Archive through September 17, 2003
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Steve | Hello All, Is anyone familiar with Sony's new Grand Wega KF-60XBR800 LCD Rear Projection set(Sony Style $4,999.00)? I believe this set replaces the KF-60DX100 (Sony Style $5,999.00). I wonder why the price drop? Is it due to the tech/manufacturing process getting cheaper? I'm debating between the 2 above sets as well as the Sony Wega 42 inch Plasma (KT42TS1). I'd appreciate any input. Thanks, Steve |
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Anonymous | Steve, I did a lot of research including checking out the KF-60DX100, last year's LCD rear projection TV from Sony. Good, but not as good as a DLP dealer had on floor. This year I bought the Grand Wega KF-60XBR800. On the floor next to the same DLP set and this time Sony much better. I also like it over Plasma. Bottom line contrast much better on new Wega and picture quality is extraordinary -- right up there with DLP sets, better than some. Unlike Plasma you don't have burn in problems, and you have to play xBox, Ps2, Cube games on this thing to believe it. Good luck. David |
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| Hello. I work at Sony :-) I also just ordered the new KF-60XBR800. It's amazing, like said above better than alot of plasma tv's. Plus it's much cheaper and LCD's last forever. This years KF-60XBR800 is improved over last years model in many ways. The reason that the price is lower is because last years models were all made in Japan and then imported to the U.S. whereas this years model is being made here in the U.S. Good luck! Greg |
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Richie | I get my 60xbr800 on Saturday.. I will let you know how good it is.. Rich |
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| I have a question. I am debating between the plasma tv vs LCD tv such as sony and the crystal tv such as sharp I am looking for 45inches and up. it is confusing which gives the best picture etc and the different pros and cons , Can anyone help??? thanks |
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Anonymous | Any one know why SONY is not including a computer monitor feature? I'd like to use my computer on this big Screen and so far I found Zenith to be the only 60 LCD with the input included. |
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Ben | The Sony KF-60XBR800 has a DVI in, but not VGA in, if that's whay you're wondering. I'd imagine DVI to VGA converters are pretty cheap though. |
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Anonymous | Hy Pholx, Thanx for the input already. I've got only one question left before I try to procure a KF-60XBR800 to fit under (?) the Christmas tree. Is it possible to TURN OFF the DRC (Digital Reality Creation) feature? Believe it or not, there are actually times when I WANT to see the image in all it's NATURAL REALITY. This was one of the prime reasons that I returned the SONY 36" flat-screen a couple of years ago. The test image was simply watching a golf ball roll across the putting green... followed by it's weird shadow, followed by it's even weirder digital shadow. I own more SONY gear than anyone else I know, I just want to be proud of this set, and the dealers don't seem to know. Does anybody out there know? Thanx, Myke |
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DWillens | I just received this set on Saturday. It looks good but there are a lot of settings and I have no idea how to set them. 1. DRC matrix ("reality" vs "clarity"?) 2. Cinemotion ON or OFF 3. Image Revision Auto or 0-3 Playing a DVD on my non-progressive scan Toshiba DVD player I see a lot of motion artifacts and "jaggies" on text look terrible. I don't know if this is the DVD player or the TV. Anyone know how to set these options? |
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Frank G | Just received my 60XBR-800 yesterday. I have it connected to a DirecTV HDTV receiver (Hughes). The picture on the handful of HD channels is amazing, but the regular channels is just so-so. The other problem I notice is no matter what wide screen format I use, I lose some info on the top and bottom of the screen when watching standard shows. Any suggestions? |
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NICK_P | Has anyone found a price better than $4200 for the 60XBR800? I talked to a guy at ABC warehouse they said that included free shipping. I think I'll go with this model over the KP65WV700 for $2999. Any opinions? |
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John OConnor | Are the regular Direct TV channels really just "so-so"? How are the Direct TV channels on the XBR60 vs CRT's made by Sony? Mine is coming on Monday, you're makin' me nervous! |
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| New problem...one week old, green spot appears right in the middle of the screen. About 1/32" but very noticable. Called SONY, getting a big time runaround. First they tell me that if there are less than 1% bad pixels, they do not cover it. Now I have to wait 2 weeks for someone to come look at it. |
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| I just got my set three days ago and as hot as it looks, I'm having some major picture quality issues. I hope it's something I can fix by tinkering with the settings some more but so far, no luck. First: I agree with "DWillens". I have no idea what those setting exactly do (even though they are explained in the guide, it is still confusing). I played with them but they didn't improve quality. Second: I now have to invest in a PROGRESSIVE SCAN DVD player since my normal DVD player (even with Monster component cables) isn't exactly the quality I would expect from a set like this. Third: So far, watching regular cable TV is worse than I could have ever imagined. When I shrink the size of the screen down to about half (30" or so), the quality is perfect. But once you go full screen (60"), the quality is so deteriorated that it's almost depressing. Do I need to invest another $600 for an HDTV converter box? Something I really am not interested in doing. Fourth: Playing Playstation2 on this set is nice but again, quality issues. I'm hoping that investing in Monster Component cables made specifically for the PS2 will do the trick but I won't know for a few more days. Fifth: Regarding "frankg" and his noticable dot. I have the same thing near the upper-right hand corner. The manual says this is normal and nothing to worry about. Problem is, it's noticable and doesn't look normal - especially when I spent approx. $4500 after tax for this set! I have the cable company coming on Friday. Maybe they can switch our current cable box with an updated one with component outputs (if there is such a thing?) to improve picture quality when watching TV. Not sure if this will do the trick but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. If anyone has any suggestions on how I can make watching regular cable television much more enjoyable, please e-mail me (or if you have to, reply to this post). My suggestion: This television is hot - super hot and will make your mouth drop. However, before you purchase it I would ask to see a NORMAL CABLE BROADCAST through this television to see what the picture quality will be like (rather than watching a progressive scan dvd player picture, which is what I saw which made me purchase this)! If I can't improve the quality of watching normal cable TV, this TV might have to get returned for something different which is the last thing I want to deal with. |
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frankg | Adam: The big problem with all of these large wide screen TV's is that most of the programming sent over cable is not in the wide screen format, and this TV has to modify it to fit the screen. That is why you will see distortion and esecially blurriness. Remember, any imperfection in the picture will be magnified when it is blown up to 60". I have DirecTV with a high def receiver, and the high def stations are unbelieveable, but the regular stations are just okay, the major networks are the worse. Even though there are only a handful of HD stations, the picture is so spectacular that it is almost hard to watch at first. It is worth the 500 bucks, believe me. As far as the dot, I don't care what the manual says, this is totally unacceptable to me. A TV at this price level should not have a noticable imperfection like this. Before I bought mine, I went to the SONY showroom in NYC and looked at it, the SONY rep never mentioned to me that there could be a green dot on the screen. The one on display was perfect. I have someone coming to look at it today, I'll let you know what they say. |
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| Frank and all - here's my update as of today (12/27/02): Last night, I went out and upgraded my Sony DVD player (which was only 2 years old), to a new one that has Progressive Scan capabilities ($189.99). I also invested in $90 Monster Component Video cables. I used the video calibration tool that comes with the DVD: Monsters Inc. (on the main menu, go to Setup: THX: Video Set Up). I must say, there is a HUGE difference in picture quality between the non-progressive and the progressive scan DVD player (the new component cables helped as well I'm sure). The picture quality is amazing and just like it looked when I saw the demo at the store. Note: Make sure to go into your DVD players main menu and go to "Setup". There, you should see an option to change the output to 16:9, rather than the 4:3 default (if confused, check out your DVD player's manual). I had totally forgot about this and it sure makes for better viewing of DVD's. I also invested in the Monster Component video cables for the Playstation2. Again, a very significant improvement in picture quality (also, configuring the colors with the Monsters Inc. DVD tool helped the picture quality overall - including the quality of the Playstation2). I had the cable company come by today to see if they could fix the reception of my cable but no good. It's exactly what you said Frank - bad signal = bad output. I looked into purchasing a HDTV tuner ($600) but it looks like I'll also need to invest in satellite cable? I'm confused as to how the HDTV tuner's work - can it work with my regular cable that I currently get though my cable company that is an analog signal? Also, to pay $600 just to watch a couple of channels that I wouldn't normally watch probably isn't worth it, ya know? Thanks - hope to hear some replies back. |
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Chris S | Frank, Any news on the green dot? I am considering buying this TV but if there are possible problems like that I will have to rethink about it. Thanks! |
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Anonymous | You might want to check out www.avsforum.com and search for UMR does GWII. This thread includes information on how to tweak the user and service menu for this TV. The improvements I had were not minor. It is under the RPTV section of the forum. |
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| Anonymous, I did all of UMR's tweekings and posted up the results on my post above dated: Friday, December 27, 2002 - 01:37 pm. However, cable TV reception is still very poor. |
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| All, I received my 60XBR800 on 12/25 and have not seen any green dots. I agree with all previous posts that the picture from my Direct TV signal (non-HDTV receiver, regular channels) is not as sharp as I expected. I will try the "UMR does GWII" tweaks today to see if I notice any improvements. BTW, PS2 with Component cables looks great. I'm also going to upgrade my DVD player to progressive scan and purchase the Sony SAT-HD200 HDTV Direct TV receiver and see if this improves the sharpness of the pictures. Any other suggestions on improving overall picture quality would be appreciated. |
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Anonymous | AFreyre, Depending on your player you may find going to progressive is not an improvement. The DRC circuit in this TV is very good. Try some test patterns before you jump to progressive after you implement the tweaks. |
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S.Yingling | Yikes, Well I just ordered the sony 60XBR800 and you all are scaring me!Any way my ? is how far of the deck should the center of the screen be? And did you all by the sony shelf sys of make or buy a diff one? As for the pix in Circuit City the cable pix looked good, HDTV Rec maybe??? who knows Thanks Steve |
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Anonymous | Don't be scared, I have had my set since November and cannot say enough great things about it. I just got the DVD of Two Towers (I'm in the Academy) and it's probably not the best they can do, but it looks fantastic. The other night I put on a very so-so DVD of Little Buddah which is has a wildly changing palate of colors and it looked great. It's an amazing set, you did right. |
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| Some promising news (kind of): To make the most of this TV's channel surfing capabilities, you need to invest in an HDTV tuner (I purchased an over-the-air (OTA) HDTV tuner - don't invest in the Samsung SIR-T151 unless you don't mind a NOISY humming noise coming from the tuner). The picture is AMAZING - MORE THAN AMAZING. Problem is, an OTA HDTV Tuner costs $399+ (can be found at Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.). However, reception is beautiful. Note: The OTA tuner only will receive the major networks (CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, WB, etc.). Good thing is it's free to receive these channels - it works just like the old 'rabbit ears'. Bad things is the limited choices. Watching shows in HDTV and DTV (Digital TV which is on most of the day) is really sweet. I recommend purchasing one of these tuners (I'm going to switch my Samsung SIR-T151 for the Zenith HDV420 which can be found at Circuit City for $399) and trying it out. If you don't like it, just bring it back to the store since most all of these stores have a 30-day return policy. I think once you see the picture you'll be all smiles as I am right now  All in all - this TV has been quite an expensive investment. From the TV, to the new DVD player, to the Monster video cables, to the HDTV tuner box, it's become quite pricey. But we only live once, right? |
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| Adam, Ok school me on this hdtv tuner thing... with the kf-60xbr what tunner do i need? ota or one for the cable sig or both? and from what i see i need to buy a ps dvd to? yikes the wife is gonna kill me..let me know... Also how high off the floor is your tv sitting... i am thinking the center of the screen should be about 50 inches what do ya think? V/r Steve |
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| S. Yingling, You can use a variety of tuners. I purchased the Samsung SIR-T151 from Best Buy ($399) and you also need a regular over the air antenna (i.e. rabbit ears) to get the reception into the hdtv tuner box (I bought an RCA one from Best Buy for $14.99). These two items combine will allow you to receive over the air Digital TV signals and over the air HDTV signals (HDTV is INCREDIBLE, while Digital TV is really nice). The signals you will receive are those of the major networks. Here's the scoop: 1) Do NOT purchase the SIR-T151, unless you don't mind a REALLY ANNOYING humming noise coming from the tuner. I'm returning mine ASAP to Best Buy. I did research and this seems to be a normal occurance with the unit and is not acceptable. 2) I'm going to probably purchase the Zenith HDV420 from Circuit City (same price), and I'm also going to try out the Gemini-Industries Silver Sensor Indoor Digital TV Antenna ($39.99 at Circuit City) in place of the RCA antenna I purchased to see if it allows me to get more channels in my area (I live in Boston, MA - but a stronger signal will allow me to get local channels from New Hampshire, Rhode Island, etc.). 3) Yes, I would invest in a Progressive Scan DVD player. It made a BIG DIFFERENCE in picture quality compared to my older, non-progressive scan Sony DVD player. I paid $199.99 for my new PS DVD player. 4) I purchased a TV stand made by Bush Furniture from Best Buy. It's only $130 now (I just paid $150 for mine), rather than $600+ for the piece of junk Sony stand. Here's a link: http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=11048074&m=1&cat=38&scat=39 Model: VS39736 (it has almost identical dimensions to that of the 'official' Sony stand. 5) Yes, your wife probaby will kill you as my wife would like to. However, I had a bunch of people over to watch the NFL playoffs at my place last night and not one person didn't say "Wow" when they saw how incredible HDTV looked on my TV. Feel free to e-mail me if you need help or have any questions. |
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| Adam, Wow what a big investment for the wife's whim. but money pit here i come! Where did ya get your TV at CC? and as for the reco's price scan here i come! now as for the stand thanks for the link! and with that stand how many componet's can ya stock in there and how hi is the middle of the tv screen from the floor with the tv on that stand! That is a big issue with the wife.. i think 50inches will make the pix look good... Now last ? until i get the decoder how does reg cable look in all of the tv's aspects norm, wide screen? and do you have the green dot's?? Again thank's for the quick post..... Steve |
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| S. Yingling, I purchased my 60 inch at CC. They did a price match of a local store called "Cambridge Soundworks" which was running a 15% off promotion, so I got the TV for $4250 (not including tax), with free delivery (original price $4999 + $50 or so for delivery). The stand holds 4 components very comfortably (it has 4 compartments), but you can stack them so you can fit 8 components (2 per compartment). I measured the center of the TV for you and my center screen is 50"-51" from the ground (I have the 60" grand wega). Regular cable looks crappy. Very blurry and rather lousy. If you convert the screen to wide screen (full), it looks even worse. My TV has one green dot, it's near the upper-right hand corner and is very unnoticable so I'm not worrying about it. Hope this info helps. |
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Anonymous | Hi All Got a 60" GWII. I'm trying to get the HDTV signal for my local channels. I bought the Terk TV35 outdoor antenna, which I guess I would have to put on the roof and then run the cable down the side of the house. I am not exactly sure how to do this correctly and can't find anyone in my area to help me. From what I'm reading in the earlier posts, you can get HDTV signal for local channels with an indoor antenna? Is that correct? That would save me a whole lot of trouble since climbing the roof in subzero weather is not my idea of fun. Does the indoor versus outdoor antenna affect the quality of the picture? I live about 35 miles north of Chicago, will the distance affect the quality? Thanks in advance for your comments. |
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| Anonymous, 1) I would return the Terk antenna. From what I've read, it's garbage and doesn't do any better of a job than a $15 indoor antenna. 2) Yes, you can get HDTV signals from local channels with an indoor antenna. It works with standard indoor antenna "rabbit ears", just like you used to do back in the 1980's. 3) I'm sure a powerful outdoor antenna would get a stronger signal than an indoor antenna (due to many factors including obstructions blocking the indoor antenna). I recommend putting your indoor antenna near a window, and remove the screen from the window. 4) Distance will affect how strong of a signal you can get, but not necessarily quality. The signal will be digital, so if your antenna receives picks it up, it shouldn't matter if you're 1 mile away or 30 miles away. The picture quality should be the same. Distance will affect how many channels you can pick up. If you were close to all of the towers broadcasting the digital channels, you will obviously pick up more channels than someone 100 miles away from every antenna. |
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Anonymous | Adam I appreciate all the help. Thank you. Couple of more questions. My TV is in a room that doesn't "face" the broadcast antennas. In other words, the broadcast antennas are in the southeast direction of the house, while the TV is in the northwest corner of the house. In your opinion will that make a difference? Also, any recommendations on the antenna and receiver? I see Zenith and Samsung...didn't know if there are any other good ones. Thanks Z |
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| Anonymous, No problem. I don't think where your TV is positioned in the house makes much of a difference. Remember, the antenna you will be using are rabbit ear's, and you can point the antenna's in different directions. If you point the antenna's towards the towers, I'm assuming you would get better reception. The answer to your antenna/receiver question I answered in my post above dated "Monday, January 13, 2003 - 07:17 pm" Hope that helps. |
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Tommy G. | I learned that the normal analog cable pictures are not very good. How about normal digital signal from Direct TV (not HDTV)? Does this picture rate good? How about when it is stretched into Wide Screen format? Thanks in advance! |
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Tommy G | FrankG, I was wondering what the Sony service had to say about your green dot? You never posted that information? |
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AFreyre | TommyG, I currently have Directv (not HDTV) and I think the image looks fine. I normally do stretch it into Wide when watching. Although everything is stretched, I still think its a good image. Hope this helps. |
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| I would also be interested in knowing what Sony says about bad pixels on the LCD chips. On a plasma display I can see why they would allow a couple of pixels to be damaged, because the expense is huge and everyone is right - if you sit at a proper distance you cannot tell. But the LCD is small and relatively inexpensive to replace - I would personally expect Sony to replace an LCD if any pixels were bad, and would very much like to see/hear what Sony had to say about it. What about warranties on LCD projectors, has anyone heard of one that will replace an LCD chip if there are bad pixles? Thanks. Jack |
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| Jack, I have to disagree with you. You say the LCD is "small", but the 60" is made up of 3 LCD panels. Each panel is not very small. I'm assuming the expense is not cheap, and there are so many of these TV's that have a dead pixel or two that the time it would take Sony to replace all of them would be quite a huge task. |
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Anonymous | All, Hey can any one tell me what HDTV Decoder Box will work with this tv? I have only regular cable and they say they will xmit the HDTV sig soon, do they make one for over the air and one that decode cable tv HDTV sig's? As for the above comments i was at CC and their 50/60 XBR's had no pixel spots. but i did notice when you are watching non-HDTV (reg cable/Sat) in the 4.3 mode the edges of the pix are not strait but bent in te middle What is up with that??? Thanks for the help in advance |
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| Adam, Perhaps I am confused about LCD RPTVs then. Sony says this is a rear projection television, and the screen is 60", but the screen is not the LCD. They say that each LCD is 1.35". That is small in my opinion, and 'very' small compared to replacing an entire screen as in a bad pixel for a plasma display. So I am assuming that the image is displayed on the LCD and then projected onto the screen. Removing and replacing something that is 1.35" should be neither difficult nor expensive. Yes, an LCD for a laptop monitor, which 'is' the screen, is pretty expensive, but that is not what we are talking about here. Where is my confusion? |
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Anonymous | What screen size do most of you watch your DVDs on, Normal, Full, Zoom, or Wide Zoom. Which is considered the best for viewing in this format ? I do not yet own a PS DVD, but the one I have now always seemed to perform well with my 32" 4:3 TV. Also, a Sony rep told me that when I inserted a DVD, it was up to me as a consumer to choose which screen I preferred. With my old TV it automatically chose the letterbox visual. Thanks in advance. |
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Naveed Haneef | Hi everyone, I have been researching this TV for a few weeks now. I really like the looks and wanted to do a bit of research how it holds against the plasma screens. Reading the comments, sounds like I will have to invest in a HD Tuner. I have a cable connection through AT&T cable - are there many HD channels out there to make it worth while? any suggestions |
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Anonymous | Naveed, dude: I don't get cable but I do get Directv and have heard many people complain about the quality of normal satellite reception. I'm using a Samsung HD receiver and not only do I get the v. few HD satellite stations (and whatever I can pick up over the air) but this box made the ordinary stations look reasonable. So, I conclude, you'll need a decent HD receiver eventually. Yes, the Samsung has a cable "in" but I've never used it. I love the set. |
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| Since we are all either seriously comparing RPTVs, and in particular the KF60XBR800, to plasmas, or to LCOS, or some such, I found a site that explains the new chip technologies for RPTV very nicely and, for those of you who do not already know about how LCD RPTV works, its a great read: http://www.howstuffworks.com/projection-tv10.htm |
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Anthony F. | I recently purchased the 60XBR (and the sony stand) and I am anxiously waiting for it to be delivered (the wait is killing me). In preparation, I purchased a progessive scan DVD player and high-end gold plated cabels. I have digital cabel from Time Warner and I swapt my standard cabel tuner with a HD cabel tuner. Can anyone think of anything else I should do and/or purchase in order to optimize my XBR viewing experience? Thanks. |
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Anonymous | Read this thread and download the settings file. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=196558 |
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pit | Anthony, Where did you order your tv and what was your price with shipping? Pit |
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Anthony F. | Pit, I'm lucky that I have a relative who works for Sony so I was able to purchase the 60XBR factory direct for $3,348 + tax (delivery included). Unfortunately, I have to wait a bit until it is finally delivered. Its been 4 weeks so far and counting (patience is not one of my virtues). To make things worse, I received a telephone call from the shipping company this morning telling me that they will be delivering the TV stand alone(less the TV)- What torture!!! |
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Anonymous | All, Any one have any reviews of the Zenith HD-Sat520? And anthony super price! pit |
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Anonymous | Anyone know what the expected life for the xl-2000u bulb is? I heard that it is rather expensive ~$200. |
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| Everything You Want To Know About Grand Wega Kf-60XBR800/KF50XBR800 LCD Rear Projection by Licky Oats GREEN DOT ISSUES - No LCD screen is 100% perfect. If you stare right into your screen on a blank black image, you will eventually find green, red and blue dots. This is normal for LCD. The cool thing about the grand wega is that it has three LCD panels, so even though you may have some pixel transistors that are not connecting properly, you won't be able to notice from the recommended viewing distance when images are showing because it will only be a pixel out of hue, vs one that is 'burned out' like on a single LCD display. Best thing to do is NOT sit close and look for them. CABLE IS SO-SO - Of course cable is so-so. An analog cable signal is pretty rough at best. Even on the oldschool 19'' set I have, you can see imperfections in the signal once you get close enough to the set. Magnifying this to 50 or 60 inches is gonna give you a serious microscopic view of bad signals. DRC works to try to make this is painless as possible, but in general, you are going to want to go digital/hdtv. Regular digital cable is still not perfect, because it is overly compressed and is generally meant for smaller televisions. HDTV, however, will floor you. Recommended advice is to go for the 50'' if you have a small apartment or home, vs the 60''. Bigger is not always better. If you are gonna watch HDTV, you can sit up close to the television. You will need to be a little further away for a DVD. And for digital cable, even further. Analog cable, you are gonna want to be in the next room. Remember, there is nothing wrong with your tv, it is your signal. Also, I recommend shelling out the big bucks for top of the line cabling. I use silver series tributaries cables. You can find them on tributariescables.com. MY DVD PLAYER LOOKS CRAPPY - Yes, if you don't have progressive scan, you aren't even in the right ball park. Not only do you need progressive scan, but you need a high end progressive scan DVD player. You can't expect to buy a 5000 dollar TV and get away with a 70 dollar DVD player with free courtesy cables. I ran several tests on different Sony DVD players and have found that the entry level dvpns715p basically looks like sh*t on this television. The dream system is not a solution either for those who like to compress things into an all in one package. The only two DVD players that measured up, to me, were the dvpns900v which has recently been discontinued, so hurry up and find one online before they're gone. I think mine was about 700 bucks. The other is the dvpns999es. This player goes well beyond the 900v and has a much better video chip as well as ES quality audio components. Also, both of these dvd players are built much better. Each internal component is shielded, isolated, and made of much more durable materials. So, yeah they're worth the money. And the 999es retails for 1200 bucks. Don't gasp and say that's too much for a DVD player. Because when you see it on tv, you will never touch your old one again except maybe to play in the bathroom on an old 13 inch television. I WANT TO HOOK UP MY COMPUTER - I've tried doing this directly, just for sh*ts and giggles, and even if you have cables that fit from one to the other, it won't work because there is no v-synch and h-synch. Right now, I have an ATI All-In-Wonder 32mb Radeon card with an S-Video out. This is nowhere near the quality this tv would be capable of handling a computer, but you can read text, and see with relative clarity. Supposedly, there are ways to cheat the system, but I haven't researched it enough yet to give any advice. But from what I hear, it is possible to do this and do it well, if you know what you're doing. I, unfortunately, do not as of now. IS THIS BETTER THAN PLASMA - Plasma is going to be the Vanilla Ice of televisions. This is speculation of course, but based on what I have heard, it looks to be something we will all laugh at in ten years when commercials blare over our surround sound LCD tv's 'Remember the first of the millenium?' Plasmas suck because A) they have a lifespan a little less than half of an average CRT television. B) if you leave an image on the screen long enough, such as the CNN logo, a life energy bar on a video game, black bars when viewing a movie that does not naturally fit the 16x9 format, a DVD on pause - you can easily burn that image into your television forever, and this is NOT covered by your warranty, because YOU did it. C) Plasmas cost a lot of money. A lot. The new 50 inch from sony retails at 13 thousand dollars. You could buy two 60 inch grand wegas with that, the 1200 dollar highe end dvd player, the stand for BOTH tvs, and component video cables. D)It is rumoured that plasma tv's give off more radiation than the standard CRT. Being a new technology, I am not interested in taking the chance. E) Plasmas look brighter, yes, and have a much better depth at any angle. BUT they are grainy grainy grainy, and when you have dark images on the screen, you may as well be watching analog cable, because it will still look pretty rough. F) Plasmas are high maintainance, much more difficult to repair when something goes wrong, and if by some miracle it is reparable, it will cost thousands of dollars in most cases. G) Plasma pixels burn out, and eventually the screen will look like a star map. H) The fact that I made it to H. I hope this clears up some of the issues you guys have been having. Buy the Grand Wega. I did, and it's awesome. And yes, get the 5 year warranty, just in case. But I think it is a definite buy. |
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| PS - The XL2000U bulb life is average 5000-8000 hours supposedly. Estimated 5 years of viewing, I've been told, but we shall see. Still a much better buy than plasma. |
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Naveed Haneef | Anonymous: Thanks for your response - it helped. I am pretty sure I am going to get this 50" or a 60" is something I need to consider. From everyone's reviews, sound like I am going to have to for sure buy a HD tuner+a good progressive DVD. Licky Oats: Your listing helped to answer my questions on Plasma vs. Sony's LCD - thanks. |
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Da Bears | What Progressive DVD players work good with the 60XBR. Do I need an expensive one (LIKE A DENON 2800 OR SONY 999ES) or is the Sony NS715P good enough. I love watching movies.. |
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| Seriously considering the 60XBR but after reading the messages I have two concerns. First is the "Green dot" Pixel issue. Would expect a piece of equipment of this caliber to be free from defects like burned out pixels before Sony ships from factory. Under stand the potential expense by Sony to repair but that is what one expects when they buy the best. Second concern is that several mentioned the contrast is not so great, more gray than black along the sides when viewing in 4x3 mode. Thought this generation fixed this problem? Thanks for your feedback. John B. |
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| John B & DA Bears, AS for john B's ? read licky oats post it talk about the green spot to a T ! if you go plasma that spot would be a burned out pixel! as for the black grey thing well it looks fine better then most non tube tv's i would adjust the view hight/distance.. and as for the 60 inch well consider your distance from the sony...50 should be good (100$$$ per inch diff for 10 more inches) hope that helps... ************************************************ Da Bears... as for a DVD player... TV cost 4K what will another 500 or so mean? i would go with the sony DVP-NS900v it has 3:2 pull down just like the tv and the audio is super! Go to e-bay to get one on the cheap.... sony site 699.00 e-bay cheaper! And for the botth of you... HDTV tuner a must with both Over the Air capability and sat/dtv/cable also.... hope that help's Cheers PIT |
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Da Bears | Thanks Pitrott, What HDTV Tuner would you recommend, I live near Chi- Should I get an antenna for HD |
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Ken B | Think I'll wait on e more year. Myabe they'll have it perfected by then! |
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| Thanks PIT, I appreciate your response. After reading all of the messages and concern by some on the green pixel issue I wanted to get an affirmation that this was not a mega issue. I have had a Hitachi analog 50" projection tv for 7 years and from a distance it still looks awesome (without my glasses on) today as it did when I bought it but it is time to go digital since I prefer to see movies/tv in focus. I plan to go with a Sony SAT HD200 HDTV tuner along with the TV. Already changed out my original DirectTV dish for new one that receives HDTV satellites. Am somewhat surprised that a high end progressive scan DVD player is necessary. Bought a high end Nakamichi DVD player (w/96-kHz/24-bit converters) a year ago on uBID for incredible price. Guess I know why they were unloading them on the cheap. Again, thanks for your input. John |
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pitrott | Da,Bears AS for the The HD Tunner i would get a sony,RCA,Zenith... with both Analog/Digital HDTV Reception cap... i have the Zenith Sat 520... yes get a antenna for Over the Air reception and this link will tell you what is in your area... www.hdtvpub.com hope this helps.... pit |
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| Can anyone tell me if the Kf-60XBR800/KF50XBR800 LCD Rear Projection TV has AVLS or auto volume control so those irriating commercials that come on about 100 decibels louder than the progam you are watching don't rocket you out of your seat? Sony dealer did not know if these models have this feature. |
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Anonymous | Please check the link to the Web site below for the BEST pfice on this TV: http://r1.east.rmi.yahoo.com/rmi/http://datavisioncomputer.com/webapp/commerce/command/ProductDisplay/rmivars%3ftarget=_top?prrfnbr=1229940&prmenbr=2000&site=YAHOO |
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pitrott | Yamunda, Yes |
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| I'm hoping someone can help me out a bit.- I downloaded and read the thread on the avsforum regarding the calibrating of the GWII. I'm not an electronics wiz by any stretch of the imagination, so the thread seemed and bit complicated & confusing (granted my GWII has still not been delivered from Sony yet so I have no TV) and it even scared me a bit with all the talk of possibly voiding the warranty. Any advice? Has anyone heard about and/or used the "Avia Guide to Home Theater." This is a DVD which supposedly helps the user calibrate his/her home threater. Any thoughts as to whether or not I should purchase this? |
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| Anthony F Dude i to look at the thread to adjust the colors... and i was not up to the task! to many changes! as for the colors on my 50xbr well depending on the tv station/dvd i am watching adjusting the picture (standard/mild/pro/vivid) i get the results that soot me fine! my thought if you need to go that far buy a plasma or tube tv! hope that helps.... *************************************************HELP any body The HDCP in the back of the tv, has any body used this to attach to their HDTV Decoder/reciever?? with HDCP?? and will this let me view OTH/Cable HDTV? Thanks all |
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| Is it true the Sony Grand Wega KF-60XBR800 can not display 1080i. The spec's from Sony say it only can go up to 720p? |
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Anonymous | Vince, Very few displays can really display the full 1080i and very little content comes close to this standard. The real question is can it take the input. The answer here is the KF-60XBR800 can take a 1080i, 720p,480p and 480i input. This set also has excellent resolution within its price group. I would even go so far as to say it is the best in its price range after the service menu adjustments are made at resolving picture details. |
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Anonymous | pitrott, Yes, I use a DVI-HDCP connection for OTA and D-Theater. |
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| Anonyous, Where can i buy the connector???? Radio shack did not have one? pit |
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Anonymous | I got mine off ebay. Here is a link for one. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3401109087&category=3668 |
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| Anonymous, K, see the link! thanks... now this is a single link cable/ and what HDYV tunner do you have? and this cable when from the tunner to the 60xbr in the HDCP slot correct? and how many cable did you get off e bay.. that link was selling 5.. R PiT |
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Anonymous | I am using a Samsung SIR-T165. I only purchased a single cable to go from the STB to the TV. |
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pitrott | Is componet video better ten Svideo or DHCP? also is 5.1 audio hook up better then optical ? pit |
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Anonymous | DVI and component look the same to me for HDTV. S-Video would be much worse for HDTV. My 5.1 audio hookup is optical. I don't really understand the question here. |
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pitrott | Anonymous, Thank's for the dvi input.... now as for the 5.1 audio... from my dvd (Progressive scan/SCAD) player i have optical output for audio to my receiver OR i can use the 5.1 outputs to the 5.1 inputs on my Receiver. so my ? is which on of these hook up's will give me better sound 5.1 or optical? Thanks pit |
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Anonymous | The 5.1 analog outputs from the player is your only option for SACD. Usually the receiver is your best choice for DD/DTS decoding, but in your case the player might be better. I would look at the features and ease of use in the receiver versus the player and go with the one that will give you what you want for DD/DTS decoding. I would choose the player if that is a wash since you have a SACD deck and your DAC's on it should be very good. |
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pitrott | Anonymous, Tks for the post! well i am gonna hook up both and when i want to play a SACD (limdis) i will switch the RCVR to 5.1 and use digital coax for DVD's/// New subj... looking for an indoor antenna for HDTV. I hooked every thing up and my current Ant sucks,, any suggestions? pit |
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Anonymous | I use a large antenna for HD. I am no help on that one. |
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pitrott | All, Well i am done! System up and running 6K latter and here is what i am seeing! 1. No color spots on the TV 2. Progressive scan DVD Required Sony NS 775 (220.00 E-Bay) 3. HDTV Receiver i am using the Zenith Sat-520 (620.00 Ebay) Easy to use and program Direct TV Cap. 4. Hdtv Antenna i am using a amplified RCA FM/UHF/VHF (34.95) 5. OTH HDTV is super on some stations looks just like a dvd pix 6. Added a bose 601 pair of speakers to top out surround sound system (500.00) So there you have it worth every penny!!! Now a ? for any body that has direct TV how many HDTV channels do you get off that system? Cheers Pit |
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JGovic | I'll be moving to an apartment soon, and I'm debating between the 50" or 60". I want the 60", but I don't want to be too close. How many feet should I be from the LCD 60" (wall to wall) for maximum viewing pleasure? |
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pitrott | JGovic, As per some of the post's above minium for the 60 is 12 feet! as for the difference well think of it this way going from the 50 to the 60 is 100.00 per inch! pit |
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JGovic | Pitrott, Is 12 feet wall to wall? I know the tv comes out about 2 feet. Plus you have to compensate from where you're sitting from the other wall. So it's about 8 feet from your eye to the screen. Is that enough? Thanks. |
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| JGovic, Well just measured the tv for ya and here is my setup tv against a main wall, one chair at 10 feet off to the left looking at the tv. Another chair 12.7 feet off to the right looking at the tv a couch to the left of the tv at 4 feet and another to the right of the tv at 3 feet and all look good at thoes distances. the center of the tv picture is 4 ft 3inches from the floor..If you like i can send you a pix of my setup(sweet) And you can not go wrong with either the 50 or 60 , let me know PIT |
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ScottyBoy | I am building a home theater in my basement. Have definitely decided on the 60XBR. Anyone care to give some feedback on what the ideal list of components should be. Sounds like progressive scan DVD is a must. Already gonna get HD DirecTV. But what about some of these other gizmo's I hear about to filter this or enhance that. Any feedback? |
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pitrott | Scottyboy, Well first you should get a cabnet for the sony tv and the above distance per my post! Then get a progressive scan DVD player (sony) Then a HDTV Receiver i have a Zenith sat-520 or the sony one will do!Then a Receiver with at least 5.1 decoder and DTS, Then surround sound speakers i have 9 and then an antenna for OTH signals... and there u have it! you in biz... but the cost is out there mine at a min 6k any ?'s let me know R PIT |
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Anonymous | I would suggest a Panasonic DVD-XP30 or DVD-XP50. I just upgraded from a Sony player to a XP30 and it was definately worth it for me. Check out the results. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=1854037#post1854037 |
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ScottyBoy | Thanks for the feedback folks. If I can do this for less than $6k I'll consider that one heck of a bargain. Any other equip anyone can think of? I'm not much of a technophile but I've heard something about some kind of signal filters or cleansers that are supposed to help. Also, seems like using the right cables would be important. I've heard mixed messages on using s-video inputs vs. RCA jacks vs. something else. I really appreciate the feedback. Any of yinz live in Pittsburgh? |
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pitrott | ScottyBoy, Oh yea forgot to tell ya that the cables will cost ya to! I spent a lot of money at radio shack for (componet video, regular video cables,digital cables(optical/coax)and new speaker wire!) as far as filters goes well i have none and every ting looks great and sounds great! look to my post of feb 17 at 8.46am an that will tell you the gear! good luck PIT |
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ScottyBoy | pitrott, You da man! Thanks for all the feedback. It may be a few months before I get this stuff (gotta get the room construction done first-actually finishing the entire basement, nearly 1200 sq ft. Kinda like building a house within a house. 400 sq ft will be the theater) but I'll post something once I got it all together. |
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| Licky Oats said to purcahse the 5 yr. warranty. Where are you guys seeing the best price for a warranty?? |
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| GREEN DOT UPDATE: Sorry it took me so long to respond, but it took SONY this long to do something. After a zillion calls to customer service, and three separate technicians coming to see it, they finally replaced the entire TV. The dot in question measured nearly 1/4 inch. The bad news is that SONY knows about this problem, the last technician who came had a fax from SONY to help him diagnose the problem. I wasn't supposed to see it, but I did. I later used that info when speaking to SONY and guess what? That's when they decided to replace it. Now I have no dot, and can finally enjoy the TV, although I share some of the same issues about picture quality as the rest of you. I even find that with a PS DVD player, some older DVD's still don't look that great. But if you have DirecTV and get the HDNet channel (199) the picture is beyond spectacular. HBO-HD and Showtime-H is also awesome, but those are the only three channels in real HD. |
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pitrott | FrankG, Wow. my ? is how long did it take for the dot to show? and where on the tv is this? i have the 50XBR and so far no dot's. Now as for direct tv u speak of how many hd channels do you get and can i use that through my HDTV Reciver? and what does that run a month? Now i do get over the air HD/SD and it is Super Also for the rest of us can u post what the memo said for future use? As for DVD's my sony ps player looks wonderbar on my tv... PIT |
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Saturn | What inputs are available for the Sony 50 incher. I know there is composite and S-video. So there is no component video, DVI or computer 15 pin? |
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pitrott | Saturn, It has the dame inputs as the 60 incher! Every thing but 15 pin for pc.....(7)video hookups) PIT |
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Saturn | Too bad the 50 incher doesnt have a computer 15 input. That would solve the problem of bad cable signal. I have a video scaler processor that outputs standard cable TV to resolutions of 852x480 up to 1024x768. The picture of cable is scaled almost to the detail of HDTV but unfortunately it only has a 15 pin computer output. |
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Phil D | I live in a apartment building in NYC and my cable service provider (RCN) does not have HDTV yet(and don't know when they will). Direct TV is out of the question due to building policy and not even sure where I would be able to put the dish. RCN does offer digital cable though. What is the quality like for Digital Cable? Any other suggestions? I am seriously considering investing in the set but if the quailty on digital cable I am not sure it is worth it. Oh and can I use a tuner in addition to digital cable to get the advantages of HDTV via a signal broadcasting tower??? Thanks in adavance. |
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pitrott | Phil D, Well first off digital tv is nothing more than cramed regular tv, what i mean is the band with can handle more channels. as far as a tunner well sure you will get over the air HDTV with an antenna. I to am waiting for cable HDTV (COX) but i can tell ya that my cable pix looks super on my tv and with a progressive scan dvd the movies look super! get the tv now HDTV will be mando here sooon and all over so prep now! if you need a super price on the tv let me know i have a contact that will hook you up! also on a tunner! any way hope that helps cheers PIT |
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Anthony F. | Phil D I live in the NY/NJ area and I am lucky to have AOL/Time Warner as my cable provider. AOL provides digital cable and also provides HDTV. All I needed to do was exchange my cable box with an HD cable box. Needless to say HDTV on the Grand Waga is fantastic! Standard digit cable is acceptable- you will find that some stations are better than others. This is my suggestion- since HDTV and DVD movies on the Grand Waga is the best thing I have ever seen and standard digital cable is only OK, I would only purchase this TV if your planning to watch many DVD movies and plan to upgarde (somehow) to HDTV as soon as possible. |
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Phil D | Thanks You Both! Do you think I will have problems getting over the air HDTV due to the fact I live on one side of a high rise building. Pitrott, Are you saying that the quality of digital cable is the same as standard cable on this set? Also if possible I would like to get you contact as I think I might purchase the set. Thanks again |
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Warder45 | For those looking to buy you might want to wait if you can. http://electronics.cnet.com/electronics/0-3622-8-20869783-5.html?tag=dir2 Sony's new ones are coming this september and hopefully will fix some of the problems with the current model. Plus the 60inch is $1000 cheaper than the current one. |
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| PhilD, As for cable-vs-digital cable what i am saying is that digital cable is nothing moe than regular cable with higer bandwith for more channels. Now with that being said until the cable companys like what anthony f has it's just like regular cable... Now my cable depending on the channel looks super on my 50XBR. And what set did you want the 50 or 60? let me know and i shall hook u up last i checked he had 50XBR's and they white glove in your house! Let me know... Warder45... i checked your post i believe they are cheaper without a HDTV tunner and as for their review of the set well mine is working just fine and looks super! thanks for the post.... PIT |
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| phil D E mail me, I have a super guy with a super price, I will give you his E-mail address... PIT |
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| PhilD, Or any body else... here is the deal the guy i bought my 50XBR from has the following proces for in house delivery 50XBR 3200K 60XBR 4000K now this is cheaper than i got it for as he was telling me there was a price drop today! and yes i lost 200 dollars but any way if any one is interested i shall give you his e-mail and off ya go! PIT |
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dchao | Sony's DRC is pretty good alerady, with the 3:2 pull down deinterlacer. It compare very well with the 3:2 pull-down inside the new progressive scan DVD player. My advice is not to throw away your old DVD player immediately, and wait for the next generation 720P/1080I player to come out. Because then you really getting the benefit of the internal de-interlacing in the DVD player. To quote a review of the Sony's 3:2 pull-down processor on the C-Net: http://electronics.cnet.com/electronics/0-6342372-1305-20688347-3.html?tag=subnav "We tested the 3:2 pull-down processing of CineMotion by watching the opening scene of Star Trek: Insurrection. Without 3:2 pull-down, the railings on the bridge, the canoes on the bank, and the eaves of the temple roofs all crawled with film-to-video transfer artifacts. With CineMotion enabled, the artifacts nearly disappeared. We also bypassed CineMotion using a Toshiba SD4800 DVD player with a progressive-scan output. In this case, the 3:2 pull-down is performed by the player, and the image was even cleaner, though not by too much." |
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| Folks, I've been reading the posts on this site for a few weeks while awaiting my new Sony LCD 60" Grand Wega. It is due to arrive this afternoon. I'll most certainly add some thoughts when I see it in action over the next few days. Along with my new Sony Grand Wega, I gleamed from various comments (not only here but in other avenues as well) that I needed several things: (1)Good Cables (Monster Baby!), (2)A progressive scan DVD player (not a problem-Sony Baby!), and (3)A HDTV Decoder Box (Yikes! Somebody stop me-$500.00 later with Cox Digital Cable!). I feel this is going to put me in the dog house until I sit down with the wife and watch "Notting Hill", "Pretty Woman", "Places In the Heart", and "On Golden Pond". (The sacrifices I make!) So, wish me luck and if there is a 'cable-guy' reported missing in my area, please don't tell anyone that he was last seen in my living room shortly before his disappearance. |
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Anonymous | Timba, You missed the all important UMR tweaks over in the avsforum. You might want to check out bluejeans cables they are hard to beat for the price (better value than monster). Sony progressive players are also not the best. I would get a Panasonic DVD-XP30. Have Fun!!! |
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Anonymous | Awesome on HD, but shows all the standard TV defects. I have better luck with satellite feed rather than digital cable. Still too much compression on all broadcast stuff except HD which is superb. Only one big problem: lack of true black so all dark areas become grey mush. |
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| I just ordered my 60 and in the market for a stand that doesn't cost so much. Any ideas? Also, is is true that the next generation model is coming out at $1,000 cheaper. Any votes on the best directv receiver? Thanks T |
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| Ok..., the Good News: my new Grand Wega has arrived and installed. I've yet to see HDTV as the cable-guy has yet to make it over. The BAD News: DVD quality is terrible! What is the deal? I'm fixen' to either swap out that Sony Progressive Scan DVD, DVP-NS755V, for the Panasonic that "annonymous" wrote about earlier, OR...take this set back and get an alternative to LCD. I'm extreamly dissapointed thus far in what I see. How can something so well touted turn out to be just the oposite? The guy who installed the thing from Ultimate was very knowlegable for sure, but...even he seemed to dance around this problem too. I told him he could expect to come back with another set very soon as I'm sure to return it if an alternative DVD player doesn't solve this problem. However, I've yet to see Digital Cable or my new HDTV decoder box in action yet either, so...something has got to give here very soon, or...I'm OFF to the electronics store again for a replacement! |
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Anonymous | Timba Download the tweak file from UMR Does GWII in the avsforum. This should fix any TV related problem with DVD quality. That DVD player should not be terrible, but it is not as good as the Panasonic. I have had problems with Monster Cables quality control so that could also be something to check out. |
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Anonymous | Timba What DVD did you use to calibrate the set with? What DVD's are you using to judge the set with? |
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| Timba, Go to: http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=5 and look at the Panasonic DVD RP82. It is actually quite inexpensive and has the best stats across the board, even for the Panasonic line. |
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| Ok, I took your advice and downloaded the PDF file and printed the instructions for tweaking the Grand Wega. I tried to follow the instructions as best I can without tweaking some of those settings that were "if you want" or "if this is a concern" or "if this or if that". I just did the tweaks that appeared to be recommendations by the tweaker guy that put this thing together. I will admit that some differences occured. But, all in all, I'm not satisfied with the DVD picture quality. It just appears as though as if I'm watching the TV from about 2 feet away when I'm acctually about 10' from the screen. I see all sorts of distortion. It's almost like I'm watching a FILM at the movie theater. Ya know that kinda film quality look? The grainyness? That's what it looks like. I've got the cable guy coming over in a few hours to hook up my HDTV decoder box and would like to compair the picture of that to what I'm seeing through the DVD player before I make any arbitrary decisions of thinking about replacing the set however. It just seems odd that my old 53" Hitachi had twice the picture quality of this HDTV widescreen. In response to what DVD's I'm using to "Calibrate"? (I guess I'm not sure what calibrating means if it's anything different than just changing the brightness, hue, picture, and sharpness?) I've viewed different movies. "Hunt for Red October, which is horrendous!, "Gladiator", "Deep Blue Sea", "Road to Perdition", and many, many more. Another question I would have: Why is the NORMAL view on the TV just giving me a widescreen view in the middle of the screen? And, why do I have to ZOOM the picture in order to view the full scope of the horizontal picture (from left to right). I would think that NORMAL would give me the entire width of the movie without having to switch to ZOOM or WIDE ZOOM or anything else. But, I guess perhaps NORMAL is used in reference to the 4:3 format? Very strange! Anyway...I'm still up in the air on this thing. Any advice would be helpful or any problems that I speak of that you encounter and tell me "that's just the way it is" would also help in calming my senses too. Thanks, Timba |
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| Timba, Well that is odd that your DVD pix comes out so bad! what hook up r ya using(s-video/componet?)i have a sony DVD S775 (i love) and a zenith sat-520 hdtv decoder, all of witch i used componet video to my tv you no the red/green/blue thing! and my pix looks super in dvd hdtv. Normal is the 4.3 thing! as far as the tweak thing for my tv well that was just to complicated, i just switch between pro/mild ect.... my cable looks good to... don't give up the ship on this tv yet! look at my post's above and licky oats post's to see what we did and what we spent to get a studio in your living room and further ?'s e-mail me Cheers PIT |
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| Pitrott, Yes, I've spent tremendous amounts of money on cableing and even bought a $500 Monster Digital Filter box too. But, I've noticed that it mostly depends on the DVD as well. It seems some are better than others. "Hunt for Red October", which is old in comparision to some of the others I've got and watched, seems to be one of the worst quality movies; as well as "The Rock". Not good at all. But, others...like some dramas or even "Saving Private Ryan" looked close to 'very good'. And, no...I won't give up on it yet as the Cable-guy just left after installing my HDTV decoder box. While cable-HDTV isn't quite up to speed in programming, as I'm sure most others, the picture quality currently showing on HBOHD, "Knight's Tale" is fantastic! I can't agree more that the picture quality on HDTV is stunning to say the least. I'll be playing with it more in the next week or so before I make a decision. But, I will say that I'm completely depressed about normal cable broadcasts on this thing. My wife is going to toss me out of the house if she's got to watch "Survivor" on this thing as it is right now! (So, if I come up missing for a while and don't post much here shortly, it's probably because I'm living outside with "Fighto" at his place in the backyard. (Bear in mind he's got no electricity - just a generous bowl of chilled beverages and perhaps a ball.) So, I will go back and re-read some of your posts above as well as licky oats posts and see what I can gleam from it as well. Later, Timba |
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Simon Le Greedy | Hey Timba !! I agree with you about the tweaking. Either I'm just too stupid or that tweaking stuff is really for the experts out there. I read the instructions and decided my picture was just fine !! It almost frightened me !! I have the "Avia" DVD and it is not as confusing as the tweaks, but is still hard to understand when it comes to calibrating my set. What do the rest of you think about the "Avia" disc ? All I have is regular cable and the picture is quite good ! I watch everything on cable in the "Normal" wide mode and "Pro" for my picture mode. As far as your DVD problems, when my set first arrived, I had a "Go Video" dvd/vcr combo unit. The dvd player was not progressive scan and my dvds also looked horrible. I went out and bought the Samsung progressive scan player along with component cables and the difference is amazing !! Beautiful color and picture. I watch dvds in the "Full" widescreen mode and "Pro" picture mode. The picture mode is pretty much just personal preference. Some things look good in "Pro", others look good in "Vivid". What is the opinion of the rest of you as far as widescreen mode and picture mode. Let's start a survey. Anyway, Timba, I've also heard good things about the Panasonic XP30 DVD Player. If you want the model number of the Samsung, let me know and I'll get it for you. I got mine at Circuit City on sale for $129.00. My Simon had the lowest price for it at around $150.00 so CC was a good deal. Later !! |
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| Pitrott, I forgot to mention that, yes, I am using Monster Ultra Component Video 1000 Silver-Coated Conductor cables. (That set my pocket silver back somewhat too.) I've got that Sony DVP-NS775V DVD player too. (Now, if you guys thing that spending a bit more money to get a better view than what I'm getting with another player, I'd be more than welcome to listen to an alternative to this as well. I'll take this back and get a Panasonic or something else that some of you are having good luck with.) Thanks for any advice again, Timba |
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| Timba, i have the sony ns755v and i can tell ya the dvd look super on this unitis yours the multidisc unit? ...got mine from my hook up on ebay! and for that matter my tv via ebay! bling bling as for the cables well i went to radio shack anf bought them there prenty penny! but i must say all is well on my set!You never did say how you hooked it up componet svideo??? are you sending the signal through an amp? or strait in the back of the tv? So your cable sig provides hdtv???? lucky you we have OTH only! well let me know will check back soon! pit |
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| Pitrott, No, the Component Video is being sent directly to the set via the "mind numbing & costly" component video cables. (Those three, red, blue, and green colored cables...[do I sound technical or what?]) However, I went ahead and swapped out my Sony NS775V for a Denon DVD-1600. (YIKES! I'm killen' myself! But, it's that or loose more of it in Tech Stocks, huh?) What is interesting in all this is that I'm trying to get a decent picture from primarily one DVD since it's the one of my favorites and a DVD that I BELIEVE should look much better than it is. It's the "Hunt for Red October" DVD. No, I could be wrong, but...could this DVD have been created so long ago that newer technologies have surfaced that made the picture quality so much better? I don't know, but...I'm thinken' that perhaps I'm worrying about that one DVD too much in trying to use it as a "standard" in which to rate all DVD quality pictures coming into and viewed on this 60" Grand Wega. I could be just asking too much from this older DVD! I say that because now that I've had a chance to try different DVD's I don't seem to be having such a serious problem with them like I am with the "Hunt for Red October" one. In fact, I've got the Eagles - Hell Freezes Over DVD in right now and I'm actually starting to get frothy at the mouth! (Someone hand be a rag!) Perhaps I should look for an "enhanced version of 'The Hunt for Red October'? Maybe, maybe, maybe. Plus, the more I have tuned into HDTV on HBO thus far today, and the more I seem to gravitate toward it's picture quality, the less happy I become and unfairly judge DVD's by the quality of the HDTV picture. I guess I'm asking too much here. Bottom line is, I think this Grand Wega is probably a very good set. I think I should consider approaching it this way since the Cable-guy who left earlier today was also amazed at the quality of the sets picture. So, who am I to override the judgment of a guy who sees all sorts of sets throughout the day? Plus, the more I look back at the set I replaced the more thankful I shoud be that I've got this Wega. I just watched survivor with the wife on both sets - half on one, half on the other, and I think I'll say the Wega is by far the set to sit in front of. So, I think I'll just hold onto it and work the bugs out as I see 'em. Just take one DVD at a time and enjoy it regardless. Because, as far as this group is concerned, we are obviously enjoying something that most people can only drool over. And, simply put, I think I'll recant my disapointment and replace it with critical optimism. (For now...) Later, Timba |
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Gauss Godden | you can connect to your computer using DVI output on your videocard you don't need v-sync and h-sync for DVI, DVI automatic adjust your V and H only VGA requires it. |
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| It's amazing how all of us seem to get completely different results from our Grand Wega. Some people love this TV and some people hate this TV. I have to say this made me nervous while I was waiting for the TV to be delivered. Now that it is sitting in my living room I'm in love! HDTV looks fantastic, DVD's look great and even standard digital cable looks good (some channels better than others). Timba, I think with a bit of patience and the correct tweeking you will find that this TV rocks. And by the way your not going crazy- some DVD's will look better than others. It' seems to me that the newer, high budget movies look the best on DVD. Since you seem to be in spending mode you may like to purchase the "Avia Home theater" DVD as Simon suggested above. You can buy this DVD for $30 -$40 and it will help you adjust your TV and sound system properly. It can be a bit confusing but if you have a few hours to spend and you can figure most of it out. I bought this DVD and it helped a little bit. As for the tread adjustments on the avsforum - I'm with Pitrot- I'm not an electronics wiz and these adjustment seemed a bit to complicated for me. I'm a bit nervous that I may screw things up! Besides, my TV looks great withgout these adjustments. Good luck- |
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Phil D | Anyone used widows media center on this TV. How is the quality of DVDs, HDTV, and Digital Cable when it is routed through the computer. Should it effect the quality? I am thinking of getting the VIAO with media center to go with this because it has the recordeable tv option. What do you think????? |
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| Anthony, Yes, I've been considering purchasing this 'adjustment DVD' that you speak of. I noticed it mentioned earlier in this thread and I, somewhat, had to do some research as to what the heck it was when I saw someone first speak of it. If it indeed will help I'm not opposed to picking one up. I'm just wondering: Does this thing do more than just help you adjust the color, hue, sharpness, & contrast of the picture? Or, does it go deeper into the tweak settings of the service menu and help out there too? I ask this simply because I would think that it could be done without this DVD since there are only a hand full of "user" adjustments that can be made. But, I'm sure there is more to this thing than just helping there, huh? Anyway, is this an item that I'll have to order online? I have seen it in various places to order it that way. But, has anyone seen this thing in a retail setting that I could probably pick up locally here in Oklahoma City? Just curious. |
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Anonymous | I have used Avia to adjust the following for this display: Color, Hue, Contrast, Brightness, Sharpness, Gray Scale, YC Delay, Overscan, Red Color Decoder and the Green Color Decoder. THX Optimizer (not Optimode) found on movies like Star Wars II can be used to set: Color, Hue, Contrast, Brightness, Sharpness, a rough Gray Scale and Overscan if you have a blue filter for color and hue. YC delay can be adjusted without Avia by carefully looking at displays like the DVD Menu for Star Wars II. |
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| PIT This Tony Luna and I live in Jacksonville Fl. I have been reading all of the great information on this website about the grand wega and i have decided to get one but here in jacksonvilles circiut city they are charging 4k for the set. So if you can possibly email me that person who has them for sale at a cheaper price I will be very thankfull . My email adress is aluna921@hotmail.com if anyone one else has information on where to get this tv cheaper I would like to hear from you also. Pit for the 3200k does that innclude shipping and taxes. Thanks everyone . Hope for some good leads. |
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| Tony, That was for the 50 inch and it would have been a total of right around 3400.00 and that is just for the tv and in house delivery and no tax.... the 60 is 3999.00+ around 240.00 for the in house delivery which Circuit city for the 60 is 4999.00 + tax+ del, so you see you are getting a 60 for the price of a 50 and no tax! E-mail on the way! Enjoy! Pit |
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| Ok, So according to Licky Oats way up in the thread, bigger isn't always better (ie 50"vs60") So I have a room 10' wide by 20' long. Should I spring for the 60 or stick with the 50? |
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pitrott | Giueppe, Well with the price of the 60 these day's 3999.00 go with the 60, the profile of the tv is not big!!! and you will enjoy it no matter the size! pit |
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| Pitt, My name is Isaac and I too have decided to buy the 50XBR Grand Wega. Can you PLEASE e-mail me the info of the person who has them at that discounted price you got? My e-mail address is Isaacmaman@hotmail.com. Thanks and I appreciate your help! -Isaac |
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Phil T. D. | Lots of people have mentioned Monster cables, someone mentioned BlueJean (I believe). Has anyone tried Cobalt ( http://www.cobaltcable.com/index.htm ) or is Monster the way to go? Thanks, Phil |
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| Isaac Maman, Info in your in box! pit |
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| Phil T.D. Dude you know what i used??? Radio shack cables and my picture Q is supurb on the tv!!!! Pit |
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| Phil T.D., I don't have much for a point of reference to debate the use of Monster, Bluejean, Cobalt, or even the less expensive Radio shack variety. It seems, for most people, the money spent on these items are usually a "one time and forget it" purchase. In other words, once we decide on manufactures cables vs. anothers, we (I mean "I") don't spend a great amount of time searching for a better or more economical cable once we've installed the first ones. (Unless you're replacing something REALLY CHEAP!) I've never plugged in a $139.00 Monster Cable and then decided, "hey, this really sucks! I'm going to throw this in a drawer and try something else...OH, YES...that's MUCH better!" No. It rarely happens. It would appear as though we buy new cables only when we install a new component, or completely upgrade an entire system. And, then we simply research again, decide on how much we want to shell out, and are probably, more than likely, satisfied with the cables. Especially since they're installed on a new entertainment system, you have nothing to compare your cables WITH! I guess that's why we pretty much leave this decision up to the experts to review and expose themselves to all sorts of variations in this field. Then, we just make an arbitrary decision based on COST! How much can I afford? (As is evident in Pit's choice and happiness with his Radio Shack's.) After a certain point, it's just how much you want to spend. Timba |
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| Timba, Well spoken! But lets not forget that the radio shack cables after all said and done cost me about 150.00 or more i can not recall because i made so many trips! HeHe Now a ? Direct tv how many HDTV signals do ya get over that and what is the cost per month Cheers Pit |
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Sanj Gill | Pitt, I am also looking for a 50" at a good price, could you email the place with the best price? chilled_sanj@yahoo.com thanks. |
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pitortt | Sanj Gill, Hi.. check your in box! Info is waiting for ya... Cheers Pit |
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Sanj Gill | thanks.....does anyone know if there is a price drop due on these set's? Sanj |
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pitrott | Sanj Gill, Check your in box! Pit |
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| I am new to this forum and find it very intersting reading. I too plan to buy the Grand Wega 60" and live in Kansas City. Could someone email me as well for the BEST price and where to get it? My email is: rsmtith469@aol.com Hopefully the price includes shipping and tax... |
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| Robert, Check your in box. Pit |
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| Hi Everyone: Thanks for all the great feedback in this forum. After two months of waiting for the Sony Family Center (employee disocunt)to ship my TV, I finally broke down and spent a little more. Just got things plugged in and set-up. 60" xbr800 with a pioneer elite 49txi and the pioneer 47ai DVD player with PS. The picture is absolutely amazing. Watched Triple X in DVD progressive scan the first night. Have Dish network for satellite and picture looks good/great as well. Haven't seen any defects or green dots/spots in the image, but I will be looking. I plan on doing the tweaks umr has so generously documented on various sites. Can someone tell me exactly how to get into the "service mode" Is it a sequential pressing of buttons on the remote with the TV off, TV on , etc.... That would be helpful. I will report back my findings after changing the settings. Thanks in advance. |
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| Pitt, I'm also in the market for a 50" GWII... thanks, Bill |
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pitrott | Bill, Check your in box! Pit |
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| Eric, Once you've obtained the Tweak file it will give you the instructions for opening the Service Menu, and instructions for SAVING your changes with the precise series of button strokes. Once again, as mentioned above earlier, the link to this PDF file, and other conversation about this, can be found here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=196558 Good luck, Timba |
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Sanj Gill | Hi....just been offered a deal for a 50" XBR $3600 inc tax, deliver and installation.... is this a good deal?? thanks....Sanj. |
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| Don't bother buying a Sony. My KF-60DX100 is just one month out of warranty and is experiencing problems. The picture will not clearly focus anymore and it has a crossing horizontal faint red stripe about two inches wide near the bottom of the screen and two more that swoop from the center at the top of the screen to the sides. I called Sony and discussed my concerns regarding one month out of warranty and they basically told me "too bad". I also told the rep that I am having difficulty finding a repair shop that will work on a LCD tv. They gave me a couple of names of shops. I called and they said "oh its a Sony" parts are expensive and quoted anywhere from $150 to $180 just to look at it and that was if I delivered it to their shop. This is the second Sony television that I have had that has not lasted. My previous tv made it two years. Sony Balony, I should have said Toshiba! |
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pit | Sanj, Where? and from who? tax? pit |
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pitrott | Sanj, The guy i told ya about has it for 3484.00 with in house delv. 3249.00 for the tv and 235.00 in house delv.. no tax... did ya get the pix of my setup?//////////////////// Anthony,, is that the old model? did ya change out the lamp? Pit |
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Sanj Gill | Pit, sweet set-up, does the $3484 include the 2yrs warranty? It's through a local sony dealer, and I think it might be price matched by good guys. what do you think? Sanj. |
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pitrott | Sanj, No not that i know of for the warranty, If you are getting a 2year warrenty....AKA one extra year. sure... now just remember that when i bought mine i got an extra year warrenty from the CC company.... but all in all that is a good price, and you say it is local? also after they deliver let the tv sit for at least 3hrs before starting... as to let the lamp get room temp! dude your getting a sony........ pit |
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| Hi All, I was close to buying the KF-60xbr800 or the KF-50xbr800 at Circuit City for $4500 and $3500, respectively including delivery but not tax. It would be great if someone can email me the info on the guy who has the better prices mentioned above (aherlache@hotmail.com). Also, what about the info mentioned in the cnet article: http://electronics.cnet.com/electronics/0-3622-8-20869783-5.html?tag=dir2 It says that that Sony is coming out with new LCD sets (the 42-inch, $2,500 KF-42WE610; the 50-inch, $3,000 KF-50WE610; and the 60-inch, $4,000 KF-60WE610). Anyone know whats up with these. Should I wait for this? Thanks Andy |
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| You all probably know this already, but Sony also announced (a couple weeks ago) their competitive technology to Philip's and Toshiba's LCOS chips. Theirs deliver 1080p resolution and so will Sony's. Sony says they will have products this calendar year. I suspect they will come out 'after' the new 'WE610' sets start shipping. I think this is why the change in model numbers on the grand wegas, not to mention the price drop, since they cannot come out with a set that costs more than the Toshiba set, or for that matter more than what a plasma sells for. I too was all set to get the XBR800, but now I'll wait another generation and see what happens. It would be nice if they would have multiple presets, among other things. |
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| Green Dot on the KF-60XBR800? How about a green SPLOTCH? I'm not sure what constitutse a green dot, but my new Sony is experiencing something rather strange. It appears as though a "green-splotch" about the size of a quarter has developed on the LCD screen in the left-lower quadrant of the TV. You can definatly see the splotch during a dark background in the show or movie. I'm still in my first 30-days of owning this TV and I'll certainly call the retailer on Monday to see if I can't get a replacement or a fix for this problem. Does anyone else have any ideas or similar experience with this? Thanks, Timba |
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pitrott | Timba, go the the following post Feb 25th 1002am now so far i have no splotch or dot but i do have the 50... let me know how it goes... pit |
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Sanj Gill | All, finally ordered my 50" XBR, nice deal. BUT,need some help with DVD player. Looking at the phillips DVD Q50, Harman Kardon DVD25 and Sony NS775 V or Panasonic Rp82/91 HELP.....which of these will really make this system look good? Sanj |
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pit | Sanj, NS775! What was the final price on your 50? Pit |
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Sanj Gill | $4,600 from circuit, inc del, tax and installation. so not bad deal in the end -and finance (0%) if I needed it....so quite happy Sanj |
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| please e-mail where i can get the best price on 60 inch xbr...thanks |
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| UPDATE on "Green Spots or Splotches" on the KF-60XBR800 Sony LCD Grand Wega. (as mentioned earlier-a few days ago...) According to Sony, this particular problem with the "green spots or splotches" could be caused by magnetic interference. So, by checking to make sure that anything that can produce a magnetic field that may cause this problem (such as tapes, clocks, fans, unshielded speakers being a few sources) are relocated might remedy this. They also recommended unpluging the set for 1/2 hour and replug. In addition, verifing that all power cords are located away from any cables that transfer the source of television programming (antenna, cable or satellite) seemed to help as well. In any event, whichever problem was the culpret, the problem with the "green splotch" (in my case) is no-more! Timba |
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Anonymous | Where do you put your center channel? I am considering getting a 60XBR800. My center channel is 9" tall. I measured the Sony SU-GW1 cabinet and found the lower shelf isn't tall enough. I'm wondering if the middle shelf of the cabinet is required. If it can be removed (or not installed), I'd have 11 vertical inches. Does anyone know if this is possible? Also, anyone do anything else with center channel? |
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| Anonymous, I can send ya a pix of my set wup with the center channel on top of the tv.....e-me if you like.. PIT |
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LaserSight | I just got my KF50XBR800 and so far I'm not happy. If Sony would only have added "annoying bright red dot" in their list of features, then I might have been happier because then I would have at least expected it. I'm now getting the runaround from them. Initially I was told that the annoying red dot is a structural property of the LCD and not a malfunction. Hmm, that's what the manual says. In actuality, it is a structural property of a defective LCD matrix. They managed to get the other two working okay (green, blue). If someone would have mentioned that to me before I took delivery of this hunk of crap, I might have been able to make a more well informed decision. I now live in fear that there is a sniper aiming over my shoulder and his red laser sight is constantly aimed at a section of my screen. As for the person who said that small errors like these are unnoticeable from the recommended viewing distance, all I can say is perhaps they are unnoticeable if you're blind. Then again, if I were blind I would have opted for something less expensive than a $3600 radio. I can't take my eyes of that stupid dot. I can't ignore it nor can I enjoy any programming because all I see is that stupid dot. Let's see how Sony handles this. If the continue to insist that this is indeed a feature and not a bug, I suggest you go plasma and avoid this turkey. |
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pitrott | Lasersight, Did you read Timbas post from march 15 133pm? i to have the 50 and i have no such spot! try his post and let us know! Pit |
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Anonymous | I noted on my laptop a blue spot much like what is being described about the Sony LCD. I happened to touch the screen of my laptop with a little lite preasure and the spot disappeared. I wonder if the same affect can be accomplished with the sony WEGA? I'm no tech, but offer just a thought. I too am looking to buy the 60XBR and in interested in all the feedback. |
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Anonymous | Lasersight, I guess you skipped reading the posts in the RPTC section of the AVS forum. There is quite a bit of discussion on stuck pixels and Sony's policy of not replacing sets with them. I purchased mine from a dealer who accepts returns within 30 days for any reason to avoid the problem you face. This is not easily fixed. |
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| All, Just a thought... When i bought my 50 xbr the guy told me that when it is delivered that i was not to turn the set on and wait for about 3 to 4 hours, that way the lamp and set would aclamate to the ambiant temp of my house and to be honest i have not had a bad pixel yet! Did any of you do this or did ya turn the set on right away??? Next ? has any one found a price for the replacement lamp? and where can ya buy them? Pit |
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LaserSight | pitrott writes: >Lasersight, >Did you read Timbas post from march 15 133pm? i >to have the 50 and i have no such spot! try >his post and let us know! I read through all the posts in this thread before posting. There's nothing within 4ft of the base of the unit except the cable box. I'll try moving that tonight although I don't see that affecting a single pixel. Magnetic fields tend not to be that discriminating. |
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LaserSight | Anonymous writes: >I noted on my laptop a blue spot much like what >is being described about the Sony LCD. I >happened to touch the screen of my laptop with a >little lite preasure and the spot disappeared. I >wonder if the same affect can be accomplished >with the sony WEGA? The LCD matrix on projectors are tiny. About 1.35" x .75". It'd be hard to zero in on a particular pixel. |
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LaserSight | Anonymous writes: Lasersight, >I guess you skipped reading the posts in the >RPTC section of the AVS forum. There is quite a >bit of discussion on stuck pixels and Sony's >policy of not replacing sets with them. Didn't know about it. Could you please provide a link? >I purchased mine from a dealer who accepts >returns within 30 days for any reason to avoid >the problem you face. Update - after further bitching and moaning to Sony, they finally sent an independent, Sony authorized, techinician out to evaluate my set. He said that this is not normal, but that he needs to contact Sony to figure out exactly what needs to be replaced. I'm waiting to hear back from him today. My retailer informed me that if Sony comes back with an unrealistic turn around time, he'll be happy to start an RMA to get me another unit. >This is not easily fixed. From a brief look at the service manual, it seems that the lcd panels are contained in what's called an optical sub-unit. This module seems to be fairly easy to swap out from the rear. Did you know that these TV's also have a service mode which is accessible from the remote that allows you to do all sorts of tweaking? |
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LaserSight | pitrott writes: >All, >Just a thought... When i bought my 50 xbr the >guy told me that when it is delivered that i was >not to turn the set on and wait for about 3 to >4 hours, that way the lamp and set would >aclamate to the ambiant temp of my house and to >be honest i have not had a bad pixel yet! Did >any of you do this or did ya turn the set on >right away??? The day I took delivery of my set the ambient temperature difference from outdoors to indoors was about 4 degrees. |
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Anonymous | I am the guy (UMR) who wrote the tweaks. Replacing the LCD's reportedly costs $2000. |
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pitrott | 2000 or 200? 2 k is close to what i paid for my tv/// pit |
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| All, In an inquisitive endeavor to answer the question of how much, where, and to whom can replace the Sony XL-2000U replacement bulb for the KF-60XBR800 and/or KF-50XBR800 Grand Wega I contacted Sony about this very issue with the question: "What is the price of the XL-2000U replacement bulb for the 60" Grand Wega LCD? I haven't seen it for sale anywhere. Your site posts this item as an accessory but I'd like to know more about it availability and cost. Is this an item that the consumer can replace? Or, is it something that only a technician can replace? Is Sony the only place to obtain such an item?" The response from Sony was: "Thank you for contacting us with your inquiry regarding Sony's Televisions. You will have to contact the nearest Sony Authorized Service Center in your area to replace XL-2000U bulb of your television. You can locate Sony Authorized Service Center in your area by clicking on the following URL: http://www.sel.sony.com/SEL/service/service.html You will be able to find replacement costs at the Service Center. The Sony Style Team is available to assist you with further inquiries." So, once again, Sony leaves me in the dark until such a time when a replacement is actually needed. Until such a time I'll just keep an eye on various threads in order to draw from the experience of other owners as they find a replacement necessary. |
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| After investigating the link Sony had referenced, Go figure... |
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| Timba, Sweet! and i did a search on Google with the words XL-2000U and it game me a thread from lickyoats and a store to buy the bulb from! it was 189.00 if i remember... now reading my owners manual it apears that we can change the bulb ourselves.... Now the ? is do we stock up on the bulbs??? Pit |
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| Pitrott, Could you post the information of this store? I did several searches for the XL-2000U and couldn't come up with much but a "brief mention" of the lamp from multiple sites. But, any reference to it's whereabouts were "little to none". It seems I remember seeing the thread you mentioned, but I guess I didn't gleam from its content that he had commented on where to locate one. I had estimated that at an average use of about 4 hours a day, you'd need a new lamp between 16-18 months. That does indeed seem like alot of bulbs. Especially if your in a habit of turning on the set for simply 'background noise' as I often do. As far as 'stocking up' on these lamps, I tend to want to wait until demand increases the supply of this item. It could be that we'll see more online outlets stocking this bulb on a regular basis. So, for me, I think I'll wait it out. But, I am interested in what "lickyoats" had said, as I must have overlooked it. Thanks, Timba |
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| Timba, http://www.avsupply.com/sony_consumer_products.shtml http://www.valleycommunications.com/MHEC_B11.pdf here are 2 sites with the bottom one being cheaper... and it is pdf format... As for the lickyoats the search hit his comments also... again try a google and type this xl200u just as i typed... Now here is a ? is it better to leave the tv on or turn it off??? hope this helps and for all out there reading this i must say i love my 50 xbr!!!!!! Pit |
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chack | My 60 was delivered on Friday. COMCAST came in later in the day and hooked up a HDTV cable box. WOW!! The picture was off the charts. I couldn't believe that it was as good as in the CC store. You folks are right, the best TV other than plasma. I've been following this thread for the past month or so, and I've picked up some great suggestions from all of you. I already had a Sony 715 DVD, so I got the high end Monster cables. I got a great picture playing Monsters, Inc, Blue Crush and Saving Private Ryan over the weekend. I was going to look at higher end DVD players, but now I'm satisfied with the 715. It must be the cables. I ended the weekend with the Oscars in HDTV. What a sight, Nichole Kidman as clear as if she was in the room with me. Now that's TV. |
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pitrott | Chack, I to watched the oscars hdtv(oth) and yes except for the peace niks she was in my room also... super tv... is the 715 progressive scan? Pit |
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| Pitrott, In regards to your question of Wednesday, March 26, 2003 - 11:48 am, "Now here is a ? is it better to leave the tv on or turn it off???", I'd have to believe, given the need to periodically replace the lamp, I'm going to make every effort to keep the set off when not in use. I've found myself in the habit of turning the set on, leaving the room thinking I'll return in due time and yet find myself, a few hours later, returning and finding that I really wasn't paying attention to it or even remembering it was on. So, for me...I'm going to turn it on when I know I'm going to devote some time watching it. Also, as a "high-five" to your ending statement of, "and for all out there reading this i must say i love my 50 xbr!!!!!!", I've learned to appreciate the KF-60XBR800 more every day since getting it home. It's a hell of a TV! (In fact, the Academy Awards where so impressive, I think I even got a wiff of Nichole Kidman's perfume as she bumped into me the other night while I sat there and watched!) Timba |
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pitrott | Timba, lucky you on the wiff... As for turning off the tv i am in the navy and have been for the past 21 years and some change and the thinking on equipment in the combat info center witch we have lsd's large screen displays with lcd was they work better and last longer when on and not turned on and off. but that is navy equip... pit |
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Pit | Timba, Just a ? where do ya live? Pit |
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| Pit, Go Navy! Go USA! I realize that while the Navy might have probably TWICE the budget that I've got (hehehe), and while it's probably true that an LCD screen, once the tube (lamp(s)) are warmed will produce the best image. As well, it takes a fair amount of heat to change the suitable substance of the LCD from a solid into a liquid crystal, and it only takes a little more heat to turn that same liquid crystal into a real liquid. This explains why liquid crystals are very sensitive to temperature. Hence, LCDs require an external light source. Liquid crystal materials emit no light of their own. It is this that I'm concerned with. So, the more I keep the display backlight in use thereby decreasing its overall life, the more I'll have to invest in replacing the Lamp. This also brings to mind the earlier problem I had with the "green spots or splotches" with my KF-60XBR800. One feature of liquid crystals is that electric current affects them to a certain extent. Applying an electric current to these liquid crystals will untwist them to varying degrees, depending on the current's voltage. LCDs use these liquid crystals because they react predictably to electric current in such a way as to control light passage. And, in some cases, act quite UNPREDICTABLY to electronic interference too. That was my original problem. Sony helped me to keep this in mind. I soon removed the source of the interference and, in my case, solved the problem. [I don't post this for any other reason other than to plant a seed for anyone that experiences what I did with unique problems with these spots. (See an above post on what Sony advised me on this issue...)] In any event, I'll probably end up using the set just like I've used any other. (With the small reminder that the LCD picture quality will have to be replaced, via the Lamp, in due time.) Of course, this technology is a tad different than other sets we've all had in the past. I had an RCA that I've still got in a bedroom that is close to 16 years old! I haven't given it a second thought since we bought it. But, unlike the LCD, it bears little reflection in terms of quality either. I'll just go on with life and just replace the Lamp as I would the light bulb in my ceiling fan I'm sure. Peace, Timba P.S. I'm in Norman, Oklahoma. I'm a Firefighter and Computer Tech (on my off days...). |
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pitrott | Timba, Thanks for the extensive post and i agree on the EMI interference with this tv.. my only fear with the replacement lamp is availability of the part when the time comes... AHHH oklahoma open space, how is the job market? i need some land and a house after i retire... cudo's on the firefighting! Hero's in your own right!!!!! PIT |
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| Pit, I am back again and ready to buy the 50inch (I only have a one-bedroom apt and the 60 would be a little obnoxious don't you think). Anyway, I was hoping you could send me the info on the guy you know who sells these at a great price. My email is pdaniels66@expn.com. I was going to go with the Panasonic DVD mentioned ealier and monster cables. I am not getting speakers yet so don't think there is any need for a reciever seeing I will only be connecting my PS2 and DVD. What do you think? Also which Monster cables should I pick up for that kind of set-up? Thanks in advance! |
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pitrott | Phil D Check your in box... Pit |
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| Pit, Thanks for the contact. I was planning to run the DVD sound on the TV speakers. Can I still do that if I am using component video cables to the TV? And what are the TV speakers like? Thanks again, Phil |
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pitrott | Phil, Yes you can use the TV speakers to run you sound with Component video.. the TV book will show you how! and the TV speakers sound super!! Let me know if you have more ?'s Support our Troops Pit |
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Jeff Smyth | Jeff Talking to several audio/visual technicians, they inform me regular cablevision wire works as well, if not better than monster cables and the like. They seem to be of the opinion that cablevision wire is better sheilded. Has anyone seen a technical report on which is better. Thanks |
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| Jeff, I'm not sure of what "report" you may be speaking of. But, I can tell you that, after viewing both with my setup - using Monster Component Cabling, AND a Cablevision connection on optional inputs - it is apparent that there is very little to be said of opting for Cablevision over any other for your primary input. I'm using both. Depending on the input selection that I choose to watch programming of various sorts, I can say that the use of Cablevision is of little value and I rarely use it for it's lack of quality. The "cable guy" that installed my Digital Decoder (they have to do this as they need to quantify the box with the cable co.) felt that I needed to have a Cablevision cable routed to the TV as to bypass the 4 by 3 anti-pulldown in order to keep my LCD from burn-in. HA! The fools! He soon realized what TV he was dealing with and left knowing full well that the problem would have little to do with my setup. But, nevertheless, I do have the ability to use it if I opt to. Bottom line: Shell out some bucks for Component cables. Whether they be of the Monster variety or not, is your choice. But, to limit your viewing to simply a Cablevision pipe will not only short change your TV viewing pleasure, but give you every reason to take back your HDTV and trade down for that black and white, 13" Oritron. Timba |
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Anonymous | Just read a very good review on the 60XBR, but need to know what the "Scaler" is on the 60XBR. Does anyone know what the reviewer was refering to? |
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pitrott | Where is the review? send us the link!!!!! Support OUR troops!!!! PIT |
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Anonymous | http://www.epinions.com/content_89288052356 |
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| Has anyone any advice for hooking up an xbox with this tv? I purchased the monster video component cable for Xbox and enabled all the dpi settings in the menu, but it does not look good! Any advice? Thanks, Howard. |
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Simon Le Greedy | I've had my XBR50 now for about 2 months and was wondering how most of you go about cleaning the screen. I realize the cloth that came with the set is supposed to be used, but was curious as to any other methods I could use. Are cleaning solutions such as Windex, etc. okay to use or should I just stick to the dry cloth provided ? Also, we have standard Charter Cable and I've noticed that during the NCAA tournament, the close-up picture is almost perfect, but when they go to another camera in the seats, the picture is pretty bad. Why does this happen ? Thanks in advance. |
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pit | Simon, I use the supplied cleaning cloth and i follow the direction in the sony book, and it works well with my tv... soap and water on the cloth... Support our Troops!! Pit |
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Ed Jones | Can anyone comment on the new LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) technology. How does it compare to Sony's 3 LCD panel design? I will be in the market for a set early next year and will either get the 60XBR800, the new Sony 60" when it is released in the fall, or an LCOS model. By the way, I am not sure what the model number of the new sets will be but I do not think they are XBR models. I thought they reserved the XBR designation for their best TVs. Are the new LCDs not considered one of Sony's best designs? |
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darthemma | I have been reading this forum for a couple of weeks and I really appreciate your insite. I am getting ready to take the plunge and buy an xbr60. A local retailer will sell it to me for $4500 and they also service what they sell. Would those of you who own this set still recommend it? Thanks for any advice. |
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| Darthemma, I WOULD recommend this set, yes. However, it comes at no small cost. Obviously, if you're willing to spend the money on the XBR60, you surely won't mind spending some extra cash on the "incedentals". Don't skimp on cables. Don't skimp on your Progressive Scan DVD player. Don't skimp on programming. If you plan to use this set watching TVLand or Nick at Night, the Nightly News or Oprah, you're waisting your money. But, if you'll plan on spending some quality time with your DVD's or jumping into the water with an HDTV decoder, my bet is that you'll enjoy this set. After working out the kinks in mine, I can say that it is utterly enjoyable when viewing it within the perameters of its design and technology. For me, this one is a winner. Timba |
