LCD OR DLP?

[rmims404]

I currently have a 42" plasma set (Audiovox) and I am looking to upgrade to a larger screen (50 to 60"). I am considering a Mitsubishi 60" DLP set and I have also looked at 52" LCD sets by Samsung, Philips and Sony. The Mitsubishi goes for 1,400.00 at Best Buy, the Samsung goes for $1,999.00 at Best Buy, Philips for 1,900.00 at Walmart and the Sony for about 2,300.00 at Handy TV. For those of you that have seen a DLP and LCD for comparison, could you give me a recommendation as to which one you prefer? I generally view from 10 to 12 feet away almost straight in front of the set I would also like a good side viewing angle for visitors. Thanks.

 

[bill93civic]

i currently have the Mitsu 57" Dlp and the only thing im concerned about is the price of the bulb when it goes out, was told initially its gonna cost about $300 when it goes out. estimated lamp life is 800-1000 hrs, and if it goes out within the first yr Mitsu will replace the bulb free of charge. ive had the unit for about 5 months now and my only complaint with it, is it doesnt have a PiP feature. the LCD i have in my bedroom has color issues if not sitting directly in front of it, had to prop it up in the back to angle it down to be seen from my bed. i live in an older mobile home that doesnt have wall sturdy that would support a wall mount.

 

[bhelms]

I have a Sony 52" LCD direct-view TV. I never explored the cost of replacing the backlight or whether or not it is owner-replaceable. However most of the current technologies have bulb replacement costs at some level to be considered in the overall cost of ownership. That said, the life of the backlight in a direct view LCD is substantially longer than that of the lamp in projection displays, with >60,000 hr. "halflife" typical. This display has ~170 deg. horizontal viewing angle, but admittedly not the best when off-axis more than about 45. deg. However, I don't see any real vertical issue. I also view in the 12-15' range, mostly on-axis, sometimes lying on my back at about level with the TV base. I never owned a DLP so I can't give any comparison. But I am quite happy with the ones I have. I also have an older Sony 40" LCD that is serving quite well. Both are XBR Bravia models...

 

[jayn_j]

I went into BB over my lunch hour today. All rear projectors had been moved out of the home theater area and into the clearance racks. They mostly had yellow tags. Might be some deals there, but look quickly. The Mitsu LED DLP had already disappeared when I was there.

My BB seems to be slightly ahead of other stores in closing out stuff. We were about a week ahead of most in dumping HD-DVD.

 

[allargon]

i currently have the Mitsu 57" Dlp and the only thing im concerned about is the price of the bulb when it goes out, was told initially its gonna cost about $300 when it goes out. estimated lamp life is 800-1000 hrs, and if it goes out within the first yr Mitsu will replace the bulb free of charge. ive had the unit for about 5 months now and my only complaint with it, is it doesnt have a PiP feature. the LCD i have in my bedroom has color issues if not sitting directly in front of it, had to prop it up in the back to angle it down to be seen from my bed. i live in an older mobile home that doesnt have wall sturdy that would support a wall mount.

My 57" Mits has PiP. The bulbs (sans housing) are about $150 on E-bay. Mits is trying to get them down to less than $100.

 

[teachsac]

I prefer the picture of the DLP over the LCD, especially in larger sizes. They also have the most bang for the buck. MitsuDLPs are extremely cheap right now. Price has dropped in half in 2 years.

S~

 

[tigerfan33]

I have the Sammy 52650. Awesome picture. The off angle on this is not nearly as good as the plasma but neither is the DLP. I use to have a DLP and plasma and have left those behind for lcd. Samungs LCD, I believe are the best on the market and compared to the Sony are cheaper.

 

[Stargazer]

I have been looking at the DLP with the LED bulb that lasts over 60,000 hours. Samsung was supposed to have a 67 inch model but some of the 71 inch models report having them when they do not on ebay and amazon (at least they did the last time I checked those sites out).

 

[69Mustang]

Sammy LCD

I sold my 4 yr/old Sammy 50" DLP for their new 52" LN52A650- 120hz. I have had it for about 2-3 weeks and after changing the picture settings to CNET's movie recommendations I have to say at this point in time I am very impressed and pleased with the PQ. Not to say that there isn't anything else better, but in my opinion very good. During my dlp ownership I did change out the lamp/color wheel 2 times both under the ext. warranty. Good luck.

 

[toto]

Other than LED or Laser backilight all rear projection DLPs are faced with bulb replacement and color wheel failure in less than 5 years. There is also the off axis viewing issue. Advantages-- if you want a set larger than 55/60" rear and front projectors are the only game in town. Many manufacturers have stopped manufacture of all rear projection. Flat panel is the only game in town. Make it easy think "S" for LCD and "P" for plasma. Sony Samsung Sharp Pioneer and Panasonic. Stay away from third teir sets you'll be much happier in the long and short run.

 

[jayn_j]

I think you are overstating the case a bit, Toto. The lamp replacement is an issue that needs to be factored in to the total cost of ownership. However the 5 year color wheel lifetime is way below manufacturers specs. You also need to factor in that a bulb replacement generally brings the set back to original brightness.

However, I agree that availability will ultimately be the factor, and that this will be decided by the large B&M outlets (see post above).

 

[tjgood]

I'll throw in another brand. I've got a 56" Toshiba DLP. First bulb lasted less than 6 months, warranty replacement is over two years now. EASY replacement by a non-techie.
Viewing distance is +- 10 feet, excellent off-center picture, constant comments from visitors on picture quality.
What ever you buy, make sure you calibrate it; getting off the factory defaults makes a world of difference.

 

[Zookster]

If DLPs are on their way out, then that can only mean replacement bulbs, flywheels, and other parts will be harder and more expensive to come by in the next 3-5 years. If you want to max out screen size on a tight budget, get a DLP on clearance now, knowing you'll replace it in a few years with a comparably sized LCD or plasma when the prices come down more.

I personally would get a 52" Samsung for under $2,000. Check online for cheaper prices. Many retailers, including Amazon, will even offer 12-24 mo. interest free financing.

 

[allargon]

You all forget that LCD's and plasmas lose their brightness, too. When, they're done, they're done. Rear projection sets just need a new bulb. Front projectors use bulbs, too. They're still around. Therefore, a need for replacement bulbs will still exist.

Lamp life is waaaaaaaay more than 800-1000 hrs. In fact, you're missing a zero. It's like 8000-10000 hours. Most people who care about image quality change theirs around 6-7k.

For big screens, DLP (or even SXRD) is the way to go. For huge screens > 73", use (duh) front projection. For large screens < 60", consider plasma. I wouldn't consider LCD and its inaccurate color reproduction for any set over 40". That's just MHO.

To the OP, 10-12 ft. away is too far to notice the benefits of a 1080p for a 52" set. You want your screen size to be 65" or larger. If you're willing to spend $2k on a 52" set, why not spend it on a 73" instead? Bigger is always better! :

 

[mike123abc]

Rear projection is suffering on several fronts:

Higher fuel costs make their volume more expensive to ship - they can load a container with 200 RPTVs or 400 flat panel for the same cost. Flat panel have a better shipping density. These are not overweight items so it is the volume that costs not the weight.

Flat panel prices are dropping faster and getting larger. Forcing RPTVs to get larger and larger to compete. 50" and smaller is pretty much all flat panel now.

For reasons I do not understand the price of the RPTV components is not dropping fast. Perhaps TI wants to make too much money on the DLP chips. Essentially going up in size is a brighter light bulb and a bigger box. A 50" RPTV should be $700, a 75" $1000.

 

[toto]

Most manufacturers rate bulb life at 6 to 8000 hrs. That's about right if you have power backup and leave the unit off at least 30 minutes before re starting. Bulbs from Sony and Samsung JVC and others are in 200 dollar price range. Half life on most plasma and LCd sets is 60000 hrs, thats 8 hours a day for 20 years. If backlights are changed to nano materials that could be many times as long. Most front projector units ratings are 2000 to 3000 hrs for HD high contrast units. DLP color wheels are about 1100 bucks to replace. If you want rear projection because of size look for RGB LED backlighting eliminates color wheel and bulbs, if available they will not be cheap.

 

[jpmarto]

I am very impressed with my DLP's. I have a 52" 1080p Mitsubishi, and a 50" 1080i/720p Samsung. The color wheel for that is on Amazon for under $100. I also have a 32" Visio LCD, the major problem is that I wish I had bought a bigger one. I'm probably going to eventually buy a 67" Samsung (or equivelant) with the LED DLP.

There are advantages and disadvantages either way you go, but the technology is so awesome you're a winner either way. I for one am afraid of large LCDs, because my experience with notebook computers is that pixels die off and nothing can be done about it.

FWIW, I have yet to see a TV at Best Buy that wasn't beaten in price hands down by Amazon. Keep in mind, Costco extends the factory warrantee to 2 years, and will take the TV back within 90 days.

 

[jayn_j]

There are advantages and disadvantages either way you go, but the technology is so awesome you're a winner either way. I for one am afraid of large LCDs, because my experience with notebook computers is that pixels die off and nothing can be done about it.

To be fair, the DLP can also have stuck pixels. I've got one stuck on my Toshiba.

 

[navychop]

No more brand name LCoS RPTVs, sorry to say. No more DILA or SXRD. The only rear projection technology still selling by name brands is DLP. Glad I got my 61" JVC when I did. I just wish I'd have known they were discontinuing them- I mighta bought a 70" set.

 

[AZ_Sky]

I have a 52" Toshiba DLP (52HM84). I've owned it for three years now.

At year two I had the bulb blow, I bought a replacement and a spare ($250ea).
It has been working fine and I like it a lot but I'm about to replace it.

I will be replacing it with a 52" Toshiba LCD (53XV540U).
There are two main reasons I want to replace it, first my DLP is 720P and I want 1080P with the 120Hz refresh rate, second is that I think the black level on the newer LCDs is better than the DLP sets.
Also of course, there is no bulb issue with the LCD.

Personally, if I were you, I'd just go look at both types and choose the one that you thinks looks the best - it's all subjective....