Samsung HL-N4365W 43 in. HDTV DLP TV
- Digital TV Standard: HDTV
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 16:9 Enhanced
- Weight: 67.2 lb.
- Projector Technology: DLP
- Screen Size: 43 inch
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Not Perfect, But Close Enough For Me
Pros
Great picture, loaded with features, cutting edge technology
Cons
Remote & on-screen menu displays could be better, requires strong analog signal to perform well
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Great alternative to plasma, since DLP technology delivers similar picture but longer life without risk of screen burn-in or pixel burn-out.
To get directly to the point, this is a very, very good TV and I highly recommend it. After much research and soul searching, I bought the Samsung HLN4365W instead of a Sony 42" grand Wega LCD Projector TV, even though I've been a Sony fan for years. The Sony LCD projector looked great and was actually cheaper, but I saw several on display in stores that had dead pixels so I had concerns about longevity. The Samsung offered an exceptionally vivid and sharp picture, with brightness levels and viewing angles that rival a conventional tube TV. Plus, DLP should offer a long service life. I'm withholding a top rating on the Samsung only because of some admittedly minor details (see below) I feel should have been executed better.
If you want an exhaustive technical review of the TV and DLP technology, go to the Extreme Tech web site. They cover the product very well, if you can stand to read the dozen or so pages. My intention here is to offer some additional observations that I hope you will find helpful, and one major, but good, "Aha!" I discovered after use.
The Good:
As I noted above, with a good source the picture is outstanding - among the best I've seen and I shopped around a lot.
The TV is very light (approx 63 lbs)and easy to move, but plan on 2 people to move it because of its bulk.
The non-glare screen works very well. My TV is near a picture window and can be viewed easily under conditions my previous 32" Sony tube TV would wash out.
The instruction manual is decent for the most part, with good illustrations and sufficient detail to figure out the many features the TV offers.
The internal speakers and stereo processing system is very good. In fact, I've abandoned plans to buy a new home theater system. Purists may not be satisfied, but I suggest you try the Samsung out alone before shelling out the extra dough for a Dolby 5.1 or 6.1 system.
There are connection options galore - this TV won't be outdated soon.
The Could Be Better:
It takes about 20 seconds for the picture to appear when the set is turned on, and about a minute for full brightness to appear. If you've ever used an LCD projector, you'll know what I mean.
The remote is adequate, but not the best design I've seen. I am not fond of the channel and volume controls. Also, the remote can only be programmed to operate a few brands of DVD players, with some major omissions - for example, it won't operate my new JVC DVD. Finally, I wish it was back-lit to aid operation in low light.
The auxiliary connections for hooking up a camcorder or gaming system are in a bad spot, on the back side of the screen bezel - not easily accessible if the TV will be in an entertainment center or tight spot.
The names for the various inputs cannot be custom labeled on the menu screen and there are so many they all tend to look alike. No problem for me, but I can foresee confusion for my wife & kids when trying to switch from VCR to DVD.
The "Aha!"
This TV converts all video inputs to 720p for display, including standard analog cable broadcasts. The "Aha" for me was that if you have a good antenna or cable signal (critical), you will see a standard broadcast image that approaches that of progressive scan DVD since the TV circuitry converts the 480i signal to 720P. The chipset in the TV does a great job of de-interlacing to provide the added lines of resolution and Samsung's DNIe processor does improve the picture noticeably in some situations. After initial disappointment with the analog tuner display I upgraded my connecting cables and installed a cable signal amplifier. I'm now thrilled with standard analog cable picture. I can view a letterbox broadcast (like "Star Trek Enterprise") in zoom mode and from a few feet away it looks almost like high definition. However, if you have a weak analog signal, you will not be happy at all because this TV will show you all of the flaws and look grainy.
I'm very satisfied with my Samsung HLN4365W. I was anxious to upgrade to digital cable when I first got it, but now that I've fixed my analog signal problem, the picture is good enough that I may wait until more HDTV content is available.
If you want an exhaustive technical review of the TV and DLP technology, go to the Extreme Tech web site. They cover the product very well, if you can stand to read the dozen or so pages. My intention here is to offer some additional observations that I hope you will find helpful, and one major, but good, "Aha!" I discovered after use.
The Good:
As I noted above, with a good source the picture is outstanding - among the best I've seen and I shopped around a lot.
The TV is very light (approx 63 lbs)and easy to move, but plan on 2 people to move it because of its bulk.
The non-glare screen works very well. My TV is near a picture window and can be viewed easily under conditions my previous 32" Sony tube TV would wash out.
The instruction manual is decent for the most part, with good illustrations and sufficient detail to figure out the many features the TV offers.
The internal speakers and stereo processing system is very good. In fact, I've abandoned plans to buy a new home theater system. Purists may not be satisfied, but I suggest you try the Samsung out alone before shelling out the extra dough for a Dolby 5.1 or 6.1 system.
There are connection options galore - this TV won't be outdated soon.
The Could Be Better:
It takes about 20 seconds for the picture to appear when the set is turned on, and about a minute for full brightness to appear. If you've ever used an LCD projector, you'll know what I mean.
The remote is adequate, but not the best design I've seen. I am not fond of the channel and volume controls. Also, the remote can only be programmed to operate a few brands of DVD players, with some major omissions - for example, it won't operate my new JVC DVD. Finally, I wish it was back-lit to aid operation in low light.
The auxiliary connections for hooking up a camcorder or gaming system are in a bad spot, on the back side of the screen bezel - not easily accessible if the TV will be in an entertainment center or tight spot.
The names for the various inputs cannot be custom labeled on the menu screen and there are so many they all tend to look alike. No problem for me, but I can foresee confusion for my wife & kids when trying to switch from VCR to DVD.
The "Aha!"
This TV converts all video inputs to 720p for display, including standard analog cable broadcasts. The "Aha" for me was that if you have a good antenna or cable signal (critical), you will see a standard broadcast image that approaches that of progressive scan DVD since the TV circuitry converts the 480i signal to 720P. The chipset in the TV does a great job of de-interlacing to provide the added lines of resolution and Samsung's DNIe processor does improve the picture noticeably in some situations. After initial disappointment with the analog tuner display I upgraded my connecting cables and installed a cable signal amplifier. I'm now thrilled with standard analog cable picture. I can view a letterbox broadcast (like "Star Trek Enterprise") in zoom mode and from a few feet away it looks almost like high definition. However, if you have a weak analog signal, you will not be happy at all because this TV will show you all of the flaws and look grainy.
I'm very satisfied with my Samsung HLN4365W. I was anxious to upgrade to digital cable when I first got it, but now that I've fixed my analog signal problem, the picture is good enough that I may wait until more HDTV content is available.
