Well since everyones finally getting these sets its time to start a thread for tweaks/problems/help and observations.

My story, I currently own the 60XBR800. Ive been looking to buy something that better fits my living/space situation, and being the loving son I am would donate my 60" to my parents who have the space.

Yesterday I was at a certain retail store inquiring/viewing the various LCD's. Luckily I was speaking with the dept. mgr and just when I mentioned the new Sony's he said they had just received the display unit and it was still in the box.

I bought it on the spot, the 50"GWIII for an excellent price, $XXXX.(Im assuming I can say that as I didnt mention the store?)

Anyways, its sitting in my living room and it looks great!

So far:
-I like the look, for me at least it looks cleaner and less obtrusive. Esepcially noticeable once I set up the rest of the components.
-The blacks are excellent, much improved out of the box. IMO they look black, not blue or purple.
-The colors are much more vibrant, there seems to less less of a vale in front of the picthure.
-The brightness is incredible, some is contrbuted to the smaller size but it is really impressive.
-I like the new screen. At first I was hesitant with my light situation and glare but i was pleased at the reduction in reflections with the GWIII screen.
-I hate the remote, it feels like a rebagged RadioShack remote, lol. For some this might be a problem but I use a Universal so I wont even use this one.
-The SD is rough, obviously, but i persoanlly dont/wont use my bigscreen much for SD, Only DVD/Xbox/HD, so again, not a problem.
-There seems to be a little bit of red push, even using cool temp settings its noticeable.
-As always the sets DRC is great. It is actually better than the progressive mode on one of my DVD players(:
-DVI PC connecticity looks amazing. It was truely plug and play, it recognized the make, model and even posted the manufacture date. Initially the reolution is funky and needs work but nevertheless it does work. Im still working out final resolutions with power strip, and as it stands now has a little to much overscan but I am close. I will say a PC using DVI on the GWIII looks every bit as good, maybe even better than any of the LCD monitors I have, Samsung,Viewsonic and Dell.


What Im up to:
-Frist is obviouslly a run with Avia to clean it up some.
-Second is finalizing the PC connection using DVI, ill post suggestions for power strip when im done.
-Third is finding the best DVD player for the set.
-Im even considering an ISF visit.




So thats it everyone. Post away!

Scott in Rochester
[ Edit - Pricing rule http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=300703 ]

Great info. I look forward to hearing your results as I will be getting the 50" in a few days.

I won't feel comfortable doing much tweaking until I hear more about how to benchmark the settings vs. a professional calibration.

Originally posted by Sorven
Great info. I look forward to hearing your results as I will be getting the 50" in a few days.

I won't feel comfortable doing much tweaking until I hear more about how to benchmark the settings vs. a professional calibration.

Sorven,

I'm with you. Anxiously awaiting my 42"er - it's supposed to be in next Saturday - we'll see.

David

Originally posted by compfan
Well since everyones finally getting these sets its time to start a thread for tweaks/problems/help and observations.

Scott in Rochester

Scott,

Just a warning - you COULD turn out to be the UMR of GWIII's. Really looking forward to hearing more.

ENJOY!

David

I'm going to run my 50" GW III through Avia today (tonight), but I've pretty much decided on having an ISF guy come out here. I have two quotes, pretty much the same. I kind of want to wait a month or two, hoping they'll work on at least ONE GW III before mine, but I'm pretty confident they can do a pretty good job on them.

ToutSuite,

I would wait until they can tell you what kind of improvements they "know" they can make.

Originally posted by faceoff
Scott,

Just a warning - you COULD turn out to be the UMR of GWIII's. Really looking forward to hearing more.

ENJOY!

David

Lol, impossible! It was easy to tweak the GWII, just read UMR's instructions. But its difficult/dangerous to figure it out yourself. I dont have the patience or knowledge to do it.

I will pass along anything I find though.

Sorry, I tried to add this to my original post but couldnt.

compfan,
Third is finding the best DVD player for the set.
Strange, why not just use an HTPC. It won't get any better.

Originally posted by compfan
Sorry, I tried to add this to my original post but couldnt.

NICE! How deep is the center channel speaker? I thought that the top of the set wasn't deep enough, or maybe that's just going to be an issue with the 42".

THANKS!

David

Originally posted by rbmcgee
compfan,

Strange, why not just use an HTPC. It won't get any better.

I actually plan on doing that, however. My main PC is not going to be fast enough for HL2/D3,, the next generation of games. It is also not powerful enough to do HD through WM9. Which by the way is amazing, someone I work with is running HD DVD through WM9 and it is stunning! A huge imporvement over 480P, obviously.

With that being said I am waiting for December/January when the Pentium5 is launched and when ATi ships their 9900 cards. The ATI cards have component connections and DVI but the biggest thing is they actually support HD with preset resolutions.

Until then Im looking to upgrade to a very nice DVD player without spending a ton. Ultimately I will use the bigscreen for Xbox/PCgaming/PCHD DVD/HDTV.

compfan, thanks for the picture. Couple of questions...
1. Is your center channel speaker resting on top, or is there something unseen there holding it in place. (I ask because it is so thin at the top of TV)

2. I see your Xbox. Is it noticably better on HDTV?

Keep the pictures coming. I am desperately looking for a stand that would be less "open" than ones I have seen (before the TV arrives). Ideally, it would be a piece of furniture matching the rest of the room. The closest I have seen is the Salamander series, and those are $$$.

Originally posted by faceoff
NICE! How deep is the center channel speaker? I thought that the top of the set wasn't deep enough, or maybe that's just going to be an issue with the 42".

THANKS!

David

My center channel speaker is only 5 inches deep. The top is about 4.5 inches wide so it could accomodate a few extra inches of speaker if necessary.

I dont know how the 42 will go, havent had a chance to see one yet.

Sorry, I was under the impression that you have already "permanently" connected your PC to the TV rather than just a test connect.

In your opinion is it worth waiting for the XBR 60 vs. the non-xbr 60

Originally posted by Sorven
compfan, thanks for the picture. Couple of questions...
1. Is your center channel speaker resting on top, or is there something unseen there holding it in place. (I ask because it is so thin at the top of TV)

2. I see your Xbox. Is it noticably better on HDTV?

Keep the pictures coming. I am desperately looking for a stand that would be less "open" than ones I have seen (before the TV arrives). Ideally, it would be a piece of furniture matching the rest of the room. The closest I have seen is the Salamander series, and those are $$$.

My speaker is just resting on top but it is rather small so its not an issue. The rubber feet on the speaker get rid of any rattle between the two.

Xbox is noticeably better, I mean its obvious with the HD pack. Some games, like Matrix are 720P and look gorgeous. There are a few 1080i games out but it appears the mainstream is going to be 720p. Even SD games look better becuase with the HD pack im using component series 3 monster cables. If your getting an HD set there is no question, get the HD pack. You will love it.

As for the stand, well I needed something a little higher so I bought that. Its a Bello stand, only 250. All glass, cable management system and a newage/modern look which goes with my entire home. The TV is so light you can use about any stand itll fit on so buy what you like.

Originally posted by lgroveman
In your opinion is it worth waiting for the XBR 60 vs. the non-xbr 60

Thats all you bud.

Chances are it will have a better pciture, by how much noone knows, though I cant imagine it will be that far ahead. it does have a pretty nice look to it and the built in tuner would be handy.

But I think the MSRP is like 5500-6000$. Thats a little pricey for me for a TV like this. For that much I would likely buy a new Panny50" plasma.

My only concern would be the 60"WE610 might be a little,,,, less bright because of the large size. The XBR units will have brighter bulbs so they might be as bright as the 42 and 50 WE610.

I had a Philips 55" Cineos on order for over 6 weeks with no target date for delivery and my local Tweeter just got the GW-IIIs in. I spoke to the salesman, he told me I should really come in to see the GW-III (I did not like the 50" GW-II very much). After seeing HdNet on the 42" GW-III and regular DirecTV on the GW-III, I switched the order from the Philips to the 50" GW-III that is in stock. I get the set on Monday, October 6. Have to find someone with a minivan, SUV or truck to go with me to pick it up. They gave me the 10% off that was a sale in effect when I ordered the Philips and gave me the same free OTA STB that was free with the Philips (and the Samsung and Panny LCDs at the time).

Just ordered the HD package from DirecTV and will be getting a Triple LNB dish, DirecTV HD receiver (hopefully it will be the Samsung not the Hughes) and standard installation. Have an installation appointment set for Saturday from 1-5.

Truly amazing - I have a dual LNB dish now with a multiswitch in the basement with a dual cable run to the living room for one TiVo and another cable run to the master bedroom for the other TiVo. According to the DirecTV rep, the installation includes swapping the dish, moving the existing receiver (TiVo) to another room including necessary cable runs, a multiswitch if necessary and hooking up the DirecTV HD receiver to one of the existing cables. Amazing - if they put up the HD dish in addition to the existing dish they could run a single cable for the HD box. But according to the rep, they can't install the HD receiver in the same room as an existing receiver. What a joke. I'll talk to the installer. I suspect that we can come to an understanding. If he has to move the TiVo I'll move it back after he leaves and reroute one of the cables so there are three cables to where the GW-III will be.

Now I'm hoping that the HD TiVo really comes out in March 2004.

Is Wega pronounced Wega (with a W) or Vega (with a V)?

Have just purchased 50" GWIII after comparing it with the Panny 50. The price was the same for both so after reading other favourable threads and checking them both out myself decided on the Sony. My concern at this time is what height of stand is the best to maximize the tv's viewing angles. The Sony stand is pricey and doesn't look to be very good value for the money so I was looking at alternates and found one I liked but I thought it may be a little high at 26" for that set. Any suggestions as to stand heights? I think the Sony stand is about 16" off the floor and I assume that is their recommended height. Thanks for any input.

It's Vega -

Kind of like the composer Wagner (Vagner)

Silly, but true. :cool:

Originally posted by davidjplatt
...I get the set on Monday, October 6. Have to find someone with a minivan, SUV or truck to go with me to pick it up...
You can do what I did (my 50" was due for delivery on Monday, but why miss the whole weekend?) and rent a U-Haul pickup for $19.95. I don't think the box will fit into the back of most SUVs.

Get some rope, too - you'll want to lash the box to the side of the truck, as it should be kept standing upright (about 4' tall or so) the entire time. I drove like a nervous wreck on my way home - 40 mph on the freeway!

Two healthy guys can lift the box (112 lbs) no problem.

-------------------------------------------------------------
Have just purchased 50" GWIII after comparing it with the Panny 50. The price was the same for both so after reading other favourable threads and checking them both out myself decided on the Sony. My concern at this time is what height of stand is the best to maximize the tv's viewing angles. The Sony stand is pricey and doesn't look to be very good value for the money so I was looking at alternates and found one I liked but I thought it may be a little high at 26" for that set. Any suggestions as to stand heights? I think the Sony stand is about 16" off the floor and I assume that is their recommended height. Thanks for any input.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Frankly 26" sounds about right to me. Better to look up a little than down a little. Where did you find that one? But at www.ikea-usa.com you'll find a couple of stands in the $100 range that are shorter. Look for the ones from Benno and Oppli.

I just wanted to check in and report that I'm an official member of this club. I received my 50" GWIII yesterday. I was out of town last night, so I haven't had much time to play with it, but so far I'm VERY happy.

I was super paranoid about bad pixels, but so far all I can find is one dim green pixel which can't be seen from more than 3' back. Whew!

I watched about 3 hours of SD football today, and IMO this TV rocks with SD. Keep in mind, I'm comparing it to the 507W (IMO, bad SD), so my view may be skewed. But it just looked like an enlarged picture of what I'm used to on my 32" direct view, which is how it should be.

The rest of my time with the TV so far has been spent playing Soul Calibur 2 at 720p, which looks awesome :D. That's the only HD game I have right now.

I've flipped on some HDTV stuff, but there hasn't been anything interesting on yet. I'll definitely be checking in on the HD football game tonight on ESPN-HD. I'll probably rent a Superbit DVD tonight, too.

I'm really satisfied with the set so far, and I can't wait for the tweaks. My copy of DVE should come in a few days, so I'm not sure I'll bother with my original VE disc. Everyone post any calibrated settings you come up with.

Originally posted by Donaldafm
Frankly 26" sounds about right to me. Better to look up a little than down a little. Where did you find that one? But at www.ikea-usa.com you'll find a couple of stands in the $100 range that are shorter. Look for the ones from Benno and Oppli. My stand (Sanus Woodbrook) is 21" and the TV seems a bit too high to me, but I think I just have to get used to it. At 21" the viewing angle is still fine (even lying on the couch), 26" is probably fine too.

Originally posted by DLiquid
But it just looked like an enlarged picture of what I'm used to on my 32" direct view, which is how it should be.

I will be coming from a 32" set also. Now that you have the tv -- is 9 feet ok for sd?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by compfan
[
-DVI PC connecticity looks amazing. It was truely plug and play, it recognized the make, model and even posted the manufacture date. Initially the reolution is funky and needs work but nevertheless it does work. Im still working out final resolutions with power strip, and as it stands now has a little to much overscan but I am close. I will say a PC using DVI on the GWIII looks every bit as good, maybe even better than any of the LCD monitors I have, Samsung,Viewsonic and Dell.

Scott,

I'm pleasantly surprised of the "plug and play" capability thru the DVI port, given Sony's statement that it is not intended for PC and the problems encountered by some members of this forum with the GWII. Maybe the GWIII differs for the better on this issue.

Could you please tell us which video card and resolution/settings you used? Also, what type of DVI cable? DVI-D ?

Mike50

Originally posted by abarsami
I will be coming from a 32" set also. Now that you have the tv -- is 9 feet ok for sd? From what I've seen so far, yes, but all I've watched is FOX and CBS via DirecTV. It doesn't look great or anything, but in comparison to other 50" TVs I think it does a good job.

ESPN HD Sunday Night Football looks a little overcompressed. I'll be more interested to watch MNF on ABC tomorrow night.

I'm going to get the 60" soon, but I have to have a new stand built to match my current entertainment system cabinets. I'm planning on making the stand 18" high. How does that sound for the 60" set?

Also, the specs from Sony say "approximately" 63.75 inches wide. Does anyone have one and report the "actual" width of the set so that I build in the right opening? I'm planning on a 66" wide opening, so I should be safe. Any comments?

Thanks.

Nick

Originally posted by compfan

-DVI PC connecticity looks amazing. It was truely plug and play, it recognized the make, model and even posted the manufacture date. Initially the reolution is funky and needs work but nevertheless it does work. Im still working out final resolutions with power strip, and as it stands now has a little to much overscan but I am close. I will say a PC using DVI on the GWIII looks every bit as good, maybe even better than any of the LCD monitors I have, Samsung,Viewsonic and Dell.


but surely you don't mean the GWIII is doing 1-to-1 pixel mapping like what you get with LCD monitors through DVI? Since the LCD panel of the GWIII has resolution of 1386x788, I assume that the Wega engine scales and converts all incoming digital signal, regardless of resolution, into one of the 480p, 720p or 1080i display modes. I'll be pleasantly surprised if the GWIII lets 720p (or any resolution) signal straight through without conversion.

Originally posted by BMW330iFan
Have just purchased 50" GWIII after comparing it with the Panny 50. The price was the same for both so after reading other favourable threads and checking them both out myself decided on the Sony. My concern at this time is what height of stand is the best to maximize the tv's viewing angles. The Sony stand is pricey and doesn't look to be very good value for the money so I was looking at alternates and found one I liked but I thought it may be a little high at 26" for that set. Any suggestions as to stand heights? I think the Sony stand is about 16" off the floor and I assume that is their recommended height. Thanks for any input.

An excellent stand alternative for the 50" GWIII is the Furniture Works Cosmic VT2 Video Table (still about $400+)...the dimensions would accomodate either the 50" or 60" GWIII very well, and it's just 2" higher than the SU-GW1 stand. It's a great looking stand with metal and glass. Below are the details:

FEATURES
RTA(Ready to assemble)
Incorporated cable management.
Highly polished 10 mm thick glass shelves.
Steel mesh accents.

SPECIFICATIONS
300 lbs. top shelf capacity
50 lbs. lower shelf capacity
18 in. H x 58 in. W x 19.25 in. D

Originally posted by mike50
[QUOTE]Originally posted by compfan
[
-DVI PC connecticity looks amazing. It was truely plug and play, it recognized the make, model and even posted the manufacture date. Initially the reolution is funky and needs work but nevertheless it does work. Im still working out final resolutions with power strip, and as it stands now has a little to much overscan but I am close. I will say a PC using DVI on the GWIII looks every bit as good, maybe even better than any of the LCD monitors I have, Samsung,Viewsonic and Dell.

Scott,

I'm pleasantly surprised of the "plug and play" capability thru the DVI port, given Sony's statement that it is not intended for PC and the problems encountered by some members of this forum with the GWII. Maybe the GWIII differs for the better on this issue.

Could you please tell us which video card and resolution/settings you used? Also, what type of DVI cable? DVI-D ?

Mike50

I am using a Abit Geforce4ti4600 with DVI out. The driver version is 40.72 WinXpPro WHQL certified. The cable I am using is DVI-D, Monster Cable DVI400.

