Advice please. Have I made a big mistake.

[fernandez]

10 days ago I replaced my (working) almost 9 year old Toshiba 36" with a new 40" Sony Smart-TV KDL-40CX523.
It was a choice between the Sony LCD or (at the same price) a Panasonic 42" plasma Smart-TV.

I choose the Sony as it would fit better in the place it had to go and also I was concerned about reflections from a plasma.

To say the least I am greatly disappointed by overall picture quality - even on HD channels (both Freeview HD and satellite).
Over past few days I have adjusted the available settings many times and used recommended settings found on the net but still, on most broadcast material, I feel the display is lacking in the 'punch' and brightness that I was used to with a CRT and this is in a room with dimmed lighting.
The viewing angle, although quoted as 178/178 is very poor (certainly not as described) with a noticeable
degredation at as little as 30 degrees off straight-on - I have read since that this is a common complaint.

The retailer I purchased it from online also has retail shops and is 'never knowingly undersold' and wants customers to be '..completely happy with their purchase..' so their may not be too much difficulty in getting it changed.
Maybe I should have/will have to go to one of their stores and see these sets side by side, but a shop really isn't the best way.

Have I been unlucky?
Am I expecting too much?
Should I have gone for the plasma?
Will I ever be happy?:o15:

Thanks for reading this rant and, seriously, advice would be appreciated

[echelon]

no idea about your tv but I have the Sony 40W5500 LCD tv , 1080p 100 Hz and have never had a problem in high def with it , I have sly plus HD and a Spiderbox 7000 HD plugged into it at the moment , and also a Sony HXD970B dvd recorder that upscales over HDMI , and the pictures are superb from all of them , and I have done very little playing about with the settings at all

my mum and sis have the SONY 37W5500 LCD on my recommendation and again never a problem either

so as I say , no idea about yours but sometimes its down to user expectations , and frankly I still have my older crt Sony 28 inch tv in the back bedroom and the picture is nowhere near as good compared to my 40W5500 , although its ok as far as SD tv,s go , and is fine with my dreambox scarted in using RGB



1 ) Have I been unlucky?
2) Am I expecting too much?
3) Should I have gone for the plasma?
4) Will I ever be happy


1) POSSIBLY

2) PROBABLY

3) POSSIBLY

4) PROBABLY NOT

[far]

In terms of viewing angle issues, you need to look for a set with an IPS panel rather than a TFT - these have far better viewing angles than standard TFTs. There was a certain trick you could use to see what LG sets had IPS panels - something to do with a certain letter in the serial number. As for the rest, I can't comment as we replaced a 28" 16:9 CRT last Christmas after it failed and haven't been too displeased with our new set bar some issues with motion blur - and the sound, but we've yet to get a 5.1 system! - we have an LG 32LD490

[xanadu]

The nearest experience to a CRT is a plasma.

If you are watching in a dimly lit room then reflections are not going to be an issue with a plasma.

Backlight issues are usually what LCD TV's suffer from, where in dark scenes the picture looks a muddy mess or cloudy which shows up a lot when
viewing in a dark room at night with lights off.

[RABBY]

LCD Are a thing of the Past ??LED Backlight [ That is what you want ] Plasma [ Thing of the past ] Also??

But you have to Pay ? for the best ? I have the [ LG 47 ",LED TV ] LW650T] 3D Believe me it is super [ Nothing beats it ] :sifone:

[bob]

The question of which technology reigned supreme has remained unanswered.

In the early days of HDTVs, plasma, with its inky blacks and top-notch picture quality, was the prevalent flat-panel technology, especially among videophiles. Gradually, thinner, more energy-efficient LCDs with CCFL backlighting became less expensive and more capable and started gaining ground. The difference between plasma and LCD wavered for some time, with each offering different economic and visual benefits depending on the model, price, and time in the life cycle of HDTVs. But in the past couple of years, with the advent of increasingly sophisticated LED backlighting, we finally have a true winner. With its unmatched energy efficiency, LED-based LCD is the best flat-panel HDTV technology. Unfortunately, it's also generally the most expensive. (Though LED HDTV prices have come down considerably over the past year, and continue to drop all the time.) If it's in your budget, the choice is clear: Pay the premium and get an LED-lit HDTV.

