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Samsung HL-S5687W 56-Inch 1080p DLP HDTV
By: Samsung Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 168
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 On: 2008-06-27
Amazing tv.... while it worked. After 16 months my wife and I were watching The Office (in HD of course) and the screen turned into a blocky green mess for a split second and shut off completely. Samsung was nice enough to extend the warranty AFTER I had the local recommended repairmen say that he had seen a thousand of these models with the same problems. I called Samsung and insisted that they should own up to their manufacturing defects and they did (make sure you get to the second line of their customer service -the "ECR", they can do a lot more to help you). We have had a total of 3 seperate repair visits (very nice guys) and numerous parts ordered over the course of a month - This would of cost way more than the actual cost of the tv when it was new if I had paid out of my own pocket. They have replaced every internal part of the tv and it still is useless. It is now looking as if Samsung will be purchasing us a new tv. If it still worked and there were not countless other internet forums devoted to Samsungs faulty DLP, then I would give this product a 5 start rating. A 5 star product for the first year, then it might as well be a 56" brick. One star from me because I cannot give it a negative score.
On: 2008-03-22
We purchased the Samsung DLP TV about 9 months back. The TV failed in first week of Feb 2008. Samsung "certified" field service technician worked on the TV for 6 weeks, bringing 1 part every week to change & test. He had no idea what was wrong. Then he said the TV had to be replaced since it was under warranty. Then Samsung didnt approve a TV replacement for many days after this. Once they finally approved the replacement, they did not commit to delivering the replacement TV in anytime soon. Many calls to customer service over several weeks got the same response - "we dont know when we can deliver the TV & we cant do anything about it". I am still waiting for the replacement TV and it has been nearly 2 months since the DLP TV failed.
 On: 2008-03-06
This TV arrived with no problems. It is perfect, the picture is very clear and the sound is good. We are very pleased with it. The price was way better than the local stores, too-- Thanks Amazon!
On: 2008-02-06
By far the best TV Ive ever owned and possibly ever seen to this point. Great picture quality and contrast ratio with a reasonable price tag.
On: 2008-01-18
Its been a year and I am still in awe when I watch High Def stations from Dish Network. Great picture, Great size, slim not bulkey . . . Great Value especially at the current price. You get a lot more for your money with DLP. Bought another Samsung LCD for the bedroom and a flat panel monitor for my computer as a result.
On: 2007-11-06
Price: Excellent
1080p: Excellent
Sound: Excellent
Clarity: Excellent
Features: Excellent
Menu: Easy to Use
A/V hookups: Many
Amazon Shipping: Excellent and Fast
HD Quality: Extremely Excellent
Do yourself a favor-- get a Samsung HD television, you will not regret it. Save the hundreds of other dollars to invest in a better cable package, DVD player, sound system, etc.
On: 2007-10-24
Ive had this tv for almost a yr now and when it is tuned to a hi-def channel my mouth still hangs open! Just beautiful.
Non hi-def channels look great also.
Sound quality is typical tv set sound(average).
Only thing that could be better is if it were flat & light enough to hang on the wall, but you cant have everything. At least not at this price. ;)
Highly recommend it!
 On: 2007-09-18
I purchased this TV with some apprehension after reading some of the negative reviews. However, it has now been 6+ months and the TV is amazing. Amazon delivered this superb TV all the way up the stairs to my apartment and even took it out of the box and set it up on my TV stand for me. The picture quality is fantastic (highly recommend the Planet Earth HD DVDs for some amazing images) and it was fairly easy to set up. The only reason I give it a 4 out of 5 is because the picture settings have inexplicably gotten lost (i.e. reset somehow). While this has only occurred a few times, it is definitely annoying as I have no idea why the TV reset itself.
I had initially been looking for an LCD/Plasma as I wanted a "skinny" TV, but was a little put-off at the high price for 1080P HD TVs. However, after seeing this one "in person" at the local Circuit City, I was hooked. The image quality is amazing with bright colors and crisp picture and, for being a DLP, it is still fairly thin. I had looked into buying an Aquos or Bravia but am so glad that I made this purchase instead as I was able to get a considerably larger TV (56" DLP as opposed to 40-42" LCD/Plasma) for the same price as a "thin" TV.
On: 2007-07-19
We purchased this at Christmas time and have really enjoyed its great bright beautiful colors especially on hi def. I install satellite systems and see a lot of hi def tvs and so far this is the brightest, clearest and most defined picture I have seen.
On: 2007-06-12
I purchased this DLP TV several months ago and I havent been disappointed. The picture quality is great. About my only complaint would be that you cant (or at least I cant figure it out) set and store the individual picture viewing modes/settings for each A/V input. Other than that, Im totally pleased. This TV has deep, inky blacks and vibrant colors. Great for gaming too!
On: 2007-06-02
While I have always had a preference for Plasma tvs due to the brightness of the display, but getting a 56" plasma 1080p tv is around 5k. Thats whan I figured DLP TVs make perfect sence due to their size-price value. We have had this tv for more than 4 months now and are absolutely in love with it. It has a great display and all features that you would need.
On: 2007-05-20
I was a little worried about buying such a large ticket item over the internet. But I knew that Amazon was a big company and that they have been selling over the internet for a long time.
The tv arrived in less than a week, which was earlier than expected. Eagle did a great job with delivery and they set the tv up and offered to remove the box.
The tv itself is excellent. The HD channels are clear and crisp. While there is a big difference between the non HD channels and the HD channels, the non HD channels seem to be much better than many other HD tvs. Although I considered a plasma or an LCD, this tv was much cheaper and it has a picture that I believe is just about as good.
I would agree with other purchasers of this tv that the sound from the tv is not great. But, I have a surround system, so that is not a big deal for me.
In all, the tv, the delivery, and the price were fantastic. I saved hundreds over the big box stores. I would not hesitate to purchase from Amazon again.
 On: 2007-05-14
Did not meet my expecations compared to my older Toshiba bought 5 years ago. The sound set at stereo sounds like a mono most probably because of the internal speaker design. The picture sharpness is not as good as the the Toshiba due may be to a single bulb compared to Toshibas three set of bulbs.
Very average as far as I am concern and way overated by review magazines.
On: 2007-05-13
Did not meet my expecations compared to my older Toshiba bought 5 years ago. The sound set at stereo sounds like a mono most probably because of the internal speaker design. The picture sharpness is not as good as the the Toshiba due may be to a single bulb compared to Toshibas three set of bulbs.
Very average as far as I am concern and way overated by review magazines.
On: 2007-05-13
I watched and watched the 42" and 50" Samsungs, and knew I wanted the 1080p, so I would be ready for the signal without having to buy another one later...
Hands down, the best quality, delivery and service, 100% HAPPY!
The guys from Eagle Delivery were polite, and very helpful, opened it up for me and checked for any damage (which there was none)...
On: 2007-05-12
It has been a real nice deal on Samsung HL-S5687W 56" 1080p DLP HDTV and a safe purchase from Amazon.I got my orders withing 4-5days and was really a safe delivery.
On: 2007-05-09
Very happy with the Samsung HL-5687W 56" television recently purchased through Amazon. None of the local brick and mortar big boxes could either match or beat the base price. In addition, no tax and free white glove delivery were included. Great picture quality on HD channels and digital channels are quite good as well. The onscreen menu interface is intuitive and simple to use. Peripheral hook-ups including vcr/dvd combo and HD cable box were straight forward. Overall very pleased with both the product performance and the value for the screen size.
On: 2007-04-20
I wasnt sure what to expect when buying such a high end item on the internet. What a pleasant surprise. After many months of comparing TVS I chose the Samsung because of its superior picture. Great product for a great price.
Thanks
Max
On: 2007-04-15
Im going to keep this short and sweet. This is a fantastic TV. great picture, superior color and more brightness than i will ever use. Ive had this TV for 5 months and have not regretted one day. Pair this with a directv or dish system and you will see things in regular and hi-def broadcasts that youve never seen before.
Better yet, a nice HD-DVD or bluray player or at least an upcoding dvd player will make your movie experience like no other. If you have the space and like the "movie theater" effect, then this is the TV for you.
FWIW- I could see the rainbow effect on older generation DLP tvs but i have not seen it yet on this tv.
If you have a tiny room or need to hang your tv on a wall then get a plasma or LCD, otherwise GO BIG.
On: 2007-04-11
In my opinion, DLP units currently offer the best value if youre going "large". You cant find a quality LCD/Plasma unit at/near this size for anywhere near the price of this Samsung. The thin-ness of the LCD/Plasma units has a certain appeal, but if youre not planning to wall mount your TV, that really doesnt matter much. I originally had a Sony DLP model on my short list, but when I saw the Samsung next to it in a local store, it won me over. Wonderful picture. Some critics have mentioned that the speakers arent quite what they could be, but that wasnt an issue for me. I use external speakers and I didnt want to pay extra for something I wasnt going to use. It has an extensive number of audio/video connection options. The remote and menu features seem adequate, but I programmed my cable remote to mimic the basic features so I probably wont use it much. Samsung also deserves some kudos for the external design of this unit. Very simple, clean lines with a thin 1" bezel around the frame.
I suppose making such an purchase over the intenet is a little unnerving for some people, but I purchase a lot of stuff that way and this was no different. Keep in mind that freight shipping can take a little longer than parcels, but online tracking kept me up to date on the status and it arrived safely only one day later than the original estimate.
A pleasant transacton and a very very fine TV.
On: 2007-04-06
I did a lot of internet research, six months worth, and decided on the samsung 5687.I expected a good big picture, but when I hooked up the HD cable to the DLP,{I cant call it a "TV"}the bright clear picture just had that WOW factor to it. With a little experimenting with modes and settings, I had to go through my modist library of DVDs and watch some of my favorite action movies like The Matrix. I felt compelled to make some buttery popcorn because now I understand the mean of home theater. I am using a Samsung 960 upconverting DVD player, which works very well with the DLP. The only down side I have found so far is the horizon viewing angle, for best quality picture, is less than the 30 degrees per the owners manual. This means someone standing may not have as good of a picture as someone sitting, but I sit to watch so it is no big deal for me. The price and service from Amazon was good and I will shop them again.
On: 2007-04-05
I have had this TV for almost 4 months now and am very satisfied with the purchase. I have to say that image quality is amazing especially in HD. So far any problems with picture quality (such as blurry or noisy picture) were related to the broadcast and not the TV. The picture is so nice that you can actually see the difference between the broadcast quality from different HD channels which was not the case with my previous projection TV. Even regular broadcast comes out looking okay, as long as youre not too close to the TV. And its especially nice not having to stretch the image when watching something in 4:3 since DLPs dont suffer from burn-in.
As for viewing angles, the TV has pretty minor differences in brightness from different viewing angles. I dont really notice any differences unless I am looking for them on a solid color screen (such as the FBI warning on DVDs).
As for the features, the TV has more than I need. The only feature that the TV could use would be a zoom feature that doesnt distort the image, but honestly the TV is so big that no matter what you are watching the image size is still plenty large.
The one thing that does bother me on occasion, and this problem is present in all DLPs and LCDs too I think, is that when viewing a white screen I can see "reflective dots" for lack of a better term. But when I compared this TV to others at the store, the dot effect was less than on other DLPs. However when you view the TV from 10ft or so away, the dots all but dissaper. I happen to watch from about 8 or so ft which makes the effect more prevelent (and is also closer than the reccomended viewing distance I think).
As for sound, I have a home theatre setup so I never use the TV speakers.
Some other tid-bits:
Takes about 30 seconds for the bulb to warm-up to full brigtness
Noise from the color wheel is negligable
The remote could be better but I rarley use it anyway
Overall for the price of this TV, you would be very hard-pressed to find anything better.
On: 2007-04-04
Fantastic high def picture. May not have quite the viewing angle as plasma; however, you wouldnt enjoy watching TV at that extreme angle anyway. Plasma and LCD look like great pictures behind a shiny piece of glass. This picture on this set is so life-like its incredible.
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: 2007-03-27
I have had this tv since the weekend before the Superbowl. The Superbowl and any Nascar race looks incredible. Many reviews I read(everyone on here)which had totaled around 109. Whew! I gotta tell ya though, this tv replaced a 51" Sony HDTV. The sound was awesome. When I turned on this new Samsung I was VERY disappointed. My wife almost made me send it back because of it. I made some adjustments which did make it sound a little better but nowhere near the Sony. I went to a big box store and they told me it was because these companies expect that you will hook it up through a surround system and not use the TV sound. {shrug} I do for movies but not for regular tv.
Overall it is a very nice tv especially for the $$.
On: 2007-03-25
I will not get as technical as most of the other reviews out there, but I can tell you that after much research, reading many reviews, we are very happy with our decision to purchase this tv. It is clear, great colors and big :). What more do you need? At the time of purchase it was $[...] cheaper at [...] the big name local electronic stores :) . . .and it was delivered ahead of schedule (about 3 weeks) and in great shape.
On: 2007-03-19
I have to admit we made the right choice with buying this Magnificent TV. We have reviewed and tried JVC & Sony Lycos, and a Toshiba LCD. We dont even want to hear about Plasma & LCD with their screen door effect problems, way too pricey and burn in complaints etc.
The picture quality of the Samsung (HD) is like looking thru a clear window at the World spinning by you. The regular channels of course are not even close to that quality, but hey we all know that regardless of which type of Big Screen TV you buy and until all the Cable and Regular Stations go HD we have to live with that. The remote is great and easy to use but I use a Logitech Harmony for all my units. The only un-favorable point is that it does not have a PIP feature, important to a Sports fan I suppose. We love this TV and have no regrets at all..by all means Review it for yourself to be sure, if you are shopping for a Superior HDTV that is.
On: 2007-03-12
Lexington, KY
This TV is a great value. It has an excellent picture in HD but the only reason it didnt get five stars is because for the non-HD signals, the picture is not as good as some other TVs. Hopefully in the near future, more stations will be available in HD. Also, I worried about some of the reviews from other customers about the trouble they encountered with Eagle Logistics but, I had no such problem and they were very helpful and the TV arrived a day earlier than promised.
On: 2007-03-11
like the samsung just fine so far, really wanted a tosheba but decided 2 try samsung because of sizeable difference in price.
On: 2007-03-11
Ive had this tv for a month now and had no problems with it. Had a few issues with cable tv, but they seem to be unrelated to the tv itself. I was a little surprised at the poor picture quality without the HD box from Comcast. It takes a few seconds to achieve full brightness, but thats not a problem. I guess the tv takes more power than I had anticipated, because the APC battery backup unit I used kept shutting off because I had overloaded it (tv, A/V receiver, DVD player and HD box). I switched everything but the tv onto a different surge protector. Delivery was about what I was told it would be. The unit is lighter than I thought it would be. Quite easy to maneuver. Were enjoying the tv.
On: 2007-03-11
After much research we decided to go with the DLP. More bang for the buck and the picture quality seemed right up there with the plasmas. Samsung got excellent reviews everywhere we read so we took the plunge. Amazon had a great deal on the 56", local stores were selling it for anywhere from $500-$1200 more for the same TV, plus no tax and free right-to-my-livingroom shipping! Woohoo! The Samsung arrived right on time as promised, in excellent shape. The driver recommended we wait an hour or so for the TV itself to warm up before turning it on (since it was about 10 degees outside) so as not to damage the set. We plugged everything in (VERY easy), and an hour later we were enjoying our first HD experience at home! AWESOME!!!! Great picture, very clear, nice, full colors, easy adjustments. My boyfriend sometimes sees the "rainbow" effect when he looks away from the screen quickly but hes a nut and likes to blame it on me (lol), since Im the one who told him that "some people" may see that from time to time.
My kids play their Xbox360, PS2 and GameCube on it and LOVE IT!!!! My livingroom is now "the" place to hang out. We have been going thru our DVD collections and watching them again because they look so amazing on the big screen! Even if theyre not the HD DVDs (we also bought an upconverting DVD player by Phillips for about $65....works great!) For any Star Wars fans, this TV is a must! The movies look fantastic and are even more enjoyable when watched in the comfort of your own livingroom on this beautiful Samsung DLP, with the appropriate surround sound home theater set up of course(especially because you can watch them in your jammies!)Enjoy :)
On: 2007-03-09
Was looking for a large plasma or LCD HDTV but after researching and reviewing many sites on pros and cons and ratings by viewers I decided to go for the Samsung DLP HDTV.
NO REGRETS!!! This is an awesome TV. It surpasses all my expectations. In HDTV mode its extremely clear. The colors are beautiful. Easy to operate.
Amazon had a great price (lowest in the week I bought it) and free shipping. It was delivered and unpacked and placed on the stand. Great service!!
I recommend this TV to anyone looking for DLP HDTV
On: 2007-03-08
This unit is everything that I could expect. Good price. Arrived on schedule and was in excellent condition. The carriers representative was very courteous and helpful. Unit worked above expectations right out ot the box. Default settings were OK. Will buy from Amazon in the future. Painless transaction, good online processing.
On: 2007-03-08
This TV is awesome. I went to circuit city and looked for the tv with the best picture from the other side of the store and I was this one. Looked and tried to order it from some retailers on [...] but after I ordered it, they would call me and say that they either had only refurbished left or they had an american one and a foreign model, and then they said the american one was more money. Amazon is the best bet for ordering anything like this. The TV looks out of this world with HD and even cable. Was going to buy the 61" but for the savings I went with the 56". If you are looking for the best tv out there for a great price go to bestbuy or citcuit city and check this one out
On: 2007-03-08
I am very pleased with the Samsung 56" 1080p DLP HDTV. The picture is very sharp and the colors look so vivid. Ive had the t.v. a little over a month and recently upgraded to HD satellite. I also own a Xbox360 and absolutely love how much clearer it looks over my 32" LCDTV. I would definitely recommend this t.v. to any one looking for a great picture at a decent price.
On: 2007-03-08
It took me alot research, alot of walk arounds at Best Buy viewing all the different models and types of HDTVs, and alot of word of mouth to make my decision. This TV looks great, has a fantastic picture (especially watching DVDs unfortunately cable has limited HD channels, but thats changing), and is easy to set up. The main reason I went with DLP vs LCD/Plasma is that I was able to get a larger screen at the 1080p resolution for much, much less. You cannot beat the price of Amazon. Shop around and see for yourself.
On: 2007-03-08
The best investment I have done so far. Excellent image quality, bright colors, crystal clear images and plenty of connections on the back and side. You cannot get a better bang for your buck on HDTVs. I plan on getting another one this summer for the bedroom.
On: 2007-03-07
I ordered the tv on Jan 18th. It arrived on ~Jan 27th. It died on March 1st. Turn it on, super dim picture for about 15 seconds, then it shuts itself down with all the lights blinking on the front. Before it died, I used my xbox 360 on it and watched movies. I really loved it before it croaked.
Amazon once again lived up to my high customer service expectations by offering to repair it, replace it or refund me my money. I went with a return/refund as I didnt want to tempt fate again with the same model. Eagle is coming tomorrow to pick it up. I will be ordering a 52" Sharp Aquos LCD once I see the Samsung go on the delivery truck. Hopefully the LCD technology will be more reliable. I have to say, I read a few other reviewers whos tvs died as well and rolled the dice anyway. I had hoped I wouldnt be one as well.
On: 2007-03-02
In the first month owning this TV, its been everything we hoped for. The picture is great and setup and ease of use have been good too.
On: 2007-02-27
I just purchased this tv yesterday from Conns. They had the cheaper price, I paid $1599.99 for the 56". I am very happy with my purchase, the picture quality is so crisp and clear. The next step is for me to get my xbox 360 to play madden 07 how it deserves to be played.
On: 2007-02-27
For the price this TV gives an excellent picture and friendly remote options.
On: 2007-02-24
So far, this TV is fantastic. My Xbox 360, Wii, movies, HDTV cable service and normal TV all look amazing. This was an upgrade from my old 30" HDTV clunker; it was the best money Ive spent in a long time.
If you love video games, HDTV and technology, this is a great set for you. It has VGA input, HDMI, a handful of component inputs... should cover all your bases. It supports 1080p over component cables so your Xbox 360 should look reallllll pretty once some 1080p games come out.
Do it. Do it. Hey -- do it.
