The HL-T5087S puts out a fairly spectacular picture especially in regards to brightness and color reproduction. The blacks are truly black (especially when comparing to some of the early LCDs on the market) and the use of an LED lamp ensures both an increased bulb life expectancy and an apparent lack of rainbow effect (since it eliminates the need for a color wheel and speeds up the single-chip color transitions). I was actually a little disappointed that I wouldn't have a chance to experience rainbow effect. This is the first DLP product I've spent a considerable amount of time with and I'd hoped to be able to complain about it like some of my reviewer friends.

One of the first things I noticed was a really limited viewing angle. I sit about 10 feet away and my eyes were positioned about 1/3 of the way up the screen from the bottom. From this position, I could see a bit of a shadow on the top corners of the screen. While not distracting, it was clearly visible especially when you moved your head. Over the evaluation period, I got used to it and I don't think it seriously distracted from the viewing experience, but it was there.

DVD: Nightwatch
This review is filled with movies that I rented because of recommendations from people on the Audioholics forum or listeners of AVRant. Nightwatch was the former. A Russian movie, this transfer had the distinction of being the only foreign language movie I've ever heard of that didn't have a language track in the original language (English, French, and Spanish only). I had heard that the original had done some interesting things with the subtitles that I was looking forward to checking out. Unfortunately, none of that made it into this transfer. The movie itself is sort of a Russian version of Underworld (with the uber-hottie Kate Beckinsale replaced with some weird looking Russian guy that keeps getting his butt kicked). I can't say I loved this movie or even really understood all of it, but I blame that on the English language transfer. This movie is filled with dark scenes and subdued colors. The Samsung HL-T5087S did a great job with all the blacks while still being able to render the detail in the backgrounds. When there was color on the screen (mostly red) it really popped. This was a great movie to check out your brightness. I could pop it in, pause it on almost any random frame, and calibrate from there.

DVD: Casshern
Casshern is a live action movie based on an anime television series that was released in 1973 (we make remakes of old TV programs, I guess the Japanese are just following suit). If you're into Anime, you know the plot - Boy dies (or something), boy gets weirdo suit of armor, boy becomes an unstoppable killing machine. Throw in a few environmental themes and an underlying message that technology specifically and mankind in general is destroying each other, society, the planet, and the universe and you're set.

Casshern borrows heavily from the style of movies such as Sin City and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (mostly from the latter). Everything is heavily stylized and the Anime influence in both the themes and the way the movie is shot is extremely obvious. Many of the graphics are rudimentary but it seems that it was as much a directorial choice as a budgetary one (the film was made for ~$6 million). The colors are heavily oversaturated and the HL-T5087S just looked gorgeous as it presented everything in bigger than life colors. It was surreal to watch and quite interesting visually. As with all the other viewing evaluations, the HL-5087S's one flaw of color banding did pop up from time to time.

HDTV: Heroes, Alien Insect: Praying Mantis, LOTR:ROTK
You gotta love HDTV and you've also gotta laugh at those dissenters who claim they can't see a difference. You must not be looking. Heroes and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King looked stunning on the Samsung. What really caught my attention, however, was a show in Discovery HD Theater called Alien Insect: Praying Mantis. Holy COW! Those bugs looked awesome! They were so lifelike and vivid that I could feel the kids pressing close just in case the huge insect crawled off the screen. The colors were vivid and the detail was amazing. You can see so much on a screen this size in HD.

Xbox 360: Halo 3

As much as I like to complain about getting headshotted by 15 year olds, you have to love playing Halo 3 in glorious 1080p over component video with a group of friends at or about your same level. While the graphics aren't up to the level of something like Gears of War or BioShock, they really got the water right. Even during gameplay I'd notice a few instances of banding which was annoying but other than that I couldn't fault the HL-T5087S. I tried out and ended up using the Game Mode which switches you to Dynamic and optimizes the display for games. I can't say I noticed much of a difference between the graphics when using the normal Dynamic mode vs. Game mode but while others were complaining that they couldn't see because their display was too dark, my picture was as clear as a bell. Enjoy a few pics of me killing some of my fellow Audioholics.

Conclusion

While the HL-T5087S does a lot of things right, it also whiffs a few. The glitches and other oddities aside, the remote stinks, the viewing angle is extremely limited, and banding is apparent even on HD sources. Sure, it reduces noise like crazy but who'll notice it while they're watching the moiré pattern run across the buildings in the background? It's as bright as can be and the colors and black levels are truly astounding. The calibration options are extremely limited (though with Movie Mode and Warm2, you get pretty good color with no work on your part) and 2:3 pulldown was non-existent. The Menu Map is a feature we'd like to see implemented in every component we review from this moment on. The first foray into LED DLP for Samsung is hit or miss. Hopefully, Samsung will learn from this set and the next generation will truly be something to behold.

Samsung HL-T5087S
$2399

Samsung Electronics, Inc.
Samsung
105 Challenger Rd.
Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660-0511

www.samsung.com

About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., markets a broad range of award winning, advanced digital consumer electronics and home appliance products, including HDTVs, home theater systems, MP3 players, refrigerators and laundry machines. A recognized innovation leader in consumer electronics design and technology, Samsung is the HDTV market leader in the U.S. and is the only manufacturer that produces all four major digital television technologies.