The new RTi's first glance for me, not impressed

eclypse · October 2003

np.. If you can find the 61" on display that is.. No store i've been to does... I've been everywhere around my area that sells it and the biggest one i can find on display is the 50".

polkatese · October 2003

thanks for the heads up, I am thinking of dropping by CC, but I guess I need to call them first to make sure if they have it on display. Do you have the dimension/size - WxH? It looks big on your pics...thanks

eclypse · October 2003

Originally posted by polkatese
thanks for the heads up, I am thinking of dropping by CC, but I guess I need to call them first to make sure if they have it on display. Do you have the dimension/size - WxH? It looks big on your pics...thanks

Its about 40" tall x 56 1/2" Wide x about 19" deep.. The base on this is 14 1/2 Deep x 38" Wide.. Those measurements i never knew before ordering it.. Plus i could find them online either about the base. It would of came in handy for finding a good Tv stand for it.. Though i went with what the salesmen said.. the only thing they had in the store for a 50-61" DLP/plasma and it will fit perfect.. But it only has one shelf.. if i would of known that the Tv base was only 38" wide i could of got something better for a smaller set and it would of had more selfs on her.

jim_r · October 2003

Samsung cant make them fast enough! The picture never will burn out burn in..

I think this will be what will win over the LCD and plasma in the future.

So why is DLP better than LCD? I was told that the gray side bars when whatching a 4:3 picture will not burn in on a LCD either.

polkatese · October 2003

thanks for the info on the measurement. I am still amazed with the size, CC doesn't have it on display, as you mentioned in most places. It seems there are a few pocket of few shops that actually have them in stock. oh, well...

eclypse · October 2003

Polk.. if price is a concern which for most and me it is.. I got mine for 3600.00.. Well 4500.00 out the door but thats after adding the Tv Stand,5 year warrenty and the tax.

If ya dont have a large room for proper viewing.. Like most feel that your sitting area should be somewhere around 100" from the screen go with one of the smaller screens like the 50 or better the 56".

Jim_r.. i tried to find the article that i read earlier today but after spending about a half hour i gave up.. Basicly put the test they did compared the DLP to the LCD and ran them for over 2250 hours.. The LCD screen was all warped very bad and the colors all off.. a total distorted image.. The LPD.. Was the same since the first min.. There figuring that since the picture is prue digital that the screen will last behond what they can imagine. So in essence.. The LPD will be the same 5-10 years from now as the first day ya turned it on.

Also with a LCD you'll get burnt out pixels.. ya might even get a few with the tv when ya first turn it on.. most will only warrent up to so many pixels.. i've heard it can cost a crap load to have it repaired.. and for what? The screen will be totally useless after 2000+ hours.

DLP is not perfect yet either but i'll tell ya what.. hehe.. Its one hell of a picture and i havent touched a single setting yet since i've been so busy dealing with the speakers and resurch.

jkratzer · October 2003

Any problems with rainbows with the Samsung? I hear rainbows are a problem for some people with DLP projectors depending on how fast the color wheel spins.

eclypse · October 2003

Nope never seen one.. i also hear that the prob was fixed with the 2nd generation DLP chip.. Which is in the new Samsung HLN... models.

polkatese · October 2003

eclypse,
I went to Great Indoors and turn out they have a couple NIB and a display. It was on dishNet HD, and I spent about half an hour playing with it. I have to say, I am not that impressed. The thing that was annoying for me, was the blockyness during transitions. You had mentioned earlier about this, are these typical DVI problem? I have my Pioneer Elite RPTV PRO-520HD on Component right now, and never displayed this problem. I wonder if this is a DLP characteristic and fixable by firmware. Overall, I am not too impressed with it, and thinking it might be setup related. Btw, GI sells them at $4999 + tax, along with CC, Crutchfield. How did you get yours so below market?

Speaking of GI, they have LSi15 on display. What is interesting, they have the first generation of LSi15 (beveled top) on display. Original price $749.99, new low price $750 each (yeah, no typo, is on display) The sales guy look at that, and told me I can get the original price (whoopee)

No explanation, just pure ignorance and stupidity...btw, price is no negotiable, but they will PM with authorized dealers....

eclypse · October 2003

I dont know polk.. i'm still learning about it myself.. Those block probs were addressed with an update fix.. but that was with the old HLM models.. That aint supposed to happen with the new sets.. Though i've seen it. Not on the HD channels though. You can clearly see it when ya watch a non digital channel..meaning bad recording. It really could of been a bunch of factors. Like the cables being used.. like some cheapies.. or they were installed in the wrong inputs on the back.. Theres a few differenet sets.. one thats only 480p/480i.. another thats 480p/720p/1080i. Hell the set could of been set up with just a Svideo cable.. Or it could of been just that the single was just a regular cable channel that was blown up(with a setting on the tv) to fit the screen, like 1080i. That would be enough to distort the image a ton.. Just like with a digital camcorder.. Ya know when ya go off of the optical zoom to the digital zoom? All that does is just inlarge the image..which would make it all blocky and nasty.

yeah thats one of the things thats wired with the tv...that inorder to watch a digital channel or HD channel you have to use the RGB inputs that can use the 480P/720p/1080i.. Well you can watch them with just a svideo but man is it ugly obviously..hehe. But ya cant watch a non digital recorded source with the RGB cable.. ya have to swap back over to the Svideo cable or the RGB on the 480i input... ofcourse other sets might be the same, i dont know cause i never messed with any other set.

Also you have to stand a good distance from the tv and it will look smooth.. ofcourse you probably know this.. and ya did watch a HD channel.. next time play with the input cable selection menu and see if you can change to a RGB or DVI..

Another thing is that i cant test the DVI with my cable box set.. I have the newest Comcast that has a DVI out.. but for some reason it wont work even though the tv says its connected.. I can use it though with the Samsung 931 DVD player that i have and yeah i notice some blocks once in a while.. i dont know what it could be but i'm thinking it might be the DVD player.. I havent heard many good things about it.. One thing thats bad is that samsung added some damn Edge Enhance feature that is not needed with DLP sets.. Now a regular rear projector CRT yeah since there known for blurry soft edges.. So i'm thinking about returning that and going with a better player but that would cost me 600-1000 and i dont think so hehe.

Mainly i'm thinking it boils down to how the source was recorded and the cables you use and the screen rez for the source. Do all that right and it will be a smooth **** picture.

P.S. some stations dont do justic to HD.. Like HBO.. They like to inlarge the image to fit the screen so theres no gap at the top and bottom.. so you lose 2 inches on both. A true HD picture will still have black bars at the top and bottom..Watch showtime HD and you'll see a true HD picture..

I havent messed with it that much though.. i'm sure playing around with the picture gama and other settings will make it that much more perfect.. i've watched Star wars: Clone wars and it looked great! The colors are so freakin bright and vivid and rich.. Its mindblowing really.. i never seen a picture look so good. i also watched Flatliners on showtime HD and wow the colors again! Great picture...

I still have'nt attempted to hook up my Xbox and play some Soul Calibur II that can play at 720P.. i'm gona flip forsure..

eclypse · October 2003

Oh yeah.. thats crazy about the LSi15s.. When i asked about them the salesman said 1000.00 for the pair NIB black.. The ones on display were 700 a pair.. crazy eh? heheh.. like i said i should of buged them about the other matching speaker prices.. i might of walked outa there with a monster smile from ear to ear.

i'm going back there tommorw to pick up another Audio rack to match the one i got there yesterday.. i'm gona stand both on the sides of the TV toed in and put the 70's on the sides of them.. Its gona look sweet.

Oh those cherry 70's.. NICE! DAmn nice i say.. Looks a hell of alot better then in the store.. Even my wife said.. ahhhh.. nice. i was like huh? YEAH i dont have to paint them.. but then she says.. yeah there nice looking but it dont match!.. Well shes right. The black and silver Tv next to 2 black audio racks.. the cherry dont fit.
But i will addmit that i was wrong about the cherry and i wouldnt mind it so much if the rest of the set matched and was'nt black.

polkatese · October 2003

eclypse, thanks for your feedback. So, once you're done tweaking it, please let me know if there is a way of completely fix the blockyness of this beast. The other thing I noticed, the color was setup on movie and standard mode, and I believe on warm setting. I thought the color and picture were a bit soft and not as vibrant as I like it to be. Is it fair to say, compared to RPTV (i.e. my PE), DLP colors are softer?

jdhdiggs · October 2003

Softer? on the DLP? That really shouldn't be happening if I'm understanding your term correctly. If anything, the colors should be more vibrant. The main stregth of DLP TV's vs. any type of competitor is in its color contrast and accuracy.

When I walk into an Ultimate Electronics or a Best Buy, I can tell a DLP screen from as far away as you can see it when the set is properly tuned. Most stores do a bad job of setting up these sets (bad cables, wrong settings for the channels, etc...)

The only problem with DLP sets is they're heavier and thicker than plasma/LCD (Still skinny) and the lightbulb/s burn out after about 2000 hours and cost about $300 to replace.

I have been in the TI DLP demo rooms several times and have yet to see anything come close to some of the current and next generation sets.

polkatese · October 2003

jdhdiggs,
that's actually my point. It could very well be the setup that messed up. I expect, on HD source, the picture to be very life like, and that wasnt' the case. Compared to the plasmas on display, the difference is very obvious..

eclypse · October 2003

The only problem with DLP sets is they're heavier and thicker than plasma/LCD (Still skinny) and the lightbulb/s burn out after about 2000 hours and cost about $300 to replace.

$300 bucks? Man i hope your guessing. ya know i was under the impression that the tv used a regular 120 watt lightbulb.. Man theres always a catch.. Yeah i did notice the blue light coming out of the back left side where the bulb was the other night.. I said to my wife that, that aint no regular balb.. i hope it dont cost us like 500 to replace.. And if your right its pretty close.

jdhdiggs · October 2003

It is $300. The reason being is that it has to be perfectly white or consistant light. Most light bulbs have funky colorations that you normally wouldn't notice in a light fixture, but you really would notice on a TV. If a color of light isn't perfect, the colors projected throught the filter will be off.... Thus special bulbs and high costs.

The $300 dollars might include the employee discount (I can't find the retail prices) so it might be worse.

VR3 · October 2003

Im confused, what picture fades in 2000 hours?

eclypse · October 2003

Originally posted by jdhdiggs
It is $300. The reason being is that it has to be perfectly white or consistant light. Most light bulbs have funky colorations that you normally wouldn't notice in a light fixture, but you really would notice on a TV. If a color of light isn't perfect, the colors projected throught the filter will be off.... Thus special bulbs and high costs.

The $300 dollars might include the employee discount (I can't find the retail prices) so it might be worse.

Oh boy.. My 61" uses a bigger bulb at 120 WATT.. all the other models use a 100. The wifes not happy at all about this.. And once again i take the heat for it.. I guess as the saying goes "Only believe half of what ya see, and half of what ya read"

Well i guess i cant complain too much.. Atleast the picture will be perfect after the switch.. ya cant say that about other tv's.

It would be nice if Samsung would inform the potential customer about the damn bulb before hand.. i swear i remember reading that it was just a regular 120watt lighbulb.

eclypse · October 2003

Originally posted by Vr3MxStyler2k3
Im confused, what picture fades in 2000 hours?

Thats after 2000+ hours of use on the LCD.. the image becomes distorted and uneven colors. I've seen pictures of it side by side a DLP but i cant find the damn article now.

AHHH.. i've found it! Like doh.. look ont eh desktop under the pile of other freakin links. DLPvsLCD

jdhdiggs · October 2003

I went and talked to the DLP TV demo people yesterday and asked them about the bulb issue. They said that the bulb is rated for 2000 hours which, in their minds, means 5% of bulbs will fail before that period and then the failures start to mount more frequently. However, one of the TV's they have on display has been going 24/7 for three years with no issues, the others less time with no replacements, so I don't know what to tell you, maybe it's turning it on andd off that messes with the bulb.

The good news is that Plasma, LCD, and DLP TV's all wear out about as fast, but the DLP will be much easier and cheaper to fix where the other you have to live with the degradation in picture or replace the whole screen.

eclypse · October 2003

Ok thanks jd,

Man i finally got a tv stand for this baby and boy did it do the tv justice getting it off the ground.. Later on today i'll post pics if i get it all hooked up!

polkatese · October 2003

2000 hours can be used up pretty fast, especially in my household (with kids):

Let's do a quick math: average of 6 hours/day x 7 days/week x 52 weeks = 2184 hours

Is it a fair assumption? or a different way of looking at this: $300/2000 hours = $.15/viewing hour

jdhdiggs · October 2003

Compared to the cable bill, it's downright cheap... But hey, you could be one of the lucky ones that get into the 26,000 hr range.

This replacement is also covered by your extended warrenty as well so not to worry.

eclypse · October 2003

Ya know i was thinking about that with the extended warrenty i bought.. 5 years total. Wierd thing is how come Samsung wont replace the bulb free under there warrenty? Oh yeah.. its only 1 year.. Well i hear its really a year and a half if you register it online.. Remind me i gota fill out all those warrenties.

5 year warrenty..

should buy a few bulbs.

muzman · April 2004

I know the thread is now about DLP high def TVs, but I wanted to ask a question regarding the original post, i.e. RTi8 spikes.

I like the looks of the spikes and frankly I'm glad they are plastic because I will place them on my hardwood floors. I don't think these plastic spikes will scratch my precious floors

, but does anybody know if they would dent it

? Has anybody placed these speakers on hardwood floors? Should I be worried?

Airplay355 · April 2004

id be worried, speakers arent light and even if they arent very sharp they can still dent your floor in some way. and if they arent denting your floor then i would be worried about the stability. i have a b&w subwoofer with similar spikes on it, and they dont dent the floor because the sub isnt very heavy (only an 8") but that sub slides around like crazy. and thats just a sub, imagine a tower sliding around.....scary

randomdestructn · April 2004

Yeah, i might be worried. Mine arent on hardwood, but the speakers are pretty heavy. 65lbs i think it says. Though the plastic ones are much rounder than metal ones ive seen. they dont come to near the point of the others.

Also, you could put something under them to protect the floor. But dont think of using the speaker w/o them. That plastic piece at the front comes down below the bottom of the speaker, and will make it not sit right and EXTREMELY tippy w/o 'em. Though that would be easy enough to fix too with a diff't stand.

I cant say much about the sliding. but mine are on carpet, so they're quite stable.

Ah and about the grille thing. i just dont put mine on right. I take them off to listen to them, so i just snap the top of them in. They look normal unless you study its lines from the side, and come off in .5.

The new RTi's first glance for me, not impressed

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