Bravia KDL46-NX810 vs Samsung UN46C8000XF

Unfortunately, I don't know a shop where I can demo them side by side in my area. In fact, my only option is the well worn big box electronics store (you know the one!). There, all brands looked far brighter than the Sony, and I'm leaning toward the Sony. Did you folks have your sets calibrated?

It's tough to beat the Sony. (we sell them) That being said, after years of having all Sony in my house, I've switched. Sony does not offer a plasma anymore, and IMO, the LCD's, and LED's are just not as good a picture. You can have issues with gaming however. (if thats important to you) Everyone has an opinion of their own, thats just mine.
All of my friends, and family are using plasmas, FWIW. I have a 60" plasma in my living room that faces the East. Light has never been an issue for me, and I have windows that overlook the water, so I get lots of light.

To the OP-

Will your new set be going in the same room/location as your old CRT? If so, it is difficult to imagine that light and glare will be much more of a problem with a plasma than they were with your CRT.

We have been all-plasma since about 2004, and never have thought twice about glare issues when locating the sets. IMO glare issues with plasma vs. LCD are far overblown.

Also IMO, there is no comparison between plasma and LCD/LED LCD regarding PQ-- especially with sports. Several of our neighbors have newer LCDs, and personally I just cannot stand the cartoonish image ("soap opera effect") of these sets, even when the proper adjustments are made to address it. However, many people do not seem to be bothered by this at all (or even see it), even when I try to point it out (which I'm sure must get annoying).

Specifically regarding this issue, the Sony sets I've seen have a more natural picture than the Samsungs.

I know it would be a pain, but perhaps you could purchase a plasma from a dealer with a good return policy, if it truly does not work in your location?

Good luck

Thanks for your responses.
My frustration is the lack of a reputable dealer for demo'ing. What used to be a reputable audio dealer become an AV dealer and is now out of business; a seemingly common victim of 'darwin' economics!
I do have glare issues on bright days with my current CRT. If only I could see some live broacast sports on these models to determine if they're acceptable to me. I'll probably go the Sony route since I'm leaning toward the more natural presentation it provides.

Side by side comparisons are fine only if its a fair playing field. The setup of many of the in store demos can be drastically different and are seldom calibrated. LCD/LED's typically come from the factory cranked all the way up which will make many displays seem overly bright and cartoonish and drastically shorten their lifespan. This goes a long way in a store comparison to the uneducated buyer who equate brighter with better, which it may be but only after calibration. Simply going into setup menus of the different in store sets can reveal the disparity.

Once calibrated plasmas typically have a more vibrant and somewhat brighter picture as well as the ability to produce darker shaded images and absolutly no motion blur and a longer life span compared to LCD/LED's. The day when plasmas didn't have enough luminescence for a bright room is long gone. Their only down side is they may use more power and create more heat.

Formal reviews can be of far greater help than a side by side comparison. The before and after calibration graphs and even the subjective opinions will be of greater use as a buyer.

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