bberns22,

I just bought a 60xbr. Originally had it ordered from CC and after 6 weeks of waiting I found it online, ( company is located in NJ). The price was 16% lower than CC's price. Shipping was 275.00 but there was no sales tax, that worked out in my favor. Purchased a 4 yr extended warranty, which was 150.00 less than CC. All in all the tv was here in a week, excellent out of the box, not a problem. I purchased an in home extended warranty.
In the final analysis my total cost was over $1000.00 less that CC. Email me off list and I will direct you to them.

Originally posted by bberns22
Corvette6769 says that a minimum of of 18.7% off of list (delivered including tax) is required to get a good deal. At a national advertised price of $6999 you would have to pay $5691 to meet this requirement. Purchasing locally, with an average sales tax of 8%, means the dealer had to sell this item for roughly $5269. The national average COGS for one of the largest retailers in the US is $5018. No legitimate dealer can sell you this unit at that price. Getting the unit from an authorized retailer, delivered and including tax for a grand total of $6999 is a good deal.
What I actually wrote on 02-16-04 11:04 AM CST in POST #719 to which you refer, was that 8.6% off of the 70" XBR is not a good price (in my opinion):
Originally posted by Corvette6769
Trust me 8.6% off of the 70" XBR is not a good price.
Even 32.8% off list is still above base dealer cost (and even more depending on the additional Sony volume discount program that dealer qualifies for).
Judging from what I paid today for my KDF-70XBR950, unless you are quoted a grand total (including delivery and tax) equal to 18.7% off of Sony's list price, it would not be a good deal from where I sit.
bberns22Your tabulation is accurate (actually $2.00 more than I paid due to rounding), however the retailer cleared more than $600.00 on the sale of the KDF-70XBR950 to me at that price. It would take a grand total (including delivery and tax) greater than 18.717% off of Sony's list price to improve on what I paid.

The a grand total amount you quote as a good deal would only be if you were the retailer.

I respectfully disagree with your statement that "No legitimate dealer can sell you this unit at that price" as I know of several (one of which even has 2 upscale showrooms in Manhattan and is one of the most respected authorized Sony dealers in the USA, and is a publicly traded corporation), and chose the merchant I purchased from based on production date of the KDF-70XBR950 I bought, immediate availability, and logistics.

The Brick & Mortar merchant I bought from is very legitimate. I got to select from the serial numbers they had in stock when I ordered my KDF-70XBR950 on Monday February 16, 2003, the unit shipped out same day, received it via motor freight to my door step (686.2 miles away) at 7:30 AM CST on Thursday February 19, 2004 in mint condition still banded to the factory pallet with the little "do not stack" cone on top.

After 5 days of tedious diagnostic testing, calibration, and knock-your-socks-off viewing, I have absolutely no reservations that I made the right choice, both the KDF-70XBR950 and the merchant I bought it from. I myself may have gotten a better deal if I had negotiated, but I since this was the most current production and I wanted it right away, I didn't fool around.

As to actual dealer cost, don't let the salesmen blow smoke up your skirt. Cost Of Goods Sold (COGS) for the retailer to which you refer may be that much, however for the rest of them, depending upon the Sony volume rebate which a dealer qualifies, their actual dealer cost may be as much as $394.00 less than you quote, but for most dealers I have talked to it is $313.00 less and for a few low-volume dealers only $218.00 less.

While Manufactures do dictate and enforce Minimum Advertised Prices (MAP), the actual quoted and sales prices are almost always negotiable. In my opinion, judging from my extensive research over the last 6 months and after an exhausting internet and local search, having contacted over 125 dealers, it is my opinion that I got a fair deal and to pay more would have been too much.

On a related issue, when buying long distance (or even locally for that matter), one might consider confirming the transaction in advance as I did, including the following to which I reserve the copyright but offer for the free use of forum members;

Please confirm the following three statements in reference to this transaction;

1) That the sale is for one current production, brand new factory-fresh,
A-stock first-run quality, Sony model KDF-70XBR950 television in perfect
condition with no imperfection or physical or functional damage and that
this unit is complete with all of the manufacturer's factory-included
accessories, papers, manuals, & etc that originally shipped with it
including the manufacturer's full USA warranty, all of which are still in
the original factory sealed shipping carton.

2) That this unit meets the manufacturer's USA product specifications and
that you received this unit directly from the manufacturer or through the
manufacturer's normal USA retail market distribution network and have this
unit physically in stock and ready to ship immediately upon receipt of my
payment.

3) That this unit has not been altered in any way since it left the factory
and that it is not a B-quality, refurbished, repaired, factory second,
blemished, previous return, DOA (Dead On Arrival), open box,
scratch-and-dent, demo, floor sample, or a transshipped grey goods unit.

No high end retailer in manhattan has a lower COCGS that Sears Roebuck. I doubt your info is accurate

No high end retailer in manhattan has a lower COCGS that Sears Roebuck. I doubt your info is accurate

I also doubt that the dealer you reference has a better reputation that Sears.

For those who are not familiar with the term COGS, it stands for cost of good sold.

Although on financial statements, it can mathematically be determined as a percentage of sales, I doubt every department's individually uses the same percentage to determine markup. If that was the case, some departments would be leaving money on the table and others would rarely make a sale as they wouldn't be competitive.

Originally posted by bberns22
No high end retailer in manhattan has a lower COCGS that Sears Roebuck. I doubt your info is accurate

bberns22, You are welcome to your opinion and what you choose to believe when presented with documented facts is up to you.

I shared the results of my research and actual purchase experience for the benefit of others here, not to start a debate.

If you choose to pay 23% more for a KDF-70XBR950 than I did, that is up to you, but there just might be others here that would rather not.

I am not familiar with the acronym COCGS, I was referring to Cost Of Goods Sold (COGS) i.e. true dealer cost, which I am sure the retailer you mention keeps confidential at the executive level, but with their buying power, it seems unlikely to me that their actual cost (after the volume rebate and other incentives from Sony) is so much greater than that of other retailers.

By the way, when I contacted the retailer to which you refer on February 9, 2004, I was told that they did not carry the KDF-70XBR950 and could not even special order it, so one must question the validity of the COGS that you quoted.

Interestingly enough another retailer owned by Sears Roebuck was the one who had the KDF-70XBR950 serial number S019100333 which I referred to in my previous POST #721 02-16-04 01:37 PM CST and having price matched was willing to transfer the unit free of charge to my local Sears store for pickup which would have saved me another $189.00, had I been willing to take a chance on one of the 2003 production units.

If you have further comments, please PM them to me so that this thread can return to the positive constructive source of information for those of us who own the KDF-70XBR950.

Originally posted by bberns22
I also doubt that the dealer you reference has a better reputation that Sears.

bberns22, While it is like comparing apples to oranges, I doubt that the home theater department at retailer you mention can compare. A person would not go to Wal-Mart to buy a Rolex just as he would not go to Ben Bridge Jeweler Inc. to buy a Timex.

The retailer to which I refer is the leading retailer and custom installer of high quality, exclusive home theater, audio and video products in the metropolitan New York area. The Company currently operates a total of nine showrooms. There are two locations in Manhattan and five suburban locations in Paramus, New Jersey; Mt. Kisco, in Westchester; Greenwich, Connecticut; Greenvale/Roslyn, on the north shore of Long Island and their newest store opened in Eatontown, New Jersey. Audio/Video International, a well-respected trade publication, has named them a national "Top ten retailer of the year", four years in a row.

With all due respect, when it comes to reputation, I believe that a highly trained and knowledgeable sales staff is paramount. I am there to learn, not teach. I feel that they need to know at least as much as I do or it is the blind leading the blind.

In my personal experience, judging from the personnel that I have met that make up the sales staff in the in the TV department at the retailer you mention, while competent and more than willing to help, they had absolutely no Idea what I was talking about when I inquired about the Sony 70-inch XBR Grand Wega Digital Wide-screen Rear Projection LCD HDTV Monitor.

When it comes to high end video gear it is not reasonable to compare the reputation of a general department store that does not sell the KDF-70XBR950 to ANY upscale firm that exclusively specializes in high end electronics and home theater equipment as their only product line, especially if you do not know the identity of the retailer to whom I refer.

While the retailer to which you refer may have a good overall reputation, no one would take a McLaren F1 there to have it serviced.

If you have further comments, please PM them to me so that we can continue this conversation off-forum and this thread can return to the positive constructive source of information for those of us who own the KDF-70XBR950.

I have an issue for which I trust there is a simple resolve. I have had my 60xbr hooked up to a hd cable box, but learning that the tv may show a better image of the non-scrambled SD channels with the cable hooked directly to the tv, I checked this out. The problem is when using the tv's remote channel button, the channels only change from C2 to C3. I can access other SD channels by entering the digits on the remote, but not with the channel remote button.
Before using the cable box, I was using the non-scambled cable hooked directly to the tv (the first couple of weeks of ownership) and I could use the channel remote button.
Any suggestions?

hey cdnscg, I have that problem only when I've changed the remotes function from say TV to Video. Press the TV function button and the channel select should work. Or maybe you have to run the setup again so that the unit will find the new source and configure viewable channels.

Originally posted by Aleki
I was wondering if anyone else notices that when the TV goes to a black screen eg. when switching from one program to an ad or when on a blank input the entire screen is not an even shade of black(grey). I have a noticeable green tint in the bottom right hand corner and also along the whole left side of the screen. The middle is a more even shade of dark grey.

I notice it all the time especially when watching movies and they have a momentary blank screen between scense. I'd like to know if anyone else notices this on their set of if anyone has had a set that does this this fixed successfully or replaced with one that showed and even black screen. It's not noticeable except on a black/dark grey screen

Thanks in advance

My set has the same issue. I see a green tint on the top right quarter of the screen. I can only see it on a black screen. from what i can tell, it does not affect the picture quality whatsoever, not even in dark movie scenes. So for me, it's a non-issue.

60" XBR950 non-starting update. A month ago or so I had the TV fail to turn on twice. Someone suggested that small power glitches may be causing some CPU problem which necessitates unplugging the set.

Well....the set failed again tonigh, even with the UPS. So....it's not a power glitch problem.

I need to call Sony service.

Ok after reading way to much of this post I just ordered a 70" XBR. I really hope it is a new model, but I will not know until I get it. I was able to find it for about 20% under retail and that includes shipping. Now to find a stand for this tv, or buck up and pay the 900 for the sony stand.

Thanks,
Chad

Originally posted by RareB
Ok after reading way to much of this post I just ordered a 70" XBR. I really hope it is a new model, but I will not know until I get it. I was able to find it for about 20% under retail and that includes shipping. Now to find a stand for this tv, or buck up and pay the 900 for the sony stand.

Thanks,
Chad

Wow, sounds like a good deal. Did they say when you could expect delivery? I've had mine on order from CC since Jan 2nd, and am starting to lose patience. We agreed that if it doesn't come in Saturday, they will sell me the 60 inch model that just came in this week. I'd prefer the 70, but I WANT MY TV!!! I've had the Sony stand, still in the box, in my garage for a month now.

Originally posted by JBaumgart
We agreed that if it doesn't come in Saturday, they will sell me the 60 inch model that just came in this week. I'd prefer the 70, but I WANT MY TV!!! I've had the Sony stand, still in the box, in my garage for a month now.

Personally, every time I looked at the 60" it will be a reminder that I settled for less than what I wanted. Sure am I glad I held out for the KDF-70XBR950. You might consider a different retailer. I know for a fact that you can get the 70" for hundreds less than their price on the 60".

Originally posted by Joe Jensen
60" XBR950 non-starting update. A month ago or so I had the TV fail to turn on twice. Someone suggested that small power glitches may be causing some CPU problem which necessitates unplugging the set.

Well....the set failed again tonigh, even with the UPS. So....it's not a power glitch problem.

I need to call Sony service.

My KDF-70XBR950 (January 2004 production) has been plugged into my APC Back-UPS Pro 1400VA as I detailed in POST #506 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=3234107#post3234107) since the day it arrived. Green light flashed 6 times and it has never failed to start or do anything else it should. If you have a small UPS, you may want to watch to see if perhaps the overload indicator on your UPS comes on when you initially power up the TV.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by JBaumgart
We agreed that if it doesn't come in Saturday, they will sell me the 60 inch model that just came in this week. I'd prefer the 70, but I WANT MY TV!!! I've had the Sony stand, still in the box, in my garage for a month now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Originally posted by Corvette
Personally, every time I looked at the 60" it will be a reminder that I settled for less than what I wanted. Sure am I glad I held out for the KDF-70XBR950. You might consider a different retailer. I know for a fact that you can get the 70" for hundreds less than their price on the 60".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have to agree with Corvette. If you really want the 70", find another dealer.

JimP

Hey 70" owners!! How much room is on the top of this TV? I have a really large center speaker that I would like to place on top of the TV. The speaker is about 4' long X 1' deep and is about 50 lbs. This sits fine on my 57 Sony RP, but would like to put it on the 70".
I hope to get an ETA of my TV today:)

Thanks,
Chad

The top is about 4.5 inches wide in the center and gradually curves to 1 inch wide at the corners. I have a light 12 inch long center speaker up there and it looks and fits fine. I'm not sure about a 50 pound one but I guess it'll be ok. I think it's put some on stick stuff on the bottom to keep it from sliding as the top appears to have a very slight slope to the rear. The front has a rib from the plexiglass screen as protection from anything falling off.

I have the service guy coming Monday to take a look at the gray shadows I'm getting in the center of the screen. Although the picture is, other than the problems, outstanding, with the trouble I've had, I wish I hadn't bought the set.

RareB

I don't think putting a 50lb speaker on top is such a good idea. Probably crush something that you don't want crushed.

I was concerned about using my Atlantic Tech 453 center channel (also a pretty good size speaker)as well. What I wound up doing was putting it under the TV on a shelf. It did affect sound a little, but not nearly as much as I would have thought. Visually, I like getting away from that center channel on top look.

Well I was told my TV will ship out today:) Should have it Tues!!!!! Tell me I am crazy since I got this off ebay. I will let you guys know how it goes. It seemed kind of funny that I had to do a wire transfer to Italy?? Well just kidding, they let me put it on a credit card so I hope that will help protect me. The store has a phyical location here in the US with a 800 phone number. Good feedback with lots of highend sales.
Thanks,
Chad

Corvette, I too have the APS Backup Pro 1400. My set has always flashed 10 times. Maybe the older 10 flash sets are the ones that are prone to the problem..joe

Originally posted by RareB
Hey 70" owners!! How much room is on the top of this TV? I have a really large center speaker that I would like to place on top of the TV. The speaker is about 4' long X 1' deep and is about 50 lbs. This sits fine on my 57 Sony RP, but would like to put it on the 70".
I hope to get an ETA of my TV today:)

Thanks,
Chad

4 feet wide by 1 foot deep?????

What use could you possibly have for such a humungous center channel?

I wouldn't recommend putting 50lbs on top of the TV regardless of whether it fits or not. I don't even have my 12-inch wide, 4-inch deep, 5 pound speaker sitting on my TV. I am very happy with my center channel at this small size.

Here is a picture of that center channel:
http://www.chadman.net/htpc/IMG_0724.JPG

I got this set of Polk speakers a few years ago and just love them. The center channel is big, but the sound is great from it. I have been really happy with these speaker. It sits fine on my old tv, but I think it was still to heavy to put on there. I might try to mount it on the wall..build a shelf maybe.

Thanks,
Chad

I have the Def Tech L/R/C 3000 (weighs 62 lbs).. I bought the matching stand for the xbr950..

I didn't install the glass shelf and my Center Channel fits perfectly under the TV.......

Originally posted by RareB
Here is a picture of that center channel:
http://www.chadman.net/htpc/IMG_0724.JPG

I got this set of Polk speakers a few years ago and just love them. The center channel is big, but the sound is great from it. I have been really happy with these speaker. It sits fine on my old tv, but I think it was still to heavy to put on there. I might try to mount it on the wall..build a shelf maybe.

Thanks,
Chad

Polk Audio is what I have as well. Matched set of 5.1 speakers no bigger than a spindle of 100 CDs. (Pics on my website below).

The space on top of the TV behind the plexiglass shield is made of pretty thin plastic. Even if you could get your center to balance on there, I don't think you'd want to. Your best bet would be to put it on the stand under the TV, but I think the Sony stand is priced outrageously. I plan to build my own when I can find the time and borrow the equipment.

My local Sony dealer had reasonably priced (<500) stands. It shouldn't be too hard to find something cheaper that works for you. The only advantage the Sony stand has is that I heard the tv sort-of snaps into it so that the stand actually becomes part of the TV.

Originally posted by JimP
Originally posted by Corvette
Personally, every time I looked at the 60" it will be a reminder that I settled for less than what I wanted. Sure am I glad I held out for the KDF-70XBR950. You might consider a different retailer. I know for a fact that you can get the 70" for hundreds less than their price on the 60".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have to agree with Corvette. If you really want the 70", find another dealer.

JimP

I received a call from a competing major retailer in town here today, from a salesperson I had spoken to about the XBR just after placing my order for the 70" at CC. As it turns out, this major dealer hasn't received a single 70" since then, and in fact hasn't received any 60" sets either. So these TV's are extremely difficult to come by, and it's very frustrating. So frustrating, in fact, that today I made arrangements at CC to have them deliver me the lone 60" that they have in stock, on Sunday. The dollar discount they gave me on the 60" was not quite as good as what I received on the 70", as the margin is apparently less, but I still got about the same percentage discount, enough to make me happy with the deal. And, they did agree - due to the long wait I've had to endure - to switch me out of the 60 once the 70 does come in, if that's what I want to do at that time. I think this is pretty fair, don't you agree?

P.S. Since this set will be replacing an older 36" 4:3 Mitusbishi, even the 60" will be a big step up, both in size and PQ. Plus, this will give me a chance to "break in" my wife, who at this point has no idea how big this set will be - she just knows we're getting a new, larger set. :-)

Originally posted by JBaumgart
So frustrating, in fact, that today I made arrangements at CC to have them deliver me the lone 60" that they have in stock, on Sunday. The dollar discount they gave me on the 60" was not quite as good as what I received on the 70", as the margin is apparently less, but I still got about the same percentage discount, enough to make me happy with the deal. And, they did agree - due to the long wait I've had to endure - to switch me out of the 60 once the 70 does come in, if that's what I want to do at that time. I think this is pretty fair, don't you agree?

I smell a rat!

Do you mean that they are offering to let you "borrow" the only XBR950 that they have in stock, go without a display unit in their store until they get a 70" in stock, and then sell the 70" to you at a "discount" upon arrival, so that they can then take back the the 60" and sell it as as a used unit?

Better get that in writing with a notarized signature of an officer of the company and then call a Lawyer!

....or save yourself about $1,869.00 and buy it online and have it in 3 business days, like so many others here have done, myself included.

Do not let the "used car" salesmen blow smoke up your shorts, now that Sony has worked the bugs out and they are back in full production, obtaining the KDF-70XBR950 is no longer the problem it was a month ago.

Originally posted by RareB
Ok after reading way to much of this post I just ordered a 70" XBR. I really hope it is a new model, but I will not know until I get it. I was able to find it for about 20% under retail and that includes shipping. Now to find a stand for this tv, or buck up and pay the 900 for the sony stand.

Thanks,
Chad

FYI, I saw the Sony stand at CDW for 740 or so back in Jan.

Originally posted by ixion
My set has the same issue. I see a green tint on the top right quarter of the screen. I can only see it on a black screen. from what i can tell, it does not affect the picture quality whatsoever, not even in dark movie scenes. So for me, it's a non-issue.

This is the same issue I had w/ my Philips Cineos. It was really bad. You could see big fist sized white/grey spots in dark scenes.
It prompted me to return it & I purchased my 60XBR950 with a Jan 2004 build date. Luckily all is well with the black screen on my Sony. But I feel your all's pain, as it appears in my opinion that this issue is fairly common among'st rear proj. LCD's.

Ya I bucked up and ordered the sony stand form the same place I orderd the TV from. He had it for about 25% off retail with free shipping since I got the tv from him. Now the $7,000 question of the day..."Will I get this TV next week as promised." I feel a little weird getting this from Ebay, but this guys sells lots of high end audio gear and has great positive feedback. I will keep ya updated:) I think I will do what Floyd did and put the speaker in the stand or build a shelf on my wall just above the TV.
Thanks,
Chad

Today I received a replacement 60"XBR950. The original set had dust debris inside the protective screen and could not be repaired. I flip on the replacement set and the screen is crooked and I could notice it right away. Boston Bruins game on and the score graphics box at the top of the screen is not completely visible on the right side. I displayed a test pattern (DVE)
and sure enough, the geometry is skewed. The left side of the display is lower than the right by 5/16" to 3/8". I'm sure there will be some here who say "so what". Doesn't sound like much but I'll tell you it is noticeable and I'm pretty pissed that I'm going to have to get yet another replacement set. You'd think Sony quality control would catch this. I'm aware this is a "known issue" but wtf!? I'm going for replacement #3 and I'm not going to settle for a P.O.S. TV from Sony. I'm not a cronic malcontent but if I get another bogus TV, I'm sending it back.
How hard can it be to make a rptv with a level picture?

Uuuhhh... Beavis???

Hey it took me 3 xbrs before I got one that is looked/worked as I expect it to

1st one had a crooked screen and some "fingerprints"/marks in the inside.
2nd one has 4 dark groups of anywhere from 3-8 pixels all withing a 2" diameter...sorry that's not what I paid for
3rd one...it's a beauty and a keeper

Called Sony service Friday on the "power-up flashing red light" problem on the XBR950 and the guy on the phone couldn't find anything on it in their database. I gave him the bulletin number from this thread and he couldn't find that either. Even though he was the "escalation tech" and I waited on hold for 20 minutes to speak with him, all he wanted to do is have me call a local shop...joe

To follow up on my previous posting, the tech from the local Sony service center came out Friday with a new lamp and lamp power supply board. I was hesitant about having him install the board since the lamp is supposedly the only problem. However, the new lamp also said "Philllips" on it (not OSRAM) so I figured I'd let him replace both. I was mostly leery about letting him disassemble the set and maybe knock something out of alignment since my set is perfect.

Is it common for techs to come out without a service manual? He took the back of the set off, but I could see that he wasn't quite sure what to do. He removed the fan assembly and that let him get at the power supply board. The board has a 8-10" wire terminating in a plug, which is mounted in a bracket where the lamp is--secured by two wood screws. He got the screws out but didn't have a long enough screwdriver to get them back in to secure the new plug. Fortunately, I did. It was a real pain to get that plug positioned properly (me holding it in front, him trying to get the screws in from the back, and of course, they kept falling off the tip of the screwdriver--but we finally got it in). I'll bet there is some trick to doing this right instead of just winging it.

Anyway, so far so good. The set still works perfectly, turns on in 5 blinks (or fewer), and while I haven't tried to restart the lamp within 1/2 hour of turning it off, 1/2 hour now isn't a problem -- I used to have to wait 60-90 minutes for the old lamp to cool before it would restart. Also, there is *no* buzz -- ever. :-)

I also made sure I burned in the new lamp by running the set for 8 hours the first time it was turned on after the replacement lamp was installed.

So now my kids are downstairs watching "Spy Kids 3D" with their glasses on for the third time while it's pouring rain outside. And life is good. :-)

Originally posted by Corvette6769
I smell a rat!

Do you mean that they are offering to let you "borrow" the only XBR950 that they have in stock, go without a display unit in their store until they get a 70" in stock, and then sell the 70" to you at a "discount" upon arrival, so that they can then take back the the 60" and sell it as as a used unit?

Better get that in writing with a notarized signature of an officer of the company and then call a Lawyer!

....or save yourself about $1,869.00 and buy it online and have it in 3 business days, like so many others here have done, myself included.

Do not let the "used car" salesmen blow smoke up your shorts, now that Sony has worked the bugs out and they are back in full production, obtaining the KDF-70XBR950 is no longer the problem it was a month ago.

Actually they have treated me very well at CC and yes, they did offer to do an exchange if I decide not to keep the 60", at the prenegotiated price. For agreeing to take the 60" I got a ~$1400 credit which of course I would give up if decide to do the exchange. If I do they did say that they would have no problem selling the 60" as an open box item. They had another customer who is also waiting for the 70", and they let him take home the store 60" demo model which he is using until his 70" comes in. The only downside for me in taking the new 60" is that they had to re-order the 70" model (no money down) all over, so who knows how long that might take. The people I've been working with at CC are very customer oriented, as I've gotten to know them very well during the waiting process. I have no doubt that they will agree to do the exchange if that's what I decide to do when it finally does arrive.

In any case they did deliver the 60" today, and out of the box I'm already very very pleased with it. Haven't had time to do any tweaking as yet but casual viewing shows no flaws or stuck pixels that are visable. I was happy that a Silver Sensor antenna that I purchased yesterday at Sears is able to pull in all local HD channels, even though the TV sits just below ground level with the antenna farm 14 miles away. The Oscars tonight looked fabulous as did the Star Wars movie in HD. Regular SD cable looks noticeably worse of course, but still acceptable. I am hoping it will look better when Comcast comes next weekend to do a complete cable overall including running a dedicated line to this set, at no charge to me.

The only disappointment so far is that I learned that this set does not have a subwoofer output, which I was hoping to use, at least initially while I sampled the sound quality. I originally went with what the specs show for the two XBR sets on the OneCall site, and didn't bother to check the back of the unit at the store. Our small (32") Sony plasma in the bedroom has one, and connected to a smaller M&K sub the sound is plenty adequate for a bedroom setting. I will probably purchase a new receiver for the XBR, as the TV's built in sound does not fill up the room adequately all on its own, so this missing feature will not matter in the end.

Sorry for the long post....

Joel

Originally posted by Joe Jensen
Corvette, I too have the APS Backup Pro 1400. My set has always flashed 10 times. Maybe the older 10 flash sets are the ones that are prone to the problem..joe

As a benchmark for reference, I have counted the number of green light flashes every single time since the first time I powered on my January 2004 built KDF-70 XBR950 and it is on exactly the 6th on flash (or right after the 5th off flash if counting that way) that the green light stays lit and the screen lights up. I always power up cold (TV having been off for at least 1 hour) and have never shut the TV off within the first hour of use (run for at least 60 minutes displaying a moving video image). If I need to leave in less than one hour, I use the Sleep function to power down.

I would like to keep track of how many "miles" my KDF-70XBR950 has on it, if for no other reason than so I will know when it is "broken in" and safe to take her over 200 MPH (fully calibrate). I seem to remember someone here posting the "exact number of hours" his TV had been used and others referencing number of hours to wait before calibrating. Anyone know how to view the runtime statistics and other technical data on the KDF-70 XBR950 ?

YES, WE DID HAVE A PERSON THAT DID GET IN THE MENU & CHECK HOURS. I WILL SEE MY NOTES . YOU COULD DO UMR'S TEAKS AT ANY TIME . YOU WILL SEE AN IMPROVEMENT NOW! JUST REMEMBER TO GET YOUR NUMBERS ON PAPER BEFORE YOU START TO CHANGE. ALSO DO IT STEP BY STEP SO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE SO YOU DO NOT GET LOST.....I PASTE ANYTHING FOR FUTURE REFERANCE IF I THINK I MIGHT WANT TO TRY.....IF SOME ONE COULD MAKE A LIST OF EVERYTHING THAT WOULD HELP.....THANKS, G.B.

A few basic newbie questions after owning the set for a couple of days:

1. Has anyone been able to tune in any of the cable digital channels directly (without using a cable box) after running the auto programming function? I get all local OTA stations using an indoor antenna but I thought I remember someone having success with the built in tuner also finding digital cable channels using just a basic cable feed. Perhaps this is a function of the cable service you are using and it varies by area? I have Comcast here. Most of their digital stations are above 125 but there are a few under 125 that I was hoping the auto setup program would recognize.

2. Having difficulty programming the remote to recognize my Panasonic DVD player. The one number shown in the owners manual does not seem to take. I need to go over this again unless someone has a suggestion.

3. Looked closely at the back of the TV again, looking for a subwoofer output, and there is none. I double checked the Sony website and it lists this feature as being included!

4. I realize that adjusting the picture (using the normally accessible menu settings, not the SM) is mostly a matter of personal preference, but I am interested in what others are doing. Do most confine their adjustments to the Pro mode and use Pro for most viewing, pretty much leaving the others at their factory defaults and rarely use them? What are the most basic out of the box adjustments that you find improved the picture the most?

Any and all suggestions on these would be most appreciated!

Originally posted by JBaumgart
1. Has anyone been able to tune in any of the cable digital channels directly (without using a cable box) after running the auto programming function? I get all local OTA stations using an indoor antenna but I thought I remember someone having success with the built in tuner also finding digital cable channels using just a basic cable feed. Perhaps this is a function of the cable service you are using and it varies by area? I have Comcast here. Most of their digital stations are above 125 but there are a few under 125 that I was hoping the auto setup program would recognize.


I am in Des Moines Iowa on Mediacom Expanded Basic (NOT DIGITAL - no cable box required). I have the 70XBR. When I do a digital channel search, I get only the 30 or so worthless audio-only channels added to my list (which cannot easily be removed...).

Prior to my 70XBR, I owned an LG 3510 DVD-HDTV combo box that found two local station digital broadcasts on channels 114.1 and 114.2 when I did the channel search on Mediacom.

I do not know why, but the 70xbr doesn't find these two stations while searching. It is fully capable of tuning them when I punch them in the remote via the keypad.

Since you can't manually add digital channels, I cannot add them to the surf list, but it works fine when I use the keypad.:confused:

So if you can find out what channel they are by some other means, you can actually tune them, but the XBR won't find them.

Two other strange things on this topic:

1) Sometimes when I turn the TV off while it has 114.1 tuned, when I turn the TV back on I get a messagebox that says "Channel KCCI digital broadcast is now available on channel 8.1" and the TV switches to 8.1, but then tells me there is no signal. I then have to go into digital setup and hide 8.1 so it won't go thru there while surfing.

2) Mediacom flatly denies that digital channels are available without paying for the digital cable hookup and renting their digital cable box. I don't know if they are not aware that they are sending those two channels out over clear QAM, or if they aren't supposed to be doing that and they have to deny it for legal reasons.

I hope they don't change it, I like getting it that way, since my in-attic antenna is not consistently tuning the local HDs.

Good luck to you.

Originally posted by Corvette6769
I would like to keep track of how many "miles" my KDF-70XBR950 has on it, if for no other reason than so I will know when it is "broken in" and safe to take her over 200 MPH (fully calibrate). I seem to remember someone here posting the "exact number of hours" his TV had been used and others referencing number of hours to wait before calibrating. Anyone know how to view the runtime statistics and other technical data on the KDF-70 XBR950 ?

The lamp hours is on the front screen of the service menu. I don't know if any other stats are avaiable, I've not really looked at this screen.

Originally posted by countz
So if you can find out what channel they are by some other means, you can actually tune them, but the XBR won't find them.

Thanks, I'll check the HDTV cable box that I have connected to our bedroom set, and then see if I can punch them in manually. Last night I did try doing just that, but without any decimals. If not it's no biggie, as I get all of the locals and the others below 125 aren't that great anyway.

Assuming Comcast can deliver a better cable signal to where the XBR is set up in the family room - they are coming over on Saturday to run a separate line to it - I may add another HD box in the future, so I can get all of the other included higher numbered channels, like INHD and the Encore movie channels (too bad the XBR channels only go up to 125). But I doubt that Comcast will ever be able to match the signal I am getting from that little Silver Sensor - the signal strength using the Guide menu is right at the top or one dot away from the top on all local digital stations, and the picture is excellent. Will keep that hooked up no matter what.

Originally posted by countz
.... the 30 or so worthless audio-only channels added to my list (which cannot easily be removed

If you press "guide" on your remote, you can easily remove any of the pesky digital channels like the useless audio that get in the way.

I too have Mediacom. Just have the basic cable since it only costs $4.95 in addition to my Cable Modem service (which is the only reason I have cable TV - I have had Satellite dishes since 1983). I can get two digital premium channels (both are Showtime) on channels 84.1 and 85.1 and eight local digital channels without a cable box.

Originally posted by Corvette6769
I would like to keep track of how many "miles" my KDF-70XBR950 has on it, if for no other reason than so I will know when it is "broken in" and safe to take her over 200 MPH (fully calibrate). I seem to remember someone here posting the "exact number of hours" his TV had been used and others referencing number of hours to wait before calibrating. Anyone know how to view the runtime statistics and other technical data on the KDF-70 XBR950 ?

Corvette,
You may want to search or post this question in "UMR Does GWIII XBR & WE" thread, on how to track usage hours. I would search for you now, but I am running out of the office.
And if you have'nt yet...I can not recommend enough,, UMR's tweaks under Pro mode! I got my 60XBR950 Feb 20th & did them a week later & its an amazing difference for my 480i/480p & 1080i inputs.(didn't have access to a 720p source @ the time) While it may not be a "full ISF Calibration" ...I cant imagine justifying spending $200-$400 to get the picture quality any better then it is after his recommended tweaks.
Good luck,
-Brian

Ok the 70" XBR came today and looks great!!! This guy I got it from on Ebay did a great job. I bought the TV and stand on Friday and it was shipped to my house today at noon. I have not had anytime to tweak, but the channels look great. I played some grand theft auto vice city and it looked really cool. Now I will let it break in some and start tweaking it. Currently I have it hooked up via a transcoder, but hope to use the DVI soon.

Thanks,

Chad

Originally posted by RareB
Ok the 70" XBR came today and looks great!!! This guy I got it from on Ebay did a great job.

I have been considering on line sources, using e-bay and google.

I have to admit I am somewhat apprehensive about spending over $5000, sight unseen, with a vendor 3000 miles away.

I would appreciate info from big-ticket on-line buyers. Is there a thread anywhere addressing that subject?

Thanks.

I purchased my 60XBR950 from shopsunshine.com in February and was pleased with their customer service and the delivery time. I was able to negotiate the total price which included delivery and 4 yr. service plan.

I had heard from some of the bigger online vendors (Crutchfield and Onecall) that Sony will not honor the warranty if purchased through one of these smaller dealers. I called Sony customer service directly and was assured that Sony will honor the warranty.

Originally posted by sotie
I purchased my 60XBR950 from shopsunshine.com in February and was pleased with their customer service and the delivery time. I was able to negotiate the total price which included delivery and 4 yr. service plan.

I had heard from some of the bigger online vendors (Crutchfield and Onecall) that Sony will not honor the warranty if purchased through one of these smaller dealers. I called Sony customer service directly and was assured that Sony will honor the warranty.

Just to correct you a bit sotie....
I purchased my 60XBR950 from Crutchfield...not only DOES Sony honor their warranty through them(plus an extended if so desired)... Cructhfield is in the top 5 largest Mailorder/Online Electronics distributors in the U.S.
Crutchfield is also a Sony distributor able to offer direct financing through Sony. These accounts are usually held only to LARGE distributors.
I personally have never heard of shopsunshine.com , but I am on my way to checking them out:)
-Brian

Originally posted by LOTR_GUY
I personally have never heard of shopsunshine.com , but I am on my way to checking them out:)
-Brian

This was one of the 125+ dealers I contacted this time last month. They sell on eBay. They did not have one in stock at the time and while he did offer to lower the price, their price was 7% more than I paid for my KDF-70XBR950.

Who ever you order from, be sure to confirm the total delivered price before you place the order (including the fine print including things like "tailgate fees").

Anyone considering a long distance purchase (or locally for that matter)may wish to review the last part of my Post # 752 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=3431315#post3431315).

Be aware that the XBRs have in the past been notorious items offered for sale through eBay by sellers using hijacked accounts. Check the Feedback for a pattern of positive feedback for a long pattern of selling like items. A seller that has offered nothing but 50-cent widgets for 5 years that all of the sudden is offering a brand new XBR should be cause for concern. Last fall the 60XBR800 was the item of choice by the scammers. I have no idea why there is no way to check to see the last time an eBay seller has changed his contact information, which would be another giveaway. What I do is look at the seller's auctions 30 days prior and compare the format, style and things like sales terms, duration, location & etc for uniformity with the current auction. I have found many sellers offering XBRs and Rolex watches, that I figured were scams, followed a day or two and poof they were gone. That is why the auctions are often only 1 or 3 day days duration (hopping someone will buy-it-now before eBay catches it). If in doubt on items over $500.00, I ask the seller if he will accept payment through eBay escrow.

Sony Unveils Comprehensive Line Of Digital Cable Ready HDTVs And High-Definition Digital Video Recorders

Posted on Saturday, February 28 @ 19:53:00 CST

Sony Electronics introduced today the industry's most comprehensive lineup of 12 Digital Cable Ready, fully integrated HDTV sets, forging the way for digital cable subscribers to conveniently access digital cable service. The new HDTV sets range in screen sizes from 30- to 60-inch models in the FD Trinitron® WEGA® direct-view CRT, Grand WEGA™ microdisplay LCD and the CRT rear projection television categories.

In addition, Sony unveiled two high-definition digital video recorders, featuring an integrated hard disk drive for recording and control of live broadcasts and an electronic program guide for easy access to a variety of high definition programming.


All of these new products will be designed to comply with CableLabs® CableCARD™ technology. CableCARD is a removable security module which, when inserted in a digital cable ready receiver or TV, enables the delivery of secure, digital audio/video content. It allows consumers to receive digital cable programming, including HDTV content without the need of a cable box from the local cable operator. Where supported, CableCARD modules will be provided by cable operators to consumers upon request.


Sony Electronics' ongoing, aggressive efforts to deliver the ultimate HDTV viewing experience to consumers have led to this expansive lineup that merges digital cable receiver technology with advanced high definition television for simplicity and convenience. This, along with the planned CableCARD-based interface make Sony's new televisions compatible with virtually all cable TV systems across the country.

"There are currently more than 70 million cable TV subscribers, and more high-definition content is becoming available to them every day," said Tim Baxter, senior vice president for Sony Electronics' Home Products Division.

"As the leader in the U.S. DTV market, it's our goal to support this trend by enhancing the consumer viewing experience and providing the latest technology through a line of new products that allows easier access to digital content."


Wide Range of Screen Sizes and Technologies

The new HDTV sets, designed to include a CableCARD-based interface, provide a comprehensive HD solution and will feature a variety of advanced picture technologies, including:


Integrated ATSC/QAM/NTSC tuner for access to over-the-air digital high definition broadcasts, as well as digital cable programming;


HDMI™ technology with HDCP (High Definition Multimedia Interface with High Definition Copy Protection) technology, which is the latest interconnect between digital sources, supporting both uncompressed high definition video and multi-channel digital audio through a single cable. HDMI is an enhanced version of DVI-HDTV and is backward compatible;


Digital Reality Creation™ MultiFunction V1 circuitry, which provides control over the level of DRC™ circuitry depending on quality of input signal, thereby displaying clear, stable images, no matter the video source;


MID™-X Multi Image Driver, which maintains the integrity of a converted signal by minimizing image loss in the scaling process and provides Flexible Twin View™ picture and picture features;


CineMotion™ reverse 3:2 pulldown circuitry for optimum film-based video source display; and


Memory Stick™ media slot for convenient JPEG and MPEG1 file playback. It can also display customized slide show with MP3 file background music. The new sets are compatible with Memory Stick Pro™ and Memory Stick Duo™ media formats.


FD Trinitron WEGA CRT Direct View Lineup


Leading this year's FD Trinitron WEGA direct-view TV line is the 34-inch widescreen KD-34XBR960 with top-of-the-line performance features and advanced picture technologies for a breathtaking viewing experience.

Utilizing second generation Super Fine Pitch™ CRT technology, which was developed exclusively for displaying high definition content, the KD-34XBR960 produces true to life, high-resolution images with virtually no visible vertical scanning lines on the screen for outstanding corner to corner image precision. The KD-34XBR960 34-inch model will be available in June for about $2,200.

Sony is also adding the XS-series to the FD Trinitron WEGA lineup. The expanded line will also feature Super Fine Pitch technology and include the widescreen 34-inch KD-34XS955, KD-30XS955 30-inch and 4:3 KD-36XS955 36-inch models. The widescreen models will be available for $2,000 $1,400, respectively in August and the 36-inch model will sell for around $1,900 in October.


CRT and Grand WEGA LCD Rear Projection Digital Cable Ready Models


In the Grand WEGA microdisplay LCD rear projection television category, there will be six new fully integrated HDTV models. Available in 42-, 50-, 55- and 60-inch screen sizes, the broad lineup of Grand WEGA televisions offers a wide choice in cosmetic styling.

These televisions utilize a proprietary LCD Optical Engine with Sony's WEGA Engine™ system to deliver exceptional, detailed picture quality from any video source by minimizing the digital-to-analog conversion process.

The Grand WEGA line consists of the KDF-42WE655, KDF-50WE655, KDF-55WF655, and KDF-60WF655 models, which all have new design features. They will be available in September for $2,800, $3,000, $3,700 and $4,000, respectively.

The step-up KDF-55XS955 and KDF-60XS955 models will be available in September as well for about $4,000 and $4,400.

Sony is also introducing two CRT rear projection, fully integrated high definition televisions, designed with a CableCARD-based interface, in 51- and 57-inch widescreen models. This year's KDP-51WS655 and KDP-57WS655 models will be available in September for around $2,100 and $2,400, respectively.


High-Definition Digital Video Recorders


For the 10 million existing DTV owners who want access to digital cable high definition content, Sony introduces a new line of HD digital video receiver/recorders. The new recorders, the DHG-HDD100 and the DHG-HDD200, provide access to encrypted high-definition and standard-definition digital cable services when paired with a CableCARD. They also provide access to legacy analog cable services, as well as non-subscription services such as high definition digital terrestrial and analog broadcasts.

The DHG-HDD200 digital video recorder can record and store up to 250 hours of standard definition programming or at least 25 hours of maximum bit rate high-definition content on its internal hard drive. The DHG-HDD100 will record up to 120 hours of SD programming and at least 12 hours of HD content.

The DHG-HDD100 and DHG-HDD200 will also include these features:

HDMI digital video output with backwards compatibility to DVI monitors;

Integrated electronic program guide (EPG) for convenient on-screen display of variety of programming;

Component video output for connection to many high-definition TVs;

Several standard-definition analog outputs for connection to legacy recording equipment or analog TVs;

Multiple display formats and flexible aspect ratio settings for outstanding reproduction of all broadcast formats on a wide variety of DTVs;

Dolby® Digital 5.1 channel audio decoding with digital optical audio output;

USB and data ports for connecting accessory devices;

Memory Stick™ media slot for convenient JPEG and MPEG1 file playback. It can also display customized slide show with MP3 file background music; and

A five device universal remote control.

The DHG-HDD100 and the DHG-HDD200 digital video receiver/recorders will be available this fall for about $700, and $800, respectively.

Originally posted by Corvette6769
This was one of the 125+ dealers I contacted this time last month. They sell on eBay. They did not have one in stock at the time and while he did offer to lower the price, their price was 7% more than I paid for my KDF-70XBR950.
Their current sell price is about 81% of the going price (per SonnyStyle or Crutchfield). I'd like to know who you bought from.

Thanks,
JP

Originally posted by brie_guy
Their current sell price is about 81% of the going price (per SonnyStyle or Crutchfield). I'd like to know who you bought from.

Thanks,
JP

Do not confuse the "advertised price" with the "going price".

You are correct, the total delivered price I paid is is equal to 81.283% of the manufacturer's advertised list price for the KDF-70XBR950.

From the off-board communications I have had, others are paying about the same price as I did.

PM me and I will fill you in.

Anyone willing to post serial numbers for the "correct" 60" XBR. I think I may have found one in stock at a local store but they are unwilling to open the box to see the build date. They just received a shipment last week. Just trying to get an idea of some good serial numbers so I can make an educated guess on the serial number of the unit they have. Thanks

I am very interested in the 70" XBR, but in reality probably will go for the 60" because of the price difference....

My question - do these XBR sets have independent memories for each of the video inputs? I hear time and time again on the lower end Sony's how the lack of memory between the input modes is a huge gripe... was curious if they finally fixed that.

Would also love to hear from people who purchased their units online and got good deals... please pm me.

Thanks,

Sean

Hey all...
Well I just ordered my KDF-60XBR950, From Sony.
I wanted to know if anyone here had it hooked up to a PC & Upconvert-DVD? If so how?
Was it DVI -Computer/Component for the DVD?
If so which DVD player do you use/How do you like it?

Also what program do I need to use on my computer so I can run it off the TV screen?

Thanks Fella's

Sorry 4 the Double!

Hey SUKINON ,

This thread:

GWIII / ATI / Powerstrip - Custom Resolution Timing Thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=362324) is a great starting point for running a GWIII with a PC.

Thanks,
Vidkidd

Originally posted by SUKINON
Hey all...
Well I just ordered my KDF-60XBR950, From Sony.
I wanted to know if anyone here had it hooked up to a PC & Upconvert-DVD? If so how?
Was it DVI -Computer/Component for the DVD?
If so which DVD player do you use/How do you like it?

Also what program do I need to use on my computer so I can run it off the TV screen?

Thanks Fella's

Originally posted by SUKINON
Hey all...
Well I just ordered my KDF-60XBR950, From Sony.
I wanted to know if anyone here had it hooked up to a PC & Upconvert-DVD? If so how?
Was it DVI -Computer/Component for the DVD?
If so which DVD player do you use/How do you like it?

Also what program do I need to use on my computer so I can run it off the TV screen?

Thanks Fella's

You can run a 60XBR950 DIRECTLY from a Mac, using a DVI-D cable. The DVI-I cable won't plug into the 60XBR950.

I bought a new video board for my Mac G4 that had both an ADC (which runs my Apple LCD display) and a DVI connector (for the TV).

Originally posted by roblake
You can run a 60XBR950 DIRECTLY from a Mac, using a DVI-D cable. The DVI-I cable won't plug into the 60XBR950.

I bought a new video board for my Mac G4 that had both an ADC (which runs my Apple LCD display) and a DVI connector (for the TV).

I seem to remember reading in the Sony manual that the DVI port can not be used for connecting a PC.

I have a KDF-70XBR950 and a DVI-D Dual Link cable.

Anyone know what video card a person would need to install in a Windows PC to display on a KDF-70XBR950 ?

Originally posted by Corvette6769
I seem to remember reading in the Sony manual that the DVI port can not be used for connecting a PC.

I have a KDF-70XBR950 and a DVI-D Dual Link cable.

Anyone know what video card a person would need to install in a Windows PC to display on a KDF-70XBR950 ?

As far as I know, the only problem is one of pixel-value mapping. Rather equivalent to "black crush". I didn't see it with the Mac hookup, but different video boards and video driving software may vary.

Hey Corvette6769

Any DVI based card will work. Only ATI cards will give you access to 720P and 1080i resolutions. Hopefully, NVidia cards will have the flood gates opened around the middle of the month with their next major driver revision.

My family enjoys the GWIII XBR as the center piece for our digital entertainment. We use it to surf the web, play games, enjoy digital picture slide shows of family photos and classic artists. Also - when using a HTPC DVD player, the image quality will knock your socks off. We play a range of games @ 1280x720 resolution including Roller Coaster Tycoon2, Zoo Tycoon, Unreal, Command and Conquer, Warcraft, etc...

I am running a ATI 9600XT - and depending on what you want to do - even an ATI 7500 will work as a great 2D card with limited 3D capabilities. For a keyboard combo I selected the Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse and the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard. Both give rock solid input from a good distance.

Thanks,
Vidkidd

I had some time to calibrate by 70" this weekend. For any of you that have not done so I would strongly suggest that you read UMR's thread on tweaking this XBR it will be well worth your while. Out of the box my February build unit showed no dead or stuck pixels and has much better grey scale accuracy (some red push that is easily corrected using both the user and service menu), geometry and contrast than my 60" GWII. My set comes on in exactly 4 flashes of green.

The one area, as UMR points out, this set needs immediate attention is to resolution. As shipped from the factory I only measured about 4.5mhz of res., after calibration it went to 6.5, as UMR also stated. The picture is noticeably more detailed and contrasy with only 15 minutes of adjustment. The overall performance is much better than I was ever able to obtain with by 60" GWII. Do the tweaks, you don't know what you are missing.

Hey Thanx ALOT Guys!!! >>vidkidd & roblake<< For the Help!!!
It is Very Appreciated!!! Now I can't wait to Hook it all up!!! ;)

Originally posted by bberns22
I had some time to calibrate by 70" this weekend. For any of you that have not done so I would strongly suggest that you read UMR's thread on tweaking this XBR it will be well worth your while. Out of the box my February build unit showed no dead or stuck pixels and has much better grey scale accuracy (some red push that is easily corrected using both the user and service menu), geometry and contrast than my 60" GWII. My set comes on in exactly 4 flashes of green.

The one area, as UMR points out, this set needs immediate attention is to resolution. As shipped from the factory I only measured about 4.5mhz of res., after calibration it went to 6.5, as UMR also stated. The picture is noticeably more detailed and contrasy with only 15 minutes of adjustment. The overall performance is much better than I was ever able to obtain with by 60" GWII. Do the tweaks, you don't know what you are missing.


can you point to UMRs thread


thanks

Originally posted by manufanatic
can you point to UMRs thread


thanks

Here ya go :
Follow his step by step instructions & you
should have no issues.

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

Speaking without knowledge or experience is not a good practice, my friend.

Oh but I do have much much experience with the TV in question. I have installed a lot of these lately and I do home installs, and yes I hook them up correctly the first time! Panasonic's are the ideal rear projection LCD TVs for using a computer. Sony did not design their XBR950 specifically for PC use, however Panasonic did do just that and have been for a while. To some people it looks great but it is not as good as a Panasonic. I know you have not seen the Panasonic's such as the PT50LC13 and the next model up using live applications from a PC. Sony was designed and is the next best thing to the Hitachi rear projection LCD which has better picture quality the both Sony and Panasonic but only for video not PC. If I remember and maybe I'm wrong I was replying to someone asking "how would it look" on the XBR950? Man I thought we where not to do any head hunting around here as it is explained in the ten commandments of AVS Forum rules?! So I'm sorry for trying to help someone with a question. :(

Originally posted by MacG5
Oh but I do have much much experience with the TV in question. I have installed a lot of these lately and I do home installs, and yes I hook them up correctly the first time! Panasonic's are the ideal rear projection LCD TVs for using a computer. Sony did not design their XBR950 specifically for PC use, however Panasonic did do just that and have been for a while. To some people it looks great but it is not as good as a Panasonic. I know you have not seen the Panasonic's such as the PT50LC13 and the next model up using live applications from a PC. Sony was designed and is the next best thing to the Hitachi rear projection LCD which has better picture quality the both Sony and Panasonic but only for video not PC. If I remember and maybe I'm wrong I was replying to someone asking "how would it look" on the XBR950? Man I thought we where not to do any head hunting around here as it is explained in the ten commandments of AVS Forum rules?! So I'm sorry for trying to help someone with a question. :(

Okay...I give up, who are you quoting and more importantly, other than being the only one in the world (including Hitachi) that thinks that the Hitachi has better picture quality than the sony KDF-70XBR950, what is your point?

Learn something new every day....I did not even know that Hitachi produced a 70-inch Digital Wide-screen Rear Projection LCD HDTV Monitor.

Originally posted by MacG5
Oh but I do have much much experience with the TV in question. I have...(edited to remove self-aggrandizing blathering)...

I'm sure we're all very impressed with your credentials, however making blanket statements about PC display on these wonderful TVs being terrible doesn't help anybody. You obviously haven't tried very hard to get one tow work, or you wouldn't say that. There are 1 million variables affecting the performance of this TV as a PC monitor. Video card brand, chipset, drivers, cables used to hook up, calibration of the TV itself, resolution being used, (I could go on, but what's the point? You already claimed that the much inferior Panasonic TV is the choice for PCs).

Man I thought we where not to do any head hunting around here as it is explained in the ten commandments of AVS Forum rules?! So I'm sorry for trying to help someone with a question.

I take exception to that statement. You offered no help what-so-ever. You merely offered up this useless, baseless statement about this TV not being fit for a PC monitor:

Originally posted by MacG5
You should not use a PC for this LCD screen quality is horried at best! However you can hookup the new Pioneer Elite DVD player the 59 model via FireWire, and two JVC HD VCRs the 30000U, and 40000U models and Mitsubishi has some HD VCRs via FireWire.

And, as someone who is thrilled with my TV as a PC monitor, I take exception to your stement, and I hope you haven't steered anyone incorrectly away from this TV for that use.

BTW - It was me to whom he was responding, and he did not quote my entire response, nor credit me for the quote. The message he is quoting is over a month old in this thread (2/9/04).

Originally posted by MacG5
Sony was designed and is the next best thing to the Hitachi rear projection LCD which has better picture quality the both Sony and Panasonic but only for video not PC.

I disagree there if you are referring to the xxV500 series Hitachi lcds. I had 2 hitachi sets for about 2.5 months before returning it and getting the Sony(xbr). Sony was better than the Hitachi (sharper, brighter, wider viewing angle). Haven't done any HTPC with the Sony, but for PQ/Black levels among lcds, the xbr it better than the Hitachi and Panny.

Doug

Originally posted by MacG5
Oh but I do have much much experience with the TV in question. I have installed a lot of these lately and I do home installs, and yes I hook them up correctly the first time! Panasonic's are the ideal rear projection LCD TVs for using a computer. Sony did not design their XBR950 specifically for PC use, however Panasonic did do just that and have been for a while. To some people it looks great but it is not as good as a Panasonic. I know you have not seen the Panasonic's such as the PT50LC13 and the next model up using live applications from a PC.

I have many problems with these statements. I did not say you had no experience with this TV. What I implied was that you obviously have not had experience hooking this TV up to a PC. When I say "PC" I mean "PC", NOT Macintosh. Maybe it doesn't hook up to a Macintosh, but I have no experience in trying that.

I may write great JAVA code for years, but it doesn't give me the knowledge or experience (or the right) to tell someone that Visual Basic sucks.

I have seen the panny and the hitachi next to this TV, and it is obvious to me that the Sony is THE reference standard for RP LCD HDTVs. It is brighter, sharper, wider viewing angle, and has obviously better PQ out-of-the box than either of the other two. I watched satellite HD, SD, and also DVD content. The Sony was the hands-down winner on all of it. It has the best looking design as well (yes, a matter of asthetics, so "to each his own").

Of course the panny will hook up to a computer easier than the sony (duh! It has a VGA port on it). The LCD panels on the panny are also a standard PC pixel size (though the numbers elude me at the moment). But Panasonic doesn't make high-end computer monitors, so they don't care if their RPs compete in that arena. Sony DOES make them, and it doesn't surprise me at all that they'd rather not have their TV division competing with thier monitor division, so they dont make it "easy" to hook these up, but it's not impossible.

I have never seen the panny or the hitachi hooked up to a PC, so I cannot tell you whether or not they suck(I doubt they do), however, I CAN tell you that my 70XBR looks fantastic even up to 20 feet or more (my mouse and keyboard don't reach further than about 12 feet). Menu text is chrystal clear. Web pages are easily readable (I'm looking at this screen right now from just under 13 feet).

But I would be surprised if anyone with a panny or hitachi RP LCD was getting a better looking 1280x720 desktop filling the screen entirely top-to-bottom and left-to-right than I am right now.

Perhaps I mis-spoke about your experience level. Perhaps you did try once or twice to hook up a PC to the XBR.

What video card? ATI RADEON is the current best choice, but NVIDIA will be better as soon as they come out with better DVI support in their drivers.

What hookup did you use? Don't even THINK about using composite or S-Video. DVI is the best, but you can use component if your video card can output it, or if you have something that can convert VGA or DVI into component without doing too much damage to the signal.

What quality were the cables? Many have discovered that low-quality cables cause many issues. I'm not saying you need Monster or Better Cables, but decent cables can make a difference.

What monitor driver? We found that the Sony GDM-W900 was the best monitor driver to use (unless you wrote your own using Powerstrip) because it was written for a widescreen monitor. Definitely do not use "Plug and Play Monitor".

What resolutions/timings did you try? If you want to avoid virtual desktops and over/underscan issues, you have to send the TV reasonable geometry. If you want to avoid fuzzy text, you have to send it something that doesn't need to be drastically re-scaled to fit the panels.

People come to these forums for help and information. When posters make blantantly wrong generalized statements devoid of any help or accurate information like you did, they should expect that people with real experience and good information will attack their statements.

I second what countz just said. I would only add that I was not aware that Panasonic produced a 70-inch Digital Wide-screen Rear Projection LCD HDTV Monitor and if so, why does MacG5 reference the tiny Panasonic model PT50LC13 which is not much bigger than the 4-year old 21" Dell FD Trinitron (Sony) Flat Screen Monitor that I am reading this on at my desk from 2 feet away.

Originally posted by MacG5
Oh Sony did not design their XBR950 specifically for PC use....

With this statement, I do agree and apparently so does Sony, judging from the fact that Sony designed and advertises the KDF-70XBR950 as a Television and not a PC monitor......you think?

Wow... This thread is SMOKIN!!! Lets all take a deep breath in and EXHALE.

For those with the GWIII and are hooking it up to a PC over DVI. I recently found that NVidia cards give you an even cleaner image than their ATI counterparts. Heck - I am even reproducing a clean 1:1 image on the GWIII with an NVidia card.. Something the DLP'ers have been touting.

The GWIII is a great display - and I have no doubt in my mind about this statement. It is great all around for SD, HD and HTPC use out of the box. For those who want to tweak into the middle of the night, like me last night, you can get even better image quality out of the set.

Thankx,
Vidkidd

I will just leave it at this since some people have strong feelings for this set which by the way is awesome. The picture quality is a little less then Hitachi, and a little better than Panasonic. I did say the Sony was not made for a PC but for TV only just like the Hitachi is for TV only. Panasonic did make their set to be used for both, the main purpose of catching two targeted audience. RCA is another company that has been doing this for many years with their direct tube sets and rear CRT TVs. I've been involved in a lot of PC to TV installations to know what they are supposed to do. I am required to keep in contact at my job with the Vendors to know what video equipment can be used to match up with each other. Plus it is my hobby so I don't know everything but I know this subject very well from experience very recently and past tense. I'm not saying any more about this TV because flame wars turn me off like a light switch, and thanks to those who helped give a lot of input on this subject.

Originally posted by MacG5
I will just leave it at this since some people have strong feelings for this set which by the way is awesome. The picture quality is a little less then Hitachi, ........ flame wars turn me off like a light switch

There you go again MacG5. I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce and it sure must suck being the only person on the planet that thinks that the KDF-70XBR950 picture quality is any less then Hitachi. Apparently you are attempting to get someone else to see things from your point of view, but I personally refuse to put my head up your a$$.

If flame wars turn you off like a light switch, does that mean if one of us were to flip you off you will quit adding fuel to the fire?

If so, with all due respect, please considered yourself vigorously flipped off with two hands simultaneously.

Question for KDF-60XBR950 owners... I was trying to scan digital channels with this TV... please tell me if I'm doing correctly.

I hooked up an HDTV antenna into the back of this TV where it says UHF/VHF and went to Video6... hit GUIDE then went over to Digital Setup... then I started the scanning of Digital Channels... I get zero digital channels... now when I go to Check Digital Signal Strength the blue bars are halfway... is this normal?

Should the blue bars be all the way to the right near the round grey circle?

Any info would be appreciated.

Corvette:
Don't you wonder about people that post in a Sony XBR 950 thread about another set's superiority and then say that flame wars turn them off?

Something akin to a vegetarian attending a barbeque. (I had other examples that I could use, but you know how much we hate flame wars);)

Here is my situation, I am moving into a new house in two weeks. I have been looking at TVs for sometime now and due to the thinness of the LCD's, I am in favor of these or a plasma if I can get a nice 50" for under $6K (doubt it though).

Originally I was set on the Hitachi then I saw the sony (non XBR with the light bulb problems) then I found out that new models will be coming out with in the next couple months.

My question is should I hold out for a few months to see what the next models have to offer (they may also drive the older model prices down too?) or should I just splurge and get this 60incher (XBR) now?

I assume all LCD and DLP sets (even the new models coming out) will have that WET-PAINT effect during high motion, like sport games and just any fast moving picture, right? Is there any LCD sets that do not have this flaw? ALso, this does seem to be the most expensive LCD set available, is there any real valid reason for its increased price over the others available?

I guess I am asking many questions here. I appreicate any and all the advice you could give.
Thanks

has anyone achieved (using PS) a 1024x768 true resolution.

I have got 1024x720 and 1280x720 to work great.. But I cannot get to 768...... my 70xbr950 won't take it.

I want to play FARCRY (demo) but it will only take a 1024x768 res.

Has anyone ever contacted a game development company and asked them to send a "special" resolution setting for their game?
or
is there any software out there that will convert games to the resolution that you are presently using. (I know Screensavers do)..

Thanks all.........

Originally posted by cow736
Question for KDF-60XBR950 owners... I was trying to scan digital channels with this TV... please tell me if I'm doing correctly.

I hooked up an HDTV antenna into the back of this TV where it says UHF/VHF and went to Video6... hit GUIDE then went over to Digital Setup... then I started the scanning of Digital Channels... I get zero digital channels... now when I go to Check Digital Signal Strength the blue bars are halfway... is this normal?

Should the blue bars be all the way to the right near the round grey circle?

Any info would be appreciated.

I'm giving you a little friendly ribbing, here, so don't take it personally...

If you are plugging your OTA antenna into the UHF/VHF plug, then why are you expecting the TV to find the digital channels on VIDEO6? (Besides the fact there is no "tuner" on VIDEO6, that just doesn't make sense).

Put the TV on TV, and then hit the ANT button (below the big disc, on the left, next to the POP button). (That's where it is on my 70xbr, anyways). This switches the TV to the alternate antenna (the UHF/VHF input).

THEN do your digital channel scan.

BTW - I don't know what all your hookups are, but if you are not using the regular coax input for cable TV, there isn't any reason to plug your OTA antenna into the UHF/VHF plug, just use the regular one.

You might have to go into channel setup on the user menu and tell it you are using broadcast instead of cable tuning for whichever plug you decide to use.

Originally posted by floyd_bannister
has anyone achieved (using PS) a 1024x768 true resolution...

There are two threads of discussion on using this TV as a PC monitor. Let's keep that discussion in those threads. (I'm not scolding you, I'm just hoping Vidkidd doesn't start it up in here...):D

This thread is huge and may have outlived it's usefulness, but it contains links to spreadsheets and how-tos that may help:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=321968

This thread was started by Vidkidd because Raymod pissed him off. I'ts more of a "1:1 mapping as a the holy grail" thread. May or may not be helpful to you:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=362324

Originally posted by jomoma
Here is my situation, I am moving into a new house in two weeks. I have been looking at TVs for sometime now and due to the thinness of the LCD's, I am in favor of these or a plasma if I can get a nice 50" for under $6K (doubt it though).

...[edit]...

I guess I am asking many questions here. I appreicate any and all the advice you could give.
Thanks
You're asking in the wrong thread if you want a truly objective opinion of the XBRs, since this is an XBR owners thread. All of us here will probably defend our TV's superiority to the death if necessary, if only to justify to the world why we spent so much on "just a TV". :D

I own the 70XBR, and consider it to be the most fantastic TV I have ever seen. I even compared it to plasma, and thought it was better (besides the no-burn-in factor and the life expectancy factor).

I was not aware the DLPs had what you refer to as the "wet-paint" effect. I don't think there are latency issues on DLPs that would cause this kind of thing, unless they have poorly writen light engines, or maybe they have "wait for the wheel to come around again" issues. Personally, I have a problem believing that a computer chip with 1,000,000 little servo motors on it turning mirrors will not have failure problems over the life of the TV.

We have had LCD technology for many years, and it is used successfully in so many places and for so many things, I just trust that technology more than DLP or plasma.

I personally am still thrilled with my TV, and I would put it up against any other brand side-by-side.

It's all personal opinion, but I don't think you would regret buying an XBR.

Originally posted by countz
Put the TV on TV, and then hit the ANT button (below the big disc, on the left, next to the POP button). (That's where it is on my 70xbr, anyways). This switches the TV to the alternate antenna (the UHF/VHF input).

THEN do your digital channel scan.

BTW - I don't know what all your hookups are, but if you are not using the regular coax input for cable TV, there isn't any reason to plug your OTA antenna into the UHF/VHF plug, just use the regular one.

You might have to go into channel setup on the user menu and tell it you are using broadcast instead of cable tuning for whichever plug you decide to use.

Countz: I appreciate the feedback... I must of explained the Video6 thing incorrectly. Sorry... I did hit the ANT button then hit GUIDE to do the Digital Scan. If you just go to Video6 you can't go into Guide and do a digital scan.

What are you referring to by the "regular one"? The coax cable input on the back?

Right now there is nothing hooked up to the back of the TV so all the inputs are free.

When I'm checking Signal Strength on most channels the blue bars are halfway... is that the fullest strength? Is it supposed to go all the way to the right neat the little grey circle? Can you check on your TV?


Thanks for all the help!

Originally posted by jomoma
[B.......then I found out that new models will be coming out with in the next couple months.

My question is should I hold out for a few months to see what the next models have to offer (they may also drive the older model prices down too?) or should I just splurge and get this 60incher (XBR) now?...... [/B]

In the electronics world there always has been and always will be new models coming out "in the next couple months". The manufacturers always have something in the pipeline and to build a market give the consumer the impression that availability will be sooner than it actually is. This time of the year, usually the press release is in March, the item is unveiled at the Consumer electronics show in Chicago in June, the item actually becomes available between August and November, and the bugs are worked out by the first of January, just in time for the cycle to start all over again with the Los Angeles Consumer electronics show. If you wait based on this you will never make a purchase.

My advice is buy the best available at the time when it fits the rest of your plans.

Originally posted by cow736
Countz: I appreciate the feedback... I must of explained the Video6 thing incorrectly. Sorry... I did hit the ANT button then hit GUIDE to do the Digital Scan. If you just go to Video6 you can't go into Guide and do a digital scan.

What are you referring to by the "regular one"? The coax cable input on the back?

Right now there is nothing hooked up to the back of the TV so all the inputs are free.

When I'm checking Signal Strength on most channels the blue bars are halfway... is that the fullest strength? Is it supposed to go all the way to the right neat the little grey circle? Can you check on your TV?


Thanks for all the help!


Yeah I figured you guys were a little partial!! From what I have seen I like this TV the best. It seems in the store on the showroom floor that this TV is far brighter than other LCDs (the other sony, the hitachi, panasonic and the Samsung DLP). Is this 100% true?

Also I hate how every show room floor has the TVs on stands and then elevated about an additional 1.5-2ft so they are head level. I want to make sure that when I stand up and walk around that the picture is not sacrificed; the other sony lcd does tend to turn a little black as well with the hitachi (both of those were on the actual floor with their corresponding stands) however I never seen the XBR yet on the actual floor.

Also, I know the XBR is far supperior to the kf60We610 but does anyone truely know if all the bugs have been worked out in that model? I keep hearing different stories from different stores, ranging from "it was a defective bulb", to "people were turning the complete power off, not allowing the fan to cool the bulb after the TV was shut off, thus causing the bulb to burn out", and I had someone tell me that Sony recalled all those models as well??

I guess I am asking if neglegence caused this or if there was actually a Sony flaw?

It seems like a lot of you guys know your stuff regarding current TV technology. I am glad I was recommended to visit this forum!
Thanks for all the info!

Originally posted by jomoma
Yeah I figured you guys were a little partial!! From what I have seen I like this TV the best. It seems in the store on the showroom floor that this TV is far brighter than other LCDs (the other sony, the hitachi, panasonic and the Samsung DLP). Is this 100% true?

Also I hate how every show room floor has the TVs on stands and then elevated about an additional 1.5-2ft so they are head level. I want to make sure that when I stand up and walk around that the picture is not sacrificed; the other sony lcd does tend to turn a little black as well with the hitachi (both of those were on the actual floor with their corresponding stands) however I never seen the XBR yet on the actual floor.

Also, I know the XBR is far supperior to the kf60We610 but does anyone truely know if all the bugs have been worked out in that model? I keep hearing different stories from different stores, ranging from "it was a defective bulb", to "people were turning the complete power off, not allowing the fan to cool the bulb after the TV was shut off, thus causing the bulb to burn out", and I had someone tell me that Sony recalled all those models as well??

I guess I am asking if neglegence caused this or if there was actually a Sony flaw?

It seems like a lot of you guys know your stuff regarding current TV technology. I am glad I was recommended to visit this forum!
Thanks for all the info!

The 610 series (and most other RPTVs) have a "lenticular" screen or screen protector to cut down on glare. This is what causes the picture to dim significantly when viewed from angles (standing up, sitting off to the side, etc.).

The XBR series has no such lenticular screen, and therefore the picture is essentially the same when viewed from the odd angles. However, this DOES mean that this TV suffers greatly from glare, depending on your viewing conditions. Many people have complained about the glare.

If you have a well-lit room, you will see yourself sitting there watching TV in a reflection on the smooth plexiglass surface. Many people find this distracting. I simply turn off the lights or close the blinds. That is not an option for some people.

The bulb thing is a problem with the KIND of bulb used, not necessarily the BRAND. I have read on other threads that the Osram brand is better than the Phillips brand, however, I think the main problem is that it is a Mercury Halide lamp that burns extremely hot. There was a discussion thread I read somewhere that an engineer actually posted information about how the M-H lamps work and why turning it back on before letting the bulb cool down is not a good idea. (Something to do with liquid turning to plasma... way over my head...) It's not Sony's fault, it's a limitation of the technology that cannot be solved without using a different kind of bulb.

Just don't turn the TV back on within 30 minutes of turning it off and you'll extend the life of your set. (I also have a rule that says if the TV gets turned on, it should stay on for at least 30 minutes so the bulb can go full-cycle). This is my 30-30 rule.

Now, there is a short span of about 5 seconds after pushing the power button when the LCDs are turned to black but the bulb is still on, so if you hit "power" accidentally you can turn it back on quickly without damaging the bulb.

I have an October build TV. Many people have complained of problems with this build. I have had my TV hooked up to an APC uninterruptible power supply with automatic voltage regulation since day 4. I have had my set for 9 weeks. I follow the 30-30 rule (as mentioned above) as religiously as possible. My set turns on everytime after 10 blinks of the green light. I have no complaints, and no regrets.

I definitely recommend either a professional calibration or at least following UMR's tweak recommendations as soon as you get the set. The TV is usually set to "torch mode" in the stores, and yes, I think that's too bright.

EDIT - I just noticed what you said about the power. I would think it might be a major problem if people are actually cutting power off to the TV before the bulb has been properly cooled by the fan. If you use the Power button on the remote or on the TV to turn it off, the fan continues to run as long as necessary to cool the bulb off. If you use some other device to cut power to the TV instead (X10, or just a surge strip's off button), that could be a major problem, and could most definitely damage the bulb or the electronics around it.

But let me re-iterate my point. This is a limitation of the technology used (M-H lamps), and no amount of recalls or fixes are going to make any difference (unless there is an actual problem with the power circuitry).

Originally posted by cow736
Countz: I appreciate the feedback... I must of explained the Video6 thing incorrectly. Sorry... I did hit the ANT button then hit GUIDE to do the Digital Scan. If you just go to Video6 you can't go into Guide and do a digital scan.

What are you referring to by the "regular one"? The coax cable input on the back?

Right now there is nothing hooked up to the back of the TV so all the inputs are free.

When I'm checking Signal Strength on most channels the blue bars are halfway... is that the fullest strength? Is it supposed to go all the way to the right neat the little grey circle? Can you check on your TV?


Thanks for all the help!

I am at work now, but I can check things out tonight and get back to you.

I figured you must have mis-spoken about the video6 thing, because it did surprise me that the guide button worked on video6. Whatever...

"the regular one" - There are two f-connectors for coax 75-ohm screw-on cable lines. One is labeled "UHF/VHF". The other one is what I was referring to as "the regular one". (Since my TV isn't here in front of me, I was not sure what it was labelled).

As far as I know, it does not matter which line you hook up to which f-connector. You can hook cable up to either one, or you can hook up OTA antennas to either one. Both connectors have both an ATSC (OTA) and a QAM (digital cable) tuner. (Either that, or both lines go into the same tuner circuitry).

Rather than going to the GUIDE menu, just set the TV to the appropriate input and go to the Channel Add section of the regular user menu. (Sorry, once again, I don't know the labels and I can't check until tonight).

I think the regular channel scan function will also automatically add all available digital channels. However, you may have to tell it ahead of time whether you want it to scan for cable or broadcast channels. This might get you what you need.

Plus, if this scan doesn't find your analog channels either, then you know you don't have things connected or selected properly.

Ok Gang,

Let chill here.

This IS the owners thread after all. If you are not an owner or have something positive to contribute don't post here. I would expect that to be the case in all of the owners threads. The choice is made so if you feel that something else is better, keep it to your self and move on!

Lets not forget the no bashing rule or no putting down someones purchase.

I now return you to your regular XBR950 programming.

I feel like getting a cookie for not participating in this battlefield :)

:unsure:

:P

Originally posted by GooglyBear
I feel like getting a cookie for not participating in this battlefield :)

:unsure:

:P

If anyone had been trying to bake cookies, they probably got burned by the flames...

But I think corvette stomped out the flames pretty good a few hours ago...:D

I believe there is a difference in the coax connectors in the back. I have my roof antenna connected to the VHF/UHF connector and the cable TV coax connect to the one marked C or cable. When you press the ANT button on the remote, it will switch between channel number with a C in front of the number, or just channel numbers. The ANT selection with the C in front of the numbers is the QAM/analog cable channel tuner. I didn't try to connect the TV antenna to the C/Cable coax connector in the back though. I recommend that you do what it says in the instructions. If you have cable TV, connect it to the C/Cable connector in the back. If you have a TV antenna of some kind for OTA reception, connect it to the VHF/UHF jack. Do a channel scan on each connector and you with get digital and analog channels as available on each connector.

I found that the signal strength is more then half way across to get a picture. If it is half way or less , I get nothing or pixiliation.

You are probably correct, although I did not test my own theory by switching around my hookups.

I did check the guide menu, and it appears that the digital signal strength meter starts in the middle for some reason. So if you are getting a non-moving bar halfway across, you are not getting a digital signal at all. When I was tuned to a digital channel and actually seeing a picture, the strength meter was moving up and down three or four notches near the green dot on the right.

Regardless, I recommend using the channel auto setup from the regular user menu to find all your channels on both the TV and the ANT hookups. You should at least get the analog channels if you have an external antenna hooked up correctly.

You can always use the channel skip/add function to remove the analog stations if you don't want them.

Using my indoor antenna (Zenith Silver Sensor - $40 at Sears) all of my tuned OTA digital channels come in very strong - they are either at the very top of the signal meter or one bar away. Most actually alternate between the two. I am using the VHF/UHF input for this antenna, per the instructions. I am about 17 miles from the antenna farm, and have the antenna sitting on top of the TV which is positioned about 10 feet from the nearest window - at about one foot above ground level - so I was pleasantly surprised at how well they all come in.

For cable I am so far just plugging my cable line into the "C" input (no HD box on this set yet) but also use a Motorola amplifier (Model #484095-001-00) to boost the signal, with great results also. If you have a cable signal strength issue, as I did, this product will really make a difference.

Originally posted by countz
I am at work now, but I can check things out tonight and get back to you.

I figured you must have mis-spoken about the video6 thing, because it did surprise me that the guide button worked on video6. Whatever...

"the regular one" - There are two f-connectors for coax 75-ohm screw-on cable lines. One is labeled "UHF/VHF". The other one is what I was referring to as "the regular one". (Since my TV isn't here in front of me, I was not sure what it was labelled).

As far as I know, it does not matter which line you hook up to which f-connector. You can hook cable up to either one, or you can hook up OTA antennas to either one. Both connectors have both an ATSC (OTA) and a QAM (digital cable) tuner. (Either that, or both lines go into the same tuner circuitry).

Rather than going to the GUIDE menu, just set the TV to the appropriate input and go to the Channel Add section of the regular user menu. (Sorry, once again, I don't know the labels and I can't check until tonight).

I think the regular channel scan function will also automatically add all available digital channels. However, you may have to tell it ahead of time whether you want it to scan for cable or broadcast channels. This might get you what you need.

Plus, if this scan doesn't find your analog channels either, then you know you don't have things connected or selected properly.


So with this said is there any real cons about getting the kf60We610?

I like the XBR better but not sure I want to shuv out the additional $$.

Also, I know this was probably asked 1000 time already (I just do not have the time to seach a lot of threads) but what is the real adavantages of the XBR over the WE610?

How much does it cost for professional calibration?

Also, is there any reputable places that sell the XBR cheaper than $5k?

Originally posted by jomoma
So with this said is there any real cons about getting the kf60We610?

I like the XBR better but not sure I want to shuv out the additional $$.

Also, I know this was probably asked 1000 time already (I just do not have the time to seach a lot of threads) but what is the real adavantages of the XBR over the WE610?

How much does it cost for professional calibration?

Also, is there any reputable places that sell the XBR cheaper than $5k?

You ask many questions that can be very hard and dangerous to answer. Many of the answers are based on personal preferences and budget constraints that others cannot answer for you, so the answer becomes: "Well, what do YOU think?"

There are many differences between the 610 and the XBR. I don't claim to know much about them, but I have heard that the digital pahways, signal processors, and software are all significantly better on the XBR series.

They do have the same LCD panels inside and the same lamp, though, so physical resolution should be about the same. I don't know if the optics are different, but it would not surprise me.

The outward design is different. The 610 has a lenticular screen protector, so it suffers from off-axis viewing dropoff. However, the lack of a lenticular screen causes glare problems on the XBR series.

The XBR series has a built-in HDTV tuner for clear-QAM (un-scrambled cable) and OTA ATSC broadcast. If you have a TV this fantastic, it would be a great shame not to watch HD programming on it.

The 610 series requires an external tuner box to show HD content. Good HD tuner boxes cost around $400.

I don't have sattelite or digital cable, so I would have to shuv out for an HD tuner if I had not bought the XBR. (Besides, they don't make a 70" non-XBR).

I bought my 70xbr from a local Sony dealer who gave me a little over 1k off retail. Corvette will tell you that is not a good deal, but I was happy with it. Especially considering that the two large chains in town would not discount the price at all.

There are a lot of mail-order places on the web that advertise a lower price. I would never risk 6K over the internet to save a couple hundred, but that would be entirely up to you.

The way I look it is if you are going to spend nearly 5k on a TV, why would you not go the extra 1k or so to get the best possible unit? But that's just me...

A certified ISF calibration will cost you between $250 and $500, depending on how many inputs you have calibrated, how far the tech has to travel, and how long he (she) spends at your house.

One "nice" thing about these Sony LCD sets is that they are factory-converged and it is not adjustable, so the tech doesn't spend any time with that procedure. It might save you some bucks.

Sounds good Count Zero. I liked the XBR screen . I have always liked a screen saver or a company that goes that extra yard. It looked as good or better than a competitor's that is another very good TV company that cost 4 times the price. I liked the fact that UMR"S settings in a user menu , I could set my gray scale & we don't live in the same town. I'M a little COLOR BLIND but when I have a little help , I can tell it's right. People say I like your T V it's not blue like other sets.I have done his other tweaks & they all were NUMBER ONE in making the picture even better.

Originally posted by jomoma
So with this said is there any real cons about getting the kf60We610?

I like the XBR better but not sure I want to shuv out the additional $$.

Also, I know this was probably asked 1000 time already (I just do not have the time to seach a lot of threads) but what is the real adavantages of the XBR over the WE610?

How much does it cost for professional calibration?

Also, is there any reputable places that sell the XBR cheaper than $5k?

For me it was no contest XBR all the way! Any time I looked at a WE610 it would be a constant reminder that I settled for much less than I wanted, both in screen size and quality. When you consider the price difference over the life of the unit, compared to other expenditures that you will have in over the period of time (and have nothing to show for it - like utility bills, insurance premiums, and etc), it was an easy decision for me personally.

As to the differences, other than mentioned by countz, I seem to remember that the WE610 only has a 100 watt bulb vs. the XBR's 120 watt.

I do not think you will touch a KDF-70XBR950 for less than $5k, but if your after a 60" (which I assume you might be since you are even considering the WE610), than you can easily purchase the KDF-60XBR950 within your budget.

Whoever you order from, be sure to confirm the total price (including delivery and any taxes) before you place the order (watch the fine print including things like "tailgate fees").

If you are considering a long distance purchase (or locally for that matter) you may wish to review the last part of my Post # 752 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=3431315#post3431315) back on 2-24-04.

If you are serious about this purchase, you truly owe it to yourself to read this post from the beginning, as most of us here have at least once. I believe you will find valuable information and answers to questions that you didn't even know to ask.

[link fixed]

Originally posted by Corvette6769
For me it was no contest XBR all the way! Any time I looked at a WE610 it would be a constant reminder that I settled for much less than I wanted, both in screen size and quality. When you consider the price difference over the life of the unit, compared to other expenditures that you will have in over the period of time (and have nothing to show for it - like utility bills, insurance premiums, and etc), it was an easy decision for me personally.

As to the differences, other than mentioned by countz, I seem to remember that the WE610 only has a 100 watt bulb vs. the XBR's 120 watt.

I do not think you will touch a KDF-70XBR950 for less than $5k, but if your after a 60" (which I assume you might be since you are even considering the WE610), than you can easily purchase the KDF-60XBR950 within your budget.

Whoever you order from, be sure to confirm the total price (including delivery and any taxes) before you place the order (watch the fine print including things like "tailgate fees").

If you are considering a long distance purchase (or locally for that matter) you may wish to review the last part of my URL=http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=3431315#post3431315]Post # 752[/URL] back on 2-24-04.

If you are serious about this purchase, you truly owe it to yourself to read this post from the beginning, as most of us here have at least once. I believe you will find valuable information and answers to questions that you didn't even know to ask.


Corvette6769,
Where did you get your UPS and how much was it?
Also, how well does the picture quality look right out of the box with DVDs and HD television?

Originally posted by jomoma
Corvette6769,
Where did you get your UPS and how much was it?
Also, how well does the picture quality look right out of the box with DVDs and HD television?
While I have not had time to really calibrate my KDF-70XBR950, I will say that right out of the box using my brand new Samsung DVD-HD931 DVD player www.ss427.com/dvd directly connected by Digital Video Interface via DVI-D Dual Link Digital Cable www.ss427.com/DVI to my brand new Sony KDF-70XBR950 - 70-inch XBR Grand Wega Digital Wide-screen Rear Projection LCD HDTV Monitor www.ss427.com/xbr that the viewing experience is nothing short of spectacular right out of the box. The picture quality I expected but most amazing thing to me initially was the on-board sound system. I was surprised when I first heard bullets hitting the wall behind me with no external speakers hooked up. The picture quality is so awesome, that the other night my wife and I had to laugh when we realized that I had just leaned over to see around an actor on screen to get a better look at a 60's Muscle Car parked on the street behind him.

To answer your other question jomoma, I have bought more than a dozen APC Back-UPS Pro units over the last couple of years including the APC Back-UPS Pro 1400VA I use for my home theater from various eBay sellers as I further detailed in my Post #506 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=3234107#post3234107). Usually they sell for less than $50.00. Be sure to confirm and factor the shipping charges BEFORE you bid.

I always confirm the transaction in advance with the seller, including the following to which I reserve the copyright but offer for the free use of forum members;
"Please confirm that this auction is for one used, but fully functional APC model # BP1400 Back-UPS Pro 1400VA Battery Backup in perfect operating and perfect physical condition as pictured in your auction, with no missing parts and with no physical or functional damage to the components and the only surcharge to be added to the winning bid on this auction is $15.00 for shipping and handling.

Since this unit is used, I understand that the battery is used and may not provide full performance (full load 6 minutes @ 950 watts and half load 22 minutes @ 475 Watts).

What is condition of the battery in this unit?

An easy way to test this is to plug a lamp containing a standard 100 watt light bulb into it, Unplug the UPS from the electrical outlet and time how long it powers the lamp before shutting down (According to APC, this unit should last 2 hours 39 minutes @ 100 watts if it is performing properly).

What is the serial number on this unit?

Does it still have the original battery in it?

The reason I inquire is to determine date of manufacture and age of the battery. According to APC, a sealed lead acid battery that sits on the shelf for more than six months at 76 degrees without a recharge will probably be damaged beyond recharging and even sooner if the temperature is higher. A sealed lead acid battery that has discharged below 80% of its capacity has probably seen its last days."

Actually performance out of the box is not that good , especially in terms of resolution. The grey scale is close but the unit demonstrates significant red push. Please review UMR's post for complete calibration details. I have confirmed his initial findings that the resolution of this set, as shipped barely exceeds 4.5mhz. After calibration the 6+mhz pattern in Avia is easily viewed. Sony sets up several severe enhancement processes that cause this degradation of resolution. The adjustments require you to go into the service menu but the effort is well worth the while.

Originally posted by bberns22
Actually performance out of the box is not that good , especially in terms of resolution. The grey scale is close but the unit demonstrates significant red push. Please review UMR's post for complete calibration details. I have confirmed his initial findings that the resolution of this set, as shipped barely exceeds 4.5mhz. After calibration the 6+mhz pattern in Avia is easily viewed. Sony sets up several severe enhancement processes that cause this degradation of resolution. The adjustments require you to go into the service menu but the effort is well worth the while.

I should clarify that I my "out of the box experience" is after I used the AVIA Guide to Home Theater and Digital Video Essentials to adjust settings through the standard picture menu.

I plan to use my AVIA Guide to Home Theater, Digital Video Essentials, The Ultimate DVD Platinum, and Sound & Vision Home Theater Tune-Up DVDs to fully calibrate my KDF-70XBR950 following UMR's recommendations explicitly when I get time.

Time should not be too much of an issue. The total for a complete calibration is less than 30 minutes. This is much better that last years XBR. That set was a bear to calibrate. I spent many hours on it. By the way Avia & a good THX optimizer are all you need. The other disks you mention are redundant at best.

Just as a comparison this years xbr has the best color decoder of any set I have owned in the last 2 years - Sampo Plasma, Panasonic Plasma (6uy - great black levels), and last years 60" xbr.

bberns22, I have AVIA, what's the THX optimizer you refer to? I've used AVIA and I'm very happy with the picture, but there are tons of settings that I cannot optimize with Avia....joe

Originally posted by Corvette6769
I should clarify that I my "out of the box experience" is after I used the AVIA Guide to Home Theater and Digital Video Essentials to adjust settings through the standard picture menu.

I plan to use my AVIA Guide to Home Theater, Digital Video Essentials, The Ultimate DVD Platinum, and Sound & Vision Home Theater Tune-Up DVDs to fully calibrate my KDF-70XBR950 following UMR's recommendations explicitly when I get time.

Don't forget to reset your user menu to factory before going into the service menu for UMR's tweaks. I think he mentions that, but I wanted to make sure.

THX optimizer is available as an added menu on many DVD's such as Monsters Inc & Star Wars. It has some addition screens that may aid in adjustment. I'm curious what "settings" you want to adjust that Avia does not provide a test pattern for?

Originally posted by Joe Jensen
bberns22, I have AVIA, what's the THX optimizer you refer to? I've used AVIA and I'm very happy with the picture, but there are tons of settings that I cannot optimize with Avia....joe

Where do you get the AVIA Calibration DVD? I have looked everywhere on the internet and can't find it. Thanks.

I beleive Avia is generally out of print but I think it can be had by the manufacturer at:

http://www.ovationmultimedia.com/

Originally posted by rbkb
Where do you get the AVIA Calibration DVD? I have looked everywhere on the internet and can't find it. Thanks.
I don't beleive you. You can't find it on the internet?

I did a search on "Avia DVD" on Google and got 10 billion hits.

Amazon has it for $37.50 with free shipping.

Onecall has it for $35, but shipping is not free.

Best Buy carries it for $45.

Wal-Mart has it for $35, but the online store is out of stock.

The maker of this DVD will also sell it to you directly (ovationmultimedia.com), but they want $50 plus shipping.

Most places like smarthome.com want full retail or close to it.

As per Forum rules I am not going to post that there is copy AVIA Guide to Home Theater DVD on ebay right now and likewise I am not going to mention anything like "the current bid price is $5.00 with 4 days to go".

What I will post is that I paid $15 for AVIA and less than $10.00 for my other calibration DVDs and bought them through eBay.

Man I got a lot to learn, but can someone enlighten me with what calibration DVDs are, granted I know they are used to calibrate your TV but how? ...it will be a fun learning experience though!

Originally posted by jomoma
Man I got a lot to learn, but can someone enlighten me with what calibration DVDs are, granted I know they are used to calibrate your TV but how? ...it will be a fun learning experience though!

Do an Internet search for "AVIA Guide to Home Theater", "Digital Video Essentials", "The Ultimate DVD Platinum", or "Sound & Vision Home Theater Tune-Up" and read the descriptions for a basic understanding.

Then go to the UMR Does GWIII XBR & WE (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=331875&perpage=20&pagenumber=1) thread to learn everything you ever wanted to know about calibrating one of these.

Hey guys does the XBR have a dual internal tuner?

From Sony's Specification page the Integrated ATSC Tuner is described as "Flexible Twin-View 2-Tuner Picture-and-Picture (HD, NTSC)"

Ok, so I cant couldn't tape HD content via firewire while watching a different HD channel from its tuner.

Thanks for the help!

Originally posted by Barrybud
Ok, so I cant couldn't tape HD content via firewire while watching a different HD channel from its tuner.

Thanks for the help!

I don't think you can tape via firewire no matter what you are doing with the TV.

Can you tape HD content? I thought that wasn't possible yet.

I will try twin-view HD tonight when I get home, but it is my understanding that there is only one set of HD Tuner circuitry (ATSC and QAM).

I know I can twin-view my desktop, but I was thinking you could not twin-view two widescreen pictures.

I will play with that a little tonight.

Now if the snow would just melt so I could get up on the roof to mount my UHF antenna...

YES , You can tape with firewire but can not change channel or inputs when you record. You can go to the menu & keep tuner on when you turn T V off to record. You can record analog just like you did with s - video before. G. B.

What do you hook to on the KDF-70XBR950 for output from the XBR's tuner (all I remember seeing were the 7 inputs)?

Firewire is digital & it goes both way's as an input & an output. It shows up in the i link menu after you hook everything up. G. B.

I tried a few things with twin-view and digital last night. I made an interesting discovery.

No matter what I had on the left, I could never get any digital-capable output on the right.

I could get my windows desktop (via DVI), my DVD player (Video5), and any high definition channel I wanted (Cable or UHF) on the left, but none of those things were available on the right.

I had assumed until that point that you could put cable TV on the left and then tune digital channels via the UHF input on the right, but it kept telling me that DTV input was unavailable. And when I used the INPUT button to scroll thru my inputs on the right-hand screen, it always skipped over video5 and video7.

So you cannot tune two digital chanels at once, and you cannot display two digital sources at once either.

Originally posted by countz
So you cannot tune two digital chanels at once, and you cannot display two digital sources at once either.

Yes, the instruction manual clearly states this. I don't have it handy so I can't refer you to a page number, but there are limits to what can be displayed on the right side of the "twin view" display.

Originally posted by InvaderZim
Yes, the instruction manual clearly states this. I don't have it handy so I can't refer you to a page number, but there are limits to what can be displayed on the right side of the "twin view" display.
Maybe, but who wants to read the manual...:D

I happened to take a peek at your HT pics in your signature and two
things that I particularly noticed.

1. "after" sharpness is so much better than before.
2. the size of the reflection in the "after" picture is SO MUCH bigger than before.

Reflections?

The obvious answer here is that its just the angle of the flash. Whats the big deal about that? Kind of a non-issue as when he's watching tv its not like there'll be someone standing behind him holding a 200 watt light bulb or setting off a strobe unit.... :rolleyes:

Guys,

We have been waiting FOREVER for our 60" Sony (not XBR) and I have been complaining to sears a LOT! We have been waiting 2 months and now they are telling us it might be another month.

They asked today if there was another TV I would rather have. So, I said see if you can get the 60" XBR950.

What kind of wait time is there for this TV? Are they more instock than the normal 60"?

I am hoping they will just do a free upgrade because of all the missed delivery dates. (3 so far)

Originally posted by kuntaldaftary
I happened to take a peek at your HT pics in your signature and two
things that I particularly noticed.

1. "after" sharpness is so much better than before.
2. the size of the reflection in the "after" picture is SO MUCH bigger than before.
The before image is a Sony KP-65XBR10W. Which is a CRT-based RP with a lenticular screen which cuts down on glare.

The after is a KDF-70XBR950 (of course) which does not have a lenticular screen or a lenticular screen protector, so you do get major glare if you have heavy lighting overhead or behind you. I just keep the lights down.

The before and after were more designed to demonstrate the extra 10 inches I had to add between the towers of my entertainment center.

Everyone knows 10 more inches is a good thing...

Originally posted by Driver
Reflections?

The obvious answer here is that its just the angle of the flash. Whats the big deal about that? Kind of a non-issue as when he's watching tv its not like there'll be someone standing behind him holding a 200 watt light bulb or setting off a strobe unit.... :rolleyes:

well, first off, let me clarify that i am waiting for my ordered xbr950 to come in. so i m not a troll. but one thing that bothers me hugely hugely hugely in these sets is the screen is not anti-reflective at all - especially compared to panasonic or samsungs. and i was again jolted to this fact (i m working hard to get into denial) on seeing the before after pictures.

Originally posted by countz
The before image is a Sony KP-65XBR10W. Which is a CRT-based RP with a lenticular screen which cuts down on glare.

The after is a KDF-70XBR950 (of course) which does not have a lenticular screen or a lenticular screen protector, so you do get major glare if you have heavy lighting overhead or behind you. I just keep the lights down.

The before and after were more designed to demonstrate the extra 10 inches I had to add between the towers of my entertainment center.

Everyone knows 10 more inches is a good thing...

oh yes, unfortunately i can afford only a 60 incher. but then, i can only fit a 60 incher so its not so bad anyway. :-)

though i m a little surprised reading about the lighting that i have read even HT enthusiasts get specially installed, etc. what surprises me is that it is almost always front lighting.

has anyone every played with back lighting instead ? i had read somewhere (cant remember where) that backlighting (lights set up behind the screen such that the actual source is hidden behind the set and hence not directly glaring in the eye) is the best lighting. unlike front lighting, there are no changes of glare, the picture brightness is not affected, and its easier on the eyes too.

i use this lighting regularly with my 27" today and it does do a swell job.

Originally posted by kuntaldaftary
well, first off, let me clarify that i am waiting for my ordered xbr950 to come in. so i m not a troll. but one thing that bothers me hugely hugely hugely in these sets is the screen is not anti-reflective at all - especially compared to panasonic or samsungs. and i was again jolted to this fact (i m working hard to get into denial) on seeing the before after pictures.
Driver was a bit snarky there. I hope you didn't think my reponse was at all snarky, I was just clarifying that those were very different TVs in the before and after, since it might not be obvious at first, and I did not indicate what event I was basing the Before and After on...

I posted to another thread a fairly involved answer to a question about off-center viewing angle differences between LCD, CRT, LCoS, and DLP. Here is what I said:

Originally posted by countz
Off-axis viewing problems are a direct result of the screen or screen protector having a "lenticular" design. The manufacturers put these on there by design to cut down on glare.

You can see this most dramatically by comparing the off-axis viewing difference between the Sony 60xbr950 and the 60WE610. These are "nearly" the same TV, however the 610 has the lenticular screen protector and therefore suffers greatly from vertical off-axis viewing loss.

The XBR, however, does not have a lenticular screen protector, it is made of clear plexiglass. The image dims hardly at all on the vertical axis, and almost completely not at all on the horizontal.

Now the problem comes in. Sit in front of the XBR at about 10 feet with a bright light over your head or behind you. You will see MAJOR glare, and many people haave complained about this. My solution to that is not to have light overhead or behind while watching the TV. For some people that is not possible.

So what you've really got is a trade-off situation (just like everything else...). If you want to eliminate glare, you've got to cut down on off-axis viewing.

In the RPTV arena, my experience is that the Sony XBR LCDs have the best off-axis viewing capabilities, and I own the 70XBR.

I'm gonna get killed by the XBR owners for saying the 610 and the XBR are "nearly" the same, but keep in mind the limited test I proposed. In that regard they are at least close...

In order to make a TV anti-reflective, you are going to lose sharpness, brightness, and/or several degrees off viewing angles. Fortunately, Sony decided not to lose any of that on this TV, and let the owner decide how best to cut down on glare.

I'm going to try to get a good picture without using the flash...

Originally posted by kuntaldaftary
...
though i m a little surprised reading about the lighting that i have read even HT enthusiasts get specially installed, etc. what surprises me is that it is almost always front lighting.

has anyone every played with back lighting instead ? ...

In my pictures, you can see a set of track lights above and in front of the TV. These are almost never on while I am watching the TV. I only use them to see the controls on the components and my DVD collection in the side cabinets. I have them on a dimmer, so my wife tends to have them on, but at a lower level than full. I prefer them off.

It is not obvious from my picture, but there are lights on top of the ent center. I installed rope lights all across the top of the unit to give some amient back-lighting. I usually have these on all the time. They are not on a dimmer, but they are also not very bright.

I think you would find that most HTs have some kind of above- or back-lighting, but it wouldn't show in pictures because you only want reflective light, not direct.

Sorry for being 'snarky'... (I used a smiley in the post). :)

If anyone is going to be really serious about one of these units then its all about the ambient, non-direct lighting. Lighting control with any true home theater setup is critical. Looking at countz's pics the rope lighting on top of the entertainment center is a great idea. For me I have floor standing speakers to either side of the 70". Placed directly behind each speaker (and out of the line of site) is a small can light on the floor hooked to a dimmer switch. Run some 40 watt bulbs in each and the amount of light is just about right. It's all about the viewing angles.

No matter what seating position make sure a light is not reflected in any angle from any of the seating positions. You should be fine that way. My ceiling fan (4-60watt bulbs) is directly overhead but it's not going to reflect unless I lay on the floor 4 feet in front of the unit to watch tv. Even burning 300 + watts of bulbs in the room I can easily watch the set. I also have a 60 watt lamp next to the seating position for reading but its at the far left wall and not directly in front of the set or at an angle to where it interferes. Of course this TV set and lighting control is nowhere near what is involved if you have a Front Projection setup. I also have a Studio Experience 12SF DLP projector in a different room. No LIGHT whatsoever with something like that. :mad:

Driver, yeah, you were snarky a bit (whatever that means) :-) but I guess you are right that, in any case, front lighting should be deliberately avoided in any case in HT setups and so the non-reflectiveness of the screen should not be an issue.

Unfortunately, I have windows right opposite my TV and though I have some heavy shades on them, I am not sure whether that will be a problem during day time viewing - especially sports. Keeping my fingers crossed.

countz, nah, i dont think you were snarky at all - and thanks for the explanation - also on front/back lighting. I am glad to hear that what I have been doing and have in mind is the preferred approach.

Oh and yes... I just got a call today that I am getting the delivery for my 60" tomorrow ! :-)

So I am finally getting my 60" tomorrow and I suddenly realize I dont know what should I look for once the TV is set up. So please help me with these qeustions below:

1. how do i look for dead pixels ? all white screen ? all black screen ? up close and sq.ft. by sq.ft ?

2. how do i test geometry ? I was thinking of using taut threads idea that someone had posted on this forum. Which geometry pattern do I use ? How do I get it displayed on the TV ?

3. UMR tweaks are supposed to be done after a certain number of hours of usage have passed ?

4. should I test out 480p dvd output on component jacks ? dont have HD programming available yet. planning to purchase an antenna today thta will hopefully receive OTA HD programming that I can test out on the TV.

5. should I buy a surge protector ? (duh!) how many joules is enough ? Do I need line-conditioner ? Do I need voltage stabilizer ? How many bucks have you spent on your surge-protector/line-conditioner/voltage-stabilizer ?

6. anything else I should check out immediately on getting the delivery - or in the first 1-2 days ?

Thanks a lot

Kuntal

Originally posted by kuntaldaftary
So I am finally getting my 60" tomorrow and I suddenly realize I dont know what should I look for once the TV is set up. So please help me with these qeustions below:

1. how do i look for dead pixels ? all white screen ? all black screen ? up close and sq.ft. by sq.ft ?

2. how do i test geometry ? I was thinking of using taut threads idea that someone had posted on this forum. Which geometry pattern do I use ? How do I get it displayed on the TV ?

3. UMR tweaks are supposed to be done after a certain number of hours of usage have passed ?

4. should I test out 480p dvd output on component jacks ? dont have HD programming available yet. planning to purchase an antenna today thta will hopefully receive OTA HD programming that I can test out on the TV.

5. should I buy a surge protector ? (duh!) how many joules is enough ? Do I need line-conditioner ? Do I need voltage stabilizer ? How many bucks have you spent on your surge-protector/line-conditioner/voltage-stabilizer ?

6. anything else I should check out immediately on getting the delivery - or in the first 1-2 days ?

Thanks a lot

Kuntal

1. If you don't see them don't look.

2. THX Optimzer/Optimode has a simple geometry pattern that can be found on many movies.

3. Zero.

4. Yes.

5. Up to you. I purchased a TripLite Isobar Ultra to protect against surges and more minor voltage swings. You can pay more and get better. I would avoid the whole UPS route for these sets it is probably overkill. Mine has survived many power failures with no problems.

6. Calibrate & watch a bunch of HD and DVD content.

Originally posted by umr
I would avoid the whole UPS route for these sets it is probably overkill.

Short power outages are not that uncommon here in central Illinois I suppose since we have overhead power lines.

The first time the whole town has a total power outage, and you are still watching (or recording) the rest of a movie or live sporting event that you were in the middle of, I think a person will understand the value of a $50 UPS unit.

It sucks to watch 3 hours of a sporting event that you recorded just to find that the last 5 minutes were cut off (like happened in to me 1985 when I tapped a Chicago Bears Playoff game while we were traveling. My wife and I purposely avoided any information about the game in progress so that we could watch it when we got home. When we arrived home and watched the game we discovered that a 1 minute power outage had killed everything with 5 minutes left on the clock.

Like the MasterCard commercial says:

70" Sony HDTV....$5,500, HDTV DVD Player......$200, APC Back-UPS Pro 1400VA that keeps it all on while your neighbors sit in the dark.......Priceless

Originally posted by umr
1. If you don't see them don't look.

2. THX Optimzer/Optimode has a simple geometry pattern that can be found on many movies.

3. Zero.

4. Yes.

5. Up to you. I purchased a TripLite Isobar Ultra to protect against surges and more minor voltage swings. You can pay more and get better. I would avoid the whole UPS route for these sets it is probably overkill. Mine has survived many power failures with no problems.

6. Calibrate & watch a bunch of HD and DVD content.

ok, first off, the 480p dvd quality seems to be quite disappointing. I could not get any OTA programming with a 40 bucks indoor antenna where i live and so i will get a terk55 tomorrow and try that out.

that aside, some quick questions for all who might have some answers:

the biggest issues that i m seeing are some noise (even with noise
reduction set to max on the tv and on the dvd player) and soft picture
quality (even with mild mode set off on the set). I m using panasonic DV-S55 dvd player in 480p mode connected to the set using component IO but using the AV cables that came with the dvd player.

1. am i supposed to use different cables for component than the av cables. the av cables that came with the dvd are acutaly for the composite IO but i wanted to try something out quick and so just hooked them up.

2. i could not find any calibration screens on any of the rental dvds i have at my place. if anyone can suggest a specific movie dvd that has a good calibration screen, i can rent it out.

3. havent tried umr tweaks since i wanted to get a calibration screen first before i go there.

Thanks

-Kuntal

Originally posted by Corvette6769
Like the MasterCard commercial says:

70" Sony HDTV....$5,500, HDTV DVD Player......$200, APC Back-UPS Pro 1400VA that keeps it all on while your neighbors sit in the dark.......Priceless

I also have mine plugged into a Compaq backup. It's built by APC just has Compaq's name on it. Left over from the server room so I figure the 70" XBR is not a biggie. Its not so much for watching during a power outage, it's more that if we do have one I know I can turn my set off and allow it to cool properly. Also a battery backup will smooth out the damaging surges and such that is the culprit of most electrical issues with todays equipment. So its more for longevity & clean power. I have another similar sized unit for the home office that has 4 PC's plugged into it and a Rose KVM switch, and dual 21" CRT's.

Originally posted by Corvette6769
Like the MasterCard commercial says:

70" Sony HDTV....$5,500, HDTV DVD Player......$200, APC Back-UPS Pro 1400VA that keeps it all on while your neighbors sit in the dark.......Priceless

Corvette,

The APC web site lists the Back-UPS PRO 1400VA as a 230V input/230V output, whereas their Back-UPS PRO 1000VA seems to be the same unit rated for 120V input/120V output. I wonder why you selected the 230 volt unit instead of the 120 volt unit. Obviously you are using yours at 120 volts if you are using it to power your XBR950.

Forgot to add one more thing - right now all I am using is a $40 tripplite
power adapter with surge protection. Doesnt do line-conditioning or
any other type of power cleaning. Does anyone have an idea if this
impacts picture quality perceptibly ?

Originally posted by kuntaldaftary
ok, first off, the 480p dvd quality seems to be quite disappointing. I could not get any OTA programming with a 40 bucks indoor antenna where i live and so i will get a terk55 tomorrow and try that out.

that aside, some quick questions for all who might have some answers:

the biggest issues that i m seeing are some noise (even with noise
reduction set to max on the tv and on the dvd player) and soft picture
quality (even with mild mode set off on the set). I m using panasonic DV-S55 dvd player in 480p mode connected to the set using component IO but using the AV cables that came with the dvd player.

1. am i supposed to use different cables for component than the av cables. the av cables that came with the dvd are acutaly for the composite IO but i wanted to try something out quick and so just hooked them up.

2. i could not find any calibration screens on any of the rental dvds i have at my place. if anyone can suggest a specific movie dvd that has a good calibration screen, i can rent it out.

3. havent tried umr tweaks since i wanted to get a calibration screen first before i go there.

Thanks

-Kuntal

Originally posted by kuntaldaftary
ok, first off, the 480p dvd quality seems to be quite disappointing. I could not get any OTA programming with a 40 bucks indoor antenna where i live and so i will get a terk55 tomorrow and try that out.

that aside, some quick questions for all who might have some answers:

the biggest issues that i m seeing are some noise (even with noise
reduction set to max on the tv and on the dvd player) and soft picture
quality (even with mild mode set off on the set). I m using panasonic DV-S55 dvd player in 480p mode connected to the set using component IO but using the AV cables that came with the dvd player.

1. am i supposed to use different cables for component than the av cables. the av cables that came with the dvd are acutaly for the composite IO but i wanted to try something out quick and so just hooked them up.

2. i could not find any calibration screens on any of the rental dvds i have at my place. if anyone can suggest a specific movie dvd that has a good calibration screen, i can rent it out.

3. havent tried umr tweaks since i wanted to get a calibration screen first before i go there.

Thanks

-Kuntal

480p being bad could have several causes.

1) There are thousands of DVD players out there that claim Progressive Scan capability, and probably less than 100 who do it well. Also, high price does not necessarily equal good progressive scan. I don't know how good the S55 is. Perhaps UMR has something to say about that?...

2) Good cables DO matter. You don't need to spend $150 on a three meter component cable from Monster, but the cheap composite cable that came with your player is probably not a good choice.

Noise in the picture can also come from many sources. I use an APC 1000VA UPS, but not for the power outtage protection. I bought it for the AVR capability. Clean power is the easiest thing to fix on a home theater, and it can make a world of difference depending on your situation.

As mentioned before, Star Wars TPM, and Pirates OTC both have THX calibration screens on them, however, I don't know if they tell you what to do like the Avia or DVE discs do.

One note, though: If you plan to follow UMR's calibration recommendations, you don't want to mess with the user menu (picture, hue, brightness, etc.) until AFTER you do UMRs tweaks in the service menu. It would be a waste of time.

Kuntaldaftary, Do UMR'S calibrations step by step. Log your readings before you change. Let everybody know if factory original has changed. Sometimes Sony does updates that they have tried with web forums like this one, & make modifications. Some times on the newest sets from factory you can get updates quicker than they can tell the service people. Make a good copy of step by step & sometimes good to have room for notes....G.B.

Originally posted by Driver
I also have mine plugged into a Compaq backup. It's built by APC just has Compaq's name on it. Left over from the server room so I figure the 70" XBR is not a biggie. Its not so much for watching during a power outage, it's more that if we do have one I know I can turn my set off and allow it to cool properly. Also a battery backup will smooth out the damaging surges and such that is the culprit of most electrical issues with todays equipment. So its more for longevity & clean power. I have another similar sized unit for the home office that has 4 PC's plugged into it and a Rose KVM switch, and dual 21" CRT's.

These are the main reasons I use the UPS too, power supply during an outage is actually secondary.

Originally posted by LarryG_in_BigD
Corvette,

The APC web site lists the Back-UPS PRO 1400VA as a 230V input/230V output, whereas their Back-UPS PRO 1000VA seems to be the same unit rated for 120V input/120V output. I wonder why you selected the 230 volt unit instead of the 120 volt unit. Obviously you are using yours at 120 volts if you are using it to power your XBR950.

As with most of the larger UPS units from APC, Back-UPS PRO 1400VA was produced in both a 230 volt and a 120 volt version. All of mine are the 120 volt versions.

APC Back-UPS Pro, 1400VA/950W, Input 120V/ Output 120V, Interface Port DB-9 RS-232

A question for current owners...

Like many of you did, I have investigated all options of TVs. I originally wanted a plasma, but was turned off after learning about burn-in (I watch a lot of cable news, and they all have news tickers). Rear projection CRT looked good, but the box was too tall. That left LCD and DLP RP. After weeks and weeks of agonizing over this decision, reading different opinions, visiting various stores (and driving my wife completely nuts), I decided on the Sony LCD RP. My only choice then was 610 or xbr950. More decision agony. I finally decided this past weekend to go for the gusto and get the 60xbr950. Yeah!

Yesterday morning I was very excited to see that BestBuy's Sunday circular advertised 10% off all TVs over $399. Excellent, I thought, since I really didn't want to spend over $5K (the discount would make the price $4,950).

I cruised right down to my nearest BestBuy, ready to buy -- only to find out that BB does NOT carry the XBRs. I couldn't believe it. I was FINALLY ready to buy, then this.

So... here's my question:

Since I'd rather not pay full price, does anyone know of ANY way I can get 10% off from a local dealer that carries XBR? I live in Orange County (Southern California). I'd prefer buying locally from a store that allows easy returns -- just in case.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, as I'd love to join the "XBR950 Club".

Thanks in advance...

Originally posted by netspots
...
Since I'd rather not pay full price, does anyone know of ANY way I can get 10% off from a local dealer that carries XBR? I live in Orange County (Southern California). I'd prefer buying locally from a store that allows easy returns -- just in case.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, as I'd love to join the "XBR950 Club".

Thanks in advance...
Congratulations on your decision. Although I did not investigate as deeply as you did, I reached the conclusion that the Sony XBR is the best option currently available for very large RPTVs.

I got over 14% off retail on the 70XBR at a local Sony dealership in Des Moines, IA. I can't imagine that SoCal wouldn't be better for something like that. Just stay away from the big chains. (American TV and Ultimate Electronics wouldn't budge off full retail). We don't have Circuit City. I, too, was surprised to find out that Best Buy did not carry the XBR line when I asked them about it.

Do a little price checking online, and print out the pages to take to your local dealer. They probably won't match prices, but they might be willing to deal, as long as you show them you've done some homework.

Depending on your ambient light situation (closeable windows, overhead lights, etc.) you will most likely prefer the XBR over the 610. It's much brighter and sharper, but does have glare problems over the 610.

Plus if you're going to have a TV this fantastic, watching SD when you could be watching HD is a great waste.

Originally posted by netspots
.....I cruised right down to my nearest BestBuy, ready to buy -- only to find out that BB does NOT carry the XBRs. I couldn't believe it. I was FINALLY ready to buy, then this......

I ran into the same thing with BB and other retailers. While they sell Sony, they do not handle the XBR line.

If you go back to My Post #752 on 2-24-04 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=3431315#post3431315) in this thread, you will see conversations relating to your quest.

Ok, next set of questions:

1. which dvd player do all of you use with your xbr950 ? i could get one from fry's or CC or BB or GG and test it out with xbr950. i could also get good cables but it would help to know which dvd player do folks here feel gives them mind-blowing PQ.

2. i managed to catch some local HD OTA using a $40 indoor antenna. I assumed that this would be at least 1080i and perhaps even 720p. Any way to know what resolution is actually being used ? In either case, the OTA HD picture is also very soft - definitely not mind blowing. CC or GG setup in store was definitely mindblowing ! and based on posts here, I expected to get performance even better.

3. one thing I should point out is that I am sitting just over 9ft from the
set which is perhaps lesser than most of you folks, but I did see the
same set give mind-blowing performance at CC and GG AT THE SAME
OR LESSER DISTANCE.

4. Finally, is AVIA or any other calib dvd available in B&M stores - esp in the bay area ? I was looking for somethign that will walk me through all the things I should check for. I am worried that I might not check for something that I should within the 30 days. Eg, I just realized that I should check for something called overscan as I was reading through umr's tweaks.


Originally posted by countz
480p being bad could have several causes.

1) There are thousands of DVD players out there that claim Progressive Scan capability, and probably less than 100 who do it well. Also, high price does not necessarily equal good progressive scan. I don't know how good the S55 is. Perhaps UMR has something to say about that?...

2) Good cables DO matter. You don't need to spend $150 on a three meter component cable from Monster, but the cheap composite cable that came with your player is probably not a good choice.

Noise in the picture can also come from many sources. I use an APC 1000VA UPS, but not for the power outtage protection. I bought it for the AVR capability. Clean power is the easiest thing to fix on a home theater, and it can make a world of difference depending on your situation.

As mentioned before, Star Wars TPM, and Pirates OTC both have THX calibration screens on them, however, I don't know if they tell you what to do like the Avia or DVE discs do.

One note, though: If you plan to follow UMR's calibration recommendations, you don't want to mess with the user menu (picture, hue, brightness, etc.) until AFTER you do UMRs tweaks in the service menu. It would be a waste of time.

Originally posted by kuntaldaftary
Ok, next set of questions:

1. which dvd player do all of you use with your xbr950 ? i could get one from fry's or CC or BB or GG and test it out with xbr950. i could also get good cables but it would help to know which dvd player do folks here feel gives them mind-blowing PQ.

4. Finally, is AVIA or any other calib dvd available in B&M stores - esp in the bay area ?

Samsung DVD-HD931 DVD player (with the DVI out) www.ss427.com/dvd directly connected by Digital Video Interface via DVI-D Dual Link Digital Cable www.ss427.com/DVI to my Sony KDF-70XBR950

As far as the bay area I would look in for AVIA is eBay. See My Post # 859 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=3538343#post3538343) in this thread.

hello,

sorry for being afflicted with PNUS (paranoid new user syndrome). definitely appreciate all the help and answers you folks are helping me with.

one more question. just noticed definite fringing on my new 60xbr950.
attached is are two closeup photos of the "video2" label in top right corner of the set.

http://www.employees.org/~daftary/tv-fringe.jpg
http://www.employees.org/~daftary/tv-fringe-zoom.jpg

you can see clear purple fringe at the bottom of the letters and green at the top. in the zoomed in 'e' you can even see red and blue fringe at the inside corners.

so is this calibration fixable ? or is this a set issue ? should i freak out ?

-kuntal

Originally posted by kuntaldaftary
...so is this calibration fixable ? or is this a set issue ? should i freak out ?

-kuntal

Not fixable with calibration. It is a set issue. Freaking out is your choice.

Originally posted by umr
Not fixable with calibration. It is a set issue. Freaking out is your choice.

ok, so how many see this issue with their sets ? if it is a common occurance then there is no point freaking out. if it is not a common occurance, then i better freak out while there's time.

the problem should be visible with naked eye.

Originally posted by kuntaldaftary
ok, so how many see this issue with their sets ? if it is a common occurance then there is no point freaking out. if it is not a common occurance, then i better freak out while there's time.

the problem should be visible with naked eye.

One of many things you can see if you put your nose against the set.

Originally posted by countz
...1) There are thousands of DVD players out there that claim Progressive Scan capability, and probably less than 100 who do it well. Also, high price does not necessarily equal good progressive scan. I don't know how good the S55 is. Perhaps UMR has something to say about that?......

I cannot recommend that player in progressive. It is better in interlaced on this TV. I can recommend a used Denon DVD-3800 with all the patches or a new Denon DVD-5900.

I adjusted the overscan on this set using the HDNET Test pattern which is on at 7AM in the central time zone, some mornings. I recorded it on a Scientific Atlanta 8000HD, which is a high def DVR. This allows me to stop the test pattern and leave it on the screen for as long as necessary. I am curious if UMR or any others have looked at this test pattern. HDNET states that they show the entire picture and that if one is seeing the picture with an acceptable amount of over scan, one should be able to see certain markings and numbers. Even when I make the displayed picture narrower or shorter, I cannot see these numbers, but can see some close. For example, it says one should see a 3 or 4 (I can't remember which) on the sides, but I can barely get it to show part of the number 6. When I bring the sides in more, there is a black bar covering part of the six. The circles in the corners at the top is also cut off. I can almost see the entire circle in the bottom corners, but about an inch is cut off on the top. If I move the picture down, I get the black area again. I did reduce the overscan so that the displayed picture is just short of the black area showing and picked up nearly an inch on each side. Is there a way to more the black area so more of the picture will show up?

Another strange thing is that on a certain digital channel that we get that only has standard definition programming, part of the station logo is chopped off. When I view this station on my computer's digital tuner card, I see the entire logo. But on the Sony KDF70XBR950 about a half inch of it or more is covered by the black bar. I have not seen anyone or UMR say anything about adjusting the overscan on 4:3 material.

Has anyone else seen this HDNET test pattern with this TV or another HDTV? If on another HDTV, did you see the entire test pattern? I don't know if this TV is cutting off the sides and top/bottom, or if the problem is at HDNET. I would appreciate any comments about this. The test pattern will be on this week if you check the schedule for HDNET you will see it listed.

Runch Machine,

Check out the following thread. It has everything you need to know about the over-scan adjustment for GWIII.
GWIII Service Menu tweaks to eliminate image loss in stretch modes (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=360879)

Originally posted by umr
I cannot recommend that player in progressive. It is better in interlaced on this TV. I can recommend a used Denon DVD-3800 with all the patches or a new Denon DVD-5900.

I tried both modes but P was somewhat better than I when I played them. However neither came even close to satisfactory. I am sure Denon will do better since it costs 8 times as much... and definitely out of my range till I recuperate from the dent this set on my pocket.

I am considering trying out a player that outputs 720P in the meantime. I remember reading on this forum that xbr950's upconversion from 480p to 720p is much better than any dvd players. Is this true ? Should I get a dvd player with DVI out ? Is DVI out 720P or can it be 480P also ?

I also noticed geometry problems on the set in AVIA plus pattern. The plus on the left bottom corner was lower than on right bottom corner. And the plus on the right top corner was more inside the screen than right bottom corner.

AVIA test patterns were not as useful as I had imagined - the disc did not explain what to look for in all the patterns and did not explain how to correct the issue.

I am also seeing the "fake" edge contrast bright lines even after setting sharpness to 0.

I am seeing image shifts in NBC HDTV OTA broadcasts. Is it possible to see ghosts in HDTV broadcasts ? The set's image shift correction does not seem to make any difference in correcting this issue.

Definitely seeing 1 pixel convergence issue throughout the screen.

Finally, found about 8 dead/stuck pixels so far.

-Kuntal

Originally posted by kuntaldaftary
...I am considering trying out a player that outputs 720P in the meantime. I remember reading on this forum that xbr950's upconversion from 480p to 720p is much better than any dvd players. Is this true ? Should I get a dvd player with DVI out ? Is DVI out 720P or can it be 480P also ?

I also noticed geometry problems on the set in AVIA plus pattern. The plus on the left bottom corner was lower than on right bottom corner. And the plus on the right top corner was more inside the screen than right bottom corner.

AVIA test patterns were not as useful as I had imagined - the disc did not explain what to look for in all the patterns and did not explain how to correct the issue.

I am also seeing the "fake" edge contrast bright lines even after setting sharpness to 0.

I am seeing image shifts in NBC HDTV OTA broadcasts. Is it possible to see ghosts in HDTV broadcasts ? The set's image shift correction does not seem to make any difference in correcting this issue.

Definitely seeing 1 pixel convergence issue throughout the screen.

Finally, found about 8 dead/stuck pixels so far.

-Kuntal

I sounds like you have not done or read the umr tweaks. An edge or ghost should not exist if you do the tweaks.

I do not recommend players that output 720p or 1080i for 480p DVD's on this TV. For PAL it makes sense.

Thanks to Countz and Corvette6769 for the pricing tips.

So far I can't seem to find a Sony dealer in Orange County (CA.) that is willing to go less than $5200 on the 60xbr950.

Anyone know of any specific dealers that might go lower? I'm looking for a price of UNDER $5K.

Thanks again...

netspots

As for places selling the xbr950's, I've seen reasonable pricing at Pacific Sales, which has outlets in Orange County (I've seen the set at their Woodland Hills store). Obviously also Circuit City & Sears. If you PM Corvette6769, he can tell you about the lowest price I've heard of, and where he got his (on the internet).

Happy hunting - I'm still trying to decide if I want this set.

Originally posted by umr
I sounds like you have not done or read the umr tweaks. An edge or ghost should not exist if you do the tweaks.

I do not recommend players that output 720p or 1080i for 480p DVD's on this TV. For PAL it makes sense.

ok, thanks i will take the plunge and try them out.

Well, I did it. I purchased the 60XBR950 last night. Delivery is scheduled for Sunday. Yeah!!!

I got cold feet at the last minute and *almost* went for the WE610. For some reason, the WE610 looked better last night than I had ever seen before. Figures, right? :-) Anyway, I decided to stick to my guns and go for the gusto.

A big thanks to everyone on this board for the comments, tips, and well wishes. What a fantastic resource!

Anything I should know or do before the unit arrives?

Originally posted by netspots
Anything I should know or do before the unit arrives?

I took delivery of the same set a few weeks ago. The thing I would suggest is to prepare the place where your set will go. In my case this was assembling the stand and getting the cable connections organized and ready to be plugged into where I knew they would go, so that I wouldn't have to do hardly any moving once the delivery guys set the TV in place.

Also I've seen a recommendation posted here that says to leave the set on for an extended period (8 hours?) the first time you turn it on - not sure how valid this is for prolonging bulb life, but I followed it anyway figuring it couldn't do any harm. It does make sense that from then on it's best to NOT turn the set on and off again any more than necessary. Generally it is recommended to allow at least a half-hour for "cool down" (with the power connected so the fan will run) before powering it back up again. Others can correct me if I am wrong but that's what I'm doing, and other than battling some with a weak cable signal (which is not related to the set itself, other than any bigger screen will accentuate a weak signal) I've had no problems so far.

Originally posted by JBaumgart
I took delivery of the same set a few weeks ago. The thing I would suggest is to prepare the place where your set will go. In my case this was assembling the stand and getting the cable connections organized and ready to be plugged into where I knew they would go, so that I wouldn't have to do hardly any moving once the delivery guys set the TV in place.

Also I've seen a recommendation posted here that says to leave the set on for an extended period (8 hours?) the first time you turn it on - not sure how valid this is for prolonging bulb life, but I followed it anyway figuring it couldn't do any harm. It does make sense that from then on it's best to NOT turn the set on and off again any more than necessary. Generally it is recommended to allow at least a half-hour for "cool down" (with the power connected so the fan will run) before powering it back up again. Others can correct me if I am wrong but that's what I'm doing, and other than battling some with a weak cable signal (which is not related to the set itself, other than any bigger screen will accentuate a weak signal) I've had no problems so far.

I agree with these power recommendations. I have a 30-30 rule. If the TV gets turned on, it stays on for at least 30 minutes. If the tv gets turned off, it stays off for 30 minutes. There is a 5-second or so grace period where you can turn the set back on if the power button was pressed accidentally because the LCDs are turned black for 5 seconds before the bulb actually gets turned off.

Two more power recommendations:

1) Only use the power button on the remote or the tv to turn it off. Do not shut the power off to this unit via some X-10 device or by turning off a power strip.

2) Get a UPS, but not for it's power outtage capabilities. Get it for the AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulation) capabilities. Clean power is the basic requirement for a problem-free Home Theater. I have an APC 1000VA.

Originally posted by umr
I cannot recommend that player in progressive. It is better in interlaced on this TV. I can recommend a used Denon DVD-3800 with all the patches or a new Denon DVD-5900.

Didn't you have a used XP30 for sale...

Oops, wrong thread

Originally posted by countz
Didn't you have a used XP30 for sale...

Yep. It is a nice player, but there are better. Denon seems to be making some of the best at this time.

I think you are being to finicky to worry about having the TV off for 30 minutes. Five, maybe but more than that is too much. If a $5000-7000 TV can't handle being used the normal way, then let it break, it's got a one year warranty and if something is going to fail, I want it to happen sooner than later.

Originally posted by netspots
Well, I did it. I purchased the 60XBR950 last night. Delivery is scheduled for Sunday. Yeah!!!
<snip>
Anything I should know or do before the unit arrives?

Congrats...great set.

Couple of things:
1. Make sure they carry it in correctly, my 1st xbr950 had a crooked glass screen, not saying that was the cause, but why chance it.

2. Check for "finger prints"/streaks behind the glass with the set off while they are there. Again, my 1st off had a noticeable one they told me would go away after the set armed up. It didn't

3. If you can, check the i.Link ports. On my second set, the front i.Link port didn't work, only the rear did.

So finally on my 3rd xbr (gotta love CC support for taking care of all this without even a hint of a fuss) it's what it should've been the entire time.


Enjoy and remember that they only time you'll see rainbows on this set is during Lucky Charm commercials (and certain parades--not that there's anything wrong with that)

Originally posted by frottage
Enjoy and remember that they only time you'll see rainbows on this set is during Lucky Charm commercials (and certain parades--not that there's anything wrong with that)

Too funny... :D

Thanks for the tips!

My 70XBR950 is coming Tuesday, I want to be ready to enjoy it when it gets here.

Couple of questions:
Is the Denon 2200 an appropriate DVD for this (or do I need the 2900).

How nice of cables should I get?

Am I better off running my component cables from multiple devices through my Reciever or should I always go straight to the TV?

What do people do to setup up a center channel on this TV? (since the top is sloped).

Thanks!

Quote:
What do people do to setup up a center channel on this TV? (since the top is sloped).

Suggestion: I got the matching sony stand. Yes I know it's expensive but it helps make the set look fantastic. I bought a center channel speaker that fits on the shelf on the stand. The stand matches the 70" set perfectly and looks like it's part of the set. I urge you to consider it. I got it for $724.00 so feel free to negotiate on it.

hey everyone,

I've read a ton of this thread (admittedly, not all of it...but a good bit!). I'm thinking of making the jump to the 60XBR950. Can someone let me know if I've got it all straight?

- 60XBR950 has a more reflective screen than the WE610, but a better picture

- I do have some light issues in my room, but I've had those all along with my current TV, and I've learned to live with it. I have room darkening blinds, and can get some for the kitchen too, so I don't think this should be a problem

- I want to make sure I get a set that was manufactured recently to make sure all the early bugs are out

- waiting for the next round of sets (September?) isn't necessarily the best thing to do. If I buy now, I get a great TV now and don't have to wait. If I wait, I would then most likely want to wait longer to let Sony work out the bugs in those models first, so realistically, I'd be looking at early 2005 before purchase.

- after a couple months, I'll want to get this ISF calibrated (I'm not comfortable myself playing around with the service menus, etc).

Does this all sound about right? I'm about 80% sure this is the TV for me, it all comes down to timing. And as soon as Comcast has the HD DVR in my area, I'll be ready to jump in.

Thanks
Marc

Originally posted by GainGus
My 70XBR950 is coming Tuesday, I want to be ready to enjoy it when it gets here.

Couple of questions:
Is the Denon 2200 an appropriate DVD for this (or do I need the 2900).

How nice of cables should I get?

Am I better off running my component cables from multiple devices through my Reciever or should I always go straight to the TV?

What do people do to setup up a center channel on this TV? (since the top is sloped).

Thanks!
I built a shelf on my wall just behind the tv. Check it out:
http://www.chadman.net/tv/IMG_0814.JPG

It was easy to do and works great.

Thanks,
Chad

Originally posted by mweppner
hey everyone,

I've read a ton of this thread (admittedly, not all of it...but a good bit!). I'm thinking of making the jump to the 60XBR950. Can someone let me know if I've got it all straight?

- 60XBR950 has a more reflective screen than the WE610, but a better picture

You have made the right choice (IMHO), unless it was to go with the 70 instead of the 60, but for some rooms that's too big. You are correct about the difference. Besides some of the electronics and signal processing being different, the 610 has a lenticular screen to cut down on glare, but I think it causes loss of detail, sharpness, and brightness of the picture, besides the extra limiting of both vertical and horizontal viewing angles.
- I do have some light issues in my room, but I've had those all along with my current TV, and I've learned to live with it. I have room darkening blinds, and can get some for the kitchen too, so I don't think this should be a problem

- I want to make sure I get a set that was manufactured recently to make sure all the early bugs are out

- waiting for the next round of sets (September?) isn't necessarily the best thing to do. If I buy now, I get a great TV now and don't have to wait. If I wait, I would then most likely want to wait longer to let Sony work out the bugs in those models first, so realistically, I'd be looking at early 2005 before purchase.
I am very happy with my 70XBR built in October 2003, but some people claim that the bulb and/or the power board need replacing in those older than January. If you can, get one with a build date of Feb or Mar.
- after a couple months, I'll want to get this ISF calibrated (I'm not comfortable myself playing around with the service menus, etc).

Does this all sound about right? I'm about 80% sure this is the TV for me, it all comes down to timing. And as soon as Comcast has the HD DVR in my area, I'll be ready to jump in.

Thanks
Marc
It all sounds right to me, except that it's not really that big of a deal to go into the service menu as long as you are careful. People like UMR and VidKidd who post up SM tweaks put in those scary disclaimers so they don't get sued by idiots. If you know how to work a remote, if your VCR is not flashing 12:00, and you know the difference between composite and component inputs, the service menu is not beyond your capability.

Besides, if you just follow UMR's suggestions and don't do your own measuring, there is no need to wait two months.

Welcome to the "owner's group"!

Here in SoCal Adelphia has been laying eggs instead of cable.

Yesterday I asked a cable contractor in front of our home who they worked for? He replied Adelphia. I asked when it was going to function. He replied it's working now.

I called Adelphia locally and asked them. Their reply was "It is not working in your area and we don't have any idea when; you will receive a door hanger notifying you when"

We had just received a large Adelphia mailer with NEW pricing and remarks about costs ($9.95 a month) for HDTV signal.

How are you guys doing with other choices? We've suffered long enough with Adelphia and initially only 5 channels will be offered in HD. What Satellites are best? OTA won't work (so we've been told) because we back to the Santa Monica mountains.

Which ones have sports in HDTV for sure? Any foreign language channels?

Thanks for any and all help.

(70XBR950 11-03)

Runch Machine: I have my center channel speaker mounted on the top of the TV and it's never slid off. There is room and it isn't that slanted. If you are worried, use some two sided tape or velcro.

Sony service rep was just here for the 4th time to check the set. The 'color engine' was replaced in January after having the set for a week (70 inch). It came home with a 8 by 20 inch green or gray blob in the center (only visible on light background scenes like sky or snow) that looked like dust on the screen. After some discussion, they now have permission to replace what they are calling the 'color engine' again. Apparently it is a $1700 part and Sony is not too happy about it. The first fix was for another problem where the screen image looked like a paint by numbers picture.

Other than that it's been great. SN ends with 325/December production.

HouseSold, since you already have the best HDTV which includes a digital tuner, for heaven sake PUT UP A TV ANTENNA and see what you get! Do a digital channel scan with the TV antenna connected to the VHF/UHF terminal. You may have missed several months of getting FREE over the air HDTV. Your TV has a very sensitive tuner. I live 15 miles from the transmitting towers and can pick up the signals with a set of rabbit ears. You don't need a great signal to get the picture. You will either get a good enough signal to receive the channel perfectly, or you will get nothing. Do you see any houses in your area with TV antennas on their roofs? Do you have any small TVs that have built in rabbit ears? If so, connect them and see if the small TV gets much of a picture. Most digital TV stations are in the UHF band and may be less affected by your location.

thanks for the reply countz! I'm going looking this weekend. Very excited. I'm still a month or two away from taking the plunge, but my mind is just about made up. I actually had to order a new light bridge for my entertainment center because the other one was too short. It should be here in about 4 weeks. I never thought I'd run into that problem!

Whenever I do order a TV, can I ask the dealer to check the manufacture date? Or should I just see what shows up and hope for the best?

Marc

Originally posted by mweppner
thanks for the reply countz! I'm going looking this weekend. Very excited. I'm still a month or two away from taking the plunge, but my mind is just about made up. I actually had to order a new light bridge for my entertainment center because the other one was too short. It should be here in about 4 weeks. I never thought I'd run into that problem!

Check out my pics at the website below. When I had my 65xbr10w, I had to buy a custom lightbridge and make a custom component shelf, but the 70xbr950 is 10 iches wider, so I built those oak box extenders and mounted them above the tv so I didn't have to re-do the LB and shelf.

Depending on your setup, you could do something liek that and save your money buying a new lightbridge.

looks nice. Man, that TV looks big! Sure you're enjoying it. Thanks for the tip on the extenders. I'll have to look into that.

Countz, how's your over the air reception? If you got the matching Sony stand, your set up would be perfect, and most of the wires would be hidden.

What I think sucks is that FOX over the air HDTV Digital comes in fine from my roof top antenna (top of the line on top of my 2-story roof with DB booster) in the evening and any other time except on Sunday when NASCAR races are on FOX.

Anyone else experience this?

Fox does not brodcast in HDTV yet - they have agreed to convert by next year. Perhaps that;s the problem

Corvette

They're probably just broadcasting at low power. You know, bragging rights about being digital, yet not enough power to do you any good.

Originally posted by Runch Machine
Countz, how's your over the air reception? If you got the matching Sony stand, your set up would be perfect, and most of the wires would be hidden.
OTA is good for two out of five of the local digital broadcasts. Unfortunately, it's the same two digital broadcasts that I can also get over regular cable from mediacom. ABC and Fox are both using low power for their digital channels, and the local PBS station is not quite ready to do digital broadcasting. I bought the Radio Shack HDTV antenna. I think it's omni-directional, but it does seem to make some difference when I rotate the antenna around a little on my mount. It's up on top of my chimney, but there is a tree right in the way only a few inches away form the antenna, so this may be mesing with my signal. Our signals all come from a large antenna farm outside of town, so I am thinking of getting a more powerful directional antenna.

I plan to build an oak "credenza" stand to fill the whole space between the towers under the TV to serve as DVD storage. My friend with the woodshop has just moved and is still out of commission for now. I think I can build something pretty awesome for <$300, and the Sony stand is three times that.

Originally posted by JimP
Corvette

They're probably just broadcasting at low power. You know, bragging rights about being digital, yet not enough power to do you any good.
You are correct. FOX is broadcasting in EDTV (480p), whereas true HD is supposed to be 720p or 1080i. Most FOX affiliates are broadcasting at very low power due to budget constraints. It's pretty expensive to pay for the power to broadcast twice.

I'm not sure it's boasting rights that they are worried about, though. The original plan by the FCC was to force all stations be broadcasting their signal digitally by 1/1/2004, and each affiliate station would have to pay a fine for every day that they were not doing this. Then they were supposed to stop the analog broadcast by 1/1/2006. Those "rules" have relaxed a bit (unfortunately for us), but maybe FOX already had planned to do it anyway. They probably figure they can get by with claiming they ARE broadcasting digitally, even if you have to be within 20 feet of the tower to receive it...

Countz, get a directional UHF antenna from Radio Shack, assuming all the digital broadcast on the UHF band or get a channel master 4221. You need a directional antenna. Minneapolis has a similar situation, all stations broadcast from Shoreview, about 16 miles from here. I have a Radio Shack UHF antenna and a Channel master antenna, in the attic. On either antenna, I get 9 digital channels, including CBS, NBC, FOX and ABC. Most of what I watch is in HD and the TV gets a better picture from its built in tuner then from the cable box, which is connected via Component video jacks.

OK XBR owners.... Especially those with geometry issues... I think I may have isolated the cause of this issue... It's the screen and not the optical block.

My screen has a slight issue where there is a trapezoid effect on the upper corners of the screen and there is a slight downward bow the middle of the top edge of the image.

If I apply slight pressure to the top middle of the screen - the bowing effect goes away... This leade me to believe that the issue is with the internal positioning of the screen and not the optical block as I had initally believed.

Now.... If I can figure out an easy way to crack open the case and make the necessary adjustment.... If only the factory could have gotten this right!

Thx,
Vidkidd

Originally posted by countz
It all sounds right to me, except that it's not really that big of a deal to go into the service menu as long as you are careful. People like UMR and VidKidd who post up SM tweaks put in those scary disclaimers so they don't get sued by idiots. If you know how to work a remote, if your VCR is not flashing 12:00, and you know the difference between composite and component inputs, the service menu is not beyond your capability.

Besides, if you just follow UMR's suggestions and don't do your own measuring, there is no need to wait two months.

Welcome to the "owner's group"! [/B]

Hi countz,

I'm new to this forum, and I noticed the above comment about UMR's tweaks in the service mode menu. I am getting my 70 inch XBR delivered tomorrow and I would like to know where I could get a list of all the parameters and Hex values etc. that UMR compiled for this set? I currently own a 65 inch Toshiba that I went through doing all my tweaks on using the service manual etc... Where is a good source to get a Service Manual for the KDF70-XBR950? If all this info is in an obvious place, then I apologize for not seeing it, just looking for a little guidance, and any suggestions would be much appreciated... Thanks!

Originally posted by hd_axel
Hi countz,

I'm new to this forum, and I noticed the above comment about UMR's tweaks in the service mode menu. I am getting my 70 inch XBR delivered tomorrow and I would like to know where I could get a list of all the parameters and Hex values etc. that UMR compiled for this set? I currently own a 65 inch Toshiba that I went through doing all my tweaks on using the service manual etc... Where is a good source to get a Service Manual for the KDF70-XBR950? If all this info is in an obvious place, then I apologize for not seeing it, just looking for a little guidance, and any suggestions would be much appreciated... Thanks!

UMR Does GWIII XBR & WE (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=331875)

The service manual is available from Sony. You will probably be disappointed with it unless you do quite a bit of homework and experimentation. The SM for these sets are pretty sparse on explanation.

Thanks for the link! There is a lot of data there, and I was a little confused as to what was specific to the 70XBR out of that whole post? WHAT is GWIII? Is this an acronym of some sort related to the kdf70xbr? And, are you saying the SONY service manual is not really neccesary to do these tweaks? Thanks again...

Originally posted by hd_axel
Thanks for the link! There is a lot of data there, and I was a little confused as to what was specific to the 70XBR out of that whole post? WHAT is GWIII? Is this an acronym of some sort related to the kdf70xbr? And, are you saying the SONY service manual is not really neccesary to do these tweaks? Thanks again...

The gray scale adjustments are different between the WE and XBR versions. The GWIII is short hand for Grand Wega Third Generation. It refers to the WE610 and XBR950 Grand Wega's. The XBR or WE is sometimes added to differentiate between the models. However, the practical differences between the sets is not very great.

The step by step process applies to both TV's. The service manual is only needed if you would like to explore things like electrical schematics.

Thanks UMR! You are a wealth of knowledge, and I hope I can return the favor some day with what I know...

Do you also own a 70XBR(GWIII)? I should be getting my new LCD about 6:00pm tomorrow, Oh Boy.... I am also using a Pioneer Elite DV-59Avi DVD player with my 70xbr and HDMI to DVI cable from Pacific Cable Company. A 2 meter length is $31 and 3 meter is $34. I will be using the 3meter for the extra few bucks and peace of mind in length for component placement, I should be all set! No reason to spend $100 plus on Monster or Better Cables brand.

I also have a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8000HD Digital Video Recorder/Hi Def. Rcvr. It has a DVI connector on back, unfortunately the GWIII only has one DVI port on the back of the set, so I'll have to be manually switching the cables all the time between the DVD player and the DVR. I wish Sony would have put on more than one DVI connection...

You might want to try component on the DVD player. You might be happier with that than switching the cables. The difference in PQ between DVI and component with quality DVD players is mostly hype on these sets. Your STB though is a different story.

hd_axel,

I do not own a GWIII. I own a GWII XBR.

I would be interested in your experience with the SA8000HD. I have my eye on those once they are available here. I plan on dumping Dish and going with TWC. PM me if you could on how you like that box.

I was thinking component with the DVR so as to take full advantage of the HDMI from the Pioneer. It claims to play back DVD's in Hi Def. quality, with no degredation or compression to the signal. This player is supposed to have a real high quality Video DAC in it. I'll PM you tomorrow after work...

You are bypassing the DAC in the Pioneer when you use DVI. The DAC in the SA8000HD is rumored to be poor and your HD could be shifted to 480p over component if they turn on the copy flags. Therefore use the DAC in the Pioneer for DVD. The SA8000HD will stay digital until it gets to the LCD panels in your set if you use DVI bypassing the poor DAC's. The DVI input when tweaked on the XBR versions of these sets is nothing short of spectacular. It is not really needed for DVD quality signals though.

My DVR is on loan from my cable company (TWC) Time Warner Cable. I like all that it does, recording SD as well as HD, the only thing I don't care for is it is slow in switching channels. After using this for the last 3 weeks, I would definately go with a Hi Def. DVR over a standard receiver.

I plan on looking into Voom Hi Def rcvrs., the one DISH offers is too expensive and had a few other cons about it that I didn't like. I'll let you know what magazine I read regarding the differences etc.

UMR, and others, I have the SA8000HD. Unfortunately, the DVI jack is not active yet. TW has indicated they are awaiting a new version of the software in order to get the DVI working. See the thread in HDTV recording section on the Time Warner HD-DVR.

I have the 70XBR950 and recently switched from Directv and a Sony SAT-HD200 HD receiver and two DirecTivos to TW and the 8000HD. To say that I am disappointed is an understatement. BUT, at least with the TW DVR I can record HD shows now, and that's just about all I watch. The biggest probem with the SA8000HD is poor picture quality. Even my wife noticed a difference without my prompting her. Before canceling Directv, I had the Sony HD receiver connected to the DVI jack on the TV, and the 8000HD connected to component jacks. I compared some of the better looking over the air HD programming to see what the difference was. The picture quality from the TV's built in digital tuner and the Sony Directv box was the same. However, the 8000HD was noticeably less sharp. I did the same comparison on HDNET between the Directv HD box and the 8000HD. Again the 8000HD was noticabley less sharp. I hope this problem is resolved in the next few weeks when the DVI jack is activated on the 8000HD, otherwise I'll be going back to Directv and get an HD-Tivo in the fall. For more information, see the thread: Cable TV bought me for $250 in the Tivo Directv section.

VidKidd, I am on my second 70XBR950. The first one had geometry issues. I took the back off to see if there were some adjustments that could fix the problem since everything else about the set was perfect. You are right that the problem is physical alignment, but it is not really the screen, but the mirror.

Like most RPTVs, there is a lens in the bottom of the set that projects the image on a mirror on the back of the set. If I pushed on the metal bars holding the mirror I could fix the geometry problem. I looked to see if the holes that the screws on the frame go through that the mirror is mounted to had any slots so that if the screws were loosened, I could fix the position of the mirror. I removed some screws but the the holes were round and did not allow for any play or adjustment. The back comes off fairly easily by removing all the screws around the back of the set. There is some padding that makes the back fit tight so the back won't rattle or just fall off when the screws are removed. With the back removed, you can see the woofer speaker which aims out the back of the set, and the lens and the guts of the set. There is also a cable running from the front drop down door where the Ilink plug is that runs to the back of the set.

UMR, I noticed you added to the post CINEMA BLACK. I have used it after about 3 weeks . I found it more easy on the eyes , & more pure blacks for people that don't think L. C. D . is blacker than black. I don't know if they lower the watts , or do it with the L. C. D. If it lowered the watts on the bulb It might give more hours of use on the bulb....

G.B.,

They are lowering the watts. It should extend bulb life. I personally find the GWIII's to be too bright except in high to medium ambient light levels.

UMR, I wish I was closer to you so we could check out the other modes in this user menu. I am like you I don't want to add any automatic modes. In the gamma mode it is the same as high setting or off. In other words its the same off or high, mid & low changes things. I know this is where your circuit comes out of black can over reacts with a digital circuit. The black level correction is the same in low as in off. But in the black correction the low helps the black level test on DVE . I hope sometime in the future you could get some more time on the X B R 950. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP as you can see you have made major good improvements on many peoples T.V. ' S .

Originally posted by Corvette6769
What I think sucks is that FOX over the air HDTV Digital comes in fine from my roof top antenna (top of the line on top of my 2-story roof with DB booster) in the evening and any other time except on Sunday when NASCAR races are on FOX.

Anyone else experience this?

Thanks all for your reply to my post.


Guess what......yesterday the FOX broadcast came in perfectly on HDTV OTA.

Too bad Jeff Gordon did the pit road thing again this year at Bristol and Dale Jr. ended up with a set of loose lug nuts.

Lower Lumens for sure and probably lower watts. Watt is a measure of power consumption. Lumens is a measure of light output. The two are most often correlated but you can build a high lumen light source that has low watt consumption

Is there a quick way to select between video inputs rather than keep pressing the TV/VIDEO button 6 times to go from video 1 to 7 ?????

You can turn the video inputs that you are not using off by going into the setup section of the menu and going to the second item and selecting skip. It is so easy to do that I usually turn all that I'm not currently using off so I can just jump from high definition satellite to OTA and back and then, when I want to watch a DVD or VCR, turn those inputs on.

Actually, someone in an earlier post in this thread, explained this to me.

Originally posted by floyd_bannister
Is there a quick way to select between video inputs rather than keep pressing the TV/VIDEO button 6 times to go from video 1 to 7 ?????

Programmable remotes can use discrete codes to jump directly to a given input. I use a Philips Pronto to do this along with switching my other devices simultaneously using macros.

Originally posted by floyd_bannister
Is there a quick way to select between video inputs rather than keep pressing the TV/VIDEO button 6 times to go from video 1 to 7 ?????
I read somewhere once that if you hold down on the INPUT button and press a number 1 thru 7, it will go directly to that numbered input. I have not verified this, because I use a Pronto remote (like UMR).

If you have even a learning remote, you could program its macro buttons by doing a CH+ followed by as many INPUTs as necessasry to get to the desired input.

(The CH+ sets you to the TV input no matter where you currently are, so it gives you a base starting point for the number of INPUT presses).

Harmony SST-768 will do this, too--touch one button and everything is set, including input.

My 60XBR950 was delivered on Sunday. HTDV service via Cox cable was installed on Monday. I've been watching TV ever since. :-)

A big THANK YOU to those of you on this board for helping me make this decision. It was the right choice.

For those of you that haven't taken the plunge yet: I did a LOT of research before making this purchase, and all I can say to you is BUY THIS TV. It is absolutely AWESOME. My wife was a bit concerned by the size at first (it is MUCH bigger than our old Sony 35" unit), but the picture quality has won her over. Now she loves it too.

Just a couple of questions for the "owners club" folks:

1. Do we really HAVE to use that little cleaning cloth that was included? Can any other cleaning materials be used instead?

2. Let's say I'm watching either a 4:3 SD show or a 16:9 HD show. The screen mode is set to Normal, since I prefer to watch shows "unstretched", and everything looks great -- non-HD shows appear as 4:3, and HD shows appear as 16:9, just as they should. Now, if I put in a DVD, I have to change the setting to Wide to see it in 16:9 format. Then, when I go back to watching TV, I have to change the setting back to Normal. So, my question is this: is there any way for the TV to "auto-detect" the proper screen format, without me having to manually change the size/format? Can it "read" the format somehow?

3. I have a Sony DVP-S530D NON-Progressive DVD player. I saw somewhere on this board (can't find it now) that Progressive Scan DVD players were NOT recommended for this particular TV. Is that true? If so, why is that? If not, how much difference is there (really) in picture quality between a Progressive and non-Progressive player? Is it worth buying a new DVD player? If so, are any players in particular recommended for use with this TV?

Thanks!

Originally posted by K3n
You can turn the video inputs that you are not using off by going into the setup section of the menu and going to the second item and selecting skip.
Ahhh... that is a GREAT tip!!

WOW great responses..... !!!!!! Thanks peoples......

( * I thought I would of got the 'old' you gotta be kidding me routine, any idiot should know that :) )

anyhoo........ all is cool... may just have to look into getting a pronto remote.


Giddy up..........!!!!!!!!!

This is a great piece of information!

Thanx!
Vidkidd

Originally posted by Runch Machine
VidKidd, I am on my second 70XBR950. The first one had geometry issues. I took the back off to see if there were some adjustments that could fix the problem since everything else about the set was perfect. You are right that the problem is physical alignment, but it is not really the screen, but the mirror.

Like most RPTVs, there is a lens in the bottom of the set that projects the image on a mirror on the back of the set. If I pushed on the metal bars holding the mirror I could fix the geometry problem. I looked to see if the holes that the screws on the frame go through that the mirror is mounted to had any slots so that if the screws were loosened, I could fix the position of the mirror. I removed some screws but the the holes were round and did not allow for any play or adjustment. The back comes off fairly easily by removing all the screws around the back of the set. There is some padding that makes the back fit tight so the back won't rattle or just fall off when the screws are removed. With the back removed, you can see the woofer speaker which aims out the back of the set, and the lens and the guts of the set. There is also a cable running from the front drop down door where the Ilink plug is that runs to the back of the set.

Originally posted by netspots
My 60XBR950 was delivered on Sunday. HTDV service via Cox cable was installed on Monday. I've been watching TV ever since. :-)

I did'nt leave the house for 2 days after my 70" was set up. :D

2. Let's say I'm watching either a 4:3 SD show or a 16:9 HD show. The screen mode is set to Normal, since I prefer to watch shows "unstretched", and everything looks great -- non-HD shows appear as 4:3, and HD shows appear as 16:9, just as they should. Now, if I put in a DVD, I have to change the setting to Wide to see it in 16:9 format. Then, when I go back to watching TV, I have to change the setting back to Normal. So, my question is this: is there any way for the TV to "auto-detect" the proper screen format, without me having to manually change the size/format? Can it "read" the format somehow?

3. I have a Sony DVP-S530D NON-Progressive DVD player. I saw somewhere on this board (can't find it now) that Progressive Scan DVD players were NOT recommended for this particular TV. Is that true? If so, why is that? If not, how much difference is there (really) in picture quality between a Progressive and non-Progressive player? Is it worth buying a new DVD player? If so, are any players in particular recommended for use with this TV?[/B]

Both of these questions have the same answer. Get a Progressive scan DVD. If anyone is telling you different it's beacuse they have'nt seen a good one. I had Stargate the boxed set and my Sony DVP-S7700 480i via component cables looked like crap. :( I bought a DVP-NS999ES to replace it, same component cables to the tv and everything improved dramatically. Night and Day difference! :cool: The DVD input should always stay at the last setting you left it at. In my case I leave it on full and the DVD player itself switches it's output. The player didn't do this at first, I thought it was a problem with the tv but after some searching around I found the DVD player was thinking I had a 4:3 tv hooked up to it. I changed to 16x9 and everythings cool.

Get a progressive player.

Netspots, go into the SETUP of the DVD player and set the screen size from 4:3 to 16:9. After that, the DVD player will make the TV go to wide or Full when you watch a 16:9 movie. I have a similar Sony DVD player and that's how it works. I use it in Progressive and get a fine picture. I wouldn't replace it until High Def DVD comes out.

Also, have you tried to get your local digital channels over the air with a TV antenna or set of rabbit ears? If you fill in your city location people could give you advice on over the air reception. In Minneapolis I get 8 digital channels with rabbit ears, and 10 using an attic antenna. The TV has an excellent digital tuner.

>> Netspots, go into the SETUP of the DVD player and set the screen size from 4:3 to 16:9

Thanks, Runch Machine, sounds like that should do the trick. I'm not sure I've ever gone into the setup of the DVD player, but I'll check it out.

>> Also, have you tried to get your local digital channels over the air with a TV antenna or set of rabbit ears? If you fill in your city location people could give you advice on over the air reception.

I've updated my location (good idea, thanks!) but I noticed that the instruction book says "Do not use an indoor antenna because it is especially susceptible to radio noise", so I stopped looking into an indoor antenna. Should I continue my pursuit for a decent indoor antenna, or listen to Sony's instructions?

One more thing I just thought of...

I'm using S-video (not component cables) on the DVD 'cause a friend of mine told me that I wouldn't see much difference in picture quality since the DVD player is non-progressive.

Is this true? or should I pay for new component cables and lose the S-cable?

Lose the S-Video cable and go to the component cables. Its a no-brainer.

>> Netspots, go into the SETUP of the DVD player...

Runch, I love you! ;-) Not only did changing the default screen size just make my life easier (no more manual format changes!) but it changed the picture size in 16:9 as well. I'm using Finding Nemo as a test DVD. Previously, the "wide" picture displayed as a letterbox. Now, it fills up the entire screen -- just like an HDTV picture does. Beautiful, just beautiful.

Thanks again, Runch Machine!!

>> Lose the S-Video cable and go to the component cables. Its a no-brainer.

Really? Even though the DVD player is Non-Progressive?

(I just wanna double-check before laying out the cash)

Originally posted by netspots
>> Lose the S-Video cable and go to the component cables. Its a no-brainer.

Really? Even though the DVD player is Non-Progressive?

(I just wanna double-check before laying out the cash)

Yes. Really. Component has double the bandwidth for chroma (color) information.

The following are general rules I would follow to get the best picture quality from these sets before or after tweaking.

- Feed all signals in at their native resolution (480p at 480p, 720p at 720p, 1080i at 1080i). Scaling the source twice is a bad idea.
- Assume that the comb filter in the Sony TV is better than the one in any other video source unless you prove otherwise. This means use composite inputs instead of S-Video unless you prove S-Video is better.
- Use a quality DVD player that includes decks like the Denon DVD-3800, Panasonic DVD-XP30 or the Denon 1600.
- Use component inputs for component sources like DVD players.
- Stop worrying about DVI inputs for DVD players. Component is just as good and frequently better quality deinterlacers are available with component outputs.
- Pay careful attention to room lighting and screen placement. Minimize reflections. Do not sit too close or too far. Do not sit too high or too low. Do not sit to far off to the side. Do not view the TV with too little or too much light.

From UMR Does GWIII XBR & WE (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=331875)

Originally posted by netspots
>> Lose the S-Video cable and go to the component cables. Its a no-brainer.

Really? Even though the DVD player is Non-Progressive?

(I just wanna double-check before laying out the cash)

Really
You don't have to get expensive monster cables, You can get decent component cables around 20 bucks that will work just fine.

Netspots, regarding the indoor antenna, go for it, you won't "hurt" the TV and you could get lots of digital channels. Do you have any idea how far you are from the transmitting towers? Do you have any portable type TVs that have rabbit ears? If so, how is their reception? I would definitely try an indoor antenna and see what you get. Over the air is free and gives the best quality on this TV because it has the built in digital tuner. Also, if you are going cable, try to get a cable box with a DVI connector. This will also improve the picture quality over Component cables.

As far as saving money on cables, check out EBAY for good inexpensive cables. Locally you can try radio shack but on line will be cheaper. DON'T GET MONSTER CABLES, they are overpriced and not worth it.

Okay, I'm sold. I'll buy the component cables. Thanks for the help, everyone!

Concerning the indoor antenna: I'm in a very hilly section of Southeast Orange County, CA., about 60 or so miles from the Los Angeles TV antennas. My guess is that reception will be very poor (due to the hills and the distance) but I suppose it's worth a shot.

Any suggestions on a decent indoor antenna?

MANY TIMES YOU WILL BE AMAZED YOUR H. D. WILL BE A LOT BETTER THAN THE ANOLOG SIGNAL. REMEMBER IN H. D. WHEN YOU GET IT & IT WILL BE PERFECT BECAUSE ITS DIGITAL, OR YOU GET NOTHING AT ALL. YOU NEED TO KNOW WHERE TO POINT & RESET THE DIGITAL CHANNEL UPDATE & SEE IF YOU GOT A SIGNAL....

Originally posted by Runch Machine
if you are going cable, try to get a cable box with a DVI connector. This will also improve the picture quality over Component cables.
I just spoke with Tech Support at Cox Cable. The guy said that as of TODAY the FCC has mandated that DVI be accessible. He said this means that the DVI port will have to be activated upon request, and if my box's DVI port is not currently activated, they will come out and swap boxes. Cool. Guess now I'll go looking for a DVI cable (he wasn't sure yet if Cox will provide that cable).

Any down-side to using DVI vs. component cables?

Scratch my last post. I just spoke with a Cox tech support Supervisor, and she said that the guy I spoke with about the DVI availability was "misinformed" (that's their code word for "he has no idea what he's talking about").

Oh well...

misinformed or spilled the beans?

spilled the beans or let the cat out of the bag?

For any of those interested I just received my order of back up lamp units (10 in all). They are all have OSRAM.bulbs.

Hello everyone! I have a couple questions, and hope to get some advice...

I would like to know what would be a good quality High Def. Antenna for the GWIII's HD tuner so I can pick up my local channels? Currently in my area ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS are broadcasting in HD so I want to take advantage of the built in HD tuner on this set.

Is indoor a good way to go, or is PQ best with an outdoor type? I currently have a TERK bi-directional stick antenna that I have been using for my local stations of Standad Def. content. It can be mounted in or outdoors, so I just place it in the corner of my room and move it wherever it needs to be for optimal PQ. Works fine for me... Can I do the same with an HD antenna?

I just got my 70xbr on Tuesday, I have not powered it up yet because I need a stand and have to set everything up before I turn it on. At this point, all I can say is, she's a beauty!!

I'm getting closer to "Turn this baby on" mode because I ended up going to Best Buy and purchased a Bush Stand, model# VS74377-03. It cost me $280, a savings of at least $600 over the Sony stand. Personally I feel that the pricing of the SU-GW3 Sony stand is an insult, jmho. Though the Bush stand measures 58 1/2 inches wide, instead of 71" like the Sony, there is a 6 1/2 inch overhang on the left and right of the stand. To me, no big deal and definitely worth the savings. The Bush is more functional, brings the set up and additional 7" in height, (total is 31" from floor to base of picture) over the Sony, holds up to 240 pounds, and best of all it looks real nice too!!

Regarding the Time Warner 8000HD DVR and the issue of the DVI being active or not, may be a regional issue. On my unit, as well as my area, the DVI Is active on my set.

Regarding the overall PQ on my Toshiba 65" RPTV using Component Video cables, it looks great when viewing HD content through this DVR, both in Live mode and Recorded mode. I can't see the difference at all. I will report my findings once I connect the DVI... Later!

Originally posted by bberns22
For any of those interested I just received my order of back up lamp units (10 in all). They are all have OSRAM.bulbs.

Sorry, but can you clarify what you mean? Are you refering to the GWIII lamps? Are you selling these?

Originally posted by hd_axel
Hello everyone! I have a couple questions, and hope to get some advice...

I would like to know what would be a good quality High Def. Antenna for the GWIII's HD tuner so I can pick up my local channels? Currently in my area ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS are broadcasting in HD so I want to take advantage of the built in HD tuner on this set.

Is indoor a good way to go, or is PQ best with an outdoor type? I currently have a TERK bi-directional stick antenna that I have been using for my local stations of Standad Def. content. It can be mounted in or outdoors, so I just place it in the corner of my room and move it wherever it needs to be for optimal PQ. Works fine for me... Can I do the same with an HD antenna?

Just use the same antenna. There really is no difference between those 40 year old {pre cable) antennas and the new "HD" antennas. Its just an antenna. If it works for your existing stations then it'll definitely work for the Digital broadcasts as they are even easier to receive and get good picture quality with.

If it just insnt worth keeping the old antenna, the best indoor antenna I've seen is the Zenith Silver Sensor. Stay away from the Terks as they are overpriced and overhyped.

Just my opinion.

Thanks Driver!
I didn't realize you can use the same antenna, that's very cool... As for the the Terks, you may be right, but they work great in my area, even better reception than my cable feed from Time Warner.

As for the price, I picked up 5 of them for $80 total from Radio Shack during their closeout last Fall. They discontinued them, and they were Terk-50's with the Radio Shack logo on them, I couldn't pass them up for that price. Five of them cost me less than the price of one when they were marketing them new. When they were first introduced to market, they were about $110. I almost hesitated to buy them during the closeout, now I'm glad I have them!!

Just got my new 70XBR950 setup (March Manufacture date, so hopefully no lamp problems), love it so far.

Question: I'm wondering if there is a way to tell what signal the TV is receiving. I'm not sure if I've got my xBox configured correctly for HDTV output.

I have had the 60" XBR since Christmas, and it has worked great! I havent' had a problem with it. I primarily use it on HDTV broadcast, analog cable, and a Panny RP85 DVD player (component output). I use Better Cables throughout.

My first question is when I adjust the Pro video adjustment on one input, it changes those settings for every input set to 'Pro'. I thought the unit is supposed to have independent settings for each source input. Am I missing something?

I have really liked the picture with the RP85, so I have not been eager to try the HTPC I have developed. But I got the bug and I have set it up. Here is what I did to get it to display the computer desktop. Just plugged in with a Better Cables DVI cable, it did bring up a 640x480 screen but it was jerky and weird.

I use PC anywhere to log into any number of computers in my house, and I logged into PC anywhere on the HTPC. This allows me to control the HTPC and see the screen emulated on another computer. Thus if the screen is not displaying on the TV, I can still see what's going on and change things. The computer is an XP Pro with a Sapphire Radeon 9600 Pro card (128MB).

So I installed Power Strip and ran Monitor Information under Options. I managed to get the program to see the monitor, then I used the function "Write Custom Monitor Driver" to make an inf file, which I then installed with Windows update driver functionality (I'm attaching this file if someone wants to try it). This gave me a good display 720 x 480 60 Hz. I suppose this is 720P.

I have tried a ton of things since then, but I cannot get a better resolution. Is this the limit of the set?

I installed the TheaterTek DVD software, and there is definitely better resolution with the image, but the color saturation/contrast is way off. Luckily it's very adjustable, and when I get time I will run the test patterns and get it set for a shoot out. I think I see a bit more pixel/compression artifacts with the TheaterTek, and the pic is a tiny bit more jerky. The Panny just seems more seemless at this point. Also, no matter which player I use the audio gets out of sync.

But all in all, it's a good start to getting HTPC working on the XBR.

Originally posted by GainGus
Just got my new 70XBR950 setup (March Manufacture date, so hopefully no lamp problems), love it so far.

Question: I'm wondering if there is a way to tell what signal the TV is receiving. I'm not sure if I've got my xBox configured correctly for HDTV output.

It is configured correctly if you have component connections going into Video 5 or 6 of the TV and your video settings of the XBOX is set to widescreen and has "yes" beside 480p,720P and 1080i .

_____________________________________________________
It is configured correctly if you have component connections going into Video 5 or 6 of the TV and your video settings of the XBOX is set to widescreen and has "yes" beside 480p,720P and 1080i .
_____________________________________________________

Yes, I've done that, but different games support different resolutions, so I wanted a quick way to check what resolution the game was outputing.

Originally posted by tuckers
But all in all, it's a good start to getting HTPC working on the XBR.
You need to read the threads "GWIII to PC over DVI" and "GWIII Tweakers - ATI/NVIDIA - Powerstrip/Service Mode".

I have my HTPC hooked up and running a 1280x720 desktop. Looks fantastic. Some people on the other thread like different rez settings, but I prefer mine. I don't use the HTPC for DVD playback, as there is an inherent problem with black levels when using a PC over DVI.

GWIII lamps being shipped from Sony are indeed OSRAM

Regarding the UMR tweaks - is there a typo regarding composite vs. component inputs? He states "assume the composite input is better unless proved otherwise".

I thought the logical progression in signal quality was RF (lowest), then composite (the yellow port in the red,white,yellow), then S-Video, then Component, then DVI.

Can the XBR950's composite input really be better than S-Video input?

The reason I ask is the Directv / Tivo unit I have has ... well.. less than stellar quality (after watching Discovery HD all day). I was wondering what I can do to make it better until the HD Tivo comes along....

Originally posted by seanmcgpa
Regarding the UMR tweaks - is there a typo regarding composite vs. component inputs? He states "assume the composite input is better unless proved otherwise".

I thought the logical progression in signal quality was RF (lowest), then composite (the yellow port in the red,white,yellow), then S-Video, then Component, then DVI.

Can the XBR950's composite input really be better than S-Video input?

The reason I ask is the Directv / Tivo unit I have has ... well.. less than stellar quality (after watching Discovery HD all day). I was wondering what I can do to make it better until the HD Tivo comes along....

No typo. Read it carefully. Comb filters apply to composite sources. Theses TV's have some of the best comb filters on the market. S-Video uses the comb filter of the source device. Your PQ will only be better with S-Video for composite if the source has a better comb filter. The quality of S-Video cable's is usually worse than composite, also because of construction limitations associated with the number of conductors and the connector.

Some video sources are component in nature these include HD OTA, HD satellite, HD cable, DVD and D-Theater.

Other sources are composite in nature these include VHS, SD satellite, SD cable, SD OTA. You may also find the RF input on these sets is superior to other devices if you have that option.

from UMR DOES GWIII XBR & WE...
- Assume that the comb filter in the Sony TV is better than the one in any other video source unless you prove otherwise. This means use composite inputs instead of S-Video unless you prove S-Video is better.
....
- Use component inputs for component sources like DVD players
....

UMR

Would it be possible to put a source device(SD cable box) outputting on svideo and composit on the screen on the same time (non xbr gwiii (dual picture mode)) to determine which produces the better picture or does the set process the signals somehow to prevent a direct comparison? I know you can't put up a HD picture and a SD picture at the same time, but that involves scan rates.

The dual mode is a poor way to do the comparison. Sony uses a low quality circuit for one of the windows to do this. There are also a large number of differences in the setup for this mode compared to regular viewing. Results in dual mode may have little relationship to normal viewing modes.

Well I tried composite vs. S-Video on my 60XBR950 and a Sony SAT-T60 DirecTV / Tivo box. I can really appreciate no difference between the two - which must say something about the Sony inputs because on my older Mitsubishi 40" tube the difference between composite and S-Video is dramatic.

Anyone else have a similiar setup and or comparisons to share?

I compared composite/RCA jacks and S-Video on my 70XBR950 and found the S-video to be much much better. It was especially noticable on text and menus and graphics. I was using a Philips DirecTivo for the signal source.

I've found that the color saturation coming from either composite or S-Video is way off when compared to OTA. Watching the output from my Tivo is a lot different than watching the TV tuner. Same programming in 4:3 modes, although the OTA is the HD version of the channel. Anyone notice this too?

Got my 70XBR950 10 days ago and I like it a lot. Just trying to get enough HD sources to avoid looking at SD on it, though even that isn't so bad at about 13' back. Looking forward to having time to do UMR's tweeks.

One strange thing is that everytime I power up I get the language and cable setup menu. Assume this isn't normal, but is there something I can do to stop this or is it a service call?

thanks.

tomherbst
On some devices, you have to enter service menus and enter the information they're requesting before they stop popping up on power on.
Have you tried that?



Driver
It sounds like the Tivo is setup with colors screwed up. I don't know if the Tivo allows adjustment for this, but if not, you can enter the TV's service menu and make adjustments to bring this back into order.

One thing you might consider first, is it the Tivo, or maybe the stations are screwing up the signal.

Originally posted by JimP
It sounds like the Tivo is setup with colors screwed up. I don't know if the Tivo allows adjustment for this, but if not, you can enter the TV's service menu and make adjustments to bring this back into order.

One thing you might consider first, is it the Tivo, or maybe the stations are screwing up the signal.

Two different DirecTivo's (Sony T60's) and on either of them it's the same. I also notice it on a ReplayTV that I'm trying to get the programming seen before I sell it. Just seems SD programming is a lot blander than the HD or QAM Digital input which manages to receive a few channels on my Basic bare bones cable backup. Between 104.1 and 106.6 I even manage to see some of the neighborhoods video on demand. Color saturation there (again) is much better than SD stuff. Doesn't matter if the SD inputs is S-Video or composite. DVD via component looks ok on color saturation. I'm just wondering if its something having to do with the bandwidth of the other regular inputs

Originally posted by JimP

On some devices, you have to enter service menus and enter the information they're requesting before they stop popping up on power on.
Have you tried that?

I have not had it look for cable or OTA channels because I don't have either - I'm satellite only right now. Next time I'll just tell it to try anyway.

Have entered service mode once but didn't see anything related to these there.

thanks -

tom