Samsung HC-R4355W: good or bad?

FIVE ONE SIX · 07-18-05, 10:36 AM

this is the first time i'm posting in the display forums. i'm interested in getting a new tv, but i do have some space restrictions. i don't have enough room for a large CRT RP TV and an audio stand, so i need to keep the tv on a tv stand with everything underneath it, but yet i still want a CRT RP TV over an LCD/DLP/Plasma. i was originally just going to go with the 46" Sony, since i know it produces and excellent picture, but i found out that the matching Sony stand doesn't have enough room for my receiver. i can just use a different stand with it, but the TV itself is kinda high, and if i use say a 25" high stand it will sit too high.

then i decided to look into a good 34" widescreen TV, but thought that the picture would be just a bit too small, at least for a living room...

that's when i came upon the Samsung HC-R4755W on the Sears website. i looked into it, but the Sears stors don't normally stock them. then, i did a search last night, and noticed that they also make the Samsung HC-R4355W, which is the 43" version. it's only 35" tall, opposed to the 40" tall that the Sony is listed at, which would be better for my particular application. the only thing is that i can't find this TV anywhere locally, and can only order it online. i can get it for a little over $1000 shipped, but the thing is that i would really like to see it first, but since i can't do that i thought i would start this thread to maybe get some feedback on it. i'm not familiar with Samsung as far as TV's go, as far as picture quality and build quality, and i was just wondering what some people here that either have this TV or have seen this TV think about it...

http://etronics.resultspage.com/disp...pelling&store=

the only reason i'm asking this is because if i get it and don't like it, it's $60 to ship it to my house, and it would most likely cost more to ship it back, and i don't want to spend about $150 on shipping and have nothing to show for it...

thanks in advance for any help...

FIVE ONE SIX · 07-19-05, 08:53 AM

no one here has either heard anything about or viewed this particular model Samsung?

MeeTsenPu · 07-19-05, 04:35 PM

I think its so new that its not in stores yet...Im lookin at gettin the HC-R4755W but i need to see it in person first or at least have some more opinions on it.

FIVE ONE SIX · 07-19-05, 10:33 PM

oh ok, thanks. i actually figured it was kinda old, considering the price, it seems like it's lower than it should be. i haven't seen a single store in the area that sells it, let alone a store with one on display...

MeeTsenPu · 07-20-05, 10:46 AM

Yeah CRT Projections have hit rock bottom in terms of pricing because of all the DLP and LCD projection tech. Thats y i think this model is a perfect upgrade until those 1080P TVs come down in price in a couple years.

FIVE ONE SIX · 07-20-05, 05:11 PM

the only thing that i wasn't sure about, was if it converts 720p? according to the specs that i've seen for it, i know it uses 720p as an input resolution on the back of it, but i can't seem to find out if it shows 720p or if it converts 720p to 1080i?

MeeTsenPu · 07-20-05, 10:14 PM

Usually...if it lists 720P as an input it will display it....otherwise it would jus say 480i/480p/1080i...To the best of my knowledge

tbzgn · 07-24-05, 11:24 AM

I just bought the 47" model from Sam's Club. And it does accept 720p through the component inputs. My local Sears was carrying it but didn't have any in stock yet, only a display model on the floor. They had a pricetag of $1199..so I went home and searched the sam's club website for the model number (HC-R4755W) and low and behold it showed up for $999. According the website none of the local Sam's had it in stock yet, but when I went to check, not only did they have it in stock but gave you the stand as well!

So I thought $999 for a new 47" model that accepts 720p, has a built in tuner, comes with a stand, and only weighs 87lbs is a heckuva deal. Not to mention that it's a much better looking TV than many others on the market - if you didn't know better you'd think it was a sammy DLP from the front...they look almost identical in design...

I'm not a videophile, but i'm very happy so far - DVD's look TERRIFIC with a cheap progressive scan player and HD has never looked better to me.

MeeTsenPu · 07-24-05, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbzgn

I just bought the 47" model from Sam's Club. And it does accept 720p through the component inputs. My local Sears was carrying it but didn't have any in stock yet, only a display model on the floor. They had a pricetag of $1199..so I went home and searched the sam's club website for the model number (HC-R4755W) and low and behold it showed up for $999. According the website none of the local Sam's had it in stock yet, but when I went to check, not only did they have it in stock but gave you the stand as well!

So I thought $999 for a new 47" model that accepts 720p, has a built in tuner, comes with a stand, and only weighs 87lbs is a heckuva deal. Not to mention that it's a much better looking TV than many others on the market - if you didn't know better you'd think it was a sammy DLP from the front...they look almost identical in design...

I'm not a videophile, but i'm very happy so far - DVD's look TERRIFIC with a cheap progressive scan player and HD has never looked better to me.

Ah ha Sams club got it on its website now...i gotta check out my local store to see it. Where are you located at? How is the screen in terms of reflectivity (meaning does it have a shiny/glossy screen that reflects alot of light like some RPTVs)?

tbzgn · 07-24-05, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeeTsenPu

Ah ha Sams club got it on its website now...i gotta check out my local store to see it. Where are you located at? How is the screen in terms of reflectivity (meaning does it have a shiny/glossy screen that reflects alot of light like some RPTVs)?

I'm in orlando FL...According to the website none of the local stores had any in stock...but it STILL says "not available for pickup" but they had 15 in stock last weekend when I bought it...So deffinately physically go in and check regardless of what the site says...

The screen is a low reflectivity, matte type style...which was another big plus for me.

MeeTsenPu · 07-24-05, 09:42 PM

That sounds very encouraging, i gotta see this set in person...for $1K you cant beat this TV..especially with all the new technology comin out this year...early adopters usually get the shaft...haha

hiperco · 08-10-05, 11:00 AM

Anybody else with some feedback on this TV? It sure looks like a very good value...

Doughengel · 08-10-05, 11:44 AM

I bought this tv at sams on monday and absolutely love it. This is my first HDTV set so im not expert, but the screen resolution looks great. Watching OTA HD is awesome, I never wanted to see Jay Leno's face in such detail.

The stand the set comes with is very nice and sturdy as well.

Prior to buying this I was going to get a 30 inch direct view crt, but after I found this deal I was instantly sold.

1352Ovideo · 08-10-05, 03:16 PM

How do SD channels look on this TV? Curious about how the upscaling circuitry works on this set.
Thx.

HTPCnewbie · 08-10-05, 03:33 PM

I'm in Orlando TOO!!!!

Gosh...come on people, tell me more! I thought this was a great deal also but I too was afraid of getting it. I would be using it along with my up and comming HTPC (which I will use to play PC games with also) so do you all think this will be OK for playing games on?

How would you connect to it...it does not have RGB? I thought (if I remember right) that I would use DVI for the HD receiver from Brighthouse and the RGB for my HTPC.

Please help!!!

THANKS!

tndj · 08-11-05, 01:16 PM

The HC-R4755 has a built in tuner that works great.. I do not even have an outside antennae hooked up to it yet and it picks up the OTA channels great.. I hooked up the PS2 to it last night.. and at first I had an issue with using the Ant. 2 RF input (no or washed out color).. but when I hooked it into the Ant. 1 Output it worked great.. I am going out today to purchase RCA cables to hook it up to one of the other inputs.. I was playing a beta version of the new Ratchet Commando game online last night and had no lag and the picture looked great.. A word of caution tho.. as with any large TV's Rear project or other.. if you get to close the picture will not be that great.. when we sat back about 10 to 15 feet it was amazing.. I have nothing but love for this TV, and as a bridge HDTV between current and future technology I highly recommend this TV.. and remember.. the best deal I found was at Sam's Club for $999 and that included the stand!!!

HTPCnewbie · 08-11-05, 03:06 PM

Thanks for the help...

But, how about PC games? Also...what is the resolution of the TV (I cant' find it anywhere)?

DVI is gives the best quality so I would like to leave that for the HD but then how would I connect my PC to it?

Finally, to confirm there was no delay/lagg while playing games right?

The Burn-in FAQ really cleared my fear of it a good amount (contrast and brightness is the key) but I still don't know enough about this TV to pull the trigger.

Keep the information comming...please...THANKS!

HTPCnewbie · 08-12-05, 03:30 PM

OK...I'm about to pull the trigger on this TV myself...

(since I found a DVI to Component converter)

Here: DVI to Compt

Note: I'll use this method to connect my HTPC to the TV ***please let me know if I'm wrong about being able to connect the HTPC via this adapter***

The reason I wont be using the DVI is because Brighthouse (my cable company) just told me that my HD STB will connect to my TV via the DVI cable so I'll have to use another method to connect the HTPC to my HDTV.

