TV with DVR & Internet: $89.90/mo
- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 33 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"Incredible Picture, simple setup,"
Pros: HD Picture quality, internal tuner, speakers, price
Cons: Volume adjustment via remote, Anynet integration, 480P image display
Summary: This TV is the first flat screen I've purchased. When choosing this model, I compared this TV to Pioneer plasma TVs at BBY & CC and the HPT5054 picture was much better. None of the LCDs or projection TVs came close.
First, a 50-inch TV is huge! We call it the B.F.T.V. It looks great. The black frame helps prevent it from sticking out more, but a TV this big in my low-ceiling, military base house living room tends to say "All I do is watch TV."
Setting up the TV was easy. We've got an antiquated mom&pop cable system where I live, so I connected the cable direct to the TV and also ran the Gen Instruments cable box (which descrambles some digital channels into a 480P signal) into the TV's air antenna. Switching back and forth is as simple as hitting the antenna button on the remote. The TV tuner does a much better job of processing analog signals than the cable box.
HD signals are displayed BEAUTIFULLY, crisp, vivid.
All images are very clear and adjustable for the room lighting.
The TV tuner sends digital sound to my Denon receiver via optical digital cable or HDMI. Analog channels are transmitted in simple stereo and HD channels are direct Dolby Digital. So, watching a DVD or TV, all my sound comes digitally from the TV to the tuner which processes the analog into 5.1 sound. It's almost shameful to have such a capable home theater tuner sitting as a slave to the TV's audio signal, but it works great.
If I'm too lazy to use the Denon receiver, the speakers on the TV are quite capable and create a fairly decent simulated surround effect. Only gripe on sound is that adjusting sound levels on the remote require multiple presses and releases of the volume buttons.
I also purchased a Samsung DVD-R/VCR combo, which can be controlled through the TV via the HDMI cable using a proprietary system called Anynet. It requires a few extra button smashes to initiate (hitting an Anynet button), but it automatically powers up the DVD/VCR and controls menus. Securing from Anynet requires using the source button (not the Anynet button). My only complaint is the confusing button smashing required to start it up and then return to TV viewing. It trips me up each time, but once Anynet is running my 3-year old knows how to switch from her Little House DVD to her Matilda VHS tape.
Best things I've watched in HD with this TV so far:
- the NASCAR race in Richmond. Wow, the colors, the smooth transitions of the images and the Dolby Digital sound were great.
- KCET in HD. It's the Los Angeles area public tv station in HD. It's like having moving art display.
- KCAL News on Channel 9. The recent fire in the Hollywood Hills was shown in HD and the blacks were deep and I could see the flames turning and spinning and still break out the rotor blades on the helicopters as they dropped water on the flames.
- The NBA playoffs. It was great to see Phoenix beat the Lakers in HD.
Samsung HP-T5054:
