elaiw Posted September 1, 2006 Author Share Posted September 1, 2006 I have the 40" Sony Bravia and the picture quality is amazing. And how do you quantify that? Are the blacks very black? No pixelation? In comparison to what? Other specific LCDs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangbang023 Veteran Posted September 1, 2006 Veteran Share Posted September 1, 2006 Well, pixelation in a next generation LCD that is supposed to support 1080p is not good, right? The recommendation you had made a few months ago was the Samsung and I'm assuming the 40/4696Ds have not yet come into the store? You work at BB, right? Maybe it's time for me to swing by and look at the XBR2. The only thing I disliked was how big the bezel around it seemed. If image quality suffers too, then I'm dying to hear your thoughts on the Sammy when it comes in... We have the Sammy 4096 up and it's not bad. I think the Sony has more natural colors to it, while the Samsung tends to break up (pixelate) a bit less. The Sony image is also much smoother because they don't over sharpen things like Samsung tends to do. But, yes, the design is disgustingly ugly. You could get the nicer looking XBR3, but it's the same exact set only in black, so you literally pay $300 for the color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elaiw Posted September 1, 2006 Author Share Posted September 1, 2006 We have the Sammy 4096 up and it's not bad. I think the Sony has more natural colors to it, while the Samsung tends to break up (pixelate) a bit less. The Sony image is also much smoother because they don't over sharpen things like Samsung tends to do. But, yes, the design is disgustingly ugly. You could get the nicer looking XBR3, but it's the same exact set only in black, so you literally pay $300 for the color. So I'm really bent on one of these LCDs. It sounds like the Sony and Samsung both have their pluses and minuses. I like the Samsung. What are your thoughts on a recommendation? Do you think the 40" models differ in picture quality from the 46" models? I was looking at the 4696D and I was making the assumption that the quality is the same but maybe that's not the case. Are all these models in BB stores for viewing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangbang023 Veteran Posted September 1, 2006 Veteran Share Posted September 1, 2006 In my opinion, 1080p is still a bit unneeded. However, if I had to pick one model, I'd probably go with the Sony for the smoother image quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elaiw Posted September 1, 2006 Author Share Posted September 1, 2006 In my opinion, 1080p is still a bit unneeded. However, if I had to pick one model, I'd probably go with the Sony for the smoother image quality. Wait, but you just stated that the Samsung tends to pixelate less but the Sony had more natural colors. When you say the Samsung tends to sharpen things, isn't that better for image quality, particularly if it tends to pixelate less? Does the easiness on the eyes come at the expense of image blurring on the Sony? I think 1080p is unnecessary now too but in two more years when the fight over HDDVD and BluRay are over, I'm NOT buying another TV. Out of curiosity, do you know what the Sony XBR2, XBR3, and the Samsungs are pricing at and do you think the pricing will hold steady until the holiday shopping season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangbang023 Veteran Posted September 1, 2006 Veteran Share Posted September 1, 2006 I don't know for each of the sizes, no. But, yes, the Samsung over sharpens things. You never want to over sharpen an image and Samsung has a tendency to do this on every set across the board. You can control it (most usually set the sharpness to zero), but the Sony handles it better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elaiw Posted September 2, 2006 Author Share Posted September 2, 2006 I don't know for each of the sizes, no. But, yes, the Samsung over sharpens things. You never want to over sharpen an image and Samsung has a tendency to do this on every set across the board. You can control it (most usually set the sharpness to zero), but the Sony handles it better. You had recommended the Samsung earlier in the summer and I like the look of the bezel around the Samsung better than the Sony. So you'd really take the new Sony over the Sammy now? What do you think of pricing? Will it hold steady until the holiday season? If so, I'll grab it soon. If you think we'll see a price drop for the holidays, I'd like your take on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangbang023 Veteran Posted September 2, 2006 Veteran Share Posted September 2, 2006 Don't get me wrong, the Samsung's are very nice sets, but the smoother image of the Sony is appealing enough to sway my vote a bit. I have no idea about the pricing, to be honest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elaiw Posted September 2, 2006 Author Share Posted September 2, 2006 Don't get me wrong, the Samsung's are very nice sets, but the smoother image of the Sony is appealing enough to sway my vote a bit. I have no idea about the pricing, to be honest. When you talk about smoother, you mean that it's easier on the eyes to take in the image because the images aren't cut in overly excessive contrast? If I understand correctly, it's easier to watch the Sony images. If not, can you quickly explain the problem with oversharpened images. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangbang023 Veteran Posted September 2, 2006 Veteran Share Posted September 2, 2006 How do I explain over sharpened images? They are over sharpened, that's all. Similar to what happens in photoshop when you sharpen something a bit too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDaddy5 Posted September 2, 2006 Share Posted September 2, 2006 When you talk about smoother, you mean that it's easier on the eyes to take in the image because the images aren't cut in overly excessive contrast? If I understand correctly, it's easier to watch the Sony images. If not, can you quickly explain the problem with oversharpened images. I believe what he's referencing is that Samsung's background colors tend to look pixelated, due to how sharp they make the image. The XBR2 looks a lot smoother in that regards. The colors don't blend in together as nicely as other sets, when they've got the sharpness up at all, and look pixelated. I've noticed that pixelation really bad in the samsung plasma's, unless you do what he recommended, and turn the sharpness down all the way. I'd say the XBR2 is a great set, and agree that it's probably the one to go with. You might find it slightly cheaper towards the holiday's, but right now it's been holding pretty steady at around 3 grand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangbang023 Veteran Posted September 2, 2006 Veteran Share Posted September 2, 2006 I believe what he's referencing is that Samsung's background colors tend to look pixelated, due to how sharp they make the image. The XBR2 looks a lot smoother in that regards. The colors don't blend in together as nicely as other sets, when they've got the sharpness up at all, and look pixelated. I've noticed that pixelation really bad in the samsung plasma's, unless you do what he recommended, and turn the sharpness down all the way. I'd say the XBR2 is a great set, and agree that it's probably the one to go with. You might find it slightly cheaper towards the holiday's, but right now it's been holding pretty steady at around 3 grand. Thanks for clarifying that. For a list of reasons, I just couldn't sit and explain exactly what I meant because I couldn't find the words lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts