Many problems Sony 46W4500

[Anonymous]

7 day return also applies to orders over the phone/fax etc.

The retailer may upgrade your tv if you were to pay the difference between the price on the Z4500 and the price they could sell your 'ex-display' tv for. Depends if they normally sell graded stock in their shop or online.

Worth a shot I guess.

 

[Anonymous]

Pointless I would imagine :-(

sure there must be something they could return if for so they wouldn;t lose out and then they get another £450 out of me.

They would be happy, I would be happy.

 

[Anonymous]

alsina:RyanJH:

garethwd:It might be worth giving plasma a look

I'm starting to think that way to be honest as they are supposed to be better as far as handling SD which i watch quite a lot of, but i have a few qualms with plasma's... Firstly the cost of running, i hear it's considerably more than an lcd, secondly, the screen burn problem, altho i wont leave it unattended for long periods so thats not so much of a problem, and also, i hear that lcd has a sharper, brighter and more real picture (which is more important to me) than plasma's which tend to have a warmer feel to the image.

I'm just a little unsure, whichever i pick i'm always going to worry i've made the wrong choice!!

A Panasonic plasma of this size would cost at most 1.5 pence per hour more to run than the Sony, so not exactly considerable.

Also, to 'burn the screen' on a modern good quality plasma, you would practically have to set out to acheive this. It just isn't something that happens in normal use these days.

As regards the picture quality you refer to, it is true that with bluray the Sony has an incredibly sharp and vivid picture, however when watching broadcast tv in both sd and hd, the inevitable 'noise' in the picture (especially on fast movement) is also incredibly sharp and noticeable. As for brightness of picture, after correctly calibrating the tv the brightness on both will be very similar.

One last thing to bear in mind, particularly on the new Sony's, is the very narrow viewing angle, which for a lot of setups with more than one viewing position probably has the biggest effect on picture quality than any of the above.

In summary, both technologies have their pros and cons, you simply have to get a good demo of both and decide which you prefer. The only time you might worry 'you've made a wrong choice' is if you end up with a faulty tv, highly unlikely from either Sony or Panasonic. What matters then is your choice of retailer and their level of customer service, as I'm sure a lot of posters on this thread will already have experienced.

Thank you for that, that was an intelligent and informed set of answers, i was quite impressed with the level of detail! I'm definitely going to consider those points of view when choosing my next, or should i say, 1st large screen! I want to get this right 1st time! Thanks for your help!

 

[Anonymous]

Like many others I am in the market for my first flat screen TV, and like many others I don't fancy the idea of spending close on £1000 for a lottery ticket to see if I get a good set or a duffer. Exhaustive viewings in several showrooms convinces me that a good 40W4500 will suit my viewing needs, but who knows if I'll get a good one? I can assert my consumer rights as well as anyone, and distance selling regulations will give me a get-out if I get a duffer, but who needs the hassle?

In this day and age you expect a level of consistency in product quality in this segment of the market. Either the sets with clouding and bleed problems are in a very small minority - in which case Sony could afford to back up their quality claims with replacement sets, or they have a genuine quality control problem, in which case they should come clean.

As individual consumers we vote with our wallets, but as an influencial consumer publication What Hi-Fi should have significant clout with manufacturers. I suspect that only a very few of the readership find and monitor the web site and these forums. Perhaps an article in the printed magazine objectively commenting on the reported problems might get Sony's attention more effectively?

 

[Anonymous]

smithdom:
As individual consumers we vote with our wallets, but as an influencial consumer publication What Hi-Fi should have significant clout with manufacturers. I suspect that only a very few of the readership find and monitor the web site and these forums. Perhaps an article in the printed magazine objectively commenting on the reported problems might get Sony's attention more effectively?

An excellent point!! I couldn't agree more!!

 

[bigblue235]

The problems with the W set are quite worrying, and as with the Panasonic 'purple snakes' and Sony rear-pro 'green blob' issues, I think it becomes tricky to make any sort of rational decision. I'm looking to buy a 40", but I'm not on the mainland, so it's a bit of a gamble. If I have to return it it'll probably cost me quite a lot in carriage!

I would rather have a plasma, but I am worried about screen burn. I'm surprised by people saying it's not an issue any more, maybe it's less of an issue nowadays but it most definitely is still an issue to some extent. To me, it doesn't matter if 99% of the sets are fine, I'd probably get one of the 1% that aren't

We had sets in work that suffered, and a friend has just junked a one-year old set that has been ruined with kids TV logos.

