I'm very torn on buying the HLT6187S from Samsung. Picture looked great at Best Buy. My brother seems to love his Samsung.

I was debating between the HLT6187S, Sony - 60" SXRD HDTV and a Mitshubishi WD65734. While I didn't see that exact Mitshu next to the Samsung, (I did see another Mitshu next to it and it looked dull) the picture at Best Buy was amazing.

I'm big into Sports, slightly play an hour or 2 of video games a week, and watch some sitcoms at night.

If you were in my shoes, what one would you grab? I'm really looking for the best picture and what won't cost me a lot of maintence down the line.

I did like the Sony and the Samsung, but I'm struggling to make up my mind. Is there any other TV's I should be considering?

I want a 61-65 and would like to keep the price down around 2200.

Thanks in advance.

I don't own any of those yet as I'm in the same boat as you. However, I am leaning heavily toward the Samsung as just like you I saw it in the store and was blown away. They had a football game playing in HD and the grass on the Samsung looked so much more vibrant then the Sony sitting next to it.

Take note that the HD programs are only broadcasting in 1080i. The only true 1080P content would be the Blu-Ray player demo setup.

So you can almost expect it to be that much better once you get your tv home.

The 4 extra inches make a difference. Go with the bigger set.

I have the Mitsu 65833. Amazing picture. And I understand the 65734 is nearly as good. Having a 65" set, I wouldn't go with anything smaller in the future. Size matters. My next set will probably be over 70".

The 4 extra inches make a difference. Go with the bigger set.

I have the Mitsu 65833. Amazing picture. And I understand the 65734 is nearly as good. Having a 65" set, I wouldn't go with anything smaller in the future. Size matters. My next set will probably be over 70".

I completely agree with you, but my living room really isn't all that big right now. I really want a flawless picture, and I think the Samsung has that.

It just seemed side-by-side, the Samsung was better than just about anything else. I wish they had a 65-inch LEP, and that would solve all my problems.

Is there any other TV I should be looking at?

I don't own any of those yet as I'm in the same boat as you. However, I am leaning heavily toward the Samsung as just like you I saw it in the store and was blown away. They had a football game playing in HD and the grass on the Samsung looked so much more vibrant then the Sony sitting next to it.I went to my local Sears and noticed the exact opposite. The Sony KDS-60A3000 was more vibrant and sharper than the Samsung HL-T6187S beside it. I've narrowed my search down to the Mitsubishi WD-65734, Sony KDS-60A3000, and Samsung HL-S6187W.

I went to my local Sears and noticed the exact opposite. The Sony KDS-60A3000 was more vibrant and sharper than the Samsung HL-T6187S beside it. I've narrowed my search down to the Mitsubishi WD-65734, Sony KDS-60A3000, and Samsung HL-S6187W.

Which one are you learning toward?

I did like the Sony, too.

I'll also have to look into this other Samsung.

I had the exact same debate. A buddy of mine and myself sat at BB one day for about 2 hours trying to decide between the two. I ended up going with the Sammy for two reasons. 1. I personally thought the picture looked better (as did my friend). 2. I liked the style of the Sammy vs the Mitsu. The actual body of the Sammy is really sleek looking and the Mitsu, well it looks like my old 25" TV we have had for about 10 years now. In fact, i just purchased the Sammy from CC and i pick it up today after work. :D

I had the exact same debate. A buddy of mine and myself sat at BB one day for about 2 hours trying to decide between the two. I ended up going with the Sammy for two reasons. 1. I personally thought the picture looked better (as did my friend). 2. I liked the style of the Sammy vs the Mitsu. The actual body of the Sammy is really sleek looking and the Mitsu, well it looks like my old 25" TV we have had for about 10 years now. In fact, i just purchased the Sammy from CC and i pick it up today after work. :D

Please let me know how you like it.

What stand are you guys who have the Samsung getting?

I'm really leaning toward the Sammy, but have until Monday to decide.

We have yet to get a stand. We plan on going to a few furniture stores tomorrow morning. We have our eye on a stand that BB carries ($300) but want to look around a bit more.

I'd ideally like to get a stand with a cabinet. Best Buy had a dark stand, but it didn't match the glossy look of the Sammy.

This is the one were thinking of getting so far although we really want an enclosed type stand vs an open air one.


http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8181674&st=51102&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1164153526243

A month back, I picked up a HLT6187S, DirectTV and a Oppo 980H. I am blown away with the picture the Samsung produces.

I'm sure you have read the dedicated threads on the Samsung, Sony and Mitsu. While I find that these threads provide valuable information just bear in mind that they reflect a very small portion of the total buying population. In the HLT6187S thread issues of halo, even rainbow have been raised yet I don't have either. I did find that green seemed a little pushed but in that thread was a suggested set-up which I adopted and gave me what I consider the perfect picture balance.

To me the greatest negative about the HLT6187S is the lack of optical out when using HDMI. While the solution of wiring audio direct from the components seems the easy fix, doing so I get some lip-sync.

Today there are many avenues to purchase any of these sets w/ a return policy. I kept the box for "just in case" but by the 3rd week - no issues appeared and I chucked the box.

Would I buy it again, in a heart beat :D. To be fair, I did not consider the Mitsu do to size but i did consider the 60" Sony and felt the HLT6187S produced a better picture.

i work at Mits Electric and we have 3 dlp's, not sure the model numbers. we also, have a few guys from here who owns them as well. all 3, in separate cafeterias, as well as one of my buddy's 71" set, the bulbs went out on them 9-11 months within purchasing them. they do have great pictures, hooked up to Directv HD, but i don't think they are reliable.
Sony vs. Sammy it's a toss up. I'm leaning toward the Sammy LED, because of the long life of the bulb.
As far as the HDMI issue mentioned in the previous post, you are going to get that no matter who you go with.

I think I've switched gears to the Sony 60" SXRD Rear Projection HDTV. Any opinions on this one?

A month back, I picked up a HLT6187S, DirectTV and a Oppo 980H. I am blown away with the picture the Samsung produces.

I'm sure you have read the dedicated threads on the Samsung, Sony and Mitsu. While I find that these threads provide valuable information just bear in mind that they reflect a very small portion of the total buying population. In the HLT6187S thread issues of halo, even rainbow have been raised yet I don't have either. I did find that green seemed a little pushed but in that thread was a suggested set-up which I adopted and gave me what I consider the perfect picture balance.

To me the greatest negative about the HLT6187S is the lack of optical out when using HDMI. While the solution of wiring audio direct from the components seems the easy fix, doing so I get some lip-sync.

Today there are many avenues to purchase any of these sets w/ a return policy. I kept the box for "just in case" but by the 3rd week - no issues appeared and I chucked the box.

Would I buy it again, in a heart beat :D. To be fair, I did not consider the Mitsu do to size but i did consider the 60" Sony and felt the HLT6187S produced a better picture.

Thanks for the input.

I'm going to go to a local CC today and hopefully see both side by side and then make up my mind.

I had a Sony big screen and never had a single issue with it.

I'm leaning toward Sony, but I'm not 100% sure yet.

I made a final decision. Purchased the Sammy 87S 61'' LEP from *******.

I'm getting this stand with it. It's made for a 50, but it should only hang over 2 inches on both sides.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8212329&type=product&id=1166235821538&ref=06&loc=01&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=8212329

Hopefully it's here in 2 weeks.

i work at Mits Electric and we have 3 dlp's, not sure the model numbers. we also, have a few guys from here who owns them as well. all 3, in separate cafeterias, as well as one of my buddy's 71" set, the bulbs went out on them 9-11 months within purchasing them. they do have great pictures, hooked up to Directv HD, but i don't think they are reliable.
Sony vs. Sammy it's a toss up. I'm leaning toward the Sammy LED, because of the long life of the bulb.
As far as the HDMI issue mentioned in the previous post, you are going to get that no matter who you go with.

That's pretty distressing to hear about the bulbs. Is this the standard life for them?

Thanks for the input.

I'm going to go to a local CC today and hopefully see both side by side and then make up my mind.

I had a Sony big screen and never had a single issue with it.

I'm leaning toward Sony, but I'm not 100% sure yet.

I had an 53 XBR rear projection for 14 Years!! Sucker just wouldn't die so wife wouldn't let me upgrade. Well it died last month and I pretty much went out to buy another Sony - and came home w/ the Samsung HLT6187s. My eyes found the picture quality superior. I was fortunate to find a local store that had the sony and the samsung next to one another playing the same source. I pulled up chair and watched both sets for an hour. :D

I feel much better about my decision to go with the Samsung over the Sony.

Now the real question is, if the stand is only built for 50, and the 61'' Sammy is 54.7 inches wide, will the 2.3 inches of overhang make the setup look bad?

I really like this stand, but am torn.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8212329&type=product&id=1166235821538&ref=06&loc=01&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=8212329

I had an 53 XBR rear projection for 14 Years!! Sucker just wouldn't die so wife wouldn't let me upgrade. Well it died last month and I pretty much went out to buy another Sony - and came home w/ the Samsung HLT6187s. My eyes found the picture quality superior. I was fortunate to find a local store that had the sony and the samsung next to one another playing the same source. I pulled up chair and watched both sets for an hour. :D

Even playing the same source, the picture you are watching may be deceiving. I went to Fry's today after taking my son to a movie and I watched the HLT6187s and the A3000 right next to each other for about 15-20 minutes, from the same source. I am a little biased to Sony as all I have bought in the past are Sony's and this is my first foray into an HDTV. However, after leaving Fry's, I walked away thinking the Sammy had a more pleasing picture to me, just more pop or WOW factor, it was sharper.

However, I decided to go to HHGregg and do a little looking there. Funny enough, at Gregg's, the Sony Picture absolutely blew the Sammy away. Both were playing the Michigan/OSU game. In fact, I looked at every HD set Gregg had in the store and IMO that set had the best picture of any of them.

I, too am on the fence here. My bias is towards the Sony A3000. However, I think the Sammy picture is just as good. Do I think it's better, probably not. I have ruled out the MITS, so it's down to the Sony A3000 and the Sammy HLT6187s.

I do have a question, if anyone can verify this. The sales rep at HHGregg stated that Samsung made the panels for the Sony's....is this true? I hate HHGregg and their hawking sales tactics, if anyone has ever been to HHGregg, they know what I'm talking about.

Also, another question, the one advantage I can see for the Sammy is the bulb life. Can anyone give me another concrete advantage for the Sammy over the Sony that doesn't have to do with PQ as I feel that is personal choice.

I feel much better about my decision to go with the Samsung over the Sony.

Now the real question is, if the stand is only built for 50, and the 61'' Sammy is 54.7 inches wide, will the 2.3 inches of overhang make the setup look bad?

I really like this stand, but am torn.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8212329&type=product&id=1166235821538&ref=06&loc=01&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=8212329

go to walmart there a black stand there it kick ass for $98.00. it look like it a $300.00 stand it very nice. when i get my 5089s i will be picking one up.:)

Even playing the same source, the picture you are watching may be deceiving. I went to Fry's today after taking my son to a movie and I watched the HLT6187s and the A3000 right next to each other for about 15-20 minutes, from the same source. I am a little biased to Sony as all I have bought in the past are Sony's and this is my first foray into an HDTV. However, after leaving Fry's, I walked away thinking the Sammy had a more pleasing picture to me, just more pop or WOW factor, it was sharper.

However, I decided to go to HHGregg and do a little looking there. Funny enough, at Gregg's, the Sony Picture absolutely blew the Sammy away. Both were playing the Michigan/OSU game. In fact, I looked at every HD set Gregg had in the store and IMO that set had the best picture of any of them.

I, too am on the fence here. My bias is towards the Sony A3000. However, I think the Sammy picture is just as good. Do I think it's better, probably not. I have ruled out the MITS, so it's down to the Sony A3000 and the Sammy HLT6187s.

I do have a question, if anyone can verify this. The sales rep at HHGregg stated that Samsung made the panels for the Sony's....is this true? I hate HHGregg and their hawking sales tactics, if anyone has ever been to HHGregg, they know what I'm talking about.

Also, another question, the one advantage I can see for the Sammy is the bulb life. Can anyone give me another concrete advantage for the Sammy over the Sony that doesn't have to do with PQ as I feel that is personal choice.The sale rep 100% right about the panels samsung and sony build there tv
in same plant i read that on Engadet.

The sale rep 100% right about the panels samsung and sony build there tv
in same plant i read that on Engadet.

please post the link because I'm 100% sure that is not correct when talking about the RPTVs...
Samsung uses DLP -- Texas Instruments developed & owned tech
Sony uses LCoS -- JVC developed & owned tech


I'm curious as to why ppl chose the Sammy over the Sony. I watched then side-by-side for a long time on an HD feed in BB and the Sony was definitely, cleaner, more detailed, and more accurate on color. The Sammy was over saturated and softer. Still nice, but not better IMO... and this is coming from a guy who despises Sony! But I'm likely going to buy one... with a warranty to cover yearly cleaning and bulbs ;)

Some Sony LCD flat panel sets use panels made by Samsung, the rptvs are completely separate.

Don't you people get it??...a guy goes to one store and the Sammy looks better...he goes to another store and the Sony looks better...ITS HOW ITS SET UP!...if a store wants to sell a particular model then they have their "guy" set it up to look great and the others are left as is...don't you see how you are being manipulated??

