I've got a 60XBR950 with a Dish 811. The PQ on the local channels really isn't that good (not as good as I expected) I do most of my local channels OTA, to the point I'm considering dropping locals from my package.

However, your decision to go to Dish HD should be independent of your decision to use OTA, since you don't get the same HD channels from Dish as you get from OTA (unless you are in an O&O market or have a waiver).

For me, PQ between the OTA Tuner in the XBR950 and the DISH 811 is in the grass.

Guys,

As good as the upconverting circuitry is in the latest digital TV sets out today, I still still an obvious difference between 480p and 720p output, for example, on my DLP HD2+ set.

So if getting a superior 480-only progressive scan DVD player will produce a better PQ than some of the lesser models which happen to also do upconversion, doesn't that kinda leave you with a catch-22? Yes, color and varying white/black levels reproduction is key (as is A/V synch if you have that as a problem), but as long as that isn't out-of-whack, the resolution really does make a difference too. So how can the enthusiasts here opt out of upconversion from the DVD's end? I wish the sets were able to nullify the difference, as they do upconversion to their own native rez, but that isn't the case.

Quick Q, This TV is HDCP compiant, right? So that I can connect this TV with HDCP compliant HDMI DVD Player?

Originally posted by mallu2u
Quick Q, This TV is HDCP compliant, right? So that I can connect this TV with HDCP compliant HDMI DVD Player?

The TV is HDCP compliant. I use it with HD Tivo and HDTivo does use HDCP protection. You would have to get a cable to convert from HDMI to DVI, which is what is on the back of the Sony TV.

I have never heard of an HDCP compliant DVD player. DVD players do not provide an HD picture since the best they can do with the current format is 480P, though some DVD do perform their own upconversion, this seems like a waste because the TV does it as well.

Runch: Was referring to an upconversion player, as you guessed already. Panny or Sony player. Which brand of cable r u using?

I use the HDMI to DVI cable that came with my HD-Tivo. Since the signal out of an HDMI jack is digital, there is no reason to buy a fancy over priced cable. Check on line for a good cable at a cheap price. There are several dealers on Ebay that sell good cables for a tenth of the price you will find them at big box stores.

I know. I saw some cables from $9 to $90. Not sure if there are all of similar quality though. $9 (plus shipping ) for an HDMI-DVI cable...scares me!

Could someone please share with me their settings for obtaining 1:1 pixel matching on a XBR950 with the iScanHD?

TIA

Digital HD Set-Top Box and i.Link

Has anyone tried connecting a cable set top box with their XBR using i.Link? The manual does mention this as one of the examples of i.Link, but also says that the component inputs offer the best quality for displaying HD sources. It also says that only digital signals would be passed, and Comcast uses a Motorola HD box (Model No. DCT6200) to also display analog channels which are 2-99. I already have one of these Motorola units connected to a different Sony TV upstairs, but on this set I am using DVI and it does not have an i.Link input so I cannot try it there.

Anyway, I was wondering if it would be worthwhile trying its firewire connection to the XBR, and before I spring for the Sony cable, as specified in the manual, I thought I would ask the group.

Give it a try. On the D-VHS thats true ,It only does Digital picture & audio to the Tv on i LINK. You have to have the analog hook ups for regular VHS or S-VHS, i LINK for D-VHS. You get 5-1 audio with the fiber optic line out to a audio amplifier. this would be good if it works for both.....

Do you owners of the 60XBR950 have any issues with the anti glare shield? That's one thing that stopped me from buying this set. The shield can't be removed. Any info would be appreciated. The Mitsu WD62725 shield sucks tremendously. It may be better than the 525 series, it's still terrible.

I own the 70" set and if you told me it had an anti-glare shield, I'd have to go look to confirm it. I sit about 12-13 feet away and other than a very occasional "screen-door"effect, the picture is consistently excellent. I think that effect is largely dependent on the source material, and is really no issue at all.

Regarding ILink, I use it for my D-VHS VCR and the Samsung HD Tuner that feeds the D-VHS machine. If you have something that has Ilink output, I highly recommend using this connection. The picture quality via Ilink is noticabley better then component from the D-VHS VCR. Ilink is cool because you can daily chain from one device to the other and choose which device to watch.

Originally posted by Runch Machine
Regarding ILink, I use it for my D-VHS VCR and the Samsung HD Tuner that feeds the D-VHS machine. If you have something that has Ilink output, I highly recommend using this connection. The picture quality via Ilink is noticeably better then component from the D-VHS VCR. Ilink is cool because you can daily chain from one device to the other and choose which device to watch.

Interesting that you've noticed that i.Link has a better picture, when the Sony manual says that component offers the best picture and is the preferred connection. The Motorola users guide opines that the best picture quality is obtained via DVI, Component, 1394 (i.Link), S-Video, and finally composite, in that order.

I am already using the DVI input for the connection with my DVD player (Denon 3910) so when I add the Motorola HD cable box my options are:

1. Use DVI for the cable box-TV connection, and switch the DVD-TV connection to component

2. Simply add a component connection for cable box-TV

3. Try the i.Link for the cable box to TV; however, the analog cable stations 2-99 would probably not work unless I added a separate RCA connection. I'm not sure, but I think this would result in the loss of the 480i to 480P upconversion feature of the Motorola box, which works very well for analog channels on my bedroom TV, a small 32" Sony plasma set.

4. Split the incoming cable signal and run only digital thru the box (connecting with i.Link) and analog directly to the other antenna input on the TV. But I don't like this approach since it would result in the loss of my OTA reception of local channels, which probably offer the best picture of HD programming when available. Plus I don't like splitting signals anyway especially since my existing signal is not the strongest....

Any other ideas/suggestions would be welcomed!

I finally bought the KDF-60XBR950 in CC this weekend as they had a Floor model and got a good proice on it. The picture looks amazing for HD and DVD . The only complaint bieng that the quality of the picture from a VCR is not good and I guess I just use this TV for HD and DVD .

The one problem I see that is that there is some dust inside the area between the Front Glare screen and the main Screen of the TV . I dont know hoe it got in here ?.. Does anybody has the same problem ?....

ravi, suggest doing a search for "dust" on this thread and you'll see a lot of good information has been posted already on this issue.

Follow-up to my i.Link inquiry - I saw on a different AVS Forum thread that someone who owns a Mitsubishi set who tried the 1394 connection with his Motorola 6200 STB observed that the picture appeared to be "washed out" compared to using a DVI connection. Not sure if this would apply to the Sony XBR or not - guess I'll just have to experiment a little.

Ilink is a digital connection. Component is an analog connection. Since the Sony TV is has a digital display, not a CRT display, I would expect that the less time and less conversions in and out of the analog domain would be better. What page in the manual does it say that component is better than Ilink? I could not find it.

Just picked up the 60" XBR950... my question is in regards to DVI vs. Component...

I have the Comcast Moto6200 HD cable box and the Sony DVP-NS975V HDMI upconversion DVD player. Should I connect the cable box via DVI, and the DVD player via component (thus leaving the DVD upconversion to the XBR950), or should I connect the cable box via component and the DVD player by an HDMI/DVI cable (giving the DVD player its full upconversion capability)? Which combination will give me the best results?

DVD can only have 480p. HD goes up to 1080i. Definately use DVI for your HD box. Use Component for your DVD player.

Does the XBR950 have a better upconversion engine than the Sony DVP-NS975V?

I'm getting close to pulling the trigger on my new video system and the Sony 60XBR950 and 70XBR950 are at the top of the list at the moment (Mitsubishi and Samsung are next in line).

But I have a few questions that a quick look through this thread haven't answered for sure.

1) What is the computer input capability? I know Sony's official stance is that it's not meant for computer input, but screw that! :) What settings have been tried/work via the DVI input? Has 1:1 pixel mapping been obtained?

2) Is there any way to use the built in speakers from a Denon 2805 receiver to act as the front speakers? Seems a shame to not use the built in speakers if I can. It would also save me the cost of two speakers. :)

3) If I an use the built-ins for the front, what speakers would be a good match for center, surrounds, and subwoofer?

4) Any issues with the Sony's and a DVI switcher? I'd like to have my Mac and my Zenith 318 both hooked up via DVI if possible. The Zektor switch looks nice.

5) Since theses models have been out for a year now, any word of new models coming up?

Originally posted by Runch Machine
Ilink is a digital connection. Component is an analog connection. Since the Sony TV is has a digital display, not a CRT display, I would expect that the less time and less conversions in and out of the analog domain would be better. What page in the manual does it say that component is better than Ilink? I could not find it.

My mistake - this was found in the Motorola 6200 User Guide - on page 14 "Connecting Your DCT6200" here: http://www.click-network.com/Consumer/images/DCT-6200%20Retail%20giude.pdf

In order from best to worst, it lists:

DVI
IEEE 1394
Component
S-Video
Composite

It also says that the IEEE 1394 connection will allow both HD and standard programing, but the Sony apparently only supports digital channels when a compatible device is connected to the i.Link input. So to avoid having to use composite for standard programing (Page 81 of Sony manual) it looks like DVI is the preferred connection for an STB, leaving component for the DVD player. This wouldn't be an issue if the XBR had two DVI inputs - too bad because my DVD player really looks good upconverting to 720P via DVI.

Does anyone in this forum with a GW have the new panasonic dvd-s97 connected to it.

Accoding to thread for that dvd player it has a Genesis (faroudja) FLi - 2310 chipset with HDMI output. The same chipset used in the denon 2910,3910 and 5900 as well as many other upconverting dvd players.

I was wondering what results people have gotten with this combination

I just ordered the s97 yeaterday, hopefully i'll have results up soon

Originally posted by dhendren13
Just picked up the 60" XBR950... my question is in regards to DVI vs. Component...

I have the Comcast Moto6200 HD cable box and the Sony DVP-NS975V HDMI upconversion DVD player. Should I connect the cable box via DVI, and the DVD player via component (thus leaving the DVD upconversion to the XBR950), or should I connect the cable box via component and the DVD player by an HDMI/DVI cable (giving the DVD player its full upconversion capability)? Which combination will give me the best results?

I have the comcast Motorola 6208 which I run both component and DVI to my 60XBR950 along with the Momitsu V-880 via DVI. I recommend buying a DVI switch and running both via DVI. I also have the Sony 777 DVD multi-changer (used 99% for SACD) and it runs only component. No contest when compared to DVI on the Momitsu.

You will get many, many debates on this forum as to best picture quality but in MY setup and MY eyes, I have these observations. Momitsu via DVI is slightly superior to component yet I have found little or no difference with the 6208 via component or DVI. I just like having all options at my disposal.

Hope this helps.

Dom

Originally posted by JimWCB
I'm getting close to pulling the trigger on my new video system and the Sony 60XBR950 and 70XBR950 are at the top of the list at the moment (Mitsubishi and Samsung are next in line).

But I have a few questions that a quick look through this thread haven't answered for sure.

1) What is the computer input capability? I know Sony's official stance is that it's not meant for computer input, but screw that! :) What settings have been tried/work via the DVI input? Has 1:1 pixel mapping been obtained?

2) Is there any way to use the built in speakers from a Denon 2805 receiver to act as the front speakers? Seems a shame to not use the built in speakers if I can. It would also save me the cost of two speakers. :)

3) If I an use the built-ins for the front, what speakers would be a good match for center, surrounds, and subwoofer?

4) Any issues with the Sony's and a DVI switcher? I'd like to have my Mac and my Zenith 318 both hooked up via DVI if possible. The Zektor switch looks nice.

5) Since theses models have been out for a year now, any word of new models coming up?

1. The computer input capability is limited. Some people have used the DVI port but only after great effort. Try searching for XBR950 in the HTPC forum.

