Samsung HLN5065W 50-Inch Widescreen Projection HDTV with DLP Technology
By: Samsung Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 11
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 On: 2007-03-30
Consumers should be aware of serious design flaws which exist in Samsung DLP televisions. Cooling fans and color wheels are highly susceptible to failing. (As a non-techniocal person I should have no idea what these parts are, but alas, I bought a Samsung DLP) Expect these to fail within 1-2 years. Expect to pay approx $400 to replace the color wheel and $200 to replace the colling fan. That is, if your service technician can find them in stock anywhere. These parts are commonly in a national backorder because of the very high failure rates.
You should also expect the lamp to fail sooner than advertized. Many people need to purchase a new lamp between 1-2 years, and some more often than that. The lamp costs approx $150-$250 depending on your model, but you should be able to replace it yourself without too much difficulty. This cost will be in addition to replacement costs for the color wheel and colling fan. Please remember that these maintenance costs are recurring, and you will have to fix them again in another 1-2 years.
While I was very satisfied with the quality and performance of my DLP, my color wheel failed very early. I called tech support to report a grinding noise, and was told to "turn it off", wait 15 minutes, and turn it back on like this would fix the problem. After doing this for a while, the color wheel finally failed, actually shattered! Now I am out of warranty, and Samsung wants nothing to do with me. I have even tried ordering the part myself from two different online vendors, and they are both backordered indefinitely! It has been 6 weeks and they have no estimate for when this part will be available. Samsung cannot even give me an estimate when the supply of replacement parts is expected to meet demand. I have had my TV for 18 months, and apparently there is a national epidemic of them breaking at the same time!
I have a 42" Samsung Plasma which is a beautiful set along with a 26" CRT. Both are wonderful products, but Samsung is selling DLP LEMONS and will not stand behind them. DLP is a great bargain up front, but a maintenance NIGHTMARE! You will pay in the long run, and by the long run I mean every 2 years. If you still want to purchase a DLP television, PLEASE BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY! IT WILL SAVE YOU A TON, BUT YOU WILL STILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE CIRCUIT CITY TECH TO FIND PARTS WHICH MAY TAKE MONTHS!
I expect Samsung to abandon their design flaw riddled DLP sector, and focus on their beautiful plasma line. Expect DLP prices to drop even further, but please...LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP!
 On: 2007-01-23
I bought this in Jan 05 and was pretty happy--blown away by the HD picture quality, superior DVD quality using the component inputs, but as others have stated, disappointed by the mediocre to poor standard broadcast quality. Now that Im smarter, I see that: a) there is no ATSC (digital) tuner so I cant increase my limited selection of Comcast HD channels by receiving HD broadcasts over the air, b) no HDMI input capability, so I cant use one of the newer upscaling DVD players on the market. I would not buy this product today at any price.
On: 2005-02-18
I picked this TV up at Best Buy in November 2004, and Ive been pretty pleased with it. Its easy to set up and lightweight (approx 70 pounds), and isnt as fragile as it appears.
Im running a DVI cable from a digital cable box to this TV, and the high-definition picture is spectacular, especially for sports. This TV only offers the 720p HD output, but Ive had no difficulties with conversion from the 1080i signal. The analog signal (non-digital channels), unfortunately, is mediocre - and certain stations that have poor signals (think TBS) look terrible. It was explained to me that all DLP televisions have lousy analog pictures because they dont deal well with the 480i output that standard TV uses, but it doesnt matter why - just be aware that it is a problem, and if you want a very good picture across the board, this TV does not deliver it.
I have a pretty high-end Sony DVD player and Im a little disappointed in the picture from it. Im using good component cables and used a calibration DVD to improve the picture, but I still see a lot of artifacts and fuzziness on most DVDs. However, I cant totally blame the TV - high-quality DVDs (The Lord of the Rings movies come to mind) do look good. I guess the TV just doesnt do much to improve an average or lousy signal like the 32 inch Sony tube TV I had before it.
The setup is pretty easy to use, and the TV is packed with features (impressive PIP in particular). Menus are easy to navigate. My only criticism is that if you have several devices plugged in, going from one input to another can take a good 10 seconds as the TVs "reaction time" is very slow when you want to go from TV to DVD to X-Box, etc...
