Samsung HL-S7178W review

We bought a new TV a few months ago, and we actually ended up buying a smaller TV than what we had so that we could afford to get an HDTV for my husband's 360.  (There also had to be some certain kind of jacks that I don't remember, which the TV we bought has...and they are conveniently placed on the side).

Ours is also a Samsung (so is our DVD player). 

It's AMAZING how many factors you have to consider when buying something as seemingly straight-forward as a TV.

71" is...wow...hahaha...if I had a TV that big, I wouldn't bother ever going to the movies.

Pimp'n TV Brad I gotta stop by n check that baby out!! 8-D

I've been looking for the last few years at tvs as well.

I ruled out Plasma at first because it was supposed to be an "interim" technology...filling the gap between the old ray tube tv and HDTV.  And because they often got burn spots on them. And the life span isn't as long as I'd like for the price.

But Plasma tvs worked out most of the kinks in this year's models, (not the life span though) and if they come down in price, heh, they're a good bet.

LCD screens are nice...but the blacks aren't as black...and if you change directions by more than about 40 degrees left or right of center, the whole thing looks gray, dark and shadowy.  Plus, up until about a year or so ago they didn't come too large.

When I looked into DLP I ruled it out because "You can watch your DLP television about 70° to 75° in either direction from the center of the screen along what would be the horizontal or y-axis. This is not true of the vertical viewing axis. DLPs need to be positioned at eye level--any higher or lower makes for an awfully dim viewing experience. This is one area where flat-panel technology takes the prize for viewing flexibility."

http://www.dlptvreview.com/dlptv-advantage.html

So until they find a way to fix this attribute we won't buy one because I want one to go above my fireplace.  heh.  And that is much higher than eye level.

What really makes DLP rock is the fact they last so long and when they get dim, you literally just change a lite bulb to get brand new picture quality again.  If they could somehow work those mirrors to show the same quality picture at all levels.....well I'd OWN one. heh.  Texas Instruments has a good thing and they know it! 

 Thanks for the review.  I am printing it and storing it with my file on tvs (which is getting bigger and bigger and will soon be as big as my tv!)

 

 

This is a very nice surprise because I can show slides of our new daughter at 1080p which look fantastic

AHA!  An ulterior motive! .

But what is the DLP technology.  I have not heard of it before, but then I have enough CRTs now that I am not really in the market.

DLP technology

Basically rear projection technology.....but with the use of mirrors made by Texas Instruments.

Check out my link above.

Check out my link above.

I did,  But got tired of the sales job.  Maybe I should have looked further.  But thanks for the thumbnail.

That is a great T.V. My neighbors got one this past Friday night. It is about the same size and I don't remember the brand, but it was wow. It was like looking into a tunnel. The picture went so deep. I want one now. I hate to admit it on this one, but I want to keep up with the Jones's because I can't keep up with the Wardell's, yet.

Thanks for the reviews.

Drooooooool.

So, is this seasons Superbowl party at Draginol's house?

I had a Samsung DLP and returned it because it had jagged edges and rainbow effects. My neighbor just got a huge LCD, and it looks unbelievable, but costs a pretty fortune to buy.

I hope you bought it at Costco.. Costco has a lifetime cash refund policy on all products. Considering these TVs last only 3-4 years on average, it makes sense to buy it where you can take it back for any reason, at any time, no questions asked. Its a NO BS policy, I returned a 3 year old DVD player to Costco last week in fact.

There are two models I really like at Costco for DLP fans (Head over to Costco.com to find em)

Mitsubishi 62" DLP for $3100

Mitsubishi 73" for $5400

Again, with a LIFETIME refund/return policy, it really is the only place anything should be purchased..

DLP's last more than 3 or 4 years. The bulb would likely need to be changed but otherwise. Heck, I have digital DLP projectors that are older than that and they've been through the ringer.

I'd go with the Mitsubishis because they have edge smooth technology that Samsung lacks, and the jaggies/fuzzy edges were my major complaints with the Samsungs. Not to mention the Mitsu has a 160GB DVR built in, among other very very cool things. Either way, Costco is the way to go, because you can simply return it in a few years for newer technology.

With that being said, my next one will be an LCD, much better picture for the size I need. (40inch range)

3-4 years is the industry average lifespan for TV's according to the trade publications. I am sure some last a lot longer, some last less. Personally, most of my TV's have lasted 5 years+ except for RCA's which usually died after 1 year. Hehe

3-4 years is the industry average lifespan for TV's

Hum, what are you reading specifically because nothing I read has that short of a life span.

And rear projection lasts the longest. That is why there are still so many of those 500 pound 1990's models out there.

If you have a big space and plan on buying LCD.....you have to sit almost right in front of it to get a good picture. Anymore than 40 degrees off center one way or another (on the horizontal) will greatly decrease your picture.

Even though you have to be eye level with rear projection to get the best pic....heh...when you get one 71 inches big...just about EVERYWHERE is eye level!

It is a sweet set Brad...hope your family enjoys it!

I just thought of Baby Einstein on 71 inches......buwhahahahahahah. Probably scare your daughter half to death.

Durability depends a lot on the TYPE of TV, and to some extent the brand. Factoring the "Average" failure rates according to AV Interactive (leading AV testing house)..

Durability goes something like this; (lowest to highest)

DLP (2-3 years, 15,000-20,000 MTBF)
Plasma (3-4 years, 20,000-25,000 MTBF)
CRT (4-6 Years, 25,000-30,000 MTBF)
LCD ( 6-10 years, 30,000-80,000 MTBF)

Although some manufacturers claim more, generally this is a good baseline to work from.. RCA CRTs when I sold them, averaged 1-2 years before they go "Poof". I was in the TV/electronic selling business for about 7 years, and still retain access to many trade journals. Regardless, nothing trumps buying from a store with a lifetime warranty - regardless of what you buy. Can't go wrong there!

DLP (2-3 years, 15,000-20,000 MTBF) Plasma (3-4 years, 20,000-25,000 MTBF) CRT (4-6 Years, 25,000-30,000 MTBF) LCD ( 6-10 years, 30,000-80,000 MTBF)

Not to nit pick it to death but I think your numbers are outdated, unless you can give me a link verifying these. 

Here is just a sample of what I've got saved in some of my research from this year 2006.

"A DLP-based HDTV set should last indefinitely because the digital micromirror device behind it is very reliable. There is no maintenance or alignment required for DLP based sets as they age. The only consumer replaceable component is the DLP light source (lamp) which will last for 8,000 hours and costs around $250 to replace. The micro-mirrors used in DLP are not subject to degradation due to heat, humidity, vibration or "burn-in". "

http://www.plasmadepot.com/dlptv/dlptelevisionlifespan.html

"The lifespan of a plasma TV, contrary to rumor, is great. Also, the technology is ever advancing to produce better televisions that will last even longer. Most manufacturers will give an approximate lifespan of 60,000 hours for their plasma televisions. That's 20 to 25 years of normal viewing before the screen begins to noticeably dim."

http://ezinearticles.com/?Plasma-TV-Lifespan&id=138339

"Flat-panel LCD screen displays have a lifespan approaching 60,000 hours.   The most important thing to consider when it comes to the lifespan of your LCD TV is the actual lifespan of the light source in your LCD. LCD TVs last as long as their lightsources do. So, the lightsource in your LCD monitor is the critical component of your LCD display unit."

"Sharp is currently the only manufacturer that makes LCD displays whose lamps can be changed out. This is definitely something to consider, given that LCD monitors dim as their lightsources do, so being able to replace its lamp will restore your picture to "like new" levels."

http://www.lcdtvbuyingguide.com/lcdtv/lcdtv-lifetime.shtml

Your numbers seem to correlate well with what I am saying, thanks for the links. (except they leave out some important things)

The MTBF for DLP's factors in Lamp Death, in technical terms it does not matter how or why a product fails regarding the MTBF (for example Lamp Death is considered unit death the same as an internal capacitor popping, MTBF is regardless of reason, a failure is a failure). Furthermore, $250-350 (which is average) for lamp replacement is a substantial portion of the total cost of the unit assuming you can do it yourself (if you can't add another $100-200) - thats a minimum. We're talking 10-40% of the total unit cost which is about average for repair of a typical CRT unit, and considering how they drop in price, at the MTBF of 15,000hours, that might be 75% of the cost of the unit by the time it fails.

Secondly, I should point out that manufacturers rate plasma MTBF at 50% brightness. *NOBODY* runs their plasmas at 50% brightness, if you do, they look poor, have lousy contrast, and are barely visible during the day. This is a misleading practice you can investigate yourself. Real MTBF on plasmas are 50% of manufacturers claims.

Finally, as for LCD's I don't see what you are desputing? I said 30K-80K, that article says 60K, thats about right in the ballpark, right? Remember, I quoted averages THROUGHOUT manufacturer lines from a company that evaluates MTBF's on over 25 manufacturers. So 60K MTBF is pretty mid-line from what I posted, about what you could expect from a nice Sharp LCD.

