# Any home theater gurus out there?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-home-theater-gurus-out-there/312183>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 12, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-home-theater-gurus-out-there/312183 "2005-07-12T14:51:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-home-theater-gurus-out-there/312183/21 "2005-07-13T20:43:50Z")

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> [@N9IWP](#):
>
> The thing that bothers me about DLP is the color wheel.

The thing that bothers me is the DLP chip, since I don’t trust all those little mirrors to keep flopping their states for many years, like TI claims, but there you go. 😉

I saw a low-end (relatively speaking) Digital Projection demo where they used a scene from _Das Boot_ that looked like crap with a non-DLP projector but was rock solid on theirs. No rainbow and totally clear.

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**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-home-theater-gurus-out-there/312183/22 "2005-07-14T04:38:57Z")

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Well, I did a total U-turn this evening. I went to Best Buy, all ready to negotiate a deal on their “returned” WD 62725 for $3300 - when I saw one of [these](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000ZOLLY/qid=1121315582/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_ur_1/102-4573047-7095319?v=glance&s=electronics&n=507846). I loved the picture quality - it rivalled the plasma sitting next to it, and it was on clearance for $3999. I ended up getting it for $3699 which seems like a good deal, given the comparison shopping I’d done.

Reviews seem favorable and I can’t wait to get my new TV in a few days!

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**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-home-theater-gurus-out-there/312183/23 "2005-07-14T05:36:15Z")

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That looks like a nice TV. I’m sure you’ll love it.

**dropzone** : I haven’t heard of many DMDs failing. I’ve got an NEC LT-150 which is several generations old now. It’s nearing 800 hours on its lamp now, and still works fantastic. I bought mine in a big Dell sale a fea years ago. I think Dell sold literally hundreds of the things to people on Avsforum. Anyway, of all those, I don’t think I’ve heard of a single DMD chip failure after several years now.

What does occasionally happen is that other parts fail. Power supplies, sometimes a bulb explodes and does some damage, etc. But the DMDs seem pretty solid…

I would think the reliability of a DMD based projector would be better than a CRT, simply because it has fewer components.

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**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-home-theater-gurus-out-there/312183/24 "2005-07-14T13:29:44Z")

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I think you’re going to be very pleased, **Darren**. I would have mentioned it before if I’d known you were considering it but the one thing less than perfect I’ve found with it is that it takes about 30 seconds when you first turn it on before the picture comes up to full quality. I read a lot of owner reviews and the only addition they made was that the fan runs for a bit to cool the set after you turn it off but in fact it’s very quiet and if you ask me they’re overly nitpicky. S video plugs are hidden in front, as is a memory chip port so camcorder and digital pic review is easy. The sound is adequate but if you’re doing the Home Theater thing then that becomes a moot (mute?) point. Hope you enjoy it.

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**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-home-theater-gurus-out-there/312183/25 "2005-07-14T15:21:06Z")

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> [@Sam Stone](#):
>
> I haven’t heard of many DMDs failing.

Neither have I, which is what annoys me but pleases my customers. It’s just so counter-intuitive that a chip with a million microscopic _mechanical_ mirrors could be stone reliable.

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**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-home-theater-gurus-out-there/312183/26 "2005-08-17T07:37:22Z")

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Just bumping a month old post because I went shopping tonight and got the Mitsubishi 62" DLP (62525). Got a shiny new Harmon Kardon receiver to replace my 7 year old Kenwood, and all the other goodies (cables, stand, etc)

My local Fry’s was having a sale and I got the TV for $2499 (thats new, not a refurb or a floor model) with 30 months financing at 0%. At 2499 I am at least $500 ahead of anywhere I can find online. I am giddy, which is probably why I am up at 341AM posting about it instead of sleeping.

I go to pick it up and will set it up saturday afternoon. All in time for NFL week 1.

W00t! /cabbagepatch

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**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-home-theater-gurus-out-there/312183/27 "2005-08-17T13:51:18Z")

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**mouthbreather** post back when you’ve got it all up & running and let us know how it worked out!!!

**dropzone** it sounds like you’re in the electronics business and from your location it looks like you’re pretty close to me. I have some questions but don’t want to totally hijack this thread, do you mind if I e-mail you?

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