How are Mitsu 1080p DLP's?

[beam3]

Any comments on these? I haven't seen them in person before.

Thanks.

 

[mkossler]

Mitsubishi, eh?

I recently bought a WD-65731. I compared the picture quality in-store to a host of others; the real contenders were the Sony and the Samsung competitors. For me, the Mitsu really outshone everything else. A quick synopsis:

I took delivery on a Friday, which was good because I hadn't set up the HT system since I recently moved my family from Connecticut to Savannah GA. Thankfully the new "media room" (AKA bonus room) is air conditioned, because it was HOT work...

The 65731 was surprisingly light and easy to maneuver, given its 65" screen. To me, the appearance of the TV is terrific - extremely small bezel around the screen, and no speaker "wings" jutting out unnecessarily from the body. Connectors on the rear were well-spaced and easy to use. I especially like the dual-mode DVI- I/D connector for analog or digital PC inputs. There all also two native 1080P (if there is such a thing *cough* wobulation *cough*)- capable HDMI inputs, one of which will shortly host an XBox360 1080P w/HD-DVD when available.

The setup was simple - the Mitsu intelligently recognizes video sources then they are plugged in. I'd recommend that even if you think you know this stuff cold, that you read the manual before setup. This will avoid the need to reset to factory settings and start over, to remove unwanted video sources in the input menu. Don't say I didn't warn you.

So, time to turn on the set and watch the desired video source. That goes something like this:

1. Turn on set, wait for several minutes for anything to display because you thought it was prudent to use the 'power saving' option on power down and don't have the DVR hooked up yet.

2. Navigate to the options menu and turn off the 'power saving' option because that wait is really irritating and besides, if you're buying this thing you shouldn't be quibbling about a few extra bucks on the monthly electricity bill. That's the wife's job.

3. Go to the desired video source.

4. Stop screaming "My Eyes! Oh God, My Eyes!", and return to the options menu. De-select 'Brilliant' mode and select 'normal' mode in the video options. Get a bright idea, and load a THX DVD in the player.

5. Go through the video calibration sequence, getting up once to curse and then hunt down those d*mned colored 'glasses'.

6. Finally, go to the desired video source.

7. Marvel at the incredible picture. Brightness, colors, tone, saturation all combine to produce a cinema-like experience. In fact, the picture is so good that, like good audio reproduction, it tends to emphasize shortcomings in the video source material. Very cool. Say to your friend beside you, "What rainbows? What the hell are you talking about?"

8. Note that black levels are not like the old Toshiba Cinema Series CRT, but that you really don't care because, well, look at that picture, laddie!

So far, the WD 65731 has done very well. The sound level from the whirring 6-color wheel is acceptable, though I wish it were lower. The brightness is great. The bulb life is, I believe (and no, I'm not going to get up and check) claimed to be 5,000 hours at my present settings. I'll be ecstatic to get 3,000, and don't even think that's realistic. The picture quality is a marvel. HD content, especially Discovery Home Theater, can actually at times make you catch your breath.

Good luck to you with your choices, whatever they may be. I have read about many very (un)happy owners of a variety of products, including Mitsubishi, Sony, HP, Samsung, and Westinghouse. This was my experience, and I am sure that others' mileage may vary.

At any rate, count me one happy camper.

Cheers,

Matty K.

 

[mailman23]

I have the 60 inch sony sxrd, and in my research and demo's of all tv's, I found the sony to have the best pic with the samsung coming in second

 

[mkossler]

Mailman,

Can you maybe quantify what your research and demo criteria were? Mine personally ended up being purely subjective.

 

[Hi Ho]

I get to see the Mitsubishi TV's every day at work right next to the Sony TV's. These TV's are all painstakingly calibrated to look their best and the lighting in the store is dim. They play Discovery HD Theater most of the time. The Mitsubishi rear projection displays really stand out as having the best overall picture. They are simply stunning. Now, we don't sell Samsung, Toshiba, or JVC rear projection TV's so I can't compare those directly. If I were to buy a rear projection TV today, it would be a Mitsubishi.

 

[beam3]

Thanks guys, especially mkossler for your great insight. One more question for you if I may. What's the difference between the 731, 732 and 831?

Thank You!

 

[mkossler]

Well, I'd personally prefer to teach a man to fish rather than just give him a fish, if you get the analogy . But FWIW you can start your research by checking out the model comparison table here:

http://www.mitsubishi-tv.com/j/i/19498/KeyFeaturesbyModel.html

Happy hunting!

Cheers,

Matty K.

 

[sholling]

I can't answer your question but I read that Mirsu is supposed to be replacing the wheel with a tri-laser system probably next year.

 

[KinPoon]

demoed them at best buy, and the Mits 1080p dont even look as good as samsung or JVC's 720p

 

[pearsall001]

A friend of mine just returned his to Tweeter. After two service calls because of dust balls on the inside of the screen he had enough. The service tech even told him it is an on going problem with them. Tweeter had no problem (he's not the first at their store that had the same problem) with the return. He picked up a Sony & couldn't be happier. He said he should have done it in the first place but Tweeter had a sale on the Mit. & he grabed one even though he said the picture wasn't as good as the Sony. He went the cheap route & paid for it.

 

[mkossler]

Well, there you go. Plenty of anecdotal evidence that once again proves that people have different opinions.

Well, it's late for an old man like me and maybe I'm tired, but I'll go ahead and set myself up anyway.

Those last two posts. What did they add? If we consider the OP to be someone with a genuine desire to understand the product and how well it meets his/her requirements, did you two do him a service?

