Just purchased and set-up a Samsung HLR-4667W DLP set, after selling my 34" Sony XBR CRT set. I have not tried any calibration on the DLP just yet, but I have watched some OTA HD broadcasts and a DVD (Memoirs of a Geisha) via my Denon DVD-1600... and I was disappointed with both inputs for several reasons.
Reason #1)
The main problem is just a general "graininess" to the picture even with the OTA HD feed. My Sony CRT just seemed to be much sharper and cleaner. I did notice that if I view the DLP set slightly off-center, the graininess isn't as bad. Is it possible that the plastic anti-glare screen is the main culprit for the "grainy" look ???
Reason #2)
Another issue, mainly apparent when watching the DVD, was a sudden softening or texturizing of the picture in spots. Large areas of the picture just became "blocky", and it seemed to happen most frequently with gray shades. Again, this is something I very rarely ever noticed on my Sony CRT.
Reason #3)
Deep black was fine, but slightly black or grayish colors seemed to be washed out. Perhaps #2 & #3 are related, but once again, not an issue with my old CRT.
And you knew this was coming... the questions:
1) Are the above noted deficiencies pretty typical of DLP sets (vs. CRTs) or am I just CRT biased, because it is what I know and it is "normal" to me ?
2) How much will a calibration help to minimize or eliminate these issues ? And where can I find recommended calibration settings for the latest Samsung sets ? (I did try a search, without any luck).
3) How much will a good upconverting DVD player help with movie performance ? (I do have the OPPO player on order, and I am even wondering if running my Denon 1600 in "interlaced" mode instead of "progressive" would help. Is there such a thing as over-processing of an image ?)
Reason #1)
The main problem is just a general "graininess" to the picture even with the OTA HD feed. My Sony CRT just seemed to be much sharper and cleaner. I did notice that if I view the DLP set slightly off-center, the graininess isn't as bad. Is it possible that the plastic anti-glare screen is the main culprit for the "grainy" look ???
Reason #2)
Another issue, mainly apparent when watching the DVD, was a sudden softening or texturizing of the picture in spots. Large areas of the picture just became "blocky", and it seemed to happen most frequently with gray shades. Again, this is something I very rarely ever noticed on my Sony CRT.
Reason #3)
Deep black was fine, but slightly black or grayish colors seemed to be washed out. Perhaps #2 & #3 are related, but once again, not an issue with my old CRT.
And you knew this was coming... the questions:
1) Are the above noted deficiencies pretty typical of DLP sets (vs. CRTs) or am I just CRT biased, because it is what I know and it is "normal" to me ?
2) How much will a calibration help to minimize or eliminate these issues ? And where can I find recommended calibration settings for the latest Samsung sets ? (I did try a search, without any luck).
3) How much will a good upconverting DVD player help with movie performance ? (I do have the OPPO player on order, and I am even wondering if running my Denon 1600 in "interlaced" mode instead of "progressive" would help. Is there such a thing as over-processing of an image ?)