Gateway 56" Widescreen HD-Ready DLP Rear-Projection TV
By: Gateway Average Rating: 2.5 Total Reviews: 10
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 On: 2007-05-06
Bought mine in January 2004. Had a minor user manual error at startup that warranted a service visit before we could start using it. After that initial problem, was very pleased with the performance of the set. Outstanding picture quality and our first bulb lasted right at 10,000 hours. But, as mentioned by others the bulb replacement cost was ridiculous. I expected around $200 or less when purchasing the set. No 3rd party supply, so they basically bent you over. I bought my bulb from Visio at the same cost just to keep from handing any more money to Gateway. The color wheel bearing is now getting real noisy in the last few days. Called Gateway for a spare part. They dont sell just the color wheel, you have to buy the optical engine for $2000. Yea, right. Samsung DLP color wheels are $110 and you can install them yourself. Ill check with Visio again.
Looks like anyone who bought this set got screwed. I also went up the chain on their service line and got the Executive Review Team address. I will send my letter, too, but with their company stock at $2/share I dont expect much satisfaction. Gee, I wonder why their stock is so low.... I guess I got a lot more hours/$ than some here, but what a horrible company to basically sell us a $3000 plus throw away TV.
I will NEVER buy another product from Gateway and influence as many people as possible to do the same.
On: 2006-10-15
I have had one for 14 months and I am now getting the flashing spoken of in a previous review. It is now a paperweight the flashing first starts a couple hours apart and the time is now that i do not even try to watch this piece of ---- any more. This was my first time buying a TV from what I would call a secondary source and it will be my last. Way to expensive to repair once problem starts your done. and the manufacturer a company called 3G in California did not screew enough people who bought them as Gateways after Gateway fell out of the business of DLP 3G hooked up with ShopNBC to sell the same item as a Gemstar God knows how many suckers they found and sadly for me I was one. PLEASE DO NOT EVEN THINK OF THIS AS A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE theyare just JUNK.
On: 2006-06-01
In a nutshell...lets just say we have a 56" paperweight in our living room. I originally LOVED it. Great picture quality. The TV was very good to us. Then the bulb went...$400 for a new bulb. Fine, whatever. THEN, hell broke loose. We noticed that the picture would sometimes flicker white in some spots. We knew it wasnt the bulb. So I called Gateway (another reason not to buy it...Gateway has HORRIBLE support. AND they are dumb as beets). The woman told me that it was the optical lense, and that part cost, gulp, $2,400!!! Now, when we bought this TV 3 years ago, we paid $3,000, why would I pay almost the same price for one part? I then asked her how much it would be to have someone come out a fix it. She said another $500. WHAT?!?! I told her I might as well buy a newer, BETTER TV that wont be so expensive to fix. Thats when I spoke to customer service. This was the best part. He said these TVs arent meant to last more than a year, and that they are meant for people who dont watch that much TV...for people how just like to have it sit and look pretty in their living room. Now, is that the DUMBEST thing youve ever heard? I told him that we love to have people over, to entertain. So we are not allowed to have that size TV? They sold me a $3,000 piece of equipment knowing it was going to break ina year? This shouldnt be happening after only 3 years. Please, dont buy from these people. They are rude, unhelpful, and full of it.
 On: 2006-05-28
I bought the Gateway 56" rear-projection DLP over three years ago, mainly for viewing the new high-def programming and playing console video games on a BIG screen. I am searching the net now looking for deals on a replacement lamp and came across the TV on Amazon, but the original lamp lasted 3 years and nearly 10,000 hours, believe it or not. The picture has always been great, even in the sunny room I now have it in, and it views very well from most angles, so everyone gets a good seat. The A/V input options are unbelievable and there is a really cool little side panel for easy access. Even though my lamp finally gave out, the image never faded unlike many other high-def sets. The PIP options are great as well. The start-up time is a little slow but you get used to it pretty easily. I also wish that the set had a built in HD receiver, which I expected with the two tuners. My father bought one of these TVs after he saw mine and his has worked very well also. I should mention that we both got deals on these because it was a the time that Gateway was closing its retail stores. I suppose that it the largest negative for this product, the poor customer support of Gateway and their stopping continuance of this cool, economical TV. I think that DLP gives you the most bang for your buck in an HDTV.
