Alright, this set caught my eye at my local BestBuy (aesthetically, it's AMAZING!) and I'm considering buying it. I just have a few questions first...
RandyM, hopefully you can help me out like you did with the other LPW62 model so I'll ask some similar questions:
1) How does it compare to the HD50LPW62 I was looking to buy? Is it better/newer or worse/older technology? What are the advantages/disadvantages?
2) How does it compare to the same size Samsung(s) that cost nearly $700 more?
3) What is this HDTV's contrast ratio?
4) Which Texas Instruments DLP chip does it use? "S&V's" November review said that it uses a "wobulating 720p DLP chip" and that the picture isn't as crisp as the "discrete" 720p chip. What does this mean? I know that the HD2+ is a discrete chip, so does this model use HD3 or HD4?
5) What about the color wheel? Does it have a 6segment or 7segment?
Is there any site that offers informative reviews of this model? Thanks again RandyM (and everyone else) that take the time to answer these questions.
One other question that I have is about the lamp replacement cost. I called RCA and they said the replacement lamps on the LPW62 series (from Walmart) has a $750 price tag!! Is the LPW175 the same? If not, how much? This will be a major determining factor in the purchase.
RandyM
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PercySJ, the W175 is our best performing DLP, and I hightly recommend it if you have a couple hundred more $$ to pay for it.
1. It has our newer low profile cabinet, so the distance from the bottom to the screen is smaller. This is more attractive to most people. However, it is more contemporary and may not suit everyone's living room. The technology inside is the same, except the W175 has a built-in subwoofer that improves internal audio quality a little bit over the W62.
2. Same answer as I gave last time to this question.
3. I don't have hard data, but I believe the design of the cabinet (sloping bottom cavity)allows the contrast ratio to be slightly higher on the W175 than the W62.
4. HD-4, same as W62. I'm glad you saw the S&V review; it mentions quite a few areas that we worked very hard on to perfect in this model. A wobulating 720p design uses a smaller DLP chip (half as many mirrors and they are diamond shaped) and then displays them twice on the screen by vibrating the image at a precise rate. It is less expensive and it greatly reduces the "screen door" effect that a descrete 720p chip set has. Manufacturers that are still using the HD2+ chipset most likely don't have a newer generation light engine design yet. I would expect all 720p DLPs to use wobulation soon. I think S&V's comment is based upon test patterns, where I also see some softening of vertical lines, but on real, live material the perceived resolution is essentially the same.
5. Same color wheel as the W62.
6. The lamp cost of the W62 is not $750. Jose at ercservice can give you an accurate price, but both W62 and W175 should be less than $300.
Has the LPW175 model been discontinued? I'm calling around to all the stores and none of them carry this model and said that they can't get anymore in...it's been "deleted from their system", they say.
If this model is being discontinued, what model is coming out and what are the differences going to be?
RandyM
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PercySJ, no the W175 should be readily available at Best Buy. Not sure why they would say that they can't get it.
Alright, I FINALLY found this model at a BestBuy store 50 miles away. I had some other business nearby that area so I decided to go the extra mile (or in this case, extra mileSss!) to purchase this set. So far, I'm very glad that I did!
I got the TV home, unpacked it, and hooked everything up. With the factory settings, the TV looked quite good. I can't wait to see how it looks after I finish calibrating it!!
There's only ONE problem (so far)...
Anytime there is a white or bright picture, there is a faint horizontal line that streteches all the way across the screen. This line is about 1/3 down from the top of the set and is quite distracting at times. I didn't notice this at the store model, but then again I didn't see any feeds with white/bright pics. This line is also very apparent on the blue shutdown screen! Most of the time, however, this line isn't even noticable...it's only on bright images. Is this something that I should call the repair service (I got the 4yr PSP) and have looked at?
I'm still needing to know about that white line! I went back to BestBuy and played around with their floor model and it did NOT have this white line stretching across the screen. The line on my set actually seems to be fading from how bright it was at first, so could it be something to do with the newness of my set?
Also, does anyone know how to change the name of the inputs? The manual says you can change the channel names, but doesn't say how. Instead of it saying "Input 2" I'm wanting it to say "Xbox360".
RandyM
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PercySJ, this line sounds very strange. I have no idea what might be going on, but since it's in the shutdown screen, too, it isn't likely to be caused by video. If it continues, let me know if it happens only on certain channels, or inputs, or scan rates.
Thanks, RandyM! You're being very helpful and I appreciate it!
I've come to the conclusion that the line is always there, but is only noticable when there is a white or overall bright picture (sky, water, snow, etc.) When the screen image is dark, the line is not noticable, but is still there. For example, I was watching a DVD earlier and the background was dark but I could see the line on the character's face since it was brighter. It's on every input and at every resolution. I've calibrated my set using DVE, but no matter what picture setting I use, it's still there. The overall intensity of the line seems to have faded a bit since I first turned on the set, but it's still distracting.
Again, I thank you for your help!
RandyM
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The inputs can be associated with a particular button at the top of the remote (Sat, VCR, DVD, Aux, etc.) for auto-tuning purposes, but they can't be named. Since the Xbox wouldn't share common IR commands, there wouldn't be an advantage to doing this anyway.
By the way, did you try an ac power interrupt of 2-3 minutes, to see if it gets rid of the line?
By "power interupt", you mean unplugging it? I had it unplugged for about 30 minutes yesterday while I was moving some things around/installing my new stand and the line was still there when I plugged it back in.
RyanR
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RandyM... you've helped Percy several times now & it's also been helping me as well. I thank you. One last thing I hope you can answer as it's not been asked yet. Looking at Best Buy's website, it has the W175 with a native resolution of 1280 yet you keep saying this is a 720p set. Is this true? If so, do you (RCA) have a 1080 DLP set?
RandyM
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Hi Ryan, I would be glad to help. Actually both are correct. The maximum horizontal resolution for the W175 is 1280 pixels, because the HD-4 DLP chipset produces a picture that is effectively 1280x720 with wobulation. The scan rates that you hear all the time, like 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p, all refer to the vertical resolution, or how many lines per vertical frame.
No, we haven't released a 1080p DLP set yet. Current ATSC and QAM HD standards provide 1080i at best, so the 1080p chipset, which has a fair cost premium, provides only a very slightly better picture that most people can't perceive. It provides absolutely no benefit for DVDs.
RyanR
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Thanks for getting back to me tonight. So what you are saying is that the native resolution is actually 720 & not 1080 as Best Buy states? If that is that case then, the set will be upconverting signals to 1080i? Also I was waiting, I'm at work so it wasn't you, I saw that your RCA sets seem to have a problem with the lamps burning out soon. By soon I mean within a year of purchase. Is this a normal occurance if I purchase the W175? I did notice that most of the people saying thier lamps burnt out had older models though.
RandyM
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I checked their website and they have some numbers messed up. Vertical resolution is 720, not 1280 as they state. But maximum (horizontal) resolution is 1280, not "720/1080", whatever that means. Our sets convert everything to 720p.
Just sampling the other threads, lamp life on RCA DLPs appears to me to be better than most. It wouldn't surprise me, because we do a lot of work to insure that the lamp is at the correct temp and that ventilation is good. I think 5,000 hours is a good average life for one of these lamps. I know a lot of lamps last longer than that. Just think about how many hours/day you watch and do the math for how long your lamp might last.
I'm still trying to get used to my first DLP set and so far I'm loving it. The next big question I have is regarding the "humming" noise from, what I assume to be, the lamp's cooling fan. Is it normal to be able to hear this hum? I never would've noticed this hum inside the store due to the store's loud ambience, so I'm wondering if it's normal for lamp based technology to have this loud of a cooling fan and if other brands are just as loud. I'm having to return my set anyway due to the white line and I'm wanting to see if the next RCA set will have any chance of being quieter.
Also, RandyM (or anyone else) can you provide the ideal picture setting numbers for a properly/professionally calibrated picture. I've tried using some of the presets (including "Professional"), and even attempted calibrating it myself, but could never get it to look right. By "numbers" I'm referring to the 0-100% bars found in the picture settings tab and whether the other settings (noise reduction, green expand, etc) are enabled or not. I'm just looking for the best picture possible, so any help is appreciated!
RandyM
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PercySJ, some amount of fan noise and color wheel noise is normal for DLP and LCD projection sets. However, the level shouldn't be heard when you turn the volume up to a reasonable watching level. There has been a mindset adjustment period for most folks. . .because they expect their computers, for example, to emit some noise, but they don't expect it from their tvs. Once they realize it's there, most don't have a problem with it. Some color wheels will experience bearing failures, the point at which they start a grinding whine that is louder. Also, it depends on your watching environment. I have hardwood floors in my living room, so I notice it a little more than people with carpet.
I'm glad you asked about the professionally calibrated setting. It is the "Professional" setting in the menu. These settings are arrived at using a professional calibration DVD, like Video Essentials or Avia. This is a good place to start, and then you can adjust according to your own tastes. I personally like the effects of edge enhancement, contrast expansion, etc., but some purists do not, and that's what professional setting is for. My suggestion is to experiment and play around with the settings. Don't forget to do this for each input and RF signal type. . .the W175 has a video setting for each one.
RyanR
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So if I'm hearing you right, "1280 x 720 pixel resolution with built-in image scaler; accepts all major DTV signals, including 1080i, 720p and 480p, plus standard 480i" from bestbuy.com, actually means the W175 is down-converting the 1080i signals to 720p? if that is the case, what would the point of accepting a 1080i signal to degrade it to 720p? Most cases I've found in software that is 1080i also supports 720p by default. My concern for these formats is coming from the fact that I have an Xbox 306 that will output a 1080i signal for games; and in the future also DVD's when the indusrty begins to manufacture the discs in this format. Based on this info & our talks earlier, do you think this would be the best decesion for me or would I benifit more by waiting & saving?
I did the math also on the lamp life based on your 5,000 hr est. It comes to about 3yrs for me which would not be bad at all. In comparison to CRT's that is extreamly poor since most last well over 10 years, but I do realize that this is different technology & there is a greater amout of power being pushed through this lamp.
RandyM, or anyone else, I have recently developed a problem with my RCA DLP purchased 12 months ago. I cannot recall the exact model number, but it was top of the line RCA technology at the time of purchase last Christmas.
The problem is this: After returning from vacation on Monday evening I turned on the set and realized that the DVI/HDMI input no longer received a signal. The Comcast digital cable had also stopped providing any on-screen display. The latter problem was solved after a visit from the Comcast rep, but the DVI/HDMI issue remains. I typically use the DVI/HDMI input for all TV viewing and have been ecstatic with the results. However, since the input is not working I am currently viewing through the composite input, which is less than enjoyable.
What is even stranger to me is the fact that all inputs that are not in use (like the S-Video that connects to me DVD player) show a "No-Signal" floating blue box on a black screeen, but that does not occur when I have the input switched to the DVI/HDMI. Now it is only black, with an occasional flicker of the floating blue box.
Is any of this typical? Is there anything that I can do to fix this problem before the Best Buy people come on Friday to take a look at it?
RandyM
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Greg, the fact that you see the "Unusable Signal" OSD flicker, indicates the set is trying to lock onto a DVI/HDMI signal and it's seeing something, but not a valid signal. It's still possible that the tv has a problem, but are you absolutely sure that a valid DVI/HDMI signal is coming from the cable box? Maybe your power was off while you were gone and the cable box switched off the DVI/HDMI output. Another simple thing to do is to remove ac power from the tv for a few minutes to let the control system reset. Sometimes this solves weird problems.
RandyM
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Ryan, your logic is correct. Technically, 720p imagers limit a 1080i signal slightly. In reality, the difference is pretty slight and other factors like optical focus, video processing techniques, etc. sometimes negate the difference, but you will have to look at the cost difference and make your own decision. You will also have to gauge your own ability to wait.
RyanR
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Thanks for all the hekp Randy. I will be waiting to get a 1080 DLP.
This HDMI problem is well know on cable boxes. It is mantioned specifically in reference to Time Warner's Scientific Atlanta 8300 HD box. Try unplugging the box and then plugging it back in and the box might reset and let you use the HDMI/DVI output again. Don't know for sure if Comcast is using this box in your area, Mine is a Motorola.
RandyM
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Good point. The 8300 box is trouble for HDMI users everywhere.
I still have the faint white line stretching horizontally across my screen. It's still VERY noticeable on bright areas of the screen. This model is backordered at my local BestBuy stores and they don't expect more in until AFTER my 30day return/exhange period. I REALLY don't want to get this TV serviced using the PSP when I should be able to exchange it with no problem. Anyone have any suggestions?
Also, another problem I've noticed is when I turn off/on the TV with the HDMI input being the last selected, I get a VEEEERY loud clicking/buzzing noise and no picture. The front LED panel blinks continuously and finally stops. I can change the channel when this happens, but I get sound and still no picture. I have to switch the channel from HDMI, turn off the set, and then restart it before it goes back to normal. What is causing this?
One last question. I have a 360 and I'm trying to figure out which resolution setting will be the best. It outputs either 720p or 1080i. I know this TV's native resolution is 720p, but will outputting the 360 at 1080i offer a better picture? I've tried on a few games but haven't really noticed a huge difference. Any suggestions?
Clee
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Percy
I recently purchased an RCA DLP (175). I had a line that would "walk" up the screen. My problem ended up being the fact that my ground on my cable where it come in the house was not connected. You might want to make sure that it is grounded good. It may be picking up noise.
Clee
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RandyM
Sounds like you must be associated with RCA. I presently have my 175 that is inoperative. The service technician told me that is was the DM3 [module]. Our cable was out the other night, and since we were going to grab something to eat we left it on. Came back home and the front panel lights were on(blue leds). I tried to turn it off (or on) and it would not. Blue panel lamps would flash 5 times, stop and flash 5 more times then stay on. I thought it was the lamp. Seem that the lamp is not getting voltage.
The "module" (DM3) is not expected to be shipped until March 9. Any chance where one can be located? RCA says that it is part# 265951.
I went to Best Buy today. For some reason, they don't have room for the 175 on the floor, but they offered to bring one out and hook it up. It's funny tha they don't have it on the floor, as he said the Magnavox DLP is a "piece of crap." Oh well, better chance for me to snag one, I guess.
They are offering me $400 under their sale price this week. I am VERY close to getting it! I have the fiance's "go", so I am not sure what I'm waiting for, heh.
Anonymous
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Randy, So what you are saying is the RCA DLP at Walmart is a good set but does nort have quite as good a contrast ration as the 175? Also, there is a guy on this site that is really bashing DLp television sets. I am going to buy a new big screen television this Saturday and need to make up my mind. I am going to buy either an RCA 52 inch crt rear projection or the RCA DLP 62. Walmart carries both of these sets. Do you care to offer your opinion on which one is more reliable,better picture. Is RCA continuing to make crt rear projections sets. I know Sony has quit and some of the other maufacturers are quitting.