Overall, its a good, not great, TV. Im happy I bought it - and if you can still find one (theyre 3 generations old, having been replaced by the 5063 and now the 5085) at a clearance sale, it might be your best bet.
 On: 2005-01-15
Ive had this TV for 2 weeks, I am very, very satisfied. HDTV channels are fantastic. I have been a little skeptical thinking that I was going to find something that will disappoint me, but it hasnt, its one of the best purchases Ive made in a while. I spent a lot of time looking at different models and types of TV, Plasma, LCD etc... This is half the price and it looks just as good, if noo better than all but the most expensive LCD or Plasma.
Its also has a 3rd generation DLP chip, so youre getting the latest and greatest technology.
One thing to note, if you buy this TV and think you might want to upgrade the DVD, Samsung also makes 2 models that have DVI out, there is a remarkable difference even from component input. They run from $200-$250, very reasonable and the results are WELL worth it!
It will actually up-res the image to 1080i and process out the jaggies in the DVD. Simply amazing. These DVD players also have upgradable firmware. You download it from the Samsung site, burn it to a CD-R, pop it in and it upgrades the software! Easy to use, and well thought out.
Do yourself a favor, go to a store and actually see it. I sent back a Sony Wega because of some problems, and I have to say nothing beats a Tubed set for contrast and clarity, but this TV comes pretty close.
Oh yeah, its pretty narrow too. About twice the depth of a Plasma, and less than half of a regular TV, AND it only wieghs 85 pounds, so most people can manage it themselves... My 40" Wega wieghed 300... BLAH!
Ahhh 50" beautiful inches of Hi-Def goodness!
 On: 2004-08-02
Original Review (2004) We were very eager to use this product. The picture looks fantastic and the DLP technology worked wonders on old fashioned non HDTV signals. In doing research I read a review or two concerning problems with Sonys lamp startup (ie it didnt) which swayed us to purchase this Samsung product. However, 3 weeks later, the same thing reviewers wrote about on the Sony LCD is happening with our TV. It intermittently will not light the lamp. In talking with an honest sales rep at a local store, he mentioned that there were a few returns on this issue. Heading back to return product - I guess Ill wait until version 2 comes out in the future.
An update (11/05) - Its been a year and the new version I bought 3 months later and $400 cheaper is still functioning quite well.
On: 2004-08-01
Original Review (2004) We were very eager to use this product. The picture looks fantastic and the DLP technology worked wonders on old fashioned non HDTV signals. In doing research I read a review or two concerning problems with Sonys lamp startup (ie it didnt) which swayed us to purchase this Samsung product. However, 3 weeks later, the same thing reviewers wrote about on the Sony LCD is happening with our TV. It intermittently will not light the lamp. In talking with an honest sales rep at a local store, he mentioned that there were a few returns on this issue. Heading back to return product - I guess Ill wait until version 2 comes out in the future.
An update (11/05) - Its been a year and the new version I bought 3 months later and $400 cheaper is still functioning quite well.
On: 2004-06-10
I finally took the plunge and purchased the Samsung 50" DLP. And "wow" is pretty much all I can say. The picture quality is unbelievable. I finally understand why everyone is oogling over HDTV. I hooked up the DVD player (an old Sony, non-progressive scan) and I sat there dumbfounded. I started the "testing phase" with Apollo 13. Wow. I could tell very little difference between S-Video and Component Video, and while Component gets the slight edge, you have to be picky to care because the picture quality is outstanding either way. Hooked up the digital cable box... and again, two wows! The first wow is for how bad a standard television signal looks! It was embarrassing... I cant believe weve been watching this junk for decades! The second wow is for how much better the digital signal looks.I then ran out and upgraded my cable box to a HD box.... ok, this is a big wow! Its so good its almost stupid. I sat there mesmerized by this almost surreal picture. Travels through Italy, Hogans Heroes (who knew this stuff was in HD?), Three Days of the Condor, and the College World Series... it was almost like being there... actually it was better. I may never leave the house! Hookups are great. Plenty of component, s-video, and even a DVI (which I havent used yet, although my cable box does have DVI, hard to believe the picture could be better). As integrated speakers go, the Samsung sounds great. It has a simulated surround sound mode which I tested with Apollo 13 and, while not high end surround sound, I was