On my first attempt I simply plugged the cable in DVI port on both my PC and TV. Powered both on and it was like any computer monitor. I saw the bios screen, WinXpPro logo and it booted to the desktop fine. When I got to the desktop it gave me a message saying it had detected a new display, gave the make, model and manufactured date. In the same message it told me my resolution was set to low and needed adjusting for optimal viewing. But it was working, I could see everything, it was very clear with no flickering or sync issues.
I knew 1386x788 wouldnt be an option in my videocard settings and as it turned out there werent any HD resolutions though they are supported. So last night I downloaded powerstrip and have since only been able to mess around with it for about 2 hours all together. I have gotten a few things to work but I so far nothing perfect with the best being 1280x960i and letting the TV scale. I am less than a quarter inch off all the way around but its still not prefect. For gaming its not bad as I usually only miss some scenary, but missing almost all the start button, webpages, email buttons, lol, isnt acceptable.

Personally I think its going to take a change of my videocard because the drivers for the generation of card i have, the G4 werent really meant for HDTV compatability, they dont support oddball resolutions very well. I know the new ATI cards are actually advertised as being compatable with HD resolutions built right into their drivers. They even sell a DVI/RGB to component adapter. Im gonna mess around for a day or so, if it doesnt work out ill likely upgrade my PC sooner tha later to ATI.

Next time i turn my set on I will connect my PC and take a pic to show u what it looks like.

Originally posted by TweakFreak
but surely you don't mean the GWIII is doing 1-to-1 pixel mapping like what you get with LCD monitors through DVI? Since the LCD panel of the GWIII has resolution of 1386x788, I assume that the Wega engine scales and converts all incoming digital signal, regardless of resolution, into one of the 480p, 720p or 1080i display modes. I'll be pleasantly surprised if the GWIII lets 720p (or any resolution) signal straight through without conversion.

yeah u got it, thats the problem. I can make the resolution using power strip but cant find a driver for my videocard thatll accept and display it. Right now im overscanned about a quarter inch all the way around.

I notice something very interesting in the owner's manual for the new GWIII XBR line. The set allows you to adjust the white balance for RED, Green and Blue Gains and Bias (and has a reset button if things get out of hand!). Did the last XBR generation have white balance controls? Do the new WE610 models have this kind of picture control too? Has access to the service menu become obsolete? Hmm....?


Forgive me for not keeping up with the times, but I've been in a coma for the past 5 years due to an assassination attempt on my wedding day.

-INAB Bill!

Scott,

Thank you for the information. Looks like you have achieved quite a bit in just 2 hrs with Powerstrip. Before using Powerstrip, what was the PC resolution that you managed to feed the TV for best viewing? I'm somewhat afraid to use Powersrip, so that is the reason for my question...

Mike50

Hello: I was visiting the local CC store looking for a plasma. The sales assoc. told me about the SOny GW II. I was not that impressed. Some images on fast movement had some trailing effect. Anyway the SA told be about the GWIII XBR class. They did not have one, but the SA was adament that this was a great display. I currently have a SOny KV32SH500 4:3 set. I want to go to 16:9. The resolution on the 32 is great. My question to all of you is if I like the 32's resolution and look, is plasma or the GWIII the way to go to match the performance of the 32? I want a large screen 42" to 60". Any advice form the experts?

Thanks.

Ed

Originally posted by mike50
Scott,

Thank you for the information. Looks like you have achieved quite a bit in just 2 hrs with Powerstrip. Before using Powerstrip, what was the PC resolution that you managed to feed the TV for best viewing? I'm somewhat afraid to use Powersrip, so that is the reason for my question...

Mike50


The default was 848 by 480 but would let me adjust it up to 1152 x768. With power strip if I deinterlace it I can get 1280X960 but its still off.

I have been talking with someone who is helping me, the whole problem is the card. Nvidia doesnt like to go past I think 540 where as the newer ati cards have res all the way up to 1080.

Im going to try one more setup tomorrow at 960x540 and if it doesnt work im buying a new card, hehe.

Folks, as a likely near-term purchaser of a 70" XBR, this thread is quite helpful. Thanks!

If anyone has any experience playing XBOX on the GWIIIs, I would be interested to hear from you. A 60" GWII, I looked at seemed to have some trailing during quick action sports (soccer). Of course, I was only 2 feet from the screen, so this may not be fair. And the GWIIIs may have improved on this. Anyway, any real world experience would be helpful.

Originally posted by bsgoren
An excellent stand alternative for the 50" GWIII is the Furniture Works Cosmic VT2 Video Table (still about $400+)...the dimensions would accomodate either the 50" or 60" GWIII very well, and it's just 2" higher than the SU-GW1 stand. It's a great looking stand with metal and glass. Below are the details:

FEATURES
RTA(Ready to assemble)
Incorporated cable management.
Highly polished 10 mm thick glass shelves.
Steel mesh accents.

SPECIFICATIONS
300 lbs. top shelf capacity
50 lbs. lower shelf capacity
18 in. H x 58 in. W x 19.25 in. D

I got the three-shelf version of this stand for my 50" GWII (top + two shelves for components). It looks great and it comfortably holds all my components (Amp, Monster power, pDVD, VHS, digital tuner). I was a bit concerned about the height before getting it. However, those extra couple of inches of height don't make a difference -- I don't see any vertical falloff in mage intensity until I'm pretty close to the set (around 6 or 7 feet).

Originally posted by ebrigham
Folks, as a likely near-term purchaser of a 70" XBR, this thread is quite helpful. Thanks!

If anyone has any experience playing XBOX on the GWIIIs, I would be interested to hear from you. A 60" GWII, I looked at seemed to have some trailing during quick action sports (soccer). Of course, I was only 2 feet from the screen, so this may not be fair. And the GWIIIs may have improved on this. Anyway, any real world experience would be helpful.

I play Xbox on my TV everyday. Until about 3 days ago I was playing on a 60XBR800 and now the 50WE610. To be honest besides the imporvements from the TV itself, better blacks and brighter colors they both perform the same.

First of all make sure u use the Xbox HD pack for component out and optical audio out. Then get some good component cables. Make sure in the Xbox menu u select 480P/720p/1080I or else it wont display those resolutions.

Some games are 480i, some are 480P, a few are 1080I but there are several that are 720P. 720P games are gorgeous. I personally dont notice the streaking.

Let me know if u want any help.

Pic of the Xbox HD pack,,,, DONT buy the svideo pack, get the HD pack.

Hi Compfan. Thanks for your advice. On my current CRT RPTV, I do indeed have the XBOX HD pack – it was the first purchase I made after receiving the XBOX as a gift last year. And I agree that it is a must have, both for the better video and the 5.1 surround sound. I can’t even imagine going back.

Lack of 720p capability is one reason why I am shying away from the new Mitsubishis, and I plan on buying some 720p (and 1080i) games as soon as I get my Sony – assuming I don’t change my mind again.

It is good to know you haven’t notice streaking. Thanks again…

This may be a stupid question, but is there any technical reason a 120 bulb couldn't be put in the 60"WE610 if brightness was an issue with this set?

Also, my viewing environ ranges from very bright in the day...high ceilings with high unshaded windows...to very dark at nite. I understand the III's are very bright would this be an issue in a very dark room?

And finally, has anyone actually viewed the 60" model yet?

I picked up the 42WE610 this weekend. HD Footfall and other HD input over Component input looked very good. SD Analog doesn't look that good. I didn't expect it to.

Can someone explain Sony's picture modes? As in what's happening to the picture when you select Standard, Vivid or PRO? Are those names descriptive? Not to me.

I went out and bought a DVI cable only to realize that while my Comcast STB has a DVI connector, it does not work. This is a Motorola STB. Does Comcast have to program the STB to send the video out the DVI port??? I called Comcast and they said that in the future they will use this port.

I noticed a lot of people asking about stands. I saw the pitcure of the Salamander Stands. I liked them but not the price. I bought a 4 x 8 piece of Maple plywood for $65 and build a custom stand. It looks like the Salamander Triple 20. My center speaker fits below the Sony on a fixed shelf. I would bet I could put 7 components plus the center channel speaker if I wanted. The height is 21" which I thought would be okay for the 42".

Scott, I just sent you a PM.

Ray

So far the only thing I'm a bit disappointed in is black level and shadow detail. Out of the box, this TV definitely has some issues there, as I knew that it would. For me, this is an acceptable limitation, given that so far I absolutely love almost everything else about the TV, but I'd still really like to make some improvements in this area.

I'm awaiting arrival of a 42" GWIII, and I was wondering what screen modes are available over the DVI connection. Would I be able to display a 4:3 source from a DVD player that stretches it (Samsung hd931)? I know 720 and 1080 are locked, but will 480p still work?

I have a Denon 1600, but would I see a difference with the HD931 even without 1x1 pixel mapping?

You can use all of the stretch modes with 480p over component, but I'm not sure about DVI.

Originally posted by Likwid
I'm awaiting arrival of a 42" GWIII, and I was wondering what screen modes are available over the DVI connection. Would I be able to display a 4:3 source from a DVD player that stretches it (Samsung hd931)? I know 720 and 1080 are locked, but will 480p still work?

I have a Denon 1600, but would I see a difference with the HD931 even without 1x1 pixel mapping?

The only DVI source I have is my PC and that does NOT allow me to change the display modes at all.

I cant comment on if this is consistent for all DVI sources.

I got my GW III 42" yesterday. I am really impressed with SD, especially after a Sammy HLM I returned last summer. xbox looks great with the component cables (HD pack)--I didnt notice any particular artifacts. Only one thing that's really bothering me. I have noticed that when the TV displays a "black" screen, (ie an empty video input) the color on the screen is not uniform. The lower Left hand corner has a large splash of darker black (may even look a little gray or greenish), and there is a smaller area of the same darker coloration in the upper Right hand corner. The other two corners, as well as the middle of the screen, are a slightly lighter dark blue/purple color. I originally noticed this while watching my first DVD on the set--the horizontal black bars were lighter on one side and darker on the other. It also shows up when there are dark images over the green/blacker corners of the screen, as that area of nonuniform color bleeds through to some extent. This is subtle, and is best seen in low or no ambient light. If there is color displayed in those darker areas of the screen you cant see the defect. I stopped at a couple stores in town to see if I could see the same thing on other GWIIIs, I couldnt, but I'm not sure if that was because of the bright store lights.
I would be great if those of you who own the set wouldnt mind checking yours and let me know. CC is delivering a new set in a couple of days, as they have said what I describe is not normal. But I want to make sure this is a "defect" and not inherent in the display. I've been waiting so long for a bigscreen and I want this to be "the one"
Thanks.

The one I checked out the other day had a lopsided LCD panel. The 2.35:1 DVD that was playing was about 3/8" lower on the left side than the right. Not a big deal, but both me and the salesman noticed it right away. Probably just an anomaly with that particular set.

However, the black levels appeared to be very consistent all the way around the screen when I tuned it to an empty video input...

Yeah I would think something is wrong with it. Mine is perfectly even across the screen.

Hello!

I finally made my decision. It came to either this set or the Samsung DLP.
After viewing the set I decided this was the one for me! I'm just
making my home with it and setting up a HTPC for the first time
to get the best resolution. I connected it to my 8500DV via DVI
and it is recognized as a sony monitor but only supporting 16bit
color and 640x480 resolution. Is this correct?

Thanks!

Gowry

I setup Time Warners HDTV today. It looks amazing. Ive seen true HD in stores but upclose and personal in your own home is a whole other story. Watching DVD's on these LCD's has always been enjoyable, but watching HDTV on it is flat out impressive. I find myself marveling at the picture more than watching the program, lol.

Now I know what everyone means when they say HDTV was made for Monday night football! (:

Originally posted by Gowry
Hello!

I finally made my decision. It came to either this set or the Samsung DLP.
After viewing the set I decided this was the one for me! I'm just
making my home with it and setting up a HTPC for the first time
to get the best resolution. I connected it to my 8500DV via DVI
and it is recognized as a sony monitor but only supporting 16bit
color and 640x480 resolution. Is this correct?

Thanks!

Gowry

Gowry,

Rough resolution buddy(: It appears for anything other than an ATI 9xxx series card you will need to use power strip and create custom resolutions.

I am using an Nvidia card at this moment so cant really help but I can say with a little work it will definetly work.. Check the HTPC forum, theres tons of info, especially for ATI.

Scott in Rochester

Scott,

In the HT/computer section, Troy reports that nVidia latest 4523 drivers support a wider range of HDTV resolutions. However, he was unable to run Quicktime and Wmv9 files. Have you tried to run video files with either QT or WM player ?

Mike50

Hi everyone,
I've been following this forum for quite awhile now and was deciding between the hitachi 50v500, cineos 55", and the gw III. After thorough browsing of the posts, I finally decided to bite the bullet and purchase the gw III today. I got mine from goodguys here in san francisco, and I'm not gonna post the price I purchased it at, but could anyone PM me if you got yours at a good price? goodguys happens to have a 60 day low price guarantee which I'm sure everyone is aware of, so any help would be greatly appreciated! I'm just waiting for delivery at the moment... can't wait 'til friday!

Thanks!

Picked up my Sony 50" GW-III last evening at Tweeter. Just fit into a friend's GMC Envoy (on it's side - salesman said no problem for the 30 minute ride home). When we got back to my house, my friend was amazed at how light the set was - took us about 2 minutes to get it from the Envoy into my house up a flight of about 8 stairs.

I ended up taking the box off myself and got the set up onto the TV stand by myself. Taking the 36" set off of the TV stand was more difficult than getting the Sony GW-III onto the stand.

MNF in HD is absolutely fantastic! Jay Leno in HD is also great. The stuff I saw on CBS was pretty good too. The PBS HD loop is also impressive. Just wish Fox would go to 720p or 1080i in my area. Looking forward to the Washington Capitals games in HD (understand WB50 is going to do HD for hockey this week).

SD is certainly acceptable on this set. I am using a DirecTV TiVo until the HD DirecTV box gets installed.

Now for a good DVD player - trying to decide between the Bravo D1 or the Samsung 931.

Originally posted by davidjplatt
Picked up my Sony 50" GW-III last evening at Tweeter. Just fit into a friend's GMC Envoy (on it's side - salesman said no problem for the 30 minute ride home). When we got back to my house, my friend was amazed at how light the set was - took us about 2 minutes to get it from the Envoy into my house up a flight of about 8 stairs.

I ended up taking the box off myself and got the set up onto the TV stand by myself. Taking the 36" set off of the TV stand was more difficult than getting the Sony GW-III onto the stand.

MNF in HD is absolutely fantastic! Jay Leno in HD is also great. The stuff I saw on CBS was pretty good too. The PBS HD loop is also impressive. Just wish Fox would go to 720p or 1080i in my area. Looking forward to the Washington Capitals games in HD (understand WB50 is going to do HD for hockey this week).

SD is certainly acceptable on this set. I am using a DirecTV TiVo until the HD DirecTV box gets installed.

Now for a good DVD player - trying to decide between the Bravo D1 or the Samsung 931.

David,

2 things:

If the set is HDMI ( I THINK that's the acronym) compliant, and I think it is, then from what I understand, you can NOT use the Bravo D!. Also, suspect that the D2 WILL be HDMO-compliant. At this point, and I need an answer also, the Samsung is the ONLY DVI DVD player that will work with this set.

Also, I'm not sure that you know Comcast SportsNet (in Philly and Balt/DC) do Caps/Wizards/Flyers/Sixers in HD, and do a great job.

David

For anyone who has replaced a CRT set with the Sony...what is the difference in quality on SD viewing? Is the Sony better but not as good as you'd like, or is it worse? How would you compare the two?

The Bravo works with all other sony sets so I dont see why it would be an issue with this one

Here are the results of my first attempts to tweak the user menu with Digital Video Essentials (DVE). The setting bars in the GWIII user menu have 64 positions, and I'm counting the lowest position as 1 here, not zero. So the full range is 1-64. This is how umr does it in his tweaks document.

For 480p, 720p, and 1080i, I've modified Standard and Pro as follows:

Mode: Standard
Picture: 80% (51 ticks)
Brightness: 67% (43 ticks)
Color: 44% (28 ticks)
Hue: 47% (30 ticks)
Sharpness: 50% (32 ticks)
Color Temp: Warm
NR: Off
Mild Mode: On

Mode: Pro
Picture: 88% (56 ticks)
Brightness: 61% (39 ticks)
Color: 44% (28 ticks)
Hue: 47% (30 ticks)
Sharpness: 50% (32 ticks)
Color Temp: Warm
NR: Off
Mild Mode: On

For 480i sources, I modify the following settings from what you see above:

Mild Mode: Off
DRC Mode: High Dens.
DRC Palette: Reality = 1, Clarity = 100
BN Smoother: Off


My Pro settings definitely have more shadow detail than my Standard settings. This was especially apparent in the DVE grayscale ramps. Even at identical user menu settings, Pro just does a much better job showing the different gradiations of near black.

I haven't done that much testing with different material, but my Standard settings seem to be better than Pro for SD, I'm not sure why. Pro looks a little too blurry. If I turn on CineMotion for SD, both Standard and Pro get too blurry. I'm also unsure about the NR and BN Smoother settings. With DirecTV SD, I couldn't notice any difference when changing these, so I left them off.

For HD, I think my Pro settings look a little better than Standard, but they're pretty close. When switching between Pro and Standard (the remote Picture button is great for this), I can see some shadow details come to life when switching to Pro.

These Standard 480i settings look very good for 480i videogames. I haven't tried a 480p or 720p game since making the changes.

Other than DVE, I didn't test any DVDs, so I'm not sure which setting is better there. I would suspect Pro is better, at least for progressive scan.

Quick tip if you didn't realize it, when in a user menu, you can press the Reset button on the remote to revert to the default settings. For example, if you're modifying the Pro settings, hitting the Reset button will change the Pro settings back to their factory defaults.

EDIT: My latest settings are in this thread:

GWIII and DVE (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=316355)

I'll keep my post in that thread edited to reflect any changes I make to the user menu settings.

Originally posted by DooDoo
The Bravo works with all other sony sets so I dont see why it would be an issue with this one

Boy, that's tempting - maybe give it a shot when I finally get my set.

David

DLiquid,


It sounds like your customized mode settings are staying the same for each different video input. There was a card in my instruction booklet that said you could customize all three modes separately for each video input 1-7 (wonder if they added that option later, because it wasnt in the instruction booklet itself) Is yours doing that? Just wondering, as I havent had a chance to try it out. Right now I just have my cable hooked up to the coax connection, which isnt one of the video inputs (1-7) and the mode parameters for the coax source change when I change video 6 (DVD player).

Shus.

Originally posted by mike50
Scott,

In the HT/computer section, Troy reports that nVidia latest 4523 drivers support a wider range of HDTV resolutions. However, he was unable to run Quicktime and Wmv9 files. Have you tried to run video files with either QT or WM player ?

Mike50

Ill try it tonight but losing WM9 usage is not an option so If its true I could probably already rule out the 45.23.

Ill let you know.

Thnx

Originally posted by DLiquid


For 480p, 720p, and 1080i, I've modified Standard and Pro as follows:

Mode: Standard

DL,

What did you think about the Vivid mode for HD. For me Vivid is currently set about 75% contrast, brightness and sharpness. I had 7 buddies over last night to watch the game and it was unanimous that Vivid looked the best for MNF in HD.

However when I switched to HBO or ST HD it was Pro that looked best. I do agree 100% with you, Pro has the best shadow detail.

I actually have an ISF scheduled for about 2 weeks from now so im not going to tweak much. Besides the picture is already great with only minor adjustments. Once he is done I will post his results and suggestions here.

Scott in Rochester

Originally posted by davidjplatt

Now for a good DVD player - trying to decide between the Bravo D1 or the Samsung 931.

Rumor has it the Denon 1600 is the best player for it, like so many other models.

Apparently it is tough to come by as I think it has recently been discontinued. Luckily someone here in Rochester has helped me find one. IMO I doubt there will be much of a difference between a DVI and Component DVD player. I think PQ quality is determined most by whats inside the DVD player, not the connection its using.

Originally posted by Shus
It sounds like your customized mode settings are staying the same for each different video input. There was a card in my instruction booklet that said you could customize all three modes separately for each video input 1-7 (wonder if they added that option later, because it wasnt in the instruction booklet itself) Is yours doing that?No, it's not. The Standard settings are the same across all inputs. Certain things stick for an input, such as the Mild Mode and DRC settings, but if I change the Picture setting in Standard when watching a DVD in 480p, it also changes for 480i S-Video and 720p DVI.

I just checked, and I have that "Notice: Picture Mode Setting" sheet too, which says:

You may set up a "Picture Mode" (Vivid, Standard, Pro) independently for each Video input (Video 1 ~ Video 7, including the Antenna input). Your "Picture Mode" settings will automatically be saved after each selection. This will enable you to customize the Picture Mode setting for each type of signal source. Typically, "Vivid" should be used for higher quality input signal sources and "Pro" for lower quality signals.Hmm....

Originally posted by compfan
What did you think about the Vivid mode for HD.I just assumed Vivid was the "torch mode" for showrooms. It's default settings don't look very good to me, but maybe I'll try tweaking it with DVE.

Originally posted by compfan
I actually have an ISF scheduled for about 2 weeks from now so im not going to tweak much. Besides the picture is already great with only minor adjustments. Once he is done I will post his results and suggestions here.That would be awesome if you shared your settings. I'd like to tweak the service menu at some point, and ISF calibrated SM and UM settings would be a great starting point.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by DLiquid
No, it's not. The Standard settings are the same across all inputs. Certain things stick for an input, such as the Mild Mode and DRC settings, but if I change the Picture setting in Standard when watching a DVD in 480p, it also changes for 480i S-Video and 720p DVI.

I just checked, and I have that "Notice: Picture Mode Setting" sheet too, which says:



So do you think the early sets missed out on some type of update, or are we missing something?

Originally posted by Shus
So do you think the early sets missed out on some type of update, or are we missing something? I'm not really sure. You could almost interpret the "Notice: Picture Mode Setting" paragraph to mean that you can set Video 1 to Vivid and Video 2 to Pro, and as you toggle between Video 1 and Video 2 they will remain set to Vivid and Pro, respectively. So the "Mode" setting is saved for each input, but the individual settings (Picture, Brightness, etc.) which define the mode are not saved for each input. If that's the case, the paragraph is poorly worded, and why would they even bother with an addendum for something like that?

I was under the impression that the GWIII settings were being saved in the same way as the GWII, so I didn't really question it until you mentioned the "Notice: Picture Mode Setting" sheet.

Originally posted by compfan
IMO I doubt there will be much of a difference between a DVI and Component DVD player. I think PQ quality is determined most by whats inside the DVD player, not the connection its using.
If component input is used then a digital to analog conversion has to take place in the DVD player. Then the analog signal must be converted back to digital in the TV before it can be displayed.

If DVI is used the DVD player can do an all digital conversion to the TV's native resolution (Samsung DLP and Panasonic LCD). The 720p signal is displayed without it ever being converted to analog.

The "all digital" path has much less potential for introducing errors.

The Sony isn't native 720p but it can still stay in the digital mode according to information posted here in this forum.

What ever the path, how you think the PQ looks is up to you, but the connections are different.

According to the main thread about the Bravo D1 and Samsung 931 DVI players, the Bravo is not good at all outputting analog component signals. I wouldn't expect the Samsung to be in the Denon's class for component outputs either.

Does anyone know exactly what "Mild Mode" is doing?

- Mild Mode is described as "a natural, soft picture."

- In Pro, Mild Mode is on by default. Pro is described as a "picture with minimum enhancements."

- When Mild Mode is on, the Advanced Video settings (DRC, BN Smoother) are disabled.

All of this made me think that by turning Mild Mode on you are turning off all enhancements. But when playing around with the Mild Mode setting, it seems like turning Mild Mode on is making the picture more blurry. Not just taking away enhancements, but actually adding a blur to the picture. Does anyone know what exactly this setting does?

Originally posted by DLiquid
Does anyone know exactly what "Mild Mode" is doing?

- Mild Mode is described as "a natural, soft picture."

- In Pro, Mild Mode is on by default. Pro is described as a "picture with minimum enhancements."

- When Mild Mode is on, the Advanced Video settings (DRC, BN Smoother) are disabled.

All of this made me think that by turning Mild Mode on you are turning off all enhancements. But when playing around with the Mild Mode setting, it seems like turning Mild Mode on is making the picture more blurry. Not just taking away enhancements, but actually adding a blur to the picture. Does anyone know what exactly this setting does?

Same thing for me. To me it looks like the only thing Mild Mode does is slightly defocus the picture. Its not bad from a distance but anything less than 7 or 8 feet with Mild mode is blurry.

I actually disabled MM in Pro mode and havent found a source yet that looks better with MM on. Hmmm??

Originally posted by compfan
My center channel speaker is only 5 inches deep. The top is about 4.5 inches wide so it could accomodate a few extra inches of speaker if necessary.

I dont know how the 42 will go, havent had a chance to see one yet.

I have the same Sony center channel speaker, and the 42" GWIII. All I had to do was put some of that rubber matting people use for drawers right under it. The front rubber feet rest on the top, and the middle of the speaker rests on the rubber matting stuff... the speaker isn't going ANYWHERE. :)

I am continually impressed by how bright the GWIII is in a sunlit room. I love this TV!

For all my fellow PC geeks,,

Nvidia Driver version 44.03 has a resolution of 1280X768 that looks very very nice. This is the only driver version Ive found from Nvidia with an acceptable res.

Originally posted by DLiquid
For 480i sources, I modify the following settings from what you see above:

Mild Mode: Off
DRC Mode: High Dens.
DRC Palette: Reality = 1, Clarity = 100
BN Smoother: Off

I haven't done that much testing with different material, but my Standard settings seem to be better than Pro for SD, I'm not sure why. Pro looks a little too blurry. If I turn on CineMotion for SD, both Standard and Pro get too blurry. I'm also unsure about the NR and BN Smoother settings. With DirecTV SD, I couldn't notice any difference when changing these, so I left them off.


Hi :)

How did you get access to the DRC and BN settings when viewing SD from DirecTV? I haven't seen those setting at all on my 42" GWIII :confused:

Originally posted by Packy
Hi :)

How did you get access to the DRC and BN settings when viewing SD from DirecTV? I haven't see those setting at all on my 42" GWIII :confused: Make sure Mild Mode is off, then scroll down past Mild Mode to find Advanced Video. It's a bit hard to find, since Advanced Video isn't on the screen until you scroll down past the bottom. The DRC settings are in there.

Originally posted by DLiquid
Make sure Mild Mode is off, then scroll down past Mild Mode to find Advanced Video. It's a bit hard to find, since Advanced Video isn't on the screen until you scroll down past the bottom. The DRC settings are in there.

Thanks so much! I can't believe I missed the arrow that appears to the left of "mild mode".

:)

Does anyone know expected bulb life?

Has anyone found an engineering drawing of the 60" GWIII's cabinet showing all the dimensions, not just height, width, depth? I'd like to slide my subwoofer under the set's overhang and need to know how much space I have to work with.

Thanks,

Jim

Could someone post the dimensions of the box that the 50" Grand Wega III comes in? I suspect that it won't fit in my SUV, but I would like to know for sure. Thanks.

Rounding up to the nearest inch, the box for the 50" set is 42" tall, 22" wide, and 57" long, and must be transported upright. There was no way to fit it in my buddy's SUV, so I had to use my pickup truck (it was raining the day I got it, so we tried the SUV first; I had to wait for a break in the rain to use the truck).

I've had the set for 3 days and I'm really loving it so far. The black level could certainly be better, but otherwise the picture is great.

Originally posted by Sorven
compfan, thanks for the picture. Couple of questions...

Keep the pictures coming. I am desperately looking for a stand that would be less "open" than ones I have seen (before the TV arrives). Ideally, it would be a piece of furniture matching the rest of the room. The closest I have seen is the Salamander series, and those are $$$.

Sorven,
I also want a "piece of furniture" for a stand and so far have found 2 options that meet my requirements (48" wide, 20-24" high):
1) Bush VS01743 http://www.bushfurniture.com/html/tvstands_30.htm
It's not as beautiful, obviously, as more expensive furniture, but then it's only $180 plus shipping. Maybe cheaper if ordered at an Office Depot or wherever.

2) Aspen Furniture makes a beautiful unit that they call a "door console" which is 44 1/4 inches wide, 21 5/8 inches high and 24 1/2 inches deep. It comes in several styles and colors. The one I'm tentatively planning to purchase if their "Door Console" in their "Mission Collection" and is color "Chestnut". The price at the store is $349. It's model OMF2110. See that and others at
http://www.aspenfurniture.com/Digital%20Solutions/DS_Mission_Main.htm

There are other models also per their printed flyer, but it looks like they're in the process of updating their web site as all the pics aren't there yet.

Hope this helps.
Dick T

Originally posted by Sorven
compfan, thanks for the picture. Couple of questions...

Keep the pictures coming. I am desperately looking for a stand that would be less "open" than ones I have seen (before the TV arrives). Ideally, it would be a piece of furniture matching the rest of the room. The closest I have seen is the Salamander series, and those are $$$.

Sorven,
I also want a "piece of furniture" for a stand and so far have found 2 options that meet my requirements (48" wide, 20-24" high):
1) Bush VS01743 http://www.bushfurniture.com/html/tvstands_30.htm
It's not as beautiful, obviously, as more expensive furniture, but then it's only $180 plus shipping. Maybe cheaper if ordered at an Office Depot or wherever.

2) Aspen Furniture makes a beautiful unit that they call a "door console" which is 44 1/4 inches wide, 21 5/8 inches high and 24 1/2 inches deep. It comes in several styles and colors. The one I'm tentatively planning to purchase if their "Door Console" in their "Mission Collection" and is color "Chestnut". The price at the store is $349. It's model OMF2110. See that and others at
http://www.aspenfurniture.com/Digital%20Solutions/DS_Mission_Main.htm

There are other models also per their printed flyer, but it looks like they're in the process of updating their web site as all the pics aren't there yet.

Hope this helps.
Dick T

I had heard that the set COULD be transported on its side...picking it up with my SUV next week. Could someone please point out the link or thread where it states that the GWIII CANNOT be moved on its side?

MANY thanks.

When I picked up my 42" GWIII they said it could be tilted forward if needed. It fit fine in the back of my minivan. I'm upgrading to a 50", but I'm having them deliver it. (42" is just a little too small... I hope the 50" isn't a little too big).

Chad

On the side of the box, it says:

CAUTION: Never lay or place the LCD projection TV on its front, side or top during transportation.

Would it be possible to take the 50" Wega III out of the box, break the box down, and fit both the box and the TV in an SUV? I know that the TV itself is only 36 1/2 inches tall. However, I don't want to do any damage to the box that would prevent me from returning it. Any thoughts?

Originally posted by brentunc
Would it be possible to take the 50" Wega III out of the box, break the box down, and fit both the box and the TV in an SUV? I know that the TV itself is only 36 1/2 inches tall. However, I don't want to do any damage to the box that would prevent me from returning it. Any thoughts?
I would NOT recommend doing this, Brentunc. This is a precision instrument, I'd give it all the protection you could until you get it on the stand in your home.

I rented a pickup truck from U-Haul to pick mine up, which was $19.95 + 79 cents/mile. I bought some rope and lashed the set to the side of the pickup, and it worked fine.

Thanks for the pics DickTinWis.

I received my 50we610 last Monday and am happy to say that I am not regretting it. I was worried about spending so much money on ANY TV, as I came from a 27" tube that I owned for many years (without problems). For well over a year I had been patiently waiting and wanting a Philips Cineos TV (a technology to watch in the future), but they are currently facing many issues of being in their first generation. When I was drooling over TV's recently, my wife told me I should just go ahead and buy a new TV now since I had waited so long. Anyone who is married understands that you have to act fast if you are lucky enough to hear that.

After comparing the Sony, Hitatchi, Panasonic, Samsung, and Philips, I chose the Sony GWIII. I really could have lived with any of them, but felt the GWIII balanced PQ, price, and technology (being 3rd gen) the best.

The bad thing about this forum is you learn all kinds of problems that may happen (if you can call that a bad thing). After making a $3k investment, I was sweating bricks looking for all the potential problems people have listed. I am happy to say thay my concerns have so far been unwarranted!

My other concern was finding a stand. I looked everywhere and all I could find was the "open" stands. I wanted a piece of furniture that would match the TV and other things in the room. I settled on a black stand from Target (roughly $130 when not on sale). It is nearly exactly the width of the GWIII. However, I made some modifications...

I did not build it with the middle drawer they provided, but left that area to put my bigger components. I drilled new holes for the top shelf to give more room for a receiver. I used the cabinets for DVDs and smaller components (like Xbox), cutting pieces from the back for extra ventilation. I did not use the retro feet they provided, but rather used some 1 1/4" (1 1/2"?) casters to lower it and allow it to roll. Overall, the stand comes to ~22", and am very pleased with it.

Here is a picture. Thanks to everyone for your great insights.

Here is one more picture with a close-up of just the stand. You don't see the casters underneath, normally.

Also, sorry for the lopsided pictures, I am a lousy photographer.

Sorven, thanks for the pics. I've been considering that stand as well (I have the 60" GWIII on order). Quick question. It appears in the pictures on their website that there is a strip of wood on the front edge of the top. How many inches does that take away from the depth of the top shelf? The base of the 60" is 20.5" deep, and I don't know if that strip would let the entire base sit on the top shelf. Thanks for any info you can provide.

Could anyone post the size of the 42" GWIII box? I need to plan a way to pick it up this week. Thanks

wouldnt fit in rear of my little suv, but fit fine in center of daughters van!!
narrow but tall, sorry, at work and dont have the specs with me!!

