Samsung HLN507W vs. Sony KF-50XBR800

[Stick]

Samsung HLN507W vs. Sony KF-50XBR800

I am buying a TV this week and have narrowed the selection to two.

I think both are excellent televisions.

I would appriciate opinions to make sure I have not overlooked any details.

Thanks

[FatDog]

I dont know about the Sony, but I have been studying the Samsung DLP units and it's my first choice because of all the inputs, weight, no burn-in issues. You might also consider that new Samsung HD-9xx DVD player. It has a DVI output and if you use it, it will do a up-conversion to 720p or 1080i before the video leaves the player.

Note: the Samsung DLP television will convert every video source to it's internal resolution of 720. This has to be this way because of the DLP chip.

[markw]

I just posted a similar question without seeing yours. It's a good thing when it's converted to 720P, right? Or is it better if converted to 1080i? THe samsung stands out highly. The only thing that interests me in the Sony is I heard it's not DLP. I thought maybe this means it doesn't have some of the bad things like rainbow effect and bad black levels and well as needing bulb replacement.
What I like about the DLP is the good picture quality of standard TV so I'm wondering if it lacks some of these good things.

[57U]

The Sony LCD-based RPTV converts all incoming signals to 768P (the number of fixed pixels in the display). All fixed pixel display units are like this. CRT-based TVs are different and typically convert all signals to 1080i (or 480P or 540P depending on the nature of the incoming signal).

Whether you consider 7XXP displays to be superior to 1080i is up to you, as there has been a lot of debate on this forum regarding this subject.

[TSturgill]

I saw the 50" Samsung DLP at Best Buy this weekend and it looked fantastic overall. The only complaint I would have is that the black levels didn't really compare to other sets there especially the 42" panasonic plasma. I was ready to buy, but now I'm not sure. Has anyone heard of black level problems on the Samsung or did Best Buy not have it set correctly? Light images looked fantastic, but the blacks looked a little off.

[Stick]

From what I have read on the features on the Samsung website the Samsung 5065W at Best Buy does not have the Faroudja chip like the 507W at Circuit City

I was just over there at lunch and was lookink At the Grand Wega and Samsung side by side.

I always notice something about the Samsung that prevents me from buying it right away.

Watching it at CC I always notice that when you look at a darker motionless background like a large curtain behind a disscussion group today that was on HDNet.

It seams if the screen is moving or crawling. It is hard to explain but but it like you can see the pixels moving.

You don't see that so much on the Sony except when you are up close.

[Stick]

A few more things

Both sets are exellent. what makes it so tough is that they are not set up correctly.

I would love to see both set up correctly by a tech or even Video Essentials to see the true difference between the two.

But from what I have seen and read in Home Theater Mag the Sony is not you best choice for Dark Room viewing

[jvo8]

I've had the Samsung 50 DLP for 2 months now and I love it. Hooked it up to the DirecTV sir-ts165 and HDTV is awesome. Black level is a draw back. But the nonglare screen is a super plus over all other projection TVs. Design can't be beat. Looks like a plasma when placed in wall recessed area.

Looking to upgrade to the 60" model. :p

[57U]

Originally posted by Stick But from what I have seen and read in Home Theater Mag the Sony is not you best choice for Dark Room viewing Can you provide a link or a reason? Thanks.

[spaceman_spiff]

Here is what I found
http://www.hometheatermag.com/showarchives.cgi?166

Excerpt from above link

Depending on what you're looking for in a TV, the KF-50XBR800 may be worth looking at. If a high black level drives you nuts, this isn't the set for you. If the black level doesn't bother you or you watch a lot of TV during the day or in a bright room, the KF-50XBR800 is definitely worth investigating. To get this level of brightness, you'd normally have to use a DLP RPTV, and they almost never have the splendid color that this Sony has.

[57U]

I read the article and unless I missed something here's what I "read".

1. The remote is hard to use in the dark, due to the button layout/size.

2. The TV is excellent in bright light.

3. No real mention of "poor" dark performance that I could tell. The fact that the TV performs well in bright light doesn't detract from how it performs in the dark does it?

I'm not trying to "defend" this TV, I'm just trying to understand why people were making all the comments about how it worked in the dark. There are lots of "remotes" that are poor in the dark...

[spaceman_spiff]

Originally posted by 57U
3. No real mention of "poor" dark performance that I could tell. The fact that the TV performs well in bright light doesn't detract from how it performs in the dark does it?


Thats why I posted this link. If anyone has any other links, it would help.

[raidbuck]

Stick:

What you said about the Faroudja Chip was correct on the HLM versions. However, the HLN versions all have the same internals. At Circuit City the 507 has the Faroudja emblem on it, which actually costs more. At BB the 5065 has it, but not the emblem. This allows CC to avoid matching BB's price, since the models are different.

Rich N.

[aj327]

Rich,

You are correct. I got this info straight from Steve Panosian, one of the general managers at Samsung so I know it to be true. All the HLN sets - even the Tantus models have the same internals. However, come September or so, all the new Tantus models (467 and 567) will have upgrades that will allow for discreet codes...but nothing that will improve the PQ or anything like that. I'm not positive, but I believe all HLN models shipped after a certain date will have the upgrade actually. Samsung isn't advertising it, but for a fee of around $200, Samsung will also be upgrading sets for people who bought the earlier HLN models. They'll most likely be coordinating it with local service companies.

57U, I was also confused by the GWIIs apparent difficulties with darker rooms. The reason is that the blacks on the GWII are actually dark grey. This really stands out in a very dark room, and can be a bit distracting. In a lit room, however, you can't really tell.

I've heard many people claim that DLPs have the best black levels thus far of all the fixed pixel technologies (save perhaps the LCOS sets). I was in the GWII camp for a while, but opted to go back to the DLP side after considering this point. You really can't get a "punchy" picture, IMO without decent black levels. I was of course concerned about the rainbow phenomenon, but now that this technology has reached the general public, it turns out that the rainbow problem happens far less frequently than people had expected. Kind of a squeeky wheel issue with the first sets that caused the initial panic.

For the moment I see DLP as the best choice for those who want a burn-in proof set that has a great picture - TODAY. However, if you're willing to wait till September (realistically speaking), there will be many more goodies coming our way. Phillips will be coming out with their 44 and 55 inch cineos LCOS sets (not 1080p). These will cost around the same as the DLPs. Few people have seen these sets in action, but those who have claimed that they looked fantastic. I guess we'll all find out in a couple months. Also the new 3 panel 57' LCOS from Toshiba will also be debuting in September(ish) for much less than its predecessor. (somewhere in the 5000 range - MAP price). And this will be 1080p. They're going to have a 60ish inch model as well.

And finally the GWIIIs will be coming out - and they'll be adding a 40 something inch model to the lineup. These will be priced lower than the DLPs and current GWIIs. Only problem is that the GWIIIs are not going to be "XBR" anymore. This might not seem like such a big deal, but what it means is that there really isn't supposed to be any improvement in PQ with these new sets - the improvement is only with price.

I haven't checked in here for a while so I apologize if all this is old news and has already been discussed ad nauseum.

Later