Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I'd like to make two points clear at the outset. One, I have always been a bit suspicious of glowing reviews I've read out here, suspecting somehow they had been written by people associated with the company producing the product being reviewed. And two, although I have purchased other less expensive items online, I have always had a great fear of buying large ticket items, such as this television set, online.
I had resisted buying an HDTV mainly because I wasn't comfortable with the drawbacks inherent in each type of set, e.g. burn-in for plasma sets and dropped pixels for LCD sets, plus the fact that the picture on most of these sets gradually deteriorated as each day went by. My current set had been a 45 inch Mitsubishi DLP television, whose picture was still as sharp and clear as the first day I turned it on back in 2001, despite the fact that the original lamp had never been replaced. So I was definitely a Mitsubishi fan, despite some of the problems I'd read about with certain of their earlier DLP high definition models.
But the thing which really motivated me to finally purchase a Hi-Def set was the day I watched my first 3D demonstration at a Best Buy store. It was amazing and all I could think of after that was watching my favorite sports teams in 3D. So I began a long and very arduous research process, mainly online. It finally brought me to this particular Mitsubishi 3D ready set, despite the negative reviews given to certain earlier Mitsubishi models, whose warranties Mitsubishi did extend for two additional years. And, it seems as though many people bought these Mitsubishi sets without ever being aware that, under varying circumstances, they may have to replace their lamp from time to time.
At any rate, I eventually took the giant leap of faith and ordered my new Mitsu 73 inch HDTV from Amazon.com., mainly because I had made other smaller buys from Amazon.com with no problems and I have to admit I liked the idea of free shipping and no state taxes on a large ticket item like this, which saved me around $260.00. Anyway, the big day arrived and while I had had many earlier concerns over how the delivery would be handled, I was delighted to find how smoothly the actual delivery process went. At the time of purchase, the delivery was scheduled for 7/22/10 between 8:00 AM and 12:00 PM. They actually arrived at 10:15 AM on 7/22/10. As I was extremely relieved to find, the two men handling the delivery actually brought the stand and set inside my apartment, in that order, and carefully unboxed each item. They then gave me plenty of time to carefully inspect each item for any exterior damage. They then carefully placed the set on the stand and even turned on the set to make sure the initial blue screen appeared. So, it turned out all my delivery fears were absolutely unfounded. The delivery could not have gone better.
After they left, I waited for a bit and then began hooking things up. After plugging everything into my new surge protector and making the required connections, I turned the set on and went through the required set-up routine, making all the picture settings which had been recommended on several Hi-Def forums for the earlier version of this model. These seemed to give me a very nice initial picture, although I feel I may have a bit more tweaking to do to suit my individual preferences. But after briefly watching some college football and professional golf, as well as an episode of The Sopranos, I believe all my research has been well rewarded and that I have purchased the perfect set for me. There have been a few who told me they would never have anything to do with Mitsubishi sets, but as I told them, I will remain a fan until such time as this set proves me wrong. In addition, I will mention that I did purchase a SquareTrade extended warranty for this set, as I would have done for any item costing this much. The cost was little enough to provide peace of mind for four years. And, as I later learned, my Visa card automatically extends the warranty for a fifth year.
So I suppose this review is exactly the type that would have inspired me to believe it was written by a Mitsubishi employee. Nothing could be further from the truth. I just feel I did my homework and bought this item from a reliable E-tailer and hopefully, I will be enjoying my new Mitsubishi 3D HDTV for many years to come.
I'm back with some additional information as I've decided to include the basic settings I've come up with to obtain what I think is an excellent picture on this particular HDTV set. They are as follows:
Color 40, Tint 27, Sharpness 31, Color Temp. Low, Video Noise Med., Edge Enhancement On, Deep Field Imaging Off, Smooth 120 Off, Picture Mode Natural, Contrast 33, Brightness 31. I might also add most of my viewing is done in pretty dim lighting, which I think very much contributes to an optimum picture.
