Get an exclusive sneak peek into our new project. >>> Click Here
Our native mobile app has a new name: Fora Communities. Learn more.

What is your main concern, Picture Quality or True 720P

847 Views 11 Replies 6 Participants Last post by mikroski, Dec 27, 2005

mikroski

Discussion Starter · Dec 26, 2005

I have looking for a flat panel for a while, then the final round will be SONY V40XBR1 and Pioneer PDP-436HDG. I know that this is very diffeicult to compare apple to orange, but let me explain what I'm thinking to you.

In the past I never interest in flat panel at all. But when I and my wife saw SONY Bravia V40XBR1 in the shop last month, everything change. At that time we agree to purchase Sony Bravia V40XBR1 so I start to read all the threads here and there. I think I know the pro and con of both LCD and Plasma.

Last weekend I and my wife went to the shop with our DVDs including Star Wars EPIII, Sin city, and Batman Begin. We start with Pioneer PDP-436HDG, The picure is very impressive when we play Sincity the sparkling from the red dress of woman in the opening scene is very good. The snow scene on Batman Begin is also good, white is almost white. The first scene of Starwars also show the very good color of red and blue laser shot.

Then we try SONY Bravia, with the same movies and same scene. The sparkling of the red dress from Sin City is not shine like Pioneer and the picure is seem to have less depth than Pioneer. On the snow scene from Batman Begin, Sony win with a little more white. But Pioneer absolutely win on the space battle scene of EP III.

I can not make a decission now,

If I buy Sony, I will stuck on thinking that PQ is not as good as Pioneer.

If I buy Pioneer, I will worry about 1024 resolution that do not real 720P, and we all know that next year HD DVD will come. I also worry about burn-in and image retention. I know that we have to use the first 100 hours with care (and also the next 900 hours) but I hate to do that. I want to purchase some gear that I can play without many rules.

Your recommendation shall be highly appreciate.

Regards,

Pal

See less See more

Save

Status: Not open for further replies.

1 - 12 of 12 Posts

Slammy1

· #2 · Dec 26, 2005

In my experience, darker scenes are less favorable on an LCD display, this I assume due to their lower contrast ratio compared to plasmas. In the two extremes, cartoon/anime are best on an LCD but movies like the matrix are worse. The decision between the two doesn't end there, you also need to consider the native outputs of your sources for example. I went the LCD route for my HTPC, it makes the most sense, but for my friend who only does SA sources (and not top end at that) with occasional computer display, I've recommended plasma. My point is that I think if you want to talk pure picture quality and remove the source and price question, then plasma would definitely seem better to me. But factoring those in, I went LCD.

Save

Chip E

· #3 · Dec 26, 2005

If you follow a couple simple rules, you can enjoy your plasma from day one.

1) Don't watch 4:3 material in full mode 95% of the time

2) Don't leave static images up for more time than it takes to make a bag of popcorn.

Done deal. Enjoy. Image retention and burn in are user error that can be easily avoided. I have a Mitsubishi WS65-413 RPTV that "could" have the same issues... but i don't have them.

I also own two new Bravia's (KDLV32XBR1 & KDLV40XBR1).

Save

mikroski

Discussion Starter · #4 · Dec 26, 2005

Thank you for input,

Slammy1,

There is no price difference for SONY V40XBR1 and Pioneer PDP-436HDG here in Thailand. In fact, Pioneer will be cheaper since they come with a full set of HTIB that I will sale to someone. Since at first time I am willing to go with Bravia, that is the reason why I audited it with dvds that have a lot of dark scene. I think Sony does a good job.

Chip E

In Thailand now there is no HD TV (it will come next year), my main watch is 70% dvd and 40% SD TV. If consider PQ only I will buy Pioneer of course, but I'm not sure whether I can do the second rule all the times to prevent burn-in or not.

I just download Pioneer manual and I will check what type of full screen and zoom function for SD TV and DVD source.

It seem that most of AVS members do not concern that 42" Plasma do not have enough pixel for a full 720P feed, am I right?

Regards,

Pal

See less See more

Save

REWJR

· #5 · Dec 26, 2005

My descision would be simple the Sony DRC scaling simply sucks ...

Save

Supasso

· #6 · Dec 26, 2005

Interestingly, you and I are in the very same dilemma. I can't decide between Pioneer 436HDG and Bravia KLV-V40A10, and yes, I live in Thailand.

Pio is 3" larger

Sony has better resolution

Sony can do 1:1 pixel mapping with PC

Pio is better in dark room

Sony is better is bright room and no screen refection

Plasma is faster when it comes to gaming

Pioneer might have video delay

And the burn-in paranoid!

Is that true that Thailand will get HDTV next year? UBC? That's good news!

Where can you find the 436HDG cheaper than the Bravia? The Pio I see is 20,000 Baht more without any freebies.

By the way, I have no suggestion to you because I still cannot make a clear decision myself. I will follow this thread though. Your questions are exactly mine!

See less See more

Save

hardc0re

· #7 · Dec 26, 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supasso
Pio is 3" larger

Sony has better resolution

Sony can do 1:1 pixel mapping with PC

Pio is better in dark room

Sony is better is bright room and no screen refection

Plasma is faster when it comes to gaming

Pioneer might have video delay

And the burn-in paranoid!

I was in a similar dilemma as you guys. (And interestingly yes, I also used to live in Thailand but have now moved back to Singapore...)

I did quite some testing of these 2 displays with my laptop. What I found was:

- Pio plasma wins hands down in image quality - colour, contrast, motion are all better that the Bravia especially if you try them side by side.

- Sony has better resolution? True but you cannot tell the resolution difference between 1366x768 and 1024x768. The difference in colour and contrast is much more obvious, and the Pio is better.

- Sony can do 1:1 pixel mapping using VGA input? The maximum you can input is 1280x768 which leaves 2 black bars at the side of the screen. I tried 1360x768, the Sony could not do 1:1 mapping with that. The Pio can also do 1:1 pixel mapping at 1024x768 using the full screen, but it has vertical sync (tearing) issues. The Bravia may have this also, but I did not notice it.

In the end, I went with a Panasonic 42PV500 instead, because it has all the image quality advantages of a plasma, but also the PC input is more flexible than the Pio.

See less See more

Save

Supasso

· #8 · Dec 26, 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by hardc0re
- Sony can do 1:1 pixel mapping using VGA input? The maximum you can input is 1280x768 which leaves 2 black bars at the side of the screen. I tried 1360x768, the Sony could not do 1:1 mapping with that. The Pio can also do 1:1 pixel mapping at 1024x768 using the full screen, but it has vertical sync (tearing) issues. The Bravia may have this also, but I did not notice it.

The Bravia you are talking about is V or S series?

Save

mikroski

Discussion Starter · #9 · Dec 26, 2005

Hi Supasso and hardc0re,

I'm agree with you, hardc0re, that Pioneer has a better PQ than Bravia. This is not good to me, because I decide to go with Bravia within this month and this fact make me step back to make a decission again.

I heard from my friend that work in AIS that HD TV will come next year, I will check this.

For the street price, I do not sure whether the forum's rule will cover only in US or not. But I think this is just an information of electronics price somewhere else far away from USA.

MOD: If the street price in Thailand also prohibit please delete/edit my post

The best deal I got for Bravia is 142,000 Baht. The best deal for Pioneer is 155,000 Baht but they come with wireless home theater cost around 30,000 Baht. I will sale the HT to some one and that make Pioneer price lower than Sony.

Back to the topic, I agree all of your lists, Supasso. And I'm please to add one more information to you

. I had emailed to Sony Thailand and ask about the return policy, in case that LCD has a dead pixel on the first day of arrival to my home. Here is the answer from Sony Thailand to me

"The LCD screen is manufactured using extremely high-precision technology, so over 99.99% of the pixels are operational for effective use or more of the pixels are effective, black may appear or bright points of light may appear constantly on the LCD screen.

However, we are unable to replace the new one as this is a structural property of the LCD panel and is not malfunction."

What do you think?

Supasso, I do not know which area that you live but If you need more information of shop that I just got a deal, please feel free to pm to me.

Regards,

PAL

See less See more

Save

hardc0re

· #10 · Dec 26, 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supasso
The Bravia you are talking about is V or S series?

I only tested the VGA input with the S series (the cheaper one), as the shop did not have a V series to test with. However I think the PC input on both should behave the same way.

If you know and have tested the VGA input with the V series, then please correct me if I am wrong on the 1:1 capability.

Save

Supasso

· #11 · Dec 26, 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by hardc0re
I only tested the VGA input with the S series (the cheaper one), as the shop did not have a V series to test with. However I think the PC input on both should behave the same way.

If you know and have tested the VGA input with the V series, then please correct me if I am wrong on the 1:1 capability.

I have no first-hand experience, but from what I read here, it's been confirmed that the V series can indeed do 1360*768 at 1:1 while the S can't.

Save

mikroski

Discussion Starter · #12 · Dec 27, 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supasso
Pioneer might have video delay

This is another thing that I did not understand. Some plasma owners (whatever brand) have lip sync problem while many others do not have. What is a really root causes of problem.

I consider that I should buy Pioneer for better PQ, larger, and cheaper. If I use this panel with care for first 1,000 hours, I can avoid burn-in problem. This will depend on me, but dead pixel of LCD is some thing that I can not control.

It seems that I can not get a new panel within this year, so I will leave this for a while. Any more suggestion should be very appreciate.

Thanks,

Pal

See less See more

Save

1 - 12 of 12 Posts

Status: Not open for further replies.

Top Contributors this Month