display. they are laid out in a pattern like this (x are the screws, the ----'s are just for spacing:
x------------x
----x----x

it looks like the top half of the VESA 75mm/VESA 100mm but there is not enough room for the bottom half of the square screw patter on the display even if you remove the stand.

this is just a guess..... but the VESA 75/100 mounts that dell sells comes with some sort of plate that attaches to the 550mmx250mm rectangle pattern and has mounting holes for a VESA 75 or 100 mount in the center of the plate.

the long rectagular mounts with sliding bars i'm guessing adjust to the wierd mounting dimensions on the back of the dell unit.

this is just a guess. i'm not sure what i'm going to do for a mount yet. but i may have to fork over more money to dell.

i'm guessing dell does this to make some money on the proprietary mounts.

HAS anyone who has this TV actually mounted it? please provide feedback.

Finally got mine last night, so far I'm loving it. Quick impressions:

- HD looks fantastic, watched a repeat of lost and some world junior hockey and loved it. So much better than my old 32" HD CRT set. This is on a motorolla 6412 via a DVI -> HDMI cable.

- Black levels are much poorer than my CRT set (I fully expected that) I think in a few weeks I'll forget what real black looked like and it'll be fine.

- Viewing angle is a disapointment. The wife sits on a love seat off to the side of the couch where I sit. She complained about the picture untill I swivelled it towards her. Probably 45 degrees or so.

- SD looks okay, not great not horrible. I'm not to concerned as SD is a small part of my critical watching.

- PC hookup via DVI -> HDMI went relativley smooth. Got 1368x768 running on centered output so there should be 1 pixel of overscan on either side. This is with a GF 6800GS.

- DVD Playback with either Purevideo scaling or FFDshow scaling up to output res looks amazing. I'm very pleased with the picture so far (although I've only messed around with it for a few hours, and only tried LOTR: TTT EE).

Other than that there's not much to say, I'm happy with my purchase so far and will update when I get some more tweaking time. Going to be playing some 360 on it this weekend so stay tuned.

Here's my review:

Delivery was fast. Ordered Saturday the 17th, and I got it via Saturday delivery (unexpectedly) on the 24th. I'm impressed that they marked it for Sat delivery to get it to me before Xmas. The box was a bit damaged on the front so I had the guy wait while I checked to make sure the glass was ok. It was. Plugged it in and made sure it was not DOA. Had to wait a few days to really test it out due to XMas.

So now I've tested it out with HD cable box and DVD each plugged into component inputs. I haven't tried HDMI yet.



Pros-

HD picture looks fantastic. Great colours, detail, sharpness, etc. DVD looks great also. SD looks acceptable when passed through the cable box at 480i (less sharp when upconverted to 1080i).

Design of the frame, casing, etc is great. It is the best looking aesthetic wise with the thin bezel, silver and black trim. The swivel stand is great and the detachable speakers is a great feature.

I love all the connection options along with the dual HDMI ports.

Fast actions scenes look great. No response time issues that I can see.

No dead or stuck pixels that I can see.

Cons/Issues-

The main issues that actually have me debating whether to keep it or not are as follows.

Backlighting and Black Levels - it is not adjustable and is set too bright. Using the brightness setting cannot compensate for this. Also the backlight particularly shines through each of the four corners. That is noticeable on a blank screen or mostly dark scene. Sharp LCD's don't seem to have this problem. In the title scene of a movie for example the text may come on in the center of the screen with the rest of the screen black. However due to the backlighting there are also four glowing corners seen and the brightness is not not uniform due to this. Also the black is not as black as it could be even for LCD. The brightness is so bright that the backlight could easily be set lower which would lead to better blacks and still plenty of brightness.

Aspect Ratio memory - On my previous HDTV (CRT-RPTV) It would remember the aspect setting not only for each input but also for each incoming resolution. For example, My HD cable box is sending 1080i for HD and 480i for SD. The SD looks much better at 480i (then scaled by the tv). My old tv would seemlessly switch to the proper 16:9 aspect when I switch to an HD channel and then when I swith to a sd channel the tv would switch to whatever aspect I had it last set while watching SD (like stretch or 4:3). The Dell doesn't do this, therefore when I watch an HD channel and have the tv at proper aspect for 16:9, then I switch to SD channel (outputting at 480i), I have to manually swith to 4:3 aspect (or stretch mode wide). Then I have to change back when going to an HD channel again. I could get around this by setting the cable box to output the SD channels upconverted to 1080i also but the quality is much better letting the tv do the upconverting.

Also ther seems to be no difference between Wide, Full Screen, and Standard aspect modes. The manuals description of those modes are practically useless.

Viewing angle is not that great but no big issue for me.

So basically, I like everything about this tv except the black level/backlighting issue and the aspect memory. I could even live with the memory issue, but I'm not sure I can live with the backlighting issue. The black levels might have me switch to a Sharp LCD or plasma even though I love all the features and look of the Dell LCD for the price. I'll spend a few more days testing before I decide.

Any questions feel free to ask.

Great review ZZen, I was looking at 37 dell lcd as a possible purchase at costco but decided against it due to the lack of a backlight control you mentioned. I recently returned a sharp 37gb5u at costco due to a stuck pixel and annoying blue popup display screen. Overall though I was very happy with Sharp's picture quality,one stuck red pixel was not noticable but then I began to think I would get more as I only had it for 2 months. If you decide to return it ,check out the hp lc3700n or Vizio 37as a possible replacement.

johngeno - how did you find the black levels on the Sharp? I am considering the HP 3700N as it is a Sharp but at a lower price ands with removable speakers and swivel stand. The pop up display seems to be a stubborn problem with the Sharp (and I guess HP version).

I was looking at owners manual - Page 44 - which contains specifications for 3706MC I noticed that under Video Display Capabilities it lists
480i
480p
576i
576p
720p
1080i

I know 480i and 480p are NTSC and 720p and 1080i are HD.
What are 576i and 576p. Are they PAL? Does this mean it can display PAL signals?

Current owners. Any image Posterization/Clayface/Countoring issues? I have seen Dell W4201C and Dell W5000C plasma owners complain about it in separate thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6821171#post6821171) .

johngeno - how did you find the black levels on the Sharp? I am considering the HP 3700N as it is a Sharp but at a lower price ands with removable speakers and swivel stand. The pop up display seems to be a stubborn problem with the Sharp (and I guess HP version).

The black levels is great compared to numerous LCD tv I saw and played around with(that is after adjustment to the backlighting and others settings). Compared to the black levels of a CRT monitor I would say it just average. Yeah , I also read up on HP made by Sharp with the same options and problems (blue pop up). The interest for me on the HP 3700n is that fact it is made by Sharp(great pic quality) , piano black bezel,connection(dvi+hdmi),faster response 12ms(although 16ms on 37gb5u I found no ghosting on anything for pc gaming and movies) , removable speakers, and qam/ota tuner(i think). Regarding the blue pop up , it went away as I tried some of the suggestion of the forum members(don't know which one since I tried them one after the other ).

Sorry to members ,if I went of the dell 37 subject........

I found mention of bias lighting in another thread and decided to put a small flourescent light I have behind the panel and I'm pretty happy with the results. It definitely seems to improve how I percieve the black levels.

I have been watching alot of HD with my ExpressVu and it's amazing!

The only pixelation or artifacts I notice are when my satellite signal breaks up..

I've been playing alot of UT2004 @ 1360x768 with FOV at 106 to make it truely widescreen and I notice absolutely no ghosting or anything else for that matter while playing. When I'm using my computer with the tv for playing games or just surfing, etc.. I'm sitting about 2.5 feet away from the screen, when I'm watching movies or satellite I'm sitting about 8 feet back.

I'm very happy with my TV :)

Ethos

I received my Dell on friday, here are my impressions.

Delivery was fast, actually too fast; I ordered on 24th thinking it would be delivered by the following friday. Found that delivery was scheduled for 28th so had to rearrange. UPS delivered on Friday; box had a few small tears but no damage to the tv. The screen was protected only by a sheet of some packing material. All peripherals packaged ok.

Picture

As has been said before the Dell has a good picture but is definitely on the bright side which cant be changed as there is no adjustable backlight. The corners of my screen dont seem to have the light bleed others have mentioned. Watching Star Wars Ep III the picture was good even though it was connected via composite. Using a Directv SD box via S-video the picture is good on some channels and not so good on others; you can see compression artefacts easily. As this is non-HD material thats ok. My wife was impressed enough to comment that the picture was better when wathing Sd content. After tweaking the picture controls the picture is quite good subject to the broadcast quality. I do however have to say i can see ghosting clearly on DVD's and SD broadcasts. Watching some ice skating and going up close to the screen it was visible. Other programs showed this clearly without having to move close to the tv. I was surprised as everyone has said they could not see any ghosting. My xbox seems ok but the only game i have to test doesnt have much fast moving scenes. Unless i have a faulty set (unlikely) this is the biggest issue i have with the tv. I have tried a factory reset and the problem is still there.

I find the viewing angle to be good but its dependent on your vertical angle to the tv. From an angle above the tv looking down moving right or left off-axis produces a washed out effect. If you are at eye level the horizantal viewing angle holds up better when you move off axis.

Sound

I use a surround system to watch dvd's but the tv sound is definitely above average with good bass and seems to throw a good stereo soundfield even without the builtin SRS effects.

Features/Operation

Good number of inputs, remote is ok with blue backlight that does seem to go out too quickly. Choosing the external components is a bit quirky; there are two options when selecting inputs - show all inputs or active only. When you hit the input button with all inputs showing the list comes up quickly; if you have selected to have only active inputs listed when you press the input button you will get a "scanning sources" box in front of a black screen for a few seconds before a list of available inputs comes up. This happens everytime you want to select an external input which is a bit annoying; i would expect it to memorise which inputs are active rather than have to scan every time. There are channel up/down buttons on the remote which only work with the builtin tuners.

The menus are clear and you can change the transperancy level so you can see the effect your changes have on the picture.

PIP/POP/PBP works well but i havent played around too much with that. There doesnt seem to be an easy way to exit from PIP etc mode once you enter it. You can swap pictures easily but there is no easy way to select the picture you want. You have to keep pressing the PIP button till it exits and selects the main active window but that blanks the screen for a second.

Picture adjustments and aspect ratio settings for each input are remembered allowing you to set each component how you want. I did find the side composite input with my xbox connected did not allow some settings so possibly the connections i have not used yet may have the same limitation.

The aspect ratios seem to work for me as follows:

Standard - for viewing anamorphic dvd's and widescreen HD broadcasts
Zoom - zooms in picture cutting off some of the side, top and buttom. Seems suited for non-anamorphic dvds
4:3 - 4:3 material with black bars on the side
Wide - seems to stretch only the sides of the picture leaving the middle intact.
Full Screen - seems to zoom the picture with no stretching

Overall i would give it 7/10 due mainly to the ghosting issue (which i hope is due to a faulty set). Anyone else see any ghosting when examining the screen closely? I will be contacting Dell to see if i can replace it and see if the new set has any ghosting issues as well. Apart from that its a pretty good tv

efjay - can you tell me what source you used to test out the aspect ratios? I swear the Wide is not doing what it is supposed to be doing and in fact I see zero change between wide, full screen and standard. This is through component inputs. $:3 does as expected, and zoom axxcts as you describe. Standard is correct for anamorphic dvd and HD, but wide and full screen act the same as standard, I'm almost positive. Any input on how you saw the differences would be great!

ZZen, i used SD broadcasts from my directv box. I think the crucial thing for me was i had not set my sat box to 16:9 when i tested so i was able to see the stretching effect as the box was sending 4:3 images. I could clearly see when images moved across the screen that they were being stretched at the sides when using the Wide setting. When i switched to Full screen i could see that the station logo at the bottom of the screen moved downward as though it had been zoomed in. Having now set my sat box to 16:9 i dont see any stretching on the Wide setting; havent checked Full screen again though.

Could you tell me if you have any ghosting at all on your set?

A couple other things I've noticed on the TV.

The NON-linear stretch mode (WIDE) does not work on the component inputs. On comp. input WIDE aspect mode is exactly the same as STANDARD. Even when sending a 4:3 480i signal through component the WIDE doesn't do the non-lin stretch that it is supposed to. WIDE mode does work properly when my cable box outputs into composite (info on Dell screen will show NTSC signal rather than 480i), and WIDE mode also works on the TV input (also showing NTSC when info button is pressed). I have not tried HDMI but it seems clear that the WIDE mode non-linear stretch (which is useful for 4:3 channels) does not work through component (no matter what signal is sent, 480i/p, 720p, 1080i). This is annoying because if I want to use the WIDE non-lilnear stretch for 4:3 shows I have to use an input other than component. There is no reason for it to not work, my previous HDTV worked just fine that way.

I also notice some subtle, fine, thin diagonal lines, closely spaced when watching 720p or 1080i, but not on 480i/p. I'm not sure if this is from my Motorola HD cable box or from the TV's processing of the signal though. HD is connected through component. Haven't tried DVI/HDMI.

I will be getting my W3706MC from Dell today. I hope I made a good choice will all this HDTV confusion. Anyone able to findout who makes Dell TV?

I know and have read few reviews by W3706MC posted by current owners in this thread.

Do you have anything to add, any new observations since the first post?

I have not read about anyone who has returned or is planning to return in this thread, Does this mean that everyone is happy with their TV?

the backlight is too bright. dark scenes in the tv show Lost (and they get pretty dark, where most of the screen is black or a shade of black/shadow) do not look right because the light is too strong. I think this is the issue or it could be the black levels i'm not sure. i still haven't figured out if i MUST buy a mount from dell or if there are mounts that will work with this TV.

Hi, I am trying to hard reset my 37" LCD. In the faq in Dell's support forum it says to hard reset to hold down the input button, power off, power on again and keep holding the input button for 10 seconds and a message will appear saying the tv has been reset. When i hold down the input button all that happens is the list of inputs flashes. I have held it down for 10 seconds and more and still only get the flashing list. Can anyone tell me how to hard reset this tv? If this cant be done is the factory reset the same thing? thanks

I just orderd the Dell 37 LCD last night and should have in 2-3 weeks, I was in same boat but decided to just take a chance. Will let everyone know when I get it and test it. By the way anyone getting one of these, Sams Club online has them alot cheaper then Dell or anywhere else.

Got the TV yesterday. I agree with most of the reviews. My observations
Cons:
1) Blacks are not good
2) I see a few minor issues - I have listed them below, would appreciate feedback
3) Very Very bad owners manual. There is no information there.

Pros:
1) Excellent picture both HD and SD
2) Excellent Sound
3) Good connectivity options

Issues:
1) I am not getting any audio out from Optical or coaxial when I connect it to my my receiver . I have an Onkyo receiver. Not sure If I am doing anything wrong. Anyone have same problem?

2) This might be cable box problem. I have Comcast and am using Motorola HD Box with DVR. I cannot get captions when connected using Component input. When I use RCA or Coaxial or S Video input into TV Close Captions works fine. I do not have HDMI cable so I don't know if that works. Anyone have that issue?

I just orderd the Dell 37 LCD last night and should have in 2-3 weeks, I was in same boat but decided to just take a chance. Will let everyone know when I get it and test it. By the way anyone getting one of these, Sams Club online has them alot cheaper then Dell or anywhere else.
You will probably get the TV is 4-5 days. I ordered mine on Sunday, shipped Monday and got it on Thursday

I Love It :)

will post some pics when I am up to post 5 on the forums

nearly there bare with me

Pics coming next I hope..... they are taken off my Samsung HD 950 and are un retouched, if anything the camera has washed the colours and contrast out a bit but it is of a TV so I didnt expect a Renoir:)

Ok sorry about those posts :) here are the pictures,I also think the blacks are superb.................... here you go a photo off my screen

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/IL2_Skins/Star_Wars_Dell37_lcd_SamsungHD950_1.jpg

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/IL2_Skins/Star_Wars_Dell37_lcd_SamsungHD950_5.jpg

and one of the TV set up at home..still need to plumb it all in ;)

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/IL2_Skins/Dell_2_s.jpg

cnewsgrp - I think the digital audio outs on the tv only pass audio from the Digital TV tuner and won't pass any audio from other inputs.

cnewsgrp - I think the digital audio outs on the tv only pass audio from the Digital TV tuner and won't pass any audio from other inputs.

Thanks Zzen.
Do you have problem with close captions from component inputs like I described earlier? Below is brief description. This only happens when input is component(I have not tried HDMI)

Issue: I am using Motorola HD Cable box with DVR model # DCT3412 I. The issue is when I am connecting component video output from the cable box into component video input of my Dell W3706MC. With the above mentioned connection, I am not able to on or off close caption text using my TV remote. There is a option in service menu of the cable box to enable/disable close caption. The problem is that if I disable close caption in cable box I cannot be put it "on" using TV remote. Likewise if I enable close caption in cable box, I cannot shut if "off" using my TV remote.

I also notice an artifact with SD. Sometimes when watching cartoons on SD the edges of straight lines or circles looks like stripes. This only happens sometimes and only with SD. PQ with DVD and HD is great.

I've had my W3706 for a week now and have noticed volume issues with the TV on several occasions. I don't have the speakers connected to my TV, instead I have the line level audio outputs connected to my stero system. I also have the audio output set to 'variable' so that the volume knob on the stereo always stays in the same spot, and I can change the volume with the TV remote.

I've noticed the volume on the TV (going through the stereo) get messed up on several occasions with the follow results:

1) switching from one input to another (ex. component to s-video) and while the video changes, the audio gets stuck on the original input (doesn't follow the change in inputs)
2) audio just drops out completely - this has happed from every source (HDTV, analog TV, s-video, component)
3) this evening after watching an HDTV program for about an hour the volume level went all the way to maxiumum and could not be turned down. (volume indicator never showed on the screen)

In all of the above cases, power cycling the TV fixes the volume issue.

Other things I've noticed ... If you have the 'GUIDE' displayed on the screen while watching an HDTV channel, the up and down volume control does not work. Instead the TV moves forward and backwards through the guide. This means you can NOT change the volume while the guide is showing on the screen. The left and right arrow keys are supposed to be used to move forward and backwards through the guide. This seems WRONG to me ... seems like a BUG in the firmware that NEEDS to be fixed.

The discrete IR commands to switch inputs do not work if proceeded by a volume down command.

The TV emmits IR radiation (I assume from the backlights) when first powered on. This blocks IR reception for ALL of my other components and lasts for approx. 2 minutes after turning the TV on.

Is anyone else seeing any of these issues?

I've heard of other LCD TV's doing the IR problem. Some people put masking tape over the other devices IR sensors so they work. It apparently filters out the TV IR pollution somehow.

Hey I recently purchased the 32 inch LCD HD TV Monitor from dell. When I received mine I was disappointed to learn that there are no computer drivers made for this. Although Windows XP does recognize it and it is functional. It shows up as a Unknown Monitor (Plug And Play Monitor). It seems kind of odd to me that Dell would represent these as fully capable of being Monitors yet fail to release a device driver for them. Does anyone know of any drivers out there for these?

It would nice to here from any Dell W3706mc LCD owners who have actually wall mounted this unit. There has to be somebody who has. One of advantages of the LCD is the small footprint. If not I guess I will be the first to try and hopefully succeed once this unit is delivered and provided it has the VESA holes.

I was wondering the same things. Has anyone successfully mounted theres yet? Also does anyone have any good links on "do it yourself' threads of this topic. I would like to see how people are doing the wiring themselves as well. Thanks for any info.

pk2000, I noticed that too when I connected using the RGB connection to the TV, when I switched to DVI-HDMI it shows up in the video control panel as 'w3706mc digital panel'...

Ethos

One more week with the TV. I am happy with the purchase so far and have decided to keep it. I will respect forum rules and will not discuss price, but just want to state that price was a important factor in my decision. In order to keep the price down I declined extended warranty. I am taking a risk, but saving extended warranty cost was too tempting. I hope it does not come back to bite me.
Anyone able to find who makes the TV. I asked the question in other forum and someone replied LG. I doubt it because my TV says Made In China and I think LG is a Korean company.

There's a nice rebate on this TV until the 19th at Dell Canada

Great thread everyone... I pulled the trigger on saturday and the TV will be here tomorrow! I cannot wait to play some X360 on this bad boy (and watch LOST in HD as well)

Got the TV this afternoon, I have a couple of questions for the other owners... I work nights so I have not played with it.. just set it up and hooked everything up for the wife. She says she lost sound a couple of times when switching between inputs? anyone expierenced that?

Second.. I have bunch of sweat marks on the frame... It seems like it will clean off but it was a pain while I was trying to determine what it was.. Did anyone else have that problem? The marks are black on the silver?

Other then that I think the picture looks great w/ the Xbox 360 :D

I've had my W3706 for a week now and have noticed volume issues with the TV on several occasions. I don't have the speakers connected to my TV, instead I have the line level audio outputs connected to my stero system. I also have the audio output set to 'variable' so that the volume knob on the stereo always stays in the same spot, and I can change the volume with the TV remote.

I've noticed the volume on the TV (going through the stereo) get messed up on several occasions with the follow results:

1) switching from one input to another (ex. component to s-video) and while the video changes, the audio gets stuck on the original input (doesn't follow the change in inputs)
2) audio just drops out completely - this has happed from every source (HDTV, analog TV, s-video, component)
3) this evening after watching an HDTV program for about an hour the volume level went all the way to maxiumum and could not be turned down. (volume indicator never showed on the screen)

In all of the above cases, power cycling the TV fixes the volume issue.

Other things I've noticed ... If you have the 'GUIDE' displayed on the screen while watching an HDTV channel, the up and down volume control does not work. Instead the TV moves forward and backwards through the guide. This means you can NOT change the volume while the guide is showing on the screen. The left and right arrow keys are supposed to be used to move forward and backwards through the guide. This seems WRONG to me ... seems like a BUG in the firmware that NEEDS to be fixed.

The discrete IR commands to switch inputs do not work if proceeded by a volume down command.

The TV emmits IR radiation (I assume from the backlights) when first powered on. This blocks IR reception for ALL of my other components and lasts for approx. 2 minutes after turning the TV on.

Is anyone else seeing any of these issues?

see above posts.. Looks like I am having the same audio problems... I also noticed between SD and the HD local OTA channels.. the sound between each of them are at different levels. Not sure if that is a broadcasting issue or a tv issue since this is the first time I have had a HD Tuner in a tv :confused: r and I have not noticed the IR problems.

see above posts.. Looks like I am having the same audio problems... I also noticed between SD and the HD local OTA channels.. the sound between each of them are at different levels. Not sure if that is a broadcasting issue or a tv issue since this is the first time I have had a HD Tuner in a tv :confused: r and I have not noticed the IR problems.

How are you listening to your TV? Are you using the speakers, or the audio line output? I am only using the audio line output (never used the speakers - they are still in the box). So, I'm curious if this issue affects both the speakers and the line output, or if it is just the line out.

Also - is any one else able to change the volume on their W3607 while watching HDTV and displaying the 'guide' on the screen? It doesn't work on mine, and I belive it is a firmware bug (see my previous post).

so has anyone wall mounted this thing yet?

so has anyone wall mounted this thing yet?

Yes, I have mine wall mounted. I ordered the Chief static mount from Dell with my TV. It was pretty easy to install, and seems very sturdy. I had to remove the 4 philips screws from the back of the TV and replaced them with 4 (slightly longer) screws that came with the mount.

I ran all my cables through the wall. I got two "old work" blue plastic electrical boxes and some 1" gray plastic electrical conduit. I cut holes in the top of one of the electrical boxs, and in the bottom of the other so I could have 2 runs of conduit between the boxes. I ended up having to cut a much larger hole in the wall than I wanted in order to get the pieces of conduit inside the wall, but I made a drywall patch and the wall looks fine now.

Sorry for the delay in replying jay357, for info on the wall mounts see

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=dce_W1700LCD&message.id=5937

How are you listening to your TV? Are you using the speakers, or the audio line output? I am only using the audio line output (never used the speakers - they are still in the box). So, I'm curious if this issue affects both the speakers and the line output, or if it is just the line out.

Also - is any one else able to change the volume on their W3607 while watching HDTV and displaying the 'guide' on the screen? It doesn't work on mine, and I belive it is a firmware bug (see my previous post).


Currently using the included speakers (My surrond sound speakers were too bulky to use sitting next to this nice tv). After two days it has only happened the one time though.

And no one the volume with the guide button. I tried it and get the same thing.

I use the TV speakers and have not had the audio problem of it not following input changes. kb9 you should probably send the audio of each of your other devices directly to your receiver for best quality rather than routing all audio through the TV then back out. Any pics of it wall mounted you can post up? Later!

I have another question if anyone can answer.. Im an hdtv noob so this might not be related to the TV.... Everytime I watch try to watch primtime OTA hdtv, I get a black screen with a message saying channel locked out :confused: Why is this? Does my antenna need to be replaced or something :confused: This is my first dealing with HDTV I have never had an ATSC tuner.

I use the TV speakers and have not had the audio problem of it not following input changes. kb9 you should probably send the audio of each of your other devices directly to your receiver for best quality rather than routing all audio through the TV then back out. Any pics of it wall mounted you can post up? Later!

Yes, I *should* run the audio from each device directly to my reciever, and maybe after I finish getting my JP1 remote programmed I'll do that. For the time being, it's a lot easier for my wife to operate the TV using the variable volume out. AND, it doesn't excuse the fact that Dell has problems with this TV that they need to fix.

Currently using the included speakers (My surrond sound speakers were too bulky to use sitting next to this nice tv). After two days it has only happened the one time though.

And no one the volume with the guide button. I tried it and get the same thing.

Thanks for the report on the volume issues!

I noticed last night that the TV will not accept the remote codes for discrete switching of inputs while the volume slider is displayed on the screen. Who wrote the firmware for this thing? These bugs in the UI are terrible! How did the TV get through Q/A testing with these basic issues?

Now, is there anyone out there that CAN change the volume on their W3706 while whatching HDTV and displaying the on screen guide? I just know if I call Dell about this issue they'll just try to send me another TV with the same problem.

There's a nice rebate on this TV until the 19th at Dell Canada


what rebate are you talking about? :eek:

http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/products/compare.aspx/lcd?c=ca&cs=CADHS1&l=en&s=dhs

Thanks for the report on the volume issues!

I noticed last night that the TV will not accept the remote codes for discrete switching of inputs while the volume slider is displayed on the screen. Who wrote the firmware for this thing? These bugs in the UI are terrible! How did the TV get through Q/A testing with these basic issues?

Now, is there anyone out there that CAN change the volume on their W3706 while whatching HDTV and displaying the on screen guide? I just know if I call Dell about this issue they'll just try to send me another TV with the same problem.

I tested today.
Test Parameters
==> All Test were conducted when input selected was HDMI
==> I have Motorola Cable box from Comcast.
==> White label behind my TV says REV A01 Is thisfirmware version?
==> The manufacturing date for my TV is 11/2005.
==> It is Made In China.

Tried these test ...
1) Pressed info button(displays current program information) and increased volume using dell remote: Success, no issues

2) Pressed Guide button(displays Program Guide) and increased volume using dell remote: Success, no issues

2) Clicked on Dell remote to increase volume to display volume slider and while it was "on" clicked on input button to switch input. Success, no issues

Issues I am noticing
1) When connected to HDMI input Close Caption option disappears. To get to close caption option you need to click on dell remote Menu => Setup(submenu botton). Close Caption should be last menu option displayed in box above. When connected to HDMI its not there.

2) When Using Radio Shack or Comcast Remote sometimes(seen it happen 8-10 times in 10 days) when I try to increase or decrease volume TV shuts down. This only happens sometimes and usually in first 2-3 mins after TV is started though it has happened later once. Volume control using dell remote is fine.

3) For TV Close caption does not work when connected to component input - with HDMI the menu option is also gone see 1) above. Actually correct desciption of the issue is that CC cannot be controlled via TV. I can display and shut off CC using Cable box menu. I don't think this is a TV issue more likely cable box is filtering the signal because CC is analog.

4) Finally after watching the TV for 10+ days I think blacks tones/shades is a issue with this TV. With normal setting I have setup I see that I lose some image detail in dark scenes. When I increase brightness the image detail problem is solved but black color appears dark greyish. All this is in comparison to Sony 27 inch tube tv.
Having said that I am still very happy with PQ, I think this is more of an LCD technology issue, rather than this TV issue. I expected this when I bought the TV.

Looking forward to Pats/Broncos game today evening. GoPats!!

2) This might be cable box problem. I have Comcast and am using Motorola HD Box with DVR. I cannot get captions when connected using Component input. When I use RCA or Coaxial or S Video input into TV Close Captions works fine. I do not have HDMI cable so I don't know if that works. Anyone have that issue?
This confused me for an entire day. At first I thought the TV was defective. I was just about to contact Dell Customer Support when I learned (from the Dell Support web site, as I recall) that the 3706MC does NOT perform closed caption decoding and display for signals on its HDMI or component video inputs. This is why you don't see CC displayed for your component input but do when you change the input to RCA/Coaxial/S-Video.

I have the same setup as you with the Comcast Motorola HD DVR. You CAN enable the DVR box to do the CC decoding and overlay, but it kind of looks like crap. The CC character generator just looks lousy when overlayed on the 1080i video signal.

To check it out, use your remote to power down the DVR box, then press the remote's Menu button quickly to display the DVR's service menu. You'll see the closed captioning option on this menu. After enabling it (or making any other changes on the service menu), press the Menu button a second time to dismiss the menu. Turn the DVR box back on, and you'll see the result.

The bummer here is that you can't simply turn CC on and off. You have to visit the service menu as described above each time you toggle.

:(

3) For TV Close caption does not work when connected to component input - with HDMI the menu option is also gone see 1) above. Actually correct desciption of the issue is that CC cannot be controlled via TV. I can display and shut off CC using Cable box menu. I don't think this is a TV issue more likely cable box is filtering the signal because CC is analog.
As mentioned in my reply to another member's post, the Dell 3706MC doesn't support closed caption decoding/overlay on signals received through its HDMI or component video inputs. While I can't speak for the HDMI input, I can say that my previous TV, also a Sony 27" set, had no problem decoding and displaying CC using its component video input.

When you use the cable box to control closed captioning, the cable box is performing the CC decoding and character overlay. As mentioned in my other post, I have the Comcast Motorola HD DVR box and can use it to see CC over the Dell's component video connection. The drawback is that, at least when the DVR box is set for 1080i output, the result is mediocre at best (odd caption placement and occasional horizontal character truncation).

:confused:

Page 43 of owners mentions
Video Display Capabilities
480i
480p
576i
576p
720p
1080i

I noticed 576i and 576p in the list. Does this mean that this TV can display PAL/SECAM signals?

Does anyone see "edge distortion" in their TV's? I see is sometimes when watching cartoons on SD channels.
Example: in the cartoon inclined roof top instead of it being a straight line will seem like a set of short vertical lines. Line gets distorted like below(not an accurate diagram)
Instead of displaying this ___________________
It displays this ___//////_____///___

Note: I have seen this only on SD signal, mostly when watching cartoon or text on regular channel and is not persistant. You will see the distortion and then it will correct. Most likely this might not be a TV problem but distortion by cable box

I'm not sure about the edge distortion, but I have found a few times that when coming out of a PIP mode or when switching form an HD to SD channel that the picture gets slightly "corrupted". Smooth lines will get a bit jaggy, text will have black lines through it. Switching away from that input, then back corrects it. I've only seen it a handful of times. Not too worried about it at this point, but it is some sort of glitch. Not sure if this is what you are seeing or not.

Ok, I will be wll mounting my dell lcd 37", the wall is concrete block, then 1 inch thich wood strips, then drywall. the mount that I got from dell came with lag bolts for wood, but they are about 3" long, the ones for conrete are only 1 1/2" long, so they will not wort either. So I was thining of using Tapcons, will this work or does anyone have a better idea?

I'm not sure about the edge distortion, but I have found a few times that when coming out of a PIP mode or when switching form an HD to SD channel that the picture gets slightly "corrupted". Smooth lines will get a bit jaggy, text will have black lines through it. Switching away from that input, then back corrects it. I've only seen it a handful of times. Not too worried about it at this point, but it is some sort of glitch. Not sure if this is what you are seeing or not.

No. I see edge distortion regularly with SD especially when watching cartoons. It does not happen when watching DVD or HD channel. I see it sometime when SD content broadcast in HD like today when I was watching an old "Law an Order" episode on TNT HD.

I tried taking pictures to explain the issue, but the pictures were not so good. Let me try explaining the issue again
Issue:
When watching SD .. specially cartoon on SD .. I see the some edges distorted. For e.g. lets say the cartoon displays a cloud on a sky. If you go close to TV (2 - 3 feet) you see "dancing" lines around the cloud edges similar to spikes in cardiogram or hospital equipment. You will see them appear momentarily at one place then disappear and line will be straight and then they will appear at other edge of the cloud. When that is happening you will see distortion around the edges similar to what can be best described as a slide of bacteria under the microscope.

The issue is not as bad it sounds above, but after seeing smooth picture with a 27 inch sony tube tv for so many years, its a little annoying.

cnewsgrp, i see the same thing. I noticed it once on a DVD also, Kingdom of Heaven when switching between progressive and non-progressive output on my ES30V dvd recorder (the scene where Liam Neeson first meets Orlando Bloom in his blacksmith shop, as he dismounts and moves to place his sword beside a column). I was watching South Park last night and also noticed it again but this time it was very prominent in this particular scene. Went away when the scene changed. So far it has only been evident on cartoons and this one DVD so im not too bothered at the moment but would be interested if some kind of "fix" is found.

cnewsgrp, i see the same thing. I noticed it once on a DVD also, Kingdom of Heaven when switching between progressive and non-progressive output on my ES30V dvd recorder (the scene where Liam Neeson first meets Orlando Bloom in his blacksmith shop, as he dismounts and moves to place his sword beside a column). I was watching South Park last night and also noticed it again but this time it was very prominent in this particular scene. Went away when the scene changed. So far it has only been evident on cartoons and this one DVD so im not too bothered at the moment but would be interested if some kind of "fix" is found.

Anyone else seeing this? Its not annoying, if you don't look up close(1-2 feet) you will probably not see it.
I just want to be sure its not a TV defect. I feel that most likely its caused by signal compression by cable company because it looks ok for "good" DVD's and HD.

I called dell today morning about it and he offered to send a new TV. If the above issue is normal, my TV is fine I don't want to end up with refurbished unit.

I'm not exactly sure what you all mean by edge distortion, but my TV has terrible comb artifacts when watching SD content. It is especially bad when watching my DirecTV receiver via the S-video input. The comb artifacts are a distortion that results from the TV internally converting SD interlaced content to progressive so it can be displayed on the LCD. Some TV's are better at this then others. My feeling is that the W3706 does a rather poor job. The comb artifacts seem to much less pronounced when watching SD material through my Panasonic DVD recorder. It performs the interlace to progressive converstion and sends the converted progressive content to the TV via the component input.

I'm not exactly sure what you all mean by edge distortion, but my TV has terrible comb artifacts when watching SD content. It is especially bad when watching my DirecTV receiver via the S-video input. The comb artifacts are a distortion that results from the TV internally converting SD interlaced content to progressive so it can be displayed on the LCD. Some TV's are better at this then others. My feeling is that the W3706 does a rather poor job. The comb artifacts seem to much less pronounced when watching SD material through my Panasonic DVD recorder. It performs the interlace to progressive converstion and sends the converted progressive content to the TV via the component input.

I tried to look up the explanation of comb artifacts using google, got thousands of hits but could not find any one with a picture to confirm that I am having same issue. But you description and name comb artifacts seems to match my problem.

However the problem cannot be caused by TV because I have set 4:3 override in my cable box to 480p, so it outputs 480p to the TV.

Cnews - you said "I have set 4:3 override in my cable box to 480p, so it outputs 480p to the TV. " are you running through HDMI or component? Also, do you find it annoying to have to constantly switch manually the aspect mode of the TV when you change from HD cahannel to SD channel and vice versa? Additionally, when on an SD channel through HDMI or component (using 4:3 ovveride 480p, does the "Wide" aspect do a smart/non-linear stretch or does it just stretch the same as full and standard (making faces look fat). Thanks.

Cnews - you said "I have set 4:3 override in my cable box to 480p, so it outputs 480p to the TV. " are you running through HDMI or component? Also, do you find it annoying to have to constantly switch manually the aspect mode of the TV when you change from HD cahannel to SD channel and vice versa? Additionally, when on an SD channel through HDMI or component (using 4:3 ovveride 480p, does the "Wide" aspect do a smart/non-linear stretch or does it just stretch the same as full and standard (making faces look fat). Thanks.

I am running through HDMI.
With 4:3 override set to 480p(current setting)
1) My TV is set to "Standard", All SD appears stretched, but SD content on HD channels(800+) appears normal with black or silver bars.
2) I do not have to constantly switch the aspect since it is already stretched when 4:3 override is set to 480p.
3) When I switch to HD channel, if the HD channel is displaing widescreen content there are no bars, if it is displaying 4:3 content the TV displays grey or black bars depending on channel.

I have also tried setting 4:3 override to "off" .. with that these are my observations
I prefer to set aspect mode to Standard
1) With that for all SD, I see black bars
2) With all HD it is same as above.. When I switch to HD channel, if the HD channel is displaing widescreen content there are no bars, if it is displaying 4:3 content the TV displays grey or black bars depending on channel.
Hope this helps

I've got the Dell 32" W3201C and I got rid of that problem by selecting "Auto Letterbox" on the Cable Box. It should work the same with the 3706.

I tried to look up the explanation of comb artifacts using google, got thousands of hits but could not find any one with a picture to confirm that I am having same issue. But you description and name comb artifacts seems to match my problem.

However the problem cannot be caused by TV because I have set 4:3 override in my cable box to 480p, so it outputs 480p to the TV.

Towards the bottom of this (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_7_4/dvd-benchmark-part-5-progressive-10-2000.html) article you'll find a nice description of combing and other common unpleasantnesses.

Steve.

cnews - thanks for the detailed info. Yes mine seems to behave the same as yours. The only difference is that I can't standf to watch the SD channels with the TV in "Standard" aspect mode because it stretches everything too much. I just end up manually changing the TV to 4:3 aspect for SD channels. I would like to use "wide" for SD channels but that mode does not work on HDMI or component (only composite, RF, maybe s-video). HD channels I watch at "standard of course.

I like this TV , but it just has a lot of small quirky behaviours that the major TV brands have long ago figured out.

Towards the bottom of this (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_7_4/dvd-benchmark-part-5-progressive-10-2000.html) article you'll find a nice description of combing and other common unpleasantnesses.

Steve.

Thanks Steve. That web page had lot of information.

The problem I see on my TV is not combing - though I have seen it once on my tv three days ago in one channel(TNTHD). I assume it might be a comcast issue at that time.

The problem - if I can call it that - is much less severe is that I see combing like artifacts around edges in cartoons in SD sometimes. I am sure that is due to low signal strength or compression by Comcast.

Can current owners post their TV information .. will help to compare
Here is my TV info
Firmware Version ==> White label behind my TV says REV A01 Is this firmware version?
Manufacturing date ==> 11/2005.
Manufacturing country ==> Made In China.

Try any of the European Dell websites and do a search for TV they have ALL BEEN PULLED AND ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE, they have some projecters but NO LCD TV's

Have they FINALLY realised, Huston we have a problem, >?

............................... So are we all now paddling up Shhhhht creek without the paddle this side of the pond?

The word Recall seems appropriate

The plate behind my Dell W3201C states that the TV is made in Kun-Shan, China. A Google search pointed to a company called Skyworth as having a LCD panel plant there. They probably make the panels for the 32" and the 37".

The plate behind my Dell W3201C states that the TV is made in Kun-Shan, China. A Google search pointed to a company called Skyworth as having a LCD panel plant there. They probably make the panels for the 32" and the 37".

I re-checked. It only says Made in China does not mention where

I've had this tv for awhile now and I still love it. I have not noticed any problems out of the ordinary for a lcd tv. I'm very satisfied with the black levels after some tweaking. I haven't noticed any kind of stairstepping or other artifacts not caused by compression/transmission.

Like i've stated before I mainly use my pc connected via dvi>hdmi, I also have a ExpressVu HD connected via component. Most SD looks very good and all the HD content looks awesome!

DVD's played back through my PC look fantastic as well..

I have found no dead pixels or any other defects.

Ethos

This is interesting as I ordered my TV on the 18th January from the UK site and also noticed that they have since disapeared off the site. Furthermore Dell can't confirm a delivery date as they are currently out of stock in the warehouse. Either they have major supply chain issues or they have re-called all units not already shipped. Anyone else waiting on delivery??

Yesterday I went to the local TV shop and they had an XBR on PBS-HD. Went back home and the same program was still playing and the same views (interviews with different peoples at different locations were still going on). While the XBR was certainly better, The Dell is not bad either, it does not justify payint double the price (at least in Canada) to get the XBR.

I was just about to order a 37 " on the Irish site ( 2400 EURO ) when the T.Vs were all pulled "This page does no longer exist " is what DELL stated ?
Does anybody know the thinking behind this policy??

I checked dell.ca and it's still listed there...

http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/lcd_w3706mc?c=ca&cs=CADHS1&l=en&s=dhs

it's also still on the dell.com

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/3X_lcd37?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

Ethos

Just got my Dell W3706MC, which is replacing a 30" Panasonic CRT HDTV. I'm also setting up an HTPC, and am going through my first experiences with 1:1 pixel mapping.

HTPC is using an AMD Athlon 64 3200+ with a Radeon X800 video card. The video card primary output (DVI) is connected to the Dell with a 16' DVI-D single link to HDMI cable, the secondary video card (VGA) output goes to a 17" Viewsonic VE710b (1280 x 1024 resolution).

This is my first experience using Powerstrip... I've managed to get *nearly* 1:1 pixel mapping with a 1368 x 768 resolution using the following timings: 1368x768=1368,88,128,192,768,3,5,22,84750,274

However, the image isn't "stable." It will only occasionally show up with proper sizing, usually it shows up alot of overscan, and occasionally I'll only get a blank screen. Oddly enough, changing the resolution on the secondary 17" monitor to 800x600 and then back to 1280x1024 will normally "kick" the Dell into proper resolution settings...

What gives here... can someone with more extensive Powerstrip experience provide any clues?

- HJ

Hungry J0e, I dont have any experience with powerstrip. I just run at 1360x768 with the ati drivers doing 1:1 and centering the image. dvi-hdmi

using vga the max resolution I could get was 1280x768..

Ethos

what sound input do you guys use to connect the htpc to the dell tv when u use hdmi?

Ethos -

2nd attempt at a reply here... hope I'm not spamming the board...

Installed the drivers from ATI that just came out and tried the 1360x768 setting based on your recommendation. Not sure what you mean by having the driver do 1:1 and then centering the image... using HDMI inputs my television automatically decides where to center the image and stretches to fit... So I'm almost but not quite pixel perfect.

Got a stable image, but when I went to 32-bit color it would again overscan. By using the "info" button on the remote I was able to see the LCD thought it was getting a 62 Hz source. Using Powerstrip I brought the refresh rate to just under 60Hz (59.965) and the LCD restored the correct image.

Incidentally the best deal I could find on the 16' DVI-HDMI cable was a Tripp-Lite cable through Amazon... significantly cheaper than anything else I found and I'd recommend anyone else looking for a cable to compare that price... the cable is of good build and seems to work fine.

- HJ

Swordman -

There are left/right audio inputs that correspond to the HDMI sources (presumably there for when you do DVI inputs like we are...). I haven't done it yet, but you'll need a mini-plug to RCA cord with a left/right audio splitter... I can only assume that would work.

- HJ

Installed the drivers from ATI that just came out and tried the 1360x768 setting based on your recommendation. Not sure what you mean by having the driver do 1:1 and then centering the image... using HDMI inputs my television automatically decides where to center the image and stretches to fit... So I'm almost but not quite pixel perfect.


The documented resolution for the TV is actually 1366x768, rather than 1360 or 1368. Don't know if this will make a difference...

Steve.

Hungry Joe, Swordman - I believe I read elsewhere that for computer use through the HDMI port you must use the single green mini-stereo jack (next to the VGA port) for audio. Logic would say to use the corresponding HDMI audio L/R inputs, but apparently computer audio, whether the video goes through HDMI or VGA, must go through the single mini-jack. Give that a try if the L/R inputs don't work.

On the W3201C I have my PC DVI to HDMI and the audio is going via the PC Audio plug next to the VGA D ring. I tried the RCA plugs next to the HDMI on the TV but they didn't work.

The documented resolution for the TV is actually 1366x768, rather than 1360 or 1368. Don't know if this will make a difference...

Steve.
Yeah, most flat pannels like this are 768x1366. Typically people use the 1:1 mapping, and go for 768x1360 (3 lines of pixels not used on each side) for best results.

Yeah, most flat pannels like this are 768x1366. Typically people use the 1:1 mapping, and go for 768x1360 (3 lines of pixels not used on each side) for best results.

Not sure I understand. Can you explain why 1360 would produce the best results? Thanks.

Steve.

Video Cards like to have the horizontal geometry divisible by 8 (something to do with the original Motorola monitor...), so you're limited to either 1360 or 1368... I guess there are a few cards out there that will do 1366, mine's not one of them...

Drizzt... any idea how to get the monitor to accept the 1360x768 HDMI input and not rescale it? I don't see any settings for that. VGA input has a 1:1 setting... but that involves me buying alot of adapters and spending more $$$.

Finally... I went out this afternoon and bought a stereo miniplug to RCA adapter and plugged that into the HDMI audio inputs. Works like champ, I get my computer audio. Ran a couple DVD's using WinDVD and the sound and picture are good (eventually I'll be running digital audio to my home theater system, but I just moved to a different city and my stuff is still in shipment...).

- HJ

I was just about to order a 37 " on the Irish site ( 2400 EURO ) when the T.Vs were all pulled "This page does no longer exist " is what DELL stated ?
Does anybody know the thinking behind this policy??


They told me it was due to a shortage of them worldwide on the phone but to be honest i got the feeling the rep didn't know..

the reason 1360 would produce the best results, is because it's 1:1 pixel mapping. When each pixel is displayed exactly where it is supposed to be on the screen, there is no zooming, stretching, rescaling or any video alteration.
now, if you can get 1366 to 1:1 pixel map, then that's good. but most seem to not do that.

As for making the monitor do 1:1 over HDMI, I'm not sure. Depending on the display, the 1:1 is only available on some sources, or is a menu option. Typically I hear people using 1:1 on dvi or vga. It might say in the manual which inputs support 1:1 pixel mapping, and how to turn it on/off.

guys have you tried getting a higher resolution then 1360x768? I am able to get 1776x1000@30hz on my 37 Vizio from Costco, but thinking of changing it to Dell because I like the looks better and there are no popping sounds

Well, I'm thinking of buying this LCD. Has anyone returned their's or had any major problems? I only want to use it for HDTV, movies and to play my PS2. What do you guys think? Good buy or not?

Mainly on the UK side of things yes, the US seem to be better see

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board?board.id=dce_W1700LCD

Thanks for the link!

Klas -

There's no point in going to a resolution higher than 1368x768... the LCD can't display a better resolution than it does pixels... it sounds like you're dropping your refresh rate down pretty low...

- HJ

Using this tv I have found that when using the vga connector with my computer the max resolution I could get (ati radeon 9000 pro) was 1280x768 and in the tv menu it has a 1:1 option for vga. The tv was reported by the ati drivers as unknown.

When I switched to dvi>hdmi I found that my vid card would then allow 1360x768 and the option for 1:1 was gone in the tv menu. I later found the 1:1 option in the ati video card drivers themselves (wasn't there before). I also noticed that the ati video card drivers also recognized the tv as a w3706mc digital flat panel.

I'd like to try using powerstrip to get the actual 1366x768.

Ethos

Ethos -

That's interesting about the ATI display recognition, mine did not recognize the display, only showing a generic monitor. What OS are you running, Windows XP or Linux? Where exactly does it give you the option for 1:1 pixel mapping?

If you try Powerstrip, here's a thread discussing settings for 1366x768 monitors:
http://www.entechtaiwan.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2578
although be advised it is my understanding only a few NVidia cards can support horizontal geometries not divisible by 8. As you've got a stable display to start, I also recommend the first time you go to custom timings, copying the settings to clipboard and saving those to a text file. It's very easy to screw it up and not be able to get back to where you started...

Unfortunately my HTPC hard drive corrupted itself while I was trying to enable Cool n' Quiet... *sigh* my fault for using RAID 0 I guess... once I get the system up and running again (with RAID 1 this time!) I'm going to try and get the 1:1 option.

- HJ

I found the 1:1 option using dvi in display properties/settings/advanced/displays tab/FPD/attributes. "scale image to panel size" on=stretched, off=1:1

I'm running XP SP2.

Thanks for the link.

Ethos

Got Windows reinstalled... nothing like a fresh install to make things move quicker...

Installing the Radeon drivers with the W3706MC hooked up as the original monitor provided no problems... no need for me to tweak using Powerstrip this time... (or at least not yet...)

Ethos -

I do not get those options when I go to my display menu... When you open your device driver and look under monitors, does it show "W3706MC"? Mine just gives me "Plug and Play Monitor"... I wonder if it's possible for you to post the W3706MC driver that Windows is using...

- HJ

Hi Dane,

I ended up buying a Toshiba DLP RPT set a couple of months ago. I do like it, except for the fact that there is a fan that runs constantly, even when the set it turned off.