2. I guess you could but why? You might be able to set the Denon 2805 to no front speakers, but you open yourself up to leveling and delay issues that will really lessen your sound quality. You won't have any front speakers if you play a DVD!! Don't be a cheapskate, get some decent mains.

3. Don't, see above.

4. Nope, I use a Geffen DVI swotch on mine with no problems.

5. Yes, a new version of the XBR is slated for release early 05 if I remember right, SRP is around $10K.

swatter 911, can you give more details on your Geffen DVI switch? Price, where you purchased it, and convenience factor - a "switch" implies that you must manually do something when changing sources. Based on your observation that the PQ through the 6208 is pretty much equal between DVI and component, I'm wondering if the DVI switch is worth the trouble and extra cost.

I purchased the 2x1 Gefen switch from Ram, one of the forum sponsors. The price is $249. Yes, you must use a remote to switch the inputs. I have a Harmony 688 remote, and the activities are set to change my Gefen switch when I select "Watch TV" or "Watch DVD" for the appropriate input. The switch is very reliable and since I use the Harmony remote, the wife doesn't have to do anything extra(which translates into an extremely high WAF). The Gefen DVI switch is powered, and the manufacturer claims that it serves as a "repeater" of sorts to extend the length of your DVI cable run. I only have a 6 foot run, so I don't know how true that is. I use it to switch my HDTivo and my Denon 3910 to my XBR950 and have had no issue with it at all.

Well, my wanting to use the internalspeakers for my fronts isn't because of cost, it's more to use the already present speakers that are so integrated into the tv.

I just wish they'd make actual HDTV rear projection 'monitors' without the wasted audio circuitry.

Eliminating the audio circuitry on the board would save maybe $5. The amp section another $5, and the speakers maybe $10..joe

I always want this to. You get the savings if they built monitors only but the people like Sony know if the distributor ordered to many monitors & you did not have one with audio in stock. They will switch you to another model & or brand they have in stock with audio. No one wants to wait . So you would lose customers that wanted Sony with audio.

dhendren13 I'm not familiar with the scaler in the DVD player you mentioned, but I'm in the industry and most consider the scaler in the XBR 950 to be the best of all TVs and DVD players...joe

NEED SOME ADVICE:

I was about to purchase the 55XS955 for $3300, when the salesperson told me that he could gimme the 60XBR950 for $3900.....

I am trying to read thru all of these 90 pages on pros and cons, and compare to the XS955, but could you guys give me some insight?

is the current XBR worth the extra $600 over the newer XS955 ?

Originally posted by swatter911
I purchased the 2x1 Gefen switch from Ram, one of the forum sponsors. The price is $249. Yes, you must use a remote to switch the inputs. I have a Harmony 688 remote, and the activities are set to change my Gefen switch when I select "Watch TV" or "Watch DVD" for the appropriate input. The switch is very reliable and since I use the Harmony remote, the wife doesn't have to do anything extra(which translates into an extremely high WAF). The Gefen DVI switch is powered, and the manufacturer claims that it serves as a "repeater" of sorts to extend the length of your DVI cable run. I only have a 6 foot run, so I don't know how true that is. I use it to switch my HDTivo and my Denon 3910 to my XBR950 and have had no issue with it at all.

Thanks for the explanation. I also use a Harmony remote and I have the same DVD player, and I hope you are as happy with these products as I am. Regarding the Geffen I may end up going this route if I don't like what I'm seeing using component for the new cable STB. Did you ever do a comparison of the 3910 to XBR's PQ using component vs DVI? So far I am using 720P/DVI for the 3910.

No, I really didn't do extensive comparison between component and DVI. I've been very happy with the DVI output of both the Denon 3910 and the HDTivo. I'm also using 720p for both the 3910 and the Tivo. I think I see a little better picture quality vs 1080i. The wife says she can't tell the difference. I figure 720p is closest to the native resolution to the set as well.

Originally posted by JimWCB
Well, my wanting to use the internalspeakers for my fronts isn't because of cost, it's more to use the already present speakers that are so integrated into the tv.

I just wish they'd make actual HDTV rear projection 'monitors' without the wasted audio circuitry.

I know, my cheapskate comment was meant tongue in cheek. My apologies if I offended you.

Sony used to make some TVs where you could hook the TV up to your AVR to use the built in speakers as a center channel. I'm not aware of you being able to use it in lieu of L/R mains.

On my XBR, I turned the speakers off. I wish they'd do like the plasmas and make the speakers integrated, but optional.

Can you imagine how sexy the set would be without the 4 extra inches on each side of wasted speakers? Yummm! Just a floating black surround to a whopping huge display. The coolness factor would go from a 8.85 to a 9.5 there alone.

I second that idea! Man that would look cool!

//barretto

I don't think it's possible for any TV to produce really good audio from built in speakers. I wonder what the percentage of owners is who do not have this expensive set connected to a surround receiver (or separates). I would guess probably less than 10%. The only good reason why its internal audio capability would come in handy is if your audio system went down for some reason, and was in for repair. At a minimum they should allow the integrated speakers to be used for center channel duty, but even for this audio quality would be mediocre and would not be a good tonal match for decent F/L mains. I would have liked to just get the screen without the speakers, and saved whatever Sony would have been willing to knock off for not including the internal amp and side speakers. I agree that the looks would be greatly improved also.

I found that after buying the KDF60XBR950 that with the exception of DVDs I hardly use the AV Receiver because the built in Sony speaker system in this set is really good. Are you aware that the set even has a subwoofer built in? Check out the built in piano player when watching Memory Stick videos.
The set will play LOUD too if that's all you like from the years of being pounded at the theaters. "The audience is now deaf..."

Lee

I have an awesome surround system hooked up to my XBR, but I don't use it for general TV viewing. Tom Browkaw isn't that much better with the surround sound on. I use the TVs speakers for general TV watching and the main system for movies.

Lee and Joe, I stand corrected - looks like there may be quite a few who don't always use their audio system. I haven't used the built in audio & speakers since the first day I got the TV. Joe I agree that the best audio system in the world couldn't make Tom Brokaw any better... ;-)

Hello fellow xbr950 owners. I've had my tv for a year, and the lamp changed in May. In the past week, the picture seems darker. Not dim, but the dark areas are less defined. Has any body else experienced this? It could be that the lamp is fading, but it is not even 8 months old.

My first lamp went out at the 3 month mark. It seems that the replacement bulb is starting to darken a little though. I'm not going to worry about it now, too late. I'm at 11 months and they've finally come around to my issues with a convergence problem and are replacing my entire unit. Of course I'll only have 2 weeks or so of warranty on the replacement but hopefully it won't have nearly the slope the top edge always exhibited. I got tired of seeing things like football games and Nascar races with scrollling tickers across the top and the left side was always partially obscured on the top edge. I had to fight for the last solid month with Sony to get them to fix my issue. A ferw months ago they did the optical engine but it didn't help.

BTW: Sony told me that up to 2 inches of slope (left to right, across the screen) is considered within "Spec" on our set and is "acceptable". I would think that someone that spent up to 7 grand on a 70" flagship model that anything over 1/2" would be intolerable. Go figure... I doubt if I will ever buy another projection set of any kind that doesn't have controls to allow adjustments of these types of things.

So check that set carefully before you take it home or run out of the grace period to take it back for another unit.

Originally posted by Driver

BTW: Sony told me that up to 2 inches of slope (left to right, across the screen) is considered within "Spec" on our set and is "acceptable".


Glad you got your set replaced.

That 2" slope policy is obviously nuts. Wonder what else they want to call within specs. to avoid correct engineering or manufacturing issues they do not or can not correct. :rolleyes:

Bought the xbr950 from CC as they were selling the floor model cheap .
Once I hooked up the HD (Dish network) and the DVD , the picture was amazing , but when I started to watch the SD channels , there seems to be some vertivcal Lines that can be noticed in Bright scenes on the TV .

Is this normal , or am sitting too close ?. The TV is 14 Ft from the sitting area . Or do I have take it back and get a new piece ?...

Also , XBR950 doesnt have the HDMI , Does anybody think that I should get a 655 as that model has the hdmi and I heard that the HDMI is better than the DVI .

I realize that the XBR950 DID NOT get a makeover this year...i.e., no Cablecard, no HDMI. But, can someone answer if they are still under current production? Are they still pumping out the XBR950 or are dealers simply clearing out inventory?

I was told last week that they are still in production.

I hooked up the new Comcast Cable Box via Firewire last night. Finally - a true digital image path! Little to no oversca. No need to adjustments. An Image that says WOW!! This is how the XBR should look on all inputs. Displaying the Image over Component looks Fuzzy in comparison to the Firewire interface.

There is no doubt that the XBR via Firewire easily rivals any DLP set out there... I wonder if Cablecard on the new GWIV sets is a pure digital path as well.

Thx,
Vidkidd

What the heck are you talking about? What Comcast DVD? Aren't the firewire inputs for control only?

That was a brain mis-fire it was a Comcast Cable Box.. I fixed the message....

Thx,
Vidkidd

Originally posted by ravi355
Also , XBR950 doesnt have the HDMI , Does anybody think that I should get a 655 as that model has the hdmi and I heard that the HDMI is better than the DVI .-

HDMI is only better than DVI in the sense that the cable and connector is smaller and also carries digital audio along with the video. You can convert a HDMI cable to a DVI cable (and vice-versa) with a passive adaptor. The digital audio will be lost so you have to run a separate cable for that or use an analog audio cable.

HDMI cables do support higher bandwidth than DVI cables, but it doesn't matter for current sets. So I wouldn't worry about it.

HDMI is backwards compatible with some DVI resolutions. Not all. Although HDMI is "easier" it offers far less features for anyone who wants to use their GWIII as a HTPC via DVI.

Thx,
Vidkidd

Originally posted by vidkidd
I hooked up the new Comcast Cable Box via Firewire last night. Finally - a true digital image path! Little to no oversca. No need to adjustments. An Image that says WOW!! This is how the XBR should look on all inputs. Displaying the Image over Component looks Fuzzy in comparison to the Firewire interface.

There is no doubt that the XBR via Firewire easily rivals any DLP set out there... I wonder if Cablecard on the new GWIV sets is a pure digital path as well.

Thx,
Vidkidd

Vidkidd, I have a few questions on your i.Link connection to your XBR:

1. Do you have the Motorola DCT6200? I just had one installed also, and so far I am using DVI - did you try that for comparison purposes?

2. Can you receive cable analog channels, and how do they look compared to component?

3. Are you using one of the Sony i.Link cables as recommended in the manual, or which one are you using?

Thanks - Joel

vidkidd, excuse my ignorance, but what is 'firewire'? Are you hooking this up to the DVI port or the ilink?

cdnscg,

If vidkidd really did connect by firewire, that would be the generic term for what Sony calls "i.Link" which is also known as IEEE 1394. As far as I know he is the first person to have tried using it with a Comcast HD cable box.

Originally posted by cdnscg
vidkidd, excuse my ignorance, but what is 'firewire'? Are you hooking this up to the DVI port or the ilink?
Apple invented Firewire.

"FireWire™ is a serial data transfer protocol and interconnection system, used (amongst other things) to transmit DV._ FireWire was originally developed by Apple Computer._ In 1995, FireWire was standardized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers as IEEE 1394-1995."

Straight from Apple Computers site:
"FireWire is one of the fastest peripheral standards ever developed, which makes it great for use with multimedia peripherals such as digital video cameras and other high-speed devices like the latest hard disk drives and printers.

FireWire is integrated into Power Macs, iMacs, eMacs, PowerBooks, iBooks, and the iPod. FireWire ports were also integrated into many other computer products dating back to the Power Macintosh G3 "Blue & White" computers. All these machines include FireWire ports that operate at up to 400 megabits per second and the latest machines include FireWire ports that support 1394b and operate at up to 800 megabits per second.