Don't you people get it??...a guy goes to one store and the Sammy looks better...he goes to another store and the Sony looks better...ITS HOW ITS SET UP!...if a store wants to sell a particular model then they have their "guy" set it up to look great and the others are left as is...don't you see how you are being manipulated??

Yep, that was my point, exactly. I think the PQ on these sets are about equal, although I'd give a slight edge (almost insignificgant) to the Sony from what I've read in the forums here and what I saw with my own eyes.

That is why I asked what are the other non-PQ advantages or disadvantages of these sets as the only one I could really point to is the bulb life of the Sammy. I do like the nav menu of the Sony's over the Sammy myself.

And, I don't know if it's true manipulation. I doubt they are always setting the sets up to blatantly sell one over the other, altough they might in certain situations. It could also be just be some other customer came in and dialed one set in one way, the other another and then left it that way. Very easy to do at a place like Fry's.

Don't you people get it??...a guy goes to one store and the Sammy looks better...he goes to another store and the Sony looks better...ITS HOW ITS SET UP!...if a store wants to sell a particular model then they have their "guy" set it up to look great and the others are left as is...don't you see how you are being manipulated??

This is true ONLY if you are ignorant, lazy, or stupid AND don't ask for the remotes so you have change the settings to attempt to tweak/balance/correct the contrast, brightness, sharpness, color temps, etc.

I did this with the Sammy, Mits, and Sony at 3 different stores (BB, CC, Ultimate) with different feeds and lighting setups. This took me 4 hours, yesterday.

I came to the same conclusion each time... it was close between the Sony & Mits sets... each was a tad (and I mean a TAD) better at different things... I was ONLY looking at PQ: colors, details, clarity, etc - NOT features.

I think I'm going with the Sony... as much as I do not like that company I think they have the best 60" RPTV set for under $2k.

This is true ONLY if you are ignorant, lazy, or stupid AND don't ask for the remotes so you have change the settings to attempt to tweak/balance/correct the contrast, brightness, sharpness, color temps, etc.

I bet if you go to a store, sit down for a few hours and say nothing and just watch people that 8 out of 10 will NEVER make any adjustment to ANY tv there...yet they will buy a tv...if that makes them ignorant, lazy, or stupid then thats they way it is...If you doubt this just try it.

I went to 5 different stores, and messed with the brightness and picture before I decided on the Samsung.

I've had a Sony LCD for the last 3 years, and switching was difficult.

I liked the picture much better on the Samsung in every place I went. I was even very close in ordering the Sony from 1call, but after going to the 4th and 5th stores, it pushed me over the top for the Samsung.

I went to 5 different stores, and messed with the brightness and picture before I decided on the Samsung.

I've had a Sony LCD for the last 3 years, and switching was difficult.

I liked the picture much better on the Samsung in every place I went. I was even very close in ordering the Sony from 1call, but after going to the 4th and 5th stores, it pushed me over the top for the Samsung.

I have not ruled out anything yet... I'll go look at the Sammy again.

What did you see with the Sammy you liked better?

I have not ruled out anything yet... I'll go look at the Sammy again.

What did you see with the Sammy you liked better?

The picture just stood out to me in all aspects. I love Sony products, have always owned them, but I just fell in love with this TV. Went to 5 different stores to see them side-by-side and was just sold in everyone that Samsung was the way to go.

i think about everyone that wants a rear projection unit looks at these three sets. I ended up with the mitsubishi because I got a better deal than the others. The bowing effect on the samsung led me away from it and i was set on the sony until i went to cc and was able to get the 65" mits. on an open box for 1500. After a couple days with directv and a crap component cable i like it alot. Today all my hdmi cables will come in the mail and so by tomorrow I will have bluray, hd dvd, and the directv via hdmi playing. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the three.

I hate it when people are so decided based on in store PQ. It's been mentioned here a thousand times over the past couple of years to NOT, I repeat NOT, allow yourself to be overly impressed with in store PQ. These displays are all set at the factory in "Torch" mode to look good in a brightly lit showroom. Any display, absolutley any display, will look better when even slightly tweaked in your viewing room. A perfect example is Costco. It's a WAREHOUSE.

We HAvent HAd any of our customers complaining about the bulb issues in the mitsubishi set in fact they are supposed to be far superior to other manufacturers bulb.
In fact most manufacturers only give you 90 days warranty on the bulb and i know mitsubishi covers you on that for a year. Besides if he worked for mitsubishi they were probably used or floor models that were on screen all day after 9 months of being on 10 hours a day of course bulb will die.

I just recently went through the exact same decision process that you (and many others are going through). I thought I would share my experiences.

I purchased a Sony KDS60A2020 (predecessor to A3000) from Sam's a few months ago for a little under $2k (with the Sony stand included). I had, at the time, also considered the Samsung HLT6187S and the Sony KDSA3000. I decided to go with Sony since my last two (non-high def) sets were Sonys and I really enjoyed them. At the time, the A3000 was in the $2500 range without a stand so I went for the A2020 from Sam's. This TV has exceeded my expectations in all ways. The HD quality was nothing short of jaw-dropping right out of the box. Over time, I did make adjustments to the picture settings to get (in my opinion) the best picture. However, the adjustments required were very minor.

Recently, I decided to purchase another large TV for the main floor of our house. The price on the A3000s has dropped over the last few months, so I decided to look at those and I also reconsidered the HLT6187S and the Mitsubishi 65" models. I did a lot of in-store comparisons, but found it difficult to judge the quality because of signal quality, lighting, etc. I ended up getting a good price on the HLT6187S and decided to purchase one. I got it home, hooked it up and could not have been more disappointed. The picture quality was not even close to the picture quality on the older model A2020. I spent several hours trying to adjust the picture and could not find any settings that made the picture reasonable. My wife, who is not overly particular in this area, commented that she didn't enjoy watching this TV at all (after having watched the Sony for two months). The long story short is that I returned the Samsung and got the Sony A3000 (which was even cheaper). I got it home and, sure enough, it has the same gorgeous picture as the A2020. Side note: The employee that took the returned Samsung out of my vehicle indicated that most of the TV returns that they get are Samsungs.

Here is a summary of the differences that I noted between the Sony and the Samsung TVs:

Sony:
- Sharper, more colorful picture
- Picture has "depth" - almost 3d quality
- Much better viewing angle
- Better sound (often the TV is on without the home theater system)
- Much better build quality

Samsung:
- Picture was very flat and lacking in detail. This was very evident on outdoor HD shows. Shots of the sky, clouds and forests lack the detail and realistic quality that the Sony has. This was also evident on close-up shots of people.
- Colors not as vivid and natural as the Sony
- Poor viewing angle
- Blond haired people had an obvious green cast to their hair
- Sound is much inferior to the Sony
- Flimsy build quality
- I do like the piano black look of the Samsung...that was one of the reasons I considered the TV to begin with
- LED light engine. This was the other selling point of the Samsung. At this point, I would rather eat the cost of a new bulb every several years in order to have the quality picture. From other posts, looks like there might be some reliability with the LED light engine.

Hopefully, my comments don't offend anyone. I'm just relaying my very recent experience on this topic.

I've been going through this same decision process. I've been comparing the same three sets as well because they're all similar in price and size. I want a 60"+ set to replace my old 50" SDTV.

Personally I think the Sony has the best quality. I've been to some stores and had them adjust the picture settings to see what we could come up with. In the end the Sony appeared to be a bit better than the rest. The Samsung was right up there with it, but I think there was something about the Sony set that I liked. The Mitsu set wasn't bad, but there was something about the Sony and Samsung sets that caught my eye.

I think that with the very minor differences I've seen I might actually pick the Samsung. The LED tech is nice. I don't want the hassle of replacing bulbs. The difference was just so minor that I would rather pick bulb longevity over the very minor picture difference. I don't think I would have noticed if I wasn't trying to compare the sets. If I was watching a movie rather than trying to pick apart the quality differences I don't think I would have noticed a difference.

I've been going through this same decision process. I've been comparing the same three sets as well because they're all similar in price and size. I want a 60"+ set to replace my old 50" SDTV.

Personally I think the Sony has the best quality. I've been to some stores and had them adjust the picture settings to see what we could come up with. In the end the Sony appeared to be a bit better than the rest. The Samsung was right up there with it, but I think there was something about the Sony set that I liked. The Mitsu set wasn't bad, but there was something about the Sony and Samsung sets that caught my eye.

I think that with the very minor differences I've seen I might actually pick the Samsung. The LED tech is nice. I don't want the hassle of replacing bulbs. The difference was just so minor that I would rather pick bulb longevity over the very minor picture difference. I don't think I would have noticed if I wasn't trying to compare the sets. If I was watching a movie rather than trying to pick apart the quality differences I don't think I would have noticed a difference.u 100% right about replacing the bulb. i like sony but
that bulb no way.

