Best 50-60 inch LCD HDTV for under $5000?

[Uberpwnage]

I'm in the market for a new TV, unfortunately everything seems to be less clear then it used to be...everything is 1080p, everything has plenty of HDMI ports, BS contrast ratio specs, so it all seems to run together.

A while ago I probably would have gone with the Sony Bravia XBR4 or XBR5, sadly those have been phased out and replaced by the new XBR6, XBR7, and XBR8. The XBR series were known for their scaling quality which is one of my major concerns.

The XBR8 looks very nice with LED backlighting, but the price tag of $7000 for the 55 inch is pretty steep. The XBR6 and XBR7 are "coming soon" and don't have a price on Sony's site. Are these Bravias a good choice or should I be looking elsewhere for the best quality/performance given my price constraints? Preferably $4000 would be a better price, but up to $5000 is if the added features are substantial enough.

[newfiejudd]

look at the samsung LN52A750 120 hz with a 4ms response time. Sony's are still 8ms response time.

[Feyy]

Pioneer Kuro - if you can afford it. Untouchable picture quality

[bacon12]

I dunno about quality but the price is right @ 2 grand for a 73"

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=3871732&sku=M402-7308

[betterdan]

Mitsubishi is great on quality but that is a DLP set bacon, he asked about LCDs even though I think a DLP is a much better deal.

[1337_Like_ThaT]

If you are looking to spend around $4000, I would definately go with the 52" Bravia XBR6, it would end up totalling $4000 give or take. If you have patience, wait until the 52" XBR7 comes out and see what that goes for, but either way definately go Sony, they have the television market down to perfection

[|JuiceZ|]

Pioneer Kuro - if you can afford it. Untouchable picture quality

x2. The new G9 series is even better but they may be a bit out of your price range.

[Uberpwnage]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'm probably going to wait another month or two to make a final decision. Unfortunately my local Best Buy doesn't have any of the TV's mentioned here, so I make have to make a trip to see them in person. Although I can't remember the last time Best Buy had anything I was interested in, at least in the high end segment.

[mullet]

I sure love my Samsung 61" LED DLP.

http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/1489/sam61ak3.jpg

[-=Gib-McFragger=-]

I sure love my Samsung 61" LED DLP.

http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/1489/sam61ak3.jpgI would love that TV, I just wish they came in smaller sizes. For my room, even a 46" would be pushing it.

I have a 42" Toshiba 720P DLP and the bulb is on it's last legs. When it blows I am not going to sink any more money into a 720P tv that nobody makes any more. I love the PQ and complete lack of blur on my DLP, so I would LOVE to get an LED DLP if they only came smaller than 61".

[-=Gib-McFragger=-]

OoOoO I did some searching. The come in a 50" now. Too bad I can't find anyone who sells them locally.

Oh well. Sony 46" W series, here we come. :)

[evilchris]

Pioneer Kuro - if you can afford it. Untouchable picture quality

I beg to differ!

[Toss3]

I beg to differ!

Well it's untouchable in the "slim" TV category at least, or do you disagree with almost every review site out there? I mean its got the darkest blacks and very good color accuracy(post calibration), and is plenty bright enough. It doesn't have the most natural or "film-like" picture out there - projectors are unchallenged here - but it sure is the best 50 incher imo.

[Inraged Twitch]

Get a sony XBR7 52" in january. They will be shipped at 4100$ but the picture quality is wowzers and will spank the new 2ms vizio and sharp.

[RupertBanana]

Things to remember about plasma.

Screen unifomity is close to perfect compared to LARGE LCD, granted LED might help resolve some of LCD's issues.

Plasma black levels are more consistent than LCD, so even if LED LCD has a lower measured black level, it won't guarantee superior PQ.

plasma has virtually no motion blur, whereas LCD "can" have significant amounts.

Plasma technology is lightyears ahead when it comes to low signal strength sources such as low bitrate SDTV or 350mb xvid/divx.

plasma doesn't handle light anywhere as well as LCD, but has no problem with minimal light or zero light.

[Medion]

I'm in the market for a new TV, unfortunately everything seems to be less clear then it used to be...everything is 1080p, everything has plenty of HDMI ports, BS contrast ratio specs, so it all seems to run together.

