Some tips for the home theater junkie and a review of the Samsung 61-inch 1080p DLP TV.
3 Steps to get the Finance Committee on Your Side
From: Sharing the Dream, by John Hefter, Home Theater Magazine, July 2006
All
guys want to buy new HT gear. We are no exception. The problem is
that most of the time our significant others aren't as dedicated to
High Definition as we are. So how can we try to convince that
significant other to see it our way? Better yet, can we help them see
that they really do want exactly what we want? It sure doesn't hurt to
try.
1. Timing is key.
If you're short on funds, that's probably
not the best time to ask for a new $5000 television. Wait until the
cash situation has stabilized before broaching the subject. If
possible, make your request just after an influx of income, such as a
bonus or nice tax return. That way you're not eating into her clothes
budget. The absolute best timing is after the last big purchase was
something she wanted, like a new sofa or some designer something or
other.
2. Make the purchase about "us" not "me"
Try to help her
see how much benefit she would get from the purchase. Don't explain
resolution, scan lines or up conversion. Tell her that ice skating is
in high definition now. Remind her how awesome it would be to watch
"The Notebook" on a big screen TV with surround sound. You'll feel
like your right there in the rain storm with them. Don't forget the
date factor. Convince her that staying home to watch a movie can be
just as fun a date as going to the theater, and you don't have to get a
baby sitter.
3. Let her decide
Once you've softened her up to the idea
with steps one and two, go for the gusto by giving her the power. Take
her to your favorite dealer and let her experience the choices you'd be
interested in putting in your home. Let her listen to the two speaker
options to see which she thinks sound better. You may be able to sway
that decision with some key phrases like "wow those sound a lot better
than the last ones." She'll tend to go for form over function, but if
she gets to help decide what to purchase, she'll be much more in favor
of buying than if you simply told her what you were going to bring
home. If you have your heart set on one particular model, this may be
a challenge - you'll have to convince her that she wants the same one
you do. Good luck with that...
$3250 (US) Street Price
Right off the bat this seventh generation DLP TV really needs to be calibrated. The default setting is Dynamic. Waste
no time changing that! There is nothing good about that setting. Even
if all you do is set it to Standard or Movie mode it will improve your
viewing experience. This DLP is an improvement over previous models. It
has a higher contrast ratio that does much better in dark scenes.
Detail that is not visible in previous models is now easily seen.
Bright scenes look quite impressive. DVD's scale nicely and look good.
Some look almost HD and others look just OK, but that's a function of
the DVD.
Standard
definition content is pretty good but not great. If
you are only watching SD content you won't looking at an HDTV anyway.
This is truly a set that will make your HD viewing a pleasure. In the
US that should not be a problem because there is a lot of content in
HD. Pretty much the only SD
we watch are children's programs. If you have a good upconverting STB
this will improve your SD experience. Fast action did not do well and
we can't understand why. A DLP mirror can be switched on and off 15,000
times a second. It is possible that it is due to the fact that the
sports (basketball) we were watching was at 720p and 720p doesn't scale
very well to 1080p. But the SONY SXRD does not have this problem.
Movies, on the other hand, looked great. Especially stuff on HBO and
HDNET movies.
For gamers Samsung worked with Microsoft to
create a mode that is optimized for gaming. So if you own an XBox 360
this TV might be worth a look. If you feel games should only be played
on PCs the TV has you covered there as well. There is a PC input that
supports a resolution up to 1920X1080.
This
TV uses a faster five segment color
wheel. Even with the improved color wheel we were still able to see
rainbows but we really had to try. This design has improved, at least
for us, the rainbow affect. We'll have to wait for the LED version to
see if it is completely eliminated. Menu navigation is simple and has
many of the same settings as previous models. The cabinet is great
looking. The speakers are barely noticible. Samsung is calling
their new speaker system DACS (Dedicated Acoustic Chamber Speakers).
According to Samsung this feature is comprised of dual dedicated
acoustic chambers for low-range, separate mid/high-range speakers, and
with a robust 10 Watt x 2 audio system. What does that boil down to?
Who cares? Your going to run this through your home theater anyway,
right? Seriously, the sound is very good considering the speakers are
hidden away nicely. The TV only weighs 81.7 lbs (37.1 Kg) and is 17.6
inches (44.7 cm) deep.
Key Specs:
- Resolution 1920X1080
- 10,000:1 Contrast Ratio
- Faster 5 segment Color Wheel
- Great looking Cabinet
- Two HDMI inputs
- Built in ATSC Tuner with Cable CARD Slot
What we Liked:
- Bright Vivid color
- Nice detail in dark scenes
- Reduced Rainbow effect
- Great looking cabinet
- Quieter than previous models
What we disliked:
- Fast action sports upconverted from 720p did not look very good
- Standard Definition not as good as some other TVs
