# cant decide btween sony or samsung?



## sticketfan (Apr 25, 2007)

i am looking into buying a new 3d capable led/lcd tv. i want a 46 inch and am seriously looking at the sony 46HX800 and the samsung un46c8000xf. best buy told me the samsung was better but i have always been a sony man. have had 4 sony sets and they last. just wondering if anyone had any input, it would be helpful. i am most interested in the regular hd pic. and the 3d is just an extra plus in either set.


----------



## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

Both will be very high-quality TVs, to be sure, but I too prefer the Sony, if for nothing else than the consistancy of the interface. Virtually all Sony TVs made in the last 30 years use the same remote code (DirecTV: 10000, Dish: 500), and all of them respond to the Input button correctly.

Samsung hasn't been around nearly as long, but already has a dozen different remote codes, and the newer TVs changed the Input function so that you more-or-less MUST use the factory remote, as pressing Input brings up a menu that won't go away without hitting Enter on the factory menu. Great TV, but those little things will be annoying to deal with for years to come.

Sony is the industry standard for a reason.


----------



## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

Personally, I'd go with the Samsung. Sony 3D TV's have had some problems with ghosting, far more than you see with the Samsung. Also, the Samsung receivers have features not foun in the Sony's. (BTW, for the record, I have two Sony HD TV's). Of course, the real deal this week at Best Buy would be the 50 inch Panasonic plasma for $1999.99 with 3D Blu-ray player and starter kit with two pairs of glasses and 2 3D movies.


----------



## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

Bypass any brand of LCD and go the plasma route.


----------



## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Hoosier205 said:


> Bypass any brand of LCD and go the plasma route.


I have both a Sony and Samsung LCD...both have worked out quite well and have outstanding imagery.

Plasma?

No way...unless you need your own home nuclear power plant heater...


----------



## sticketfan (Apr 25, 2007)

scared of plasmas even though the salesman pushed the panasonic and said burn in is a myth. i watch tons of sports and play ps3 still not sure about the burn in..


----------



## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> I have both a Sony and Samsung LCD...both have worked out quite well and have outstanding imagery.
> 
> Plasma?
> 
> No way...unless you need your own home nuclear power plant heater...


The increase in power usage and heat generated are minimal. The only folks who care about that are working in the PR department for LCD manufactures. If you want superior picture quality, especially with fast motion (such as sports), plasma is the best option. A Panasonic or Pioneer (if you can still find a Kuro) plasma is superior to every LCD/LED on them market today. If you want motion blur and lighter black levels...LCD/LED is the direction to go in.


----------



## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

sticketfan said:


> scared of plasmas even though the salesman pushed the panasonic and said burn in is a myth. i watch tons of sports and play ps3 still not sure about the burn in..


There are indeed myths and truths about plasma HDTV.

Rest assured...higher cost up front, alot of power consumption, and more heat given off than other formats are truths.

The burn-in issue was far more common with the "first generation" units than it is now in today's plasma's...gone in most units built in 2010.


----------



## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

sticketfan said:


> scared of plasmas even though the salesman pushed the panasonic and said burn in is a myth. i watch tons of sports and play ps3 still not sure about the burn in..


It is a myth. Unless you plan on leaving town for a week and leaving a logo, a game HUD, letterbox bars, etc. on the screen the entire time you're gone...it won't be an issue. Even if you are still concerned about it, they come with features to help you avoid the issue entirely. The Panasonic plasmas are the best displays available on the market today, without question.


----------



## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Rest assured...higher cost up front


LCD's cost more up-front, rather than plasma. Substantially more in fact.


----------



## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Hoosier205 said:


> LCD's cost more up-front, rather than plasma. Substantially more in fact.


I don't know where you are buying yours, but its the reverse here.

Plasma prices have come down in 2010 for sure...most likely because of less-than-expected sales numbers.


----------



## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

Plasmas have been neck and neck or slightly cheaper for quite some time now. The next gen plasma's put off a lot less heat, and use a lot less energy than they used to, like less than half on both accts last I read. My Panny plasma is fantastic, I have a 42 in my master bedroom that was $700, its a 1080p model with all the bells and whistles except for the new 3D crap.


----------



## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

CCarncross said:


> Plasmas have been neck and neck or slightly cheaper for quite some time now. The next gen plasma's put off a lot less heat, and use a lot less energy than they used to, like less than half on both accts last I read. My Panny plasma is fantastic, I have a 42 in my master bedroom that was $700, its a 1080p model with all the bells and whistles except for the new 3D crap.


So I guess my $414 42" Samsung 1080p LCD and $540 55" Sony 1080p LCD units cost more than the $700 42" plasma then huh? 

Like I said....I've seen plasmas still higher than what I can get name brand LCDs for here. That said....if the two were a draw....I still would not go with plasma for multiple reasons. Some love plasmas, others wouldn't think of getting them.


----------



## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> So I guess my $414 42" Samsung 1080p LCD and $540 55" Sony 1080p LCD units cost more than the $700 42" plasma then huh?
> 
> Like I said....I've seen plasmas still higher than what I can get name brand LCDs for here. That said....if the two were a draw....I still would not go with plasma for multiple reasons. Some love plasmas, others wouldn't think of getting them.


Well, if you want superior performance in a panel...plasma is the only choice. If you want lighter black levels and motion blur, go the LCD route.


----------



## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Hoosier205 said:


> Well, if you want superior performance in a panel...plasma is the only choice. If you want lighter black levels and motion blur, go the LCD route.


Not with the units I have....strong black reproduction.

I think that those kinds of generalizations come from repeating sales propaganda, rather than fact. Plasma is generally deeper in black reproduction, but you pay a price in other aspects.

Not all plasmas have burn in, not all LCDs have black level issues.

Best advice - *look* at the purchase candidates side by side with good demo material, and pick your preference.


----------



## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

Go with the Sony and forget the plasma. Least we forget about the reflective glare off a plasma screen!


----------



## SteelCity86 (Oct 19, 2010)

Both of you are correct. LCDs and Plasmas are very closely priced now, but thats only because of companies pushing LED LCDs. Hoosier, I think your talking about, as far as price, the new LEDs which are usually much more expensive than Plasma. LCDs just cant match up with Plasma screens, motion blur, very low contrast ratios in the 100,000-200,000's compared to 2 mil, 5 mil or more on Plasmas. The dreaded 'Soap opera effect'. And of course the difference in black level, no LCD will match a plasma in black level. 

Enter the new LED's which level the playing field a lot more. Much better black levels, higher contrast ratios. Motion blur is still an issue though, as well as the 'soap opera effect'. Also with the edge lit screens you have flashlighting. The LEDs are nice sets, no doubt, but you pay for them. Im looking at buying a new TV. The Pn50c7000 3d samsung plasma is $1500, the 46 edge lit LED-LCD 3d is $1999. So HUGE price difference there. 3d is MUCH better on plasmas due to crosstalk on LCDs and LEDs. 

Image retention does still happen on plasmas, especially in the first 100-200 hrs, but its not permanent. Permanent burn in is very unlikely. 

Everybody has their own opinion, so I dont think either of you are wrong. But all things considered I would go plasma. Most 'tv people' that I know (calibrators, salesman etc.) prefer plasma. To each his own though.

As far as Samsung or Sony, both great companies. Cant go wrong either way. Like I said, I would go with a Panny or Sammy plasma instead, but do whats best for you.


----------



## dettxw (Nov 21, 2007)

FWIW:

I liked my old plasma that I gave to a kiddo much better than my LCDs. You can't beat the viewing angle and it made SD programs look good. 

I replaced the plasma with an LCD for the living room because I got a killer deal at the time, and the Samsung LCD is a decent HDTV. I've got an LCD in the bedroom because the Sony 40-incher was the biggest HDTV I could get that would fit in the hutch. 

Now the Sony and Samsung LCDs that I have are both good HDTVs but the major difference that I found in my particular models is that the Samsung is an order of magnitude more adjustable by the user. Using the Digital Video Essentials calibration Blu-ray disc test patterns & filters I can adjust the Samsung exactly but can only get the Sony close. 
YMMV with newer/different models, and maybe a professional calibration would do a better job.


----------



## Sackchamp56 (Nov 10, 2006)

SteelCity86 said:


> Both of you are correct. LCDs and Plasmas are very closely priced now, but thats only because of companies pushing LED LCDs. Hoosier, I think your talking about, as far as price, the new LEDs which are usually much more expensive than Plasma. LCDs just cant match up with Plasma screens, motion blur, very low contrast ratios in the 100,000-200,000's compared to 2 mil, 5 mil or more on Plasmas. The dreaded 'Soap opera effect'. And of course the difference in black level, no LCD will match a plasma in black level.
> 
> Enter the new LED's which level the playing field a lot more. Much better black levels, higher contrast ratios. Motion blur is still an issue though, as well as the 'soap opera effect'. Also with the edge lit screens you have flashlighting. The LEDs are nice sets, no doubt, but you pay for them. Im looking at buying a new TV. The Pn50c7000 3d samsung plasma is $1500, the 46 edge lit LED-LCD 3d is $1999. So HUGE price difference there. 3d is MUCH better on plasmas due to crosstalk on LCDs and LEDs.
> 
> ...


Great post. I agree with everything.

Is is also tru that the samsungs have all the calibration controls built into the user menu, as dettxw says above.

10 pt greyscale, CMS controls.etc. no need to go into the service menu.


----------



## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

I would love a plasma, but damn they use a lot of electricity...if the wattage is even listed in their specs


----------



## Sackchamp56 (Nov 10, 2006)

Davenlr said:


> I would love a plasma, but damn they use a lot of electricity...if the wattage is even listed in their specs


I have the samsung pn50c7000. It doesnt list the wattage on the website. It just says "exceeds energy star standards". I think it is in the manual, but im not at home.

They definately still use more juice but they have gotten better.

Edit: according to CNET, 169 out of box, 255 after calibration

80 bucks a year operating cost.


----------



## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

Ain't LED the newest & best?


----------



## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Sackchamp56 said:


> Edit: according to CNET, 169 out of box, 255 after calibration
> 
> 80 bucks a year operating cost.


Not as bad as I expected. Then add it extra A/C cost in summer, and subtract heat cost in winter 

My whole system (three dvrs, AVR, DVDO, 46" LED, router, switch, vonage modem, two external drives) draws 505W. Calibrated Aquos is energy star rated, but I cant recall what its wattage is. Was thinking it was over 200... so not much difference.


----------



## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

CNet latest reviews - _Best HDTVs Overall_


----------



## bobukcat (Dec 20, 2005)

dettxw said:


> FWIW:
> 
> You can't beat the viewing angle and it made SD programs look good.


That's a great point that many people miss, Plasma will generally provide a better SD picture than LCD - regardless of back/edge-lighting technology used.


----------



## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

Drucifer said:


> CNet latest reviews - _Best HDTVs Overall_


I've been contemplating those top 2 sets, lately. I want the PN50C8000 pretty bad.


----------



## SteelCity86 (Oct 19, 2010)

I hear ya sigma, I thought about going with the 8000 as well, The reason I decided to go with the 7000 is price. There just isnt a great deal of difference between the 2. You can even change the model # in the c7000's service menu to he c8000 and add the MJC control and Cinema smooth features. Leaving only the higher contrast ratio and the 'real black filter' as the only differences. Really cant go wrong with any of the 3 from what Ive heard though. The panny GT25 is a nice set as well. I've done a lot of homework on all 4 . 

And for Sackchamp (awesome SN btw, lol) did you have any image retention issues in your first 100-200 hrs? Im a HUGE college football fan and worry about the ticker on the bottom of the screen giving me trouble in the fisrt 100-200 hrs. Did you break urs in with slides? What do you think of the set overall? Im really interested in hearing a 'review' from someone that I know has some god TV knowledge.


----------



## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

SteelCity86 said:


> I hear ya sigma, I thought about going with the 8000 as well, The reason I decided to go with the 7000 is price. There just isnt a great deal of difference between the 2. You can even change the model # in the c7000's service menu to he c8000 and add the MJC control and Cinema smooth features. Leaving only the higher contrast ratio and the 'real black filter' as the only differences. Really cant go wrong with any of the 3 from what Ive heard though. The panny GT25 is a nice set as well. I've done a lot of homework on all 4 .
> 
> ...


Yeah, that AMP feature has to be off for me, so that model # trick has me considering that one, too.


----------



## SteelCity86 (Oct 19, 2010)

I hear ya, cant deal with that myself. The latest firmware has it turned off by default anyway. But b4 that it was a big problem. Im sure lots of people returned the TV because of it.


----------



## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

SteelCity86 said:


> I hear ya, cant deal with that myself. The latest firmware has it turned off by default anyway. But b4 that it was a big problem. Im sure lots of people returned the TV because of it.


The latest 7000 firmware or the 7000>8000 hack?


----------



## SteelCity86 (Oct 19, 2010)

The latest 7000 firmware turns the motion judder canceler (mjc) off. So if thats the only reason u were planning on doing the hack, u wont have to now. The advantage of the hack would be the ability to toggle MJC on or off (not that u would want 2, lol) and also it would give you the Cinema smooth option which technically properly display 24fps which the c7000 will not do out of the box. Ive read some conflicting reports on whether cinema smooth works properly on the c7000. I dont see why it wouldnt though. Same hardware in the c7000 thats in the c8000 and the 8000's cinema smooth works, so y wouldnt it work on the 7000?


----------



## liquidctv (Oct 14, 2010)

Battlezone: >Samsung hasn't been around nearly as long, but already has a dozen different remote codes

Not true. All the Samsung flat panels I've seen work with the 10812 directv code. 

>pressing Input brings up a menu that won't go away without hitting Enter on the factory menu.

The input menu times out...slowly. But you can make it go away instantly by pressing volume.

>Sony is the industry standard for a reason.

That was the CRT/Trinitron era. Sony is like Bose imo. They make quality products...with a twist.


----------



## Sackchamp56 (Nov 10, 2006)

SteelCity86 said:


> I hear ya sigma, I thought about going with the 8000 as well, The reason I decided to go with the 7000 is price. There just isnt a great deal of difference between the 2. You can even change the model # in the c7000's service menu to he c8000 and add the MJC control and Cinema smooth features. Leaving only the higher contrast ratio and the 'real black filter' as the only differences. Really cant go wrong with any of the 3 from what Ive heard though. The panny GT25 is a nice set as well. I've done a lot of homework on all 4 .
> 
> And for Sackchamp (awesome SN btw, lol) did you have any image retention issues in your first 100-200 hrs? Im a HUGE college football fan and worry about the ticker on the bottom of the screen giving me trouble in the fisrt 100-200 hrs. Did you break urs in with slides? What do you think of the set overall? Im really interested in hearing a 'review' from someone that I know has some god TV knowledge.


Sorry man i didnt see this post til just now.

Yes this tv did have significant image retention for the first few hundred hours. It was suprisingly bad. It is now much better, actually there is none now.

I am continually amazed how awesome that tv is. It has a fantastic 2d picture. It amazes everyone that sees it.

I did not use break in slides. That may have helped with the initial image retention.

Overall i wouldnt hesitate to reccomend this tv to anyone, and I do so every chance i get.

Again, sorry for not responding for so long. i hope the information is still helpful.


----------



## calgary2800 (Aug 27, 2006)

My new Samsung Plasma the 58 PNC8000
The 2nd best plasma in 2010 behind the VT25. No buzzing, just beautiful to look at. 
You still got to go plasma for the overall better pic. All this LED, dimming, edge lit, 240hz, motionblur still cant beat a plasma.


----------



## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Yes, they are gorgeous! I have a 58" plasma, but there's a 650 in the model number. I got a 32 LCD for the BR. 

Long time Sony man, made the jump a year ago, including a BD player, also a Samsung. 

Very happy with all three items.


----------



## Santana (May 12, 2010)

I bought my first Samsung a few years back when the Sony TVs where priced far higher than the Samsung TVs. I have two Samsungs now and they are every bit as good as a Sony.


----------



## shedberg (Jan 20, 2007)

I LOVE my plasma. No burn in issues or glare from the three big windows in the room. SD looks good but I rarely watch it an go with the HD feed.


----------



## Santana (May 12, 2010)

liquidctv said:


> >pressing Input brings up a menu that won't go away without hitting Enter on the factory menu.
> 
> The input menu times out...slowly. But you can make it go away instantly by pressing volume.


Thanks for the tip. My old Samsung does not bring up a menu, but my new TV does. I was pressing menu twice to make it go away, but using the volume control is a lot easier.


----------



## wilbur_the_goose (Aug 16, 2006)

I'm now a plasma convert. Purchased a Panny VT25 - blows my old Sony away.


----------



## calgary2800 (Aug 27, 2006)

wilbur_the_goose said:


> I'm now a plasma convert. Purchased a Panny VT25 - blows my old Sony away.


Us plasma fans are a dying breed. Read 1 out of 10 HDTVs sold are plasmas. Wish I had the funds for a VT25 along with my 8000 Samsung plasma.


----------



## FHSPSU67 (Jan 12, 2007)

calgary2800 said:


> Us plasma fans are a dying breed. Read 1 out of 10 HDTVs sold are LCDs. Wish I had the funds for a VT25 along with my 8000 Samsung plasma.


Just had my TC-P65VT25 ISF/THX calibrated yesterday. Best $$$'s I've ever spent! It was great before calibration, but even better after, and 3D simply pops out at you, and depth is the best


----------

