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Samsung HL-S6187W 61-Inch 1080p DLP HDTV
By: Samsung Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 125
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 On: 2008-04-19
Do not buy this set! And if you do, dont buy without an extended warranty!
After months of research and reading hundreds of reviews searching for the best DLP TV back in September, 2006, it was almost no contest that Samsung was getting rave reviews for its picture quality. Most of my tech head and audio/video buff type friends where all sold on Samsung. After years of being a life-long owner of Sonys and Toshibas, I decided to make the move and join the Samsung movement. 1.5 years later, I must say that I regret making the switch and will most likely not purchase another Samsung again. I will not argue the picture quality is brilliant and a joy to view. I am not at all displeased with the picture quality. What I am not happy about is replacing a lamp and ballast for $500 less than 18 months after I purchased it for $2,200.
As a lighting professional, I understand that all things like ballasts and lamps can and will fail. But in my world, ballasts carry a 3 to 5 year warranty and lamps are guaranteed for 50% of their rated life and take a lot more abuse than my TV set. Considering I have owned only 5 or 6 TVs in 23 years and all, except one are still working and only 1 has ever required repair after 8 years! I simply dont appreciate paying 25% of the TVs value within 18 months of purchase for needless repairs. Samsung offered no help other than answering the phone promptly, letting me know I was out of warranty and gave me the telephone number to the local service shop. As far as I am concerned, a $2,000 TV should work for a minimum of 3 to 5 years without a penny in repairs. But the reality is, they dont...so in my case, a bad ballast failed and also caused a lamp failure. Ballasts should not go bad within 2 years. I will gladly pay for a new lamp, but Samsung should have furnished a new ballast and they should last at least 5-10 years.
Anyway, if you are considering buying a Samsung, beware that there are many service issues that are showing up after the warranty expires that will cost you big bucks, such as noisy and bad color wheels and in my case, ballast and lamps. My Toshiba display is just as nice, and is still working glitch free. My Sony failed after 8 years, but was so outdated, I was actually praying for it to break so I could buy the Samsung. My only regret now is not buying another Sony or Toshiba, or minimally, an extended warranty.
 On: 2007-12-26
This TV rocks! I didnt give it a 5 star, just because it stopped working about a month after I bought it. I popped the bulb out and put it back in and its worked fine ever since. Before I did that, I called to schedule someone to come out and fix it, and it took waaaay too long for them to get someone out to me. over a week. I dont live in a major city, but there was someone that could have been out here sooner if Samsung had not dragged their feet on it. Other than that, great TV! Very light! I could not believe how light this thing is. Compared to the rear projection TV it replaced, it was light as a feather and much bigger. Technology...aint it great!
 On: 2007-12-25
If you are considering buying this TV I would seriously reconsider. Maybe we got a lemon but we have had ours for 9 months and the lamp has gone out not once but twice. Adding insult to injury, Samsung incorrectly scheduled the repair visit and we now have been told it will be another 12 days for service. After 2 hours on the phone and speaking with 2 supervisors they still would not budge on this position. Not something football fans want to hear in the middle of bowl game season. I will never buy another Samsung product again!
 On: 2007-11-26
Great for everything I use it for.. My PS3 looks incredible, HD cable is flawless.. no complaints.. no problems had it for almost a year and use it 8hr a day..
On: 2007-10-23
This TV is THE best bargain out there. I researched forever and decided on this one. 8 months in and it still amazes me. just buy it.
On: 2007-10-02
I love the big 61" screen and the picture quality is top notch. Assembly was fairly easy for a technically challenged person. Mine was refurbished but it came with a warranty and Ive found nothing wrong, condition-wise.
Tech For Less shipped it in only two days, so no complaints there.
On: 2007-09-15
I have had this Since November 2006 and love it! Football, Basketball, hockey, baseball look fantastic. My friends all come to watch the big games and fights at my house (which is great, usually), Xbox is also tops, full 1080p with component video! Using it for Madden 2008 just makes me wish I was a little better.
I just helped a friend set up the updated 6187s, with the LED engine. It is 30 pounds lighter and is every bit as clear and easy to use. Compared to the two Sony XBR systems I have helped my Sony friends set up, it is much better and 1/3 cheaper on top of that! Remotes are not great but I only use them once in a while so not a big deal.
On: 2007-08-06
Awesome, I have other HD televisions in the past but this one by far is the best! No problems what so ever.
On: 2007-07-08
I purchased my HL-S6187W from Amazon for $2,200 delivered about six months ago. The picture is outstanding with high definition sources, very good with prerecorded DVDs, mediocre with standard def satellite broadcast material.
On: 2007-06-17
Great tv, though first one arrived in pieces. I cant give it 5 stars because of extensive motion blur. Im not sure if its actually the tv and not my high def cable box but my own ignorance says its probably the tv. I believe the newer model thats now out includes some kind of technology to handle the motion blur. If that tech does in fact do something, then buy that model not this one.
On: 2007-06-17
I work for a TV station, so I have an eye for this sort of stuff, and Im up on the technology. The LED-backlits are certainly bright and have potential, but if youre looking for the best of the trusted, previous generation - this Samsung is the TV for you. Forget the overpriced Sony...
This TV produces an excellent picture quality in a streamlined, modern design, at the all-important 1080p resolution, for a very affordable price. If youre willing to give up wall-mounting for screen size (and to me, the more real estate on an HDTV, the better) then this is a great buy. The piano black finish goes well in almost any home theater setting (mine is paired with a Bush gloss black & tinted glass stand) and the very thin bezel along the edge of the screen makes it seem like all you see is the image. The TV is deceptively small. It looks smaller than other 61" TVs when its off b/c it doesnt have the extra plastic sticking off the sides like many competitors TVs. But once you turn it on, it impresses.
Amazon did a great job of getting me the TV. It came faster than the delivery date said it would be here, and two guys carried it up to the 4th floor of my building. I asked them not to unpack it, but they would have. I did have a problem with the unit (a dog whistle type, high-pitched hum). I called Samsung and had a great experience with customer service reps (how often do you hear that?!) The repair guy fixed the problem, all for free, and came at a late time b/c I work well past 5pm. The problem was a bad power supply unit, btw... and its worked marvelously since then.
Dont worry about the time it takes to warm up. It comes on fairly quick, and then slowly gets brighter until it reaches its full brightness. The repair guy showed me how easy it is to replace a lamp if need be (because its a DLP its likely) and a monkey with a screwdriver could do it...
Overall recommendation: BUY
On: 2007-06-09
I bought this TV at the end of March for my newly finished Den. I had narrowed it down to this and the Sony SXRD 60 XBR2, but it was about $1000 more. These two TVs had the best picture, so I saved the money and bought an entertainment center. The TV is awesome. I have digital Cable (Optimum) and the HD channels are great with HDMI. Also have an OPPO 1080P DVD and the picture is great. Regular TV is OK, but I find myself only watching the HD. I was skeptical about spending $2000 dollars online, but Amazon was great. Tv came in a week and Eagle delivery was great. No complaints so far. I got the 5 year warranty through Visa for under 200 bucks because I used my card. I know the new LED thin model is out, but if is like this TV, dont hesitate to buy.
I have a friend who bought online from MyTaxFree at the same time and never got his TV.
On: 2007-06-06
I have had this TV since May 5, 2007. Everyone that has seen this set says it has the best quality picture they have ever seen and I agree. I did a lot of research and saw a few negative comments but I figured you cant please everyone. The only displeasure is the fact it does not have PIP or cable card but I can live with the lack of these features. I do like the built-in digital tuner so I dont have to have a cable box.
I did not buy the stand or warranty off Amazon. Do your homework and youll find good warranties and less expensive stands on the net.
On: 2007-05-25
This is my second DLP TV from Samsung. I purchased it to replace a 42" 720p model. I cant say that Im that impressed compared to my 42" model. Although I dont subscribe to HD cable, I thought there would be significant improvement in the clarity over the smaller 720p model. The speakers are at the bottom of the screen on the 61" model, instead of the sides like the 42" model and dont really sound as good. I rely on my stereo hookup for quality sound now, but the neighbors dont appreciate it. In addition, reception through my DVR is worse on the 61" model than my 42" model (fuzzy diagnal lines). Did I get a lemmon, or is the 61" model magnifying a distortion that wasnt as noticeable on the smaller version? I personally think its the TV. If you have HD reception, I think its a great TV, if not, I would consider LCD or Plasma.
On: 2007-05-24
We really like our Samsung 61" HDTV! The image is awesome -- if you look at it at the right angle. If the TV is set too high or too low, the screen will appear slightly darker. Also the sound quality isnt anything to brag about. I plan on enhancing the sound with additional speakers. I still think that this is the best HDTV for the money. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a nice HDTV and doesnt want to spend a fortune on plasma or LCD.
On: 2007-05-21
I will keep this short. I agree with all the good things I read in the reviews prior to my purchase. The HL-S6187W 61" TV performs just as described in the product details. It is connected to a DirecTV HD DVR and a Panasonic Progressive DVD Player/Recorder via HDMI making the picture quality superb! Sound is pumped through a Yamaha HTR5760 AV Reciever with 6 speakers & sub woofer. I use the TV speakers as a supplimented center channel. Its like being right in the middle of things. When watching things like news programs my AV reciever is off and we just use the TV speakers which are pretty good. Also puchased the TV Stand (Samsung TR50X3B) which was easy to assemble and fits seamlessly, making this the "Perfect Home Entertainment Experience".
In conclusion, I must say that I was a little hesitant using the Internet for such a major puchase, but past experience with Amazon made me pull the trigger. I was not wrong, AMAZON came through with flying colors. The experience was truely amazing, just pushed a few buttons and everything happened just like clockwork. Thank you Amazon.
On: 2007-05-19
This TV has the sharpest picture I have ever seen, even when veiwing
a non-HD broadcast. It has the BLACKEST BLACKS and the WHITEST WHITES.
My biggest concern on ordering this TV was getting it here in one piece
with no internal, hidden damage.
AMAZON did a terrific job with the order and getting it shipped to me.
It shipped from somewhere on the West Coast and arrived with no gouges,
scuff marks or anything else on the heavy-duty cardboard container.
On: 2007-05-19
WE are VERY happy with our purchase. The TV picture is awesome and features are easy to use. We were a little leary about purchasing something this big over the internet but it arrived in perfect condition.
We replaced a 5 yr old Hitachi HDTV with this one and the SAMSUNG picture is SO much crisper and clearer... Would not hestitate to buy this one!
On: 2007-05-14
This set is fantastic! Best TV I have ever owned! Sports and nature shows look AMAZING! The sound is acceptable, but not fantastic. But that is what a home theater system is for. I definitely recommend this set and Amazon has the best price. It took longer than anticipated to ship, but it was well worth the wait!
 On: 2007-05-12
Love the size, love the picture....totally easy to set up and run. After three weeks though, a loud fan can be heard behind the set and has required setting up a service call. Samsungs rep seemed to know exactly what I was referring to so it appears to be a recurring thing...will write more after service call in two days.
On: 2007-05-10
We used the Tv for about 2 weeks with Dish network analog and the picture was great, But man when we got the HD box We could not believe the picture quality. Also the Black Piano look is awsome.
On: 2007-05-09
I bought this television new back on 3/20/07. I was finishing my basement and needed something big enough to fill the space yet light enough to get down a steep flight of stairs. At the time I had a 57" Toshiba RPTV that while a great tv, was to heavy and awkward to get down the stairs. So I sold it and bought the Samsung.
Delivery was amazing. I think it was originally slated to take 12-14 days, I got a call 3 days after I ordered it from the shipping company saying they had it, would be in the area, and did I want it early? I was amazed that not only was delivery free, it only took 3 days.
As for the TV set, blown away would be the best word to use. While I dont have an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player (yet) it made my progressive scan DVD player show a movie like never before. The first movie we watched was the new James Bond flick and after the opening chase scene, I told my fiance that I dont think Ill ever go into a movie theater again, I was that impressed. Since that day, Ive hooked up my PS2 game system as well as my PC. It is great to have a TV that everyone can enjoy, as well as the option for a 61" PC monitor for online gaming, web surfing and working from home.
If you are on the fence about buying this TV, dont wait, just do it. You will not regret this purchase.
On: 2007-05-01
I received my TV in about 10 days after ordering with no problem. I set it up at 10 pm after work and by 10:10 it died. Lets see $2000 for the TV, thats $200 hundred dollars a minute. I called support and was told they will send out a tech but they may not have the parts. It seems to be the fan and that is a common problem for this TV. Buyer beware!!! Dont do it. Keep looking for another product on here. I cant wait to see what the future holds for this thing. The price is dropping for a reason. DONT DO IT!!! SAMSUNG NEVER AGAIN!!
On: 2007-04-16
I purchased this TV 11/2006. Six months later, I find my self thinking "wow this looks great" and "I am so glad I bought this TV".
On: 2007-04-14
I love my new Samsung 61" TV... I have purchased 3 before this one within 1 year and did not like the clarity of the pictures. I returned over and over. It drove my family crazy. Finally, I recently stayed at the Hyatt Regency and they had a Samsung LCD TV in the room. The picture was awesome and I decided to buy one... I am getting what I paid for best quality. Thank you SAMSUNG....
On: 2007-04-09
I researched new HDTVs for months and was flip flopping between this TV and a Sony KDS60A2000. I decided on this TV based on reviews and owners over at AVS Forum. I ordered it from an online vendor back in December and didnt receive it until February. Was it worth the wait? YES!
The clarity on this TV with HD signals is amazing! I had a 47" HD Panny CRT RPTV before this one and I was amazed at the difference. Please understand that this TV does not look as good as it can out of the box but, do a little tweaking and youll be amazed.
Also realize this TV can accept 1080p through VGA and Component (as well as HDMI of course) so this is a huge plus with those of us that have an Xbox 360. Pick up a VGA cable for the 360 and it will not only upscale your games to 1080p but your DVDs as well(Although this point might be moot once the "Elite" comes out)!
Ill also mention that Ive only had mine for a little over month so I cant comment on the problems people mention but I have had none so far. Also, dont forget to register on Samsungs website as you get an extra 3 months warranty (15 months total).
In short, this is a great TV and, if you have the room for it, pick it up immediately! You will not be disappointed!
On: 2007-04-06
Picture quality is outstanding even in well-lit rooms. We view it at a distance of about 15 ft and it looks great. Very easy to set up operate. Automatically detects HD signals and adjusts resolution accordingly (can be manually overridden by remote if desired). Displays PS3 and Xbox360 HD content with incredible clarity and detail. Only gripe - the large on/off button is too low on the set (which makes it too accessible to young children on most large TV stands) and it cannot be disabled. Other than that I would highly recommend this set.
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: 2007-03-22
1. Amazons service: my order was shipped on March. 8, 2007. A few days later I noticed that price dropped $150 lower than what I paid for. I immediately contacted Amazons customer service by email. The next day I was told that the $150 difference would be credited back to me. Nice!
2. Delivery: the shipping company USA Eagle was great. Two guys delivered the TV. They opened the box, took out the TV, put it on the TV stand for me. They even offered to take away the packages for me. Super!
3. TV quality: I have directTV HD. I noticed that most of it HD TV programs are 720p/i or 1080i. And the DirectTV reciever box I have can only handle maximum 1080i. This TV can handle 1080p and it seems a little bit overkill for the DirectTV HD program I have. However, if you can get a DVD upconvert player which can hanlde 1080p, you definitely want to hook the DVD plyaer to this TV. I have a Samsung DVD-HD960. An ORDINARY DVD played by this DVD player looks so beautiful that I almost cried the first time I watched it! :-)
With this being said, the 720p/i and 1080i HD programs loooks very good on this TV.
My wife originally wanted keep the old Sharp CRT, after watching the new TV, she decided to get rid of the old one because "there is NO way for me to go back".
If money is NOT an issue, get this one. Before I purchased this TV, I did my homework and my choice narrowed down to Sony SXRD and Samsung DLP.
After comparing the picuture quality side by side in store, I think Samsung is doing a better job than Sony when showing the details. And Samsungs price is much competitive than Sony.
I am glad I bought this TV. I used to spend only 20 minutes on watching TV each day. But now, I am hooked. :)
On: 2007-03-21
I just purchased the 61 Samsung DLP TV not too long ago and I must say that I am fairly impressed. Though the TV is very nice looking it did come with some minor scratches on the monitor, which looks to have been done by the movers pulling it out of the box. The HD channels are beautiful with the exception of minor lines that appear in the top break of the screen (during wide screen mode only) on certain HD channels, which I can do without. I am not sure if the lines are due to the TV or the service provider still investigating. The basic channels look so so I am assuming it is because of the newer technology (1080p) and the basic channels just havent caught up...there is a lot of floating going on during the shows which is very frustrating. Well, all in all the picture is nice and the TV is beautiful..good buy.
On: 2007-03-20
I had a 36" CRT TV in the den, which I thought had a great picture. However, I couldnt get my college-student son to watch a football game at the house [he has a 52" HDTV at the house he shares with 3 roommates]. He told me HDTV is just better.
I got this TV set up just before the Super Bowl. My son, daughter, and son-in-law came over and watched the game at our house. They were all blown away by the picture of this TV! Ive since installed surround sound (including in-wall speakers from Amazon) and I find myself drooling while watching TV! My son said hes going to watch every big game at home rather than deprive himself of perfection by watching TV with his friends. [OK....Im exaggerating, but the picture on this TV is astounding!]
On: 2007-03-12
Update - after a few days, I noticed the "smudges" on the screen that are not uncommon in this and other DLP TVs. The "smudges" actually appeared as circular shapes that were "mirrored" into several (~4) identical shapes at different screen positions (generally lower center right of screen). The shapes were only visible as slightly lighter shades during black screens. Anyway, I called Samsung on a Saturday and got immediate response and an on-site repairman the following Tuesday. After cleaning inside the TV did not solve problem, Samsung authorized a DLP Light Engine replacement. This solved the problem and this TV is absolutely perfect again. The repair guy seemed to think the shapes may have been caused by glue on the internal mirrors? Although I would have preferred not to have a repair on a new TV, the fact Samsung authorized a light engine replacement without hesitation was refreshing. Highly recommend this product and Samsung.
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1. Buy this TV
2. Buy a HD-DVD player
3. Buy the Eagles Farewell Tour on HD-DVD
4. Pick your jaw off of the floor.
On: 2007-03-10
...how incredible a college basketball game on ESPNHD looks with this set! Im seeing acne on people five rows up in the stands! A terrific picture with all the doo-dad hook-up things wed need -- a great price from our friends at Amazon ($500 below Best Buy), and delivery went off very smoothly. The toob as well as the buying experience definitely exceeded expectations!
On: 2007-03-07
I bought this set just before Christmas last year. I got the set on Dec. 28th. The picture was distorted at the top of the screen in the center. An area about 12" wide by about 3" down. During movies, you could almost not even see the distortion, but when watching a sporting event with the graphics going across the top of the screen it was very distracting. I went around and around with Samsung Customer support. I called three times over about 2 weeks and everytime I called the rep said that he would put it in and that he did not know why it did get put in right the last time. While I was waiting on the third rep to come through for me and have a local service person call me, a new TV showed up at my door. I had inquired with Amazon about my options for returning the TV for a new one the same time that I started calling Samsung (Because I would obviously rather have a new set). I thought that I was waiting on someone from Amazon to call me back about the matter. But whatever, Amazon is great, I was happy. HOWEVER, The second set delivered had a obvious power supply problem. It made a hi pitch noise with the set "OFF". And every other day, the set would not turn on and when it did, the remote would not work. If you tried to change the channel(or volume, or press any button) on the TV itself when the remote wasnt working, the TV would shut off. Here we go again. I called Samsung again to find out were I stood with my previous call. When I got the customer service rep on the phone, he told me that the call had STILL not been put in. He stated that "people in here just dont care." I guess he was just trying to relate with me, but this infuriated me. I made him get a supervisor. Thats where my opinion of Samsung changed. I got to talk to Stephanie (supervisor). I told here the situation and she was very professional. She called the next day to let me know which shop local to me had the service call. She was great. I called Omege Electronics, the company that services my area. They told me that they would not order any parts before they came out to look at the TV. When I told them that the problem was intermittant, he told me that he would have to bring the set to there shop for a week or so. Thats when I called Amazon. They said that I had the option of a refund or wait till March and they would swap it out again. I chose to have the TV replaced again. Finally, I got the TV, and, can you believe it, the picture has the same problem as the first TV, only not as bad. Three strikes, Im out. But Im sure its just bad luck that I got three bad set in a row. Good luck if you buy this set, I had none.
On: 2007-03-06
excellent tv ......fantastic picture....hi def is awesome....now waiting for my surround sound to top it off.....the picture of this tv is actully better then if u were there yourself.....just awesomeeeeeeeeeee .... the eagle shipping was just ok, only one guy delivered...helped me get it into house and he was gone,i guess u cant have everything
On: 2007-03-01
Im a screenwriter and film maker who has a great appreciation for sound and visual quality. I spent more than a year researching High Def televisions before I finally bought one, knowing that I would probably have it for a long time. I waited until the true High Def sets were available, meaning the 1920 X 1080P sets. Samsung is the absolute champion: the picture on the 61" DLP is so crisp, so deep, the blacks are so flawless that everything looks three dimesional. The colors and clarity are just breathtaking: people cannot stop commenting about the quality. Its not television, its truly a home movie theater, and has changed the experience of watching films at home. I added a progressive upload DVD player, which doubles the lines of resolution from DVD discs, and will buy a Blu Ray system to go with it when they iron out a few more bugs. One of the problems with some High Def sets is that rapid movement, like basketball games, causes the picture to pixelate. That doesnt happen with Samsung: those microscopic mirrors they use to project the picture are so fast it eliminates the last nagging problem of High Def. And this set has two HDMI cables, so I can run my Comcast cable and its High Def channels, and my DVD player without having to use a switcher to coordinate different elements. And the LG DVD player is fantastic, you get amazing sound from CDs and DVDs, and the whole surround sound system, including the DVD player, is about $300. The Samsung has a flawless picture from anywhere in the room, including the extreme sides, and the picture is better than most movie theaters: I have been going through my whole DVD collection, and seeing things that I have never seen before in my favorite films. An amazing piece of technology: I really dont know how much better they can make these things. Bravo Samsung, they are head and shoulders above the rest. ONE IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATION -- be sure to get the extended warranty on any set you buy: things burn out and break on any set this advanced, and replacing them is expensive. I negotiated a 4 year extended warranty for $100, so I know Im good for a long time. James Dalessandro
On: 2007-02-28
This tv is the ultimate in viewing pleasure!
Even with the same old rabbit ears (no able tv or satellite) it picks up more channels at a MUCH better quality than my 27" CRT did. The detail and colors of the picture is the very best anyone could want (zero calibrating necessary). High or standard definition, we love it all. The service from Amazon and the shipping company Eagle was suberb. Every step of the way the service was free, timely, polite, and flexible. TV was put on the tv stand and the box was taken away. What more could you want?
On: 2007-02-13
This turned out to be a great HDTV - It works well with cable HD broadcasts and absolutly incredible with the Upconverter DVD player. I would not recommend it for analog or even digital channels. It needs HD or it is too jumpy.
On: 2007-02-08
This TV is so nice and bright. I love it. The delivery guys were supposed to have called me 30min before delivery so that I can be here, instead they dropped it off at my house, my 15yr old daughter signed for it and then they left. They didnt even unpack it for me. Its all good now.
On: 2007-02-07
Very happy with this TV. Quality of picture is excellent. Viewing even from an angle in my room is impressive. The superbowl party was a huge success. Unfortunately I may now be the permanent host! Delivery was smooth. They brought the TV into the house, unpacked it, placed it on my stand and took away the packaging. Cound not ask for any more.
On: 2007-02-06
We went from a 27" CRT to this TV so, of course, it would have been hard not to impress. Still, having lived with it for a month and having gotten used to the size, the TV is awesome. SD quality is great, HD is spectacular. The room where it is set up gets flooded with sunlight during the day and amazingly this TV copes even better than the CRT even though its configured for night-time viewing (brightness way down from factory default). Note: its helps to get this TV calibrated -- it made a world of difference.
On: 2007-01-29
I got engaged over the holidays. He got me a diamond, I got him this tv as his "ring", and I cannot tell you how much we LOVE this tv. The picture is phenomenal, the physical tv is sleek and attractive, its light and easy to move- but the best part was the price. I shopped around, and I mean REALLY shopped around and by purchasing this television from Amazon.com I not only saved about $500-600 on the tv itself, but I saved close to $150 in tax and another $150 for shipping because Amazon.com gave us free "white glove" delivery. I was actually expecting something like UPS, where it gets signed for and then you have to move it in yourself, because it was free- but to our surprise, they brought the tv in, carried it down the stairs to our family room, then set it up for us to make sure it worked properly before they left. I was blown away by that. (PS- it was also delivered about 2 weeks before it was scheduled to be delivered, and that was over the Christmas/New Year holiday time, so not bad.)
I cant rave enough about the tv itself, you really cant find a crisper picture out there. When we watch HD channels on our cable box the difference is highly noticable, but when we popped our first 1080p HD-DVD into our HD-DVD player to watch on an HDtv- now THAT is what HD is all about! I swear, the picture is AMAZING- better than anything Ive seen in an actual movie theatre, it was more like standing next to the director watching it live. Kinda makes us wanna wait for things to come out on HD-DVD from now on.
So all in all, we couldnt be happier. This is hands down the best tv out there for the home market, and saving $800-$900 buying it from Amazon.com just sweetened the deal.
On: 2007-01-29
Needing to replace my TV, I started to research what was out there. I do not have a space restraint, so the need to buy a plasma or LCD to get a wall mount TV was not important to me. Instead, I decided to spend the premium dollars on getting a 1080p TV instead. The Samsung DLP is the brightest HDTV you will find. Everyone that has seen this 61" monster comments how bright the screen is. The best part is that it is only 14" deep and does not take any room more than necessary. Anyway, compare the price, features, and picture quality with any other vendor and you will walk out the door (or probably have it arrive AT your door) with the Samsung.
On: 2007-01-28
This is the most amazing TV Ive ever seen. The picture is so crisp and clear we cant believe its in our home!! Coupled with our Bose speakers, it is like being at the theatre. The delivery was much quicker than Amazon stated. In fact, it arrived before out TV stand did! The delivery guys were great and there wasnt the slightest hint of damage on the shipping carton. Myself and a friend were in the market for a DLP TV and we both did a great deal of research. This is the best out there and the price cannot be beat. Also, there is no problem with viewing from the side of the room. Its just great!
On: 2007-01-26
I researched them all and at the time of my purchase this TV had the largest screen that provided the very best picture. I am still amazed at the clarity on the high definition channels. It is almost scary! However, the poor excuse for a sound/speaker system is almost embarrassing! That was remedied with the 600 watt Pioneer entertainment system that I bought with it. Without an addtional sound system, I would have been disappointed. Having written all of this, none of this came as a surprise and that is why I did nor purchase the TV until I have chosen a sound system to complement the fine picture.
On: 2007-01-26
Unlike what most stores do - which is to play DVD quality signal on their top TVs - I had the assistant at Circuit City also play all the TVs on standard cable signal. Fact of the matter is - thats the signal which we will be watching most of the time.
While most dlp TVs do great when playing high quality signal - only the samsung and sonys xbr stood up to the the test. The final decison between this TV and sonys xbr was completely on looks - and the fact that this one is a few inches thinner than sony.
Overall a great buy. The built in speakers are adequate - but if you have this in a really large room - you will want to hook it up to a surround sound system.
On: 2007-01-23
I read reviews about this TV before purchasing,then went to circuit city and actually looked at one.I purchased right before Christmas and the set arrived the Friday before Christmas.We are enjoying this set.I have it coupled to a Panasonic 1000w surround sound system.The picture is awesome.Just as advertised.Delivery person very helpful.Completely satisfied,would buy from Amazon.com again.
Ted S
On: 2007-01-21
We received our Samsung HL-S6187W in mid November 2006. The unit worked for a few minutes, but soon began displaying distorted video. Within an hour or two, the unit was dead as a stone!
We immediately reported the failure to our vendor and they reported it to Samsung, suggesting we do the same.
Within a few weeks, a service technician was dispatched, but the required part was backordered. It was then determined that a repair was not possible in a timely manner and we "qualified" for new placement. (Ya think?!) That was about a month ago. Now weve been down for TWO months without resolution!!! Samsung doesnt return emails or calls and their customer service people treat us like WE did something wrong!? Well, I guess they have a point---we did do something wrong--we bought Samsung! NEVER AGAIN!!!
At this point, I want a refund from Samsung and Ill go back to Pioneer! Pioneer Customer Electronics and their support and service are outstanding!!! Samsung is absolutely AWFUL!!!
Oh yeah... As for a review: For the few minutes it worked, it was excellent!
On: 2007-01-21
There was a buzzing sound coming from the tV. Called Samsung and the problem was fixed to my satisfaction. I was happy with the price paid, the set -up and now with the service. Life is gooood.
On: 2007-01-20
I had Samsungs previous model of this TV with 1080i. This one has much clearer picture in HD and somewhat better in SD. Definitely reccommend the upgrade.
On: 2007-01-20
Overall I had a great experience with this purchase. Delivery was a week early, they unpacked in the house. Picture is stunning with HD source and colors will blow you away. Football games in HD are great. This DLP 1080p is the best I have seen. Shipping was free and several weeks after the purchase I noticed the price went down $150. Amazon credited my account, no questions. Initially I was somewhat concerned on buying TV online, but not anymore.
On: 2007-01-18
The 6187 is, well BIG, that is the first impression as it was unboxed and hoisted into place. Along with being big in size, it also has many big time features that make it one of the best choices for anyone considering a DLP based HDTV. Picture quality is very good, and with some simply adjustments can easily be made exceptional. After changing the display mode to Movie, and lowering the contrast and brightness levels, and reducing the sharpness, the image was able to display great detail and pleasing color balance. There was some blocking or blotchness, but that was fixed by turning off the DNI system that Samsung has turned on as the default. One nice feature is that the adjustment you make are on a per input basis, that is you can have a different set of adjustments for the Component 1 (our DVD player) and any other input, such as HDMI 1 (our HD cable box).
Amazon;s shipping was timely, and the shipper they used, Eagle were very professional, they not only delivered the TV,but brought it in, unboxed, and helped postion the TV in the room. They cleaned up and offered to remove the shipping carton as well.
All in all a delightful purchase and experience.
On: 2007-01-17
If you read any of the other reviews for this tv, you already know it looks incredible. I dont want to spend time reviewing everything thats awesome about HD and progressive scan DVD on this set, but wanted to focus on some of its shortcomings. Anyone researching an HDTV has come across mention of the rainbow effect on DLPs and this Samsung is no different. If you are the kind of person who could instantly solve those eye puzzles (you know, where there is a 3-D picture hidden in a mess of shapes and colors), you may want to be careful with DLP. I have yet to watch a movie on this set where I havent noticed the rainbow (to clarify, take an image that is mostly dark, focus on the brightest part and look away quickly...you see a rainbow trail from that spot across the screen). Part of the problem is the size of these screens. You have to be a good 10-15 feet away from the screen to be able to take in the entire image without having to scan from left to right to maintain focus (and that scanning, in part, causes the rainbow). It gets a little tiresome on the eyes after awhile, but isnt an issue for most people, especially if you have the room to sit back from the set. Other than this, the picture is stunning and you would do yourself a disservice if you didnt pick up a blu-ray or hd-dvd player to take full advantage of the 1080p output.
Outside of the picture itself, I have a few issues with the interface. Yes, there are multiple inputs, you can adjust each to your liking and tag them with a number of references (cable, game, dvd, etc)...but there need to be more. Maybe not more overall, but more of the ones you expect to use. I understand the reasoning behind including AV and S-video inputs, but cmon, this is a hi-def set, are you really going to plug your VCR into this (do you even have one anymore?). Why would you devote multiple inputs to a format that is clearly outdated and would (and does) look absolutely terrible on this set. 2 hdmi (fine), 2 component (give me at least 3), 1 VGA (2 would be nice), no DVI (its not dead yet). And that isnt my biggest gripe...why is there no picture scaling? Sure, you can manually adjust the image size (4:3, 16:9 and 2 zoom levels), but the system doesnt automatically scale the image depending upon the signal output (unless there is a hidden menu option for this setting, but I havent found it). If you watch a DVD that has special features in a 4:3 aspect ratio, you have to manually change the aspect or the image will be stretched to fit the screen. Also, the VGA input doesnt fill the screen unless you go into the menu and manually move and stretch the picture.
Again, these are minor technical issues that I am sure Samsung will address with future releases, but are worth considering if you plan on buying this particular unit. All things considered, you will be hard pressed to get this picture quality for this price from any other manufacturer.
On: 2007-01-16
I dont know what else to say other than. I dont think i will ever get tired of looking at this tv. I am still amazed with it. When friends come over they are also impressed with the picture quality. Did alot of research before purchasing and i believe Samsung is the way to go.
On: 2007-01-16
Wow! This set exceeded my expectations. This is our first HD set and the picture is phenomenal. The TV is very easy to setup and the remote is well designed. Delivery from Amazon was very smooth the packaging was very good and delivery was much quicker than the original date.
On: 2007-01-16
I have been impressed by the picture on the Samsung DLP tvs for a while. Most stores have these large HD tvs tuned to HD content, and the picture looks awesome. So, I recently bought the 61" 1080P hdtv. As expected, the picture for HD content is awesome, and using an HDMI cable from the cable decoder to the tv improves the picture. However, the picture from non-HD channels was not great.
I watch considerable non-HD content. CNN, MSNBC, or shows like Apprentice, Smallville, etc. are not broadcast in my area in HD. The picture on screen for such content is less than ideal. The large size of the screen does not help either in producing a good picture, resulting in jaggy lines and "fat pixels" during motion.
While tweaking the settings it became apparent that output from satellite looked better than picture from cable. The format setting on the cable box makes a difference. We noticed that all the formats (1080i, 720P, 480p & 480i) were in the list, and this apparently produced a bad image. Removing 480p & 480i from the list significantly improved the picture.
When selecting a TV, it would be advisable not only to view the HD content, but view the normal analog or digital SD channels when making a selection.
On: 2007-01-15
Ive been planning on purchasing a large screen HDTV for at least two years now and with the recent price cuts in HDTVs I decided to take the plunge. I started off by researching the competing technologies and specifications that define HDTV. Next, I moved on to visiting local retailers to see how HDTVs from different manufacturers compared to each other. I primarily kept my eye on Samsung, Sony, JVC, and Mitsubishi. I looked at Sony due to their reputation for high quality displays (WEGA, XBR). Mitsubishi was investigated because one of my friends who owns a Mitsubishi HDTV. JVC was looked at primarily because the price points and features closely matched Samsungs. The Samsung had the best picture of all units I viewed at the local retailers. Amazon won my hard earned dollars due to their excellent Super Saver shipping and their price point which was more than $300 less than the lowest price offered by a local retailer. Factor in local taxes, and delivery charges and my savings mounted to more than $500.
The Samsung picture is stunning. Standard DVDs look very good in 4:3 mode or if they are properly formatted for widescreen, 16:9 mode. The TV has a wealth of customization features that allow tailoring of tint be each of the primary colors plus two additional colors in their 5-color gamut. Presets for different color styles simplify changing the color temperatures. A static high-quality, color rich image is present in the setup screen to view existing settings side by side with changes applied. Additonally, Samsung has viewing themes (e.g. Standard, Movie, Vivid) that changing color, contrast, and brightness characteristics. Lastly, Samsung includes a feature called DNIe that appplies a high-quality sharpening filter to the picture. The feature does as promised but can definitely reveal limitations in the image source that would have been missed with the feature disabled. You can preview DNIe via a split screen that shows the picture with and without the DNIe applied. I have not used the built-in audio capabilities of the TV so I cannot comment on the audio quality.
The Samsung chassis is very elegant and the screen bezel is a piano-lacquer black. The unit only weighs approx. 80 lbs. and has a surprisingly small footprint.
Shipping for me was handled by EGL out of Ohio. The unit arrived well ahead of time and the delivery quality was mediocre. The delivery truck arrived with only one employee and I had to assist him with bringing the unit into the house. I made the deliveryperson wait as the unit was unboxed and had him assist me with placing the TV on its stand. I then powered the unit and verified that the picture was uniform across all parts of the screen and that there were no scratches or other physical flaws to the plastic screen. All was well.
Ive now has the TV for three days and am pleased with its features and quality. I would recommend Samsung HDTVs and Amazon to anyone.
On: 2007-01-15
I had been looking at big screens for a while and was not sure about spending over two grand for a TV but once I saw the price Amazon had compared to my local Best Buy, I could not resist.
The picture is amazing, even with the channels that are not HD. I have an old DVD player that does not upconvert but still the picture was so life like, I dont think I will ever be returning to the movie theater. I watched U571 and felt like I was in the sub with those guys, with the larger screen, you really do get caught up in the movie more. If you watch Discovery channel, then this is the ticket, my friend kept saying, "Wow, look at the picture quality."
I am very pleased with this TV, I consider myself as a very picky individual and this lives up to everything that I wanted, very happy with my purchase.
Good luck
Larry
On: 2007-01-15
For those of you who may be concerned about committing to a major purchase such as a 61" hi-def Samsung DLP TV over the Internet, Im here to tell you that Amazon.com made this one of the best decisions Ive made. For about two months, I went back and forth between Best Buy and Circuit City, comparing the Mitsubishi 57" DLP and the Samsung 61". (We were committed to DLP because you get the biggest HDTV for the buck, and our price range was $2000 -- also, we had the space for a tube-based TV in the living room.) When we added up the taxes, the delivery charge, the pressure to buy other gear and the price collusion between CirCity and BestBuy (they "beat" each others prices, but they always seem to be exactly the same . . .), we turned to the internet. Amazon.com offered this gorgeous TV, with FREE delivery, and a price that beat the bricks-and-mortar stores by about $450. The delivery came in about five business days, and the shipping company (Eagle)came when they said they would, and the guy was super-nice. Post-transaction customer support from Amazon.com was tremendous (Amazons Sherry S. came back to me within 24 hours on a query -- over the holiday weekend -- and concisely responded to resolve my issue), and Im hooked. Buy with confidence from Amazon.com. About the Samsung? Yes, a spectacular picture on the 12 channels that offer 1080i high-def programming, DVDs are crisp and bright -- I will tell you that its tough to watch 480i programming on a TV of this caliber. This HDTV is a bit ahead of its time, because its starved for 1080p programming. If you have 720i, dont upgrade yet, because prices will come down, and most of the high-def is still 720i. But Im once again addicted to DVDs thanks to the spectacular picture offered by this Samsung set.
On: 2007-01-14
Hey, want to let you know how pleasantly amazed and impressed my family and friends are with this HDTV. The color, sharpness and contrast are awesome. The only downside to it are the speakers. They sound teeny in relationship with the large screen, but for a TV of this type I connected it to my stereo system (VERY EASY TO DO) and I get very respectable sound too. The TV is very light (compared to the monster Sony 53" it replaced) All in all, I am 100% satisfied. Delivery was prompt and the driver was very helpful.
On: 2007-01-14
The TV is huge. It works pretty well. The overall picture is not as impressive as I thought it would be though.
On: 2007-01-13
I was looking originally to buy the sony sxrd 60inch, then i saw this one next to it. Need I say more, I bought the Samsung and I couldnt be happier. I was looking to upgrade to a 1080p to take advantage of all that blu ray and PS3 has to offer. If in doubt, buy this one. You will not regret it.
Move over Sony, Samsung is the new king of television. I presently own two Sony HD 720p/1080i tvs. So I think, Im qualified to make the aforementioned statement.
On: 2007-01-12
Excellant picture quality. Another reason for choosing this set is the slim frame without all the clutter found on some sets.
On: 2007-01-11
The TV, all you would expect if you bought it right out of the store.
The delivery, very fast, but if you get Fedex, your kinda up the river. I dont think you can choose who delivers it. Anyways, the FedEx guy is like "Were do you want it" I said "in my den" and he said "I cant come in your house". What? So he had to put it in my garage...no problem. What a minute! Its on a wooden palette! I bought the Samsung stand also, so now I have to get rid of a huuuuge box, a palette, the stand box and all the packaging stuff in the world. You people that got the guys that come in set it up and take all the garbage away were very lucky! I was concerned it might be cracked or something. Although, every thing was fine. Must have tv if you have a PS3!
On: 2007-01-11
I live in Cincinnati Ohio and have saved and I want to buy this Great TV today, however I am getting mixed answers from Amazon about shipping. I need this Item unpacked and setup INSIDE my home (WHITE GLOVE) not just left at the door-This will make the difference of whether I purchase at Best buy/circuit or Amazon
on 3 differnt ocassions I got 3 differing answers from Amazon from all of our large TVs Are White glove to the "free standard shipping" is just standard shipping.
I found this link about free white glove from Amazon on HDTVs
[...]
and if you filter by Samsung this TV is on page 2. But I was told by a Amazon Rep on the phone that this is an "old link from google". I asked him What the hell does that mean?? He never gave me a diffinative answer.
So please someone from Amazon of one of yu freindly customers please help I will make the purchase of this great TV once I have this confirmed.
Jmny6411 (Samsungless in Cincinnati)
On: 2007-01-11
This is the best TV ever. I use is as a PC monitor and for the xBox and it is amazing. At this price/performance compared to others this unit beats anything, hands down.
On: 2007-01-11
Look no farther than the Samsung DLP if youre going HD. This TV rocks. The picture is absolutely razor sharp in HD and as good as any SD TV ive had when the broadcast is SD. Ive had 0 problems with it. I have Dish Network and use a 622 HD Receiver with the HD programming package so lots of HD to watch. Amazon was great. it only took 2 days to receive the unit (I live in Plano, TX), and the guys at Eagle Transport were great as well. They unpacked the TV, made sure it worked correctly, and then took all of the packaging with them. I saved around $500 by purchasing with Amazon and paid no state sales tax. Used the money saved for cool accessories-pedestal stand/surround system. You just cant go wrong with Samsung or Amazon.
On: 2007-01-10
This TV is just amazing. The clarity of it is just outstanding. I recommend that anyone who is intrested in buying this tv should do it.
On: 2007-01-10
Like many others, I did a lot of research (both on-line and at retail stores) before deciding to purchase my first HD TV. I was upgrading from a 48" SONY rear projection TV and the price points on the DLPs seems to indicate this was a good time to purchase. I finally convinced my wife to upgrade and weve been very happy. She even asked me (sarcastically) why it took so long to upgrade to such a great TV.
Weve noticed no rainbow effects whatsoever, as are sometimes seen with DLP sets. The picture is crisp and the colors are vibrant. Delivery was great (using Amazons free delivery option with Eagle). Set up was easy too, as there are more than enough I/O jacks to cover me (including DirecTV, gaming, DVD/VCR, home theater sound system and an RF Modulator to feed another CRT set).
One thing that I learned is that there are potential incompatibility issues between some Samsung HD TVs and DirecTV satellite receivers which prohibit use of an HDMI cable. I have to use a component cable for now but the picture on the Samsung is still terrific and as I mention above, I still have enough I/O options to satisfy my needs.
On: 2007-01-10
First the good. Overall I am happy with my 61" Samsung DLP. Price for picture size is hard to beat. Level of detail in 1080P is incredible (even though almost all HD sources are 1080i tops - except if you use HD DVD or Blue Ray). Lots of inputs including two HDMI, components, USB, PCI, etc. Should be "future proof" for a while.
Now the bad. This is my third Samsung HL-SXX87W TV. The first was a HL-S5687W which had great geometry (no pin-cushioning or screen bowing) but had the dreaded smudges behind the screen. Since it was only a day old I had the local deal I bought it from (not Amazon even though they had the best price) exchanged it for a new one. I did not want a technician replacing the screen on a brand new TV. So the store did replace it with another, new 5687W. I plugged it in, looked it over (smudges were most noticeable on a dark or black background) and was satisfied. No smudges!
Trouble was I later notice that this new set had some bowing of the picture (like an hourglass) when watching 4:3 aspect programming. Samsung says that less than 1/4" is considered normal on their website and I was close to that number. But it was an annoyance and i did not remember seeing it on my first set. I called Samsung who sent a technician. He claimed he had not seen this before and swapped out the light engine which made no difference. So Samsung agreed to send me ANOTHER set. At least my customer experience with Samsung has been excellent.
Well, Samsung called me a week later to review the delivery of the new 56" DLP. I asked them if it was possible to "trade up" to the 61". They said for another $270 they would deliver the HL-S6187W. So I agreed, paid the additional money, and scheduled the delivery. I figured I would never have the chance again to go larger until this one died so I went for it! :)
About two weeks later the delivery company took away my 56" and brought in the new 61" set. Wow, it was bigger than I thought! The first week I started to think i made a mistake going to 61" (I sit about 12 feet from the set) but soon I became accustomed to the larger screen and was very happy. However, I did notice pin cushioning on this set too, and it is even more noticeable the larger the set. I called Samsung and the same technician came. He looked it over and decided that one of the internal clasps at the bottom was not holding correctly and that is why the screen was a little hourglass like. I also experienced a slight upward curving in letterbox mode towards the bottom of the screen. In fact, if I would watch ESPN or any program with a ticker at the bottom, you could see where the bottom ticker woudl curve upwards a quarter in or so two thirds the way on the screen from left to right. When the technician pushed on the top right corner of the TV, the bottom adjusted itself close to "normal".
Samsung scheduled to replace the entire back of the set (plastic housing) but I finally decided to cancel that. I did not want a new set to be ripped apart and replaced. I wiggled the set a bit, gave it a push there and a pull here, and it is close to perfect. A month later it is still good to me. I still have the pin cushioning on the sides in 4:3 but it I am the only one in the family who watches in that format. The kids expand the picture to fill the whole screen. I decided not to tempt fate again, and kept the set I received.
Now, the reasons for only 4 stars:
1. Obviously because I needed to go through 3 sets and it still is not "perfect".
2. I can see the dreaded rainbows (RBE) that these sets are known to have. Only a small percentage of the population experiences this but once you see it, it is hard to no longer notice. If you look at a high contrast image on a dark background and move your head, you can see what appears to be a trailing rainbow around the image. Perfect example is white movie credits on a black background. In most showrooms they have the sets so bright with the showroom so bright you may not realize you are susceptible to RBE. I did not know until a day after viewing the original 56" DLP. Thankfully I am getting more used to it and no one else in the family sees them. This is not really a Samsung issue - I understand this is common for all DLP sets. But if you are susceptible to this phenomenon you should avoid DLPs.
In summary, overall I am satisfied with my 61" Samsung. While it still in not what I consider perfect, based on the picture quality in High Definition, the size of the screen, and the price it is a hard combination to beat. I use Cablevision as my cable provider and the HD channels are spectacular! If I were to do it all again I might not choose DLP (only because of RBE) but plasma and LCD have their own issues. Now that I have my HL-S6187 I would be hard pressed to get rid of it.
On: 2007-01-10
If you have read all the reviews you already know that this is an awsome tv! what blew me away was that none of the retail stores in my area could or would not come close to the amazon price. So instead of paying $2800 at the store, I paid $2,099.99, with no tax and free delivery. Just cannot beat that bargain.
I was equally impressed in the way they shipped the TV, they used EGL. I ordered the Tv 1/1/07, and it arrived today! They guys from EGL carried the set into my family room and uncrated the TV.
OUTSTANDING experience.
I was torn between this set and the sony xbr2, I thought the XBR2 was a little better of a set, but it is $1000 more and the side speakers on the side of the tv are not removable, this makes it difficult to fit into a entertainment center, and I think it just looks odd. The samsung has better styling.
I paired this up with the blu-ray Bd-p1000 and the picture is amazing, and the upscalling of the standard dvd looks just about as good!
Bravo...Well Done :-)
On: 2007-01-10
I have held off for years to buy a big screen HDTV. I finally decided that the prices had become reasonable and the technology stable, so I researched TVs for weeks before selecting the Samsung 61" 1080p DLP. I went to store after store viewing comparable Sonys, Pioneers, Mitsubishis, and Panasonics. While all the TVs I compared looked pretty nice, I find the picture on the Samsung to be superior, and the price just could not be beat. I found this exact TV at a specialty Home Theater shop here in Phoenix for nearly $1200 more than I paid through Amazon. HD material looks incredible on this TV, and I find that even SD feeds look better than expected. The menus and setup are easy to navigate and are very clear. There are some nice setup routines that allow you to see split screen where one side has the effect turned on, and the other shows it off, for comparison. Honestly, though, unless you are a huge videophile, you are going to love this TV even without much configuration or tuning. Just plug it in, turn it on, and smile! By the way, if you see this TV in a big box electronics store and are not impressed with the picture, its most likely because the source they are feeding into it is degraded. The picture on this TV never looked nearly as good in the stores as it does in my own living room with a single HDTV cable feed going into via HDMI. It is just sweet!
On: 2007-01-10
This TV is great!
Pro:
- Excellent pictures
- 1080p support!!
- 2 HDMI for future upgrade(I dont have HD/Blueray player yet!)
- Amazing picture with XBOX 360!!
- Extremely clear with PC input!!
- Good price!
- Free professional delivery from Amazons shipper
Cons:
- Makes you want to upgrade to HD/Blueray DVD player, because now you can see the limitation of regular DVD!!
On: 2007-01-10
This is a fantastic TV. Amazons service was excellent. The HD picture is amazing and the picture in non-HD format is quite good as well - better than plasma or LCD.
The DLP HD picture in 1080i is the best I have seen. I have Directv and this tv is the perfect match for their hi-def programming.
The Samasung looks good while it is not on as well. The black cabinet is sleek and modern, so it blends well into the room.
On: 2007-01-10
The product arived quickly, the service was excellent and the delivery service also took care of the boxes and package material. The televison picture is terrific and all my expectations were exceeded. This is a great television and for the price, it cant be beat.
On: 2007-01-10
The HD picture quality is fantastic. I looked at the Sonys and Toshibas at the stores, but you couldnt beat the Samsung. It has all the hook-ups you will need too. I have Time warner cable with the HD package hooked up with HDMI cable. You will hate watching the basic channels though, as the 61 inch screen really brings out how bad the quality is. I hooked up my laptop with an s-video cable, and my pictures look pretty good. I only have a 3.1 megapixel camera, so I bet they would look excellent with the higher resolution cameras. My basic DVD player is hooked up with digital coax, and looks great. It has an extra HDMI input for a Blueray or HD player. The service from Amazon was fantastic. The shipping company brought it in the house and set it on the stand, and it arrived 5 days sooner than promised! The price went down $60 3 weeks after I bought it, and Amazon gave a credit back. No Shipping, and no Tax, how can you beat Amazon?
On: 2007-01-09
This TV is awesome! I got HD programming from Dish and on this set it is nothing short of amazing. The brightness is more than adequate, the color extremely accurate but the best is the 1080 definition. Watching sports like football and soccer or anything that requires a large field of view at a distance is amazingly clear. The HD movies are also incredible. The price and delivery from Amazon was unbeatable. Ive been watching my local electronics stores and havent seen a comparable price yet. The delivery was way ahead of schedule and the carton was in pristine condition. The Xbox 360 also shines on this unit. The only draw back is your friends and relatives seem to arrive just in time for the big game. Stock more food and drinks.
On: 2007-01-09
Amazone its the best! I got the delivery after 4 days purchase online (estimate 14 days). Two deliverers would like to help me to take out the DLP 61" from the box but I love to do this with my wife in this evening. Its very nice and perfect get to my 58" wall. The picture is very sharp and audio its awesome for the price 2099.99. I remember 11 year ago I got big screen TV 61" Mitsubishi for 2500.00 and the pictures 50% sharp then this one. I got Sony Plasma 42" for my game room but the picture is not better than Samsung. I will stick with Samsungs product now. Thanks again Amazone for the quick service. Im still waiting for the TV stand will delivery in 3 days (Jan 11, 2007).
On: 2007-01-09
I have just buy it, and when a connect the local network (with some HD channels) it look awesome. You have a picture clarity, great colors and excelent view. The TV dosent weight nothing, only 80 pounds! When i connect the HD games, i got impresed, because they really look like they where live, when you play with them in this TV, you think that you are inside the Game, and belive me i am whatching them by component and in 720p, i have still have to see the TV in Full 1080p and with the HDMI connected, i am very sure that it will impact me with the quality.
The TV is worth the value, belive me, i compare it to a LCD 40" 4000:1 contrast.
On: 2007-01-09
A great television! Delivery was on time as well. Were very happy with the purchase.
On: 2007-01-07
I was really concerned about buying a big screen TV form a company 3000 miles away. I was worried that the shipping would be a problem and that if anything happened I would be left stranded.
I have been very presently surprised by Amazon and OneCall. I ordered my Samsung SL-6187W big screen TV form OneCall through Amazon on Dec 28th thinking things would be bogged down with Christmas and New Years, but I received an email from OneCall the next day requesting me to call them. I didnt call until New Years day and THEY ANSWERED !
They told me exactly what to expect from the trucking company (FedEx) and how to handle any problems with a damaged shipment. They install shock guards on the crate to show if any rough handling has been experience by the package.
FedEx called me on the Jan 2nd and told me they had a package headed my way and what day and time would I prefer to have it delivered. They could have delivered the TV on Thursday the 4th but I asked them to deliver it on Friday after work so I could be at home to receive it. No problem.
The driver called about a half hour out and was there on time. We got it unloaded and moved it into the garage. All the shock indicators were OK and the box was in perfect shape.
I set up the TV today and all I cal say is WOW !!! This set is everything it was advertised to be and more. It has a beautiful picture. I ordered this one week ago from OneCall and I have it up and running today. This has been a very pleasant buying experience.
People I work with and my neighbors cant believe I ordered this on the internet - let alone from Amazon ! I have saved almost $850 over buying it from one of the local big box stores. Amazon, you have made me a believer ! Thanks !
On: 2007-01-06
I bought this set at a local retailer and had it delivered to my home by them. It worked for the first day, then wouldnt turn on the next day. After repeated calls (read *several* a day)to both Samsung and the retailer, a technician was sent and confirmed that the projection box was broken, a $1000+ repair. I told the retailer that I wanted a replacement set delivered to my house or the old set picked up and my card credited. Going into the third week, Ive made over 30 documented calls to these two parties and still have a broken TV and no firm plans as to when Ill get a pickup and credit or a new set delivered. And Ive never had my call returned even *once* from Samsung. Thank goodness this happened within 30 days of purchase or Id be forced to deal with only Samsung. The local retailers performance is unacceptable, but at least they call me back.
Beautiful set when it worked, and Im willing to accept that the set I got was a rare broken one. But the lack of support Ive received from Samsung has convinced me not to buy another one. Buyer beware.
On: 2007-01-05
I received this DLP TV a few months ago and have had plenty of time to experience it. I havent had any serious problems, the shipping process was painless- the shippers called me to schedule a delivery time making it easy to work with my schedule, and the quality of the TV has been outstanding. Its a huge projection TV and the HD channels come in as good as they possibly can. Hooked up to my XBOX 360, the quality is amazing. I had no troubles taking advantage of the full 1080p. Finally, hooking up my laptop to the TV was easy to do and gave amazing quality as well.
The only downside that I experienced, which Im not sure where the problem lies, but I have COX cable in my area, and while using their On Demand feature, I noticed the TV will turn itself off automatically after some time goes by. Almost as if it is detecting idle time and shutting down. But only seems to happen with the On Demand feature. Not really a show stopper.
On: 2007-01-05
I have spent a fair amount of time viewing and researching the 3 top options for HDTV: DLP, Plasma, and LCD. Some points below:
* The Samsung DLP offers the largest and clearest screen size for your buck. The picture is bright, clear, and flawless. I have received nothing but wows from friends and neighbors. The brick and mortar stores in my area could not come close to the Amazon price. And with Super Saver Shipping for free!
* This is not a hang on the wall item. The DLP is a projection TV and needs to set on a floor stand and viewed at eye level. There is no wall mount option. Brightness decreases rapidly as you move off the vertical axis. In my opinion this is one of the only drawbacks of the DLP technology, but well worth it when you consider the price of similar sizes in plazma or lcd. Also, if you have experienced TVs mounted at typical height of most wall pictures, you will probably appreciate not experiencing a stiff neck. Eye level viewing to me is more natural and relaxing, DLP or not.
If you are worried about buying such a large pricy electronic item from an online vendor, let me share my experiences. Amazon policy states that if you have any problems with the TV, you must contact Samsung for in house warantee service. If you think you will get anything different from a local store, be sure to get this in writing. Best Buy said that the same Samsung service was standard for them. Except they charge $50 for delivery to your home, and were pushing a $400 optional extended in home warantee service. Save your money.
Overall order from Amazon was flawless. The insured freight delivery people unboxed the unit, installed it on my stand, and plugged the unit in. They even took all the bulky cardboard boxes with them.
On: 2007-01-04
This is my first HD TV. I purchased this just before Christmas and am very happy with the purchase.
Thus far, we have been using it with our XBOX 360 to play games and watch standard DVD movies, and play Hi-Def content through Windows Media Center.
I dont have HD TV cable nor do I have an HD DVD player yet.
The picture with the XBOX 360 at 1080p in Game mode has to be seen to be appriecated. The gamers in the family have not been disappointed. You must purchase the HD cable for the XBOX 360 and connect it through the RGB PC computer input. Through this connection we are getting awesome game and standard DVD video along with great Media Center video.
Standard Widescreen DVDs look great played through the XBOX 360. Even our old collection of 4:3 Fullframe DVDs look great played in zoomed letter box or 4:3.
Hi Def movie samples at 720p or 1080p played through Media Center really show off the TV and impress the neighboors.
I also found a Hi Def movie at Walmart for $7.50 in WMV format. Its the old Terminator "T2 Xtreme DVD". It contains the whole movie in HiDef (720 I think) that you can play through Media Center.
Cant wait to get HiDef cable and the XBOX HD DVD player soon. I hope the reader has also has a good experience. Be sure to read about lamp replacement and be sure you are in the know about possible service concerns before your purchase.
The reviews on Amazon were very helpful.
On: 2007-01-04
Ive had this TV for three months with no serious issues to report. The TV accepts 1080p through Component and the picture is impressive. Much cheaper than an LCD or comparable plasma. Unless you plan to hang your TV on a wall, this is the way to go.
On: 2007-01-02
Just received delivery of my S6187W from Amazon, over a week earlier than promised! Easy set up, picture is fantastic...just have to wait a few seconds when you turn it on for the projection light to get bright. As with all large screens HD looks unbelievable, regular channels imperfections are magnified. Would like to view more of the older shows at the lower aspect ratio but afraid to burn in along the picture edges...manual says no more than 15% of your viewing time should be in the 4:1. Overall fabulous price from Amaxon, I had free shipping and no sales tax plus the price was $300 less than Best Buy. Did receive with a very slight imperfection due to shipping, so look at it good when you receive it.
On: 2006-12-31
Im not going to bore you with all the technical specs of this TV because you have probably already read them all so I will just tell you of my experience with this set. To put it in a nut shell it is great I have not been disappointed in the least. I looked at LCOS, LCD, "I still dont trust Plasma" Truth be told LCOS give a little better picture but not so much so than to justify a $600.00 price difference or greater. The menus I have found are very easy to use and manipulate which is nice. The sound is pretty good for 2 speaker audio generated by the TV and the TV does give you the option of using an on screen EQ which was my option and I was pleased with the outcome. I have had my TV for a little over 2 weeks and it has been GREAT. I will tell you this if you do decide to get this TV buy it from Amazon, I shopped around all the big stores and even with this TV on sale in their stores Amazon was $650.00 cheaper even after shipping cost of $67.00 dollars. As I said before LCOS gives a slightly better picture but you wouldnt notice the difference unless the TVs were side by side and even if they were this TV more than holds its own and in alot of cases does it better than the LCOS. Anyway this is my thought I hope it helps you in your future purchase. If you do get this TV enjoy, I know I do!!!!
On: 2006-12-30
I always thought very highly of Samsung as producer of quality electronics and just spent $2000.00 on this TV.
However, todays encounter with Samsung customer support changed my opinion of the company and I would like to explain why.
One day after receiving the TV, the screen tilted. I called Samsung and was told a Tech would be sent out this week. I explained to Samsung on the phone how the TV was tilted from the base. Samsung said the Tech would try to bring the part, but he may need to come back a second time if he doesnt have the part.
The Samsung Tech arrived and after removing the back cover, saw the inside plastic assembly was cracked, said the issue was "physical damage" and to contact the seller and left.
He said Samsung only covered the electronics, not the internal plastic housing holding the TV upright??? He would NOT give me anything in writing with this determination.
I called Samsung again. I spoke to "Mike #42" who said I could not have another Tech examine and repair the TV. When I said, so now I just spent $2000 and have a broken TV, he replied, "Yup, thats pretty much the story".
It is unbelieveable that Samsung would sell a $2000.00 TV which breaks after a day of use and then has techs who try to blame "shipping" and also state they dont fix "the plastic parts".
Clearly there is some sort of design defect with the TV or it is not packaged properly for shipping if the TVs plastic breaks INSIDE after one day of use. Phone representative Mike #42 said to me "they break if you sneeze on them" when telling me Im stuck with a broken TV.
I am shocked how Samsung will not stand by their products and honor its warranty. Once the $2000.00 is in Samsungs hands, the customer is treated by Samsung customer service like garbage.
On: 2006-12-30
This TV is as good as people say it is. A few comments: delivery intervals and experience must vary by location -- mine was okay, just 2 days late; the price is right -- compared with Best Buy & Circuit City as of December 06. I like the relatively light weight of this TV -- I had to hire 2 Guatamalans off the street to get the old 40 inch Mitsubishi down the stairs and to the dump. The size and picture quality are impressive -- coming from a 50 inch plasma as my main TV.
Considering the cost and good picture, this TV compares well with my Pioneer plasma. Just know that there are considerable differences. The plasma picture is better -- move close in on each one and you will see the shortcomings of the dlp that are much less perceptible at a reasonable distance. The viewing angle of the plasma is not a factor, whereas if you move far enough to either side (or up & down) on the dlp the picture is out of range. For typical installs this should not be a problem, just dont expect to mount this TV over the fireplace and have good viewing. Room lighting is also less a factor with plasma than dlp. The plasma will show through well in bright light -- the dlp less so. Finally, maintenance should also be less with the plasma as half-life of the picture is reportedly 30 years. This dlp comes with instructions on replacing the lamp. Theyre not specific on how often -- Im sure it varies with use and environment. So, the plasma is my main TV, but this is a great 2nd TV for less than 1/3 the price!
