I own a 46" Samsung DLP (HLR series), and continue be disenchanted with the technology due to macro-blocking while playing DVDs. I just watched "Lady in the Water" and almost every scene had macro-blocking. And it would be worse except that I had my Samsung professionally calibrated shortly after I purchased it. The calibration minimized the macro-blocking, but did not eliminate it. I even get macro-blocking on OTA HD feed on occassion, particularly when scenes are made up of mostly one color... such as a blue ocean scene.
My parents just purchased the Sony 50" SXRD (not the XBR), and I am envious now. We watched a half dozen movies over the holidays, and not once did I see any macro-blocking. I performed a basic calibration on the Sony with only minor tweaks using Digital Video Essentials. The only area in which my Samsung DLP outshines the Sony is sound quality and skin tones, but I think this can be attributed to the fact that my Samsung was professionally calibrated and the Sony was not. HD picture quality is about even with a small edge to the SXRD (perhaps the difference between 720P & 1080P), but standard def and DVD playback is much much better on the Sony. The real clincher for me was watching "Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire". On my Samsung DLP, this movie was almost unwatchable. On the Sony, the quaility of the image was not too far off true HD.
I know this is very subjective, but I would like to hear what others think, particularly those who have recently compared the two technologies ??? Are you starting to believe (as I am) the Sony commercial depicting a NASCAR race with DLP technology as clay animation ?
And I should add that the DVD player was the same for both TVs, a Sony up-scaling unit with HDMI output. I am now thinking about ditching my Samsung DLP after only one year. I think DLP might be in trouble as the Sony SXRD sets have really closed down the price gap with DLP. My parent's 50" Sony was only $1650.
My parents just purchased the Sony 50" SXRD (not the XBR), and I am envious now. We watched a half dozen movies over the holidays, and not once did I see any macro-blocking. I performed a basic calibration on the Sony with only minor tweaks using Digital Video Essentials. The only area in which my Samsung DLP outshines the Sony is sound quality and skin tones, but I think this can be attributed to the fact that my Samsung was professionally calibrated and the Sony was not. HD picture quality is about even with a small edge to the SXRD (perhaps the difference between 720P & 1080P), but standard def and DVD playback is much much better on the Sony. The real clincher for me was watching "Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire". On my Samsung DLP, this movie was almost unwatchable. On the Sony, the quaility of the image was not too far off true HD.
I know this is very subjective, but I would like to hear what others think, particularly those who have recently compared the two technologies ??? Are you starting to believe (as I am) the Sony commercial depicting a NASCAR race with DLP technology as clay animation ?
And I should add that the DVD player was the same for both TVs, a Sony up-scaling unit with HDMI output. I am now thinking about ditching my Samsung DLP after only one year. I think DLP might be in trouble as the Sony SXRD sets have really closed down the price gap with DLP. My parent's 50" Sony was only $1650.