Emprex HD-3701P Is it good to buy? What do you think??

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I helped someone set up an Emprex HD-3701P 37" LCD using Digital Video Essentials and a few other reference DVDs. I spent quite a bit of time with it. It's on sale at Fry's right now for just over a grand, and I think it's a relative bargain. It far exceeded my expectations but it still has some problems and I was unable to test some things. Here's what I know:

It looked horrible at Fry's. The whites were blown out, the scaling looked marginal, and there was lots of noise in dark areas. It turns out that was all the fault of the setup, HD source and/or the floor model.

I'm concerned it may not support HDCP on the HDMI input (see below).

I didn't see ANY bad pixels on the sample I set up which is impressive. I'd expect them to be using "B grade" panels at this price. That said, there might be a bad single color pixel or two I didn't notice.

The manufacture's claim of 170+ degree horizontal and vertical viewing angles appears to be true. The image is very consistent over a wide range of positions.

The backlight is relatively uniform with no "banding" but the corners are slightly brighter. It's only noticeable in a dark room with a uniform black screen or background. In other words, it's no big deal.

It calibrated surprisingly well. Unlike a lot of cheap LCDs I've tried to set up, this one can be easily set for proper pluge levels at both ends of the spectrum. The color decoder is also way more accurate than average and, with the color and tint set to 50% on the WARM color temp preset, it's very close to being properly calibrated out of the box (the is per DVE using color filters, not using a real analyzer). There's almost no "red push". It did not reproduce below black levels but this may have been the Phillips DVD player used, not the TVs fault. Greyscale tracking, based on what I could see, was quite accurate after calibration. I'm not talking service menu calibration here--just the consumer adjustments.

With the backlight turned way down, blacks are impressive, and after calibration, shadow detail was very impressive for an LCD. The blacks are also true black and not green or some other color. Whites are still plenty bright with the backlight set to 10% unless you're viewing it in a really bright room.

It remembers the CUSTOM video settings by input. So you can (and need to) set it up for all your sources.

Watching several DVDs, letting the player do the de-interlacing (i.e. feeding 480p via component), it looks amazingly good. I've seen far worse LCDs (although older) at three times the price. The scaling isn't perfect, but at any reasonable viewing distance, the average person isn't likely to see any visible problems. The color and contrast are well above average for an LCD. With good signal material, there's very little noise in dark areas. Like most LCDs, it does best on test patterns with the sharpness set to zero (no artificial edge enhancement).

Standard def 4:3 material direct from the RF input (Comcast) looks better than expected. From a reasonable viewing distance, it's quite acceptable. It offers a couple of widescreen modes and they work about as well as those you'll find elsewhere.

I tried 2 different PCs with the VGA (DB15) input that were on-hand but neither could output 1366 x 768 (a video/driver issue with the PCs) so I could NOT test it widescreen at true native resolution. I was able to feed it 1280 x 768, and there was some noticeable aliasing going on with fonts but it was certainly usable. It did look great at 1024 x 768 in 4:3 mode where it was able to run at true native resolution. For widescreen PC use, more testing needs to be done.

I was not able to test the HDMI input but there's no mention of HDCP support on the box, in the manual, or on the Emprex website. So it may work great with PCs (at least those that support 1366 x 768) but not sat/cable/HD DVD sources that use HDCP?

I was also not able to test the built in ATSC HD tuner or test it with any true HD source. As I said, the HD feed in the store looked pretty bad, but that seemed to at least be partly related to other problems.

There is no cable card slot.

Looking at the various test patterns from test DVDs via the component input, there is some "ghosting" and other artifacts on the screen likely from the scaler, signal processing and/or the A/D conversion. But from a reasonable viewing distance, watching normal content, it looks pretty darn good. The new 1080P Mitsubishi 37" looks better, but it's roughly four times the price.

Near as I can tell, Emprex is a Fry's "house brand"? I suspect this same TV will show up with other names on it. It's made in Taiwan and Fry's offers a 3 year warranty for a few hundred bucks more. It's a brand new model and they just got them in a few weeks ago.

It uses the same "8 point" mounting scheme as the Vizio 37" for wall mounting rather than "4 point square" VESA scheme used by other manufactures like Samsung. The speakers can be removed and the removable "stand" is little more than a thin base it sits directly on (adding only about 0.5 inches to the total height).

