Should I buy a used DLP?

[Aikouka]

It was a "light tunnel" issue where the glue used melted due to the heat of the lamp causing the "light tunnel" to deform.

There was a recall and you (could/can?) get it fixed.

He's talking about the DMD Panel issue that I ran into. What happens is that you get an increasing number of white dots all over your screen, which I assume he is calling a "star map." This problem is known to be pretty bad among the 40"-ish Samsung DLPs.

 

[brblx]

DMD panel?

between about 1.5-2 years, my set gradually accumlated white dots until they encompassed a good quarter of the screen's pixels. i was told it was a bad 'DLP chip' and that those 'thousands of tiny mirrors' had fucked themselves. got fixed under an extended warranty- otherwise part cost outweighed the cost of the TV (bought for 700 bucks when those models were on their way out but it was still 500+ for a shitty 37" LCD at the time).

 

[NutBucket]

And i laugh at the people who complain they are not flat panels yet dont hang their flat panel on the wall thus negating any benefit of a flat panel. They end up putting the flat panel on the TV stand and it still comes out from the wall the same amount thus saving them no room really.

Definitely this. I'm glad my wife didn't/doesn't care about the "thin-ness".

 

[Aikouka]

DMD panel?

between about 1.5-2 years, my set gradually accumlated white dots until they encompassed a good quarter of the screen's pixels. i was told it was a bad 'DLP chip' and that those 'thousands of tiny mirrors' had fucked themselves. got fixed under an extended warranty- otherwise part cost outweighed the cost of the TV (bought for 700 bucks when those models were on their way out but it was still 500+ for a shitty 37" LCD at the time).

I forget exactly what DMD stands for, but it's also called the "DLP chip" or something similar to that. It's essentially the motorized mirror array and the logic that controls it.

They really aren't that expensive. It sounds like your technician took the easy way out and simply replaced the entire light engine, which includes the DMD Panel. The DMD Panel from the Samsung Part's website is only ~$200 ($50 core), but the entire light engine is ~$850 ($350 core).

 

[Hellotalkie]

Bought it! Picked it up, thing is huge!

 

[Aikouka]

Bought it! Picked it up, thing is huge!

:thumbsup:

Good luck with it!

They're definitely huge, but also surprisingly light!

 

[ImpulsE69]

I just hate how you have to sit pretty much directly in the center to get a good picture. That and the extra space you need to fit a DLP. Not a fan of it's big footprint.

This is not true. Unless you hang your flat panel on the wall, the stand you put it on takes up just as much room as the DLP will. It will just take up less visual space on the stand, but it's still wasted space.

The newer DLP's have much better viewing angles. Last years and this years models are damn near the same as any flat panel when it comes to viewing angles.

The 92" Mits is friggin amazing looking. Wife put the nay on it, but did agree to the 82" so I'll be getting one shortly. The pics on these things are so much better than they used to be, you just have to make sure you have HD material, SD material looks REALLY bad (read: horrible).

The 70" Sharp LED looks quite nice too.

 

[NutBucket]

Dude, spring for the LaserVue. Sure it's "only" 75", but the colors are amazing!

 

[Hellotalkie]

DLP is such a bargain! My parents live in the bay area so I check CL from time to time. Every DLP is soooo cheap but still looks amazing. Mind blowing that people don't know about this and the price is so low!

and to the person who commented about people buying flat panels and not even mounting them on the walls. Agree x10000000

Pretty sure 60" DLP will become "too small"

 

[Aikouka]

Pretty sure 60" DLP will become "too small"

My 65" feels too small all the time! I guess that's what happens when you sit ~12 feet away though.

 

[slag]

I have a 62 mitsubishi dlp and like it. Replaced the bulb on it once. I plan on getting the 73 inch Mit DLP shortly because I really like the picture and the price isn't bad at all.

 

[sdifox]

go front projection or go home :biggrin:

 

[MrGlobe]

I've seen quite a few 42" LCDs on Craigslist for $300-400 as well as a few new 42" deals for under $400. I think you would get a lot more use out of a 42" LCD than a 52" DLP. Once you want to upgrade, it would probably be more difficult to find another room that would fit a 52" DLP, whereas it wouldn't be too difficult with an LCD

 

[Aikouka]

I've seen quite a few 42" LCDs on Craigslist for $300-400 as well as a few new 42" deals for under $400. I think you would get a lot more use out of a 42" LCD than a 52" DLP. Once you want to upgrade, it would probably be more difficult to find another room that would fit a 52" DLP, whereas it wouldn't be too difficult with an LCD

It's actually 57", so you have to consider that it's not 10" more diagonal viewing area.. it's 15". That's pretty significant. I went from a 46" to a 65", and that was pretty big as well.

I do agree that it can be hard to find out what to do with your old TV when you replace it. Luckily, my 46" was just small enough to find use in my bedroom. Chances are, I'll have to put the 65" somewhere else or sell it if I decide to replace the TV.

But overall... it's not an LCD that makes finding a new spot for it easy... it's the size.

 

[sdifox]

I forget exactly what DMD stands for, but it's also called the "DLP chip" or something similar to that. It's essentially the motorized mirror array and the logic that controls it.

They really aren't that expensive. It sounds like your technician took the easy way out and simply replaced the entire light engine, which includes the DMD Panel. The DMD Panel from the Samsung Part's website is only ~$200 ($50 core), but the entire light engine is ~$850 ($350 core).

Digital Micromirror Device.

 

[NutBucket]

go front projection or go home :biggrin:

Funny how things go in circles. This is the TV my parents had for many years:

And this is the TV my wife's family was still using until about 5 years ago:

 

[sdifox]

Funny how things go in circles. This is the TV my parents had for many years:
And this is the TV my wife's family was still using until about 5 years ago:

I like to beat up the thinness snobs with "Well, my display is a few mm thin. and it's about 90"diagonal" :whiste: