DLP Help? Pros? Cons? Good for Gaming?

[supercutz]

I just read the announcement of the new 82" Mitsu DLP for 4200 and now my interest is piqued on upgrading my old RPTV. I started doing a little research about DLP but find it hard to find good info without having to dig through nonsense.

Can anyone shed some insight on the pros / cons on DLP compared to LCD or Plasma for me? Also I play a TON of video games so is DLP good for gaming?

Help?

[igotcabada]

Briefly..

DLP Pros
Price/Size Ratio
Larger Sizes
Power Consumption

DLP Cons
Not as deep blacks
Not Wall Mountable
Poor Off Angle Viewing
Blub replacement (except for Samsung LED)

If none of the cons are deal breakers for you, I would say go for it. If money was no object for me, I would have probably bought a 60" plasma, but instead i saved a few grand and picked up a 67" DLP last year. The picture is great and is awesome for gaming..

If you are talking about something in the 80"+ range, you might want to also consider a front projector/screen combo if you have a light controlled room. You will need to replace the bulb on those fairly often which is not ideal for gaming, but it is incredible to play on one of those!

[johnshumpert]

I think DLP sets are great for gaming and probably the best bang for the buck. My Toshiba DLP has excellent blacks and I've been very happy with the Picture Quality of the set.

One other legit con of DLP is the Silk Screen Effect, which I've noticed on just about every DLP TV I've watched. Too some this is very distracting, other people don't notice it at all.

If I had it to do over again I would still buy the DLP set I own now.

Good luck,

- John

[quest88]

Anything is going to be better than what you have now. I have had the three type's of televisions that you mentioned and it comes down to your preference. Price to size ratio you really can't beat a DLP type TV unless you go to a projector setup. LCD is kinda the standard right now but you're gonna pay for 52 " +. Plasma which I have found to be one of the best PQ can get expensive depending on brand, features, and size. In the end its up to you, I would recommend getting a TV somewhere that has a great return policy (e.g. Costco ) so you can try them out and decide for yourself.

[Steelmaker]

Originally Posted by mbader21

Briefly..

DLP Pros
Price/Size Ratio
Larger Sizes
Power Consumption

DLP Cons
Not as deep blacks
Not Wall Mountable
Poor Off Angle Viewing
Blub replacement (except for Samsung LED)

If none of the cons are deal breakers for you, I would say go for it. If money was no object for me, I would have probably bought a 60" plasma, but instead i saved a few grand and picked up a 67" DLP last year. The picture is great and is awesome for gaming..

If you are talking about something in the 80"+ range, you might want to also consider a front projector/screen combo if you have a light controlled room. You will need to replace the bulb on those fairly often which is not ideal for gaming, but it is incredible to play on one of those!

A couple of pros you forgot to list were no worries of image retention or burn in and the screen is nowhere near as reflective. Plus I like rear projection for the simple fact that movies seem more "film"-like to me. I can't explain it but the image just seems more natural, smoother, less....processed maybe? And black levels on the newer DLP's (or Sony SXRD's if you can still find them) are very very good! Maybe not Pioneer Elite good but still very good! I'm not sure if I would've listed that as a con. The newer Samsung LED lit rear projection is excellent and really is not all that bulky, only 14" deep (compared to my Sony SXRD which is 20" deep). Plus it has 120hz for much smoother motion. For the price you cannot beat the 61" LED lit Samsung! It's an absolute bargain!

Honestly, the only real cons in my opinion are the bulb replacement (a non issue on the Samsung LED lit tv's btw) and the viewing angle for those who may be watching their set from the far right or left. Otherwise, when properly calibrated I'd put the newer Samsung and Mitsubishi rptv's up against anything else out there.

[rlf3911]

I love my DLP! Awesome picture quality, non-reflective screen(basically no glare), not too large or small. The viewing angle is a non issue for me, I am either 7 ft in front of the screen dead center, or 12 ft dead center at the PC lol, but it isnt bad until your are quite a bit off center.

Def best bang for the buck, if you're on a limited budget, it is a great way to go.

My bulb has burnt out once in 18 months, $80 bulb off ebay and it's good to go.

[Steelmaker]

Originally Posted by rlf3911

I love my DLP! Awesome picture quality, non-reflective screen(basically no glare), not too large or small. The viewing angle is a non issue for me, I am either 7 ft in front of the screen dead center, or 12 ft dead center at the PC lol, but it isnt bad until your are quite a bit off center.

Def best bang for the buck, if you're on a limited budget, it is a great way to go.

My bulb has burnt out once in 18 months, $80 bulb off ebay and it's good to go.

I'm with you! I've had my Sony SXRD KDS60A2000 for over 2 years and the original factory bulb is still going strong. I am as in love with the picture today as I was when I first saw it on the show floor! I really hate that Sony got out of the rptv business. I was honestly considering a plasma for my next tv but if Samsung and Mitsu continue making rptv's, I just might stick with the technology because honestly, I have had zero qualms with mine.

[quest88]

Originally Posted by rlf3911

I love my DLP! Awesome picture quality, non-reflective screen(basically no glare), not too large or small. The viewing angle is a non issue for me, I am either 7 ft in front of the screen dead center, or 12 ft dead center at the PC lol, but it isnt bad until your are quite a bit off center.

Def best bang for the buck, if you're on a limited budget, it is a great way to go.

My bulb has burnt out once in 18 months, $80 bulb off ebay and it's good to go.

Too Bad that many manufactures have stop producing DLP's. I guess that market is not as profitable as it use to be.

What does that tell a consumer ?

[rlf3911]

Ive never had the need for a small or slim tv, i've always been willing to sacrifice the space for a less expensive but similar quality tv. If I needed the tv to hang on a wall, it would be a different story.

[obiwopkenobi62]

I love my DLP. Best bang for my buck. Great for gaming too.

[Uniquely]

I do most of my gaming on a 56" Samsung LED DLP and I couldn't be happier. I'm no expert... but I was a very early hdtv adopter and have bought 5 hdtv's of various types over the last seven years.


Pro's

Best all around screen size vs picture quality vs price ratio. Is there better picture quality out there? Sure.... but to get a better picture than I am getting from this tv in a comparably sized LCD or plasma... I would have literally had to spend at least twice as much as I spent for this tv. I sit about 7' away from my 56" and I have to say that, for me at least, having a larger screen REALLY improved my game.

DLP does not suffer from the "input lag" that many people say they experience with their lcd tv.

There is no image retention as can be seen with many plasmas. These days.... most games design their HUD's in such a way that it isn't that big of a deal anyway.

Con's

There really are none related to gaming. I guess many people see the depth of a DLP as it's biggest flaw.... for many they just aren't sexy enough. However.... my 56" is only ten inches deep. You're not going to find a 56" flat tv that is any more narrow once you include the stand.... so really you only gain a depth advantage if you wall mount a flat tv. For a time I actually had my DLP sitting on a 14" shelf that I had mounted to wall studs.... and there were inches to spare on the front of the shelf.... so in that case... even wall mounting a flat tv would have only decreased my depth by 5-6" tops.

[supercutz]

Thanks a lot for the info! My living room is pretty large and I sit around 12 feet away from my TV so that is a significant factor for seeking the largest screen for the buck. I'm happy to hear gaming is a non issue with DLPs.

I wonder though, with the newest wave of Mitsu DLPs that are coming out this year, if there's been any bulb improvements. I guess I have more research to do there (unless someone can share what they've learned )

Does anyone have good links that have valuable info on DLP technology (like good reviews, specs or tests versus LCD and/or Plasma)?

Again, thank you

[Steelmaker]

Originally Posted by supercutz

Thanks a lot for the info! My living room is pretty large and I sit around 12 feet away from my TV so that is a significant factor for seeking the largest screen for the buck. I'm happy to hear gaming is a non issue with DLPs.

I wonder though, with the newest wave of Mitsu DLPs that are coming out this year, if there's been any bulb improvements. I guess I have more research to do there (unless someone can share what they've learned )

Does anyone have good links that have valuable info on DLP technology (like good reviews, specs or tests versus LCD and/or Plasma)?

Again, thank you

If I were you I would take a hard look at the Samsung A750 LED based DLP sets. The picture is fantastic and you don't have to worry about bulb replacment since it's back lit via LED. Another advantage is that since there's no bulb, you don't have to worry about "warm up" time when you first turn the set on. You'll practically get instant picture unlike bulb based sets that take a little while for the lamp to reach full luminance. The 61" is around 1,499.99 and the 67" is 1,999.99.

[phlydude]

I traded out a 56" LCoS JVC (like the sony XBR sets) for a Samsung HL61A750 and it is night and day - the Sammy 750 series is excellent.

As Steelmaker said, warm up time is non-existant (however HDMI signal searching can be just a little slow)

The time from turn on to full picture is much quicker than my plasma (Panny TC-P42X1)

I swear by RPTVs...especially if you are putting them into some sort of entertainment center. The reason they are not as popular now as they were a few years back is because the larger sizes (50-65") are now being made in plasma and LCD technology and because aesthetics of hanging on a wall have won over the non-videophile converts - it doesn't matter how cheap it is (Vizio, Westinghouse, Insignia, etc.), if it can hang on the wall, it is desirable by the common masses.

[MALFEITOR1]

The warm up time is 30sec or less, bulb is only $100, and when the bulb is replaced it looks just like it did when taken out of the box.

[DarthBondXF]

I too have a Samsung HL-T5676S and am very happy with it. Great for games and movies, but still wish it had 120Hz. I now have a single cable to it(HDMI) from an Onkyo HT-S6100 system along with my Sony BDP-550, XBOX 360 Elite, PS2, HD cable, and Sony 5-disc DVD. One thing though, The PS2 picture is not centered on my screen, its off to the right. Is that normal since it doesnt fill the screen anyway?

Originally Posted by robinandtami

I do most of my gaming on a 56" Samsung LED DLP and I couldn't be happier. I'm no expert... but I was a very early hdtv adopter and have bought 5 hdtv's of various types over the last seven years.


Pro's

Best all around screen size vs picture quality vs price ratio. Is there better picture quality out there? Sure.... but to get a better picture than I am getting from this tv in a comparably sized LCD or plasma... I would have literally had to spend at least twice as much as I spent for this tv. I sit about 7' away from my 56" and I have to say that, for me at least, having a larger screen REALLY improved my game.

DLP does not suffer from the "input lag" that many people say they experience with their lcd tv.

There is no image retention as can be seen with many plasmas. These days.... most games design their HUD's in such a way that it isn't that big of a deal anyway.

Con's

There really are none related to gaming. I guess many people see the depth of a DLP as it's biggest flaw.... for many they just aren't sexy enough. However.... my 56" is only ten inches deep. You're not going to find a 56" flat tv that is any more narrow once you include the stand.... so really you only gain a depth advantage if you wall mount a flat tv. For a time I actually had my DLP sitting on a 14" shelf that I had mounted to wall studs.... and there were inches to spare on the front of the shelf.... so in that case... even wall mounting a flat tv would have only decreased my depth by 5-6" tops.

[RussellPandorabox]

Will that be a good Gaming console, I am searching for something...can anybody suggest anything else?

I’m the author of the new book, Pandora’s Succession. : http://www.pandorabook1.com

[KASR]

I can't say enough good things about my Misti's DLP's. Everytime one of my friends talks about getting into HDTV bigscreens (but is discouraged from the price), I tell them to go for bang-for-the-buck and invest in a DLP. The screen is huge, the color is great, HDMI connections abound and IF your bulb goes out, you can bring it back to life with a replacement ($100...can't beat that!) The only con is, you can't exactly wall mount it - but nothing a snazzy piece of HD furniture can't fix.

I also own a 42 Olevia LCD, and the Mitsi puts off 50% less heat than the LCD - games come to life and looks just as good, if not better and the set allows for HDMI switching and coax audio output to your receiver if need be (I run my off-air antenna to my TV and digital coax audio out to my receiver to take advantage of the surround sound encoded signals). As crazy as it sounds, if I had the money to spend again, I would go bigger on the DLP.

Highly recommend.