In store setups at the big stores do not do TV's justice. I bought a 55A3000 from a local dealer today who let me bring in Blu rays and test them out on the tv. Neither of the two big stores would set up a blu ray player on the A3000 for me. I brought Cars and Pirates and the motion flow on the A3000 made both movies look like Disney Digital 3D. I was stunned at how good the picture looked. Moral of the story, comparing tv's with the same split signal at the big stores is not going to show you the capabilities of the TV. The store I bought it from does not carry Samsung so I was not able to test it out on that model, but it really didnt matter because I was leaning towards Sony since I've been happy with my old LCD RP, and being able to test the motion flow in the store before buying sold me.

Isn't the total rated life of the Samsung TV only 1.5 Sony bulb replacements? If so then I miss how it's an advantage to have a product that's rated to be end of life where another might be expected to keep going with a bulb replacement.

No, the LEDs are expected to last at least 20,000 hours in the Samsungs.

No, the LEDs are expected to last at least 20,000 hours in the Samsungs.


So, that's 2.5 bulb replacements compared to the A3000 as the A3000 bulb life is rated at 8000 hours.

REPLACEMENTS was the key word. Buying two bulbs (1.5) is the same as Samsung's end of life rating. I miss how that's an advantage for LED like it's often presented. I didn't consider the Samsung mostly because I read it didn't have a user menu iris, but I still miss how knowing you'll have to replace the TV is better than knowing you'll have to replace a bulb.

The bulb argument is TIRED... OK, so you will likely need to spend $200 over the next 3 years or so for the Sony... and you get a better TV from a PQ and reliability standpoint. AND if you buy an extended warranty that covers bulbs you may even come out ahead of the game and get free TV cleanings.

If an extra $200 every few years is your 'decision point' then you should not even be in this discussion and you should go buy a refurb/used CRT that will last you 20 years.

Most of the 'bulb dwellers' are noobs that care more about $ then quality.

The bulb argument is TIRED... OK, so you will likely need to spend $200 over the next 3 years or so for the Sony... and you get a better TV from a PQ and reliability standpoint. AND if you buy an extended warranty that covers bulbs you may even come out ahead of the game and get free TV cleanings.

If an extra $200 every few years is your 'decision point' then you should not even be in this discussion and you should go buy a refurb/used CRT that will last you 20 years.

Most of the 'bulb dwellers' are noobs that care more about $ then quality.if IT TIRED U PAY EVERYONE $200.00.I HAVE SEEN SONY SIDE BY SIDE AND PQ IS NO BETTER THEN SAMSUNG.I HAVE READ SONY
FORUM AND SAMSUNG.SONY HAVE PROBLEMS AND SAMSUNG HAVE PROBLEMS.I HAVE A AW-15 PJ FROM SONY AND DLP FROM SAMSUNG SO MY 3RD TV I NEED TO CUT COST ON BULBS

if IT TIRED U PAY EVERYONE $200.00.I HAVE SEEN SONY SIDE BY SIDE AND PQ IS NO BETTER THEN SAMSUNG.I HAVE READ SONY
FORUM AND SAMSUNG.SONY HAVE PROBLEMS AND SAMSUNG HAVE PROBLEMS.I HAVE A AW-15 PJ FROM SONY AND DLP FROM SAMSUNG SO MY 3RD TV I NEED TO CUT COST ON BULBS

Well, personally I think the Sony has a slight edge, if only slight, and it appears that most who have done a side by side agree. So, let's say the PQ is equal and everything else is equal. I look at at this way, the Sony is currently about $200 chepaer than the Sammy for the same size set...so in reality, you're $200 ahead with the Sony to begin with, so that's one bulb and you're $200. It also appears the Sammy isn't quite as reliable as the Sony, but that is the impression I'm getting.

I found it very difficult to compare TVs in the store. I did find a few instances where the two models were located close together and they seemed reasonably close in PQ. However, the input signal was not the best and the store lighting really affects how they look. When I compared them at home, though, I can tell you that the Sony beat the Samsung....and by a VERY wide margin. When comparing with both HD cable (1080i) inputs and upscaled DVD (1080p) inputs, the Sony put the Samsung to shame. I drove all the way across town to get the deal on the Samsung and, believe me, I wouldn't have gone through the effort to return it due to minor differences in picture quality.

Sony crushes Samsung!

Well i ended up going with the Samsung. I picked the TV up last Friday and a TV hutch on Saturday. Maybe im not as picky as others are but to me, the picture on all 3 models at the 4 different stores that i went to are all fairly close between the Sam, Mitsu, and Sony. The reason I picked the Samsung over the others was because of the sleek look of it and because of a couple of the specs on the TV itself. The Mit looked like a bigger version of my old 25" tv and i didnt like the look of the Sony at all. I guess it all comes down to personal preference and Samsung really did it for me. The wife found a hutch she really liked at a local furniture store and it just about fits the tv perfect.

