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Anonymous | With hundreds of queries on the list, not a mention of RCA. No retailer in the Pittsburgh, PA area has this model so I'm resorting to web sites for info and purchase. Now I'm resorting to your input. Anybody seen or bought this model? |
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John G | The HDLP50W151 is available at hhgregg. It received a reasonably favorable review from soundandvisionmag.com -- look under Hot Topics, 3 Roads to HDTV. I haven't seen the set but it has great connections, including dvi, firewire, and component video and a built-in HDTV tuner that works with (some) cable systems. Wish it had a vga connector. |
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DsprateInMi | Heated discussion on this on avsforum.com Hope that helps, have to go now, will get back another time with more info |
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Anonymous | Thanks for the input! I'll access these websites and see what they say. |
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| I looked high and low to find a retailer showing the Scenium 50" dlp.Finally found one to demo next to the Samsung hln507, both demoed with sat hd and dvd from a progressive scan Samsung. I really wanted to like the RCA because the set is much nicer looking but that's the only thing the RCA has going. The whites were blown out, and the picture was grainie. The Sammy was very detailed,no reflection,awesome blacks,and the whites were true.Check out TV Authority.com Based in Santa Monica CA. GoodLuck |
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Anonymous | Anyone have any dealings with 'Advanced Video Sytems' of Owego, NY? I'm hoping to hear good things! I'm trying to buy an HDLP61W151 from 'Advanced Video Systems' www.avs-store.com I wired them cash on 10/09/2003 and it is now 10/21/2003 and I have no word on a shipping date. They say that they wired my cash to RCA and that the sets are on backorder. I have no reason to disbelieve 'Advanced Video Systems' but I must say that I'm surprised that they did not contact me, asking if a backorder was OK before wiring along my cash. As for why I chose the RCA DLP. Connection features and the fact that at the core it was a 'Mustang' HD2 DLP, and of course the tuner and connections. Maybe not wise. I can't tell much by seeing TVs in a store -- they can be set up so many different ways. You can usually tell if 'good' but if they look bad, it's hard to know why. |
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Anonymous | I've noticed Advance Video Systems too -- haven't dealt with them (yet) but God are they cheap! |
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Dennis P | Allen, I was also impressed by Advanced Video Systems low prices but I was skeptical. I emailed the Better Business Bureau of Upstate NY to get some info on them. They got back to me and told me that they have a satisfactory record. I will be placing an order for the RCA Scenium soon with them. Hope this helps |
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RCA sucks | i have an RCA Scenium HDLP50W151 . it is the worst television in the world. the first one fried my dvd/vcr player, my dvd player, my stereo and burnt my cable wire. i had a difficult time getting a replacement unit, but i finally received one. this time the unit fried my laptop, desktop computer, playstation and now does not even turn on! This unit bites (i believe there is an electrical design malfunction in the units), and the RCA service center is even worst (even if you can get someone to help you). i can go on and on, about this, but is it worth it? do not buy this unit even for your worst enemy! |
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Anonymous | I've had the 50" Scenium for two weeks and have had no problems. Even the support-line help from RCA has been very customer-friendly and responsive. I have both a DVD player and a cable modem connected with no problems. The picture quality is excellent in HD and having a built-in tuner is very convenient. It sounds like you got a "lemon". Anyways, I added a 5-year full service extended warranty from HHGregg just to feel safe. |
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Brucie | I'd like to ask Anonymous what his/her thoughts are on the non-HD standard television picture quality of the set. |
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cobbcr | Just an FYI... A group of us ordered 13 RCA DLP 50" and 61" from a local distributer and they have been back ordered for several weeks already. We have just been told end of November. |
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Anonymous | Brucie,the SD picture quality looks fine to me. I compared it with the Sony GWIII and the Samsung DLP. The RCA looked better in SD. This was a major consideration since it will be awhile till HD is predominate. You should also check out the AVS Forum for very in-depth discussions on the various DLP units and other rear-projection units. the real videophiles seem to prefer the Samsung, but for me, I'm quite happy with the RCA on a price/performance/features basis. |
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| DocJM I just brought home a DLP 50. As soon as I turned it on an obnoxious whining hum began and did not stop. The TV worked fine, except for this loud noise. I had a local tech come out today and he thinks it "maybe normal", and was going to call RCA. I can't actually believe a high end TV like this would have a noise that detracts from the viewing. Has anyone experieced this and what did you find out? Thanks |
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Anonymous | Love it have had it afew weeks now and it lives up to its few reviews |
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Anonymous | I've had mine for about a month. The noise you're hearing is probably from the cooling fan. I only hear it when I turn the TV off (ie. no sound) as the set cools down and then, only if I get real close to the set (<3 feet). I think that your set has a problem and you should have a qualified technician fix it. |
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Anonymous | RCA's web site is terrible. When I used it to find dealers in Boston, it just barfed out a list of all the local radio shacks, which of course don't sell anything like this. When I used their (horrible) inquiry/comment form to inquire as to dealers in Boston, they sent me a nonsense answer after a few days that said to use the web site to find out more about their product. Huh? I noticed they don't give any number to call, even a support number. Anyone care to give out their support number? |
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angelo | our display 61" rca has a hum also, but we run it all day. And yes, the rca dlp is really a junk tv. we've had so many problems with both of them (1st one stopped working after 2 weeks) both of them seem to have a stobe of light flicker on it up and down. the rainbow effect is very noticible, not on our 50" samsung dlp though. |
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McQueen Campbell | Angelo, I'm trying to make a decision to buy a "DLP" TV. I think it is the next best thing to plasma and I have the space. Should I buy the Samsung or the RCA model. Can you help? It sounds like you've had both. |
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Anonymous | Re: calling RCA -- I think one or the other of these numbers should work: From: RCA HDTV 877-722-4388 8-8 M-F,10-7 SS |
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Anonymous | AS A FOLLOW-UP, RCA STILL HAVENT FIXED MY FAULTY TELEVISION. BUYER BEWARE. THEY SENT THEIR 'TECHNICIAN' TO SEE THE LEMON---GUESS WHAT HE DID---OPENED THE UNIT AND TOOK PICTURES. HE SAID THE MOTHERBOARD IS FRIED, SUGGESTED I JUST GET MY MONEY BACK SINCE THIS PROBLEM MAY HAPPEN AGAIN. BUYER BEWARE, WILL INSTITUTE LEGAL ACTION, I HONESTLY THINK THIS UNIT HAS A SERIOUS DESIGN DEFECT AND MAY BE VERY DANGEROUS AS WELL (SPARKS, ELECTRICAL SURGES, FIRE, ETC.) I DO NOT WANT TO DEBATE THIS, JUST AN ADVISORY. |
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Unregistered guest | I have had the 50 DLP model for nearly 3 months now. I too have experienced the obnoxious fan noise and have had no luck getting it resolved. There is one service tech in my area (recommended by RCA support) that is willing to service the television. An RCA rep view/listened to my television and deemed the noice "within normal levels". That is obsurd given the first reaction to people when they see the TV - "what is that noise...". The picture quality is very good, but support and service is terrible. Right now I feel like I am stuck with a set that is not operating at satisfactory levels - shame on RCA. |
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Unregistered guest | Another enlightening update to my nightmare experience with RCA - Thompson. I was just informed by RCA Consumer Relations that my only option was to pay to have the TV shipped to a service site or pay the travel time/expense to send someone there. Note that this has been a faulty television since I purchased it. Bad answer RCA. You should be ashamed at such poor support! Beware any buyers if your TV fails. |
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New member Username: LedgePost Number: 1 Registered: 01-2004 | I just got the RCA DLP 61" Television. I can absolutely say this is a great television. There is a fan noise, but it isn't even noticeable when watching the television. I can also say that you should get an extended warranty on anything like this you purchase and purchase from actual stores like Best Buy which now carries the set online. |
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Unregistered guest | *PLEASE READ* owners of the rca scenium hdlp50w151. i own this unit, and i would like to know if anyone else has had this problem. i bought this tv in dec. 2003. the guideplus+ feature on the unit works for a random amount of time (sometimes a day, sometimes up to 2 weeks) then, it goes down. by goes down, i don't mean there are "no listings available", i mean, when you access the guideplus, all you get is the channel you are watching in the small window in the corner, and the rest of the screen is BLACK...no guide, no error messages, no text, just BLACK. and after a few seconds, the tv reverts back to normal mode by itself. this is the second unit that is doing this to me, and i would like to know if anyone has experienced, or knows anything about this. thank you. |
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Anonymous Unregistered guest | Some people emailing me asking. What happened? The rest of the story is that I didn't want to wait an undetermined time for the TV so I requested and got my cash back. When I did that, AVS adviced me that their cash return policy (this is, remember with no product involved) was 4-6 weeks. That was just for canceling a backorder situation that I NEVER ASKED to enter in the first place. How can companies take cash (I bank-wired cash) for stuff they don't have yet and can't say when they will have the item??? Now have a Hitachi 65S700 from CC. Very happy with it and CC price and service. IMO best pic/price. Under $3,000 for a great 65" pic AND a digital tuner -- who can argue with that? I didn't have a space problem so the larger cab is fine. Good forums and lots of nutty Hitachi tweakers out there. I just play in the user menu and it looks like a movie screen. Good luck! Now, I'll never make a major purchase, except locally. |
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ARTHUR Unregistered guest | SINCE I BOUGHT THE TV ITS BEEN FOR NO REASON TURNING ITSELF OFF THEN BACK ON. THEY HAD REPLACED A PART ALREADY. KEPT DOING IT. AND NOW ALL I HAVE IS A BLACK SCREEN SAYING UNUSABLE INPUT AND THE PART I NEED IS ON BACKORDER. THIS TV HAS BEEN A HASSLE FROM THE BEGINING. BEWARE OF THE TV.!!!!!!!!!!! |
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suku Unregistered guest | I own this TV. Good picture quality. Theere is an ethernet port where you can connect your highspeed internet is a joke. It works, but 6 out of ten times, it locks up the TV set. Then you have to unplug (not turn off) the tv set and wait 10 mts to get it to reset. It claims to come with a keyboard, but they say out of stock and dont know when they make it again. |
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vsapi Unregistered guest | SO.....I was just gonna buy myself an RCA Scenuim 50" tmrw. Now I am not so sure. 1. Can anyone chime in with the pro/cons of Scenium vs. Sammy 507w? 2. Also, with all the talk about new chips coming later this year HD+ and HD3 and xHD3, etc...what should I do? Is it a really notcible difference between TVs with HD2 and HD+..780 vs 1080? I am pretty fired up about upgrading my old analog Mitsu, but if there is a significant and NOTICIABLE difference, I may consider waiting... Please HELP! |
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Ken56 Unregistered guest | was in BB the other day and they had a Scenium 61" and a Samsung 50" side by side, same video feed. Honestly the RCA had a much poorer image than the Samsung. The image was not nearly as sharp, and the colors were slightly less vibrant. Even if it were out of calibration that should not effect the sharpness. My HLN617W was already on order, and it arrived last week after waiting 6 months. My ititial impressions after 1 week are as follows: 1.Ordinary NTSC signal from cable is as good as or better than my old CRT. 2.Color wheel nor fan are excessively noisy. I have to cut sound off to hear the fan. 3.I tried the PC connection, playing a DVD. My connection to the TV was through a SVGA cable. (I have a DVI cable on order and a progressive scan DVD player with DVI). Picture was very good, not excellent, but very good. 4. There is a slight green tint in some of the scenes from cable. I did not see any flaws with the color from the DVD. I have a HDTV calibration disk that hopefully will clear up any green tint issues. 5. No noticeable rainbow effects, so I guess I am lucky I am not prone to the effect. 6. No noticable video/sound lags. The only adjustments I have made yet are to change the color to "cool 1" and lower the contrast to about 75%. Most of the messages are positive on LCOS, but until there is a TV with a higher resolution than the DLPs out there now (1280x720p) I'll be happy with my purchase. But after reading this site for a while I think I will order a spare lamp. |
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Pembroke Pines Unregistered guest | I've had my HLN617W for about 3 weeks. I have not heard noise from either the color wheel or the fan. I have not noticed any video/sound lages either. I color seemed to be shifted towards the red. Since I have an extended warranty, I scheduled a service call. The tech lowered the red balance from the service menu (wish I had the codes to get in there). Anyway, the color balance is quite good now. I'm going to test the VGA and DVI connections with a computer, soon. So far, I'm very happy with this television. Oh, two more things. I am prone to the "rainbow effect" occasionally when I move my eyes rapidly. It hasn't been objectionable. One day, when there are consumer versions of 3-chip DLPs, there won't be any more rainbow effects. |
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Unregistered guest | I've had my HDLP50W151 about a month now and no problems. No fried external hardware. Have noticed sound lags at times but am going through an A/V Surround Sound Tuner. My question is, has anyone used the ethernet port with any success. Before I buy a WAP I want to know will it 1) Work with my LAN and 2) Can I send .AVI or .MPG video files to the set through the ethernet port? I can get no answers to these questions from RCA/THOMPSON as they apparently have no "tech" support. |
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Seano Unregistered guest | Other forums say there was to be some improvements in the RCA models in 2004 but the on-line manual sure doesn't reflect that. Does anyone know if any changes have been made in the 50" model for 2004 or is it still the same TV as it was when it was introduced? |
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J.R. Unregistered guest | I've had my HDLP50W151 since January 3rd. TV was perfect - no noticeable fan noise, no problems with picture quality - until tonight. Came home from work hit the power button. Power is getting to the unit, front button lights come on solidly, but DLP engine is dead. Calling RCA tomorrow. We'll see what happens with this. |
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Seano Unregistered guest | YIKES! I'm not happy with the number of problems I'm hearing. At first your post made me feel good! I noticed in the manual (the online PDF version) that if you are getting a software update and it gets interupted it can cause the unit to become inoperable. But I also heard there was little chance of software updates being available. Lots of luck, please keep us informed. |
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Kimberly Unregistered guest | We purchased a RCA DLP 61" TV just over a month ago. It worked great for 2 weeks, then we started to have problems. First came the horizontal white lines, then the flickering screen, which only got worse day by day. The picture from the DVD player was perfect, no problems there, so we figured it must be the cable signal. We had the cable company come out and check every line and every connection. The cable technician gave us the news that the poor quality picture was not from the cable, but from our new TV. So, after having this TV for 28 days, it was toast. Luckily we purchased it locally through Best Buy, and they had no problem exchanging the TV for something else. We exchanged it for the 65" Mitsubishi TV, and are very pleased so far. If you are thinking about getting this model - Don't do it! From the number of posts on the web it is obvious that there are some problems that need to be worked out. Maybe in a couple of years this technology will be perfected. |
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J.R. Unregistered guest | An update to my earlier post...Turned out to be no problem. I called the RCA help number. I was given a different phone number for Scenium product support. Called up, no wait on the phone. Described the problem and was told to do a "master reset" for the TV by completely unplugging it for about 20 minutes. I yanked out the power cord from the back of the TV when I got home and when I plugged it back in later and turned the TV on, the funky state that the TV was in was corrected. Not sure how the TV got into that state (My wife was the one who managed to do this - I think by turning it on and off too quickly) but the reset worked fine. No problems since since then. TV is functioning perfectly just as it did before. |
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New member Username: LedgePost Number: 2 Registered: Jan-04 | Still no problems here with the 61" RCA DLP I got from Best Buy. I love it. I have had it for a few months now with no problems at all. DVD's, Cable, HDTV all look great. |
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murphy Unregistered guest | I've had my RCA DLP50W151 for almost a month now, and I couldn't be happier. I've got a DVI signal coming out of a Direct TVHD box and it looks amazing. My only compaint would be that there aren't enough channels in HD at the moment. I'm sure that will change. I also just recently picked up component cables for my PS2 and have been playing games in 480p...It really is a night and day difference. If you are into PS2 games, do yourself a favor and check out Beyond Good and Evil, Prince of Persia, and SSX3 in 480p...It's a thing of beauty. |
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AndyG Unregistered guest | Would anyone know why CC lists the 50" RCA Scenium as Model #RCA HD50LPW42 when EVERYWHERE ELSE lists it as DLP50W151? Also CC has slightly different dimensions and lists 92 lb instead of 103. Is this a different model, or is CC just sloppy on the website and in-store cards? |
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Garrett Unregistered guest | Have had the RCA 50" Scenium...for about 6 months. Here are my comments: The Good stuff first: I'm running a Home Theater PC (HTPC) with only: AMD Duron 900Mhz ATI All in Wonder 9000 Pro graphics card (DVI-D) Powerstrip customized 540p resolution timings Wireless Ultra-Gyration Keyboard-mouse combo. WD-160 gig Hard Drive Windows XP Home Edition Another Big Plus: Free I-Control movies on channels 86-89 thanks to the built-in tuner. Stuff that's been ordered in your area just may be tuneable. It is for me! Unless I'm mistaken, there's no digital tuner on the Sammy, so no free lunch for you who go that route. You know you have a digtal tuner if there is absolutely no snow in your picture when using a rabbit ear type antenna (Mine's actually in the attic hooked up with Coax), and the TV shows a sub-channel in the second box, i.e. 6-1. With digital broadcasts, you either have a crystal clear picture or you don't have any picture; there's no in-between. In town, ABC has no contract with Time-Warner cable yet...so if you want ABC in HD, you must receive the over-the-air broadcast (which means you need to be close to a decent sized city). Now for the critique: Annoyance #1: Don't bother with the built in ethernet port. It's highly incapable which is why I went the HTPC route. I looked into the RCA keyboard, but no luck! out of stock...The ehternet port might be great for possible future firmware upgrades, however. (Hint, Hint Thompson). Annoyance #2: Tried the firewire connection to the PC. PC recognized the "RCA SCENIUM" but no drivers are available, so "no can do" on using that connection for video recording through the HTPC. Annoyance #3: Even though the DLP chip is capable of 720p (which is awesome by the way -- ABC is actually the only station in town broadcasting the signal in that format), the DVI input connection has a governor on it which won't allow running my HTPC at more than 540p. I don't know if the Sammy's firmware is better or not. Overall, I do like the TV. I'm happy with the purchase. No significant problems yet, but Annoyance #4: One time the TV wouldn't come to life when powered on. This seems like a common theme in this thread. Turned it off for a few minutes, then something reset and it came back to life. Final remark: Whether you carry the Sammy or the RCA label, you're all using the same TI DLP chip whose future looks very bright. And by the way, you can't adequately compare a 50" to a 61" side by side unless you take about 20 more steps back from the 61". Consider your room size before you purchase. Also, I'd be more cautious of what the front end provides than the display itself. HHGregg explains to me that they tweak colors on certain models on occasion to get certain other models to sell more quickly. Mine was the floor model, and after I brought it home I noticed they had indeed messed with the colors a bit. Bear in mind, a lot of things have to go right for HDTV to be all it can be. When it all works right, it's quite fascinating. |
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Unregistered guest | I've had my RCA 50" HDLP for a couple of weeks. Picture is great - better than great, but it is a 'noisy' unit. You'll hear other people talk about the cooling fan - true, that's noisy. The DLP chip is also noisy, so to the discerning ear you'll heard two sources of noise - and it is very annoying. I've contacted the place I bought it to see about sending it back (online retailer = big restocking and shipping costs!) and I've called RCA to get a tech out to look at it. I expect the tech will say "nothing wrong, it's working as designed". I'm considering fabricating a soundproof enclosure for the rear of the set where the noise comes from. Big job and in hindsight I should have bought the Samsung and gotten a seperate ATSC tuner. Bottom line - don't buy this set if you have good hearing unless you're putting it in an enclosure to kill the noise. |
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Unregistered guest | Our Samsung 507W also makes so much noise that it's impossible to enjoy program content that involves just people talking or when things quiet down just a little. We can't live with a TV that makes this much noise and plan to return it to Circuit City. This would be a great set for NASCAR fans or action/adventure junkies. |
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New member Username: LedgePost Number: 3 Registered: Jan-04 | You are going to get some noise from all DLP TV's. There is a color wheel that spins constantly. It isn't any louder than a computer fan though. I never notice it when I am watching TV at all. The only time I notice it is when I first power up the TV. Many people I know have DLP TV's as well and can hear the fan noise/color wheel noise, but none find it an issue. I own an 61" RCA DLP and have the noise, they own Samsung's and have it too. I am willing to deal with it though, you can't beat not having screen burn in as is found on LCD and CRT projection TV's. I can play X-Box and PSD with no worries on my DLP. I personally wouldn't trade my DLP tv for any of the LCD or CRT projection TV's. |
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Bronze Member Username: EmkmdPost Number: 53 Registered: Dec-03 | I think the fan noise is the cooling fan. not the color wheel. Yes I can hear it on my 507w, but I new it would be there, so I don't let it bother me. I can only hear it when there is no sound or just quiet dialog. -E |
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j_youngen Unregistered guest | The noise could be both the color wheel and the fan. In my case the fan was tested but made minimal noise. When the next tech came out, he replaced the color wheel. He specifically stated that this was a known issue. He also noted that he has replaced "many" of these. Now that it is fixed, I do not notice the noise at all and I do have a critical ear. My recommendation is if you DO have any notable or disturbing noise, you have an issue - beat on RCA to get a tech out to replace it! Took me 6 months, but the TV is awesome now. |
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azoosa Unregistered guest | Will the HDLP series have the ability to be upgraded to display 720p? I was under the assumption that it could out of the box, but I was wrong. My component inputs only go as high as 480p, and the DVI is displayed at 1080i. 720p? Anyone? |
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zmanx7 Unregistered guest | Anybody know the difference between the HD50WLP42 and the HDLP50W151? The retailers here in the LA area have the former, is it an earlier mmodel? |
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Brutus Unregistered guest | I assumed the same thing and now have a Samsung DVD player that can up the output to 720p but the TV will not play it. Only runs at 480p. Not sure called RCA and Samsung and was told soem compatability issue but it seemed more like they had no clue. The question I have is are all 720p outputs alike? BTW, my TV is top notch for HDTV braodcasts..people are literaly shocked when they see it. DVDs are VERY nice looking. XBOX via COmponent is VERY nice looking. Regular TV channels are bad news.... |
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Mike in Houston Unregistered guest | I just had the RCA DLP 50" repaired and very happy again. It was noisy from both the fan and light engine - the repair company was hesitant - RCA said the niose was OK if you can't hear it from 9' at normal volume. Anyway I pounded on the repair company with data about the noisy TV's and they came to the party. All happy again. Love my TV |
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Unregistered guest | Hello... Does anyone know if the RCA Scenium range of HDTV 51 inch tvs accept signals for european dvd players or PAL signals (as it is known) I am looking to by the TV and have all UK camcorders, VCRs and DVD players and also PS2s etc and its gonna cost me quite a bit (more than the tv) to replace them all if I buy new equipment on older NTSC tvs the picture just rolls but some have a Vhold switch to stop it from rolling.. then it just appears in B+W. Anyone who has Pal equipment will know what im talking about any help appreciated Just wanna know before i spend the bucks. Cheers |
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RCA newbee Unregistered guest | Here's my deal ...have the RCA hdlp50w151 about 1 month now. No problems at all with picture quality either through regular cable box (not upgraded to hdtv yet) or through Sony dvd unit. I'm concerned with all I read about these color wheel and/or fan noise issues but have none {yet} gulp! Have a Mac G5 hooked to the DVI input on the TV and am impressed with resolution and matter a fact I'm writing this submission on it right now ...text easily legible from approx. 8 feet away. Have tried the ethernet interface and built in web browser ...don't bother, it's worthless.... much better web browsing with the mac. In fact applications on the mac look great too. Photoshop is the exception here but that's to be expected. Called 1-866-Scenium a little while ago and got prompt tech support. I asked if there was any way to get better resolution than the 720 by 480 that the mac reported in the displays control panel. He said the TV would support up to 1280 by 1024 so I'm off to upgrade mac video card. Will advise. |
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New member Username: KaisevenPost Number: 1 Registered: May-04 | I'm really not sure about my RCA DLP. At Circuit City the color on the comparable Sony (LCD) was much more vivid, but my RCA (a DLP)had a bit of a sharper picture, and not quite as dark as the Sony. Now my remote's broken and the TV won't recognize the cable input anymore, and the cable people inspected and said it's the TV. Feel like I bought a POS for over 3Gs... Can anyone give advise? I'm probably returning ASAP. |
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Bronze Member Username: EmkmdPost Number: 64 Registered: Dec-03 | If you check out these forums, nothing but bad things to say about the RCA. Take it back. -E |
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Unregistered guest | Well may as well add my two cents here. Only had my HDLP50W151 for a couple days now, but I'm in love with it. Upgraded from an RCA ProScan which has served me extremely well (owned two of them.) I too noticed a poor picture when I first got it home. Reset the settings on the TV and it was great. Makes me wonder though... it wasn't in a box when it was delivered by HHGreg and I didn't think I bought a floor model. I'm very sorry to hear people say bad things about the ethernet port. I planned to use it. I also have ordered the keyboard online. Noise? Haven't noticed any at all and I usually have very sensitive ears. Here's hoping I never see what I've read here. I actually found this page by searching to find out if I should get Cable or Satellite and who to buy it from to best fit my TV. |
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Unregistered guest | Ok I was trying to find out if the salesman a friend of mine, (althogh not close) was telling me the truth. I asked him if the RCA was a 3 chip DLP and he said "yes". He also told me the TV had 1.3 million total pixels. I thought this was the number of pixs on a single chip, so a contradiction. Which TV's, if any, are 3 chip? |
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Unregistered guest | I am posting here seeking advice regarding "Advanced Video Systems" of Owego, NY. Their web-site is "avs-store.com". I placed an order for Sharp LC-37HV4U for which I wired cash [$2800.00]. It's been one week and they are not updating me about shipping. I sent several emails and they don't reply. I can not get anybody over phone. I found several people here faced same problem [unfortunately, I did not come across it before]. I also saw someone saying he notified NY attorney General. Can u guys please advice me how to get my money back. I badly need this help. Thanks in advance. |
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Unregistered guest | I have an RCA scenium and it keeps shutting on and off.. Help.. Of course just out of warranty.. Anone else with this problem? |
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NewDLPguy Unregistered guest | I bought an RCA 61" DLP system a couple weeks ago. I have learned considerable amount of techno information, so thought I would pass it on to those thinking of taking the plunge. I settled on RCA DLP because of built in tuner (I refuse to buy cable/dish, cost vs 150 channels of cr*p), the small relative footprint, large viewing angle, no burn in (son plays hours of xbox), cost ($1000 less than Sammy at CC), and connectivity (DVI, Ethernet, and Firewire). I know I can't afford the new systems with the V3 chip. In the store the sammy had a slightly sharper picture. But, you do not know how the tv's are set up, and the cost difference (no tuner$300 + $1000 price difference = $1300) made an easy decision for me. Reliability of RCA has been an issue. One primary AV magazine gave it a 93% reliability, right up there with sammy and sony. Read the forums and all have the same level of troubled systems. I bought the extended warranty. I was not happy with images from my DVD and Xbox. I bought mid-level monster cables, but plan to test with some cheapies to see if I can see any difference. What I did learn, and the forums rarely highlight this, you must go in to the menu and video settings of your DVD player or Xbox (with Xbox component cables), and make sure they are outputting High Def. All units are shipped with this off, so you must turn it on. Wow. After that I was happy with my purchase. There is some fan noise, if you listen for it when there is no volume. Not an issue with me. I see no rainbows, no issue here. ALL DLP's have a lipsink issue, lips slightly out of sink with sound when using a separate amp. I set my surround system to a slight delay, and now not an issue. Hope this helps. |
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Bronze Member Username: JrestSt. Louis, Missouri USA Post Number: 11 Registered: Jun-04 | How do you set your surround system to a slight delay for the lip sync to not be an issue? Also, have you noctired any lag/sync problems with the xbox and dlp? And which magazine were you reading that gave 93% reliability? |
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freddog Unregistered guest | Noeljb- There are no 3 chip DLP rear-projection sets on the market. There are a few 3 chip front projectors on the market in the $25,000+ price range. |
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Happy With RCA Unregistered guest | My cheapy Pioneer surround system has an option on the remote for testing and delay. I have not noticed any lipsink issues with the Xbox, but mostly just use the TV speakers for sound. My mistake for reliability. I was referring to 'build quality' according to Home Theater: http://www.hometheatermag.com/directviewandplasmatvs/204faceoff/index1.html. Good article, but I disagree with their assessment as to brightness. I'd much rather have a set too bright and be able to turn it down, than not bright enough and stuck with it. |
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Anonymous | I too purchased an RCA 50" DLP in Mid Jan. 2004 from hh Gregg. The end of March the lamp went and was not replaced until mid April. Then the lamp again went out and was diagnosed as lamp engine failure. When the tech finally arrived to replace it, 26 days later, it still would not work. After some phone calls by the tech it was decided to take it back to the repair area to attempt to repair it. In all over the 6 months of owning it there has been, so far, 46 days it did not work.Use your own judgement as to purchase one or not. |
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Unregistered guest | 2 weeks ago I got my RCA DLP HD50LPW4. So war I very like it - great performance and very clear picture. Unfortunatelly there are few technological problems I would like refer to you: 1) When I connect my DVD player and switch it to progressive scan mode, and use wide screen movie disk - everything great. But when I use regular screen movie - the picture on the screen is stretched and zoom button on the TV remote doesn't work. So meanwhile I'm without progressive scan feature. Any ideas? 2) I finnaly received from Comcast Cable company HDTV box. I connected DVI cable. The picture great. But TV can do any zoom - I need it when there is no widescreen program. So I connected another cable to Composite input of TV (now I have no HDTV input) and able to zoom the braodcast picture. The only problem I experince right now: after TV switched off/on - the DVI input shows "snow" picture! I need to diconnect ALL cables and connect them again, to have DVI input work. And it happens every time. Any idea?! I'm not sure I need to call for tecghnician from RCA or from cable company. |
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Anonymous | Our 50" RCA had a slight buzz, but a great picture-- to the best of my recollection. On day 22, we were reduced to sound, but no picture. Authorized service person came out with no parts-- just to diagnose. Said there were too many possible problems. Anyway, we are told parts are on backorder 'til late August (more than two months after TV broke). Customer service is surly and useless-- they have every excuse in the book, but no action. They refuse to do an exchange, and from what I read here, that may simply prolong the agony. Somebody mentioned to me a Federal warranty law, maybe Magnuson Moss. Does anyone have any info or thoughts on any of this? Thanks. |
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Anonymous | Our 50" RCA had a slight buzz, but a great picture-- to the best of my recollection. On day 22, we were reduced to sound, but no picture. Authorized service person came out with no parts-- just to diagnose. Said there were too many possible problems. Anyway, we are told parts are on backorder 'til late August (more than two months after TV broke). Customer service is surly and useless-- they have every excuse in the book, but no action. They refuse to do an exchange, and from what I read here, that may simply prolong the agony. Somebody mentioned to me a Federal warranty law, maybe Magnuson Moss. Does anyone have any info or thoughts on any of this? Thanks. |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | "The only problem I experince right now: after TV switched off/on - the DVI input shows "snow" picture! I need to diconnect ALL cables and connect them again, to have DVI input work. And it happens every time. Any idea?! I'm not sure I need to call for tecghnician from RCA or from cable company." Answer: It is your cable box firmware not the TV. My guess is you have a Motorola STB either a DCT-5100 or DCT-6200 with firmware version 7.07 or lower. Your cable company needs to download the newest firmware version 7.15, this cures the "handshake" problem on the DVI connection which is what you are experiencing. |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | "Somebody mentioned to me a Federal warranty law, maybe Magnuson Moss. Does anyone have any info or thoughts on any of this? Thanks. " All the act calls for is that you get a warranty in writing, not that they fulfill the warranty. See Below: The Act and the Rules establish three basic requirements that may apply to you, either as a warrantor or a seller. As a warrantor, you must designate, or title, your written warranty as either "full" or "limited." As a warrantor, you must state certain specified information about the coverage of your warranty in a single, clear, and easy-to-read document. As a warrantor or a seller, you must ensure that warranties are available where your warranted consumer products are sold so that consumers can read them before buying. Pretty useless stuff huh? Their is no federal lemon law on any item other than regarding automobile emissions standards. All other product lemon laws are state statutes. I suggest you contact the Attorney Generals office for your State for additional info. |
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dlp Unregistered guest | Did anyone ever answer question on difference between HDLP50W151 and HD50LPW42 models? My local BB and RCA Home Page only stock the LPW42 model. Magazine and online reviews I can find are for W151 model. So...is W42 new model that replaced W151? And if so, has qualtity improved? I'm getting ready to purchase DLP, and am impressed with RCA inputs/outputs and DTV tuner, in addition to ~1K cheaper than comparable Sammy or Sony. Thanx dlp |
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dlp Unregistered guest | Discussion a couple of months ago re fact that neither component nor DVI inputs will accept 720P concerns me. I was thinking about buying Samsung DVD player with 720P upconversion. Guess that idea is out... |
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Garrett Unregistered guest | I'm not sure if the 720p comment is true for the components but it IS true for DVI-D. I have spent many hours trying to get DVI in 720p but I am told the firmware (I like to refer to it as a governor) won't allow it. 540p settings work great with my Home Theater PC (HTPC) using "powerstrip". The TV can do 720p thru its built in tuner. ABC in Columbus broadcasts in 720p according to the TV's info. I'm glad I got the 3-year warranty based on everyone's comments. Mostly my experience has been good but occasionally the TV (lamp) won't turn on. SO I turn it back off for a minute and it usually comes back on in a minute or so?????? |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | "Did anyone ever answer question on difference between HDLP50W151 and HD50LPW42 models?" The 151 has a black bezel with bright blue lights on the front panel wheras the 42's have the silver bezel and an itty bitty green power on lamp on the front panel. They are both Scenium. One additional, and the only important, difference is that the 151's have a horrible screen that reflects light something fierce wheras the 42's have a no glare screen that is easy on the eyes. |
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Anonymous | It appears from the comments that most of users do not understand the literature and manual regarding the RCA DLP sets. 1. The literature and manual state that when you turn the set off it is automatic to allow COOL DOWN of the tube which produces the color that it cool down for a period of time. If you attempt to do so you are overridng the cool down of the tube and are effecting the life span and electronics of the set. 2.A fan is required to cool the set and tube which produces the colors, it's a small "Muffin Fan" which is used in Many computers and electonic sets. Those of you which have a computer other than a LAP TOP will have a fan of same type to cool the computer and and its electronics. Hopefully you are now wisher and will be a reader of manual and literature. |
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Anonymous | It appears from the comments that most of users do not understand the literature and manual regarding the RCA DLP sets. 1. The literature and manual state that when you turn the set off it is automatic to allow COOL DOWN of the tube which produces the color that it cool down for a period of time. If you attempt to do so you are overridng the cool down of the tube and are effecting the life span and electronics of the set. 2.A fan is required to cool the set and tube which produces the colors, it's a small "Muffin Fan" which is used in Many computers and electonic sets. Those of you which have a computer other than a LAP TOP will have a fan of same type to cool the computer and and its electronics. Hopefully you are now wisher and will be a reader of manual and literature. |
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Ric Unregistered guest | RE: The comments: "Did anyone ever answer question on difference between HDLP50W151 and HD50LPW42 models?" The difference in the W151 and @42 is ZERO!! RCA has the different numbers to support the BIG BOX stores from the smaller shops to support the purchase by the BIG BOX stores and their purchasing agents for more discount at the time of their purchase. This supports the "Competitive pricing and we will match" pricing by the BIG BOX stores.. |
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Ric Unregistered guest | RE: The comments: "Did anyone ever answer question on difference between HDLP50W151 and HD50LPW42 models?" The difference in the W151 and @42 is ZERO!! RCA has the different numbers to support the BIG BOX stores from the smaller shops to support the purchase by the BIG BOX stores and their purchasing agents for more discount at the time of their purchase. This supports the "Competitive pricing and we will match" pricing by the BIG BOX stores.. |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | Ric incorrectly wrote "The difference in the W151 and @42 is ZERO!! RCA has the different numbers to support the BIG BOX stores from the smaller shops to support the purchase by the BIG BOX stores and their purchasing agents for more discount at the time of their purchase. This supports the "Competitive pricing and we will match" pricing by the BIG BOX stores.. " Although this is a differentiating factor between the two it is far from the main differences. See my post above for accurate differences. xvxvxvx |
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New member Username: TerrygorePlano, TX Post Number: 4 Registered: Aug-04 | As far as the web browsing goes, I plugged in an XBOX wireless adapter and it recognized my Linksys access point without a problem. Unfortunately the browser is rendered via Windows CE (think pocketPC) so the browser is NOT IE6 - it's a variant. The TV only seems to render 256 colors and it will not display any video files. In fact, if you go to a site like www.msn.com it displays it in a funky mode (made for WinCE). The keyboard works nicely, and is required if you want to do any web browsing. It's only $50 and is worth it. I will admit that the browser does seem to lock up a bit, but it only takes a click on the keyboard (Close) to fix the problem. Having the browser is a great "WOW" factor and adds some convenience by not requiring a PC to display web sites. Unfortunately the implementation is not that great. This might be improved, and I am optimistic, because there is an option to download software/firmware updates dircectly to the TV and the new version of WinCE (5.0) includes IE6. If we can get Internet Explorer 6 on the machine, we should get a lot of new functionality (music, video, max colors, etc). All in all I am VERY happy with my TV (61")- have had ZERO problems and XBOX rocks on it (did I mention I have Halo2 already?). Can't get away from the TV of late. |
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Unregistered guest | We just got the RCA61DLPHDTV and well, I have an issue. We just upgraded through Comcast to HD and got a HD box from them to see the HD channels. We have to goto Input 4 to see these channels and we are getting Closed Captioning on it without being able to stop it. Anyone else have this problem?? |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | "We just got the RCA61DLPHDTV and well, I have an issue. We just upgraded through Comcast to HD and got a HD box from them to see the HD channels. We have to goto Input 4 to see these channels and we are getting Closed Captioning on it without being able to stop it. Anyone else have this problem??" You must have a Motorola STB from Comcast. Do the following: Turn off your STB Press Menu A new screen will appear Scroll down to the CC controls Turn them off Enjoy your non-hearing impaired experience |
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Garrett Unregistered guest | Updates on my RCA DLP...(I'm the HTPC guy) My TV (finally) wouldn't come on the other day; Thank goodness for HHGregg 3-year warranty and kudos to them! They're actually very pleasant to work with and are service driven even after the sale. Get this, though. The bulb is not burnt out yet because the picture magically came back after an hour of being on. The problem hasn't resurfaced this week but I'm sure that it will again. A Technician will show up Monday so I don't know what I'm going to show him now that everything works again. Do the words "class-action" come to anyone else's mind? These DLP products cost big bucks yet the failure rate seems astronomical. Based on this forum's comments, haven't we already surpassed "lemon?" Any lawyers out there? Any RCA engineers or execs out there want to speak up about what caused this product's release to be so faulty? Where are RCA's "smart people" that worked behind this operation? |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | "Do the words "class-action" come to anyone else's mind?" Only to people unwilling to take responsibility for their own decisions. "Based on this forum's comments, haven't we already surpassed "lemon?" Hardly, most owners are very satisified with their units. "Any lawyers out there? " Of course there are ambulance chasers everywhere. BTW, you'd get a $1.98 after your lawsuit but those attorneys would clean-up. "Any RCA engineers or execs out there want to speak up about what caused this product's release to be so faulty?" I repeat most RCA owners are very happy with thier units. A few bad apples do not make the tree poisonous. |
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dlp Unregistered guest | I'm almost ready to purchase W42 Scenium & Comcast digital cable. Q: Since W42 has onboard QAM tuner, do I need I need cable box to display HD channels? I thought that digital cable box was only needed to receive scrambled HD channels, like HBO-HD or HD movies on demand, but Comcast tech assistance told me I needed to rent box for all HD service. Sounds like a rip-off that I don't need, but i'm not 100% sure. Anyone else have experience with Comcast digital cable, HD service, and Scenium with QAM tuner? Also, for anyone who is interested, I submitted question re "no 720P over DVI digital input" to RCA tech support via their web site. No response for 10 days and counting... Will let you all know if RCA responds. Thanks again for answering my other questions! dlp |
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guest1 Unregistered guest | what about the new rca scenium's, only 6 3/4 " deep from front to rear panel. this is a big edge on plasma. has anyone seen ony of these models yet? |
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dlp Unregistered guest | FYI - RCA online tech support finally responded to my question on how to get 720P over DVI input. Email response was that my question was too difficult to answer via email, and that I had to call the 800 number...Not exactly encouraging tech support...I was hoping to get tech info on firmware upgrade, etc. I am starting to lean away from purchasing Scenium. |