Samsung HLP6163W 61-Inch HDTV Monitor with DLP Technology
Better bang for the buck than plasma
After doing a fair bit of research, I bought my first HDTV-  the Samsung HLP6163.  The picture is fantastic, especially in high definition.  I would highly recommend this TV.  However, with any technologically complex products there are some tradeoffs. First the pros -- size of screen, low weight (less than a 100 lbs), excellent 1500:1 contrast (higher is better), DVI, HDMI, RGB as well as 2 component video input options, 3rd generation TI DLP chip and 7 segment color wheel, and of course, size of screen.  The 61 inch screen is enormous. <br /> <br />Some minor negatives: the picture on the HLP 5163 (the 51 inch cousin) seems brighter; the manual has virtually no technical information (for example, whether the DVI input is DVI HDCP (thats some sort of copyright protection scrambling to prevent copying)), and personally, with a system of this cost, I would have preferred if Samsung had skipped the speakers (and lowered the cost) and just sold the monitor. <br /> <br />   First, a few words of advice for accessories.  You need to understand the different input modes and the varying quality of the input. You must buy a DVD player with DVI output that automatically upconverts the video to 1072i.  (Samsung makes a fairly inexpensive one).  I tried another new DVD player with only the component output without the automatic upconvert of the video and the picture was not very good.  I then read several reviews about the 6163 in some magazines and they all recommend a DVD with DVI output.  The one problem is that the 6163 has only one DVI input connection. The right thing to do is to hook up the high definition receiver (I am using DirectTV) using the component cables and the DVD with the DVI.  If you use DirectTV with HDTV, I recommend setting all output at 1072i (rather than native 1)which converts all video signals to the higher definition (it makes standard tv video look better in my opinion). <br /> <br />As far as the picture goes, it seems to me that the angle viewingis worse looking up or down at the screen rather than side to side (it boasts of a 160 degree side to side view).  For this reason, I think correct height placement of the TV is important. A standard low widescreen TV table is a tad low for my tastes. Also, while the picture is very bright and sharp, any sunlight reflection tends to show up on the screen much more than a CRT or a plasma, so you need to think about placement if there are bright lights or sunlight.