Samsung 30" HDTV TXM3098WHF (1 Viewer)

[John Berggren]

I have a coworker who's considering the Samsung 30" HDTV. Can anyone offer any perspective or recommendations on this unit? Any suggestions for other units in the price range?

 

[Daniel Becker]

I'd like some opinions as well.



dan.b

 

[KevinFC]

This unit is an upgrade from the previous 30" 16:9 from samsung with an upgraded tube and sound. Good TV for the money. Shop around for the best price, I have seen them as low as 1099.00. Also Samsung will be introducing 2 or 3 more 16:9 HDTV by May. These have DVI connections and a few extra features. They showed them at CES, very nice cabinets and molding, there are even custom stands for them. All in all either way the TV has a great picture and a great price.

 

[Daniel Becker]

What are DVI connections? Digital Video Inputs? I'm guessing.


I would assume the 30" already offered 2. Right?



Dan.b

 

[John Berggren]

DVI is a proprietary input that looks a lot like a monitor-input for a PC. It may or may not eventually become the HD standard based on what broadcasters require of cable companies for copy protection.

My Toshiba is DVI upgradable.

 

[Daniel Becker]

What good is such a connection?



dan.b

 

[KevinFC]

The current Sammy 30" does not come with any. the new ones due out this May will contain them.

 

[StephenRabinowitz]

Does the DVI dilemna also have to do with future satellite as well as cable. If so what happens to the sets we bought without it, no HBO or SHO?????

 

[Gregg Loewen]

I have only calibrated one Samsung tube. It was Nate Fowler's of Widescreen Review. Pre calibration, it was extremely blue and the white field measured at 470 candels of output. After calibration I had the output down to 50 candels. I was surprised that the TV was even working with an output that high. Here is what Nat had to say about the calibration:

Greg came over this last week and totally changed the way I look at my TV.
It's 100% better. Most of the calibration is done in the service menu, not
just the regular menu that you can access, so you will definitely see a
difference in grayscale once it has changed. For example, last night I
watched "Jin-Roh", perhaps one of the darkest noir digital animations I've
seen. Everything in the movie is different shades of gray or black and then
tinted to color. It was an entirely different movie, making facial
expressions and action much more dramatic and more like the way I saw it in
the theater. Same with Shrek and Gosford Park (both have excellent dark
scenes, Shrek's scene that sparkles the most is the one with the
interrogation of the gingerbread man). I can't wait to go home and see
Fight Club in HD.
The way the set comes from the factory is WAY too bright (10x too bright in
my case). Your colors, textures and blacks really suffer. Being this way
for a long time can also damage your tube. The other thing that Greg can do
is turn off Velocity Modulation, which makes a world of difference. Greg
made it look the way it is supposed to and I really appreciated it afterwards.

Regards,

Gregg

 

[David Susilo]

I've been writing a similar thing in other Samsung related posts... be afraid with Samsung HDTVs.

I'm already on my 4th BROKEN TV within a year. My last one is a 42" CRT HD-RPTV only last about a week.

 

[Joshua_Y]

Im lookin at getting this years model...TXN307HWHF...anyone know anything bout it?

 

[Aurel Savin]

Well it looks like the TXM3098WH is down in price to $999 at www.jandr.com ... good deal, I am looking at possibly picking it up.

But the new models are coming next month.