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61 out of 62 people found this review helpful
4.0 stars
"Must Read Review For Sony 50" KDFE50A10"
Pros: Best rear-projection TV in its class (based on quality, price and reliability)
Cons: Recalibration necessary on some TVs for non HD resolution output
Summary: I spent months looking at all different kinds of technologies (3 primary: plasma, lcd and dlp) and finally decided on getting an lcd rear projection mainly due to price. Simply put: if you aren't going to hang your TV on a wall, you can save yourself a lot of money and buy a much bigger TV by choosing a high quality rear projection TV (versus a flat panel TV) and have similar quality in terms of TV performance. By the way, the new rear projection TVs as of late have gotten much thinner. After months of research I found out that the 3 best brands in the rear-projection market are Sony, Samsung and Mitsubishi hands down (in that order). I had a tough choice choosing between Sony's 3LCD Technology and Samsung's superior DLP Technology (actually the DLP Technology is really Texas Instruments technology, but Samsung leverages TI's chips the best). I decided to go with Sony because its LCD RP-TVs are slightly sharper and brighter than all the rest of its competitors.
By the way if you are deciding between the Sony 50" LCD-RP TV (KDFE50A10) and the Sony 55" LCD-RP TV (KDFE55A20) you should DEFINITELY get the 50 incher. Why? Because for some strange reason Sony took off 1 less video input on the 55 incher and also did not include the PC input that the 50 incher comes standard with. Not to mention since both the 50" and 55" have a native resolution output of 1280 x 720 the lines are more spread out on the 55" and it does not look as crisp as the 50". Plus the 55" TV has the speakers on the side which makes it wider (if you prefer that look).
Out of the box the KDFE50A10 is truly amazing when looking at HD channels. The recalibration that reviews have mentioned are pointing towards the the standard digital TV channels that push a 480 line resolution output. The HD function on this TV looks so awesome that when flipping to a non-HD channel you can definitely tell the difference. A THX recalibration DVD will improve the calibration on the TV marginally (enough so you can barely notice an improvement)... but won't get you the desired picture an enthusiast desires. Paying for a professional recalibration service will definitely pay dividends to a certain extent (you have to keep in mind that HD is meant to be a more awesome picture than standard digital TV picture qualities... so of course you will see a difference). The question you have to ask yourself is do you want to pay an extra $200 to improve the regular channels by say 30%? Up to you.
In conclusion, this TV is the best bang for the buck out on the rear projection market. No other 720 resolution ouput TV will compare to this one. If you are TRULY a fanatic I suggest moving up to the 1080 resolution output market and shelling out that extra $1500-$2000. But then again if you are paying $4000 for a TV you might as well just buy a flat panel.
- 6 replies to this review
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I hope you haven't had an Optical Block Issue like most people who own this model?
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I agree with the review in general; however, I want to add my opinion on the comparison of Sony's LCD projection with Samsung's DLP (it is the best among all DLP TVs). The editor indicates that he/she prefers DLP and I can hardly understand why. I compared Sony KDF55XS955 with the best of Samsung DLP side by side and Sony won by a wide margin. Sony's LCD is much brighter and sharper than Samsung's DLP. Sony's LCD also produces better picture resolution with analog input signal. To put my money on where my mouth is, I bought 2 Sony as a result: kdf55xs955 last year and kdfe50a10 this year. Both are working flawlessly. Compare Sony with Samsung side by side and you know what I meant.
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You must have been reading my mind. I have had my 50A10 for about a month now. I had the same choices witht he Sammy and Misi. It finally came down to service after the sale. I bought my through Sears and it came down to CC and Best Buy. All had same TV but what happens in 3 years or 5 years from now. Also came down to Sony and parts. Have learned from some tech's that parts are eaiser to obtain for Sony's over time. All that you said about the quality of the 50A10 is true. I hooked up a DirectV HD DVR (Not cheap) but what a great Pic. Am using an Off-Air Antenna for local HD programs which come in really great with the Sony. Wish it would have had one more HDMI but glad it has at least one.
For quality, cost and peace of mind I would recommend the 50A10 to anyone. Just remember to pick from a place that will stand behind the set in 2 or 3 years from now. Also for this kind of investment ($2000) get a warranty. -
My parents are contemplating LCD, DLP, RP. Came across Sony KDF-E50A10 as perhaps a likely choice.
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Oops... After re-reading the CNET review (features) I understand what your'e talking about as far as a "true" 1080i output is concerned. Thanks
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I'm receiving the HD signal thru DTV's HD box and the set is showing that it definately is receiving and showing the 1080i signal/picture. Are you inputing a 1080i signal or a 720i/p signal?
