HDTV Forum

Toshiba 62HM196

Samsung HL-S6187W

Both of those URLs are for reference purposes.

I've narrowed it down to those two televisions mainly because of size, price and quality (1080). Does anyone have a recommendation for one or the other? My primary concern is picture quality. I've heard both can accept 1080p signals, but I don't know too much about how well they perform. CNet did a review on the smaller Samsung model (56") and gave it a good rating (7.6), but they haven't reviewed any Toshiba models for a while. The higher end Toshiba sets (like the one I have selected) have the newer xHD5 chips from TI, but I don't know anything about Samsung. I really like Samsung's name and reputation and I know they have solid televisions, but I don't know about the reliability of either brand. The Toshiba is a tad cheaper by the way.

Do you know of any other HDTVs that I should consider?

I think you picked two good ones. I have the Samsung HL-P model and love it. I had it calibrated after about 150 hrs. and the tech guy who did it said it had the best color decoder he had ever seen. After he was in the service menu, he could really nail the performance specs on the nose.

For calibration and service menu ease only, I would say the Sammy is the best DLP you can get. This model is an improvement over the HL-R model in that you can turn the artifact producing DNIE off. But I would invite those more familiar with the Toshiba to chime in.

If you don't plan to calibrate it, it is probably a toss-up.

Let us know what you got and how it is working!

What did you use to calibrate it? Avia? Can calibrating it from default settings really make that big of a difference? Will the two HDTVs have noticeable differences between each other after calibration?

Thanks for your help, by the way. I'm looking at both for around $3200/3300--this includes the television, stand, 5 yr warranty + bulb coverage, and shipping all from Newegg. The only problem is that the Samsung model is currently unavailable. whether it means it's out of stock or they simply have not received any models yet. I'd like to get a chance to see the television in action before I go into college (I'm really shopping on behalf of my family) in a week, so that's why I'm in a bit of a hurry to get answers .

Chuck_Z wrote:What did you use to calibrate it? Avia? Can calibrating it from default settings really make that big of a difference? Will the two HDTVs have noticeable differences between each other after calibration?

.

I hired an ISF tech to come out and plug into it. Try this:

viewtopic.php?t=3180

No one will say you NEED to do this to enjoy a new HDTV. I just wanted to know that if I spent some large dollars on a new TV, that I was watching the best it could do. Can I tell the difference? Absolutely. It is now immaculate and I just sit there and smile at it. It was important to me, but may not be for everyone. Several DVD's, as the one you mentioned above, can help. But they do not delve into the service menu, where many adjustments are made. Maybe Richard will jump in here. He is the pro.

If you want to see a demo floor model in action, try Best Buy, Circuit City, or some other big box retailer. They should have all the models sitting side by side for comparison.

Dave, you done good!

There is not much for me to add except that performance is a constantly moving target and the Samsung HLP will shine for a long time as the perfected version of calibration for them. Every new introduction from Samsung requires us to reinvent the wheel and the HLS has been no exception. Either way Dave's point still stands; if you are going to calibrate get the Samsung and if not then get what ever you like, take it home and enjoy!

This post is relevant until the new Samsung models come out...

How much might it cost to hire an ISF tech? Are there any in the Pittsburgh area?

Figure $300-600 depending on numerous circumstances.

A great calibrator in your area is http://www.Avical.com

If you want to go down this road it is highly recommended you give him a call before you buy!