Samsung HL-S5686W 56" DLP Projection TV

Amazing TV!

Strengths: Best picture of the 720p/1080i TV's. Nice remote, good sound. Black cabinet is sharp, small footprint for a large tv.

Weaknesses: TV lacks split screen, guide, nice features they used to include.

Summary: For background, I'm moving up from a 3 year old Sony 51" CRT projection. I loved that TV, but love to buy new stuff, so here's the review.

I've had the TV about a week. It was remarkably easy to take out of the box and set up. The whole unit weighs only 80 pounds (sony was 200+) and I was able to set it on the stand myself. I quickly hooked up my 2 component video cables, 2 S-video, and sound system. The TV has cable and antenna hookups, and also has HDMI, but I haven't invested in those cables yet.

The component video XBox and progressive DVD player provide stunningly clear pictures! Black levels are amazing and there is no visible screen door or other effects previously noticable on DLP TV's. Regular comcast cable comes through with a nice picture. Not as sharp as DVD, but a great picture nonetheless.

Watching Tivo or VHS through S-video connections there is a HUGE difference in quality. On this TV you can really notice how "blocky" the images are. This is not a fault of the TV, but just a warning. If you're going to throw out this much money for a TV just know that your going to have to buy quality DVD (or soon BluRay) with at least component video or HDMI cables, otherwise you might as well stick with a CRT set. I will end up upgrading to Comcast in High Definition and getting their HD-DVR because Tivo recording (even on Best quality) is not high quality and now that they don't sell lifetime memberships the $15/month they charge is more than comcast or other providers and is not worth it. Anyway...off my Tivo soapbox.

I like the remote and I'm glad samsung got rid of their old junky remote. It is long, thin, sleek, and easy to use. You can also program your cable box, DVD, VHS, receiver on the same remote.

The sound quality on the TV speakers is great! There are quite a bit of modes to play with including Dolby surround sound, mono, stereo, and manual equalizer adjustment. The one issue I have is that when hooked up to my surround sound the TV and my sound system are not in sync. The problem is easily solved by turning the TV volume down, muting, or using the internal mute, but I thought I'd mention it. If anyone knows how to correct the delay, post a reply!

The TV visually looks fantastic. It is very discreet in black, sits close to the wall, has litle glare. Well done on the design. I also chose this TV because the base is smaller than the screen, so it fits on my TV stand without overhanging. Check out my pic to see what I mean. The pictures don't do justice by any means to how great the set looks in my living room, but you get the idea.

Samsung, like many other TV companies, has eliminated some of the features they don't think customers value anymore. One of these is the split screen. I love split screen and can say it does wonders for my marriage and I can't believe I'm the only one that values this feature. This TV doesn't have it and I wish it did, but alas, woe is me. It does have some good stuff, like still mode, game mode, tons of video and sound adjustments, input and channel labeling, etc.

Overall I can't complain about this TV at all. It does everything it claims to do. The picture is not quite up to par with the Sony SXRD or with Samsungs new 1080p DLP, but I got this TV for under $2100 shipped with a 3 year warranty. I think I got a pretty great deal and got almost as nice a TV as those for over $1000 cheaper. Amongst everyone I know I have by far the nicest TV and all my friends have been very impressed, as have I.

Side note: be sure to research who you're buying from. My online buying ended up okay (DealSouthOnline - Very friendly people), but took 4 weeks to arrive - and that was Rush delivery. Buy with a credit card with a good fraud guarantee and watch for the typical signs of scams.

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Great DLP TV

Strengths: Easy setup Nice Picture Quality (great non-hd channel picture) Multiple Inputs.

Weaknesses: none yet. ( Startup up take more than a minute though) no PIP and cablecard slot ( I know this before buying this TV)

Summary: I use cable vision for American channels and dish network(satellite) for international channels. I was very hesitant to buy any HDTV because I heard that non-hdtv channels look horrible. But once I switch on my Samsung HL-S5686W I'm really happy the way the non-HD channels look.

HD channels are excellent and non-HD channels are good.

It is extremely easy to set up, took less than 5 minutes to setup.

Comes with built in surround sound and multiple sound settings.

Got multiple inputs including 2 HDMI and 1 DVI.

