Samsung HL61A750 61-Inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV
By: Samsung Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 49
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 On: 2008-07-06
I did a great deal of research and this is an excellent value. Less than half the price of a similar size plasma. I have a 42 inch plasma and the picture difference between the two is indistinguishable. A fantastic value for the dollar if you have the space. Better than I expected.
On: 2008-07-05
looked @ loads of sets in best buy and this one was easily the nicest RP HDTV. out in apr 2008, listed @ <$1600 on-line and thats a sick price.
split screen bluray dvd and standard 1080i programming & you see the (bluray) difference... also sick.
this is the 61" set to get- samsung doing big things.
built-in speakers are weak so helps to have proper towers (deftech 7004)
 On: 2008-07-05
I purchased this as my first departure from the CRT world and received it this past week. I figured I could buy more screen for my money with Samsungs rear projectors without the hastle of replacing lamps like previous-generation rear projectors. I wasnt aware of this until I received the screen (apparently I didnt do enough research), but rear projectors only have the correct luminosity when sitting immediately in front of the set. So in my living room, the screen looks beautiful if Im on the sofa in front of the TV, but if Im sitting at my bar off to the side the picture is very dim. Also, if Im standing (playing Wii) or sitting on the floor, the screen looks dark at the bottom or top respectively. After dealing with this for a few days, Im wishing I had spent the money on a smaller flat screen so when I have football or UFC parties, everyone can watch without the dimming effect. This set would probably work best in a home theater, where everyone is looking at the screen dead on.
This issue aside, the TV looks good and functions well. The menus are easy to use. Its incredibly light compared to our CRT. The input jacks are on the side of the set, making setup easy. I also purchased the Samsung upconverting DVD player, which can communicate with the TV and looks great.
On: 2008-07-02
All i can say is dont waste your money on smaller plasmas/lcds for double the price.. picture is as great as the broadcast, HD Theater on any of these HD tvs looks amazing! not worth an additional $2-5k. If youre thinking about this one, go for it! actually go for the 67", why not?! oh and its very light, me and my girlfriend picked it up no problem, thought it was too light for a second.
On: 2008-06-30
I replaced a 56in. DLP Samsung TV with this new HL61A750 61-Inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV , picture quality is Superior and as always Amazon made the buying ,pricing and delivery of this item SUPERIOR !!!!
 On: 2008-06-30
Ordered from Amazon LLC. Delivered in 3 days. Super fast. But the unit stopped working on the 2nd day -- only after 3.5 hours of usage. Lost image in the middle of a show. Unit started to shut down and re-start by itself. After a few tries, all 3 indicators on the front panel began to blink. According to the manual, this means: "LED defect. Call a certified technician." I called Amazon and was told that a technician would call me in 24 hours to schedule a visit and "we will see from there." FRUSTRATED!!!!
On: 2008-06-29
Samsung HL61A750 61-Inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV
The delivery took longer then I expected.
I Love it.
Just as good as any other large screen I looked at, and I looked at quite a few.
Much cheaper then I was able to find anywhere else. I was able to move up a couple of sizes from where I intended to purchase.
The sound is acceptable for most but those of you who want theater quality will have to purchase an amplifier and speakers.
On: 2008-06-27
I own a Samsung 50 inch DLP. It was beautiful until I hooked my XBox up to it and almost the day after the warrenty was up, it broke. After googleing the "shut-off" problem, I found out it is a common issue with ALL Samsung DLPs; which sometimes they cant fix!!! I have no extended warrenty and am screwed.
Google samsung DLP problems before buying.
On: 2008-06-26
The set arrived a bit over a week ago and Im still getting used to all that screen area - its replacing a 32" 4:3 CRT which will head to the bedroom. I had HD service added to my cable the day before so I was ready when it was delivered. Watched Sunrise Earth on Discovery HD as the first test.
I had been thinking about getting last years 56" LED DLP model - thinking about it for almost a full year, in fact. Then I saw this one and, while larger than I had been considering, the specs were irresistible. (I had delivery - not from Amazon - delayed three weeks so I could build a bigger stand for it.) The image is great, and brightness is more than adequate. In the morning there is a bright window behind it, through the kitchen doorway, and there is no problem with the picture even under those conditions. The green is a bit hyper in the normal setting (changing to "Movie" subdues it) but you can tweak it if the grass starts to look like kryptonite. This is the only adjustment Ive felt inclined to do to it so far.
Its got a very decent viewing angle from side to side, but not so much top to bottom. My stand is about 21" high and if I stand closer than about eight feet (Im 6-4") image brightness begins to drop off. Its not too bad, but if you want to watch it while standing, or sitting on bar stools, consider a higher stand (maybe 24"). I mostly watch it from a couch or an office chair and its at the perfect height for that.
As a computer monitor its a mixed bag. Theres very little overscan that I can see so you can drive it at the full 1080p resolution. Small fonts, though, can be a little hard to read since the image technology does some smoothing (whereas LCDs and plasmas have distinct pixels). The smoothing is one reason I bought it, though, since it makes the usual image more film-like in my opinion. Photos from my digital camera look great on it, too.
Assuming the LED technology lives up to the hype as far as lifespan goes, Id say this is a lot of TV for the money and well worth it.
On: 2008-06-25
We recently purchased a new townhome and I spent a large amount of time researching TVs for our living rooms home theater set-up. After much deliberation, I purchased this Samsung 61" A750 DLP. After 3 months of daily usage, we have been very happy with the TV, but there are some issues to be aware of.
Pros:
- Overall picture quality for HD sources (cable or Blu-ray disc) is excellent. The set has life-like colors and a bright picture. Blacks are very dark, even though it only has a 10,000:1 Contrast Ratio. My bedroom set has 30,000:1 CR (a Panasonic PZ85U Plasma), and this Samsung looks almost as good as that for blacks. Keep in mind that black levels are very important as they also affect how vibrant other colors appear.
