Samsung HL-R5067W 50-Inch HD-Ready DLP TV
BEST HD Technology For The Price -- Get Extended Warranty!
We've been enjoying our 50\\" HLN-5065 Sammy DLP for more than 2 years now, with no regrets!  I got the 4-year on-site Extended Warranty at Best Buy for $300 when we bought it and I'm glad we did.  Since this is a relatively new technology, there are bound to be problems that slowly get worked out with each new series that's released.  Last March (at the start of March Madness no less), our screen started randomly freezing with a black and white image on the screen that looked like a photo negative. <br /> <br />One call to Best Buy and within a couple of days, a service guy came out and said he had to replace the digital board...We could still watch TV, but just had to shut it down and boot it back up whenever the screen froze...Sometimes 2-3 times a day, sometimes no times a day.  Once the new board arrived and was installed ($292.95 parts + $150 labor), it worked like new for about another month when it did the SAME thing again! <br /> <br />This time a different service guy came out and installed a brand new light engine AND digital board ($1,303.72 parts + $150 labor)...Basically ALL NEW GUTS in the TV!  They're the latest version too because he actually had difficulty getting the ports/jacks to line up properly between the new guts and old back cover.  That's when he said they don't make the older parts anymore, since they've made improvements in the technology and use those when repairs are needed...Sounded good to me, so I bought into it! <br /> <br />One thing's for sure...The picture has never been better on this screen with both Std Definition and our DirecTV HD feed and OTA Zenith Silver Sensor HD local channels.  So why would I give a product 5 stars when we experienced such problems with it? <br /> <br />It's easy...This set delivers a stunning large picture that never degrades (mechanically) over time, and it was $3,200 new when 42\\" plasmas were $7,000 to $8,000.  In another 3-4 years, those plasmas will be worthless and we'll just put a new bulb in ourDLP and it'll look good-as-new!  Technical difficulties with new technologies should not be unexpected, but rather anticipated...Thus, the reason for purchasing an extended warranty. <br /> <br />After more than 1-1/2 years of viewing enjoyment, our $300 warranty paid for $1,900 of brand new parts, including improved technology!  It's like insurance...You don't want to use it, but if you do NEED it, you don't want to find yourself without it.  Since this 50\\" DLP is now only $1,800, you should seriously consider it the front-runner in any large screen HDTV purchase comparison.  Don't just consider what you get in picture quality NOW, but what will you still be enjoying several years from now after your neighbor's plasma with multiple screen burn-ins finally gives up the gas and goes screen up in the landfill!