On Channel hopping, I had this with NBC here in Phoenix. I traded emails with the engineer and their "Windows based" server that sends the channel map info went down. He said that since their TVs are always on the same channel the only way for them to know is when a consumer tells them. It was fixed quickly. Happened again with NBC over the weekend. It's a minor annoyance for me as I use a programmable remote and my channel icons break when the mapping is broken...joe

Hi Gang,

I'm new here, so please bear with me. I'm loving the XBR, big time, and most of my dvds display perfectly, but I noticed that on a few of my dvds (Tombstone and Pulp Fiction in particular) the picture shows up small or stretched, depending on the player setting. I'm using the Zenith player that upscales to 1080i, but I don't think that's the problem. If I set the player to output at 720p or 1080i, the tv displays it in a weird thin stretched mode. If I switch to 480p or play the same dvd through my Xbox (both of which are hooked up to the component inputs on the XBR), I get a 4:3 display with letterbox. I can then use the zoom function on the XBR to fill the screen, but then the picture seems to degrade as a result of the zoom. Anyone have any idea why this is happening on a select few dvds while all the others play fine? And why does it have to be happening on two of my favorite movies??? :-(

One other question, if you don't mind: Is there any adapter that will allow me to display pictures from a compact flash card through the memory stick slot? I've seen memory stick -> compact flash adapters, but not the other way around.

Thanks for all your help.

John

Originally posted by vidkidd
Hey kuntaldaftary,

Our 60XBR950 is frequently used to view our digital pictures with a PC hooked up to it. Images on a DVD are stored in 720x480 format . I view digital pictures at in 1920x1080i or 1280x720P and the results are stunning to say the least. Once you hook up a PC to the GWIII you will wonder why you waited so long. It really makes the XBR the Digital Entertainment Centerpiece of the house.

Thx,
Vidkidd

At what resolution are you able to display the PC? How is yours hooked up to it? I have mine hooked up to my Pioneer RPTV via RGB and use something called Powerstrip. It's a bit complicated and am able to display somethinig like 848x600 only. Do you do better?

Not sure if this was already posted, but there is a new review of the 60 inch xbr on CNET. Though some might be interested in reading the article. Overall, very positive.

http://reviews.cnet.com/Sony_KDF_60XBR950/4505-6484_7-30596951.html?tag=promo2

Does anyone have an opinion on the 60" vs 70" models of the Sony XBR 950? Isn't it the same guts that runs both units? If so, doesn't it make more sense to go with the 60". I would appreciate any feedback on this question as is seems all you guys have a wealth of knowledge.

Thanks in Advance,

Originally posted by kdeleon
Not sure if this was already posted, but there is a new review of the 60 inch xbr on CNET. Though some might be interested in reading the article. Overall, very positive.

http://reviews.cnet.com/Sony_KDF_60XBR950/4505-6484_7-30596951.html?tag=promo2

This is the first review I read at c/Net and probably the last. Kevin or Kelvin is a jerk. The review IMO was NOT at all positive, especially considering the price.

He called it TINY for a 60":p only 67 inches wide, this has to be the widest 60 incher on earth. Sammy 61 is just over 56".

After you add price of set, tax and delivery, ext. warranty, the 1K stand and proffesional calib, many may need a second mortage:D

Originally posted by lrgton
Does anyone have an opinion on the 60" vs 70" models of the Sony XBR 950? Isn't it the same guts that runs both units? If so, doesn't it make more sense to go with the 60". I would appreciate any feedback on this question as is seems all you guys have a wealth of knowledge.

Thanks in Advance,

I am not sure what/why you are asking. The biggest (rather the only) difference is the size! I mean, if you have more room to buy the bigger TV and more money that goes with it, there is no reason for you to not go for it. Its a great TV. I have the 60'' and love it. If I had the choice and room, I would not think twice of buying the 70''.

Since the color engines are exactly the same in both units, the
screen size you choose is going to be based on whether you can fit the 70"
in your desired space, and whether you can sit at least 10 or more feet away from the screen. Even at 10 feet sometimes the image is overwhelming and will give you headaches watching it.

Along with the wider and taller set, the 70" weighs over 200 pounds.

In addition you are blowing up the image to a larger size which makes the spaces between the LCD elements more visible. I found when auditioning the the two sets that the "Screen Door" effect was more noticeable on the 70" at my room's viewing distance. I ended up buying the 60" on an open box return. The first owner of "my" set traded up to the 70" which made the 60" a really good deal for me.

Lee

I am considering the 60xbr950 and have a question about dvd input. Since the 60xbr scales everything to fit its 1386 x 788 resolution, does that mean that any of the dvi-equipped dvd players that can send 720p or 1080i would still have their signals scaled by the 60xbr? (Less for a 720p signal, but still some.) If so, is a dvi-dvd player beneficial with this set, or is it just as good to get a good progressive (or even inerlaced?) and let the 60xbr do all the work?

Also, any word when the next generation is coming and the 950's might be reduced in price? I went to Ultimate Electronics last night looking at the 60" Panasonic LCD. I saw the Sony 60xbr950 across the room and couldn't take my eyes off it. The 60xbr is a lot more than I was planning on. Now I have to decide if the extra ~$2000 is worth it.

Thanks

The Sony XBR will scale both 720p and 1080i to 768. The main downside is that the manual says the TV won't accept computer input. Some on the forum have played extensively with different graphic card settings to try ad get a direct pixel map. You can't get a direct pixel map as this TV always has the scaler in the image path.

having said that, I have a very high end 480i DVD player and the picture from that player is better than the 2 Faroudja DVD players I've tried as well as the two DVI cable players I've tried. I purchased the Sony because it displayed NTSC content better than any other set I viewed. If considering hte panasonic, make sure to demo it with Satelite or cable and compare to the same on the Sony..joe

Turned on my 70XBR950 today (just 10 days old!) and nothing... green light blinks 20 or so times, then a series of red blinks (5 in a row).

Have tried unplugging the set for a few hours... no luck.

Anyone have any hints?

Tweeter will send someone out next week (doh!) so now I'm TVless over the next 3-4 days.


Wahhhh!

Bulb. It's the bulb. Call your local servicer and have them bring a bulb, takes less than 5 mins for them to stick it in and get it back up. Waiting a week for someone to get there is ridiculous.

Hey Guys...Thanks for all the valuable information posted here. I own a 60xbr950 and am constantly reading about calibration...I recently purchased the "Digital Video Essentials" DVD to supposedly improve the TV and Home Theatre...is this acutally necessary? Please be candid...the set looks great...have had it since December 2003, don't really think I need to calibrate, but I wouldn't want to miss out. CNET has made reference to a "professional calibration" being necessary...what are your thoughts???

Thanks for your help!

Dwight in ALABAMA

dwight33

Welcome, fellow Alabamian,
Is Harvest near Birmingham?

Answering your question, in all likelyhood the set needs some degree of calibration that requires service menu adjustments.

If you're mechanically inclined, then you can do it. If not, it would be better left to someone who knows what they're doing.

Originally posted by JimP
....Answering your question, in all likelyhood the set needs some degree of calibration that requires service menu adjustments.

If you're mechanically inclined, then you can do it. If not, it would be better left to someone who knows what they're doing.

:confused: Why mechanically inclined? I find the service menu to be more like setting up a VCR recording than changing a timing belt.

Just joined the club!!!

I just bought an 60xbr950. I also bought a Denon 2200 dvd player. I'm sold on the TV, not as sure about the dvd player (but I wanted to have something right away). I'd really like to hear that "This other dvd player will work just as good as the 2200 for half the price". Any such luck?? What brands are working well with the xbrs?

Thanks

Regarding calibration, I thought any improvement was small. If you are picky go ahead and try it. The biggest improvement I found was in another thread about reducing overscan. I am more bothered by that. I think these sets look great right out of the box. I did UMR's adjustments and didn't see much of a change.

Originally posted by umr
:confused: Why mechanically inclined? I find the service menu to be more like setting up a VCR recording than changing a timing belt.


;) Same cognitive thinking. I wouldn't let my brother close to either a timing belt or a service menu. lol

DVD Upconversion...

I understand the xbr upconverts dvd signals - does it do that automatically? I have the dvd signal going 480p through component cables. Is that all I need to do?

BTW ... WOW!!! This is replacing a 35" direct view TV. Talk about blown away!

Another question ... I was cleaning the screen and saw a stuck/dead pixel. Thought it wouldn't be visible from my normal viewing distance (about 12'), but it is. Not all the time, but I certainly can see it at times. What's the policy on stuck pixels? Doesn't there have to be so many total or so many in a cluster before Sony will replace the TV? I guess I could take it back to the store ... how common are stuck pixels? Will I probably end up with one/some anyway?

Thanks

Originally posted by skvinson
Just joined the club!!!

I just bought an 60xbr950. I also bought a Denon 2200 dvd player. I'm sold on the TV, not as sure about the dvd player (but I wanted to have something right away). I'd really like to hear that "This other dvd player will work just as good as the 2200 for half the price". Any such luck?? What brands are working well with the xbrs?

Thanks

I am looking for a good DVD player to go with my XBR also. I also want one that plays DVD-A and SACD disks. Too bad Sony doesn't offer a good player that outputs at 788P to go with all of the GW & XBR sets it has sold these past couple of years. As it is right now I have a Samsung 941 on order from Amazon but I may cancel it before it ships, scheduled for mid-July. The initial reports on its "little brother" the 841 are not encouraging. I am looking at the possibility of switching to the Denon 3910 which will have Denon Link to mate with my Denon receiver. The audio section is at least as important to me as the video, and this appears to be the solution for full bass management on at least DVD-A (SACD is supposed to be coming, pending approval from Sony) since my receiver does not offer an I-link connection - just Denon's own D-Link.

If anyone has any other suggestions I'd sure like to hear them!

Thanks,

Joel

Originally posted by Driver
Bulb. It's the bulb. Call your local servicer and have them bring a bulb, takes less than 5 mins for them to stick it in and get it back up. Waiting a week for someone to get there is ridiculous.

Well, Sony sent me a replacement bulb and the TV is still not working. I've been trying for 3 days to get a service call set up from Tweeter to no avail.

When I turn it on, the green light flashes 20 or so times, then flashes 5 red flashes ~ 3 times. Then the normal steady red light when the TV is off.

Anyone have any idea what is casuing this?

Of course, Tweeter has no 70"s in stock, so I'm in for a wait if the tech cant' fix it ...

I'm SOOOO frustated.... ! My dream TV dies 10 days after I finally get it!

Originally posted by seanmcgpa
Well, Sony sent me a replacement bulb and the TV is still not working. I've been trying for 3 days to get a service call set up from Tweeter to no avail.

When I turn it on, the green light flashes 20 or so times, then flashes 5 red flashes ~ 3 times. Then the normal steady red light when the TV is off.

Anyone have any idea what is casuing this?

Of course, Tweeter has no 70"s in stock, so I'm in for a wait if the tech cant' fix it ...

I'm SOOOO frustated.... ! My dream TV dies 10 days after I finally get it!

I would be frustrated as hell too - wish you the best in getting this repaired as soon as possible. I've had my 70" for a week now and certainly hope I have better luck than you.

Interesting little story is that I had originally ordered the 70" from Circuit City on January 3rd. About 45 days later, with no prospect of the TV coming in, I took one of two 60" sets that they managed to get into the store, and they refunded me the difference. After a couple of days I went back to them and said I that although I thought the 60" was very nice, I still wanted the 70" and so they placed another order, letting me keep the 60" until it arrived. I already had the Sony stand and had the room for the bigger set, so I just wanted to take advantage of the larger screen size. Well, finally this past week it came in and after ponying up the difference in the store the delivery guys came out to my house and did an exchange. I thought it was pretty cool of them to do this, as I was allowed to use the 60" model for approximately 5 months for no charge. I just thought I would give them some kudos here in this public forum, as that's what I call great customer service.

Now I just hope that it proves to be reliable because everything else about it is fantastic so far.

Any idea on Sony's policy regarding stuck pixels?

Joel,

For a dvd player, I'm going to buy a used Panasonic (either xp30 or rp62) for now. Then when Sony and Panasonic come out with their new DVI-equipped players, I'll check them out. If there is no improvement in picture, I'll look around for one that has the best audio to go with good video. Either Panasonic can be had for around $100. I figure I can sell them for about the same in the Fall.

I know people on this forum have suggested not using DVI out to the xbrs ... as I called around high end stores, most of them didn't like DVI at all. One store though, said they hooked up the Denon 5900 and the DVI output was noticeably better than component. That Denon's a little expensive. I'm waiting to see what the Sony & Panasonic units will do. (I know cheaper Denon DVI-players are coming out too, but Denon's lack a couple of "fringe features" that I like - at least the 2200 does.)

Hope this helps.

Originally posted by skvinson
Joel,

For a dvd player, I'm going to buy a used Panasonic (either xp30 or rp62) for now. Then when Sony and Panasonic come out with their new DVI-equipped players, I'll check them out. If there is no improvement in picture, I'll look around for one that has the best audio to go with good video. Either Panasonic can be had for around $100. I figure I can sell them for about the same in the Fall.

I know people on this forum have suggested not using DVI out to the xbrs ... as I called around high end stores, most of them didn't like DVI at all. One store though, said they hooked up the Denon 5900 and the DVI output was noticeably better than component. That Denon's a little expensive. I'm waiting to see what the Sony & Panasonic units will do. (I know cheaper Denon DVI-players are coming out too, but Denon's lack a couple of "fringe features" that I like - at least the 2200 does.)

Hope this helps.

skvinson,

Thanks for your reply. Since I already have the RP56 (which was pretty highly rated when it came out a few years ago and still works fine). I don't know how much of an improvement I would see with the XP30 or RP62, but I don't think it would be worth making a switch for on such a temporary basis. As I said the main reason for upgrading is to also get DVD-A and SACD, and the only way that I know of to get these along with full bass management (with my receiver's Auto EQ capability) is to get a Denon with Denon Link. The 5900 is just too expensive for any player IMO, no matter how good it might be and I know that as it is it is not perfect.

So I think I'm going to hold off for now and see how the new Denon 3910 rates when it comes out in a couple of months. I would cringe having to pay $1200 or so for that one, and before I do it would have to be very very good. If it's not what I want then I'll just hold off until fall and see what all the other new models look like.

Thanks again -

Joel

Another player I'm considering is the Sony NS700P (for a temporary solution). One thing that reviews mention - it does not have aspect ratio control. Is that a problem for the xbr950? I no longer have a progressive player hooked up - can the TV change aspects even with a progressive signal?

Thanks

Yes it can, it's only on HD signals that it locks the ratio change out. My 999ES is locked in Progressive mode and I can change aspect ratios at will. The HD broadcaster could fix their issue with aspect control if they reset the flag but they don't. <arghhh>

A different dvd issue...

I'm still using an old/cheap Sony interlaced player right now. For some reason, using the "Normal" aspect ratio on the xbr gives me a 4:3 picture. (The dvd player is set to 16:9.) The other modes fill the screen, but they are obviously altering the picture. How do I get widescreen material to show in its correct aspect ratio???

Buy a better player?

Just kidding. I think you use the "full" mode

Yes, Full Mode is 16:9, Normal Mode is 4:3

In fact, even if that source is set at Normal mode, the moment the DVD player starts playing a 16:9 movie, the TV switches to Full mode to show the 16:9 content. At least thats what happens in my case. I am too using an old Panasonic player. Waiting for more DVI players before making a purchase.

Thanks for the dvd player replies - that helped things. (BTW, I did get a new Pioneer 578 to last me until some of the new players come out in the Fall. I've read on this thread not to use a DVI-player, but I heard one salesman say the output from Denon's 5900 over DVI was a marked improvement over component. Waiting for some cheaper DVI players.)

Onto a new problem...

Just had Dish Network's HD receiver installed today. For some reason, when I cycle through my active inputs now, there is a "C4" labeled input that shows a 4:3 screen of snow. When I go to the menu to "Video Label" (I think), it shows I only have 3 active inputs (VHS, DVD, Satellite) - all the others are marked "Skipped." But when I cycle through, the other one is there. Also, all the other labels (e.g., "DVD") appear in the upper left of the screen. "C4" appears in the upper right. Any help here?

The C4 is the cable input (tuned to channel 4), as opposed to the antenna. I don't know how to skip that input. If you press the "Ant" buttion, the other tuner will be in the list instead.

HTH,
Tracey

The best option is to get a universal remote that you can use discrete codes with. I'm using a HTM MX700. It works great, no more cycling through inputs, and macros to boot.

Hello all! I have my 70xbr for about three weeks and last night I finally got my first HD receiver (Directv HR10-250). I have joined the HD revolution. I read where some people have their hd receiver output 10801 to the Sony. Since, the Sony xbr 70 or 60 is a fixed display at 768, shouldn't you be outputing 720p to the sony? If the Sony gets 1080i it just scales it down to 768. What good does it do to feed it 1080i?

Jay Leno on the built in tuner at 1080i looks awesome. Flip bacn and forth and see what YOU like best.

Thx,
Vidkidd

You might also want to try Jag (CBS) and Reba (WB) this evening if you are West Coast or on Sunday, Cold Case (CBS) swtiching back and forth to get a feel for different Networks and such as each channel and even each studio may be sharper or softer than the other as well as color saturation differences. Use the OTA antenna for those, of course DirecTV has several HD channels as well to try it out with. Just make sure you try it out with several types of viewing material to see what best suits your taste

Originally posted by raven540
...What good does it do to feed it 1080i?

A 1080i source has the potential for more resolution than 720p. Assuming you have equipment that is optimized, a high quality 1080i image looks better when the TV scales it to 788p instead of the source scaling it to 720p followed by the TV scaling it to 788p. Capiche.

Capiche. Now I get it. Thanks.

Thanks for the info on the inputs. ... I have a Pronto remote. Is there a "Downloading Discrete Codes for Dummies" thread/link somewhere? (I'm not the most computer literate.)

The discrete codes for the 70" xbr are available from www.remotecentral.com
This includes power on/off and all the inputs.

That site is a great resource, btw, if you're not familiar with it.

Tracey

Tracey,

Thanks for the link. I see a file for the Sony 60xbr800. I don't see one for the 70xbr950. (I assume the 800 codes would work.)

Thanks

You didn't say which pronto you are programming, but the discrete codes for the sony tvs are here

http://www.remotecentral.com/cgi-bin/files/rcfiles.cgi?area=pronto&db=discrete&br=sony&dv=television&fc=

These could be added to any design that you created using prontoedit (copy and paste). I don't know specifically about the prontong family, but there appear to be discrete hex codes available for them as well. You don't need to download a full file (but you could)

Tracey

Thanks ... I've found that page and am trying to figure things out. Up to this point, I've only relabeled existing buttons and learned codes from other remotes. Time to venture out into the Great Unknown...

That's exactly how we all started, I think. I've never been very artistic, so I found what I thought was the nicest file, and cut and pasted hex codes, or learned from my original remote, and reset all the buttons. Been working for 5 years now - I guess I don't like change much! I simply reprogrammed buttons as my equipment changed.

I think you'll find the folks on remotecentral every bit as helpful as on avsforum.

Good luck,
Tracey

Okay, looking for some CORRECT info here. I have the 60inch version of this TV and the cable guy told me that I should ALWAYS use S-Video or stand video cables when not viewing HD tv or the picture cause the TV display to prematurly fail or the colors will get messed up? Never heard of this before, so any info I would appreciate! Also, I have a plasma as well and since some HD channels have the grey or black bars on the side, will this eventually burn into the screen?
Thanks

jomoma

Regarding burnin

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=406182

That burn-in link has little to do with a LCD based projection screen. It's mainly about CRT based systems and briefly touches on LCD and DLP. Jomoma, in a nutshell the XBR950 is LCD based. No LCD based reports of burn-in are based in fact that I have seen to date. If burn-in was a issue with LCD's then the entire computer world would not be gravitating towards flat panels the way they have for the last 3+ years. DLP, CRT-Glass Tube sets and DLP all are pretty much immune from burn-in. Period. CRT front and rear projection and Plasma are both suceptible to burn-in issues. Thus the warnings in their manuals and such against video games and such.

Well, I am finally a KDF-70XBR950 owner! All it took was a 10 month dance with Pioneer & a defective Elite CRT. They refunded me 100%, and hauled off the POS yesterday. My local dealer had ONE 70 in stock, & made me a heck of a deal (under $6000). I installed it yesterday, and what a BAD ASS MACHINE! My entire family just stares at it, mouth open! It destroys ANY set I've ever had. I can't wait to do UMR's tweaks, as they worked miracles on my bedroom 42" GWIII. I will need to wait until I get my Denon DVD-2900 back from the shop. I don't think I should do them with an RP-91, and have to revisit in a week. These UMR tweaks have sold more than a few Sony GW's. I know they factored heavily into my buying 2 of them. So far, so good. The line doubler in this set is remarkable! I have always used my ReplayTV DVR's component connection, set on progressive. I used the S-Video out last night, and it looked incredible! I didn't even try the 480P component. I wonder if the composite will better the S-Video? Anyways, thanks to all the people who have contributed to this excellent thread.

Wow! What a price for the 70''. You did get an incredible deal. Congratulations on your purchase. Post your thoughts on umr's tweaks.

I tried to search, but can someone throw a link to UMR tweaks?

Here ya go: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=331875
Let us know ur opinion on how it goes and how it helped you.

Originally posted by jomoma
I tried to search, but can someone throw a link to UMR tweaks?


http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=323602


Then scroll to the Sony section.

I took delivery of my 70XBR a couple of weeks ago, and CC called last night offering their 4 year "City Advantage" plan for $599. I realize this would just add 3 years to the existing factory warranty, so the cost comes out to $200 per year. In speaking with the rep she did say that their warranty does cover the bulb. I said I wanted to read the terms in full before making a decision, which I have now done, and noticed that there is an exclusion for "Consumables such as batteries, toner, ribbons, drums, belts, or consumer replaceable printer heads." IMO the key words here are "such as" because the bulbs even though not specifically mentioned do obviously have a limited lifespan and are designed to be replaceable.

Questions for the group here are:

1. Is this a good idea, irrespective of the bulb issue?
2. Is the price from CC negotiable?
3. Should I get something added in writing concerning the bulbs (and not just take their word for granted?)
4. Or is the XBR quality is such that I should just take my chances? I do have savings would could readily be used to pay for repairs, if needed.

What do you guys think?

I posted a Poll on the XBR Green Bleed issue here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=422932
Could you guys please respond to that poll. I would appreciate it .

JBaumgart,

I don't consider getting a bulb under warranty a good deal unless I can get it before I NEED it. I purchased a bulb for my set as my personal warranty and none from the merchant. I never buy a supplemental warranty because I try and insure myself in general. I would not buy something that I could not afford to replace or fix later. I figure if I can't do that I really can't afford it in the first place. I also try and select products that should be reliable. I have never regretted this so far.

Originally posted by umr
JBaumgart,

I don't consider getting a bulb under warranty a good deal unless I can get it before I NEED it. I purchased a bulb for my set as my personal warranty and none from the merchant. I never buy a supplemental warranty because I try and insure myself in general. I would not buy something that I could not afford to replace or fix later. I figure if I can't do that I really can't afford it in the first place. I also try and select products that should be reliable. I have never regretted this so far.

That's exactly the same approach I've always taken too. I've always dismissed these offers out-of-hand. And I've come out way ahead since I've tended to have good luck with my purchases.

I was considering this offer, however, after reading all the reports about the failing bulbs (although this was mostly on the GW models I think) and the fact that this is by far the most I've ever spent on a single electronics item (figuring repairs would be costly also and might well exceed the warranty cost). Besides the bulb issue the CC warranty also includes any in-home adjustments needed if I thought the picture wasn't performing up to par. But I'll probably ending up passing on the offer as my gut is telling me this is a good product that should hold up well over the first 4 years. Sure hope so anyway.

JBaumgart

Another view that may be of value to you.

How much TV do you watch? If you watch a lot, then you're likely to replace the bulb once, maybe even twice in 4 years. At $200 a bulb, you may only be paying $200 ($600-$400) to warrant everything else. If you don't watch much at all, then you might not replace the bulb even once. In that case, you may want to skip the warranty.

I'm a heavy user(2,000 hrs in 9 months). So for me, the extended warranty makes more sense.

Another thing to consider - does CC's warranty have a "half-back" clause, if it goes unused? I bought my xbr at Ultimate Electronics. If I don't use the warranty, I get a check for half back. Some other place I looked had a similar clause, though their half back was in the form of store credit.

JimP: I know there is a way to know the number of hours used on a bulb? Do u know what way to find out for this TV? I ask since I am guessing thats how u know that u have watched the TV for 2000 hrs.

Originally posted by JimP
JBaumgart

Another view that may be of value to you.

How much TV do you watch? If you watch a lot, then you're likely to replace the bulb once, maybe even twice in 4 years. At $200 a bulb, you may only be paying $200 ($600-$400) to warrant everything else. If you don't watch much at all, then you might not replace the bulb even once. In that case, you may want to skip the warranty.

I'm a heavy user(2,000 hrs in 9 months). So for me, the extended warranty makes more sense.

Jim,

I would say this TV will see average use - about 3-4 hours a day which would be 1000-1500 hours a year. So getting the warranty (assuming again that the bulb is in fact covered and CC would agree to give me something to document it) probably shouldn't hinge on the amount of usage I expect this set to get. I still haven't totally made up my mind if I will get the warranty but I am leaning against it.

Regarding the credit back if the warranty goes unused, this would make a difference but the rep didn't mention it - if it does apply then that would make a difference in my thinking. Thanks for the tips.

Joel

Originally posted by mallu2u
JimP: I know there is a way to know the number of hours used on a bulb? Do u know what way to find out for this TV? I ask since I am guessing thats how u know that u have watched the TV for 2000 hrs.

I have the non xbr version. Once you enter the service menu, I think you press the 5 key either once or twice. Once you come across it, it'll be fairly obvious. Which model do you have?

I have a 60'' Sony XBR. How do I get into SM? And how do I get out?

Originally posted by mallu2u
I have a 60'' Sony XBR. How do I get into SM? And how do I get out?

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

I have a question. It may not be specific to the xbr's, but that is what I have. ... I just watched Mission Impossible. I chose Widescreen on the dvd menu. Despite that, my xbr went to Normal mode, and the image came up in Widescreen aspect ratio, but only filled the middle/4:3 section of my screen (i.e., there were black bars on the sides). Manually switching to Full mode got rid of the black bars on the sides, but obviously stretched/distorted the picture. Can someone help me out? (Does this have something to do with 'nonanamorphic' vs. 'anamorphic'? I've heard those terms, but never paid much attention with my old 4:3 set.) What mode should I use? Wide Zoom seemed to be the best (if I wanted to get rid of the black bars on the sides).

Thanks

skvinson

Somethings not right. If you are using a widescreen DVD(be sure to check that its not fullscreen), your DVD player is set for a 16:9 TV and your TV is set to full, then the picture should be presented undistorted with black bars above and below.

Check each of these three items and I think you'll find your culprit.

skvinson...

It's not the fault of your TV or your settings. This is due to the "Mission Impossible" DVD not being "Anamorphic" or "Enhanced for Widescreen". I have a few DVD titles like this, including "Always." I'm hoping that these titles will eventually be remastered in anamorphic widescreen. I prefer to watch these in the normal mode myself, but using Zoom (not Wide Zoom) will fill the screen and keep the correct height to width ratio.

Since I sit 12 feet from my 70XBR, I usually find the picture resolution too low when filling the screen in the zoom mode with these titles, and settle for the smaller image (surrounded by black) using normal mode.

I love the 70XBR. I just make it a priority now buy only 'widescreen enhanced' or 'anamorphic' DVDs which show off the full (non HDTV) capability of the TV.

As long as anamorphic DVD titles you have automatically switch your XBR from normal to full mode, then you've got everything set correctly.

KC,

Thanks. I wondered if that was the issue. I'll try Zoom next time it happens. (Don't know offhand which other titles I have that are non-anamorphic.)

Cutthroat Island (Geena Davis) does the same thing (careful, it was in the $5 bin at Walmart!). It says Widescreen and Standard on the case, but it does not say Anamorpic or Enhanced for anywhere. So buyer beware on discs like these.

Can someone tell me what the contrast ratio spec is for the XBR's? Sony doesn't list it. Ultimate Electronics web page says it is 3000:1, which sounds kind of high. But then maybe that's part of the reason for the higher price than the GWIII's

Originally posted by umr
A 1080i source has the potential for more resolution than 720p. Assuming you have equipment that is optimized, a high quality 1080i image looks better when the TV scales it to 788p instead of the source scaling it to 720p followed by the TV scaling it to 788p. Capiche.

Anyone have any opinions one way or the other for the HDTivo?

I have tried changing the output on the HDTivo from 720p to 1080i on a variety of HD channels, but I don't really see a difference.

Does anyone?

Anyone have any opinions one way or the other for the HDTivo?

I have tried changing the output on the HDTivo from 720p to 1080i on a variety of HD channels, but I don't really see a difference.

Does anyone?

Does HDTivo give you the option of outputting the program recorded in it's native format or an "Auto DVI" setting? I would believe that retaining the original format of the program, whether it be 720p or 1080i, all the way to the TV would be the best way to go.

If no native or automatic option is available, I would suggest 1080i for all HD programming except that from ABC or FOX networks, which would then be 720p. I would suggest 480i for all standard definition material.

Originally posted by seanmcgpa
Anyone have any opinions one way or the other for the HDTivo?

I have tried changing the output on the HDTivo from 720p to 1080i on a variety of HD channels, but I don't really see a difference.

Does anyone?

I have once the set is tweaked. Without SM tweaking the filtering on HD in these sets is so high you are loosing huge amounts of high frequency detail. This causes the difference in quality to be zero. With HD tweaked these sets can display their full resolution with nearly perfect frequency response. It is a truely wonderful thing.

Originally posted by skvinson
I have a question. It may not be specific to the xbr's, but that is what I have. ... I just watched Mission Impossible. I chose Widescreen on the dvd menu. Despite that, my xbr went to Normal mode, and the image came up in Widescreen aspect ratio, but only filled the middle/4:3 section of my screen (i.e., there were black bars on the sides). Manually switching to Full mode got rid of the black bars on the sides, but obviously stretched/distorted the picture. Can someone help me out? (Does this have something to do with 'nonanamorphic' vs. 'anamorphic'? I've heard those terms, but never paid much attention with my old 4:3 set.) What mode should I use? Wide Zoom seemed to be the best (if I wanted to get rid of the black bars on the sides).

Thanks

Another place to check is your DVD Player setup where u need to indicate whether the TV is 4:3 or 16:9. Yours is set to 16:9, right? Just making sure.

Last night I was watching tv...then when i pressed the Menu button the Menu displayed but it was streched...

Also the turned the Volume completely down but even then the Sound was comming from the TV...

So i tried to turn off the TV but the Red light kept blinking..( i had the pull the plug out to turn it off)..

Later i turned on the TV now everything was working fine

Did this happen to anyone ?

Folks: Do these digital channels not show any program guide with info such as which program is currently running, the duration, whats next, etc? Or are these features generally provided by cable/satellite companies. I do not see this info on my TV when I press guide and am wondering why. Or is this a TV thing as well?

Originally posted by mallu2u
I posted a Poll on the XBR Green Bleed issue here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=422932
Could you guys please respond to that poll. I would appreciate it .

Still hoping for more input on above.

Originally posted by mallu2u
Folks: Do these digital channels not show any program guide with info such as which program is currently running, the duration, whats next, etc? Or are these features generally provided by cable/satellite companies. I do not see this info on my TV when I press guide and am wondering why. Or is this a TV thing as well?

At least around where I live (Minnesota) the local digital channels do not display any program guide when I receive them from an OTA antenna. I believe this is the way it is all over. On the XBR on the other antenna input where we have just regular SD cable plugged right into the TV, there is no guide either, unless of course you specifically tune into the designated program guide channel.

However on our bedroom HDTV where we have Comcast HD cable box connected, all stations (can) display a program guide momentarily, on the bottom portion of the screen. So for our viewing area this is obviously an added feature provided by the cable company for the digital subscribers.

From what I understand after talking to one of the local engineers at a tv station it's not a cable company specific issue. Each tv station is in control of the Guide Text for HD channels. They have a machine that they type the info into and it requires a warm body to do it. They just don't see it as feasible at this point to dedicate the man-hours I guess. For me I see our local affiliate KVUE-HD Channel 24 do it fairly often. Right now I can see them doing it OTA for Entertainment Tonight with a generic descritpion. If I switch to my Time Warner Cable input and tune to the same local station I DON"T see this info. Maybe its a OTA only thing.

(I think Sony should have made the guide function to where you could surf it without changing channels until you push the select button, kind of like a DirecTV guide)

Weird News: Martha Stewart has said she may write a book on what to do if you get into legal trouble. Pardon me, but isn't she the one going to jail?!

I hope the TV stations start sending the Program duide data soon. I have to go to the other TV and Internet to get this info. Guess it will take a while for all the pieces to come together for digital tv.

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by seanmcgpa
Anyone have any opinions one way or the other for the HDTivo?

I have tried changing the output on the HDTivo from 720p to 1080i on a variety of HD channels, but I don't really see a difference.

Does anyone?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by umr
I have once the set is tweaked. Without SM tweaking the filtering on HD in these sets is so high you are loosing huge amounts of high frequency detail. This causes the difference in quality to be zero. With HD tweaked these sets can display their full resolution with nearly perfect frequency response. It is a truely wonderful thing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


* * * * *
umr,

I know you have posted details for tweaking the xbr. For someone who is not too sure about making such changes (and doesn't have any of the equipment that seemed to be necessary even with your settings) - will an ISF calibration achieve the same results?

Originally posted by skvinson
quote:
....
umr,

I know you have posted details for tweaking the xbr. For someone who is not too sure about making such changes (and doesn't have any of the equipment that seemed to be necessary even with your settings) - will an ISF calibration achieve the same results?

Yes if they know what they are doing. ISF itself does not mean much. They need to be experienced with this TV and have the necessary tools. You could choose to skip the adjustments that require more skill. These would include gray scale and detailed color decoder settings.

umr,

What do "gray scale" and "detailed color decoder settings" correspond to? I.e., One thing I want to improve is resolution of detail in dark scenes - will the more basic settings help with that?

The easier settings deal with those well except for color accuracy in dark scenes. Gray scale is where you adjust the TV for the color gray. This is the most difficult thing. Detailed color decoder is RYR, RYB... and requires playing with filters. The simple decoder adjustment is AXIS.

I just got a copy of the GWIII XBR service manual. It appears that the DVI input on this TV is not digital. The board does appear to be redesigned from the GWII. A 34 MHz filter is used on the Y output instead of 17 MHz on the GWII. This is probably why it has better HD resolution than the GWII and not an all digital path. The ATSC tuner also appears to be analog going into the electronics.

Can anyone try this for me..

After the "GLADIATOR" title..we get some words describing ssomething...

In VIVID mode i see lot of shadow...in the words and also...i see shadow lines along the outline of the face ... in the chapter 3 or 4

In PRO i do not see this...pic is very smooth in PRO mode..

do u notice it..

UMR..is there a way to correct this...

UMR

You might want to add a signature line to your post about reading your calibration post before asking these same questions over and over and over. ;-)

Originally posted by kbusam
Can anyone try this for me..

After the "GLADIATOR" title..we get some words describing ssomething...

In VIVID mode i see lot of shadow...in the words and also...i see shadow lines along the outline of the face ... in the chapter 3 or 4

In PRO i do not see this...pic is very smooth in PRO mode..

do u notice it..

UMR..is there a way to correct this...

I did not notice that earlier...shall check that tonite..what dvd player r u using? and how r u connecting it to the tv?

mallu,

DVD player is Sony 725p i am using Monster Component cables.

Originally posted by kbusam
Can anyone try this for me..

After the "GLADIATOR" title..we get some words describing ssomething...

In VIVID mode i see lot of shadow...in the words and also...i see shadow lines along the outline of the face ... in the chapter 3 or 4

In PRO i do not see this...pic is very smooth in PRO mode..

do u notice it..

UMR..is there a way to correct this...

Sure. Don't use VIVID.:D

Mallu,

Did u try Gladiator.


Also.. Does anyone see Screen-door effect from 15'-16' ...I see it in even on HD.. specially on blue sky, or when its showing all white...

is there a way we can eliminate it ohter than seating distance...

I've owned a 42" GW III as well as a 60" XBR950 at different times. The bottom line is this. You're gonna see the screen door effect with an LCD projection tv. Until they really increase the resolution on these sets it's not going away. You just have to either accept it or move on to a different technology. As far as I can tell there is no special distance that just makes the SDE go away.

How do I find out the number of hours on the lamp? I bought a floor model tv, so I would like to know. I want to have it calibrated, but I understand that replacing the lamp will require another calibration. I want to make sure the current lamp has sufficicent hours left to justify the expense.

I got into the service menu, but didn't know where to go from there, and didn't want to screw anything up.