On: 2005-10-27
I have had this Gateway for almost a year and a half and I cant rave enough about it! I have had no lamp errors...in fact, Ive had no errors whatsoever! The features are brilliant, the myriad of hookups and the HD picture...holy COW! I can see faces in the crowd when I watch a boxing match. Football games are simply AMAZING! My boyfriend recently hooked the computer up to it to play one of his videogames and I cant get him off of it! Weve hooked the XBox, GameCube and Playstation to it and its the ultimate videogaming TV. The thing is just HUGE! Our friends always oohhh and ahhh at it when they first see it. Make your friends jealous and improve your TV watching and video gaming. Get this TV!
On: 2005-10-16
I purchased this TV as the quality and price seemed awesome. And it was great value until the lamp failed at just over 1,000 hours - far short of the 6,000 advertised! I searched the net, and it seems that the average failure is less than 1,500 hours - and at $399 to replace the lamp, its the most expensive in the industry (most Sony lamps are $150).
On: 2005-07-02
I have a second replacment set that also give me a lamp error. When I call customer support they play dumb. This set is discontinued on the Gateway site. Perhaps Amazon will know better to do business with them.
On: 2005-03-21
Initial impression - Very nice picture, medium to good features. The lamp on time is a little annoying but the picture quality in HD is definitely worth the wait.
Now for the bad news. This TV started getting a lamp error 30 days out of the box. It would start to turn on and then stop, flashing 3 times green and then 2 times orange. I didnt have time to report it due to deploying out of the country with the US Army so I was out of luck 10 months later when I did report it. It seems the lamp is a consumable item and only warrantied for 90 days and cost $399.00 to replace!
Gateway has a strict policy and wouldnt budge on giving me a pass on making me pay for the bulb. So, out to the house comes the repair guy, he replaces the bulb, turns the TV on and it doesnt give the error.
The next day...error.
I call Gateway and they say Hmmmm...lets try the ballast this time. So, again, the repair guycomes out. Replaces the ballast, turns on the TV and no error.
Next day, error.
So, I call Gateway and they tell me...get this....BECAUSE THEY DONT CARRY THE TV IN STOCK, THEY CANT REPLACE THE TV, ALL THEY CAN DO IS CONTINUE TO REPLACE THE SAME PARTS THAT DIDNT FIX THE PROBLEM IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! INDEFINITELY!!!
So, here I sit with a TV that is not repairable, that Gateway cant replace, that cost me $3500.00. I am beginning to wonder why they stopped selling them in the first place. I have a letter in to the Executive Response Team to see what they can do for me. Im keeping my fingers crossed.
Like I said, the picture is beautiful, the features are great. Maybe this should be a review of Gateway instead of the product.
On: 2004-08-10
Monday Night Football started last night - and I got to watch it in HD on the Gateway DLP ... I could not believe my eyes! I sat in awe at the quality of the picture, the crispness, the brightness of the colors, and the amazing plane of view.
I am completely impressed with this set.
One of the reasons I thought I purchased this TV was because just reading about the picture-in-picture capabilities was totally astounding - but to actually use them is even more stunning.
Digital content (especially composite HD) displayed on this TV is strikingly impressive and makes you feel like you are at the theatre.
And for the price compared to the same size plasma or LCD - the features of this set (no burn in, 150 degree field of view, PIP!!, # and variety of inputs, dual sound output for PIP, additional dedicated PIP remote) combine to make it completely unbeatable.
A couple of sidenotes - when you power on - the fan/lamp take about 45 seconds to warm up before the picture comes on. Also - I got a fan error the other night (blinking power/lamp LEDs and no picture/sound) - but I disconnected the set from power for a minute & then powered it back up & it was fine.
But even if this set died tonight - I would get another in a heartbeat!
On: 2004-04-17
Its a much nicer looking set in my mind than the Samsung. It costs much less as well. The picture quality from the HI-def channels is Eye popping! Your tongue will hit the floor! The quality of DVD (especially if used in the DVI input) is breath taking! Its ease of use is a big plus as well. Especially impressive is the picture-in-picture (PIP) function.The speaker base (referring to the base of TV from ground to where the screen starts) is a bit stubby so I had to buy a stand for it to bring it up to Eye level in my living room. But I can use the stand to house components that I use with it.
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