...BUT, I have yet to (and this might be newbish of me) see any information on the max resolution this TV supports. Can those who got this TV please let me know ASAP since I'm thinking of getting it this weekend.

Also, is there any maintenance (like DLP or LCD Projection lamp replacement issues with CRT projection TV's?)

Thanks in advance for your help!!!

ironwolf · 08-13-05, 11:13 AM

I bought the HC-R4755W last week at Sams' Club. As the people above mentioned, it's a very nice TV! Work this week has been very hectic for me and it caused me to have to get the TV and other equipment hooked up over the entire week.

I have had time only to pop in Chronicles of Riddick into my DVD player, I must say WOW, the picture quality was incredible, this is going from a 36" 4:3 TV to a 47" 16:9... I have an OTA HDTV antenna (silver sensor something) coming in on Monday, can't wait to see how the OTA stations look. This TV (HC-R4755W) was a incredible deal considering it comes with a TV stand (I guess a good $150+ value?) and a built-in tuner (I again guess a good $150+ value vs a STB?). Word of warning: the TV stand box is HEAVY, the TV itself was pretty lightweight compared to it.

PS, I have a Xbox and PS2, haven't had time yet to even plug them up and check them out, can't wait for that either!

HTPCnewbie · 08-13-05, 01:02 PM

Well...because of the ever growing knowledge of the HDTV/HTPC world, I'm pretty sure I'm back on the "WAIT" train for now. Enjoy your TV guys/gals!!!

I need a TV with VGA and DVI to make things easy.

tpaullin · 08-13-05, 01:36 PM

After reading all the positive posts I will probably be buying this set. I'm moving way up from my 27'' JVC that is almost 10 years old. I have the standard Dish network reciever, not the HD one. My question is will the fact that the TV is a HDTV improve the picture ?
Thanks,
Tim

ptt660 · 08-13-05, 07:03 PM

"My question is will the fact that the TV is a HDTV improve the picture ?"

yes, PROVIDING you are using an hd dish and viewing an hd program. if your are just viewing standard definition material as you are now, the picture will most likely be worse. moving up in screen size only magnifies the flaws in sd programs.

unfortunately, to get the most out of these big screen hdtv's you need to upgrade your service and equipment to hd level. i am in the market for a big screen hdtv as well and realize i will need to spend AT LEAST another $20 a month to upgrade to comcast digital cable with hd. i have a 9 year-old 32" analog crt that i will be replacing, so i am in the same boat you are in.

new technology is great.................................but it will always cost ya!

HTPCnewbie · 08-13-05, 07:41 PM

Yeah...so far everyone seems to love this TV.

tpaullin · 08-14-05, 03:22 PM

Thanks for the reply, PT. That's what I was afraid of, hmmm I wonder how much more HD dish is? And how do I slip it past the wife? LOL

Tim

HTPCnewbie · 08-15-05, 06:55 AM

I went to Sam's and saw for myself the HC-R4355W...

At first I was not impressed with the video quality and then I got the remote and hit the auto focus option...and it helped it out a good amount. I didn't mess with any other settings but I still saw some grainyness while watching.

Do I blame the TV or the location? They said they connected it up right which made me think...

Can I even trust the HD/SD quality I see at a store?

So, my impression of the TV was mixed? I mitsu that was there (but was HUGE) looked the best but like I said...it was a huge beast.

I also saw a LCD TV and honestly it looked really good (better than all others) but I then noticed what happened when there was alot of movement on the screen. DO all LCD's have this problem...or just the cheaper ones?

If I can't trust the picture at a store...how can I even make a good choice then? I think the internet will be the only way (with customer reviews).

...and the HDTV merry-go-round continues...

Note: For those who got this TV...go to pricegrabber.com and put your reviews in, that REALLY helps those still looking to buy.

tndj · 08-15-05, 11:46 AM

I was very disappointed out of the box with this TV.. The picture quality with Standard Def. stuff coming thru DishTV was bad and the regular RF Cable quality was even worse.. The OTA HD stuff looked great.. but there is not that much content available.. Yet..

However.. I did several things to try to improve the picture quality and am now quite happy with it.. even in standard def.. and so far I have not bought any new equipment (just a few new cables).

If you have standard def. DishTV use S-Video cables all the way to the TV.. the S-Video input is on the side of the TV, not in the back with everything else.. but it is still hidden from the front.. This dramatically improved the picture quality over composite or god forbid RF inputs (I tried them all).