 On: 2007-02-23
I probably did not spend as much time as a lot of people researching a new HDTV however I quickly narrowed my search down to a couple. I was looking at Panasonic first but then I saw this Samsung at Amazon. I could not pass up the free shipping (even able to get free upgrade to Standard as others did) and the best price I could find for a big screen that could meet all my needs. Purchased on 21 January and it arrived 6 days later. Eagle brought it in the house hooked up and ensured it worked. I hooked up the TV to an HD Antenna and it blew me away. The picture was stunning, almost indescribably clear. Watched the Super Bowl in HD and could not believe it, almost better than being there. However, 30 minutes after the game ended the picture went out. After trying everything the manual describes in that situation still would not work and then the three LEDs on the front panel began to blink. According to the manual the only option is to get it serviced. This was my 6th day of owning it and I wasnt excited about having to service a brand new TV. Needless to say my confidence in the reliability of the set had disappeared. I admit I had read other reviews relating to this Samsungs reliability but assumed it was just a small minority. The next morning I called Samsung. They offered to try and repair the TV, but since it was only a week old I was worried that this was just foreshadowing of multiple problems to come. So I contacted Amazon to work out the return. Within 3 days Eagle returned, packaged it all up (I fortunately saved the box and all the packing materials). I then decided to go with the Sony 60in SXRD. The TV showed up last week and its awesome. Alot of reviews Id read about the Sony was that the SD was worse than the Samsung. I would disagree, I think its better.
Overall, Amazon service was outstanding. They went out of their way to ensure my satisfaction and that is the main reason I went back to them for my purchase and will go back to them again.
On: 2007-02-23
I was first going to purchase a Samsung 40 inch LCD TV. After viewing the 40 inch at Circuit City I preferred to go bigger. Amazon had a great deal on a 50 inch 1080p DLP TV, but better yet a 56 inch 1080p DLP TV. The cost were similar, between the LCD and DLP. It takes no rocket science to figure out what to do. I purchased the 56 inch, and awaited my TV arrival. Everything went so smooth with my purchase. The delivery people even came almost half an hour ahead of a 1PM to 5PM window. Thats incredible. I purchased a stand, cables, etc from Amazon and Amazons dealers. Everything came ahead of schedule and in great condition.
The TV is beautiful. Its HUGE! Im an electronic geek, and know about my tvs. I purchased a 1080p Samsung upconversion DVD player. It works great. The picture quality is breathtaking. The contrast at 10,000/1 is something you automatically notice. You bought 1080p and you feel 1080P. As soon as my xbox 360 comes back from service, Ill write back on how true HD looks on this tv. I am going to upgrade my Directv to HD very soon. But in order to experience 1080p I can only offer what xbox 360 kicks out.
Buy this tv from Amazon. Feel safe knowing it will arrive in top condition. Feel fine that you can contact Amazon at anytime with questions via phone. Feel fine knowing you have a great tv. Feel fine knowing youll be the head honcho on the block...lol
If youre still scared to buy from an online dealer then get a grip on reality. Why pay a retailer more money for comfort? Retailers do not have expert staff, because they cant afford it. So many people are given the wrong information about their tvs. Youre paying for lethargic service! You need to realize that! I have HDMI cables for my DLP because DLP tvs are one of the true digital tvs on the market (the Sony SXRD is the only other true digital tv). Using HDMI cables on LCDs and Plasmas is useless. They do not dish out digital from HDMI, but convert the digital signal to analog. The picture quality will be the same as component video in other words for LCDs and plasmas using HDMI.
Why buy HDMI cables at expensive retailers when I only paid $10.00 for mine including shipping from an Amazon dealer? Retailers dont even show you how HDMI looks on the television you want to purchase. They rarely have clear HD channels on the tvs on the floor. I was at Circuit City and I worked for Sears electronics, and hooked up HDTVs myself using a Dishnetwork HD receiver. The picture on all tvs looked great, but you could see the differences in quality. CircuitCity had the nerve to have the new Sony LCD with 25,00/1 contrast ratio hooked up to a blue ray player using HDMI and then compare it to LCDs hooked up to a dvd player using component video cables. Of course the picture quality on the SOny will look better. The salesmen was pushing quality of picture for the Sony while shunning the Samsung LCD tv hooked up to bullcrap. Be very careful of retailers. Theyre tricksy and false (Smeagol). The Sony cost in the $4000s compared to Samsungs lower price for great quality.
Samsung makes great LCDs, and I give Sharp second place. Contrast ratio is always important. If you want a great tv make sure your contrast ratio is beyond 1200/1 contrast ratio. All the experts will tell you the same.
Panasonic makes great plasmas, but many people are looking for 1080p tvs this day and time. While 1080p is good, dont be fooled. 1080p is great for tvs above 50inches going diagonally. You wont notice too much difference to 720p vs 1080p if both tvs are 50 inches or smaller. For a great plasma, but not so much affordable, get a Pioneer.
Samsung also makes excellent DLPs. No otehr DLP maker has DNie (Digital Natural Image Enhancer). This enhances the contrast on the television bringing dull to bright and shiny. This makes a major difference in the quality of your picture on a DLP. Lamps burnout quick on DLps. The average life of a DLP Lamp is 1 to 2 years if watching at 5 hrs/day. Be aware of this when purchasing your DLP. If you dont buy a service plan to last you beyond your first year, you will have to kick out money for the lamp which is now about $250 or less, some higher. You can install them yourself, but some people may feel frightened. Dlps last forever, but the bulp does not.
Lcds can last up to 20 years before the liquid crystal display will age. Youll notice a duller image, and of course missing gaps of the picture. Plasmas last about the same amount of years.
I love DLPs because they are great for anything you want to throw at them. Hook up your camera, video games, etc and feel confidant it wont mess up on you. The only bad part about DLps is the lamp life. They have new LED DLP tvs by Samsung, but experts noticed some problems with the picture, but the lamp life was 20,000 hrs.
On: 2007-02-22
What can I say? I researched TVs for about 6 weeks prior to making this purchase. What a great television. The colors are so vibrant. I love watching my DVDs its truely a movie theater type experience.
On: 2007-02-21
Its been over six months and we love the DLP so far. DVDs are wonderful on it. Easy menus. Very good value.
On: 2007-02-21
I ordered my unit Feb. 2nd, it arrived the 19th, almost a week later than expected. The tracking said it was delivered to Cleveland and I live in West Virginia- had to make 4 calls to get this sorted out. When the unit finally arrived from Amazon it worked beautifully..... for the first 10 minutes. Then the screen turned to this digital green yellow pattern, it completely froze, was unresponsive to the remote- i had to unplug it to turn it off. This happens every 10 minutes after the set has rested for a couple hours. Amazon would not replace it, because they were out of the model. I had a horrible delivery experience, and now have a giant TV in my living room that doesnt work- Amazon is well aware of this and did nothing to compensate me for my trouble, other than offering me a full refund. For all the trouble I went through over this thing I expected some sort of additional compensation, maybe an upgrade to a better unit- and I was offered nothing. Now I have to go through the manufacturer to try to get a repair or replacement- which will take another month. Thanks for the great shopping experience, Amazon. I will never make another big purchase on here again.
On: 2007-02-20
This picture on set is simply beautiful -- and it looks as good off as it does on. Initially, based on online reviews, I thought Id end up buying a Sony XBR SXRD, but after comparing the two sets side by side (as well as others), I couldnt justify spending significantly more money for something that really didnt look any better (and the Dumbo-eared Sony isnt as aesthetically pleasing either). I never thought Id end up making a major acquisition like this from Amazon or any online retailer, but it had the lowest price on this set by far (several hundred dollars), free delivery, and no taxes. And, the delivery service was better than expected. Amazon uses the same people who do Crutchfields "white glove" deliveries. I just wish there were more HD channels...
On: 2007-02-20
Amazon had best price on the web. I looked at hundreds of lcd, plasma, and any other tv out there. I believe I made the best choice... I researched for 3 months through various sites (for example cnet) and for $1669 I could not miss this opportunity. It is a beautiful set with exceptional clarity and brightness and my dvds are awesome through the oppo 981-hd dvd player. The EAGLE delivery service was very good also with white glove service.
On: 2007-02-18
Like many other people I spent quite a bit of time researching HDTVs before I made this purchase. I knew I wanted 1080P resolution, I wanted it over 50" and I wanted it to be something that would not require a controlled environment (like a projector/home theatre). I read through many reviews and visited many stores checking out the look and sound on many TVs and the Samsung rose to the top. I must admit the final deciding factor was the $1699 price tag (which I notice has been increased to $2199 eliminating any reason to buy it here rather than from a local store).
As for the TV itself, I have been totally pleased with the quality. The settings required very little adjustment and the picture is incredible. I also purchased the Samsung DVD-HD960 Up-Converting DVD Player and was impressed by the quality of the image produced from my existing (non-HD) DVDs.
I am also pleasantly surprised at how small the profile of the TV is. I have had a rear projection TV cabinet taking up a large chunk of real estate in my living room for 10 years. The new technology is much more space efficient. From the front it is barely larger than an equivalent sized LCD or Plasma. Front to back, at the deepest point, is only about 12".
My biggest disappointment is the sound quality. The sound quality is not bad, but there is a huge difference between the internal sound and switching over to my surround sound system. If you want sound that compares to your picture, use an external source.
Delivery went off without a hitch. Eagle contacted me less than a week after the purchase to arrange a delivery date and time and the drivers removed the TV from the box, set it up and removed all the garbage. (I was worried one of the drivers might drop over dead because he was so old and frail, but he did not).
It is a bit disappointing how few HD options are still available on my cable system, but the ones that are available are incredible to watch. I highly recommend this TV for anyone looking for a large screen, rear projection, DLP, 1080p HDTV. But shop the price.
On: 2007-02-18
I bought this from BestBuy and it was a piece of junk.I know it gets great reviews here,but the picture looked blurry and had a smeared look.Like someone put vaseline on the camera lens then filmed the movie.It was so poor.My friend has last years samsung 720p model,in the same community and same cable system,and his picture looked 100% better than this set.BestBuy then tells me to try another set,that this model might be a lemon,so I do that.Big Mistake.The second set picture was blurry,pixely,and had that noisy smeared look as well.My cable company checked the digital HD signal and it was fine.I also used high quality HDMI cables and did everything to tweak the picture to no avail.I recorded the HD version of King Of Queens on my HD digital cable box,showed my buddies,and they were like "Thats High Def?".It looked like a noisy mess as well.Back this set went.I then bought the Toshiba 62HM196,a 62"(bigger screen,AND ALOT BETTER picture)1080 DLP and the difference is like night and day.The processor is ALOT better and even SD Television looks pretty good.I play DVD movies with the Oppo DV-981HD DVD player and the quality is amazing.I only wish I bought the Toshiba alot sooner.Consumer Reports rated it Excellent in HD and SD.I agree with them 100%.Get the Toshiba.