Originally posted by Bongo100
Sorven, thanks for the pics. I've been considering that stand as well (I have the 60" GWIII on order). Quick question. It appears in the pictures on their website that there is a strip of wood on the front edge of the top. How many inches does that take away from the depth of the top shelf? The base of the 60" is 20.5" deep, and I don't know if that strip would let the entire base sit on the top shelf. Thanks for any info you can provide.

The strip of wood is approx. 3.5". The remaining top is 18.5" for total of 22" depth. Not sure about the 60", but my 50" base has a 2" lip in the back that looks like it wouldn't be a problem if not on the top.

Hi Sorven-

How is the quality of the Target stand? Do you think it would withstand the wrath of a couple of little kids? Is it sturdy? I saw it could hold 240 lbs... not bad. Did you use the feet that came with it? How many inches do they add?

Thanks,

PS Here's the stand in maple (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=auto_bxgy_cc_img_b/601-8750460-3848162?asin=B00008PC3Y)

The stand can easily hold the weight. Unfortunately, the quality is particle board and is easily damaged if hit by hard objects (aka kids). With that said, it is a reasonably priced solution if you are able to keep the lawn darts away from it.

I didn't use the feet that came with it because they were about 3.5" tall, and a little to "retro" looking for the room it was going in. With the feet the stand would be approx. 24" tall.

Can some tell me how wide the base is on the GWIII 50? My current stand is 43" wide and I think it may fit. I'm about ready to pull the trigger on the 50", if the picture is close to the quality of the 42". I have seen the 42" in about 5 stores and the PQ is great(to me). I cannot find the 50" anywhere on display. One guy told me he is getting a 50" on the floor Monday. Going to look Monday. Thanks for all the great reading. My first post..

Thanks,

Originally posted by Sorven
The strip of wood is approx. 3.5". The remaining top is 18.5" for total of 22" depth. Not sure about the 60", but my 50" base has a 2" lip in the back that looks like it wouldn't be a problem if not on the top.

Can you measure the dimensions of the base on your 50"? I'm wondering if it is the same base as on the 60" (or if not, how much difference there is).

Thanks again.

The 50" GWIII base is approx. 40" wide by 18.5" deep

Hi brentunc,
I did exactly that today bringing home my 50". 42" box too tall for my 03' Tahoe. Took the TV out of the box and It slipped in perfectly. I used the empty box and packing to wedge the TV up so it would not topple over during the ride home. You may have to tilt the TV a little to clear the plastic/rubber seal on the floor but It will slide in and set upright. Bring a boxcutter to cut up the box so it will fit and act as a wedge.
No problems.

Hey Bongo100,
I measured the base roughly at 40" by 18 1/2".

BTW - I Like this TV alot! Upgrading from a 36" DV.
A little sidenote here. True story.

I walked into CC. Went to the TV RPTV area. Stood back about 30' or so and looked at every big screen they had. Took about 20 seconds and I immediately made a beeline for the Sony we610. Never read one review and didn't know they were out. The CC guy in Hagerstown actually knew everything I did and more. WOW. A parttime videophile. Never got his name but the next time I'm there I will find out and get him a raise. They had a HDTV and DTV feeds and he even hooked up a DVD player for to sample the picture. Very pleasant buying experience. Unforturely they were out of stock. (42" was the demo with a bad remote). However, he called the CC in Winchester and bingo 1- 50" left. I plucked down the plastic and picked up the 50"er the next day.
Happy camper here. No dead pixels. Best TV I ever had.

John

anyone have a samsung 931 dvi player hooked up to 50" GWIII?

how does it compare to standard progressive scan?

Just pulled the trigger yesterday on the 50". Have to wait 2 weeks for delivery. I want to get everything ready. Can someone tell me where the connections are located on the back? Looking at the set from the back, are they in the center, on the left, or on the right? Approxiamtely, how far from a side? Thanks in advance.

Thanks Sorven and jdolby. I guess the 60" adds 2" to the depth of the base.

Sorven, you said you didn't think it would matter if that 2" hung over the back edge. Just wanted to know what is leading you to that conclusion. Is the center of gravity towards the front of the TV? Don't mean to keep on about this, but I'd like to go with this stand if I can ($130). My second choice is a Bell'O stand that will cost $500. I could get the Samsung HD-931 for that price difference.

Originally posted by Likwid
Could anyone post the size of the 42" GWIII box? I need to plan a way to pick it up this week. Thanks

The 42" sony lcd box is:
18 1/4 wide
50 1/4 long
36 3/4 high

I have the 50" GWII. I saw the 42"GWIII today at CC. Fantastic pq on every input including sdtv. I got one for my dad. The size and price really fills a void in the market. The 42" is on the cover of BB and CC's weekend ad. These things are going to fly out of the stores!

could someone please post the base dimensions of the 42"? I am looking for a good stand... Ikea has some nice ones for cheap...

Bongo100, given that the last few inches of the base are protruding from the backside of the TV, the TV itself would still be on the stand. In your case you would have ~18" on the stand and about 2" over on the back (but completely covered lengthwise). The TV itself is relatively lightweight, so just make sure you find a way to tether it to the stand if you are worried about kids pushing it off the stand. I can't forsee having having any problems with stability of the TV on its own.

Originally posted by bladefan
could someone please post the base dimensions of the 42"? I am looking for a good stand... Ikea has some nice ones for cheap...

40"X14.5" for the base. I have mine on a $69 IKEA stand. Basic ugly blonde and blue but I got it because it is low (13") and I needed that to fit in the existing space. I'll dump it later when I move into my new house.

Don

Originally posted by vdcone
40"X14.5" for the base. I have mine on a $69 IKEA stand. Basic ugly blonde and blue but I got it because it is low (13") and I needed that to fit in the existing space. I'll dump it later when I move into my new house.

Don

The width of my stand is 39 inches and the base of the Sony KF-42WE610 is exactly 40 inches. Front to back is 23 inches. I am correct to assume that with about a 1 (one) inch overhang of the tv's base on each side (width) there should not be a problem! Lets hope thats the case. The height of the stand, by the way, is 14 1/2 inches high and can support 150 pounds. What say you as to the 1/2 inch "overhang"? Thanks for you time and attention!

kmil - with a 39' top the 42GWIII will only over hang .5 inches on a side - I don't think that is in any way troubling

Didnt feel like spending alot for a stand so I went to Walmart and picked this one, only 80 bucks!!!



The dimensions are : 40"W x 22"D x 22-5/8"H

I am sure this isn't news to you owners, but I was very surprised to see that this line was assembled in the USA. Kudos to Sony!

Originally posted by JoeMA
kmil - with a 39' top the 42GWIII will only over hang .5 inches on a side - I don't think that is in any way troubling


JoeMA: Thanks for the courtesy of your quick reply. That just saved me around $150, the cost of the stand plus the "hassle" of putting it together!
Well, as soon as I can sell my Toshiba RPTV I'll order the Sony 42.......I REALLY want the 50 inch but the wife says NO.......not enough space (I unfortunately agree). I've decided NOT to fight her on this issue in order to promote the general piece and tranquility as the ole saying goes.

Originally posted by esuvan
Didnt feel like spending alot for a stand so I went to Walmart and picked this one, only 80 bucks!!!



The dimensions are : 40"W x 22"D x 22-5/8"H

Are you using this for the 42" or 50"? Does it seem like a good height?

Sorry about that, yeah I have the 42"
The height seems about the same as the other stands that have been mentioned.

Im very happy with it though!!

So where do you guys place your center channel speakers in this setup?

Originally posted by smptc73
So where do you guys place your center channel speakers in this setup? Under the TV.

Has anyone had any experience with the SONY KF-60WE610

I am looking at this one and want to know the pros and cons vs the KP-65WV600

It will cost me a bout $800 more for the LCD unit and it is smaller. Is it worth the $800 difference?

Originally posted by PATECO
Has anyone had any experience with the SONY KF-60WE610

I am looking at this one and want to know the pros and cons vs the KP-65WV600

It will cost me a bout $800 more for the LCD unit and it is smaller. Is it worth the $800 difference?

YES!!! I'm replacing my current Sony 57" CRT RPTV with the KF-60WE610 60" GWIII LCD and based on my own observations of the 50" and 42" GWIII and the many very satisfied GWIII owners out there, as you can read from the AVS Forum, I think I'll be very happy. No more convergence problems (nothing to converge since it's LCD), razor sharp picture from corner to corner, bright and colorful images. It maybe just my opinion, but I wouldn't recommend a CRT RPTV to any of my family and friends who are looking to purchase a new RPTV; I would highly suggest seriously considering an LCD, DLS, or LCoS model. I think these technologies are far superior and well worth the extra $$.

I see you're in Coconut Creek, FL...go back to BrandsMart USA and compare the PQ side-by-side for yourself in the store or anywhere you can...I think you'll agree. BTW - you should be able to get a few hundred dollars off retail on the new GWIII; that seems to be the norm. Good luck!

First let me state that I am not a GWIII owner but I am getting closer to owning something.

Second for those that are offended by my post I want to point me to faq's, searches, sony.com etc... well been there done that. So let the flames begin (remember I have your IP I KNOW where you live, ;) )

The question is what is the difference in technology, features and pq between sony lcd rptv products with "WE" vs "XBR" in the model number.

If any one know real life answers and veiwer applications it should be you guys!

Regards,
Mike

Hi everyone,
I purchased my GW III last week, and just purchased a samsung 931 today to test out the DVI picture. I was at Magnolia HI-FI and had them hookup a Denon 1600 and the Samsung 931 to the 46" Samsung DLP in the store, and after watching the attack on Pearl Harbor in "Pearl Harbor" and the initial fighting scene in "Gladiator," the picture was much clearer with the 931. But the 1600 was slightly less blurry in scenes with a lot of motion. Anyhow, I'm by no means close to being an expert, but I do have a question:

When connected to my TV and set on 720p, dvd's play fine... but when I set the player to 1080i, I get a nice wide-screen image of snow... does this have to do with HDCP? From all the posts I've seen in these forums, it seems like this should not be happening and the GW III should be able to play in 1080i. Could it be the player or the TV? Is there a setting I'm missing here?

I am having CC switch out my TV being that it has about 10 stuck pixels... but any info regarding the snow with the dvd player would be greatly appreciated... Thanks

Sorry I can't answer your questions since I'm not a techie, HOWEVER.....what did you think of the HLN467 you saw?

Originally posted by djadamking
When connected to my TV and set on 720p, dvd's play fine... but when I set the player to 1080i, I get a nice wide-screen image of snow... does this have to do with HDCP? From all the posts I've seen in these forums, it seems like this should not be happening and the GW III should be able to play in 1080i. Could it be the player or the TV? Is there a setting I'm missing here?

It's the HD931 and there is an easy fix. You call Samsung support and they send you a disk with a firmware update. The big Bravo vs. HD931 thread has a lot of information about the 1080i glitch.

Originally posted by mmiles
The question is what is the difference in technology, features and pq between sony lcd rptv products with "WE" vs "XBR" in the model number.


Mike,

The current "XBR" on the market today is last year's model, often referred to here as the GWII (model number KF50XBR800, for example). The "WE" model is this year's non-XBR, often called the GWIII (KF50WE610). Soon to be delivered to a store near you is this year's XBR (KDF60XBR950).

DIfferences: The GWIII is by most reports much improved over the GWII. Differences include a new generation LCD panel, brighter light source, and color filters in the light path that improve contrast. The GWIII XBR line will add a built-in tuner, an even brighter bulb, an improved protective screen, and a different cabinet that some say looks nicer. Also the GWIII XBR will be 60" and 70" models, while the GWIII non-XBR has 42", 50", and 60" models.

Take a look at the Gwinnett TV site, they have a nice rundown of each set's specs and features.

HDD

htwaits is correct, just call Samsung. My HD931 plays 1080i with no problems, I received a player that already had the upgraded firmware.

Ok, add me to the list of happy GWIII owners. I took advantage of Dish network's $149 offer on the 6000u, and have been lurking here and on other boards and comparing HDTV's at all the stores. I liked all the RP LCD's but the 42" GWIII really jumped out at me the first time I saw it. I had almost decided to get the 42 but my wife and I decided to locate it in the corner of our family room rather than the side which makes the viewing distances about 7' to 18'.
The 50" is quite a shock compared to the 25" that finally died, and the 20" that temporarily replaced it, but happily Mrs. only complained slightly about the size. (Luckily DiscoveryHD had the Hawaiian Volcano show on last night and we had been there in April). It was awesome!

Now a few questions:
This should be easy- what is the code to program the Dish 6000 into the remote?
Is there a way to "force" the TV into 3/2 pull down mode? I was watching the B&W 1958 Paul Newman Left-handed Gun last night and when I switched the 6000 to 720P the motion was horribly jerky. It was fine in 1080i. That happened twice. Then later it looked fine in 720P and I couldn't reproduce the problem??

Which DVD player should I get? Has anyone really noticed a better picture on this set using the DVI input for DVD's? Do I need the Faroudja chip or do most new DVD players fix the chroma bug problem? (the threads on this are really old). Or should I just let the GWIII do the interlacing as some suggest?

Thanks for helping me chose this set!
Rock

Originally posted by jkv4
htwaits is correct, just call Samsung. My HD931 plays 1080i with no problems, I received a player that already had the upgraded firmware.

Upon my first viewing of the HD931 I was very disapointed, mainly due to the setup. After viewing it at a highend store with a good setup I ended up purchasing it.

I have no problems playing 1080I with it but regardless of what resolution I choose the picture does seem more,,,, grainy than my previous players. Is that the infamous "snow" or if I have that problem will the entire picture be replaced with the snow?

RockScaler, AFAIK the GWIII only does 3/2 pulldown for 480i sources.

Originally posted by djadamking
Hi everyone,
I purchased my GW III last week, and just purchased a samsung 931 today to test out the DVI picture. I was at Magnolia HI-FI and had them hookup a Denon 1600 and the Samsung 931 to the 46" Samsung DLP in the store, and after watching the attack on Pearl Harbor in "Pearl Harbor" and the initial fighting scene in "Gladiator," the picture was much clearer with the 931. But the 1600 was slightly less blurry in scenes with a lot of motion. Anyhow, I'm by no means close to being an expert, but I do have a question:

When connected to my TV and set on 720p, dvd's play fine... but when I set the player to 1080i, I get a nice wide-screen image of snow... does this have to do with HDCP? From all the posts I've seen in these forums, it seems like this should not be happening and the GW III should be able to play in 1080i. Could it be the player or the TV? Is there a setting I'm missing here?

I am having CC switch out my TV being that it has about 10 stuck pixels... but any info regarding the snow with the dvd player would be greatly appreciated... Thanks

I have the same setup, 50"GWIII HD931 and the 1080I works fine for me.

regardless of what resolution it does seem a little grainy,,,, Is that the snow or does the snow totally replace the picture if you have that problem?

Other than that, movies loook great, especially the digital flicks like Monsters inc, star wars, superbit DVD,,,

Originally posted by compfan
I have no problems playing 1080I with it but regardless of what resolution I choose the picture does seem more,,,, grainy than my previous players. Is that the infamous "snow" or if I have that problem will the entire picture be replaced with the snow?
Which connection are you using?

Here's the "dumb" question of the day: does the new Sony KF-42WE610 have a color wheel (like the Sammy DLP's) in it. BTW, it seems a lot of folks are hearing a "whining" sound from their DLP's which is supposedly attributable, at least in part, to the colorwheel. If Sony does not have a color wheel it may be one less problem to worry about.

There is no colorwheel on any of the LCD RPTVs, including the GWIII.

Originally posted by htwaits
Which connection are you using?


HTwaits: I've had my heart set on the Sammy, HOWEVER, when I saw the 42" Sony I was blown away. It seems there may be considerably more pluses to the Sony....the picture looked fantastic, too bad its not around 46 inches.

Originally posted by DLiquid
There is no colorwheel on any of the LCD RPTVs, including the GWIII.

Dliquid: Which do you think is the overall better set of the two and why?
BTW, the Sony is around +$1,000 dollars LESS!

Originally posted by kmil
Dliquid: Which do you think is the overall better set of the two and why?
BTW, the Sony is around +$1,000 dollars LESS! Hey man, this is the GWIII Owners thread, which one do you think I like better? :D

You can search here on "motion dither" or "temporal dithering" to find lots of complaints from me regarding the Samsung DLPs, but the dither issue is really the only problem I have with those TVs.

Originally posted by htwaits
Which connection are you using?

DVI

[QUOTE]Originally posted by DLiquid
[B]Hey man, this is the GWIII Owners thread, which one do you think I like better? :D

Sorry............yes I know this is the GWIII thread, I just wanted to get your opinion. I do appreciate and thank you for your thoughts, they are important to me. I'm steering VERY close to getting the Sony!

I'm running out of patience waiting for the Philips Lcos, and am impressed with the GWIII, but I have one question that I have not seen addressed, ie. vertical viewing height. The bottom of the GWIII screen is 10" above the bottom of the unit. My custom made base is 21.5" tall, placing the bottom of the screen 31.5" above the floor. When I am settled back in my recliner, my eyes are just about 30.5" off the floor. Do I have a problem with screen brightness?