The cabinet/bezel look is fairly clean but not very elegant or expensive looking. It looks like a giant cheap LCD computer monitor. The controls, with the exception of the "hard" power switch, are on the top under a door. If you were to wall mount it, the plus is you won't see the controls, the downside is they're almost impossible to use unless it's mounted low so the top is below eye height. The remote is usable enough but nothing special. The onscreen menus are a bit awkward to navigate.

In summary, I think the Emprex 37" is in the same league as the Vizeo, Syntax, etc. but, at least at the current sale price, costs significantly less. At the (supposed?) regular price, it's priced a bit higher than some other, perhaps better, choices. Personally, I think the picture quality, at least from DVD via the component input, is at least as good as the other under $2K 37" LCDs out there. It's also at least as good as the others I've seen with SD material. The vote is still out on HD PQ, the HDMI input, using it with a PC, and the ATSC tuner for OTA HD.

If I were in the market right now, if the Emprex handles HDCP and HD content well, it would be my pick of the cheap 768 line 37" LCDs. But I'd personally consider one of the current cheap 1080 models such as the Westinghouse or Sceptre but they each have their own problems. I'm sure in a few months there will be a whole crop of new 1080 37" LCD models to choose from. If you only want it for standard def and DVDs, however, the Emprex might be a great bargain? I'm off to CES this next week so I can report more on future choices when I get back.

I bought this TV yesterday at Fry's - it's on sale for an incredible price, and I am VERY happy with the purchase so far. I should say though that I am not a videophile by any stretch, and am a noob with HD, so take that into consideration when reading my impressions.

As a frame of reference, this TV is replacing a 10 year old 25" Magnavox CRT for my bedroom. I wanted a new TV mainly for use with XBox 360, to use as a computer monitor, and for over the air HDTV. I had been checking out several different TVs in the stores, mainly the Syntax Olevias, Viewsonics, and Westinghouse LCD TVs in the 26" - 32" range. I wanted to stay in the $600-$800 range. I actually purchased the Westy LTV-27w2 because of good reviews and it looked good at the store. I kept it for a couple of days and then returned it when I saw this Emprex on sale at Fry's.

Practically everything on the Emprex looked better than I expected. Better than any of those other sets I mentioned. And it looked great right out of the box with the default settings, the only thing I changed was to turn down the backlight from the default 80% to 50%.

Colors appear rich, vibrant and natural to me. Whites look white and blacks look black. I saw the Viewsonic N2750w and N3250w at several stores, and they always appeared to have a greenish tint to them which I couldn't correct no matter how much I fussed with the settings. Like the previous poster mentioned, black level/detail is good for an LCD, they're not dark grey like I've seen on many other cheaper LCD TVs. Much better than the Westy, Viewsonics, and Syntaxs I've seen in the stores. Overall, I think the picture is very impressive, even compared to more expensive sets. I saw this set at two different Fry's (first Fry's was sold out). At the first Fry's they had it set up in the plasma TV section for some reason, playing the Discovery Channel HD. The plasmas did look better, but not by much IMO, which really suprised me. At the second Fry's they had it set up right next to a Sharp Aquos 26" LCD which was almost twice the price, both displaying broadcast HD (KCET-HD). Again, I thought the Emprex PQ was only slightly behind the Sharp's.

XBox360 on the Emprex through the HD/component cable is amazing. PGR3, CoD 2, Kameo, Madden - all stunning. Even Codemned looks great with it's mostly dark levels. I have noticed no smearing/ghosting at all on any games. I noticed no ghosting on the Westy I had either, though, and I've read some posters mention seeing ghosting on that set, so maybe I'm just not sensitive to it.

I also watched the HD Titanic movie clips which are included on the XBox 360's hard drive. WOW! I felt like I could reach into the picture and touch everything. It almost appeared like it was in 3D - it was that good. DVDs played on the XBox360 looked great also.

Over the air HDTV is equally stunning. All I had to do was connect my antenna to the co-ax input labeled "ATSC", and I am now watching the NFL on FOX in HD. Again, WOW! To me it looks nearly as good even as $4000 plasmas I've seen in stores. That's just my subjective opinion and going from memory, of course. I'm sure if I were to see it side-by-side with an expensive plasma I would notice the difference, but in my room right now watching the game, no complaints from me at all! I can't wait to watch the Rose parade and Bowl games in HD!

Standard analog cable on the Emprex really pleasantly surprised me. The Westy I returned was really horrible when it came to analog cable. Even sitting 10 feet away, the picture was very blocky/pixelated and colors were very washed out. It was so bad that it was really detracting from my being able to enjoy the shows I was watching. Being my first LCD TV, I thought this must by a weakness of all LCD TVs. So I was prepared for the Emprex to be even worse since it's 37". Was I ever surprised to see how surprisingly good standard cable looked on the Emprex. From 10 feet away it looked nearly as good as the CRT I replaced, and even from only a few feet away there was no pixelization bad enough to distract from my viewing.