For my DVD player and/or if your Sat. or Cable box has DVI, HDMI, or Component inputs.. the picture from my DVD player to the TV is wonderful..

The worst picture I get is when I played back a Tivoed program from my series 2 Tivo.. and that has as much to do with the crappy quality of the Series 2 Tivo as it does with anything else.. The DishTV PVR is MUCH better for picture quality, but it does not have even half the bells and whistles of the Tivo box..

Hope this helps, if anyone that is thinking of getting one of these sets has any questions or tests they want me to try just let me know.. I know the agony you are going thru and will be glad to do what I can to help.

HTPCnewbie · 08-15-05, 12:12 PM

Thanks for your opinion and sharing your experiance!

Can you test HD yet? It seems you only have DTV or SD but not HD. While I care about how SD looks...I care a little more about how HD looks.

Not: I emailed Samsung with a bunch of questions...I'll post their reply here if possible.

ironwolf · 08-15-05, 02:20 PM

I have a Zenith antenna somewhere in town on a brown truck waiting to be delivered.

Hopefully I can find a few minutes this evening to get it hooked up, I'm dying to see what the local OTA HD looks like. I also still need to hook up my Xbox -- I have the HD pack all hooked up (optical digital sound and component video), just need to plug the Xbox in a set it up. I'll let you know how it looks!

HTPCnewbie · 08-15-05, 02:51 PM

THANKS a bunch!

So, you are using your HD via component...just to be sure. What cable company do you have by chance?

I have brighthouse and they said that their HD STB/receiver will connect to my HDTV via DVI. If I could use component with my HD STB/receiver then that would free up the DVI for my HTPC (if it is even the type that PC's use)

Cool....keep me posted!

travbedaman · 08-16-05, 12:29 AM

I`m considering going with this unit as well, however does anyone know why the screen is that "old school" textured style, insted of the current model units? I know that it makes the reflection very low, however I was under the impression that the newer screens produce a slightly more sharp image.

Also it does not include a protective shield, does adding one of those help with anything really? (sorry I`m kinda new to this).

07-18-05, 10:36 AM	#1 \| Link	<a href='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adclick.php?n=a4ac4393' target='_blank'><img src='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adview.php?what=zone:30&n=a4ac4393' border='0' alt=''></a>
FIVE ONE SIX AVS Special Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: New York Posts: 2,397	Samsung HC-R4355W: good or bad? this is the first time i'm posting in the display forums. i'm interested in getting a new tv, but i do have some space restrictions. i don't have enough room for a large CRT RP TV and an audio stand, so i need to keep the tv on a tv stand with everything underneath it, but yet i still want a CRT RP TV over an LCD/DLP/Plasma. i was originally just going to go with the 46" Sony, since i know it produces and excellent picture, but i found out that the matching Sony stand doesn't have enough room for my receiver. i can just use a different stand with it, but the TV itself is kinda high, and if i use say a 25" high stand it will sit too high. then i decided to look into a good 34" widescreen TV, but thought that the picture would be just a bit too small, at least for a living room... that's when i came upon the Samsung HC-R4755W on the Sears website. i looked into it, but the Sears stors don't normally stock them. then, i did a search last night, and noticed that they also make the Samsung HC-R4355W, which is the 43" version. it's only 35" tall, opposed to the 40" tall that the Sony is listed at, which would be better for my particular application. the only thing is that i can't find this TV anywhere locally, and can only order it online. i can get it for a little over $1000 shipped, but the thing is that i would really like to see it first, but since i can't do that i thought i would start this thread to maybe get some feedback on it. i'm not familiar with Samsung as far as TV's go, as far as picture quality and build quality, and i was just wondering what some people here that either have this TV or have seen this TV think about it... http://etronics.resultspage.com/disp...pelling&store= the only reason i'm asking this is because if i get it and don't like it, it's $60 to ship it to my house, and it would most likely cost more to ship it back, and i don't want to spend about $150 on shipping and have nothing to show for it... thanks in advance for any help...

07-20-05, 10:46 AM	#5 \| Link	<a href='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adclick.php?n=a591f81a' target='_blank'><img src='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adview.php?what=zone:36&n=a591f81a' border='0' alt=''></a>
MeeTsenPu New Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: NJ Posts: 11	Yeah CRT Projections have hit rock bottom in terms of pricing because of all the DLP and LCD projection tech. Thats y i think this model is a perfect upgrade until those 1080P TVs come down in price in a couple years.