On: 2006-12-30
Certain family members heaped scorn on me when I bought this TV.
They argued I was buying outmoded technology - surely DLP has long since been eclipsed by plasma and LCD. Who in the world would want to buy a big hulking box with a bulb?
Me, thats who.
I checked `em all out.
OK, plasma is thin. A comparable screen size is say 4 as compared to 17 inches thick.
Big deal!
Unless youre going to hang the thing on a wall it really doesnt make a difference. Set on a stand or in a shelving system, the 13 extra inches are irrelevant. And this bad boy costs a third the price of a comparable plasma.
I went from store to store telling salespeople that my room design didnt hinge on saving 13 inches of thickness. I challenged them to justify the price premium for cutting edge technology. Nobody could. Invariably they made the point that DLPs are compromised when viewed from extreme angles. Fair enough. But is anybody going to watch TV from the side of the room?
What about the picture quality? Its incredibly rich, crisp, and stable. I cant imagine blacker blacks. Color balance is perfect right out of the box.
And I was surprised at how well the image holds up even with an average cable signal. I thought the size would exaggerate input shortcomings. In fact, my standard cable feed has never looked better. Up-converted DVDs just blow you away.
Dont pander to the conventional wisdom. If youre looking for a large screen, this one is hard to beat.
On: 2006-12-27
My son bought this model and it is an exceptional TV and probably the best bang for the buck. Since I did not buy it and I only have only seen this TV once before during Thanksgiving and now during Christmas week, I feel I can give a non bias opinion. In HD mode (cable signal) the picture is increadible. We watched and Miami Heat Game and you can almost read the tatoos on the players arms. The wood grain floor is extremely detailed right down to the lines between floor boards. With foorball you can realy see the litter on the field that is almost distracts from the fanstatic details of the playing field. If the coaches didnt move so much you could read their notes on the clip boards.
The Macys Thanksgiving parade was in 1080 and the picture took your breath away; like wearing 3-D glasses at the theater. It was so detailed that the rain drops on the clothes of the annoucers look like glidder.
With local broadcast channels in HD through cable, the local news programs is realy good but you can easily tell when they go to a remote camera crew in non-HD. Most local broadcast are in 720 and you can tell when a cable only channel, such as DISCOVERY-HD is in 1080. Eventually all broadcaster will convert over to 1080 as their equipment needs to be replaced. HD from the local NBC channel from Orlando, Florida must be in 720 since the Jay Leno show was in HD and a real good picture, you do get sensitive to the picture quality from 720 & 1080.
The only draw back is non-HD shows & movies particully before HD was a pipe dream, with some fast action scenes you will notice a some areas it will look like it is not in focus, similar to rain drops on the lenses but this is a monster of a screen and a smaller unit would not make this be as visable. When the screen is reduced, while viewing the cable channel guide, these non-HD signals realy look good in the upper corner. The TV does have a nice "auto" feature for the best picture size based on the signal (format) it recieves or you can manually set it.
Over all DLP is a great and if I were to get a unit myself it be a smaller size since I have a smaller TV room. The only item I have not researched would be the cost of replacing the projection lamps. There is a sticker on the back of the TV for lamp replacement type so it might be a maintence item in the future but that would be better than replacing the entire TV. When you do reseach and everyone (TV & electronic geeks) always state the differences between, LCD, Plasma and DLP. After seeing all three types, they are all good and all of the scare of burn-in, I think, is non-sense
Samsung is about the best there is now. Id say it is the HONDA of HD-TVs
George from Lake Worth, Florida
On: 2006-12-25
I have been telling friends and family for a while that I didnt see any point in switching to HDTV. I felt it wasnt worth spending the extra money when I have already have a nice but 9 year old Sony big screen; boy, was I ever wrong. Youve got to see the picture to believe it. The colors are sharp, crisp and extremely vibrant. I am thought of by friends as being extremely frugal (cheap), and believe me if I actually spent the money this is truly a great value.
On: 2006-12-24
This is a great TV. Got mine for the OSU vs. Mich game and it was great.
The only (and this isnt much) downside are 2...
No Strong Speakers (youll need surround sound - probably by design) and
No PIP that I can find.
I have been out of town and havent taken much time to get familiar with the TV, but, features that made me buy this tv are so many that its impossible to list, and they are all great. TV works great, looks great and I cant complain.
On: 2006-12-23
Wow, what a TV! Everything in my research told me this was the one to buy. The picture is stunning; the ease of use is fantastic. With my Onkyo HDMI receiver this is heaven! The menu on the TV is brilliant with a feature that maps the whole menu tree in one shot.
I am having some issues getting the closed captions to work with one of my DVRs which is a drag because I have bad hearing. The tech support was not all that helpful but they did try. It may not necessarily be the TV.
Regular TV is a little less sharp than a CRT TV but you get used to it quickly. The HD channels have to be seen to be believed. I have noticed that some channels have much better HDTV than others. Discovery channel is hands down the best. CBS football is better than FOX or ESPN. My guess is its the cameras they use rather than a signal issue since I have Direct TV.
In my research I found some good advice when going to the store to see it. Many stores tweak the picture settings on the TVs they are not pushing so they look duller than the hot item. A couple of quick passes through the menu and this DLP was looking better than the LCD and plasma sets.
As for Amazon I am really impressed! Not only did I save $350 from the lowest local store price but I also saved 8.25% tax and delivery fee. If that wasnt enough, today I saw it had dropped $60 in price since I bought it Dec. 1st. I sent an e-mail to customer service and received a response and a credit to my card within 2 hours. Now that is good service.
I highly recommend both Amazon and this model.
On: 2006-12-19
This is a great TV. Do not use the extra DNi correction features, as these make the picture worse. HDTV is awesome on this. You need to make sure that you have a decent amount of viewing distance. I am sitting at 11 feet away, and I wish I had a couple more feet between us.
The only negative is that this TV is causing my wife and daughter to leave me. I will probably have to pay support for my daughter, for higher that the cost of this TV. In retrospect, I would have probably bought my wife a diamond necklace for this money, and saved the family. Oh well, as long as she doesnt get this TV is the settlement, Im all good. When I get my bachelor pad, this TV should be a chick magnet.
On: 2006-12-18
We ordered this TV last Sunday (12/10) and were told it would not be here in time for Christmas. That was OK with us, but we were thrilled to have it delivered just 7 days later. Amazon, your prices and delivery are the best! The delivery folks were very polite and did a great job. We had done tons of research on LCD, Plasma and DLP TVs. For us, this was the best choice since we wanted the biggest screen we could get and didnt want the glare issue associated with plasma screens. (Our family room walls are glass all around. )
Set up was quick and easy. We were watching our first DVD within 30 mins of delivery.
Picture quality is awesome and were very happy with the sound coming straight from the TV (no additional speakers).
Thanks Amazon & Samsung!
On: 2006-12-14
I didnt do the research that I normally do when buying something this big but I did know that I wanted 60+ inches and I wanted full 1080i. Wow did I luck out.
I feel bad for all you folks out there with XBOX 360s and PlayStation 3s who have puny little 50" LCDs. I bought the HDDVD player for the 360 which comes with the HD version of King Kong. After about 5 minutes of watching the HD DVD I wanted to take all of my regular DVDs and put them in the garbage.
Going through my 360 game collection I noticed that most of them say 480/720/1080 on the back. So I decided to boot up Fight Night Round 3 and it was like playing a totally different game. Even my original XBOX games look crystal clear.
Pros:
Amazing picture. Im not the videophile that some folks around here are but WOW is this a brilliant picture.
Samsung Support is top notch. I had lights blinking on the front panel so I called tech support and within 5 minutes they routed me to a local service company that knew exactly what the problem was. I was back up and running in minutes.
Easy setup. The back of the TV is clearly labeled and the documentation is very well written.
Sexy package. I love the shiny black bezel and the big power button in the middle. This is the kind of TV that doubles as a centerpiece for the whole room.
Cons:
You will never want to watch TV at a friends house ever again.
On: 2006-12-11
I considered it a year ago and instead selected HLR 61617W the 720p version, since 1080p transmission was not in sight, but now it may a good time to get one. Do keep the lamp cost of $200-300 per year, and over its life it can make it pricey, and should be considered in chosing projection TV. Samsung and Panasonic make great flat panel TVs and plasma has 40,000 hours life and a lot better picture but burns more energy and is heavier than micro display (projection TVs).
On: 2006-12-09
Amazon....youre the greatest!
Great price on TV...free shipping...no state tax; does it get any better??
Ordered on a Sunday night at 1:00AM...on the loading dock in Tampa Friday morning!! Talk about under promise, over deliver (when they projected 3 weeks for delivery)!!!!! This company is a tribute to American business and ALL companies should learn from Amazon!! Unfortunately, very few and far between.
Now the TV!
Out of the box, phenomenal picture! Did not know a TV picture could be this clear and sharp. You see "skin" defects on celebrities that make you say, "I didnt realize he/she was THAT ugly!"
Tweeked it a little bit to my liking, and it got even more incredible. Was not even a fanatical TV watcher before; this makes watching TV so enjoyable now, will probably watch alot more. HDNet is fabulous (Mark Cubans latest "toy") Get it if you can...unbelievable!!!!
Sound excellent...with surround sound...will give you goose bumps!
Samsung has got it fiqured out!!!!!!
Thanks Amazon AND Samsung....youre the best!
On: 2006-12-08
I spent several months researching the current TVs, plasma, LCD, rear projection (LCOS, DLP, LCD), and even a front projector. And of course, checking out each brand from each type of TV, both online, and in stores. Basically, just trying to find the best price vs. performance and something that would suite my needs.
I needed a BIG screen, over 50", so this ruled out LCD and Plasma since they are WAY too expensive above that size. Then I also needed something looked great for playing HD games (Xbox), watching HD movies (HD-DVD), and HD TV (Cable HD DVR). Which really means an awesome 1080p TV. After looking around at various stores, it became clear the Samsung and Sony models were going to be the best bet for rear projection under $3k.
Ultimately, the Samsung did win hands down. Thanks to low price on amazon, and a picture that was just as good, if not better than the Sony in some cases! It has an excellent 10,000:1 contrast ratio for very bright whites and perfect black levels. There is also no ghosting at all, and the rainbow effect (which I have seen on previous DLPs) is virtually non-existent. Which makes this set perfect for gaming. Also no audio sync issues as with some of the older Samsung models.
