Ugly Sony ?

[admin_exported]

I realise that I am going to attract the wrath of all owners , and would be owners, of Sony KDL S,W and X models but why do they look so ugly?(the TVs, not the owners!).

Those nice Japanese bods in their R&D department beaver away for months to produce some of the finest LCD panels around, just as their CRT predecessors did, only for them to be shipped of to the newly formed Design Oversight Group (DOG) to be packaged in a style that can at best be described as 'retro'. Worse still, the more you pay the uglier they appear to get. What is that plastic/glass surround on the X series all about?

Of course picture is the numero uno consideration but 'er in doors comes a very close second. Since the thing sits there most of the day doing nothing(the TV, not the wife) it may as well look good as a piece of furniture/art/total eclipse of the window until it comes to switch on time.

OK, so Samsung and Pioneer are born with pretty genes but Panasonic, and LG with their Design Art range, at least appreciate that three, four or five feet of plastic and metal stuck in the main room of the house needn't constitute grounds for divorce. And as for the new Philips Aurea - well if that is not something that could bring peace and harmony into a marriage then I don't know what could. (However, the £3000 asking price may prove a tad tricky on the romance front).

Speaking of the Philips Aurea, I popped down to my local Department Store(s) and saw it demonstrated in all its glory. Interestingly, on speaking to the sales people, it was Philips and their team that set everything up in order to show the Aurea at its dazzling best. Maybe the other manufacturers should take note.

 

[Andy Clough]

Well David, looks are a matter of taste, but as the owner of an earlier-generation Sony Bravia LCD (2005) I have to say the original design is much smarter than the current models. But then the picture quality on the new ones is undoubtedly better, and they're considerably cheaper (as I know to my cost!)

 

[Anonymous]

As they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I couldn't make my mind up between the 4280XD and the W3000, so I said to the missus, which one do you like best...

She answered with "I don't think I'll get on with that shiny black surround, it's full of relfections, it will put me off watching the tele".... and here I was thinking how stylish the Pioneer looked...

So were going for the Sony....

 

[Alantiggger]

Hello david, I myself think your off your ed' matey

...I think the Sony t.v's (W-Series) especially, looks fine on the eye..... nice piece of decorative black.The Samsungs all look fine to me as well....personal taste I think.

 

[Anonymous]

I have to say I'm with David on this, only the Samsung float my boat in this department (although I'm going for a Pana...)

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Samsungs are ugliest to me. I see it written on the tv and it reminds me of Chelsea shirts - very ugly!

 

[Anonymous]

As I see it the problem with most of the TVs that are manufactured by Japanese companies are representative of how they like to display (show off if you will) what the features are inside their screens.

They are all covered with various stickers/logos etc (the X series has these etched into the glass) just like their car manufaturer counterparts. Big wings, big noise etc etc, BBE, HDMI x 3, TruSurround, HD Ready, the list is endless and it's totally unnecessary as far as I'm concerned but that's just how the Japanese models are presented.

For me it ruins what effectively could have otherwise been a decent piece of furniture, but I guess I'm biased as I've had the pleasure of a Loewe Articos for the past 5 yrs and all it has on it is the model and the manufacturers name.

Pioneer are the only manufaturer that buck the trend and when you look at one of their models in a shop compared to others then you can see there is someting to be said for being understated.

Nuff said.