08-10-05, 11:44 AM	#13 \| Link
Doughengel Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 15	Purchased the 4755 monday and love it I bought this tv at sams on monday and absolutely love it. This is my first HDTV set so im not expert, but the screen resolution looks great. Watching OTA HD is awesome, I never wanted to see Jay Leno's face in such detail. The stand the set comes with is very nice and sturdy as well. Prior to buying this I was going to get a 30 inch direct view crt, but after I found this deal I was instantly sold.

08-10-05, 03:16 PM	#14 \| Link
1352Ovideo New Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 10	What about SD ??? How do SD channels look on this TV? Curious about how the upscaling circuitry works on this set. Thx.

08-10-05, 03:33 PM	#15 \| Link	<a href='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adclick.php?n=a591f81a' target='_blank'><img src='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adview.php?what=zone:36&n=a591f81a' border='0' alt=''></a>
HTPCnewbie Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Central FL Posts: 435	I'm in Orlando TOO!!!! Gosh...come on people, tell me more! I thought this was a great deal also but I too was afraid of getting it. I would be using it along with my up and comming HTPC (which I will use to play PC games with also) so do you all think this will be OK for playing games on? How would you connect to it...it does not have RGB? I thought (if I remember right) that I would use DVI for the HD receiver from Brighthouse and the RGB for my HTPC. Please help!!! THANKS!

07-19-05, 08:53 AM	#2 \| Link
FIVE ONE SIX AVS Special Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: New York Posts: 2,397	no one here has either heard anything about or viewed this particular model Samsung?

07-19-05, 04:35 PM	#3 \| Link
MeeTsenPu New Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: NJ Posts: 11	I think its so new that its not in stores yet...Im lookin at gettin the HC-R4755W but i need to see it in person first or at least have some more opinions on it.

07-19-05, 10:33 PM	#4 \| Link
FIVE ONE SIX AVS Special Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: New York Posts: 2,397	oh ok, thanks. i actually figured it was kinda old, considering the price, it seems like it's lower than it should be. i haven't seen a single store in the area that sells it, let alone a store with one on display...

07-20-05, 05:11 PM	#6 \| Link
FIVE ONE SIX AVS Special Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: New York Posts: 2,397	the only thing that i wasn't sure about, was if it converts 720p? according to the specs that i've seen for it, i know it uses 720p as an input resolution on the back of it, but i can't seem to find out if it shows 720p or if it converts 720p to 1080i?

07-20-05, 10:14 PM	#7 \| Link
MeeTsenPu New Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: NJ Posts: 11	Usually...if it lists 720P as an input it will display it....otherwise it would jus say 480i/480p/1080i...To the best of my knowledge

07-24-05, 11:24 AM	#8 \| Link
tbzgn New Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 5	I just bought the 47" model from Sam's Club. And it does accept 720p through the component inputs. My local Sears was carrying it but didn't have any in stock yet, only a display model on the floor. They had a pricetag of $1199..so I went home and searched the sam's club website for the model number (HC-R4755W) and low and behold it showed up for $999. According the website none of the local Sam's had it in stock yet, but when I went to check, not only did they have it in stock but gave you the stand as well! So I thought $999 for a new 47" model that accepts 720p, has a built in tuner, comes with a stand, and only weighs 87lbs is a heckuva deal. Not to mention that it's a much better looking TV than many others on the market - if you didn't know better you'd think it was a sammy DLP from the front...they look almost identical in design... I'm not a videophile, but i'm very happy so far - DVD's look TERRIFIC with a cheap progressive scan player and HD has never looked better to me.

07-24-05, 09:42 PM	#11 \| Link
MeeTsenPu New Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: NJ Posts: 11	That sounds very encouraging, i gotta see this set in person...for $1K you cant beat this TV..especially with all the new technology comin out this year...early adopters usually get the shaft...haha

08-10-05, 11:00 AM	#12 \| Link
hiperco Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: "Greater Binghamton Area" Posts: 348	Anybody else with some feedback on this TV? It sure looks like a very good value...

08-11-05, 01:16 PM	#16 \| Link
tndj New Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 5	The HC-R4755 has a built in tuner that works great.. I do not even have an outside antennae hooked up to it yet and it picks up the OTA channels great.. I hooked up the PS2 to it last night.. and at first I had an issue with using the Ant. 2 RF input (no or washed out color).. but when I hooked it into the Ant. 1 Output it worked great.. I am going out today to purchase RCA cables to hook it up to one of the other inputs.. I was playing a beta version of the new Ratchet Commando game online last night and had no lag and the picture looked great.. A word of caution tho.. as with any large TV's Rear project or other.. if you get to close the picture will not be that great.. when we sat back about 10 to 15 feet it was amazing.. I have nothing but love for this TV, and as a bridge HDTV between current and future technology I highly recommend this TV.. and remember.. the best deal I found was at Sam's Club for $999 and that included the stand!!!

08-11-05, 03:06 PM	#17 \| Link
HTPCnewbie Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Central FL Posts: 435	Thanks for the help... But, how about PC games? Also...what is the resolution of the TV (I cant' find it anywhere)? DVI is gives the best quality so I would like to leave that for the HD but then how would I connect my PC to it? Finally, to confirm there was no delay/lagg while playing games right? The Burn-in FAQ really cleared my fear of it a good amount (contrast and brightness is the key) but I still don't know enough about this TV to pull the trigger. Keep the information comming...please...THANKS!

08-12-05, 03:30 PM	#18 \| Link
HTPCnewbie Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Central FL Posts: 435	OK...I'm about to pull the trigger on this TV myself... (since I found a DVI to Component converter) Here: DVI to Compt Note: I'll use this method to connect my HTPC to the TV *please let me know if I'm wrong about being able to connect the HTPC via this adapter* The reason I wont be using the DVI is because Brighthouse (my cable company) just told me that my HD STB will connect to my TV via the DVI cable so I'll have to use another method to connect the HTPC to my HDTV. ...BUT, I have yet to (and this might be newbish of me) see any information on the max resolution this TV supports. Can those who got this TV please let me know ASAP since I'm thinking of getting it this weekend. Also, is there any maintenance (like DLP or LCD Projection lamp replacement issues with CRT projection TV's?) Thanks in advance for your help!!!

08-13-05, 11:13 AM	#19 \| Link
ironwolf New Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Pensacola, FL Posts: 8	I bought the HC-R4755W last week at Sams' Club. As the people above mentioned, it's a very nice TV! Work this week has been very hectic for me and it caused me to have to get the TV and other equipment hooked up over the entire week. I have had time only to pop in Chronicles of Riddick into my DVD player, I must say WOW, the picture quality was incredible, this is going from a 36" 4:3 TV to a 47" 16:9... I have an OTA HDTV antenna (silver sensor something) coming in on Monday, can't wait to see how the OTA stations look. This TV (HC-R4755W) was a incredible deal considering it comes with a TV stand (I guess a good $150+ value?) and a built-in tuner (I again guess a good $150+ value vs a STB?). Word of warning: the TV stand box is HEAVY, the TV itself was pretty lightweight compared to it. PS, I have a Xbox and PS2, haven't had time yet to even plug them up and check them out, can't wait for that either!

08-13-05, 01:02 PM	#20 \| Link
HTPCnewbie Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Central FL Posts: 435	Well...because of the ever growing knowledge of the HDTV/HTPC world, I'm pretty sure I'm back on the "WAIT" train for now. Enjoy your TV guys/gals!!! I need a TV with VGA and DVI to make things easy.

08-13-05, 01:36 PM	#21 \| Link
tpaullin Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: IOWA Posts: 22	After reading all the positive posts I will probably be buying this set. I'm moving way up from my 27'' JVC that is almost 10 years old. I have the standard Dish network reciever, not the HD one. My question is will the fact that the TV is a HDTV improve the picture ? Thanks, Tim

08-13-05, 07:03 PM	#22 \| Link
ptt660 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 250	"My question is will the fact that the TV is a HDTV improve the picture ?" yes, PROVIDING you are using an hd dish and viewing an hd program. if your are just viewing standard definition material as you are now, the picture will most likely be worse. moving up in screen size only magnifies the flaws in sd programs. unfortunately, to get the most out of these big screen hdtv's you need to upgrade your service and equipment to hd level. i am in the market for a big screen hdtv as well and realize i will need to spend AT LEAST another $20 a month to upgrade to comcast digital cable with hd. i have a 9 year-old 32" analog crt that i will be replacing, so i am in the same boat you are in. new technology is great.................................but it will always cost ya!