Just a thought:

Who on earth is going to keep a current TV (whatever platform it uses) for more than 8 or so years? Technology is changing very fast these days. It's almost rediculous to use lifespan as a major deciding factor when buying a new TV set. The only thing to possibly consider with regards to lifespan would be the bulb replacement cost of DLP's. Of course, the lower cost of DLP's makes up for the bulb replacement cost. Personally, I think it's more important to consider how and where you'll be using your new TV and make your decision based on that. Some of the earlier postings mention some important thoughts: Viewing angle, Black-Level, Size/Cost ratio. Also consider reflections from nearby windows and other light sources (plasmas are particularly bad with glare), and types of media to be displayed (video games and still computer images can cause burn-in with plasmas and CRT's). As for brand names, just read lots of reviews. Most often the #1 most acclaimed televisions are very high quality at a reasonable cost.

When you spend $4000-$9000 on a TV, you'd best plan on getting 5-6 years out of it, if not, you got ripped off. I purchased LCDs for my computers in 2003, if they don't last until around 2010, I am going to be pretty pissed off, and I only spent $299 for them.

Regardless, a 5K TV turns into a 1K TV the day you walk out the door with it, as with any electronics. Just remember that when you reach for your wallet.

I should point out that manufacturers rate plasma MTBF at 50% brightness. *NOBODY* runs their plasmas at 50% brightness, if you do, they look poor, have lousy contrast, and are barely visible during the day. This is a misleading practice you can investigate yourself. Real MTBF on plasmas are 50% of manufacturers claims.

OOOOOh.  I haven't read this.  I will look into it further though, thanks.  Because despite the price I am leaning toward plasma.  The picture is so much richer imo.  And the viewing angle on the LCD, we have one in our new van, sucks.

I wasn't really disputing the LCD stats...just wanted to give it even coverage. heh.

Well honestly I don't know how the industry expects people to actually fork out thousands of dollars on technology that is so variable....meaning each has a list of do's and dont's...and are not quite perfected.

I want ten years out of a tv I pay thousands for...why?  Because I have tvs in my house I bought in the 1980's that still work great and I only paid a couple hundred for them. heh.

Last year we said we'd wait till this year because it seems every year is getting better and better.  So now I am thinking maybe next year.

Eventually one type will pull ahead of the others and prices will drop.  But until then, its an interesting war.

I returned my DLP for this reason, there is some amazing newer tech Plasmas coming out within the next 24 months. I am holding off to check them out and see if they live up to the manufacturer claims.

Not to mention HDTV's will see some of their biggest price drops over the next 24 months!

Right now I am not impressed with HD programming, most cable channels still have only a handful of channels worth watching and HDDVD's are just now making their appearance, and with the HDDVD and Blueray fight brewing, best to wait 12-24 months for that to flush itself out.

Not to mention HDTV's will see some of their biggest price drops over the next 24 months!

Well then I will be waiting....you should come on to JU and give updates....I do research periodically but don't have the background like you do.

Thanks for the info.

Not to mention HDTV's will see some of their biggest price drops over the next 24 months!

Just a question.  Opinion?  Or inside knowledge?  I am going to get them, but your answer may decide when I do.

Prediction based on trends. Market penetration by the end of 2007 should be close to 50% of the households. Companies know to get the other 50% on board, they'll need some significant price reductions, the holdouts won't budge otherwise.

We're already seeing it though, I saw a 50" DLP for $1299.99 a few weeks ago at Costco, I believe it has the newer revision of the signal processor as well. An older model of the same unit, just last year, was $1699.99. Thats a hefty price drop in a 12 month cycle. (and for better tech)

Give it 24 months, and see what I mean, the new generation Plasmas are fantastic.

Sorry, that was a 56" New Gen DLP for $1299.00, not a 50.. Anyway, that unit was $1700 a mere few months ago. (for lesser tech one)

The 2-3 year lifespan" you are quoting is on the bulb, not the set itself. Color WHeel lifespan is in the 20-25 year range. So long as there isn't a flat panel you want to replace a DLP with or just want a newer technology etc., a DLP should last you a LOOOONG time. Everytime you change the bulb it should be like a new set. You may want to have a calibration every few years to keep it optimally tuned but it will be awesome regardless. After the first 100 hours of use, the brightness of the bulb deteeriorates at a SLOOOW rate until it finally burns. New bulb = brand new brightness. Color never fades like an old CRT Rear Projection TV does unless there is a problem with the color wheel. Further I believe Texas Instruments warrants the DLP chip for life.

While your numbers are correct for the BULB, they were quite misleading to the average joe user.

I failed to read further where you explained the logic behind your numbers, I apologize.

I wanted to further comment on this one though I can get a replacement lamp for my same DLP set as this thread is about for about $150. They are simple to self install, just don't touch the lamp!!!!