quite impressed. This aint your daddys tv speaker. Out-of-box experience was as good as it gets. It was well packed, easy to unpack, and everything worked perfectly. The remote will not win awards for revolutionary design, but it was intuitive enough for me to get to everything I needed. My only real world experience with big screen tv is my dads Sony rear projection. What impressed me with the Samsung compared to that experienece is... you cant get too close (no tunneling), it looks great from the side, from the floor, and standing up.... you do lose a little brightness, but its still very watchable. Its not as good as plasma, but its not far off. One of my pet peeves with big screens is the finish on the glass... I much prefer the "matte" non-reflective finish of the Samsung. And when combined with the superb brightness, you can watch (and enjoy) the picture even in a brightly lit room. It wasnt easy for me to pull the trigger... Ive spent the past several years of lusting over big screen televisions... never passing up the opportunity to peruse the aisles at BestBuy and Circuit City... watching the evolution from rear projection to plasma to LCD... and nothing really impressed me (ok, the plasma did impress me, but the pricetag was beyond comprehension). But there was always something that turned me off... my dads Sony projection is cool, but when I watch a movie on it, I can see "CNN" and "Live" burned into the corners of the screen... and then I learned that you can get burn-in on plasma as well. Yikes. Then I saw the DLP... and I came close to falling in love. If youre thinking about going HD and you can afford it, you will not be dissappointed with the Samsung.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-08
We Searched for the best TV and this is what we came up with.This TV hooked up to a HI Def. signal is one of the best pictures you can get.When we hooked up the dvd player I was blown away, the picture was like glass then we had the HI Def Sat. hooked up and that was even better.I sit only 7 to 9 feet away from tv and there is no blur at all, and the best thing about DLP is to bring the tv back to new all you have to do is change a lightbulb about every 4 or 5 years.(No tech. has to come to your house to realine your tubes or color like in plasma or LCD. Also there is no way to burn image in to this screen unlike plasma or LCD.(for the kids who like to play video games.) Stay at 50 to 55 inch screen anything larger will tend to strech the picture then you get the blur! All in all the hookups are great and i can lift this tv myself.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-03-18
I got this from Best-Buy in January. It is about 2 months and the picture quality is great. HD channels look even better. Most of the SD is acceptable. One thing that annoys me about this TV is, it takes about 20-30 seconds to fireup. But I can wait that much to see the great picture. If you buy this from Best-Buy, make sure you enroll in their rewardszone program. you will get about $130 worth of gift certificates for your purchase price through rewardszone.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-02-29
For all of you out there doing your research on big screen tvs (and you really, really should), I searched for about 3 and a half months before I purchased. I picked the brains of salepersons trainers, previous owners, and the internet. To my discerning eye the DLP technology and the price put plasma tvs to shame. I mean, its just about friggin perfect! The just about part would have to deal with the regular tv signal. DVDs look crystal clear! I can actually see the actors pores in their skin its so clear. I am awaiting a time when all regular tv channels are High Definition. What I wouldnt give to see a football or basketball game in HD! With this tv, monster cable is icing on the cake! Its true, distance from the tv is key. It looks really good in my recliner, but looks even better from the kitchen or down the hall. Make sure your room is good size for the 50 inch. If the 61 inch is on your mind, a huge room is what you need. I purchased this tv at my local electronics store which truly gave me the best buy. I also purchased Direct tv, monster cable, my wifes tv (ideal if you are really into sports - she gets hers, I get mine). But I digress. If I had the choice of a plasma, LCD, or DLP it would be DLP hands down. Get the stand that goes with it and you dont have to worry about mounting anything. Its only 85 pounds for goodness sake! No 50 inch projection is going to weigh so little. And if you are mounting a 50 plasma to the wall, are you sure that whoever puts it up there knows what theyre doing? Are you willing to put your $10 grand on it? Stop reading reviews, get the DLP now. I dont care where or how, just get the DLP. Last words - 50 inch DLP and Bose surround sound is friggin perfect. We watch movies at my house!