A while ago I probably would have gone with the Sony Bravia XBR4 or XBR5, sadly those have been phased out and replaced by the new XBR6, XBR7, and XBR8. The XBR series were known for their scaling quality which is one of my major concerns.

The XBR8 looks very nice with LED backlighting, but the price tag of $7000 for the 55 inch is pretty steep. The XBR6 and XBR7 are "coming soon" and don't have a price on Sony's site. Are these Bravias a good choice or should I be looking elsewhere for the best quality/performance given my price constraints? Preferably $4000 would be a better price, but up to $5000 is if the added features are substantial enough.

Look into the Samsung 6/7/8/9 series. They're essentially the same as the XBR 6/7/8.

Samsung 6 series is the "baseline" and an unbelievable set. I've got the 46" set.

The 7 series takes the 6, and adds 1GB onboard storage (for photos and such), the ability to stream videos through the ethernet port (6 series only allows photo), and a built-in woofer in case you're not interested in separate audio.

The 8 series ditches the woofer from the 7, but it's a slimmer panel.

The 9 series is essentially the XBR8. It uses LED back lighting, in addition to most/all of the features in the 6/7/8 series.

[pfeld1st]

Pioneer Kuro - if you can afford it. Untouchable picture quality


Guys, I have exactly 48.5 inches of width due a cabinet that was made 6 years ago for my 36" WEGA and I had the carpenter use some specs for the "future" technology.

Now, I am looking at 47 and 50 " classes. I just thought, oh, I am going with LCD because its better than plasma.

So, I am reading and I like what you all say about plasma.

Are there any other differences that I should look out for ?

BTW, Pioneer's review was not as good as Panasonics in CNET, my problem is that Panasonic is a true 50" and I can fit the Pioneer.

Also, we watch at night in dim light, using during the day, we don't care just to get the CNN updates during a quick on/off cycle.

Talking too much, anyway, let it fly on plasma...thanks, newbie purchaser, want to do it any minute...ciao

[Toss3]

Guys, I have exactly 48.5 inches of width due a cabinet that was made 6 years ago for my 36" WEGA and I had the carpenter use some specs for the "future" technology.

Now, I am looking at 47 and 50 " classes. I just thought, oh, I am going with LCD because its better than plasma.

So, I am reading and I like what you all say about plasma.

Are there any other differences that I should look out for ?

BTW, Pioneer's review was not as good as Panasonics in CNET, my problem is that Panasonic is a true 50" and I can fit the Pioneer.

Also, we watch at night in dim light, using during the day, we don't care just to get the CNN updates during a quick on/off cycle.

Talking too much, anyway, let it fly on plasma...thanks, newbie purchaser, want to do it any minute...ciao


Kuros are pretty much untouched when it comes to picture quality, but it also comes at a very high premium.

Panasonic plasmas are next in line(except if you take high-ends brands like runco into consideration) - they offer a very good picture that's easily at the same level as high-end lcds. They are also pretty cheap.

Then there's rear-projection screens that rival plasmas in terms of picture quality. You also need to remember that the bulb needs to be replaced after 2000-5000 of viewing. The biggest downside however is that they're bulky and big like old crts. The big plus here on the other hand is that they're cheap.

Then comes the lcds starting from the 9 and xbr8 series from samsung and sony and so on.


Front projection is still the best way to enjoy a movie though, but require a lot of work to set up.

Check out avsforum.com if you're unsure which type of TV is right for you!

[Medion]

Figured I'd bump this post with some new information in case you still haven't purchased a set.

I'm in the market for a new TV, unfortunately everything seems to be less clear then it used to be...everything is 1080p, everything has plenty of HDMI ports, BS contrast ratio specs, so it all seems to run together.

A while ago I probably would have gone with the Sony Bravia XBR4 or XBR5, sadly those have been phased out and replaced by the new XBR6, XBR7, and XBR8. The XBR series were known for their scaling quality which is one of my major concerns.

The XBR8 looks very nice with LED backlighting, but the price tag of $7000 for the 55 inch is pretty steep. The XBR6 and XBR7 are "coming soon" and don't have a price on Sony's site. Are these Bravias a good choice or should I be looking elsewhere for the best quality/performance given my price constraints? Preferably $4000 would be a better price, but up to $5000 is if the added features are substantial enough.

For under $5k, and in the 50-60" categories, there are two sets worth considering right now.

Samsung 9 Series 55" - $4k ish (http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-LN55A950-1080p-refresh-backlighting/dp/B001DT0LSI/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1229215066&sr=8-1)

Pioneer Kuro Elite 50" - $4.5k ish (http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-PRO-111FD-built-widescreen/dp/B001CE06GQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1229215109&sr=1-1)

For picture quality, the Kuro Elite is a little better, but there are burn in issues. Stick with the Samsung (LED LCD) if you plan to play video games for significant periods of time, and/or you tend to stick to one television channel for long periods of time. When it comes to plasma and LCD technology, these sets are unrivaled right now. They are the very top of their class.

Pioneer Kuro - if you can afford it. Untouchable picture quality

+1

If you are looking to spend around $4000, I would definately go with the 52" Bravia XBR6, it would end up totalling $4000 give or take. If you have patience, wait until the 52" XBR7 comes out and see what that goes for, but either way definately go Sony, they have the television market down to perfection

Sony has a lot of people fooled right now, but I'm glad that they do. It helps stimulate the economy :) Truth is, the Bravia XBR panels, and the Samsung 5-9 series panels come from the same jointly owned factory, of which Samsung has a controlling stake. So, while the panels are the same, what's different? The back lighting, the strength of the light, and the interface. At the same price, I'd take a Sony over a Samsung for the better menus, but for near identical picture quality, they're not worth the price difference.

Things to remember about plasma.

Screen unifomity is close to perfect compared to LARGE LCD, granted LED might help resolve some of LCD's issues.

Plasma black levels are more consistent than LCD, so even if LED LCD has a lower measured black level, it won't guarantee superior PQ.

plasma has virtually no motion blur, whereas LCD "can" have significant amounts.

Plasma technology is lightyears ahead when it comes to low signal strength sources such as low bitrate SDTV or 350mb xvid/divx.

plasma doesn't handle light anywhere as well as LCD, but has no problem with minimal light or zero light.

Correct. I just want to add that LED is still in it's infancy, and the LEDs are nowhere near pixel sized yet. So while an LED LCD can look better than a normal LCD in terms of screen uniformity, the Plasmas are still superior.

[Toss3]

For picture quality, the Kuro Elite is a little better, but there are burn in issues. Stick with the Samsung (LED LCD) if you plan to play video games for significant periods of time, and/or you tend to stick to one television channel for long periods of time. When it comes to plasma and LCD technology, these sets are unrivaled right now. They are the very top of their class.


Burn in is only an issue on low end plasmas - at the high end it's been pretty much eliminated altogether.

Sony has a lot of people fooled right now, but I'm glad that they do. It helps stimulate the economy :) Truth is, the Bravia XBR panels, and the Samsung 5-9 series panels come from the same jointly owned factory, of which Samsung has a controlling stake. So, while the panels are the same, what's different? The back lighting, the strength of the light, and the interface. At the same price, I'd take a Sony over a Samsung for the better menus, but for near identical picture quality, they're not worth the price difference.

Just because the panels come from the same factory doesn't automatically mean that they'll have the exact same picture quality. There are a lot of differences between the two, many of whom you listed in your post, and there's a reason why sony's TVs tend to look and do better as of late compared to the rivaling samsung models.

Correct. I just want to add that LED is still in it's infancy, and the LEDs are nowhere near pixel sized yet. So while an LED LCD can look better than a normal LCD in terms of screen uniformity, the Plasmas are still superior.

+1

[Medion]

Burn in is only an issue on low end plasmas - at the high end it's been pretty much eliminated altogether.

Burn in is still an issue with plasmas. It's been reduced, but it's still there. Also, the whole whitewashing feature is best to avoid, as it significantly reduced the lifespan of the set.

Just because the panels come from the same factory doesn't automatically mean that they'll have the exact same picture quality. There are a lot of differences between the two, many of whom you listed in your post, and there's a reason why sony's TVs tend to look and do better as of late compared to the rivaling samsung models.

While there are subtle differences, you'll find just as many people favoring the Sony equivalent as you will the Samsung equivalent. They're closer than Coke and Pepsi.