As far as negatives go, there are only a few I had. Probably the biggest negative to me is that whenever I turn the TV on or off (or adjust the backlight level, for that matter) the TV makes a 'crackling' noise. It sounds similar to me to the noise older CRTs make when you turn them off only louder, if you know what I mean. It bothers me becuase I worry that something is going to break.

On the set that I saw at Fry's, I noticed that the backlight in the corners was brighter than the rest of the screen, like the previous poster mentioned. However I only noticed this when the entire screen was black. And I have not noticed this at all on the set I have at home. I don't know if it's the set or my room conditions, but I have not noticed it even on an entirely black screen.

Although the picture quality from the sides is good as the viewing angle specs would suggest (170 deg H/170 deg V), it doesn't appear as good to me as other LCDs I have seen with the same viewing angle specs.

There is only one set of component inputs. Two would have been nice.

The remote and speakers could be better, I suppose. But I'm hooked up to my home theater audio anyways.

The TV stand feels kinda cheap and barely sits above the table. A swivel stand would have been nice.

Also, I can't appear to use the PIP with 2 analog cable channels, only with one ATSC channel and one analog channel (or composite or svideo input), which kind of limits the usefulness of the PIP feature.

These are all minor gripes however, and the only one which I think could really turn people off is the 'crackling' noise when turning the TV on and off. Aside from that, I couldn't be happier with this TV. To recap, gorgeous picture quality with the XBox 360 and over the air HDTV. And surprisingly good picture quality with analog cable. I never thought I'd be able to get a 37" LCD that looks this good and has an integrated HDTV tuner, HDMI input, etc, for this price. The closest thing I have seen so far is the Vizio 37" LCD which has an MSRP of $1599. I saw that set at Costco, and while I'd have to go back and fiddle with it to say for sure, I think the Emprex PQ is better. Oh, and no dead pixels on my TV as far as I can tell. So overall, I'm a very happy camper so far!

No such noise from the one I have experience with. It does make a very soft "click" in the speakers when you turn it on (and/or off, I don't remember which?). But it didn't make any noise like what you desribed or when adjusting the backlight. So there might be something odd going on with yours?

I also forget to mention it runs cooler than any large LCD (let alone Plasma) I've yet encountered. Even after many hours of use in a warm room, the top was only mildly warm. That equates to better (lower) than average power consumption which is also a good thing for those who put a lot of hours on their TVs.

I'm glad to hear it performs well on HD material via the ATSC tuner. I wasn't able to test that. Now if someone can just report on how well the HDMI input works and if it includes HDCP? If HDMI with HDCP works well, it's a genuine bargain at the current price.

nwavguy, thanks for the very informative write-up! Your testing appears to generally agree with the impressions from my untrained eye.

I've had the TV on all day, and just turned it off and on several times just now, and no crackling noise! Just a soft click, like you said. I hope it stays that way. Could it be something that only happens the first few days until the TV is 'broken in'?

Also, I'm a noob with HD as I said. Are you saying that the HDMI input on the Emprex may not work with next gen DVD players (Blu-ray or HD-DVD)? Could you explain to me what HDCP is? While it probably wouldn't be a deal breaker for me, it was an additional selling point that I thought I would be able to hook up HD-DVD players to it when they arrive.

One more question if you don't mind, since you seem to have a lot of experience testing and servicing this stuff. Do you think the extended warranty from Fry's is worthwhile? I generally never get the extended warranties on anything. I've owned several computers, laptops, game consoles, several CRT TVs and LCD computer monitors, and a rear projection TV, and haven't had any problems with any of them. But I don't know if these new big LCDs are different, and this is the first non-name-brand I have bought. In your experience how (un)reliable are these LCD TVs and are unknown brands worse?

Also, I'd be very interest in hearing your reports from CES when you return.

HDCP is a form of digital copy protection that's currently used on most satellite and digital cable boxes that have an HDMI output when you're viewing "protected content". Protect content usually includes most movies and some other programming--especially premium programming like serial cable dramas, etc.

ALL BluRay and HD-DVD players are expected to use HDCP. It's the only way the studios will release their content in HD formats. The idea behind HDCP is mainly to keep PC owners from finding a way to "rip" HD content to their hard drives and then re-distribute it or otherwise use it in ways the studios did not intend.

