5 comments about Samsung FPT5084 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV.

1. The TV ROCKS!!! No more to say here! One of the top ten HDTV's of 2007 according to cnet and I agree.
   
   A small glitch with the company contracted to deliver it. As other reviewers have stated, be proactive and call the company early and often to make sure no delivery issues exist. That said, once the issue was resolved (a data entry error that started with Amazon actually) the tv was delivered professionally with free white glove delivery. I never thought I would spend so much money on a tv on Amazon but I have to admit, they had the best price and included free white glove delivery so I went for it and haven't regretted it.



2. I've had this TV for almost a year and it's darned nice! As it should be, for the price. However, the optical connector went out on it. It was covered under warranty. The service guy had to change out the entire motherboard to replace the optical connector. I examined the old motherboard, and the optical connector had broken off--it appears to be a very weak unit; can't handle any stress. Samsung's customer service is the worst, however. Wait times are long, and then when you finally get connected to a real person, they go by the script and cannot think for themselves. First thing to do when you call is ask to speak with a supervisor and that will bump you past the robots. However, don't expect a lot more from the second line. They get to be a bit more rude than the first line, but that's about it.



3. I have had the TV for over a month now. It is more than worth the money! The picture is amazing. The sound is fine (I only heard a buzzing sound once the second time I used the tv. Since then I have not heard it).
   
   I would highly recommend this product!



4. I researched TVs for a year. Picked up the 5084 on the 4th of July and it's a winner. I saw it next to the Panasonic TH-50PZ800U and the Panasonic 50PZ80U. I set all 3 TVs to movie mode and liked the Samsung better. Here is how I arrived at this decision.
   
   1. First I got the plasma vs. lcd choice out of the way by appreciating that plasmas still do better blacks and deeper color. My wife and I watch 90% of time at night. This is where plasmas excel.
   
   2. I narrowed down the plasmas to the pioneer 5080, Panasonic 50pz85u, and 50PZ800U.
   At the time, the Samsung 5084 wasn't even in the running. As I spent time watching the Panasonic 50pz85u I noticed noise in dark scenes even connected with a monster cable and a good line cleaner so I passed. I found that the pioneer even on sale was $600 more than the Samsung. The Panasonic 50PZ800U was $1000 more. Clearly these two TVs are superior with more goodies, but not life changing enough to justify the cost.
   
   3. In the end what pushed me to the Samsung was the fact that it's a "high end TV" from last year that was $1500.00 less than when it came out. I paid $1570. I would rather have an older high end TV than an newer low or medium end TV. While I'm at it Id rather pay a low end price for a high end TV.
   
   4. This TV is still among the top ten on Cnet almost a year later with the same rating as it's newer 2008 model: PN50A550
   
   5. At the writing of this review all knows bugs have been worked out. Another reason to wait on an older high end model.
   
   Pluses:
   I have had the Samsung for a month now and it has performed flawlessly.
   Good Standard Def picture. Excellent high def. Can't comment on DVD picture because I am running my DVD player through an Onkyo 605 receiver that up converts the picture to 720p and it looks fabulous.
   
   My wife loves the bezel (frame). This is what made the whole thing work for her. Plus setting up the room so that it looks like a display room.
   
   Minuses:
   You have to be careful how long you pause a picture as it will retain the image. I created a macro key on my Logitech remote (that a got at Amazon) called safe pause. When I press it, it pauses the picture and turns the TV off. If however you get picture retention, Samsung has excellent tools that act like window washers for your screen.
   
   Some times I might watch TV during the day if I am off and the light coming in can be a drawback in dark scenes. This is easily remedied with $15 window blinds.
   
   I am very happy I bought this TV and have no regrets. Get one before they disappear.



5. Bought this TV in 8 months ago (January 2008). Very, very happy with this plasma TV. Excellent picture and easy to use remote control. I haven't had any problems since purchasing it. The side panel inputs are convenient. The contrast with black and other dark colors is great.
   
   The HD channels are great. However, like other plasma's, the non-HD channels are average at best.

1 comments about Sylvania CR202SL8 20" Pure Flat CRT SDTV with Built In Tuner.

1. Replacement 20" TV for my daughters room after storm damaged several items in our house this past summer. This product has a wonderfully clear picture, adequate sound and set up was minimal to additional DVD player and VCR. If your looking for inexpensive small screen TV for a childs room or yourself , this is a nice product that seems to work great so far.

1 comments about Samsung HL61A650 61-Inch 1080p Slim DLP HDTV.

1. First, the Price Alert.... Best Buy will sell this set right now for $1759 !
   Just ordered one this morning, base on previous model reviews and the addition of 3D capability. (and I'm surprised the Amazon price is so high!)
   
   The salesperson at Best Buy stated that these are on "discontinued status" already. Apparently they are not selling enough of the BIG sets. They will continue to stock for the next several months!

5 comments about Samsung FPT5884 58-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV.

1. I've been researching this TV for about 4 months now and I was torn between this 58" plasma and the 52" lcd Samsung 71 series. I play a lot of video games and burn was a major concern, so I was leaning towards the lcd. But I ultimately decided to go with the 58" because face it, bigger is better. Let me tell you that I couldn't have been more right. This TV is amazing. The picture is nothing short of spectacular. This is my 3rd HDTV. My last one was a Hitachi CRT. I didn't think the picture would improve too much over the Hitachi, but boy was I wrong. Setup was easy as cake. I set all of the settings to my liking and then watched the Suns-Warriors game..... it looked like I could've reached out and touched Shaq. I've also been playing Call of Duty 4 on my XBox 360 for hours straight and guess what.... NO BURN IN!! If you're considering getting this TV, trust me, it's well worth it. The only cons are that the sound could be a little better, and the TV does get hot. But the manual says that it may get hot, depending on the settings, but it's nothing to be alarmed by. Oh there's one more big issue, I don't have a Playstation 3 yet to enjoy Blu Ray movies, but that should be coming soon LOL.



2. This was sold by vans and came a day early. There was no damage and was in perfect condition. The TV itself is as good as I expected. The black-levels are the best I have seen (this is my 3rd flatpanel) and picture quality is fantastic. When watching hi def content, I do not see any artifacts. The speakers are on the side and face the rear of the TV, causing poor sound quality. They have a very weak sound, but I usually use my home theater speakers anyway. I hung this on the wall with a PeerLess mount myself. I also use it play my Xbox 360 and have not had any problems with burn-in. The picture quality is just stunning and at 58" it just sucks you in.
   
   Overall, I am completely satisfied with the purchase and got it at a great price.



3. I bought this TV last month and it is great! My recommendation is to
   buy the Plasma and not the LCD.



4. There is still a somewhat limited market for plasmas larger than 50"; basically you have Panasonic, Pioneer, LG, Samsung, then maybe a Vizio or a Hitachi, depending on model year.
   I compared the 58" 1080p versions from Panasonic and Samsung against the 60" from LG and Pioneer. The color, contrast, moving images, and contouring on this Samsung was obviously better than the LG, about the same as the Panasonic, and maybe a little less color intensity than the Pioneer.
   THE difference with Samsung comes down to price. A very comparable picture with the Panasonic for $300 - $500 less on Amazon or other sites, and over $1,500 less than the 60" 1080p Pioneer, which was still over $4,000 as of May 2008. If you can see $1,500 of difference from the Pioneer to the Samsung, then God Bless ya' and you should opt for the Pioneer. 98% of us can not see a $1,500 difference from the Pioneer, and that's what the Samsung came down to for me. I couldn't notice a single difference from the Panasonic picture side-by-side in Circuit City, and the Samsung was even $400 less than the Panny. Everything else between the two was basically even, so the $400 lower price on Amazon pushed me to the Samsung.
   
   Features are pretty darn close on most of these models, so the option this Samsung had that 2 others did not was PIP. Not having PIP isn't a deal breaker for most people, but it's pretty darn nice to have since each side-by-side picture is the equivalent of over a 30" TV sitting there.
   In conclusion, the SD and HD pictures on the Samsung were just too equal to the Panny and the Pioneer, and it costs much less with the same warranty. If you can find a better 58" plasma picture for less than the $2,500 I paid for the Samsung, the calendar will say 2009 or beyond by the time you find one.