FireWire is a cross-platform implementation of the high-speed serial data bus -- defined by the IEEE 1394-1995, IEEE 1394a-2000, and IEEE 1394b standards -- that can move large amounts of data between computers and peripheral devices. It features simplified cabling, hot swapping, and transfer speeds of up to 800 megabits per second (on machines that support 1394b).

Major manufacturers of multimedia devices have been adopting the FireWire technology, and for good reason. FireWire speeds up the movement of multimedia data and large files and enables easy connection of digital consumer products -- including digital camcorders, digital video tapes, digital video disks, set-top boxes, and music systems -- directly to a personal computer.

In fact, Apple's FireWire technology was honored by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, receiving a 2001 Primetime Emmy Engineering Award for FireWire's impact on the television industry."

Guaranteed delivery of multiple data streams through isochronous data transport

The ability to connect up to 63 devices without the need for additional hardware, such as hubs

A flexible, six-wire cable

Complete plug-and-play operation, including the hot swapping of live devices

Acceptance by over 40 leading manufacturers in the computer and electronics consumer industriesSony calls this "i.Link" and use a smaller connector (1 front, 2 rear on the XBR950s). It's also integrated into some PS2's for using 2 units connected to separate monitors adding the ability to play head to head. The smaller connector MV cable is easily available separately from other sources. I picked up a 6 footer at Frys. The specs says 10 meters (32.8 feet) for a single max cable length although some people make longer higher quality cable that claim up to 20 meter. This equates to better ranges than DVI/HDMI I think. I'd expect projectors might start having them if the video quality is better or the same as DVI/HDMI.

Well, I've had the 70XBR for approx. one year now. Spent some heavy cash for it but I have absolutely no regrets. HD and DVD (through DVI) are absolutely stunning. The non-HD broadcasts are pretty good too.

The picutre quality of the new models are truly impressive but I can't say its a step above over the XBRs.

I second that. It's hard to beat the X B R ' S screen. Some don't like the screen saver, but it's not been an issue with me because i have always watched T v in subdue light...Another competitor's top of the line also has a screen like it, so that was another reason for the choice X.B.R. I also liked the extended menu to do gray scale & other things to get it close to UMR'S suggestion & good standard, but that was before I knew we could get into the service menu when I got it. I like the cinema on with the lower light.

Guys:

I want to know more about the settings you use for this TV. Do you use different for SDTV/HDTV/ DVDs? If yes, do mention that. Such as:

Input: DVD

Mode: Vivid/Prof/Standard
Mild Mode:
NR:
Color Temp: Cold/Warm/Neutral

Any changes you made to:

Brightness
Color
Picture
Sharpness
Hue

etc.

What abt those advanced video settings?

I am looking into calibrating my TV for DVDs and just wanted to ping other XBR owners for their settings.

I go with the settings with what UMR said after checking with DVD test patterns, also THX on DVD that has the test patterns. They are ok with my eyes & my Tv in subdue light. I used his gray scale settings-correct with temp at warm. I have sharpness at 10 to 12 settings from left to right, or all the way left = 0. HDTV same but you can use NR low if you see the grain or sand look & this only is on for HD. SDTV I started useing Mild Mode some if it looks better. On the Extended menu I have tried to get some input so like Mallu2u say's lets her from some of you folks. I got Cinema on, talked about White level to UMR's settings,Blacks low, Gamma med-high,Color no , sharpness med - high, Bnr low. Remember some of the extended menu does not change anything in HD & some does with the Tv programing design. Ok lets here from other Folks. Did you get your set calibrated buy a professional or you how did you do your setting. This is what this thread is for & it's fun.

Mallu2u, I Pm you... have a look.

do not have a PM yet, G.B.

As the xbr950 bulbs starts to age, and loose strength, how does this effect the tv's picture after calibration? Do you have to re-calibrate every 6 months to compinsate for the aging lamp?

Mallu2u, Did you get my PM ?

Anyone using this tv to get HD channels through cable? If I am not mistaken, there is a QAM tuner, as I can get some digital cable channels, like the weather channel. I hear that the HD channels in my area are broadcast in the clear. Others seem to be able to tune the channels (115.5 and others) So I was wondering, if anyone is getting HD through their cable line using the built in tuner. Is there something I need to do or do the tv not support all QAM standards?

Thanks

I am able to get the local digital channels directly on the TV. They are around channel 112.1 and above. Some are also below. You just have to try typing in each number, wait for a couple of seconds and if the TV says, NO SIGNAL, go on to the next one.

Can you just get digital channels or can you get high def digital channels. I can get several digital channels, just none in high def. Could it be a signal strength issue?

What is the "optimum" viewing distance on the 60 versus the 70???

The theoretical ideal, for recommended viewing distance for HDTV, is what will provide about a 30 degree horizontal viewing angle. That works out to about 1.5 to 2 times the screen width. In practice, a lot depends upon how much "screen door" effect is visible on the particular display, as well as various potential digital artifacts. That will vary with the technology and an individual's eye sight. Standard definition material will typically look better on any HDTV at a greater seating distance.

When the ATSC was determining the various specs for HDTV, it was understood that humans have the most acute focus within a 10 degree horizontal viewing angle. It was also understood that information out to 30 degrees is registered in our peripheral vision and contributes to a sense of immersion in the displayed activity. Information beyond 30 degrees can further enhance the sense of immersion but not significantly enough to justify the added bandwidth that would be required to broadcast such a signal. The balance that had to be reached was between resolution, aspect ratio, bandwidth and costs.

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
G. Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"

Well i ordered my 60" XBR yesterday, now i just have to wait for it to get here, I was having a really hard time trying to find a stand for the darn thing but the sales guy let me have the matching XBR stand at cost so i am happy.

Im curious...What DVD players do you guys use with your XBR's and why did you buy it? Do i want a DVD player that upscales or no? I dont think i will go the HTPC route unless someone can convince me.

I have a Pioneer DV-626D but its not a progressive scan DVD player as far as i know.

Originally posted by kdeleon
Can you just get digital channels or can you get high def digital channels. I can get several digital channels, just none in high def. Could it be a signal strength issue?

It's VERY likely that your local cable company is scrambling those channels, requiring you to rent and subscribe to their "premium" offerings in order to receive them. Time Warner Austin did that for ALL of their HD channels until this year when they finally unscrambled their regular Basic HD channels. TW-San Antonio had never scrambled the Basic ones, only the ones that already required the Digital STB. It took about six months to convince the TW-Austin reps to fix their setup.

Squeaky wheel gets the oil. Make the call. Find and cite the other similar cable companys that send network channels (ABC, NBC, etc...) over cable. This is the reason these sets have a ATSC/QAM enabled tuner.

Originally posted by Kerzon
Well i ordered my 60" XBR yesterday, now i just have to wait for it to get here, I was having a really hard time trying to find a stand for the darn thing but the sales guy let me have the matching XBR stand at cost so i am happy.

Im curious...What DVD players do you guys use with your XBR's and why did you buy it? Do i want a DVD player that upscales or no? I dont think i will go the HTPC route unless someone can convince me.

I have a Pioneer DV-626D but its not a progressive scan DVD player as far as i know.

Either you can go with a good progressive scan player and use UMR's tweaks or you can buy an upconverting player. I am using the Panny S97 and really like it.

Originally posted by kdeleon
Can you just get digital channels or can you get high def digital channels. I can get several digital channels, just none in high def. Could it be a signal strength issue?

Assume you are talking over the air (OTA)? If you are living in a metropolitan area that has the major networks, and you can't get any HD programming using the XBR's built-in tuner, then there is some kind of a problem. Have you run the Digital Channels program under Channels in the Menu? You first have to make sure you have a decent UHF antenna, pointed in the right direction toward your local antennas, and have it connected and then be watching through the VHF/Antenna input on the back of the TV. Then it should work.

If you are talking cable, I know with my provider (Comcast) you have to pay another $5/month to rent their HD capable set top box (Motorola DCT-6200) in order for HD programming to come through. They just rolled out a dual tuner recording version, the DCT-6214 which many enthusiasts are now getting - that one costs $10 a month extra on top of the 6200.

Originally posted by Kerzon
Im curious...What DVD players do you guys use with your XBR's and why did you buy it? Do i want a DVD player that upscales or no? I dont think i will go the HTPC route unless someone can convince me.

I have a Pioneer DV-626D but its not a progressive scan DVD player as far as i know.

I am using a Denon DVD-3910 connected via DVI and outputting 720P, and I am very pleased with it. But this may be overkill for you unless audio (including SACD and DVD-Audio) is very important.

umr (main authority on Sony GWIII's & XBR's here) recommends the Denon DVD-3800 or 2900, connected via component, for best picture quality. You may be able to find a new 2900 on closeout right now if you hurry - should be around $600-$700.

People also speak very highly of the Pioneer Elite 59-avi and the above-mentioned Panasonic DVD-S97S.

Have had the 70" XBR for two weeks, real nice set.

Not as informed as many here on TVs and in general after eading some of the threads on this forum [very impressive], but I got this set for $5100.00 bucks retail from a close friend of ours so I had to jump on this deal.

Picture quality is great and I was amazed at the sound quality.

Looks wise will be hard to top.

I was worried my $300 two year old Sony DVD player would not be up to par with this much larger screen as it was used on my a 32" Phillips, but It works fine, real nice picture.

Picked up a iLO DVD recorder at Walmart today for $150 bucks, I have a 90 day trial figured what the heck, hooked it up and it delivers a nice picture, now I just have to learn how to work all it's functions so I can start recording.

Also picked up a Go DVD thing-a-ma-jig to record off of another DVD player or VCR, should be nice to duplicate DVDs.

The Sony is the family TV so I'm still going for a In-focus X1 or 8405 for my own personal DVD viewing pleasure, I already have a pretty sweet surround sound system all in black for it as I already had put together for my 32" Phillips.[dad likes to watch his dvds without having to bother anyone else for tv time and the 32" will not cut it after been spoiled with the 70".]

The 70" XBR will be getting 1000 watt Panasonic home theater system we spotted today at Best Buy for $500 as the wife wants a system that will match in color to the Sony.

I have to go back to reading on what projector I'll be getting as I'm frugal or cheap depends on what friend or family member is describing me.:D

I'm a newbie as far as visiting this site or posting so i hope I haven't said anything that's deemed unappropriate for this forum and that my poor grammar doesn't offend anyone.

Anyone know of dealers on East Coast with these in Stock? BB, CC, and Sears have all taken them off there websites. Guess they are trying to push the XS as the top of the line.

Thanks

60xbr950 on east coast?

The Sony Outlet at Woodbury Commons, NY has refurbs in stock. Around $4K I think.

'Hello fellow xbr950 owners. I've had my tv for a year, and the lamp changed in May. In the past week, the picture seems darker. Not dim, but the dark areas are less defined. Has any body else experienced this? It could be that the lamp is fading, but it is not even 8 months old.'


I posted the above some time ago, and would like to hear from other owners who have had their tv for close to a year. Are you starting to see some differnce in the picture. I had a Sony tech. out to see my screen, but he said I should just lighten the picture with the brightness control. This makes the pciture a little more grey. I may be imagining things, but I beleive the picture has started to look darker, and is loosing its pop. Am I alone? Is this to be expected from the xbr? I hope not.

Sounds strange. I would not take that as an answer at all. I would continue to bug them and have them fix that. Had mine for abt 9 months and no such issue yet.

Originally posted by cdnscg
'Hello fellow xbr950 owners. I've had my tv for a year, and the lamp changed in May. In the past week, the picture seems darker. Not dim, but the dark areas are less defined. Has any body else experienced this? It could be that the lamp is fading, but it is not even 8 months old.'


