NOTE: Check out the high-res pictures I posted of this set. They are the ones of the image itself (bear, desert, ocean, as well as a shot of the set in my basement flanked by the Athena speakers and the stars on the wall). Just don't judge the overall image quality of the set from these pictures, as they are obviously limited both my my camera and skills, and also the monitor you're displaying them on. Use my review as a guage of quality.***I will begin this review by stating I DO NOT WORK FOR SAMSUNG. I know there was one or two disgruntled customers that insisted the people posting positive reviews on this product were Samsung spys. I assure you, I am not among their ranks.That nonsense aside, I was a little leary ordering this TV. For starters, its not 1080P, which was my biggest gripe. For two, its DLP, which has its quirks, including the rainbow effect. For three, there were a few fanatical reviews here on Amazon from people that were completely unhappy.Well, I'd like to say that although its unfortunate a few people had bad experiences, I will say that this TV is stunning. This is my opinion after a solid three months of ownership. I'm not one of those individuals who post two days after getting their TV, still overcome with the initial wow factor. No, I figured I'd let it settle in a bit, become a part of my everyday life before I commit my opinion to the world. Its only when you become accustomed to something, take it for granted even, that you can provide a true measure of its worth.Before the details, I will qualify them by stating I am the definition of picayune. If there is ANYTHING wrong with this TV, you can rest assured I will bring it up in this review. And I will say that this TV isn't perfect, and I will begin with its shortcomings. However, I generally give products ratings based upon how they fare with regards to my expectations. A four = meets expectations, while a five = surpasses expectations.Now then, the bad. The speakers on this TV, while passible, and probably the best factory speakers I've ever heard on a TV, are not up to my standards. Given that this was a "budget" home theater system, I went with the Athena Micra 5.1 speaker set and a Pioneer A/V Receiver to compliment the picture of this TV. Anyone even remotely serious about home theather would do the same. Even during high def sports games, where you would think sound doesn't play as large a role, I noticed some stations break the audio into five channels, with the sounds of the fans (screaming, clapping, etc) actually coming from the rear speakers, giving you the impression you are right there in the stands.Anyhow, beyond the sound, the only other thing I can think of that detracts from this otherwise stellar TV is the rainbow effect. If you're looking into TVs I'm sure you've heard of it. Basically, the best way to describe it is a rainbow colored shadow that appears for a split second as you run your eyes across the screen. A better way to imagine it might be very, very short bursts of rainbow color as the eyes move quickly across the picture. That being said, about 99% of people DO NOT SEE THE RAINBOW EFFECT. I, however, must be in that one percent. I might add I'm most likely susceptible because I'm Mr. Picky McPick and looked for the rainbow effect until I saw it, as opposed to watching the screen like a normal person. Nevertheless, even though I have seen it, and can see it if I want to, it is not noticeable unless you are looking for it, and even when you are, IT DOES NOT DETRACT FROM THE OVERALL PICTURE/IMPACT. Additionally, from what I can gather, the people whose eyes can actually pick up the rainbow effect are a small minority, and, like I said, among that minority there is an even smaller minority that pay the rainbow effect any mind. Believe me, I would be the first one to send this back if it got in the way or distracted in the least bit. I'm the type that buys a completely new product if my old one gets a scratch on it.I'll touch on resolution, briefly. When originally looking for TVs, I was dead set on 1080P. Money being what it is, I had to settle for 720P. That said, and I really must emphasize this a thousand times, HD is what it is because you have an image that was captured, transferred, and displayed digitally. That's it. Resolution really does not have as much to do with it as you think, and really only determines how close you can sit to a set. Basically, you're only going to begin to notice the difference of 1080P at normal viewing distances with 50 inches and above. I dare say 1080P is moot until you pass well beyond 60 inches.Be that as it may, lets talk about whats good about this set: namly, everything else. The picture is fantastic. Out of the box, the MOVIE setting is the way to go for EVERYTHING, including sports, etc. I have yet to hook up an X-Box 360, and thus have not tried the GAME setting, which may or may not have benefit, but otherwise its Moive all the way. Several notable (ie: professional, not Amazon) reviewers have mentioned that MOVIE is so close to 100 percent ideal image on this set that there is no reason to go for a professional calibration.Case in point: while this TV was en route to mi casa, I called a local, certified HD TV calibrator. Cost? $300 to professionally calibrate the TV. However, as soon as it arrived I checked out the MOVIE setting, as some online reviewers recommended, and immediatly cancelled the appointment. Realistically, if the MOVIE setting doesn't do it for you, forget TVs and read a book (which I would recommend you do from time to time anyway).As an aside, this TV looks the best from about 9-15 feet viewing distance. It is perfect at 10 feet, a little close (but still very useable) at 8 feet, and really edging into 50 inch territory beyond 12 feet. I should note that this is the distance measured from the center of the set to the average distance your eye is away from the TV, not necessarily the front or back of your couch (yes, one or two feet can make a difference when you're on the borderline).Really, this TV is great, and an incredible buy for the money. We paid $1200 for it at the end of September, which was great even then, and now they're going for less than $1000 (well, $999). This is a STEAL for this TV. Free shipping too? C'mon...no brainer here. Really it blows me away that this TV is this inexpensive. Everyone that comes over says, "How much, 3K...4, 5?" When I say I paid $1200 for it they think I'm pulling their leg. Once they realize that is the real price, they really start to consider the HD TV market. In fact, over Thanksgiving one of my relatives came down to watch the football game. He of course could not believe the price. I turned on my laptop, brought up Amazon, showed him the price, and he pulled out his credit card and ordered one right on the spot. You could seriously tell someone you paid $6000 for this TV and they would believe you without question.On top of that, with Samsung's "floating screen" design, the TV actually looks like a flat panel plasma or LCD, which adds to that luxy appeal. I highly, highly recommend the Samsung stand designed for this TV if you are at all into how it appears aesthetically, as it really compliments the whole effect. I forget the model number, but I believe it comes up as an option when you choose to buy this set.Overall, this TV blows away sets I've seen costing five times as much, literally. A buddy of mine picked up a Phillips (ie: junk) HD set a year or two ago for about 4K. He now comes over to my house every chance he can get to watch TV. His set completely pales in comarison. Even the LCos Sony's are just on par with the Samsungs. I am 100% confident when I say that Samsung is a, if not THE, leader in the modern TV segment.Now before I write a thesis on this thing, I'll wrap it up with the totals. I've been told by several self-proclaimed home theater aficionados that you cannot get a decent setup for below 4K. That may or may not have been true five years ago, but today this is patently false. We were originally looking at a Sony Bravia 1080P 40 inch LCD panel. It was $2800, best price. We budgeted 3K for the whole system, so figured with that amount we could get the Sony and the wires and brackets to hook it up.Now lets consider option 2, the Samsung. $1200 for the TV, $500 for Athena Micra 5.1 speakers (also avalible through Amazon and reviewed by me, great stuff), $150 for the speaker stands, $400 for a Pioneer A/V receiver, $400 for an HD DVD player, and give or take $200 for those things that didn't qualify for shipping and for cables. In all, a shade over $2800, what we originally were going to spend on the Sony alone.I'm not going to sit here any longer and bable away, but I really must emphasize this TV blew my expectations out of the water. Complete the package with a nice set of speakers and a receiver (NOT BOSE!!!) and an HD DVD player, and you have a certified, signed, sealed and delievered home theater system that will give any guru a run for his money. At least consider this option if you're in the market.