So far, even some devices that claim to support HDCP, don't do it properly. Many display devices, for example, won't play nice with certain Scientific Atlanta HD cable boxes. So just having the manufacture claim HDCP support isn't an assurance (sadly) that it will actually work. Because it's a form of copy protection, it tends to be rather cranky about even minor variations from the standard (i.e. it errors on the side of assuming you're trying to do something illegal).

So yes, if you're hoping to use your Emprex with BluRay or HD-DVD, it may not work except via the component inputs. HD players are only expected to output 480p on their component outputs. So you won't be able to watch discs in their native true HD resolution on your Emprex if it doesn't properly support HDCP. Hopefully someone will answer this question soon so you can take advantage of Fry's 30 day return period if you want?

Also, for what it's worth, with a fixed pixel digital display device like an LCD panel, HDMI (or DVI) is generally a far superior method of connection. It avoids a round of D/A conversion at the source and A/D conversion at the display. The artifacts introduced in these conversions tend to degrade the image, as does the journey over the component video cables. Plus, when the display has to then scale the resulting "reconstituted" digital signal (all 768 line panels like the Emprex always scale 480, 720 and 1080 signals), further artifiacts are generally introduced on top of the D/A and A/D ones. So, in summary: Digital connection usually good, analog connection usually not so good.

As for the warranty, I would get it in this case. LCDs tend to be more reliable than plasma displays but the large ones still tend to be problem prone--there have been lots of people reporting troubles in the forums. With a no-name display, and especially if you plan to put many hours on it, I think it's good insurance. The plus is any major problem (especially if the LCD panel itself fails) will likely not be cost effective to repair and your 768 display will likely be replaced with a brand new one. The new one (assuming it's more than a few months from now) will almost certainly be 1080P and properly support HDCP. Both things will be considered mandatory on 37" LCDs relatively soon. So you'd likely get a nice free upgrade out of any failure you might experience.

Thanks. I think you are probably right. I could not find any mention of HDCP anywhere in the manual or on Emprex's website either. I was looking over the manual for the Vizio 37" LCD also, and it appears that it's HDMI input doesn't support HDCP either. This is confusing for consumers. I'll probably still keep this TV though. Part of my thinking is that with the money I save, I can afford to get a new one sooner.

Just a few updated impressions for those interested. I got the slight 'crackling' noise again today, but only the first time I turned the TV on. It seems to only happen when the TV is 'cold'. And a more accurate description of the noise is it sounds kinda like raindrops hitting a metal pane, and it lasts for maybe a few seconds.

I also have a few quibbles with the ATSC tuner. There is no way for me skip ATSC channels I do not want. There is an option to edit the ATSC channel list and mark channels as "FAV". The manual does not say what "FAV" means, but my guess is it's to make a list of favorite channels. However there is no button on the remote to cycle between favorite channels and there is no mention in the manual either. There is also an option to block specified ATSC channels but this doesn't skip them either. When cycling through channels the blocked channels still come up, just with a black screen and a message saying 'this channel is blocked'.

Another thing, I am not receiving all the OTA HD channels I should. I don't know if the ATSC tuner affects this or if that is strictly determined by your antenna. But I checked antennaweb, and all the channels are the same distance and direction from my house, and I have a large outdoor antenna pointed in the right direction. So I'd think that if I am getting strong signal strength from some of the channels, I should get the other channels also. This might not be the right forum for this topic though, so I'll check the OTA HD forum.

On a positive note, I watched the Rose Parade this morning in HD, and it was absolutely gorgeous! It was really a great showcase for how wonderful the colors and contrast are on this TV!

I connected the DVI out of my Time Warner HD box and connected it to the HDMI input of the Emprex using a DVI to HDMI cable. I'm able to watch the HD college football games on ABC. The TV displays it at XGA480P. I don't know if the games are HDCP protected but I'm able to watch them through the HDMI.

hey chili. it's good to hear from someone else who owns this TV, as there appears to be very few of us. does your TV make the noise I described? how long have you had it? any impressions after extended use? I guess I've got 27 days or so to make up my mind, but so far I am leaning towards keeping it.

At least we know the HDMI input works with 480P? But that isn't HD, so I wouldn't expect it to have HDCP enabled. I don't have a Time Warner box (I have a Comcast/Motorola HD box here) but I would expect most HD cable boxes to output either 720P or 1080i for HD programs (if not for ALL programs). Either may be a menu option in one of the setup menus for your time warner HD box? It's also possible (though not likely) the Emprex isn't reporting the signal properly.

The friend who owns the 37" Emprex doesn't have any HD sources, let alone ones with DVI or HDMI, so I can't comment on what the Emprex does with such a signal.

As for OTA broadcasts Weverhat, I would guess it's mostly an issue with your local reception rather than the Emprex tuner? The online data isn't always right about where the transmitters are located. And even if it is, very small changes in the antenna alignment/location can make a big difference in RF reception. Ever had 3 of your 4 favorite FM radio stations come in fine but one is really noisy? If you move the antenna just a few inches, the last sation is suddenly clear? The same thing can happen to HD broadcasts, but you may not pick up anything if the signal is too noisy.

I'm guessing your "crackling" noise may be a high voltage (or some other) problem with the backlight? It's also possible it's the power supply itself. It may or may not be a sign of problems to come. There isn't much else (besides the speakers) that can make audible noise in an LCD TV.

werverhat, We recently purchased the 3701P from Fry's. We are pleased with the picture, but have been unable to use the ATSC tuner. All we get is a no signal found message when I switch the source to ATSC. Just wonderd if you or anyone else looking at these posts have any ideas on this?

I think I may have spoke too soon. The picture cuts out to white noise after 10 minutes or so. I have to switch the source on the TV to get the picture back. This may be a problem with the Time Warner box through the DVI, I don't know. And yeah it is weird that I'm not getting 720P or 1080i. I know that when I connect the box to my LCD computer monitor through straight DVI, I get a HDCP error and the picture doesn't display at all.
I bought this TV yesterday at Fry's. I do hear a popping noise after I turn off the TV. It's like a few pops then it stops. I guess that's the noise the TV makes when it cools off?

Update:
I called Timer Warner and the tech told me how to set the box to 720P. Looks better now. The TV now displays XGA720P. I could also change the box to 1080i but I really don't like interlaced so I'm keeping it at 720P. She also told me that you can get 720P through component but I haven't tried that. Hopefully I won't get that white noise problem.

nwavguy, do you have the color settings you setup for your friend? I don't have the Digital Video Essentials to calibrate the TV.

RDM -

Did you do the ATSC autoscan? There's a button on the bottom left corner of the remote labeled DTV/Menu. Press it and it brings up the DTV menu. Go to channel and enter the password (default is 0 0 0 0). Then choose autoscan - it takes a few minutes and finds all the digital channels. That's all I had to do besides connect our antenna to the ATSC coax connection on the TV. I am not getting all the channels though - I am still working on that.

chili - yeah that sounds like the noise that I am hearing. My old CRT made that noise all the time, so I'm kind of used to it. I just didn't see why an LCD would make that noise.

nwavguy - thanks for the additional info. I asked on the OTA HDTV thread, and they think the same thing that it's an issue with my antenna, not the tuner.

I did write them down in case they later mess it up (which is likely). They are:

Backlight 10%
Contrast 40%
Brightness 60%
Color 47%
Hue 00% (does not apply to component inputs)
Sharpness 00%

The above settings allow you to distinguish 2% (very very dark grey) from 0% (black) and 98% (very nearly white) from 100% (full white). And setting the color to 47% yielded the most accurate levels between all 3 colors. Your results may vary with a different DVD player, however (especially the black levels). And the above is only valid for the component input.

I did notice that using the same settings on the NTSC (SD) tuner also seems to yield reasonably good picture quality (better than the default settings which blow out the whites).

Thanks nwavguy, I'll try those settings out.

So since you set it to 720p, is it working (longer than 10 minutes) with HDMI and the Emprex? If the Emprex didn't support HDCP, I'd expect you to get the same result you get on your computer monitor? So there's SOME hope it does support HDCP?

Do you know who actually makes your Time Warner cable box? It's most likely a Motorola or Scientific Atlanta. As I mentioned above, certain Scientific Atlanta HD boxes are famous for having HDCP issues. So your problems might not be the fault of the Emprex. And if your cable box will output 720p over component that gets around the whole HDCP issue but perhaps at the expense of some image quality.

Also, as an aside, I'm wondering if the Emprex is actually made by Genii in Taiwan? I say that because it looks similar to their 1080P 37" LCD, the Emprex is made in Taiwan, and Genii doesn't have any good distribution channels in the USA (yet) that I know of. So doing a deal with Frys might make sense for them? If it IS made by Genii, that might explain why it performs as well as it does. If anyone else has any additional info on the Emprex, please feel free to share it?

I've had the TV on for over 30 minutes now and no problems with the Time Warner box through HDMI at 720P. It's a Motorola box. So I guess the TV does have HDCP support. They most likely knew that Hollywood fully supports HDCP and it would be a mistake to not have HDCP. HDMI is pretty new technology too. Are there TVs that have HDMI with no HDCP?

btw, I found a way to skip the ATSC channels I didn't want. I reset the DTV settings which wiped out all the channels, and then instead of doing an autoscan I did a manual scan to add only the channels I wanted.

Yes there are TVs that have HDMI (and especially DVI) with no HDCP. They tend to be older, low-end models or intended mainly for computer use. Usually when HDCP is supported, that fact is mentioned somewhere. But perhaps in the Taiwan to English translation, they left that detail out of the documentation?

Regardless, it seems to be good news if the Emprex does indeed support HDCP. I suspect the Emprex is the first of many 37" LCDs that will end up near the $1K price point. As more 1080 line models show up, the manufactures will be forced to lower prices on the 768 models. But right now, it seems to be a genuine bargain.

The manual for this TV sucks, and the Emprex web site is equally useless. For example, it says nothing about mounting, except a note in the safety section that the unit should be wall-mounted only according to the manufacturer's recommendations -- but there aren't any! So I wouldn't interpret the absence of a mention of HDCP support to mean it isn't there.

I've been quite happy with this TV for the past 3 weeks. ATSC reception is good with an outside antenna 35-40 miles from the transmitters. I went to Fry's intending to get a 30" LCD but the Emprex was cheaper, and had a better picture, than most of those. It even looked decent compared to the nearby plasmas. (I guess I happened across one that was reasonably set up, although I did have to do some re-cabling to get a good component signal to it.) I haven't messed with a test pattern or formal setup, but in watching off-the-air TV and DVDs it's better than any CRT set I've had.

Now if I can just figure out how to hang it on the wall....

I just picked one up...really enjoying it also. The only thing that bugs me is that the set has a bit of the crackling noise when i first turn the set on....Even more so when i shut it off...it sounded like the TV is having an adjustment at the chiropractic office..What should i do? should i go back and exchange for a new one? it is kinda heavy...what about the Olevia HVS 37" ? any of you know about this piece? any info would help..thanks.

I'm hearing the same thing after I turn it on/off. It sounds like parts inside it are heating up and cooling off. Should I be worried about this?

I'm also trying to mount this on the wall, but I can't figure out how to get the base off. I've unscrewed the little triangular spaces off (pretty easy), but it's not obvious what I need to do next. I hope I don't need to take the whole thing apart do get the stand off. Has anybody figured this out yet?

(Edit to add: I also noticed this morning that when I set my Comcast STB to output 720P, it's coming in at black and white. When I switch it back to 1080i, it looks fine (all in color and everything). Is this normal?)

I picked one of these up too. I have been trying to get this working with a PC. 1280x768 and 1360x768 come in too blurry. Anyone have any luck getting it working at it's native resolution? Anyone try powerstrip?

Hey guys, I just signed up and wanted to add my two cents on this TV. I bought it because it was a deal I couldn't pass up at Frys (Chicago), 37" for the price of some cheaper 32". I liked the picture and it was sitting next to a Sharp Aquos and another name brand and I thought it actually looked just as good as the Sharp, maybe better. I got it and no complaints so far. I do notice the crackling sound when I turn it on and off, but it doesn't bother me and I haven't had any performance problems. I'm also getting an HD box from Comcast tommorow so I can't wait to start enjoying true HDTV! I hope it holds up but I did get the warranty from Frys.

manualohere, when you get your comcast HD box, could you set it to 720P? I'm getting a black and white image when I do that (at 480i and 1080i it's fine - I can see all the colors), and would like to know if it's specific to my set. Does anybody else know why this would happen?

Will do Splines. Why have you switched it to 720p, though? Is it because some programming doesn't work at 1080i or were you just experimenting with other settings?
I was curious to how much of a difference the HD box will make, I figure the HD broadcast will look awesome (DiscoveryHD, Football, etc.) and the other programming will just look normal. I guess I'll wait until they hook it up to find out for myself. Its probably posted in another forum so I'll just search.

Thanks manuelohere. I was just curious I wanted to see if I could see any visible difference between 720p and 1080i. If nobody else gets B&W, I'll try digging up another HD source to see if it's my comcast HD box.

My local news looks awesome in HD, but I wished I had something a little more interesting to watch.