HDTV Reviews

Bought this TV as a Christmas gift for my family. From the time of purchase to the time I finally rearranged my family room to accomidate this new unit it was over a month. I get the unit in place and turn it on only to find that the entire screen is not working. Needless to say I am extremeely disappointed. Now waiting for a part. If I had my way I would send it back and get a Sony like I should have.
I consider this very poor quality control for such a large corporation. Stay tuned, you might see it on ebay.

After reading Amazon.com's editorial review that said the Zenith C32V23 had a 480p progressive scan composite input, I was very disappointed to open mine up and see a "480i" input on the back, along with a message saying that this HDTV does not handle 480p at all, and to switch your DVD player to interlaced mode. Huh? Isn't this one of the most basic things an HDTV should be able to do? Between that and the audio delay problem hinted at by others, I'm basically left with an HDTV that can't play DVDs. Well, it can play them, but I can't use my surround-sound stereo, and can't use progressive scan. So I'd be better off using a regular TV perhaps? At least then my audio would be in synch with the video.

The other bummer is that it doesn't upsample 720p shows, so shows from several of the networks, which are already in 4:3 aspect ratio, show up with black on the top, bottom and both sides, effectively giving us a smaller picture (albeit higher resolution) than the 27" TV we were replacing.

It's a pretty picture, but it's silly that such basic functionality isn't there. I think I'll take it back and wait for HDTV to grow up, or look for a model that isn't cutting so many corners.

After reading the other reviews, I wish I had purchased the extended warranty! However, after one week, I'd rate ours 5 stars if it wasn't for the owner's manual. Picture is very clear and bright - and this is only with "rabbit ears" antenna (Houston area). Works very well with Zenith progressive DVD Player. Pulls in lots of stations well, both digital and analog. The nice thing about this unit is that it is fully integrated - you don't have to have cable or satellite if you don't want to.

We have not yet tried it with the home theater unit, so perhaps we'll downgrade the rating after we try to hook that up (see the long customer review).

My only complaint so far is that the manual is minimal - adequate but minimal.

Let me start by stating that I have nothing personal against Monster Cable. While they do make some nice cables, in some cases they offer no real benefit over inexpensive alternatives. The best example is digital cables. Anyone familiar with IEEE 1394 (otherwise known as I-Link or Firewire) should know that there is built-in error correction that can deal with any small amount of noise introduced into the digital stream. Since this corrects any minor errors, there is NO difference in quality between an adequate digital cable and an outstanding one.

Do yourself a favor and purchase an inexpensive Firewire cable for as little as ... instead of wasting your money on the ... version. Out of respect for ...I am not going to tell you where to purchase, but any resourceful shopper should be able to find them using the search engines.

Now analog cables.....that's a whole different story :-)

This product is over priced. These cables cost $10 at the high-end and "Monster Cable" has no business building these stupid cables. Save yourself a lot of money and buy a standard Fire-Wire cable.

A couple of years ago, video editing was a problem. It requiered big, expensive equipment, which were very difficult to use and, believe me, they didn't offer spectacular results! But now, with the IEEE-1394 cable, a new technology is born. Now, video editing is as easy as 1-2-3! You just connect one simple, light, but spectacular cable, from your camcorder to you home PC. And presto! With the simple help of a video editing program you can transfer dazzling images from your video camera to your PC! And after you edit your video, you can simply download it back to your camcorder! Like I said before, it's as easy as 1-2-3!

I purchased a proscan 36" tv no more than 4 years ago. I spent close to $...Big Mistake!! the proscan tv that i bought has a picture tube problem that was not disclosed during manufacturing. proscan nor circuit city where i bought it would not help me out at all. my recomemdation....by a Sony tv,....at least they will honop you as a consumer and help you out.

Sorry Pro-scan,...you just did not want to help out the average consumer,....shame on you!

Hey - Drew Smith - They ask for a freaking review of the TV, not your opinion on HDTV adoption rates....

This model has a few more features (like Twin Tuner PIP) than its sibling RCA MM36100 which got high marks and a perfect picture on [the Cnet website]. This model supposedly does not support a progressive scan DVD. I intend to purchase a PROSCAN PSHD105 Digital HDTV Receiver which was considered a must by most owners. I bought this because of the low price and free shipping (very heavy, delivered to my living room, not curbside). I considered the Sony WEGA but it doesn't have the HDTV features.

We started having problems with this monitor 6 months after purchasing it. The picture would blank out for no reason and the sound would stop. Attempts to contact Princeton for help failed. They would not answer email or phone calls. After a year the monitor stopped working altogether. We've since been able to contact Princeton, but they refuse to honor the warranty!

Lets get things straight. First, this monitor does not have the high resolution capacity of any regular monitor. The only great thing about this is that you can watch TV. The monitor is pretty fuzzy and not clear. Don't get scammed and get this monitor. Well actually no. If you like the resolution of a TV, then get this monitor. Im stressing this because, this kind of monitor reduces light glare which is better for you eyes than a regular monitor. Its your choice. To me, i prefer worse eyes and better resolution.

