If your cable box allows for pass-through mode that would be my recommended settings but I know squat about Motorola.

I didn't see any of the French Open but it helps right this minute, the golf on NBC is non-HD, the golf on CBS is HD (well, most of it, it's all widescreen at least anyway).

Yea, I watched the golf on CBS. I noticed that not all of it looked like it was in HD (like you stated above). Is that common?

Thank you so much for your comments.

Originally posted by hickory
The cable box has a setting all the way up to 1080i. What are your thoughts? Should I change the cable box (motorola 6200) to 720p or leave it set to 1080i?

I would do some testing and see if you prefer the scaling going on in the TV (generally better) or the box. I have an HD DirecTiVo and after a few days of experimenting I decided to leave everything set to 720p. If the DirecTiVo did native passthrough I would probably use that and let the TV handle the scaling.

Originally posted by hickory
The cable box has a setting all the way up to 1080i. What are your thoughts? Should I change the cable box (motorola 6200) to 720p or leave it set to 1080i? hick,i have cablevision HDTV box, at 720 you have to stretch the HD stations to fill the screen(blk bars)-totally unacceptable to me--they look stretched--at 1080i you dont have too and look much more natural-- but its a matter of taste-i have the 42 in lcd sony GW also

Why would you have to stretch 720p?

Originally posted by mitchrc
Why would you have to stretch 720p? mitch--set the box at 720 and go to a HD channel--youll have black bars--with 1080i you wont

Repeating your sentence at me doesn't shed any more light on the situation. There are many reasons that you might be experiencing this problem including some setup problem you have.

I've had two HD tuners connected to my 42" GWIII and have never experienced anything like you're describing no matter what output format my set top box was in.

Grand Wegas are native 720p and don't allow you to stretch HD signals so if you're able to stretch a 720p signal I would question how your system is set up.

After that last parlay there I'm a bit confused myself so first some thoughts on other things and then the question:

Hickory: I believe this is the first year for CBS to show anything other than the Masters in HD. Golf takes a small ton of camera's to broadcast and I figure they just don't have enough HD camera's to cover the entire course and it's usually the last few holes are all HD and most greens prior are HD but some of the other shots (the blimp I think for example) are widescreen shots but no HD. Just economics for now but CBS have done a great job so far in my opinion just showing tournaments in HD period and some real no-name tournaments really.

Stud: I also can think of no reason 720p would have to be strecthed. It's the same deal as 1080i, if it's broadcast in either and it's true HD widescreeen it should be 16x9 in either on the GWIII. ABC broadcast in 720p with my cable folks, it's widescreen where programing is broadcast in it, no strecthing required. I get both 1080i and 720p (mostly 1080i) in my HD cable package.

Mitch: GWII is native 720p? Now I'm new so I'm confused by that. I think my native res is something odd like 788 no? 788x1368 to be exact ... it handles both 1080i and 720p however. I didn't think it was exactly 720p native though but again, I'm not all that technical so any clarification you have ...

My understanding is it isn't exactly 720 either, but more important is whether it's natively progressive or interlaced and my understanding is that it's progressive.

And you're right about CBS and golf. Most of it is HD, but there are spots in the coverage that are SD.

About to buy one in mid july. Would it be dumb for me not to wait till sept for the new GW4.

Originally posted by iSSues
About to buy one in mid july. Would it be dumb for me not to wait till sept for the new GW4. At some point, you'll always be waiting for the next big thing.

YMMV

This is true but i just don't want to be kicking myself down the road. I could buy it from CC and just return it once for a new gw3 and then the second time the new ones will be out. Will they be out in mid sept or late?

iSSues

Since several new sets are coming out in the next few months, I'd wait and take a look at all of them.

I like my GWIII, but whose to say that someone else will come out with something better.

Originally posted by mitchrc
My understanding is it isn't exactly 720 either, but more important is whether it's natively progressive or interlaced and my understanding is that it's progressive.


Seems to be 788p. I've been reading up more on the 1080i vs 720p etc and the only thing I've found out is there's no honest agreement and it's like arguing over cables etc ... there are some that are of the ilk that no matter, 1080i even displayed on the progressives is better with the reasoning that most manufacturers set up rendering for 1080i since it's the most common. I personally have no particular faith so to speak, hockey game looked great in 720p on ABC t'other night ... golf is pretty darn good on CBS in 1080i. At this point just more HD in any format would be welcome. go team.

Originally posted by opuscat
Seems to be 788p. I've been reading up more on the 1080i vs 720p etc and the only thing I've found out is there's no honest agreement and it's like arguing over cables etc ... there are some that are of the ilk that no matter, 1080i even displayed on the progressives is better with the reasoning that most manufacturers set up rendering for 1080i since it's the most common. I personally have no particular faith so to speak, hockey game looked great in 720p on ABC t'other night ... golf is pretty darn good on CBS in 1080i. At this point just more HD in any format would be welcome. go team.

1080i is more common simply because 1080i equipment is more readily available. Progressive scan hardware was unheard of 6 years ago in the TV business.

My opinion is that 720p will eventually win out in this whole debate because it has a better picture due to it's lack of interlace, it's easier to compress and is more spectrum efficient. ABC/Disney and Fox waited a bit before jumping in and were able to choose the better format once the hardware was available.

Mitchre

I think you're right but for an entirely different reason.

With 720p, locals can also have a second digital station at 480. More stations, more ad revenue.

Did anyone else notice that the lamp for the 60" xbr is the same as the lamp for the 60" grand wega set? I think they just push the same lamp with 120 watts in the xbr even though it is the same lamp ! I always wondered if I could put the 120 watt lamp in the grand wega but it seems that i already have the same lamp.

Yes ,this is true....Use cinema black if you have XBR its easier on the eye's & may give more life o the bulb.....only time will tell......

Originally posted by hfleet
Did anyone else notice that the lamp for the 60" xbr is the same as the lamp for the 60" grand wega set? I think they just push the same lamp with 120 watts in the xbr even though it is the same lamp ! I always wondered if I could put the 120 watt lamp in the grand wega but it seems that i already have the same lamp.

You sure about that?

Maybe its the GWII XBR whose bulb is different than the GWIII non xbr.

Think of the logic, though. They put a brighter bulb in the XBR and use a tinted screen. Then give you cinema black setting to lower the brightness of the bulb. Wonder if cinema black also compensates for a color shift since running the bulb at lower power should make it redder(or whatever color these bulbs shift).

The part # for the lamp on the sony site is in accessories for the xbr. It is XL-2100u, same as the grand wega.

I'm a new 42" GWIII owner, and was trying to adjust the picture setting with my Avia disk test pattern ("needle pulse and steps"). However, regardless of the picture setting, I can't see any white bars moving back and forth. So I tried the THX optimizer on the Star Wars disk, which is supposed to show 8 boxes with varying shades of white. Again, no luck - just looked like one big white box, no matter what the setting. Is this "white crush" and if so, is this to be expected with these sets? Or is mine defective?

For what it's worth, I was able to set the black level with the Avia disk - I could easily make out the 2 sliding black bars.

Thanks,
Sean

Sorry, had another question about the GWIII menus. Specifically I was hoping for a better definition of the various settings in the Advanced Video menu than are provided by the Owner's Manual. What exactly is the difference between the 3 DRC mode choices - CineMotion, Progressive, and High Density? If it matters this is only for my non-HD DTivo (I have a Denon 1815 outputting 480p, so the Advanced Video menu is disabled for the DVD).

Speaking of which, for the BN Smoother, my owner's manual states that it is "especially effective for watching a DVD or HDTV picture." This doesn't make sense to me, since right above that it says "Advanced Video is unavailable when you have selected Mild mode, or you are watching 1080i, 720p, or 480p sources with Video 5-7 inputs." If you can't use Advanced Video settings with HD sources, then how is the BN Smoother "especially effective for HDTV"?

Sorry if this is already answered earlier in this thread - I did a search but didn't have much luck.

Thanks,
Sean

Originally posted by mtnsean
I'm a new 42" GWIII owner, and was trying to adjust the picture setting with my Avia disk test pattern ("needle pulse and steps"). However, regardless of the picture setting, I can't see any white bars moving back and forth. So I tried the THX optimizer on the Star Wars disk, which is supposed to show 8 boxes with varying shades of white. Again, no luck - just looked like one big white box, no matter what the setting. Is this "white crush" and if so, is this to be expected with these sets? Or is mine defective?

For what it's worth, I was able to set the black level with the Avia disk - I could easily make out the 2 sliding black bars.

Thanks,
Sean

Sounds like your DVD player is crushing whites. I doubt that its a problem with the TV. What DVD player do you have?? I'm trying to recall, but on the Avia disk are you suppose to see the second sliding black bar? I thought you weren't so if you adjust the brightness down slightly till the second bar just disappears, it might help make the seperation in the eight boxes more visible. By the way, the brightness test on the THX optimizer is also a good way to get the brightness set right. You adjust the brightness until the drop shadow just disappears. It'll also tell you if you DVD player passes blacker than black.

Originally posted by mtnsean
Sorry, had another question about the GWIII menus. Specifically I was hoping for a better definition of the various settings in the Advanced Video menu than are provided by the Owner's Manual. What exactly is the difference between the 3 DRC mode choices - CineMotion, Progressive, and High Density? If it matters this is only for my non-HD DTivo (I have a Denon 1815 outputting 480p, so the Advanced Video menu is disabled for the DVD).

Speaking of which, for the BN Smoother, my owner's manual states that it is "especially effective for watching a DVD or HDTV picture." This doesn't make sense to me, since right above that it says "Advanced Video is unavailable when you have selected Mild mode, or you are watching 1080i, 720p, or 480p sources with Video 5-7 inputs." If you can't use Advanced Video settings with HD sources, then how is the BN Smoother "especially effective for HDTV"?

Sorry if this is already answered earlier in this thread - I did a search but didn't have much luck.

Thanks,
Sean

your best bet is to use Cinemotion setting and on Reality:Clarity set it to 1:1. but you're right, this is only for 480i type connections, so if you're using 480p/DVD and HD/720p/1080i, then you don't use these, you just set the NR to Off and Mild mode to Off.

might want to take a look at this thread for improving your display
umr does GWIII (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=331875)

Originally posted by JimP
Sounds like your DVD player is crushing whites. I doubt that its a problem with the TV. What DVD player do you have?? I'm trying to recall, but on the Avia disk are you suppose to see the second sliding black bar? I thought you weren't so if you adjust the brightness down slightly till the second bar just disappears, it might help make the seperation in the eight boxes more visible. By the way, the brightness test on the THX optimizer is also a good way to get the brightness set right. You adjust the brightness until the drop shadow just disappears. It'll also tell you if you DVD player passes blacker than black.

Thanks Jim. It's definitely not the DVD player (Denon 1815) since the same test patterns worked fine with my previous Toshiba 36" CRT (everything else is exactly the same - component outputs, cables, etc.). I have the brightness test set correctly so that I can see just one of the 2 sliding black bars. But when it comes to the contrast/white level test, I can't see either of the two sliding white bars no matter what the setting. Same goes with the THX disk - set the brightness/black level with the THX logo properly, then go to the contrast/white level test with the eight squares and I get no definition whatsoever. Can anyone else out there with a GWIII and a Avia or THX disk confirm this is either 1) normal or 2) defective?

Thanks,
Sean

After reeading through the majority of these posts i finally decided to pony up the cash and get myself a 50" gwiii!!! Called up brighthouse today and they said they have these new HD dvr boxes so i figure why not since my tivo wont record HD. Looking on the back the thing has outputs for both component and DVI. How much of a pq difference is there if i use the dvi over the component? (sorry for a question that i'm sure has been asked 1000x, but i quick search of this thread didnt give me an answer).

That's the same thing I'd like to know. Is it worth upgrading my component DVD player for a DVI one? Is it worth replacing my DirecTV S-video receiver with a HD DVI model?

Since DVI supposedly is converted to analog then back to digital, I'd guess component is just as good or better. But is component noticably better than S-video?

Originally posted by mtnsean
Thanks Jim. It's definitely not the DVD player (Denon 1815) since the same test patterns worked fine with my previous Toshiba 36" CRT (everything else is exactly the same - component outputs, cables, etc.). I have the brightness test set correctly so that I can see just one of the 2 sliding black bars. But when it comes to the contrast/white level test, I can't see either of the two sliding white bars no matter what the setting. Same goes with the THX disk - set the brightness/black level with the THX logo properly, then go to the contrast/white level test with the eight squares and I get no definition whatsoever. Can anyone else out there with a GWIII and a Avia or THX disk confirm this is either 1) normal or 2) defective?

Thanks,
Sean

I'm using the 50WE610 with a Denon 2200, and i can have the Picture/Contrast set all the way up and still see the different shades of each square on the THX Optimzer test pattern

Just bought a 50” GWIII

I first of all want to say that this website is awesome. It is my dream web site where I can finally get all of my questions answered. My wife just bought me a Sony GWIII a little less than two weeks ago for my birthday. All I can say about this TV is WOW. This thing is so bright I love it. I used to own a Panasonic 53” RPTV but when we moved into the new house we had many windows and I was just not too impressed with the quality of the Panny’s picture. I never had the panny calibrated but at the same time I knew I would not keep it for a long period of time. When I first hooked up my GWIII I was astonished on how great everything looked. The black levels on the GWIII are a non issue for me, I really don’t notice them. I have not really noticed any dead pixels as well. I went through a brief check of the television when I first bought it and noticed no dead pixels. This television is a April 04 make and I hopefully well be able to stay clear of the early issues (bulb, fan, etc.) that the GWIII had when it was first produced. Standard television looks much better on my GWIII than my panny and the HDTV content looks more lively and vivid on this new set. I have been lurking on this site for about a month now and all the info has been very helpful. However I do have a couple of questions.

1) I am pretty new to the whole tweaking business and was curious to see how easy it would be for a newbie to use umr’s tweaks to tweak the GWIII. And how long does the process take? How big of a difference does it make?

2) The final question I have is about 4:3 mode. When watching SD television in the 4:3 mode I notice that it seems that there is a box inside of a box. I notice about ¼ of an inch of each vertical side of the picture that it is brighter than the whole picture. In other words it is like a ¼ inch brighter line boardering the picture. Is this common or is something wrong with my set. I can only notice then when watching 4:3 television I tested DVD’s and could not notice it on the letterbox. Any information would be very helpful.

sorry-posted twice

Rickl0018, what you are likely seeing is the overscanned picture area that normally gets cut off on a 4:3 TV. From what I can tell, sometimes this area contains extra junk or doesn't look the same as the rest of the image (e.g. I've seen it contain odd blocks of red and blue on Cinemax once in a while). I don't think it's your TV; it's probably in the source signal.

Do you see the unusual picture area when watching all SD channels? Have you tried a different SD source (e.g. using a standard antenna instead of using your cable box or satellite box) to see if different sources make a difference here?

slordak

I believe you are correct. I just turned on my DirecTV receiver and watched some standard analog television on CBS. I did not notice any overscanning at all. I do notice it on all of my cable channels though (bay area comcast). Is there a solution to the problem or is this something that everyone has to live with? I also switched to pro setting with the sharpness at 32 the overscanning disappeared. Maybe something in the pro setting corrects overscanning. Thanks for the information.

Rick

Click on the "Wide" setting on the remote and see if this doesn't help.

Originally posted by kray
I'm using the 50WE610 with a Denon 2200, and i can have the Picture/Contrast set all the way up and still see the different shades of each square on the THX Optimzer test pattern

Thanks Kray. Question for you - is your Denon 2200 outputting progressive or interlaced? I notice that if I switched my Denon 1815 to interlaced mode, and used the s-video hookup, I could see the contrast on the test pattern. Still, I'm not convinced the player is at fault since 480p on my old Toshiba CRT HDTV showed the different shades of white.

Thanks,
Sean

-Have you set the Denon to progressive mode "darker" in the player setup? That should do it. That player passes blacker than black.

Originally posted by Patrick TX
-Have you set the Denon to progressive mode "darker" in the player setup? That should do it. That player passes blacker than black.

Hi Patrick - yes, I have the DVD set to the darker mode. I've tried it both ways with no luck. FYI, I'm not sure my Denon 1815 passes blacker than black. I've never been able to see the drop-shadow behind the THX symbol in the THX Optimizer disk, even with my old CRT set. As far as I know the 1815 is identical to the 910 except for being a 5-disc changer. And according to the DVD Shootout (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=all#DenonDVD-910), the 910 failed their blacker-than-black tests.

Thanks,
Sean

My bad, I was thinking 2815! It's the player then.

Hi everybody. My 50" GWIII is going to be delivered in about an hour, so I need a relatively quick response to this, if possible. I've done a couple searches on this thread with limited results, so I'm just gonna ask:

The power in my area is a little shady. I'd really prefer to not have to worry about surges or outages ruining my TV, so I'm looking at a battery backup or UPS.

What should I get or be looking for that won't cost more than $100.00?

Go to Office Depot they have a few UPSs, you should be able to get a 5 minute back up or so.

I saw somebody post a link to some APC 350VA UPS at Staples last week or the week before. I've never used them, though APC is a decent name in the UPS business and these are well below $100 (they have one in the $40's - item #474045).

So you guys would agree that this is a good idea? Really stupid question: What is this "line conditioning" thing that the Monster Crap guys always talk about and is it worth it or do these items already "condition" the power?

My assumption would be that conditioning would simply mean to eliminate spikes. I mean, I don't think it's going to make my power less frizzy and more manageable or get rid of split ends.:D

Here is some UPS and surge suppressor info you may find useful. These lower cost systems appear to be normally offline and transfer to the inverter when power fails. That type of system offers less protection to utility problems than you might think, but it can ride through power failures. I would select a "Brick Wall" surge suppressor if you want the best protection for surges.

http://brickwall.com/nofail.htm

ftp://www.apcmedia.com/salestools/SADE-5TNM3Y_R4_EN.pdf

ftp://www.apcmedia.com/salestools/SADE-5TNQYL_R0_EN.pdf

http://sturgeon.apcc.com/techref.nsf/partnum/990-9197/$FILE/990-9197_EN_REV01.pdf

I think "line conditioning" is an additional dealer profit item. They figure "hey this guy will pay 3-4 thousand for a TV why not push the extras?" Now if you had a recording studio.........

One more Q....

I hooked up my xbox via the Monster component pack. Everything looks great, but I have a couple questions:

Of my games, only MVP Baseball properly displays at 16:9. The others, NFL2K4, GTA, SSX3, NBA Street Vol. 2, and Simpsons: Hit & Run do not.

I've changed the display type to widescreen and enabled 480p, 720p, and 1080i. Yet, these all come up at 4:3.

One other thing: I noticed that if I leave the dashboard at 480i, it displays 16x9. If I change it to 480p, it does not. 480p also happens to be the resolution of the games that aren't properly displaying.

Is there a setting I have wrong on my TV? I thought that if the source was widescreen, the TV would auto detect it and properly display it as such. Is that not the case?

Any assistance you guys could provide would be great.

Thanks

Originally posted by mtnsean
Thanks Kray. Question for you - is your Denon 2200 outputting progressive or interlaced? I notice that if I switched my Denon 1815 to interlaced mode, and used the s-video hookup, I could see the contrast on the test pattern. Still, I'm not convinced the player is at fault since 480p on my old Toshiba CRT HDTV showed the different shades of white.

Thanks,
Sean

My 2200 is outputting progressive using Blue Jeans component cables. I use 480p cause the denon 2200 does a much better job at deinterlacing than the tv, based on the Snell & Wilcox "bouncing ball" test pattern on Digital Video Essentials.

Originally posted by savagexp

(...)
Of my games, only MVP Baseball properly displays at 16:9. The others, NFL2K4, GTA, SSX3, NBA Street Vol. 2, and Simpsons: Hit & Run do not.

I've changed the display type to widescreen and enabled 480p, 720p, and 1080i. Yet, these all come up at 4:3.

One other thing: I noticed that if I leave the dashboard at 480i, it displays 16x9. If I change it to 480p, it does not. 480p also happens to be the resolution of the games that aren't properly displaying.

Is there a setting I have wrong on my TV? I thought that if the source was widescreen, the TV would auto detect it and properly display it as such. Is that not the case?
(...)


Based on my experiences with the GWIII, it does not do a very good job of automatically switching into or out of anamorphic mode when working with the X-Box (slightly disappointing, but not a huge deal) in 480p. This is not a setting or option, it just seems to be how the two devices interact. The dashboard (480i) always signals that it is running in anamorphic mode, but games often don't.

Assuming you have your X-Box dashboard set to "Widescreen", then games which support widescreen/anamorphic will output an anamorphic signal. You will often need to manually set the TV to "Full" mode for these games. For games which do not support widescreen/anamorphic, they will output a standard 4x3 signal, so the television must be set to "Normal" in order to have these games show up with their intended aspect ratio. That's just how it is; many games lack widescreen support.

This is a little off the current topic, but related; I have an xbox hooked up to my 60WE610 via the Madcatz HD pack. I bought this before I bought the set because it was the only way to have S-Video and component output from the same box, but I have begun to question the quality of the component output. Whenever I enable any of the HD resolutions from 480P up in the Xbox dashboard, I get a slight ghosting of text and images similar to what you see on a crt based set that is out of convergence. The games that I have that support higher resolutions (Soul Caliber II, NBA2K3, Freedom Fighters, and Dragon's Lair) look great, but that slight ghosting is present. If I disable all of the HD resolutions, the graphics are razor sharp but not as detailed as with the higher rezs.

My question is: Could this be a problem with the Madcatz device, a problem with my set, or is this the way the set is supposed to operate ( I have read some posts claiming that at least with DVD players the Sony sets do a better job with an interlaced signal)?

I haven't been able to test an HD signal from a different source, but I should have a Moto DCT 6200 HD box from Adelphia in the next couple of days.

Does anyone else have a Madcatz HD box or is anyone experiencing a similar problem?

-Jon

I'd imagine it's a setting on the TV. I'm using the Monster Hi-Def kit and everything looks great on my KF50, but I've already calibrated my set via UMR's tweaks. It sounds to me like the set is giving you artificial edge enhancement, which could probably be minimized or eliminated by running UMR's tweaks.

Originally posted by savagexp
One more Q....

I hooked up my xbox via the Monster component pack. Everything looks great, but I have a couple questions:

Of my games, only MVP Baseball properly displays at 16:9. The others, NFL2K4, GTA, SSX3, NBA Street Vol. 2, and Simpsons: Hit & Run do not.

I've changed the display type to widescreen and enabled 480p, 720p, and 1080i. Yet, these all come up at 4:3.

One other thing: I noticed that if I leave the dashboard at 480i, it displays 16x9. If I change it to 480p, it does not. 480p also happens to be the resolution of the games that aren't properly displaying.

Is there a setting I have wrong on my TV? I thought that if the source was widescreen, the TV would auto detect it and properly display it as such. Is that not the case?

Any assistance you guys could provide would be great.

Thanks


do you think it's really worth the extra $30 to get the monster cables for the xbox? i got the ones sold by microsoft for $20, and i think they look good. when it comes to the xbox games, will the other cables really make that much of a difference?

Originally posted by orijonl
This is a little off the current topic, but related; I have an xbox hooked up to my 60WE610 via the Madcatz HD pack. I bought this before I bought the set because it was the only way to have S-Video and component output from the same box, but I have begun to question the quality of the component output. Whenever I enable any of the HD resolutions from 480P up in the Xbox dashboard, I get a slight ghosting of text and images similar to what you see on a crt based set that is out of convergence. The games that I have that support higher resolutions (Soul Caliber II, NBA2K3, Freedom Fighters, and Dragon's Lair) look great, but that slight ghosting is present. If I disable all of the HD resolutions, the graphics are razor sharp but not as detailed as with the higher rezs.

My question is: Could this be a problem with the Madcatz device, a problem with my set, or is this the way the set is supposed to operate ( I have read some posts claiming that at least with DVD players the Sony sets do a better job with an interlaced signal)?

I haven't been able to test an HD signal from a different source, but I should have a Moto DCT 6200 HD box from Adelphia in the next couple of days.

Does anyone else have a Madcatz HD box or is anyone experiencing a similar problem?

-Jon

I'd go to Best Buy and pick up the $20 MS HD Pack and see if that does the same. I'm willing to bet its the Madcatz pack causing the ghosting.

Originally posted by jsteinmann1
do you think it's really worth the extra $30 to get the monster cables for the xbox? i got the ones sold by microsoft for $20, and i think they look good. when it comes to the xbox games, will the other cables really make that much of a difference?

No, it won't make that much of a difference. If you enjoy the picture, stick with it.

I went with the monster for two reasons: (1) It's difficult to find the MS HD box in my area and (2) The Monster kit was mistakenly marked as clearance, so I got it for less than the MS box would have cost.

I am a new owner of a GIII 50 inch TV...will have it saturday, just picked up the MS HD box on Ebay for $5!!!! Brand new.

I wanted to ask the owners of the GWIII, does it support discrete codes for the different inputs if your using a universal remote?

gtoaster

On my MX700, some other Sony sets appear in the library. One of them had descrete codes that work with the GWIII for all inputs except for DVI. Since its been a few months, someone may have found something that works for the DVI input.

Is there any way to turn "close caption" on and off easier instead of going into the menu with so many steps? Thanks.

On other Sony's the display button does it.

Originally posted by savagexp
No, it won't make that much of a difference. If you enjoy the picture, stick with it.

I went with the monster for two reasons: (1) It's difficult to find the MS HD box in my area and (2) The Monster kit was mistakenly marked as clearance, so I got it for less than the MS box would have cost.

i even use the msft cables for my DVD player- too lazy to buy new ones and they seem fine

I wanted to ask the owners of the GWIII, does it support discrete codes for the different inputs if your using a universal remote?

I downloaded a setup for my MX700 from remotecentral.com that has discretes for all the inputs, including DVI. I am going to need to do it again, as the laptop I used died. I'm picking up a 70" XBR today. I'll post a link when I find it.

Patrick

Good find.

Anyone else needing these codes, they can be found here.

http://www.remotecentral.com/cgi-bin/files/rcfiles.cgi?area=mx700&db=devices&br=sony&dv=rptelevision&fc=

Hi all,
I am just about to purchase my very first complete home theatre system. After exhaustively reading the Sammy DLP and GWIII threads and viewing both at a couple of stores, I have concluded that GWIII is probably the best way for me to go; the only thing that scares me is that the bulb/ on/off problems seem to be continuing way past the Jan 04 supposed fix timeframe. I have read on this and other forums of bulb problems as late as May 04; I can't get Sony reps to shed any light on the issue concerning the present nor changes for the new Sept models. One store says they have less than 2% returns and another says as high as 20%. I guess even with 20% the odds are in my favour of a decent set;
The question remains.. buy the 50WE610 or wait for the new KDF in Sept (or later until they hit the shelves).
Is there anyone else in the "almost ready to buy" stage over the next 2-3 months who has an opinion on the way ahead?

Thanks for the incredible posts on this thread... after reading this, I have gone into my local Future Shop and Best buy and talk circles around these guys... they really know $%# - all !

i say just pull the trigger. I bought mine not too long ago and haven't had any problems <knock on wood>. You can't wait forever! just buy it and enjoy!

Don't forget the new sets this fall may have some new bugs, don't see much changes , so take advantage of some price breaks now if anyone has any.

I plan on purchasing the GWIII in the next few months (before the Olympics and NFL season). I figure by the end of August, prices will only decrease, since retailers will be trying to reduce their inventory in anticipation of the GWIV.

I want to like the 50" Sammy DLP since I have space issues and its dimensions are very similar to the 42" Sony, but I just don't like the picture.

Yeah, I think you're right ... I should just go for it ! Technology is changing every year or less anyways, if I don't jump in that is just another few months of missed FUN !!! One last viewing in the store and I think I'm in !!

Thanks folks !

Stupid Question...but I'm a newbie and first time poster here.....

When you guys say "GWIII" are you referring to KF-60WE610 LCD or just the newest line of Sony TV's in general? Bare with me....:) I'm assuming GWIII means all the "KF's"

:confused: :confused: :confused:

Originally posted by The Jedi Master
Stupid Question...but I'm a newbie and first time poster here.....

When you guys say "GWIII" are you referring to KF-60WE610 LCD or just the newest line of Sony TV's in general? Bare with me....:) I'm assuming GWIII means all the "KF's"

:confused: :confused: :confused: yes jedi--the whole line of lcd tvs

If anybody has the Techcraft SWE50 stand for their 50" GWIII could you tell me the distance between the top and middle shelf? I need to know if my center channel will fit.

Thanks

mhaider

Looks like about 9" between shelves according to the measurements provided on this link.

http://www.techcraft.net/flash/index.htm

I also needed a bit more space for my set and got the Tech Craft PTV58 which is under the Monico series.

I have some great pics of my GWIII displaying 1080i, but I can't post the link here, if you want it, e-mail me at: claytonpetty@hotmail.com Just got it today!!! I watched 3 movies today lol :)

Good Day

Originally posted by gigapower
I'd go to Best Buy and pick up the $20 MS HD Pack and see if that does the same. I'm willing to bet its the Madcatz pack causing the ghosting.

You're absolutely right! Once I hooked up the HD cable box and eventually picked my jaw back up off the floor, I knew that the MAdcatz must have been the problem. I grabbed an M$ Hd pack for $20 and have razor sharp graphics on all formats.

I don't know if this is an isolated incident or not, but I would advise anyone out there looking to connect their Xbox to an HD set to steer clear of the MAdcatz connector.

-Jon

I don't know if this is the right thread but....

Does anyone have numbers on how long their bulb lasted in the best case situations. In other words, sets that have not had a buzz problem and the bulb just finally died of old age. The specs talk about 8000 hours. Has anyone gotten close to that number?

Originally posted by holabr
I don't know if this is the right thread but....

Does anyone have numbers on how long their bulb lasted in the best case situations. In other words, sets that have not had a buzz problem and the bulb just finally died of old age. The specs talk about 8000 hours. Has anyone gotten close to that number? my lamp lasted 8 months--then in a matter of 2 days got so dim couldnt see pic--estimate had 1500 hrs on it-(philips)-called sony--sent new lamp fed ex-2 days-philips lamp-NOT osram-all well and good--but after warranty are we expected to lay out for new lamp every yr?never had the buzz problem--plays like a champ--except for lamps short life

Originally posted by mhaider
If anybody has the Techcraft SWE50 stand for their 50" GWIII could you tell me the distance between the top and middle shelf? I need to know if my center channel will fit.

Thanks

I have the SWE50 for my 60". I'll check when I get home, but I think it is at least 6"- 8". I would think wide enough for most center channel speakers. I got mine at Tweeter if you need to take a look in person.

Originally posted by LarryJoe
I have the SWE50 for my 60". I'll check when I get home, but I think it is at least 6"- 8". I would think wide enough for most center channel speakers. I got mine at Tweeter if you need to take a look in person.

LarryJoe,

Thanks for the info, I'd appreciate that measurement. I take it the 60" GWIII must have the same size base if you're using the SWE50 for it. How do you like the stand? I don't have a Tweeter near me so I have to go by the pics I've seen on the net, but it sure looks like a nice stand.

Thanks again!

The stand is great and matched the TV perfectly. I was told that Techcraft is the OEM for the Sony stand. It looks very much like the expensive Sony stand. Yes, the 60" TV fits the 50" stand. The TV is 5" wider than the stand on each side. I like this as it makes the TV look sleeker. IMO, when the stand is the same width as the TV, it makes it look boxy. I wanted to get away from that RP CRT look.

The width of the top shelf is 9". I would think this is wide enough for most center speakers. Here is a tough pic of my setup, the glass shelf is exactly in the middle of the pillars, so I think you can see there is plenty of room.

Pic (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=3315393&fullpage=1)

Here is a close up that does not show the base in full, but gives you an idea of the match of stand and set:

pic2 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=3315398&fullpage=1)

Good luck!

Joe

Originally posted by LarryJoe
The stand is great and matched the TV perfectly. I was told that Techcraft is the OEM for the Sony stand. It looks very much like the expensive Sony stand. Yes, the 60" TV fits the 50" stand. The TV is 5" wider than the stand on each side. I like this as it makes the TV look sleeker. IMO, when the stand is the same width as the TV, it makes it look boxy. I wanted to get away from that RP CRT look.

The width of the top shelf is 9". I would think this is wide enough for most center speakers. Here is a tough pic of my setup, the glass shelf is exactly in the middle of the pillars, so I think you can see there is plenty of room.

Pic (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=3315393&fullpage=1)

Here is a close up that does not show the base in full, but gives you an idea of the match of stand and set:

pic2 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=3315398&fullpage=1)

Good luck!

Joe

Thanks so much for the info and pics!! I have no doubt that I will get this stand now.

I got the stand when it first came out for my 42 inch. I love it, You can get cheaper ones but it very sturdy and cheaper then sony's. Also plenty of room for equipment.

Does any have a Scientific Atlanta cable box that they could get working with the Sony remote that came with the tv? I have a SA3250 and can only get it to change the channels and that's about it. I actually hadn't tried it until just tonight after quite a few months os using both remotes. I was just wondering before I go and buy some pricey universal like a Harmony or something. tx

I found the same thing with the Sony remote and my Comcast/Moto box. I could never get it to work the cable menu. However, I purchased a Harmony remote and it replaced the Sony remote as well as four others. I highly reccomend the Harmony remotes. Best $100 I have spent, got it off ebay new, model 659. I now have one remote on the coffee table and all others are in the closet.

Yeah, I've heard all about how great it is etc and a buddy bought one here at the office it's just not in the budget right now. That's $100 US lpus shipping which is closer to $200 Canadian fer me. They retail for $199 here it seems. Keeping my eye out on Ebay of course

Yep, plenty on ebay below MSRP.

I'm about to take the plunge with the 50".

Trying to decide whether to get the extended warranty from CC or spend that money on the Techcraft SWE50 or the stand that CC has on sale this week.

Every time I've bought any kind of extd warranty for anything I've never had to use it. I guess I'm afraid, especially on a purchase this large, that I will end up needing it, esp since this technology seems so fickle based on what I've read here.

Does anyone know if the bulbs are covered under CC's extd warranty? I would assume that a replacement would fall under normal usage.

-jim

im on my 3rd lamp in 8 months--original was a philips-buzzzed in 3 months-2nd an osram-turn on blinking problem in 1st week then went dim--on 3rd lamp- new improved lamp sony says-i have the oct 03 42 inch lcd build-sorry i bought it-dont get me wrong-superb pic on HD-std stations come in better on tube-but 3rd lamp in 8 months?im off warranty nov1-04 4 months-then what?expected to buy 2 or more lamps a year?id sell this turkey in a minute and get a tube soon as i find someone that wants it for 1800 bucks--think about it-it seems no one is immune to the lamp problem-sooner or later it shows up-BUY A TUBE!save the aggravation-besides tubes a better pic at half the price-big and bulky i know-good luck

....said as if tube sets are immune to problems. lol

Originally posted by JimP
....said as if tube sets are immune to problems. lol jimp they(tubes) are MORE immune than the turkey i have--the NEW technology-ill bet for every 100 sony lcd lamp probs there aint ONE tube problem--YOU pay for a new lamp every few months-i WONT-ive had tubes since i was a kid--im 60--and got at least 7 yrs out of every tv-i doubt the sony owners of lcds will be able to say THAT!-thank you-lol go ahead-buy a new lamp every yr--cause it looks like youll be damn lucky to get THAT out of them-damn high priced money sponges-sony will make MORE on replacement lamps than on the actual sales of the tv lolol

Quick question. I've asked this on the plasma board so excuse the repeat if you've read this question. I've got a Hitachi EDTV that I good. I just can't find any professional reviews of it so I don't really have anything to compare it to. I know it fits perfectly in my 41 inch niche in my wall. I'm curious about the Sony GWIII especially since its full HD and its considerably cheaper. Any comparisons between it and the EDTV plasma of your choice?

studranger

You may be right about the LCD TVs in general, and actually, I share some of your concerns, but only time will tell. You experienced a bad run of luck. Original phillips bulb died, like just about everybody else and your replacement was defective. That may be all there is to it for a while.

If you take a read of the number of problems with some of the CRT sets, they are definately not without their set of problems. Just because your last one last 7 years(mine too) it doesn't mean that your next one will. Also consider the likelyhood of finding replacements parts at a later date. Might be a lot tougher as CRT based sets are fazed out.

In any case, if you're that upset with your Sony, then maybe the best thing to do is replace it with something else. Life's too short to blow a fuse anytime your turn on your TV and are reminded of what seems to be a major problem for you.

Hope you live a long and happy life.

Just bought my first HDTV - the 50" GWIII! I'm totally psyched. A hint to anyone in the market... use the fact that the GWIVs are coming out in Sept/Oct to your advantage when negotiating price. Worked for me at BB. They actually seemed to appreciate an informed consumer, and this forum definitely helped in that respect.

Originally posted by JimF_NJ
I'm about to take the plunge with the 50".

Trying to decide whether to get the extended warranty from CC or spend that money on the Techcraft SWE50 or the stand that CC has on sale this week.

Every time I've bought any kind of extd warranty for anything I've never had to use it. I guess I'm afraid, especially on a purchase this large, that I will end up needing it, esp since this technology seems so fickle based on what I've read here.

Does anyone know if the bulbs are covered under CC's extd warranty? I would assume that a replacement would fall under normal usage.

