I am in the process of buying a 46" flat screen. I have it down to these two, but wanted to know thoughts on either. I know the 650 carries a bigger price tag, but Is there that much of a difference other than that?
The samsung unit has a little more depth of field to it, but the viewing angle and glare can be a problem. They put a plastic screen on the front to try and get a brighter image, but it gives a worse glare then any plasma and is the part that gives it a bad viewing angle. Plus the red board on the set is kinda weird. I feel for the money the Sony is a little nicer unit. That is what I would buy.
We have a Samsung LN40A550 and it's a beautiful tv. I can only imagine how much better the 650 is. Right now Amazon is the cheapest place to buy - especially considering no tax and free white glove shipping (they schedule a date to deliver, come out and set it up and make sure everything is working before they leave). Samsung LN46A650 - $1649.90 Sony KDL-46W4100 - $1799.98 All things being equal I don't think the Sony's are worth the extra $150. Then again, a lot of people are brand-loyal. Both would be great.
I bought the 650 in the 52" model. It's looked fantastic and I've been really happy with it. I've only had it for about 3 weeks, so I can't speak to the longevity of it, but the picture quality has been really good, and it looks really nice mounted on the wall. I thought the red around the edge might bother me, but since I started using the TV I haven't really noticed it.
How do you get service on the Amazon Samsung? Do you have to ship it to Samsung, or buy a service plan?
For the 1 yr warranty period, a TV tech will come to your house to fix it free, or get a replacement.
I picked up a Sony 40" W4100 on sale at Frys a couple of weeks ago for $1299. It is back to $1799 now though. I am pretty happy with the set. At the time it was the best bang for the buck buy on a 40" 1080p LCD with the 120 Hz feature. With al the good recommendations out there for Samsung, they must have greatly improved thier product quality. I know several years back I was never impressed with any of their products.
Anyone have experience w/Pioneer KURO? I'm looking to buy one when I move into the new house. I've read it's the sickest plasma you can get for movie watching.
There is no set in our store that competes with a Kuro, no sony, panasonic, samsung nothing. The Pioneer stuff is awesome. I have 60"
so if they are facing straight into the TV and you will be sitting straight on the TV, during dark scenes you will notice some glare off of the panel. If they are to the side of the set and tyou are watching straight on no problem at all. If the set is going in your bedroom, think of when you will be watching TV, mostly at night so no problem with glare.
I wonder what people thought about all that glare on CRT screens for the last 60 years? Our Panasonic Viera plasmas both perform outstandingly well in rooms that do have large windows in them (living room & my UT den). Glare is not a factor for us, as we are focused on the picture content. In the evenings it's not there at all.
That's good, but $697 + tax for my 42" (720p) Viera two weeks ago was a consideration for me. Pretty darn good bang for the few bucks, IMO. Love those Kuros though. Next year when we decide to shuffle the two plasmas around, I'm thinkin' of a Sony or Samsung 46" LCD (1080p) for the living room.
The Kuro is significantly more expensive than the Panasonic. That said, it does offer the deepest blacks. I bought a Viera 46" pz85u from amazon a month ago as a compromise. With our patio window in the living room, there is noticeable glare in the afternoon, but that is only a problem on weekends (football). Have to close the drapes to really enjoy the picture. Still, I have'nt seen an LCD that compares picturewise.
The Samsung LN46A650 has dropped $80 buck in the last 2 weeks. I've been itching to buy this for a few weeks now, but the price on Amazon just keeps creeping down. I'm trying to save up to buy a house so a tv isn't my top priority, but I want this tv so bad it hurts... I think if I can last until the holiday specials I'll get a good deal.