5. I did not buy the TV from (or through) Amazon.com. Instead I purchased it from another West Coast retailer, because back in February, 2008 it was cheaper.
   In 5 months since I bought it the only problem I'd had was a single flickering pixel close to the middle of the screen, and it was visible only in 1080p "Just Scan" mode. After two visits from a Samsung technician, the central logic board was replaced, and that issue does not happen anymore. For settings, I am using slightly modified CNET recommendations. Picture quality is just perfect in HD mode and very good in SD. Even VGA input from my HTPC looks fine at 1920X1080 resolution. I wish the TV had 4 HDMI inputs like this year Samsung models, and that is the only complaint so far. Otherwise, I see no improvement in the picture quality comparing it with 2009 58" models. Pretty sure that the super-high contrast ratio all new plasma models claim is just that - claims :)
   And, since nowadays the cost of this TV dropped to below $[...] (I paid way more) - I wish I waited a bit. On the other hand, I've thoroughly enjoyed this plasma for some time now. LCD TVs picture quality is not even close, especially for movie watching.

1 comments about Sylvania LC420SS8 42-Inch LCD HDTV.

1. We have only had this tv for a week and already love it !! We have been looking around for a bigger and better tv for awhile now. This one has features unavailble on some other the other brands and was comparable in price.

1 comments about Sharp LC37SB24U 37-Inch 720p LCD HDTV.

1. This is my first purchase of an HDTV after doing some extensive research. I probably should have waited for a sale, but I could not wait. This Sharp is a newly released (2008) model that is very nice for just being a 720p HDTV. (I will buy a fancier 1080p/120Hz t.v. later when I have more money).
   The (37") size was just what I needed for a nook above my fireplace.
   
   The picture in the store at the local wally-mart was horrible! I was comparing a Vizio and this Sharp side-by-side and the Vizio was clearly brighter & text was much sharper. I then realized that the Vizio was connected via component and the Sharp was connected via co-ax. Make sure that you are comparing apples to apples! I played around with the menu all to no avail in clearing up the Sharp when I realized the cable input type.
   The picture is fantastic for OTA (air) HD and SD DVD using S-video. I am not much of a gamer so 2 HDMI inputs were sufficient. It has a digital audio out as well as standard composite and component connections.
   It has PC input (D-sub); I haven't tried it yet, but I wish it was DVI instead...
   
   The remote is basic/non-light up. But very simple to hold and handle. The menu is very easy to decipher using a remote. At the store, I was using the buttons on the top of the T.V. and it was very annoying. Still, I managed to figure out all the menu items. I love the fact that they have descriptions for the menu item changes on screen, so I don't have to refer to the manual all the time.
   Good overall purchase. If it is below 8 benjamins; this is a steal!

5 comments about Sony Bravia Z-Series KDL-40Z4100/S 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Silver.

1. I've only had this tv for a week, but I haven't had any problem at all with a white cloud or sparkles. I think it's too expensive, but I also wanted many of the features that it offers and that I haven't seen from any other maker in this size and with a picture this realistic. I've had three Trinitrons over the years and quite a few other Sony products. Except for one experience with a telephone that only lasted a year, I've never had a problem. This is my first HDTV and I'm still working through trying out all of the features. I'll write more when I've had more experience with it.



2. The 10-bit Z series 40" Sony LCDs are the absolute best. This TV sends XBR down a notch. Digital source material will jump out at you like never before. Gorgous color and contrast. The best yet.
   
   1080i TV broadcast looks about 90% as good as Blu-ray on this panel. The delivery of non-HD DVD movies is wonderful and the picture using Blu Ray is absolutely stunning! (I rarely use the word "stunning")
   
   Also, it's very future-proof with lots of (4) HDMI inputs and a LAN connection and USB. I've had the KDL 40Z4100 for about 2 weeks now and the ranking of picture quality goes as follows: Blu Ray (late release)movies, Digital HD television broadcast or HD digital cable, standard def (480 or 720) movies from a good quality "upscaling" player, and finally - standard def TV broadcast. The 120hz motion control and 24p pull-down work well on older standard def movies. My only advice is to not scrimp on the DVD player. You're going to see your old flicks look better than you have seen them...ever - with a good upscalling player.
   
   Even video sources from my computer look near HD. I've connected my computers 8800GT graphics card's DVI out to the Sony's HDMI input and the look of some of my games is just as good, if not better, than my 22'' Samsung monitor.
   This is Sony's best so far, in my humble opinion. Go for it!



3. This TV was literally the perfect "fit" for us. The slim design just fits our built-in cabinet with about 1/2 inch to spare on width. This means we can not access the few side mounted inputs and control buttons - but with 4 HDMI inputs in total + component inputs in the back, we have more than enough accessible inputs and the remote does all we need it to. We also found it on sale for $1699.00 - making the price more competitive with other similarly configured TVs - the picture is amazing - we have been watching the Olympics in HD but have not yet tried a DVD - on Vivid setting the picture is extremely bright and sharp - maybe too bright; there are custom controls for the picture that we have not tried yet. The only problem we have had was the included TV stand - the TV attaches quite easily with 4 included screws - but when we mounted the TV - it was tilted forward at the top - there is no way to adjust tilt, and we determined that an L shaped metal component of the stand that holds the TV was bent - I talked Fry's into just swapping the stand as the TV worked great; the new stand solved the problem.
   
   The action sports from the Olympics look great - no doubt helped by the 120 Hz processor.
   
   We also have not noticed any cloud or sparkle artifacts
   
   So if you are tight on space - this is a great "fit."



4. Was time to replace my 36" Sony XBR tube with a new HDTV set but had a specific space limitation due to the existing TV cabinet - had to fit something inside just over 39". Looked at the Samsung 650 and was leaning heavily that way but was concerned that the size was just too tight for my opening (even with some adjustments) and the glossy screen was a concern given lots of natural light in the room.
   
   Was then looking to the "W" series when I found the "Z" - a bit more, but it was definately smaller (the exact same width as my 36" XBR tube set) and I liked the DLNA options.
   
   The reason for 4 vs 5 stars is the fact that using the DLNA feature has not been easy thus far. There are little to no instructions with the set for this and I've tried three DLNA-compatible Media Servers (four if you count Windows Media Player). I finally was able to access pics from my PC by using the SimpleCenter media center but I've not been able to get the TV to realize that audio is also being shared by SimpleCenter. Sony's on-line & e-mail help were not very helpful so I'm going to have to spend some time on the phone with their support line - hopefully that will prove more helpful and I can get access to my music as well.
   
   I have not experienced the "sparkling" effect mentioned by another reviewer - hopefully that's a limited issue that will not crop up after further burn-in.
   
   Overall the set looks great - the S-Video connection from my non-HD DirecTV receiver looks better than on another smaller HDTV set I have (Insignia - BestBuy's house brand). Interesting the Insignia seemed to do a bit better in pulling in the off-air signal than the Sony (with weaker signals - we live quite a ways away from any transmitters) until I went and purchaed a new antenna signal amplifer (I think the one I had had gone, or was starting to go, bad) but now I get great HDTV picture off the air and when connected to a Sony upconverting DVD player my existing CDs look great.
   
   UPDATE: After no help from Sony Support, I have finally determined / realize that Music/MP3s are not supported over DLNA. To Sony's credit, the manual does not claim music support of MP3 - only refers to photos - but the fact that you can play music from USB seems to be it a bit ambigious - perhaps I just wanted this to funciton like the Samsung 7 series that allows music streaming as well as the RSS feeds and more - oh well.... at least I have pics working - still keeping it at 4 stars due to the poor level of Sony's support in helping me clearly realize this basic fact (after using Chat, e-mail and phone support).
   
   UPDATE 2: Having issues getting the "built-in" TV Guide to let me select channels I want displayed and keep those without it hiding ones I select or adding ones I don't want - once again a couple of rounds with Sony support has not provide much support.... granted these features are the "extras" and don't affect the TV viewing quality - which is excellent - just frustrating things when you purchase something with this bit of a premium against the similar class competitors....



5. I was looking for a 40" LCD and narrowed it down to the Sony 40Z4100, Sony 40XBR4, and Samsung LN40A750... I've previously owned a 46" Samsung LN-T4665F and a Samsung LN-T3253H so naturally I wanted to go back to Samsung. The picture on the 750 is amazing but side by side, in multiple stores, I just couldn't take my eyes off the Sony LCDs. I then was stuck between the Sony 40XBR4 and the 40Z4100...
   I had my heart set on the XBR4 since it was Sony's top of the line product last year, but when I saw that this years 40" XBR6 and XBR7 were going to have identical specs to the Z4100, (granted Contrast Ratio will probably be higher on the XBR's,) it came down to the simple question of:
   
   Do I want to spend $2500+ on the new XBR or $1700+ on the Z4100??
   
