Just saw a Samsung DLP set and it was truly awesome...way better than plasma in my humble opinion. Both LCD and plasma have disadvantages...just wondering what the disadvantages of DLP are. I just heard that several more manufacturers are announcing DLP products at this past CES....
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You can do better for your imaging dollar. On the other hand an external scaler will make these products sing. Native scan rate is critical for quality imaging due to poor internal scaling. That said nearly every display looks better with an external scaler and I have always recommended one to my clients depending on the application.
Richard F. Fisher
Mastertech Repair Corporation, Lawrenceville, GA
770-513-3987 E-Mail - help@mastertechtv.com
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1) Some people (very small percentage) see "rainbows". This is due to the 1 chip DLP design having to use a colorwheel to produce RGB.
2) Some people get headaches/eye strain when watching DLP. I initially had eye strain when watching my DLP, but went away after a couple of days of use.
3) Blacks aren't as dark as CRT
4) Compressed SD looks like crap on DLPs.
5) 720p. Some people think 720p is inferior to 1080i.
6) Price. The cheapest you'll find a DLP currently is around $3k.
However, I think the pros outweigh the cons and is why I bought my Sammy HLN467.
Jay
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I just got back from CES and saw a ton of DLP displays. Everyone I talked with agreed that the Samsung DLP 1080P display was the hands down winner. No rainbow effect, great blacks, whites, etc. This is a new era for DLP and TI has done a tremendous job with the newer chips. Check out the TI web site for more information.
The new sets may be too costly at the present time but in two years or less I will predict that this will be the format of choice for nearly everyone. You will not need an external scaler for these sets. If I had to buy a set today and didn't want to pay the price for DLP 1080p I'd get a Pioneer Elite 730HDi which Pioneer has ceased manufacturing. It is the biggest bang for the buck today.
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Scalers translate between different resolutions. If a device outputs 480i but your TV is native 720p then the 480i image has to be scaled to 720p either in the device itself or in the TV. Here's a picture:
Image source -> scaler (if necessary) -> display
DVD (480p) -> scaler (1080i) -> display
The scaler can be internal to the STB or DVD player or the TV or it can be an external box. e.g. my Samsung DirecTV OTA STB has a switch which determines the output resolution. I have mine set to 1080i since that's the native scan rate of my Mits RPTV. Anything that comes in at other than 1080i is "scaled" to 1080i. The scaler is in the STB. I could put the STB on 480i/p and let the TV do the scaling. Or I could add a box in between to do the scaling.
The difference is in the quality of the scaler. The one built into the TV is usually not the best (most people won't notice so they keep the cost of the TV down). Dedicated scalers will almost always be better than ones that are built-in to TVs or STBs.
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>>You can do better for your imaging dollar. On the other hand an external scaler will make these products sing. Native scan rate is critical for quality imaging due to poor internal scaling. That said nearly every display looks better with an external scaler and I have always recommended one to my clients depending on the application<<
Richard,
Could you be more specific? I have the Sammy 617W DLP. Do I have to spend as much money on the scaler as I did on the TV to, such as a Faroudja, or do the lower end scalers still do a better job then the TV's own scaler does? If so, will the difference be marginal? I'd hate to drop a $1000 on a scaler and not be able to say "WOW" look at the difference.
On another note, Samsung has taken full page ads out in the popular home theater mags touting their dig to dig DVI connections. They show a picture of their STB, DVD and their DLP. "All connected, all digitALL"
Since the DLP has only one DVI input, how do they expect you to connect both units to it?
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>>I could put the STB on 480i/p and let the TV do the scaling.
Allen,
Great answers! Only 480I requires scaling on your TV. You have two TV’s in that box, 480P and 1080I/540P.
The source of satellite SD is native 480I. It is possible that an external scaler may do better than your box. It is difficult to say and observe since there are so many other artifacts from the source. That said, I just had a client get the scaler and he was definitely impressed by what it did for satellite SD, his camcorder and DVD player on a native 1080I only CRT RPTV display.
Steve,
A guy in the HT Network who sells 10K plus video displays with scalers complained about his Samsung DLP with DVD and SD cable. That is what happens when you start seeing stuff regularly that is artifact free for the most part. He was very happy with the improvement a scaler brought to his system. There are two people on this site that have purchased a scaler and calibration from me. Check the ISF Calibration thread for more details.
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>>A guy in the HT Network who sells 10K plus video displays with scalers complained about his Samsung DLP with DVD and SD cable. That is what happens when you start seeing stuff regularly that is artifact free for the most part. He was very happy with the improvement a scaler brought to his system. There are two people on this site that have purchased a scaler and calibration from me. Check the ISF Calibration thread for more details.<<
Richard,
My questions are how much will the scaler cost me (and what brand) and how much improvment will it give me?
I also bought the Samsung HD931 DVD player (to go along with my DLP) that upconverts DVD's to HD quality. I confess to a great deal of ignorance when it comes to all things video, as audio is my area of expertise. That said, does this DVD player do essentially the same thing with DVD signals as a scaler would do for SD signals?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
The Lumagen Vision is $1000.
>>how much improvment will it give me?
If you are satisfied with your imaging using your current sources then why are you pursuing this? If you are not satisfied then a scaler may very well be your answer.
The real question I suppose is do you want the best image? If so then have one demoed on your system.
>>I also bought the Samsung HD931 DVD player (to go along with my DLP) that upconverts DVD's to HD quality.
Not quite. It does allow you to bypass the internal scaler just like an external scaler would removing artifacts from the image. Did you note an improvement over an analog 480I/480P player?
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>>Not quite. It does allow you to bypass the internal scaler just like an external scaler would removing artifacts from the image. Did you note an improvement over an analog 480I/480P player?<<
Yes. I did an A/B comparison with the Panny rp82, a pretty good player in it's own right. Of course the Samsung had the DVI connection which the Panny did not. I would imagine that would influence the outcome.
As to your other point, of course one wants the best possible image, but if dropping $1000 on a scaler only improves it slighty, one has to think about the cost.
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The DVI connection should be setup on the player for 720P and it should smoke your analog based player on your digital display.
Only you can determine whether an external scaler is providing marginal improvement which is why I will not let clients look at one in my system. It must be demoed on your system with your stuff so you can make a valid comparison.
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