Sony LCD or Samsung DLP 50 inch

In the few weeks I plan to buy a 50 inch rear projection TV. I am leaning to Sony LCD or Samsung DLP. The question is which is which to get and model number. Do any of you have a preference. Also is extended warrantee a good deal for these sets.

You don't mention why you narrowed the search down to these two alternatives, since other good ones exist on any number of levels. JVC's DiLA line, which seems to be up and running again, is also well worth a look, as is Toshiba's new SED and Sony's new LCoS, though both will set you back some. If space isn't an issue, a good CRT RPTV can still be had, and for reasonable money. A question like yours is an open invitation for a show of hands, but a popularity contest doesn't always translate into good comparative information. Personally, I think that the Sony LCDs and Samsung DLPs have much to offer, but alternatives may be just as good, or better, for you. It comes down to price, availability, and, if you get this far, issues of gray scale, color, and inherent artifacts. Run a search on LCD and DLP; the board has has a wealth of recent discussion about the technologies.

For certain kinds of electronic devices, if you're a betting man, the numbers would indicate that extra protection isn't necessary. For TVs, however, any number of unforeseen things can go wrong. I had a plasma that literally blew up because of an electrical spike internal to it. The phenomenon is rare, but it happens more than you think. I've also had a CRT tube go bad well before its time. The reliability of some of the newer technologies is still up in the air. If you can afford the profection, you can't afford not to get it.

By the way, I love your bass playing, or are you the Mingus who was Daniel Boone's native American sidekick?

Ed