- The set is very sleek. I really like how thin the bezel is around the set. This isnt your fathers projection TV. The Comcast Cable installer actually thought it was a plasma set.
- The large screen size makes for a fantastic home theater experience at our viewing distance of 12 feet. I havent been to a movie theater in a while as this set brings the theater to you. The large size is especially great for watching sports and movies. After watching TV on this set, I complain about the 42" set in my bedroom because it looks small. And the price for this much screen makes for an excellent value.
- Firmware can be easily updated through the USB slot.
- Unlike past DLPs, there is no bulb to replace.
- Unlike LCDs, no motion blur at all for sports (and I watch a lot of sports).
- Unlike plasmas, the energy consumption is very low. This set does not run hot at all.
Cons:
- All rear projection TVs are subject to something called Silk Screen Effect (due to the screen material used). Think of it as someone holding up a silk screen or clear panty hose up against the screen, and trying to watch TV through it. While it can be downplayed by lowering the contrast ratio, it cannot be eliminated. This set has a fair amount of Silk Screen Effect, generally only noticeable when watching a bright scene. A lot of people only notice it when watching all white events, such as hockey or skiing. But I notice it sometimes in other colors as well, and its annoying when I do. It detracts from the "3D" experience that you get when watching a high-end plasma. My wife has not noticed it at all though, so maybe Im just being picky.
- Check out the owners thread for this set on AVS Forums. This model has pretty big geometry problems. Again, pretty much every set has it, but the seriousness varies from set to set. Basically the casing used to house the TV is very thin and flimsy, and the outside borders are not always straight. For example, my set has a dip in the top middle of the screen, and a rise in the bottom middle of the screen. Pull up a linear grid from the service menu and you will be able to see just how bad the bowing is. Luckily for me, I never notice the bowing when I watch something. But it can be seen if you are looking directly at the bowing. I also have serious bowing on the side black bars when I watch 4:3 standard definition content (looks like an hourglass shape). I do not watch much SD content so it doesnt bother me that much. Again, check out AVS Forums and you will see a lot of people have returned or exchanged this set due to bowing problems.
- Sound quality is pretty poor. I hooked up a 5.1 surround system and never expect to use the internal speakers again. Make sure you invest in a surround package if you buy this TV.
- Standard definition content looks terrible. Trying to watch "Seinfeld" re-runs on TBS or an SD baseball game is not enjoyable at all.
Overall, mainly due to Silk Screen Effect, I would say I prefer the picture of my Panasonic PZ85U plasma over this Samsung A750. But a 60"+ plasma is very expensive and that is why I am happy with my Samsung purchase. You get 90% of a high-end plasmas picture quality, at a much lower price. If you do decide to buy this TV, you may want to get it at a local store though instead of online. Due to the bowing issue, you may need to exchange it once or twice before getting a set you can be happy with.
On: 2008-06-25
I had qualms about ordering a large TV on-line and having it shipped even though I have been building our computers for years with great service & delivery from another large on-line retailer. But after having good luck with other items from Amazon, went ahead with the order on Monday June 9th. This brought up a delivery date of June 17 which was a little disappointing as we would have liked to watch the US Open the following weekend.
Unfortunately, the CC Co. questioned the sale under their fraud protection which I couldnt clear with them til late in the day...putting everything off til Tuesday. Wednesday morning I received an email from Amazon advising our TV had been shipped. At 9:30 am Thursday I was astounded to receive a call from CEVA advising our TV was there and when would I like to schedule delivery. A single deliveryman got the TV to us late that afternoon, helped unbox it and verified with us that it was OK. (While weighing less than 100# it may still be advisable to have another person on hand at time of delivery.) We had the US Open on before dinner.
This is the 3rd HDTV weve had over the last 8 years. While not quite ready for a new set, an 8 year old that we had passed down the family had died starting us researching large screen TVs. We checked various sets at BB and CC. Any LCDs in larger sizes were overpriced, and the plasmas came with their own problems so on to DLPs. The picture quality and the LED projection cinched the Samsung for us.
As with all sets, the factory delivers them setup for showroom display. Too bright for in-home use. We made a number of adjustments for our room and lighting conditions. Using the Movie Mode & Warm2 resulted in an excellent picture. We made additional adjustments to contrast, brightness and some color settings. Yes, there are some slight geometric aberrations when viewing test patterns and slight hour-glassing when viewing a standard definition 4/3 picture. Most sets will have some irregularities unless they can display a pixel by pixel resolution...and that gets into a very expensive large screen TV. These are not noticeable when displaying a good 1080 HD source.
NET: very well done Amazon, CEVA and Samsung.
On: 2008-06-24
There isnt much that I can say that hasnt been said before. Ive been researching HDTVs for over 2 years now. Ive spent hours in front of them at the local big-box retailers. Waiting and biding my time while the prices drop and the features rise. Finally, this Samsung combined with Amazons free delivery (and no sales tax!) made me pull the trigger.
While I order from Amazon all the time, its never been something as large as this. Like everyone else, I was extremely impressed with the White Glove service (by Cevia). One word of advice: track the TV and when it arrives at your local depot, call them. Call them and confirm your address and phone number, and set up the delivery appointment then. Amazon had not given them my phone number and they would not have been able to contact me to arrange delivery had I not called them first. They were fantastic to deal with and the delivery was several days early and exactly when scheduled.
On to the TV. My local cable company doesnt know what HD is (literally, I had to explain it to them), and so I have Dish Networks HD service with their 722 receiver. With the help of an AntennasDirect DB4 and a ChannelMaster7777 preamp, Im pulling in the 20-80 mile away HD feeds from the main networks. Both local OTA HD and Dish HD feeds are incredible. The picture quality is simply stunning. Sporting events have a true three-dimensionality to the picture. Blacks are deep and very dark. Colors are vibrant but not overpowering after a few tweaks away from the default settings. The Movie setting in a dark room is jaw-dropping. No motion blur and no worries of burnt-in picture. Knowing that the LED DLP source should last *20,000* hours is wonderful. The TV is absolutely silent as well. If theres a fan running somewhere in it, I certainly cant hear it.
While it certainly doesnt look as good as true HD, even the SD programming looks great. Unlike some other big-screens that basically require HD content to be watchable, SD stuff looks perfectly acceptable.
Really, this is a great TV. I am extremely happy with it. Unless you MUST mount your TV on a wall, this is a truly great HD TV.
On: 2008-06-21
Very good quality at such a low price! The picture is crisp and the finish gives it that "executive style" look. The multitude of inputs are conveniently placed on the rear-side and for its size, it is surprisingly light which makes it easy to move around. The sound quality isnt that great, but a cheap sound system can easly make up for this.
On: 2008-06-19
I saw this TV at the Samsung display center in the Time Warner Building in NYC and was blown away by the picture. Beautiful color, crisp detail, great styling, and a price far less than comparable LCD and plasma sets. A few weeks later I bought one and have not been disappointed.
Just plug it into your cable box, and voila, you are done! No need to auto program and search for channels. There are ample inputs and outputs for all kinds of components, including a computer ( I like viewing my photos on the set). With a surround sound system (I bought the HTZ515 by Samsung, which matches the set) you will think you are at the movies.
I have not experienced any of the problems mentioned in the negative reviews.
For the price this is an incredible TV.
On: 2008-06-18
Great TV. Delivered one day early and in excellent shape. Plugged it in and it worked right out of the box. Unlike some others who have been reviewing here, I am no chip-head ... so I dont know if it has or needs a "hardware" upgrade, but the picture as it looks right now is absolutely great. In fact I couldnt be happier. By the way I installed the cable via a HDMI cable thru my DVR from Comcast...upgraded Comcast to HD. The delivery service helped me carry the TV upstairs and removed all the packing materials when they left...Nice touch.
On: 2008-06-16
This is my third HDTV and I am absolutely thrilled with the picture quality of this Samsung. The difference between a 4-year old 57" 1080i set and this new set was staggering. The picture was so much sharper and more detailed. The colors were so much more vivid. And the 57" HDTV I owned was also a $2000 TV when it came out. Its wonderful how much technology can change in just a few years. I have this TV hooked up to a Blu-Ray player (1080p output) and it is just incredible. There is a huge difference between the picture on my old 1080i set and this 1080p set, even with Blu-Ray content. Im absolutely thrilled with this TV. It was worth EVERY penny. If you buy it though, start watching everything in HD! HD cable/sattelite look wonderful, games in HD are great and movies on Blu-Ray are just amazing. DVDs still look good, but how can you go backwards after seeing things look this good? And if you cant rent enough films on Blu-Ray in your local stores, then just get a Netflix or Blockbuster online account.... I love my TV!
One note though: Dont buy the matching stand for this TV unless youre never going to have a proper home theater. There isnt enough room in the stand for a large center channel speaker and there isnt enough depth in the stand to hold a normal sized receiver. Just buy another stand with shelves at least 7 or 8" high and with at least 18" depth. Having to return the wrong stand after you spent 90 minutes building it is no fun!
On: 2008-06-15
Samsung HL61A750 61-inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV
One word review: WOW!
Details: I know this is supposed to be a product review, but I want to extend a hardy thank you to Amazon for what may be the best online purchasing experience Ive had. I buy a lot online, from simple $1 items up to big ticket items and Ive always considered myself fortunate for having mostly good experiences. Primarily I chalk that up to research and making good choices on my end, but sometimes a vendor stands out and needs to be recognized. I ordered the item late at night on 5/13/08 and received an estimated delivery date of 5/23. OK for free shipping... I tracked the item online and when it arrived at the local terminal on 5/16, I called the carrier (CEVA) to arrange delivery. They delivered it the next day, on Saturday! The unit arrived within the window given and was carried into the house and unpacked. One of the deliverymen even helped me plug it in and run through the menu to be sure everything worked. They were both very courteous and professional. True White-Glove service!
On to the TV... Again, WOW! I waited a full month after receiving it to post a review. My expectations were met fully on day one and our excitement level hasnt diminished since.
My 2-1/2 year old Toshiba 62HM95 suffered a light engine failure that was going to cost $1K to repair. Since I was already frustrated with other product shortcomings and particularly Toshibas terrible product and abandoning both DLP and HD-DVD, I decided to find a replacement. Not needing or desiring to hang a unit from the wall and actually preferring the advantages of a DLP, EXCEPT for the bulb replacement issues, I was excited as heck by the LED option. One very exciting advantage of this set is that its the "greenest" large screen set available, requiring the lowest power usage Ive found! If that doesnt matter to you now, it probably will someday...
I researched online and picked out the Samsung HL-61A750 as my first choice. I visited all the usual local suspects to quiz the geeks onhand and physically compare whats available and again settled on this product, both because of, and despite what some of the geeks had to say about what they thought I needed... Amazon had the best price available by far and Ive never had any trouble with delivery or response to inquiries before, so the decision was an easy one. I actually did haggle the local Circuit City down $300 from $2099, but that was still over $100 more than Amazon, NOT including taxes, nor would it have included free shipping, which I did get from Amazon! I was careful to ensure I bought from Amazon and not a third-party to ensure their high level of support after the purchase, just in case.
My wife wasnt too happy about me paying "so much" for a TV so soon after having paid twice that for our Toshiba, but she changed her tune after only a few days watching and using the new set. It integrates seemlessly with our existing Samsung TIB and is very easy to use. We use Charter Digital HD TV and a regular DVD player and I dont feel any need to jump to Blue-Ray at this point. I will upgrade at some point, but now now. I took a few minutes intially to flatten out all the settings to the midrange from their high ends, as all TV makers ship there products. This made a huge difference in producing a watchable image in my home! I continued tweaking a bit as we watched SD and HD TV along with several movies and am very pleased with the results. I may even skip calibration! Id suggest a search at the AVS forums at www.avsforum.com for the "HL61A750 owners thread" for recommendations and in depth discussion of the set.
There is a lot of information regarding new firmware updates (10 minutes to download and automatically install using a USB flashdrive!) that resolves some issues. There have also been concerns regarding bowing on some sets, but mine and many others have none and many of those reported can only be noticed when viewing test patterns designed to show them, so if its a concern, be sure to check for them early and schedule a service call for adjustment. My understanding has been that Samsung has been very supportive in this area. I also purchased a three year warranty extension that begins after Samsungs one year warranty expires. The best deal I found was the Mack Warranty from Texas Tapeworks. Only $120 (price is based on purchase price of TV) and Ive read nothing but positive reviews of their support!
From pressing the power button to viewing an image takes about 8-10 seconds, which might seem long to some, but its nearly instantaneous compared to our Toshiba! The image is amazing and while the sound may be a little flat, its fine for most TV programming. Many people, spending thousands on a TV like this, wont hesitate to spend at least a couple hundred on an inexpensive TIB with surround sound. If you need better, good for you! Go for it! Oh yeah, and theres absolutely no sound at all, other than from the speakers. Id grown very tired of the ever present fan noises from my previous set, whether it was turned on or not.
Weve found that for our tastes, once we found the settings we preffered, the TV is basically on auto-pilot from there on! It automatically up-scales even the crappiest SD programming to provide a much greater viewing experience. The blackest blacks and whitest whites Ive seen with minimal to no crush depending on how much "pop" you want in your image.
The TV automatically senses when a movie has been inserted into our Samsung TIB and switches inputs. Basically, we just pop a DVD in and everything turns on and the movie menu pops up! When we turn off the DVD player, the TV switches back to TV on its own! No more fiddling with power buttons and input settings and whatever else...
Ive compared this set extensively with other DLPs, LCDs and Plasmas and I definitely made the right choice! I have already recommended this model to others without reservations. RESEARCH YOUR CHOICES!!!
On: 2008-06-15
Best picture I have ever seen, Fast shipping, white glove set up. Guys were very friendly. Picture had no bow like the ultra slim Samsung. TV was listed for lower price before I got mine, and did not get a break on price because Amazon said it was sold by 3rd party???? I bought from amazon not 3rd party??????????
On: 2008-06-15
This tv is absolutely awesome. The tv arrived earlier than predicted by amazon. The blacks are so sharp and the rest of the colors so vivid. I researched this tv extensively because I had always liked DLP technology. Before this I had a 47 VIZIO Gallevia LCD and while the picture was really nice, it doesnt compare to my Samsung HL61A750. I have it hooked up to regular digital cable and a 1080p upconverting Pioneer DVD player. So I imagine once I get true HD signal on this baby its gonna be much sweeter. My kids have a blast playing Wii Sports and Wii fit on this TV. I know that some people have experienced problems with bowing of the image, but so far I havent noticed any tech problems with it. If Id have to find anything wrong with this tv, itd be a very small flaw, that in some peoples eyes it probably wouldnt even be one. The very thin frame seems to bow just a tad and it slants forward the same, but is not something that would be a deal breaker. All the pluses of this tv accompanied by the fact that for the past 3 mos. I havent seen this tv available for under 2k (from reputable sellers) and I purchased it for %17 less, with FREE white glove delivery, made it a steal in my own opinion. If you are looking for a big screen, with sharp colors and definition, look no further and give this tv a try.
On: 2008-06-13
This TV is huge. I am sitting close to 10 ft. away and the viewing distance is perfect. I was running a 42" LCD Samsung prior to this big monster. Compared to each other in video quality, these two matched about the same. Excellent crisp picture. I mostly play blu-ray and PS3 games on it, but at 1080p output, all the games run smoothly without any lag. It could be because of the 120Hz constant output.
A few things stood out to me when I chose this TV. The fact that it uses new technology. The fact that it doesnt use a bulb but LED, as a DLP that is amazing. I compare this to all the new LCD and Plasmas in the market and I feel there is no difference.
It has a quiet operation, when I am running anything, movies, games or while its sitting idle, I do not hear any operation noise!
One thing that does bother me, the TV speakers are not as effective as I would like them to be. Perhaps it could be that I am spoiled with my HK surround set. The built-in speakers are a bit low in volume.
I recommend this TV to anyone that is looking at a DLP unit. I wouldnt see why you wouldnt want to get a dlp in this size, esp since LCDs would cost you an arm and leg. GREAT BUY!
On: 2008-06-13
I didnt want DLP, but this TV only has those letters, (DLP), in common with what most asscociate with DLP TVs. I didnt want a spinng wheel, or a costly light bulb that regraded with use, becoming dimmer and dimmer over time.
This is a new breed of DLP, one that deserves a new name for its new design. They did themselves a great injustice to keep the name DLP for this TV. The picture is out of this world, and blows away most LCD panels on their best day. Samsung has a winner. Who would not want this TV? Anyone who wants to hand the Tv on a wall, needs to not buy this TV. This Tv sits on s atand, and while you can put it up on a shelf on a wall, or about a mantle, it has to stand on its base. I bought the Samsung approved stand for the TV, and it fits perfectly. I am in love with Discovery HD. I tested this Tv on every resolution picture I could find, down to old Black and White movies, and they all look fantastic.
Buy this TV. 5 stars
On: 2008-06-12
I couldnt be happier with the TV and the service from Amazon was
excellent. The tv arrived in 4 business days and the set up
by the delivery driver was great. Would purchase again.
On: 2008-06-08
My 13 year old top of the line Sony 52" projection TV died a few weeks ago and I was in the market for a large replacement Hi-def TV. I needed to fill the large opening previously occupied by the Sony projection TV with a large HDTV. Plasma and LCD are great but I wanted (at least 52"+) and large ones are very expensive. I did my research and found the HL61A750. I went down to my local BB store and compared the various TVs including the Sansung non LED DLP sets along with Plasma and LCD sets. After spending a fair amount of time comparing, I made my decision. Two weeks ago we received the HL61A750 from Amazon. I ordered it on Sunday and it arrived at my door on Friday. My wife and I have watched hours of HD and DVD(standard resolution) to test the TV and have been amazed at the image quality. The only issue that we have is the "pincushioning" actually hourglassing when viewing 4:3 images. It isnt that bad but I notice it. I have researched this issue and it appears to be an issue with most DLP sets. I will be contacting Samsung to find out if they can improve this.
In summary this is a great TV and for the price you cant beat it.
On: 2008-06-06
We purchased this tv about 3 weeks ago. Delivery was great. Picture was good but not as clear as we had hoped. Then I upgraded to Direct TV HD and now the picture is awesome. Very bright colors. I think you will need a pretty large room for this size tv. Ours room is 17X 21. The sound is ok and much better after you adjust it some. We have the Samsung ht-tz512 on its way for surround sound. I just hope it serves as for a long time and that Samsung will stand behind their product if we have any problems. I highly recommend this tv!
On: 2008-06-03
So far everythinhg is better than I expected. But beware when you pruchase this item, make sure that you purchase it from Amazon and not one of their resalers. The promise of free shipping and a fund of the difference between the purchase price (if it is reduced within 30 days of purchase)and a price drop are invalid if you dont purchase directly from Amazon
On: 2008-05-30
Amazons service was impressive. We received the TV within 5 days. The picture quality is fantastic but I dont think it is quite as sharp as the 56" Samsung LED DLP that we have but that difference might be due the same information spread out over a larger size or a difference in the signal source. The signal for the 61" is from a satellite service and the 56" is on cable. Although I have it attached to a surround sound system the sound from the TV speakers can be adjusted for reasonable quality, esp. with SRS. The picture can be very bright if you are watching in a dark room, even in the darkest movie mode, but this can be toned down. The picture seems to be somewhat brighter in the center esp. when veiwing a non-HD station but is uniform with an HD signal or upconverted DVDs. I was surprised that you cant get closed captioning when getting your signal from a cable box or satellite receiver using an HDMI cable. You have to use a co-ax cable. This is probably the same for all HDTVs. As others have noted the 61" has shut-off two times and immediately came back on and I hope this does not become frequent. I have heard that some companies are going to stop making projection TVs suggesting that this is oid technology but these TVs have as high a picture quality as similar sized LCDs or Plasma at a MUCH better price.
On: 2008-05-30
I cant say enough how great this TV has been. Im very very very pleased with this tv. Delivery was good had no problems with that, the tv had no damage upon delivery. And to go with that due to amazon.coms 30-day policy I got money back from my original purchase price. Again this is well worth it and I couldnt be happier with it.
On: 2008-05-28
I ALMOST went with 4 stars because my TV arrived with a glitch that reboots it randomly, but this only happened twice in 2 weeks. Fixing this is easy with a firmware update via the USB port. The website makes it easy.
Other than that, this is one fantastic purchase. I was afraid I had actually gone a little too big, but this looks good from everywhere in our living room including the side couch thats only 5 feet away. All my HD sources work really well and standard definition channels look pretty darn good as well. The sound is about what you would expect for a TV like this, but it certainly is no substitution for surround sound.
Im extremely happy with the price I paid and how quickly I received it, with free shipping. You wont regret this purchase.
 On: 2008-05-27
I received my 1st HDTV on Friday (5/23) the delivery was fast and smooth. From out of the truck to set up was 15 mins if that. I was in a hurry to leave for memorial weekend so unfortunately I didnt have all the time I wanted to make sure the set was in 100% top-notch condition. So, I just turned it on real quick to make sure it started up, and to get a quick visual. Everything looked ok at first glance. I signed to slip than I followed the delivery guys out the door.
Well I get home on Monday (5/26) existed to view my brand new dream TV, and upon further investigation I noticed a black dot on the middle of the screen. So, I move in for a better look, and low and behold they are all over the place. A few look like thick black hairs. (It really shows up on lighter backgrounds) Is this supposed to be like that? This is my 1st projection TV so...
While they are not really noticeable past 6-8 ft. they are still there. The TV performs great!!! It is what all the other reviews say it is, but someone dropped the ball on one of the most important parts of the TV.
Im usually not one to make a big deal over little things, but when one pays as much as one did for the TV it needs to be in perfect condition.
Im just sorry I didnt catch it when I first got it. Other than that, like I said the TV is great, I just think they where pushing to get these sets out and missed a step. I emailed Amazon on Monday (5/23), still waiting on a reply. Will call them after work if I dont hear back via email.
On: 2008-05-27
Making a purchase of this size online was very scary for us. The TV is fantastic and we would purchase it again without question Beautiful picture quality and very easy set up. Equal to the quality of the TV was the ease of ordering from Amazon.com. The communication with us was well done. The prodct arrived at our house 3 days before the anticipated delivery. The delivery company was professional and offerred a white glove "assist to set up" option at no additional cost. Although we have never made this size purchase online before, we were extremely pleased with the product outcome AND the delivery process. Well done Amazon.com
On: 2008-05-27
I purchase Samsungs 61" DLP TV. It is dead in less than a month. Samsung service is horrible. 8 phone calls to them and they keep telling me Im in a no service area and will be called back in 4 or 5 business days. 13 days later I called again and got the same story. I have called Sams Club to come get this piece of junk and refund my money. Beware Samsung, multiple calls, several disconnects and the same lame story of a call back within 4 or 5 business days. This company needs to get sued.
On: 2008-05-25
I want to thank the people who took the time to review this tv at amazon. I was in the hunt for an affordable big screen tv that would last at least a few years. I started reading the reviews here at amazon and liked what I was reading. So I made the trip to CC and BB to check out the Samsung HL61A750. The picture quality did not impress me that much. So I came home and re-read the reviews here and thought Id take a chance. The price was just too good to pass up. Got my tv in 4 days. The delivery guys had the tv up and running within 5 minutes of arrival. They waited till I connected the TW cable box and was scanning for channels and I said it was ok to leave. After scanning, I checked the firmware version on the tv, which was 101.3 I believe, so I went to samsung.com and downloaded the latest version which is 105.3. It was a fairly simple chore with good instrutions and only took 5 minutes. The PQ is fantastic. I was tempted to play around with the settings but decided not to. How do you improve perfection? This is the first time I have taken the time to review anything, so maybe I can help someone as you all have helped me.