Originally posted by kbusam
Also.. Does anyone see Screen-door effect from 15'-16' ...I see it in even on HD.. specially on blue sky, or when its showing all white...


Wow. You must have some great vision to see the less than 1mm distance between individual pixels from 15 feet away.

Do you have the XBR or the WE version of the set and what size? If you have the WE, are you sure you're not just seeing the anti-glare screen?

//b

Has anybody hooked the DVI output or the Firewire from a Mac G4 or G5 into the XBR950 and if so what were your results?

barretto,

I have a 70xbr950..

I notice SDE mostly when the screen is all same color(lighter colors).

I feel the PQ as good ( with no SDE) at about > 20'. But i cant sit that far :)

Thinking of going for a 50" plasma..but still cant decide.

What is the native resolution of the XBR: 1366 x 768 or 1386 X 788? I see both being mentioned on this thread.

What is the native resolution of the XBR: 1366 x 768 or 1386 X 788? I see both being mentioned on this thread.

Although the resolution of the LCD panels are 1386 x 788, I would believe that only 1366 x 768 are actually used for image display. 1386 x 788 square pixels is not a 16 x 9 ratio, and 1366 x 768 is a common output for scalers in LCD and Plasma displays. I would suspect the reason 1388 x 768 is so common is that it is an easy mathematic conversion from both 1280 x 720 and 1920 x 1080.

Any help on lamp hours? ... I read on a post that it is on the first page of the service menu. Is the very first screen that comes up (after doing the: Display - 5 - Vol + - Power) not the service menu? Because the first screen does not list the lamp hours.

Originally posted by skvinson
Any help on lamp hours? ... I read on a post that it is on the first page of the service menu. Is the very first screen that comes up (after doing the: Display - 5 - Vol + - Power) not the service menu? Because the first screen does not list the lamp hours.

JimP wrote this on the same thread sometime back: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=4063321#post4063321

What do u guys use to clean the screens- for removing dust & finger marks?

OK, I got to the fifth screen (pushing "5") in the service menu and saw this:

Lamp Time
96H 53 Deg . 01380
9CH 25 Deg

Does that tell me hour many hours are on this bulb?

BTW, the third screen showed:

LCD PJ Engine
Ver 10. 00B
03/06/30 662F

What is that telling me?

Thanks

mallu2u,

In answer to your question - since my TV was open box, I didn't get whatever special Sony cloth comes with the TV to wipe off the screen. I've been using a cloth I got with my Oakley sunglasses. It works well at removing dust and minor fingerprints. I tried a diluted soapy water solution (as the manual suggested), but that left streaks.

The Sony cloth feels like a microfiber cloth. And I'd strongly urge you to rarely use a cleaning solution on the screen as it can potentially cause it to yellow (its not glass). Sony says "mild claeaning solution". I'm sure there may be a UV coating on it you don't want stripped off by chemicals. If you have to use anything I'd just use a little water. Try a camera store and get one of their lens cleaning cloths. Something that's safe to use on a optical lens should be fine for the big XBR950.

Good suggestion driver. until then water (damped microfiber cloth) should be fine as well, right?

Originally posted by skvinson
OK, I got to the fifth screen (pushing "5") in the service menu and saw this:

Lamp Time
96H 53 Deg . 01380
9CH 25 Deg

Does that tell me hour many hours are on this bulb?

BTW, the third screen showed:

LCD PJ Engine
Ver 10. 00B
03/06/30 662F

What is that telling me?

Thanks

1380 hours are on your lamp.

Thanks umr.

If I remember right, the lamp life is 2000 hours - is that right?

Originally posted by skvinson
Thanks umr.

If I remember right, the lamp life is 2000 hours - is that right?

The lamps are predicted to have a life of 6,000 to 8,000 hours. My GWII lamp has 5,000 hours on it presently.

It's my understanding that a TV has to be recalibrated after changing the lamp. What exactly does that mean? Will the settings be totally off after a lamp change?

Brightness and grayscale.

Thanks,

As I understand it, brightness if fairly easy to do myself, right? Grayscale is the one that requires special equipment. Is it typically possible to get a partial calibration by an ISF-tech (i.e., just to deal with the issues necessary after a lamp change)?

Brightness (black level) adjustment shouldn't be an issue during a lamp change, unless you're primary viewing environment is a brightly lit room.

I have been using a 60XBR950 for a little over 2 months and have had no problems. Yesterday morning the TV would not turn on and a green indicator light just kept blinking. I figured it was the lamp. After a while I noticed that the screen looked like it was being "lit" up like the lamp was still on. I disconnected the TV from the power source and then the screen no longer looked like it was being "lit" up. This morning I plugged the TV back into the power supply and low and behold the TV turned on and now seems perfectly normal. By disconnecting the TV from the power source did it "reset itself"? Anyone know what might have happened? Has anyone experienced anything like this?

Welcome to the club -

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&postid=4172313

I've had it happen twice in 9 months, so far I'm just keeping an eye on it.

Tracey

Same thing happened to us. Call sony and place a service call. They replaced the power unit.....Their is a service bulletin....

Originally posted by harborhills
I have been using a 60XBR950 for a little over 2 months and have had no problems. Yesterday morning the TV would not turn on and a green indicator light just kept blinking. I figured it was the lamp. After a while I noticed that the screen looked like it was being "lit" up like the lamp was still on. I disconnected the TV from the power source and then the screen no longer looked like it was being "lit" up. This morning I plugged the TV back into the power supply and low and behold the TV turned on and now seems perfectly normal. By disconnecting the TV from the power source did it "reset itself"? Anyone know what might have happened? Has anyone experienced anything like this?

Originally posted by roblake
As I understand it, the XBR series has an additional filter on the LCD panels. If you pump the wattage up in a WE, you may fry the panels ... or at least prematurely age them.

I don't know yet if the panels are unit-replaceable or whether an entire new optical block would be required ...$$$.

The panels are replaced as a unit, I just had mine replaced (mistakenly, I might add) by sony. And if the tech was truthful, costs about $2k.

I have had my xbr950 70" since May. Great TV love it , but the control panel on the front just flops open. Called CC they sent someone out and the tech said the magnet was bad. He oredered a new one came in to replace it and it was the wrong part. Put in another order and I'm still waiting.

This is a sharp tv. Watched the Monday night game in HDTV. It was my first game in HD and it was amazing. In the store i saw a lot of pixilazation on fast moving scenes, but at home there was none. Using an indoor radio shack antenna for OTA hd. Works great.

Bob

It's not a magnet. It's a push to lock, push to open latch.

I'm watching the Olympics ... SD signal right now (they're replaying last night's ceremony on the HD channel). I'm seeing a lot of Screendoor Effect at times (especially women's beach volleyball). Is there a setting that would help alleviate this (e.g., Picture, Sharpness)? I've tweaked the set and overall it looks very good. I would like to know how to help this problem when it does arise.

Thanks

I went to CC Sat. at 9:30 pm, bought the XBR 70 and it was delivered Sun. noon. What a difference a few months makes. Back in March I would have had enough time to remodel my house before I got it.

I could have had a new house BUILT in the six months in took to get mine. Worth the wait, though - enjoy your new TV.

Any help on what setting(s) would help reduce Screendoor Effect?

Thanks

Sit 2 feet further back. :)

Sorry couldn't resist. With a 70" you can easily sit too close and see more Screen Door. At 8-9 feet it should go away entirely. You could play with the NR and Mild mode settings.

The Father-in-law came over and was totally blown away by my 70" XBR950. Naturallly!

Now he wants to upgrade to HDTV but can't afford the XBR ... he's looking at the lower end Sony GWIII's and is asking my opinion.

Honestly, I think you get what you pay for. When I saw the two side by side the XBR was (in my opinion) markedly more detailed and rich.

But I'd love to hear some opinions... the GWIII's aren't bad sets, and for someone looking to spend only around $3k, they are very nice sets. Besides, he's 66 years old with less than stellar vision... would he even notice a difference?

What do you think?

seanmcgpa

First of all, you don't necessarily get what you pay for. :-)

The GWIII is a fine set. When properly adjust (as with any set) it'll provide a phenomenal picture. I would highly recommend it.

If he's just now getting into HD, I think I'd be more concerned about showing him that not all programming is in HD. That's the issue that comes around more often than not.

Tell him to get a 60" XBR950. They can be had for around $3500 if you find someone right. You don't list your location (put it in your profile) so its hard for anyone to comment on who might be local that has decent prices.

Driver,

Thanks. I have moved further back (around 10'), but still see SDE. I'll play with Mild Mode and NR.

Originally posted by Driver
Tell him to get a 60" XBR950. They can be had for around $3500 if you find someone right. You don't list your location (put it in your profile) so its hard for anyone to comment on who might be local that has decent prices.

Okay, still trying to make a decision between the XBR, HitV500, Mits DLP and JVC Dila (haven't seen the JVC yet.) My decision would be made being able to grab the XBR for that price! Where/how in the world do you get a price like that?

I'm not opposed to buying out of state (Onecall, etc.) since I know I like the XBR so much, but the lowest I've seen the 60" is still about $700 more than that. How do you pull it off getting one for the price mentioned above?

BTW, I'm in the North Central WV/Pittsburgh region.

Originally posted by seanmcgpa
The Father-in-law came over and was totally blown away by my 70" XBR950. Naturallly!

Now he wants to upgrade to HDTV but can't afford the XBR ... he's looking at the lower end Sony GWIII's and is asking my opinion.

Honestly, I think you get what you pay for. When I saw the two side by side the XBR was (in my opinion) markedly more detailed and rich.

But I'd love to hear some opinions... the GWIII's aren't bad sets, and for someone looking to spend only around $3k, they are very nice sets. Besides, he's 66 years old with less than stellar vision... would he even notice a difference?

What do you think?

Ask him to wait for Sony's XS line being released next month...kinda like XBR with lot of good features at midway price b/w GWIII and XBR..and better looks than GWIII

Originally posted by Driver
Tell him to get a 60" XBR950. They can be had for around $3500 if you find someone right. You don't list your location (put it in your profile) so its hard for anyone to comment on who might be local that has decent prices.
Wow...where can one get a 60 XBR for 3500!! I got mine for 5k!!

Originally posted by mallu2u
Wow...where can one get a 60 XBR for 3500!! I got mine for 5k!!


Off the back of a truck? :D

UMR said,

"I just got a copy of the GWIII XBR service manual. It appears that the DVI input on this TV is not digital. The board does appear to be redesigned from the GWII. A 34 MHz filter is used on the Y output instead of 17 MHz on the GWII. This is probably why it has better HD resolution than the GWII and not an all digital path. The ATSC tuner also appears to be analog going into the electronics."

Does this imply that with a high performance 480P DVD player that there will be neglible (or no) difference between connecting 480P via component vs 480P via DVI?

This also begs the question, will the HDMI be pure digital? It is possible for an HDMI connector to be an analog input like the with a DVI connectior?

Damon

Sorry! I mistyped should've said $4500-4700. I checked what I had written down a few months back and I was wrong. My bad, I''ll go flog myself now. Sorry for getting your hopes up.

Originally posted by Driver
Sorry! I mistyped should've said $4500-4700. I checked what I had written down a few months back and I was wrong. My bad, I''ll go flog myself now. Sorry for getting your hopes up.

DAMN! I thought you had a 'connection.'

I do have a connection, he's just not as good as you all hope. I called him today, He has an open box unit (60") for $4499, and new ones are a few hundred more. He said he's about 15% less than best Buy and Circuit City on all of his Sony items. And the last few times I've been into it any of those stores they never had the 950's anyway. So, if you need a hookup in Austin with good prices, PM me. If not good luck. BTW: Those prices are the same he was quoting me last November, they haven't changed at all and CC and BB was getting full pop back then for the 950's via pre-order only. Fry's had a 70" that was $1500 more! I thought they actually had good prices until I saw that.

Sorry I messed up a few posts back, I gotta go put band-aids on the bleeding welts now, L8r :)

The GWIII's DVI is not a pure digital path... This was verified in my service manual many months ago when I was working to define many of the Service menu items... I believe it was the U board or UD board that sends the Component Signal to the internal input block. It's been a good 6 months plus since I reviewed the specs....

From the tests I conducted 4 months ago, The image quality displayed through the GWIII's DVI connection is far superior to it's Component inputs. The same resolution output from a HTPC to a GWIII - one via component and the other via DVI is like night and day. The Component signal is very washed out and blurred in comparison to the DVI.

Thx,
Vidkidd

vidkidd

I've got a GWIII and I find it hard to tell any difference between component and DVI. Its possible something is set different in either the user or service menu.

Have you tried this with something other than your HTPC?

Hey JimP.

I don't have any devices that will output > 480i to the GWIII. Once I built my HTPC, I no longer use DVD players any more. My once packed Pioneer 300+1 set sits empty at this point.. I feel a HTPC is a good benchmark unit as I can push any resolution with test patterns to the GWIII at any set refresh rate, etc. 720P Via component looked horrible compared to the exact timing over DVI....

Thx,
Vidkidd

Originally posted by vidkidd
The GWIII's DVI is not a pure digital path... This was verified in my service manual many months ago when I was working to define many of the Service menu items... I believe it was the U board or UD board that sends the Component Signal to the internal input block. It's been a good 6 months plus since I reviewed the specs....

From the tests I conducted 4 months ago, The image quality displayed through the GWIII's DVI connection is far superior to it's Component inputs. The same resolution output from a HTPC to a GWIII - one via component and the other via DVI is like night and day. The Component signal is very washed out and blurred in comparison to the DVI.

Thx,
Vidkidd

I would be careful about that judgement. I have seen no difference between component and DVI with quality signals and proper calibration on GWIII's.

Well the bulb just died on my 70" Sony. I called Sony today and they will fedex me a new one. I got my tv in late Feb and had a build date of Jan. I am not sure what bulb is in thier now, but was suprised to see it die so soon. Anything I should look for to make sure I get the correct bulb from them? Is the xbr bulb better (brighter) than the non xbr bulb?

Thanks,
Chad

From a long history of postings on this Forum, the XBR and the non-XBR bulbs are identical. The XBR just runs the bulb at brighter operating conditions, so it uses more power.

roblake,

Thanks for the fast response. I just want to make sure I get the correct part for my tv. I am stuck watching my 19 monitor until I get this part. I do not even want to play doom3 on my monitor because I like it so much better on the big screen)

Thanks,
Chad

Other than the obvious lack of picture, how did you determine that the bulb was out?

I was watching DVD from my HTPC and the picture went black. I thought the computer was just messed up, then the picure came back on about 30 seconds later, but only for about 2 seconds. After that the lamp light started to flash red. I then unplugged it and waited a few min. Turned the power back on and got the green standbye light for about 30 seconds flashing, then it stops and the lamp light flashes red for about 30 seconds, then it stops and the standbye light comes back on but its a steady red. Sony did not really asked any questions and said they will fedex me a new lamp. I am just upset that it did not last longer than it did.

Thanks,
Chad

Just got the new bulb sent next day air and it works great. When I took out the old bulb it looks like it blew up in side. The element was broken and lots of pieces of glass inside of it. I hope this new one last longer than the old one. I could not find a manufacture of the bulb on the new or old one. The buld did come in a sony box with part number xl-2100u. The bulb was really easy to change and my picture looks so bright now!!! I think this will fade some.

Thanks,
Chad

I have searched this AVS forum and made numerous trips to the local B & M stores for the past ten month's or so to decide on what type of TV technology and manufacturer to decide on. I thought I would put my trust in the Toshiba 62HM84 and put my order in with TVA on 07/08/2004. Toshiba had sent a memo about the middle of May stating the 62HM84 would be released at the end of July. July past and they released a memo stating it would be released at the end of August. Now it seems they will release it about the middle of September. Well I thought about several things related to the DLP technology and decided it still has a little work to do yet, especially SD with the HD2+ chip and maybe after they have more development in the xHD3 chip or 1080p technology I will get interested with DLP again. The second thing was that the 2004 Olympic Games had started along with the NFL preseason football games. So I called and canceled my order for the Toshiba 62HM84 with TVA, (no fault of their own as they have no control over the 62HM84 release date's from Toshiba) and so this past Friday I went to my local CC and bought a KDF-60XBR950 that was a floor demonstration model on sale so as to put the 70" model in its place. They delivered the set the following day, Saturday, Aug 21. I had always liked the picture on the Sony KDF-60XBR950 but it was a little pricey for me. Lucky that when I went to buy the set it was while they had it at a big discount. My wife and I couldn't be happier with the HD and SD viewing of this set especially after we had toned down the contrast, brightness, color and etc. We also bought a Tech Craft PTV582 three shelf stand along with the 4-year CC warranty, HD satellite receiver and DVD player. Truly amazing picture.

Jim

_______________________________________

photo of system is in my gallery

Originally posted by roblake
From a long history of postings on this Forum, the XBR and the non-XBR bulbs are identical. The XBR just runs the bulb at brighter operating conditions, so it uses more power.

Are the bulbs for the XBR 950 available to purchase as a spare? With my luck the bulb will go out when I have a bunch of people over for a special event. It would be nice to have one on hand.

Has anyone tried to purchase one?
jg

To find places selling the lamp for the Sony LCD TVs, go to Google and search for xl-2100u. You will find several places selling them, all for $199. Has anyone found a source for this bulb cheaper?

Thanks Runch, just ordered one from Vanns for $199 and free shipping.

Isn't that the same price that Sony is selling them for?

Have you heard what the RCA dlp's bulb is selling for? Something like $400. Big ouch.

$199! Lets find a cheaper source to get a spare lamp. Who makes "xl-2100u" lamp?

Originally posted by RareB
Just got the new bulb sent next day air and it works great. When I took out the old bulb it looks like it blew up in side. The element was broken and lots of pieces of glass inside of it. ...


Chad,

Does Sony want the old bulb returned ?

Nope, they never asked for the old bulb. I did keep it just in case.

Thanks,
Chad

When XBR sees a HD signal (720p and 1080i), it sets the mode at 'full mode' and locks the option to change the modes...is there a way to not have the TV lock the mode? Can that lock be disabled in SM somehow?

I know I HATE that too! Sony screwed up when they did that. Although I guess technically its part of the HDCP standard I find it hard to beleive that every show out there has the Bit set to prevent aspect changes. I think this is a Sony thing.

Doesn't Sammy have this issue too? Maybe there is something in the SM that might allow us to unlock it...any SM gurus out there...

Was wondering if any of you recommend using a DvD playere hooked via the DVI input on the TV? Shouldn't the quality be better through the DVI over the Component? I'm purchasing the DEnon 1910 anyone else doing the same?

When XBR sees a HD signal (720p and 1080i), it sets the mode at 'full mode' and locks the option to change the modes...is there a way to not have the TV lock the mode? Can that lock be disabled in SM somehow?

What would be the point?

There seem to be many posts indicating concern about this, here and elsewhere, but I don't get it. 720p and 1080i are 16x9 format... period, although they may contain a 4x3 picture with borders on the sides. Forcing normal mode would produce a horizontally squeezed picture (like watching an anamorphic DVD with the player set on 16x9, but on a 4x3 TV) with black bars on the sides. Forcing Zoom would show only the center of the picture area with significant areas of the top, bottom, and sides beyond the screen. Forcing Wide Zoom would do the same as Zoom, but remove less of the top and bottom of the picture, but with some vertical distortion.

I just can't see any reason that any of these would produce a desirable picture or effect except maybe the Zoom. However I believe that the Zoom mode is more for the purpose of filling the screen when viewing a 4x3 source that contains a letterboxed picture, than simply to zoom in for viewing of details. (You can't choose the area of the picture you are going to zoom into.)

The reason would be that some shows are shown in a leterboxed format that are NOT true HD. They are widescreen material in a 4:3 area. Being able to switch modes at that point would be nice. Some shows that come to mind are Andromeda, SG1, and a few others. It just sucks. Might as well be watching the SD channel at that point.

Driver,

If I understand then the mode that you'd want is the zoom mode?

I'm guessing you are speaking of the relatively few circumstances when these letterboxed 4x3 programs are broadcast over-the-air on stations that upconvert everything to HD. I think those stations would have to share the blame for the formatting at that point with Sony for not providing a zoom function that works in that situation.

I almost never use the zoom function on letterboxed 4x3 material anyway, because picture looks crappy blown up that big when sitting 12 feet away. I prefer the borders myself, but I see where you're coming from. Most of the material you mention is high definition source material that has been converted to SD in a 4x3 window, then converted again to HD with a 4x3 window.

If the stations would broadcast this material in true HD, I think we'd both be alot happier.

I do beleive the blame lies with both to a degree. The stations for havingquipment that broadcasts HD with the "Bit" always set to ON and engineers that are clueless to turn it off. And Sony for building a set that locks the ratio. Maybe Sony thought the broadcasters would be more responsible? I don't know what ultimately causes it other than what I see. I know that for KLRU here (PBS) none of their Digital TV broadcasts prevent me from changing the aspect.

I've said it before so here it goes again, True HD is a long way off from being the "Norm". We will see a lot of 4:3 Digital shows and upconverted material for years to come before even 50% of the material is true HD on the major networks. Other than a couple of TV show promos (Hawaii and LAX) I haven't even seen HD commercials yet. This gives a entirely new meaning to Early Adopters when the big stuff is still years off instead of the 6 months in the computer world.

so basically now tweak can turn the lock off in this TV. Sad...

Hello, i'm Tony new here my first post.

My wife can get this 70" for a little under 5k after taxes from her boss, we think it's a beautiful tv and we know the deal we can get is awesome, i'm new to all this DLP and LCD stuff and i want the best picture quality so your feedback is highly appreciated as it will help me make the right decision on purchase.

My ordeal, i was told by a Fry's employee that the 62 " Mitsubishi HDTV with DLP was a better television that this Sony would be, because the DLP would give me a better picture over the Sony as the DLP would transfer even analog signal to digital that being better than the SONY as LCD doesn't do that, also i believe with the mitsubishi i would be able to change the bulb myself.

My wife is leaning toward the Sony as it look much better and it does over the big box type Mitsubishi, but im more concerned about picture quality over how the tv will add to the decor of the house.

The 62" Mitsubishi HDTV with DLP would be around the same price that i can get this SONY under 5k, please help me weight the pros and the cons and which would you recomend me getting, thanks in advance.

Tony.

Tony: In my opinion, Sony XBR RP TV is the best RP TV you can buy in the market, period. Great build quality, less issues, better SD TV support, best looks. And yes you can change the bulb for this urself as well.
One thing I would like you guys to check in the TV...if you switch on the TV and look at a blank input...if you see any green bleed (instead of black screen.) All LCD TVs show some green bleed...hopefully thing one has a very small of that...other than that...would highly recommend that over others.

92 taurus SHO, with the Sony XBR you can change the bulb. Also, there is no difference between DLP and LCD for analog signals. The electronics are what make a difference with analog signals. I strongly recommend that you demo both TVs with the analog source you will be watching. This means your favorite non-animated DVDs, and then cable/sat. When I did this I found the Sony XBR superior to everything else in the marketin last Dec. I'm not familiar with the Mitsubishi. Suggest you find a store that will let you watch DVDs and Cable/Sat on both sets side by side and decide from that....joe

This weekend I finally received my new 70" XBR from Circuit City, as well as the Denon DVD-3910 player (from Tweeter). I didn't have the DVI cable so I watched it via component. For anyone with the XBR considering this player, I highly recommend it. It was a thoroughly enjoyable preview of hours to come. Now the bad news... the 70" XBR seems to be defective. On dark scenes there is a 4" flame-shaped orange-red blotch of color easily discernable in the lower left quadrant of the screen. Bummer! It doesn't look like something that's likely going to go away. I'll have to call Circuit City and see what they say. Anyone hear of this problem before?

--- Dr. Nick

heard of green bleed but that does not affect TV watching. With ur issue, i would get the TV replaced, since u just bought it.

Looks like i'll be getting the 70 inch Sony thanks for the info guys, i currently use a Sony CD/DVD DVP-S60 player, do i need to upgrade or is this good enough, if not what should i be looking into?

The rest of my home theater system that ive had for a while, Sony Receiver STR-DE915, Klipsch KG 5.2 L/R fronts, Venturi center speaker, Boston Acoustic rear speakers, 150 watt Sony subwoofer[the sub is the newest addition the rest ive had for a while].

Taurus: Check my thread for your DVD Player options: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=423609 Depending upon your budget there are various choices for u. We can discuss ur options in that thread since this one is for Sony XBR TV.

I had similar reddish blue dot in the dead center and it is visible on dark scenes or when turing the TV off. After some time it went away. I heard you have to let it burn in for some time before the dot disappears......