-jim

Jim,

I've had my 50" GWIII for over 9 months now and haven't had any problems (original bulb). It could be Murphy's law working in reverse since I bought Sears' 5 year warranty (which does cover the bulb). I've been enjoying my TV instead of spending time reading about all the problems here so I'm not up to date, but when I got mine (October '03) CC's warranty was more expensive and didn't cover the bulb.

Ok GWIII fans,

I'm dissatisfied with my HLP4663. Among my issues: silk screen effect, video lag (audio sync), rainbows, mosquito noise.

I know the last two would be addressed by the Sony. I'm wondering about the first two, what have people's experiences been?

Now, I also adore the VGA input on my HLP, but if I build an HTPC I'll use DVI, the Sony's have that yes? And people have had success with HTPC use?

Pardon my laziness, I've read so many threads on the Samsung that I'm just about ready to give up on RP altogether (RPCRT is not an option due to size). Since the GW is within my ideal price range, I was contemplating swapping the HLP in for one of those -- any GW educated folks care to give me the tale o' the tape?

I've had my 42we610 since Nov. 03 and haven't noticed any "video lag" or motion blur. I can't comment on HTPC as I don't have it. Silk screen effect is an issue, but I've adapted to it. Mostly noticeable on light colored scenes (Hockey might be a problem, but the clarity of the game is awesome). That's the price for no glare.

Magaggie, I don't think anyone has ever said that this set (the GWIII) has video lag / audio sync problems, as compared to the Samsung DLPs, which is notorious for this particular problem.

To give a quick summary, the GWIII doesn't suffer from mosquito noise, rainbows, or video/audio sync problems. It can sometimes suffer from issues with silk screen effect, crushed whites, and "not black enough" blacks, though. Additionally, there were some bulb reliability problems (hopefully cured now). While you may not find the colors quite as vibrant as those on the DLP, you will probably be reasonably pleased by how nice the set looks (without having to worry about clay faces or eye strain or the like).

I'm taking delivery of my 42" GWIII on monday and would like to get the best possible picture short of calling in an ISF. Any recommendations on a good calibration DVD that the common guy can use to tweak and tune the set?

I'm taking delivery of my 42" GWIII on monday and would like to get the best possible picture short of calling in an ISF. Any recommendations on a good calibration DVD that the common guy can use to tweak and tune the set?

Pretty much the only complaint I've heard about the GWIIIs is the black level. Have any of you tried installing a .3 neutral density filter? UMR said that some people have already done that to increase the black levels.

If anyone has, please list detailed instructions of the process and materials used.

Thanks.

holabr, you might try Umr's calibrations on this thread at the first. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=331875&goto=newpost

sorry holabr, this is easyer.....http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=331875 its a monday!!!

Thanks for the fine tuning link. My set looks great out of the box. I'm excited to try making it even better following umr's instructions. BTW, where do you find the build date?

Build date is on the back of the set, on the right side as viewed from the back (opposite all the connectors).

I'm planning to upgrade my Comcast analog cable to digital with HD. I understand their cable box has both component and DVI-HDTV outputs. Which should I use with my 42" GWIII? Any special guidence on set-up? Should I use the Sony manual recommendation to connect the cable to the VHF-UHF connection, then to cable box from that output, then back in with Component or DVI-HDTV cable? Is there any degradation in PQ if I use 10' cable vs 3' cables?

I've switched from looking at the 50" Sammy HLP to the 50" GWIII. One thing I haven't been able to get a read on in the store is the glare. Does the GWIII have major glare issues? I can have my room pretty bright at times, but can also lower the light level. I just don't want to have to turn it into a cave just to watch TV or a movie.

The lack of glare, even in well-lit rooms, is one of the GWIII's best attributes.

On my HD Comcast box, which is connected to a Sony plasma set in the bedroom, I originally had it connected via component, and the HD picture was extremely sharp. I then switched it to DVI when I introduced a DVD player (which has only a component out - no DVI), and although the picture is still very very good, I think the component connection was actually a bit better. But since this TV has only one component input I need to keep that reserved for the DVD player. So I would try both and see which one you prefer on your particular set. You may not be able to tell the difference.

As for the antenna connection, if I remember correctly, the cable coming into the house goes directly into the cable box, and then out to the TV. This assumes no VCR is connected in which case you would need a splitter to be able to record programs. In my area these HD cable boxes have to be installed by a Comcast service tech, and I'm sure that's the way he or she would configure yours.

On my main system (no cable box) I have the (analog) cable going straight into the "Cable" antenna input and an OTA antenna, which is used for digital/HD local stations, connected to the other antenna input, labeled VHF/UHF. This set is the XBR model with a built-in HD tuner, and until Comcast adds more HD cable programming, I am going without their HD box on this set.

Originally posted by s2silber
The lack of glare, even in well-lit rooms, is one of the GWIII's best attributes.

I agree. It's one of the factor's that affected my purchase of a GWIII KF50WE610. This set faces three large windows in my family room and it's really nice not having much glare at all even with the blinds open.

Does anyone know what the High Altitude option on the GWIII actually does? I live at 6,500' so I have it turned on based on the info in the Owner's Manual, but I'm curious as to what it's actually doing to the picture. I haven't really been able to discern a difference with it off or on.

Thanks,
Sean

Originally posted by mtnsean
Does anyone know what the High Altitude option on the GWIII actually does? I live at 6,500' so I have it turned on based on the info in the Owner's Manual, but I'm curious as to what it's actually doing to the picture. I haven't really been able to discern a difference with it off or on.

Thanks,
Sean

It speeds up the fan to compensate for the lower air density. The low air density lowers the heat removal capacity for a given volume of air.

Thanks UMR, makes sense.

-Sean

Might be a good idea to set it for High Altitude during the summer time to keep bulb cooler during this time of the year ? Might help bulb last longer.

I have an October build 60 inch GWIII, never had a problem until last night. After watching a DVD, switched input back to Vid 1 to DirecTivo, and had a blank screen (lamp stayed on), and no sound. All the other inputs were this way as well. Turned TV off, waited, then back on, and green LED just blinked continuously. Lamp never went off, even with TV off. Tried this twice. Finally I unplugged the TV, and it is back to normal. Has this ever happened to anyone else?

Originally posted by Egan
I have an October build 60 inch GWIII, never had a problem until last night. After watching a DVD, switched input back to Vid 1 to DirecTivo, and had a blank screen (lamp stayed on), and no sound. All the other inputs were this way as well. Turned TV off, waited, then back on, and green LED just blinked continuously. Lamp never went off, even with TV off. Tried this twice. Finally I unplugged the TV, and it is back to normal. Has this ever happened to anyone else?

Yes. Call Sony Service this is a problem that needs to be fixed. It is probably a relay problem, but it could be a circuit problem as well.

Thanks umr, will call Sony.

Okay everone, I could use some help:
I looked at the Toshiba 52HM84 yesterday at a local store and was planning to buy one. Nice unit.
I had been looking at the Sony KD-42WE610 and compared with the Toshiba 52HM84 DLP. Not much difference except for the picture size.
In fact, the Sony seemed to have a better viewing angle and better display of SD video from the same feed.

The 610's are much lower price than the Toshiba. They are basically on closeout at many places. The bulb problem seems to be solved at this point.
Even better, the 50" KD-50WE610 looks like the unit to buy.

Can anyone tell me why I should or should not buy a KD-50WE610 at a steep discount instead of waiting for the new 655 series. Will the video picture quality be about the same or is there really something new in the 655 series besides CableCard, and HDMI?

Any comments are appreciated.

Alan

Also, feel free to comment about the Toshiba DLP. Thanks!

I believe the answer to a potential bulb problem in the future is to take out the service policy. (Even though Sony claims to have "solved" this problem in newer builds.) The price of the service policy is very good at Best Buy.

I bought mine Nov 03. Anyone know if I can still buy an extended warranty at a local BB or CC or online. I am still under my original warranty.

Be aware that some extended warranties, including Sony's, don't cover the bulb itself. The bulb or lamp is considered a normal consumer replacement item.

Is it Sony that offer's the extended warranty or the retailer's such as Sears, Circuit City, Best Buy, etc.?

In any event, you do need clarification.

I took delivery of my 42" GW III on Friday afternoon.

Some of you may know that I originally bought a 42" GW III in October of last year. I ended up returning it in January 04' because of bulb problems.

So, I finally had enough confidence in the GW III to pick up another one for my living room. All I could say this weekend was "What took me so long to realize this was the best possible tv for my living room"!

This tv's ability to handle a bright room is just amazing. It has almost no glare from lights or windows. Not only that but it's bright display just makes it so easy to watch even with the windows beaming right at the set! HD was fantastic as expected and SD is certainly ok.

I just couldn't be happier to be a GW III owner again. :) I'm still not so sure about how I would feel about this tv being my main home theater display but as a living room tv I don't know if you could do any better.

When you add in the digital picture viewing options, where I can take my memory card from my Sony digtial camera and watch a nice little slide show on this big set in my living room, you've got one happy customer. :)

My search for the perfect home theater display continues though. My recent purcase of an Hitachi 51" F510 CRT Projection set has not turned out as expected. These sets seem to have problems with one side of the screen being a slightly different shade than the other. :rolleyes: Not acceptable for me. I'm really considering one of the new Sony LCDs coming next month. Hopefully they will provide a considerable performance boost.

Hey all,
I have a 50" GWIII, and am about to move it to a new basement with two toddlers in the area. I'd like to put it in a cabinet so that it can be closed when not in use and thus limiting the potential for damage. Outside of building it myself, has anyone purchased something that would cover the screen. A cover, a cabinet, or other?

Just curious,
Thanks

Originally posted by dcfox
I bought mine Nov 03. Anyone know if I can still buy an extended warranty at a local BB or CC or online. I am still under my original warranty.

Without a doubt either of those places will gladly sell you one. Did you buy it from one of them? It may not even matter. If that fails, there is always Sony and their extended warranty.

I had a pioneer hd box w/o dvr and I was using DVI to connect to my Sony KF-50WE610 (just got it about a month ago). Looked great, but I had to use the SA-800 to record shows so I had 2 receivers on the same tv. Pain in the butt to switch back and forth.

Thursday TW came out and replaced the 2 boxes with the SA-8000HD. I did all the setup (install guy had no clue, but that's another story), but I'm not sure I have it set up correctly. First off, I had to get rid of the DVI cable and go to component. BAH! Is that permanently disabled or can that be turned on by TW or myself somehow?

Second, I set the receiver options to 16:9 and to stretch 4:3, and selected all the output modes.

The picture just doesn't look the same. First, I still have to stretch using my TV for non-hd channels. Why? Shouldn't my tv be receiving all channels in hd, or at a minimum already stretched so I can leave the tv in 'normal' mode?

I'm thinking I may have my tv set up wrong b/c I also have an XBox and when I play games that should be able to display in HD, I am still able to change the aspect ration on the tv, where I would assume that if it was displayed in HD I would not be able to.

Is there a way to see what something is being displayed at - either from the receiver or the tv? Someone has filled me in on the idea of 'service codes' - anyone know what they are for this tv?

I want to make sure I have everything setup right before whining about picture quality.

Thanks for any help or direction you can give me!

Tigerriot (or anybody else interested to answer) - why wouldn't you choose the 42" GWIII as your home theatre TV? The reason I ask is because I'm looking to upgrade my current TV situation to a 42" RPLCD. I currently have the 34" Sony XBR910 in my room, which I use for SD (Dish satellite service), DVDs (Denon 1600), GameCube/PS2/Xbox (all via component video). My parents are looking for a new TV for their bedroom and would likely buy my XBR910 from me and I'd use that towards a RPLCD for these reasons:
1. Bigger screen
2. Lighter weight and more portable than the XBR910 (will be moving out relatively soon and a less bulky TV would be a huge bonus)
3. Ability to hook up an HTPC, which I cannot do correctly with the XBR910

I was hell-bent on the new 43" Panny LC14 because people rave about the quality of the LC13's and the 43" is the perfect size for me. Plus the massive array of inputs would work wonders for me since I have 4 devices using component video currently. BUT, now I'm curious about the 42" GWIII again. Although the inputs are not as plentiful, people seem to say the Sony does a better job with SD (50-60% of my viewing) and with the new Sony models coming out next month I'm sure I might be able to score a nice deal on the 42" GWIII. If I could get a deal on the Sony, the extra inputs on the Panny may not be worth it.

However, if the Sony wouldn't be a better choice than the Panny for all of my needs listed above, I'd like to know.

It's a tough decision spending $2,500 on a tv, isnt' it? :)

While there is no doubt the XBR910 has a better image than the GW III, it's not a serious downgrade at all. You'll be stunned at just how big a 42" set will look when compared to a 34". Thats the first thing you'll notice.

The GW III is also a nice tv for gaming. No burn in worries at all and it supports all the potential signals. As for choosing which LCD Projection to buy. Thats a tough call. I've seen the Panasonic models plenty of times and I recently compared the brand new Panny model to the 42" Sony GW III. While they are close I personally would almost always choose the Sony.

I really like the physical look of the Sony more. I also think it has better menus. Small differences? Yeah, but overall they are the small type of things that make a difference in the long run. As for performance differences, it's hard to get specific. You never know which tv has the better signal feed and all that stuff. All I can tell you is that Sony knows tvs and every Sony i've owned has always offered a more lifelike picture and vibrant look. The sound may also be slightly better. If PC connectivity means a lot to you than you might have to go with the Panny. Otherwise i'd choose the Sony for it's better looks, convienient menus and options, and slightly better performance overall.

Thanks for your comments.
Do you think I should get a GWIII unit or wait until the GWIV is available.
When will the GWIV be available? (KDF-50WE655).

Thanks again,
Alan

If I had to guess I would tell you the GW IV will be in most stores near the end of September. I believe it will offer some small improvements but whether or not they are worth the extra waiting and money is up to you. I know this much, the GW IV is not going to blow away the GW III.

Talk to you tomorrow. I'm leaving work now. :)

Originally posted by LarryJoe
Without a doubt either of those places will gladly sell you one. Did you buy it from one of them? It may not even matter. If that fails, there is always Sony and their extended warranty.

Thanks, Got if from CC. I didn't buy it at first as I have never used one, but the cost of the lamps, and still the problems I am going to invest. Since I got the "fix" no problems. The warranty still might be worth it with the cost of the lamp.

dcfox, Make sure you read the extended contract and don't take the word of the sales rep. I've heard many stories of folks being told one thing about lamp replacement covereage and finding out something completely different when the service call is placed.

just purchased a 50" GWIII for my dad's birthday. the current connections are digital cable via composite and dvd player via s-video.

HD/progressive scan DVD is coming next week.

anyways, i'm noticing that the picture quality is pretty good for SD, but i'm also noticing that it's not that bright. it doesn't have that brightness that some of the plasmas that i've seen. it actually looks much darker than some of the DLP's that i've seen. is that a normal limitation of LCD projection displays? will it get brighter w/ HD/component connection? or is that unrelated?

the vivid mode produces the brightness that i desire, but i don't like the picture quality. pro is my favorite, but this mode seems too dark. i've messed around with the settings and i still can't get to where i feel like this tv needs to be.

btw. i'm not one to go into the service menu so just forget about that option :)

also, does anyone know somebody who can calibrate a GWIII at a reasonable price in southern california???

My real question is whether to wait for the GWIV. SOme say it will be here by Sept. Also, is the list on the KDF-50WE655 3000. or 3400?

Is it 10% brighter than the previous mode or is that the WF series?

Right now I've got a good price match deal on a KD-50WE610 from Sears and I will also buy a price matched Sony Home Theater and get a 200. rebate in the mail for buying both.

Should I wait or is the PQ and brightness basically the same?
Any advice is appreciated.

P.S. - I was able to get great brightness by using the brightness adjustment. And, I like the vivid mode.

Sound like a deal.....They won't discount the new ones for some time. No one will discount the new units ....only this time a year.....

Is the list price of the KDF-50WE655 $3400. or $3000.
Also, PQ is only slightly better than the 610. Correct?
When available?

Thanks for any comments you might have!

Originally posted by gingurus
just purchased a 50" GWIII for my dad's birthday. the current connections are digital cable via composite and dvd player via s-video.

HD/progressive scan DVD is coming next week.

anyways, i'm noticing that the picture quality is pretty good for SD, but i'm also noticing that it's not that bright. it doesn't have that brightness that some of the plasmas that i've seen. it actually looks much darker than some of the DLP's that i've seen. is that a normal limitation of LCD projection displays? will it get brighter w/ HD/component connection? or is that unrelated?

the vivid mode produces the brightness that i desire, but i don't like the picture quality. pro is my favorite, but this mode seems too dark. i've messed around with the settings and i still can't get to where i feel like this tv needs to be.

btw. i'm not one to go into the service menu so just forget about that option :)

also, does anyone know somebody who can calibrate a GWIII at a reasonable price in southern california???

There is no HD DVD (yet) any reasonable quality DVD player with conponent connections will produce excelent results on a GWIII. There is even some arguement here regarding the GWIIIs ability to upscale a DVD picture vs a progressive scan DVD player. I even find an VCR acceptable. I would check on the availability of HD cable channels in your dads area. This is the way to wow. Also check out umr's tweak thread and just do the adjustments that don't require entering the service menu.

Originally posted by egads
There is no HD DVD (yet) any reasonable quality DVD player with conponent connections will produce excelent results on a GWIII. There is even some arguement here regarding the GWIIIs ability to upscale a DVD picture vs a progressive scan DVD player. I even find an VCR acceptable. I would check on the availability of HD cable channels in your dads area. This is the way to wow. Also check out umr's tweak thread and just do the adjustments that don't require entering the service menu.

I would stay away from that umr tweak thread. It could lead to uncontrollable service menu tweaking.

well ill tell ya--i watched hell boy yest on my sony prog dvd-hell boy was done in HD-and i didnt see the diff--looked same as the hdtv chans deliver--and im being honest-i see no reason to get a hd dvd player(but a hd vcr would be welcomed-although vcrs are almost history-looked good to me with my sony prog scan dvd player--anyone want to clarify on this?the hd dvd of hell boy looked same as on hdtv--i was surprised--anyone else see a diff with hd dvds on a reg dvd player?please respond--------aint technology wonderful
'and EXPENSIVE!

Originally posted by alanpgh
My real question is whether to wait for the GWIV. SOme say it will be here by Sept. Also, is the list on the KDF-50WE655 3000. or 3400?

Is it 10% brighter than the previous mode or is that the WF series?

Right now I've got a good price match deal on a KD-50WE610 from Sears and I will also buy a price matched Sony Home Theater and get a 200. rebate in the mail for buying both.

Should I wait or is the PQ and brightness basically the same?
Any advice is appreciated.

P.S. - I was able to get great brightness by using the brightness adjustment. And, I like the vivid mode.

According to the new KDF WE/WF manual on Sony's website, the WF uses a 132W bulb and the WE uses 100W. I assume that will make the WF brighter, but then I know next to nothing :(

i meant the HD cable is coming next week along with a progressive scan DVD player. the current DVD is running via s-video.

anyways, can someone direct me to non-service menu tweaks for the GWIII. i'm a little overwhelmed with the number of posts concerning this topic.

in the meantime, i'll try my best to go thru the info myself.

thanks.

I think you'll find that the current WE610 GWIII has a 100W bulb, and the new WE655 has a 120W bulb. However, you are probably correct that when the bulb is replaced, it is with a 120W bulb.
And, yes the 10% difference with the WF line would indicate that they are using a 132W bulb (a strange wattage).

Still, does anyone know when the WE655's will be in stock. Hyp Audio claims they already have them in stock. Another post said one of the Best Buy stores expected them by Sept. 6. Does anyone have any other information about availability?

Thanks,
Alan

The WE655 is going to use a 100 watt bulb, the same as the current WE610. That has been confirmed from the actual user manual for the tv. The WF uses the 132 watt bulb.

I found this Forum about 2 weeks ago and am trying to catch up on all the interesting threads. KF-50WE610. Jan 2004 build, Phillips bulb. No problems so far (Knock on wood). I even got use to the fan noise. I was very happy with the TV before the UMR tweak's, but now ? Oh my it's nice!

Originally posted by studranger
well ill tell ya--i watched hell boy yest on my sony prog dvd-hell boy was done in HD-and i didnt see the diff--looked same as the hdtv chans deliver--and im being honest-i see no reason to get a hd dvd player(but a hd vcr would be welcomed-although vcrs are almost history-looked good to me with my sony prog scan dvd player--anyone want to clarify on this?the hd dvd of hell boy looked same as on hdtv--i was surprised--anyone else see a diff with hd dvds on a reg dvd player?please respond--------aint technology wonderful
'and EXPENSIVE!
Not sure what this has to do with the GWIII, exactly, but... Bear in mind that all DVDs following the current specification are produced at 720x480 resolution. That means they can't be high definition, since they don't have 720 or 1080 lines of resolution. Regardless of whether the movie was shot with certain cameras or produced using a certain process, the end result is a fixed number of pixels, so even with upscaling, we're still talking standard definition video (albeit high quality DVD video).

The only high definition DVDs you're going to see right now are those that include the video in WMV format, but the HD WMV files certainly aren't going to be playable on your standard Sony DVD player.

Seems like my deal for a 50WE610 for under $2600. delivered and $200. rebate on a purchase with Sony DAVFR8 Home Theater is a good one. The MSRP on the DAVFR8 is 699.99 and I got a price match on it so the final cost is just above $520. And, I still get a $200. rebate from Sony.

It seems the 50WE655 will not be much different in PQ from the 610.

Please send any comments.

Thank!
Alan

Blocky transitions in HD
Hi everyone. I've noticed really bad blockiness (pixelization) during scene transitions and scense with lots of action (such as waterfalls).

Only in HD, OTA and DirecTv HD. No problems with DVDs or SD.

Anyone else have or heard of this issue on the GWIII's? I have a 42" model.

Does the set need to go back?

Thanks in advacnce for any replies.

i too have the 42 in gw111 lcd and get pixelation on occassion-not enough to bother me-but i get it also on my non hd tube 36 in sony flat screen-figure its the stn and not the tv

Originally posted by alanpgh
Seems like my deal for a 50WE610 for under $2600. delivered and $200. rebate on a purchase with Sony DAVFR8 Home Theater is a good one. The MSRP on the DAVFR8 is 699.99 and I got a price match on it so the final cost is just above $520. And, I still get a $200. rebate from Sony.

It seems the 50WE655 will not be much different in PQ from the 610.

Please send any comments.

Thank!
Alan

Under $2600 is pretty good. By me most of the retailers dropped the 50" from $3300 to $3000 a couple of weeks ago. I went to a few with a Sony article from the internet saying how the price should be $3000 for the upcoming GWIV in September, and I said I'd take the current GWIII for 15% off or otherwise I might as well wait for the GWIV to come out next month. One retailer pulled up the stock number of the GWIV and said they would be selling it for $3300 next month, so they won't give me anything off on the current GWIII. I tried the same tactic at BB who was giving away a free X-Box last week with a purchase of a large TV, and the guy had to call in the manager. He wouldn't give me 15% off like I asked, but he knocked off $200 from the $2960 price, so I got the 50" for $2760 plus a free X-box. I could still use the $200 Sony coupon if I buy a Sony stero system. I'll have to see. I'm happy with the deal I got though even though others might get better deals.

I get the GWIII delivered Thursday. Just in time for football season. :D I'm just glad the shopping for a HDTV is done. I'm sick of reading all the pros and cons over all the different brands and technologies. The GWIII isn't perfect, but it seems to fit my needs and do the job better for my needs than all the other brands I looked at. The JVC D-ILA was tempting, but now after reading more conflicting opinions about it and seeing it at different stores with varried results, the GWIII seemed like the safer and more reliable way to go. Cheaper too :) I'm just happy that I'll finally be able to enjoy a HDTV instead of contstantly shopping for one.

Originally posted by alanpgh
I think you'll find that the current WE610 GWIII has a 100W bulb, and the new WE655 has a 120W bulb. However, you are probably correct that when the bulb is replaced, it is with a 120W bulb.
And, yes the 10% difference with the WF line would indicate that they are using a 132W bulb (a strange wattage).

Still, does anyone know when the WE655's will be in stock. Hyp Audio claims they already have them in stock. Another post said one of the Best Buy stores expected them by Sept. 6. Does anyone have any other information about availability?

Thanks,
Alan

Not sure I am following you on GWIII wattage. Are you saying the replacement for the GWIII is 120 watts?

If so, anyone know the wattage of the replacement OSRAM's Sony was sending out? Got one sitting in my closet.

"Blocky transitions in HD
Hi everyone. I've noticed really bad blockiness (pixelization) during scene transitions and scense with lots of action (such as waterfalls).

Only in HD, OTA and DirecTv HD. No problems with DVDs or SD.

Anyone else have or heard of this issue on the GWIII's? I have a 42" model.

Does the set need to go back?"


No, your tv does not need to go back. Your sattelite provider does though! :) That is a problem with your cable signal and the signal is too weak to handle the really quick transitions and movement. So, call your sattelite provider and tell them. Your tv is fine. :)

I have a couple GW IIIs and I never have this pixelization problem with my Comcast cable HD. :D

Originally posted by crashairlines
He wouldn't give me 15% off like I asked, but he knocked off $200 from the $2960 price, so I got the 50" for $2760 plus a free X-box. I could still use the $200 Sony coupon if I buy a Sony stero system. I'll have to see. I'm happy with the deal I got though even though others might get better deals. I've been shopping for this set for a while now (I made me final decision to get the GWIII-50 in July), and that is the best price I've seen from a major retailer. I haven't seen it for less than $2900. Though I would take $2900 and 0% financing in a heartbeat :).

I'm waiting to see if the prices drop on the GWIIIs, but I hope I don't wait too long until the GWIVs come out and the prices stay high.

-jim

Your not going to see the GW III drop a whole lot more than that. If you're sure you're buying one i'd jump at it now while it's still available. A lot of stores are running out stock quickly.

For those that are waiting for the prices to fall, it does happen (or I was just lucky)! I went to a local retailer in the Twin Cities area and found it for $600 off of MSRP. It was a managers special for one day but at least it does happen :p Needless to say that was too good a price to walk away from and after price matching and such, got a few other things at a cheaper price and came home to await delivery later in the evening of my new GWIII. As a bonus a friend of mine gave me a HD receiver he was not using and I was able to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics and WOWO!!! So beautiful.

Anyhow, prices are starting to crack. I have seen it happen though I am not too sure if it will get lower or I just got lucky!

"No, your tv does not need to go back. Your sattelite provider does though! That is a problem with your cable signal and the signal is too weak to handle the really quick transitions and movement. So, call your sattelite provider and tell them. Your tv is fine."

This would not explain the blockiness with OTA. Could be that the OTA signal is also weak.

Yes, you can have blockiness with OTA HD as well.

The reason is the HD signal has to be very strong to show all the detail of the HD signal. Therefore an HD signal is very prone to blockiness or breakup if the signal is weakened at all. So, any little blip in the signal results in blockiness.

My 50" GWIII will be delivered later today. Got a good price from Sears and one year no payments or interest. But, I did take the extended service policy just to be safe. Also, the best stand for these Sony LCD RPTV's in my opinion is the Tech Craft SWE50 (for the 50") and SWE42 (for the 42"). Well-priced also. Sears stocks the SWE50 but not the SWE42.

Also, the comment above about wanting to get the Home Theater with the $200. rebate. The rebate states that the Sony HDTV and Home Theater must be purchased on the same receipt. See link below:
http://www.sonystyle.com/intershoproot/eCS/Store/en/documents/rebates/hdvaluepack_xbr.pdf

This rebate is good for purchases through August 29, 2004.

Good Luck!

Alan

Originally posted by alanpgh
My 50" GWIII will be delivered later today. Got a good price from Sears and one year no payments or interest. But, I did take the extended service policy just to be safe. Also, the best stand for these Sony LCD RPTV's in my opinion is the Tech Craft SWE50 (for the 50") and SWE42 (for the 42"). Well-priced also. Sears stocks the SWE50 but not the SWE42.


The SWE50 also works with the 60". I have it with mine and I agree, this stand is the best IMO and not too expensive.

Hi all. I feel like such a loser asking this question. I've had my GWIII for two weeks and am navigating around with relative ease.

Just had Comcast out this morning to install Hi-Definition. The installers left while the box was still downloading. They mentioned that I would still need to enable DVI. Where is DVI enabled? Or is it enabled automatically?

Fradog68

Did the installer say if it was with the cable service or on the Sony?

If its on the Sony, just be sure that your DVI input is active. In the menu, you can switch on and off different inputs so that when your changing inputs, you're not slowed down by inputs that are not being used.

Every cable company and box could be different. However, I would just try using a DVI cable. It's quite likely that it will work. If it doesn't just return the cable and wait until your cable company offers this option.

I was told by my cable people that the DVI output would not work as they had not "enabled" it. When I hooked up a DVI cable it worked like a charm. :)

Comcast has the DVI on in my area. They turned it on in May via a firmware update. Comcast will not supply the cable. If enabled in your part of the US, the installers probably were referring to you buying the cable and hooking it up. DVI is Video 7. I am using it and it looks a bit better than component. I went with the ultra expensive Monster Cable. Long story, was going to just "check out" DVI then bring it back and get a cheaper one if I liked it. I liked it so much I never brought the cable back.

LarryJoe. I'm thinking you nailed it. According to the manual, DVI-HDTV is assigned to Video 7. I'll give that a shot. Thanks!

Width of Sony 60" XBR (KDF-60XBR950)

I am seriously considering the purchase of the Sony KDF-60XBR950 60" XBR, but have found conflicting information on its width.

My HT cabinet opening is 63-1/8" wide. I've seen several widths on other posts and web sites that go up to 67" wide. The Sony web site states the set is 63" wide. I've not yet found a B&M store with a 60" on display I can measure.

So please, will an owner of a 60" XBR measure the exact width of their set and post a reply? Thanks!

Originally posted by JimF_NJ
I've been shopping for this set for a while now (I made me final decision to get the GWIII-50 in July), and that is the best price I've seen from a major retailer. I haven't seen it for less than $2900. Though I would take $2900 and 0% financing in a heartbeat :).

I'm waiting to see if the prices drop on the GWIIIs, but I hope I don't wait too long until the GWIVs come out and the prices stay high.

-jim

BB was offering a free X-Box or 0% financing, even after I got them to drop $200 in the price. Since I got him to come down to $2760, I figured I'd buy it now just in case they run out of 50" GWIIIs and start selling GWIVs. BB also offers something like 30 days to get the difference refunded if they lower their price for less than what you paid in the next 30 days. So if I find an ad by them in the next 30 days for lower than the amount I paid, I can go back and have them refund the difference.

I thought now was the time to do it because GWIV is supposed to come out sometime next month. I'm not sure if my timing was right or not, and others might get better deals or know of better ways to get better deals, but that was my line of thinking anyway. I can't wait to start seeing some HDTV football.

Originally posted by Tigerriot
The reason is the HD signal has to be very strong to show all the detail of the HD signal.

Not really. Digital OTA broadcasts are much like digital satellite broadcasts- they either work or they don't. I have a very weak ABC station, but as long as I can get the signal strength over about 40 (on my receiver), the picture is beautiful. The PQ is just as good as the other OTA stations that register 100 on the signal meter.

When the signal strength gets too low - it's quite obvious. The picture starts breaking up badly just like rain fade on a satellite system.

Gary,

The XBR is 63 in wide...a tight fit for sure. I also measured 39-5/8 high. A possible downside of cabinet mounting is the bass speaker is a ported unit that fires out of the rear of the set. This and the need for ventilation will likely dictate the rear of your cabinet be as open as possible. Hope this helps.

Dave

I have had a 50" for about 10 months. Replaced the bulb several months back. Now the Display will only show thin vertical jagged lines. No matter the input, comp, rca, etc. Funny thing is that it will display the menu fine.

Anyone else have a similar problem? Obviously a decoder board or similar has blown. Thanks for any advice. Calling service soon.

Matt

DaveDubya:
Thank you for the reply. My cabinet is 24" deep with a solid back. With the 60" XBR, there will be an 18" open space above the TV. Does the set put off enough heat that I may have a problem?

My KF-50WE610 was delivered today from Sears with the Tech Craft SWE50 stand.

All I can say is WOW! The HD channels look superb, and the SD also is fine. The horizontal viewing angle is also quite wide.

This is One Spectacular TV. I have a DVI out from my Scientific Atlanta 3250HD cable box (I have Adelphia Digital Cable). The HD is Super Spectacular.

I do have one question that I'll probably be able to answer myself by tomorrow. But, here goes anyway:
When I turn on the TV, it takes about 20 sec. to come on, which is as I expected. It seems to default to the DVI input (Video 7), but for some reason I get snow on the screen as it takes a few minutes to recognize the DVI Video 7 input. Has anyone else had this problem and solved it?
Also, is there a way I can get the TV to default to another input, such as Video 1, when I turn the set on? I tried setting the channel menu to Video 1 (instead of OFF), but it still tries to default to the Video 7 DVI input which takes a few minutes to recognize the DVI signal. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,
Alan

Alan

When your set is turned on, it should return to the last input selected.

When you say that you tried setting the channel menu to Video 1, where are you talking about.

Also about the noise on DVI, try switching channels and see if it locks into a signal. Do you get sound when you see the noise?

That HD-Snow (as I like to call it) I think is the negotiation between the TV and the STB. For my HD Tivo it's non-existent. For my Samsung 931 it's about 5 seconds.

So I'd say it's box, not TV related?

Alan,

The TV should be on the the last input you were using when you last turned it off (like JimP said). Also, you can rename those inputs in one of the setup menus (I've got "Satellite" for Video7, "DVD" for Video6, etc...). You can also skip the inputs you are not using, which makes cycling through them go a little faster.

I get no "snow" when I turn mine on - got a Samsung TS360 satellite receiver.

Enjoy your new GWIII - it's a great TV!

Gary W,

These sets are exactly like a slide projector. The bulb in the XBR is twice the size of the one in my Kodak Ektagraphic! Do not let the quiet fan fool you. I would highly recommend opening up the cabinet back opposite the fan duct. Also, on the menu screen, select Setup. At the bottom is "high altitude". Turning this on will run the fans at a higher speed. Enclosing these sets should be fine if one is careful to provide for cooling and remember the bass speaker is in the back. Enjoy!

Dave

I'm going to purchase a KF-50WE610 this weekend and wanted to get some thoughts on what people use to connect what and some feedback on my plans. Here's what I'm going to be connecting:

HD Cable Box - DVI
DVD - Component
PS 2 - Component
VCR - S Video

I'm also thinking of connecting my desktop and/or laptop. Any thoughts on what people use for this is appreciated. I read a few threads regarding types of cables to use. The consensus seemed to be that the AR cables are just as good as Monster. Did I interpret this correctly? Also, what is the difference between single and dual link DVI cables? Which one is preferred?

It looks like you've got your setup just about perfect IMO.

I don't know jack about the pc connection though. :p

I just picked up a new 42WE620 last night and I must say I'm pretty impressed. I was set to buy the 42WE610 but I was told it had been discontinued and that this was it's replacement.

I looked them over in depth at the store and I was unable to tell any difference other than the color change of the cabinet from dark grey to silver.

Does anyone know if there are any other differences between these two sets?

Originally posted by Dan Martin
Does anyone know if there are any other differences between these two sets?
I think the new 620s models no longer have the memory stick slot. This is one reason why the 620s are cheaper than the 610s (at MSRP launch price).

Of course, we now know that the 610s had a major price drop this week of about 22% (as noted in my other recent thread). I don't think there is any major differences in Picture Quality between the 610s and the newer 620s.

However, I think/hope that the newer 620s will have corrected some of the bugs/issues found with the 610s.

Thanks for the reply.

I didn't even know there was a memory stick reader on the 610. Not that it matters really because I don't have any memory sticks but if I did my HTPC has a 5-in-1 reader.

I took a quick glance through the service menu last night and I didn't notice the MID1,2,3, or 4 categories. I'm probably just not looking in the right place but I'll check it out and report back today.

Thanks for the advice on the DVI connection. Yes, when I turn on the TV, it comes up with the last input that was active just before turning it off, which might be the DVI input, Video 7. I always get the audio. The snow disappears when I select an HD channel. It seems to require that I go to a channel with an HD signal to get the DVI to lock in. Once locked, it will also lock on a SD channel. A little strange but workable.

Also, the date of manufacture was July 2004. The sticker says it was assembled in the U.S. I understand these sets are made in the Sony Plant in New Stanton, PA, near Pittsburgh where I live.

Thanks,
Alan

alanpgh

Sounds like its the Voom receiver. Do you have it (the Voom receiver)set for native pass through(for resolution)?

What is the Voom receiver? Are you talking about something in the Sony unit or the cable TV decoder, which is a Scientific Atlanta 3250HD.

Also, here's one more comment:
The HD picture is spectacular and the SD is very good, as I mentioned previously. Another super feature is the Twin Screen mode of the KF-50WE610, where I push this setting on the remote and I get two feeds on the screen at the same time. I can select the audio I want with the remote. What makes this so useful for me is that I have a Series 1 Tivo from Dec. 2001 on a lifetime subscriptions plan (no monthly fee.). I can split screen the HD or SD channel and the Tivo and select which on I want to watch. Cool feature!

Any comments on the "Voom receiver" or anything else are appreciated.

Thanks,
Alan

Can someone who owns a KF-50WE610 measure the width and depth of the base for me? I want to check if my current stand will work or if I need to buy a new one with the TV. Thanks :).

Alan

My bad. Reading way too many post. Voom is a satellite company similar to Direct and Dish. Got your question about static confused with another post.

I've heard of Voom, but I didn't know how it related to my problem (which doesn't seem to be a problem anymore). Anyway, I understand, I've also been reading too many posts!

Thanks,
Alan

One more comment on my KF-50WE610:

I think the reason I am getting such good SD (as well as spectacular HD) is that I am using the DVI output from my Scientific Atlanta 3250HD Cable Box as the input to the DVI-in connector of the Sony KF-50WE610. Of course, I ran separate RCA audio cables since DVI doesn't handle audio.

So far, so good with the 610!

Alan

Originally posted by JimF_NJ
Can someone who owns a KF-50WE610 measure the width and depth of the base for me? I want to check if my current stand will work or if I need to buy a new one with the TV. Thanks :).

The base width is 39 3/4" and depth 18".

I was looking through the service menu of my 42WE620 last night and it's still the same as the 610's.

This is all on a Sony KF-50WE610

Alright... I have a goofy question. I asked this over in the HDTV Hardware forum, but haven't seen a decent reply.

I finally got all my equipment, my DirecTV HD tuner, OTA antenna, etc... For a few days I was using my RF connection to view everything.. which wasn't a true HD signal. Last night, I picked up a DVI cable so I could finally get the OTA HD picture and watch a bit of the olympics. Hooked it up to my TV, flipped to the correct input and all I see are blotchy colors and pixelation. The best explanation I have seen to explain it is it's like a Van Gogh painting... or an interlacing problem.. something just isn't right.

I thought it might have been a HD problem, even though I was getting a 100% signal from WOWT, and flipped over a non-HD DirecTV channel... The same thing was happening. Blotchy colors, pixelation, etc...

I tried snapping a few pics and it gives some indication into what I'm seeing... Mind you, the blotchyness is a lot more noticeable when looking right at it, the picture doesn't show much... but I posted them on my website, so have a look and tell me what you think.

http://www.mazda6club.com/absolut/discoloration.jpg
http://www.mazda6club.com/absolut/discoloration1.jpg
http://www.mazda6club.com/absolut/discoloration2.jpg

I've been through all my picture settings with an AVIA DVD, Is it a bad DVI cable? It's a Monster DVI400.

Is there a setting I am missing here? Thoughts?

I'm using the DVI input and do not notice any blotchyness. I have a Scientific Atlanta 3250HD set tope box from my cable company, Adelphia.

No problems so far. By the way, the mfg. date of my 610 is July 2004.

Good Luck!

Alan

Absolut

How does your DVI picture compare to component?

I haven't tried component yet... I was going to give it a go tonight after not having any luck with DVI.

Originally posted by Absolut
This is all on a Sony KF-50WE610

Alright... I have a goofy question. I asked this over in the HDTV Hardware forum, but haven't seen a decent reply.

I finally got all my equipment, my DirecTV HD tuner, OTA antenna, etc... For a few days I was using my RF connection to view everything.. which wasn't a true HD signal. Last night, I picked up a DVI cable so I could finally get the OTA HD picture and watch a bit of the olympics. Hooked it up to my TV, flipped to the correct input and all I see are blotchy colors and pixelation. The best explanation I have seen to explain it is it's like a Van Gogh painting... or an interlacing problem.. something just isn't right.



I can pass on what I heard at my local SoundTrack. They said that the HD feed for the Olympics via DirectTV that they were using was pretty bad and apologized for the quality of the picture. It looked OK on still images, but got very blocky on anything moving, such as the lane ropes in the swimming pool as the camera panned. I didn't get any details, but the problem was obvious on every set they had, so I think it must be related to how DirectTV is picking up the NBC HD and then beaming it back down again.

Originally posted by jjdenver
I can pass on what I heard at my local SoundTrack. They said that the HD feed for the Olympics via DirectTV that they were using was pretty bad and apologized for the quality of the picture. It looked OK on still images, but got very blocky on anything moving, such as the lane ropes in the swimming pool as the camera panned. I didn't get any details, but the problem was obvious on every set they had, so I think it must be related to how DirectTV is picking up the NBC HD and then beaming it back down again.

I am not using the DirecTV Olympic feed... this is from OTA.

Howdy all,

I am a satisfied owner of a Sony GWIII set for just about a year now but have recently run into a bit of a nuiscance-problem. Last night while watching the Olympics I kept hearing a high-pitched squeaky noise at intermittent intervals.

I shut off everything in the room and am certain it was coming from the TV. Even after I powered off the set I would still hear the squeak so my uneducated guess is that it is the fan that is making the noise. Has anybody else had this problem? Am I wrong in assuming it is the fan making the noise?

Thanks

It takes 2-3 min for the fan to shut down. I would get someone with good ears to get in the back & check. This would not be good for the bulb if you have a problem. You can change fan speed by changing altitude to high = on=( higher speed ) or off slower speed.

I have had the KF-50WE610 for about a week. I had high hopes, which were much more than exceeded. This set is nothing short of spectacular!
The HD is great with wide viewing angle, and the SD is very good, much better than I thought it would be. It's one of those things where you think it just can't get any better, but I'm sure with the advance of technology, it will get better! For example when the 1920X1080 sets come out, I'm sure they will be even more spectacular. But, that's down the road. You can wait forever, but for me, it was time to jump in!

Sony managed to get the little things right in the GWIII product, and I'm sure there will be more subtle changes. Yes, the blacks can get slightly better, but the GWIII is still spectacular!

Also, fine adjustments, such as vertical screen size and position are available to tweak the screen for SD in zoom mode to make sure items such as cable menus are not cut off. You can even change the labels displayed for the various video inputs. I renamed Video 7 as HD, so when someone in my family is selecting video inputs, all they need to remember is to select the HD input.

In short, one great set!. No rainbows, viewing angle problems, or some of the other complaints people seem to have about some of the DLP sets. Nothing is perfect, but this is mighty close! And getting it on a Price Match from Sears for just under $2600. and a Home theater (Sony DAVFR8) for just under $520, plus a $200. mail-in rebate was spectacular. And, I took out the Sony 5 year extended warranty just to be safe so I can get in-home service when the bulb blows out or some other problems occur.

Please excuse my over-enthusiasm, but all I can say is WOW!

Thanks for all your advice!

Alan

I broke down and bought a KF-50WE610 from CC w/extened warrenty.
I was going to wait for the new Panny DLP's but anyway. The reason I'm posting is that when I turn on the TV the whole left hand side of the screen has a red glow to it. This happens on all inputs. Sometimes it's the entire screen but mostly on the left. When I turn the TV off right away and turn it back on the green light blinks about 20 times and I get the same red glow. If I leave the TV turned on for about 3-5 minutes turn it off and back on the redness goes away. Could it be the TV has to warm up or something? I doubt this is normal? Can anyone expalin whats going on?

I called CC and since it's a new TV within 30 days they are going to send me another one. But I would hate to see that one have the same issue or even something worse.

I only use this tv mostly for watching DVD's.

I haven't seen this problem at all. Probably just a bad unit. Check the manufacture date on the back of the TV.

Good Luck!

Alan

gstepp22,

I'd recommend that you return it immediately. Even if it is related to the bulb warming up, you shouldn't have to turn the TV off and back on to fix the picture on any properly functioning TV...even those with the GWIII's history of bulb problems.

-Jeff

If anyone is waiting to pull the trigger on a GWIII 50", check out gotapex.com. They have a very good onecall.com deal listed.

I just ordered.

Thanks to everyone here for all of the great information.

It looks to me that you got a great deal! $2586.29 delivered plus $100. gift certificate from OneCall plus maybe a 1% discount of $24.42 for being a OneCall PASS Program member. A very good deal!

Also, if you buy one of the Sony Home Theaters, such as the DAVFR8, on the same receipt as the GWIII before Aug. 29, you can get a $200. rebate from Sony for buying the GWIII 50" and the sound system. OneCall seems to have these sound systems on 10% discount.

Keep us posted, and Good Luck!

Alan

Originally posted by mats038
The base width is 39 3/4" and depth 18". Thanks :).

Originally posted by alanpgh
It looks to me that you got a great deal! $2586.29 delivered plus $100. gift certificate from OneCall plus maybe a 1% discount of $24.42 for being a OneCall PASS Program member. A very good deal!

Also, if you buy one of the Sony Home Theaters, such as the DAVFR8, on the same receipt as the GWIII before Aug. 29, you can get a $200. rebate from Sony for buying the GWIII 50" and the sound system. OneCall seems to have these sound systems on 10% discount.

Keep us posted, and Good Luck!

Alan


Hi, Alan and all -

Yes...that was the deal, including the 1% PASS discount. (I did not order one of the sound systems. They have too few inputs and features for my tastes. I have my eye on the STRDE997 receiver, though, which up-converts composite and S-video to component. I prefer doing my switching through a receiver if possible.)

Actually, if you check Pricegraber today, a few places have even undercut Onecall, even factoring in the gift certificate. (The GC has some limitations...can't be used on "best price" deals.)

I had been waiting for the GWIV, but I decided instead to get the GWIII and apply the price difference to the Sony HDD500 set-top/HD DVR when that arrives this fall. It has the tuner and CableCard that are missing from the GWIII, plus the obvious additional features.

I'm going to start working with PowerStrip to get my PC w/ nVidia 5200 card ready. I plan to use that over DVI as my prog scan DVD player, at least at first. Unfortunately, the links to the Excel sheet and the INF file in the Tweakers thread seem broken.

The set should arrive within the week via ABF. It's "curbside" delivery, so I'm a bit concerned about scheduling. I'm in an apartment building, but it sounded like they won't even bring it into the lobby.

- Patrick

Patrick

The deal is terrific! Let us know how things go after the GWIII arrives.

Good Luck!

Alan

I'm looking to get a new HD and I like the GWIII. However, I'm concerned about the bulb/circuitry problems. I know it's speculation but do you think Sony will have fixed this on the GWIV. Should I hold out for the GWIV or buy the GWIII while it's priced right? I, like most, would like to avoid any problems if possible. For a good while, my viewing will be in SD and dvds. Compared to Samsung's HLP, I think the GWIII is better in SD but maybe the HLP in HD. Thoughts? I just can't go another football season without a larger TV. What to do?

goumpa

The bulb circuitry thing was fixed months ago.

I prefer the GWIII over the Samsung, so I'm probably not the most objective person around. I too feel that the GWIII outperforms the Samsung on SD.

As to whether you should jump on a GWIII or wait for a GWIV. I guess this all depends on how good a deal you can negotiate and if your would be willing to pay more for what might be a small to negligible difference.

Until some of our forum members get their hands on a GWIV, who really knows what if any real difference exist.

Has any other GWIII owner noticed that you can't do PIP with 2 component inputs? Any time I use PIP, the right side video will only cycle through internal tuner, and the first 2 composite inputs when I use the TV/Video button on the remote. I can not access my HD cable box on the right picture. Any reason why it works this way? Also does anyone know if there are codes for a programmable remote that allows for the direct selection of the input without cycling through them?

You are correct, this is not possible. My guess is the TV can not handle the display of two HD sources at once, even if one is a DVD and not HD, the component source flags that the signals it could be HD.

This limitation is in the manual.

holabar

If this is to work on a universal remote,yes. Check out remotecentral.com

well they better damn well have the problem fixed on the 3s before worrying about the gw4 model--i dont intend as a gw111 owner(42 inch) to be left in limbo holding the bag-im on my 3rd lamp in 9 months-1st lasted 8 months-1500 hrs-went dim in 2 days--new osram was dead out of the box-blinked 24 times b4 turning on -if at all--new sony philips B version sony sent= so far so good-my warranty is up nov.am i expected to pay for new lamps 2x a yr because of sonys bad lamp problem?i see a massive class action suit in sonys future regarding these faulty lamps--the problem is that they rush these things to market for the money before they have been fully tested--and WE the guinea pigs have to suffer for it-PS by the way--the replacement lamps are only warrantied for the remaining time left on the tv warranty--i think sony expects to make more on the lamps than on the tv in the long run

My 70" Grand Wega finally came in and I had been enoying it this past week. However, this morning when I turned it on there was a solid red line running vertically down the middle of the screen. It looks like a whole vertical row of lcd's are not working correctly. Guess I will be giving Sony a call tomorrow. Any clue as to what this problem is? I haven't seen any other posts relating to this problem.

Thanks for help,
Jason Gary

I love my GWIII, KF-50WE610. But, I can tell you I took out a 5 year in-home service contract from Sears (where I bought the GWIII) just to take care of potential problems that might occur on this type of somewhat sophisticated, new, electronics.

Well, I finally got my 50" GWIII over the weekend. I say finally because I've been researching RPTVs for well over a year, and reading this thread for most of that time. I think I'm happy with it. It just came yesterday, so I haven't had much time to play around yet. I am thrilled with how it works with my DVD player via component (my last TV only had Line In) inputs, and am getting HD installed tomorrow. The SD looks a lot worse than I had anticipated. But most of the stuff I watch will be available in HD, so that won't be a problem soon.

I wasn't going to buy the service plan, but I got such a good deal on the set from BB that I went with their 4-year plan. The more I think about it, the more happy I am that I did. I don't know what I'd do if I had bought a $2,700 TV and then ended up with one of the problems I read about in this thread almost on a daily basis.

-jim

You will love your GWIII. The HD looks spectacular. The SD looks much better than on most RPTVs!

Good Luck!

What STAND are you using for your 42" GWIII and where did you get it?

davidos

I like the Tech Craft SWE42 and the Sanus PFPL. I think they both look better than the Sony and barely half the cost. Not to metion more component room.

I have a 50" GWIII and have the Tech Craft SWE50 stand. For the 42", the model is the Tech Craft SWE42. Check out www.techcraft.net.
These are very nice and well--priced stands designed for the look of the GWIIIs.

Alan

the Tech Craft website seems down.... What is the correct url? Thanks! Also, where did you all purchase your Tech Craft stands from?

Originally posted by davidos
What STAND are you using for your 42" GWIII and where did you get it?

I had more problem finding a stand than the tv. I wanted something no higher than 20". In the end I had it custom mad by BillyBags and it did cost way too much.

Try www.techcraft.net again.
The parser for the AVSForum web site included the "." in the URL name. This time it should work.

I bought the GWIII 50" TV and the Tech Craft SWE50 stand from a local Sears store. Sears stocks the Tech Craft 50" stand, but I'm not sure if they stock the SWE42. Check www.pricegrabber.com and search for SWE42. I think J&R (www.jandr.com) stocks it.

Good Luck, and let us know how all of this works out.

Alan

Anyone know what the optical unit is on the 70" Grand Wega? That's the part the service center has on order to fix the red vertical line on my television. I didn't get a chance to personally talk to the tech and ask what it is. They may have also called it the optical system, I can't quite remember which was said.

Thanks for help,
Jason Gary

I just got my GWIII 43" and was wondering what type of surge protectors (if any) other owners are using. Do you also need a coax protector? I have Comcast cable split to feed the RF-in on the Sony and the Comcast HD box, which in turn is connected via component cables to the GWIII. Is there any real differences in the protectors ranging from the $6.97 Walmart special to the $30 to $100 Belkin units. What should a person look for in a decent protector. And finally, in the event of a surge, is the set covered under the extended warranty?

Sears told me the set is covered under their extended warranty.

I didn't even think of surge protection. I've got a power strip now, but I don't know how much surge protection is built into it, maybe none.

Luckily for me one of our subsidiaries is an electrical distributor, and I just called them and they're overnighting me a hardcore surge protector :).

You MIGHT want to consider a 250+ watt uninterruptable power supply. Not only does it function as a surge protector, but it will keep the fan running and prossibly save the bulb when then power fails.

I've got my 42we610 on an uninterruptable power supply which also has surge protection built in to it. This way I'm covered if the power goes out during TV viewing. The fan can still run after I turn the set off.

I have a question about the best feed for HD and for SD on a 50" GWIII.

For HD, the DVI does a great job.
For SD, I get some background noise on the DVI feed but seem to do better on the channel 3 modulated feed. I am going to switch to a component feed for SD.

Also, will a good surge suppressor (a Monster or something cheaper) help reduce the video noise?

Any other sugestions that have worked for any of you.

Thanks,
Alan

I posted it in another thread, but figured I'd post here as well.

Has anyone ever had a spider get into their GWIII, and spin all sorts of web? I'm in that position now and am unsure what to do. I'm tempted to take apart my set and clean it myself, as opposed to paying to get it done. Am I being crazy here? Should I just pay to have it done?

Thanks,

Marty

mnelson

Are you out of warranty? If not, then I'd call Sony or whoever is carrying the warranty.

I'm still under manu. warranty, as the TV's only a couple of months old, I didnt buy an extended warranty, and Sony denied service. Leaving it all up to me. That's a shocker huh?

EDIT:

Here's links to my posts on it:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=438285
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=435617

With respect to SD over DVI. I recommend splitting the incoming cable so that it runs to the RF input of the TV and to cable box. (forget the loopthru stuff on the back of the TV) The GWIII has a great built in tuner for SD. I have had an HD cable box replaced because of bad SD. The one I had didn't take a software upgrade.(cable cos send overnight) If you have cable problems call them as you are paying for perfect reception. Demand it.

Originally posted by alanpgh
And, I took out the Sony 5 year extended warranty just to be safe so I can get in-home service when the bulb blows out or some other problems occur.

Please excuse my over-enthusiasm, but all I can say is WOW!

Thanks for all your advice!

Alan

Glad to hear you're happy with your GWIII, Alan. I've had my 50WE610 for about 10 months now and still love it...no complaints.

One thing to be sure of on your extended warranty...read the fine print to see if it actually covers the bulb. I bought a service contract from Tweeter that covers failure of any part but "replaceable/consumable" items like the bulb.

I bought from Tweeter as well and they told me up front it wouldn't include the bulb. I don't think anyone covers the bulb on extended warranties.

-Ken

Just received delivery of the 50WE610 from Tweeter. At the time of purchase they said Tweeter was considering whether to modify their extended warranties to include the bulb replacement. If they do, I will be grandfathered.

Does anyone use the StudioTech DP-2 stand for the 50WE610? From what I can tell it would better serve my needs than other stands. I bought the TechCraft SWE50 from Tweeter but it was damaged upon arrival and the StudioTech DP-2 would seem to work better for my needs.

Originally posted by kenvt
I bought from Tweeter as well and they told me up front it wouldn't include the bulb. I don't think anyone covers the bulb on extended warranties.

-Ken My salesman at Best Buy told me theirs did. I hope so, or I wouldn't have bought it.

Originally posted by kenvt
I bought from Tweeter as well and they told me up front it wouldn't include the bulb. I don't think anyone covers the bulb on extended warranties.

-Ken

Tweeter disclosed this non-coverage up front when I specifically asked about it. I hope I didn't come across as saying they tried to hide it in any way.

However, their warranty does include an annual in-home "tune up" FWIW. In the past, contracts offered by Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. covered repairs only.

Sears claims they include the bulb on their extended warranty. They claim to cover everything that is required to get the TV to operate correctly - including the bulb. They also say they cover things like scratches on the screen. They include annual "tune-up" service also. It's a rather expensive warrantee though. $399 for three years, $599 for five years. Cancel anytime for a prorated refund.

Anyone used Samsung's dvd hd-841 with dvi out on the GWIII? Since the tv is going to upconvert anyway is it worth it just to be able to use the dvi output. Or would a better player, Onkyo, Dennon, etc. with component outs be as good. With all Samsung is offering in this player at that price makes me wonder what's lacking with the internal components. Thoughts?

Best Buy said their warranty specifically covers the bulb. Not sure about Circuit City.

Sears, where I bought my 50" GWIII, said they cover everything, including the bulb. They said also new this year, they cover power surges. I took the $599., 5 year policy and consider it money well spent, since replacing the bulb once can cost $300. or so anyway.

Alan

Here are 2 nice stands for 50"-60" Sony GW lcds.The TechCraft PTV-582 is from CC and is 58" wide with 3 glass shelves.It's 20" tall(about perfect for normal sitting heights).
The Bush VS74377 at BB is the same price(3 c-notes) and is 22.8" tall,58" wide and a little deeper than the TC(24"-Bush....vs20" TC).Both are well built and as wide as the TV.I got the TC because I got the TV at CC.Otherwise I'd have gotten the Bush(though it looks a little more industrial),bit the extra depth is nice for components.

My GWIII 50" arrived from Onecall today. I am quite impressed.

I have the Motorola 6208 Hi-Def / DVR box (80GB) from Comcast. I'm running that into Video 5 and saving the DVI for my PC.

Wow. It seems better than in the store. The birghtness was my only concern given the large windows I have in this room, but it's fine. I don't perceive it as being dimmer than the 27" Sony CRT it is replacing.

Right after I ordered, I saw a GWIII next to a Samsung 5685 at Circuit City. That's the first set I saw that was comparable based on my tastes. Other than that, I have always preferred the GWIII. Now that it's here, I'm glad I made the choice.

With the DVR-box from Comcast, I don't regret not waiting for the GWIV. It's a nice unit.

It was delivered via ABF Freight. The box was in very good shape.

I have a Sony NS575P progressive-scan DVD player on its way from Amazon. I'm looking forward to that, and to revisiting some old Laserdiscs.

Off-topic: Is the HD Comcast Sportsnet channel stretched for everyone? Aspect ratios on all other channels seem fine. That one, I can't seem to get to display at 4:3, which the source seems to be.

- Patrick

hello,

anyone know when the new models are coming out? I vaguely remember seeing a post that the next Sony LCD tvs will include an HD tuner. The new models usually come out in the fall right?

thanks,
Tom

igoe:

You will love your GWIII ! The HD is spectacular, and the SD is very good.

Best Wishes!
Alan

Pickup my 42we610 yesterday at a closing price almost haft the msrp whit the 5 years warranty man what a great tv i'm so impress of the OTB picture but of course that will be improve by doing UMR tweak .
So far i'm using a digital cable explorer8000sd pvr and must say that the quality is realy better then expected dvd is amazing can't wait to see real hd on this set i'm getting install next week the hd version off the explorer8000 pvr.

Where can i order the service manual for this tv !!!.

Originally posted by nkm
...Where can i order the service manual for this tv !!!.

Call Sony. They will gladly sell you one.

Anyone here using a toshiba 5109 DVD player with their GWIII? I've seen some talk about which DVD players work best with these televisions, but I'm currently using this old dinosaur. Wondering how it compares to the recommended players. I have it hooked up with the interlace component connections and it looks pretty good to me. My only real complaint about watching DVD's is that no matter how I adjust the TV I can actually see the image compression on them. I didn't really have this problem on my old Toshiba 40" 40x81. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I suspect this is just a result of having a much larger, higher resolution TV. Would a better DVD player help in this respect? Of course, I also have yet to dig into the service menu and do serious tweaking.

Thanks for help,
Jason Gary

Jason,

I use to have a Toshiba SD5109 connected to my GWIII. Gave it to girlfriend who hasn't used it.

In interlaced component it does look pretty good. When I upgraded to a Denon 5900, the picture did improve some, but most notably, the audio improved substantially.

What is the UMR tweak that NKM is referencing?

Originally posted by alanpgh
What is the UMR tweak that NKM is referencing?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=331875

Originally posted by Tom123
hello,

anyone know when the new models are coming out? I vaguely remember seeing a post that the next Sony LCD tvs will include an HD tuner. The new models usually come out in the fall right?

thanks,
Tom

Here is a preview of it, it also shows 2 sites that say they have them in stock...

C-Net Preview (http://reviews.cnet.com/Sony_KDF_50WE655/4505-6484_7-30787621.html?tag=lst)

I can't wait, my Sony KF-60WE610 arrives in 2 days. Just got my Directtv hooked up and ordered the football package. Got the Sony stand to go along with it.

Any hints on initial set up or things to look out for? Should I think about doing the UMR tweeks?

Take a look at the Tech Craft SWE50 stand at www.techcraft.net

I think Sears has it or you can get it from many places by mail order.
I have one for my 50", and it is very stylish. Made by Tech Craft for the KF-50WE610, but I have seen postings here that it also works for the 60".

I did well without the UMR tweaks. But, I have begun to use the UMR tweaks, and it looks like a good approach. You may want to download the PDF from http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/atta...&postid=4152421

I'm sure you will love your Sony HDTV!

Good Luck!
Alan

Originally posted by alanpgh
... the UMR tweaks, and it looks like a good approach. You may want to download the PDF from ...

I would hope so.:D

UMR:

You are a wizard! Thanks so much for your help!

I have a question?
Do I need the THX Optimizer DVD to do some of the tweaks?
Or can I use DVD Essentials or the Avia DVD for this purpose?

Thanks,
Alan

Originally posted by alanpgh
UMR:

You are a wizard! Thanks so much for your help!

I have a question?
Do I need the THX Optimizer DVD to do some of the tweaks?
Or can I use DVD Essentials or the Avia DVD for this purpose?

Thanks,
Alan

You do not need THX Optimizer. I list that because I like it and many people have it already in their DVD collection. DVE or Avia can work as well, but DVE can be difficult to navigate.