Originally posted by djadamking
Hi everyone,
I purchased my GW III last week, and just purchased a samsung 931 today to test out the DVI picture. I was at Magnolia HI-FI and had them hookup a Denon 1600 and the Samsung 931 to the 46" Samsung DLP in the store, and after watching the attack on Pearl Harbor in "Pearl Harbor" and the initial fighting scene in "Gladiator," the picture was much clearer with the 931. But the 1600 was slightly less blurry in scenes with a lot of motion. Anyhow, I'm by no means close to being an expert, but I do have a question:

When connected to my TV and set on 720p, dvd's play fine... but when I set the player to 1080i, I get a nice wide-screen image of snow... does this have to do with HDCP? From all the posts I've seen in these forums, it seems like this should not be happening and the GW III should be able to play in 1080i. Could it be the player or the TV? Is there a setting I'm missing here?

I am having CC switch out my TV being that it has about 10 stuck pixels... but any info regarding the snow with the dvd player would be greatly appreciated... Thanks

I'm in the process of unboxing my GWIII - and have the Samsung 931 on order - now, for the stupid question du jour - what type of DVI cable do I need?

THANKS!

David

It is my opinion that you will not have any problem since the Sony does not suffer from the same issues regarding viewing angles that RP CRTs do. I looked at this in several stores and the viewing angles were excellent, especially since you aren't talking about much of a change in height. I expect the Sony to look good from side to side and from a laying on the floor to a standing position. That is part of the reason I wanted one over RP CRT, that and the fact they have fewer reflections. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

It is my opinion that you will not have any problem since the Sony does not suffer from the same issues regarding viewing angles that RP CRTs do. I looked at this in several stores and the viewing angles were excellent, especially since you aren't talking about much of a change in height. I expect the Sony to look good from side to side and from a laying on the floor to a standing position. That is part of the reason I wanted one over RP CRT, that and the fact they have fewer reflections. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Originally posted by fl_newbie
I'm running out of patience waiting for the Philips Lcos, and am impressed with the GWIII, but I have one question that I have not seen addressed, ie. vertical viewing height. The bottom of the GWIII screen is 10" above the bottom of the unit. My custom made base is 21.5" tall, placing the bottom of the screen 31.5" above the floor. When I am settled back in my recliner, my eyes are just about 30.5" off the floor. Do I have a problem with screen brightness? No, that should be fine (my setup is similar). In this case, you really wouldn't want the TV any lower, since when reclined your feet could get in the way of your view. :)

There is only 1 DVI port on the GWIII, thus what are you guys going to do if your Satellite receiver and DVD both have DVI ports? DVI switches are very expensive. Is the difference between the Sammy 931 and Denon 1600 really that noticeable?

I am getting my GWIII on Friday with the Denon 1600. Should I really be thinking about the Sammy 931 instead?

Originally posted by DLiquid
No, that should be fine (my setup is similar). In this case, you really wouldn't want the TV any lower, since when reclined your feet could get in the way of your view. :)


Well, I plan to get the Sony KF-42WE610 and the set's height is 32.25 inches. My stand is 14 1/2 high (wife space restrictions) and the viewable height of the screen on the 42 model is 20.5 inches. So the bottom of my screen will be approx: the 14.5 inches of the stand pluse 11.75 inches (the approx combination of 14.5 stand and nearly 12 inches of TV until I get to the bottom of the screen. If my head is screwed on right that should give me a approximate total of 26.25 inches from FLOOR to SCREEN BOTTOM...........this should be okay right?!

Originally posted by vbhawkster
There is only 1 DVI port on the GWIII, thus what are you guys going to do if your Satellite receiver and DVD both have DVI ports? DVI switches are very expensive. Is the difference between the Sammy 931 and Denon 1600 really that noticeable?

I dont have a Satellite receiver, my HDbox from Time Warner is component. However obviouslly with two DVI's the only option would be some type of DVI switch.

IMO there isnt much of a noticeable difference in PQ between the HD931 and Denon.

Well - I finally got it.

First off, wife was right about the Panny - 50" would have been TOO BIG! The 42" just makes it.

Right now - I only have plain old Digital Cable - and the picture is acceptible - bottom line, the cable run to the bedroom has always been lacking. When they come out with my 5100, we'll get any cable issues resolved.

Also, IMHO, for a "bedroom unit" the sound out of the box is acceptible.

So far, no regrets. I didn't see any dead/stuck pixels - and I'm not looking any further. If they are there, but not visible with a good picture source, who cares.

The only issue I have is my wife inadvertantly got fingerprints on the screen when we were putting it on the dresser. Any suggestions on how to clean it without scratching the screen?

THANKS!

David

Originally posted by faceoff
Any suggestions on how to clean it without scratching the screen?A cleaning cloth should have come with the TV, with instructions on how to use it.

Originally posted by DLiquid
A cleaning cloth should have come with the TV, with instructions on how to use it.

geez - now I gotta read the manual?

OK - after dinner - I promise!

Thanks!

David

First off, wife was right about the Panny - 50" would have been TOO BIG! The 42" just makes it.

Faceoff: What is your viewing distance? I'm comtemplating between 42" and 50" and am going to be between 7-10' away depending on where I put my sectional sofa (i'm still waiting for that to be delivered.

Is general practice for people to watch 4:3 in stretched mode? Or do you watch it in 4:3 and leave black bars on the side?

If it's the latter, I'm concerned that if i get the 42" then in 4:3 viewing it's really no bigger than the 32" 4:3 TV i have right now.

Originally posted by bobby_t1
What is your viewing distance? I'm comtemplating between 42" and 50" and am going to be between 7-10' away

I tried both the 42" and 50", and my couch is 8.5 feet away from the TV.

If it were me, I'd go with the 42" at those distances, but if you're primarily going to watch HDTV or DVD, you could probably get away with the 50".

You can probably be safe with either size at the distance you have, it all depends on what you're going to view, and your tolerance for possibly seeing some pixels at the closer distances with the 50" set.

Originally posted by jfischer
I tried both the 42" and 50", and my couch is 8.5 feet away from the TV.

If it were me, I'd go with the 42" at those distances, but if you're primarily going to watch HDTV or DVD, you could probably get away with the 50".

You can probably be safe with either size at the distance you have, it all depends on what you're going to view, and your tolerance for possibly seeing some pixels at the closer distances with the 50" set.

I currently have a 57" CRT RPTV which will be replaced by the 60" GWIII when it hopefully arrives next week or shortly thereafter (just received the Sony GW1 stand today and put it together). We sit about 9.5' to 10' back and think it's just fine with our 57". I know the GWIII will be much sharper (thank goodness ;-) and brighter than the CRT RPTV, but I still think we'll be ok at that distance. I could go back another foot or 2 but because my rear surround speakers are on the ceiling behind our couch (about 2' back), I can't really move any futher back than that.

I've seen the 42" and 50" GWIIIs at BB, watching and playing with them from from about 3', 6', and about 9' back, and I personally felt that a bigger set would be better from 9' back, but maybe it's just that I'm already used to my 57" RPTV. Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about it, and just enjoy! Just another opinion...

Originally posted by bobby_t1
Faceoff: What is your viewing distance? I'm comtemplating between 42" and 50" and am going to be between 7-10' away depending on where I put my sectional sofa (i'm still waiting for that to be delivered.

Is general practice for people to watch 4:3 in stretched mode? Or do you watch it in 4:3 and leave black bars on the side?

If it's the latter, I'm concerned that if i get the 42" then in 4:3 viewing it's really no bigger than the 32" 4:3 TV i have right now.

Usually around 8-ish feet. 42" is fine - especially for a bedroom - between the TV and the cable box, used up all the space on the dresser! :) If it were around the same distance, and it was in a Living room or family room, I would probably be leaning towards the 50" set - it's more of a theatre-like feel.

Have been watching 4:3 in "Full" mode (I think). Star Wars AOTC was on ActionMax - considering that it was only Digital Cable, it looked pretty decent.

Will probably have to go in and play around with some tweaks. I have DVE - but still waiting on the DVD Player. To me, the blacks look very decent - if I recall correctly, they are noticible better than the Panny that I saw at BB. Although not a videophile, I wholly suspect that there is "black crush", but, considering the tradeoffs of all the different technologies, if that's the major compromise, I'm satisfied.

More later.

David

Ok, I have the 42WE610 and have been thinking about returning it for the 50" .......I have now decided to keep the 42" My viewing distance is about 9 feet away and the 42 looks great.......Probably alittle sharper then the 50" would at that distance.........I cant justify the swap for performance and price (it would be another $500 for the TV and another $100 for the larger stand)

the 42" is a big TV........as long as you havent had anything bigger , I think this TV will look big to anyone!!

This is just my opinion

Originally posted by Bravenuts
the 42" is a big TV........as long as you havent had anything bigger , I think this TV will look big to anyone!!

It's a big TV and a small HT. ;)

Thanks for all the replies! I'm a bit lazy so I'll just call Magnolia HIFI and see if they have the firmware update.

compfan- I too have noticed the picture being a little grainy even using the DVI input. The picture is much more clearer and sharp than my old sony dvd player, but the "graininess" is still there... are there any picture settings that anyone can suggest? The grains do diminish in "Pro" over "Standard" though. Also, has anyone noticed that with DVI, Mild Mode cannot be adjusted in Standard or Pro?

I tried using progressive scan via the component inputs and the picture was still grainy... and very much less clear than when connected via DVI. I hadn't noticed this effect when watching dvd's at the store...

I'm thinking about returning this player and just going with a good component. Though the images are clearer I feel than a Denon 1600 or 2900, in scenes with a lot of motion the 931 is more blurry than the Denons. The manager at Magnolia was quick to notice this as well, but he said it might be a difference between the Silicon Image processor vs DCDi as opposed to the component vs dvi connection.

The samsung HLN 46" has a very good picture and the 931 seems like it was made for it, but I'm one of the individuals in the 5% of the world who can see rainbows, and they drove me mad. So as much as I did enjoy the image on the samsung, I had too much eye fatigue when watching anything on the samsung.

Originally posted by Bravenuts
Ok, I have the 42WE610 and have been thinking about returning it for the 50" .......I have now decided to keep the 42" My viewing distance is about 9 feet away and the 42 looks great.......Probably alittle sharper then the 50" would at that distance.........I cant justify the swap for performance and price (it would be another $500 for the TV and another $100 for the larger stand)

the 42" is a big TV........as long as you havent had anything bigger , I think this TV will look big to anyone!!

This is just my opinion

There's no doubt that the 42" GWIII is a big tv (especially if your last tv was a 27", 32", or 36" CRT), but after 6 months, 1 year, or 2 years, you may find yourself wishing you got the bigger one. I've had a Toshiba 48" CRT RPTV for about 7 years now (Cinema Series - it still works great BTW; just an occasional slight flicker) and when I saw the 55", 60", and 65" RPTVs, I was kicking myself in the pants for not buying a bigger one.

If you have the space, I would recommend getting the largest one your room can accomodate. I think most people on the AVS Forum have said that any differences they've seen in PQ between the 42" and 50" GWIII (if seen at all) are very slight. Personally, I've seen them side-by-side and didn't notice any difference in PQ. Don't get me wrong, I don't think most people really need a 70" RPTV (like the new 70" XBR GWIII that's coming out soon...you really need a real home theater room or very large room for that size tv) but depending on your room, a 42" or even a 50" RPTV can start to look smaller than it did in the showroom or the first day you turned it on in your home. Just something to think about.

Originally posted by compfan
For all my fellow PC geeks,,

Nvidia Driver version 44.03 has a resolution of 1280X768 that looks very very nice. This is the only driver version Ive found from Nvidia with an acceptable res.

Scott,

This resolution is then manageable without using Powerstrip?
Can you run wmv9 files on it?
Have you tried the 45.23 drivers? They also have that resolution.

Mike50

I was surfing through numerous channels, some SD, some digital and some HD, on my modest front PJ that has about a 9' picture with me sitting about 12' back. It is nothing fancy and I show it on a light gray wall in my basement home theater. While watching, I kept thinking that I would trade a little PQ for a larger size picture and more enveloping experience any day. This is not to say I could watch very bad images but my $2,000 LCD pj puts out a pretty good picture even on the basic channels and they are very easy to watch. My point is that there is some tradeoff between size and PQ and size does matter. I hope I feel the same way when my 60" Sony gets here. I am sure a 42" Sony has a better picture than a 60" one but unless you are constrained by the size of the TV or a budget, go with the larger one and stop worrying about having the best picture and enjoy the size. I suspect your current, smaller tube TV will have the best picture and be a lot cheaper if PQ is what matters most. Why spend money on something that is only slightly bigger than what you already have? If you trully want to experience home theater you need a screen that is bigger. I see pictures of people's home theaters where their speakers are bigger than their TVs and I don't get it. You have to have a bigger screen to achieve a home theater effect. Having said that, please don't yell at me because its late and I am tired and I am not trying to make anyone mad. I just try to think through things logically and you get more impact with a larger screen.

Originally posted by mike50
Scott,

This resolution is then manageable without using Powerstrip?
Can you run wmv9 files on it?
Have you tried the 45.23 drivers? They also have that resolution.

Mike50

Some G4 cards auto detect the GWIII while others dont. No one is sure why. If it doesnt auto detect your TV then use power strip to force it. Otherwise your video card will default to some oddball.

The 45.23 gave me horrible framerates in all the games I play, it dropped them about 10-20fps so I pulled them off the same day I tried.

Originally posted by htwaits
It's a big TV and a small HT. ;)


I went to Circuit City tonight and made a diagonal measurement of the VIEWABLE SCREEN area of the new Sony KF-42WE610 and the so called
42inch TV is...........ONLY 41 1/2"........not 42 inches!!!

It wasn't too many years ago that the Government got all over computer screen manufacturers for giving less than honest measurements. For example.........say a 17 inch screen was ONLY measuring around 16 1/4 inches to 16 1/2, instead of the so called "17" inches advertised.

Go and check YOUR KF42-WE610 and report back here! For as that bastion of journalism.......the National Inquirer says, "Inquiring Minds Want to Know! Go measure your set and let us know!

Originally posted by compfan
Some G4 cards auto detect the GWIII while others dont. No one is sure why. If it doesnt auto detect your TV then use power strip to force it. Otherwise your video card will default to some oddball.

The 45.23 gave me horrible framerates in all the games I play, it dropped them about 10-20fps so I pulled them off the same day I tried.

Scott,

So, correct me if i'm wrong, you did not need to use Powerstrip with the 1280x768 resolution? How about wmv9 files ? Were you able to play those?

Sorry for all these questions, but i'm getting my KF42WE610 next week and your answers help me to plan ahead and avoid mistakes...

Mike50

PS: new 52.16 drivers are due next week and hopefully will improve framerate and provide better HTPC support.

Originally posted by mike50
Scott,

So, correct me if i'm wrong, you did not need to use Powerstrip with the 1280x768 resolution? How about wmv9 files ? Were you able to play those?

Sorry for all these questions, but i'm getting my KF42WE610 next week and your answers help me to plan ahead and avoid mistakes...

Mike50

PS: new 52.16 drivers are due next week and hopefully will improve framerate and provide better HTPC support.

I did not need powerstrip but like I said my videocard autodetected the TV. If the two dont talk, your PC wont let you change the resolution at all. If that happens, load PowerStrip, create the resolution, and test it out. if it works your good to go. The first time you try powerstrip you might need to load the resolution on you PC monitor, then while it is running disconnect the DVI cable and plug it into you TV.

Im looking forward to the 52.16 but its only gonna be another month or two until I go with an ATI product. One of my buddies has a 42GWIII running an ATI9800 and the two work beautifuly together. Hes using the component adapter which I think makes the connection easier to manage and manipulate. Anyways, its beautiful. Its almost like Nvidia doesnt care at all about HTPC.


edit-havent tried WMV9 files yet, im assuming ur refering to the HD ones? but DVDs played through it.

Scott,

Thank you for your reply. Your advice is very valuable.

I have an MSI G4TI4200 video card and use my current TV(an old 29in Tosh CRT) as a monitor thru the SVideo connection. I hope i wont need to use Powerstrip for the DVI connection with the new GWIII next week...

Mike50

What's the longest DVI cable you can get? My TV is going to be in a different room than my PC, so I'd need something like a 15 footer.

If that doesn't work, how can I get an ATI9800 to output to component cables. Is this an adapter that ATI sells, or does it come with the video card?

Here is the thing.....I have the TV in my bedroom right now (42") and it is perfect. I will be moving to a small apartment in the next few months and will then have the TV in the living room.....The TV should still only be 8-10 feet away. I got a good deal on the 42" from CC and would have to pay about $500+ for the 50" upgrade and then would have to pay alittle extra for the larger stand.......So it will end up costing over $600 for the upgrade.....And to be honest until I saw the 50" in the store the other day I was very happy with the 42" and even thought it was big enough.......

So, will all this in mind, the question is does the extra 8" justify the upgrade.....???

Also, How many people have bought this TV and not got the extended warranty?? I currently have a 2-year which was almost $400 (very expensive), the 4-year was $600.......I can still return the service plan with the 30 days......How bad would it be to have this TV without a service plan?? Also, are there any companies out there that will sell you a warranty for the TV if you dont purchase it from them?

You can e-mail me at nikea12@aol.com if you have info
Thanks

I also have the same question about the extended warranty. I just ordered the 60" GWIII model tonight, and I'm feeling like I didn't get the best deal. The extended warranty was $549 for 5 years from Good Guys. Normally I wouldn't have paid that, but the salesperson dropped $300 from the TV price. However, I'm paying full price for the Sony SUGW2 stand, which is $599. Do you think the extended warranty is worth the price?

I know we're not supposed to talk prices, so if someone could please email me and tell me if I should bargain some more, I would greatly appreciate it. (davidkudell@hotmail.com)

The bottom of the GWIII screen is 10" above the bottom of the unit. My custom made base is 21.5" tall
Us GWII owners have also had to deal with a 10" base, and its implications for stand and viewing heights. I don't know if there are viewing angle differences between the two GW generations, but our stand choices were pretty much what you all have to choose from. Searching and reviewing our old threads would reveal the many alternatives we considered.

One other connection between our GWs is that the GWIII 42" stand is the same height as the GWII 50" and 60" stands: 16 inches. The stands for the larger GWIIIs may also be the same height. I had my 60" GWII on a 21" stand for one month before moving to a 16 inch stand (not Sony's, but custom built). I'm glad I did. The picture brightened enough that I had to knock it down a few notches in the settings. I think there is a reason why the Sony stands are 16" high.

Originally posted by Bravenuts
Here is the thing.....I have the TV in my bedroom right now (42") and it is perfect. I will be moving to a small apartment in the next few months and will then have the TV in the living room.....The TV should still only be 8-10 feet away. I got a good deal on the 42" from CC and would have to pay about $500+ for the 50" upgrade and then would have to pay alittle extra for the larger stand.......So it will end up costing over $600 for the upgrade.....And to be honest until I saw the 50" in the store the other day I was very happy with the 42" and even thought it was big enough.......

So, will all this in mind, the question is does the extra 8" justify the upgrade.....???

Thanks

Only you can determine whether the extra $$ is worth the larger size GWIII...it's your money. All I was saying earlier is that my experience has been that after a few months or a year or so of watching your new, very expensive rptv, you may feel like you wished you had purchased the larger one. I guess you have 30 days to decide though. If it's in your bedroom, the 42" is probably plenty big, but once you get it into your living room, you may wished you had the bigger one, and yes, in my opinion - the extra 8" inches is a big difference for HT experience.

Can you go back to the apartment you're moving into in a few months and measure the area you're thinking of placing the new tv in? Maybe that would help in your decision. I can't help you there because we live in a house, where my family room is 20.6' x 14' - this is where we have our rptv. Our 7-year old 48" Toshiba Cinema Series rptv , however, is now in our bedroom (which is a good size), and my wife complains that it's too big for our bedroom (which sometimes, I can agree but I'm not willing to give it up ;-) -- so I think you're in a bit of a dilemma. If you're GWIII HT is ultimately going to be in your living room (and only temporarily in your bedroom), you may want to think about the long term.

I do agree with Troy...if you want the HT experience, then a little less PQ or brightness is a good trade off for a larger screen. Besides, from what I've seen, as well as most of the GWIII owners on this Forum, the 50" GWIII has virtually the same PQ as the 42" GWIII. Think of it as a win-win situation, except you're out another $600 ;-)

I've battled the screen size issue a couple of times and have always come to the conclusion that bigger is not always better.

While screen size is nice, the image tends to be sharper on a smaller screen size. I have the 42" GWIII. It's perfect for my room and viewing distance.

When I shopped for the set I was between the 42 and the 50. When I was them side by side, the better (sharper) PQ of the 42 convinced me that this was the way to go. Now, after only a few days of viewing, the bigger sets - including the Sony 50 = look fuzzy to me in the stores.

The difference is most evident with SD material, but I see a difference in even DVD playback. Small, but there.

Another thing that is important is viewing distance. Too big a screen with too small a viewing area can make imperfections in the picture very distracting. It can also cause you to have to constantly move your head to follow the picture across the screen. This can be tiring and causes your eyes to constantly refocus.

I always look at what I'll be viewing when considering a TV. Right now, SD material is still my primary source. It is also the worst signal you'll likely see. The more it gets magnified, the worse it looks.

If you are in an area with lots of HD content, or use the set primarily for DVD, the extra size is on the + side of the decision. If not, it might become an overall -.

I do agree with Aydu on some of his points. I watch a good mix of HD (I have the D* satellite HD package, all local OTA digital/HD stations, SD satellite, DVD, and analog cable as well. The larger sets do not look fuzzy when displaying 1080i and 720p HD material; true that expanding 4x3 SD material even wider will make it less accurate and seem a bit fuzzy (more artifacts, etc.). DVDs seem just about as good as they can get on a rptv; it's not HD but it's better than stretching 4x3 SD broadcasts.

As we watch more and more HD (and in the next few years, if you're not watching HD, especially by 2006 when it's mandated by the FCC that all tv stations be broadcasting in digital/HD), then you're truly missing out. At the very least, you may want to get satellite HD and don't forget that TIVO is supposed to be coming out with their HD TIVO box in 2004. Once you start watching in HD, you'll do everything you can to NOT watch SD...trust me. Hi-Def IS the REAL HT experience.

Originally posted by bsgoren
As we watch more and more HD (and in the next few years, if you're not watching HD, especially by 2006 when it's mandated by the FCC that all tv stations be broadcasting in digital/HD)

This only applies to Over The Air broadcasts (networks), and it doesn't mandate HD at all. It has no effect on cable/satellite stations.

The FCC mandate has virtually nothing to do with having more or less HD material becoming available by 2006. While I would expect more HD content as time goes by, 2006 and the FCC don't factor in at all.

Originally posted by jfischer
This only applies to Over The Air broadcasts (networks), and it doesn't mandate HD at all. It has no effect on cable/satellite stations.

The FCC mandate has virtually nothing to do with having more or less HD material becoming available by 2006. While I would expect more HD content as time goes by, 2006 and the FCC don't factor in at all.

True, but it appears that both cable companies and local tv stations are working very hard to bring everyone HD content. It is quite obvious that the satellite companies are committed to HD, now and moving forward. I currently have D* with the HD package (and anyone could get if you're able to point the dish to the SW sky, or you could go with the the other satellite co. which also has HD channels). In addition, it's also my understanding that more HD channels will be added on satellite and you can now get many NFL games in HD on satellite if you pay for the NFL Ticket package. My cable co. does not currently offer HD so we chose to go with satellite (even though we have basic analog cable through our HO association). HBO-HD, Discovery-HD, HDNet, and HDNet Movie Channel are quite nice.

Most people buying these GWIII sets now will be watching them for many years to come...this is a long-term product and with these sets, we can even replace the lamp when it goes out, and continue using (although by then, we might be watching holographic displays rising from thin air ??? ;-) Anyway, my point is that more and more network broadcasts are "being presented in HD." Hopefully, within a few years, most areas of the U.S., except maybe some deep rural areas will be able to view OTA digital/HD broadcasts. My area in South Florida is now just about covered by all the major networks (although all the broadcasts are still not entirely stable pictures without problems) and we watch many network shows, movies (whether OTA broadcasts or satellite) and sports in HD just about every day/night.

It's very possible that via OTA broadcasts, cable tv, or satellite, most areas in the U.S. will offer HD content within the next few years...that is the goal, anyhow. Anyone buying a large 4x3 tv set either 1. doesn't care about watching a higher quality, 3-D like HD broadcast (like my parents who grew up watching the first tv broadcasts in b+w) or 2. is not well informed about the "new" hi-def technology (new for the U.S. anyway as Europe and Japan I believe have had HD for years) or 3. is somehow steered into wasting their money only to buy another tv (16x9 HD-capable) in a few years if they want to watch HD. I would think that anyone who monitors or posts on the AVS Forum is probably interested in HD and wants to make the right decision for the present and for a few years to come.

Originally posted by compfan
My center channel speaker is only 5 inches deep. The top is about 4.5 inches wide so it could accomodate a few extra inches of speaker if necessary.

My Paradigm center channel speaker is rather large (9"Hx23"Wx12x13"D). That's probably too big and heavy to balance on the top ledge. Does anyone know if that popular Sanus TV Top Shelf that attaches to the rear grill of TVs will work on the 50" GWIII?

Originally posted by s2silber
My Paradigm center channel speaker is rather large (9"Hx23"Wx12x13"D). That's probably too big and heavy to balance on the top ledge. Does anyone know if that popular Sanus TV Top Shelf that attaches to the rear grill of TVs will work on the 50" GWIII?

Unless you want to "jimmy-rig" it, will not work...Go to the following thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=312782

Originally posted by fl_newbie
I'm running out of patience waiting for the Philips Lcos, and am impressed with the GWIII, but I have one question that I have not seen addressed, ie. vertical viewing height. The bottom of the GWIII screen is 10" above the bottom of the unit. My custom made base is 21.5" tall, placing the bottom of the screen 31.5" above the floor. When I am settled back in my recliner, my eyes are just about 30.5" off the floor. Do I have a problem with screen brightness?

The Owners manual states that your eyes should be within 30 degrees above or below the center of the screen. My trig's a little rusty but you should not have a problem.

That's a 60 Deg. vertical viewing angle. The set also has a 130 deg horizontal viewing angle.

Originally posted by ArchieGates
What's the longest DVI cable you can get? My TV is going to be in a different room than my PC, so I'd need something like a 15 footer.

If that doesn't work, how can I get an ATI9800 to output to component cables. Is this an adapter that ATI sells, or does it come with the video card?

Im pretty sure the standard limit is 25 feet for DVI cables. However a few higher quality brands, pacific cables I think, boasts a 50 foot limit for DVI cables. Either way 15 feet shouldnt be a problem.

Originally posted by ArchieGates
What's the longest DVI cable you can get? My TV is going to be in a different room than my PC, so I'd need something like a 15 footer.

If that doesn't work, how can I get an ATI9800 to output to component cables. Is this an adapter that ATI sells, or does it come with the video card?

Archie,

I dont know the answer for the DVI cable. The ATI video component adapter comes with some ATI video cards( the Allinwonder i believe). You can also get the adapter from ATI at www.ati.com

Mike50

go to www.pacificcable.com

I just saw the post from Compfan, who is returning his Sammy 931 because of what seems to be additional problems with blacks w/DVI. What are the rest of you doing? I see 3 options:

1) Samsung 931
2) Bravo D1
3) Something else - most likely using component

I have a 931 on order, but have no problem returning it for a store credit if there is a better (and affordible) option out there. The one ADVANTAGE I see in using a component DVD player is having that DVI port available (and not having to but a switch) for when Comcast had a DVI-enabled HD box.

TIA!

David

Originally posted by faceoff
I just saw the post from Compfan, who is returning his Sammy 931 because of what seems to be additional problems with blacks w/DVI. What are the rest of you doing? I see 3 options:

1) Samsung 931
2) Bravo D1
3) Something else - most likely using component

I have a 931 on order, but have no problem returning it for a store credit if there is a better (and affordible) option out there. The one ADVANTAGE I see in using a component DVD player is having that DVI port available (and not having to but a switch) for when Comcast had a DVI-enabled HD box.

TIA!

David

DVI pluge issues and LCD black level issues dont mix well together. Even at optimal DVE settings in rare scenes 80% of the screen is completely flat black with no detail at all.

Ive been told, and confirmed it with several sources that apparently this is a problem with all DVI players that are currently out and no amount of calibration will resolve it. Future models will likely resolve this but for now it appears to be a check in the negative column(:

I bought the Sammy for the same reason. The PQ was comparable in most situations and it freed up another component spot for my Xbox.

Im going right now to look at the RP91, NC665Ps, Denon1600 and the Sony NC555ES. Ill let you know which I buy and why.

Originally posted by RockScaler
The Owners manual states that your eyes should be 30 degrees above or below the center of the screen. My trig's a little rusty but you should not have a problem.

That's a 60 Deg. vertical viewing angle. The set also has a 130 deg horizontal viewing angle.
If the manual said "your eyes should be 30 degrees above or below the center of the screen" it's either a typo or Japanese English. Even if the set has a vertical viewing angle of 60 degrees you "shouldn't" be viewing it at the extremes.

I think the horizontal viewing angle is greater than 130 degrees. ;)

Originally posted by faceoff
I just saw the post from Compfan, who is returning his Sammy 931 because of what seems to be additional problems with blacks w/DVI. What are the rest of you doing? I see 3 options:

1) Samsung 931
2) Bravo D1
3) Something else - most likely using component

I have a 931 on order, but have no problem returning it for a store credit if there is a better (and affordible) option out there. The one ADVANTAGE I see in using a component DVD player is having that DVI port available (and not having to but a switch) for when Comcast had a DVI-enabled HD box.

TIA!

David

David,

I have an Onkyo DV-SP301 on order which i should receive next week. As i've posted in the DVD section, this player is reviewed in the oct issue of Home Theater Mag and is well rated by that mag.

Mike50

I own a KF-50WE610. My question is does anyone know how to change the gamma setting for this model for the DVI (Video Setting #7).

Greetings fellow Alabamiam:

What are you trying to accomplish by adjusting the Gamma? Control contrast??

Jim(Wetumpka)

Hey all,

Good Guys where I ordered my GWIII has an open box Sony HD DTV tuner (I think it's last year's model: HD200) for $299 with the dish and installation. Is that a deal that I should go for, or should I wait for the HD300 and pay more?

What are you trying to accomplish by adjusting the Gamma? Control contrast??

Jim(Wetumpka)

I'm trying to light up the picture detail in very dark movie scene. Very high bright levels make them look washout. Any suggestion.

Originally posted by Isitdigital
Jim(Wetumpka)

I'm trying to light up the picture detail in very dark movie scene. Very high bright levels make them look washout. Any suggestion.

Is that the Black Crush problem? Right now, I've had the set (still uncalibrated), and that is the ONLY real concern I have - and I knew going in that it might be an issue. If it continues to be the ONLY problem - I'll try to calibrate as much out as possible, and live with the set.

David

Originally posted by ArchieGates
Good Guys where I ordered my GWIII has an open box Sony HD DTV tuner (I think it's last year's model: HD200) for $299 with the dish and installation. Is that a deal that I should go for, or should I wait for the HD300 and pay more?

Grab it! The Sony HD200 and the Zenith SAT520 are the same box. I have two of the Zenith version and they are excellent for both satellite and OTA reception.

Don

Originally posted by mike50
David,

I have an Onkyo DV-SP301 on order which i should receive next week. As i've posted in the DVD section, this player is reviewed in the oct issue of Home Theater Mag and is well rated by that mag.

Mike50


I have a 5 year old top of the line Toshiba NON progressive dvd player that puts out a great picture. My question: Can I use this NON PROGRESSIVE dvd player with my new (when I get it) Sony KE42WE610
Grand Wega III? Please let me know asap. Thanks!

You can use the non progressive scan DVD player with the GWIII. I am using a 2 year old Toshiba player with my 42" and the picture is excellent.

I rented Gangs of New York the other day and the picture from that DVD was outstanding. Great way to show off what this set is capable of.

I am using s-video as a connection. My DVD player has component jacks, but I never had a set that took component input. I may upgrade at some point, but the quality I'm getting now is so good that this will be a low priority.

The DVD PQ on this set is much better than anything I've seen in the theaters.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by aydu
[B]You can use the non progressive scan DVD player with the GWIII. I am using a 2 year old Toshiba player with my 42" and the picture is excellent.

Exactly which input should I plug the non-prog. dvd in? Reason I ask is that in a Sammy DLP it must go into component no. 1 as that is the only one which accepts a non progressive dvd (480i) input.

First you need to decide what type of connection you want - composite, s-video, or component. All are different cable types that go into the matching slots on the set.

I don't think there are any limitations for these connection types. The new DVI input for HDTV won't be present on an older DVD player.

Just use whichever one you want. I have mine connected to the video 1 input.

Originally posted by kmil
[QUOTE]Originally posted by aydu
[B]You can use the non progressive scan DVD player with the GWIII. I am using a 2 year old Toshiba player with my 42" and the picture is excellent.

Exactly which input should I plug the non-prog. dvd in? Reason I ask is that in a Sammy DLP it must go into component no. 1 as that is the only one which accepts a non progressive dvd (480i) input.

You can plug into any component input that accepts 480i. I think that all component inputs on the GWIII do that.

The Samsung is the odd one out in this case.

Originally posted by aydu
You can use the non progressive scan DVD player with the GWIII. I am using a 2 year old Toshiba player with my 42" and the picture is excellent.

I rented Gangs of New York the other day and the picture from that DVD was outstanding. Great way to show off what this set is capable of.

I am using s-video as a connection. My DVD player has component jacks, but I never had a set that took component input. I may upgrade at some point, but the quality I'm getting now is so good that this will be a low priority.

The DVD PQ on this set is much better than anything I've seen in the theaters.

Thanks for your response. Another quick question. Can I buy the Sony KF-42WE610.......at a B&M such as, say Sears and THEN buy an extended warranty SOMEWHERE ELSE if I decide to do so???

Guys,

I crossposted this from the DVD section - since there were no responses, yet:

I need to make a decision. I have a Sony GWIII which is staying. It's only flaw that I have a problem with is it's black crush. I ordered a Samsung 931, which I was planning on hooking up with DVI, before I read that the DVI out on the 931 also has black crush - so that doesn't seem to be the solution.

So, since I already have the 931 on order, how does it rank as a Progressive Scan DVD Player. I know that it has the Faroudji technology, and to me this is worth something, but, is it worth the price if not being used for DVI?

I just saw the review of the Pioneer 563A in the new S&V. Sounds like a really good price, especially for a DVD AND SACD Player. I would be willing to bet that 99-100% of the use will be for DVD's.

So, do I keep the Samsung when I get it, go for the Pioneer, or maybe take my chances on the Bravo? The Brovo would seem to be a likely candidate, but I'm still a bit skiddish with all the problems.

TIA for all opinions.

David

How much of the reported black crush with the Sony GWIII is due to using the Samsung 931??

Faceoff
In another thread, someone tested both the Bravo D1 and the Samsung 931 on a DLP (using DVI on both). They claimed that the Samsung looked grainer and had the black crush problem. I wouldn't be surprised if someone tries the same with the GWIII.

Kmil, there is another thread that covers extended warranties and a couple vendors that sell them on the internet. It is pretty active so you should look there for more complete information plus it is pretty interesting.

Originally posted by JimP
How much of the reported black crush with the Sony GWIII is due to using the Samsung 931??

Faceoff
In another thread, someone tested both the Bravo D1 and the Samsung 931 on a DLP (using DVI on both). They claimed that the Samsung looked grainer and had the black crush problem. I wouldn't be surprised if someone tries the same with the GWIII.

Compfan tried the 931 (DVI) with the GWIII and is taking the 931 back due to more problems with blacks.:(

What I'm wondering is if it's worth keeping the 931 if I'm NOT going to use DVI?

David

Originally posted by faceoff
Compfan tried the 931 (DVI) with the GWIII and is taking the 931 back due to more problems with blacks.:(

What I'm wondering is if it's worth keeping the 931 if I'm NOT going to use DVI?

David

I cant speak for the Bravo/Marantz or Denon DVI players but the combo of the Sony GWIII and Samsung 931 results in awful awful, black problems. I tried calibrating with Avia and DVE but the improvements were only minor. In the end some scenese are literally unwatchable.

Dont get me wrong,on bright scenes I have yet to see a DVD player as crisp and nice as the Sammy but on dark scenes just about any component player does a better job, even my 4 year old 99$RCA (:

In my opinion if your going to use strictly the component you should look elsewhere. There are 0 options on the sammy to adjust the picture, ZERO. The remote is awful, the IR reception is even worse and to top it off the load/seek times make me want to rip my hair out while im waiting. About the only upside I see to this player is the faroujda. The Denon 1600 is about the same price and provides alot more utility.

Just my opinion(:

Originally posted by JimP
How much of the reported black crush with the Sony GWIII is due to using the Samsung 931??

Faceoff
In another thread, someone tested both the Bravo D1 and the Samsung 931 on a DLP (using DVI on both). They claimed that the Samsung looked grainer and had the black crush problem. I wouldn't be surprised if someone tries the same with the GWIII.

Later I will download the pictures off my camera so you can truely see it but in the case of DVD's id say probably 90-95% of the problems are due to the DVI.

I can play the exact same scene, PIP with two different players, one component(interlaced) the other the DVI. The difference is so blatantly obvious.

The perfect example is in Two Towers in the beginning when Gandolf falls off the cliff. For the DVI it is pure black except for the light in the center of the screen which are the flames and hole where gandalf falls. However the walls are completely black, no detail at all. In this case literally 95% of the screen is flat black. However with the component the entire screen is filled with detail and I can see the rock walls he falls past.

The difference between the two is very obvious. Im sure DVI may work better with other brands or technologies but unless I got a defective unit the Sony/Sammy combo is a nogo.

Compfan,

FWIW - did you try Component? As you can tell, I'm still a bit skiddish on the D1.

THANKS!

David

Originally posted by faceoff
Compfan,

FWIW - did you try Component? As you can tell, I'm still a bit skiddish on the D1.

THANKS!

David

Yes I did. It was much better than the DVI connection. Like any other component.

But like I said, for the money you can get a much better component player.

I'm new to the forum, I just got my KE42WE610 a couple days ago. Very impressed with this thread, it's already answered a few of my questions!

I do have one question/concern though, and I haven't found it mentioned yet.

I have my Xbox hooked up to the TV with the HD pack, Matrix looked beautiful in 720p, but, when I put Matrix Reloaded DVD in (I use my Xbox as my DVD player), and played a scene, it still had black bars on the top and bottom. I assumed that the movie would play in the full screen. Is this a setting I done incorrectly on the Xbox, or on the TV, or is it supposed to be that way?

With work and school, I haven't had enought time to check it out much.....

Thanks,

DSamAZ

Has anyone tried the old xbr discrete codes on the GWIII's?

dsamaz, turn on the xbox with a DVD in it. In the options menu make sure you have widescreen enabled. That's it unless for some reason you didn't have a widescreen version of the Matrix.

When I first set up the system the other day, I checked to make sure the video settings on the Xbox were on "widescreen" with 480p, 720p, and 1080i enabled. I do have the widescreen version of Matrix Reloaded.....

If I remember correctly, when I played Shrek the other night, it played to the full screen.....

The only way I was able to get Matrix to play full screen was on "Zoom", even on "Wide Zoom" there were bars, top and bottom, albeit smaller...

I can live with the bars, but I would assume they aren't supposed to be there...

I believe that the aspect ratio for the Matrix Reloaded is 2.35:1 which is not 16:9 (which is 1.78:1). So no matter how you configure you're screen, you'll either cut off the ends of the movie, distort the picture to fit 16:9, or have black bars.

Feel free to flame me if I get this wrong, but the 16:9 aspect ratio is a characteristic of High Definition television, not necessarily of films.

So depending on the movie (think of "Lawrence of Arabia" and its mega-widescreen ratio), you may still get the black bars.

Originally posted by compfan
The difference between the two is very obvious. Im sure DVI may work better with other brands or technologies but unless I got a defective unit the Sony/Sammy combo is a nogo.

Compfan,

Thanks again for your response in my other thread. As we are having the exact same issues, I will be refusing delivery of my buy.com order and returning the HD931 to BB as well. I'm glad I will be able to simply refuse delivery from buy.com now that I now how much DVI suffers on this player with my GWIII. OH well. Now to decide to either stick with my Sony 725P or get the Lite-On so I can have fun with 720p and 1080i through component :)

I believe kmil asked a question earlier about using a non-progressive scna DVD player on the GWIII.

I have a similar question, based on something I was told by the sales rep at Tweeter. ;)

He said that, if I use the component cables to connect the DVD to the tv, the GWIII will convert the 480I from the DVD player to 480P if I turn on a "cinemation" mode (or something like that), so I wouldn't have to go buy a progressive scan player.

My question - is there any truth to this statement?

And this brings out another quesiton, which may have been dealt with elsewhere: how is data stored on the DVD? Is it 480 lines, 540 lines, 720 lines or 1080 lines? Or does it vary by DVD?

All of the "high-end" Sony TVs do have their own line-doubling systems that peform essentially the same function as a DVD player's progressive mode. Whether the Sony's "Cinemotion" setting gives you as good a picture as you'd see in "Progressive" mode on any given player with that capability is a matter of taste and the quality of the particular player.

Originally posted by Packy
Compfan,

Thanks again for your response in my other thread. As we are having the exact same issues, I will be refusing delivery of my buy.com order and returning the HD931 to BB as well. I'm glad I will be able to simply refuse delivery from buy.com now that I now how much DVI suffers on this player with my GWIII. OH well. Now to decide to either stick with my Sony 725P or get the Lite-On so I can have fun with 720p and 1080i through component :)

Looks like we are still in the same boat(:

I have decided one of three things.

The first would be to keep my 725P and save my money. This player has always had a sweetspot in my heart. The disk read times are superfast, the picture is decent and besides cinemotion does a fairly impressive job of improving the PQ out of interlaced.

The second would be to try something way out there, IE the liteon to see how this 720/1080 stuff looks over component.

The third is to spend some money and buy a top of the line component player. Im actually leaning towards the Sony NC555ES. For my situation(equipment) this seems to be the perfect player.


hmmmm,

Scott in Rochester

Originally posted by s2silber
All of the "high-end" Sony TVs do have their own line-doubling systems that peform essentially the same function as a DVD player's progressive mode. Whether the "Cinemotion" setting gives you as good a picture as you'd see in "Progressive" mode on any given player with that capability is a matter of taste and the quality of the particular player.


I have (for now) my 5 year old top of the line Toshiba DVD player which is, of course, none progressive. I understand it CAN be used with the Sony 42 inch LCD with no problems, right? My question is what, if any, changes do I make if I use a player such as the Bravo D1 (DVI player) with the Sony? Are there any special changes. Secondly as to both players; the Toshiba non progressive and a player like the DVI do I need to make any setting changes in EITHER dvd player and/or on the new Sony!

To the first question: Yes, you can use the Toshiba interlaced player and let the Sony perform the line-doubling (progressive) scan via its "Cinemotion" setting. Just use the Sony's remote to put it in that mode.

I don't have a DVD player with DVI out (just an HD satellite STB for which I use the DVI output), so I can't tell you for sure how the TV will handle the Bravo's DVI output. My guess is that if the Bravo's in Progressive mode, than its own line doubling will override the TV's progressive/line doubling/Cinemotion function -- regardless of whether the signal is coming out of component video cables or DVI. BTW, if you use the interlaced Toshiba, you've got the choice of either component video cables if it's got such outputs, or S-Video. Either way, the TV will do the line-doubling work. Also, if the Toshiba doesn't have "Pro" mode, there's no setting change on it to make.

Originally posted by htwaits
If the manual said "your eyes should be WITHIN 30 degrees above or below the center of the screen" it's either a typo or Japanese English. Even if the set has a vertical viewing angle of 60 degrees you "shouldn't" be viewing it at the extremes.

I think the horizontal viewing angle is greater than 130 degrees. ;)

Sorry about the typo. I added the word within to my original post.

I'm very happy with the viewing angles too.

Originally posted by faceoff
I just saw the post from Compfan, who is returning his Sammy 931 because of what seems to be additional problems with blacks w/DVI. What are the rest of you doing? I see 3 options:

1) Samsung 931
2) Bravo D1
3) Something else - most likely using component



TIA!

David

3) Something Else

I went with a Pioneer DV-563A. It should have decent video plus it plays both DVD-Audio and SACD! There is a review of it in the Nov. 2003 issue of Sound & Vision Mag. page 73. I'll post the link when they put in on their website.

I'll let you know how it works out after it comes next week.

I figure this will suite me fine for a few years until the industry finally decides on a HD-DVD standard. Then I'll get one of those and use the DV-563A just for audio.

A little off the subject but could someone tell me how you get the quote you are responding to into your message? I think it makes things easier to follow and I am not quite sure how to do it.

Originally posted by Troy
A little off the subject but could someone tell me how you get the quote you are responding to into your message? I think it makes things easier to follow and I am not quite sure how to do it.

Hit the quote button on the top-right of the message you want to respond to.

Originally posted by HardDrive
Mike,

The current "XBR" on the market today is last year's model, often referred to here as the GWII (model number KF50XBR800, for example). The "WE" model is this year's non-XBR, often called the GWIII (KF50WE610). Soon to be delivered to a store near you is this year's XBR (KDF60XBR950).

DIfferences: The GWIII is by most reports much improved over the GWII. Differences include a new generation LCD panel, brighter light source, and color filters in the light path that improve contrast. The GWIII XBR line will add a built-in tuner, an even brighter bulb, an improved protective screen, and a different cabinet that some say looks nicer. Also the GWIII XBR will be 60" and 70" models, while the GWIII non-XBR has 42", 50", and 60" models.

Take a look at the Gwinnett TV site, they have a nice rundown of each set's specs and features.



Speaking of Gwinnett TV's site it IS very nice with a lot of information.
I plan to get the 42 inch Sony GWIII and on the Gwinnett site AND other sites, under "Specifications" one line reads "Subwoofer Out: 1 Rear"..........WHERE IS IT ON THE BACK??? Some posters on this site told me the other day that a subwoofer cannot be used? So, if it CAN be used please tell me where to plug in a powered subwoofer. Thanks Much!!!

HDD

Originally posted by bladefan
anyone have a samsung 931 dvi player hooked up to 50" GWIII?

how does it compare to standard progressive scan?



I went to Best Buy with 4 dvd's today to see what they'd look like. Though I'm gonna have to get the 42" because of the wife and not the 50 I want.....however, I tried BOTH players.....great color very mushy pictures like looking through a frosted glass or translucent glass. I was very disappointed with the PQ and was questioning myself as to why I even want a new TV (like the wife). Well, I went back to BB tonight and hooked up the Sammy HD931 DVI player set to 1080i on the 50 inch Sony GWIII.............viola!!!
What a picture................CRYSTAL clear. I was blown away it was as good, if not better than the stores HD feed. I was viewing a new release of Lawrence of Arabia which was origninally made around 1962. I then looked at Amadeus, and Moulin Rouge.......MUCH MUCH better than the moviehouse. All I can say is I MUST get a DVI player.......soon after I get my new Sony. Now if I can only get my Toshiba 43 inch Projection TV sold.

Originally posted by DLiquid
Here are the results of my first attempts to tweak the user menu with Digital Video Essentials (DVE). The setting bars in the GWIII user menu have 64 positions, and I'm counting the lowest position as 1 here, not zero. So the full range is 1-64. This is how umr does it in his tweaks document.

For 480p, 720p, and 1080i, I've modified Standard and Pro as follows:

Mode: Standard
Picture: 80% (51 ticks)
Brightness: 67% (43 ticks)
Color: 44% (28 ticks)
Hue: 47% (30 ticks)
Sharpness: 50% (32 ticks)
Color Temp: Warm
NR: Off
Mild Mode: On

Mode: Pro
Picture: 88% (56 ticks)
Brightness: 61% (39 ticks)
Color: 44% (28 ticks)
Hue: 47% (30 ticks)
Sharpness: 50% (32 ticks)
Color Temp: Warm
NR: Off
Mild Mode: On

For 480i sources, I modify the following settings from what you see above:

Mild Mode: Off
DRC Mode: High Dens.
DRC Palette: Reality = 1, Clarity = 100
BN Smoother: Off


My Pro settings definitely have more shadow detail than my Standard settings. This was especially apparent in the DVE grayscale ramps. Even at identical user menu settings, Pro just does a much better job showing the different gradiations of near black.

I haven't done that much testing with different material, but my Standard settings seem to be better than Pro for SD, I'm not sure why. Pro looks a little too blurry. If I turn on CineMotion for SD, both Standard and Pro get too blurry. I'm also unsure about the NR and BN Smoother settings. With DirecTV SD, I couldn't notice any difference when changing these, so I left them off.

For HD, I think my Pro settings look a little better than Standard, but they're pretty close. When switching between Pro and Standard (the remote Picture button is great for this), I can see some shadow details come to life when switching to Pro.

These Standard 480i settings look very good for 480i videogames. I haven't tried a 480p or 720p game since making the changes.

Other than DVE, I didn't test any DVDs, so I'm not sure which setting is better there. I would suspect Pro is better, at least for progressive scan.

Quick tip if you didn't realize it, when in a user menu, you can press the Reset button on the remote to revert to the default settings. For example, if you're modifying the Pro settings, hitting the Reset button will change the Pro settings back to their factory defaults.


DLiquid: Thanks for the help. I gather this would work for the 42 inch also? BTW, doesn't it just "tick" you off that you've gotta count TICKS instead of having NUMBERS come up like most other manufacturers like Samsung??? HELLO SONY.........Is anyone home? Are you Sony folks listening???

Originally posted by kmil
I went to Best Buy with 4 dvd's today to see what they'd look like. Though I'm gonna have to get the 42" because of the wife and not the 50 I want.....however, I tried BOTH players.....great color very mushy pictures like looking through a frosted glass or translucent glass. I was very disappointed with the PQ and was questioning myself as to why I even want a new TV (like the wife). Well, I went back to BB tonight and hooked up the Sammy HD931 DVI player on the 50 inch Sony GWIII.............viola!!!
What a picture................CRYSTAL clear. I was blown away it was as good, if not better than the stores HD feed. I was viewing a new release of Lawrence of Arabia which was origninally made around 1962. I then looked at Amadeus, and Moulin Rouge.......MUCH MUCH better than the moviehouse. All I can say is I MUST get a DVI player.......soon after I get my new Sony. Now if I can only get my Toshiba 43 inch Projection TV sold.

hmm, you must have been the lucky one. Looks like most arent getting the 931 to work well with the sonys. DVI is well known for the blackcrush problem.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=314509

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=314457

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=313840

[QUOTE]Originally posted by compfan
[B]Lol, impossible! It was easy to tweak the GWII, just read UMR's instructions.