To me, the first post was a general statement that left out any detail that could help the OP determine the level of due diligence and fidelity of the analysis. I suspect that there is a reason for that.

The second post, while surely well intentioned, provided second- and third- hand information, that also used third-hand claims to establish a presumption about a general condition with regard to quality.

So Kinpoon, how about your demoing methodology in those stores with regard to light, source material, and video settings. Care to share the details, or was this just a walk-by?

And boy - that post on dust problems that are so endemic to Mitsubishi sure had me worried. So I did some searching on the various engines and forums, and really didn't find much. Some stuff on an earlier model with an open base, but that sure doesn't sound like the current models, definitely not the 1080p's we're discussing. Guess I better take that 3rd hand news with a grain of salt... then again, since I’m a Mitsu 1080p owner, maybe you should take my commentary with a grain of salt, even if it is first-hand.

Sorry for the rant, and no doubt my dander is up since I already put some effort into this particular thread and product discussion. I'll get over it, but c'mon! At least provide some basis for your opinion, and recognize that a single story (essentially comprising a histogram with a single sample) does not a trend make.

Yours in curmudgeonry,

Matty K.

 

[Hi Ho]

The store I work at is a service center for most brands of TV's. I can say that last years Mitsubishi modesl have been very troublesome. Those models are easily identified by the silver grill and horizontal row of silver buttons on the front. We haven't had problems with models before or after those. The problems have been with DM boards and dust in the light engines. They are lemon sets in other ways as well. The damn grills don't stay on when being moved and the bulbs are difficult to replace without bending the power pins.

With that said, when they are working, they have excellent picture quality. The new Mits models do too and so far they are much more reliable.

 

[Tomorrow]

Well, there you go.
Yours in curmudgeonry,

Matty K.

Matty, Matty. Did you have a bad day?!

We're all here as anecdotal, alien visitors to the DBT, longitudinal, computer modeled studies, and other implements of the scientific kind. You're right, we all have navels and opinions (though some are more enlightened than others {navels??...lol}). They're all still opinions. That's why this is called a forum instead of an institution of PROOFS.

We're just blabberers, all. I hope you're feelin' better.

(I loved your Mitsu setup story!)

 

[pearsall001]

Any comments on these? I haven't seen them in person before.

Thanks.

Ask for comments & you get them. Some people might not like them but oh well. Myself not owning a Mit but seeing my friends first hand, as in seeing the screen with a dust ball the size of a 1/2 dollar up close & personal. Not once but twice with the same problem. And I guess you can also take what the service tech said with a grain of salt. I'm not telling anyone to stay away from Mit just simply telling it like I saw it. Maybe his was one from a bad batch, who knows? Do your own homework & judge the picture quality with your eyes & you will make the right decision.

 

[Hi Ho]

Out of curiosity, Pearsall001, did the affected TV's resemble THIS ONE? Sorry about the crappy picture, it's all I can find.

 

[mkossler]

Boy, that was a bad day. I was definitely having a case of the Mondays! It was definitely nothing personal, guys

You know what, though? I pretty much have to stand by my statements. The OP asked for comments, yes - and since he came here, I'm willing to bet a quarter that he was looking for comments by people that have had experience with, or possess quantifiable historical data about, the product.

So everybody has an opinion, especially in an passion-inducing hobby like this. I do appreciate that. But I also believe that there are discernable patterns in these forums, of anecdotal / apocryphal (My friend has a... My friend told me that... The guy at the store says they all do that..) data being propagated like tribal knowledge over a short period of time. That kind of data can be very valuable - if it's proven and collated over time.

Witness the post previous, where a genuinely motivated person asks somebody who provided an account of his friend telling him that a service person told him that a chronic problem exists, whether he can identify the "affected TV's". It's a reasonable question, if there is more than a dusty room at issue. Then again, I'd bet I could go to AVS or HTF on a few days and find posts sincerely warning somebody "thay have a documented dust problem" or something to that effect.

Am I the only guy that sees this?

Well, I guess it's one of those "solve global hunger" deals - I sure ain't gonna be the guy to change things, and I'll bet I'm not doing much more than tick some people off now. But it's good to vent

Now I gotta go over to Speakers & Subs and post about my dissatisfaction with my SVS - I'll be peeking out the curtains all night looking for the torches and pitchforks!

Sorry to be blowing off steam in the wrong forum - sorry to be blowing off steam at all!

Cheers,

Matty .

 

[pearsall001]

Out of curiosity, Pearsall001, did the affected TV's resemble THIS ONE? Sorry about the crappy picture, it's all I can find.

Hi Ho,

The picture you show is not the TV that had the problem with dust balls. It was all black, speakers on the bottom covered w/ black fabric. The model #is: WD62725.
Maybe you can shed some light on this model. Bad batch? History of problems? Hope this helps.

 

[Hi Ho]

The picture you show is not the TV that had the problem with dust balls. It was all black, speakers on the bottom covered w/ black fabric. The model #is: WD62725.
Maybe you can shed some light on this model. Bad batch? History of problems? Hope this helps.

I believe, that model is from same period/batch as the set in the picture. The cloth on the grill is a give away.

Yes, those models have had many problems. As I said, Mitsubishi sets before and after haven't had problems. Tommorrow at work I can get the specific model numbers for the problematic sets.

 

[dan711]

Tommorrow at work I can get the specific model numbers for the problematic sets.

Please, shed some light on the problematic sets. If you have any knowledge on problems with the new sets 731,732 or 831 it would be nice to hear your take.