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Official Sony XBR8 Series Owner's Thread - Page 4

post #91 of 5404
10/12/08 at 2:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by scottman View Post

Wow. Only 2-3 years? For that price, I would expect to be pleased for much longer. Maybe you are better off renting sets.

If only I could. Being as picky as I am and PDP and LCD's having as many problems as they have I can't imagine I can bring myself keep anything they offer for any longer than that.

Previously I had high hopes for SED, but that kind of imploded. Now all my hopes are resting on the shoulders of OLED, but that is at least 2-3 years off. Hence I want something so good that it can hold me off for that long.
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post #92 of 5404
10/12/08 at 3:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by wease View Post

I think both the xbr 8 and 950 you can't go wrong with either set because black levels are awesome as well with pq and both have slight off angle viewing washed out picture but if you love sony's products like i do but if it costs to much well it's a tough decision to make or just wait like plenty of folks are doing. By the way Jsteinhauer do you live in Alaska or something where it is daylight until 10 pm wow that's pretty interesting but i prefer the nightime hehe...

Northern Minnesota. The sun doesn't stay up, but you can read in midsummer by the sky until 10.
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post #93 of 5404
10/12/08 at 5:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by -=Kamikaze=- View Post

.... The reason why it is so hard to answer is because I do not have the possibility to test either set, and likely never will unless I can get both into my living room to play around with for a good solid week.

So instead I will have to turn to people who own the sets.....etc........

hey Kamikaze.... i'm noticing that your location is Denmark, and it makes me think you should be talking to owners in europe such as on avforum.com in the united kingdom, or a site in germany.

i've done some investigating and apparently the european sets exhibit different results (benefits/problems) than some of the north american models. for example, the sparkle issue on the alphabet sony models for 2008 apparently is NOT a problem in europe (though some are experiencing clouding). i,m speculating that it must have something to do with the difference in the broadcast and electronic/electrical standards between the continents.

anyway, i'm thinking all the talking here may lead to incorrect conclusions if you are actually going to buy the european set and use it there.

comment?

thanks
TVbc
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post #94 of 5404
10/12/08 at 6:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TVbc View Post

hey Kamikaze.... i'm noticing that your location is Denmark, and it makes me think you should be talking to owners in europe such as on avforum.com in the united kingdom, or a site in germany.

i've done some investigating and apparently the european sets exhibit different results (benefits/problems) than some of the north american models. for example, the sparkle issue on the alphabet sony models for 2008 apparently is NOT a problem in europe (though some are experiencing clouding). i,m speculating that it must have something to do with the difference in the broadcast and electronic/electrical standards between the continents.

anyway, i'm thinking all the talking here may lead to incorrect conclusions if you are actually going to buy the european set and use it there.

comment?

thanks
TVbc

I've recently relocated to Canada, which is why I am buying a new TV. I'll be getting the same set as everyone else, so no problems there.
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post #95 of 5404
10/12/08 at 7:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by -=Kamikaze=- View Post

For 5000$ + tax, I want the blacks in a completely dark room to be 100% black and indiscernible form the bezel, even for my sensitive eyes. I want unrivalled vibrancy, sharpness and clarity. Lastly, I want the set to be free from backlight uniformity problems, like clouding or flashlights or even possible glaringly obvious dimmable LED zone artefacts.

Well like I posted, XBR8 is looking as close as it can get to it. There hasn't been eneough owners to test results & make solid comparisions yet, but from the few times Sony showed off the XBR8, it was looking as good as it will get.

