Any Sony KDL-46CX520 owners? Dim backlight?

P

PostmanPot

Honorary Master
Joined
Jul 16, 2005
Messages
35,014
Reaction score
81
Location
Cape Town
Hi all

Any Sony KDL-46CX520 owners here?

Friend has one, I'm convinced there's something wrong as the screen is just so dim. It doesn't have that 'pop' that LCDs usually have, that usual brightness edge they have over plasma. Example, my plasma on 7/10 brightness settings appears much brighter to me than his KDL-46CX520 which is on 9/10 brightness settings. My 32" Samsung 5 Series LCD is much brighter and only on 6/10. To my understanding, a LCD TV on 100% brightness should be somewhat uncomfortable on the eye - but this Sony just isn't?

Have tried looking through the menu for an Eco setting or similar, to no avail.

Please advise. Have suggested going back to test the store model and investigating a swap out.
 
I have the 40 and also reckon its pretty dim. Turned off pretty much all Eco stuff and backlight on max.
 
:erm:

Is it leaving a sour taste? I would be pissed off, seeing as brightness is one of LCD's selling points.

I don't have a problem with the colours of the 46CX520, in fact they appear quite natural almost plasma like, however the dim backlight really doesn't let the TV do justice.

It's almost like the 46CX520 is permanently in 'Movie mode', where the backlight is dim and colours/details better. Not acceptable IMO.
 
Was messing with the 40CX520 recently. Turning off the light sensor in the eco settings immediately made the picture bright.
 
garyc said:
Was messing with the 40CX520 recently. Turning off the light sensor in the eco settings immediately made the picture bright.
Click to expand...

Doubt I could have missed that, as I went through everything. :( Will check again next time to be sure.
 
I've got the older EX500 but I'm very happy with PQ. I can't imagine the adjustment menu being too different so here are my calibration settings if you want to give it a try.

Picture mode: Custom
Backlight: 3
Picture: 80
Brightness: 53
Color: 50
Hue: G1
Color Temp: Warm1
Sharpness: Min
Noise Reduction: Off
MPG Noise Reduction: Off
Motion Flow: Standard
Cinema Drive: Auto1
Ambient Sensor: Off

Advance settings:
Advanced Contrast Enhancer: Off
Black corrector: Off
Gamma: -1
Clear white: Off
Live color: Off

White balance:
RGain: -1
GGain: -2
BGain: -2
RBias: -4
GBias: -2
BBias: -4
 
zeb said:
I've got the older EX500 but I'm very happy with PQ. I can't imagine the adjustment menu being too different so here are my calibration settings if you want to give it a try.

Picture mode: Custom
Backlight: 3
Picture: 80
Brightness: 53
Color: 50
Hue: G1
Color Temp: Warm1
Sharpness: Min
Noise Reduction: Off
MPG Noise Reduction: Off
Motion Flow: Standard
Cinema Drive: Auto1
Ambient Sensor: Off

Advance settings:
Advanced Contrast Enhancer: Off
Black corrector: Off
Gamma: -1
Clear white: Off
Live color: Off

White balance:
RGain: -1
GGain: -2
BGain: -2
RBias: -4
GBias: -2
BBias: -4
Click to expand...

Much better TV, also has 100Hz IIRC.

We've calibrated it, colours are good, however the LCD back-light is unacceptably dim.
 
Turn up the back light, put off all the Eco settings, after a week it will look awesome!
 
Will also double check settings tonight but I've been through a few times to try get it brighter.
I actually went to a "sony center" at a mall up here and they had cx520 ex400 ex500 tv's basically side by side and I couldn't see any noticeable difference in brightness.
 
rorz0r said:
Will also double check settings tonight but I've been through a few times to try get it brighter.
I actually went to a "sony center" at a mall up here and they had cx520 ex400 ex500 tv's basically side by side and I couldn't see any noticeable difference in brightness.
Click to expand...

The backlight on my 46EX500 is normally at 5/10...
 
Just turned off the light sensor. Diff is night and day. Turned backlight down to 5, could go down to 3. Also turned off light limiter but it's a bit blinding so should maybe turn that back on...
 
Just to spice things up a bit...

Invited my friend over this weekend (the owner of the 46" CX520) to see my Samsung 42" C450 plasma.

Well, he was blown away at the quality compared to his LCD at both SD and HD. :D
 
Lupus said:
I think he was just being nice.
Click to expand...

:D

I'm not in the corner of any of the two, because you get high end, entry level + a whole lot in between on both technologies. What I do know is if I have to pick between a Samsung 43" C430 plasma and a Sony 46EX500 lcd I'd pick the Sony.
I bought the latter for my brother and had it running on the opposite end of the lcd in my room. The LCD was better.
 
zeb said:
:D

I'm not in the corner of any of the two, because you get high end, entry level + a whole lot in between on both technologies. What I do know is if I have to pick between a Samsung 43" C430 plasma and a Sony 46EX500 lcd I'd pick the Sony.
I bought the latter for my brother and had it running on the opposite end of the lcd in my room. The LCD was better.
Click to expand...

But the Sony costs R4,000 more.

To fairly compare, I'd rather get a PS51D450 51" HD plasma, still for R2,000 less than the Sony.

Or to be even fairer, a PS51550 50" full HD 3D plasma for R1,000 more than the Sony.

---

The point is that plasma is superior at the entry level...
 
zeb said:
Fixed that for you :p
Click to expand...

Na. It's a fact that even the experts around here agree on. ;) Not opinionated.

Only time entry LCD wins is if 1080p is a necessity. Sacrifice PQ for resolution.

51" FHD 3D plasma becoming closer and closer to price of 46" FHD LCD... :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X