I used AVIA DVD to do some callibration but I feel out of box factory settings were good except contrast which is set too high.

Sleek design which makes this TV fits to even low cost TV stands.

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great TV

Strengths: great picture, good sound, great value for price

Weaknesses: not 1080 ,

Summary: 2006-12-04 06:08:49 This is my first HDTV. I went for the 56 inch since that the size of my entertainment center. Out from the box the picture looked great after some tweaking with the display contrast and brightness. The TV has great display especially if you are watching DVD's thru a component video and progressive scan DVD player. The picture is not great watching regular SDTV cable but not bad. One has to sit about 10 feet away t get a satisfactory picture from SDTV. I have not used the TV as yet with either digital cable or HDMI inputs so cannot comment on that. Picture was great watching HD via an antenna although the signals in my area are not great.

I think the sound is great and distortion free.

I was debating between the 5686 and the 5687 and went in for this because it was $ 300 cheaper and a resolution difference between 1020 and 72 0 did not matter much t o me since I did not plan use it for 1080 signals. If that is important to you and also since the 5687 has a higher contrast ration you could go in for that TV instead

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Wow.

Strengths: Amazing picture, greater viewing angle than first anticipated, game mode works flawlessley

Weaknesses: Picture is "off center" a bit and tilted down to the right ever so slightly.

Summary: Wow. What an amazing picture!

I have had mine for nearly a week now and love it. My PS2 works fine through component inputs with the settings for that input on Game Mode as I experienced lag while playing MLB 06 and Madden 07 with Game Mode turned off.

The only drawback thusfar has been the fact that my screen is about a half-inch to 3/4-inch moved to the left and is slightly tilted down to the right...only really noticable on ESPN and other channels that have a "ticker" running along the top or bottom of the screen as the letter are being slightly cut off as you move left to right. I called Samsung this morning and they were a pleasure to deal with as they conferenced me in with a service tech right away and they will notify me if they need to order parts or just set up an appointment to correct the issue.

I can't wait for the PS3 to come out, the big 56" screen really shows the graphical limitations of the PS2, although it still is loads of fun playing Madden 07 on that widescreen and having the players be so huge!

I can't comment on the sound as I am running it through a home theater receiver to get to my speakers.

2 hdmi inputs and 2 component inputs really make this set convenient, as I know I will need both of the hdmi's very soon (once my Oppo DVD players comes...*drools*).

Also, quick note, my couch is about 8 feet from the screen and I was just a little wary of that distance from the 56" screen...no such worrying was necessary as the clarity on the high definition channels and my DVD's are more than ample...and standard cable also isn't nearly as bad as I had anticipated it being...though the HD channels are by far where my channel roaming has centered since getting the Sammy.

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Great TV at a great price!

Strengths: Huge, Great price, Light weight, excellent picture, 2 HDMI connections

Weaknesses: The built in speakers is not lound enough even though you turn to the high volumn.

Summary: I did a lot of research on purchasing a bigscreen TV. I have been waiting for the price to come down. I was comparing the Sony LCD and the Samsung DLP models, both the 55 and 56 models. I read a lot of reviews, did a lot of research on the net and check at the local stores and found that people prefer DLP technology more than LCD. I was a little concerned with whether or not to buy online because of possible issues. I read alot of the customer reviews and people were happy, so I decided to tke a chance. This tv is freakin' HUGE but light. It's lighter than my old 27" CRT TV. This model delivers excellent high definition. My standard DVD's look better too. I would highly recommend this TV for this amount of money.

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Awesome TV Owned For Ever

Strengths: Great picture of the 720p/1080i TV's. Slim Remote Control, HDTV/DVD's looks Great.

Weaknesses: Need to have more distance to view clear picture, other wise the pixels are seens clearly, Analog pictures are not so good, but this is expected in the bigger TV, No PIP feature.

Summary: 2006-09-27 07:33:21 I would rate this TV as 9 out of 10, This TV produces awesome pictures for a very reasonable price compared to the 1080i TV's in the market which are so expensive.

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Amazing TV

Strengths: Easy to use, not too many options

Weaknesses: Not too many options. I wish there were better ways to view regular tv.

Summary: We reserached for a tv for months and my husband kept coming back to this one. We really like it and hope once we connect the sound system up it will really make the HD shine!