I posted the above some time ago, and would like to hear from other owners who have had their tv for close to a year. Are you starting to see some differnce in the picture. I had a Sony tech. out to see my screen, but he said I should just lighten the picture with the brightness control. This makes the pciture a little more grey. I may be imagining things, but I beleive the picture has started to look darker, and is loosing its pop. Am I alone? Is this to be expected from the xbr? I hope not.

I lost my first lamp at the 3 month mark. I grew susbtantially darker over just 2 weeks! Went out going into the 3rd. Took Sony about a week to get the replacement here and installed under warranty. You'll know its gone completely when it refuses to fire and all you get is a blinking red LED. :rolleyes: The 2nd bulb was going strong when Sony swapped the unit out last month for another (geometry issues). I bought the unit last December.

I've had my TV and original lamp for about 6 months now, with no issues. I understand that after the lamp reaches its half-life it slowly gets dimmer until it goes - not real perceptible at first, but towards the end it gets more and more obvious. I'm hoping mine goes out at about 11 months, under warranty, and so Sony will buy the replacement. Mine has about 800 hours on it right now - isn't the expected life about 2000 hours or so?

Does anyone know what the expected life of the lamp is for these TVs?

Was to be I think 6,000 - 8,000 hours. I keep mine on cinema so the watts is lower to see if & how long mine last. I think I have 1700 Hr on mine now & have had mine for 10 Mo.

Morning. Bought my KDF60XBR950 around 11 months ago and I am completely happy with it so far. When the set is turned off routinely, the screen stays dimly lit for ~5 seconds before going black and then the fan runs for an additional period of time. Just recently, when I turned off my set, the screen stayed illuminated and never actually "turned off". During this time the fan continued to run. I tried to correct this by just pressing power and the Power LED continued to blink Red. After unplugging and replugging the set, the issue finally corrected itself and has not reoccurred since. Has anyone else experience a similar event. Thank you.

Maraldo,

I've seen it only twice, and it was only when I was moving the remote rapidly as I was pressing the power button. (Basically I was putting the remote down while I was hitting the power button.) My theory is that I somehow interrupted the IR flash sequence to shut down the TV (i.e., it got part of the command flashes but not all of them).

Instead of unplugging and replugging in the TV, I simply changed inputs by pressing the TV/VIDEO button on the remote. This appeared to wake the TV up, then I just pressed the power button again (this time without moving it) and the TV shut down properly.

Since I've stopped moving the remote when I power down I've never seen it happen again.

//robert

Thank you Robert.

Have any of you had any luck with using a MemoryStick Pro (or DUO) in your XBR950? If so, can you tell me the make and model number of the stick you're using?

The manual states that the TV does not support the new high speed MemorySticks nor does it support MagicGate, nor access control features. I haven't been able to find a MemoryStick Pro (or DUO) at a local retailer that isn't one of the newer "fast" sticks and which doesn't have MagicGate and or whatever access control functions.

I tried a SanDisk 512MB MemoryStick Pro and it was not able to read the stick. It would try to read the stick but then fail. Persumably because of either the faster access speed of the stick or the MagicGate stuff. I don't know anything about MagicGate so I don't know if that's really the problem or not. The memory stick works fine when I plug it into my card reader on my PC.

I looked online for non-MagicGate Memory Stick Pros (which is hard to do since I don't know any model numbers). 99% of what I've found are the new Pro or DUO cards with MagicGate and fast access speed. The few old ones I've seen appear to be twice the cost for half the amount of RAM of the new fast memory sticks. Is the old stuff becoming more expensive since it doesn't have all the copyright/access control stuff in it?

I talked with one of the Sony online customer support people and all he suggested was that I should only buy Sony made Memory Sticks and that those are the only ones verified to work with the TV. I find that hard to believe. Maybe they get a bonus for any sales they generate off the Sony Style site. He pushed buying it several times during the conversation.

I just wanted to try the feature out with some of my pics (neither my digital SLR nor my miniDV cam use MemoryStick, so I've been using my PC as an intermediate copying step) but this really turning into a hassle. Am I missing something here? Is the feature worth the hassle?

Thanks,
//Robert

1. Has the XBR been discontinued ? Can't find it anywhere on the East Coast?

2. Is there another Sony model that is similar/better ?

3. Do video games "lag" on the XBR ??

thanks in advance

If anything, Sony has increased the advertising for it. In fact the SF Metreon Sony store has BOTH the 60 and 70 on display.
The Sony web site also has both sets easy to find.
Lee

Originally posted by sillycyberfunguy
1. Has the XBR been discontinued ? Can't find it anywhere on the East Coast?

2. Is there another Sony model that is similar/better ?

3. Do video games "lag" on the XBR ??

thanks in advance

answer to number 3.

I have a PS2 hooked up with only the S-Video and it still looks awesome, all my component inputs are full.

No "lag"

FYI

After seeing one of these units in a local AV store (and picking my jaw off the floor) I am definitely in the market for one of these sets.

The local dealer wants full retail. I've seen a significant price reduction via some internet dealers, but I am very hesitant to go that route. The discount seems too good to be true. The dealer ratings for the most part all seem very positive but generic or unspecific. Then you come across a horror story from someone who is very specific. As a result, I'm very wary of ordering via the internet.

I'm curious how many people have purchased one of these sets via an online source, and what their experience was.

Any insight will be greatly appreciated.

Tim

I've been considering the 70" for over 6 months now, and have been searching the internet for the best price as well. The range seems to be from 6999.00 (full list) at Sony.com to about 4800.00 from what I would call a 'shady' internet site. I too was hesitant to give this much money to a company that might not be fully legit - not because I think I'd lose the money (I planned on using a credit card so as to have fraud protection), but in the hassle factor, as well as potential warranty issues. I think the best deal I found from a vendor that I trusted was at pcmall - it would have been 5880.00 delivered. No tax (I'm in california), but a decent amount for shipping. Earlier this week I went into my local Good Guys to see what I could do. They have been running 24 months no payments no interest which would be nice to take advantage of. They also have it on display, which is nice, but had it at full list price. I know they will usually negotiate, especially if you are willing to get one of their extended (profit laden) warranties. The first guy I spoke with looked at me like I was crazy when I told him I wanted to buy it but that I wasn't going to pay full pop for it....he was like "what do you mean?...." riiiiight. He was fairly saavy and tried all the tricks (you cant get warranty on the net, blah blah) They took 1k right off the top but wanted me to get a 500.00 3 year warranty, and also wouldn't let me finance it for over 12 months (said that it costs them too much) With tax, it was still over 7k and I just couldn't justify the difference. I was pretty set on ordering it from PCmall when earlier today my wife and I went back to the same good guys just to look at stands. I ended up with a different sales rep and just said, "look I know that I can get this online at anywhere from 4895, to 7k and I am ready to buy right now, but I'm not going to pay full retail for it". I told him that I felt like the only benefit to buying at a brick and mortar was the security of knowing if I got it home and it was DOA or had a defect in the next 30 days (what I'd consider a burn in period), that I could bring it back and basically get another set within a couple days and without a hassle. I was able to get the TV for 5649 and didn't have to get the warranty. I paid cash. The only caveat that I had to agree to is that I wouldn't return the set unless it had a problem or defect. No problem! I figure that the extra 300 bucks is worth it, both to get it next day, and if I did have to send it back to a online story would probably cost me at least 200 in shipping and of course what a pain.

When we were wrapping up the transaction, I asked the rep point blank what cost was on the set and he said 5400. He said I basically got the employee discount of 5 percent over cost. I don't belive him for a second, but I do feel good about the price. Sorry for the long post, but hope this helps someone get the price they need. Now I just have to wait for my Voom to be delivered! Meantime I've got my OTA!

Great negotiation story! I tried the same at CC but it did not work! I bought the 60'' at Myer Emco later....with a sale that took $500 off the MSRP.

I bought mine a year ago next week from a local for $5500. HD is/was phenomenal. Tomorrow they are buying it back for full pop (right under 6K wTax). After 2 repairs, 4 service calls, a visit from the regional rep, hours on the phone, and a swap out under warranty I've had enough. The geometry issues on the flagship XBR set are just too serious. HD looks great but both sets have had a picture rotated and neither had straight lines on at least one of the axis. The first set dropped nearly 1/2 inch in the first 1/3 across the top and the new one, when watching 4:3 obviously had a 'boxcar' that was wider on top than on the bottom by nearly 1/2 inch on the right side. Go into photoshop, generate a 16:9 image with 20 pixel nested squares on the outer edges working toward the center, pop it into the Memory Stick slot and it's obvious as can be. Overscan is pretty bad too. I can't beleive they pulled out all the adjustments to tweak for these issues. I'm going front projection now.

In a nutshell, test the geometry issues right away, within the 1st two weeks to make sure everything's kosher. And FYI, if its out of the 30 day Brick & Mortar return policy, Sony WILL NOT warranty it if it's under 3/4 inch of drop as that is 'within spec'. I dealt with these issues for over 9 months, 1st repair new bulb at 90 days, a light engine replacement at 6 months, a swap for another set at 10, multiple servicers, a visit from the regional rep before we arrived at them buying it back. I hope you have a better experience than I have had. Now off to ebay to sell the memory stick...

Driver,

Sorry to hear about your problems.

I got my set a little over a year ago for about the same price as you. Fortunately, I have had no such problems. Geometry and and overscan are excellent - I was actually surprised at how well the set performed in these areas. I used DVE for these tests.

Your Photoshop image is a good idea, and it might be useful for those without test disks, if you could post it - allowing other to test their sets as you have.

I got my set about a year ago and also had Geometry issues. I paid about $5200 for it and also got a 5 year service contract in addition and I also got the matching stand. Total with tax was just under $7000.

Luckily I bought it locally at Ultimate Electronics. I checked all the sets in town, including Circuit City and an independent. They all had similar geometry issues. Ultimate found one in stock and allowed me to come to the store to test it. They unboxed it and let me connect a DVD player to it so I could run test patterns on it. This one was perfect so they delivered it and picked up the bad one.

Incidentally, to prove there was a problem, I took pictures of the set with the test pattern on it. My Sony camera uses memory sticks so it was simple to just take the memory stick to the store and display the image on floor model in the store. I thought that was a pretty cool thing to be able to do.

I tell you one thing, I would never buy a set like this from an out of town seller. Can you imagine the trouble I would have had?

This is true. You have lost your savings as soon as you have a problem. Some states require you to drive The Car You are Buying before you buy it. Same thing here. X.B.R. should be the best ,but it is still mass produced & room for human error. You do have your Monday & Friday days.....the mine could be on other things.

I have never checked my TV for geometry issues so far. Bought the TV in March. Should I? You guys are scaring me now (:))...have not noticed any issues so far...with any TV watching issues. Quick areas where I shall notice the issue?

Mallu2u, You would of noticed it by now after all the test patterns you have been watching....What happend to the calibraters forum ?

Ahhhhh...its here. Arrived yesterday. Had a 11-3 window for 'white glove' delivery and they showed up at 3:15 just as I was getting ready to make some phone calls and be very annoyed (I'd already pulled my old 61" out and all the components...)

Wow. Best....TV....Ever. (I know its not, but best one I've ever owned). I expected to be impressed, (as I was in the huge showroom surrounded by other large sets), but to actually see it in my living room I am blown away.

So the 'white glove'? Riiiiight. 2 guys in a truck. I had my components (D* receiver, Surround Processor, DVD Player, Tivo) sitting on the table. He says "do you want me to hook anything up"? Ummm no. They put it on my stand, I signed the papers and they left. Fair enough I suppose as I know how I want it setup.

