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Movie theaters got nothing on the Mitsubishi DLP!
Pros
Great for movies and HD, beautiful picture, easy to use.
Cons
Hard to move, limited viewing angles.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Great picture, easy to use, great for movies and HDTV - you'll love it.
Before I start - I am writing this as an average every day person who is not an expert on the newer television technologies. This purchased was based on my in-store experience with the quality of this TV compared to others. So, this review won't be filled with specs and numbers. Instead, it's simply my experience as your normal television user.
How it happened...
If I told you this was an impulse item, would you believe me? My boyfriend and I were looking around in Best Buy, and this was one of the sets they had out on display - with a couch, no less. After sitting in amazement, we decided that it was a must have. It was on sale, but even at a discount, it was around 5 grand. Of course, you can now buy it on Amazon for less than we still owe on it (ha) but it was just that amazing. We took a few more visits before we finally made the decision to purchase it, as they were offering a 3 year payment plan with no interest. Also, we compared the picture to every other TV they had on display, and the DLP was better than most other televisions. As one final bonus, this TV is set up to be able to display the new 1080p image, not just the current 1080i.
So, we bought it.
We also purchased a Mirage sound system soon thereafter, because this TV is a movie theater - you need the full effect!
For starters, there is a matching stand you can buy for each model, but that was going to cost a few hundred dollars, and after paying this baby off, we decided the less cost the better, so we bought a large and low TV bench at Ikea for more like $75 - good deal.
I should mention how HUGE this TV is. It's a 73" monster. I definitely would NOT consider purchasing it without visiting a local store where you can see it in real life. You'll want to make sure it will fit in your living room, and that you'll be able to sit far enough away to not strain your eyes!
Setting Up & Picture
The set up was pretty straight forward. My biggest issue was the picture quality when we first viewed a picture on the screen. To fix the picture settings, we put in Finding Nemo - I find that CG animated films are great for tweaking the picture and getting everything straightened out. I was very happy to find enough options and settings to get the picture exactly how I want it. My favorite by far was noise reduction. It made things a little soft, but after a bit of sharpening, I was pleased with the results. I'm very anal about these things, and the picture menu on the TV was easy to use, and even offered side by side comparisons for some settings so that you can see the difference. Once I was done, the picture was amazing - smooth but sharp, crisp colors, and just perfect.
Picture
Once I had the picture settings worked out (as I explained above) the images were great. DVDs and HDTV looked amazing - specifically, when we watched Conan O'Brien, he was life-sized and you would swear he was sitting in the room with you. Not to mention, it's funny to be able to see every pore on someone's face.
Normal TV typically doesn't look as good. If it's a newer show, it will look decent. Obviously not as clear as HD, but normal quality. If it's from an older show, it will be a little boxy and blurry. I got used to it, but you will definitely notice it as you're still getting acquainted with the set.
Also, I am assuming most people are aware of this, but when you aren't watching something filmed for a wide screen TV, then you are going to have black bars on either side of the screen. You can change the color of the bars, but black is the least obtrusive. You can change the settings to stretch, or zoom to fit the screen, even if it's not wide screen. However, stretching makes it hard to watch, because everything is distorted, and zooming will cut out parts of the image. I prefer to just have the bars, but it's possible to change these settings for your preferences.
Viewing Angles
You will definitely have a limited area in which you can sit for optimal viewing angles with the TV. I have my couch parallel to the TV, directly across the room. I'm short, so when I sit down, I am at the very bottom of that optimal area. Generally, your best bet will be to be sitting so that your head is level with the center of the screen, and within the width of the television. You will still be able to see outside of these confines, but the picture will begin to fade, as is the case with projection televisions.
You may also want to arrange your room so that there are no lights/lamps that will be casting light toward the screen. In our old apartment, we had lights behind the TV, which gave a nice effect, and allowed us to have lights on while we watched without affecting the picture. In my new place, there is a ceiling light about 10 feet to the right of the couch, and it definitely causes some glare - so keep that in mind when you're deciding how to arrange things.
Sound
I haven't used the built-in speakers. If you are buying this TV, I highly recommend having a surround sound system. If you do, you will soon realize that you have a better set up than a lot of movie theaters!
Features
NetCommand
One of the things you can do to make your life easier is to use NetCommand. With this, you can use your remote to control your A/V devices, and other things that I haven't yet tried. I still have 4 remotes floating around.
Digital Photos
you can plug your memory cards right into the TV and view the images. This isn't something I really have any use for, but it's definitely neat if your family has just come home from vacation and wants to relive the memories together.
Device Adding & Switching
It's very easy to add a device to your TV. It's all done on-screen in the menu, and you can name the device and choose the appropriate icon for it. Then, when you wish to use it, you simply hit the device button on the remove, or on the TV, and choose whichever source you prefer.
CableCard
This TV allows you to bypass the entire cable box and simply get a cable card from your cable provider and plug it right into the TV. The card costs less per month than the box, and also saves you some space. I was going to look into this, but when the cable guys came to install the cable, they told us about all kinds of problems because it's a new thing, etc, and we just took the box. Maybe some time down the road I'll try it with just the card.
TvGuide
There is some way to view TVGuide on screen, but we never used that feature. I think we tried once, using the manual to figure it out, but once we got digital cable we didn't need it anymore. However, it's a feature in there that might be useful if you don't have digital cable or any other way of scrolling through program schedules.
PiP
Even older sets have PiP, but you can view several shows at a time with this one. I supposed that makes sense considering the size of the screen. I never really have use for this feature, either, but someone must use it or they wouldn't still be including it. I imagine sports fans would benefit!
Firewire
The TV has a firewire connection so that you can connect a digital video camera or PC, so you can record regular or HD video. Again, this is something I really haven't used, but I think it's a neat thing to have.
Downsides
Size
I really don't think there are many aside from the sheer size of the unit, but if you're buying it, you KNOW how big it is, so that's not an issue. However, I recently moved, and it was quite a chore getting this thing up the stairs to my new apartment, but we did it. It took about three people, but it didn't fall, so it's doable.
Also, it can be hard to position in a small living room like mine. I now have the couch closer to the TV than I did in my old place, but that's due to the shape of the room. I would like to be a bit further back, but even being as close as I am, it's not uncomfortable.
Bulb
One other issue is the bulb. Not that it causes a problem, but the TV takes a few seconds to warm up. I think the bigger issue with the bulb will be when it comes time to replace it. We didn't take the service plan because I refuse to take the service plan - it's usually a waste of money. They said the bulb should last a few years, and then you need to have it replaced. We have only had the TV since February, so that hasn't been on my mind, and if the bulb were to blow now I'd be pretty upset - but 3 years down the road I can handle.
Summing Up
We love this TV. We spend a lot more time watching TV now, because it's simply hard to stop when you have such a great picture. It's just a pleasure knowing we can put a movie in, or tune into an HD show and have a more realistic experience than with a normal TV. This is why I highly recommend the sound system!
Either way, the TV is great and I really have no complaints. We love it.
P.S. I have never reviewed something this big (in cost and size haha) so if there is anything you would like to see me add, please let me know by leaving a comment!
Thanks!
How it happened...
If I told you this was an impulse item, would you believe me? My boyfriend and I were looking around in Best Buy, and this was one of the sets they had out on display - with a couch, no less. After sitting in amazement, we decided that it was a must have. It was on sale, but even at a discount, it was around 5 grand. Of course, you can now buy it on Amazon for less than we still owe on it (ha) but it was just that amazing. We took a few more visits before we finally made the decision to purchase it, as they were offering a 3 year payment plan with no interest. Also, we compared the picture to every other TV they had on display, and the DLP was better than most other televisions. As one final bonus, this TV is set up to be able to display the new 1080p image, not just the current 1080i.
So, we bought it.
We also purchased a Mirage sound system soon thereafter, because this TV is a movie theater - you need the full effect!
For starters, there is a matching stand you can buy for each model, but that was going to cost a few hundred dollars, and after paying this baby off, we decided the less cost the better, so we bought a large and low TV bench at Ikea for more like $75 - good deal.
I should mention how HUGE this TV is. It's a 73" monster. I definitely would NOT consider purchasing it without visiting a local store where you can see it in real life. You'll want to make sure it will fit in your living room, and that you'll be able to sit far enough away to not strain your eyes!
Setting Up & Picture
The set up was pretty straight forward. My biggest issue was the picture quality when we first viewed a picture on the screen. To fix the picture settings, we put in Finding Nemo - I find that CG animated films are great for tweaking the picture and getting everything straightened out. I was very happy to find enough options and settings to get the picture exactly how I want it. My favorite by far was noise reduction. It made things a little soft, but after a bit of sharpening, I was pleased with the results. I'm very anal about these things, and the picture menu on the TV was easy to use, and even offered side by side comparisons for some settings so that you can see the difference. Once I was done, the picture was amazing - smooth but sharp, crisp colors, and just perfect.
Picture
Once I had the picture settings worked out (as I explained above) the images were great. DVDs and HDTV looked amazing - specifically, when we watched Conan O'Brien, he was life-sized and you would swear he was sitting in the room with you. Not to mention, it's funny to be able to see every pore on someone's face.
Normal TV typically doesn't look as good. If it's a newer show, it will look decent. Obviously not as clear as HD, but normal quality. If it's from an older show, it will be a little boxy and blurry. I got used to it, but you will definitely notice it as you're still getting acquainted with the set.
Also, I am assuming most people are aware of this, but when you aren't watching something filmed for a wide screen TV, then you are going to have black bars on either side of the screen. You can change the color of the bars, but black is the least obtrusive. You can change the settings to stretch, or zoom to fit the screen, even if it's not wide screen. However, stretching makes it hard to watch, because everything is distorted, and zooming will cut out parts of the image. I prefer to just have the bars, but it's possible to change these settings for your preferences.
Viewing Angles
You will definitely have a limited area in which you can sit for optimal viewing angles with the TV. I have my couch parallel to the TV, directly across the room. I'm short, so when I sit down, I am at the very bottom of that optimal area. Generally, your best bet will be to be sitting so that your head is level with the center of the screen, and within the width of the television. You will still be able to see outside of these confines, but the picture will begin to fade, as is the case with projection televisions.
You may also want to arrange your room so that there are no lights/lamps that will be casting light toward the screen. In our old apartment, we had lights behind the TV, which gave a nice effect, and allowed us to have lights on while we watched without affecting the picture. In my new place, there is a ceiling light about 10 feet to the right of the couch, and it definitely causes some glare - so keep that in mind when you're deciding how to arrange things.
Sound
I haven't used the built-in speakers. If you are buying this TV, I highly recommend having a surround sound system. If you do, you will soon realize that you have a better set up than a lot of movie theaters!
Features
NetCommand
One of the things you can do to make your life easier is to use NetCommand. With this, you can use your remote to control your A/V devices, and other things that I haven't yet tried. I still have 4 remotes floating around.
Digital Photos
you can plug your memory cards right into the TV and view the images. This isn't something I really have any use for, but it's definitely neat if your family has just come home from vacation and wants to relive the memories together.
Device Adding & Switching
It's very easy to add a device to your TV. It's all done on-screen in the menu, and you can name the device and choose the appropriate icon for it. Then, when you wish to use it, you simply hit the device button on the remove, or on the TV, and choose whichever source you prefer.
CableCard
This TV allows you to bypass the entire cable box and simply get a cable card from your cable provider and plug it right into the TV. The card costs less per month than the box, and also saves you some space. I was going to look into this, but when the cable guys came to install the cable, they told us about all kinds of problems because it's a new thing, etc, and we just took the box. Maybe some time down the road I'll try it with just the card.
TvGuide
There is some way to view TVGuide on screen, but we never used that feature. I think we tried once, using the manual to figure it out, but once we got digital cable we didn't need it anymore. However, it's a feature in there that might be useful if you don't have digital cable or any other way of scrolling through program schedules.
PiP
Even older sets have PiP, but you can view several shows at a time with this one. I supposed that makes sense considering the size of the screen. I never really have use for this feature, either, but someone must use it or they wouldn't still be including it. I imagine sports fans would benefit!
Firewire
The TV has a firewire connection so that you can connect a digital video camera or PC, so you can record regular or HD video. Again, this is something I really haven't used, but I think it's a neat thing to have.
Downsides
Size
I really don't think there are many aside from the sheer size of the unit, but if you're buying it, you KNOW how big it is, so that's not an issue. However, I recently moved, and it was quite a chore getting this thing up the stairs to my new apartment, but we did it. It took about three people, but it didn't fall, so it's doable.
Also, it can be hard to position in a small living room like mine. I now have the couch closer to the TV than I did in my old place, but that's due to the shape of the room. I would like to be a bit further back, but even being as close as I am, it's not uncomfortable.
Bulb
One other issue is the bulb. Not that it causes a problem, but the TV takes a few seconds to warm up. I think the bigger issue with the bulb will be when it comes time to replace it. We didn't take the service plan because I refuse to take the service plan - it's usually a waste of money. They said the bulb should last a few years, and then you need to have it replaced. We have only had the TV since February, so that hasn't been on my mind, and if the bulb were to blow now I'd be pretty upset - but 3 years down the road I can handle.
Summing Up
We love this TV. We spend a lot more time watching TV now, because it's simply hard to stop when you have such a great picture. It's just a pleasure knowing we can put a movie in, or tune into an HD show and have a more realistic experience than with a normal TV. This is why I highly recommend the sound system!
Either way, the TV is great and I really have no complaints. We love it.
P.S. I have never reviewed something this big (in cost and size haha) so if there is anything you would like to see me add, please let me know by leaving a comment!
Thanks!
