Questions on buying a DLP set

[dimwitted Sucka]

-EDIT- Apologies for the long thread...have tried to include all relevant info, but makes for a bit of a long read -/EDIT-

New to the site and have read over a number of the threads posted, but have some specific questions that I'm hoping some members will be able to help me out with:

Background: Looking to buy my first large tv (going from a 20" crt!) and don't have unlimited funds. The g/f is not excited by my intentions so this will be the only tv i will be buying for quite a while (about 10 years or so is my guess). The room is fairly small (11' * 11') and the viewing distance will be about 10 feet. There is a large window in the room that doesn't get tons of light, but it is definitely not a basement home theatre setup in terms of ambient light. I don't have any kind of cable tv and will not be getting any for the foreseeable future. I am solely interested in using this unit for video games (xbox), dvd movies, and pc games and other computer usage. Once I get the tv, I'll be buying a home theatre system and a new PC to go with it (and probably a better DVD player as I'm currently using my xbox).

I have done a fair bit of web research and have looked at setups in a few showrooms around town. I like DLP because of price for size (relative to plasma), lack of burn-in, brightness (compared to CRT), and lack of pixelation when viewing close-up (compared to LCD). I can see rainbow artifacts only if I try very hard (who watches tv while vigorously shaking their heads anyway?), and even then they don't really bother me. From what I've seen, Samsung is my current preference (5065W or perhaps others), but Panasonic has a bit better picture (just not worth the extra price for a non-videophile like me).

So with all that said, here are my questions:

1) I've heard about the audio/video synching issue that is apparently a problem with a number of DLP sets, and from what I understand, it is specific to particular input sources. Does anyone have any experience with this relative to playing xbox games, dvds, or PC games/media? Are there ways to get around this issue (e.g. using one input versus another or using "synch-patches")? Are certain sets more susceptible than others?

2) With the new 1080p chipsets beginning to come out this year, does it make sense to buy a DLP set with a native 720p resolution? I will need this beast to handle xbox2 when it comes out and I don't yet know what sort of resolution this will support, but I would be upset to find that my new tv couldn't give me all that the xbox2 has to offer. I saw a 1080p (Sharp) set in a high-end store and it blew me away. Clearly better than the (still expensive) sets next to it.

3) Any opinions on whether price points for large DLP sets will come down relatively soon would be welcome. I can't wait forever, but if there's a reason to expect that they will drop significantly over the next 6 months, i can wait.

4) Should I purchase the extended warranty? For something of this price, they're damn expensive, so opinions on their value would be appreciated. From what I've seen, negative reviews (at least of the Samsung models) seem to indicate that the problems happen early on (e.g. "my lamp blew after one week.") rather than after the manufacturer's warranty expires.

5) Are there any other issues that I should be aware of when looking for my tv, given the planned uses and setup I've described above?

Thanks to everyone who can provide comment!

 

[docferdie]

Questions answered based on an HLN507W

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1) I've heard about the audio/video synching issue that is apparently a problem with a number of DLP sets, and from what I understand, it is specific to particular input sources. Does anyone have any experience with this relative to playing xbox games, dvds, or PC games/media? Are there ways to get around this issue (e.g. using one input versus another or using "synch-patches")? Are certain sets more susceptible than others?

Have utilized all inputs on my TV including component and DVI and have not been bothered by sync issues--of course my sound is output through a receiver. I only use TV sound for watching cable TV.

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2) With the new 1080p chipsets beginning to come out this year, does it make sense to buy a DLP set with a native 720p resolution? I will need this beast to handle xbox2 when it comes out and I don't yet know what sort of resolution this will support, but I would be upset to find that my new tv couldn't give me all that the xbox2 has to offer. I saw a 1080p (Sharp) set in a high-end store and it blew me away. Clearly better than the (still expensive) sets next to it.

See the thread about DLP improvement on this forum. True 1920x1080p 60 fps gaming is still far away. Current high end PCs with the best video cards still have trouble running 1280x720p 60 fps on games like doom 3, far cry, half life 2, with all the bells and whistles turned on. At your distance it would probably be very hard to pick out the 1080p set vs the 720p set when viewing images in motion--even with content that is at the native resolution of each set--just the law of diminishing returns setting in. You might see the difference in still pictures but probably only if you can distinguish a 4x6 inch photo taken and printed at 320 dpi vs one at 400 dpi.

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3) Any opinions on whether price points for large DLP sets will come down relatively soon would be welcome. I can't wait forever, but if there's a reason to expect that they will drop significantly over the next 6 months, i can wait.

The steep drop in prices has happened already. Now is the time to get them and enjoy them without much buyer's remorse.

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4) Should I purchase the extended warranty? For something of this price, they're damn expensive, so opinions on their value would be appreciated. From what I've seen, negative reviews (at least of the Samsung models) seem to indicate that the problems happen early on (e.g. "my lamp blew after one week.") rather than after the manufacturer's warranty expires.

Depends on your views on insurance in general. Some people have never bought one in their entire life while others buy one for everything they own. Consult your girlfriend on this issue.

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5) Are there any other issues that I should be aware of when looking for my tv, given the planned uses and setup I've described above?

Most of the new DLP sets do not have a true shelf for the center channel speaker. That can lead to all sorts of headaches when trying to set up a surround sound system.

 

[dimwitted Sucka]

Thanks doc,

All your answers seem to reinforce my current thinking (which was that a samsung dlp at around 50" would be just the ticket for me).

On the DLP Improvement thread, I read it over (and will go back to it now), but got a bit lost on the whole "even if your tv is 1080p native and the source is 1080p, you actually won't get 1080p" line of reasoning. Since consoles are always behind pcs in performance stats by a fair bit, I think I'm reasonably comforted that I won't be crying the day the xbox2 specs come out.

Loved the response on insurance! Will be sure to check with her on that one...

Re: center mount shelf speaker. Good point. I've actually got what I think is a sweet idea for my setup. Rather than buying the matching stand (which I usually find to be pretty ugly...it looks so much like the tv that you may as well by a big 'ol projection crt with a built-in base), I'll probably buy some wood shelving material and install a shelf for the tv at the right height and screwed to the studs. I should be able to do much the same thing for a center speaker.

Thanks again.

If anyone has any more comments, please post 'em up!