I am using the now defunk Pioneer 50" Plasma very good but a little pricey to run.

The LED-based LG Infinia 47LW5600, puts out only 0.01 cd/m2, the best level you can measure. That any LED-backlit LCD can get that dark shows how far the technology has come.

[echelon]

100% agree that LED tv is the best , although it is pricey , but so are bentley arnage , rolls royce`s , lexus or maybacks if you want the best car , and none of those cars are cheap.... ever , you always get what you pay for

ps:- a review of it here _http://www.trustedreviews.com/sony-kdl-40cx523_TV_review

another review here _http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/tvs/sony-bravia-cx523-kdl-40cx523-review-50003989/

[xanadu]

LCD Are a thing of the Past ??LED Backlight [ That is what you want ]:sifone:

One review of the OPS's TV says .....

Black levels aren't as deep as those of most LED models

The black level determines the picture contrast, and it's best to look for a TV with good blacks.

[RABBY]

echelon

They are Pricey m8 ?? BUT THE QUALITY IS SOMETHING ELSE ?? All angles with my one ?? You think you are there [ JUST SUPER ]Best thing I Have Bought:cheers2:

[echelon]

echelon

They are Pricey m8 ?? BUT THE QUALITY IS SOMETHING ELSE ?? All angles with my one ?? You think you are there [ JUST SUPER ]Best thing I Have Bought:cheers2:

so why didnt he spend his £400 to £500 on one of those then ? :D

[RABBY]

echelon

Try £1300 m8???

[echelon]

echelon

Try £1300 m8???

and thereby lies the problem m8 , penny pinching and buying at the budget end of the market and expecting high end quality for low end prices

so according to your philosophy he should have soldiered on , saved up his pennies and bought an LED tv , but he didnt , and so the answer to his question is yes , you bought the wrong tv , you should have spent 3 times as much on an LED tv , as should we all

if he owned a fiesta and wasny happy , he would be told to buy a mondeo or bmw

if he owned a spiderbox he would be told to buy a dm8000HD dreambox , or a vu+ duo

if he owned a terraced house he would be told to buy a 5 bed detached in an acre of land :D

personally I am very happy with my 40W5500 100Hz model , bought for £600 2 years ago , its not LED , its not 3D , but I dont care as the HD looks stunning on it anyway , especially sport tv liga inglesa on hispasat using my spiderbox :)

one thing I did know 2 years ago was to avoid all the 50 Hz models !!

[echelon]

One review of the OPS's TV says .....

Black levels aren't as deep as those of most LED models

The black level determines the picture contrast, and it's best to look for a TV with good blacks.

reviews at cnet says this

Perky pictures

For a budget model, the KDL-40CX523 really punches above its weight when it comes to image quality. Colours are compellingly vibrant without ever becoming garish, whether you're watching standard-definition channels on Freeview or high-definition Blu-ray movies.

The set also uses Sony's X-Reality engine, which does a pretty impressive job of cleaning up standard-definition and even Internet video to make it look much sharper without introducing tonnes of image noise. Black levels are also impressively deep for a set that uses CCFL, rather than LED, backlighting.

It's not all good news, though. Some backlight bleeding is visible in the corners of the panel when it's showing a very dark or black image, and the TV isn't quite as good as higher-end models at teasing shadow detail out of murkier scenes. You'll also notice some motion blur creeping in here and there. Most of these issues are relatively minor, though, or only visible when watching certain types of content, so, overall, we still think the KDL-40CX523 is a sterling performer in the picture department.

The TV is no slouch when it comes to sound either. Dialogue is clean and distinct and, thanks to the relatively bassy speakers, even music channels and movie soundtracks punch through well.
Conclusion

There's a great deal to like about the Sony Bravia KDL-40CX523. It offers better Internet features than many sets that cost two or three times as much, it delivers vibrant and engaging pictures, and its sound quality is impressive too. Basically, if you're looking for a budget TV, you'd be nuttier than a Snickers bar to pass it over.

Edited by Charles Kloet


but being a 50Hz set I doubt that report and am more inclined to agree that the one you found may be more accurate , not having seen it but reading post 1 again

[RABBY]

echelon ??

