Topic: Sony KDL40W5500 Review

[Vincent]

Please discuss our Sony KDL40W5500 review in this forum thread.

Warmest regards
Vincent

[kohran]

Hello Vincent.

Thank you very much for the fantastic review on the 40w5500 model.

I bought the set on Friday ( couldn't wait a day more ) and i am impressed in every ankle.

From your review though, i saw that you have done miracles with greyscale and gamma calibration. Is there any way you can share your settings ? I do not have the tools to come to such a result.

We appreciate your great work. Thanks again.   

[spl23]

I received my KDL40W5500 on Saturday - a replacement for my KDL32V2500, which I always used with SD interlaced output via HDMI from my Arcam DV137. I connected the Arcam up to the W5500, and was horrified by the picture I got on this setting - clearly corrupt, as if something was going badly wrong in the deinterlace. It looks as if the lines on the picture are actually in the wrong order - it goes beyond jaggies and ends up with text in menus and the like actually being unrecognisable. Switching the Arcam to SD progressive fixed the problem completely, and the picture is also fine on 720p, 1080i and 1080p. Interestingly, the picture with SD interlaced over analogue connections (SCART and component) is fine - it is just SD interlaced over HDMI that causes the problem.

I note that your review particularly praised the deinterlace on SD material on the W5500 - can I ask if you tested this over HDMI or just over analogue connections? If it was over HDMI, you couldn't have failed to spot this problem, in which case it would seem I have a faulty set, but I'd like to confirm this before I get mine replaced - it's a lot of hassle to go to if they all do it!

[Vincent]

I received my KDL40W5500 on Saturday - a replacement for my KDL32V2500, which I always used with SD interlaced output via HDMI from my Arcam DV137. I connected the Arcam up to the W5500, and was horrified by the picture I got on this setting - clearly corrupt, as if something was going badly wrong in the deinterlace. It looks as if the lines on the picture are actually in the wrong order - it goes beyond jaggies and ends up with text in menus and the like actually being unrecognisable. Switching the Arcam to SD progressive fixed the problem completely, and the picture is also fine on 720p, 1080i and 1080p. Interestingly, the picture with SD interlaced over analogue connections (SCART and component) is fine - it is just SD interlaced over HDMI that causes the problem.

I note that your review particularly praised the deinterlace on SD material on the W5500 - can I ask if you tested this over HDMI or just over analogue connections? If it was over HDMI, you couldn't have failed to spot this problem, in which case it would seem I have a faulty set, but I'd like to confirm this before I get mine replaced - it's a lot of hassle to go to if they all do it!

Hi

If your problem affects static images like text menu, is it possible for you to take a picture to illustrate the issue?

Warmest regards
Vincent

[spl23]

I've tried uploading a couple of small jpegs to this thread, but I get an error about "the uploads directory is not writable". Can I email them direct to you?

[spl23]

OK, I've put them on Photobucket:

http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww99/spl237/sdi.jpg is the picture with SD interlaced

http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww99/spl237/sdp.jpg is the same menu with SD progressive.

As you can see, the interlaced image is seriously corrupted - there are gaps in vertical lines, and places where lines have been put in the wrong place - see the cross stroke on the T of "Trims", for example.

[Mii]

Hi!

thank you for your review! it was very interesting.

I just recently ordered 46" version and i'm  eagerly waitin for it. I returned my 40W4500 because of backlight bleeding and even tried samsung 40A766 but didn't like it.
i loved the colours and the image clarity of sony 40w4500.

after reading your review i'm wondering wether i'm still going to like those colours sense the lack of WCG-CCFL backlight
"primary chromaticities seemed to have taken a hit compared to those on the W4000 and W4500 series. In particular, green primary colour point was deviated towards blue"

am i going to notice these differences? should i backout and buy older W4500 model?

[Vincent]

Hi!

thank you for your review! it was very interesting.

I just recently ordered 46" version and i'm  eagerly waitin for it. I returned my 40W4500 because of backlight bleeding and even tried samsung 40A766 but didn't like it.
i loved the colours and the image clarity of sony 40w4500.

after reading your review i'm wondering wether i'm still going to like those colours sense the lack of WCG-CCFL backlight
"primary chromaticities seemed to have taken a hit compared to those on the W4000 and W4500 series. In particular, green primary colour point was deviated towards blue"

am i going to notice these differences? should i backout and buy older W4500 model?

You're unlikely to be able to notice the differences, unless you put them side-by-side and look real hard.

Warmest regards
Vincent

[Vincent]

OK, I've put them on Photobucket:

http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww99/spl237/sdi.jpg is the picture with SD interlaced

http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww99/spl237/sdp.jpg is the same menu with SD progressive.

As you can see, the interlaced image is seriously corrupted - there are gaps in vertical lines, and places where lines have been put in the wrong place - see the cross stroke on the T of "Trims", for example.

Hi

Thanks for the pics. I have sent a 576 interlaced vs 576 progressive signal via the Toshiba HDE1 HD-DVD player, and have not been able to replicate your problem:





Please be aware that the Arcam AV137 could also be at fault in your case, perhaps due to HDMI handshake issue with your Sony W5500?  Before contacting your dealer/ Sony for an exchange, maybe you should test with another interlaced SD source.

Warmest regards
Vincent

[akibobo]

Hi Vincent,

Thanks for a great review, I received my 40W5500 on Friday and I'm very happy with it.

Is there any way you could post your calibration settings from the review?

Thanks,
akibobo

[spl23]

Vincent,

Many thanks for doing that test - I'm borrowing a video streamer which supports 480i over HDMI and will try that tonight - if that works, then it's a call to Arcam; if not, then it's a call to Amazon!

[red_army7]

Hello Vincent. I have a simple question.

Which tv is better? Sony w5500 or samsung 650? You reviewed them both. You said that samsung has better blacks,colours,no clouding and the same input lag with sony. Sony has better sd picture. So overall Samsung is better?

[spl23]

Hmmm - just tried a video streamer outputting 480i over HDMI, and that worked fine. Looks like something in the Bravia doesn't like something about the Arcam's version of SD interlaced. I've emailed Arcam support - we'll see what they say.

[Mii]

"Slight red push (colour decoding error)"

what does this actually mean?
does it effect something like skin tones? i watched today 40W5500 and 40V5500 side by side and skin tones seemed little red on W5500. alltough i didn't know how to turn on the cinema mode on W5500 and i didn't have time to chance much of the settings.
ps. what settings effect moust with skin tones? and can that "slide red push" be adjusted?

[Ander]

Great review, thanks

I wonder if anybody has more information about the video format the W5500 can play. I debate to buy the W5500 or the B650, they mostly look similar to me, but the Samsung supports many video formats. Is it true that the Sony only supports MPEG1?