[cram10]

I am in the market for a 52" LCD with 120 hz. I think I have narrowed it down to A650 or the w4100. I would choose hands down the a650 if it had a matte screen. This leads to my question. How bad is this sparkle problem on the 4100? I would only be using the tv to watch movies and sports. I do not play video games. Am I even going to notice the sparkles? If it really is not a problem, i think I will go with the 4100. Also, how bad is the cloudiness on this set? Will I notice a problem? Finally, I've heard that regular tv shows on Sony's are below average in picture quality. How does this model stack up with regards to the PQ on regular tv?

 

[ZackScott]

I don't think you'll notice sparkles. I don't notice them unless I'm on fairly static screens (such as menu screens on video games). When I do see them though, they make me mad. I plan on watching 2 full movies this weekend to see if I notice them.

 

[MintChocolate]



Quote:
Originally Posted by cram10 /forum/post/14165961


I am in the market for a 52" LCD with 120 hz. I think I have narrowed it down to A650 or the w4100. I would choose hands down the a650 if it had a matte screen. This leads to my question. How bad is this sparkle problem on the 4100? I would only be using the tv to watch movies and sports. I do not play video games. Am I even going to notice the sparkles? If it really is not a problem, i think I will go with the 4100. Also, how bad is the cloudiness on this set? Will I notice a problem? Finally, I've heard that regular tv shows on Sony's are below average in picture quality. How does this model stack up with regards to the PQ on regular tv?

Samsung makes a matte version the A630. But the contrast ratio is a bit lower on that model due to the matte screen.


I have a 52W4100 and it doesn't have sparkle. There is also a firmware update for the sparkle problem, and people have reported it fixed the sparkle problem. Search for the W4100 sparkle thread on this forum.


I don't have any noticeable clouding on my set, but I do have 2 flash lights at the upper corners. I think any LCD can have them (check the Samsung 650 threads), so it is the luck of the draw I guess. As long as your set doesn't have major clouding, i think it's normal. If it is really bad, exchange your set.


Regarding SD channels, I've also heard people say that SD is better on Sony. I think SD will look bad on any HDTV, so the difference isn't going to be huge. But since you are only purchasing the set for TV and Movies, you may have to haul the A650 home to see how bad the glare really is in your home setting. I made my purchase since the Sony has a slightly sharper picture and adjustable game mode, but the Samsung has better color and the shiny screen actually does help the blacks when there isn't much reflection. I thought about doing the comparison for the 2 sets, but decided not to as it will be too much work and I planned out buying from big river (which i did). If you are buying from a B&M store, it might be worth it to buy both set and set it home for a comparison.

 

[scubie02]

yeah, there's definitely something to be said for the peace of mind of just buying two sets and testing them at home. I started out with a samsung and returned it for a sony, which worked better for me. I find the sony's picture to be more natural/smoother, but also went that way because of lighting issues. I only have a 40" set and a fairly large living room, so perhaps that is why, but I rarely get sparkles anyway and have to move very close and look for them to see them (not that there is an excuse for their presence, sony should have fixed this problem since it seems to be software, and it appears that they have from the firmware fix, but I am almost contemplating not taking a risk of picture downgrade or something to apply it when it's not really that huge of an issue for me.)

 

[bsl888]

I have the 52" V4100, I will occasionally notice the sparkles, but that's because I know they are there from being on this forum. My wife has never seen them. Btw, the sparkles never bothered me, and even though I have the firmware coming soon, I am still unsure I will update. The SD picture is actually quite good on the Sony, and of course, HD picture is awesome.

 

[Kay87]

i got a 52w4100, i never notice any sparkle problems or audio dropout, but i still updated the firmware anyways, thought it would help with my ghosting problem. the only problem im having now is ghosting, i can see double layers of objects or words when its black ground color in back and object or words in white. this problem only occurs when im watching tv from my cable box. just wondering anyone else having this problem?

btw, i would go for the samsung630 if its got a better matted screen or even the same matted screen as the sony. sony w4100 just have soo many bad comments.

 

[polyh3dron]

I just got my 52W4100 and there are no sparkles I've noticed, plus absolutely no cloudiness (I also have a 46V2500 without cloudiness as well, and yes I know what it looks like).


This is such an awesome TV, worth every penny IMO. And the 24p Blu-ray playback is great.