Keep me informed, too, as to what you do about the Dell.

Good luck,

Ron

Hungry J0e I'm using Catalyst 5.6 because I found some issues with the later drivers. I found with the later drivers that if I switched inputs to say my dvd player or sat receiver and switch back I'd get a black screen on hdmi, at first I thought it was the tv, but it turned out to be the drivers. With the drivers I'm using, it doesn't have the control center program.

I looked in devices/monitors and it just shows 'plug and play monitor' there. The only place I see that it shows w3706mc is in the 'display properties/settings/advanced/displays/fpd'

I wouldn't know how to find the driver you mentioned...

Ethos

I usually don't install Catalyst, but I went ahead and did it to see if that gave me any options...

Catalyst does correctly identify the monitor, but I did not have a specific 1:1 option... I did have a "centering" option that prevents Catalyst from stretching the image to match the monitor, however the display was the same regardless of whether it was checked or not...

Looks like I might end up going down the VGA cable road...

- HJ

Let me know if you have any success at getting 1360x768 or 1366x768 using vga. When I first tried, the resolution slider would only go as high as 1280x768 and using the tv's vga 1:1 option, I would lose about an inch on each side... I could never get it to go any higher until I switched to dvi...

Ethos

I'll definitely let you know...

Installed WinDVD and I wasn't completely satisfied with the playback. The image quality was good, better than my progressive scan DVD player, but a little "choppy." Reading up a little on the forum's about NTSC refresh rates being at 59.94 Hz, I used Powerstrip to change the refresh rate to 59.940 Hz... playback was visibly smoother...

I'm sure that's a noob insight that veteran forum posters already know, but seeing as how a lot of us on this thread seem pretty new to this, thought I'd let everyone know my experience.

- HJ

Hello all

I need some help!!!

I just picked up my Dell 37" TV last night. Here are my issues
1) TV (cable)quality is horrible. I hooked up the TV through RCA, S-Video, and Coaxial connections. RCA and S-Video picture is good, but I can see pixels in the screen (almost like enlarging an avi movie on your computer to full screen and the pixels turn blocky). This can be seen throughout the areas of the screen, not all over. Coaxial was just white static, I had it running from my DVR to the Digital Coaxial input.
2) Color - The Xbox 360 is AWESOME but where do I adjust the color. Tiger Woods was putting on RED fairways?
3) HD hookup - I am hoping this is the problem for the incoming cable. Right now I have the Digital DVR from WOW, this DVR does not have any HD connections. If I call WOW and get the HD DVR will that solve my problem with the pixels on the cable channels?
4) Cabling - right now my living room is a mess I have cables everywhere. It sounds like I have to buy HD cables so what do you recommend? I bought the BEST BUY brand for composite for my DVD player last year and those are awesome.
5) What is the p in the numbers 1080p or 780p. Is that for the monitor or TV
6) My laptop only has the S-video out and when I hooked up last night, the TV found the S-video input but nothing happened. I even lowered the resolution on the laptop but still nothing.

Any feedback or links to crash courses in HD would be VERY APPRECIATED

Thanks,
Adam

Hello all

I need some help!!!

I just picked up my Dell 37" TV last night. Here are my issues
1) TV (cable)quality is horrible. I hooked up the TV through RCA, S-Video, and Coaxial connections. RCA and S-Video picture is good, but I can see pixels in the screen (almost like enlarging an avi movie on your computer to full screen and the pixels turn blocky). This can be seen throughout the areas of the screen, not all over. Coaxial was just white static, I had it running from my DVR to the Digital Coaxial input.
2) Color - The Xbox 360 is AWESOME but where do I adjust the color. Tiger Woods was putting on RED fairways?
3) HD hookup - I am hoping this is the problem for the incoming cable. Right now I have the Digital DVR from WOW, this DVR does not have any HD connections. If I call WOW and get the HD DVR will that solve my problem with the pixels on the cable channels?
4) Cabling - right now my living room is a mess I have cables everywhere. It sounds like I have to buy HD cables so what do you recommend? I bought the BEST BUY brand for composite for my DVD player last year and those are awesome.
5) What is the p in the numbers 1080p or 780p. Is that for the monitor or TV
6) My laptop only has the S-video out and when I hooked up last night, the TV found the S-video input but nothing happened. I even lowered the resolution on the laptop but still nothing.

Any feedback or links to crash courses in HD would be VERY APPRECIATED

Thanks,
Adam


1) 2) 3) Does not sound too good. How was the signal before this TV? With my TV HD is very good and SD regular channels are ok, but I have never seen pixels. Did you try connecting your DVD player? If that looks ok then the problem might be with cable signal.

5) p=progressive scan. Just google it, there should be info on the web that will explain better than I can.

6) Have not tried that yet with this TV. But did you select this TV as display device in your laptop? I think you need to right click on the desktop and go to display properties

1) The signal was/is very good. My other TV is only 1 year old a 32" Sony Wega (not HD). The DVDs are really good, maybe some minor tweaking on the color (same for the Xbox)

Again I still need to call my cable company - WOW, and ask about the HD connection. I hope that fixes it.

6) I dont think the Dell will accept pc inputs from the S-Video input, only VGA or HDMI via DVI adapter. Is it a TV-out or monitor output on your laptop?

I believe it is a TV out - because I also have the normal monitor output on the other side. I havent had the laptop for long either :(

the s-vid won't look too good, since it only goes as high as SDTV, but as cnewsgrp said. it's probably a setting, and your s-vid out on your laptop isn't active.

I noticed a problem with my NTSC TV Tuner. When I do a channel search, Channels 5(ABC) and 6(NECN) do not appear. After Channel 4 it directly skips to channel 7 after autotune. I was able to tune to those channels by using "fine tuning" option in the setup menu.

But the problem is that even after fine tuning the channels, I cannot get to them by clicking channel up and down arrows. After Channel 4 it simply jumps to Channel 7 and reverse. To see channel 5 and 6 I have to select them by number.

Anyone have the same problem?

I'll definitely let you know...

Installed WinDVD and I wasn't completely satisfied with the playback. The image quality was good, better than my progressive scan DVD player, but a little "choppy." Reading up a little on the forum's about NTSC refresh rates being at 59.94 Hz, I used Powerstrip to change the refresh rate to 59.940 Hz... playback was visibly smoother...

I'm sure that's a noob insight that veteran forum posters already know, but seeing as how a lot of us on this thread seem pretty new to this, thought I'd let everyone know my experience.

- HJ

Hungry J0e,

I am having the exact same problem on a Dell W2306c I just got on Tuesday and was using the DVI cable from my PC. Video was jittery on the DVI cable but smooth using the VGA cable.

Did adding the trailing zero really make the difference? I just want to be sure that the change to make is 59.940 from 59.94. Is there anything else I need to know about using powerstrip? I've never used it before.

I was on the phone to Dell for most of yesterday morning and they are actually shipping a new TV to me. I'd like to get this one working if the powerstrip change is all I need to make. I haven

Thanks

JG757

Did adding the trailing zero really make the difference? I just want to be sure that the change to make is 59.940 from 59.94. Is there anything else I need to know about using powerstrip? I've never used it before.
JG757

I think he's saying that he changed it from whatever it was previously to 59.940. But he doesn't mention the previous value - which might have been a default like 60.

Steve.