LCD - Sony Bravia Z 200Hz or Samsung Series 8

[bdenny4]

Tossing up which LCD HD TV to get. Prices are similar ($200 more for the Sony and the Samsung comes with a free BluRay player).
Anybody have an opinion or suggestion or experience with these two options?
Cheers smile.gif

[Caboose]

i believe the smasung series 9 LCD TV is out with LED - you might want to checkout

i have a samsung LCD - very good and does the job

[ 15.12.2008, 04:03 PM: Message edited by: Caboose ]

[Jahoota]

Buy me one or the t'other and leave them with me for a year so I can compare & contrast. I should have an answer for you then. ;)

[24]

we also bought a samsung - their lcd panels produce amazing skin tones and motion in my opinion. I would go with the samsung, partly cause i think they are better, partly cause with sony you are paying extra for the name and for bad build quality, and partly for the free BD player.

[skimax]

er just caution you to check a few things out.
Im not sure of the specific models but ..
Some of the samsungs mentioned by 24 have great colour for an LCD but this is because they have a sheet of glass with polarizing layer on them.
Undoubtedly giving better ( plasma like) colour , but if youre watching this in an area with many windows or lights , whilst an LCD is far better for these areas , one with glass with give you annoying reflectance of light sources off your screen.
When your in a shop looking at the tvs get down low and check for the impact the shop fluro lights have on the particular screens you are looking at and you will see what im talking about.
If you watch your tv in a predominantly dark room then ignore the above.
good luck.

[bdenny4]

Yes, my TV will be in a room with lots of windows with no curtails or blinds. Will take this into account and ask the questions and have a look at the display model.
Great help so far guys, looking like I am leaning towards the Samsung ATM.

[slipper82]

i love shopping for large TV's, it sends a tingle down my spine :D

[skimax]

well benny , LCD is the only way to go for your room which you know , sounds similar to my room , just check out the glass panel issue though ;)

[eckstar]

I recall reading somewhere that both brands came off the samsung production line , Sony always comes with a premium whether it's warranted or not.

[Middo]

Originally posted by bdenny4:
Tossing up which LCD HD TV to get. Prices are similar ($200 more for the Sony and the Samsung comes with a free BluRay player).
Anybody have an opinion or suggestion or experience with these two options?
Cheers smile.gif A question that I would like to see the answer to as well.

Also, where would people recommend making a purchase? Harvey Norman, Domayne, Bing Lee etc ??

[Podlettte]

I've heard horror stories about samsung being difficult to deal with when something goes wrong, and there's been somg significant downsizing over the last 3 months to the point they can't service one section of their IT area properly (ie how they have been so retailers are peeved and dropping them like hot potato's). TVs should be ok though, but I'd be cautious.

Having said that BH has one, and my parents have the same model but with digital, the black 26inch number. Good TV, no problems with the actual TV, just reception at my folks place with a you beaut antenna can be dodgy at times on the digital.

[bdenny4]

well I got one on the weekend.
Ended up getting the 40 inch Sony. Got a good price so am happy. Even managed to watch a bit of the cricket on it and it looks absolutely fantastic.
Bit confusing with all those extra chanels to choose freom now.
The guy has to come out and hook it up to my surround, DVD etc. and then tell me where to plug the Wii into after it is unwrapped Xmas Day
:D

[ 22.12.2008, 03:47 PM: Message edited by: bdenny4 ]

[Middo]

Originally posted by bdenny4:
well I got one on the weekend.

Where did you get it from?

[bdenny4]

Originally posted by Middo:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by bdenny4:
well I got one on the weekend.

Where did you get it from? </font>[/QUOTE]JB HiFi in Brighton.
+1's brother bought a few bits and pieces too so we got a pretty good deal (or so I'm told).

[Middo]

Thank you.

I have saved up the various catalogues over the last few weeks to see if the post Xmas sales are legit. If not, I will flash them in their faces to get a good deal.

Probably go for the 50" samsung 1080p.

Thinking JB as well, but will do some visits to other stores as part of the bargaining tool.

Cheers

[andy33]

you may want to buy a new tv or most new electronics before jan 1st as most retail prices are set to increase by up to 10 percent.

http://www.current.com.au/digitalretailer/index.php


note, i believe samsung are a nightmare to deal with for after sales service...

[ 22.12.2008, 06:07 PM: Message edited by: andy33 ]

[bdenny4]

Originally posted by andy33:
you may want to buy a new tv or most new electronics before jan 1st as most retail prices are set to increase by up to 10 percent.

Thats a reason I got mine now

[Middo]

JB staff advise Jan 15. But I am planning on a purchase during the post Xmas period and before Jan 1.

Andy33, we have had a Samsung LCD for about 5 years (albeit a smaller screen), without issue. Our current flatscreen standard TV is a Sony (80cm) is 7 years old and is also without issue.

