Purchasing 61" DLP For Parents

[anonymouschris]

I'm looking to purchase a DLP TV for the parents. I 'm debating between these two models

Samsung HL-S6187W 61" 1080p DLP HDTV ($2400)
Samsung HL-S6186W 61" DLP HDTV ($1800)

The main difference (aside from the price) is obviously one is 1080p while the cheaper one is only 720. Is the difference in resolution really worth the extra $600? Where will we notice the difference most. When will the technology

 

[mshan]

Practically speaking, 720p might be the best compromise for real world tv, as 1080i scales nicely to 720p, live HDTV sports probably look best at 720p (fewer motion artifacts), and dvds at 480i scale up to 720p fairly well.

Don't know anything about actual models discussed, though.

Other thing with DLP tv is risk of color wheel failing and having to replace the expensive dlp bulb.

Might want to look at some LCDs tv. or even CRT tube based HDTVs.

Good resource is:
http://www.avsforum.com

 

[Boogak]

I bought the HL-S6186W a few months ago and don't really regret it. I was considering the 56" 1080p model and when comparing side to side at a B&M store, the 1080p Sxx87w models look brighter and more vibrant as compared to the 720p Sxx86w models (I think the 87w's have a 10,000:1 contrast ratio compared to the 86w's 3000:1 or so).

However the lack of native 1080p souces right now was a big deciding factor with me (along with price and availability), the only things I can think of that's 1080p native are Blu-Ray and HD-DVD movies and maybe Playstation 3 games? I doubt any HDTV signals will ever be native 1080p due to bandwidth issues.

 

[imported_BigTwin]

One of the manufacturers is coming out with LED/DLP models and the spinning color wheel is eliminated...you may want to check it out...Sharp?

 

[anonymouschris]

thanks for the responses. this is getting me that much closer to clicking the purchase button. need a little bit more confirmation that i won't regret this $1800 purchase.

 

[NuAlphaMan]

Well, as Boogak stated, the pic on the 1080p is brighter and more vibrant than the 720p. It makes a big difference if you have an HD feed going to the TV. True there aren't many (if any) 1080p feeds, but the 1080p still gives you a better pic. I saw a side by side comparison of the 720p and the 1080p TVs as well and after seeing the PQ difference, the 1080p won hands down. I'm not regretting my purchase either!

 

[Arcanedeath]

This is a big investment that will most likely be kept for years and then possibly resold or given to someone esle afterwords so based on this and the price range your better off getting the 1080P display unless they plan on replacing it shortly.

 

[PianoMan]

Practically: if it's for your parents, and they're not "always have to be at the cutting edge", I think the 1080i model will be fine.

The difference is noticable, however - with the appropriate sources, of course. I'd liken it to thinking the 1080p model as being in it's "native" resolution when displaying those amount of lines - televisions with lower resolutions will scale/process signals accordingly. As stated earlier, the only sources I can think of are Blu-ray and the PS3. AFAIK, HD-DVD is 1080i (I think).

But is it worth $600 as this point? I don't think so... yet. I'm in no rush to buy HD-DVD/Blu-Ray at this point until they get the format straightened out. And PS3? There's another $600... w/o the games. :Q

PM

 

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: Arcanedeath
This is a big investment that will most likely be kept for years and then possibly resold or given to someone esle afterwords so based on this and the price range your better off getting the 1080P display unless they plan on replacing it shortly.

Yeah, future compatibility (1080p) FTW !!!