Originally posted by ntmd
This weekend I finally received my new 70" XBR from Circuit City, as well as the Denon DVD-3910 player (from Tweeter). I didn't have the DVI cable so I watched it via component. For anyone with the XBR considering this player, I highly recommend it. It was a thoroughly enjoyable preview of hours to come. Now the bad news... the 70" XBR seems to be defective. On dark scenes there is a 4" flame-shaped orange-red blotch of color easily discernable in the lower left quadrant of the screen. Bummer! It doesn't look like something that's likely going to go away. I'll have to call Circuit City and see what they say. Anyone hear of this problem before?

--- Dr. Nick

Dr. Nick, can't help you with the blotch you've been seeing but I would be interested in how CC handles it. I also purchased from them and they were absolutely first-class in resolving my TV exchange issues (60" to 70" XBR), although it had nothing to do with any defects in the picture. Perhaps umr can also weigh in with his opinion on what's going on with your set.

What I would really like to know once you get your picture issue resolved is how your new Denon 3910 performs with this set. I'm also considering this model and have been following the thread in the player forum. In particular I am curious as to how the picture compares when connected via component vs. DVI (once you get a DVI cable), plus how you have connected the audio (what receiver?) and what your impressions are there as well. I have the Denon 3805 receiver and am curious about using the DenonLink and how that compares to using the analog Ext-In connections.

Thanks for any further feedback you can provide on the Denon, and good luck resolving your picture issue. Fortunately my TV (about 3 months old) has had no issues whatsoever, and couldn't be happier with it.

Originally posted by JBaumgart
....Perhaps umr can also weigh in with his opinion on what's going on with your set.
....

It is hard to say without seeing photos. That orange-red color is odd. I would guess some type of light leakage, but I could be way off.

Does ANYONE know how to retract the "toe kick" or pedestal into the base? On my 70, it was fully extended. I thought there were buttons somewhere? I can't see any buttons. I could have sworn one of the display units I saw had buttons on the side of the toe kick. The manual for the TV is USELESS in this regard.

Originally posted by Patrick TX
Does ANYONE know how to retract the "toe kick" or pedestal into the base? On my 70, it was fully extended. I thought there were buttons somewhere? I can't see any buttons. I could have sworn one of the display units I saw had buttons on the side of the toe kick. The manual for the TV is USELESS in this regard.

I did not know once could retract the toe-kick. I would love to do that for my 60'' as well..

Originally posted by mallu2u
I did not know once could retract the toe-kick. I would love to do that for my 60'' as well..

You're only supposed to retract the toe-kick if you are using the Sony stand. The XBR950 sits down inside the Sony stand, so the toe-kick isn't needed for stability. See the instructions on page 2 of the Sony stand manual (http://www.gwinnetttv.com/video/tvs/bigscreen_tvs/sony/sugw3.pdf).

As far as the red-orange splot (there's a children's book about that) is concerned, I think UMR hit it on the head -- if I had to guess it seems that some where inside there is light spilling and/or reflecting onto the screen -- maybe I should open the back, or maybe just wait for circuit city...
As far as the 3910 is concerned, give it a "SPLENDID!" I first hooked it up with optical audio to my Pioneer Elite receiver and component to the TV. I really enjoyed the sound and the picture of Nemo and T3 and snippits of other stuff. Then I got my hands on a Monster DVI to DVI cable. It took some searching in the 3910 manual to figure out how to output to the DVI jack, but it turns out to be a fairly obvious button on the remote as well as on the front panel of the unit. I tried outputting at 520p, 720p, and 1070i. The XBR handled all but I felt that the 720 seemed like the crispest and smoothest (motion-wise) picture, which would make sense since that is the native res. of the LCD chip in the XBR. I watched Lost in Space and The Matrix last night. Fabulous! Very "film-like" in PQ, with the XBR set to "Standard" (not "Vivid") picture and Neutral (not "Cool") color temperature. The Matrix's eerie green coloring came through right on, and I couldn't stop watching (got to bed around 2:30AM). The audio sounds great through a 7.1 Definitive Technology setup (Mythos for the fronts), and with a killer SVS subwoofer I just bought (now where do I put that monstrosity!?). No complaints here!

-- Dr. Nick (aka avdoc@aol.com)

Originally posted by ntmd
... I tried outputting at 520p, 720p, and 1070i. The XBR handled all but I felt that the 720 seemed like the crispest and smoothest (motion-wise) picture, which would make sense since that is the native res. of the LCD chip in the XBR. ....

The native resolution on these sets is 788p. I would try 480p assuming you have done all the UMR tweaks. You are missing out if you have not done them.

What are you comparing the 3910 to? Were you able to do an A/B comparison? Did you use test patterns to make your determination of Splendid or movies only?

I stand corrected by UMR about the XBR's native resolution. In answer to the question, I did not look critically at 480p yet. I was taking moving and still images from movies and comparing different output modes. My previous DVD player was the Denon DVD-2800, a good unit that I felt had trouble with rapidly moving scenes. I have the AV Essentials disc but have not tried it yet. Any suggestions as to what would be useful information for the forum? And I will try 480p as you mentioned. I have not done any tweaks since I was told by a local ISF guy that I should let the set burn in for a couple of months first (maybe he was wrong). Meanwhile, I will try to post a photo of the red flare on the screen for everyone's information.

Thanks everyone!
-- Dr. Nick

ntmd,

Your ISF guy is wrong you do not need to burn-in the set for months. The only thing you might want some time on is gray scale, but most people don't do it. You will not get the best PQ without going into the service menu. It is a tragedy to have a player in this price range and not do the tweaks.

You can retract the foot on these sets. It was not too difficult, but you have to get the TV practically on its back and have it secure for a few minutes to do so. I placed mine on the floor and rolled it back against a wall I had laid couch cushions up against. Once you have it propped up and secure, there are two metal spring rods on the bottom of the foot on each side that must be squezzed inward and rotated inward. That will release the spring and allow you to retact the foot. It takes some working with the rods to get them released. You can tell Sony wanted to allow user's to do this (since it can be done) but doesn't want to put it in the manual due to liability reasons. I have a custom built cabinet for mine and retracted the foot 1/2 way so the face is flush with the cabinet (it looks amazing). I attached an 8 inch safety wire from the back of the cabinet to the back of the set for safety reasons. since the TV is less stable with the foot retracted, but not much.

RETRACTING THE FOOT

THANK YOU! This question has been asked & asked with no real answer until now. I knew there was a way! I do know I don't have the cojones to do it myself!

Ya...After reading above...although I would love to do it too...but am not sure about the stability without the foot. Maybe its there for the stability reason only. I think I shall pass it since I have a sub near the TV that shakes the entire ground. Dont want that to shake the TV too! Maybe Im thinking too much...and there you gotta have 2/3 people to lay the TV/be very careful and...

Wondering if any XBR owners here have purchased one of the new Denon DVD players, and what your impressions are when connected to your set. If you can comment, I would be interested in how it looks on component vs. DVI, and how it compares with your previous player. I currently have a Panasonic RP-56, which provides a very good picture over component, and it has given me zero problems, but am interested in upgrading my sound for CD listening, without giving up any PQ. The 3910 looks very attractive, but it is costly and I am trying to determine if it's worth it, or should I just wait to see what else comes along later this year (like maybe the 2910 or possibly the Samsung 941). Given how well the TV upconverts over component, maybe the new players wouldn't improve things enough to justify the expense.

Thoughts?

JBaumgart: Here is what I posted for Denon 1910: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=4342603#post4342603

Overall good player in terms of build, PQ. Has some quirks, if u can live with it. I would probably be still open to others (including 2910) at this point.

Also, you can check this thread of mine for your options: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=423609

Originally posted by mallu2u
JBaumgart: Here is what I posted for Denon 1910: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=4342603#post4342603

Overall good player in terms of build, PQ. Has some quirks, if u can live with it. I would probably be still open to others (including 2910) at this point.

Also, you can check this thread of mine for your options: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=423609

Mallu2u, thanks for the links and your candid review of the 1910. From your report and others that I had read I guess this one isn't the ideal mate for the XBR as far as being a significant upgrade from my current RP-56. A good part of my interest in wanting to upgrade is to get better sound, and in particular I'm curious to try DVD-A and SACD (which the 1910 doesn't have anyway). I'm also reluctant to lay our the $1,200+ for a 3910 - I might spring for it if gave a true HD picture, which of course it does not. So I guess I'll be looking closely at the 2910 when it arrives, as the price would be more palatable. And I might consider the Samsung 941 if it ends up surprising people, as it will be cheaper still.

Too bad Sony doesn't come out with a quality but reasonable priced player specifically designed to mate with their GWIII's and XBR's. It would output their native 788P resolution and have flexible bass management for SACD.

JBaumgart,

I would get a Denon DVD-3800 from ecost. That would be very hard to beat at that price point.

Originally posted by umr
JBaumgart,

I would get a Denon DVD-3800 from ecost. That would be very hard to beat at that price point.

umr,

Thanks for the suggestion, but I just checked and they appear to be out of them - at least there are none for sale right now. I think I'm going to wait until the 2910 is available, and see how it rates/compares with the others in that mid-point price range.

Umr, can you speculate why Sony doesn't come out with one that's specifically geared to the GWIII's and XBR's? It would seem there would be a market for them.

Originally posted by JBaumgart
umr,

Thanks for the suggestion, but I just checked and they appear to be out of them - at least there are none for sale right now. I think I'm going to wait until the 2910 is available, and see how it rates/compares with the others in that mid-point price range.

Umr, can you speculate why Sony doesn't come out with one that's specifically geared to the GWIII's and XBR's? It would seem there would be a market for them.

You could also get a DVD-3800 from ebay. A DVD-2900 is available from ecost at this time.

Waiting on the 2910 and its reviews are pointless if you want the best PQ. Faroudja is inferior for film compared to Silicon Image. Kris Deering of Secret's fame does not use Faroudja for film and neither do I. We have both used Faroudja and judged it to be less than SI for film at this time because they filter the image to remove artifacts from certain types of MPEG compression. It is best not to follow the crowd if you want the best PQ. Faroudja has a superior video mode, but I use my DVD player mostly for film. Faroudja also has superior marketing and product development to support video scaling.

I would speculate there is no Sony specific player because it does not make sense from a technical standpoint. These TV's are designed to work with the current NTSC and ATSC video standards. The display device (LCD panels) does not conform to any of those resolutions. 788p is not supported in any of those standard video formats. Sony is also using electronics in these sets that are consistent with their other TV's not computer monitors. This is generally a good thing. The quality of XBR electronics and scalers is high and even the WE610 series uses a reasonably high quality of electronics that allows considerable flexibility.

Designing a DVD player to specifically feed these sets would also require the TV to support that resolution and it does not. This assumes that Sony would not resort to the typical marketing hype of these upscaling players.

Sony is also big on anti-aliasing filters. Anytime you digitally sample a periodic thing you have a chance of inducing sampling artifacts. These artifacts are commonly referred to as moire in the video world. Sony would very likely filter the 480p image to make the signal more compliant with the Nyquist sampling rules. This would correspond to about 394p or 1/2 of the 788p image if they followed the Nyquist rules. Many people myself included prefer a little moire to a reduction in resolution, but Sony always seems to err the other way. That is the trade-off of removing or reducing the filtering as suggested in the UMR Does... threads. I don't see how it makes sense to upscale 480p to 788p just to filter it to avoid moire which is what Sony would likely do.

Because of these things I believe Sony does not feel a scaling player would add any true value. The sales and marketing department would probably like a product like this, but Sony seems to take the high road on video most, but not all, of the time.

I should add that I find it rather ironic that people are buying Faroudja players with built-in scalers to feed their TV a native signal in the hope of getting the cleanest image. They are instead getting an image that has had the chroma part of the image heavily filtered in the vertical plane. Where if they would have fed the set with an analog image that did not undergo Faroudja processing it would have about twice the resolution assuming the TV treats a 480p and a 720p/1080i image similarly.

I have noticed a few posts where people are suprised their inexpensive JVC (Non-Faroudja) player can look better than their Faroudja. Those that don't either have not tried other players or they are suffering from the anti-aliasing filtering in their TV on the 480p input or they have poor analog electronics.

Thanks, again, umr for your excellent explanation and separating the facts from all the hype. It would seem that the 3800 would offer the best PQ for the XBR display, especially if I can find one in excellent condition at a good price, and I will look for one.

Your input into this is very appreciated.

My Denon DVD-3800 is the video device that I own that I am most satisfied with.

umr: Is there an upscaling Silicon Image-based DVD player that you would recommend?

Originally posted by mallu2u
umr: Is there an upscaling Silicon Image-based DVD player that you would recommend?