Normal LCD on left, Sony XBR8 on right:

Picture overexposed:


XBR8 on the left & the Pioner Kuro 2nd gen Elite on the right:

Pictures overexposed:


Will the XBR8 be completely perfect with no drawbacks & destroy every other technoloy like you want? Probably not, but if you said yourself that the Pioneer Kuros you saw in store did not satisfy you, then your only other choice is either this or wait a year or two.
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post #96 of 5404
10/12/08 at 8:28pm
I saw one, no doubt better blacks than XBR6 but for 7K /55 inch, does not cut very close to a pioneer plasma, 60 inch KURO, ELITE or SIGNATURE.
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post #97 of 5404
10/13/08 at 6:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by wtfer View Post

Normal LCD on left, Sony XBR8 on right:

Picture overexposed:


XBR8 on the left & the Pioner Kuro 2nd gen Elite on the right:

Pictures overexposed:


Will the XBR8 be completely perfect with no drawbacks & destroy every other technoloy like you want? Probably not, but if you said yourself that the Pioneer Kuros you saw in store did not satisfy you, then your only other choice is either this or wait a year or two.

Ok you're not making any sense on which is the XBR8? Is it the one on the left or the right?

As far as the XBR8 being perfect with no drawbacks it's not. I've experienced the drawback and posted it on the "XBR8 Initial Impression" thread.
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post #98 of 5404
10/13/08 at 7:31am
With 5 lumen tech NeoPDP Plasmas that blow away even the Elite Kuros in terms of weight, power consumption and picture quality, likely for less money, set to be released in spring of 2009 one would have to be crazy or in a urgent hurry to buy current gen Plasma technologies.

I don't know if NeoPDP plasmas are going to solve some of the problems that keep me from going plasma again like the blurring caused by color fringing or the very annoying Image Retention, but never the less the NeoPDP's shown at CEATEC 2008 in Japan seem to blow away any Plasma currently on the market.

So much so that even if I had decided on getting a Kuro I would now choose to wait for the next generation because NeoPDP's look like a quantum leap forward.

In contrast nothing too exciting was shown on the LCD front at CEATEC 2008. All the big players were there and that was the show to show off prototypes of what they each have in store for the next year. It seems LCD's are going to focus on going thinner and less power hungry in the coming year, no seeming quantum leaps in picture quality in store there.

In my eyes that is a good thing, because getting a LCD now will less likely result in me going green with envy and regret when next years models are released, not so with Plasmas.
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post #99 of 5404
10/13/08 at 7:53am
wow you guys are jumping on this early! I certainly wish we could've bought this yesterday... but the 55" version would've cost a fortune!
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post #100 of 5404
10/13/08 at 10:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by -=Kamikaze=- View Post

Plasma's, not even the current Kuros, have still not attained true blacks. That is currently scheduled for next year when Panasonic and Pioneer release NeoPDP panels starting in spring of next year.

But Plasma has some other problems that turns me off going that route again. The two most annoying is image retention and the blurring effect caused by the different decay time of the phosphors making individual colours, specially the green phosphor which also causes the green fringing effect on Plasmas.

This years Kuros are so close to absolute, that they can not be measured accurately.

Again, the Kuros do not suffer from IR to the degree that it would become cumbersome.

So you are highly sensitive to motion blur, and you're considering an LCD? If the blur bothers you, then the SOE will be even more of a pain to your eyes.

You are also sensitive to phosphor trails? You are one unlucky guy, as it seems that everything bothers you.

I have yet to see an LCD, whether it be CCFL, or LED, have a uniform screen. I have also yet to see one with good off axis viewing angles. Those who claim that they are exaggerrated, are those view their TV's in it's Dynamic setting, which is hardly considered "Picture Quality".

Note: I am only referring to those sets available to us at this time on a wide scale. I am not referring to the XBR8, which I have yet to see with my own two eyes. Unlike many, I reserve judgement til I have had the opportunity to observe, again, with my own two eyes, and possibly, a colorimeter.
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post #101 of 5404
10/13/08 at 10:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by wtfer View Post

Well like I posted, XBR8 is looking as close as it can get to it. There hasn't been eneough owners to test results & make solid comparisions yet, but from the few times Sony showed off the XBR8, it was looking as good as it will get.



XBR8 on the left & the Pioner Kuro 2nd gen Elite on the right:

Pictures overexposed:


Will the XBR8 be completely perfect with no drawbacks & destroy every other technoloy like you want? Probably not, but if you said yourself that the Pioneer Kuros you saw in store did not satisfy you, then your only other choice is either this or wait a year or two.

Why do you continue to use reviews, bias photos from manufacturers promoting their products, as conclusive evidence that product A is superior to product B, without ever seeing something for yourself?

On the pictures posted above, it even appears that there is blooming on the supposed plasma. I have never seen this on any PDP. Not even a Vizio, or Insignia. Not to mention that the PDP pic is so overexposed, and brightness set so high, that where you can see the columns on the left, looks like a white blob on the right.

If there is one thing that we all know the Kuros excel in above all flat panel displays, is shadow detail, which the photos above, showing a brightness setting that seems to be through the roof, tries to prove otherwise.
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post #102 of 5404
10/13/08 at 10:46am
Is there anyone else who actually owns an XBR8 who would like to actually post some impressions, discuss picture settings, comment on any problems or compatibility issues. Anyone else having AV dropouts with a BD playback?

Has anyone taken the time to do colorimetry measurements?
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post #103 of 5404
10/13/08 at 11:03am
There's really a dearth of good information on the XBR8's right now. A few weeks ago, CNET said they were expecting a test set around the first of the month, so hopefully we'll see a review from them soon.

I've got a 55XBR8 on order, but I don't expect to receive it until around the end of the month/early November. I'll be happy to post impressions when I get it.
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post #104 of 5404
10/13/08 at 11:15am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fanaticalism View Post

This years Kuros are so close to absolute, that they can not be measured accurately. Again, the Kuros do not suffer from IR to the degree that it would become cumbersome. So you are highly sensitive to motion blur, and you're considering an LCD? If the blur bothers you, then the SOE will be even more of a pain to your eyes.
You are also sensitive to phosphor trails? You are one unlucky guy, as it seems that everything bothers you.

Kamikaze, as the name suggests, is not concerned by price, he is looking for ultimate banzai. His kismet is not yet lost, a chance for fulfillment exists in the ultra high-end Sharp XS-1 series. As Sharp claims this has newly developed MegaASV LCD (Megacontrast Advanced SuperView). People say the XS-1 has true RGB dimming, possibly with plenty of zones. Hopefully it will be Kamikaze dream soon coming true.
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post #105 of 5404
10/13/08 at 11:48am
I took delivery of my SECOND KDL-46XBR8 on Saturday. On arrival I made sure to do a quick inspection, and unfortunately, this set was just as damaged as the first. Significant scratches across the top of the bezel, and deeper scratches down the left side. The delivery boy also noticed them right away.

After he told me he couldn't return it, I had him call his shipping company (BAX Global) and they told him to take it back.

I still have the first damaged set sitting in my apartment, as BAX Global has still not scheduled a pickup for it, and the delivery guy could not take back the first set.

I now have 2 XBR8s on my credit card, and no perfect TV. I'm waiting to hear back from Sony Family Center customer care again, and in the meantime I'm contemplating a switch to Samsung, even though I am a lifelong Sony fan, and the picture on the XBR8 over the last couple of weeks has been the BEST I've ever seen on an LCD.

Right now considering a Samsung 8-series. It won't be able to reproduce the incredible picture of my XBR8, but it's at a price I can afford (I got a significant discount on the XBR8), and is beautifully thin.

Has anyone else taken delivery of an XBR8? If so, what is the condition of the bezel? Any scratches or permanent streaking? I'm curious of the bezel itself is extremely prone to scratches.

Thanks for your help.
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post #106 of 5404
10/13/08 at 11:56am
Where is CNET review and comparison, XBR8 vs Sammy 950 vs Pioneer Kuros?
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post #107 of 5404
10/13/08 at 12:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vangorkomm View Post

I took delivery of my SECOND KDL-46XBR8 on Saturday. On arrival I made sure to do a quick inspection, and unfortunately, this set was just as damaged as the first. Significant scratches across the top of the bezel, and deeper scratches down the left side. The delivery boy also noticed them right away.

