Hello Vierra, goodbye Bravia.
My Sony W400A is history. I just got my PY800 from iambloodysick.

First impression..how should I say, its too bright. Had to turn it down.. intelligent frame creation is stupid..actually makes the movie more jerky.
I guess the only think I don't like about this set is the screen flicker which is very noticable compared to my Sony.

Other than that, the colors are very nice. The best thing is the viewing angle. No matter how u look at it, the blacks are still black.

To be fair, initial impression is that its not "superior" to my W400. Oh well, maybe it'll grow on me.

Cheers!

Oh yeah before I forget..many thanks to iambloodysick for accommodating me.. I told u I'm a very picky user. If more of such users buy from u, u'll suffer from chronic migraine.

This panel is growing on me. The colors are exquisite and the better black levels definitely helps a lot. No regrets getting rid of my Bravia.

^ Hmm.. I guess u'r eyes can adjust to the flickers?
Dunno, after watching it for about an hour or so, it gets better. Then again, the flicker happens in all Plasmas.

^ Don't worry, its minimal. As long as u don't get a Hitachi Plasma, its ok. The Hitachi plasmas really flicker like mad.
I guess the best analogy would be watching CRTs. If u stare at the CRT, I'm sure u'll notice a slight flicker. This is similar to what I'm trying to describe.

Oh yeah, if u're in a bright environment, skip the Panny PY800. Screen reflections is gonna be an issue.

This post has been edited by welwitchia: Sep 27 2008, 05:37 PM

^ If u're a movie freak, I suggest u get a 40 or a 42" incher. No matter HD or Full HD, a bigger screen will offer a much better viewing experience when u watch a movie compared to a ...say a 32" Full HD display.

I dunno about others here but if I'm given 2 options to watch a Blu-ray movie

1) 32" Full HD
2) 42" HD Ready

I'll pick the 42" anytime.

^ 50" Full HD is still >RM10K.

Edit : Hmm... maybe not.

This post has been edited by welwitchia: Sep 28 2008, 08:19 AM

Panny PY800 users.. can u check something for me.
Under Setup, there's a POWER SAVE option.

Can u try to turn it ON and OFF and see if there are any noticeable differences? I've checked on mine and my other friend in Singapore and we noticed nothing.. When I turned it ON, the screen doesn't go dimmer..turn it OFF, it doesn't go brighter..LOL. I wonder if this thingy works at all.

Thanks!

^ Really? Hmm.. lemme go back and read the manual again.

Those "ahem" BD's are actually DVDs. RM20 seems kinda pricey.. 2 months ago, I was @ Amcorp Mall and they're going for RM12.
Anyway, I only have 1 so far, Waterhorse, they're just like regular DVD. I don't see the point in buying them.

This post has been edited by welwitchia: Oct 3 2008, 09:47 AM

Why don't u try CoreAVC 1.8? This version has settings for Contrast, Brightness, and Saturation..which u can try to play around with to get better colors.. Hmm, my cousin is asking me to setup a HTPC for his PV80, I didn't know there are so many problems with a HD ready panel. So as long as u set to to 1024 * 768, u get 1 to 1 pixel mapping and it plays 720p mkv fine?

If u make the credit scene "blacker", I'm pretty sure your movie is gonna be too dark.

I've got a better idea. Turn the backlight all the way down..and then u turn off the lights. Problem solved.
However, having said all the nonsense above, there are certain movies that are "darker/brighter" than the rest even if u're just viewing the end credits. When i had my Sony W400, the black levels were excellent, too bad there's backlight bleed at top corners. Oh well, that's history now.
This post has been edited by welwitchia: Oct 7 2008, 12:25 AM

^ Yup. No THX mode in our PY800. We always get crappy stuffs..just like the LG.

The problem with u is that u read way too many review and forums. In fact I'm guilty of that too...
Remember one thing, there will never be a perfect LCD/Plasma. Also, factor in your viewing environment. I'm pretty sure a lot of ppl here have less than ideal viewing environment. Bottom line is, if you are happy with the PQ, just purchase it.
Sometimes I wonder, what's the point of "calibrating" it to perfection when u are not satisfied with the end results. These days, as long as the picture is satisfactory, I'm ok with it. I rather enjoy my movie rather to constantly nit pick on the PQ. It gets pretty tiresome.

Can I nit pick about my PY800? Sure I can.. I already found faults with it the first day I had it... but like I said above, I've grown tired of finding perfection which i know will not exist within my budget.

Oh well, just my 2 cents.
This post has been edited by welwitchia: Oct 15 2008, 12:48 PM

I doubt anyone can answer your question here.. how many of us here will buy both 800 and 850..I think the more important question is, even if we have both units side by side, how many will have the proper equipment to detect that the 850 has "less" accurate primary colors?

I guess what I'm trying to say is..don't read too much of these reviews. U are buying a TV to enjoy la.

Yeah 3 HDMI inputs. Too bad the third one is in front. Kinda useless.

^ The 850 is only available at 50" and above right? How much more does it cost than the 800?

I'm pretty sure OLED displays will have their own set of issues.

^ Seems like u've already made up your mind on the Sony