Warning! - SONY SUCKS FOR INPUTS!

JBLem

~ Sammy DLP has all the inputs

~ DLP gives me eyestrain over LCD

~ Love the Sony PQ

~ Sony has lousy inputs .....
..... and won't easily interface with a notebook PC
(unless it has an Nvidia card and I'm willing to use up the single DVI that would work great with HD receiver on order)

~ Panasonic has better inputs but still only has one HDMI
.... Panny doesn't have the PQ of Sony

~ The wife wants Sony

~ I want PC compatability

~ Kids make too much noise

~ The dogs have fleas and are dragging their ass on the new rug.

maybe I'll go back to being a batchelor, have the dogs for dinner and drag my ass across the carpet!

caveat: ... only you with a memory card reader on your TV will be able to truly enjoy the photo of me draggin it across the carpet.

Are we having fun yet?

jojojojo57

LOL I think we all feel that way at times. But seriously are the new samsungs coming with card readers? do you know what model?

JBLem

Not sure about the new Sammy having memory card readers, but someone passed this along today -

$50 Bucks for NEW DIGITAL PHOTO TV PLAYER
http://www.sandisk.com/pressrelease/20040929c.htm

let's hope the rez is decent!
.... one down and one to go

here's the one they have out now - looks kinda clunky compared to the newer model:

http://www.sandisk.com/retail/dpv.asp

TyNorth

I get my new PT50LC14 today. I will let you know how it works out and try to answer your concerns which you stated above. I didn't know about the bulb issue with the LC13 and I didn't see it mentioned in any of the material I read on the LC14. So, whether it is improved over the 13 is a question I will ask support if I think the picture is not bright enough. In the stats the 13 and 14 have the same candle power,( 400cd something ). I have seen other s with 450 and more, so it could be a little short of light.
I'll post some information in the next few days after I get it set up and tweaked a bit. I have an Avia disc to help adjust it. We'll see how it goes.
By the way, I am using a Sammy 841 DVD Player and using an HDMI to DVI adapter and a gender changer on the end of that so I can switch between the SIRTIS 360 Receiver and the 841 Player. It was cheap enough and about 10% of what it would cost to buy a DVI switcher unit.
T

TyNorth

I got my Panny PT50LC14 yesterday and spent a lot of time hooking everything up and getting it running. Behind the TV looks like a snake pit with wires running and twisting all over the place.
I haven't used the Avia to fine tune the Picture yet. But I must say that it looks pretty good to me. I was surprised that the regular SD stations look so good. The HD stations I picked up last night were coming in nice. It is hard to say about PQ compared to other units when they are not side by side, but the PQ looked nice to me. I was watching a CRT at Wal-Mart earlier yesterday that had a special looped signal for showing off the HDTV PQ and I think my Panny on a similar D/TV HD channel was just as good. It is a nice set with lots of hook ups as you know. I used a HDMI to DVI adapter to hook up my HD receiver and DVD. I used a gender changer at the end of the adapter so I could switch between the Sammy 360 Receiver and the SAmmy 841 DVD Player. I hooked up the component connections on each of those too and honestly I can't really tell much difference in what I saw reference the PQ.
Will let you know if I have any problems and if there is an improvement, if any, when I use the AVia to calibrate it.
So far I like what I see. Oh, you asked about fan noise. I could not hear any fan noise except when I turned volume off and got close and listened for it, and it was more a very low sound, no bother at all. Also, the brightness seems good to me. My living room is medium light ambience.
Good luck on your choice. If you have any more questions about the Panny, let me know.
Ty

JBLem

Thanks TyNorth ... I've some days left on this Sony (I think around 15) so I'll be eagerly watching for your experiences/results.

Does your HD box have a VGA out? If so, and you have a spare cable around, I'd really like to hear how the HD looks through the VGA input (if it will let you do this). I heard that VGA looks even better than DVI on some boxes!? It may be that there is oonly VGA on older HD receivers however. Still learning about this.

If you hook up a PC or Notebook to the Panny via VGA, I'm on the edge of my seat

Cheers

maximus

In all fairness, this thread title should be changed to Warning!- MY NOTEBOOK SUCKS FOR OUTPUTS!

You bought an HDTV, not a 50" computer display,
so maybe you should bash yourself instead.
Isn't the point of having a notebook portability?
What's wrong with the notebook screen?
Why doesn't your notebook have an HDTV tuner with component out?
The Sony has delivered on what it is required to do...and yet...I have a feeling you won't be happy with your FOURTH hdtv either.
If you're gonna bash a product at least have a good reason, or people like me will jump on it and embarassment usually follows.

TyNorth

I have had my Panny PT-50LC14 for a week now and am very happy. Regular TV on the HD coomponent connection looks very good, better than I expected. On the SD outputs it looks like it does on most average TV sets. It depends on the station and signal being broadcast as some are better than others.
The HD Picture is nice. I do not see any problem with black levels or color problems. It looks nice to me, I can't find fault. But, I have not seen as many different models in person like some on this sight, so I may not be as decerning. I watch a lot of regular SD TV and am very happy with the picture quality.
I have not watched any high grade DVD's played on my Sammy 841 DVI unit. But I have watched some of my own DVD recordings and found them better than on my SD TV. Even my old Balck and White movies look better on the HD setting.
I have found that the HD component hookups are just as good as the DVI/HDMI as far as I can see thus far. I will keep testing this area with some different media and see if I can tell a difference.
I am surprised that with a contrast level of only 500:1, according to a panasonic tech, ( it is not listed in the information ), that the picture is so nice. I am sure a 1500 or 2500 to 1 contrast would have a sharper pic theroretically, but I would have to see it side by side to know for sure.
Happy with my panny.

kozanator

If I were you, I'd go for the Panasonic HDTV. I'm normally a huge SONY Fan, but they've been making some major crap recently. (Not counting their newest high-end CRT HDTV - Beautiful Picture Quality)

Check out this past post on the Panasonic LCD Rear-Projection HDTV.
HDTV in split screen PIP

I would pick it over the sony.

TyNorth

I checked out the other threads and it was interesting. So, my 14 has a better chip than the 13 but fewer features according to the rep quoted in the other thread. I can live with that. I can bring up the same show on the PIP if they are on different inputs. For example, If I am watching HD on HDMI or other component input I can then bring up the same channel being broadcast on the analog input, Channel 3, input1 or input2. But, as stated before, I can't bring up two HD programs together on the PIP. I keep thinking there is a way to connect HD and do this, but I haven't figured it out yet and may not be able to. If I do I will post it.
Ty

JBLem

Actually Maximus, ... contrary to your assertion, I bought a 50" Sony HDTV ... AND... computer display.

Comparing the Sony to most every other recent DLP as well as LCD RP and it is indeed on the weak side of the input offerings and ... for the record ... 3 sales people in the store assured me VGA to DVI would work just fine on this Sony - they were wrong - I was misled!

<i>"If you're gonna bash a product at least have a good reason, or people like me will jump on it and embarassment usually follows.</i>

Is this the part where I'm supposed to be embarrased

Have a nice day!

JBLem

Thanks for the feedback ......

Interesting to hear that your Panasonic PT50LC14 has some advancements in the chips. I think it's still the best bang for the buck in a true multimedia display. I am dealing with the store now and will see what they are willing to offer. Not holding my breath for a similar deal as last time.

Interesting to note that the two faulty DLP's I had (and I confirmed they were very noisy/faulty with my neighbour who also has a DLP), are now sitting back on the stores show room floor waiting for some other unsuspecting 'shopper' to take them home !

I suspect stores may be often caught in the middle of much of this third world built, bleeding edge gear, and the manufacturers, who are only backing this stuff for a pathetic one year, may not like it when their dealers return inventory. Its probably smarter for dealers to try to sell the marginal stuff to unsuspecting retail shoppers, one who doesn't mind the faults, rather than risk losing a franchise.

Good luck with your TV's !

maximus

I said embarssment usually follows, not always. Some people are never no matter what. Anyway sounds like the guys who misled you suck and again not the Sony. This is Sonys entry-level 50" LCD RP. So make sure you do your comparisons accordingly.

There are 3 models above the 620, the US-only WE655, WF655, and the XS955. If you take a look at the XS inputs you will find that it matches anything available anywhere. Except for a computer input because it doesn't need one, it's an HDTV not a multimedia display that you compare it to.
Simply put companies like Samsung, etc. have been offering more features for the money because they HAVE to. And because of this and vastly improved reliability they have gone from the basement to being a leader in a few short years. But you still returned 2 of them didn't you?
And now you find some uncommon(panny)offerings and Sony is crap. If they didn't offer some incentive to buy their product then nobody would, as you said yourself the Sony had a better picture.
I just think your thread topic is unfair and misleading...oh well.

So what have you settled on?

JBLem

You've obviously taken some offense with my threads heading.

Frankly, after your comment about me likely not even being satisified with a possible fourth TV, I'm not so sure you deserve any explanation, however ... its a sunny day out here in BC, so, to meet and I hope exceed your sensibilities, I will now officially change the heading of this thread to the following:

NEW THREAD TITLE FOLLOWS NOW:

WARNING! For anyone who bought into the much touted marketing concept of the convergence of TV and computers, and has a need/desire to view/share computer content with others on their expensive, large screen TV, the SONY'S KF42WE610 KF50WE610 and 620 INPUTS are IMHO, AMONG the WEAKEST and LEAST SUPPORTIVE BIG SCREEN TV's currently available

- In short - if you wish to hook a computer up to the above stated TV's - the lack of INPUTS ON THESE SUCKS! Further, while Sony is not alone in leaving computer users out in the cold, their feeble attempt to include those who wish to view digital photos on the KF42WE610, which had the proprietery Sony card reader, falls very short of satisfying the greater percentage of digital camera users who don't have Sony gear and hence, cannot use the Sony card reader at all.

The New Title has now ended!

The above new Title is a bit wordy for the original Title space allotted, so everyone, please disregard the original title and go with this one from now on!

maximus

Touche'