Impressions:
Like most people who find this forum, I did a ton of reading before I purchased. I'd heard horror stories like the previous post which were pretty ugly....in fact that one is FUGLY. Yes I'd be beside myself if I had to deal with issues like that from a internet vendor. Ultimatly you have to decide if the price difference is worth it. When I was facing a 1500$ delta the internet was looking good. When it was $300 that isn't enough for me not to get it at my local store. I had 4 major concerns:

1. SD picture quality. Both in the forums and in speaking with local sales people there was lots of discussion about SD quality on such a large TV. When you read a post where someone describes the SD quality as "unwatchable" that kinda makes you think. I have Voom on order and meantime have OTA HD and D* (non hd). Since the tv I was replacing (61" sony rear projection (non hd) was starting to have some minor convergance issues, this set looks fine in SD. If I use the standard mode its still a huge picture and it looks great. Of course I prefer to fill the screen, but that is a benefit of the 70". I don't have to. For me, I'm pleased - probably because I had such low expectations. I think it looks good. Funny, my local digital feed of SD content is better than my satellite. I do now know what people mean however; when you start watching hd content on this tv anything else is uncivilized.

2. Screen Door Effect. There are plenty of posts on this. The display at GG had noticable SD at distances that I thought were a bit worrysome. My setup puts me farther away than the display and while I can see it up close, its a non issue for me and I am very satisfied. I think that if I wouldn't have known about it I might not have realized that it was an issue. Whew.

3. So far so good. Next was the embedded OTA HD tuner performance for my locals. I'd bought a HDTV wonder for my PC/21" flat panel a couple months ago. The little antenna it came with got nothing. I live in a fairly flat area, single story - typical northern California tract house with 2 stories around me, about 40 miles from my local antenna farm. I went out and bought a med-large directional antenna at radio shack and a 6ft mast. At first I got all expected locals, but then lost one of the network feeds. When I'd try to alighn the antenna to get one, I'd lose another. Hmmm. You would hope that an XBR tuner would be better than a 159.00 pc card and it is. When I hooked up my tv to the antenna it found all of my locals and then some, at rock solid signal rates. I watched Monday Night Football last night in full HDTV 70" of glory and it was sick. I couldn't stop smiling. Even my wife was loving it when Las Vegas came on and she could see Josh Duhmel (sp). Anyway, its all good.

4. Finally, I was/am concerned about geometry, alignments, lamp life and overall build quality. I am going to test it out throughly for the next couple weeks and take advantage of my "window' to get another set if its not perfect. I had a basic THX optimizer last night and it all looked great so I'm hoping I got lucky and got a tight unit the first time. Geometry looks good.

Overall: For this kind of money I expected to be impressed and amazingly (I think I'm pretty picky), this set has exceeded that. At this point I don't have any negatives.
Next up is getting my source material all setup and optimizing the tv so that its all easy so my wife can use it. (hahah).

Sorry for the long post. Its hard not to gush.

Originally posted by G.B.
Mallu2u, You would of noticed it by now after all the test patterns you have been watching....What happend to the calibraters forum ?

yeah..just to be sure...does anyone have any picture of the geometry issues? Driver?

I did'nt notice so much on DVE's test patterns at first, but it was very noticable on the test pattern I did up in Photoshop which relied on straight lines (nested squares, alternating colors, every 10 pizels) at the full 1386 x 788 resolution of the panels. It also clearly showed the rotation of the image and that I am losing 30 pixels on each of the 4 sides of the screen to overscan. Sony advertises it as 1386 x 788 x 3 for a total of 3.28 million. Do the math, taking into account each of the 3 panels and that's a serious loss of pixel count. Of course, ALL of this wouldn't have mattered if the picture had been square and straight. Sony would do a lot for us if they would have also left the ability to adjust for overscan and geometry in it.

I first noticed it watching Hidalgo (smaller than 16x9 aspect) and also on HD Nascar events which put a full scrolling banner across the top. When Text is clearly evident on the right but by the time it got to the left the top edge was disappearing then there's a issue.

Now I'm back to watching my 36" CRT XBR until I receive my refund or my 12SF DLP projector in the other room. :(

When I had mine calibrated a couple of weeks ago, the ISF tech said there was overscan but he was able to all but eliminate it (according to him - I hadn't noticed this myself before) in the service menu. Sorry but I have no clue as to what he did - I'm just happy with the overall results.

Driver: What steps should I take to find out if I have the geometry issue? I have Avia DVD, if that helps..tickers for game scores have always been straight...if that is any indication.

if you want to take steps to see if you have A geometry issue then put a decent test patterns and get out the Mark I eyeball and something as simple as a tape measure. Assume first of all that Sony managed to get the screen protector on square and everything should be measured off of that. If the same spot in the test pattern top and bottom or left and right is significantly off then you might have a problem.

Understand this, out of the 2 sets I have had I had 2 separate geometry issues. One on the top horizontal with some fairly problematic rotation of the entire picture which was a little better but still there after a complete new projector assembly was installed. On this 2nd set with 3 straight axis (within a few pixels) but then a right side verticle issue which readily manifested itself as a non-square boxcar when watching 4:3 material. The boxcars are industry lingo for the black bars on the sides of the material. They should be even and square. Mine was much wider at the bottom than the top on the right side. A $7K flagship tv like the 70XBR950 should not have issues like this. Even if the picture is rotated slightly you should be able to lay a straight edge across any of the boxcars and the projected image should be striaght. Mine always had a distortion, ie, most of the drop in the 1st 3rd of the run.

JBaumgart I doubt the ISF calibrator could do anything for overscan on the tv itself because Sony told me there's not even a Service Menu item for that, maybe its adjustable in the DVD output?... I'll email anyone the memory stick jpg I speak about. Drop me a PM with your email address on it.

Alright. I shall give all that a try out over the weekend. Thanks for the info.

Under Popular Threads Sony http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=323602&referrerid=7446301 This is the best place to look up some of the issues your talking about.....http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=360879. Eliminate Image Loss . This man spent a lot of time on this subject.

Remember to log all your original settings. Have a test pattern on your set to see what you are doing. Notice each 480 P & 1080 I have diff. settings. So I would do one at a time., or some of your inputs or timing's may be ok. For example you may need to only do the dvd input you use at 480 P or 480 I. Read all the warnings...don't get lost.

Thanks GB for those pointers. Did not know some of those threads existed. Now I have some reading to do :)

Hi All -
After drolling over 70XBR950 for a year, I finally bought it online via PCMALL. Locally, this TV retails for $6999.99 not including sales tax. PCMALL has it for $5,279.99, still alot of money but I justify it that I will be watching alot of movies on DVD.
The TV was delivered yesterday. Still waiting on the stand to be delivered from 4cost.com (another $1000) but after spending nearly $6000 (including 5 years extended warranty) - there is no turning back.

Although this is my first post - I have been reading up on AVS Forum off and on to help me decide if this is the right TV to purchase. I'm finally convinced that this is a good choice - mainly the screen size and price.

Now that the TV is here, I felt somewhat overwhelmed with many decisions (DirectTV HD, or Voom). Currently I do not have HD yet. I am looking for help to the following questions.

1. I'm using DVP-S7700 Sony DVD player. It was the best DVD player in 1999 but how quickly time goes. Today I connected to 70XBR950 using component video cable to Video5 IN. I cannot say that there is any improvement in picture quality over S-Video.

Do I need a new DVD player that will upconvert to 720? How will I know if my 5+ years old DVD player even does 480 lines?

I read about DVD player with HDI connection. Since there is only one HDI connection, wouldn't I need it for a Satellite receiver later on?

2. I'm still waiting on Voom coming out with a HD DVR - or maybe take the plunge and cough up another $1000 for the DirectTV/Tivo HD DVR that is recently introduced. It's alot of money - since I will have to upgrade the dish too.

I want to get an HDTV antenna that will receive a both HD and regular programming. Do you recommend one? I am afraid to get an inexpensive indoor one that does not work and wasted $50, or spend $150-$200 on a huge ugly outdoor one. Ultimately I want the convenience of recording TV shows on Tivo or some kind of DVR. So if I ended up going with DirectTV HD solution (which comes with an add'l local off-air HD antenna) - I would have saved the money on an expensive outdoor antenna.

3. Finally - back to DVD - some movies still have black frame on top and bottom of TV screen. I read somewhere that this is to be expected on some movies? For example, Big Fish does not have this problem - but Star War II and Harry Potter 3 both have the letter box look. Just making sure this is expected, and not my DVD. I have already changed DVD setting to 16:9 TV.

Forgive me if this is alot of questions. I'm just excited and anxious to see HD on this 'expensive' TV.

Peter

Peter: You're right, a lot of Qs! But I can understand your excitement as well. Shall answer your Qs in parts:

DVD Player: You can go two ways. Buy a good dvd player with sigma chip and then use UMR's tweaks or buy an upconverting DVD Player. Mostly members go for second option (including myself) but lot of members go for the first as well. I have the Panasonic S97 DVD Player. And its DVI (or HDMI)and not HDI for connection. Your TV has the DVI port. I have a thread on variou upconverting players in the market: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=423609 Changing the DVD Player for a newer one, whichever option you choose, shall most prob ensure better PQ than your current player. I would therefore recommend it.

Satellite: D* has HD-Tivo for 999 and E* has it for 549. Since your TV has a tuner built-in, you only need this to record HD..its not a necessity. If you do end up having two DVI components, there are DVI switchers available a well.

Antenna: I would recommend that route. Lot of us have successfully done that and are quite happy with free digital channels. Depending upon your location, you should find out which channels you can get Off the Air (OTA) and then we can suggest an antenna. I am currently using an attic antenna that I bought at Radio Shack. And, sometimes outdoor antennas are cheaper than indoor antennas! My outdoor antenna was $25 but indoor was $50! Outdoor is way better for both quantity and (signal)quality of channels.

DVD: Yes, black bars on most 16:9 DVDs are expected. Not all DVDs cover the entire screen. There is a thread on this topic: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=332900
Will provide you with a lot of information.

Hope the above information is helpful.

mallu2u -

Thank you very much for your helpful responses. I'm one of those who buy everything SONY. I have been reading on CNET.com about Sony's DVD player that has HDMI output. I also found out there are converter for HDMI to HDI. It's a relief to know that there are DVI switchers - it would be unthinkable to plug and unplug DVI cable.

I will also look into HD-Tivo. I'm not familiar with E* store. Can you point me to the right direction? I thought about DirectTV-Tivo-HD combination because I'm a currently DirectTV subscriber who is using Sony's DirectTV-UltimateTV receiver.

I'm located in North Texas - Dallas Fort Worth area. I believe we have most of the HD programming from major network. I am interested to know what you recommend for attic antenna, and where I can read up about how to position the antenna.

While off-air HDTV is good, I am not sure how well integrated is to the DirectTV programming. I'm actually paying DirectTV for local channel only because it is so easy to record TV shows in one place. If HD-Tivo works out for me - I can probably save money on montly local channels.

Thanks again! You help me alot.

Peter

Peter, congrats on the new XBR. It can be a bit overwhelming with all of the choices out there, but my advice would be to take your time and read up on some of the relevent forums here before rushing to purchase any new expensive equipment.

On the OTA issue you did not say how close you are to your local antenna farm, but after investing $7,000 on the TV I would recommend getting an inexpensive antenna so you can begin to enjoy HD programming immediately. Many owners including me have had good results with something like the Zenith Silver Sensor which should work well if you are within 25 miles or so and have no obstructions in between. If it doesn't work well you can always return it, or possibly upgrade to an outdoor or attic antenna.

Sorry I don't know anything about your DVD player but you should check out the DVD player forum here for some opinions and advice. Regarding the input being used you should be able to obtain a very good picture with some of the better players using a component input, and just because a new player might allow a DVI connection (not HDI) this doesn't necessarily translate into an improved picture - there are lots of other variables. In any case a good DVD player should provide a noticeably better picture over component compared to S-video.

Also once you have you set broken in and have decided on your player and satellite or cable provider, consider having it professionally calibrated. I finally did this a few weeks ago after finally getting my system together (which took about 5 months) and the improvement was well worth it. But get all of your components and connections in place first, otherwise you'll have to have him over again when you add something or decide to use a different input.

Good luck!

Originally posted by Driver
JBaumgart I doubt the ISF calibrator could do anything for overscan on the tv itself because Sony told me there's not even a Service Menu item for that, maybe its adjustable in the DVD output?... I'll email anyone the memory stick jpg I speak about. Drop me a PM with your email address on it.

I think the Sony rep was incorrect as the ISF calibrator told me he was able to mostly eliminate the overscan, and in fact I was watching when he was doing this. But honestly I cannot remember which input (cable box or DVD) he was working on when it came up in the conversation, but I do know that he was definitely in the TV's service menu at the time.

JBaumgart -

Thank you. My plan was to try out free off air HDTV first. I was a bit disappointed with okay picture when I hook up DVD player with component 12 ft cable for $30. (Does anyone believe that it's necessarily to spend $200 on top quality Monster 3 compoment cable?)

I will most likely try to upgrade my DVD player first. I thought Sony DVP-S7700 should be a capable player, after all I paid $999 for it in 1999. It's hard to believe that I would have to replace it with a cheaper ($300) but new Sony DVP-NS975V that has HDMI calbe. Cnet.com only gave it a 7.7 rating. I will take your advice and do more research in the DVD forum.

Maybe it's about time that I consider other brand besides Sony. Sony does not provide upgrade for my 7 month old VAIO PC from Microsoft Windows XP Media Center 2004 to 2005. I understand that Media Center 2005 will record TV program in HD format. With Media Center 2005, I can get XBox Media Center Extender and playback pictures, recorded shows on the Sony TV. I briefly noted on avforum.com that it is not easy connecting a PC to XBR950. But Xbox with HD AV adaptor can hook up to this TV - no idea on the picture quality though.

Peter

Peter, don't get hung up on the player having a HDMI output, because the TV does not have a corresponding input. Although there are cables that provide an HDMI-to-DVI connection, I do know that on my DVD player (Denon 3910) you are better off using its DVI output straight to the TV's DIV input rather than one of these cables, as it's been reported that picture quality (black level) is not as good. With my player using a component connection was almost as good as DVI, but my calibrator noticed a slight improvement with DVI. Bear in mind that every player is different and your results may vary. In any case I would not limit myself to just Sony - focus on the quality and value rather than the brand name. And bear in mind that HD capable players should be out within 1-2 years, so you may not want to spend too much right now.

peterlin71

I would suggest Canare cables for your component video connections. They are considerably cheaper than Monster Cable, but, in my opinion, actually of better quality. Canare makes cables for professional applications.

I obtained mine from a company called "Markertek". Be sure you get the premade cables, and not the ones that Markertek (or whoever you get them from) constructs themselves from Canare components. As I recall each cable was about $10.

www.canare.com
www.markertek.com

Originally posted by peterlin71
mallu2u -

Thank you very much for your helpful responses. I'm one of those who buy everything SONY. I have been reading on CNET.com about Sony's DVD player that has HDMI output. I also found out there are converter for HDMI to HDI. It's a relief to know that there are DVI switchers - it would be unthinkable to plug and unplug DVI cable.

I will also look into HD-Tivo. I'm not familiar with E* store. Can you point me to the right direction? I thought about DirectTV-Tivo-HD combination because I'm a currently DirectTV subscriber who is using Sony's DirectTV-UltimateTV receiver.

I'm located in North Texas - Dallas Fort Worth area. I believe we have most of the HD programming from major network. I am interested to know what you recommend for attic antenna, and where I can read up about how to position the antenna.

While off-air HDTV is good, I am not sure how well integrated is to the DirectTV programming. I'm actually paying DirectTV for local channel only because it is so easy to record TV shows in one place. If HD-Tivo works out for me - I can probably save money on montly local channels.

Thanks again! You help me alot.

Peter

The Sony player is 975V. Its a good player as well. And yes, there are HDMI-DVI cables as well as HDMI-DVI Adapters, if you already have a either (HDMI or DVI) cable.

As for Satellite, D* DirecTV and E*= Dish Network/EchoStar. If you have have DirecTV, HD-Tivo is the only option. Mentioned the other one since there is a big price difference. But supposed HD-Tivo is better.

Check this forum to find out a thread for your area: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=45 There would a lot of members there who can tell u what is available in your area. You can also check at http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/Welcome.aspx youself for channels. I currently have the Radio Shack 15-2160 Antenna. Other good Antennas are Channel Master 4221 and 4228. I would however start with a Radio Shack 15-1880 indoor antenna and what you can pick up with that. Direction for it can be found at the Antenna web website.

As for local channel info integration, I think it does work, but check this forum for that info: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=25 or even http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=45

I know I am pointing you to a lot of places...but you do need to educate yourself first before making all these investments. It shall help you make the right decision.

Good Luck!

Peter: As for cables, you can also check out the Monster Component cable available at Walmart. Under $20! Although I would say that their M500 cables are awesome and do show the clear difference in PQ (from my own experience), but I would still look for lower-priced alternatives...I would start with the monster cable I mentioned earlier and then looking for alternatives. Lot of people like Ram, Blue jeans and Gefen cables as well.

Peter

Personally, I don't know how much of all the chatter about cables is real vs marketing hype/snob appeal.

Unfortunately, the way I'm wired(pun intended) with everything that I've got invested in my system, I'd always wonder if my picture quality suffered due to going with cheap cables. Therefore, I go with something that's consider above average, but not wacko extreme. I've been getting mine from bluejeanscable. They do take returns with no questions asked in case you get the wrong length or just change your mind. They're other good companies, but I tend to stay with what works for me.

Happy viewing. You got one hell of a set there.

peterlin71,

Like you I have a S7700 from back in the day (late 90's) which was Sony's top of the line back then. I replaced it with the 999ES and it is a night and day difference. I think the Video DACs have more to do with it than anything else. If you search this thread back about a year ago when I first installed my XBR I commented on this exact issue. At this point with HD DVD just one year or so off I would not invest in upconverting DVD players as some people report the XBR's upconversion is better being fed component 480i, other people say to stick a good DVD player in 480P and leave it at that. It's something you should play with and save the DVI port for your HD Tivo product.

As far as still seeing black bars on DVD's on a 16x9 (1.85:1) set that is normal with some DVD's. DVD's that are filmed in 2.35:1 ratio are the ones you specifically mentioned. That ratio is wider than 1.85:1, thus the black bars. ALL of the Star Wars movies released so far in Anamorphic Widescreen have been 2.35:1 ratio.

One thing about this TV, especially the 70" is that it really will expose the quality of your sources (or lack of quality). The first DVD I watched was Matrix Reloaded. It was very decent. Next up was Pirates of the Carribean. It was just OK. Next day I put in some others (Ronin, Lost in Space) and thought that my DVD player was broken - they just looked weak.

I'm now looking foward to the new DVD standard, hope it doesn't take 5-6 years for them to fight out the standards.

Quick note - I saw in the original specs that the high speed memory sticks (duo) were not supported by the XBRs reader. I was poking around Sony support and see that they offer a warranty/fix to update this. However, I just plugged in a 512mb duo pro (with adapter) into my Tv and it worked. Looks like they updated firmware in recent units...

OK, i've had my 60" XBR950 for about a month now without issue...


Suddenly, this week, I am getting a "humming/buzzing" sound coming from the unit... this sound varies in loudness and disappears after the set has been on 30 min to an hour...

Trying to locate the sound, it seems to be coming from the front base of the set, near where the bulb is located...

FYI, the set is on "High Altitude" mode, as I live in Denver...


Any thoughts or recommendations?

Has anybody purchased an extra bulb to have around? Is there any harm to the bulb having it just sit around until my current one blows?

Knowing my luck it would happen during our Super Bowl party or something.

Re: DVD players

I also have the Sony S7700 feeding into my 70XBR950 and have thought that the image was perfectly fine. I see that a couple of you have switched players to improve the image. Was there actually an improvement, or is it so subtle that you might not notice it? At this point, I'm fine with what I've got, but if there is a dramatic improvement, I'd upgrade in a minute. Any thoughts?

Originally posted by kingbill
[B]Re: DVD players

I also have the Sony S7700 feeding into my 70XBR950 and have thought that the image was perfectly fine. I see that a couple of you have switched players to improve the image. Was there actually an improvement, or is it so subtle that you might not notice it? At this point, I'm fine with what I've got, but if there is a dramatic improvement, I'd upgrade in a minute...

We covered this last January (the 15th to be exact) in this SAME thread. Click Here to see the original (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=3215951#post3215951) Here's the pertinent reply highlights:

I have the 70" and my older (top of the line in its Day) Sony S7700 is no match at all for the Sony 999ES and the Progressive output there. I did A-B comparisions of the 2 using the same set of Component inputs and cables and it was much clearer with the progressive output on the 999ES. SG-1 on DVD (true 16x9) was the test source. On the S7700 the darker scenes were absolutley lousy with dot crawl or macro-blocking, just looked like a badly done MPEG. With the 999ES It smoothed right out.

Of course some of this could be related to the 14 Bit Video DAC in the 999es versus the 10 Bit one in the S7700. Regardless I don't feel the built in conversion of a signal to the TV up to 788P is going to be better on a 480I signal than a 480P as it'll convert either as well. Feed it the highest quality signal you can and let the tv handle the rest. Letting the TV upconvert an already clean clear Progressive signal should always result in higher picture quality than upconverting a poorer 480I one. At least thats been my experience.

Looks like you need to upgrade this minute. There is definitly some improvement to be had with newer players, larger video DACs and newer technology over the 7700 that was introduced to the market before progressive scan DVD players were even a player in the consumer market. I think I looked back then at one and the cheapest was over $3000.00. Sony did not even have a progressive one at all. I wouldn't go with DVI and all the extras as HD DVD is only a year or so off, but get something that will tide you over for that interim period.

Thank you all who helped with my questions earlier. Driver - thank you for clarifying that Sony S7700 was released before progressive scan time. My plan is to get an inexpensive Sony dvd player that does progressive scan for now. I don't want to spend $1000 on DVD player knowing that HD DVD may be released sometimes soon.

I got an antenna the other day and I'm now enjoying digital TV.

I have the following questions and again hope someone can point me to the right direction.

1. How do I configure 70XBR950 to skip non digital OTA TV channels? Add/Skip in the setup menu does not let me do this. If I skip 4, then I would loose both 4 and 4.1.

2. Several of the digital channel (i.e., 4 NBC, 8 ABC) display in 3:2 format, leaving vertical bars on both side of the screen. This is strange because Guide info shows that this channel is currently boradcasting in 16:9 HD format. Zoom button on the remote does not work. When pressed, it reads Full. My guess is that this is by design/limitation that digital stations do not always broadcast in true 16:9 format. They may have 3:2 like news program - and padded to 16:9.

Peter

In the normal menu you go to channels and set them all to skip, or at least the analog channels you want to skip. The digital channels will still come in just fine.

You can also set the digital channels you don't want to skip by pressing the guide button on the remote and going to the far right menu, I think it is called digital setup or something like that, you will see channel show/hide. I use that to hide some of the sub channels I don't want. For example, one of the two PBS channels has 5 sub channels, one of which is a weather map, another is kids shows. I hide both of those. Also, the PAX channel has religious crap on two of their sub channels, I also set those to hide so I don't have to see them.

As far as the bars on the sides of digital channels while they show non-wide screen programming, there is nothing you can do about those. The stations put those there since there is no program data to fill that part of the screen. I don't mind them because I don't like stretch modes. If I want to see fat and wide, I can look in the mirror. This TV is big enough that is is not necessary to fill the screen while watch 4:3 programming.

Thank you Runch. It worked great. Previously I assumed that if I skip a regular channel the digital channels would be skipped too.