On: 2008-05-24
Buying this set was the result of exhaustive research. It really paid off! I bought this set with free white glove delivery and of course, no sales tax. These two savings equalled 210 dollars for me. The set took a total of 4 days to arrive. The delivery men (2) brought it upstairs for me and insisted on staying aound a few minutes to make sure it powered on and that i was satisfied with the delivery as well as the product. The set looks and works incredible! I decided to see if all the info i found about the power-off issues were true, and they were. I then downloaded the 1005.3 update from Samsung to my computer, unzipped it to my thumb drive and installed it. The update took 90 seconds and worked perfectly. No more power-off issue. The picture in HD is razor sharp. Standard Def is so-so, having more to do with the source than the TV and the way it is displayed. My XBOX 360 smokes out a PERFECT image on anything it produces. Being a 6 foot tall big guy, I am able to lift and move it where I want it without injury to myself or the set. There is moderate sun-lighting from both the right and left side in my living room. This has minimal picture impact to the extreme during daylight. At night it is PERFECT even with lighting turned on. The volume level of the onboard sound is UNBELIEVEABLE! I can only stand a maximum of 50% of what it can do. The remote is ergonomic for me, and completely lit up whenever i want it to be. It plays a neat power-on and power-off melody, which you can set at 3 different volumes, as well as off. The beautiful Samsung blue LED circle that lights when powered on has custom controls as well. I absolutely LOVE that every single thing i need for hooking up components and the USB are very easy to reach on the right rear within easy reach of the manual controls located on the right side as well. Most people will not have to move the set at all to use the USB, or fiddle with the hook-ups like when using playback on a videocam. The only negative i have on this set is the stand on the bottom. It feels flimsy and will probably not take moderate abuse. I cannot strongly enough reccomend this set. 10 out of 10, even not liking the stand. Take the posts about this set on AVS forums with a grain of salt. They do a lot of needless whining about this set which would be warranted for a five thousand dollar set, but are not for one in the high teens. ENJOY; I sure am!
On: 2008-05-23
Ive had this TV for about 3 weeks now. Im highly impressed. I wasnt real sure about how the viewing angles would work out since my living room is kind of in a wide set up, but its great--no problems at all. The brightness is excellent, the picture is very sharp (I have my computer hooked up at 1920x1080 and I can read regular 12pt font at 8 ft away, its kind of straining to do so, but at 720p, nearly all text is easily readable). I have a PS3, and it looks amazing. I think I do more movie watching than video game playing, but either is excellent. I have a surround sound set up and dont use the built-in speakers, so I cant say anything about them. The TV is very light. If it was small enough, it could easily be managed by a single person, though its dimensions alone make it a 2-person carry. But my wife can help without problem.
The best plus is that the Amazon price is now $1675. $300 less than what I originally paid, but it changed within 30 days of my ship date so Ive already got my refund of the difference. That price for this size of TV with the quality it has is just an amazing bargain, if you compare it to LCDs or plasmas of similar size and quality.
On: 2008-05-17
I ordered this set from Amazon and then the price began to drop. Fortunately I was within the 30 day price guarantee window, so they gave me a full refund of the price difference.
I needed a new HDTV since my 5 year old Mitsu was getting flakey again and I was out of extended warranty. I like the Mitsu features but didnt want to wait until they decided to release the laser driven DLP. The Samsung LED DLP was ready and already had a year of production to find out bugs, so opted for that.
The delivery was smooth. Two guys carried it in, unboxed the unit and sat it on the matching stand I bought and assembled a few days earlier. Great picture out of the box.
After a few days of messing with the controls I opted to reduce the brightness of the LED from the AUTO setting (which seems to always be at MAX) to extend the LED life which is already estimated to be the life of the tv, but why tempt the electronic gremlins.
The menu takes a little getting used to and I wish there was an easy way to get into the PIP features. The PIP is limited cause you cant watch an HD source and have a PIP window up also. There is only an ATSC/CableQAM tuner on this rather than including the NTSC tuner as well, so that is probably why. Since Analog TV is going away in a few months anyway, why pay for the extra exectronic board.
Im very pleased with the Samsung product AND the Amazon purchase.
On: 2008-05-17
I ordered this set from Amazon and then the price began to drop. Fortunately I was within the 30 day price guarantee window, so they gave me a full refund of the price difference.
I needed a new HDTV since my 5 year old Mitsu was getting flakey again and I was out of extended warranty. I like the Mitsu features but didnt want to wait until they decided to release the laser driven DLP. The Samsung LED DLP was ready and already had a year of production to find out bugs, so opted for that.
The delivery was smooth. Two guys carried it in, unboxed the unit and sat it on the matching stand I bought and assembled a few days earlier. Great picture out of the box.
After a few days of messing with the controls I opted to reduce the brightness of the LED from the AUTO setting (which seems to always be at MAX) to extend the LED life which is already estimated to be the life of the tv, but why tempt the electronic gremlins.
The menu takes a little getting used to and I wish there was an easy way to get into the PIP features. The PIP is limited cause you cant watch an HD source and have a PIP window up also. There is only an ATSC/CableQAM tuner on this rather than including the NTSC tuner as well, so that is probably why. Since Analog TV is going away in a few months anyway, why pay for the extra exectronic board.
Im very pleased with the Samsung product AND the Amazon purchase.
On: 2008-05-16
On my fourth week of owning this set now. The settings out of the box are (as most HDTVs) set exaggeratedly high for brightness, contrast and sharpness, but turning off the edge enhancement, and cranking down the settings provides a phenomenal picture for both HD and SD sources. Brightness and viewable angles are excellent, and the form factor is great.
Black levels are excellent as well.
I was trying to decide between this set and the 60" Kuro Plasma from Pioneer....and for 1/3 the cost, this is probably still 90% of the picture of the Kuro (except for those amazing blacks).
There was an early issue with the set randomly resetting, but Samsung has published a firmware update that addresses it completely.
The ability to show photos via USB is also pretty cool though not something Ill use a ton.
On: 2008-05-16
Ive been watching Samsungs LED DLP technology for about a year now, so when the next generation came out a few months ago, I got ready to buy. And I happily did so from Amazon.com.
LEDs provide pure red, green, and blue light, and those in this set claim a life rating of 60,000 hours (thats 8 hours per day for 20 years). No lamp to replace, no spinning color wheel, no rainbow effects, no motor/fan noise. The whites are bright, and the darks are black. My unit shipped with the current firmware already installed.
Im not hung up on having a TV thats wall mountable, so I wasnt limited to plasma and LCD sets. And at less than 16 inches deep, my options are still open for cabinets and stands. My only challenge with this form factor so far has been mounting the center speaker, but I just ordered a OmniMount CCH1B Center Channel Speaker Shelf from Amazon, so that should do the trick.
Ive gone high-tech geek [almost] all the way for the sources and connections. I say "almost" because I havent invested in Blue-Ray just yet. But, I do have a TiVo HD, HD cable box, and up-scaling DVDR all connected by HDMI, and our Wii is using the component cables. All pictures are pristine and crisp! The colors are amazing, but I may need to tone down the brightness just a tad: watching the Stanley Cup playoffs, the ice is almost blinding, but the sets 10,000:1 contrast ratio is very apparent with the darkness of the puck and players uniforms. And, although the Wii is not breaking any graphics barriers compared to Xbox or PlayStation, the video is detailed and vibrant. Hooking up to my laptop with a RGB cable was sweet -- a 61" computer monitor!
In my opinion, reviews are most helpful when they arent all positive or negative, so now Ill mention some drawbacks or less fortunate issues Ive experienced. As noted in the manual, the optical output from the TV is only 5.1 channel for stations tuned by the TV itself. All of the other digital sources coming in only get 2-channel audio out the optical connection. This is a bit lame, but all that means is that I have to use my surround sound receiver to change inputs for digital audio. I guess I could go buy one that has HDMI switching capabilities. Also, since Ive had the set, 3 times when I turned it on, I got a message, "Check Fan No. 3". Each time I turned the TV off and back on and the message didnt reappear. Id want to place a service call, but the inconsistency would make it difficult to troubleshoot. I have a warranty -- Ill keep my eye on it. Lastly, although I have the TVs speakers turned off in its menu settings, occasionally, the TV speakers will turn on very loudly. I have to navigate the menu, turn the speakers on, turn down the volume, and then turn the speakers back off. This has only been happening since I started using a Harmony remote with my set up, so its probably not the TV, just a stray or errant signal coming from my remote.
In summary, this is an excellent television that I highly recommend. The picture is awesome, the array of inputs is excellent, and the price is affordable (and dropping) -- Ive already been refunded [...] with Amazons Post-Order Price Guarantee.
On: 2008-05-12
I love this tv. The picutre quatliy is outstanding. I was a little concerned about ordering such a large item online but the service was great. My tv was delivered early and they even set it up. Oh and even better Amazon refunded me over $440 after I noticed the price went down after I purchased it. They give you thirty days!! Id definitely recommend this tv and Amazon service to anyone.
On: 2008-05-09
Almost bought the HLT series from Samsung when I read that it was being replaced by this model. Several issues were addressed, one concerning a halo effect that effected some of the sets, which Samsung later had a fix for. When shopping, went to BB and CC to compare this set with larger screen lcd, plasmas and dlp models. Chose this over other brands of dlp because there is no bulb to replace in the Samsung (led light source). For the same quality picture I found that the plasmas and lcd sets were far more expensive in this screen size range.
Ordered from Amazon, was delivered, unboxed, and hooked up to make sure everything was fine, by the trucking co. Very satisfied with their white glove delivery. In fact, it was better than I expected.
The picture on this set is much better at home than what you see in well-lit stores. The contrast, color and resolution are amazing. Even up close the picture is excellent. Replaced a Toshiba 60" (HD) that was about six years old. Major improvement in HD. The screen on this has no reflective glare as the older one did. Always had a reflection of something in the screen, a light, window... Have directv, so was able to use the HDMI hook up, that replaced the 3 wire component, and two wire audio to the set--now just one. The sound from the set is ample,(it has SRS) however, I hooked it up to surround which gives the viewing experience a lot more kick!
I highly recommend this set on my personal satisfaction, and Amazon for their excellent customer service and the delivery.
On: 2008-05-08
I got my set yesterday with the new 1004 firmware installed so no frequent power cycles with this set. My set also came with no bowing or tilt, super solid set, great blacks, sharper than last years LED set, seems to be brighter as well. Only one draw back which i dont know if Samsung knows about but all the 61A750s i have seen have this reflection on the top of the screen during dark scenes when something bright is projected up there, it reflects into the black bar during 2.35:1 movies, and sometimes shows up when there is a lot of black at the top with something high in contrast projected, hopefully Samsung identifies this problem like last years Halo Reflection and remedies this new reflection. This set would be PERFECT without the reflection...so people start reporting it to Samsung once you see it on ur sets, look carefully!!!
On: 2008-05-07
Weve had this TV for about a week now and the picture just blows me away every time I watch it. It really is a great TV for the money. I did the firmware upgrade when I received and it runs great. Delivery was professional. The box came in great shape with no damage on it. Xbox 360, DishHD, and 1080p upscaled DVDs look incredible. Also, the black finish on the TV makes its presence in our room look very nice. Pick this one up if you are looking for a big TV at a great price.
On: 2008-05-03
Short & sweet...simply the best TV I have ever owned. It looks good, has a great picture. We did not have any problems at all. Cant recommend it high enough.
 On: 2008-04-30
I purchased this TV on Saturday and once installed at home I noticed a 2" black dot on the left side of the screen. Samsung has provided very little help in resolving the problem. Im returning the TV and will hope for better luck on my next TV.
On: 2008-04-27
I ordered this last Sunday. It shipped out Monday from Reno and got to LAX by Tuesday. I called CEVA on Wednesday and had it delivered Friday morning. I was apprehensive of the bowing issues Ive been reading about on avsforum.com, but I do not see any bowing on mine. Also, mine came with the updated firmware already installed (it was manufactured 3/31/08). The picture is fantastic -- its replacing a 5 year old Samsung HLM507W. I have DirecTV and a PS3 feeding it. The SD picture is also much, much better than my old set. The price dropped 3 times since I ordered it, and I was able to get a refund for the price difference already because of Amazons 30-day price guarantee. Couldnt be happier with it.
On: 2008-04-19
I recieved the TV about a month ago and Ive always been impressed with the picture. This TV was a trade in for my HLT5687SAX which had several issues. The TV has a great picture, added menu features and picture in picture over the old HLT set. I wasnt shopping for anything with out an LED light engine.
The TV did not come without issues; the TV would intermittatly turn off and then power back on. Recently a new issue of firmware has been put out and upgrading is a snap. No issues since the new firmware and the TV looks great. There have been other people with geometry issues such as bowing and alignment issues. Mine doesnt have these problems and if it does its not visible from normal viewing distances. When checking against a test grid only one of the four sides has some tilt and it is less than 1/4" from the top to the bottom. The viewing angles are about the same if not a little better than the HLT set and I think the black levels have also improved slightly.
Overall I am very happy with the set and would recommend it with an Oppo DVD player or Blue Ray. Do not expect this set to have the same picture quality as a plasma but do expect to save a bundle for the size of the TV with an above average picture. If not for the issue with the TV powering on and off this would get a 5 of 5. Ill call it 4.5 and recommend it to anyone looking for a DLP set.
On: 2008-04-16
This TV will blow you away. I have had it 2 weeks and it still makes me smile when i watch it. I have Directv, Wii, XBOX360 and a PS3 and they all look better then any TV i have seen in the stores. This TV is LED DLP, no color wheel or bulb to burn out. It should last 15-18 years. AAA+++ video a must buy.
On: 2008-04-06
(Apr 08) Well I finally made the jump to a HDTV. I do not pretend to be an authority on TVs, a high roller who can buy $20,000 sets, or a person who has owned 10 HDTVs in the past and can compare and contrast my past sets. I did do quite a bit of research beforehand and the best balance of cost to size and function was this set, and I am more than pleased.
This is a 61" Projection set, but the image engine is not a lamp and spinning color wheel like almost all DLP sets, but rather LED based. This is huge because the lamps burn out and are expensive to replace, and the color wheel makes noise. These are eliminated on the series 7 sets. I got this delivered this morning and have been playing with the TV all day. No fewer than 100 times did I switch between ESPN and ESPN-HD and say "look at that!" during the final four games. The clarity for a 61" screen viewed at 10 feet is amazing. I am certain there is better out there, but I cant imagine how much better it can really get to justify another several thousand dollars. You will not be displeased with this image at all. Then I fired up some PS3 games, namely Madden 08 and Motostorm. Super impressive images. I am using the Psyclone HDMI cable for the video input and it delivers a whole dimension to the games I never saw before on my old CRT set. Even my friends who have an Aquos system say it looks better on this Samsung set. The color is sharp, the menus are very user friendly to make adjustments, and it functions great. Also, the TV requires virtually no warm-up time which I have read can happen with some high end sets. From "power on" to image is like a couple seconds.
The remote is attractive and easy to use; the whole TV set doesnt have much weight (easily picked up by two people with hardly any effort), is in a very sharp looking cabinet and has ample input slots on the back. It even has a PC input which is nice, and a USB slot that you can plug a thumb drive into and play MP3s or project JPEG images.
This set is full 1080p, not just a 1080p screen like some sets. It is also 3-D ready for the games out there who know about this. This set is very future proof by all standards that I have researched so you can buy in confidence that you wont regret this in 3 months. Even my wife, who said I was crazy to spend a couple thousand on a TV, loves the image and in one day has agreed it was a good buy. Samsung is sinking a lot of money into their DLP even if Sony is bailing on the platform. You simply cannot get a full 1080p image this good, at this size from plasma or pure LCD set without paying a massive amount of money. I think any sports fan out there who likes to watch movies from time to time and play the occasional game on the Xbox or Wii like me will love this set.
Always do your own research. One negative review of this set claims it does not have 120Hz image rate. Well, it does. Also do your homework on what you could care less about. 35mm film aspect convert? You know, darn it if I just dont ever use it for that purpose. Auto audio adjust? You know, darn it if I dont just use a home theatre for the sound and not the crap speakers that come with any high end tv. Hope you find the right set for you, because ultimately you gotta live with it. So far I am quite happy with mine and will update as I discover good/bad things.
On: 2008-04-03
got this dlp led tv .the frist was bas tv turn off it back on it shelf.have fun noise loud .send frist back send second one no go to bad to.was bad new set come out with.they put plug this model beware bug this model.order the hl67a750 it work best the hl61a750 model. buy new buy the hl67a750 over the hl61a750 model.big scrren best priceto.
On: 2008-03-23
I purchased this TV from Bestbuy and picked it up at the warehouse a few days ago. The picture looks great and it appears that the viewing angles are improved over last year. The brightness levels are more than enough, My room where the TV is located has windows on one side that can potentially create glare. I havent had a problem with this at all. I have Verizon FIOS and all resolution sources look great. The NCAA tournament has a great picture quality. The TV was easy to set up and the remote was easy to figure out without reading the directions.
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