08-13-05, 07:41 PM	#23 \| Link
HTPCnewbie Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Central FL Posts: 435	Yeah...so far everyone seems to love this TV.

08-14-05, 03:22 PM	#24 \| Link
tpaullin Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: IOWA Posts: 22	Thanks for the reply, PT. That's what I was afraid of, hmmm I wonder how much more HD dish is? And how do I slip it past the wife? LOL Tim

08-15-05, 06:55 AM	#25 \| Link
HTPCnewbie Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Central FL Posts: 435	I went to Sam's and saw for myself the HC-R4355W... At first I was not impressed with the video quality and then I got the remote and hit the auto focus option...and it helped it out a good amount. I didn't mess with any other settings but I still saw some grainyness while watching. Do I blame the TV or the location? They said they connected it up right which made me think... Can I even trust the HD/SD quality I see at a store? So, my impression of the TV was mixed? I mitsu that was there (but was HUGE) looked the best but like I said...it was a huge beast. I also saw a LCD TV and honestly it looked really good (better than all others) but I then noticed what happened when there was alot of movement on the screen. DO all LCD's have this problem...or just the cheaper ones? If I can't trust the picture at a store...how can I even make a good choice then? I think the internet will be the only way (with customer reviews). ...and the HDTV merry-go-round continues... Note: For those who got this TV...go to pricegrabber.com and put your reviews in, that REALLY helps those still looking to buy.

08-15-05, 11:46 AM	#26 \| Link
tndj New Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 5	I was very disappointed out of the box with this TV.. The picture quality with Standard Def. stuff coming thru DishTV was bad and the regular RF Cable quality was even worse.. The OTA HD stuff looked great.. but there is not that much content available.. Yet.. However.. I did several things to try to improve the picture quality and am now quite happy with it.. even in standard def.. and so far I have not bought any new equipment (just a few new cables). If you have standard def. DishTV use S-Video cables all the way to the TV.. the S-Video input is on the side of the TV, not in the back with everything else.. but it is still hidden from the front.. This dramatically improved the picture quality over composite or god forbid RF inputs (I tried them all). For my DVD player and/or if your Sat. or Cable box has DVI, HDMI, or Component inputs.. the picture from my DVD player to the TV is wonderful.. The worst picture I get is when I played back a Tivoed program from my series 2 Tivo.. and that has as much to do with the crappy quality of the Series 2 Tivo as it does with anything else.. The DishTV PVR is MUCH better for picture quality, but it does not have even half the bells and whistles of the Tivo box.. Hope this helps, if anyone that is thinking of getting one of these sets has any questions or tests they want me to try just let me know.. I know the agony you are going thru and will be glad to do what I can to help.

08-15-05, 12:12 PM	#27 \| Link
HTPCnewbie Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Central FL Posts: 435	Thanks for your opinion and sharing your experiance! Can you test HD yet? It seems you only have DTV or SD but not HD. While I care about how SD looks...I care a little more about how HD looks. Not: I emailed Samsung with a bunch of questions...I'll post their reply here if possible.

08-15-05, 02:20 PM	#28 \| Link
ironwolf New Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Pensacola, FL Posts: 8	I have a Zenith antenna somewhere in town on a brown truck waiting to be delivered. Hopefully I can find a few minutes this evening to get it hooked up, I'm dying to see what the local OTA HD looks like. I also still need to hook up my Xbox -- I have the HD pack all hooked up (optical digital sound and component video), just need to plug the Xbox in a set it up. I'll let you know how it looks!

08-15-05, 02:51 PM	#29 \| Link
HTPCnewbie Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Central FL Posts: 435	THANKS a bunch! So, you are using your HD via component...just to be sure. What cable company do you have by chance? I have brighthouse and they said that their HD STB/receiver will connect to my HDTV via DVI. If I could use component with my HD STB/receiver then that would free up the DVI for my HTPC (if it is even the type that PC's use) Cool....keep me posted!

08-16-05, 12:29 AM	#30 \| Link	<a href='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adclick.php?n=a591f81a' target='_blank'><img src='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adview.php?what=zone:36&n=a591f81a' border='0' alt=''></a>
travbedaman New Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 13	I`m considering going with this unit as well, however does anyone know why the screen is that "old school" textured style, insted of the current model units? I know that it makes the reflection very low, however I was under the impression that the newer screens produce a slightly more sharp image. Also it does not include a protective shield, does adding one of those help with anything really? (sorry I`m kinda new to this).