Samsung HL61A750 61-Inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV

Samsung HL61A750 61-Inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV | SAMSUNG 61" DLP HDTV

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Samsung HL61A750 6...

	Samsung HL61A750 61-Inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV Samsung Samsung average customer review:based on 104 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

61" widescreen HDTV (16:9 aspect ratio) * built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners for over-the-air TV broadcasts (antenna required) * built-in QAM cable TV tuner receives unscrambled programs without a set-top box (cable service required) * Cinema Smooth 1080p Light Engine (1920 x 1080 pixels) * LED light engine eliminates color wheel and improves color reproduction * 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio *

Excellent choice for the price

Well, after 14 years with our 32" tube TV, we decided to upgrade to HDTV. However, we are not upgrading our satellite service as yet. So - which kind of TV to get? The choices are LCD, Plasma, and DLP. We ended up getting this model, but first let me say why we did NOT get one of the others:

LCD:
The advantage of a LCD is that is doesn't burn in images, and it has a very bright display.

The disadvantage is that it can tend to blur the moving images, unless you spring for the more expensive models. I think that most people get used to it. However, it does not look as good with Standard Definition (SD) inputs. Since we need SD input, LCD presented problems for us.

Plasma:
A plasma display has good color, great black, and works well with SD inputs.

The disadvantage with plasma is that it can burn in parts of the screen, especially if they don't change much. Since my son plays games a lot, there would be static "control areas". The newer Plasma displays have pixel shifting, where the entire screen moves (but won't be noticed), and have ways to fix any burn in. But it was still a worry.

DLP:
The DLP does not have any problem with moving images, and it has a great display. Also, it tends to be very inexpensive for the larger sizes. They are also light weight for their size, and have a thinner bezel (the area around the edge).

The disadvantages of DLP are that they use a color wheel and bulbs, both of which can fail. Also, they are deeper in back (about 16" on this model), so they are less suitable for wall mount.

The choice:
This model has all the advantages of DLP, but it also adds some features that diminish the disadvantages.

- It uses LED to light the screen, and the bulbs should last a very long time.

- It does not use a color wheel, so that will not wear out.

- LEDs are more efficient, so it uses less power.

Now on to the TV itself:

There are a lot of customizations available. It has three built in modes: Standard, Cinema, and Dynamic. Each ones sets the TV to certain video settings. The cinema works great with up-converting DVD players (I don't own a blu-ray disk yet). Or you can do your own "custom" settings. The audio is fine for normal listening - I use the TV audio for HDTV via the antenna, and a home theater system for satellite and DVD playback.

Broadcast:
Great. It will automatically scan the airwaves and assign the channels. One gripe I have is that it assigns both the air channel (analog), which looks terrible, and the corresponding digital channel, which look great. There are controls to have the set automatically read the screen resolution and change it as appropriate, and other controls to automatically adjust the volume when the channel is changed.

Standard Definition:
Very Good. Our Dish Network system runs through a home theater, which uses component video inputs to the HDTV. The picture looks almost as good as on our tube TV, when we set the screen ratio to 4:3. I haven't seen a program that did not look good yet, including our DVR playbacks.

DVD:
I am using a Panasonic blu-ray player with DVI connection to the TV and a optical sound connection to the home theater. The up-converting DVD output looks great.

Controls and connections:
All of the inputs are on the right side, which is unfortunate for me because my satellite and home theater are on the left! But it works fine with longer cables. The on-screen controls are easy to use. One thing I like is the capability of "renaming" the various inputs, so that the family knows that it is not just "component 1", but rather that it is the Cable/SATV. I'm using a Wii connected to component 2, a home theater receiver connected to Component 1, and the DVD player connected to the HDMI connector.

Problems:
The only issue I have had so far is that the WII connection via component input has a hum on the main screen and some of the game screens - not while playing, but while choosing options & etc. I will have to investigate this further. The picture is also having trouble, with some lines and other artifacts. It appears to me that the WII console is not very good at drawing the 480p picture. At this point I'm not sure if it is the WII or just the way it works with this TV.

The other issue is that stupid blue circle under the screen, which is annoying, but I finally found the menu to turn it off.

Conclusion:
This is a great choice if you have room for a 61" screen - make no mistake, this is some serious television real estate!

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SAMSUNG 61" DLP HDTV

I've had my SAMSUNG TV for almost one month. The picture is absolutely amazing. Everytime, when I watched my TV, I had to tell myself that my money was well spent. I really enjoy my TV. You cannot find a HDTV with this quality for the price. Amazon is my favorite vendor. We have purchased a lot of stuff from Amazon, and have never been dissapointed. It took me a while to find a suitable TV stand because I have a big center speaker and a receiver. I bought a Bush TV stand (Model# VS74962) at Best Buy for $249.99. The SAMSUNG TV looks beautiful on the stand.

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Big Screen Fun...reasonable price

After much deliberation and research we decided to purchase this item. We really didn't need a big screen but wanted to enjoy a theater-like atmosphere if we wanted to watch a movie. I searched many online retailers and settled on Amazon.com because of their reputation, ease of ordering, and FREE white glove delivery service. WE were not disappointed. This is a fabulous television! Brilliant colors, easy user interface, sleek look...I would definitely recommend this unit.

AWESOME set --- AWESOME Amazon Support

I'll try to keep this brief, difficult as that may be. After the "white glove" delivery and setup, I sat in front of the set truly amazed, flipping through channels for a good hour or so. I checked the quality from my satellite (AT&T U-Verse), as well as hooking up a high def antenna. Absolutely incredible! I won't go into a lot of detail about fine tuning / adjustments (it's been handled by so many people more qualified than me, already), but I do have a story to tell those who wonder if they should buy on-line ...

First, I'll tell you I have bought a number of "big ticket" items through Amazon, and have always liked their service and follow-up. This time was no exception.

The set arrived within three days of ordering (as luck would have it, I am only a 4-6 hour drive from one of their distribution centers, which may have something to do with it)! Delivery and installation were flawless. About a week later, the IR (infrared) receiver stopped working, leaving me with a set without a remote. A call to Amazon netted me an apology from the customer service rep (RARE, these days), and he arranged for an immediate replacement shipment, with absolutely no coercion on my part (and it wasn't some off-shore outfit!). The white glove folks performed their great installation procedure, once again, and boxed up the original TV, and off they went. What a wonderful support experience!

By the way, I'm NOT dinging Samsung for the IR receiver problem. That could have happened on any TV from any manufacturer. My reporting this was more to give confidence to the wary shopper who wonders if these kinds of purchases are supported as well as a local purchase; the fact is, they're better, and your investment is even more sound when there are no shipping charges and sales tax. Truly a win-win for everyone.

One last thing ... I also did my homework on HDTV's, and this set was an "upgrade" from my 14 year old 60" Mitsubishi TV, which my wife likes to point out "still works fine" (now retired to the family room). I knew that the better deal (bang for the buck, size-wise) was to consider a projection TV --- we've really enjoyed our Mitsubishi (a fine set that just wouldn't die, to give me a "proper" reason to replace it). The Samsung set was clearly rated better, had a better projection technology, and I could see the difference between the two in retail showrooms. I HIGHLY recommend the Samsung TV, and especially recommend the Amazon experience!

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Comment on DLP at the store

Very interested in purchasing this particular set; most likely will do so in a few months from Amazon. Have to say, went to a BestBuy today, where they have many huge LCDs, several huge plasmas and TWO huge DLPs on display. The DPLs looked not OK, but terrible. Same experience in a separate BestBuy. This didn't strike me as right since I have a 5 year old Samsung 42" DLP at home & the picture on all wide screen hi-def is wonderful. SO, I tooled around with some of the basic settings in the store, and it's amazing what a difference sixty seconds made. (I suspect the setting were either base or turned down and the lighting was high in one case). I'm thinking the retailer would rather not highlight the cheaper version of such large real estate when the lcd equivalent can command 3x more.
Unless you need that 3" depth, this DLP should be a winner in anyone's home plus you save a few thousand bucks. Just a little frustrating that you won't see a good display at the retailer.

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