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Top value in large, wide screen, HDTV Ready Set
Pros
Great picture, easy to use menu setup, great price in this category
Cons
Large and heavy (although easy to move once it is open and on its wheels).
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Best value (most for the money) in this large/wide screen HDTV ready format I found.
I have looked around for a large HDTV for the last few years. I wanted something that had the wide screen (16x9) format as opposed to the regular (5x4) format with the latest features (progressive scan, multi- format picture, PIP, various video input/output options) at a price point below $3,000. I also wanted one that was HDTV ready without an integrated HDTV receiver (as there is not much programming available and I think this feature (or a separate box) is currently expensive and should come down a lot in the next few years as programming is expanded). This one had all of this and I paid under $3,000 including tax and shipping.
The TV was easy to set up and the on-screen programming was versatile and also easy to use, although I did have to read the manual on a few items.
The remote was excellent and operates my dolby digital receiver, DVD player, VCR, and cable box, in addition to the TV. It had enough additional modes to add a satellite dish and another audio receiver.
We did have a few problems. First, it took six people to get it off the truck and four people to move it into the house. We picked it up ourselves. It weighs in at about 460 lbs. I also had to take the sliding door out to fit the box into our house. This is a big piece of equipment, so be prepared. Once unpacked, it rolls around easily on very good casters. The other problem had to do with a factory setup problem. These machines have three seperate projectors that reflect light off a mirror onto the screen. Someone is supposed to align this at the factory but didn't do a good job. Ours was out of alignment and a tech had to come in and fix it (covered by warranty). During that process, I learned that there is a hidden menu that is activated by pressing a button on the remote and one on the TV at the same time. This allows you to adjust just about everything that the TV's computer controls.
Pros include great picture quality, good sound, easy setup, features, and price. I liked the multi-format options that allow you to have a regular picture format, 3 wide screen formats, and a full screen format. I need these because DVD's, for example, come in a few different formats and I want to be able to fit it on the screen in the best possible way.
Con's include size and weight. Since you are probably expecting something big in this category, this is not really a con. One other con is that the control that turns the TV speakers into a center speaker is on the back. So if you want to turn on your dolby digital surround sound, you can't use the TV speakers as center channel unless you switch this control. Well, pulling this TV out to do so is not an option and I like to leave the TV's stereo sound on for the kids. Hence, I rely on my audio units center speaker for DVD, which is just fine.
The TV was easy to set up and the on-screen programming was versatile and also easy to use, although I did have to read the manual on a few items.
The remote was excellent and operates my dolby digital receiver, DVD player, VCR, and cable box, in addition to the TV. It had enough additional modes to add a satellite dish and another audio receiver.
We did have a few problems. First, it took six people to get it off the truck and four people to move it into the house. We picked it up ourselves. It weighs in at about 460 lbs. I also had to take the sliding door out to fit the box into our house. This is a big piece of equipment, so be prepared. Once unpacked, it rolls around easily on very good casters. The other problem had to do with a factory setup problem. These machines have three seperate projectors that reflect light off a mirror onto the screen. Someone is supposed to align this at the factory but didn't do a good job. Ours was out of alignment and a tech had to come in and fix it (covered by warranty). During that process, I learned that there is a hidden menu that is activated by pressing a button on the remote and one on the TV at the same time. This allows you to adjust just about everything that the TV's computer controls.
Pros include great picture quality, good sound, easy setup, features, and price. I liked the multi-format options that allow you to have a regular picture format, 3 wide screen formats, and a full screen format. I need these because DVD's, for example, come in a few different formats and I want to be able to fit it on the screen in the best possible way.
Con's include size and weight. Since you are probably expecting something big in this category, this is not really a con. One other con is that the control that turns the TV speakers into a center speaker is on the back. So if you want to turn on your dolby digital surround sound, you can't use the TV speakers as center channel unless you switch this control. Well, pulling this TV out to do so is not an option and I like to leave the TV's stereo sound on for the kids. Hence, I rely on my audio units center speaker for DVD, which is just fine.
