HDTV/DLP/settings questions etc.

Originally Posted by bfdtv

I guess you're 6-8' from the screen? If your viewing distance is 10', you should look at the 61" model. If your viewing distance is >12', you should look at the 70".

There is one additional difference. All 88W models allow you to disable interpolated "digital" overscan through the service menu; doing so reduces overscan from ~6% to 1-3% and enables 1:1 pixel mapping, which helps to produce a sharper picture. Until very recently, this was not possible on the 87W models, because the setting would reset every time you turned off the TV. However, 87W models manufactured after November now offer this feature; on these newer units, the setting does save. Every TV (and perhaps the box, I do not know) lists the manufacturing date on the rear.

You should start with the AVIA: Guide to Home Theater DVD. Get the high-def version once you buy a Blu-ray player or a PS3.

First, avoid all Monster Cables. Put that money toward your display, stand, or Blu-ray player. You get equal or better quality cables for 1/8 the price from Monoprice.

Originally Posted by bfdtv

Did that 8' figure include the depth of the TV? With an 8' viewing distance, 56" is good for a mix of SD and HD. If you expect to use the TV almost exclusively for gaming, DVD, and HDTV, then you could step up to the 61".

I personally would choose the 61", but I don't watch many channels outside of ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, HBO, History, and SciFi, all of which are available in HD now or will be by the end of the year.

My apologies, it's a force of habit to recommend against paying excess sums for cables.

I don't own an Xbox360, so I had forgotten that it used a proprietary connection. That limits your options somewhat. If the folks on teamxbox agree that the Monster VGA is the cable to get, then that's probably what you should get.

Yes. DVE is simply an alternative to AVIA. Most on this forum seem to prefer AVIA. Both are basically step-by-step tutorials, with all appropriate patterns, to calibrate your TV for the best possible picture with DVD.

[High-definition versions of these disks are on the way.]

ISF refers to professional calibration, which typically costs $300 to $500 and requires 3-6 hours of work. That's something you can pursue in the future, but it's not something to worry about until you've had the TV for awhile. Personally, I would not even consider it unless you know the calibrator in/around your area has extensive experience with your TV. Some of the best ISF technicians in the country participate on this forum, but not all technicians are equal in their ability or experience; I would want to know that I was getting my money's worth.

What DVD player do you have?

Samsung releases its second-generation Blu-ray player, the BD-P1200, in March/April; it should run about $600-$675 on the Internet. It should provide a better picture on DVDs as well, thanks to 1080p upconversion with a Silicon Optix ReonVX processor, the same solution used in the highly regarded $800+ Denon 2930ci DVD player.

If you were planning to buy a PS3 for gaming, then you could just use that as your Blu-ray player. The only [significant] issue with using the PS3 as a BD player is that it doesn't have an IR port, which means it can't be controlled by a universal remote. The PS3 also won't pass BTB or peak white values, but most expect that to be fixed with a future firmware update. The PS3 does not offer upconversion for DVDs at this time; it may or may not do so with a future update.

That's my understanding. You should verify in the x78 owners thread.