JVC HD56FN97 56-Inch 1080p HDILA Rear Projection TV
By: JVC Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 9
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 On: 2007-12-31
I bought this TV almost a year ago. The only problem I had with delivery was it came much sooner then expected. I ordered it Dec 19 and Amazon estimated a January delivery date, which was fine because I going to be out of town Christmas week. Eagled called Dec 23 to arrange delivery! Eagle held it for a week until we got back into town.
This is my first HD TV, so I dont have anything to compare it against. I dont see the green hue noted by other reviews. The first thing I noticed was the cooling fan was really loud. A co-worker bought the same model and said his was quiet, so I called the TV repairman and they replaced one of fans because it was very loud. The TV has 3 fans.
After using the TV for 6-7 months, the bulb blew up, which is very pre-mature at 600 hours. Fortunately, the bulb was under warranty, which normally costs $200 to replace. I didnt want to wait 2-3 weeks for the TV repairman to come out and replace the bulb, so I drove across town to picked it up myself. The bulb is easy to replace.
I have basic analog cable, which carries the HD broadcast channels un-encrypted (clear QAM), so I just plug the cable into the digital coax input to get digital HD channels. The analog SD channels dont look very good, but I suspect this is common for most HD TVs.
I use my 5.1 sound system, which sounds much better than the TV speakers, which is probably common with most TVs.
I recently purchased an HD-DVD player (Toshiba hd-d3/a3) and it works fine with the HDMI input. I have The Bourne Identity on DVD and HD-DVD and noticed more detail in some of the scenes, but the improvement of the HD-DVD over the up-converted DVD wasnt huge.
Pros
o Great picture for the money.
o Good connectivity options
Cons
o Poor user software interface (setup menus)
o Slow switching between channels
o Long term longevity doesnt look promising after replacing the fan and bulb the first year.
o PC input only supports 1024x768 and I cannot get the HDMI input to work with the DVI-D output of my computer (the manual says this isnt supported)
Overall, Im happy with the TV and hope it lasts a long time.
On: 2007-12-31
I purchased a floor model JVC HD-56FN97 from a different store for Christmas because I was floored at the price of $899 that I got and I succumbed to temptation to by my first HDTV.
I love this set! The picture at full 1080p resolution, which is not so hard to find anymore, is just breathtaking, and the 56" size is enough to make it feel like being at the movies. Its amazing! There is no lag effect with this set (maybe because its a projection TV), frankly I think its way better than most LCDs that Ive seen. The only drawback is you cant hang it on your wall since its about as deep as an old fashioned TV, but I wasnt hanging mine anyway.
The only downside so far are two things, for which Im subtracting 1 star from my review:
1. At factory settings the color green/yellow does tend to explode on the screen with neon life! I have made some adjustments to tone things down that have fixed most of this, but there is still a slight tendency to be a little overdone on the green/yellows. I have read elsewhere that you can completely correct this by accessing the Service Menu, but then again thats not something you should have to do! Anyway just by adjusting picture settings and using HDMI input it is no longer a big deal. Frankly the picture is just amazing, especially at this price.
2. The menus are not super easy to use - in particular changing between input sources is a pain, and I find I have to do it frequently. The main problem is there is about a 3 second delay with each input as you scroll through them. It should let you scroll through the input choices and only do the picture adjustment delay when you actually switch inputs!
Overall Ive got to say Im super happy with this set. Those are really the only drawbacks for me. Having a 56" 1080p set that looks awesome in this price range (even the $1550 shown here) seems like a great deal to me.
 On: 2007-11-01
This TV is an upgrade for me in two ways. First, I was replacing my 42 inch Sony 42A10. Second, I actually ordered the JVC 56FH96 from Pavilion Electronics.
After not hearing that my order had shipped 5 days later, I decided to contact the seller. I talked to a nice guy named Mitch and he informed me that there was a problem with my order and he was about to call me. I thought, "Oh great..."
Well, it turns out that the 96 was discontinued, and even though the Amazon page showed that the 96 was in stock, they had actually sold out. Before I could argue with Mitch he said, "So if you wouldnt mind, Id like to upgrade you to the 56FN97 at no extra charge." I told him I didnt think that would be a problem, and he put me on hold for a minute while he made sure he had that set in stock. While I waited I reviewed the 97 on Amazon. He got back on the phone with me and had me confirm the change in the order. My set was shipped out the next morning. Unfortunately I had to wait through the weekend before it arrived, but it was worth it.