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darthemma | Timba-Thanks. It's nice to hear you're happy with your set after having it for a while. My plan is to invest in a progressive scan DVD player at the same time I buy the TV and a whole mess of monster cables. I'm really looking forward to Gandalf and the balrog on the Bridge of Khazad-dum! I do plan on upgrading my Directv equipment to high def this fall when the new high def-tivo-directv boxes come out. I already have the Dolby Digital 5.1 set up working. I'm sure I will be back to ask LOTS of questions when it comes time to "work the kinks" out of my xbr. Thanks again. |
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| Ed, Sony announced a competing technology for LCOS, called Silicon Crystal [X-tal] Reflective Display (SXRD), in late February. See the link below: http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/3423 and promised the release of products using this technology in 2003. Yes, they reserve this model sequence for their top-of-the-line sets, and I think this new 1080p technology will use that model sequence. It should also compete favorably with the Toshiba sets, thought the Toshibas are available now and the Sony's aren't. Personally I am waiting. Good luck, Jack |
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Ed Jones | Jack, I think I will wait as well. Thanks for the info. Ed |
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| I just ordered the 60" Monday, and it should be delivered by next week. I've been reading the messages on this thread, and I must say that I am bit worried after reading some of the posts. My primary viewing is DirectTV, and I don't have the HDTV dish or receiver. I am expecting this thing to at least look as good as my old Sony 53" from 1996 (which blew up recently). I also have an older DVD player, so I guess I will have to invest in a progressive scan player, and upgrade my DirectTV. I really don't care about Local channels out here in the stix, but I DO want the best possible picture from DirecTV. My real question is do high-quality cables REALLY make that much difference? It wouldn't seem to me that they would, or be worth the money, unless one is dealing with high EMI fields. Also, I am a Ham radio operator, and am concerned about the possibility of causing permanent damage to the TV when running a lot of power on various HF frequencies (3-30mhz). I've not had problems before with this, but this is a new sort of animal as far as TV's go. Have any of you directly compared the difference between standard cheap cables and those VERY expensive Monster cables, without making any other adjustments? I just can't see how spending over $100 on cables would make any noticable difference in picture quality. Well, wish me luck. After reading all these posts here, I am going to be looking for stuck pixels. That is the one thing that I read that has me worried. If you have to look for one, that is one thing, but if it screams out at you all the time, that is TOTALLY unacceptable. Fortunately I bought the 4 year warranty for Circuit City, so if I see any really noticable stuck pixels, it WILL be replaced. |
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pitrott | GaryG, As far as the cables go read the above posts.. I went to radio shack and got all mine and it still cost about 75.00 to 80.00 bucks depending on how much stuff ya got to hook up..Receiver/dvd/vcr/hdtv ect... As far as emi as long as the transmitter is away from the tv (read thetv book) you should not have a problem...what is the power out of your xmitter? Just remember everyone has an opinion on this tv just like cars i have had mine for 3 months and no problems I Love it!!! yes get a progressive scan dvd!!! Pit Support our Troops!!!! |
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| Pit...thanks for the reply. I already have the cables I used on my 53", so I plan on using those rather than buy new ones. My "radio shack" is located upstairs and well away from where the TV will be. ANd most of the antennas are well away from the house. However, I usually run the Legal Limit on power output, which is 1500 watts. Probably be OK, but one never knows for sure with new technology. I am not so worried about "interference", as I am with damage from high RF fields on a given band. Have a good one. |
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Anonymous | GaryG - Cables can make a big difference. I bought a high quality (entry level) Audioquest s-video cable for my first generation DTV several years ago (mid-90s). It was like night and day vs the s-video cable that came with the DTV. I later invested in two better Audioquest s-video cables (middle level and best), to use my other s-video devices - S-VHS and Laserdisc (this was pre-DVD days). I experimented with the three. The two better ones were pretty close in picture quality (I use the better one for DVD now), but the lesser one (my first purchase) was clearly not as good. (The out-of-the-box cable was unwatchable after using these other cables). When A-B'ing the cables, the lesser cable produced an image that looked like it had a layer of haze compared to the better one. I'd highly recommend that you at least try a high quality cable. Most have 30-day money back if not satisfied. Decide for yourself. I'm thinking of trying the "BetterCables" component video silver serpent for my new TV and progressive DVD connection. |
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GaryG | Thanks Anon. I went ahead and bought the Monster DVI cable for the new HDTV Tuner I bought, although at $100 it hurt...LOL. Still waiting for the TV to be delivered, though. Since this TV had 2 DVI inputs, I guess I will have to buy another cable when I get a Progressive Scan DVD player. For now, I'll have to live with the cheap s-video cable for my old DVD player. No reason to upgrade the cable since from everything I read here, I won't be satisfied with anything less than a progressive scan player with DVI output to the TV. Man, this has gotten expensive! Cutting edge always is ;) Thanks again for your input |
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David | Is there any one had been waiting for 60xbr800 longer than 3 months? I ordered on Mar 17 form CDW. They told me I'll have it in 2weeks. But, when I called them in Feb, they told me that they'll ship to me in Mar and when I called them in Mar they told me they'll ship to me in Apr. Now they told me they possibly ship to me in May! |
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David | Sorry, I ordered on Jan( not Mar) 17 from CDW. |
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pit | All, This TV only has 1 DVI input! and why wait the guy i bought from has them in stock.... Support our Troops!!!! Pit |
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| GaryG, Yeah, pit's right. That set only has one DVI input. Although you can, just as easily, opt for the 3-cable Component Cables when you get your new Progressive Scan DVD player as well. I mention this because, for the home-theater user, there are three competing versions of DVI that are not compatible with each other. How would you know which one your product has, let alone which version it should have to be compatible five years from now? (That was just a rhetorical question...) There are just too many variables and too much development time that will pass before the system is fully debugged and with universal compatibility. So, with that said, the best video connection in home use today is component video. Although, since you've already acquired one DVI cable...you'll have some thoughts to share when you do some "cable swapping" and giving us your review of the picture quality in both types of cables, right? (Keep us posted on this; I am interested.) Timba |
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Phil D. | Pit and Timba, Got a great deal on the 50''. Only $3300 including delivery. It arrives today and I am itching to get home to try it out (and check for dead pixels). I bought the Sony 775 progressive scan also and had a question on it. What switch do you have it on on the back when playing dvds I currently have it set on 'progressive'. Thank guys and I will let you know ho the picture turns out. -Phil |
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pit | Phil D I have my set on progressive and it is the S#@$! and the price is a good deal let the tv stand for about 3 hours to aclamate to the temp in you house!!! where did ya by from? Timba, concure on the DVI cables i bought the wrong ones.... Pit |
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| Pit, Had it sit. No dead pixels (yet). Have not tried out DVD player yet but watched standard cable on it last night and was very impressed. I am going to attempt the tweaks to it this weekend. Got it from 6th Ave Electronics after much wheeling and dealing. If anyone is interested email me and I will give you the main sales guy name and extension. |
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| I need help? I'm comparing Sony KF-60XBR800 and Samsung HLM617W. I can buy either one for the same price 3998.00 online. I also need to get cables, DVD player, HDTV tuner etc. I want to do this once and not fall into the same spending spree with my boat hahahaha. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to buy and how to connect everything? |
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| Pit/Timba, Thanks. You are right about only 1 DVI input, I misread the info. Since I already have the cable, I will compare it to Component in, and if I can't tell any difference, I will get my money back, and put it towards a new DVD player. I will report my findings here. I have the new Zenith SAT/HDTV receiver which I will try it with. I gather that the Sony 775 (or is the 755?) is a good DVD unit to match this TV? If so, I probably won't be able to wait very long before getting one. Any comments on PS DVD players to go with this TV would be appreciated. Once again, thanks for setting me straight on the DVI. Gary |
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darthemma | Tony- Where did you find the Samsung for that price? Thanks. |
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pit | GaryG It is the sony 775 and it is super!!! Pit |
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| Pit...the reason I thought it was the NS755 is that I cannot find ANY info about the NS775. It is like it doesn't exist when I do a search for it. Any suggestions where this unit can be obtained, and it's price? Also I make my own DVD+RWs that actually play on my 3 year old Sony player. I assume the 775 would play them as well? Thanks for letting me pick your brain a bit. |
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Tony | Darthemma......I found it at HypAudio.com |
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darthemma | Tony- There's obviously a lot more information on the web about the Sony than the Samsung because the Samsung in so new. I did find a great article about the Samsung HLM617W at http://www.hometheatermag.com/printarchives.cgi?160 Also, I called Samsung today and they said Best Buy will start carrying the Samsung HLM617W in June. I will wait til then to decide which set to get because I want to see the picture before I buy. |
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Tony | Darthemma....Thanx for the article it was very informative. I went to Best Buys today and seen the HLM507W the picture was fantastic. Before I buy I want to see the HLM617W's picture first. By the time we figure out which set to get they'll be outdated anyway than back to square one. |
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| Has anyone heard anything about the new 42" Sony rear projection LCD? KF-42WE610. I'm looking for something in this size range and I'm wondering what the "scoop" is on this set. Also, has anyone come across other 40"-45" rear projection LCD's that I should be considering? Thanks for all of your past posts. There's some great info on this board. |
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| Hi all.... Just bought the 60" monster, but have a small concern. I let it stadn for 3hrs+ and then switched it on, but before doing so, there is white/greyish shadow in th middle of the screen - when it's turned on..you can still see a very light patch through the colours. the same was teh case with the 50" I swapped this for...any ideas? It's not the green dot issue. thanks |
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| Well, I got the TV, and so far I am VERY pleased. No stuck pixels or green/red dots that are visible. HDTV in 1080i mode is STUNNING! I am using the DVI output from my Zenith receiver, and the quality is jaw-dropping. Even without making any "service" adjustments, which I intend on reading up on before making them. I compared the 1080i DVI input to both the 720p and 1080i component input, and the DVI input IS clearer, although you really need to get close to the TV (a foot or so) to see the difference. It is most noticable on "text", especially small lettering. Both are excellent quality, but the 1080i thru the DVI input seems to have a slight edge. I also bought the Sony 715 progressive scan player. Couldn't pass it up for 150 bucks. Going into the Component In on the TV yields the best picture I have seen from a DVD player. There is no comparison in quality compared to my old Interlace only player. The only thing I could complain a little about is the "blacks" being a bit grey. It is noticable on Star Trek the Motion picture at the beginning where it displays a star field for a few minutes. It isn't a big deal, and perhaps I can increase the black levels with a little tweaking of the service menus when I get around to visiting the site that is mentioned on this thread. Overall, two thumbs up from me! |
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Anonymous | sanj gill That sounds like a reflection from a light source in the room. Mine gets a similar one from a coffee table at times. |
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| Sanj Gill, Check my post on Thursday, March 20, 2003 - 10:42 pm and the reply from Sony about magnetic and/or electrical interferences. I can only suggest unplugging EVERYTHING in that facinity except the TV and one Video source (DVD Player perhaps) and checking it again. You may end up tracking down the problem if, as was in my case, is the culprit. A digital filter might be in order in your case as well. Just a suggestion. Timba |
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| I have had this model for a couple months and must say it lives up the billing. The only issue I have is a "tone" that is being omitted from what appears to be the back right area of the set. It is similar to that of a real mild feedback sound. It is constant and when the set is turned down real low in the evening, you can really hear it. It is not any of the input devices as it happens regardless of the device. I have all Monster cables and a monster surge protector. I can't beleive that it is supposed to be this way, as sutle as it may seem, it is quite annoyoing. Any help or direction is appreciated. |
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pitrott | Ben, If you go over the instructions it will tell you it is a cooling fan, mine does the same!! Esp when you turn it off you can hear it humming away... Pit |
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| Sorry, I should have been more specific. It is not the fan but another "tone". The fan makes a sound, well like a fan, and it sort of blends right in. The sound I mam talking about is not that but another. |
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| I have a question to any of you who have tried the first 3 steps of the "tweaks" for the Service Menu. I am awaiting the AVIA test disk before progressing any further with it. My question concerns the reccommended Sharpness setting for the Pro mode as outlined in the tweaks manual. It reccomends 23% (17 tics) for this setting. When I set the sharpness (in the User settings) to that value, the picture looks like CRAP! Blurry, with bad detail. Certainly this is not the setting to normally use, is it? Or is it just to be set this way for the purpose of going thru the alignment process? I normally use the "vivid" mode, with the Sharpness setting around 55-60%, and am very pleased with the picture at that setting. But the settings reccomended for the Pro mode really look bad. Thanks for any input. Bear with me, I still on the learning curve as far as adjusting the Service Menu. |
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Anonymous | GaryG, Read the tweaks guide. Most of the settings are not for EVERY set. Geometry, color, brightness, picture and sharpness all require calibration for each TV. |
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pit | Ben. I am listening for that sound will let ya know.. i do have the 50XBR so i may not have it... Pit |
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bob howard | I had the GW2 and had to return it. I had a stuck red pixel. It did look like a sniper spot. Sony sent out a special field engineer along with a repair person. The engineer said it was normal. and the repair person latter told me to return the set. He said that it would be only the begining and other spots would start showing up. The spot I had, would be bright red and show up on the black scenes. This was especially annoying at night when the screen and room were dark. It looked like someone had a laser pointer very noticable from 8-10ft The set was the the best I ever had. I am now looking for a replacement. Any thoughts? |
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| Pit, I have the 50 as well and your assistance is appreciated. It is clearly not the fan, but somewhat of a tone. Ben |
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pitrott | Ben, After the weekend i do not show sign's of that noise that you describe, Sorry.Could it be any other Equipment near the tv?I will continue to listen for you! Pit |
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LaserSight | Well Sony came through, they replaced the optical sub-unit on my 50 and my red dot is gone. To be completely accurate the new unit has a number of somewhat stuck pixels (5 green, 3 red, and 1 blue) but they are so faint that you can't notice them unless your face is right up against the screen. The original red dot could be seen from across my living room. |
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GaryG | This is a follow up to my previous comments about DVI vs Component In. I learned something here that I was skeptical of. Good cables CAN make a difference, even if slight. After changing out the cheap component in cable with a expensive Monster cable, the component in now looks EXACTLY the same as the DVI in. The slight difference I noted before in favor of DVI was no longer there. I haven't gone thru all the tweaks yet, but I did try out some of the Test patterns on the AVIA disk to see where I stood. I have NEVER seen test patterns so perfect! Even with the default parameters for the TV. I almost hesitate to "tinker" with the settings, as it seems to be perfect now. But eventually, curiosity will get the best of me...LOL. G'day |
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pit | GaryG, so you have a DVI cable? and how much was that? so witch one do you like? Pit |
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pit | Ben, While cleaning the tv and with it off i heard a verly low but high pitch noise investigating more to follow. Pit |
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Gary | Pit...since there seems to be no difference between the DVI and Component In (with good cables), guess it doesn't matter which I use. But I have stuck with the DVI cable. I have the Monster DVI cable, and had to pay $100 for it!! Since I paid so much for it, I am going to use it...LOL. I send my PS DVD player to the component in, and my Zenith receiver to the DVI input. I've also tried hooking my PS2 to both s-video in and component in. I have seen no big difference. But...I am using a $60 monster cable for the s-video in, and a cheap component in cable for component in. Since I like to split my screen between DirecTV and my PS2 sometimes, I opted to stay with the s-video in. Video 5-7(component/DVI) cannot be displayed split screen except with Video 1-4. I have my receiver on Video 7(DVI), DVD player on Video 5, VCR(Beta) on Video 4, VCR(VHS) on Video 1, and my PS2 on Video 2. Damn shamed that Video 5,6 and 7 can't be "split screen" between them, but I am sure there is a good reason for that. C'ya |
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pit | Gary, Thank's for the info! Now how do ya split the video channels to apear on the tv? Pit |
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Anonymous | Green Dot Issue: I have had the 50 XBR since january and the Green Dot is driving me crazy. I just sent it out for repair and I am waiting to hear back. I agree with the previous person who said for 4 grand this is completely unacceptable. Is everyone having this issue? |
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| Pit...I am not sure that I understand your question. Have you not tried the split screen on your TV yet? |
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pit | GaryG, Got it, didn't know you could split reg tv with a diff video(DVD) Yeee Haaa this tv is the bomb!! Thanks Gary the book didn't tell me that! Pit |
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Anonymous | I was looking over the 2003 Sony line and the new Grand Wega's are $1,000 cheaper (i.e., $3,000 for the 50", KF-50WE610; $4,000 for the 60", KF-60WE610). I went and talked to my Sony salesman and he said that these models are going to be cheaper quality than the current Grand Wega's. Does anyone have any more information on this? Greg Keller? Thank you in advance. |
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Anonymous | The current Grand Wegas are XBR sets. The models you quoted for 2003 are non-XBR. XBR sets tend to have higher quality components and a better picture. I have seen a picture of the 2003 sets and they look more like a big rectanglular box, without the style of the current Grand Wega. The 2003 XBR sets have not been announced. |
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Anonymous | If the 2003 Grand Wegas announced in Feb. are not coming out until Sept., it doesn't sound like there will be 2003 XBR Grand Wegas. |
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Anonymous | Nevermind, I was told today that Sony would not be updating the XBR Grand Wegas this year. So the choices are to go with the higher quality version but older technology, or the newer stripped down version. |
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| Anon: Where did you hear that if you don't mind my asking? |
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Anonymous | Jack, which comment are you questioning? I wrote about the Sony 2003 line which can be found on a few sites, such as CNET. The salesman told me that Sony had no plans to release an XBR version of the Grand Wega's this year, and you can tell by the model numbers I listed that the 2003 Grand Wega's are listed as a 600 series. The news of the 2003 line-up came at the end of February, and it doesn't appear much information as come since then. This suggests that Sony might be behind schedule. |
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Anonymous | Does anyone suspect that any new 50/60 XBR model Grand Wega will have optional speakers. In my view that was one key design misque. I have my own sound system and need the side space more than the fixed speakers. I am holding off buying one until I can determine the future fix of the stuck pixel problem and speakers. Thanks |
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| Anon, You answered the question I was referring to, regarding the XBR model line for 2003. It was clear, when Sony announced the new WEGAs, that they had moved them out of the XBR lineup, and it is also clear that they will need a number sequence for the SXRD RPTVs when they come out. In their announcement for the SXRD, Sony promised 2003 products ("Sony will introduce SXRD products during 2003 for the U.S. market."), but Sony has not been willing to verify what you said in your mail. That is why I wanted the source of your information, so that I could check it out myself. I wouldn't be surprised if they are behind schedule, or maybe they are still feeling out the LCOS market, considering how their stock is doing and how the Japanese stock market and economy is doing. Jack |
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| Anon, I looked all over CNET and found no mention of grand wegas or xbr in 2003. Can you post the url? Jack |
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Anonymous | What are the SXRD products? As for not having XBR Grand Wega's, I do not have a printed source for that. |
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Anonymous | Jack, I didn't see your second message until now. Here is the link. http://earthlink.cnet.com/electronics/0-3622-8-20869783-5.html |
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Sanj Gill | Does anyone know how to fine-tune the set simply? |
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| Anon, I posted a link on Tuesday, April 3, 2003, regarding the Sony announcement of SXRD technology. It is their LCOS chip. 1080p. Very high contrast. Thanks for the link. Jack |
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| Anon, I have seen that link before. So these are the sets they have announced 'so far' for this year. Sony has a habit of announcing products when and where they choose. They have announced new sets in the middle of the year before, and may do so again. So I do not see the fact that the publication that hosted the link has no XBR sets from Sony as proof that there won't be any this year. Whether or not it is so remains to be seen. Jack |
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Anonymous | Jack, As I said before, I do not have any written proof that there will not be XBR Grand Wega's. I am going by what the salesman told me. He is going off of what he knows from the official Sony literature that they get, what he has heard from Sony, and what he has heard from anyone else. |
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matg | Does anyone know how good a playstation2 looks on the 60in, I looking to purchase the tv real soon.. |
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pitrott | Marg, I hooked up dreamcast and it looks super so PS2 will look even better Pit |
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| Since Sony released the last XBR around Sept. Aug. look for them to do do again. The 50" and 60" Grand Wegas sold so well that they can't help but to release a new version. Sony is loathe to give up a cash cow. |
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Anonymous | I think the point is that they are still selling so well, they don't feel they need to release a new version yet. |
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matg | thanks pit. I'll be back when I get it |
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Mike | Hello All, I bought a new Sony Grand WEGA LCD Projection TV couple of days ago. This TV is very impressive. However, I am rather disappointed to find out that there is a loud noise coming from the back of TV. The noise is very noticeable when the volume is below 3-4 level. It sounds like a loud fan and some other humming noise. Has anyone noticed the same? Is this normal or there is something wrong with my set? I appreciate any feedback. Mike |
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Tricia Neill | I just hooked up PS2 to my 60". My son played Velocity X and the graphics are very good. I had hooked up a N64 when we first got the XBR60 and it didn't look that great. But of course this is a different beast and the PQ is very nice! I get motion sickness and sitting too close to the screen while he was driving was was making me ill. Fun to watch from a distance!! |
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pit | Mike, The book does describe that you may hear fan noise! and that is what it is... How close to the wall do you have your 60?. Ensure that it has enought venting space....Your set is normal! Pit |
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| I am thinking of getting the KF-60XBR800 .. Do you think the product will be improved, With some of the major problems people have said on this page. |
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| Sargs, I'm not at all sure the word "problem" is something that can be a permanent label placed on this set. I guess if you look at those elements spoken of in this thread regarding this piece of machinery in terms of simply "hurdles"; and don't mind working through the steps involved (and often the time and added expense it takes) to surmount them, you'll find you've made a wise choice in its purchase. Timba |
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Sargs | Thanks Tima... I work at Sony in customer service area and tying to decide from the KF-60XBR800 VS KP-65WV700. I am a Big hochey Fan along with watching tons of sports. Also watch alot of local channles. So Am surfing the net for reviews and finding many different opinions on the high end Sony TV's. I dont want to spend any extra money after I bu the TV. Maybe just get an HDTV Cable BOX from my cable provider. But that is it! No one has the XBR in my area and they dont even have the KP 700 modle. So I can't really decide for my self. But need sites like this one to make a purchase of great value.Thanks for the HELP! Thanks Sargs |
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Mike | Pit, Thanks for your feedback regarding the fan noise. You were absolutely right. I went back to the manual and read about it. Do you know if it is possible to change this noisy cooling fan with another noiseless fan? I read somewhere that Sony had similar noise issue with their Plasma TV last year and this year they have corrected it with a different type of cooling fan that doesn't generate as much noise. Other than that I think KF60XBR800 is a great TV!!! |
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sargs | WELL I ORDER IT nOW! ITS ON Back order.. The price was $2,344.00 B stock. thanks to the Sony employee discount |
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Leslie | Just when I'd decided that the Grand Wega was the best option available for a new HD-compatible TV (no burn-in, wide viewing angle,good pricing,etc.), when I went to make the purchase yesterday, the set was placed next to a DLP set using the very same signal. The DLP was a much brighter and clearer picture and the screen was a non-glare type (similar to a plasma screen). I've been concerned about the potential glare issue with the Grand Wega, but figured I had no option, until now. I hope someone can explain why I don't really want the DLP, or that maybe the Grand Wega was simply not adjusted to it's optimal settings, and it really out-performs the DLP. I respect the opinions of many of the writers on this message board, so I'm looking for an education here. I DO want the Grand Wega, right? |
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Yamunda | Leslie: I have been researching the Grand Wega for a while now. There is no doubting the fact that the Grand Wega is much better than the Samsung DLP (or other DLPs). DLP was thought of as the better technology compared to the LCD technology of because of the resolution issues. However, with the SVGA resolution that the Grand Wega offers that has been rectified. The main differences between the two technologies now have been reduced to certain display issues. DLP has visual distortions that are not consistent. They appear once in a while. There is also the rainbows and coloration problems. The problems with Grand Wega are the black levels and Contrast. The contrast on the Grand Wega is not as good as the DLPs. The black levels are also a problem. Blacks look more Grey. I have experienced this in my regular research. The new Grand Wega does not solve this problem either. The thing is we are not used to seeing such fantastic picture on a screen that wide so we tend to see it as good picture. In reality, Grand Wega needs some more time to get really good. There is also the problem with dead pixels. There are dead pixels in pretty much every unit some are very problematic and can be noticed and others go un-detected (at least initially). Overall, this is the best set available in the market for that size and the HD capabilities. However, the technology is still in its infancy. So most of us will be early adopters. So that should guide the expectations. Cheers, Yamunda. |
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pit | Mike, Humm on the fan ? i have been very closely had my ear to the tv and my fan noise is not to bad.. as far a replacement call sony and B@!#$ and see what happends they are not to bad on the customer service! hope that helps!!! Pit |
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leslie | Thanks for the response, Yamunda! Money is no object here, so would you get the Grand Wega, the Sony thin-screen LCD on glass, or a Sony Plasma in the 50" size? I don't want to do this again in two years, so I'm trying to get the best option that fits in a cabinet that's 22" deep. I mostly watch DVD movies, and news/sports on digital cable (with the occaisional American Idol thrown in). |
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| I read an article about the reliability of HTPS chips vs DMD (DLP) chips: http://www.insightmedia.info/news/ReliabilityofHTPSPanelsQuestioned-2.htm The long and short of the article is that HTPS chips (such as on grand WEGAs) are expected to show serious problems between 1400-3500 hours. In particular, the blue chip is expected to fail, producing yellowing on the screen, followed by possible total failer. In the same test time, the DLP engines showed no degradation whatsoever (4500 hours). In the first generation of DLP, resolution was limited to 720p, but the latest generation currently coming out has 1.5 million pixels which is beyond 720p. So the next generation of DLP sets to hit the states will be brighter, have great contrast, same resolution, and greater reliabilty. With the advent of Sony SXRD (LCOS) chips, and other LCOS technologies, my question is what is the relative reliability of LCOS, HTPS, and DLP, but haven't found a definitive study. Since the LCOS chips now support 1080p resolution with much greater brightness/contrast, it may be the way to go. Not that this is what XBR owners want to hear, but I too wanted to be an XBR owner, but have to keep my eyes and ears open. Jack |
