Mitsubishi WD52327 for $1499 vs. Sony KDFE50A10 for $1999?

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Mystic wrote:
>
> At Fry's Electronics I bought a Mitsubishi WD52327 DLP on clearance
> for $1499 which won't be delivered for several days (so I can change
> my mind). I also got a raincheck for a Sony KDFE50A10 LCD for $1999
> just in case.
>
> I doubt I will ever get a digital cable STB due to the high monthly
> subscription cost, so my main goal is to watch DVD movies at 480p.
> However, when HD-DVD players are available and cheap enough, I want to
> be able to use the full 720p or 1080i resolution. I read that DVI
> inputs are being dropped in favor of HDMI on new HDTVs and that HD-DVD
> players may only have a HDMI output to support the full HD resolution.
> The 52327 has a DVI input (with HDCP) while the Sony 50A10 has HDMI.
> Other than the expense of a $30 HDMI-DVI adapter, my understanding is
> only having a DVI input on the 52327 should not cause any problems to
> me if/when HD-DVD players with only HDMI are available. Is that right?
>
> Besides the slight difference in connectors, for the $500 price
> difference I lose the ATSC tuner and cable card slot on the 52327, but
> I gain PIP/POP and the possible sharpness advantage of DLP over LCD. I
> searched for info on whether the 52327 has the HD2+ chip that people
> say is better, and I could not find that info, so I take that as a no.
> Will I regret not having the HD2+ chip?
>
> I couldn't compare both sets side by side because Fry's didn't have
> the Sony 50A10 on display (or in stock). I looked at the Sony set at a
> different store, and given that neither store had really great HD
> source material (just highly compressed video of landscapes and
> waterfalls) I couldn't discern any picture quality difference between
> the Mits 52327 and Sony 50A10 going by memory. I was able to see much
> better color accuracy/contrast on a new model Mits 1080p DLP, but it
> was double the price (over $3000). They also had a 52528 for $2500
> which I thought was slightly better than the 52327. I don't seem to be
> one of those people who can see the "rainbow effect" on DLPs.
>
> Can anyone think of any reasons I shouldn't get the Mits 52327 over
> the Sony KDFE50A10 to save $500? (Costco has the Sony KDF50WE655 for
> $2300, but I didn't think it was worth $300 over the 50A10.)


My relative just purchased a new Sony KDF-E50A10 LCD HD set.

What I like about the set E50A10 is the two built in Digital
tuners.....

The QAM Cable tuner & OTA antenna Digital tuner.... No STB reqd.

The Charter cable from the home wall can be plugged into the Sony RF
Cable
port (RG-6 cable) and the Tvs QAM Cable scan brings in all
unscrambled
Analog & Digital Cable Programs including HD locals on cable.
Pic quality is superb, but no Program guide is included.

The Sony E50A10 has the OTA antenna VHF/UHF RF tuner scan that also
picks up
all OTA Programs in both Analog & Digital depending on where the
antenna is aimed. Again the Pic quality is superb.

If you want ESPN-HD, you must rent a Cable HD set top box (STB).


This set is short the 2nd analog tuner... therefore has no Pic in
Pic.


