ARCAM with Plasma or DLP?

[malcolm mccabe]

I am ready to upgrade my TV and have heard elsewhere on the forums some good things about the Samsung DLP TV. I was going to get the new Pioneer XDE 43", but having read the posts on the DLP forum and What Hi-Fi's review on the 50" DLP Samsung, I'm now not so sure about Plasma.

Considering I'm going to be using my Arcam DV88 Plus (Upgrade to DV29 soon), I'm wondering if other Arcam owners have checked this Samsung out? Will it give as good a picture in component v plasma? once I get the DV29, it sounds like the HDMI will mean this DLP is streets ahead of all the Plasmas.

So are Plasma's on the way out?

[johndon]

I've got my DV79 connected to a Hitachi plasma via component and the picture quality is stunning. I've seen the Samsung and I'm not convinced the picture quality I'm getting now would be any better on the DLP.

However, you need to let your eyes decide - have you got a dealer who sells the plasma and DLP you could get along to with your player to try them out.

John

[scott brown]

i was set on buying a samsung DLP until I saw the Panasonic 50 inch DLP. the picture quality was better and the price was a lot lower. i got it and love it

[dwette]

I have the Samsung 61" DLP (HLP6163W) and it is awesome. Love the picture. I use it with the AVR300 and a DV88 Plus modded with the SiI504 PS upgrade.

Was planning to upgrade to AVP700/P1000 and the Sammy 73" DLP when they are out, but found something more fun to get, so home theater upgrades are done for a while.

Dean

[sticker]

Don't believe everything that you read inthe mags. Plasma is a long way from being on the way out. It really all depends on the source, I live in Oz and we're fortunate enough to have free to air HiDef TV. Weekend before last I watched North by Northwest @ 1080i and it was absolutely stunning, without doubt the best picture I have seen on any device bar none. The colours were so vibrant and the images so 3 dimensional, skin tones were "human". Now this is a very old film, its jsut a shame that a lot of material is broadcast in SD. Conversely the next day a TV film was being broadcast @ 576p and it was awful.

As to HDMI and component, I'm not convinced that picture quality wise HDMI is that big a leap over a well implemented component imho. Convienience yes but night and day quality no.

John

[malcolm mccabe]

Thanks for replies guys, I have a couple of specific questions:

Dean - I have a DV88 Plus - is there a way to check what PS chipset it has? Is the SiI504 upgrade still available considering the age of the unit, wondering on cost as well.

Scott - what model is the Panny you have?, I thought the Samsung was a good price (although hard to source at the moment) but if there is a Panasonic DLP I'd be interested to check that out as well.

Unfortunately my local dealers do not currently stock both DLP and Plasma - a little drive is in order me thinks.

[dwette]

Originally Posted by malcolm mccabe

Thanks for replies guys, I have a couple of specific questions:

Dean - I have a DV88 Plus - is there a way to check what PS chipset it has? Is the SiI504 upgrade still available considering the age of the unit, wondering on cost as well.

A DV88 Plus with the SiI504 PS board will have 2 sets of component outputs. The standard set in a "L" configuration in the middle of the back panel, and a second set in a straight line configuration across the top of the back panel. When you have both, the standard set is always interlaced output from the onboard Vaddis decoder, and the top set is the progressive output from the SiI504.

If you only have one set of component outputs then your deinterlacing is done by the Vaddis decoder (i.e. it doubles as a mpeg decoder and deinterlacer).

I got my SiI504 upgrade less than a year ago, and as far as I know it is still available.

[scott brown]

Originally Posted by malcolm mccabe

Thanks for replies guys, I have a couple of specific questions:

Dean - I have a DV88 Plus - is there a way to check what PS chipset it has? Is the SiI504 upgrade still available considering the age of the unit, wondering on cost as well.

Scott - what model is the Panny you have?, I thought the Samsung was a good price (although hard to source at the moment) but if there is a Panasonic DLP I'd be interested to check that out as well.

Unfortunately my local dealers do not currently stock both DLP and Plasma - a little drive is in order me thinks.

PT-50DL54

http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs...00000000005702

it runs about US $2400 new from amazon last i checked
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...onics&n=507846

that's a lot less than the samsung was, and i the panasonic is better.

[VoltronUS]

Malcolm-

I have not seen a DV88 or DV29 on a DLP set, but my DV29 feeds amazing pictures to my Pioneer Elite plasma. To my mind/eye, the combination of DV29 and Pioneer plasma creates a more film-like picture quality than I have seen on any DLP or LCD set. Don't get me wrong, I have seen some great DLPs and I am sure that they would look excellent with the Arcam gear, but I cannot imagine you would feel DLP blows away the plasma after comparing them. If I were looking at DLP sets, I would wait and see the 1080p Sony SXRB (?) or whatever it is they are calling their new LCOS set. It is supposed to be spectacular, and they have a 61" version that is much thinner than a lot of the DLP sets. Have fun comparing.

[scott brown]

i think my dlp with my dv27a looks a lot better than some plasmas i've seen

DLP is nice

[VoltronUS]

Scott--I tried to be clear that I was not knocking DLP and I am sure your setup has a picture far better than a lot of plasmas out there. I was just suggesting to Malcolm that the DV29 and Pioneer plasma combination that he was considering would yield a great PQ that I think is very filmlike. Ultimately, I agree fully with Johndon that you have to see the options with your own eyes because different people have different tastes and different elements of PQ that are more important to them. Much of this stuff is purely subjective.

Cheers,
V