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Yamunda | Hello Leslie: If money is no object then I suggest you wait for a few months (amy be 4 to be precise). Jack's posting talks about the LCOS chip. I think that will be the way to go. The problem I have seen with the Plasma TVs is their life. If the quality of the picture starts deteriorating every few months it is a pain to deal with. No one really knows exactly when the deterioration starts since some say within a year you will start seeing your plasma's picture quality going down. From what I can tell (since Toshiba has already released its own Liquid Crystal technology), LCOS is probably the way to go. LCD has been around for a while and so has DLP and both are developing fast. But, from my experience, if the technology is not developing fast enough in the face of such lucrative market, then there is a problem. So, I think you will see that in a couple of years this wave might completely disappear. I am waiting for the Liquid Crystal technology. To elaborate, the reason I have moved a little from the Grand Wega plan to LCOS plan is because of the time I spent at Circuit City watching various programs on the Wega compared to the other cheaper HDTVs right next to it. Even though the picture quality is better than the others, you can clearly see the difference in contrasts (the employee helped me in fine tuning the display). I was watching the latest Harry Potter film. I watched it on the big screen in Metreon complex, on my TV at home, on the flight, and finally on the Grand Wega. There was a clear problem with Blacks. The picture is clear the contrast is low during the darker scenes (if you remember the ending of the film it is pretty dark and so is the begining). I thought the regular analog TV looked better during those scenes. I am definetely waiting. I want this TV to last may be 5-7 years. Right technology is important. This is my 2 cents worth. Cheers, Sree. |
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Mike | PIT, Do you have a 50" or 60" KFXBR800? I think the 50" is generating less noise. I listened to a 50" set at a local store (along with all the background noise in a typical store) and it wasn't that loud. However, I have a 60" model and if I turn the volume lower than 5-6 level I can hear the fan noise from even 20 feet distance. I have called SONY and so far no luck. I hope SONY can do something about fixing the fan noise. I think if SONY hears the feedback from several people they will do something about it. |
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| sargs, did the guy at the sony store give you any indication as to when it might come in? I also work for sony and I went to order that TV last month and the guy at the sony store said it would be a very long wait (for either A stock or B stock, 50 or 60 inch) and it might not happen at all. I filled out the forms to order it, but I haven't heard anything yet. |
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pit | Mike, I Have 50 XBR, and the fan noise is low, that must be a 60 trait... as is the pixels..No problem on my end.. i shall continue to check this out for you! what did sony say??? pit |
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Sargo | Chorizo my TV shipped today I was 3rd on the B/O B stock order list The wait for A stock was 215 He told me that lots of the orders are getting filled this month.. DO you work in Fort Myers Chorizo? So you should get it soon! I hope It's nice! |
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| Sargo, I work in San Jose, CA... but it sounds like our store employee workers aren't as good as yours are... Mine claim they don't have access to a waiting list count, and can't tell me if the waiting list is per facility, or nation wide... so i'm kind of in the dark... congrats on getting yours, from what i've seen, it's an amazing tv. |
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sargo | Sun. I went o store called Sound Advise To look at my XBR ... ALL I can say is WOOOOW! Best TV in the store! Better than The Pissonier (ELITE) How can anyone nock XBR Tv is beyong me.. Does any one Know of a website for stands for 60 LCD TV's thanks, sargo |
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| Mike, I've got the XBR-60". I've probably never given the fan noise a second thought until about a week after I used it. The only time I EVER hear the fan churning inside this set is when I turn all my components off at the same time, thereby giving the TV that 4 seconds of shutdown it needs as the fan is the only thing that is heard. I have to say that if the fan noise is THAT loud that you're bothered by it, I'd have to garner that a call to Sony or the Service desk in wence you purchased the set might be in order. I've just never thought that to be a problem in the set I own whatsoever. I just don't hear it at all to tell you the truth. Good luck, Timba |
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Gary | Just purchased the 60 inch version of the TV and am very pleased. It looks incredible in our family room, and fits well into a corner unlike a giant box projection set. We had a bad pixel, a persistent red dot in the lower left corner. We called up circuit city where we purchased the set - in two days no questions and no run around and no hassle they delivered a new set. The new one is perfect so far. We opted to turn the set on right away rather than wait and didn't have a problem. |
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Anonymous | If I am reading all this right.. For 2002, the Grand Wega LCD Rear Projection TV's are part of the XBR800 series. For 2003, the Grand Wega LCD Rear Projection TV's are part of the WE610 series. For 2003.5, there is speculation that there will be Grand Wega LCD Rear Projection TV's as part of the XBR9xx series, and these will offer much greater "natural" resolution (true 1080 instead of current 480). Is that a good summary???? |
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Anonymous | If I am reading all this right.. For 2002, the Grand Wega LCD Rear Projection TV's are part of the XBR800 series. For 2003, the Grand Wega LCD Rear Projection TV's are part of the WE610 series. For 2003.5, there is speculation that there will be Grand Wega LCD Rear Projection TV's as part of the XBR9xx series, and these will offer much greater "natural" resolution (true 1080 instead of current 480). Is that a good summary???? |
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| Sony said they would announce SXRD products for 2003. They could announce just projectors or, since they are selling well, RPTVs, both of which they have said they are developing products for. As was mentioned in an earlier posting, they routinely announce new products all year long, and it would not be unlike Sony to start sales of the WE series over the summer and then announce a new XBR series in the fall. That is my hope at least. Has anyone seen a DLP RPTV that exceeds 1280 x 768 native? I saw mention of a 1.5 MPixel DLP model, but that would be on the same order as the Grand Wega and most articles seem to suggest that they (TI?) have not been able to get more mirrors on a chip than the above values. Jack |
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Just Browsing | I looked at DLP models too, like that from Samsung. However, there is still the warning that running the set in 4:3 mode for any left of time, would cause permanent burn-in. What has drawn me to these Sony sets, is that LCD based RPTV don't seem to carry such a warning. The reality for me, is that I will probably need to continue to watch 4:3 broadcasts for many years to come, and therefore, would want a set that doing such, doesn't cause harm. |
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| All, Hey i got my first chink in the XBR (50) Armor, In standard mode not wide, watching cable or hdtv i have noticed a vertical line running down the left side of the picture from top to bottom just on the edge that looks fragmented and bowed. now when i go to wide it goes away, now it is not that much of a pain but i am becoming concerned. any one have this problem and what should i do??? Pit |
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Bill | Well, the Sony LCD based set has a native resolution of only 1366 x 768. Not much different, to the DLP based set's resolution of 1280 x 768. Both seem to have to down convert 1080i to just a mere 768. Is this noticable????? I am wondering if it would be worth the wait to see if Sony announces a true 1080 set later in the year. |
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Anonymous | I was just wondering if anyone else uses the protective cover that came draped around the set when shipped. I've been using it since we received our 50" back in January. It seems to do a good job of preventing the dust build up we used to get with our other set. Does anyone else do this ? Thanks. |
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| Anonymous, Yes i kept the cover and use it when i travel, other than that i keep up on the dusting duties. read my post above do you have the vertical line issue??? Pit |
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Anonymous | Hey Pit, No, I do not have the vertical line issue. Maybe I've been lucky, but, I haven't had the left tilt problem or dead pixels either. Do you dust with the cloth provided by Sony, or do you use something else ? Thanks for the reply. |
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pit | Anonymous, Hey thanks for the post! i use the sony cloth weted a tad bit! it still leaves streaks but they dry to a dull haze... how long have you had the 50? Pit |
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| All, Excellent posts on this thread - I read all 296 of them. I'm taking the plunge on the XBR but before I spend the coin I was hoping to get more info on the new KF-60WE610 due out in Sept. Sony said the XBR is their highestend series, however, couldn't commit on whether I should wait to see if improvements were significant. Suggestions? Pit, you have graciously e-mailed pics of your set-up in the past - I would appreciate same (dharano_scoa@bellsouth.net). Found a price on the net for the 60 at $3,974.99 with a $369.95 delivery (no tax). Circuit City has it for a grand more, however, I am leary of not buying local because of potential non-liberal return policy (for bad pixels, unbearable fan noise, etc.) Advice? Thank you in advance - I'm throwing down a lot of Jack and have pre-purchase jitters. |
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Anonymous | Hey Pit, Sorry it took so long for me to answer your question. I've had my 50" for about 4 months now, and love it. I just have standard cable right now, but the picture is terrific for the DVDs we watch on our Samsung Progressive Scan Player. |
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ErnieW | To 'Just Browsing' re: "I looked at DLP models too, like that from Samsung. However, there is still the warning that running the set in 4:3 mode for any left of time, would cause permanent burn-in. " I am curious as to where the warning came from, since I understand DLP technology is simply the reflection of colored light from nearly a million tiny mirrors. No phosphors on the screen to burn in. --Ernie |
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Anonymous | Bill, The set is actually upconverting the 1080i (540p) to 720p. |
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pit | David, dude your e-mail was invalid so i can't send ya a pix. let me know! Pit |
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Tom Nigrath | Hello, For those of you looking for a XL-2000J bulb. I found it here: http://www.japan-direct.com/cartitem.asp?prodid=454 It took only 3 days for them to ship it to me from Japan. Tom |
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| Pit, My bad - drop the "d" at the beginning of the address. Has your set quit acting up? |
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pit | David, Your E-mail is a pain but i tried it again this am! HEHE and as for the tv it still has the vertical scan lines other than that small problem no prob's my end.... Pit |
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Anonymous | pit, Have you checked Image Revision under the user menu? |
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pit | Anonymous, And what does that do? going to look now! Tks Pit |
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DanielEE | I have a sony kf50xbr800 and I want to connect it to my ati all in wonder 8500 through the dvi interface, however I just cant get the setting right. Please Help! |
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pit | All, My vertical line problem is gone!,I think a burn in problem when in standard mode,I left the TV in wide for most of the weekend and this AM back to standard and poof the line issue was gone! HUMM something to ponder! Pit |
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| Hello from the sands of Iraq. I am busting out of here in July. I have saved up some great money and want to purchase a great $3-$5K TV. Is the 60XBR800 really worth it? TV here sucks or is nonexistant so any advice would help. How is HDTV coming along in the States? Thanks. |
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Anonymous | Would some people be willing to post their current settings and/or any tweaks they have done to their 60"? I helped my dad pick out the TV and now feel guilty that he is not getting near the picture quality in the store where they have several tv's on one connection. He has a brand new RCA HD dish and Hughes HD receiver, as well as monster cables (component and audio) and surge protector. The regular channels are somewhat close to what was shown in the store, but I don't think the HD is very close. There is also a problem with 4:3 shows getting the top and bottom cut off, which sounds like it may be because he uses component cables? Any help would be appreciated. On a side note, cleaning the screen with the cloth and water diluted mild detergent leaves spots on the screen. Any tips on that? |
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pit | Jon J, Navy here sweet job over there! and as for the TV go for it! best set as of now! Unitl cable carries the HDTV sig, over the air is fine!Be safe and send me a towel will ya?! Pit |
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pit | Anonymous, I have no setting to send all is well with my tv,I will work on the 4.3 cut off problem for ya! and i get streeks with the cloth and water stuff... use the cloth semi dry and keep wiping! Pit |
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Anonymous | Pit, Thanks for the help. Just to clarify on the screen being cut off, I am talking about watching standard shows that are normally in 4:3 (e.g., ESPN, CNN, etc). No matter which screen mode (i.e., standard, full, wide zoom, zoom), it will not show the whole screen. |
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| how you all doing! my question is what is the better choice between the sony kf 50xbr or a sony 42 inch plasma tv???? thanks |
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pit | Adil, The XBR is LCD and the 42 is plasma. Pit |
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Anonymous | Adil, How much money do you have to spend and how long are you looking for the TV to last. The plasma may start out with a slightly better picture quality, but it loses that quality over time. The LCD is pretty good, with some black level problems, and the bulb can be replaced every 5-7K hours so there isn't a loss in picture quality. The XBR is definitely the cheaper way to go, and some think a better TV anyway. |
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Anonymous | I have the KF-50XBR800 and have been looking at plasmas for my bedroom. A properly adjusted Grand Wega is MUCH better than any Sony Plasma I have seen. The near black reproduction on the Sony plasmas is awful. I was also not able to get the color decoder accurate on the plasma. |
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| thanks guys for you reply sorry but i m not very familiar with some terms as the black reproduction....and the black level.. I really think that the sony kf50xbr looks as good as any other plasma at the store but you guys were talking about some issues that the sony lcd has and Im really confused on wich tv to pick,coz if Im gonna spend as much as 3600 box on the sony kf50xbr then I dont wanna have any picture problems...plz any suggestions..... |
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Paul | Some thoughts on the KF-60XBR800 after a week of living with my Grand Wega... Resolution: Excellent! Wow! The 1366 horizontal pixels make this picture very sharp...blows away everything else in the showroom. For die-hard HDTV fans this TV still falls short of the 1920 horizontal pixels required to reproduce the 1080 or 1080i (vertical lines) of the highest resolution HDTV format. It has to downconvert 1920 to 1366. Will the 2003 XBR Grand Wega make the leap to 1920 horizontal pixels (the announced 3 new models will continue with 1366 horizontal pixels)? Makes Regular TV Look Bad: Unfortunately the resolution is so good it also shows up the limitations of regular NTSC TV broadcasts (330 horizontal pixels) and DVD (500 horizontal pixels). On regular TV color is sometimes great and sometimes washed out depending on source program material. Well that's regular TV, what did you expect? The TV does a good job of reproducing the regular TV but can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Back Level: Yes, the best black really is a dark grey. This is the weakest aspect of this TV, particularly when viewing in a darkened room, doesn't look so bad in a bright room. Suspect advancements in LCD will eventually improve this. Film-like Quality. This TV without a doubt on good DVDs renders rich images just like film. I was awe-struck by the opening scenes of It's a Beautiful Life on DVD...thought I was in the theater. Bad Pixels: If you have any they're only annoying on black screen or if they fall in the black bars above, below, left and right of image depending on screen format being viewed and setting of wide mode (full, zoom). At normal viewing range or with a normal active image they're very hard to see. I have a green and blue bad pixel. They annoy me enough that I'm talking to the dealer about a replacement. Durability: This TV unlike some of the alternatives with CRTs and color wheels doesn't really have much to age and burnout other than the bulb and fan. Frankly I like the thought of owning a product that doesn't age...replace the bulb and it's like new. Can't burn logos and images into the screen. Makes good sense. Conclusion: This TV is very good but it's by no means perfect...it's a love-hate thing. Make the blacks a bit blacker, lose the bad pixels, crank the horizontal resolution to 1920 and I'm truly in love. |
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adil | THANKS PAUL VERY HELPFUL!! what is the difference between the sonykf50xbr800 and the sony kf50xbr800????or is it the same tv????? |
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pit | Adil, Just to add to Paul's super post. I to have the 50 XBR and the only problem i have had is if i keep the TV in Standard mode 4.3 i get bleed over on the left black area AKA the vertical lines are choppy & slitly bowed towards the edge of the TV picture, I was stressing and what i did was leave the tv in wide mode for a few hours and poof my problem was gone. if you like let me know and i shall send ya a pix of my set up! Also they are the same models! as per your ? above. 1 more thing this is an expensive undertaking you are about to make. Besides the Tv you will need a stand/ hdtv decoder/progressive scan DVD/ and surround speaker sys to take advantage of this tv. so jump wisely! Pit |
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Leslie | Does the reflectivity (that is to say, the reflections one sees when there is a bright light source,like the sun or lights in another room,) of the Grand Wega screen bother anyone? On the showroom floor they have the TV in a dark area so there are no reflections, but that screen looks pretty shiny to me, so I'm concerned about it. The Plasma TVs all have a 'non-glare' type of screen which has a matte finish, but the Grand Wega's screen looks rather shiny to me. Any comments from Grand Wega owners? Also, everyone acknowledges that 'regular TV' doesn't look good on the Grand Wega, but is this compared to the HDTV images (which are great) or compared to a garden-variety rear-projection TV that is 5 years old. If a 5 year-old 'old-school' analog projection TV has a better display for "regular" cable TV, and I mostly watch 4:3 cable TV, should I just get the old technology and save a lot of money? Once again, your input is valued. |
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| I bought the Kf 60XBR800 & DAV-C990 Dream system All I can say is WOW, best 6 grand I spent. |
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Anonymous | After reading the last few posted messages I see I have the same concerns as others. Simple question, if one buys the grand wega for size considerations and a few other subtlties and then attaches it to a Warner Cable digital box will I get say a "very good" or better picture. I was not impressed with a regular TV broadcast that the salesmen was able to show me in the storethat I assume was just off an antenna. I do not like the autofill that Sony uses to fill in the Analog signal to fill it out to digital pisture. I must say I get a little confused myself keeping Digital vs. HDTV straight in my mind. Any savy tech's and Grand 60xbr800 owners please help us amatures. Thanks |
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adil | what s up guys I just found a sony kf50xbr800 on ebay for the price on 3200 box has anyone found a cheaper price than that??? |
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Anonymous | I just received my kf60xbr800 and after tweaking with the service menu I was able to acheive enough improvement for me not to want to send it back! 100% improvments over factory. One setting I can't find is overscan. When viewing 4x3 signals such as DirecTV and viewing it in "normal" mode, it apears that their is slight zoom on the picture causing information from the top and bottom to be cut off, like a severe overscan. This is even more noticable when viewing the Tivo Menu. does anyone know if there is an Adjustment for overscan? Thanks |
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Just Browsing | ErineW Wrote:
I got it from downloading, and reading, the manual for the Samsung DLP based TVs. Page 28 warns: Note: if you watch the screen in the 4:3 aspect ratio format for a long time, images may be burned on to the screen. |
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Anonymous |
Just wondering... Is Sony mapping the NTSC 525 lines into the display's 468? Or possibly, is Sony simply displaying only 468 of the 525 lines, cutting out (loosing) a substantial 57 lines? If the second, that could be why the top and bottom information is missing when viewing in 4:3 mode.  |
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Anonymous | Some help please... Just tried the adjustments in the tweaks under MID1 and MID2 to adjust the screen size in order to fix the overscan issue. unfortunately I think I messed something up, although I think I have all the original settings for the 2 catagories listed in the tweak back to factory, I may have changed something else but don't know what but my screen size is now double wide even though I have all the correct settings back? Anybody can spit out the default settings listed on their TV for MID1 and MID2? please? Thanks |
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Anonymous | Does that mean that everyone is having problems with the screen being cut off? I was told that if you run an s-video cable in addition to the component cables, you can switch to the s-video input for regular 4:3 images and it will fit the screen correctly. Is that not true? I'm still wondering if anyone has good tweaks for the best possible picture. |
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Anonymous | can anyone tell me the differance between the kf60dx100 & kfxbr800 |
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Anonymous | The fellow who messed up his set with MID1 and MID2. Did you save those settings? If not you can unplug your set and all the values not saved will be restored. |
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Anonymous | what s up all if I purchase a sony kf50xbr800 what is the better option for an hd tuner or any hd tuner will work with my sony.........help me plz |
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pit | Anonymous, I went with the Zenith Sat-520 now hind sight i should have bought the Sony model but mine works fine! any one will do as long as it has DVI output to the tv hope that helps KF-60DX100 is the older model to the XBR AS far as tweeks go if youplay i am sure some where down the line you will pay for it! My 50 works like a champ! Just Browsing I agree i did the same thing in the 4.3 mode and i had some burn in issues so i rotate the pix modes. Pit |
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Anonymous | Fix the the size issue! Ok, went back with a fresh head and made the adjustments and not only did I fix my previous messup with screen size, but now my 4x3 direcTV inputs has been resized to show the whole image, also, resized the zoom window. previously when watching shows that were 16x9 letterbox, like ER etc.. in zoom mode I would loose about 10% of the picture because the zoom level was too high. Now I have scalled the zoom level to fit 16x9 letterbox SD transmitions edge to edge. Now I can see my tivo controls in zoom too! Has anyone in this group used an ISF certified guy to do professional calibrations? |
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Anonymous | Anon, Can you tell us how you fixed the problem? |
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Cmdr Scotty | Sorry to throw a wrench at all the Sony XBR fans in here (I used to be one) but after some extensive research I believe that the picture on the new Samsung HLNxx7W line of rear projection DLP TV's is far superior. The "xx" = either 50 or 61 for the size of the screen in inches. The blacks are better and the overall picture seems much clearer. It is a little more expensive but may be worth it because the stated bulb life is much longer than for the XBR's. Take a look at it if you can find it. The 61 incher is especially difficult to find. I am building a media room in my basement and I welcome any feedback as to why anyone feels I am wrong about this. I am less than 2 months away from being ready to make a purchase. So what do y'all think? p.s. NO, I do not work for Samsung! |
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Anonymous | I looked extensively at the Samsung and I know others who have owned both the GWII and the Samsung DLPs. I believe about 1 out of 10 prefer the Samsung DLP to the GWII who has spent a significant amount of time with both. Those who do prefer the Samsung tend to be contrast ratio or the all-digital path fanatics. The dithering, posturization and rainbows on the Samsung DLP's drove me away. I like some of the front projection DLP's, but not the Samsung DLP RPTV. They have also had quite a few problems with the lights not working properly so I would doubt there is any bulb life benefit to a Samsung. A friend of mine owns the Samsung DLP and his did some very strange things (strips of white noise) until he set it down hard one day. |
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Anonymous | Jack and Everyone, I know that it may seem pointless, but I was again told that the XBR Grand Wega will not be updated until next spring. My salesman talked to his Sony person today and discussed the different levels of the Grand Wega like they have for their other projection TV's (i.e., 500, 600, 700, 800 XBR, 900). I was told that I would be able to see the Sony book by the end of the week, so I will report back any info that I hear. As far as I know, still no mention of SXRD. Maybe I can get him to ask his Sony rep. |
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Leslie | Thanks for de-bunking the DLP superiority issue again. I'm still hoping to hear from someone about the screen glare issue, though. Is it a problem for anyone or is it just fine? |
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Paul | Leslie, my KF-60XBR800 faces the windows of my family room "theater". I had a concern with screen reflections and glare as well, particularly because of the huge size of the screen...more surface to reflect. Yes, it reflects but it doesn't particularly bother me. I rationalized that I was buying this sucker to watch theater quality movies in the evening, not daytime soaps. The GWII has, according to Sony, a "high contrast screen with double AR coating", which is basically marketing hype. I find it reflects less than a piece of ordinary glass, but for that infrequent daytime viewing, I still choose a seat in the room that minimizes reflections. Hope this helps. |
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Anonymous | I have never seen a TV that can handle direct sunlight, including plasma. I can clearly see a different in the "double AR coating" compared to lower Sony models and other brands. It is possible that plasma TV's or another brand's attempt at AR coating is better, but I would try find some store with lighting so you can see for yourself. |
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Anonymous | The Samsung DLP is better at handling glare, but I don't like the way the image looks after going through its anti-reflection coating. It looks a little fuzzy to me, but it is one of the best at minimizing glare. Don't take my word for this go look for yourself. It is pretty obvious. I find it to be about the only redeeming feature of the Samsung DLP RPTV's. |
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Leslie | Thanks again for the quick responses regarding the glare issue! I have a lot of confidence in your perspectives, and you've convinced me that the Grand Wega is indeed the best all-around option in TV available today. I'll let you know how I like mine when it's delivered.... Thanks, again! |
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| After a ton of research, I took the plunge and ordered my 60 inch last weekend - Pit, thanks for the contact that gave a good price. In preparation for its delivery, I invested in the Samsung SIR-TS160 DirecTV HD Receiver (not the T151 that someone posted on this thread had a noise issue), a progressive scan DVD and all the high end cables. Now my question is should I have dropped some more coin on upgrading the progressive DVD player to a progressive DVD player/recorder? Some even have hard disks that record up to 50 hours that you can then burn to DVD. I am also interested in transferring VHS tapes (wedding, family reunions etc.) to DVD. Anyone gone the extra mile and threw down the jack for the extra bell and whistle? |
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pit | David H, Dude did ya buy your TV from him? Now for your other ?'s i was gonna do that but they r just to expensive right now and as far as xfering VHS i do mine from the VHS to Dig camcorder to my dvd burner on my computer cheaper... Pit |
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| Pit, I bought it from him and he even threw in the fancy Sony universal touch-screen remote (what a guy). I'm having him price a recordable progressive DVD cause he said they are way down in price. I'll keep you posted. As I recall, you get out of the Navy today - good luck on the next adventure. |
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pit | David H, Good for you. I think hes has the best prices! and i to have the sony remote... sweet! and i retire next June, Hummm what to do with my life.. i think i will be a pron * LOL let me know how things turn out! Pit |
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Anonymous | Pit and David, Do the remotes work for everything? Any idea how much the model you two have costs? Are they worth it? |
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Paul | The last word on reflections: This afternoon I sat down in front of the GWII (while my daughter was watching the latest Harry Potter flick) in a position where our windows were reflected both by the GWII and the glass doors of our oak wall units that are on either side of the GWII. I thought this would be a really good test. I observed the GWII reflected a LOT LESS than the plain glass, so that AR stuff must really be working! Actually, closing the venetian blinds on our windows in mid-day eliminates most of the reflections. PS. My dealer (with Sony's support) is replacing my unit with the two bad pixels (hopefully with one that doesn't have any bad ones). I'll let you know what happens. |
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pit | Anonymous, Yes they work good for everything, even better with sony products!! and on E-bay they are around 100.00 or so i got mine for 80.00 Paul, and everybody... When you get your new sets BE SURE YOU let the set sit for a MIN OF 3 HOURS before you turn it on so the tv aclamates to the room temp! i did that and i must say i have no color spots! Pit |
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| I am seriously considering buying this TV but I am concerned about how the TV will handle non HDTV Digital cable programs. I watch alot of hockey and I have read that hockey does not look good on this TV. Does anyone have any experience with how Digital Cable especially hockey comes through on the TV. DVDs look awesome but I want to make sure that I will not be disappointed with its performance on regular TV |
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ADIL | hello everyone and to jim finally after a long 3 months research I decided to go with the beautiful sony kf50xbr800 it s getting delivered hopefully on saturday..I v never been that excited in my life;0 I dropped 3500 box with taxes and everything plus an extra 60 box for a terk hd antenna then another 500 box on direct tv hd tuner and I went with hughes just coz it s lot cheaper....since I had direct tv I wasnt gonna get the hd tuner until they get cheaper in a few months but I tooke a friends advice he told me if you gonna pay that much for a tv then you should get a whole set to make it look good..a nice bello plasma tv stand ,a nice terk antenna ,a monster cables for a better picture quality,a surround sound system ,a progressive scan dvd then the most important thing after the tv of course the hd receiver...I know it s lot of money but I hope it s gonna be worth this whole mass after intalation!!!especially to you jim if you watch a lot hockey I think you should get the whole set uncluding the tuner plus there is an espn hd coming out soon..and GO DEVILS;)...... |
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| Adil, Congrats on taking the plunge - couple words of caution: I too looked at a Hughes model DirecTV HD receiver, however, it did not offer over-the-air HD (as you are expecting - having purchased the antenna and all). If your model does - please disregard. Also, I spent $380 more and got the 60 inch. Bigger isn't always better but good prices are offered on the net (with risk of return policy). You may also save tax (sorry Uncle Sam). Anonymous, Regarding universal remotes, I have the Sony RMA-AV2100 (they have since come out with a newer model). These types of remotes are sweet cause they have macros that can be programmed to turn on all electronics, flip to appropriate channels, and turn to desired video source with touch of one button. |
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Anonymous | How are people fixing the problem with 4:3 pictures being cut off? I see someone mentioned changing overscan. Was this done in the service menu? What is the code for the 60"? |