The set is great. Right out of the box it wasnt really impressive, but after breaking in for a few hours it really started to shine. Detail is very impressive and black level is much better than my Sony. The only gripe one could have with performance is that colors tend toward green (whereas my Sony pushed the red.) This can be remedied with a professional calibration, or by yourself if you are brave enough to use the service menu (you can learn how to do this on AVS Forum, but you really shouldnt monkey around in the service menu with reckless abandon) Any TV of this caliber really can benefit from a professional calibration though, so you may want to consider adding $300 or $400 to the actual price. Dont get me wrong, the TV has a GREAT picture, but with calibration it can be even BETTER.
Ive really never seen a better hi-def image than I have on this set. Watching Casino Royale on Blu-ray was a revelation. Playing games on the PS3 is just awesome. This TV has a great picture whether in a dark room or bright room. Off-axis viewing is excellent.
You may hear people complain of "silk screen effect or SSE" which is when you can see the surface of the screen on really bright images, but to me this is not a problem. What is a problem is watching plasmas, LCDs, or conventional TVs with shiny screens that reflect any and all light. RPTVs like this one have a non-reflective screen. No glare! Ill deal with a little SSE any day.
This TV is phenomenal. I cant imagine that it wouldnt make you happy.
On: 2007-07-23
I paid a premium because I purchased it over a year ago and I bought it at Best Buy (usually not the cheapest). It is a GREAT TV. We love it.
Broadcast HD looks great. OTA HD looks great. Upsampled DVD looks great. The only picture I have seen that looks better is the high end plasma panels. Most plasmas dont look near as good.
I wouldnt change a thing unless I was able to make myself wait until the prices started to drop.
JimC
 On: 2007-06-27
Best for Gaming with my PS3. Blue ray looks great. EVERYTHING else is not so good at all! even 1080i dvds do not look very good on my sony upscale dvd player using hdmi. analog tv is absolutely horible. it has issue reproducing ANY image that is not 1080p. AND IT DOES NOT UPSCALE ALL IMAGES TO 1080p LIKE IT SAYS IT DOES. (GENESES TECHNOLOGY) ITS BS. IM TRYING TO SEND MINE BACK BUT IT COST 250 TO SENT IT BACK INCLUDING 10 PERCENT RESTOCK FEE. if you want a good all round tv, dont get this.
On: 2007-05-19
I looked at this one and the Sony SDX hard and the near $500 difference was just too much. So I got the JVC. Its the 2nd HD TV I bought this year (the other a 32" LCD) so Ive got some experience and comparisons right at home.
The JVC color is very bright but theres indeed a green tone like many reviews have pointed out when the picture is dark. It has four preset settings (standard, dynamic, threater, and game). It doesnt seem to remember what you selected last time if you turn the TV off and on again. I dont understand why JVC decided that a contrast control and RGB color controls are no longer needed.
The screen door effect is still there. The Sony SDX has it too but to a less degree. I guess its something LCD projection technology has to live with.
The fan is noisy as everyone has pointed out. I got used to it after a few days though :)
Regular analog signal programs (cable or OTA) are noticeably worse than on my other HD TV. So if you still plan to watch a lot of analog programs, think twice. Digital signals are great, particularly the Discovery HD and sports program where its typically bright and colorful.
In all, its a very good value. I got it at Frys for $1499. Seems to me that the trend is that the projection TVs are approaching existinction. DLP is certainly on its way out. Only Sony and JVC are making LCD projections. Another 15 to 20% price drop in Plasma and LCD flat panels are probably good enough to kill the projections.
On: 2007-03-09
I was very pleased with this purchase. The television has a beautiful picture and doubles as a computer monitor. A great deal.
On: 2007-01-15
Cablevision Hd Channels look great on this set. Cooling fan a little noisy but not a deal breaker. Tv will need setup for best picture
A lot cheaper then the equivalent Sony and didnt see any difference
between the two sets in the store. SD Channels look good on this set even when expanded to fill the screen. Paid around 1500 for this TV and I am
very happy with it.
On: 2007-01-05
Since this is my FIRST HDTV purchase and my user experiences with HD Televisions in the past have been limited, I cant say that Im an expert on the subject of HDTVs. The following is MY experience with this purchase and ultimately my opinion...
