Virtual Earth vs Google Maps

I’m planning on using either Virtual Earth or Google Maps for a little Ruby on Rails project so I thought I’d compare how the satellite imaging weighed up from both service providers. You can see the results below. The images are at exactly the same location (53° 5’ 47.4756” N, 3° 56’ 51.6294” E; aka RAC Boulders).

I find the Virtual Earth image to be a little too bleached, while the Google Maps image is not vibrant enough to give the same level of detail as the Virtual Earth image. Which do you prefer?

Charlie: The question is an image processing question, not a GE v VE question. The applications themselves do not consistently run the filters, but purchase the data from 3rd parties which process the data, leading to a patchwork of processing, resolution, and age. One site is not a large enough sample to determine the overall effects of the pattern. The high contrast image is better for detecting the location of roads and builings amongst the vegetation. But the low contrast image better replicates human vision, and would be preferable to most users.

Peter Cowburn: I have to admit, neither are particularly superb! I can foresee that most people would vote for the Virtual Earth image since the higher contrast and saturation lends itself to finding what you’re looking for more quickly. That said, I prefer the Google image because whilst it does look washed out, especially compared to the VE image, it looks to be more faithful to what’s on the ground.