Samsung/Toshiba DLP vs. Sony SXRD vs. JVC HD-ILA (1 Viewer)

[Sal Vento]

I'm getting married this July and looking to buy a new TV in the next few months. I originally was looking at just DLP's but have expanded my search. Here are my top 'contenders':

Samsung DLP: HL- R5078W or HL-R5678W
-6th generation DLP with 1080P resolution

Toshiba DLP: 56HM195 or 56MX195
-1080P resolution

Sony SXRD: KDSR50BR1
-2nd generation I think with 1080p resolution

JVC HD-ILA: HD-56FH96
-5th generation technology with 1080p resolution

No matter which TV I buy, I'll being using a Rogers HD-PVR and Monster Cable for the cables and power bar.

Overall, what is the best TV in terms of (1) overall quality and (2) price? Outside of casual customers, the consensus seems to be that Sony has dropped in quality yet customers still pay a little more for their products because of the name.

With any of the 6 TVs mentioned, are there any maintenance problems short or long term, outside of lamp replacement? Needless to say, it's a big investment so I'd want it to last for several years.

Lastly, has anyone heard of 'Organic LCD TV'? I have a friend in the business who said this is the next big thing. I'm assuming it's some companies spin on the LCOS technology.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

Based on my research and observations in stores I'd rate them in this order:

1-Sony SXRD-generally regarded as the best but also significantly higher in price than the others
2-JVC 1080p DILA--also very highly regarded--list prices similar to SXRD models but more widely and deeply discounted by retailers, especially internet retailers.
3-Toshiba 1080p dlp
4-Samsung 1080p dlp

Best Bang for the Buck:

Toshiba 1080p dlp.--generally available for 1k+ less than the LCOS sets and regarded by most as the best 1080p dlp set available, Toshiba dlp sets have the highest reliability rating among dlp models at Consumer Reports.

I would not purchase the 50" SXRD set and sacrifice screen size to save money--at that screen size it's not going to look that much better than any number of 720p sets on the market including Sony's own A-10 series LCD sets.

LCOS, the technology used by the JVC DILA and Sony SXRD sets=Liquid Chrystal on Silicone. LCD sets use an organic compound on their chips, which supposedly can break down over time-a very very long time so not really a concern. LCOS uses inorganic materials.

Sony sets, other than their bleeding edge top models, are competitively priced with other makes and usually outperform them both for picture quality and reliability.

The XBR models do outperform the competition as a general rule, at premium prices.

The differences in performance between a $200 dvd player and a $1000+ dvd player are subtle to the casual viewer, but there are those willing to pay the extra for those subtle differences. Thus there are those willing to pay the premium for the SXRD over other sets.

If one drops out of the absolute top models from the various mfgs one finds that Sony carries little or no price premium over comparable mfgs while outperforming many and having fewer problems.

My 4 year old Sony CRT based HD-ready set was actually cheaper than comparably sized Hitachis and Mitsubishis at the time, and has performed flawlessly.

 

[Evan_B]

classic