Hmmm, what to do...

 

[Anonymous]

Would be interested to know which brand of plasma tv you are referring to?

 

[bigblue235]

If you mean which ones suffered with screen burn, both Panasonic and Pioneer.

 

[Anonymous]

I have a 40W4500 and it is pretty good, little bit of clouding in the top right of the screen but this seems to have got better over the last week or so.

However I do have one problem which I am hoping that people might be able to help me with on here. When I am playing games with fast moving images (ie FIFA 09 when I play the ball forward quickly or Call Of Duty 5 when I pan left and right quickly) the picture blurs, it is starting to concern me. Is this a problem with the set or something that happens with all LCD's?

Other than that I really like the set.

 

[Clare Newsome]

smithdom:
As individual consumers we vote with our wallets, but as an influencial consumer publication What Hi-Fi should have significant clout with manufacturers. I suspect that only a very few of the readership find and monitor the web site and these forums. Perhaps an article in the printed magazine objectively commenting on the reported problems might get Sony's attention more effectively?

actually, far more people use this website (where the clouding reports,including link to this thread are now mentioned in both w4500 reviews) each month than buy the mag - but just in case, we've started to mention the potential of clouding in print, too.

 

[professorhat]

Kamran:
I have a 40W4500 and it is pretty good, little bit of clouding in the top right of the screen but this seems to have got better over the last week or so.

However I do have one problem which I am hoping that people might be able to help me with on here. When I am playing games with fast moving images (ie FIFA 09 when I play the ball forward quickly or Call Of Duty 5 when I pan left and right quickly) the picture blurs, it is starting to concern me. Is this a problem with the set or something that happens with all LCD's?

Other than that I really like the set.

That's an LCD trait - as a general rule, they have slower response times than plasmas which mean the pixels don't "turn off" fast enough, making it look like the ball is blurring across the screen. It's nothing to be worried about though as it's not damaging the screen in any way. Some LCDs are better than others at this, but computer games are the main testers for this due to the frenetic activity involved in some games.

 

[Anonymous]

Kamran:

I have a 40W4500 and it is pretty good, little bit of clouding in the top right of the screen but this seems to have got better over the last week or so.

However I do have one problem which I am hoping that people might be able to help me with on here. When I am playing games with fast moving images (ie FIFA 09 when I play the ball forward quickly or Call Of Duty 5 when I pan left and right quickly) the picture blurs, it is starting to concern me. Is this a problem with the set or something that happens with all LCD's?

Other than that I really like the set.

Make sure you've got game mode on. Its under the features menu.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for that guys.

I tried it with Game Mode on the other day and it made the "blurring" even worse, so I just switched it off and set motionflow to high, it is still there but no way as bad as it is with game mode on.

 

[Anonymous]

Clare Newsome:
actually, far more people use this website (where the clouding reports,including link to this thread are now mentioned in both w4500 reviews) each month than buy the mag - but just in case, we've started to mention the potential of clouding in print, too.

On reflection I guess that is not so surprising given the predominantly tech-savvy nature of your audience. Even so, I'm glad that you will cover some of the issues in print.

Perhaps even more newsworthy is Sony's apparent indifference to the issues being raised. It is all very well having a policy based on a range of 'tolerable' defects that are 'within specification', but if that range is too wide then it undermines consumer confidence and damages the reputations of manufacturers. If What Hi-Fi can get a 'perfect' set for review then the rest of us should expect nothing less.

Has this point been made to Sony?

 

[Clare Newsome]

Oh yes, we've had LOTS of words with Sony. And our editor, Richard Melville, is with senior Sony bods in Japan this week, and is going to hammer it home right at the top, too....

 

[cmf]

will be interesting to see what the response is from japan.

 

[Anonymous]

smithdom:
Like many others I am in the market for my first flat screen TV, and like many others I don't fancy the idea of spending close on £1000 for a lottery ticket to see if I get a good set or a duffer. Exhaustive viewings in several showrooms convinces me that a good 40W4500 will suit my viewing needs, but who knows if I'll get a good one? I can assert my consumer rights as well as anyone, and distance selling regulations will give me a get-out if I get a duffer, but who needs the hassle?

In this day and age you expect a level of consistency in product quality in this segment of the market. Either the sets with clouding and bleed problems are in a very small minority - in which case Sony could afford to back up their quality claims with replacement sets, or they have a genuine quality control problem, in which case they should come clean.

As individual consumers we vote with our wallets, but as an influencial consumer publication What Hi-Fi should have significant clout with manufacturers. I suspect that only a very few of the readership find and monitor the web site and these forums. Perhaps an article in the printed magazine objectively commenting on the reported problems might get Sony's attention more effectively?

Couldn't agree with this more - objective commenting. What say what hifi to this?

 

[Anonymous]

Clare Newsome:Oh yes, we've had LOTS of words with Sony. And our editor, Richard Melville, is with senior Sony bods in Japan this week, and is going to hammer it home right at the top, too....

Thanks Clare. I'm in no tearing rush to buy - my purchase is predicated on having a good FreeSat HD capable PVR first so your forthcoming Humax review is of great interest. By the time I have that installed and working (assuming it is good) I hope you may have elicited some more encouraging responses from Sony so that I can buy their products with confidence.

 

[Clare Newsome]

christhedon:
Couldn't agree with this more - objective commenting. What say what hifi to this?

Not sure what you're asking? We've objectively commented on this the whole way through, and have both hosted and regularly added to this thread, added a blog and flagged up the issue in our reviews. Oh, and continued to push the point with Sony.

 

[Anonymous]

Couldnt ask any more from What hi fi in fairness...Although i doubt it will make a difference Sony have known all about backlight issues for ages and have failed to remedy it in the past.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I live in the Netherlands and was planning to buy the 40W4730 (technically the same as the 40W4500).

But after informing about the "known" clouding problem and my wish to return/change the TV when I would encounter this problem (with a properly calibrated TV) the shop (an official SONY dealer) let me know they would not change the TV or refund (because Sony would not be co operating)! The shop employees were aware of this 'clouding' problem and have seen it on several Sony LCD's...

So, I decided not to buy a 'lottery' Sony TV ... I'm considering alternatives now (a Panasonic plasma or a Samsung LCD).

John

 

[Anonymous]

JSa:
...the shop (an official SONY dealer) let me know they would not change the TV or refund (because Sony would not be co operating)! The shop employees were aware of this 'clouding' problem and have seen it on several Sony LCD's...

If Sony do not deal with this problem then the outcome may be that shops refuse to stock the models that have been affected, simply because of the damage to the shops reputation. I note that Richer Sounds no longer offer this model via mail-order, only in store. I wonder if this is to avoid returns under the distance selling regulations?

This looks like it may become one of the worst own goals for a manufacturer for a long time.

 

[Anonymous]

Has anyone heard - if Sony has responded to the fact that there was a problem with clouding and back light bleed in a "particular batch" or is it a general problem on all the Sony Televisions......

 

[Anonymous]

Richard Melville:

Statement from Sony: Sony BRAVIA KDL-46W4500 TV Clouding (Uniformity)
To achieve a high level of performance and picture clarity, Sony
utilizes a very bright backlight setting. This helps deliver the
brightest picture possible, as well as exceptional picture clarity even
with the darkest image sources.

However, under certain dark viewing conditions, the setting may cause
the screens on some of these televisions to exhibit a slight uneven
uniformity, especially for a blank screen with no video source. This
condition is not normally visible under typical viewing situations, such
as watching movies or television programs, and should not affect viewing
experience.

Should customers find that this condition affects their viewing
enjoyment; we suggest adjusting the following settings to minimize this
condition:

1) Setup Menu - select - Light Sensor: ON
2) Setup Menu - select - Power Saving: Low or High

3) Picture Menu -- Reduce the Backlight Level eg 'Standard' or 'Cinema
mode' (Factory Setting = 'MAX')

SONY has its own criteria for uneven uniformity which was created from
past experience that satisfies a high majority of our customers.
SONY believes the level of uneven uniformity is not defective and does
not plan to recall any of its products.

 

[Anonymous]

Just looking at my screen and notice the clouding bottom right of the screen does get slightly better if i view the screen straight on rather than slightly down.

If i was to put the screen on a wall mount is there an ideal height the screen should be viewed at?

I've always heard that you should look down to the TV.

Any advice on this or techincal stats on viewing heights?