Sony EX503 or not?

[admin_exported]

I want to replace my 20 year old Mitsubishi with a 32 or 37" flat screen. The 503 has had very good reviews and I like the idea of free HD and a good refresh rate for sports. Both are now around the £5-600 mark which is what I want to pay.

After visiting Comet, I am a little confused. The 503 had an adequate, but hardly brilliant picture, and, in common with the other LCDs in the shop, seemed to lose its colour intensity from any angle other than straight on. I was totally smitten by a 50" Panasonic VT50 which had a fabulous picture - almost like looking out of a window, but is far bigger and more expensive than I want. Also there were some comparably priced (to the 503) Samsung LED screens which seemed much sharper pictures and better colour - especially off axis, but these don't seem to rate as highly in tests.

Is the 503 only excellent against other (mediocre) LCD screens or have I just seen the result of a poor demo loop signal? Are LEDs or Plasmas generally better colour, sharper pictures and less grainy?

Help!!

 

[Clare Newsome]

Sadly, there is no way of knowing how (if at all) the sets were calibrated in the store you visited, but - other than the off-axis issue, which is on a par for LCDs -we wouldn't recognise your description of the Sony from our experience of a well set-up model. Mind you, we've seen some very good Samsungs, too - not sure why you think they haven't rated highly.

But anyway, i'm going to suggest you go some more retailers for comparison, plus check out another option - the Panasonic TX-L32D25 (review here). It might stretch your budget slightly - though i've seen offers for under £700 - but it's a superb 32in set.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for info - I'll have a look out for the Panasonic and try and do a back to back. Are Plasma's better for football - colour and motion wise or have I just seen a very expensive one?

 

[Clare Newsome]

The best plasmas are excellent for motion and colour (though can suffer from colour banding), but you can't get top-range plasmas in either 32- or 37in screen sizes - they start at 42in.

So plasma isn't really an option for you - i'd concentrate on seeing as many LCDs as possible, in a range of retailers.