So apparently here I am stuck with this obsolete DVD player! Actually, it still looks pretty good to me, but I'm definitely open to an upgrade. I wondered if anybody had any experience with the Bravo D2 player. It seems like it's probably a cheap import, but it has some features that seem ahead of a lot of the competition. The direct digital sourcing would obviously be the primary draw. On the other hand, would it just be better to live with my Sony S7700 for awhile and see what the next year or so brings? Appreciate any input.......

Bill

Don't live with the S7700 on the XBR950 any longer. The output is fine for <36" viewing but the flaws are way too evident when you are looking at 60 to 70" of real estate. Heck the 480i output on the 7700 is even great if you have a front projector with Faroudja processing which is where mine is currently. S-Video to a Studio Experience 12SF DLP. But I would not use it on the XBR950. On my 70 it was very plain and very clear that the video degradation was there and serious. Some people claim they like the scaler in the 950, and that feeding it 480i instead of 480p is good but they evidently never tried the S7700's 480i. Upon hooking the 999ES up it was night and day. And I did side by side comparisions bvefore pulling the old unit out of the rack. I saw a little difference in the 999's interlaced versus progressive signals so I left it on progressive where it seemed a little sharper and more filmlike.

There are plenty of sub-$200.00 machines that will get the job done for the next year or two while we await the HD machines. I went with the 999ES but then again I wanted the SACD stuff. I am not a fan of the Bravo's either. We did a Home Theater tour last year and one home had the Bravo in it, the guy hated it. It'd get hot and stop working, he wound up using a older DVD unit for the tour. Take adavantage of Best Buys return policy and pick up a mid-priced unit, see what gains you get from that. If it doesn't work you have several weeks to return it.

I realize we're getting somewhat off-topic here, but these questions are in relation to my 70XBR950. I've also read some pretty good reviews of the Denon 2900 DVD player. Is that also fairly obsolete at this point in time, or would it marry up pretty well to my Sony set and be an improvement on my S7700? I appreciate the advice.

Bill

The 2900 is an excellent choice, especially if you can find one that's discounted 50% as some others have.

Has anyone out there noticed vertical streaking on the blue panel? I started seeing this about 2 months ago and what ever is happening... It's starting to slowly get progressively worse. It's there on all inputs. Perhaps this is a one off... Perhaps not.

Thx,
Vidkidd

Originally posted by vidkidd
Has anyone out there noticed vertical streaking on the blue panel? I started seeing this about 2 months ago and what ever is happening... It's starting to slowly get progressively worse. It's there on all inputs. Perhaps this is a one off... Perhaps not.

Thx,
Vidkidd

I've been following this thread since the beginning and I don't remember seeing this before. What kind of streaking are you seeing and how long have you owned your set? Hopefully it's still covered by warranty...

I think I am going to buy the 60". I watch movies and play video games....ALOT.

Are there any lag issues with the Xbox/Playstation/Gamecube when in High Def. DLPs have close to a 1 second delay when in the video game console is in HD mode.

Can anyone confirm that this will not happen with the XBR.

Have not heard of this lag problem......

The best way to describe it is uneven color display. Only with Blue. If you were to display a pure blue image on the set: R:0 G:0 B:255, I don't see an even color representation on the screen. There image looks streaky with vertical streaks that are darker than the "pure" blue that is displayed. There are also sections on the set that are brighter, 5% at most.

If I display an image with a pure blue value of 128, the problem still shows up. I started to notice it on the evening news when a blue background was displayed behind some of the announcers. Pumping in pure values from my HTPC VIA DVI helped to isolate the problem to blue.

I have a MFR Date of Dec 2003.

Thx,
Vidkidd

Originally posted by vidkidd
I have a MFR Date of Dec 2003.

Thx,
Vidkidd

Looks like you are covered if you want to have Sony take a shot at repairing it. Good luck.

I purchased a KDF-60XBR950 in December 2003, built Nov 2003. I had it fail to start a couple of times in the first few months. Unplugging the TV fixed it both times. It worked fine until Sunday, failed to start. Unplugging worked. Monday no start, and unplugging didn't work. Service guy came out with a new bulb. He said that he had a truck full of bulbs, and after my house he was going to Fry's Electronics to replace bulbs in 6 more of the same set. He said the ballast board measures several things about the bulb each time it starts, and if the bulb doesn't look perfect, the ballast will refuse to start. He said there was something about the early bulbs that the ballast didn't like.

My TV was on week beyond the Sony warranty. Luckily I had purchased the Circuit City warranty and the bulb was covered. I obviously should have done this the first couple of times the set failed to start. He said Sony will just mail a bulb to you if you call and the set is failing to start, and it's under warranty....joe

Where do you find out the build dates?

Small sticker on the back of the unit says the month and year.

A bump and a question:D

I know the 950 is still current but with all the talk on the new 100, it wont be for long! Do you think there will be a big pricedrop in this set? I am looking to pull the trigger and this is more in my price range...and if it goes lower, all the better!

Well I just checked with my local dealer (PC Richards) and they have 107 of the 70" XBR950's in stock...so I guess they are going to be current for a bit.

Brian I read your questions on buying this set or waiting for the new 70". I was asking myself the same question. I would say if money is no object and your an early adopter of technology buy the new set without question. Otherwise the current set is less than half price and has already proven to be an awesome set.

Well... The problem is progressing and Im starting to see the vertical smearing on some Greens now as well. (probably because they have some blue in them) It's time to take advantage of my 3 year extended warranty... All my neighbors could see them problems on this weekends NFL games.

Thx,
Vidkidd

I think the XBR950 fits all my needs. Not that having 1080p wouldn't be better, but for price...the 950 is a deal!

Can someone explain what the GWIV means? I know it is Grand Wega but what does the roman number mean? Seems to be a lot of talk about it... and what would my new XBR be?

Thanks again

And Vidkidd, I have not heard of your problem and I have been on the net for more hours than I care to admit concerning this TV. I hope it works out for you...that Service Contrac will pay off!!!

Would Everyone be so kind as to pm me as to where they bought their 70XBR950 from?
Thanks,
Scot

GWIV refers to Grand Wega Four. The current generation is the fourth version of these TVs. The next version of the XBR for this set is also the fourth generation of this TV.

Originally posted by Runch Machine
GWIV refers to Grand Wega Four. The current generation is the fourth version of these TVs. The next version of the XBR for this set is also the fourth generation of this TV.

I know this is splitting hairs, but GW is not GW but GVV. The TV is a Grand Vega not Grand Wega. The "W" is actually a stylized double "V".

Laserjock

Thanks for the answers:)
I spent lots of time with the 70XBR today and it is indeed a killer set!
I also noticed that Circuit City lowered the price to $5,799!

It can be had for less, but still a good sign.

OK, I'll bite.

I went to my local Circuit City yesterday (Rochester NY) and the price for the 70" XBR was $6,389. The sales guy said they had one left in stock and probably wouldn't get any more because the new model will be out in a month or two.

May I ask what Circuit City location quoted that price? Better yet, where can I get it for less than that? I've looked at the vendors on Nextag, but I'm very wary of going that route. There are some real horror stories in the comments section. I get the impression the low price vendors are really just bait and switch operators - they charge your credit card immediately, but the product doesn't actually get shipped for weeks, after which you cancel the order.

Any insight/help would be greatly appreciated.

Tim

I paid less than 6K (after taxes) locally for my 70" XBR950 over a year ago. I'd look for a better price.

Tim, That was from CC in Massapequa lon Long Island NY.

The manager also said it was a "98 price"...what the heck does that mean?

Yes it can be had for less. Especially that it will be discontinued real soon! I bet under 5 grand will not be out of the question in a month or 2...

I also found a real nice stand from Bello. The model number is AVS 2572
http://www.bello.com/av/avs-2572.asp

I think not only does it look nice, but it has room for gear!

At UE a few days ago I could get one for $5400 they still have 107 or so around US. I give it a month to get it for 5 flat. Under 5 and i'd buy 2!!

Cleaning the glass cover.
What do you folks use to clean this Tv's Front,
Thanks

Found a good price!
http://www.plasmahouse.com/itemdetail.asp?ic=KDF70XBR950&cartid=6-EVEREST-327956GFVIP332
And it looks to INCLUDE the Sony stand.

There is also a $100 rebate I found from Sony when you buy this set and one of the following:
DVD DREAM:
DAVBC250, DAVFR1
DAVFR8, DAVFR9
DAVFR10W, DAVFC9
DAVLF1
HOME THEATER
PACKAGE:
HT4800DP, HT4850DP
HT5800DP, HT6800DP
HTV2000DP, HT8800DP
STR/ES:
STRDE897/B, STRDE897/S
STRDE997, STRDA1000ES
STRDA2000ES, STRDA3000ES
STRDA5000ES, STRDA9000ES
AVDS500ES, AVDC700ES

Brian:

Thank you for the post. I've seen that vendor listed online as well at the Nextag site (I can't post the url because I haven't made my required 5 posts yet; e-mail me if you can't find it).

I initially considered ordering from them, or a similar online vendor, but I am somewhat reluctant now. The comments at the Nextag site are a mixed bag of pro and con. The positive comments all seem very generic or unspecific. The negative comments, however, seem very specific about the order, the company, and sometimes even the employee. One person even speculated that the positive comments are made by store employees to offset the negative ones. I don't know if this is true.

I think it would be a huge pain-in-the-ass having to resolve problems with an online vendor based in another state. Given the size of this TV and its cost, I think local sales/support might be worth a premium over the online sellers. I certainly don't plan to pay full retail however - I intend to challenge the locals to get as close to the online prices as possible.

Thanks again for the post.

Tim

Tirwin, I am with you. From what I have heard about this set if you do have any issues you will have a big 222lb 70" problem to deal with an online dealer about. Find the best price online and them challenge your local boys to get as close as possible. BTW Brian that proce did not inclide the stand, it cleary stated add the stand for $899 more.

Yes the stand is seperate...At first I looked at the SUPPLIED ACCESSORIES and it clearly listed the stand. It must be a typo.

I am going to buy local for sure. Even if it is a little more. However, knowing the "best online price" helps us negotiate. So if any of you find a good deal and it is from a "good" online location, please let us know.


I have been following the SXRD thread with great interest...I just do not want to spend 13K on a TV! However...it really does look nice!

I have been following the SXRD thread as well but more as an interest in the technolony as there is not way i can afford the price tag and a nice stand for this beast. I mean were talking about getting the current 70" for a third of the new one. Pretty close after tax anyway.

Hello everyone. I recently purchased a KDF70XBR950. I had it delivered this past Sunday 1/9/04. It is massive! I had a Mits 55" before and it look puny from a physical standpoint. This forum has been a goldmine concerning pertinent information about the unit. I checked for stuck or dead pixels for which I found none of either anomaly. My manufacture period is November 2004. It was between the XBR and the DLP set from Mitsubishi. Although I was impressed by the color of the Mits, I preferred the brightness/detail of the XBR. I did see the "screen door" effect on the XBR most prominent on bright scenes. The blacks tended to be a very dark gray. I have it situated where it is flanked by windows to its left and right plus another one in front. It is a moot point as I have heavy blinds shut most of the time. Watching movies or tv channels during the daytime wasn't as dramatic when you watch in the evening IMO. It is odd that a salesman at Good Guys recommened that I purchase the newer LCD XS model claiming that it would process a sharper picture. Anyway, I will be reading the rest of the previous Emails here to glean more info. I got to page 57! :) I will be looking forward to a trouble free relationship with my new set...knock on wood!

...just to add that the "screen door" effect and the less than black reproduction of black does not bother me a bit. My seating distance is 8.5 feet. Totally love it.

What's the best dvd player for the GW950XBR? Ok maybe top few.... ok at least one under $500.

I have read similar questions and in many cases the best DVD player is dependant on the display device. So here I am in the owners thread hoping for some good advice from the experienced folks here.