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adil | david, I havent installed my hughes yet!!! but thanks for making me nervous more than I am(jk) I still have a chance to return it and get a receiver that gets over the air hd...I just dont undestand why they r selling it for 500box if it doesnt offer hd picture and wich hd receiver is recommended .....plz help over here..... |
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Anonymous | David and Everyone, The expensive universal remotes look really nice. I saw some on ebay for cheaper like you said. Is there a certain company that you used or know is safe? I see that the other option is run all of your video through the new receivers coming out. However, I would think if you did that and only had one input being used, you would no longer be able to use the P&P with showing a TV show on one and a DVD or video game on another. Anyone feel free to correct me if I am wrong. I'm curious what people have been using and which they prefer. |
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Anonymous | Service menu adjustments can be downloaded in the following thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=196558 The ulitmate black level tweak (CC20R filter) can be found here and in the following posts: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=2279161#post2279161 |
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Anonymous | I just talked to a salesman about the future of the 60 XBR. He said that the new model coming out was going to have narrower speakers reducing the width 3 to 4 in. Can anyone confirm this? Also can anyone offer an opinion on the quality of regular TV (Analog) over a digital cable on the 60 XBR? Thanks |
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Anonymous | Was he talking about the XBR or the 600 series that they have announced for September? |
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Anonymous | Here is what they look like. http://news.sel.sony.com/digitalimages/photo?photo_id=144076 |
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Anonymous | Are those new pictures, or have they been there for a while. The 600 Series doesn't look too bad. It looks a lot like the 500-700 regular rear projection TV's. Now if only we knew what else was different compared to the XBR. It is too bad they don't have any of the other new models available. |
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Big Ben | Here is some more info... |
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Anonymous | I must confess that I get confused with all model numbers. I do think he was talking about the same unit I was looking at and that was the 60XBR600. I must add that I am concerned about spending $5000 on a TV if I do not truly get a better standard TV picture. I will also post another web site when it is sent to me that reviews all the differant big screen TV's. My brother told me that it does mention burn in on LCD's three panel un its like the grand wega. I just know who or what to believe. Keep the info coming. Thanks |
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Anonymous | Thanks for the great website referrals. They were a big help. I think I can wait for just a little more cost ($500). I am presently in the process of building a home entertainment center and need to get spec's from Sony on the overall size of theirn new unit. I have to sizes of the 60XBR600, but was concerned about the wasted side space taken up by speakers that I won't need with my present surround. Thanks again for the help |
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Mike James | Hi all, I purchased a Sony's Grand Wega KF-60XBR800 LCD Rear Projection about a month ago, I am using Dish Network to receive my signal. The picture is ok... I had to move to TV 3 times stand and all for different reasons. First time it was not positioned correctly and the second time I had to hook up all the other components and the third time because I was painting the room. Now every time I moved the TV and put it back in place the picture changed, either the picture became more blurry or fuzzy and nothing I can do would clear it up. The next time I moved the TV and turned on the set the picture was beautiful I could see how well the digital signal was coming through. Now when I painted and put the TV back the picture is now blurred again. Does any one have any knowledge of the type of problem can LCD TV's blur because you simply move the set. I have played with the connections in the back and cannot seem to get that great picture back! |
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| Have a panasonic 45" lcd but suffers from 2 to 3" size green and red pixels. Will be returning to PC Richards for a 50" sony xbr800. Will post results soon. |
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Gerod | I've tried to read this whole post but if i repaeat some questions my apologies...First time to post...I'm really tryin to get the coin to get the 60" version of this TV. Figure it would be the ultimate Xbox TV for a college student, haha. Anyways, I did a search for the new model 60 in. and the retail says its only $4k; whereas the old model of that tv retails for $5k. The link to the picture of it by Anonymous shows the model number 70XBR950. Wouldnt the "70" mean 70 inch? Does anyone know if the new one has a better computer connection avalible? What do yall think about the stand and is it worth an extra 500 bucks? Seems kinda low to the ground to me. Sorry for the lenght - G |
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sargo | YES This will be 70 inches but Dont think it will be as good as my xbr 60. On the the Hockey it is not the greatest. I hope when My cable comes in HDTV will clear this up.. The major problem is the Puck when it goes on edge or deflects it comes in real blurry.. When you get that big like 70 inch the Copmuter view are not good at all. The stand is neat.. Yes very expensive but it looks nice w/ the TV. Dont plan on using it as your entertainment stand because the Hi end recivers or CD changers wont fit. But the stand is perfect for the TV Cable Box, DVD, VCR and a glass figuers for decoration. You want the stand low that is perfect you want the stand at eye level when you sit at your couch. Closse ups are perfect, but when the camera zooms out the people in the background they are blurry . anyone Know if the HDTV will clear this up?????/ |
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Shawn | Does the spec's on sonystyle.com on the 60XBR800 include the speaker on the Bottom? |
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sargo | no |
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Anonymous | Sargo, Thanks for the advice on hockey. Being the big hockey fan that I am, would you recommend that I just get a regular CRT TV for now? I am looking at the lower-end 50" (or maybe the 42") GW coming out in September versus the 51"WS510 coming out in July. |
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sargo | The hocke is still good because of the close up shots and color. Feels like I am at the game. I was told once HDTV comes in the the nHl games will come in perfect.. BUY the 60 XBR. I work at sony. looks like to new 70 wont be better than the 60 |
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Anonymous | I don't have room for a 60", or the money to buy the 50" XBR. If only I had the employee discount. Sargo, do you have any specs on the WE610 Grand Wega's? |
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gerod | KF-60WE610... Anyone know if these are gonna be any good...are they just a cheaper non XBR projection LCD? |
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Anonymous | Sargo, I thought I heard somewhere that the HD hockey games still aren't as nice as expected on an LCD. I also see that DirecTV subscribers have to pay over $10 to get ESPN HD. That seems like a lot of money to get the few channels they are adding. Do people pay extra for HDNet now? Has anyone on here seen hockey on HD with a GW? |
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Anonymous | I watched the Stanley Cup in HD on my 50" GWII and it looked great to me. |
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Anonymous | Anon, Were there any blurry aspects of the game on HD? Do you think the picture is OK when watching SD hockey? |
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Anonymous | I finally got the info on the WE610. It has the same resolution as the XBR, but I don't think it will have the brightness. I still think it will be a good TV for a grand cheaper. |
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Anonymous | Has anyone been able to get any measurements and spec's on the Sony kdf-60xbr950? |
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| Anonymous, Just a comment about concerns of picture quality with Hockey games? Wow, I just finished watching the Stanley Cup series and I can honestly say, with my XBR60, that I was blown away! So, whomwever may have made the suggestion that picture quality on LCD's during Hockey games were sub-par, needs to pull the silver spoon from wherever they've got it stuck and just enjoy; be amazed; greet the world with open eyes, because...it just don't get much better than that! Timba |
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Anonymous | Timba, Did you watch the Hockey Game with factory settings or did you tweak the set to get a good picture. I assume the signal was an analog signal at best and then coverted to digital? Is that correct? Thanks |
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Anonymous | Timba, I am also currious with your signal, HD or SD. My dad has the 60 XBR and he doesn't like it because Nascar looks awful. The TV can't handle all of the motion. He has a HD DirecTV receiver, but Nascar isn't HD. |
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Jeff | This may be a stupid question, but I'll go ahead anyway. How can I get my 50xbr GWII to display the HD input resolution? I have a HD Cable Box from TW and I would like to know if I'm getting 1080i or 720p on input 5. I also run my Xbox through input 6 and would like to know what resolution the game is playing in... Am I missing something? |
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| can someone email me a good place to pick up a 60xbr800... i can get an employee discount on it and i placed an order about 2 months ago and they said it should take no longer then a month an a half and now they said its on back order and they dont know when they can expect it... so i was thinking if it wasnt that much more maybe ill just cancel the order and purchase it from somewhere else... thank YOu. {Mengus83@hotmail.com} |
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Anonymous | Sargs (Sargo??) said it was $2,344.00 for the 60XBR800 with the employee discount. If that is your price, you are not going to find it that cheap anywhere else. |
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Mike James | HI, I have the 60XBR800 and I was wondering if any one who has this model has had it professionally calibrated? I am going to have this done, I would like to hear from any one who has and what your thoughts were after the TV was calibrated. Thanks in advance for any info. |
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Mengamelon | well not employee discount through sony but an employee discount wiht a company that deals alot with sony and the price i am or well going to get it for is $3385.41.. so is there any place i can get it for that price or around that price?? email me or post Mengus83@hotmail.com |
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Mengamelon | hey guys whats up with the 60xbr950 and 70xbr950?? theres nothing on there site?? but i saw another site with a picture of it and it looks unbelievable...Anyone know the specs or where i can get the specs or more info on it?? Thanks, Meng |
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Anonymous | Mike James, I thought the advantage of a LCD rear projection is that it doesn't require any calibration? |
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| I was wondering what the actual height of just the screen is on the KF50XBR800. I just ordered one and i saw that the height of the entire thing is listed at 38 but that seems a little small. Please email me back. Also, what is the height of just the bottom speakers. thanks |
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Mike James | Anonymous - Mike James, I thought the advantage of a LCD rear projection is that it doesn't require any calibration? I am not sure about that at all! I called Sony and they are sending someone over to calibrate the TV and it is covered under the warranty. I will post what I find out after the tech guy comes over to calibrate the set. |
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| R webb - I measure my KF60XBR800, the actual height of just the screen is 29 1/4". From 50" point of the diagonal line measure down, the height of the screen is 23 1/4". But I don't understand what are the bottom speakers, where are the location of these speakers? |
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Eric | While watching television on my KF60XBR800, I can't get volume from the internal speakers. But..while playing X-BOX or Playstation, speakers work fine. I use an external sound system while watching DVD (and TV) No, not a knucklehead (Muting if off-Speaker turned to ON) Funny thing MTS option in Audio menu is not highlighted, not sure if this is a clue. Set is only a few weeks old but I'm almost positive the internal speakers worked on regular TV when first installed. Must be a setting but it's got confused. Thanks in advance for any help |
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Anonymous | so which is better sony50xbr lcd or samsung50 dlp |
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| OK, I have spent the last 5 hours reading through every post...Anonymous sure has a lot of questions The new series are the XBR series even though some thought they were not. the main question is are they a little better than the xbr600? The 70" looks awesome, but i wonder if someone more technical can tell whether they have corrected the black issue a little or some of the other issues? Anyone? |
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Anonymous | There was a post stating that the DVI input will work to display a DVI output from a computer video card. I have 2 questions. 1. What cable do you use to convert the cable from the DVI of the computer to the DVI of the TV if the ends are different. 2. What if I want to convert my VGA output. Is there a cable to convert this to DVI that will work. Any help is appreciated |
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Gary | I have the 60xbr800 and am very happy with it except for a loud cracking/popping noise that occurs every 15 minutes to 30 minutes or so. The sound and picture otherwise seem normal. Has anyone else had this problem? |
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pit | Gary, Every once and awhile i get a creaking noise come from the 50 xbr i have, it sounds like when you move the tv it creaks, but i have not moved it, May be it moves it self! pit |
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Anonymous | Gary, Yes, while watching the TV I have what sounds like a cracking or popping noise as well. Sometimes it scares the hell out of me! |
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Anonymous | Gary, Yes, while watching the TV I have what sounds like a cracking or popping noise as well. Sometimes it scares the hell out of me! |
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| I've had the 60 inch for a few weeks and have had no crackle or pops yet. Don't know if I dodged this bullet or if, less fortunately, I have something to which to look forward. Have these audibles occurred recently or has the set emitted them day one? |
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Anonymous | I have the 60xbr800, does any one else have this set notice that the whites tend to be washed out and the darks are too dark? I called customer service and I am having a tech come over to calibrate this set. |
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| I am pretty much sold on the LCD rear projection TV from Sony, but wonder when the new models will be available. Here is an article about the new models. This is the URL: http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/3734 Dated: SAN FRANCISCO (Home Entertainment Show), June 5, 2003 - ************************************************* The opening of the article explains the new releases and talks about the Advanced WEGA Engine System ............. Experience the dynamic evolution and expansion of Sony's 2003 flatscreen, fixed pixel device models. Sony today unveiled a broad portfolio of flat panel plasma and LCD models under its popular WEGA® brand, with technological innovations that set the industry standard in advanced television picture performance. Leading the transition to HDTV, the company also announced its first fully integrated XBR® Plasma WEGA models, as well as XBR Grand WEGA LCD-based rear projection models. The Plasma WEGA lineup also includes a new XS series, upping the total to nine new fixed pixel TV models for 2003. These new models also incorporate Sony's proprietary WEGA Engine technology, a fully digital processing system that significantly enhances picture quality. "We are seeing tremendous demand for flatscreen and fixed pixel devices in the television arena," said Tim Baxter, senior vice president of marketing for Sony Electronics' Visual Network Products Division. "We expect to continue our leadership position with the industry's most versatile product selection and hot, technical innovations and design." Advanced WEGA Engine System Explained The second generation WEGA Engine system, featured in the new Plasma WEGA sets and Grand WEGA LCD rear projection models, integrates advanced digital circuitries to maximize picture performance from any video source by minimizing the number of digital-to-analog conversion processes. This full digital processing engine includes: Direct Digital II circuitry, which optimizes incoming video signal to minimize video artifacts for cleaner signal processing; Digital Reality Creation® MultiFunction circuitry, which bit maps any NTSC source (DVD, VHS, DBS, Cable, etc.), creating a picture that rivals high definition resolution; and MID®-X (Multi Image Driver) circuitry, which displays high-definition and conventional pictures for the ultimate picture-and-picture performance. In addition, CineMotion® reverse 3:2 pulldown circuitry is included in the new flatscreen sets for best possible film-based video source display. The article goes on to speak about Plasma, but I have skipped over that part and gone to the LCD Information......... Achieving the Pinnacle of LCD Rear Projection Performance New to the popular Grand WEGA LCD-based rear projection lineup are the 60-inch KDF-60XBR950 and the new 70-inch screen size KDF-70XBR950 widescreen models with built-in ATSC tuner, Uniform Brightness Screen technology, enhanced Memory Stick media playback, both i.LINK and DVI-HDTV digital interfaces, and a new design. They are also Clear QAM tuning capable for access to digital terrestrial and unscrambled local digital channels from many cable service providers. The XBR Grand WEGA models incorporate the WEGA Engine system with a proprietary LCD Optical Engine, which contains the new 0.87-inch wide XGA LCD panels (one for each of the RGB signals). These panels achieve 3.28 million dots resolution, resulting in exquisite, detailed picture quality. Sony's exclusive LCD panel may be miniscule in size, but its advancements include increase in resolution and a 20 percent improved contrast ratio. The Grand WEGA models' use of LCD panels in reproducing images eliminates uneven aging of phosphors and does not require periodic convergence adjustments. In addition, with the unique dot-line inversion drive technology, the sets deliver images virtually free of blurring, shading and ghosting. The Optical Engine also features a special 11-element lens system that allows the rear-projection set to have a lightweight, ultra-slim cabinet design. The lens system creates an ultra-short focal point while maintaining high levels of brightness. This proprietary lens system delivers vivid images from the center of the screen all the way to the edges. The KDF-60XBR950 and KDF-70XBR950 Grand WEGA models will be available in October for about $5,500 and $7,000, respectively. I am looking for the KDF-60XBR950... does anyone know when it will be released to market in USA???? Thanks, Willybak |
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Anonymous | Has anyone determined whether or not the speakers are detachable on the 60XBR950? I see that the measurement of the XBR950 is 3 in. wider than the 60XBR800. A disappointment for me because I was hoping that the speakers would be removable. I reluctinatly built my cabinet to accommodate the 64 in. wide XBR800, but when I heard about the new model and improvements I thought that might have made the cabinet narrower by making the speakers removable. Thanks |
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Anonymous | Does anyone have access to the dementions of the New KDF 70XBR950? Also the specs, the article announcing it didn't say if it was a true HD capable unit. The initial pictures look amazing. I wonder if the picture quality will be as good! |
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Anonymous | I do not have all the specs, but I have seen them and the cabinet, including speakers is 67" wide. If I remember correctly the rest of the measurements are about the same as the 60XBR800. I was interested in the new model, but only if the speakers can be removed. I have a space width limitation. It does haved a few improvmements over the 800. |
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Max Bonety | I have the 60XBR800 and will be moving to China which is on the PAL system. Will this TV work or do I need to sell it. |
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| Many thanks to all of you for the valuable info posted here. I was almost ready to buy a 50" Samsung DLP at Circuit City but the set was back-ordered and as I looked at other models, I found I actually liked the picture quality of the Sony LCD better. I'm considering the KV-50XBR800 and negotiated with a regional discount retailer willing to sell the Sony for $3330 (vs. their $3999 ticket price) plus $370 (vs. their $495 ticket price) for a 5 yr. service protection plan underwritten by GE-Zurich Warranty Management, Inc. However, I'm concerned about the Sony's pixel problems that I've read about on this site and others. The regional discount retailer only offers a 4 panel marketing brochure about the service plan and said that I would receive the actual terms and conditions from GE-Zurich via mail. I asked about pixel burnout and the retailer said it should be covered under the "No Lemon Policy" and the "..if we can't fix it, we'll replace it..." provision of the plan. And if I didn't like the terms of the plan after I reviewed the T&Cs, I could "return" the plan for a refund. For the first time ever on an electronics purchase, I'm considering a service plan and don't want to buy this TV without a good service plan that would include coverage for the pixel problems. So I went to the GE-Zurich web-site but could not get a copy of the plan that I would be buying. I then called their 800 number and the woman was clueless on LCD pixel problems. All she knew was that "burn-in" was not covered. Trying to explain the different technologies to her got me nowhere. I then went to Circuit City, where they agreed to beat the regional discounter's price but unfortunately their captive service plan is limited to 4 years (but renewable). They did supply the actual T&Cs for their plan and it says under the Exclusions section "...PIXEL BURNOUT NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS, ..." Also excluded are "consumable supplies". The department manager could not tell me what Sony's specifications are for pixel burnout, and he therefore couldn't confirm how that exclusion would apply, but he assured me that the Plan's promise of "like new performance" means that any pixel burnout or other pixel display problems would be fixed, or the parts and/or set replaced, under the plan if any pixel problems developed. He also assured me that replacement of the projection bulb is covered under the plan, and that the lamp is not considered a "consumable supply" under the terms of the plan. So I e-mailed Sony with the same questions after finding only a very generic Projection TV Limited Warranty on their web site (although they did have an FAQ that confirmed that the original bulb is warranted for one-year, while their replacement bulbs are warranted for only 90 days). Their reply was "...that information [pixel burnout specifications] was not available. Please see our website for warranty information." I then e-mailed Circuit City.com for confirmation or clarification of their store's understanding of their plan. Their reply was "sorry for any miscommunication but pixel burnout is not covered by the plan". They never addressed the bulb question. Now I'm torn -- do I buy the LCD set and cross my fingers, or do I return to tube technology and buy Sony's 40", 300 lb. 4:3 tube monstrosity? I'm looking at 80 -- 90% analog cable viewing and the remainder DVD movies. Any comments, ideas or experiences with these service plans would be greatly appreciated. |
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Anonymous | I just had a Sony tech at my home and thought I could have the Sony LCD calibrated, well I was informed by him that these LCD sets can not be calibrated like the other rear projection TV's. Is this true? |
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Anonymous | There will no longer be a 50" XBR set come September? In other words, there will not be an KDF-50XBR950? If one wants/needs a 50" LCD set, you will need to downgrade to the non-XBR KF-50WE610? Is that true? Or it is normal to Sony to announce new sets piece-meal, and they might have a KDF-50XBR950 annoucement in a few months? |
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Anonymous | These sets can definately be calibrated. See this post: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=196558 |
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gary | In response to David Joy's message - I have the 60"XBR which I purchased from Circuit City, along with the extended warranty (the warranty price was also negotiable). During the first 24 hours I noticed a bad pixel(red dot)on the screen. I called Circuit City and they swapped out the tv with no questions asked. There are no problems with the new tv(except popping/cracking noises which I wrote about earlier). Sony's warranty would not cover the pixel problem, but Circuit City's warranty clearly did. By the way, the tech. support at Sony have no idea what the cracking sound is! Circuit City advised me that if I was still unhappy with the new tv that they swap it out again. Great service! |
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Anonymous |
Is this new for the XBR950 sets? Or is Sony just repeating what was also true with the XBR800 sets? |
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Anonymous | Thanks 9:37 pm, I saw thread on the calibration of the Sony LCD set. I am way to nervous to make changes like that myself. Does anyone know how to go about finding a GOOD professional to calibrate the Sony 60 inch LCD TV's. I live in Jersey and would love to find a very good, honest and profession person to do this. |
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sargo | you dont need it callibrated LCD is not like projection |
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Anonymous | Anon, I think you can definitely tweak your set, as UMR does in that thread. If you have the money, a professional can definitely do those changes for you. Try that forum and ask for a good ISF in your area. If you do get the courage, I think you would be happy with what UMR has done. |
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Anonymous | Ok, now I am confused a few people told me you do not calibrate an LCD TV. But according to a few post here people have calibrated the Sony LCD. 5:43 do you have the Sony LCD and have you calibrated it yourself? I have read the thread by UMR and it seems you can calibrate the set, but some people are saying that there really is nothing to calibrate and I would hate to have to go into the service menu and fiddle around to find I have just screwed up a 4000.00 TV. Dazed and Confused! |
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Anonymous | I have also heard what Sargo has posted! That the LCD is not like a rear projection and does not need calibration. Does anyone know why an LCD does not need to be calibrated? |
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Anonymous | The LCD does not need to be converged, but the other calibrations do apply. The convergence is not necessary because the panel alignment is fixed. |
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Anonymous | Thanks 8:27 am! So basically when I had the Sony Tech here the other day he was pretty much full of crap. He told me that you could not calibrate the brightness and contrast. |
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Anonymous | Yep. That is total crap. Look at the UMR tweaks for more info on what is tweakable. A CC20R filter is very nice tweak if you are willing to partially disassemble the TV, and recalibrate the gray scale and color decoder. |
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Anonymous | Just to help out a bit... I just returned my 60 inch xbr800 after 3 weeks. I had an ISF calibrator tell me he's done dozens of these sets, and yes you can calibrate them, however they won't respond the way other sets do. so expect a minimal improvement. Even after the calibration, I returned the set, Sony's line doubler on current generation is terrible. only a great DVD player and an HDTV signal look acceptable on this set. DirecTV looks very bad, black levels are extremely poor and the high end is all clipped to white. Even a profession calibrator can't give the TV what it doesn't have. Not knocking those who love it, more power to you guys, however if you're eye is very perceptive and are a perfectionist, this is not your set. I couldn't watch anything at all because I couldn't stop analyzing how horrible the black levels are on this set. Oh yeah, and right out of the box there were 2 bright green pixels and Sony said they don't qualify that for a service call. Good luck to all of you guys, I'm moving on.. my search continues... |
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Anonymous | 11:32 I tend to agree with you, I also think that is why the Sony tech told me that these sets can not be calibrated. I do the same thing with paying more attention to the black and the white levels that I do not enjoy the show I am watching, black and white levels are horrible on this set and I have dish network which sometime I actually get a great picture and sometimes I do not. HD looks great though! Sad to say I have fiddled and have people look at the set now for over 3 months and I think I am stuck with it. |
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Anonymous | If you do not want your Grand Wega, how much are you selling them for? |
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Anonymous | 4,900.00 with sony stand |
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Anonymous | Then I guess you are stuck with them. I can get them brand new for cheaper than that. |
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Anonymous | where can you get them cheaper than that 4,900.00 includes the 5 year service plan and the 500.00 sony stand. |
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Anonymous | In case anyone is interested here is a WEB site that talks about the new Sony Grand Wega KF-60XBR 950 ( |
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Anonymous | Anon, You didn't say anything about the 5 year service plan. However, with shipping it wouldn't be worth it for almost everyone on this board. It is unfortunate that you are so unhappy with it. |
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Brian | Hi, I am a custom home theater installer and have sold and setup thirteen of these tvs in the last few months. So lets get some things straight. If you plan on using this set for television mainly: make sure you have a digital signal coming into your home, not analog. This means either a satellite reciever or digital cable box. Satellite: First off, this unit has a natural scaler built into it, which means it upconverts its input to its native resolution. So when you put in your free satellite reciever box you are sending out 480 lines of resolution . It is interlaced, so those lines are scaled up and while clear the set will add its own version of extra lines of resolution, hence the fake or pixeled picture. If you are spending this much do it right, upgrade your satellite reciever to an HDTV tuner, both the samsung 160 and Zenith are great units, and with an extra antenna(visit www.antennaweb.org to find what WILL WORK best in your neighborhood)you can tune in over the air FREE HDTV signals, and for who ever said the TERK TV35 is not a good antenna, ur nuts, ive pulled in stations over 120miles away. If you live in the cities, ie NYC, LA, CHI chances are a cheaper antenna will work, but what will savings twenty bucks do. Digital Cable: thank god for this, becuase before this, and you all who dont have digitil cable can agree, your reception sucks, Reason number one, analog cable has only 240-280 lines of resolution. Again this is upscaled and there comes those horrible artifacts. Most people dont even check the back of their cable boxes to look for a composite output or svideo output and use the antique RF output. If you live in an area with Time Warner of Cablevision( www.io.tv) you can now get HDTV cable reception, well thats what they will tell you, YES you can get HBO HD(simply amazing by the way 1081i) and some other premium channles, all these are sent to your local provider via satellite, but AGAIN the local channels and non-pay channels are picked up in that wonderfully crappy 240-280 lines and re-transmitted, if you live in the city you may get the 480 lines they brag about. DVD Players: I love you guys who buy a 5000k tv and complain about having to buy a new dvd player, i bet you buy 50 tires for a corvette. For all those who spent 200 atleast on your dvd player, your on the right track. This TV has A DVI input, which is amazing if used right. What does the Digital VIdeo Input do, well basically it takes the 10101010's and puts them right into the tv, no conversion OR scaling. PURE, the only way. I have found a 200 dollar dvd player works ok, most of the time its a generic component video output and progressive scan chip, SUCKS. The only way to get a 5000k picture is to spend a litte more money. And believe it or not cause I almost fell over when i saw it a CEDIA (www.cedia.org), Samsung makes the most amazing DVD player on the market for the money. Its the DVD-HD931 ands its the FIRST player to sport a DVI output, and to make it even better it has a FLI2300 scaler chip that will take your signal and output it either 720p and 1080i, PEOPLE THIS IS AMAZING. Not only do you not get that DRC crap and upconversion, but you can output with the best scaler ship on the market to HDTV from a dvd player. You will never see a picture like this, i promise! Tuning: yes ISF is always worth it, just make sure you call around to other ISF guys and ask about how many LCD's they have tuned, this is very important. Its like tuning a ferrari after only working on volvo's. For all you DYI selvers, BUY VIDEO ESSENTIALS SETUP DISC )www.videoessentials.com ) and read the screens and go threw the menus, dont be impatient and rush right threw. I set up all 13 tvs with this disc and it took about 3 hours, but believe, me when its done youll want to glue youself to the couch. Also dont watch this tv in the dead dark, it helps to have a little bit of light (www.lutron) so buy a light dimmer if you have to and control the ambient light. Finally, that sucks about the LCD pixels burnt out, when you tune the screen with the video essentials disc and change color temps(BE VERY CAREFULL WHEN DOING THIS) you will probably fix that problem, but face it, its LCD, just like your laptop and dead cells do exist, but atleast you can change the bulb when it dies. Regular big screens unconverge and look hazed and horrible and plasmas have to be replaced usually if ONE thing goes wrong becuaes they are not very service-able(is that a word?). So in closing, RELAX, you bought a good tv, now its up to you to make its BETTER, and spend money on your components, and spend money on your cables, the longer the distance the better you should go, monster component and DVI cables series 2 or higher are usally best, remember, 10% of system price should be budgeted for cables, rule of thumb. Hope this helps you who buys the 50 dollar tires and you who wants to spend money but doesnt know how. The Wire Guys www.thewireguys.net |