>
> I will probably get the $329 Fry's 5 year warranty which is supposed
> to cover on-site repair for any problems (including as many bulb
> replacements as I might need).
>
> I'd appreciate any advice. This is my first TV purchase since my
> Toshiba CZ36T31 36" tube TV in early 2000. Thanks.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Mystic wrote:
> At Fry's Electronics I bought a Mitsubishi WD52327 DLP on clearance
> for $1499 which won't be delivered for several days (so I can change
> my mind). I also got a raincheck for a Sony KDFE50A10 LCD for $1999
> just in case.
>
> I doubt I will ever get a digital cable STB due to the high monthly
> subscription cost, so my main goal is to watch DVD movies at 480p.
> However, when HD-DVD players are available and cheap enough, I want to
> be able to use the full 720p or 1080i resolution. I read that DVI
> inputs are being dropped in favor of HDMI on new HDTVs and that HD-DVD
> players may only have a HDMI output to support the full HD resolution.
> The 52327 has a DVI input (with HDCP) while the Sony 50A10 has HDMI.
> Other than the expense of a $30 HDMI-DVI adapter, my understanding is
> only having a DVI input on the 52327 should not cause any problems to
> me if/when HD-DVD players with only HDMI are available. Is that right?
>
> Besides the slight difference in connectors, for the $500 price
> difference I lose the ATSC tuner and cable card slot on the 52327, but
> I gain PIP/POP and the possible sharpness advantage of DLP over LCD. I
> searched for info on whether the 52327 has the HD2+ chip that people
> say is better, and I could not find that info, so I take that as a no.
> Will I regret not having the HD2+ chip?
>
> I couldn't compare both sets side by side because Fry's didn't have
> the Sony 50A10 on display (or in stock). I looked at the Sony set at a
> different store, and given that neither store had really great HD
> source material (just highly compressed video of landscapes and
> waterfalls) I couldn't discern any picture quality difference between
> the Mits 52327 and Sony 50A10 going by memory. I was able to see much
> better color accuracy/contrast on a new model Mits 1080p DLP, but it
> was double the price (over $3000). They also had a 52528 for $2500
> which I thought was slightly better than the 52327. I don't seem to be
> one of those people who can see the "rainbow effect" on DLPs.
>
> Can anyone think of any reasons I shouldn't get the Mits 52327 over
> the Sony KDFE50A10 to save $500? (Costco has the Sony KDF50WE655 for
> $2300, but I didn't think it was worth $300 over the 50A10.)
>
> I will probably get the $329 Fry's 5 year warranty which is supposed
> to cover on-site repair for any problems (including as many bulb
> replacements as I might need).
>
> I'd appreciate any advice. This is my first TV purchase since my
> Toshiba CZ36T31 36" tube TV in early 2000. Thanks.

What is your location? There may be plenty of HD available OTA, making the
ATSC tuner more valuable. I'm in the east SF bay area, and I get plenty OTA
(ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX/PBS/UPN/WB).

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Dennis, thanks for the help. I appreciate your comments.

I don't plan to subscribe to digital cable of any type (for many
reasons). I also believe there are only a couple local HD ("QAM")
channels on basic cable (i.e. I don't have a cable box) that I could
receive if I pay $500 more to buy the Sony with its built-in ATSC/QAM
tuner. If I ever changed my mind about digital cable and wanted a STB
with something like TIVO (I guess they call it DVR now), I think I
would need an external ATSC tuner anyway.

So unless I'm misunderstanding the ATSC tuner's purpose, for someone
like me who will be watching DVD (and later HD-DVD) almost
exclusively, the ATSC tuner alone doesn't seem worth $500 (to me).

Are there any picture quality or future compatibility issues with
HD-DVD on the Mitsubishi WD52327 compared to the Sony KDFE50A10? If
there are any then I would gladly pay the extra $500.

With my raincheck on the Sony, I still have the option to exchange the
Mitsubishi for the Sony for $500 more within the month if I don't like
the Mitsubishi. I just wanted to see if anyone knew of any big red
flags against me trying the Mitsubishi first. The ATSC tuner would
certainly be nice, but I'm sure I could someday buy a top-notch
external ATSC/QAM tuner for under $500 if I had to. That's why I'm
leaning toward the cheaper Mitsubishi.

On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 10:08:02 -0500, Dennis Mayer <Polaris1@execpc.com>
wrote:
> My relative just purchased a new Sony KDF-E50A10 LCD HD set.
>
> What I like about the set E50A10 is the two built in Digital
>tuners.....
>
> The QAM Cable tuner & OTA antenna Digital tuner.... No STB reqd.
>
> The Charter cable from the home wall can be plugged into the Sony RF
>Cable
> port (RG-6 cable) and the Tvs QAM Cable scan brings in all
>unscrambled
> Analog & Digital Cable Programs including HD locals on cable.
> Pic quality is superb, but no Program guide is included.
>
> The Sony E50A10 has the OTA antenna VHF/UHF RF tuner scan that also
>picks up
> all OTA Programs in both Analog & Digital depending on where the
> antenna is aimed. Again the Pic quality is superb.
>
> If you want ESPN-HD, you must rent a Cable HD set top box (STB).
>
>
> This set is short the 2nd analog tuner... therefore has no Pic in
>Pic.