Sony vs Mits RPTV (1 Viewer)

[KyleC]

Hello all, this is my first post. I am contemplating a large purchase (for me anyway). I am looking at the Sony KP57WS510 and the Mitsubishi WS-55313. I would like to hear all the pros and cons on these two sets. Thank you.

 

[greg_t]

I would suggest that you do a search in the Display Devices forum, which is for TV's, and visit the manufacturers websites to compare features.

 

[Brian Fitterman]

Kyle, the latest Perfect Vision just did a big comparason of a bunch of HD RPTV's. I would suggest to read it, its a good place to start.

 

[KyleC]

I've read up on both, I just want to hear people's experiences with them.

 

[Brandon McB]

Whats "Perfect Vision"? Sorry, But I'm a newbie.

 

[KyleC]

Does anyone own either of these TV's?

 

[Jason Charlton]

Kyle,

I have had a Sony KP-57WV700 for several months now and absolutely love it. All Sony RPTV's have DVI inputs as well as support playback of 720p material (converted to 1080i). The Mits has the DVI input, but I don't believe it supports 720p at all - a definite down-side.

Out of the box, the picture on the Sony was quite grainy and (of course) had contrast and brightness WAY too high as well as every known artificial picture enhnancement technique known to mankind turned on. Awful!

After calibration with Avia, however, the image looked VERY impressive. Progressive scan DVD playback is phenomenal, and most importantly, my basic, non-digital cable looks pretty darn good. In fact, one of the main reasons I went with the Sony was it's performance with Standard Definition material. I should note that the Sony displays are known for having a slightly more "grainy" appearance even when properly calibrated than other manufacturers. Personally, I prefer a little bit of grain to the "clay face" appearance that some sets produce, but that is purely a personal preference.

The "Wide Zoom" stretch mode on the Sony's was the other big factor in my decision. Using a combination of zooming, cropping, and nonlinear stretching (less in the center, more on the sides), the result is that I watch 99% of all 4:3 material stretched and am never distracted by short, squatty fat people. Really, the only time I watch in 4:3 mode is to see the very short sports ticker at the bottom of ESPN - that is almost entirely cropped off in Wide Zoom.

Finally, even though I feel the Sony outperforms the Mitsubishi, I also actually prefer the styling of the Sony over the "big black box" of the Mits. Be warned, however, that the top of the Sony cabinet is very shallow front-to-back, so center channel speaker placement is tricky. If your speaker is large and heavy, you may not be comfortable balancing it on top of the set - it can be a little precarious.

Naturally, I'm offering a somewhat biased opinion, here - I chose the Sony for reasons that were important to me. It's often difficult to do a good side-by-side comparison, and sets in the showroom are rarely set up properly, so it IS a tricky decision to be made.

Good luck in your shopping. Let us know what you decide!

-Jason

 

[Reid_d]

I would say think twice about the Sony. I have the KP65WV600 and would not buy one again. It's been in the shop twice in less than 9 months. I work 6 days a week and go to school 3 days a week, plus ebay 7 days a week. I'm lucky if I get to watch one movie a week. So its not from overusage. So far the guns have been replaced, the screen, a chipset, and several of the casters (from rolling it across the floor). I realize your looking at a different model but there's not a lot of buyer confidence on my end. Maybe I just have a lemon. A good friend of mine has the KP57WV600 and loves it.

 

[KyleC]

Jason,
I have a triple set of windows on the wall to the right of the TV. I've been watching the past few days and the sun never hits the wall where I'll be placing the TV. However, my question is since the Sony seems to have a more reflective shield on it would the glare be a hinderance? I have Blinds on the windows so I can shut out most light but I dont want it to be a cave in there all the time either.

 

[Jason Charlton]

Kyle,

One of the biggest differences between the various Sony models (510,600,700) is the screen. The base 500 (now 510) model does not include a high-contrast screen or any anti-reflective coating. Both the 600 and 700 models have the high-contrast screen (it's like a large, flat pane of glass floating outside the plastic frame of the TV) and the 700 adds anti-reflective coating to the screen as well.

Unfortunately, I don't have any direct experience with the 500/510 model other than in the stores, and glare wasn't an issue. In my current setup, I have a large, 3-panel sliding glass door that runs along the left wall of my viewing room. I usually keep the blinds shut for privacy, but on occasion I do open them up a bit to brighten the room and can still watch my set without any problem whatsoever. A lot of ambient light may require you to increase your brightness a tad to compensate - you may even want to create a second "picture" setting for these conditions.

It's always hard to know for sure how a set will perform in your home. Wherever you buy your set, make sure you understand their return policy. Most places will usually give you at least a couple weeks and often 30 days no questions asked. I wouldn't buy from someone if they didn't allow a return.

-Jason

 

[KyleC]

Right off Tweeter's Website:
"We give you 30 days to try out your new equipment in your home. If you don't love it, return it for a full refund."

Of course I'd have to pay return shipping, but at least it's something.

Is your TV out of service now? I tried to look for it but most places don't carry it.

 

[Jason Charlton]

I got my set from a local Tweeter store and was EXTREMELY pleased with the customer service. This was several months ago, and at the time, I was going to go with the 600, but those had already been phased out and weren't available. I thought the 700's were going to stick around for at least another production year, but I could be wrong. The Tweeter website still lists them here ($2500), but who knows how recent that listing is and if they're still stocked.

If there's a local Tweeter store you can go to, they can usually check inventory for other stores as well as their warehouses for available units. If not, you may have to contact someone via the website to find out for sure on availability. I'd be surprised if Sony's phased out everything except the new 510 and 550 models.

-Jason

 

[KyleC]

What are the differences between yours and the 510s?

 

[KyleC]

I went to Tweeter last night, and decided to wait until December to get a new TV. The salesman told me they'll be running a better financing deal then. No interest for 2 years. Also, I asked about the 700 series and he said they're phased out now and the only ones he could get were floor models. I would never get a floor model because they jack the brightness levels up and who knows how long it'd last. Hopefully a new Sony model will come out by then, or the LCD's will come down enough.

 

[Jason Charlton]

A quick comparison between the 57" 510 and the 65" 700 (the only 700 series on Sony's website)turned up some interesting details.

Several of the features that were previously only available on the 700 it seems have migrated to the 510. Most importantly, the 700 used an improved lens system over the older 500 and 600 series. Apparantly, the 510 uses the same "Microfocus" lens system as the 700 - a big plus. Also, the 510 has added the 700's "MID X" circuitry which improves performance of the 2 tuner PIP function.

Both sets have 3:2 pulldown, and it *seems* as though both have the same DRC circuitry that upconverts standard def material to 1080i, though I can't be certain of that. I know the 700 had an improved version of the DRC than the 500 and 600, but the Sony website doesn't go into as much detail in their specs on the 510.

One thing the 510 is missing, though it's really no big deal, is the memory stick reader. If you have a digital camera that uses memory sticks, you can just plug it into a slot on the front of the set and view your pics on the TV. I doubt I'll ever use that feature - it really didn't factor into my decision.

Really, the main reasons I went with the 700 over the 500 was the better screen, the improved lenses and "supposedly" improved upsampling of standard definition material. Looking at the specs of the 510, it seems that really, the only thing it's missing that's of any importance is the screen.

I'm not sure there's a compelling reason to try and track down a 700 when the 510 offers so much.

-Jason

 

[KyleC]

The only thing that would worry me is the glare. Is there something I could put over it?

 

[Jason Charlton]

I'm not really sure there's anything you can put over it to reduce the glare. Like I said before, indirect or ambient light shouldn't be much of a problem. If it is, you can probably compensate by bumping up your brightness for daytime viewing and reducing it again for darker viewing environments.

The only time I've encountered glare problems are early morning when the sunlight pours through my windows onto the TV, or if it's a bright, sunny day and my blinds are wide open - in which case, I should be ashamed of myself for being cooped up inside watching TV instead of outside enjoying the weather!

The best bet is to get a set home, and try it out. If it doesn't work, then you can always return it.

-Jason