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Anonymous | Brian, Have you seen the Bravo D1 on this set or any set? Did you set the Samsung to 720p or 1080i?Is there any reason not to use the Avia disc? I'm a little confused with your comments on digital cable. On most channels are you saying you still only get 280 lines, similar to analog? |
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Anonymous | Thanks for your info Brian, much appreicated! Question, I wrote Sony and asked about this TV being calibrated because I find the white and dark levels too bright or to dark and I was told by a Sony tech and someone who wrote me back via email that you can not calibrate the lights and darks. Any truth to that? |
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Brian | Answer number one, Bravo is made by princeton graphics, which is a decent company, but you have to remember, those are computer guys and once you start putting computer guys into TV land things change, while the set will do great job in interlacing on plasmas and LCD projectors for video during a conference( extra resolution helps CAD images, Pics, etc) they are not "TV" guys. Samsung is, hence the first real LCD tv and DLP set. The Samsung player sports the Genesis's FLI2310 by Faroudja, the same slim down version found in their $2300 scaler and found in the INFOCUS HOME Screeplay 7200 and Marantz DLP projecotor. This chip has won just about every reward you can imagine. Well worth the extra money, plus the samsung has DCDi to get rid of cross colorization and pixel crawl, thats why you all love looking at their DLP tv. You know, even though 720p has more line of resolution, i see that this set loves 1080i, becuase of those huge mirrors inside and its native chip set. So its really a judgement call on your part, but also remember, a crap DVD that has been horribly transfered will show flaws at such a high resolution. As for AVAI, its nice, great for sound, more tracks for speakers, but Video essentials is the bible to most installers and Home Theater Magazine, plus it comes will film filters to put against your set to really fine tune, ive seen it on ebay for fifty bucks and in august a new addition called digital video essentials comes out, I cant wait! As for cable, unless your provider has a digitial line( i.e. optic or T1) chances are your channels are just be upconverted from the source and resent to you, it usually depends on the provider, ive seen amazing cable from Time Warner and crap from Cablevision, but again its where you live. And YES, some channels are still the original 280 lines. Satellite is usually the way to go people! Answer number two, you really cant calibrate the dark levels on this set, will thats not from the users settings, there is a little tweaking in the maintenance menus but unless you know what ur doing , DONT! Can void your warranty. See this tv uses a bulb, like a projector, and thats why its hard to tune the light, a tube can do this becuase your changing the cathode ray tube and it reflects on temperature and so forth, the changes you make on your tv are really only software changes. Thats why i also said dont watch this tv in the dark, its to bright, a low light luminance in the room will actually help. LUTRON makes the best dimmers and you can get them for cheap at home depot. Also stay away from sony techs, they swear to me they make the best digital recievers, one guy told me that its better than an NAD or Anthem, the nerve. One last thing before I let you all go, if you want to have an ISF tech(always worth it) come over and really get this set going, there is an article on your set in home theater magazine May 2003 that has the correct color charts and settings, its a cheat sheet for those hard working guys. Best of luck and support your local home theater installer! The Wire Guys www.thewireguys.net |
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Simon Le Greedy | Hey Brian, Thanks for all the great info on our Sony GWs. I bought the Samsung Progressive Scan P721M DVD player at Circuit City several months ago and have been very pleased with this model. Is this a good DVD player, or would I see a big difference in the model mentioned in your earlier post ? We watch some live TV, but mostly DVDs. Also, I live in Montgomery, AL and even though digital cable is available, I never thought it would be much better than standard cable, since some friends that had digital didn't notice any real improvement in picture quality. They didn't have the Sony GW though. Lastly, I'm still leery of performing the tweaks in the service menu. It's a little intimidating to me, but I know of no one in my area that would be able to calibrate this TV. Should I just leave it alone and go with digital ? Thanks Brian for all your help. |
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brian | Quick response: HUGE difference in the picture, move the old dvd model into the bedroom.Get the new model, DVI cable and your ready to go! Check with your local provider what HD channels they offer and if they use the Scientific Atlantic HD4200 or Sony HDTV Digital Cable box, both great units, chances are you will need to upgrade service(ten bucks a month usually. Stay away from service menu unless you have a guide(ie. Video essentials or AVAI, even the THX optimizer on some discs) they will explain how to handle the changes! Go to http://www.imagingscience.com/isf_search.cfm and look up a dealer in your area, they will help for the ISF setting up! Hope this helps! |
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Anonymous | Ok, just go ahead and call me lame! But if this set really can not be calibrated that what does a ISF Tech do and how does it improve the picture. |
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Brian | First, the sony wega comes set like all tvs, to impress you on the show room floor, they over contrast, ring out the colors and make the brightness well beyond saturation for the lighting in your home. Why do they do this, TO SELL TVS! In fact DB65(HDTV Color temperature standards) are not followed by manufactuers when they release a set. Thats what an ISF tech does, he makes sure each of those three colors is dead on for your set, then he does a lumen count on your screen, followed by a gray scale calibration, after that a balance. All this inside the manufactuers setup page, not the one you see, in fact the tools he will use costs over 2000 dollars. OR you can get the video essentials disc and get about 80 percent of this and do it yourself. Every set can be calibrated, this set is all software calibration, like a windows PC with XP, you can always tweak the hardware. Maybe not change the specs, but make it work for you! 99% of people who buy tvs plug it in and watch it as it was sold, 1% are really watching tv! Support your local home theater installer! The Wire Guys www.thewireguys.net |
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Anonymous | I just had a kf60xbr800 shipped to me by TVS-R-US a/k/a Best Buy Electronics in Pennsylvania. This retailer is totally unreliable. The TV arrived broken with the interior mirror shattered. I'm in the process of getting it returned and would never buy this TV. Yes the HD is very good but the regular Directv channels are terrible on this set. Calibration will help but will not solve this shortcoming. Also, Sony service is TERRIBLE. When I told them the problem I had, they said "Sony at your service" would call me the next day. Two days later I still did not hear from them. The dead pixel problem on this set is REAL and Sony will not take responsibility for it. If, for some reason, you really want to buy this set, you should get it at Circuit City where they will allow you to return it within 30 days. Service is very important on this particular problematic set. I would stay away from it. |
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pit | Hi All, Hey I must say all the Horror stories about this TV must be hit and miss! I have had the 50XBR for over 6 months and not a problem, Yes the Black is not pure black but that is all the problems i have had except for the creak now and then. Just remember nothing is perfect in life not even a Porche! We love our TV!!!! Pit |
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Anonymous | Hi All, In regards to this dead pixel issue is this something that has happened from day of purchase or is something that will just pop up at anytime. Wham, one day a year down the road and I turn on the set and there is a dead pixel. Can they be fixed and are they huge or just little dots? Thanks |
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John H Peterson | very big(little) dead(hot)pixel(s) that you could see from far away,it's the reason why i now focus on DLP and LCOS technology HDTV ,they are the same price to LCD HDTV. Samsung,RCA,Panasonic...are now on their way to produce DLP and LCOS HDTV to consumer,am gonna pick one for my house(brand new TV for brand new house ----> not bad ,rite.... Have fun shopping everyone . |
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Anonymous | Dead(hot) pixel can't be fixed unless you replace the LCD screen. LCD = Liquid Crystal Display. |
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Anonymous | John and Everyone, Dead pixels are problems with LCD technology. However, each technology has its pluses and minuses. DLP has problems with the color wheel and people saying rainbows, as well as a lot of motion artifact. There are reports of Lcos having rainbows, as well as convergence problems. It is up for everyone to personally decide what you want the most and what you are willing to put up with. Just do your best research so you are informed. |
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Anonymous | Hey,Brian Dead pixels are problems with LCD technology. Question,to avoid using the LCD panels with dead pixels before on stream, which efficiency way shall be taken? Thanks! |
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Anonymous | Hi, Confused here are dead pixels something to worry about when you buy the set or are they something that happens over time with use of the set? |
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Brian | Dead pixels are something that affects all LCD panel displays, TV's, Laptops, Your in-dash dvd screen and navigation system. Its the down side of that type of technology. The "good" part is that less than 2% of pixels will go bad, and they normally go bad during the first 24 hours, which is one day short of what sony breaks in there tvs at. So chances are if somethign was to go bad it would never leave the factory. That doesnt mean though that there wont be pixels that go bad after, as you can see , many people above are going threw that. What sucks is when it happens in the dead middle of the set and the "hot" spot is always visible. So why deal with LCD to begin with? Well LCD with bulb change(6000-8000 hours) will last you over 15 years, and the picture never degrades. LCD will also show a higher resolution over conventional rear projection sets. Most manufactuers dont put 9" guns in there sets, except for the 73" Mitsubishi model. So if you want a true high def, LCD usually comes closer. LCD sets are normally thinner and can be put into a custom cabinet easier. The sony set is great, but if your wallet can do it, buy the Samsung DLP. As for the rainbow affect mentioned above, all tvs have that to some affect. DLP sets have changed a lot in the last year and the 6 color wheels now spin twice what was originally spect'd. DLP also has a better black lever becuase of the new DMD 12 degree chipset that TI has put out. Ive put in many DLP sets, taken off the cabinet face and painted it black inside and the picture is amazing! As for Toshiba's LCOS technology, my opionion is stay away! Its very new, hasnt been perfected AT ALL! The projector system is VERY expensive to replace and fix and the bulbs cost 500 bucks. And as always, SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CUSTOM INSTALLER! The Wire Guys www.thewireguys.net |
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Anonymous | Brian you are awesome! Thanks for everything! |
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Anonymous | Thanks for you info ,Brian I'm using a number of TFT-LCD panels and really confused by the panels with dead pixels. So can you give me some information of how to get rid of such panels before in use? Or do you have the set to specially check up the LCD dead pixels exactlly and fastly? |
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Anonymous | Wire Guys, What did you actually mean when you said you painted something black. I have read so many pros and cons about the Sony 60XBR800 I really don't know what to do. Unfortunately I built my intertainement center to accommodate the 60XBR800. Short of actually buying it I'm kindav committed. I hope I didn't make a mistake! |
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| Has anyone compared the Sony 60XBR800 to the Samsung HLM617W. I am a Sony fan but the Samsung looks impressive. |
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Anonymous | Noel, Try this thread, which also includes the link to another thread. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=281926 |
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| Thanks. I was able to compare the Sony 60XBR800 with the Samsung HLM617W ALMOST side to side with a HD feed. I judged that the Sony imagine had slightly better resolution. It is nice to have someone else concur with my observation. I thought that maybe my preference for Sony products skewed my judgment. I think I will purchase the Sony. I was surprised to find that the HD feed was far superior to DVD. My six year old Sony CRT rear projection television picture was far superior with DVD than normal broadcast (naturally). I apparently had gotten way out of touch with technology because I wasn't in the market for new equipment. My wife believes in letting things die a painful death before replacing them. I suppose we save money that way. However her philosophy causes me to do a crash technology update each time I replace something otherwise if I kept up I would always be yearning for something I know I can't have. It appears that I may be updating my DVD player soon as well. Out of necessity of course! |
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Anonymous | Noel, I would suggest getting a DVD player with a DVI output. They are reported to give you a near HD quality picture on good DVD's. Obviously nothing can help movies that were not made well in the first place. Please report back on your experiences. |
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Chorizo | I bought a 60" GWII in May, directly from sony as an employee, and things started out badly, but ended very well. I recieved the TV with a very bright stuck blue pixel. After reading all of the horror stories on these forums, I was pretty sure I was screwed, and stuck with this nasty blue dot over everything. I emailed sony's support email and they had a tech out the same day (after work hours, since I commute pretty far). The tech took a quick look, said they'd have to replace the optic unit, and said he'd call when the part was in. 6 days later, he came back again and replaced the part (took about a half hour). Ever since then, the tv's been fantastic. On both optic units I noticed very small stuck pixels of various colors, maybe 5 or 6. None were visible from more than a foot away. The blue one was a big exception, and sony fixed the problem very quickly. I'm now very happy with the set. DVDs are absolutely fantastic, and after performing the service menu tweaks, regular tv looks fine. I would disagree with Brian on the service menu tweaks. They're easy to do, they make a HUGE improvement, and they're reversable. There is some good documentation around on how to do it. There are problems with this set. The pixel one is the biggest. To avoid problems, buy it from a place that will take it back, no questions asked. Buy it from a place that will set it up for you, so you can check it out and send it back with them if it's no good. I wouldn't let the horror stories convince you. I think people with bad experiences are more vocal than those with a good experience (as is usually the case on these message boards). If you buy from a reputable place, you should have no worries with the TV, and end up with an awesome picture. |
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Anonymous | Chorizo, How big of a difference are the changes that you made in the service menu and what changes did you make to make the improvement? Did anything change to help the light and dark levels of the picture? Thanks! |
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Anonymous | Well, I am not certain if this is the TV for me or not. It sounds like a great TV minus the pixel problem. People say that this is the same problem in all LCD's, including the ones on laptops. Well I can tell you my Dell Inspirion 8200 does not have a single dead pixel and I would not accept it as a functional unit if even a single pixel was dead. How can people tout so highly of these Sony's considering the inherent defects of there design? Brian commented that you can expect less than 2% of the pixels to go bad, however that would equate to 63,000 pixels of the 3.15 million... Seems like an aweful lot. Also I read multiple comments regarding "popping" noises loud enough to scare them while watching TV. This also must be a design flaw if several people are having the same problem. Does anyone know what causes this? And has it been addressed in the models to be released in September? I would hate to spend this kind of money on a TV and be dissapointed with hassles. Other posts from people agree that each technology either LCD, DLP, RPTV etc has is drawbacks. I guess I cant come to grips with spending that kind of money on something that has known problems. When I buy a major appliance I expect it to just work for at least 10 years, no maintence, no adjustments, no service... Just work. My old CRT TV's have always made it 10 + years, same with my washer and dryer. Neither of which required any adjustments from "factory settings". In fact my son is sitting next to me watching an Emerson 21" Tv that is almost 15 years old and cost a mere $189. I dare not bet my life that one of these Sony TV's will still be working in 15 years. Nor any TV these days. Why are TV's no longer considered a durable good. Seems like we have to buy the extended warranties because we know there is a high likelyhood of failure in a time frame that is unacceptable. Now that is B.S. The price of electronics has gone up and the useable life of the product down. Sorry for my ramblings, but I guess I am just frustrated from not being able to find a great, reliable product that I will enjoy for an long time taking into consideration the price of these televisions in todays arena. |
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Anonymous | I am finding that once I have settled in with this TV and made a few adjustments, that it really produces a great picture (expect for the black levels, which I hate). My question is has any one experienced that when watching a DVD that the outlines of people and/or words that may pop up on the screen have fuzzy edges. Can any one who has gone into the service menu tell me what you have done to improve the picture and has it made a huge difference. |
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Anonymous | Anon, You need to spend some time reading this very well-known thread. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=196558 |
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Brian | Its a true shame when someone who doesnt appreciate technology comes on here and instead of providing information they rant and rave about how we should run from advacement, hide with our old CRT tvs and save all our money! These forums are set up to educate, and thats what they do- they also aid in a decission making process that only you can make, "do i really want this set." I write in a few of these forums, the reasons are mainly becuase you are here becuase the guy at best buy and circuit city didnt know the answer or you really want to enjoy your new tv. Mom always said, if u dont have anything nice to say dont say it... oh and by the way, your 15 year old CRT tube can still be tuned, but ur probably be scarred buying a disc that costs$50 : a fouth of your sets cost! Also, Dell does have many issues with its screens, in fact thats why they just gave away free 15" TFT LCD refurbished screens with computer purchases(must of had more than one! )and they have a web page that explains LCD burnt out pixels is a natural defect of LCD technology! http://support.ap.dell.com/docs/monitors/E171FPB/English/trouble.htm Now to answer someones questions above. What i was referring to as "painting the inside" is if the client is willing to pay for the service, we have taken apart the samsung DLP set and painted the inside out-frame black. Becuase it is silver it tends to saturate the screen with light from the inside out and I find that to be a flaw. So we paint it and that absorbs, stops reflections and make the black levels much better! I have never tried it on a sony so im sorry I cant tell you how it would work on that! Also, becuase the nature of component video, your picture isn't disturbed by a comb filter or anything outside of color changes. Only S-Video and Composite inputs are affected by sharpness and contrast heavily. So if you are getting a blurry image I would start there, if not try using the component outputs on your played if you have them, and to be honest, its worth atleast buying a new one if your player doesnt have component out put becuase right now you dont even have a progessive scan signal being sent. HUGE DIFFERENCE!!! The link above is a great link for those who are confident enough to "Tweak" you can download a pdf file with the directions to both access a service menu and the definitions of the "expressions" sony uses to call its options. Chorizo is right, as long as you play it safe its not horribly difficult, but Im a technician and not a car mechanic, so theres only some tasks I feel comfortable preforming on my own car, the rest i get done either at a shop or with a training manual ( i.e. Video essentials, AVAI). People I cant tell you how much the fifty bucks youll spend will save you hours of frustration. You even get a chance to optimize your sound system. EBAY has the discs used for like 40 bucks, you can't lose, or wait till august and get the new one for 25 bucks off amazon. ITS WORTH IT!!! And as always, SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CUSTOM INSTALLER! The Wire Guys www.thewireguys.net |
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Anonymous | Wire Guy, Thanks for the insight on the painting. It would be interesting to know if that approach would work on the Sony 60XBR800. If I remember the Sony has a silver edge frame as well. I am surprised that the Engineers didn't think that. I agree on your thoughts about this forum. I am about to invest in the Sony 60XBR800. As I memtioned befroe I already built my intertainemnt center around the size of this unit before I started reading all the various comments on the unit. I plan to by from The Great Indoors in Columbus just to be sure I can get a solid warranty and reduce potential for damage in either shipment or delivery to my home. While the internet offers cheaper prices it's too much to risk. I will continue to read this forum for info, but at this point preaty much commited to this unit. |
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Anonymous | The GWII's are dark gray on the inside not silver. |
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Anonymous | They are also ribbed which appears to act as a simple mans light baffle. |
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Noel | I finally bit the bullet and purchased the Sony 60XBR800 from Circuit City. Their shipping department was supposed to call me today to setup a delivery t6ime for tomorrow. I haven't heard from them as yet. I have been thinking about getting a new DVD player with progressive scan. I know that not all DVD players with progressive are created equally. For that matter this holds true for DVDs (as mention previously). Is there a Sony model someone would care to recommend or would another brand be better? Keeping in mind I have preference Sony products. I have fairly good (gold plated but not Monster quality) a/v cables. Is it advisable to get better quality cables to get the best picture? If so, what brand (hopefully reasonably priced) cables should I consider? I used S-Video in the past because that was the best avenue for quality viewing available to me with my old Sony CRT rear projection set. Oh by the way I had noticed the fuzzy edge letters when I was checking out the GWII. It was one of my concerns when I was trying to decide between the Sony and Samsung. I wanted ask about it when I first introduced myself to this forum but I kind of forgot to mention it. I am glad someone brought it up and even more so to see there is a resolution. I looked at two GWIIs at different stores that demonstrated this problem in varying degrees. The Samsung displayed them in nice crisped font. I have spent a lot of time at Ultimate Electronics, Best Buy and Circuit City these last couple of weeks (and if the true be known even more). I have been thinking about this purchase for a quite while. I never care very much to shop at the higher end home entertainment shops. It seemed to me that the sales people at these stores were more interested in attempting to impress me with their great wealth of knowledge, experience, etc. and my lack thereof. The sales people at the chain stores for the most were great they all had various levels of knowledge (or not) of course. Most were more than willing to help, shared their knowledge and provide me with the name of websites to help me in my quest. Some of the sales people began to know me by sight if not by name. I considered going to other of these chain stores in my area where I would not have been known. I almost purchased the GWII at Ultimate Electronics but their extended warranty don't include lamp replacement should it fail. They called it a perishable item. On the other hand Circuit City and Best Buys' extended warranty does. They call it a performance item. Best Buy was out of the running because they would not have the GWII in stock until September (maybe). Also Best Buy carried the Samsung in the 50 inch model but not the 61 inch. I think they are making a mistake. PS Any suggestions for enhancing my viewing pleasure are welcomed. |
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Anonymous | I have the Sony DVD Player model S9000ES and when I bought it a few back it was 1,200.00 and well worth it. It has provided a great DVD picture. But I have notice that when playing a DVD on the XBR800 that the words are not crisp. How do I take care of that? Thanks |
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Anonymous | Noel, Look at the Bravo D1 and Samsung HD931 with the DVI connection. |
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Anonymous | Noel, You might want to check out this link: http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=all&type=&manufacturer=0&maxprice=0&deInt=0&mpeg=0 The Panasonic XP30 or XP50 are great players, but hard to find at this time. The Bravo and Samsung DVI players have had some problems that make them hard to justify with little "proof" that they actually work better than these Panasonic players on this TV. Here is a forum you might want to check out for more info. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=18 |
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Anonymous |
If your set is that severely broken, and is in the process of being returned, how do you know that DirecTV channels are terrible? I would think that with the interior mirror shattered, the set would not work at all. |
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Chorizo | The DVI connection is not really useful when hooked up with a GWII, as the GWII DVI connection is an analog one, not a digital one, so the same D/A conversion that happens onver component happens over DVI. That doesn't mean that the picture will be the same, but it's not an all digital path between the two. |
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| Brian, Good points on the "Video essentials & Avia" system calibration DVD's. It so happens that the Joe Kane Productions "DIGITAL Video Essentials" calibration disk will be available on September 3, 2003. I've pre-ordered that rendition myself. Also, Ovation Software's Avia Pro will be out very soon as well. I've seen no release date on this one yet myself. I would opt to wait if you want the Avia disk as the current offering has been around since '99. So, with the latest in HDTV technology, it would make sense to hold off until it appears. Again however, it would seem well worth the trial to get on board with Kane Productions as the cost of its rendition is a mere $18.74 at Amazon.com. Peace, Timba |
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Brian | There is no such thing as an true analog DVI input! The purpose of the DVI spec was created mainly with the thought that displays would be moving towards the digital domain in the future. The fact that we're still not all running digital flat panels is a very good reason for why we all aren't as familiar with DVI as we should be. The specification is relatively simple to understand; data is transmitted using what is known as the transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS) protocol. This serial encoding protocol is what is used to transmit data over a DVI connection and it was created by Silicon Image; it shouldn't be a surprise that when it comes to TMDS transmitters, Silicon Image ICs are used much more frequently than any others. The DVI specification calls for at least one TMDS "link" which consists of three data channels (RGB) and one clock control channel. According to the DVI specification, a TMDS link may operate at up to 165MHz. A single 10-bit TMDS link offers 1.65Gbps of bandwidth which is enough for a 1920 x 1080 resolution refreshed at 60Hz on a digital flat panel. The maximum resolution depends on the amount of bandwidth required to display the resolution as well as the efficiency of the device it's being sent to. This is beyond the scope of this article but it's worth noting that there are differences between the maximum attainable resolutions on various display technologies. In order to keep the specification as flexible as possible, a second TMDS link may be used. This link must operate at the same frequency as the primary link, meaning that in order to obtain 2Gbps of bandwidth each link must operate at 100MHz (100MHz x 2 x 10-bits). It is mainly because of its high-bandwidth abilities that DVI was the standard that emerged victorious among all of the competing solutions. This is where the specification divides itself in two; the DVI-D connector features only the 24-pins necessary for purely digital operation while a DVI-I connector features both the 24 digital pins and the 5 analog pins. Officially there is no such thing as a DVI-A analog connector with only the 5 analog pins although some literature may indicate otherwise. By far, the vast majority of graphics cards with DVI support feature DVI-I connectors. The idea behind the universal nature of this connector is that it could eventually replace the 15-pin VGA connector we're all used to as it can support both analog and digital monitors. So yes, a DVI dvd player, scaler, HDTV Box and satellite decoder will make a difference, sorry Chorizo.... And as always, SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CUSTOM INSTALLER! The Wire Guys www.thewireguys.net |
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Anonymous | I agree with Brian, everyone reports that the new DVI DVD players are much better than component cables. As far as waiting for the next Avia disc, don't forget that it is an advanced version and will retail for $400. |
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Anonymous | I am getting a Sony KF50XBR800 real soon. We have Comcast and I was wondering if there is a set top box that would work with both OTA HDTV and Comcast or will I need two? Also, if I can get away with using only one box which would you recommend? |
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Anonymous | DUECE, YOU'LL NEED TWO |
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Anonymous | That stinks! Which OTA receiver would you recommend? |
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Noel | Thanks for the input. I liked the Samsung but the GWII seem to have slightly higher resolution. I don't think that either would be a bad choice. At these prices you think long and hard before making a purchase. I would hate to think that I made a bad choice for something I would have to live with for some time. I purchased the GWII and took delivery on it today. I could probably have waited for the next generation but I had already waited (several months)for the GWII to make it to our area. I imagine the price will come done some (like the GWII did) with more and improved features. But who knows what will be available when I need a replacement again. Now I am in the market for a new DVD player. My current one is woefully inadequate (I knew it would be). |