The need for a new TV comes from demands from growing kids.

bDenny4, what are the extra channels you are talking about?

Cheers

[bdenny4]

Originally posted by Middo:

bDenny4, what are the extra channels you are talking about?

Cheers [/QB]I upgraded from a 20 yo non digital TV with 5 chanels and now I have all the digital chanels on top of the normal ones.

[Middo]

Originally posted by bdenny4:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Middo:

bDenny4, what are the extra channels you are talking about?

Cheers I upgraded from a 20 yo non digital TV with 5 chanels and now I have all the digital chanels on top of the normal ones. [/QB]</font>[/QUOTE]Pardon my ignorance, but does that come through Foxtel or via the fact that the TV ordinarily allows it?

Cheers

[bdenny4]

Originally posted by Middo:

Cheers [/qb]I upgraded from a 20 yo non digital TV with 5 chanels and now I have all the digital chanels on top of the normal ones. [/QB][/QUOTE]Pardon my ignorance, but does that come through Foxtel or via the fact that the TV ordinarily allows it?

Cheers [/QB][/QUOTE]

Don't have Foxtel, so I think that it's just what's on offer free from the brodcasters.
If you need more info I think that somebody other than me had better answer as I am so not a TV techie person

[Middo]

Thank you smile.gif

[Podlettte]

the digital channels are mostly the same as the standard 2, 7, 9 and 10 and SBS, however they are all High definition, so you can only get the full thing from it if your TV is HD compatible. The HD channels do sometimes show different programs but mostly at night from what I can tell from the program

go to www.yourtv.com.au (http://www.yourtv.com.au) and check out tonight's program, it shows the HD channels

[ssar]

Whatever you do never buy from Hardly Normal.
Preferrably not Domayne either.

Your local Retravision is likely owned by a local you can trust, and can get a good deal through like I did.

Browse http://www.dtvforum.info/ forums for discussions about all this kind of stuff, too.

Personally I think many Sony products are over-priced, but also have heard quite a few stories claiming good longevity out of some of thier better products.

[TB]

You are set on and LCD and I have no argument with that but from reading above it seems that LCD is the weapon of choice for very light filled rooms. I have a plasma in a total glasshouse and have zero issues with it, picture is awesome and reflectivity a non issue.

[John Deere]

The question remains LED Backlit Samsung (series 9) @ 100hz, or Non LED backlit Sony @ 200hz????

Hard to find someone to say one is better than the other...everyone reckons theirs is the sheet!

[SA]

Dunno what the argument is about, but in laptop screens LED backlighting tends to provide more even/uniform lighting for less power - but less power isn't really the limiting issue for large screens!

[SA]

The other thing to remember is that telly and vid in Oz is still broadcast/reproduced to the PAL standard - that means 50Hz!

Anything above 50Hz relies on some form of interpolation of frames. I'd bet that any perceptible quality difference will relate more to the sophistication of the interpolation process than merely the doubling of cycles.

[SA]

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1100852

[John Deere]

After reading that thread I am more confused!

[Podlettte]

Go with the one that offers the most comprehensive warranty and has the best image for what you want.I'd say the first guy in that whirlpool thread works for Harvey norman, probably a franchisee in training, they tend to step down while studying, then take over their own store, so he'd be fairly spot on.

It all comes down to what you like, I'd say they are pretty even screens with the main difference being the samsung has white backlighting and the sony multi coloured. Does that make a huge difference? I have no idea, does anyone else?

[John Deere]

The sony with multicoloured backlighting is out.....too exxy, it is between the Sony Z and the Samsung 9.....same price point.

[Totalyrottn]

tongue.gif

[Middo]

Originally posted by ssar:
Whatever you do never buy from Hardly Normal.
I have no idea why the Harvey Norman store in Chatswood even bothers to stock Samsung large screen TVs when the staff cannot offer a good word to say about the brand. In addition to that, they have the TVs set up in such a manner that the pictures on all Samsung TVs were grainy. The advice I received from staff was to purchase Panasonic. Smells to me like some kind of 'arrangement' with Panasonic rather than the truth.

[bdenny4]

Just read about the new TV's that will be comming our way soon - no cabling; wireless et up enabling you to put the TV in one place and the otehr bits and pieces in another; different backlight system enabling a VERY slim design........ can't remember the rest

[bdenny4]

BTW - was great playing the Wii on the new HD TV - +1 put the back out though playing bowling!!!!!!

[Middo]

What did Ricky Ponting's face look like on the big screen this afternoon?

[bdenny4]

Didn't see it - thankfully.
But I can only imagine

[bdenny4]

Here's the nephews playing Wii baseball on the new Sony LCD:

http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd346/bdenny4/CIMG4506.jpg

**

[Middo]

Yes, we have Wii all over the floor too :D