   I have to say I'm extremely happy with my decision to save a few bucks and go with the Z-series. The picture quality is breathtaking in both HD and Blu-Ray. Standard TV is top notch as well but I'm blown away with the detail, color, and overall picture this TV offers. You really can't lose if you're going with any of these 3 TV's but I'm so glad I went with the Z-series. Its thin frame is hardly seen and the TV is almost 20 lbs lighter than the XBR4... The Sony 40Z4100, is hands down, my choice for a 40" LCD.

2 comments about Sharp Aquos LC52SE94U 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV.

1. I found the buying experience through Amazon's authorized retailer to be great. I was a bit nervous about spending such a large amount of money with a retailer I knew nothing about but the transaction was perfect. As for the TV. I don't know much about the tech side but the picture quality is outstanding. I did start out with the analog cable but upgraded to digital 1080p and found the money is well worth it. The TV needs to be fed the high quality signal to perform at its best.



2. I've only had the Sharp Aquos LC52SE94U a few days, but here is my initial impression. First I'll say, so far, I'm very happy with this TV.
   
   Good points
   The Sharp Aquos LC52SE94U has an extremely good picture quality (of course), and very bright. Even on standard cable it looks very good.
   When watch analog channels you can see a small amount of pixelazation cause by the low resolution on a very large screen, but you really have to look for it.
   When you watch HD channels the picture is far better than you can imagine.
   The Smart Stretch option which causes 4:3 to be viewed at 16:9 works really well, often it is difficult to tell the screen was stretched.
   A bonus to me was when I scanned for channels I found I have about 50 digital channels and at least 10 of them in high def. This is good news, I just have standard (analog) cable.
   Very good sound quality using the factory speakers, not audiophile quality, but as good as any TVs speakers I've ever heard.
   The screws and tools you need to mount the base and the speakers on the TV come packaged very nicely together. Very professional job of packaging.
   
   Low points
   I was disappointed to find the Aquos did not have channel labeling (on analog channels - digital channels self label). I use this feature a lot, and I have grown use to having it on my past TVs. So, now I'm forced to write my channels down on a piece of paper so I know which is which (of course this is a moot point if you are using digital cable).
   The menu control to disable a channel is cumbersome at best.
   I don't like the way the power cord plugs in, it doesn't seem very secure for a unit designed to hang on the wall.

2 comments about Epson V11H259220 MovieMate50 Portable Home Entertainment Projector with Built In DVD Player.

1. I ordered the projector to use for camping. We think showing big movies around the campfire will be great fun this summer. In the meantime we have set up a theater room in the family room in our basement. We painted a white screen on the wall. The picture is very good we are enjoying older movies again and watching new ones is even more exciting. It was very easy to set up and run. My husband even hooked up our surround sound to it.



2. PURCHASE YOUR EPSON PRODUCT THROUGH AN AUTHORIZED DEALER OR FROM EPSON DIRECTLY.
   
   This is not a review of this product, but rather a word to the wise... Two and half months after my purchase of an Epson 10000XL scanner through Amazon, it stopped working. Through the followup and tech support process I learned that, because I purchased through Amazon, the manufacturer nor the seller would honor the 1 year warranty. Epson's position is that Amazon is not an authorized seller and that they merely act as broker for what can often be re-furbished or second hand merchandise.
   
   So, should your purchase break or malfunction, as mine did, you are out of luck with regard to warranty.
   
   This lesson cost me $2400.00

4 comments about Optoma EP1691 WXGA DLP Multimedia Data Projector.

1. This is an exceptionally compact and well designed projector.
   The menus are intuitive. The features are practical.
   At 2500 lumens it is perfectly adequate for all but the brighest rooms.
   Some projectors are difficult to figure out the keystone correction controls... this one is simple.
   I think it's worth the $1,000 I spent on it.



2. I selected this model for its size and portability and wasn't disappointed in either. It also had good light output and excellent resoulution. On a recent business trip I used it for presentations up to six hours per day without a glitch.



3. Enough said!
   
   Okay... a little more...bright, crisp, widescreen in a compact format. Highly recommmend.



4. We are located in Denver and purchased this product. It constantly shuts down with a temperature error. After sending it in for 6 weeks (Poor service is another issue) and having the mother board replaced, we are now told by Optoma support that it's an altitude issue and not even the "high altitude" mode will resolve it. They also tell us there is nothing they can do. I'd recommend steering clear of Optoma products.