So, just where are the above "UMR's instructions"? Can you point me to where I can find and print them out?

Originally posted by kmil
[QUOTE]Originally posted by compfan
[B]Lol, impossible! It was easy to tweak the GWII, just read UMR's instructions.



So, just where are the above "UMR's instructions"? Can you point me to where I can find and print them out?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=196558

59 pages of discussion about an even longer acrobat file fo tweaking the GWII. Have fun(:

Originally posted by compfan
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=196558

59 pages of discussion about an even longer acrobat file fo tweaking the GWII. Have fun(:


Hey, thanks for the info. I'm sorry I did not make myself clearer..............it is NOT the GWII Umr tweak info I'd like to see, but instead......its the GWIII info......if indeed it even exists as of yet. BTW, the Sony Spec sheet says there is a subwoofer output 1 Rear...........do you know where it is because I see NOTHING about its usage in the new Sony KF-42WE610 manual I downloaded. Once again, thanks!

Originally posted by kmil
...it is NOT the GWII Umr tweak info I'd like to see, but instead......its the GWIII info...
Umr doesn't have a GWIII to tweak and no one else in this forum has ever tweaked a GW of any kind. :(

I've been looking at the GWIII's in awe lately, and aren't ready to pick up a TV yet, but may be in a few months. Unfortunately, I've had the same dinky old 19" RCA for around 13-14 years, and have little to no knowledge about LCD televisions.

Skimming this board though, I've been entirely freaked out about the process, so I have a few questions, and where better than a topic based around the television I'm looking at.

-Calibration: My idea of calibrating my current television is just using a THX test that came with a DVD I own (seems to work well on my basic television). But reading here, I get the idea that if I calibrate something incorrectly on one of these TV's, something may explode. Just how sensitive are they, and what are the repricutions of slightly off calibration??

-Longevity: As I said before, I've had the same TV for over a decade (I'm surprised it's lasted as long as it has). Just how durable are LCD TV's in general? I read something somewhere about bulb replacement every few years (which is what initially freaked me out). Just how much maintenence do these things require, as well as how long do they last?

-DVI: What is it, and what advantages are there over regular TV's? I have a Pioneer DV-525 modded for multi-region & macroviision (it suits my anime needs). Would such a player hamper the picture on an LCD TV?

-Placemeent: Is it reccomended that these TV's be as low to the ground as possible? My entertainment unit actually would place it about 4 feet off the ground, though the viewing room has extremely low light, no window expossure facing the TV, & the only glare would occasionally be from a computer screen across the room. I'm familiar that viewing distasnce/position also factors with picture quality, and I'm going to place it in a smallish bedroom.

-Regular TV broadcasts/HD: I'm still not clear on whether the HD tuner comes with the 42" model, but even without it, does a reglar basic cable broadcast look like total crap (or rather more so than usual)?

-Burn in: The reason I'm looking at LCD over Plasma is because of the lower likely-hood of screen burn in, as I'm also an avid gamer. I'm also curious about the probability of burn in from watching 4:3 programs (all that extra room on the side). What I'm looking to use this for is my general purpose TV/movie watching, & video game playing full time set. So how it handles 4:3 is also an issue for me.

-Should I just screw it and go with a more standard Wega CRT? If so, what's the current hot widescreen 20-30+ inch reccomended model.

I apologise for the newbie questions, but my dreams of just being able to buy something & run it straight out of the box have been somewhat shattered. Unfortunately I don't yet have the income to baby a television immensly, I just want a good high quality TV. This forum was reccomended for advice on such matters.

KeithBL

You stated the following:

"My entertainment unit actually would place it about 4 feet off the ground. I'm familiar that viewing distasnce/position also factors with picture quality, and I'm going to place it in a smallish bedroom."

Wouldn't this be the deal killer?? The center of the screen would be roughly 6' from the floor. Measured from the floor, how high will your eyes be and what will you normal viewing distance be??

There are two audio out jacks on the back of the 42", no specific sub out jack. The audio out jacks can either be run fixed or variable for output level. Fixed will let you control the volume with your receiver, variable will allow you to control the volume with the TV's remote while still using an outboard amplifier.

The controls for these jacks are only available on the menu when the internal speakers are set to off. This leads me to believe that you can't use the outputs from these jacks and the speakers at the same time.

If the jacks were active with the speakers on, you could run the output to a sub and use the subwoofers internal controls to set the cuttoff point and level of output - variable so the sub and TV are in sync.

Most people probably turn the internal speakers off and use their receiver for sound, especially with DD and DTS movies and DD being the standard for HD.

I wish there was an option to either use the jacks in addition to the speakers - like to just add a sub - or to use the internal speakers for things like watching the news and only switch over to the big stereo system for other programs with stereo output.

GOOOD NEEEEEWS!!!

My father ordered his KF-60WE610 on 9/9/03 and sony said they shipped it on 10/16/03. Hope to see it on mon or tues!!!

Originally posted by Sevenofone
GOOOD NEEEEEWS!!!

My father ordered his KF-60WE610 on 9/9/03 and sony said they shipped it on 10/16/03. Hope to see it on mon or tues!!!


Where did you dad order his?? It looks like Sonystyle is shipping, Circuit City has them up in Maryland somewhere and Sears(who I ordered from) is still waiting for their delivery. :mad:

FWIW- I was at a BB here in Atlanta looking for a different TV but the sales guy pointed to a Sony LCD and said that it was "the new Sony LCD" RPTV. I asked him if it was the new GW III and he said yes. He appeared to be a very knowledgeable person. The PQ was very nice but I did not look at it long.

After reading yesterday all of this thread and a few others on the new GWIII, i went today at Maison Sony ( sony house ) to check out their new GW3 and the new XBR lcd and plasma displays.

I need to decide pretty quick now before this winter, has been waiting for the Tosh new Lcos sets without any answers so ... i might join the WGIII line :)

They had 2 GWIII, the 42" and the 60" non xbr ( not yet out neway.??)
Last year i had seen 2-3 times GW without beeing to much attracted by the PQ they were displaying. But this time it was a blaast.

They had one of the middle line CRT RPTV ( 50 approx ) on the side of the GWIII 60" and i could compare directly the PQ since they were sending in both the same signals ( BEV so i had to check out HDTV and Normal STV)

First, i was really astonished to see the clarity in the GWIII compared to what i had previously seen, but the HDTV feed that was on wasn't of good quality ( extreme compression artifacts all over...they even dare to call it hdtv..neway )

Then i started talking with the sells rep, talking about the engines, the differences between CRT RPTV and the GWs line ..
He didn't know much for a sony only seller since i knew lot more time as much info as he did ( thanks to the great AVS forums :)

I started studying the picture of the GWIII on the 42" since the watching room wasn't bgi enough to get back on the 60"
The HD feed changed to a nature/insects display, and WOW
i was blaaaaaaaasted by the quality in colors, details and sharpness of the image i was seeing, i never even thought that lcd could be that bright in projections .. I copmared for 10 good minutes between their CRT RPTV and the 42" GWIII the PQ and even the blacks were better resolved on the GW than on the CRT, but i suspect that none of them was properly calibrated.
I also notice the improvement on the glare reduction of the GW, wow
i coudln't see any reflections at all in this medium light display room.
But on the CRT it was really bad, could see all the ceilling lamps, my guess is that it wouldve been a lot less apparent on higher models such as WV700 and up with the better screens.

I also compared the GWIII with the newer plasmas, and i was pleased to see almost and exact same PQ with the plasmas than with the GW,
both had good colors ( maybe not NTSC good, but they seemed pretty life like to me at least )
The details and sharpness is what took me in on the GWs..
WE talked about DVI and HTPC stuff, but he never tried, and didn't know anything about it either...
I asked him about iternal conversion ( analog :( ) and he didn't know either.( wow what a good rep ..neway )

So all in all ,

GWIII impressions :


GOOD POINTS for me :
1- Quality of picture with good sources as HDTV
2- Colors are really life like in most of what i saw ( maybe not NTSC accurate though )
3- I think it could be tweaked to get lot better results than what i saw today
4- Size of the cabinet and the weight is good for an RPTV 42-50"
5 - Sharpness is incredible ( i may only not be used to it yet)
6- WEGA supposed to mean for us that there is no stupid conversions back and forth so less signal degradations on the path to display

CONS:

1- resolution is akward, though can be resolved better with HTPC
2- uncertainty of HTPC connection quality ( wich is a must for me )\
3- Digital NAtive resolution seems to be a no no for most users ???
4- The blacks beeing good are not perfect, though the screen anti reflect helps a lot to attain more than acceptable blacks in normally lit rooms
( the blacks i've seen today were twice as black as the sided CRT RPTV




Then...

To continue i would need to know if anybody was able to get this dam display to work at NATIVE RESOLUTION with the DVI connection ?
There is just no go for me if we can't get this to work 100%\
( using HTPC, good card and power strip will be necessary i guess )

There is no WAY i am going to feed this baby a non native signal and let it's poor internal scalers blur the signal, i want to be able to decide of the end signal when it's still post process in my HTPC

the rest is more of tweaks range, i think that this set could really benefit alot from the kind of tweaks that UMR did on the other GWs

thanks for reading :)

still on the loose for a new display ..but this is getting interesting at good price range!

Just to add to my previous post,

my today's experience was that this display may be not suited for someone looking for perfect NTSC standards and all calibrated display,
but it really comes up to par with plasma screens in recreating a cool feeling that looks like real life window effect compared to all the hot CRT RPTV i've seen over the years .. this is the only thing that keeps me loking at this display ( same with plasma and some small lcd displays of new gens)

I am not sure if it is the sharpness or the vibrant colors or maybe both,
but it does a coold effect when u see it, and this gives a nice natural effect on me.

Originally posted by kmil
... in the new Sony KF-42WE610 manual I downloaded.

Do you have a link for this download? I have been searching the Sony site for it with no luck.

Thanks

Originally posted by gschroeder
Do you have a link for this download? I have been searching the Sony site for it with no luck.

Thanks



I have a copy of the manual you want. I have it on my desktop. Tell me how to get it to you and or this board and I'll be glad to do it. Not a nerd but I suspect it will have to be sent as an attachment.

You can email me at: KMil123@msn.com

The sales rep i talked to today told me that Sony would not be doing any CRT based RPTV in the future, and that they wanted to promote GW because of their "big" advantages ...
I am pretty sure that the prices will again come down in spring 2004 with new models ..

He told me that the current non XBR WGIII have the exact same lighting engine than the one of last year's XBR models, is that true?

until today my decision was between hitachi v500 dlp, but after seeing the new sony lcd im sold. however at the CC, where i work, they only have the 42" out. it looks absolutely amazing far far better than the hitachi, and apparently they told me the dlp used to be better but from being on all 12 hrs a day for months it has lost PQ considerably. i was thinking of getting the 60" since i wont have the discount forever. the 60" is 500$ more. ok so i sit 8.5 feet away from the tv, which unfortunately has to go in the left corner of the room and the room its in is 25'x20'. the tv guys say 50' is plenty big. any opinions? i dont want to lose PQ, but nor do i want to have to get another tv when i get my own house

thanks for all the input

Quick Question----

The GWIII's do have a standard stereo output jack on back, right?

Nowhere do I see this simple connection mentioned on any web site (including Sony's)!

I received this unit this morning as a courtesy exchange for some problems I had with a major retailer's 60XBR800. Here are a few observations:

Screen: The protective screen is vastly improved over the previous model. The XBR had a highly reflective screen, practically mirror-like. You could see undulations in it when looking at it from any angle. The new screen looks flatter and reflections are much more diffuse ("fuzzy"). If you view in a room with any kind of light, you will much appreciate the new screen. IMO, this is the most significant improvement.

Brighter/Better Picture: The whites in particular look much "whiter" and brighter. The bulb, though, is 100W, just like the XBRs. The colors in standard mode tend to be more vivid than the XBRs. The blacks are blacker, but I must say that I never really objected to the XBRs black level. The picture is improved, but a good deal of credit may go to the screen in this regard.

Lower Fan Noise: The fan is barely perceptible. The fan noise reportedly bothered some (wife included). I didn't object to the white noise. It shouldn't be an issue any longer.

No "Creaking" Noises: One thing that did bother me on the XBR was the loud plastic expansion/contraction noises that use to come out of the set. These would occasionally wake me up from snoozing. I didn't hear them today.

Miscellaneous: The on-screen menu is smaller and to the side now so you can actually see the results of changing parameters. The XBR menu took up the entire screen. There is a noise reduction parameter in the menu now. Haven't looked into what it means. The "mild" mode is not listed along with the others in submenu, but is accessed in a different manner. Otherwise, the menus look pretty similiar to the XBRs. The wife thought the screen was narrower top to bottom than the old set, but this is an optical illusion due to the black portion of the frame being wider on the left and right than on the top and bottom. They used to be uniform all around on the XBR.

Overall, very pleased with the set. It is a better package than the XBR. Sony is going to have problems getting rid of those XBR800s....

Dilemna, dilemna. Help me out guys:

1. I'll be looking to buy a TV in Nov/Dec time frame. Shoudl I just wait until spring 2004 when people say new models will be coming out and prices will lower more?

2. 42" vs 50"? I sit about 8.5-9 ft away and will be watching a lot of SD, first through digital cable, then directTV. Will upgrade to HDTV much later.

Here's a rear view of the Sony KF60WE610:

http://im2.onecall.com/Image_Products/sony/KP425060WE610rear.jpg

Hello lucky 60WE610 owners. Drumroll PLEASE....so many have are looking at ACTUAL base dimensions on this unit for alternative stand purposes. Can someone PLEASE pull out a tape measure and give us all an actual dimension?


Thanks to the first poster!

Also..what is the dimension from the bottom of the base to the bottom of the picture?

Originally posted by JimP
KeithBL

You stated the following:

"My entertainment unit actually would place it about 4 feet off the ground. I'm familiar that viewing distasnce/position also factors with picture quality, and I'm going to place it in a smallish bedroom."

Wouldn't this be the deal killer?? The center of the screen would be roughly 6' from the floor. Measured from the floor, how high will your eyes be and what will you normal viewing distance be??

Hmm, probably so. Unfortunately looks like I'll have to wait another decade before going too high tech, oh well.

Originally posted by KeithBL
Hmm, probably so. Unfortunately looks like I'll have to wait another decade before going too high tech, oh well.


Or, get your creative juices flowing and figure out a way to modify your entertainment unit to accomodate the TV.

Can you post a jpg of your entertainment unit? Maybe we can help. Most of us love a challange.:D

Originally posted by bobby_t1
Dilemna, dilemna. Help me out guys:

1. I'll be looking to buy a TV in Nov/Dec time frame. Shoudl I just wait until spring 2004 when people say new models will be coming out and prices will lower more?

Bobby,

Like computers, you will always be able to get the same technology cheaper if you wait. Like computers, you have to deccide when you want to jump in. Bottom line, I got one from Sears, SIGHT UNSEEN, based on comments here, and the fact that we needed a 42" set. Bottom line, even though these sets are brand-apanking new, you can get the from a B&M store on sale. SHop around - the other place where you can save money is on the Service Plan (Which I would not be without). Figure that in as prat of what you are going to pay, and then start shopping.

You can buy it the end of this year and have it for Bowl Season, or you can wait. For me, with this set, I have no regrets being one of the first.

Originally posted by bobby_t1

2. 42" vs 50"? I sit about 8.5-9 ft away and will be watching a lot of SD, first through digital cable, then directTV. Will upgrade to HDTV much later.

Bobby, that is our viewing distance, and the size is fine. BUT, to us, this is more a TV (although an expensive one) than a Home Theatre, as I have a 65" Toshiba in my family room. I truely think that if I were going with the same viewing distance in a living room or family room, that I would go with the 50". The bigger set will give you a more immersive, home theatre experience. Having said all that, you might want to go to a store, and look at an SD feed on these TV's side-by-side. Some people have said that the 42" is sharper (and from what little I know about the actually, I believe that it should be). Let your eyes be the judge as to how much difference YOU notice, and if it's noticible enough to detract from the viewing experiance that you would get with the better set. There is one thing to remember, whichever set you get, you're not going to have the other one at home to compare it to, so if you bite on the 50" because you like it, you'll should get it home and enjoy it, not keep thinking "the 42" was sharper".

Right now, all I have is digital cable. From the 8" range the channels <100, which are analog are VERY acceptible, I even think that it's better than the 27" JVC that it replaced. The real digital channels are even better. I should have my HD box and DVD player this week, and am looking forward to them being EVEN BETTER.

I didn't see a location listed, what area are you in, and who's your cable provider?

Either way, I wish you the best of luck with your decision.

David

LuckieDog

Please post the following measurements for the 60"er

Width of the base of the unit. The part I'm referring to is the part that contacts your pedistal or other lower cabinet.

The amount the main part of the set overhangs this base.

The distance between the bottom of the base and the bottom of the main cabinet.

Thanks,

Jim:cool:

Thanks for the pic PaWatcher! ;)
Just what I needed.