I'd also like to add that the 3D picture on this set, using the Panasonic DMP-BDT350 3D BluRay player, is absolutely phenominal. My only other experience with 3D television viewing was at a Best Buy Store where I watched a 3D demo on a 55" Samsung LED set and the 3D effect with this 73" Mitsubishi is far better. It is true that the more immersive the experience (the larger the screen), the better the 3D effect is. Now I am simply waiting for my upgraded (HR21 and above) DirecTV receiver so I can begin viewing some of their existing 3D sports channels.
Well, here it is in my second week and I just received (finally) the DirecTV receiver (HR21-200) I needed to receive their on-air 3D programming. After calling DirecTV to activate this new receiver I hooked up the Mitsu 3DG-1000 adapter kit, chose 3D programming on my Mitsu 73738 HDTV menu, put on my 3D glasses and sat back to enjoy some of the most amazing television I've ever seen. I watched a 3D program on Channel 104 called The Universe and after watching the asteroid belt head directly into my living room, followed by a close-up of the surface of the sun (which appeared to be hovering about six inches above my coffee table)I knew I was hooked and hooked BIGtime!!! And if that wasn't enough to do it, I then watched some lions and a cheetah roaming the veldt, with their heads occasionally poking into my living room, and that absolutely finished off the job! I am now officially a 3D addict! Lower prices and more extensive 3D programming be hanged! I bought now and I'm glad of it! Now just bring on my first 3D football game!
Just another note to mark the passing of my first month with my new Mitsu HDTV. Everything still working great! I have been very much surprised to find a group of people out here who are definitely anti-Mitsubishi. Some of their reasons seem no more substantial than possibly having to replace the lamp in a Mitsubishi set. To my way of thinking, that's kind of like buying a Hummer and then asking the dealer what kind of gas mileage it gets. If you're spending $2,000 + for a great 3D HDTV and you occasionally have to replace a hundred dollar part (which incidentally will restore your set to having the same great picture you had on Day 1) then that's no biggie at all.
For you people out there who have DirecTV, I might suggest when you set up your new 3D receiver that you pick the "Non-natural" option in the video set-up. If you don't, every time you switch programs to one with a different resolution, the screen will briefly go blank and you will hear eight or nine loud clicking noises before the new program begins. After awhile it became very irritating so I decided I'd rather do without it.
Well, here I am back again at just about the end of month two with my Mitsu 73737. Everything still works fine. I'm mainly here to comment on the 3D programming I've watched during these almost 60 days, particularly the sports programming. Tennis was a disappointment. Since the camera coverage is usually from behind one player and because most players spend their time at the baseline, then you're not going to get much change in depth, which definitely diminishes the 3D effect. Plus, the court itself is flat, unlike the rolling hills of a golf course. Golfing was very enjoyable to watch in 3D because everyone is constantly moving around and changing depth in relation to the camera positions. Motocross X Games were fun; watching those bikes do 360s high above uneven ground. Basketball offered pretty good effects but football was my favorite of all, especially when covered with multiple cameras, including overhead views. There was one particular pass play during the Va. Tech./Boise St. game where the pass came right at you into the end zone. Really great 3D effect! But the one sport I'm still really anxious to see is Boxing! I think that might turn out to be the best sport of all for 3D viewing.
However, I feel the features made especially to demonstrate the 3D effect remain the best source of amazing 3D programming. There is one in particular and it features various jungle animals, including a rather large snake, which uncoils directly toward the viewer. I defy anyone to sit and watch this snake move directly into your room and toward your face without unconsciously moving backwards and/or putting your hand up to protect yourself. I've watched it 4 or 5 times now and I still can't just sit there and watch it without physically reacting.
And for you videophiles out there who complain because these particular Mitsubishi HDTV sets use the checkerboard format for 3D viewing, which reduces the resolution from 1080 to 720 for each eye, I can only say it's a total
non-issue as far as I'm concerned and I doubt the majority of viewers could even tell the difference anyhow. In fact, it reminds me a bit of the audiophiles from back in the day when Hi-Fi first appeared who complained because a certain speaker's upper limit was too low, when in truth, most listeners couldn't even perceive sounds in that particular range to begin with.
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The 3D Ready Mitsubishi WD-73738 DLP HDTV.Click here for a larger image.
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