On: 2004-02-06
I recently bought the newer version of this TV (Model# HLN507W, which can also be found at Amazon) from a local store. It was the DLP technology which sold me on it. I brought it home, hooked it up, sat down in front of it, and turned it on. However, I quickly saw why many people (on other sites) were giving this TV a bad review. The biggest complaint was that a digital non-HD picture (known as standard definition or SD) didnt look as sharp as theyd hoped for a high-end projection TV. They were right! So, disappointed, I got up and walked away from the TV towards my wife and said, "bad picture." She replied, "I think it looks GREAT!" I turned around and it DID look great! After doing some reading, here are two very important tips that Ive learned:1) Distance is key for achieving a good picture from a non-HD source!!! Even the manual gives you a mathematical way of determining appropriate viewing distance. Ive never seen anything like it. I could see the picture falling apart if I just took a step or two inside the recommended distance, but it looked excellent otherwise. I should probably note that the distance issue is almost eliminated when you are viewing from a HD source like a HD tuner or DVD player that has progressive output. 2) Think long term!!! This TV was not built to impress those who are satisfied with a SD picture. Any complaints about the TV that I (and most others) have had deal exclusively with a non-HD picture. This TVs picture when viewing from a HD source is second to none! Its far better than any plasma or LCD screen Ive seen -- thanks to DLP. The day is fast approaching when all transmissions will be in HD, and when that day arrives, then there should be NO complaints about this TV. Its HD picture is simply stunning!
by: Anonymous On: 2004-01-30
Bought this 50" TV at a Delaware Best-Buy in the middle of January 2004. With the 10% off coupon plus $200 sale the price went down to about $3450 (no tax in Delaware). Not bad at all! With much lower price than most plasma TV with similar size I can still buy accessories like monster DVI cable, HD DVD player and voltage stabilizer. Also fits in my van!The TV is being hooked to Comcast HDTV and to Samsung HDTV DVD player. The picture is awesome and excellent. White color really looks 99.99% white, thing that I believe cannot be reproduced by regular projection TV. Besides, this TV is much lighter than even my 32" Sony WEGA TV. So far so good. I dont have any complaint. I am even thinking to buy the larger one (61") to put in my bedroom. Oh btw, dont buy those accessories like monster cables, etc, in Best Buy, Circuit City, etc., they are more expensive. If you can wait, order thru amazon! Overall, this is a good investment!
On: 2004-01-13
I first saw this TV at BestBuy and was quite hooked on it. The clarity is exceptional - with a good quality signal input (HD, DVD), you wouldnt be able to tell the difference between this set and an HDTV plasma.
I did lots of research before finally buying it from a reputed dealer on ebay. But I found out lots about this type of TV (DLP). I wont go into details of DLP, theres a very good site for this: http://www.dlp.com
But DLP is what makes this TV so wonderful. Remember, this really is no ordinary Rear projection TV. It has a 100W light bulb - this is the only component that needs maintenance (life span of the bulb is 8000 hrs, about 4 years). The screen does not age or burn in and theres no calibration of lenses, etc. So essentially, when you replace the light bulb (about $200) its as good as a brand new TV all over again.
As for the TV I purchased - it was plug and play. Simply wonderful, even with ordinary (Not digital) cable. (My cable provider is Comcast). The Tuner on the TV, even though sophisticated enough to have fine tuning, did not give as clear a picture as my Sony VCR Tuner (connected to one of the RCA inputs at the back of the TV) - so I watch cable through my Sony VCR. But its clear enough.
I use a JVC DVD player and I hooked this to one of the component inputs at the back of the TV - the picture is just awesome!
The sound is not that great, but okay - the TV has this BBE (Bass Enhancement) option that gives a good punch.
I was able to program the remote to work both my Sony VCR and JVC DVD player, not bad!
Update: Ive had this TV for about 3 months before I realized that my old DVD player was not giving a progressive scan output. So I bought a new DVD player with progressive scan output and the picture is even better!
Also, where inputs on this TV are concerned, youd be hard-pressed to find a better TV. This one has it all, as listed below:
1) ONE DVI input - you definitely want an HDTV with this type of input, its the clearest form of HD signal you can get today.
2) TWO High Definition component inputs (they can handle 1080i and 720p) - this is also a very high quality HD signal, but it is analog as opposed to DVI which is purely digital.
3) ONE regular component input (handles only 480i).
4) TWO S-Video inputs
5) TWO regular (RCA jack) video inputs
6) ONE VGA input used for your connecting your PC to. This is nice if you want to do a presentation from your PC using the TV as a monitor.This TV may drop in price, but is really becoming popular for obvious reasons. If you see it anywhere on sale, go ahead and buy it, I highly recommend it!
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