On: 2007-02-18
I bought this from BestBuy and it was a piece of junk. I know it gets great reviews here, but the picture looked blurry and had a smeared look. Like someone put vaseline on the camera lens then filmed the movie. It was so poor.
My friend has last years samsung 720p model,in the same community and same cable system, and his picture looked 100% better than this set. BestBuy then tells me to try another set, that this model might be a lemon, so I do that. Big Mistake. The second set picture was blurry, pixely, and had that noisy smeared look as well. My cable company checked the digital HD signal and it was fine.
I also used high quality HDMI cables and did everything to tweak the picture to no avail. I recorded the HD version of King Of Queens on my HD digital cable box, showed my buddies, and they were like, "Thats High Def?". It looked like a noisy mess as well. Back this set went.
I then bought the Toshiba 62HM196, a 62"(bigger screen, AND ALOT BETTER picture)1080 DLP, and the difference is like night and day. The processor is ALOT better and even SD Television looks pretty good. I play DVD movies with the Oppo DV-981HD DVD player and the quality is amazing. I only wish I bought the Toshiba alot sooner. Consumer Reports rated it Excellent in HD and SD.
I agree with them 100%. Get the Toshiba.
On: 2007-02-18
Like many people in the Audio & Video world, I did my research before buying my new HDTV. I researched and researched and found that Amazon had the best price around. I also knew what I wanted by narrowing it all down. I wanted at least 50", 1080p, and under $1800. A friend of mine has the Samsung 50" 1080p. He told me that Amazon is selling it for a great price. I went onto Amazon and saw that the 56" 1080 was going for $1670. I was sold!
I bought it on the Tuesday before The Superbowl. I was hoping that I could get it on or before the Big Game! I called Amazon and they referred me to Eagle Shipping (shipping company for Amazon). I called them up that week on Friday, and they told me it just arrived this afternoon. The rep there gave me a contact name and phone number for residential deliveries. Saturday morning I called the contact and he said that it might be possible for him to get it out to me that day/night. I waited and waited...and finally received a phone call from him telling me that he could have it delivered to me at around 9pm that night. Sure enough...9pm rolled around and knock knock! It was here.
I unpacked it and hooked it up and was blown away! The picture on this TV is phenomenal! The 10,000:1 contrast ratio really gives this TV amazing blacks. The Superbowl was the best I ever saw! The picture on all my HD Channels and DVDs are Crisp & Clear!!
I would recommend this TV to anyone!
Happy Shopping!
On: 2007-02-17
There were shipping problems with this TV, the shipping company called to tell me the TV was damaged. I had to contact Amazon to let them know and they contacted the shipping company and made arrangements to ship another one after they confirmed if I wanted my money back or another TV. This problem is not reflected in my review because it is not the fault of the TV, obviously.
Ive been very pleased with the TV so far. Ive had it for about a month. HD picture quality is very good. I find it hard to watch non-HD content on the TV, I find it worse then watching my normal TVs. I have heard from a couple other people that they agree.
Cable box is connected via HDMI cable. HD picture is really sharp. Sound is also good. Ive connected a PC to the VGA port, picture was really nice, much better than when I connected the PC to a S-Video port on my other non-HD TV. My Xbox is connected to component inputs. Again, picture and sound quality are really good. So games are better than others of course.
Overall, I have been very pleased with the Samsung HL-S5687W. Amazons price was really good compared to many on-line sites and much better than local retail stores.
If you are looking for a great HDTV at a reasonable price I dont think you can go wrong with this TV.
On: 2007-02-17
I have had this TV for almost a year now. Bought it when it just came out last June. The sharpness and the color is amazing. Compared the picture on both the Sony plasmas, projection and LCDs. For the price, this TV is the best.
The best picture quality is when you have HD recption. I just use a regular antenna and the its crystal clear. Havent had a chance to try 1080p yet. The XBox 360 looks amazing on this too. The other big pro - I can connect my laptop to the TV using the monitor port, no s-video BS. It even sharpens and makes that picture look amazing.
Havent had any problems in the last year so. Would give it a 5 thumbs up!
On: 2007-02-16
Positives:
Five days delivery from order date (and free).
Lower than any price in my area by $500.
Easy hook up. Didnt even need the manual. This TV senses available inputs and makes them available. No brainer.
Picture is great and automatically adjusts to the input.
Negative:
Too many buttons on remote. I am biased against all remotes. Never met a remote I liked.
On: 2007-02-16
I did a lot of searching and researching for a new TV. I had a two year old 42 in Sony LCD Projection which started to get some kind of dust spots on the inside of the screen. I sold it to my little brother... So now I had a need for a new tv. Of utmost importance to me was larger size, resolution, and xbox performance. My set up at home is totally dependent on the 360. I have an HD DVD player accessory for it and use it to extend my Office Media Center PC which has two HD OTA tuners in it. When I researched the Sony SXRD "1080p" tvs I found out that they only take in a 1080p signal from an HDMI cable... The 360 doesnt do HDMI which is good since it can be restricting when you process protected content through it. This Samsung does take in true 1080p from various cable inputs but most importantly it takes 1080p from a VGA connection! The 360 has an extra cable you can buy for this which delivers after the last fall update in 06. Now everything. Listen closely people everything I watch is 1080p. The 360 upscales my DVDs, my video games, and my HDTV (720p or 1080i) all to 1080p! The picture is great! My buddies came over and were seriously jealous. One tip to share is use Film Mode if you have the VGA hookup since I thought it looked the best. The "Game Mode" lightens the screen when you use the VGA Connection. This TV is so awesome that I think I have been converted from LCD to DLP tech and will be looking for a projector (for a theater room) that does DLP in at least 720. Hopefully Samsung sells one...
On: 2007-02-15
this TV is one that you will deffinitly not regret getting...it is absolutly stunning and if you have a blu-ray player or a PS3...1080p is a must have
this tv in 1080 is the absolutly great...you can see everything in great clearity and for the cost it is well worth it...
On: 2007-02-15
After reading all the reviews on this site I was leery of the sound quality especially since my husband has severe hearing loss. We find we keep the volume set on 12-15 most of the time and considering the range it offers is 0 to 100, I cannot imagine having sound problems. To test it, we cranked it up to 100 and the dogs ran out of the house! Perhaps added speakers intensify the surround sound aspect, but we have found no deficiency with the built-in speakers.
Everything reported by the others so far as the quality of the picture is so true. We now have Dish Network with the HD dish and we feel we have already saved the price of the TV on trip expenses . The Equator channel has taken us to visit the Gorillas in Africa and we could count the hairs on their bodies; to Paris where we could almost smell the bread in the bakery; and to the Amazon where we could feel the heat. There is a 3D element to the picture that is hard to explain but we just sit in awe. We are extemely pleased with this purchase and strongly recommend this set. Amazon had the best price and we feel fortunate to have snagged it at only $1,669 on January 19th.
On: 2007-02-11
I bought this from Amazon. It is the most stunning picture I have ever seen. I have DirecTV HD and on this set it is eye popping. Dont waste your money on plasma (which makes standard definiton look worse btw). There couldnt be a better tv than this one.
The service from Amazon and Eagle was also A+ I had it in my living room 7 days after I ordred it. A tip for those who buy it, dont wait for Eagle to call you. As soon as you get the emial that its arrived, call them. I did so and she schedueled me for the next day. Call Eagle at their toll free main office to get your local Eagles phone number 800-280-7270
You wont regret it. Its a beautiful TV.
On: 2007-02-11
Iv had this TV for a month and I am very pleased with it. It has a beautiful, bright, detailed picture with high definition programs and dvds. Colors are rich and vibrant. Standard definition from Directv is just ok.
Using a small, cheap uhf indoor antenna, I get about 30 digital over the air stations. Im about 25 miles from the broadcast towers.
Delivery from Eagle shipping took about 12 days with standard shipping. I called their local office a few days after it arrived at their facility and they said they were getting ready to send it back to Amazon because they could not contact me because my telephone number was not provided (even though I did provide it to Amazon when I ordered it). They delivered it the following day.
Two minor flaws with this TV are a slight bowing of the sides of the picture with programs in 4x3 aspect ratio, and occasional rainbow effect with white objects on a black background (when shifting my eyes back and forth quickly across the screen). However, these problems are very minor and dont detract from my enjoyment of this tv.
On: 2007-02-10
DELIVERY: Is white glove, the man handled It like a pro. He knew where everything was in box,and offered to put It where We wanted It. He removed the box so to not alert all passerbys Our expensive purchase.
PICTURE: We did Our Research, This was the pick of the litter. We have satellite TV without a high definition box, but the picture is hard to believe. The (HIGH DEF) channels will make Your jaw drop. (NON HIGH DEF) are fine too, with the picture being so much bigger, They seem clearer. You will see the differences between good channels and not so good. Its not the Sets fault. We can watch this set in three different rooms of the house, BIG is what we were going for. If your room small , it might be too BIG. Our Minimum view distance is 10 feet, Max is 35 feet. looks good from anywhere.
INPUTS: There ALL here. DVD,Stereo,Video Camera,Jump Drive,Computer, If You have HDMI now,or in the future, Theres two. I like the WISELINK. Copy pictures from computer to jump drive, and view them as a slideshow.
SOUND: This was My biggest worry before buying,We have slight hearing problem. We went to big box store to look at set at least four times before buying. it was hard to hear individual sets in a big place.
The speakers are downward firing , with an angled Aluminum bezel. sounds fantastic.
REMOTE: Easy to use, has caption, Surround sound button right on there, No going though menu. can program for DVD,VCR,CABLE,SATELLITE.
OTHER THOUGHTS: Its not an LCD or PLASMA. You cant hang It on the wall, but You could have a 16x51 inch self built. We put Our set on Our entertainment center 3 foot 8 inchs off the floor, It looks great.
On: 2007-02-10
I looked at SXRD, Plasma, LCD, and DLP at Circuit City, and decided the Samsung HL-S5687W had the best combination of PQ, size, and price.
I didnt see any rainbow effect on any of the DLPs in the store, so I was satisfied it would not be a problem.
Well, the first movie I happened to click to on Directv had subtitles - and the bright white subtitle on the black background produced rainbows almost every time. It was very distracting, not to mention tiring on the eyes for some reason.
So now I realize in the store I should have asked to have the close captioning turned on, so I could check for the rainbows under the toughest conditions, similar to subtitles. You should do this if you ever plan to watch a foreign film. Also, old black and white movies on TCM have shown some rainbowing as well.
I was thinking of living with this issue until the next morning when I went into the living room, I heard a high pitched buzz. I unplugged the Samsung, and the noise stopped. And this was not any fan noise, sounded more like the noise a bad fluorescent light bulb makes. So that was the last straw, the thing has to go back. Other people have reported similar problems at AVS forums...
Nice picture, but the risk of rainbows and quality control problems make it a big risk for the $$. If you do buy it make sure to get an extended warranty!
SXRD is the next choice for me...
On: 2007-02-09
Ive only had the TV for a few weeks now and havent yet signed up for HD from Dish Network, but did plug in an HD antenna and watched the superbowl on broadcast HD at 1080i and was absolutely impressed. The picture was absolutely clear, it looked like Phil Sims was in my room.
The picture in Dynamic is incredibly bright. I couldnt be happier with the TV, especially at the price that Amazon offered (several hundred $$ savings over purchasing local. The TV arrived well before the projected initial date, which was great as well.
On: 2007-02-09
By now youve figured out the following:
- The picture quality is impeccable. Amazing contrast, no rainbowing, bright enough to view in daylight, fast with no ghosting. There may be better screens out there but theres only a sliver of space between this and perfection. Works for me.
- Eagle, the delivery service, has some issues and some very bad excuses for missing a barn-doorlike "window" of 6 hours ("we didnt know the 56" DLP tv was going to be too big for one guy") but when they do get there, they dont just dump the TV on the doorstep. They unbox it and place it where you ask, and assure you that they can be called back in case theres something wrong with the TV. For that, they are very courteous and nice. They leave the humungous box behind - probably a good idea if you get a DOA piece.
- The TV arrives in excellent condition and is treated as well by Eagle. Ive seen heavy handed delivery from Sears and Best Buy that has required them to send replacements, the Eagle guys are better (disclaimer: within my experiences only, YMMV)
Now the good stuff that has a little less frequent coverage, if at all:
- I keep holding the remote the wrong way. It tapers to the front, and is heavier at the bottom even though it cant stand on the bottom edge. If youve held any kind of racquet, tool, utensil, Jedi light saber, you expect the weight to be forward or equally balanced. If I hold it correctly, it feels I might drop it because its like holding a cone with the point at the top.
- The remote is generally intuitive although the labeling on four buttons seems to always direct me to the wrong ones. What I like is that the button for the selected device lights up so you know what youre controlling if youre using it for your other devices. It is a pain to program for other devices because you need an opened paper clip to press the Set button. Unlike my Dish DVR remote, it cant scan for the right device code.
- The screen itself is as black as the rest of the tv. LCD screens are relatively grey when powered down. In fact the bevel almost appears lighter because of its gloss. My CRT rear-projection was
- The TV takes a few seconds to warm up on a cold start. Sometimes the picture looks dismally dim as the bulb picks up some brightness, but your patience is rewarded with one of the best, most movie-screenlike experiences you will have. Not turning it off when waiting for it to come on, takes about a day to learn.
- This thing is W I D E. 50 and 9/16" wide. 35 1/2" tall. Theres a 7" band between the bottom of the screen and whatever surface it sits on. Its base has a 39 1/2" footprint, and the whole tv is about 15 1/2" deep from front to back, with the base reassuringly sticking out a little over half an inch in front of the screen.
- From most angles of viewing, it simply looks like a flat TV. You dont see the DLP housing behind unless you look at it more from the side than the front. All thats visible is the 2 1/2" deep bezel around the screen.
- If youre going to watch standard tv on it, you need to be at least 10 ft away or have blurry vision to escape from the low resolution stretching. Regular DVD (not HD/Blu-Ray) looks fantastic, and I use an under-$50 player (Cyberhome progressive-scan). Apparently there are some good players out there but even the CyberHome does very well.
- The speakers are more than adequate - I didnt miss having a home theater surround sound system, even though I might get one sometime.
- The on-screen controls are excellent and intuitive. There is a help blurb that dynamically offers more information on all the choices.
Im very happy with the purchase. I went through many of the reviews, maybe all of them, to arrive at the decision to buy this, and thanks to all the diligent reviewers out there, I think I made the right choice.
On: 2007-02-09
After many months of research and consideration, I decided to get the HL-S5687W. I was originally looking for a 50" (like the HL-S5087W), but I decided at the last minute to get the 56"... Im glad I did. This TV is magnificent! It arrived in about a week (7 days earlier than estimated by Amazon). The delivery from Eagle was great. I hooked up my new Panasonic DVD-S52S progressive scan up-converting DVD player via HDMI and set the output to 1080i. The picture is amazing. The Cars movie is especially nice. Local HD channels over the air are beautiful. I havent upgraded my Dish Network to HD yet, but the SD programming is better than I expected (just dont compare it to the HD because theres no comparison). The sound was better than I expected as well. The only negative thing Ive noticed is the vertical viewing angle isnt great. When you view from above or below the screen, the brightness fades... but I believe this a true for all DLPs. This is not a big deal unless you are putting the TV on the floor or if its up high. The viewing angle from the side is fine.
I cant imagine finding a better 56" HDTV... and none of the local retailers can even come close to the price on Amazon.
On: 2007-02-09
This is my second Samsung DLP. I bought this on Amazon because of the great price. Cannot be beat. Arrived in my town to EGL and I called them and picked it up myself from their local warehouse. I have this TV hooked up to Satellite HD, BluRay via HDMI. I tuned it with the Avia disc. The flexibility and ability to save current and custom settings is great. HD picture is virtually flawless. SD is much improved but I think a lot of that is due to upconversion with my AV receiver.
You cannot go wrong with this DLP unit. Samsung continues to provide the best bang for the buck.
On: 2007-02-07
The Samsung 56" DLP I purchased through Amazon/Target has been wonderful. There was a mix up with the shipper and they had to send me a card in the mail instead of calling me for the appt. (mistyped phone number). But the TV is excellent and I truly believe I got the best deal and the most TV for my dollar.
On: 2007-02-07
Fast shipping by Amazon, it shipped from Irving (local to me).
Fantastic picture, I only have antenna, no cable, no dish, and I receive great HDTV. I have a antenna on the attic for old Sony, it works great receiving HDTV broadcasting. The only channel I occasionally had problem is local fox, the channel would be cut off from time to time(signal strength shown only 2 bar), an amplifier from homedepot solved the problem.
There are 2 problems I havent solve:
1, My pc output 1920*1080 to tv, but TV doesnt scale it to full screen. Regular HDTV shows, sports, heros, 24, csi, Leno, etc occupy full panel screen, but in pc mode, there are black space surround the screen. This might not be TVs problem, Im using buildin video(intel 950), not a high end video card. I also didnt use DVI/HDMI, just a analog VGA connection.
2, I bought a wireless headphone and connect to the back of TV, the headphone works with everything except HDMI input. I have a dvd player connected to TV through HDMI, the headphone has no sound when I play dvd.
On: 2007-02-06
Great tv for a great price. Looking forward to getting a HD dvd player. Shipping time was much shorter than expected.
On: 2007-01-30
Finally stepped up to HDTV. Shopped around and got this TV which appears to be the most TV for the money. Amazon significantly beat the prices at [...] of other places for the same TV. Prices continue to come down.
Was afraid it would be too big for my room, so stuck with the 56" - could have easily fit the 62" TV there with no problem. Only issue with the 62" would have been a slightly more expensive warranty. Lots of different options to hook it up including HDMI inputs. Exceptional picture clarity - much brighter than the previous big screen.
On: 2007-01-30
I think this is one of my best buys ever. Great tv at a great price. No Regrets. If you are thinking about buying this TV just do it you will not regret it.
On: 2007-01-30
If you compare all the ratings in the top 25, most of the HDTVs have 4 stars or above. I think the jump from SDTV to HDTV is so impressive that people are satisfied with their purchase. Ive seen alot of TVs in the stores and I think most of the sets look great too. So knowing that many of the TVs already look good, I weighed other factors and prioritized them:
1. Price - Stay under $2000.
2. Screen size - At least 40".
3. Burn-in - I know the new TVs have protection to minimize this, but Im guilty of pausing my DVR, DVD player, and video games for a long time. So I was worried about the effects.
4. Viewing angle - I have two sofas perpendicular to each other, so I can have horizontal viewing angles up to 160 degrees.
5. Contrast ratio - I read that color contrast is more important than resolution when judging picture quality. Thats probably why Plasma sets look so good, while having low resolution.
After much research, I narrowed down to a Samsung 46" LCD, Sony 50" LCoS, and a Samsung 56" DLP. I really wanted to consider the Panasonic 42" Plasma because it looked great in the store, but Im very concerned about the burn-in. The Samsung had a great viewing angle, and the flat panel was so sleek, but the lack of contrast ratio compared to the other sets really showed. The Sony looked really good and had much better viewing angle than the Samsung, but cost so much for the technology. So I decided I would go with the Samsung.
There are a few drawbacks to DLP in general like: Smaller viewing angles, have to replace the bulb in 2-4 years for $300, deeper panel, pincushion/hourglass effect. But the benefits for this particular set outweighed the cons: 130 degree horizontal viewing angle, high contrast ratio, no burn-in, fast response time, large screen size, and most of all bang for the buck price.
Ive had the TV for a couple of weeks now and am very satisfied. I get all the broadcast HD stations in the Atlanta market using a cheapo indoor antenna I bought 10 years ago. I have DirecTV and SD looks good on some channels, and okay on others. I havent tested out the 1080p capability yet, so I cant comment on it. The viewing angle is good for my living room, unless I am sitting on the floor. Overall, I am very satisfied with the product.
This is unrelated to the actual product, but I just wanted to mention that the service was great with Amazon and the shipper. EGL delivered, unboxed, and placed the TV. I was very impressed that I got all this for such a great price.
On: 2007-01-30
I recently purchased the HL-S5687W. I paired it up with the Oppo upconverter DV-981HD DVD player and the Direct TV HD receiver. Ive been impressed. I read the CNET reviews and was convinced that the Sony A2000 was the best 1080p bang for the buck. I later saw the Samsung on sale on Amazon. When I read the reviews on CNET again, I recognized that the Samsung (also on CNETs top 10 HDTVs list) was ranked slightly lower by the editors, yet ranked slightly higher by the users. I went to Best Buy where they happen to have the two side-by-side. I could not see a difference. Clearly I didnt see an $800 difference! I gave the manager at Best Buy a chance to match Amazons price; he could not. In fact, it is now a month later and Best Buy still can not beat the price that I paid on Amazon a week ago! The picture is beautiful. No rainbow effect. Lots of options, easy to navigate. Shipping was fast and FREE! I highly recommend it.