I have looked long and hard to see the difference (besides size and functionality) between the wonderful monitor I use now and any common 21 inch computer monitor and have had no luck. If you are looking for a large monitor, for whatever reason, this should be given long consideration. Also if you need a TV along with a monitor but cannot spare space for both and a TV-in card is out of the question, this device also provides the perfect solution. But be careful, it is VERY heavy (I carried mine up three flights of stairs one hot summer day. Thank god for those handles!) The dot pitch is less than "top of the line" but it is nothing I, nor others, have noticed. Over all, I do not question the value of this product.

HDTV IS A RIP AND FOR 800 PLUS MY CAR HAS A BETTER TV IN IT AND FOR THE MONEY ID RATHER GO ON A CRUISE AND TELL ALL HDTV COUCH POTATOES TO GET UP AND SPEND WISELY OR BUY A DELL....

I was ready for a new TV for my rec room and didn't want to by an analog set that would be outdated in a few years. The Samsung was by far the best deal for the money. The picture is fabuous, particuarly with DVD's. I can't wait till the price of the digital tuners comes down a bit. I'm really looking forward to using this for HDTV broadcasts!

Let's start by saying that I come from a family that likes to try new, likely durable changes in electronics early on. TVs are an example: first B/W 1948; color 1958; stereo 1st year available; etc. So, when this relatively inexpensive flat-screen HDTV came along, it seemed to offer a good way to sample the current state of an evolving technology without having to lay out a lot of cash for something that would rapidly become obsolete. For the sake of fairness, I'll compare it to the conventional stereo 27" RCA that it supplanted. First off, the colors are much more crisp and the outlines and perspective much better defined. This is most apparent for DVD and VCR viewing --less so with cable. You can take this as either a plus or a minus: Yes, you get better clarity, but you also have to suspend your disbelief more. The fact that backgrounds have been overdubbed and the limitations of computer-generated imagry (especially when living beings are in the same frame) become much more apparent than on good old, fuzzier, conventional TV. It is a trade-off, but something that we all can (and, likely will have to) get used to. The stereo (without adding external speakers) is clearly superior to the conventional stereo TV. The HDTV unit is a bit more bulky (wider & deeper at the back). 27" is as small as you can (& should) get with the current technology before distortion at the edges and picture size become an issue: The latter is especially apparent because the HDTV screen is more rectangular -- making everything letter-boxed (and things that have been letter-boxed are even more so). This unit has performed well for the 3 weeks that we've had it. Its operation is simple; the enclosed remote is user-friendly; the TV is compatable with current DVD & VHS players and with cable and existing universal remotes. We'll see about durability; but there's no reason to suspect that it would be predisposed to any more problems than any other TV. So the real issue is whether it's worth paying 2 to 3-fold more for HDTV than for a conventional stereo TV of equivalent size. My advice: If you use TV primarily for cable, antenna, or dish viewing, wait until the price comes down. If you're like me, and use TV primarily for VHS and DVD viewing, the increased quality of the picture makes it worth considering -- but remember, you're more likely to notice that the chase sceens etc. are trumped up!
Addendum: I's been 3 mos. now; things are working fine, and my opinion is unchanged!

Rate this company very low, sent wrong product will not send proper product and will not respond to attemps to contact. Amazon should re-think using companies that reflect on Amazons reputation.

Very thin, but it does not weight 1lb. The price will go down in the future, but if you want to be the first one in town to get it, you will have to pay. You get a great pic from any angle in the room. Great sound!!

An 11 cent savings! What a deal! Who could pass it up!

A friend of mine has this little marvel of modern technology, and I'm doing some serious lusting after this television. The picture is so sharp and clear, it's like looking out a picture window onto any scene imaginable.

The picture-in-picture feature is easy to use and presents an entirely new way to view multiple media. It features 2-tuner picture-in-picture with channel search, 3-D Y/C digital comb filter, up to 850 lines of horizontal resolution, fine-pitch viewing screen and component video inputs, according to the manufacturer.

Accessories made especially for the television may also be purchased, and they include audio and video cables, power strips and protection and a truly fancy remote control system, but my friend just has the regular remote.

Believe me, you haven't seen television until you've seen the Panasonic PT-56SX30 56" Projection TV. And, after you have seen it, you won't want to view television any other way.

The set that I have is one of the better ones (?) except for the geometry problem mentioned by Steve Bourgeois's review and the slight red push.

Other than that, you cannot save picture settings for each input. So if you change settings for DVD and then watch regular TV, you have to readjust your settings.

I would recommend the Sony XBR450 model. It's a bit more expensive but I think it is a more consistent model. I have the 36" in the living room and it's great.

I am not sure why people are having so much trouble with this TV, I loved it the minute I saw it displayed, and I went got one.
So far it has been great, but it does require good source. Bad source, bad picture, like the one metioned below. If you are feeding VCR signal to the TV, how can you expect good quality pictures?

I don't have red push or greenish problems, everything look sharp. Red push can be resolved by tuning the TV with avia tools.

I think the people who find problems with this Excellent HDTV Monitor TV suffer from failing to read the Manual or just lack common sense. I purchased this set instead of the CT-34WX50 primarily because [of the price]. Since owning the CT-32HX40 along with the TU-HDS20 HDTV/DTV Digital Tuner I have enjoyed exceptional TV viewing and it influenced me to purchase the CT-34WX50 and additional TU-HDS20's when the Wide Screen's price came down and went on sale. My CT-34WX50 now resides connected to my Pioneer Elite Home Theater System consisting of VSX-39TX A/V Receiver, DV-38A Pure Cinema Progressive Scan Reference DVD Player(each one hooked up to the CT-34WX50's Component Video Input), M-10X EX Amplifier, two DV-F07 301 Disk DVD Players, DVR-7000 DVD Recorder, PDR-W37 CD Recorder, CT-07D Digital Double Auto-Reverse Cassette Deck, two PD-F27 301 Disk CD Players, my trusty Dual 1264 Turntable (still have lots of old LP's), and two Panasonic PV-VS4821 S-VHS VCR's housed in two 56.1" high Gloss Black Pioneer Component Racks. All this equipment delivers sound through a Definitive Technology High-End Speaker System. My mother has inherited the CT-32HX40 and TU-HDS20 and loves it and will soon inherit the VSX-39TX and M-10X when I upgrade to a Pioneer Elite VSZ-49TX.
In closing I see no evidence to suggest any of the problems occurred by these people and my suggestion is that if you are in the market for an HDTV you can't go wrong with this set.

The other reviewers may have defective TV's because mine doesn't shut off inexplicably; However, it does have curved side bars when viewing in 4:3 aspect ratio (this is not corrected/affected by the tilt adjustment). Also, the left side of my screen is brighter than the right. I have a call in for repair of these problems.

What cannot be repaired is the poor design, no doubt to keep the cost relatively low: 1. no rear S-Video jack (just one in the side panel). 2. not magnetically shielded (my receiver on the shelf above was turning the top of the picture green). 3. seperate buttons on remote for vid1/vid2/s-vid/ant & component1/2/vid1/2. 4. no dvi input. 5. no picture-in-picture.

I was going to get the Sony KV-30HS510 but thought I'd save some money with the Samsung; Forgive me Sony, you are clearly worth the extra $500. (which is just 13 cents a day over ten years, which is how long my last Sony lasted) Would've been well worth it considering the stress I'm going through now.

Recently purchased this set for my entry into Widescreen HDTV at a modest price. The picture was OK for regular broadcast cable. My Toshiba DVD player was connected to the external component inputs using a high grade cable. The DVD's were very good when the screen was set for "Movie" mode. Even VHS was good when using the direct video inputs.

The TV had a problem with 4:3 screens. First of all, it was annoying that the TV insisted on 16:9 screens whenever one changes the video input or turns the set off/on. To change this setting back to 4:3, one has to travel through an extensive menu tree. When playing the DVD with its direct input, again one has to travel through the menu system to select the "component 1" input. One cannot access it from the channel selector as one can for AV inputs like the VCR.

A flaw with the picture was that it blooms when a certain area of the picture suddenly is bright. The vertical lines in the 4:3 aspect ratio actually curve out at those moments.

Another problem is the lack of shielding in this set. I actually noticed where the wooden studs behind the sheetrock were in the wall the set was placed against. A moving of my arm around the back cover of the set hid the stud shadow in the picture.

After a week, I returned the set to trade it for a lesser priced Philips model. Its results are much better in all of the above.

My first foray into the HDTV world...the TXN3071WHF is one of the most compact and inexpensive ->widescreen-< HDTVs you can get right now, I've had mine for almost a year. The picture quality is great, and the sound quality...well it's ok but I have my audio going straight from the DVD player to a surround-sound system anyway (which I'm guessing most people who own HDTVs do).

I do not have an auto-shutoff problem, maybe I have an earlier revision of the TXN3071WHF operating system. The only curious thing I've noticed is when there are any bright red objects on the screen, they tend to 'wiggle' a bit. Which is kind of a cool effect actually.

It doesn't have a ton of bells and whistles, but for an entry-level widescreen HDTV, this thing is pretty sweet. Watching Toy Story II or Finding Nemo in 16:9 format on this set will knock your socks clear off. : )

Our SONY KP-57WV600 is either defective or poorly designed. After a year of owning this televsion there are large streaks and circular areas of dust caught under the screen. The TV has not been exposed to large amounts of dust and the room it is placed in is immaculent. Even if I was a bad housekeeper it should not be covered with dust residue. Have had repair person out twice and not even he knows what to do. Finally the company that I bought it from has it at "the shop." Even if they are able to remove the dust is there going to be a guarantee that they have stopped the problem? I believe this is a design flaw and do not recommend this TV to anyone.

sony doesn't allow consumers to access the convergence settings.
It costs almost 200$ every time for a technician to come and do it.
FLASH FOCUS ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH. STAY AWAY!

I shopped around for weeks looking for the right Rear Projection HDTV over 53 inches. This Tv has met all my expectations and has once again stood as a solid reminder of Sony's ability to make a great product. No Buyer's Remorse!