After purchasing this HDTV from Amazon, I waited in anticipation for EAGLE to deliver it as soon as possible. It was scheduled to come during the week of Jan 4-10 and surprisingly came almost a week earlier. I was delighted. After asking the Delivery person to help me move the HDTV to my living room, against EAGLEs policy, he agreed to help. The box was definitely large and cumbersome, though it didnt weigh nearly as much as stated, probably closer to 60lbs. Muscling it up some stairs and depositing it into my living room. I thanked him and proceeded to unpack the HDTV.
It came packed in a very large box with a break-away base, this allowed me to lift the box off without actually removing the HDTV from it secure Styrofoam base. All four corners were also secured with large blocks of Styrofoam packaging.
Against the stated warning, I -alone- lifted the TV onto a 60" credenza in my living room. Since all the major parts are housed in the base of the HDTV, it was counter-balanced well, unlike standard TVs which are primarily top/front heavy.
The base is roughly a 4" high, 18" deep, and 30" wide pedestal, and the TV measures about 55" wide, and about 45" high. All the inputs are on the RIGHT (Rear and Side). The Power cord is in the middle of the rear.
I have a Stereo Receiver, Comcast Digital Box, DVD Player and Xbox360 that I hooked up to this television. Both the DVD player and Xbox360 occupy the two component inputs and two RCA inputs. The Digital Box is through the Digital coaxial and standard coaxial inputs achieved with a supplied coaxial splitter. Unoccupied at this time are the two HDMI inputs -the only inputs that support 1080p-, the VGA input, the other two RCA inputs and a Cable Card input.
I have had exceptional reactions to the quality and performance of the JVC HD-56FN97. Out of the box, its not perfect. The first run though was to set up the Digital Cable. It performed a standard channel scan, going through all the standard channel signals and then any Digital channel signals. After this set up, I flipped through a few of the channels. I wasnt overly impressed with the color or picture, but after fiddling with the color setting in the HDTVs menu -which is a complete mess- I was able to get satisfactory coloring. There is a noticeable green cast on some channels. Since I dont have an HD channel package through my cable provider, the standard cable did not take full advantage of my HDTVs capabilities. The picture looked rather flat, grainy and did not support the wide screen format. Theres an Aspect menu feature that lets you change this format from Panorama (simulated 16:9), Cinema (zoomed and cropped 4:3), Full (stretched 4:3) and Standard (4:3). Most of the time while watching Cable, it was set for Standard (4:3).
Next, I set up the Xbox360. One of the most frustrating problems I had with the JVC HD-56FN97 was the Input selection menu. It wasnt intuitive nor was it easy to maneuver through. Using the remote -which was less than aesthetically pleasing- I had to scroll through a list of inputs, wait till the TV received the signal, and then scroll to the next, till I reached the desired input. This was done using the remotes directional pad or the CH+ CH- buttons and then selecting the OK button. I would have preferred a direct button to go to the desired input. This was Not expected for a Next-Gen television. The settings menu was set up the exact same way, being even more involved and less intuitive. Youll probably use the manual often till you get comfortable with all the less than descriptive names JVC used.
The picture quality of the Xbox360 was probably the BEST. Though I had to set it to 1080i, the highest HD signal the component inputs would allow. The colors were vibrant, the picture was crisp, and during game play there was very little blur noticeable. I played both Gears of War and Call of Duty 2, and was very impressed with the overall picture quality and performance. This TV was made for GAMING.
DVDs on the other hand did not seem as crisp. More noticeable while watching full screen DVDs, and less so with Wide screen DVDs. The coloring and picture was still better than Standard TV. The Wide screen DVDs used the auto-detected wide screen (16:9) format also. I have yet to experience HD-DVD or Blu-ray DVDs, but would imagine that the output would be even better. This is an impressive television for MOVIES.
My only true complaint is the remote and menu system. A work around Ive found was with the purchase of the Logitech Harmony universal remote for Xbox. After setting all my components up, using its computer based programming feature, I was able to set specific buttons for all my inputs finally. Of course, this remote offers more useful features (such as Activies), but thats for a different review.
In conclusion, the JVC HD-56FN97 HDTV is a great home theater / gaming television with ample features and inputs and exceptional quality and performance. At the price its also great buy considering all the inputs and features. I failed to mention earlier; the LCoS projector technology that JVC uses -under the HD-ILA name- is also exceptional. I have yet to see any rainbow effects or any "pixelation". I imagine my impressions will only grow when I take full advantage of the two HDMI inputs. JVC makes an affordable, quality HDTV.
I hope this review is helpful towards making your informative HDTV purchase.
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