On: 2007-01-28
After doing our homework canvassing the internet rating sites about this HDTV set and others, we chose this set based on it being so highly rated for delivering a good quality picture from a regular cable source. (CNET to name one rating site.) We do not have HD yet so we only have a digital set top box. Whenever you go into video and audio specialty stores, you never get to see how a set performs on anything other than an HD source. After procrastinating for months, we finally took the plunge. Amazons pricing was impossible to beat. The delivery by Eagle USA was excellent. We tracked the package. They called us the next day after they received it in New Orleans. Delivery was ontime. The guys carried it in and placed it on the stand. They even plugged in the connection for my wife. These guys went out of their way. Very professional in our opinion. Total delivery time was 7 days from ordering. Our neighbors have been amazed at the reception. Plug in a DVD via component cables and you feel like you can touch the actors. Star Wars fans will be in heaven, we are. Make sure you get good connection cables, rg-6 cl-2 rated cables and you will be set. Do your homework, you dont need to spend a fortune on well known cable names for that. The connection does matter, so dont think you can slip by without consideration for them. Several forums on the internet have suggested picture calibration settings. We found Contrast at 40, Brightness at 45, Sharpness at 38, Color at 45, Tint at 50/50, either Warm 1 or Normal for Tone, Digtal Noise Reduction On for regular cable and DNle off the best, clearest picture. This is also what the Professional Calibrators gave as a starting place other than the Noise Reduction and they have sharpness turned down farther, but thats a personal preference. You will not be disappointed with this set. This is our second Samsung TV. We will contiune to buy them.
On: 2007-01-27
Had this TV for a couple of months and Ive had no problems with it. Plenty of inputs and a very bright and clear picture. The biggest problem I have noticed is that you cant be either below or above the picture and still see a clear, bright image, although the side viewing angle is much better. Works well as a gigantic PC monitor, for playing movies, and for playing games. Honestly I dont know why I would ever consider going with LCD or plasma... their picture quality just isnt as good as with DLP. Just going to Target or Walmart you can compare side-by-side and realize how pixely LCD/Plasmas are.
On: 2007-01-25
I just got my new 56 inch Samsung 1080p. Shipping through Eagle was good, it took a week, but they brought it in the house ,set it up and made sure it powered up before they left. Amazon had the best delivered price I had found on the net or in a store. The picture is better than a couple of friends, plasma tvs. The sound is great and picture is sharp. what a great deal for $1699. I would buy another one of these DLPs from Amazon.com if the need ever aroze.
On: 2007-01-25
Best price out there, courteous deliver people from Eagle transport, great TV incredible picture. We could not be happier. Amazon delivered a TV that was ordered on Dec 25 in just six business days. This was my first high dollar purchase over the internet, very worried about what I may actually receive or the support I may receive from an "internet based" store. So far thier 5 stars and I do not hesitate from ordering from them again. Home Run Amazon, Thank You
On: 2007-01-23
I am writing this review to aid those of you who are shopping as I am. My analysis is that there appears to be a problem west of the Missisippi, at the very least,with Samsung service. Except for this problem, based on the 91 reviews, this is a 5 star product. Before you buy, I urge you to check on who the service provider for your area is and have a discussion with him/her. Until I determine that there is a service problem, I will give the product 5 stars to be fair to Samsung. If my investigation says that my area does not have a service problem, I am going to buy this product.
On: 2007-01-23
After a couple of months of researching sets in the sub $2k price range, I had narrowed my choices to this set, and the Toshiba 56HMX96. Consumer Reports and CNET both rate these sets highly. I personally had the opportunity to review both sets side-by-side in a local electronics store and I was sold on the Samsung due to its price advantage and picture quality. I was hesitant to buy a 1080p set as I only have SD dish programming and was concerned about picture quality as others have noted in their reviews. My normal viewing distance is about 15 feet and I feel the picture quality is excellent. If I get closer than about 8 feet however, I do notice considerable degredation of picture quality. I have my set connected to my home theatre via the HDMI connection and it makes a big difference. As I am not particularly a technical person, I was a little intimidated with the set up at first, but later found that set up was a breeze thanks to the intuitive nature of the menu layout. I have had my set only a few days, but early indications are that I made the right decision.
On: 2007-01-22
I love everything about this HDTV. The menu was easy to navigate and thanks to others who have rated this HDTV the adjustments I had to make to the picture helped the out of the box brightness. I purchased the Samsung 860 DVD upconvert player and movies look fantastic. The sound is great when hooking the optical output from the TV to the optical on my surround sound. One disappointment I discovered is that you need the set top box to get HD. This TV does not have an HDTV tuner like some other models I have seen. An HDTV tuner would have let me watch HD channels within my expanded basic cable package. Samsung could have done a better job calling that out. However, $10 bucks extra a month and I am good to go on a few HD channels hopefully more to come. Another plus delivery was right on schedule as promised.
On: 2007-01-22
Bought this product from Amazon. The price was excellent compared with most brick-and-mortar stores. Delivery was handled by Eagle USA - the delivery was quick and simple. The only glitch was Eagle USA didnt get my phone contact info from Amazon and delivery was not arranged until I called Amazon to check on the status (I dont think the online purchase process asked for my contact phone number.) So if you are making a purchase from Amazon, please make sure they have your contact phone number on file.
My family is very happy with this Samsung unit. It takes a few seconds to get to full brightness, but once it does, the picture is bright with excellent contrast. We love the super sharp picture with HD signal. It allows you to sit much closer to the TV without seeing any pixels. The remote is not great but is very functional. There is a slight delay on channel changes.
Overall, highly recommended. We wish we had gotten one sooner!
On: 2007-01-20
Ive had this set for 5 months now. The picture is simply STUNNING. I use the TV mainly for movies, but do lots of gaming as well.
Ive had zero lag problems at all when playing Nintendo Wii or PS2 games on this set.
All HD content looks absolutely flawless. This is the latest DLP technology and it definately shows!
5 out of 5!
P.S. Try these settings for the most true to life picture on this TV:
Mode: Movie
Hue: Warm 2
Brightness: 49
Contrast: 45
Color: 46
Tint 50
Sharpness: 0
Enjoy!
On: 2007-01-19
Plain and simple: Amazon saved me $500-$700 on the TV and tax. The delivery was a day earlier than estimated and Eagle Shipping was very professional.
I had DTV bring the HD/DVR last week so I was ready to go. The TV picture is incredible. I was watching ESPN-HD about 4 minutes after the delivery guys left and spent the eve wrestling the remote away from my wife.
We will certainly go back to Amazon for our next big purchase.
On: 2007-01-19
Tracked the shipment and saw it arrived in my city in a week. Eagle called to set delivery and it would be 5 more days. I said "isnt it in town now". Yes it is, would you like to pick it up? Yes, I want to see the games this weekend. So I go get it and set it up. SWEET. My 7 year old boy and I watched discovery HD tonight and saw flight of the migration. Story of birds from around the planet that put us both on total awe. Even my boy was mesmorized at the picture.I have direct tv hd tvr so I recorded it it. Unbeleivable picture. Kind of hard to watch to the non hd channels after words, but still good. Just saying in HD, this thing is the bomb! And it will all be HD in the near future. I LOVE IT!
On: 2007-01-19
So, I entered into the market for a big screen TV, checked out all the reviews and decided this 56" DLP from Samsung with 1080p resolution was for me and fit my budget. I then checked out the prices and didnt feel comfortable going with a no name website for such a big purchase. Then I came across Amazon (since when did they start selling more than books?!?) They were $400 cheaper than the local CircuitCity or BestBuy not to mention the savings on Sales Tax and the free shipping offered by Amazon. I checked with Best Buy to see if they would match the price, but was informed they dont match online offers, only local ads. So I hit the order button at Amazon on Jan 9th and crossed my fingers. Exactly 1 week later (on the 16th), Eagle delivered the product to my living room and even helped with the unpacking from the box to make sure everything looked ok. I went out and purchased a $50 HD antenna to pull in the local channels HD feed (since I couldnt wait for the DISH installer to see what HD would look like) and the picture was so crisp and clear. I couldnt have asked for a smoother transaction. A great price, good shipping/delivery and what is looking like one fine TV. Id have no problem recommending Amazon to anyone based on this experience.
On: 2007-01-18
I have done a lot of research on HDTV, cables, and HD-DVDs. I picked a dlp because of its stability, reliability, and beautiful screen. I recieved my TV in a reasonable amount of time, 8 business days, although i had 5 days standard shipping. You cant believe how light this TV is. When i first hooked it up, i thought the TV or cables were bad. Standard cable looks worse on this TV than my old 480i cable tv. But the HD cable and DVDs look awesome. My couch sits about 7 feet from the TV so i thought 56" would be too big even though i read 6.6 ft is optimal to take advantage of the 1080p resolution. Well, i am confirming it is not too close. Perfect!! I am afraid i am going to have to buy a bigger tv in my next house.
Overall i would give the TV 5 stars and cable TV 3 stars. It may be worth it to wait until more HD channels come out and you can buy a HD-DVD or blue-ray at a reasonable price and they fix their technology. Regular DVDs look 5x better but looking back, i probably should have waited until the cable for TVs and DVDs caught up to the actual TVs technology.
On: 2007-01-18
I love this set. HD is great. I even started watching sports. Shipping was good, although a little slow.
Price has dropped $200 since I bought it in December.
On: 2007-01-18
This is a great television, you can read the CNET review for that information. I just want to comment on the purchasing process with amazon.com, which was great.
I chose free shipping, and it was handled by Eagle delivery company. Having never heard of them before I was a bit skeptical, but everything turned out fine. I ordered on a Sunday and received it a week and a half later on a Wednesday. I tracked the order online and once it got to my city I called Eagle to set up a delivery time. They gave me a 4 hour delivery window and called an hour before they got there, as I requested.
So anyone that might be a bit hesitant to order such a large piece of equipment, dont be. Save yourself some money and get it here.
On: 2007-01-18
HD is bright and sharp on some channels, but show pixels on others. In sports close-ups are great, but the people in the stands are fuzzy and grass is also. Little improvement on just digital stations. It could be my cable, I am switching to Dish to hopefully get a sharper pic.
Overall it is stil a good purchase with more HD coming all the time.
On: 2007-01-17
I love the TV... DVDs look great and im sure as soon as i get HD DVR thru dish the HD picture will be great.... BUT the shipping SUCKED recieved my TV on time 1 1/2 weeks.. BUT it was damaged cracked on the side.. you could see on the box were it was droped or somthing... eagle shipped it to portland and oak harbor brought it to my door 45 miles away not sure were the damaged occured... sent it back.. amazon will refund my money but has to wait till the tv gets back to dallas... 4 weeks... so now im out 1700$$ till then... so instead of waiting went to CC paid 200 more and got the TV.....TV great .... shipping BAD.....
On: 2007-01-17
Just like everyone else I was leary of purchasing this TV online but it couldnt have gone better. the driver helped me put it on my stand and we turned it on and checked it out. Tracking it was easy and I would buy again in an instant. Oh yes - the picture is FANTASTIC.
On: 2007-01-16
After checking out different brands and formats for a few months, decided to go with the samsung 56" projection. Great quality and real easy to setup for different types of viewing. Have to play around a little to optimize the picture to how you like it. but overall a great TV. Price cannot be beat as well. 2 HDMI inputs and 1080P will come in handy for the future....often overlooked, but in my opinion, the minimum you should buy if it is for long term.
On: 2007-01-16
I love this TV. Excellent value. The HD channels come in beautifully. Regular definition TV looks fine, not as nice as a tube picture but acceptable.
I compared this TV to plasmas and LCDs and I see no reason to not get a DLP system. The picture is so much brighter than any other technology. There is no risk of burn-in or fatigue - generally the only maintenance is bulb replacement, which is inexpensive.
Keep in mind that for a picture this large, and particularly with a DLP system, you need to sit at least five feet away from the screen to appreciate it. Get any closer and you will see the color pixels and you will think the picture sucks. Movies look great and the color spectrum is very nice. I can watch this TV from side angles without any loss of picture quality. Daylight does cause some loss of clarity.
In my opinion the only plasma and LCD systems that look better than this DLP are in the +$5000 range.
On: 2007-01-16
After months of research I finally pulled the trigger and purchased this set. I am extremely pleased with my decision. I do not believe that the price/quality factor with the 87 series Samsung can be beat. Kudos to Amazon and Eagle for giving me a speedy and smooth transaction.
The set looks great out of the box but with some simple tweaks it will be amazing. After this purchase I did not have $500 to get the set professionally calibrated so I used "Eliabs starter settings". Eliab is a very well respected calibrator on AVS forums and here is what he recommends to those who have not had a professional calibration:
Mode - Movie
Digital NR - OFF
DNIe - Off
Contrast - 40
Brightness - 45
Sharpness - 0
Color - 45
Tint - G50/R50
Color Tone - Warm2
This made quite a difference in my set and I imagine that it will do the same for yours.
On: 2007-01-15
Very good overall, excellent value. I cant wait to see what the picture looks like with a 1080P source.
On: 2007-01-13
Like most other people that have posted here, I was very nervous about making a large purchase like this online. Especially after reading several horror stories about the delivery company (Eagle), I was pretty apprehensive. Bottom line came down to the fact that I could save at least $300 purchasing this tv online compared to in any store. So, on January 5th, I went ahead and made the purchase (price went down from 1829 in early Dec. 06 to 1699 when I bought it. Price at Circuit City was about 2100, Best Buy was around the same).
Although there are numerous negative stories listed here about Eagle and their inability to get this product to customers in a timely fashion, I have to give them a great deal of credit in this instance. Having ordered the unit on January 5th, the estimated delivery date was January 17th or so.* I tracked the progress of the tv online, and saw that it arrived in my area on January 9th. Eagle called me on the 10th, and it was delivered on the 11th. One week after I made the purchase, the tv was in my living room. Not too bad at all, considering how bad some other stories have been. Overall, I was extremely pleased with the overall process - from purchasing the item, all the way through deliverty - everything was done in a timely, professional manner. The delivery person even told me to keep the box, in case I needed to return the unit in the next 30 days for any reason.
Obviously, Ill have to wait and see how the tv works over the next few months in order to evaluate how it actually performs. But as far as the delivery process goes, I wanted to share my story with others who might be worried about making a big purchase like this online. If you want to save some money, I would recommend going ahead and buying on Amazon.com.
*I do want to point out that I did NOT use the FREE SUPER SAVER SHIPPING option. Originally I was going to do so. As most of you probably know, using that option will delay your delivery pretty dramatically. Well, I wanted to get it for free, so I was going to go that route regardless of how long it would take to get to me. Then, when I was making my purchase, Amazon offered me free STANDARD shipping (I still dont know why - there was just a notice that this is done occasionally, so of course I chose that option). With the standard shipping, the set was shipped the very next day, and arrived in only one week. Point of the story: before you finalize your purchase, see if Amazon is offering free standard shipping. If they are, use it, and you will get your tv alot sooner than you will using free super saver shipping. I was honestly amazed at how quickly they got it to me.
If anyone has any questions regarding my experience, Im glad to help. I got alot of information that helped me make my decision from this site, and would be glad to help anyone else that might be having trouble deciding whether or not they want to make this purchase.
On: 2007-01-13
Samsung makes the best product for the lowest price point - period. HOWEVER - CAVEAT EMPTOR is a universal truth that should NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!
I had issues with my Samsung HD tube TV (different model but this info is still applicable). I was a good little customer - going through the normal processes - but ended up without a TV for two one month periods at a time! I eventually escallated to Samsung corporate by looking up their NJ Offices and asking to speak to the VP of Marketing / Customer Service. I was routed to the specialized corporate customer care group and STILL got the run around. A Samsung Customer Service Manager eventually offered to sell me a TV for MORE THAN I COULD BUY IT IN THE STORE!!!!!!! How INSULTING! UNBELIEVEABLE is the only way to describe how INEPT their Service processes and groups are. They supposedly use the Six Sigma approach to quality... I can tell you with Samsung - they only give lip service to quality and customer service. I have NEVER been more disappointed with a company than with Samsung.
On: 2007-01-12
After months of looking a TVs I finally decided to bite the bullet and purchase the Samsung S5687. Amazon ended up having the best price and included the free shipping so I took the plunge and bought it.
The TV itself performs, and works great. The picture is truly amazing. I would recommend this TV to anyone thinking about buying a new HD TV.
However Eagle took a little over 3 weeks to deliver my new tv which made me some what nervous. The package tracking system showed it was sitting in their Chicago warehouse almost a full week. The day the TV was supposed to be delivered we received a call from Eagle telling us that the TV was at their warehouse, and they would like to schedule the delivery. The delivery date ended up being 5 days later because thats when one of their delivery trucks would be in our neighborhood.
The delivery guys were very professional. They unboxed the TV and allowed me to inspect it before signing for it and helped me place it on my TV stand. They were in and out of my house within a matter of a few minutes.
On: 2007-01-12
I would have to say it is well worth the purchase for those who are looking for 1080p capabale TV(s). I have explored many alternatives, and if you do not plan to wall mount the TV, this would be the best choice to get since its conservative on space. I heard rumors that the bulb lasts 20,000 hours compared to the competitions 6000 hours, so thats another great thing about the TV (probably before the 20000 hours, I will get another TV in the future). I bought this TV back in October and I have been watching the NFL and BCS football games on FOX, and the quality is unbelievable. The only gripe I may have is that if you own a Wii system, the image does not come out as great even with a component cable connection, it looks much better on a 20-inch screen. Shipping was solid, it came in exactly a week after my purchase from Ohio to California via Eagle USA.
On: 2007-01-11
This product with the DLP chip by Texas Instruments provides the viewer a picture that appears to be three dimensional! Its worth the investment.
On: 2007-01-11
The purchase process was unbelievably easy and straightforward. Delivery was made in a very timely manner. In fact delivery was sooner than estimated at purchase time. I saved at least $500 at AMAZON instead of purchasing locally in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. I sometimes fall asleep (...watching ESPN), still looking for the "oops" or "gotcha". I am pleased. My children love it, and we dont yet have all the available HD channels.
On: 2007-01-11
Using both Direct TV and Comcast cable HD for the tuners and I have never seen a better picture on any other TV that I have owned or viewed. I have had HD TVs since 1999. Family and friends say the same, unbelievable picture quality, true to life.
Only problem I have encountered is that it will shut down (power off)now and then. E-mailed Samsung service and waiting for a reply. Not sure what is happening yet!!
Alan Cezar, San Jose, CA
On: 2007-01-11
I ordered this from Amazon back when it was $1999. The price has been reduced twice since then, but I still feel like I got a great value. This price was better than anywhere else when I bought it and the free shipping was a plus.
I looked at this TV for a long time at Best Buy and compared it to the other brands and models. I was actually planning to get a 61", but that size seemed to be big enough to start making pixels visible at 1080p - even with the high quality feed at Best Buy. The 56" was just a lot clearer than the 61".
Amazon provided free delivery and even put it up in the media room and took the boxes for me. For its size, the TV is surprisingly light. My 10 year old son helped me lift it into place.
I do notice small curves on the side of the picture when in 4:3 mode, but I dont really use this mode much. I generally watch off air HD programs, we have a lot in our area, and use the Samsung 960 upconverting DVD player. The picture in both cases is outstanding.
On two occasions I have had to "reboot" the TV as it wouldnt recognize the remote or the on/off switch. The problem has gone away so I havent called for warranty service.
On: 2007-01-11
This is a remarkable TV! It is a turnkey approach to outstanding HDTV. The superior service provided by the shipper (EGL) did everything but set the TV up. Setup was straightforward and clearly covered by the included manual. I coupled this set with an upconverting DVD player (Oppo), and have never been happier.
On: 2007-01-11
Best picture we have seen. Have it for three months now and couldnt be happier. Best price anywhere was Amazon and free shipping was great. Had it in 10 days and they set it up on TV stand.
On: 2007-01-11
A few of my freinds have this set and everyone loves it, me included. I brought it home and did not have my HDTV hooked up yet so i stuck some rabbit ears on it and picked up over the air HDTV perfectly. I now have Verizon FIOS hooked up to it and the picture quality is superb, just like Consumer Reports said. Mitsubishi hasnt got a thing on Samsung, dont pay the extra money.
On: 2007-01-10
I was amazed at the clarity of my Samsung DLP television. I had researched all the technologies for HDTV and decided that DLP ws the best. The picture of my TV was better than what I viewed in the store. Even non-digital programs were exceptional. While the set was probably too big for the room I have it now, it will be perfect in the new home I am planning to build in the next couple of years.
On: 2007-01-10
Everything about this purchase was outstanding. Amazons delivery service was on-time, careful and helpful. The TV was easy to set up and worked perfectly from the moment it was hooked up to cable and turned on. I didnt want to play with any picture adjustments because I could only make things look worse. The picture looks great in both daytime light and in the evening. The HD is so good that you really dont want to watch the analog channels. Samsung has definitely got this product right! Also, Amazons price was the best available. I cant remember too many purchases Ive enjoyed more.
I suggest that if you are looking for a HD-TV that is 46" or larger and you are not going to hang it on a wall, then DLP technology is the way to go.
On: 2007-01-10
I researched this 56 in HD-DLP TV for several weeks on line, then checked it out at Best Buy & Circuit City & finally ordered it from Amazon. Couldnt be any happier. Shipping was on-time. Setup was easy. Performance is great, color, contrast, definition is wonderful. Im just using rabbit ears to pull in HD broadcasts and it is amazing to see the difference HD programming makes. Id highly recommend this product.
On: 2007-01-10
Both my wife and I are extremely pleased with this TV. Receiving a beautiful image from just my outside antenna, thanks to the signal booster contained in the set. DVD movies are a whole new thing also! No negatives to this review! Particularly since I saw a 50" Samsung at Sams $2180. I saved a lot
On: 2007-01-10
excellent quality of picture for HD channels. Lacks picture clarity on non-HD channels but that seems to be problem with all brands.
On: 2007-01-10
I ended up purchasing this TV, the 56 version, because a friend of mine from work bought the 61. So this way I had a chance to see it up close and play various movies/TV/video games. And being that my living room is rather small I decided to get a smaller version of the same model. It works/looks great. I have a playstation 3 hooked up to it via HDMI cable and everything looks amazing. No complaints. Shippings from Amazon was fast, but only if you wait a week, then call and hound the shipping companys. It speeds up the process dramaticly.
On: 2007-01-10
I bought this tv from Amazon a few months ago and it is awesome. I first purchased the Toshiba 62" and it arrived broken, had to send it back and then decided on the Samsung 56" 1080p television. I was shooting for a big ole tv, and am now happy with my 56"... plenty big. In fact, I think the 62" may be a little too big for my living room.
The picture quality is superb... I got HD channels from my cable provider and, if possible, they are the only programs I watch on my television. Regular broadcoast shows can look pretty bad with such a great tv... but not too horrible. If you are getting this tv, or one like it, having HD channels is a must.
All in all, I would definitely recommend buying this television from Samsung.
On: 2007-01-10
Traded up from earlier 720p version. Definition, brightness and color outstanding. Delivery was better than promised.
On: 2007-01-10
I bought this TV based on its reviews from Amazons website and from friends of mine. I am not disappointed at all. This TV is everything that everyone else had said. Great picture, the HD is awsome. Do yourself the favor and get the HDMI cable from Walmart (you dont need to buy Monster brand, its over-rated) and watching football or any sport in HD is wonderful. As far as the speakers go, they work well for me. Ive read some other reviews that the speakers werent that great, but I beg to differ. The sound is great and can be extremely loud(just not movie theatre loud). I do have a surround sound system which makes it sound like Im in a movie theatre. But I turn it on and off when I want to. Also Amazons quick, free shipping worked well. I ordered the TV on Oct 28th and it was in my living room Nov. 7th. I couldnt beat the price either, a few hundred dollars cheaper than Ciruit City and Best Buy.
On: 2007-01-10
Bought this Samsung DLP early Dec `06. Took about 12 days to receive item and was set up and unpacked by Eagle shipping. This tv is a great deal I have yet to see it display hd signal. Some cable sd channels are a tad blurry so I guess the crap in - crap out - applies here. Looking forward to seeing the tv display hd content.
Amazon is the best. They lowered the price about 2 weeks after I received the set. I emailed them about getting a refund for the difference. They dont have a policy like that, probably because we all know how the price drops are on bigscreens. Much to my delight they emailed me back within minutes and said they would credit my account the price drop difference. SWEET, what a nice little surprise. Amazon showed why they are a leader in customer service. I will be a life long customer.
On: 2007-01-10
My new TV has a few problems. Theres a dust bunny in the bottom of the screen that just appeared one day, its about 5 inches x 3 inches wide. I use an external antenna to receive HDTV and the TV is pretty bad when its windy, screen has pixel dancing due to multipath of the signal, even for a very strong local channel. I wrote to the FCC about dropping the analog and being all digital TV in a few years from now, thatll make us all need cable or Satellite on windy days. The TV audio failed on the local channel recently and it doesnt seem to pick up any other digital channels. Maybe my antenna is the cause but I think a component in the TV is failing. Overall, I have to wait and see if Samsung can correct the errors. Overall it looks nice, but quality problems are a bit of concern. I am wishing I purchased a 50 inch LCD instead. I read about not oversizing the screen, I sit 10 feet away from a 56 inch screen, no problem. Id still buy it again, but the problems are a pain.
On: 2007-01-09
After much research, we decided to purchase the Samsung HL-S5687W. We are so glad we did. The picture quality is amazing. We did not purchase the HD cable, and instead have just been using our old S-Video cable, and see no decrease in the quality from doing so. Our over-all experience with Amazon was great as well. The tv was delivered on-time with absolutely no problems at all.
On: 2007-01-09
5 Star service from Amazon. 5 Star sevice from the carrier. He stayed while I unpackaged and powered up the set to be sure that it did in fact work. The unit arrived on time and as expected. My only concern it that there was not enough reviews that I found regarding the use of satalite with non HD signals. This monitor is great with HD sources and even up converted DVDs, but with a non HD digital satalite signal, my old 36" Sony Vega kills it. I am in the process of adding a Dish Network HD Reciever and new satalite dish with new cables, this week. I hope this solves the problem. Bottomline, I would very much recommend purchasing this model and do it through Amazon. Not just through one of the dealers listed with Amazon. Don
On: 2007-01-09
The Samsung 56" DLP HD TV is a very good product. I believe it to be the best value in big screen HD television today. It has the latest resolution ability - 1080p and has a bright and rich color display. The picture can be viewed in a room with any amount of light and the no-glare display is far superior to the screen on plasma units. You get the very most for your money with DLP and Samsung has produced a winner here. The only feature "missing" from this model is picture-in-picture. If you must have that feature, look for another model as this one does not have it. Otherwise, it has everything needed for great HD television and is easy to setup and operate. You cannot find a better HD television anywhere near its price range.
On: 2007-01-09
I was/am very pleased with my TV. In the stores it was awesome but at home it is incredible. The picture took about 3 days to get use to because of how bright it is. I didnt too much care for the DNE feature because it made the whites (in my opinion) ultra plasma zeon white. Just a little much for my taste. We are lucky enough to have a Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 and both look outrageous on it. The PS3 looks a little better most because you can hook it up to the TV via HDMI.
Speak of HDMI, if you are looking for a TV of this caliber, do not was your money on not getting with at least 2 HDMI connectors on the back. With this TV having to connections on the back, I do not have to worry about switch cables between my HD DVR and the Playstation 3. I wish I had 2 more however.
This TV has also gotten rave review from my friends when they have come over. I have gotten comments like, " that picture is just too clear", "it is massive", "I do not really watch TV but if I had this one, I would everyday". Lets be honest, our friends are really who we are trying to impress when we make a purchase like this one.
TV IS AWESOME!!!
On: 2007-01-09
It took about 3 weeks to receive the TV, but delivery was in good condition and they were helpful in upacking. The quality of the TV is excellent, I dont know how Ive gone without HD for so long. I had to call my cable company for help with setup, apparantly the Brighthouse HD box didnt have the programming for 1080p, so we had to change some settings. Hopefully theyll have the upgraded software for 1080p soon. My only afterthought: I debated between the 56 and 61 Samsung and now I wish I would have purchased the the 61. The cost was just $300 more and would have been worth the difference. But Im very happy with the TV.
On: 2007-01-09
I am a new technology novice. My wife and I decided we wanted a big screen. We looked at Plasma, DLP, Etc at Best Buy for 2 hours. They were helpful and educated me. The TV was going into the corner of my basement. My only concern with this DLP projection TV was that people would have trouble seeing clearly at angles. Angled viewing in Best Buy was a little poor and concerning.
After almost deciding on Plasma for this reason I started writing up the paperwork and then we were adding the cost of all of the mounting on the wall and I said screw it. Im getting the DLP.
I ordered it through Amazon and saved another $250 and put it in the basement corner. The picture was awesome (especially in HD). Using an HDMI cable my non-HD channels look pretty good (very acceptable).
Also, my angle concern turned out to be nothing to worry about. The worst angle in my basement is about 45 degrees and the picture looks just as good there to me as the straight on view.
I decided on the 56" because I thought the 62" might be too big for my basement. That was incorrect. Although I should have gotten the 62", the 56" is great and I am very satisfied with it.
Good luck, Joe
On: 2007-01-09
We are very pleased with this tv. The quality of the picture is awesome! We did lots of research before buying and have been very pleased with our decision. We also checked prices at all the box stores and other online sources and combined with free shipping and no tax, Amazon had the best deal. The tv was shipped even ahead of schedule. We only wish that there were more HD channels available. We also bought a upconverter dvd player which gives us a great picture on our dvds.
On: 2007-01-09
After weeks of researching and deciding this was TV I wanted I could find no comparable price unless I wanted a "refurb". Picture quality is as amazing as advertised. The menu is organized well and intuitve (the menu map feature which shows every option is very nice). As mentioned many times speakers are below average but hooked into a couple of very inexpensive speakers to get good sound. Single source button allows me to toggle between satellite, xbox, dvd and ota antenna. Viewing angle is definately narrow vertically close up but as long as TV is on a stand of correct height who cares. The vast array of inputs is great and the side input with the USB slot is very conveinant if you dont want to move the TV.
Delivery came about 7 days ahead of the "estimate". I got no white glove treatment as they just dropped in my living room sealed in the box. Fortunately it is so light I was able to get out of box and on stand by myself. Overall couldnt be happier.
On: 2007-01-09
I was looking for a machine that had the main features needed to watch a clear picture. For me, the main features were high contrast and the highest resolution I could buy. Having a single tuner, no PIP, and no other little features that dont effect the picture quality, was important in order to save hundreds of dollars.
I enjoyed the picture right out of the box without adjustments. I havent made chang | | |
