Sony vs. Toshiba

[Trek]

I'm looking to buy a 51 in. rear projection HD monitor television. I've narrowed down my choices to two...the Sony KP51WS520 and the Toshiba 51HC85. I've already looked through AV forums, Consumer Reports, etc and I'm still split on which to get as I get different opinions wherever I look. Sounds like Sony may be more dependable, but the picture may be better on the Toshiba. I looked at both (side by side at Best Buy) and thought the picture on the Toshiba was better based on factory settings. Anyone have either model or have an opinion on the brands based on past experience? Otherwise I'm going to flip a coin...either one has to be better than the 25 in. I have now

 

[Pyre]

When I bought mine, the choice also came down between a sony and a toshiba. In the end, I chose the sony because the picture seemed more natural. The toshiba had a very bright picture, but the colors seemed too vibrant, almost neon looking.

Also, the sony had some features that I really liked.

 

[Seamus]

You will get a hundred opinions on which one looks better and when you compare 2 tv's of good quality the difference is just opinion. Some screen are brighter while other are softer and the better one is just preference.

Anyway... Both are good so test them out at a GOOD A/V retailer and pick the one that looks best to you. It's your money don't spend it on a screen that looks better to me or anyone else.

 

[Cheekie]

sony when dealing with consumers can be a BEEEOOOTCHHHH- I had a set of headphones that they just wouldn't repair or replace- had to pay for them to do it at a "AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER".

 

[Trek]

I get the point on difference of opinions on picture quality, but it's hard for me to judge if a picture is good with different types of programming by standing in front of it for 10 minutes watching the stores demo video.

I could though get a stack of dvds, some popcorn, and my favorite lounge chair... :whistling: ..ah better not.

I'm also wondering about reliability of the brands..did anyone have a set that junked out after a year with either brand?

 

[STYX&STONED]

Wife bought me the Sony for our anni. and I love it!!

 

[Seamus]

Go to a place that has a nice demo area where you can bring your own DVD. Pick something you've watched many times and also has a good dvd transfer(some dvd's that look ok on small TV's look like crap on big screens) and watch 15 min on both screens. If you have cable TV ask them to put on an analog feed so you can look at that also so you don't get suprised when you get it home. If you really see no difference in PQ then I don't know what to tell you. I've always had Toshiba TV's and I have a 52" Toshiba now that I've had no problems with.

 

[KayakinBoy]

Wife bought me the Sony for our anni. and I love it!!

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Personally, I'd go with sony. Honestly, either one is a great tv. Should bring your years of joy and football games! I do recommend you get any type of extended warrenty where ever you buy it and use it whenever possible. Like with Sears, they will come out once a year and clean the projectors, which there is no way in hell I'd do myself.

 

[AVB]

Find out which one is the easiest to calibrate. How accesible are the service controls, can the protective screen be taken off, what connections does it have to interface with what you already own. Does the unit upscale everything, does it display broadcast HD in native format or fixed output?

If you just want to watch TV then some of those aren't as important. However, if you are doing a home theater then what I listed should be part of your decision process.

 

[Rob_k]

i just purchased sony "dlp" set in the 50". the picture quality was better than the samsung i was looking at, no ghosting during sports, and it has the hdmi hookups and component hookups for my 7.1 surround. i bought mine on sony reputation and recomendations from some of the HDTV forums.

 

[JimK]

Seamus gives good advice. I would add to it that you should try to get in a place where you are not bombarded by flourescent light. Also, play with the user-adjustable controls (brightness, tint, color, sharpness, contrast) to get the best picture you can on each tv.

Also, be sure to look at the back of the set as well as the front. Make sure it has good connectivity. Some sets have one component video input, some have three. More is better.

JK

 

[BurningDoDo]

I do recommend you get any type of extended warrenty where ever you buy it and use it whenever possible. Like with Sears, they will come out once a year and clean the projectors, which there is no way in hell I'd do myself.

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i second that. especially on such a high priced item. i know that circuit city(i used to work in one and hated every moment of it) will give you a gift card at purchase price if they don't have the item in stock. that'll come in handy when its about to expire a couple years along the line and you can get a better tv. but ALWAYS read the fine print before you get the warranty where ever you go. you can always buy the warranty a couple days after the purchase. most retailers are pretty lax about that because extended service is a huge cash cow for them.

 

[TonyDogs]

I'm looking to buy a 51 in. rear projection HD monitor television. I've narrowed down my choices to two...the Sony KP51WS520 and the Toshiba 51HC85. I've already looked through AV forums, Consumer Reports, etc and I'm still split on which to get as I get different opinions wherever I look. Sounds like Sony may be more dependable, but the picture may be better on the Toshiba. I looked at both (side by side at Best Buy) and thought the picture on the Toshiba was better based on factory settings. Anyone have either model or have an opinion on the brands based on past experience? Otherwise I'm going to flip a coin...either one has to be better than the 25 in. I have now

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They are both manufactured in the same plant.
Your best bet is to go online and try to buy a commercial grade big screen.
By far the best choice I made. Commercial grade are less likely to have problems.
Tonydogs

 

[AVB]

Extended warrenty is an overpriced insurance policy. Odds are if it doesn't break in the first 90 days it won't for the next 5 years. Why do you think it is such a cash cow.....because they rarely have to fix anything during the extended time period. If you look around into consumer reporting you'll find that extended warrenies are almost never advised.

I do recommend you get any type of extended warrenty where ever you buy it and use it whenever possible.

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i second that. especially on such a high priced item. i know that circuit city(i used to work in one and hated every moment of it) will give you a gift card at purchase price if they don't have the item in stock. that'll come in handy when its about to expire a couple years along the line and you can get a better tv. but ALWAYS read the fine print before you get the warranty where ever you go. you can always buy the warranty a couple days after the purchase. most retailers are pretty lax about that because extended service is a huge cash cow for them.

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[KayakinBoy]

Extended warrenty is an overpriced insurance policy. Odds are if it doesn't break in the first 90 days it won't for the next 5 years. Why do you think it is such a cash cow.....because they rarely have to fix anything during the extended time period. If you look around into consumer reporting you'll find that extended warrenies are almost never advised.

I do recommend you get any type of extended warrenty where ever you buy it and use it whenever possible.

[snapback]215563[/snapback]​

i second that. especially on such a high priced item. i know that circuit city(i used to work in one and hated every moment of it) will give you a gift card at purchase price if they don't have the item in stock. that'll come in handy when its about to expire a couple years along the line and you can get a better tv. but ALWAYS read the fine print before you get the warranty where ever you go. you can always buy the warranty a couple days after the purchase. most retailers are pretty lax about that because extended service is a huge cash cow for them.

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Your homeowners won't cover the screen going out.




Now if you get drunk and throw a 5,000 dollar tv on the ground, you might be able to say a guest broke it, but that's a thin line! :sign:

 

[KayakinBoy]

i just purchased sony "dlp" set in the 50". the picture quality was better than the samsung i was looking at, no ghosting during sports, and it has the hdmi hookups and component hookups for my 7.1 surround. i bought mine on sony reputation and recomendations from some of the HDTV forums.

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And also, DLP, IMO, is the best picture of all. Plus plasmas are the ones most likely to stop working, and with rear projection, one of the three color tubes goes out... boom, your done. :thumbs:

 

[mhortsch]

I have to disagree with the negativety on the warranty, partially because I am biased and worked in a best buy for 5 years. Extended warranties are a joke, unless you are buying a digital camera, digital camcorder, or an HDTV.

1) With a projection TV, the guns inside get extremely hot and constantly move around. Through time, they will get out of allingment, this can be fixed through convergence on the TV, to an extent. Some retailers will send someone out when this happens, to get into the manufactured calibration settings, and get your tv back to the way it was when it was new.

2) Some retailers will cover your TV if the mother board gets whiped out by a surge... the TV warranty will not.

3) Warranties will cover the cleaning of the guns

4) The price to have a local TV repair man come out and work on an HD set, will be equivelant if not more.

I buy warranties with everything, becuase I've seen what can happen. In the last 6 years, Ive gotten 2 new ipods, swapped out a broken 32" for a 36", got my telephone battery replaced, got my cell phone replace, got my playstation replaced, and now Im just waiting for my Vegas to blow so I can also get those replaced.

I agree, extended warranties are mostly a joke, but your about to drop a grand or so, spend the extra bling to protect your investment, you'll shoot yourself 3-4 years down the road. Projection TVs ARE NOT tube tvs.

On that note, if your going HD, get a DLP or LCD. Most retailers have outstanding financing with the football season coming to a start. Im about to jump the gun into a 50+" Samsung DLP, Toshiba DLP or Sony LCD.

Rant over, and im to hungry to proofread

 

[Seamus]

It's no secret Best Buy makes TONS of money from warranties, they wouldn't sell them otherwise. It comes down to luck and how you treat your things. Some people have stuff for 30 years without breaking and other can't keep something more than a few months. I never buy extended warranties but I did get one for my TV. I would not pay the outrageous amount that BB gets for it though. Buy your TV at a place like Onecall.com and the tv/warrantee will be cheaper than buying it at a local store without the warrantee.

 

[Trek]

Thanks all for the feedback!! I know both tvs have the connections and features that I'm looking for. A lot of places now have great financing on tvs, but I don't think I'm going to take the price jump to a DLP or LCD..I'm replacing a 25 in. analog tv that I had for about 9 years so this upgrade is good enough for now.

I think I will go in with a dvd and see how it looks on each screen before making a final call. My concern was with those abnormalities that I've read about for some sets...like the ghosting on sports Rob_K mentioned or a white line issue that I read about for other Toshiba models, but I haven't heard any of that for these sets and I haven't heard anything bad about the brands except for Sony's bad customer service.

As for the warranty, that's probably a tougher decision than which tv to buy. I know if I get one I'll have no problems with the set and if I don't get the warranty I'll have nothing but problems, just the way it seems to have worked out in the past. BB charges $250 for a four year warranty...still not sure whether I'm going to get it..I may get it just for the piece of mind.

Thanks again

 

[Matt R]

I have a Sony 51".... then again, almost all my stuff is Sony....