I do not have anything hooked up to the TV yet because my HDMI & component cables will not be in until the 27th. So we are just picking up local standard and HD channels using some old rabbit ears. The HD channels look way better than i saw at the stores so i am more than happy with my decision. I still have a ways to go in the sound department (still using an old surround setup i have had for years) but the tv is a step in the right direction. Althoug not the best pictures, here are some pics of the new setup in progress:

http://s222.photobucket.com/albums/dd115/P_Y_/Early%20Christmas%2007/

Well, personally I think the Sony has a slight edge, if only slight, and it appears that most who have done a side by side agree. So, let's say the PQ is equal and everything else is equal. I look at at this way, the Sony is currently about $200 chepaer than the Sammy for the same size set...so in reality, you're $200 ahead with the Sony to begin with, so that's one bulb and you're $200. It also appears the Sammy isn't quite as reliable as the Sony, but that is the impression I'm getting.

Untrue.

I was able to get 1call to pricematch the 1834.00 price on Amazon, and that's cheaper than the Sony.

The way I see it, watching TV for 4 hours per day for 365 days for 10 years amounts to 14,600 hours. This amounts to two bulb replacements (at 8,000 hours per bulb) over 10 years. For me, 10 years is about the life expectancy of the TV. I just replaced two TVs that were 8 years old. One had a problem that wasn't worth repairing and the other still works...I just wanted something better.

So, you spend $400 over ten years to have (IMO) a better picture.

This, however, doesn't factor in the reliability of the TV. I don't know which will prove to be more reliable over a 10 year period, but I would guess that Sony has a better track record in this area. If the Samsung requires one more repair than a Sony over the 10 year period, than the total cost of ownership of the Sony would be cheaper (replacement bulbs included).

The bottom line is that these TVs are basically in the same price range (although typicially I've seen the Sony cheaper by a $100 - $200). Buy the one that you like the best and cross your fingers. If you are worried about bulb replacement costs a few years down the road than maybe you can't afford the TV anyway...because you also won't be able to afford a repair after your extended warranty runs out (although I never buy an extended warranty anyway).

A bulb is a time-tested, reliable and bright method of illumination. The LED doesn't look as good to me. Would you rather have the inconvenience of replacing a bad bulb 1 day every other year, or looking a subpar picture 365 days a year?

Robert

A bulb is a time-tested, reliable and bright method of illumination. The LED doesn't look as good to me. Would you rather have the inconvenience of replacing a bad bulb 1 day every other year, or looking a subpar picture 365 days a year?

Robert

The LED sets DO NOT have a sub par picture...that is opinion...before I purchased mine I did the bulb/LED comparison for quite a while...there is virtually no difference.

I won't rehash everything I've already written. I feel the Sony has a MUCH better picture. Others feel that the Samsung has a better picture.

The point is, decide what you like based on picture quality and features. The fact that you have to replace a bulb down the road (a trivial operation) should not influence your decision. You are comparing a known technology (bulbs) with a known life expectancy (8,000 hours) and known replacement cost ($200) with a new technology with unknown life expectancy and unknown repair cost. Samsung is estimating 20,000 hours. Talk to me in 20,000 hours and let me know if the LED engine really lasts that long and if the performance is consistent over that timeframe. Even if you really only get 6,000 hours out of a bulb at least you know what your are up against to replace it.

I am confident that sometime down the road, LEDs (or some other solid state technology) will replace lamps in all projection televisions. I am also pretty sure that it will take a few years to perfect the technology as it is applied to televisions.

The LED sets DO NOT have a sub par picture...that is opinion...before I purchased mine I did the bulb/LED comparison for quite a while...there is virtually no difference.u right i went to frys cc bb
and i see no difference in sammy or sony.

As I stated earlier, I didn't see that much difference in the few stores that I could do a direct comparison. I did notice that the Samsung at one CC had a distinct band across the top 20-25% of the screen where the picture was less bright. I tried every adjustment to get rid of it and could not. Even with that, I decided to take my chances and bought a Samsung anyway. As I stated earlier, I spent several hours adjusting the Samsung in my home to try to get it close to the picture on my Sony A2020. I couldn't find any combination that improved the picture to be even close to the Sony. The moral of the story is...don't rely solely on what you see in the store and make sure you buy from a place that you can return the TV.

The LED sets DO NOT have a sub par picture...that is opinion...before I purchased mine I did the bulb/LED comparison for quite a while...there is virtually no difference.

Comparison in a store?

I feel much better about my decision to go with the Samsung over the Sony.

Now the real question is, if the stand is only built for 50, and the 61'' Sammy is 54.7 inches wide, will the 2.3 inches of overhang make the setup look bad?

I really like this stand, but am torn.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8212329&type=product&id=1166235821538&ref=06&loc=01&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=8212329

My only recommendation is that you don't throw the box away and make sure you can return it. I'm not saying it's a bad set at all (had the 89 series in the house for a week), but I highly recommend you watch the movie "300" on it before your return time expires. The reason I say that is because that movie will show the RBE more than any other movie I've seen. I thought I was immune to RBE based on looking at numerous DLPs in the stores but once I got the set home and had some time with it, I found the RBE to be too distracting to allow me to enjoy the otherwise wonderful picture.

You may never see the RBE and can fully enjoy the Sammy picture...just check it out thoroughly to make sure you don't have buyers remorse later. I returned my 6189 and will likely get the A3000 (eventually). Good luck.

frys has the best setup for looking at sammy or sony better than bb or cc.frys setup is very dark.so at home my setup will be like frys and i see no difference in sammy and sony at frys.dim light at fry dim light at home so what the difference.

I have a Sony KDS-55A2000, and found it superior to anything else--11 months ago, which was when I bought one for . . . $1650 from Circuit City. The picture is phenomenal, tweakable, and displays both 1080p AND SD source extraordinarily well. The SXRD screen has a very film-like quality, yet 1080p looks wonderfully clear. Customization controls are excellent. A small percentage of earlier models have had troubles with the optical gun (i think that is what I read) causing green splotches etc. I would by another no questions asked, and of course the price was right. It has been flawless since installation. I think in the case of HD displays, it DOES NOT makes sense to tie up too much $$ in one unit--these things aren't 100% durable, as one scan thru these forums will suggest.

Noel

I have been happy with My Mitsu DLP 65" (65734). The price and the picture are great. The lamp is rated for 8000 hours. It is a quick user serviceable part and I understand the cost to be about $ 250. I grabbed the Extended 3 year warranty which covers one lamp replacement.

I was still under $ 2200 shipped (ordered Tues, got it Friday!) to my door even with the EW. No regrets, No looking back!

had a Sony 55e2000 decided to go bigger and go to a 1080 display naturally went with the Sony 60a3000 boy was i disappointed kept it for 3 weeks just couldn't get the picture to look as good as the 55e2000 so sent it back got the samsung hlt6187s and out of the box blew the sonny away was even more impressed when i upgraded my hd system from 2 mpeg to 4 mpeg everyone who has seen my TVs is equally impressed plus saved 500.00 on the price also bought from big river, service was great and no problem exchanging the TVs so people thinking they have to buy from a bm store to get good service are wrong plus like i said its cheaper usually on line and most of the time no tax plus after i bought mine price went down 54.00 called they adjusted the price took a 5 min phone call so if the price drops in the first 30 days they will refund the difference.hope this helps all my advice i got from avs forums. Jim

I too was deciding between the same sets - Sony or Samsung. I thought that the Sony's picture quality was slightly better than the Samsung. However, i went with the Samsung 6187s for a few of reasons. First, I did not want to experience that cost of replacing bulbs. Samsung rates the LEDs for 20k but the manufacturer rates them for 100k. Second, the Samsung uses about 40% less power than the Sony. Third, the Samsung has three HDMI jacks while the Sony has two. Right now, I have a HD-DVD and a DVR using HDMI and I am planning to get an HDMI home media streamer - I needed at least 3 HDMI connection but would have loved to have four (Mit 65734). Fourth, I got a fantastic price at Se@rs ($1469 aft rebate).

I am very happy with my decision. Out of the box, I got a fantastic PQ. Like a lot of you, I believe that these sets are very close to each other. Find the one that fits your needs and go for it.

Fourth, I got a fantastic price at Se@rs ($1469 aft rebate).

What rebate - still good?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jesse31 View Post
The LED sets DO NOT have a sub par picture...that is opinion...before I purchased mine I did the bulb/LED comparison for quite a while...there is virtually no difference.

Comparison in a store?

Yes in a store...local Best buy had color wheel DLP and LED side by side...and now my neighbor has a Samsung color wheel DLP that I can do a direct comparison to...We both tuned to the same OTA football game and we ran back and forth to his house/my house several times...no difference in picture quality.