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Help me find a new HDTV...... for $3500

OK, I need to find me an HDTV set for <$3500 if possible. Obviously, that means no plasma, and I could care less, I don't like 'em. I'm good with RPTV, and don't think I have a preference for LCD, DLP, or good ol' 3-gun RPTV. I can probably get service codes for Mitsubishi RPTVs or Sonys from a contact, and using said codes (and in the old days a screwdriver) I have successfully dialed in many a RPTV- but that was years ago and I am now out of the loop so to speak. When I left the business, HDTV was a dream, and we demoed HD sets in our showroom with a hard drive full of boring nature films of close-ups of bugs. DTV had one HDTV demo channel at the time and the city I was in had no off-air HDTV, so I'm a little behind on the HD thing.

Looking for your advice on a 50-something inch, shallow as possible TV, prefer a "tabletop" style since I have a suitable stand, but I could sell that stand for a floorstanding model. I don't think I care if the tuner is built in or external.

I will be feeding it with an off-air HD antenna and will upgrade my DTV system to HD. My DVD has component out, but not progressive scan or DVI so I'll eventually upgrade that. Not concerned about control ease since it will be added to my existing control system which works fine.
pmkalby
pmkalby OP
130 posts
 
Mejames: Agreed on the ISF issue, but I can handle that myself through the service menu and with some basic tools. The old color filter approach to adjusting color temp gets you within a gnat's eyelash of ISF IME.

Those of you mentioning the Samsung 50" DLP-- is it the one with the second generation chip (black housing) or the other one (silver housing)? A "contact" of mine was raving about the black Sammy 50" DLP but I thought he said it was $5k.
semi
649 posts
 
Read avsforum.com, you will find much more info there.

Samsung DLP has its drawback especially when watching non-HD program. The rainbow effect bothers some, but not others. You might be surprised how good a 42" EDTV plasma look on both non-HD and HD signals. Panasonic, Fujitsu, NEC are worth checking out.
eddaytona
216 posts
 
Mine is the HL"N" model which should have the new chip. I seem to remember the previous version was HL"M" and did not have DVI input. Maybe it was $5k at one time but is much cheaper now. I think if I bought mine new and without a coupon it would have been around $3.6k
pmkalby OP
130 posts
 
Thanks Ed and everyone else who have replied. I will indeed check out the Samsung, although if I buy one I'll have to tape over the name or something. If the moire is as bad as some have hinted, I might be looking at a good ol' three gun RPTV, though.
russ_l
95 posts
 
Pinkalby- The three sets I mentioned above have made the Samsung, and any other one-chip LCD rear projector obsolete. AND, they're all several hundred dollars cheaper than the Samsung. I went back to Circuit City for more viewing of the three three-chip sets, which are not only lined up next to each other, but the Samsung is right next to them. Disreagarding the fact that the sets are all on the floor out of the box (not well adjusted), the three sets blew the Samsung away for black level (should be called green level on the Samsung) .... for what it's worth.
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