hi brod slowhand,
we have a 61" WS DLP at home, so my answers don't necessarily apply to the other models.
1. Are you using it for viewing local cable tv? I have SkyCable and wondering how this would look on the Samsung. Is it bad, or good enough to be watchable?we try to avoid watching local TV using the DLP to preserve the bulb.. but then, my family and i find ourselves watching cable on it all the time. (hirap kasi bumalik sa maliit na screen.. hehehe
) regarding skycable... the clarity varies per channel e... some are really really bad (like NBN) while others are particularly clear (like NHK). the guys who installed it insist that it's the signal that determines the picture quality, which makes sense actually...
all in all... it's watchable (most often naman the channels that have really bad picture quality are those people rarely watch... like the arab channels)
2. How is it for watching 4:3 broadcasts -- does it have a good stretch feature?i'm quite OC about the stretch feature... so when i watch local TV or cable, i switch it to normal mode... but not because the pic quality goes down.. i just can't stand stretched faces.
but then may option din siyang "panoramic" mode. which just stretches the side while trying to maintain proper proportions at the middle part of the screen. try to demo it sa store to see for yourself and see how you like it.
3. I've read in some forums that this set is "problematic." How reliable is the set? Is local customer service good?well... we've already had our set replaced... there was one pixel burned out sa screen (yup, i'm OC enough to spot that from the couch.
hehehe), it turns out, mali yung pagkakabit ng bulb, it was too close to the mirror so it burned that spot sa mirror. it took too long for the replacement parts to arrive, so we asked to replace the whole set, which they did.
they new set hasn't given any significant problems as of yet. it is kinda high manitenance though...
4. Estimated bulb life? How much is a replacement?not really sure about the life span.. 3000 hours daw. haven't asked the price for replacement yet.
5. Is fan noise an issue?well... how can i explain this, if you want to hear the fan... you will hear it.
basically, it's like cooling fans sa PC. once you get used to it, you don't really hear it anymore... but generally, the fan is quiet. (as an extra precaution, my dad puts another fan near the exhaust, and that fan's noisy. but like i said, when you get used to it.. you don't hear it anymore.
)
6. Bottom line = Are you happy with your set?in a word, YES! verily.
like i said, it's a bit high maintenance, but other than that, it's a very good purchase.
hope this helps!