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Noel | Sorry, the above was meant for another discussion group. |
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Noel | I have been thinking about a DVD recorder with progressive scan instead of just a DVD player. Does anyone have thoughts of quality or lack there of? Recommendations? |
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Noel | For those who are DCDi challenged such as myself here is a great, but not too technical explanation of DCDi: http://www.dcdi-video.com/technology/articles/sage-dcdi-overview.html This thread is list of other interesting topics about DVD players: http://www.dagoras.com/ASIForumController?action=MessagesView&forumid=3&topicid=53 |
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Anonymous | Noel, What an excellant post on DCDi. Thanks |
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Chorizo | That's all well and good brian, except that INSIDE The GWII, the first thing that happens is that the DVI connector joins up with the component video signal circuitry. So you're still getting a D/A conversion before going through the normal A/D conversion to display everything on the LCD. Which DVI DVD player are you comparing to it's component inputs? Because if it's the Bravo, it has big time component output problems, and really isn't a good comparison between DVI and component video. |
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Anonymous | Hi, I am curious as to what setting I should use to watch DVD's. Someone told me that you should set the TV to Full when watching a DVD, wondering why that is? Shouldn't the TV automatically adjust to the proper setting and what about the picture mode i.e., Pro, Standard, Vivid or Mild? Or is it a matter of what you like to look at. I must admit I am having trouble getting a very good picture when watching DVD's. I had a Sony 65 inch TV which I sold in order to get the new LCD 60 inch and finding the my old Sony 65 inch had a better picture and when viewing a DVD it was perfect. Now I have to fuss every time I put a DVD in, it becomes very annoying. Would someone please share their experience with watching DVD's on the Sony LCD TV. Thanks! |
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Chorizo | Anon, DVD settings are pretty easy... if the movie is in 4:3 aspect ratio (non-widescreen) obviously you can use Normal (this is common for tv shows transferred to dvd). If it's 16:9, it can be of two types, anamorphic (aka "formatted for widescreen TVs") or non-anamorphic. Anamorphic DVDs should be set to Full (most dvd players will set this automatically, but make sure you set your tv type as 16:9 in your DVD player's setup screen). For a non-anamorphic 16:9 dvd, you'll want to use Zoom. This will mostly fill the screen (may be smaller bars on the top and bottom). The fourth option, Wide Zoom, is intended to stretch a 4:3 screen to 16:9 with less distortion (it's not quite zoom, so you loose less information on the top and bottom) but it doesn't preserve the aspect ratio, so a circle won't appear round in this mode. I wouldn't use this mode with DVDs. Chorizo |
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Anonymous | Hi, Does any one find with this TV that when watching TV or a DVD that the whites tend to be really overly bright and distracting? |
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Anonymous | I have noticed that when I play a DVD on Standard or Vivid mode, the whites seem to glisten. So now I watch DVDs in Pro or Mild. It's a little better that way. |
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Anonymous | I had the Sony 65 inch 65XBR10W Television and sold it to get the new LCD 60" and I had wished I kept the Sony 65 inch 65XBR10W Television. It was not a troublesome as this new fandangle model. The blacks were not so black and that is the only bad thing I have to say about that model. It played DVD's flawless. Now this new model the whites are way too bright and the blacks are too dark and any lettering that may appear on a DVD seems a little fuzzy. I also found that the clarity of the picture when viewing a DVD was much crisper on the old model. Sony should be ashamed to sell a TV for so much money, when a lower model was so much better. Please forgive my ranting as I am a bit pissed with Sony. They got a crap load of money from me and I got a product that I would rate about a 6 out of 10. That was a lot of money for me to lay down in cash as I am not rich or anything. Of course this is just my opinion! |
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Anonymous | 11:27 here, I guess I should have done a better job researching this product before I bought it, well may next time I will research a lot more before I buy! But, Sony will not see any more money from me! |
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Anonymous | Anon, Where did you buy your TV? Most stores give you 30 days to return them for something you like. |
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Anonymous | 11:27 have you done any of the UMR tweaks? |
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Anonymous | No, I am to chicken to make those changes and if I screw up and ruin the TV, then will be stuck with a 4000.00 decoration. I guess I should pay for someone to come and do it! Do not know where to look for a reputable person and at a good price. |
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Anonymous | You know if you read above, and not the last three things written chances are you will find all the answers to your questions on this. Thats all im going to say about the last few posts! |
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Anonymous | Pickala poopala |
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Anonymous | For what it's worth to those interested. I took delivery on the 60XBR800 today. Connected it to Warner cable, non-digital (analog). Made a few minor adjustments to color, hue, etc. The picture was very nice. Getting digital, HDtv tuner from Warner tomarrow. Looking forward to some improvement in picture, but as I said the analog picture was quite good. Unit fit inside my pre-home built intertainment center much to my satisfaction. I think the TV may be a good answer to size and quality concerns for those looking. Also, with crossed fingers...no apparent stuck pixels. Not using Sony speakers, but a customer in the store while buying mine said the speakers are quite impressive. He's had his for 6 mo. and loves it. I may be underestimating their (speakers) performance. He gave me an idea suggesting I simply cover them with the same speaker clothe I used on the cabinet. May just do that. Just FYI |
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Dhotaling | wait tiil you det digital watch discovery hdtv best channal so far |
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Anonymous | 12:29 am - 8/06/03 I am curious as to what you think about the dark and light levels of this TV? |
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Anonymous | I have noticed while watching a channel that the picture is blurry. I have read previous posts about blurry pics and why they are blurry. My question is than how come when a commercial comes on the commercials are very clear and then the movie comes back on and the pic quality is blurry. |
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Anonymous | Follow-up on my 60XBR800. After the digital/HDtv cable from Warner was installed the picture quality went from good to excellant. I sure hope this is not a fluke or something. This TV blew the socks off my old Mitsibishi 100 in. front projection. While I don't have the huge picture the detail is beautiful. The colors are sharp and the brightness is not washed out is full sun room. So far I am not disappointed. However, I have not watched any sports, ESPN, or racing channels so I can't attest to that quality yet. I have not noted any noticable concern with the blacks levels that some talked about. I certainly didn't want to spend $5000 on a TV, but with the room size, cabinet size etc. it was my best option. Bought it at The Great Indoors. Bought the extended 5 yr. warranty and it does cover bulb replacement. Cost $269 and I suggest that if your buying this unit the place where you buy and the warranty are worth the higher cost. I would reccomend this TV if size is a consideration among other things. It doesn't overwhelm my room. |
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Anonymous | 11:07 if you do not mind what are your settings, are you viewing it in pro mode? How many ticks do you have your contrast, brightness and sharpness set too! Thanks! |
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Eric G | From the Samsung HD931 DVD with DVI out to the Sony kf60xbr800 DVI input, do I need the dual link or single link DVI D cable? Also, is it a male to male connection? Any help is appreciated. |
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Anonymous | OK, now I am pissed! I have had the 60XBR800 for 4 months now and everything was fine! Now I have a green pixel burnt into the screen. Does any one know if this is going to continue to happen. Will my set 5 years from now have 20 of these thing all over the screen? I was pissed off about the light and dark issues and got over that and now burnt out pixel. Sony has just lost a customer! I have bought Sony everything and now NO MORE! Lord, this TV was not 800.00 it was well over 4000.00 and this is what you get for it. NO THANKS! |
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Anonymous | I noticed after having my tv for only 3 months that there are four or five burnt out pixels in blue and green. Sony basically said tuff! |
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Pit | Wow, Allot of Peed off anonymous's in this room! Again I must say (knocking on wood here) I have the 50 inch and the only problem I have had is when i left the tv in standard mode for to long i was getting ghosting at the edges so now I leave it in wide and poof no problems and no dead pixels!. Now the pixels problems must be a 60 thing. Does any one with a 50 have the above pixel problems? and all you 60 people where is the tv placed near non shelded speakers? Pit |
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| Hello, Very interesting forum. I have a Sony KF50XBR800 that was built in July 03. I have noticed a very clear defect when displaying verticle test patterns on this display. I'll call it "barrel" distortion for lack of a better term. The verticle lines will bow at the outside and then straighten towards the center. The service tech from Magnolia's confessed that he has seen this problem on many of these models. The "fix" is to replace the LCD panel assembly??? Has anyone else experienced this problem? I've also noticed that there is no way to correct this problem from the service menu. thanks, george |
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Anonymous | Wow, wish I had not found this message board, after the last few messages I went and looked very close at my 60" set and found that there are 5 to 6 pixels that are burnt out. 5 to 6 green and blue dots of color on the screen. Not very noticeable when viewing TV but maybe once and a while when the screen goes blank for a minute during a show or when changing from DVD to TV etc. Not happy with it, but what are you gonna do! |
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Anonymous | Anon 4:49, Why does it matter if you have dead pixels that don't affect your viewing? |
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Anonymous | sure some of them do affect your viewing when you see green and blue dots in the show your watching! |
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Anonymous | Yes, if they show up during your shows at the normal distance it would be a problem. If you only see them when it fades to black or you are one foot away from the TV, who cares? |
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Anonymous | Well, for a 5000.00 TV iy should not happen at all! |
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Anonymous | Find me one type of TV that has no flaws. You obviously didn't do your research ahead of time. You need to pick what features are most important to you and what flaws you can live with. |
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Anonymous | There are plenty of TV's out there that don't have flaws! And I did do my research! I agree for 5000.00 the flaws should be very minimal and this TV is loaded with flaws! Thank you and goodnight! |
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Anonymous | I'm still waiting for you to name one. |
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Anonymous | that is............. 50 inches lcd panasonic . |
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PIT | For the above, this is not a sparing forum! Now for the anonymous with to many flaws on your TV just have a party get drunk and knock the tv down and claim it on you insurance! Then go by the panasonic! Hope that helps your situation! I still claim for the money this is the best tv, we love our 50XBR Cheers PIT |
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EricG | Alright, I know my question is not very exciting -like green or blue spots that you can see when you put your nose to the TV - but I'm going to repeat it in hopes that someone can answer for me. I ordered my 60xbr & Samsung DVD player and want to order the DVI cable. From the Samsung HD931 DVD with DVI out to the Sony kf60xbr800 DVI input, do I need the dual link or single link DVI D cable? Also, is it a male to male connection? I'll promise to complain about something after I get the goods if someone answers my question. |
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PIT | EricG, Go to the following post's Above and that may help ya! July 14 11:43pm & July 23 9:53 pm. Ok start complaining! cheers PIT |
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Noel | Well gentlemen and ladies, I have just returned my GWII. There are several reasons for me doing this. I will start with a little history. I purchased a DLP Hitachi 55DMX01WD from Ultimate Electronics. It had an excellent imagine quality, no matter the input. It was $12,000 plus originally. I got it for $2,500 because it was returned with a power supply problem (supposedly fixed). I purchased an extended warranty that did not cover lamp replacement. I had it for a week and the lamp burned out. It had a spare and Ultimate said they would replace the original. A week later the spare burned out. Replacement lamps were $750. I returned it. During the first week of ownership I sold my old Sony big screen rear projection set. I then faced a 19" Sony Trinitron in my living room. So I began I looking at many brands and technologies then decided on the GWII. Now for the reasons I returned the WBII. I have cable. Because I have a TV in multiple rooms I have no immediate intention of switching to satellite because of cost involved and the need for a separate turner. I hope someday TVs will have them built in. When watching any station (especially local ones) on the GWII the images were fuzzy. Plain surfaces looked blotchy. Keep in mind the Hitachi looked good with the same cable input. The lettering for subtitles is fuzzy. On virtually any other TV this wasn't an issue. I purchased a Phillips DVDR80 DVD player/recorder with Faroudja DCDi Progressive Scan. One of the DVDs I viewed was "Die Another Day" (digitally, a quality DVD). It was fraught with virtually same image deficiencies as cable. I am not saying the images were not superior to that of cable but those images suffered from the same lacked of clarity (to a lesser degree). Additionally I couldn't see a great deal of difference in image quality between the progressive scan and my vanilla DVD player. This I attribute to the GWII. I suppose I could have made the "tweaks" called out in that pain staking written service menu document and possibly improve the quality of the GWII 's imagine. However I didn't have to do that for the Hitachi, "out of the box", it had an excellent picture quality and clarity. I do realize there is a price differential. Don't you think those "tweaks" should have been made at the factory? I not saying that anyone who is happy with the WBII is mentally or ecstatically challenged. What I am saying is that GWII hasn't met my expectations and I don't want to have to adjust it at level required to produce quality viewing to say nothing of the risk of voiding the warranty. I want to thank everyone in this discussion group. Without your help and expertise I might have been stuck with something I was unhappy with that cost a great deal. And to those that have adjusted their WBII to their satisfaction my hat is off to you for your technical prowess. I will now set my sights on the KF60WE610 or maybe revisit the DLP technology. This has been quite the experience. |
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Anonymous | Noel, You might want to look at the new Panasonic LCD's. You can get the 50" for around $2,400. |
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| Hello Regarding the 60XBR800. I haven't yet found one on display in my area. The Sony web site gives the overall dimensions of the unit. My question has to do with the depth of the unit as you move from the center to the sides? Does it taper or is it the same depth? The problem I am facing is the only place we have for one has an obstruction in the left rear and I am trying to determine how much the obstruction needs to be moved. Thanks, Frederick C. Wilt |
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Chorizo | Frederick Wilt, It tapers in a lot, the edges of the screen are only a few inches deep (top, left and right) and tapers to the full depth as you go towards the base of the unit, which is the deepest part. I can take a more exact measurement if you'd like, just describe where the obstruction is relative to the back of the tv, and how deep it is. |
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| To Chorizo: Thank you for the response. The current site has an obstruction that reduces the depth to 16 inches starting at a point 20 inches to the left of center. Thanks, Frederick C. Wilt |
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Anonymous | Noel, I could not agree more with you and you are lucky that you returned yours in the time frame given by the store. I on the other hand went so many other routes to see if the problem could be fixed that I went well past the time the store would take the TV back. So now I am stuck with a TV I am not happy with. What an expensive lesson I have learned: 1, do your homework 2, no matter what if you are not happy with something return it ASAP! |
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Anonymous | Hi - great forum. How do you combine the 60XBR800, a HDTV tuner, DirecTV and TIVO? Thanks in advance, Kevin |
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Anonymous | I have S videod my cable box into the TV and just programmed my TV remote, however have not been able to operate the volume level? Anyone now why? Please help! Thanks |
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Anonymous | If your cable company does not offer component video ask them if they have S video boxes and just go S video into the TV, you'll be amazed with the quality. Offcourse the TV and the first 100 cable channels in my area don't look as good, but I have found that straight cable from the wall works magic for those channels. Also you could pick up HD off the antenna on this thing. This is one amazing piece of engineering. |
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Chorizo | Frederick, Sorry for the delay, I was out of town. I checked the depth, and the horizontal taper is much smaller than the vertical one. At 20 inces off center, the bottom of the TV is a full depth, so you might have issues with your setup. It's still a VERY shallow tv, so you might be happy putting it in front of the obstruction. Chorizo |
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Anonymous | I have just purchased the 50xbr. All long explantions aside. After the tweaks post by UMR will I be happy with the picture? And are the tweaks simple to perform? |
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| DO NOT, DO NOT, even think about purchasing this TV. Let me tell you about my experience with the 60" Grand Vega. My Grand Vega, at one year and one week of age, developed a faint red band about 3" wide around the perimeter of the screen and would no longer focus properly. Consequently, I loaded up the TV and took it to a local repair shop who looked at it and advised me to take it to an authorized Sony repair shop which was a 140 mile round trip for me. That was over 6 months ago and the TV remains in the shop. The repair shop has been very good to work with. However, they could not diagnose the problem so they called Sony Technical Support who were initially unresponsive. After many, many calls by me that consisted of pleading and prodding to Sony customer support, who again were initially unresponsive, finally directed their Tech Support boys to contact the repair shop. You guessed it; they could not diagnose the problem and have apparently walked away from it. The TV repair shop cannot get the Sony Tech boys to follow up on the situation. I have called and called Sony's help line requesting them to help with repair of the TV or to replace it. They don't return calls and should contact be made, Sony will make promises and fail to follow up. This TV has been down for over 6 months, no one seems to know how to repair it and Sony could care less. Shouldn't a TV last a few years and in the least should it not be repairable? The TV repair shop is very frustrated with Sony and I feel that I have been had by Sony. I thought I was getting the best and now I know I dished out 5 grand for a pile of junk. I would recommend anything but a Sony. |
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Anonymous | sue the pants off of Sony! I have the same TV and if something goes wrong with it I will give Sony so much trouble. Call CBS they do that Shame On You segment and see if they can help you! That is too much to pay for a TV to let a huge corporation get away with crap like that! I will not buy any more Sony products EVER! I am not 100% happy with the 60 inch I have! I do find that they could careless. |
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Anonymous | Tony, No manufacturer is perfect, but it sounds like you are getting terrible support. Your set must be the original Grand Wega based on the dates you quoted. It sounds like a light engine problem to me. These can be expensive to fix. I would try and work through your dealer to see if they can help get Sony on this. |
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| Does anyone know the difference between the KF60WE610 and the KF60XBR800? I can't find any reviews for the former (KF60WE610). Also the former is $1000 cheaper.. what gives? They're both LCD technology. Also, I am trying to integrate my computer, game consoles (XBOX, GC, and PS2) to an HDTV and the best TV with a descent price is the KF60XBR800 and the KF50XBR800. Has anyone tried to hook up their computer to their TV? If so, would you prefer playing high res and fast pased games like counter strike and F-ZERO? I went to Fry's the other day (in California) and attached my GameCube (GC) to it via component connectors and played Metroid, which says it's progressive compatible, but I didn't really see any difference between the 480i and 480p. And I was a little disappointed with how Rogue Squadran II performed... the lighting was OK (wasn't breath taking) and flying around wasn't so smooth as my CRT TV. It was really nice however to have it projected on a 50" with no fear of burn-in. I want to play EverQuest II on it but I want to make sure it works first. Any help would be greatly appreciated B |
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Anonymous | Brian, I would check out the AVS Forum for more info. Search for GWII and computer. That should turn up several posts. There are no reviews on the new Grand Wega because it is not generally available. It should be out very soon if not today in some locations though. You might want to take a look at the new Panasonic or Hitachi LCD TVs. They might be better for games. |
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Anonymous | Brian, Some have said the Panny is the best for hooking up to a computer. Obviously the GWIII's aren't out yet. The first reviews on the Hitachi are that they may be the best. I am mainly looking to buy a GWIII, but with these new releases I need to see all three before I decide. As the person said above me, try AVS Forum. |
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Suvi | I am about to buy KF-50XBR800. Can anyone tell me about the picture quality of digital cable signal on this TV. I have Time Warner cable, but as I understand, not all the channels are transmitted digitally.The Cable box has a S-Video out, will it improve the picture quality on this TV Also, Sony just came out with KF-60WE610. Should I rather buy this TV. Does any one know the difference in picture quality |
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Patrick | Umm...you guys are making me second guess my purchase of the KF60XBR800. I hadn't done to much research until the last two days about this TV. But from seeing it in person and reviewing some customer feedback...it looked like the TV for me. I was aware of the potential of dead pixels for LCDs...but didn't know it was so widespread. I'm hoping it's a small percentage of TVs that have this issue. From this forum...it looks to be serious. Is it just more evident in this GW model? I haven't checked other manufacturers...do they have as many dead pixel issues? Less? Some of the other issues listed seem pretty serious too. Like the blurriness and out of focus picture. The loud humming noise. Please advise. |
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Anonymous | Well, I was a bit pissed when I noticed that my TV had some dead pixels. They are so small you do not even notice them unless you are two inches from the screen. I was pissed about them since this is not a cheap set. But they do not interfere with viewing at all (that has been my experience with the set). As for other problems well none yet thank God! Most big screens are not going to be picture perfect since you are enlarging the picture, Blurriness depends on the channel you are watching and I am not sure why but some channels come in great and others tend to be a little off. Not sure if that is the TV or the way the channel is broadcasted. |
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Patrick | the place i bought it from has a 30 day return policy...so hopefully anything that happens...will be within that timeframe. cross my fingers. the tv is going to be delivered tomorrow...so i have time to cancel the order. but i like the tv too much to not take the chance. so do other manufacturers have the dead pixels issue? if so...better or worse than sony? |
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| Suvi, My friend works at Sony and on Sept. 11th (after his vacation from Hawaii), he's going to get me more info on the 60WE610 (since it's $1000 cheaper or so from the XBR). They both have the same features but the XBR sleaker from the outside and I think has 2 more component inputs. I'll let you guys know. For the two persons that posted anonymous, thank you so much for replying to my message. I've read this whole post board and it seems most people's questions get ignored. Thanks for responding so quick. However, I really haven't got a solution to whether the tv is good for computer gaming or not but I'm going to buy it since everyone is so impressed with it, including myself. I think this tv will last me a couple of years until the new LCOS comes out next year and drops in price If anyone has any suggestions or experience on hooking up their PCs to the 50XBR800 please let me know if you liked it as good as your LCD or CRT desktop computer monitor for a replacement. |
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Suvi | Brian, Thanks for your reply. Looking forward to some feedback on 60WE610. Do you know about the digital cable quality on KF-50XBR. I understnad from these messages that most of you have DirecTV. |
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Patrick | darn it. got my first dead pixels. one that's fairly noticeable 2 feet away. but can't see it from normal viewing distance. there's also minor ones along the edge of screen. but it's pretty faint. the pq isn't what i expected either. i tweaked user menu settings and improved some. but no guts to do the service menu settings. what to do? should i ask to return it? |
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Anonymous | I have dead pixels also! Thank God they are not noticable, unless you walk right up to the screen. My question is: Is this going to keep happening till the are tons of dead pixels? Will they be so many the TV will be worthless? |
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Patrick | question...if i plan to do the service menu tweaks from umr...do i need to get the avia disc? or can i use something else? |
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Anonymous | Need some help. I connected my Warner cable box as suggested in the 60xbr800 manual. I did so to take advantage of the twin screen feature. Connections are: Outside cable in to TV (VHF), out of TV on Converter JK to HD/Digital TV box, Cable box out on Y, Pb, Pr to video 5 on TV and cable audio out to surround system. Problem is I get no sound using this connecting schematic in either of the screens. Any idaes as to why? Thanks |
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Anonymous | ok i never post here before but i have an old ricoh r831 camcorder(i now its real old)but im trying to get it to work and ever time i try to see what i recored it is beeping and giving me a symbol that has a trangle with a line under it. if someone can help me plz. ps. you guys are the only that are on right now lol |
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Mig | Im about to preform UMR's service menue tweaks. For those of you out there that have already performed them. 1.Is there a substantial diffrence with the PQ of digital cable. 2.Is it really as "scary" as some make it sound? |
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Anonymous | Mig, Create an account on avsforum and ask him anything you want. He is very nice and will answer any questions. |
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Anonymous | Mig, As far as what differences you will find, I would just read the thread with the tweaks. There are hundreds of responses about what the changes are. |
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Anonymous | I am actually tiring of answering the same questions over and over. I would suggest you read through the UMR Does GWII thread. I know it is long so try searching it first for your question. You can do this by entering the thread and then using the thread search at the top of the page. |
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Geoff | Hi, I don't have any experience with these Sony Grand Wega TV's. I'll chime in with a hint on cleaning your screen, however. I did a LOT of research on what is best to use on cleaning screen surfaces, mainly coated surfaces, and what is the best. You don't want to rub off coatings, scratch, or leave any residue. That goes without saying. Some products do the first, but leave an annoying residue you have to polish off, which in turn can scratch. I've tried many products, and lint free wipes. Most of it was over the counter, but I'm finally using what I consider the best, it's somewhat expensive, but I'll give you a link, where you can order online. It's called Optimax, I bought an 8 ounce bottle and about 25 of the wipes they sell online. http://www.opti-max.net/ Read all the info they have online, and if you decide to order, get the wipes too, they are better than any of the wipes I've found in stores. |
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DA | 60WE610 is 100lb and 45lb less than 60xbr800. That's the $1000 gone from. In xbr800, there is a huge 'first surface' mirror which projects image onto the screen. For the best performance in contrast, brightness, color, resolution, deformation and so on, it should be made from 1/4" optical glass. That caused 60xbr800 so heavy so expensive but so much better. |
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Anonymous | Hey everyone, I have been reading all your comments about the different projection units on the market and was still having trouble making up my mind, but alas I did decide. I purchased a Samsung HLN617W DLP with a Sony HD200 Satellite receiver, and a monster DVI cable. For the audio section I also purchased the Bose LifeStlye 35 system. I assembled all units in about 4hrs right out of the box, real easy. All I can say is that there is no better projection unit on the market that can match the Samsung DLP, it is a take it out of the box and plug it in and it ready to play no fine tuning, no adjusting any thing. Matched with the other two unit and say goodby movie theaters. You will be simple floored by the picture and sound. Please don't buy anything until you look at these units. |
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Anonymous | I have been away from this board for a while having bought the 60xbr800. Thought I would return and give a report for those still looking and thinking. So far my wife and I love this unit. The picture is everything I could want, from my untrained perspective and the HD programs CSI and Jay Lneno for example are great. I have had my unit for about 6 weeks and without using a test CD I have not detected the dread dead pixel problem. That's not say that it won't develop later. The one thing I haven't taken time to set up or investigate is the PIP feature. I tried it once from my Warner Cable box but lost all sound. Still don't know why, but I do not suspect hardware (TV or Box) problems. I just havn't taken time research what I am doing wrong. Bottom line I would say this TV is a good unit. I have $4100 invested and bought the extended warranty which covers the bulb by the way for another $260 out of fear frankly. |
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Anonymous | I am trying to decide between a samsung DLP and one of these projection LCD's... The viewing angle on the panasonic 50" proj. lcd is much better than the DLP... besides that, these tv's seem extremely similar (but the lcd is ~$600 cheaper)... Also... how does a dvd rom and using the dvi or vga output from my htpc compare to the samsung dvi dvd player? Any info appreciated |
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Anonymous | I bought the KF-50XBR800 in which three weeks later, there was a bright blue dot, a dead pixel. Sony refuses to repair it because they stand by their claim in their manual that this was not a defect. This was Not Disclosed to me before my purchase. I did NOT see this until after I had bought the unit. Am I bound to this written statement in the manual, after the fact? I am frustrated and feel this is Wrong. Do I have any other recourse of action to take? |
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