Money well spent for me ?? It is also a [ Smart TV ] All Connected to the Internet ?? Picture Quality is something Else ? Also PC > tv [ Blows your mind ]:respect-039:

[echelon]

echelon ??

Money well spent for me ?? It is also a [ Smart TV ] All Connected to the Internet ?? Picture Quality is something Else ? Also PC > tv [ Blows your mind ]:respect-039:

not me you have to convince m8 , I am not buying one , fernandez is !! :D

checking this forum he hasnt made a post asking what to buy BEFORE BUYING , unlike many others who have done so , and I still remember the 12 months we spent debating the K.M. saga , will he , wont he , changing his mind etc etc , what a saga that was

the time to ask is usually before buying and committing yourself

we can all be educated retrospectively

ps:- just found mine on fle b*y for £430 to £499 , no freeview HD etc but I still rate it as a tv

[RABBY]

Have a look here ??

http://www.lg.com/uk/tv-audio-video/televisions/LG-3d-tv-47LW650T.jsp?s_kwcid=TC|9564|47%2 0%22%203D||S|p|8583828668

[Wossname]

I went for an LG plasma which claimed to be 600Hz because at the time motion blur was my chief concern to the point of paranoia. It is HD but not 1080.
I was delighted with the general handling of movement of SD material but initially disappointed compared to my CRT which was a top of the range £1200 job. I soon got used to the difference and agree with Xanadu that plasma is the nearest to the old CRT experience. HD is stunning.
I got mine from RS whose attitude to returns is breathtakingly good. I've returned a set bought in error for my father in law (he wasn't happy with LCD either) and they just swapped it no problem for another model - I didn't re-wrap it very well either.

[fernandez]

Many thanks for all the input.
I did research on many sites before deciding on the Sony which was at a price within my (limited) budget and, I daresay, that it all comes down to perceived quality and expectations.

echelon probably hit the nail on the head with his answers to my questions (especially no.4)

1 ) Have I been unlucky?
2) Am I expecting too much?
3) Should I have gone for the plasma?
4) Will I ever be happy

1) POSSIBLY

2) PROBABLY

3) POSSIBLY

4) PROBABLY NOT

No doubt the situation will be resolved one way or the other and at least JL are helpful people to deal with.

Thanks again.

[Zeke]

Are 40 inch LEDs that much in the UK? Lately around here they've moved down quite a bit in price. The 32 inch are now more or less equal in price with the older sets.

[xanadu]

Are 40 inch LEDs that much in the UK? Lately around here they've moved down quite a bit in price. The 32 inch are now more or less equal in price with the older sets.

40inch LED in UK for a known premium brand would start in price from around £400 for a non-3D model to £1,400 or more for a top spec 3D model.

[TonyO]

I'm a fussy git when it comes to picture quality, I find fault with all the flat screen types, plasma's were the best of the bunch with the least annoying quirks.

Once you get into digital and flatscreen drawbacks the list is endless.

[Detlef]

I'm amazed how many people have 47" TVs in quite small rooms. I find it stressful to watch at less than 3 metres.

A much better solution is a 32" and sit a bit closer and all at half the power usage.

I think I've homed in on the Sony Bravia - cx523 32" version at around €350 - although it is not an LCD LED I couldn't tell the difference in subdued lighting. Seemed to have a pretty good ethernet/internet capability from Youtube HD but it can't display native flv files as it has no inbuilt flash support.

. .

[mister-t]

i have the sony 40inch kdl 40ex403,very impressed.obviousley had to do some tweeking with settings to get it how i wanted it,changed various settings noting down everything,viewed for a few hours then tried another setting untill i was happy,sony blu-ray player is amazing through it,connected to internet for you tube and such works very well.spider box on hd channels looks stunning
freeview hd built in channels some are better than others,i think its all down to personal settings,took me ages to find the settings i was happy with but may not be pleasing on the eye to others
even plays spiderbox files on usb stick once converted to avi,when attatched to my sony amp no need for extra audio cables returns sound down hdm cable to amp.so all in all i am very happy with it

mister-t