After he told me he couldn't return it, I had him call his shipping company (BAX Global) and they told him to take it back.

I still have the first damaged set sitting in my apartment, as BAX Global has still not scheduled a pickup for it, and the delivery guy could not take back the first set.

I now have 2 XBR8s on my credit card, and no perfect TV. I'm waiting to hear back from Sony Family Center customer care again, and in the meantime I'm contemplating a switch to Samsung, even though I am a lifelong Sony fan, and the picture on the XBR8 over the last couple of weeks has been the BEST I've ever seen on an LCD.

Right now considering a Samsung 8-series. It won't be able to reproduce the incredible picture of my XBR8, but it's at a price I can afford (I got a significant discount on the XBR8), and is beautifully thin.

Has anyone else taken delivery of an XBR8? If so, what is the condition of the bezel? Any scratches or permanent streaking? I'm curious of the bezel itself is extremely prone to scratches.

Thanks for your help.


why not get the samsung 950, less expensive and what i read the blacks are better.
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post #108 of 5404
10/13/08 at 12:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vangorkomm View Post

I took delivery of my SECOND KDL-46XBR8 on Saturday. On arrival I made sure to do a quick inspection, and unfortunately, this set was just as damaged as the first. Significant scratches across the top of the bezel, and deeper scratches down the left side. The delivery boy also noticed them right away.

After he told me he couldn't return it, I had him call his shipping company (BAX Global) and they told him to take it back.

I still have the first damaged set sitting in my apartment, as BAX Global has still not scheduled a pickup for it, and the delivery guy could not take back the first set.

I now have 2 XBR8s on my credit card, and no perfect TV. I'm waiting to hear back from Sony Family Center customer care again, and in the meantime I'm contemplating a switch to Samsung, even though I am a lifelong Sony fan, and the picture on the XBR8 over the last couple of weeks has been the BEST I've ever seen on an LCD.

Right now considering a Samsung 8-series. It won't be able to reproduce the incredible picture of my XBR8, but it's at a price I can afford (I got a significant discount on the XBR8), and is beautifully thin.

Has anyone else taken delivery of an XBR8? If so, what is the condition of the bezel? Any scratches or permanent streaking? I'm curious of the bezel itself is extremely prone to scratches.

Thanks for your help.

That is a bummer. Mine arrived in perfect condition. The bezel had a protective plastic coating that had to be peeled off.
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post #109 of 5404
10/13/08 at 12:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vangorkomm View Post

Right now considering a Samsung 8-series. It won't be able to reproduce the incredible picture of my XBR8, but it's at a price I can afford (I got a significant discount on the XBR8), and is beautifully thin.

How are you able to get a discount? Would you mind PM'ing me the details.

Also like what slumpey said stick with the A950 to getter the better blacks.

Thanks
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post #110 of 5404
10/13/08 at 12:59pm
I got the discount by ordering through the Sony Family Center, through a friend who works at Sony.

I may consider the 950. The 860 is so sexy thin, and I could go larger, which is why I'm considering it. I have a lot to figure out in the next few days.

jsteinhauer: neither TV I received had a protective film over the bezel, which makes me think both models were possibly floor models or something. thanks for the insight.

Anyone else receive an XBR8 with or without protective film over the bezel?
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post #111 of 5404
10/13/08 at 1:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vangorkomm View Post

I got the discount by ordering through the Sony Family Center, through a friend who works at Sony.

I may consider the 950. The 860 is so sexy thin, and I could go larger, which is why I'm considering it. I have a lot to figure out in the next few days.

jsteinhauer: neither TV I received had a protective film over the bezel, which makes me think both models were possibly floor models or something. thanks for the insight.

Anyone else receive an XBR8 with or without protective film over the bezel?

Well now we know why your tv's are getting scratches. Since you are getting such a great discount i'm sure they are passing off floor models/demo models from trade shows to you as new. I know SONY and SAMSUNG both put protective plastic films around the bezel.
I would complain to the people you are buying it from and ask where these tv's are coming from and if they are demo/used tv's.
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post #112 of 5404
10/13/08 at 2:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vangorkomm View Post

I took delivery of my SECOND KDL-46XBR8 on Saturday. On arrival I made sure to do a quick inspection, and unfortunately, this set was just as damaged as the first. Significant scratches across the top of the bezel, and deeper scratches down the left side. The delivery boy also noticed them right away.

After he told me he couldn't return it, I had him call his shipping company (BAX Global) and they told him to take it back.

I still have the first damaged set sitting in my apartment, as BAX Global has still not scheduled a pickup for it, and the delivery guy could not take back the first set.

I now have 2 XBR8s on my credit card, and no perfect TV. I'm waiting to hear back from Sony Family Center customer care again, and in the meantime I'm contemplating a switch to Samsung, even though I am a lifelong Sony fan, and the picture on the XBR8 over the last couple of weeks has been the BEST I've ever seen on an LCD.

Right now considering a Samsung 8-series. It won't be able to reproduce the incredible picture of my XBR8, but it's at a price I can afford (I got a significant discount on the XBR8), and is beautifully thin.

Has anyone else taken delivery of an XBR8? If so, what is the condition of the bezel? Any scratches or permanent streaking? I'm curious of the bezel itself is extremely prone to scratches.

Thanks for your help.

Hi vangor. I could swore you said, quite a while back, that there was a scheduled pick-up for the first set, like on a Friday? YOU should call BAX global.

Sorry to hear about your second set. Is making me think twice about getting the XBR8. As the only way I can afford is through the Sony Family and Friends employee pricing program.

Good luck friend!
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post #113 of 5404
10/13/08 at 3:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fanaticalism View Post

This years Kuros are so close to absolute, that they can not be measured accurately.

Again, the Kuros do not suffer from IR to the degree that it would become cumbersome.

So you are highly sensitive to motion blur, and you're considering an LCD? If the blur bothers you, then the SOE will be even more of a pain to your eyes.

The blurring effect on Plasmas is very different from the blurring on LCD's. I play a lot of games, and in many of them you get to control the camera. While I got used to the green trails on Plasma I never got used to the immediate loss of clarity or blurring that results from moving the camera around in the game world. The LCD blurring looks different, at least to my eyes games remain razor sharp when the game world is in motion on a LCD.

My PS3 is currently not on my hands to test my Z before I return it, so I cannot definitely say what I think of LCD blurring in games, or movies for that matter. I'll get my PS3 back tomorrow and after a little testing via MGS4, Uncharted and a couple of Blu-rays I think I will be more confident that I am making the right choice in abandoning Plasma for now.
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post #114 of 5404
10/13/08 at 5:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MUGEN View Post

Well now we know why your tv's are getting scratches. Since you are getting such a great discount i'm sure they are passing off floor models/demo models from trade shows to you as new. I know SONY and SAMSUNG both put protective plastic films around the bezel.
I would complain to the people you are buying it from and ask where these tv's are coming from and if they are demo/used tv's.

That could very well be in the fine print of the agreement when you purchase at deep discount via the Sony Family Center employee purchase program.

AKA, you get what you pay for.
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post #115 of 5404
10/13/08 at 8:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vangorkomm View Post

I took delivery of my SECOND KDL-46XBR8 on Saturday. On arrival I made sure to do a quick inspection, and unfortunately, this set was just as damaged as the first. Significant scratches across the top of the bezel, and deeper scratches down the left side. The delivery boy also noticed them right away.



That is some ******** two sets in a row don't these people check their sets before delivery or does the freight company don't know how to package the box right. If it was me i'd be pissed and complaining. The xbr 8 has arrived at my friends house in good manner and the blacks are as good as the 950 or better as he is already messing with it...
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post #116 of 5404
10/13/08 at 8:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by stephenC View Post

That could very well be in the fine print of the agreement when you purchase at deep discount via the Sony Family Center employee purchase program.

AKA, you get what you pay for.

Vangor, said they don't allow exchanges, but they give refunds. But I know 2 damage sets in a row, sucks big time. I got find out the details carefully if I decide to buy the XBR8.
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post #117 of 5404
10/14/08 at 1:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bhollis View Post

........I've got a 55XBR8 on order, but I don't expect to receive it until around the end of the month/early November. I'll be happy to post impressions when I get it.

Thanks man, we appreciate that.......
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post #118 of 5404
10/14/08 at 6:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MUGEN View Post

Well now we know why your tv's are getting scratches. Since you are getting such a great discount i'm sure they are passing off floor models/demo models from trade shows to you as new. I know SONY and SAMSUNG both put protective plastic films around the bezel.
I would complain to the people you are buying it from and ask where these tv's are coming from and if they are demo/used tv's.

Whoa! So i guess after the demo unit/floor sample has been on display for sometime they just send it to the person who buys it with a discount. Damn! Sucks big time but then again you're getting a bargain.

Sorry to hear V.
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post #119 of 5404
10/14/08 at 6:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by -=Kamikaze=- View Post

With 5 lumen tech NeoPDP Plasmas that blow away even the Elite Kuros in terms of weight, power consumption and picture quality, likely for less money, set to be released in spring of 2009 one would have to be crazy or in a urgent hurry to buy current gen Plasma technologies.

I don't know if NeoPDP plasmas are going to solve some of the problems that keep me from going plasma again like the blurring caused by color fringing or the very annoying Image Retention, but never the less the NeoPDP's shown at CEATEC 2008 in Japan seem to blow away any Plasma currently on the market.

So much so that even if I had decided on getting a Kuro I would now choose to wait for the next generation because NeoPDP's look like a quantum leap forward.

In contrast nothing too exciting was shown on the LCD front at CEATEC 2008. All the big players were there and that was the show to show off prototypes of what they each have in store for the next year. It seems LCD's are going to focus on going thinner and less power hungry in the coming year, no seeming quantum leaps in picture quality in store there.

In my eyes that is a good thing, because getting a LCD now will less likely result in me going green with envy and regret when next years models are released, not so with Plasmas.

With all you have stated in my mind it wouldn't make sense to purchase the Sony given it's price unless you were able to put it through the mills in store with light controlled settings. And even though the Sammy 950 can deliver pure black, it is only on certain type scenes as CNET stated that the new Kuros have better black levels. Keeping that in mind, it's possible the same could be said about the Sony.

If I were you, unless I could put the Sony through the tests you need to see, I'd spend 1/2 the price and buy 5020 or a Sammy 650 or something and live with the flaws and look into the 5 lumen plasmas next year and if they meet your requirements then just sell your new purchase and do an upgrade. I'd bet no matter what TV you get this year you will likely be bothered by some type of issue.

Good luck!
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post #120 of 5404
10/14/08 at 10:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by scottman View Post

Wow. Only 2-3 years? For that price, I would expect to be pleased for much longer. Maybe you are better off renting sets.

I'm still in wait on to see how the whole XBR7/8 quality vs price vs the Samsung line comparable price to pan out.

It just seems that if the Sony quality isn't noticably better, they will be forced to lower the price on the 7 and 8 relatively quickly....at least that's my hope anyway...because I want a TV yesterday.

On that note, I believe that Sony's name is pretty strong in reliability and longevity of their products. I've never bought a Samsung anything and I believe they are relatively new in electronics (less than 10/15 years?). How has the life of their products held up over that time? Any one have any ideas on that. I don't plan on buying anything for quite some time after this...along the lines of about 6-10 years.

lol, I still have a 32 in magnavox tube I bought as a floor model at Best Buy 10 years ago. Which is what this TV will replace.
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