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BIG Screen HDTV At An Affordable Price!

Strengths: Priced well below similar sets (some smaller in size), all digital well proven technology, compact size & light weight for screen size, no burn-in concerns, no degrading of color over time.

Weaknesses: Lamp will need replacing from time to time (depending on use), digital picture quality will only be as good as source material (NOT the HDTV's fault).

Summary: With the price of large, widescreen HDTV sets dropping, and after thinking about it for the last 2-4 years, we decided that this would be the year we upgraded our 20-or-so year old 27" Zenith CRT TV for a larger, widescreen TV that would truly allow us to enjoy our DVD collection, as well as Dish Network broadcasts. Initially, I was looking at a "low priced" (under $1,000) 50" CRT rear projection model that was on sale. Not wanting to spend $2,000-3,000 or even more on the other types of TVs available of similar size, we were set to stick with that game plan until we found out that the TV in question was not in stock and would not be again until after the sale, at that point costing a bit over $1,000. We decided to head home and look further into our options. After doing extensive research on-line, as well as going into numerous stores and comparing countless sets and various technologies (including DILA, LCD & Plasma), we decided that DLP technology would give us the most bang for our buck with the most pleasing picture and settled on the Samsung HL-S5686W as being the best investment within our price range of keeping this purchase to under $1,500 (it cost just under $1,400). The 56" is actually bigger than the 46-52 inch screens we had been looking at and shows bright & colorful realistic images. It is slightly matted, so there is no glare from the windows or lights in our living room. There is no "Screen Door Effect" that we noticed with every LCD TV we looked at. There is a very thin border around the screen, so the case doesn't detract in any way from viewing, and it is also both shallow and lightweight. There are a wide variety of connection options to the rear, including HDMI and component video. There are also audio/video connections on the right side for attaching equipment (digital & video cameras as well as all of the various gaming consoles immediately come to mind). In addition, there is a USB port (WiseLink), which can be used to attach flash drives, MP3 players, digital cameras and such. The menus are easy to navigate and are pleasing to look at, and they can be adjusted for transparency to your personal tastes. The remote control is easy to use, once you get accustomed to it, and it's programmable for other audio/video equipment.

As for the picture.... With my Apex DVD player hooked in via component connectors, I viewed "Finding Nemo" and found the picture quality to be truly breathtaking. I was immersed in bright, vivid colors and crystal clear video. Everything was so sharp, with lightning fast action and no lag time noted. At some point you felt like you could walk (swim) right into the picture! Sitting from 10 feet away, I felt like I was in my own private movie theater, which is exactly what I had hoped for. From what I've read on-line, a newer DVD player with progressive scanning and an HDMI connection should even be better, which is not only hard to imagine; but something that I will definitely look into after the Holdiays. That being said, be aware that the digital picture quality is SO good that it will also show *any* flaws in the source material or any problems with the broadcast signal. The larger your screen size, the more this will become glaringly apparent. This is true of ANY of the modern HDTVs using digital technology. Keep in mind when viewing TVs at the stores that they are trying to give you the best signal they can to sell you on "High Definition" TVs. Also keep in mind that some TVs may be properly calibrated, while others are not; so side by side comparisons are not always so cut and dried. The picture will look utterly fantastic with DVD & true HD materials and broadcasts; but "Standard Definition" material, including broadcasts from my present Dish Network receiver (Model 4900) will show numerous imperfections, and possibly even a "blockiness" and/or pixelization. I especially noticed this on certain Dish broadcasts, probably due to both poor source material and the compression methods (MPEG-2) used in the satellite transmission. Once again, please note that this is NOT a fault of the HDTV! After the Holidays, I may look into upgrading my Dish receiver to an HD model and/or setting up an antenna to see if I can get Over The Air signals in HD. I have found that keeping a distance from the screen (10-13 feet) greatly enhances the viewing of SD material, as the closer you get the more you will notice the degraded picture quality. Also, once you view HD anything in SD is going to pale in comparison.

All of that being said, I can't recommend this set enough. If you want the absolute latest technology with 1080p resolution, be prepared to spend at least $500-1,000 more; but for most "normal" folks, this set with 720p/1080i (720p actually looks better) will do it all and do it very well at a very reasonable price.

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