Mitsubishi WD-73840 73-Inch 1080p Projection TV

SO FAR…SO GOOD, October 9, 2011

I received my WD73840 a couple of weeks ago after a year or more of hesitating. I have a 60 inch Pioneer 1080p Kuro, as well as a 52 inch Sony HX909 XBR, so picture quality for me is the most important feature of any television. I heard that the new Mitsubishi line was the best DLP series to date and that the PQ was fantastic. So, when a SUPER deal came along, I decided to pull the trigger… and I mean SUPER deal.

Frankly, I paid FAR LESS than the best prices advertised on Amazon or anywhere else on the net that I’ve seen. What did I get? First, the television. Second, great delivery service (helped me bring it in, checked it out for damage, and hauled away wooden flats and other “trash”). Finally, a full five year extended warranty. I received my television in less than a week after ordering it! I also bought, as a separate purchase, the 73 inch stand/rack that was made for this set by Mitsubishi.

So far, I have been impressed with this television, but really have not “messed with it” since I am leaving my hands off it for the first 100 hours or so of play time. The 1080i pq from Dish-Network is actually pretty darn nice, and I really have no major complaint about other channels as the tv seems to handle (up-convert with 1080 plush) them quite well.

I ordered a Pioneer Elite 3D Blue Ray so I have not checked out all of the 3d features. The “2d to 3d” conversion option appears to work remarkably well on this tv…a nice surprise…does it better than my Sony! I also ordered a voltage regulator/surge protector for the unit and I anticipate that this may clear up the pq even further while offering the right kind of protection this tv requires. I do plan to get this set professionally calibrated at some point next year.

Build looks and feels sturdy. Set-up was a snap and moving around the remote and accessing settings is also very, very easy. The only problem I have encountered, to date, is with the dongle for streaming Internet content. It picks up and logs onto my wireless signal, but has had issues loading programming. This means I will be calling the company and asking for assistance for the first time. Then, we’ll see how Mitsubishi’s service representative will rate.

I think getting this tv was a good move and I can honestly say that each of my three high-end televisions have their own sets of strengths and weaknesses, but all are good additions to my home entertainment options. Oh…by the way, the 73 inch Mitsubishi is huge! Glad I didn’t got for the 82″. As things stand now, I have had to move my recliner back a few feet – and that’s never had to happen before. I really can’t wait to see full-blown 3D in action on this set.

Would I recommend the 840 series? As of right now, and from what I have seen and experienced, without hesitation. A

Also, the 16 speaker sound bar featured on the 840 is very nice. I will eventually use the sound bar as a center speaker, but for now, it’s the best sounding tv in my house without running it through a stereo system. The sixteen speaker arrangement sounds very solid and from top to bottom is fully adjustable to one’s audio tastes.

Hope this helps anyone in the market, or who might be having trouble making up his or her mind about purchasing this television. Shop around and go for the best deal out there…and they are out there, but only shop with authorized Mitsubishi dealers!!!! Some retailers, even some selling through Amazon, ARE NOT authorized dealers and I suspect could be running scams with crazy pricing – so be aware! Check with Mitsubishi’s website to confirm a given company’s status in this regard … if you have any questions about who it is you’re dealing with for your televisions.

UPDATE – – – 3D IS CRAZY WITH THIS TV ! ! !

Oh Brother! I have used the 3D features of this tv and all I can say is WOW! I watched “The Owls of Guardia” the title was something like that), and the quality of the 3D images were so powerfully attractive I could not take my eyes off the images…I just sat there saying….”holy cow”. My Sony experience was not bad, but this Mitsubishi 3D is by far the best I have ever seen. Can’t wait to watch more….I’m thinking tonight!

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

|

 Comments (11)

Nice HD TV, January 7, 2012

We actually purchased this local. After orginally heading into the store to purchase a 70″ LED, we found ourselves drawn to this TV while waiting on pricing for the LED model. There was nearly a thousand dollars difference between this TV and the LED tv. With the ‘savings’ I was able to get a surround sound (Yamaha 395 system), a shelf for the TV, Blu Ray player (Sony 580) and emitter plus 8 pairs of 3D glasses (Dimensional Optics). The setup was pretty straight forward, though I make my living in the AV/Computer world. Some things I will share with you are things I wish someone had told me to help clarify. First, the TV has 4 HDMI-CEC ports. The CEC part is important if you are looking to cut down on all the remotes around the house. The CEC protocol allows one remote to control other devices that are CEC compatible. Not sure how well this works, but the TV recognized the Sony Blu Ray right off and I was able to switch to it and control it with the TV remote. I have not setup the surround yet, but if its not ‘CEC’ compliant, it may be going back as for the wife and kids, one remote is the goal. Mitsu was thinking with this TV as it has an ethernet port on it for plugging into your home network for certain online services like Vudu and Netflix. However, if wireless is what you seek, you will have to spring for the ‘optional’ AWNU231 wireless USB adapter. Not sure why something as inexpensive as a Blu Ray player can have built in wireless (The Sony 580) but the tv cannot? Anyow, HDMI is the play for single connections from devices to the TV as it carries the video (SD or HD) and audio. DO BUY ‘high speed’ HDMI cables (10.2 Gbs) not the ‘standard’ HDMI cables for all your HDMI components and be sure if you purchase a Blu Ray, it will play 3D, even if you do not plan on using the 3D right away. Note there is NOT a optical audio port on the TV (TOSLINK), instead there is a digital coaxial (SPDIF). If you need to run DIGITAL audio in or out, pick up a digital coax (SPDIF) cable, not an optical cable (TOSLINK). There is a built in IR emitter for 3D, which I have not used. However, I SUSPECT that if you purchase the Mitsu 3D glasses, they will work right away. I opted for the Dimensioanl Optics emitter and 8 pairs of glasses (Expensive, but cheaper than the Mitsu glasses). I could write a whole article on what I learned about 3d in the last week, but suffice to say, you MUST use 3d glasses compatible with the brand (Mitsu) AND that are ‘active’ NOT passive 3D glasses. I am expecting my 3D equipment next week and read the reviews on the glasses, so I expect them to work. Be aware, switching to 3D on the TV is still a little cumbersome as you must set everything up then go into the TV menu and switch on 3D mode. The TV is a mere 95 lbs, easy to push around and super easy to lift with another person. The built in 16 speaker is not all that great, though I added a sub I already had (70watt) and it really sounds decent until my surround sound system arrives. We upgraded to the Comcast (Xfinity or what ever they are calling themselves this week) DVR HD and I gotta tell you, its quite impressive. The only downside for us was that we were planning on hanging the TV which we obviously cannot do with the DLP. I know that if you spend a few moments in front of this TV as we did, you will fall in love with the clear picture and relatively reasonable price compared to the LED TVs. All in all, the only thing I am wondering now is if we should have purchased the 82 inch instead, this TV (using HD) REALLY brings the movie experience home, can’t wait to see what the 3D looks like! Enjoy!

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

|

 Comment