I don't believe there is one on the market. Be sure to read my post above. Upscaling a DVD player externally is not the primary issue in most cases to obtaining a very high quality picture.

The only SI based scaler solutions I know of are external. An IScan HD with an SDI input from an SDI player is what Kris Deering uses. I have not seen it, but I would guess that would provide about the best PQ available if you choose a DVD player with an excellent MPEG decoder and transport. The scaler and PAL to NTSC converter is the feature I would like to have along with the automatic ICP filter. I see little value for externally scaling 480p to 720p or 1080i on the Grand Wega unless you don't implement my recommended tweaks.

I have to agree with UMR. I have a Proceed PDMT interlaced player and the image from it is superior to 3 different top deinterlaced players, and better than the Bravo D1 over DVI...joe

Originally posted by Joe Jensen
I have to agree with UMR. I have a Proceed PDMT interlaced player and the image from it is superior to 3 different top deinterlaced players, and better than the Bravo D1 over DVI...joe

The Proceed is one I considered as well. It is a very nice player. You might want to give a Denon DVD-9000 a spin. You should see an improvement and you might even free up some change in the process. The audio should be close as well on that model.

Proceed is one heck of a player I guess. Too much for me to afford though :) I shall search the shallow waters of cheaper dvd players I guess!

Having said what I did, the difference between the $250 Bravo D1 and the $6K Proceed as small. I would never pay that difference today. If I were shopping I'd try to find the player with the best MPEG and a solid transport and analog section...joe

I'll second a recommendation of the Denon 3800. I bought one on umr's advice and the PQ is great. At the time, there were two for sale on the net. One happened to be 20 minutes away. I considered it providence.

BTW, there were a few fixes done on the 3800. I found out from DenonJeff that the 9000 transport became standard from the factory in Oct. 2002. So, any unit made after that is ok. Not sure when the chroma problem was fixed, but Denon's tech support will mail a CD-rom with the fix.

Anyone ever have problems with the screen losing focus for a second or two when watching HD content? I am trying to figure out if the problem is with my set or the cable receiver.

Has anyone messed around with the S control IR ports on the back of the TV? The manual really doesn't talk about them. I bought mono-1/8" cables from RatShack and tried to Daisy-Chain my components together. My components are in a custom cabinet below the TV where they are hidden from view. I hooked my 60xbr950 to my Denon 3805 and was able to relay signals. As soon as I hooked the IR out from the 3805 to my DVD player nothing worked any more. I tried a couple of other combos and it always worked from the TV to one item.

My plan now is to get a Xantech CB60 connecting block, use the TV's output as the sensor and run the other components.

Anyone else with experience? Thanks,

If you have Sony components that also have S-video jacks you CAN daisy chain from one component to the next. If you have non Sony equipment then results are unknown. What you suggest may work and is worth a try.

Hi,

I have had my KDF60XBR950 for about 8 months.

I Love it Just ONE problem.

Behind the glass I see dust images that have sucked through the tv Glass and it is getting more apparent on at least three sides of the tv.

My question is two fold:

1-Can that glass be remove and clean the streaks of dust behind it?

2- Anybody I can call to help on this?

Thanks!!!!!!!!

vankay

Originally posted by vankay
Hi,

I have had my KDF60XBR950 for about 8 months.

I Love it Just ONE problem.

Behind the glass I see dust images that have sucked through the tv Glass and it is getting more apparent on at least three sides of the tv.

My question is two fold:

1-Can that glass be remove and clean the streaks of dust behind it?

2- Anybody I can call to help on this?

Thanks!!!!!!!!

vankay

I called and had sony come and fix this under warranty a few months ago. It was a pain in the ass to get sony to fix it, and now 2 months later it is starting to happen again. I watched them fix it and they had to remove the entire back of the tv, and some other big parts to clean the glass. When the tv was taken apart I could see that the glass is not sealed from the inside of the tv and that is where the dust is coming from. Sony did not really give me a problem fixing it, but the people they had me call would not fix it because they said sony would not cover it. After a bunch of phone calls I was able to get sony to call the repair shop to auth the repair. If you problem is like mine, it looks almost like a small crack at the edge of the tv. It keeps getting bigger and when you look close it is just dust. I know other have posted about this before and I did when it happened to me. Sony does know this is a problem with this tv, but its hard to get it fixed since its just dust and they do not cover cleaning. Good luck!!

Thanks,
Chad

Originally posted by 92 Taurus SHO
Looks like i'll be getting the 70 inch Sony thanks for the info guys, i currently use a Sony CD/DVD DVP-S60 player, do i need to upgrade or is this good enough, if not what should i be looking into?

The rest of my home theater system that I've had for a while, Sony Receiver STR-DE915, Klipsch KG 5.2 L/R fronts, Venturi center speaker, Boston Acoustic rear speakers, 150 watt Sony subwoofer[the sub is the newest addition the rest ive had for a while].

After reading this forum for 6+ months, I finally took the dive and went for the 70 inch. For the money, it is absolutely incredible. I was worried after reading various posts re problems, splotches, stuck pixels, etc., but realized that forums like these are dominated by people having problems, not the vast majority of owners who do not.

I started implementing the various tweaks suggested by the power users, but that was taking too much time away from watching excellent video. I am bumming about the lack of HD sources, especially now with baseball season ending. I don't know what other markets offer, but San Diego Cox/Time Warner have the Padres in HD and it without a doubt an incredible viewing experience, far surpassing other HD or DVD content I've been looking at. With baseball about over, I'll be Jonesing for better content and may be stuck with DVD rentals (at least until I get HD TIVO).

Maybe because I'm not the tech-phile that many of you are, I felt like I had a great experience using my old Sony STR-DE 915, Sony DVD, and Bose speakers. I'm sure adding another $5k to get SOA equipment would improve my situation, but I think the XBR is a far better investment, and I'll make due until my lottery numbers come in.

One question: Having tracked prices since March, I was surprised to get the deal I did--basically the 70" including taxes and setup for the price that CC and others list for the 60". Is there a feeling out there that prices are coming down on these units? No buyer's remorse, but given the new cheaper Sonys coming on the market next month, maybe the XBR's are dropping.

Visually ecstatic in San Diego.

As far as lack of sources, most HD programming comes from the broadcast networks in the evening. Have you connected a TV antenna to your TV? It has a built in digital tuner and should be able to receive your local network stations over the air. Does your cable TV not have the locals available in HD yet? If not try a TV antenna.

The Silver Sensor, sold by Sears for $40.00. work wonders for many. It is a small UHF indoor antenna. If you get one, be sure you connect it to the VHF/UHF Jack on the back of the set, switch to the over the air tuner and then do a scan for local channels. You can check antennaweb.org for information about local channels, the direction to aim the antenna and more information.

Although I haven't had the dust or blotches problem others have reported here, you get the feeling it's almost inevitable if in fact there is a small opening that allows dust to get in. I wonder if this is a defect that only affects certain units, or if it's a universal problem on all of them. I assume it's the former, otherwise more people would be reporting it and complaining about it. Hope that's the case, anyway - if it is a common problem, Sony should offer all owners a permanent fix under warranty.

I am wondering.......

If sony comes and fixes the inside glass cover, Dust Problem will it be a permanent Fix?

Or will this occur again after 8 months or so???

Lastly, when the warrenty runs out what would it cost? Hopefully not too much.

It's like a vacum that sucked dust in the inside of the glass!

Kind of ridiculus...

vankay

Read my post) it is not a perm fix. I had it fixed and I am having the same problem a few months later. All they did was take it appart and clean it. They did nothing to seal the glass.

Thanks,
Chad

Originally posted by Runch Machine
As far as lack of sources, most HD programming comes from the broadcast networks in the evening. Have you connected a TV antenna to your TV? It has a built in digital tuner and should be able to receive your local network stations over the air. Does your cable TV not have the locals available in HD yet? If not try a TV antenna.

The Silver Sensor, sold by Sears for $40.00. work wonders for many. It is a small UHF indoor antenna. If you get one, be sure you connect it to the VHF/UHF Jack on the back of the set, switch to the over the air tuner and then do a scan for local channels. You can check antennaweb.org for information about local channels, the direction to aim the antenna and more information.

Runch: Thanks for the antenna info. I've been reading the posts on antennas, and was going to try the SS, or maybe the Radio Shak 15-1862. I have good flat line of sight to the transmitters, but no attic and a flat roof with little chance for erecting a big antenna. The XBR owners manual discourages interior antennas, though, so I wasn't sure. I'll give the SS a try--for $40, it's pretty much a no lose.

So I guess there is no way avoiding this problem.

Looks like I have to call a sony repair shop every 8 months for them to clean the INside part of my xbr950 Glass from dust.

Too Bad that they can't seal the damn thing permanantly from preventing it to dust!

vankay

Remember, this is digital.....You will have it or you won't. HDTV was only to reach 50 miles . But here in the flat lands we get it on outside, and the strongest stations we can use one inside a building at 90m miles away on 1500 plus towers at the transmitter site......First if you have a good VHF-UHF they have sold for years like rabit ears, but you most of the time will be using the UHF part of the antenna try that. Zenith has a very good inside antenna that works. Remember most of the HDTV stations is in the U H F BAND, thats right. Also the F.C.C. wanted everybody to be able to get it on antenna in HD.

Originally posted by JacksonB
Runch: Thanks for the antenna info. I've been reading the posts on antennas, and was going to try the SS, or maybe the Radio Shak 15-1862. I have good flat line of sight to the transmitters, but no attic and a flat roof with little chance for erecting a big antenna. The XBR owners manual discourages interior antennas, though, so I wasn't sure. I'll give the SS a try--for $40, it's pretty much a no lose.

I would recommend picking up the RS 15-1880 (indoor) along with SS antenna. RS one is amplified and might help. Better to try both out at one time, rather than one after the other...found RS to be better than SS, in my case.

mallu2u:

Good idea about trying both antennas at once. Out of curiosity, what's the difference b/w the RS 1862 and 1880? Some posts indicate that you shouldn't use an amplified antenna, or add an amplifier (due to added noise?). Any problems with that on the 1880?

JacksonB: Can't seem to find the 18-1562 on their website and therefore do not know the difference. In my home, I tried many non-amplified and amplified indoor antennas and liked 15-1880 the best as it picked up many stations that others did not. Thats why recommend you to try all at once. That antenna is one of the best that RS offers. Many people like this double bow-tie antenna (http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F003%5F001%5F001%5F000&product%5Fid=930%2D0998) as well but I have never tried it. Since 1880 already has the amplifier built-in, you shall not need an external antenna. I know there is an amp for Silver Sensor that one can add. Dont know that one though since I did not try it. RS is just easier to test out since they are available easily

If you have more Qs, feel free to PM me since I do not want to divert from the main topic of this thread.

I use a Silver Sensor with good results. I'm about 15 miles away from the antenna farm, and the antenna sits just below ground level. On some channels I will occasionally lose a signal, and have to get up and adjust the antenna a little bit, which is a pain. About 95% of the time the reception is uninterrupted on all stations, but weather can sometimes be a factor. I think it would be more consistent if the TV and antenna were located on the upper level of our house. I am thinking about trying one of these: http://www.antennasdirect.com./db2_bowtie_antenna.htm
which is supposed to be one of the best indoor antennas available. They also make a longer range (but bigger) version that you can check out here: http://www.antennasdirect.com./db4_bow.htm

The only problem with these is their appearance so I would have to find a way to hide it, probably in the attic, which in my case would require some work and a pretty long cable run, so I'm still thinking about it.

Did anyone see white bars instead of black bars while watching standard definition TV? I have one channel which shows white bars instead of black bars on the side. We are almost running out of warranty on our 70" TV and just want to make sure it is not a manufacturing defect.

Any help or suggestions is appreciated.

Thanks

Yes some stations have gray bars instead, its up to them.

I know there has been some discussion about this, but I haven't found the thread, Can someone give me a good website to order a bulb replacement for my 60'? I also need the exact manufacturer as I remember some discussion on which works best.

Thanks, and to add some value back, I've had my 60' since December '03, I've done UMR's tweaks (awesome), retracted the foot and built a custom entertainment center for it. I have zero problems with it, I just want to have a replacement ready.

Thanks.

Perhaps there are some dealers who would like to offer a special price here to forum members on replacement lamps.

You got me curious about this because the last time I looked, I couldn't find any. I see Sony Style finally has these:


http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=XL2100U&Dept=tv&CategoryName=tv_TVDepartmentAccessories_Lamps

for $199. Amazon (via Vann's) has it for $189:


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00024BK2G/102-1304864-7437706?v=glance

No clue as to whether these are Philips or OSRAM. However, when I originally got my 70 back in January, it did the buzz thing and finally flashed the replace lamp light all the time. Sony sent out a tech to replace the bulb and driver circuit. I was a little dismayed that the replacement bulb was also a Philips (I was hoping for OSRAM) but the set hasn't made a peep since then. Always comes on nearly immediately and I haven't even thought about this in months.

It seems to me that having a spare bulb on hand is a good idea and the price looks better than the $300 the dealer originally mentioned. Has anyone had a bulb wear out yet (not fail because it was defective)? Is there warning? My set looks wonderful, as great as the day I got it.

I'd worry a little about keeping a bulb on the shelf because they only have a 90 day warranty, and that presumably starts when purchased, not when installed. :)

I'll have to call my local dealer to see if they now keep these in stock. That would answer my concerns about downtime but if not, an extra $15 for overnight shipping on a $200 purchase might be worth it anyway.

As a follow up to the discussion a couple of pages ago regarding DVD players for the XBR950, I just bought a Denon DVD-2900 for my 60" and it's working very well. These models are discontinued, and I bought the last new in box model for $699 at the Good Guys near me.

I looked at my DVD habits, and saw that most of the movies I watch are from film sources. And I was interested in DVD-A and SACD. The DVD-2900 has better quality audio DAC's than the new DVD-2910. After implementing UMR's tweaks and calibrating with the THX Optimizer, I think this is a great player for the GWIII. The whole DVI/upscaling thing seems to be a hot trend right now, but it doesn't make any sense for the GWIII.

The surprising thing was that the jump in picture quality from my 5 year-old non-progressive scan Pioneer DVD player to my new Denon 2900 wasn't as big as I expected. I think it goes back to the fact that, like UMR said, the electronics in the XBR950's are very good and it probably does an excellent job of deinterlacing.

Originally posted by ArchieGates
....The surprising thing was that the jump in picture quality from my 5 year-old non-progressive scan Pioneer DVD player to my new Denon 2900 wasn't as big as I expected. I think it goes back to the fact that, like UMR said, the electronics in the XBR950's are very good and it probably does an excellent job of deinterlacing.

The PQ is usually more a function of doing the tweaks than the DVD player. The improvement offered by the player is a function of the output accuracy (y/c delay, levels...), MPEG decoder, deinterlacer and inverse telecine. Your TV's deinterlacer and inverse telecine is not terrible. Surprisingly, I think the most consistent improvement is from Faroudja based players because of the filtering. Most of the arguments over the "best" DVD player are a waste of time unless you are pretty picky.

Originally posted by umr
The PQ is usually more a function of doing the tweaks than the DVD player. The improvement offered by the player is a function of the output accuracy (y/c delay, levels...), MPEG decoder, deinterlacer and inverse telecine. Your TV's deinterlacer and inverse telecine is not terrible. Surprisingly, I think the most consistent improvement is from Faroudja based players because of the filtering. Most of the arguments over the "best" DVD player are a waste of time unless you are pretty picky.

UMR: I had problems with the 60XBR800 I had before I got my 60XBR950 (I've made posts elesewhere about my prior woes). As part of the troubleshooting process (they thought the DVD player was the problem) the dealer loaned me a couple of ~$170 SONY DVD players. When I did an apples to apples comparison with them to my $650 Denon 2800.MK.II, I felt that the PQ was superior on the Denon (much clearer, less grainy, with more vibrant colors). I felt justified in spending the extra $$ on the DVD player, or was I just kidding myself (if PQ isn't very dependent on the DVD player)?

Originally posted by Ben:Gb
UMR: I had problems with the 60XBR800 I had before I got my 60XBR950 (I've made posts elesewhere about my prior woes). As part of the troubleshooting process (they thought the DVD player was the problem) the dealer loaned me a couple of ~$170 SONY DVD players. When I did an apples to apples comparison with them to my $650 Denon 2800.MK.II, I felt that the PQ was superior on the Denon (much clearer, less grainy, with more vibrant colors). I felt justified in spending the extra $$ on the DVD player, or was I just kidding myself (if PQ isn't very dependent on the DVD player)?

I am not saying the difference is zero. The magnitude of the difference is very player specific. It is frequently less significant than most people give it credit. I am not giving up my Denon 3800 either, but I know I am one of the picky people. Less expensive players frequently have level problems or inverse telecine problems that can be worked around if you know what you are doing.

Here is a non-video question. The set has an audio feature called Steady Sound which is supposed to limit sudden swings in the volume (e.g. loud commercials). This feature has little to no effect on my set. Has anyone come across a threshold or range adj for this in the sm? It seems that it should be in there somewhere. Network programs could sure use it, (!) and we don't use the tv sound for movies.

Dave W

If you have a big change in audio , I would call your local station.One of our stations at first had this problem. When they did local program, it was way to loud.....on the HD channel. On the regular channel it was closer to the same level. Any kind of auto sound level is OK for this way of keeping the level correct , but it takes away the dynamic range. So like you said you would not want to listen to music with this on. Many amps & DVD players also have this in the digital audio for watching a movie late at night. This way for a loud sound effect it wont wake everybody up.

Memory stick Problem

I just bought a Sandisk 512Mb Memory stick Pro card and the TV wouldn't read. It has red light, usually it is green when you insert the stick. Did anyone else had problems? Any suggestions.

Thanks

G.B., thanks for the reply. I understand your points about the dynamics. I switch on the "big" system for any serious listening but for routine tv viewing, I wish that feature was more effective. Bet there is a limiter adj buried in there somewhere. If I find it, I'll post it. Thanks

Dave W

madipac, the Sony will only take the old style memory stick cards, I think they are only available up to 256MB. The larger capacity are called "Pro" I thnk, and the Sony manual says they can't read "Pro" cards...joe

I have the Sony Memory Stick Duo Adapter with the smaller 256 MB Memory Stick PRO Duo chip and it reads perfectly. Previously I had tried a SanDisk stick and had problems with it as well. This might just be an issue with SanDisk sticks as well.

And to be a little contrary to what Joe said I haven't seen anywhere in the manual where it says Pro stuff won't work and on the front of the tv on that little silver badge the word "PRO" is clearly displayed. At least on my set it is.

I'm wondering how many of you have noticed that maybe your tv screen is rotated, or lower on one side than the other. Sony is giving me flak about this, saying it is within spec when one side of my screen is 1/2" lower on the right than on the left. They've even replaced the optical engine once for this. Now they are saying it is "within spec". Saying that some tilt is "normal" and they can't do anything about it.

Please pop in a DVE test patern or next time you are watching a HD Football or Nascar event with scroll bars across the top see if you notice it. With text going across or a smaller than 16x9 ratio (Hidalgo) film I see it clearly. There is no adjustment for this in the menu.

If you had a repair for this please PM me the info. I'm going to have to do something to make them budge at this point. Makes me wonder why they did the optical engine repair if this is "Normal". :mad:

Thanks

No tilt with my TV. I would not accept 1/2", that's a ton...joe

Driver, I had this problem where the right side was wider at the bottom than at the top. If you watched a 4:3 program, the black bar on the right side was wider at the bottom than at the top. I had a tech out and he talked to Sony, who said there was no adjustment for screen geometry. The store, Ultimate Electronics swapped it out for another one. I looked around at many stores selling these and MOST of the sets had this defect.

Ultimate took a new one out of the box and let me connect a DVD player so I could run a test pattern on it at their store. It was perfect, to one scan line. The only way to see this slight amount was on a test pattern.

I actually took pictures of the first set with the defect with a digital camera that had a memory stick and took it to the store so they could see it on the demo model, which also had the problem.

Can you still return the set? I believe the problem is with the way the mirror is mounted. I took the back off the first set and if I pressed on the mirror, the problem went away. However, there is no adjustment to move the mirror.

I've had the TV way too long for them to take it back. At this point its in their hands and I guess if they don't get a second set of eyes to look at the set or replace it or whatever it takes to fix it then I'll have to try something else (legal). A $7K Retail set should be perfect or pretty dang close and this isn't there, the more I watch HD the more it bugs me. :(

Is PIP on the 950 totally worthless?

As far as I can tell, you can't use a digital (HDTV, dvd or otherwise) source for the PIP, so obviously you can't have side by side HDTV, so what's the point in having PIP in the first place? It would be nice if I could run a coax into the set's HD tuner and run my HDTivo side by side to watch two football games, but I don't see any way to make that happen. Am I missing something?

No you are not missing anything. What you can do is watch HD Tivo on your componenet or DVI input and watch an over the air ANALOG channel. With the smaller pictures side by side, the analog doesn't look too bad.

To do this, tune to an analog channel first, then bring up the split screen and change the input to the HD TIvo's input.

The local Sony outlet has a 2003 60" XBR950 for about $4k with a full 2yr warranty. Based on the XS line and other changes in technology, is this still as good of a deal as it seems? The local CC's 2004 version is about $800 higher for a floor model, and 1400 higher for a in the box one.

It sounds like a great deal to me. Dealer cost on the 70" is around $4700. Getting the 60 with a TWO year warrenty for for $4000 sound like a steal. It's a great set. What kind of deal can you get on the matching stand? Do they have any 70s available? We love ours and others who see it are amazed by the bright, clear and sharp picture.

No stands available for the xbr at the Sony Outlet. No 70's this week. the say they get 2-3 a month though. I've got the Rocket RSC200 as a Center Channel so I figure I'll have to make a custom stand, of find something from a 3rd party. PA tax is 6% which is <or= to most .com's shipping. Though it is a refirb, I think the full warranty is a good piece of mind. I've gotten a lot of stuff from the outlet and haven't had anything that needed service yet, other than the magnetic strip on the Visa card.... I really want go with the HS20or51 PJ but during most parties will have pool and poker going on in an adjacent part of the room.

What city and state is this Sony Outlet store located in?

There's one in San Marcos, Tx right on I35 exit 199 (I think).

about an hour away for me Lancaster, PA. I'll probably head there Saturday evening. They won't give prices over the phone. I don't know if they ship or not.

My parents' friends have asked me for help on buying a new set. I have recommended either the 60XBR950 or the 70XBR950 for their new living room. Today they told me that they are reconfiguring the seating area once again. The main part of the sofa will be14-15 feet from the screen. However, additional seating could be as close as 6 or 7 feet. Will the 70 inch set be completely overwhelming? I saw both sets months ago and the PQ was great.

Thanks in advance for any feedback. (I read many of the posts in this thread and couldn't find enough of a discussion on seating distance.)

LisaM,

6 to 7 feet would be too close in my opinion. I have the 70 and sit about 11-12 feet away from it, which is about as close as I'd want to be.

6-7 feet is fine in my opinion. I sit that close all the time when I'm in front of my remote LCD computer terminal (Raritan) in that room. Looks great very Theater-like whereas the 12 foot seating distance is more just like what it is... A big screen tv in the room. I think right at 7.5-8' is optimal on the 70".

Just my opinion.

While 7 feet may be "optimal" for a "theater-like" experience, I found that sitting that close to the 70" gave me a headache after 30 mins. I ended up buying the 60" and rearranging the family room so that the TV is in one corner and the couch is in the opposite corner. That way SHMBO can sit almost 11 feet from the screen. Also sitting farther back lessens the appearance of the dreaded "screen door" effect.

Originally posted by Driver
6-7 feet is fine in my opinion. I sit that close all the time when I'm in front of my remote LCD computer terminal (Raritan) in that room. Looks great very Theater-like whereas the 12 foot seating distance is more just like what it is... A big screen tv in the room. I think right at 7.5-8' is optimal on the 70".

Just my opinion.

I sit from 8 to 11 feet away from my 70" and I think anything within this range is perfect. I don't get any headaches unless the Vikings are playing. :rolleyes:

I am considering getting a KDF-60XBR950.
In a previous message on this forum, someone
mentioned a 2003 model. What are the differences
between one manufactured in 2003 vs 2004. Is the
there a way for me to tell which year model they
are selling?

I also currently have Dish TV without HDTV.
I am not sure yet whether to go OTA or upgrade to Dish TV HDTV.
How is the the picure quality on the 950 using standard
Dish non HDTV signal?

Thanks

I don't think there is a difference between one made in 2003 or 2004. They are all 2004 models. As far as getting HDTV from Satellite, I would strongly encourage you to switch to Directv and get an HD-Tivo receiver. I love mine.