Is Sony still a good TV brand?

[dack]

I love Sony and because i had a 34" Sony and Panasonic CRTs and gone couple of smaller TVs from Sony, Toshiba, Samsung and Phillips. Sony wins hands down in definition and picture processing. But nowadays i see a lot more Korean brands like LG and Samsung being popular. Yes they are cheaper and yes i heard Samsung 2009 models have some good picture processing. However i still trust Sony engineering and picture processing.

I wonder what your thoughts of staying with Sony 2009 Bravias for LCD?

[ChrisGgr]

to answer your thread title,the answer is a big YES!!there were some years that the prices were really high and maybe unjustified in some cases,but that doesnt apply to the 2009 reality.Sony produces very high quality tv's,and this has significant importance in a year that most tv companies try to source as many as possible 3rd party lower quality panels to lower the cost.

And especially this year,the BE3 is on top of the best technically processors in the lcd category(samsung is as well)

[vickster]

Just beware the potential issues with backlight bleed and clouding (not all TVs by any means but does happen)

[ChrisGgr]

which is a lcd fault though not sony's alone,it should be pointed out,but not to the level it misleads readers

[vickster]

Hence, my carefully worded answer. It does happen on all LCDs, just Sony owners seem to report in more on new models

[ChrisGgr]

because the number of owners is much larger than other companies.Doesnt the fact that W5500 had the most reports say sth?its the series with the highest sales.that doesnt mean there is a special thing with W5500,all models pass the same production line!Anyway point is made although many people dont want to see sony suceeeding again,after the small break,we can finally say that sony is fully competitive again on all aspects

[Giangdarookie]

they are still good and they are still over rated

we just got a 40 W5500. good TV and all, but nothing that makes me rush and buy one for my self (the current model is for my uncle).
I would say, LG and Samsung offers more value for money expecially if u considering PQ. Sony is not miles ahead of anything, thus it is still significantly more pricey than concurent brands.

in Hungary where i live the LG 47 H4000 a very very good TV is cheaper than the 40 W5500.

its crazy, u get 7 plus inch, and more or less similar features. I know the sony has better black level, but not that better. post calibration and under optimum lighting sony is slightly better. i also know that BE3 is a big deal but the XD engine is highly sufficent IMO.

[ChrisGgr]

sufficient?of course it is,more than that I d say,but LG has a different product aim.their ultimate aim is the make the cheapest possible tv's(more than samsung),and only the new borderless tv's seem to be more quality oriented.For ultimate PQ,the LH4000 for example isnt sufficient,but for average performance is more than good,very good indeed and good value for money

[jayden28]

Originally Posted by ChrisGgr

sufficient?of course it is,more than that I d say,but LG has a different product aim.their ultimate aim is the make the cheapest possible tv's(more than samsung),and only the new borderless tv's seem to be more quality oriented.For ultimate PQ,the LH4000 for example isnt sufficient,but for average performance is more than good,very good indeed and good value for money

If you look at all the reviews LG are getting now i dont think the aim is making the cheapest sets possible its more the opposite now,samsung are without doubt the leaders in the lcd marketyou only have to look at all the reviews that they get to see that so if i was in the market for a lcd it would have to be a samsung,sony is still a good brand but have been left behind this year by other companies and newer technology but im pretty sure some people on here will disagree with me,you know the ones.

[ChrisGgr]

the cheapest possible aim was until now,and as I said,they are now changing to more quality sets like SL8000/SL9000/LH9000,and thats logical,the price war they started leads nowhere and doesnt help them long term

[JiffOrange]

I like both my Sony Bravia & my Samsung, these 2 brands are currently the top of the pile (although some on here will try to argue that LG is making big waves, please they are only just starting to do what Sony & samsung have been doing for years) ...Just my opinion of course, but I've yet to see a great LG TV! When I was buying my V5500 kept an eye on this one;

Sony Bravia

Cheers,
Jiff

[Bibby_83]

Hi,
To be honest the LG LED-lit sets such as the SL series are still less expensive than the equivalent models by Samsung, Sharp, Sony and such so I believe they are still aiming at a certain market.

They do make a Plasma TV that costs about £1500 or so but that is actually a 60 inch 1080p set.

Anyway, Sony tended to have a more colourful picture with a broader range of colours so the current LCD TV range follows that path. The Trinitron also tended to have good brightness and again Bravia is similar. I think there was an 80s advert here in the UK with John Cleese holding up a white shirt on a Trinitron CRT where he claimed that Sony gave a brighter and clearer picture. I think that was the USP of their older TVs but they are quite high quality products anyway so I accept the price difference.

Having said that, many TVs now are of reasonable quality and prices are quite similar - I would expect to see more competition in the future.

[nickfrog]

Originally Posted by JiffOrange

I like both my Sony Bravia & my Samsung, these 2 brands are currently the top of the pile (although some on here will try to argue that LG is making big waves, please they are only just starting to do what Sony & samsung have been doing for years) ...Just my opinion of course, but I've yet to see a great LG TV! When I was buying my V5500 kept an eye on this one;

Sony Bravia

Cheers,
Jiff

I'd rather have a cheapo LG plasma with real world / wide range colours than a "cartoon like colours" LCD, even a Sony. I actually have a 32 Sony LCD for the kids playroom and it works really well for cartoons and even games. Films and sport look comical on it too. Honnestly, I am not exagereting.

[JiffOrange]

Originally Posted by nickfrog

I'd rather have a cheapo LG plasma with real world / wide range colours than a "cartoon like colours" LCD, even a Sony. I actually have a 32 Sony LCD for the kids playroom and it works really well for cartoons and even games. Films and sport look comical on it too. Honnestly, I am not exagereting.

Ahhh yes, agree to some degree but we are getting into the age old LCD vs Plasma debate! the OP was asking if Sony are a good brand & in LCD they are very much (along with Samsung) kings of the hill. LG do make some decent plasmas I'll not disagree on that one . My V5500 doesn't look comical, infact its not far of my DLP HD70 projector in terms of black level & colour (not quite though ).
Cheers,
Jiff

[William YZF-R1]

I would still place Sony at the top of the LCD pile. There are plenty of threads here about Samsung problems too.

I have three Sony's of differing ages and the current models are the best to date.

EDIT With the current Sony Trade In offers they are better than ever.