In the past month of owning this TV, Ive only seen the rainbox effect twice, and it was in a B&W movie. None of the serveral other people that have watched this TV have noticed it at all. They just comment on how awesome everything in HD looks on the TV - its quite perfect really. Out of the box, the picture is almost perfect. I just had to slightly lower the contrast, and its good to go. And thanks to easy to navigate menus, this is very easily done. While they are a bit sluggish (takes 1-2 seconds to appear), they have plenty of options.
When it comes to Inputs, it does appear to be lacking on the HDMI side. While 2 inputs is standard for most models, I could really use at least 3 or 4. 2 is OK for your DVD Player and DVR, but with computers and game console also starting to use HDMI, you can quickly run out of ports. Luckily, a cheap HDMI switch can solve that issue.
There is also a PC (VGA) input on the TV that is *suppose* to accept a 1920x1080 resolution at 60hz, per the users guide. Unfortunately I havent been able to get it to work with a computer at that resolution yet (tried 3). Itll take 720p, all the way up to 1920x1200, but since thats not a native resolution, there is some cropping. This really is a minor issue , since that high of a resolution from a PC via VGA port wont be all that clear anyways. Youd really need HDMI to truly appreciate 1080p. And there are now true HDCP compliant HDMI video cards out now. The xbox will output to this TV at 1920x1080 via the VGA port, but there is a 1-3" border, and the screen is tilted.
Figures though, even though its got the VGA port, its still a TV, not a PC Monitor. :) The TV wont send information to the source indicating what the correct resolution, refresh rate, and other settings it needs - as a PC monitor would. Future xbox updates may help address some output issues as well. For now, Im waiting for MS to release HDMI output.
And to wrap up this long review, here is a list of Pros and Cons.
Pros:
* High Contrast Ratio
* Fast color wheel to eliminate rainbows
* No Ghosting at all
* Perfect for gaming (no audio/video sync issues)
* Good viewing angles (for rear projection)
* Nice variety of inputs
* Only about 17" Deep for the 61" model
* Weighs only 80lbs!!
* Easy setup out of the box
* Relatively inexpensive
* With its thin black border and silver control panel, it physically looks GREAT.
Cons:
* VGA input has some limitations
* Needs more HDMI inputs
* Plastic bezel feels somewhat cheap
And thats about it for this TV. Any other "cons" such as limited viewing angles and wobulation (google it) are going to affect ALL DLPs at this time; so I wont use that to effect my review. Otherwise, both myself, and many friends who come by to watch movies and play games, are very impressed with this TV. Its quickly converting them from their favorite brand over to Samsung. So this TV is highly recommended if you need a big HD 1080p TV for around $2k.
On: 2006-12-08
Like everyone else who owns this TV - I love it. I almost feel bad for all the plasma owners watching 720P on baby 50" TV sets. If youre going to get into the the HD game and play with the big boys - here is your model. Lots of TV is now broadcast in 1080i that gets upcoverted to 1080p by this TV (what the industry now calls "full HD") for the best picture quality possible today (equal to PS3, HDDVD,and BluRay).
I hooked mine up with component cables rather than the HDMI (non DVR Comcast box does not have HDMI input - and Comcast runs out of HD boxes so plan ahead) and picture is great (research says sometimes even better than HDMI). For DVD I use $7 HDMI from monoprice (its 1s and 0s so dont pay more than $10) - it either works or it doesnt. I like the Bello stands but buy from racksandstands (they price match. In case you are buying a stand the TV is actually only 56" wide but Ive seen everything from 56" to 61" as the width (I measured it 5 seperate times so trust me on the width).
Dont even consider buying a TV anywhere else. Amazon offers 30 day price protection. The TV shipped in one day and arrived in 7 with Thanksgiving in between. When you throw in no sales tax or delivery you save at least $600 from any brick and morter (and you get the exact same in home warrenty). Egl delivery gets an A+ - not only do the set it up and make sure everything works - they are nice guys to.
On: 2006-12-07
I have had the TV for approximately 1 week now. The TV Shipped the day after I bought it, and arrived in less than 5 days (excellent for standard FREE shipping!) Delivery guys were great, they unboxed and setup the TV for me. I shopped around a lot, and for 2195.00 with no tax and free shipping, you absolutely cant beat it! Best Buy would have been over 3000.00 with tax and delivery. Also Picture quality at 1080i on HD is OUTSTANDING! Im very happy with this purchase.
On: 2006-12-05
This is easily the finest TV I have ever seen. The picture quality, even with the stock, non-HD Direct TV signal, is stunning. DVDs, upconverted through my Sony upscaling DVD player from C*stco for $130, is literally breathtaking. You cant go wrong with this TV - especially from Amazon. I bought it here for $2189 with free shipping (and no tax!), and when my wife asked to see it in person the day I ordered it, we went to Best Buy who had it on "sale" for $600 higher than I had just paid on line. The delivery was flawless. Neither Plasma nor LCD can come close to this price for a 61 inch screen, and the picture quality is identical. The only downside is every so often it will need a replacement bulb for the DLP system (approx. $200) but with normal viewing it shouldnt be anywhere near an annual purchase, the research I did estimated maybe a year and a half of use. Time will tell. The TV is also very light (as in weight) for its size. The Samsung/Pinnacle matching TV stand is a must in my opinion because they really complement each other visually. I am extremely happy with this TV.
On: 2006-12-05
What a great TV, this is my 1st HD TV and trust me I looked at every store possible from online to the local superstores and this TV can not be beat. The HD quality when connected with HDMI is amazing, I will say that watching something in HD then changing to non-HD it is tough to watch once you get HD you dont want to back.
The delivery was great, youll receive a phone call from the delivery company when the TV arrives to your city. I got the phone call and they came out the next day for delivery. I was a little worried at first with buying something so big and $$$$ but after this I will never 2nd guess saving about $600 on a major electronics purchase again.
On: 2006-11-30
I have researched TVs for two months and it came down to three TVs Toshiba, Sony and Samsung. I went to Best Buy and reviewed each TV for an hour the Samsung was clearly the winner. Last week I purchased the 61" Samsung and when I got it and turned it on I thought I had gone to TV heaven. Never have I seen a better picture on a TV. If you are looking for an experience that will blow you away go see the Samsung in person. No Plasma can match it.
Also, I must say the delivery of my TV was great. Amazon did a super job not only with the price, but making sure I received my TV without any damage. Plus, I got it two weeks early - cant beat that!!
On: 2006-11-23
I have had this TV for less than 90 days and bulb has burned out, I called Samsung support and the bulb is covered by warranty. They said they would send my phone number to service center and they would contact me in no more than 72 hours. 72 hours later still no call, I again called Samsung and they said they would contact the service center again and I would be called in 24 hours, still no call. This was repeated 5 times and each time I asked to be referred to another center but was told none existed in my area.
Fianlly after 6 calls, Samsung referred me to another center. I then called them and they sent up an appointment 3 days later. Day of appointment technician called and told me from the problem I described when I made the appointment I needed a new bulb (duh) and he had ordered one this morning and would call to make another appointment once they received the bulb. I specifically asked if they had the bulb in stock when I made the appointment. Why they didnt order the bulb when they first set up the appointment, I dont know. I called Samsung again and was told bulbs are usually shipped within a week of the order. Neither the words usually or week improved my impression of their support. My fear is that when the technician comes out to change the bulb he will find another part he has to order and I am back on the Samsung support merry-go-round again.
Now I realize that even though the set does (did) have a good picture etc, if you cant see it, it doesnt matter. I now have a very expensive paperweight. For me Samsung support has been a black hole and I have yet to see any results after two weeks and no hope in sight for the near future. What happens after the warranty is over and I have to pay for a new bulb every three months? If this sounds like I am not very happy with the situation that is the truth. I am tired of Samsung and the service centers being sorry for the problems and delays but then telling me there is nothing they can do at this point. I agree, you solve the problem by doing the right thing the first time or the second time or third time etc I am hoping maybe the eighth time is the charm with my Samsung experience.
updated nov 27. The last time was the charm, out in two days to replace bulb. Looking good now, but will wait to see if this bulb lasts lnoger than 90 days.
On: 2006-11-23
Purchase/Service:
For $2,200 at Amazon, this was a great purchase since it would have cost over $2,700 at a retail store (including tax and shipping). Eagle arrived 10 days earlier than the Amazon estimate, unloaded the TV right to the TV stand, and after hooking it up and making sure the controls worked and the picture / sound worked, I signed for it. And, Eagle asked if I wanted the packaging carted away.
Very pleased with the service part so far.....
My Set-up:
S6187 61" HDTV
Sony AV and 5.1 surround (this is not a digital unit.....I wasnt sure it would work but there are three options to hook-up a home theater: 1) Basic connection; 2) Optical; 3) HDMI)
Sony DVD
Motorola HD-CATV box (We use Comcast)
Sony VCR
Experience:
As far as the tv, the HD channels look sharp and clear, however the non HD channels arent as sharp as my 36" Sony CRT TV (there are several settings on the Samsung for 16:9, 4:3 and wide format; setting to 4:3 or wide for non HD channels improves the picture quality a little). But it doesnt effect the enjoyment since I purchased this for the HD, and it blows me away.
The TV controls are simple to use, and the on screen menus are easy to navigate.
The sound out of the TV is not adequate for surround sound, but I hooked up a 5.1 reciever and it makes HD come to life.
I like the fact that you can connect components to an AV and/or the TV, so there is room for 3 additional components with my set-up.
I also hooked up my laptop (there is 2 connections for the video and audio on the back of the TV). After changing the video settings on the Laptop (the mannual does a nice job for XP users), it was incredible!
The camcorder hooks up to the side of the TV, so there is no need to move the unit away from the wall. It was a simple set-up, and again, the picture quality just blew me away!!!
I highly recommend this TV to anyome looking for a 50" plus TV.
by: jbjoyce2 On: 2006-11-22
Im just blown away! Moved up from 32 inch HD-CRT and love it. HDTV broadcast are fantastic as are DVDs. I now detest standard broadcast TV. I hooked up my media computer to this set and was stuned by the quality. Can EASILY read web pages/email from a viewing distance of 9 feet (BTW, Samsung recomends 7 feet min viewing distance).
Read all the other reviews for more detail as they helped me. I was going to go with the Sony until I read about the screen turning greenish after a number of hours, reviewer mentioned seeing this on a Best Buy demo set. The very next day I saw the exact same thing on the same model at my BB store in FLA and a co-worker saw it on same model at BB in MN. Both store employees confirmed that the greenish screen color was not correctable. Do your homework, I was within a couple of days of buying the Sony!
Delivery!? This is a fun story...for you.
Trucking calls me from the loading dock and reports that they put a hole in the screen with a fork truck. They report that they are | | |
