My husband is a Sony fan. He has strong preferences following many years of selling consumer electronics.
I personally have not been such a careful student of the variances between brands of stereos, TVs and DVD players. However, my marriage has taught me (among other things) Sony’s products are more dependable, last longer and are at least as aesthetically pleasing as comparable products. Because I expect it to be better, I expect to pay more for a Sony TV than for the similar Akai sitting next to it.