Excellent picture, questionable service life
Pros:
Great picture, plenty of A/V inputs, HDMI connection
Cons:
DLP bulb technology, warranty repair service
The Bottom Line:
avoid DLP TVs, they might have great picture, but repairs are unavoidable, especially because they are designed this way
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
DLP HDTVs look spectacular... when they work. I purchased the 56HM195 about two months ago and have it hooked up to digital satellite HDTV. The picture is pretty amazing. Much better than standard TV. But then just a few days ago, the TV stopped working. We called into warranty service and they said it would take 10 days before someone could come out and look at the TV. Of course, the main reason I bought the TV is to watch college football games in HD, but by the time the service people arrive, all of the bowl games will be over. Pretty frustrating. On top of that, I've found out that the bulbs used to power the DLP picture burn out after a year or two of use (maybe less, in my case it was less than two months). Bulb replacements cost anywhere between $250 and $350, depending on the TV model. So if this sounds good to you and you're willing to put up with expensive repairs, by all means go buy a DLP. If you think it's ridiculous to have to spend an extra $300 every year or two after spending $3000+ on the TV, then avoid DLP at all costs. I'm not saying all DLPs have this problem, but there is a good chance that you'll be watching your favorite program one day, and then all of a sudden the TV goes black and doesn't turn on again. And then you'll have a giant hunk of metal and plastic sitting in your living room for at least the next week.
