Sony KDL-40W4000 vs. Pioneer PDP-428XD

admin_exported

New member
Aug 10, 2019
2,556
4
0
Visit site
Can I have your comments please on which TV is the best one to go for. The Sony won the supertest and seems to be as good as LCD TVs get but I have also seen the Pioneer Kuro getting amazing reviews. Which one to go for? The Pioneer is 'only' HD Ready - what do you lose?

Anyone got any opinions on these two TVs.

Thanks
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
So we have got the 2007 Award winning Plasma against the current LCD champion. I didn't say that I wanted the best possible Blu-Ray picture but also must have acceptable SD as this will replace the amazing Toshiba Picture Frame CRT and I can't have my family going on about how much 'better' the old TV was.

I can't help thinking that with the Pioneer I will be feeling I am missing out on some detail with it not being Full HD - what are other peoples experiences.

Our viewing distance from the set will be around 8-10 feet, how should I factor this in, will I see a more 'liney' picture on a 720 panel?

Decision, decisions...
 

Sorreltiger

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2008
42
1
18,545
Visit site
This dilemma has been discussed on here many times - I'm sure you'd find it interesting to search the archives. ÿFor what it's worth, I looked very closely at all the excellent Panasonics (HD Ready and Full HD) and also had a good look at the Sony when it first came out. ÿIn the end, I decided to see what all the fuss was about over the Pioneer Kuros and was so impressed that I pushed the boat out on one of the last remaining 4280s (basically the same set as the one you're considering).

ÿIn the end, the quality of SD picture was an important factor. ÿAt present, most of the films I want to watch are only on DVD and some of my favourite programmes are not broadcast in HD. ÿBroadcast HD material isn't Full HD anyway. ÿWhen I did my Freeview/SD/DVD playback research, all of the HD Ready sets were superior to the Full HD. ÿIMHO, the Sony looked brilliant on BluRay, but there was just too much 'fuzz' on SD and it was the worst of all on my shortlist. ÿContrary to what you fear, you will see the most 'liney' picture on this set. ÿ

ÿI am now enjoying my Pioneerÿ- viewing distance about the same as you. ÿI'm glad I went for a 42" screen instead of the Panasonic 37PX80 I'd been intending to buy, but I wouldn't want to sit any closer. ÿUpscaled DVD looks far better than I'd hoped for (I'm letting the panel do all the upscaling) and Sky SD is quite watchable. ÿNevertheless, I'm thrilled with the quality of HD programmes - the Olympics looks staggering. ÿAlthough it's not really my thing, the kids enjoy Gladiators and it's the best PQ of all. ÿI don't regret going for HD Ready (768p) at all. ÿI'm afraid I've been seduced by those legendary deep blacks of the Kuro!

ÿIf you look on other forums, you'll find details of the Pioneer set-up - a great help. ÿI did discover that choosing the alternative DRE and EnhancerÿMode settings and having 0 sharpness made a big difference. ÿIt does go to show that, in addition to the differences between sets, it's possible to change the PQ on any one set by changing the parameters (see the Philips test on the main page).
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Thanks. I was sure I wasn't the first to ask this and I am sure won't be the last. Thanks for taking the time to reply.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
You probably shouldn't dismiss the Samsung 40LE656 (the one with the rose black frame - in fact I think it's the one in the competition!). I was torn between the Panasonic 42PZ85 and the 40W4000, but the Samsung swung it with it's standard def picture, which is lovely via Virgin Media. HD is fantastic too. Best of all it was cheaper than both @ ~£750.
 

FuzzyinLondon

New member
Dec 5, 2007
16
0
0
Visit site
My experience was very similar to Sorreltiger above. I ended up with a 4280XD too and my viewing distance is about 9ft. I've owned it for about eight months now and haven't once been tempted by another tv - apart from the bigger Pioneers of course. The new Sonys and Panasonics, along with the Samsungs, are definite improvements over their predecessors. There have been noticeable improvements over the last generation with regards to SD performance and motion-handling. They are all, also, much cheaper than the Pioneer. The Pioneer, for me though, still edges it when it comes to overall picture quality but it's becoming harder and harder to find. If money is no object, then it's still the one to go for but the others are decent value for what you get. For me, right now, the biggest bargain is the Panasonic 42PX80 which is a stonking deal at £600. I really think that, at 9-10ft, you're not going to get much benefit from FullHD on a 42 inch set and the Panasonic is a great alternative to the Kuro at half the price.
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts