Sony LCD KDL 52W4100 TV or Samsung LED DLP HL61A750?

Question

My LCOS went out (HDMI board) and Best Buy is replacing it. I am faced with a choice between the 52" Sony Bravia LCD or the Samsung 61" LED DLP.

My current TV is a 56" JVC and I am afraid that the smaller Sony will bother me and I am concerned about the brightness and motion artifacts of the Sony.

The Samsung in a little big at 61", and it is older technology and will the picture look as good as the Sony.

I just want the best TV and any help anyone can give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Answer 1

I would say get the Sony.

1) Same screen resolution + Smaller screen size = Sharper image. (not that you would really notice at normal viewing distance)

2) More even color. LED DLPS's are notorious for uneven color. Blue sky on the left side of the screen may be a darker blue than on the right side, for example.

3) More accurate color. All manufacturers skew their color temperatures to blue in order to make whites appear whiter and colors more vivid. (Clorox adds blue dye to bleach to achieve a similar effect) But you combine that with the naturally bluish hue of an LED bulb and things get out of hand. I've been to Hawaii; the ocean is not that blue and the plants are not Day-Glo green. For the resident geeks - I saw one running at 19,000K at 80 IRE's.

4) DLP's have bulbs that burn out (yes, I know LED's last a lot longer) and a host of moving parts.

I would not be too concerend about motion artifacting in the Sony. It does exist, but it is pretty negligible. If the brightness of the screen bothers you (dark room?), the backlight can be adjusted from the user's menu.

If you really want to avoid the drop in size, the Samsung is a decent TV, but I would highly recommend having it professionally calibrated by an ISF certified technician. So far as I know, Best Buy is the only major retail chain that offers this service, but I'm not sure if it's company wide, the equipment is quite expensive.