I tried a search for best dvd player in this thread, and boy... I'm at work and I find that is quite a time soak as I get pulled in to even the off topic posts.

Your input is much appreciated, since I am sure this isn't the first time this question has been asked, I'd be thrilled with just a link to where this has been covered.

Thanks a ton!

HD DVD players were announced at CES and will be out by year end. If it were me and I didn't have a DVD player I would buy one for around $100-$200 and save my money for the upcoming HD DVD players. I have a nice DVD player and I think the it looks better on this TV when outputting 480i.

I've had a DVD player for about 3 years and only own about 30 movies. My thinking is that any movies I have now I will probably want to rebuy in HD. As such I don't buy very many now because they will be obsolete soon.

Will we not have the same problem with HD DVD as we do with the HDTV and the picture locking in full mode? I will be ticked off if i end up with back bars and i cant zoom in.

Runch

Also off topic. I'm finding it hard to buy DVDs because when the HD version is broadcast by my satellite provider, it looks so much better. What to do?

Juicerock

Just use your current DVD player in interlaced and chill.

Jim P, I've found HD movies from Direct TV to be no better than most DVDs. I'm using an old high-end DVD player, the Proceed PMDT, it doesn't even have progressive output....joe

New question :D

Has anyone mounted a center channel on top of this TV yet? The rack that I am getting will be full with gear and my center is rather large. (26 inches long and 7 inches high and 12 inches deep. It is not that heavy though...14 pounds or so.) I really do not want to put up a shelf on my wall (fresh sheetrock and paint) so I am thinking of a mount for the set itself.

As for the DVD... A solid 480I machine for $150 will be fine. I have read that the scaler in this set is usually better that having the DVD player upconverting to 480P. (DVD's are all 480i to start with)

Juiceroc:

Since you can get a progressive scan DVD player for less than $100, I think it makes sense to go that route for now and wait to invest serious $$$ when the improved hi-definition DVD players come out. That's what I intend to do when I pull the trigger.

I've only done a bit of research, but I'll confess I am completely clueless how the high-end DVD players (i.e. > $1,000) can be cost justified. If this makes me an ignorant hick, so be it.

Brian, I asked a sales guy in a hi-end store here in Rochester (NOT a circuit city or best buy) the same question. He said you should not put a center speaker on top of this unit. This means a little thought has to go into the purchase of a stand. You need one big enough to hold all the AV equipment plus a center channel speaker. Either that, or a shelf.

Tim

Originally posted by Joe Jensen
Jim P, I've found HD movies from Direct TV to be no better than most DVDs. I'm using an old high-end DVD player, the Proceed PMDT, it doesn't even have progressive output....joe

Sorry to hear that. On Voom, HD signals look pretty good. Heck, even their SD looks nice.

I have my center speaker (Infinity Prelude MTS Center) mounted on top, and with its "cradle" that it sits in, it fits perfectly. It is also an almost perfect match for the set color wise, and it also produces extremely clear dialogue (as it should for the price). The front left and right Prelude MTS are also a very nice color match and also produce very accurate sound.

Does anyone know if there is a way to totally "erase" or reset the digital channel memory, so that you can start with a clean slate and have the ATSC tuner search and add OTA digital channels from scratch. I'm having a problem with some Program Specific Infromation setting updates that all of my local digital OTA channels have implemented, that are really "whacking out" the ATSC tuner in my set. It seems like with the digital channels you can only hide them from the digital channel line-up, and not delete them completely.

Thanks for any input.
Steve

Most of the time if you do the Auto reset , it should reset your lineup. they send a signal from the station that tells your set it is 4.1. Sometimes & this has happened many times , If they turn it off it will go to the true UHF channel & your tuner moves it to that number.

Cleanmaxx, I have a center speaker sitting on top of my 60" xbr. Although mine is a smaller than yours at 5.5"H, 17"W, 9"D and 14lbs. I put little rubber feet in a crescent pattern on the back bottom of the speaker to balance. Its been there for over a year, with no problems.

Originally posted by G.B.
Most of the time if you do the Auto reset , it should reset your lineup. they send a signal from the station that tells your set it is 4.1. Sometimes & this has happened many times , If they turn it off it will go to the true UHF channel & your tuner moves it to that number.

GB,
What do mean by "Auto reset"? I've tried the "Add Digital Channels", which goes and looks for all available digital channels, but I don't recall ever seeing anything like an "auto reset", other than the "reset" which applies to the Video settings.

Thanks!

Thanks all!

I am going for a stand that allows for center placement and still room for gear.

What is the highest I should go on a stand for this 70 inch set? I don't think I want to look up at it but being that I will be at least 17 feet away, it may not matter much!

You still want the set to be at eye level. You don't want to feel like you are sitting in the 3rd row at a movie theatre. Screen height is very important. Measure the height that the stand that is made for the set is. Make your stand the same height.

Originally posted by Cleanmaxx Brian
Thanks all!

I am going for a stand that allows for center placement and still room for gear.

What is the highest I should go on a stand for this 70 inch set? I don't think I want to look up at it but being that I will be at least 17 feet away, it may not matter much!

I'm about ready to pull the trigger on this set also but having the same problem finding a stand that will hold all of my gear below. I've come to the conclusion that I am going to have to place my center channel (B&W HTM1) on a wall mount above the set. I would like to find a stand almost the width of the set but with a shelf tall enough to hold my amp which is 10" tall. I found this today which looks really good and would hold every thing but it's kinda pricey.

http://www.diamondcase.com/TT/TT_HTML_Files/TT400.HTML

The problem with that stand is that it will turn into an oven and cook your equipment. I hope you are not serious about a stand with doors over the front of it. Today's multichannel amps and related digital equipment generate a lot of heat.

Good point! I had to remove the door on my current audio rack. You can get that stand with fans in it but that might be overkill.

Earlier in this post there was talk about the DVD player: I think if you go a few pages back you'll see that a 480I player is not th way to go. Either a newer upscaling player or a DVDO based progressive player. If you go with the 480P route make sure to apply the UMR tweaks. Also on the stand, someone in the 70"SXRD thread recommended this stand:
http://www.designs-un.com/ the chicane 4

volfan

That's a beautiful stand. I'd add one of the fan systems to keep the components cool.

StevieB, Go to the channel in the Sony menu & hit reset in the digital channel. Also if you unplug your TV it should reset automatically. You should see Auto reset for all channel's , next line down will be Digital channel. Step down , Step to the right , hit center part of the control & it should reset. If the station is not on this may be a problem. If you turn on your set & it say's channel 30 has moved to 4.1 for example, this tells you they reset the digital that tells your set what channel number they where at. Sorry , I also have the Sony Sat. Rec. as well so can be confusing keeping both up.

Here's the stand I had built when I had the basment finished and home theater
http://users.adelphia.net/~kpbourque/newhouse.html

scroll down and you'll see the pic. :)

Nice house and really nice stand. How much does it cost to get one stand like that built?

Mallu2u, I noticed your thread on extended menu. You might try here ,Vidkid, & Umr does.....Could be no one had time to give ideas during holiday's G.B.

Is anyone having a problem with the closed captioning on their XBR. When I watch any HD programing using my sets digital tuner I get captioning even if captioning is set to off. Not sure how to solve the problem. Please let me know if you have any ideas.

There is two types of captionioning, analog and digital. I suspect that you have found how to turn the analog CC off, but still have the digital captioning on. Press the GUIDE button and look around that menu. I think it is under one of the 4 columns.

I am having a small problem and i am not really sure if its my XBR or the HD single or my cablebox, but sometimes when i watch a HD channel the picture will fragment/freeze and the sound will glitch in and out, but if i record it and play it back it plays perfectly with no sign of the freezing/fragmenting picture, needless to say this is driving me nuts. Any ideas?

It is rarely the TV in this situation, but you don't give enough informtion. First of all, where are you located? You should fill out your profile so we know. Some local channels are having transmission problems. Second, what are you recording the signal on? Is it a DVR, D-VHS VCR or what? What cable company are you using?

Sorry, but I'm from Canada and we get shaw cable. I was using a motorola cablebox that has a built in hard drive and can record the HD broadcasts.

Thanks for the info. How is the cable box connected to the TV, via DVI or component cables? How often does the problem happen? Does it happen with any other source, such as DVD? Does it happen on all channels or just some channels?

Are there any problems placing the 70" on a stand that is 20" deep? Is it possible to only partially retract the toe-kick in the base or is it all or nothing. I'm about the order the triple-20 from Salamanderdesigns but want to make sure there won't be any problems.

Thanks

Thanks Runch Machine you were correct I was just turning off the CC on the anolog side of things. The problem is now fixed. I guess they must have just started sending captioning info on my local CBS station because I have been watching it for over a year. All the others I get from my cable box.

Do you guys/gals use your XBR950's a lot? How many hours a day? I have a wife and 2 kids who are home a lot and the TV is on for the most part morning till night. Currently I have a Sony 53 4:3 set for the past 7 years with no problems. Do you think this 70" inch set could hold up (with of course the changing of bulbs )

Cleanmaxx Brian,

I have a 70XBR950 and I use it quite a bit. My work schedule basically allows me to watch it on alternating weeks. On the weeks that I'm home, I often have the unit on 6-8 hours a day or more. I've had the unit for about a year.

I don't know what would fail to hold up other than the lamp. I use the same rule on this unit as I have on CRT televisions. If the TV will not be off for at least an hour, leave it turned on. I believe that turning a unit off and on repeatedly over short intervals is quite abusive to any electronic component, and is quite detrimental to the life of the lamp in this set.

If your family will give the TV proper care, I think you'll be quite happy with it.

I'm watching the Doobie Brothers Concert on my XBR950 as I type this. Incredible. I love HDTV.

"I don't know what would fail to hold up other than the lamp. I use the same rule on this unit as I have on CRT televisions. If the TV will not be off for at least an hour, leave it turned on. I believe that turning a unit off and on repeatedly over short intervals is quite abusive to any electronic component, and is quite detrimental to the life of the lamp in this set."


Does anyone have an opinion, or technical info., on this?

This is very true. Don't leave your home with it on ....But I know some turn them on & off all the time....Not Good.....With any electronic item. Its turning it on & of that gives you a voltage surge from 0 to what ever volts hits it that can break down electronic parts...Its like that first 5 seconds it takes for your oil to get to all parts of your engine...gives it a little ware..

Understood. I guess the benefits of not shutting the tv off all the time out ways the loss of life on the bulb.

We also think Cinema on might give more hours on the bulb...plus helps on the blacks.....

I leave the "Cinema Black" turned on all the time. The image is still extremely bright when properly adjusted. I have done UMR's tweaks, and find the image quality stunning.

HELP - I just purchased the 70" XBR this past Friday and I am seeing some things that are really strange. When watching something that has tightly spaced vertical lines in the scene that appear to jiggle and aren't smooth. I noticed this on the CBS playoff games over the weekend. On the non-closeup scenes the stripes on the players pants would do this. It was not a problem on the closeups. Also noticed this on Leno last night. The set behind Jay has buildings with lines of verticle windows. As the camera panned around the line of windows would kind of jiggle (not smooth as the camera panned).

Is my set bad, or not adjusted properly. Anything I can check?

Sounds like the set may be bad. What you are seeing is not normal. Have you gone through the various use adjustments in the menu? Even set to the factory default settings, the set should look great.

Yeah most things look really good and I never saw this on my 55" Mits. It's just certain things on both OTA and Satellite that really look odd. I'm going to call Sony and the dealer later today and see what they say.

Keep us posted volfan...

After doing some research I think what I am seeing if refered to as "Ringing". Going to call Sony now.

Well I am still shopping for this set and have found this:
http://www.electronics-expo.com/product.jsp?x=KDF70XBR950&webcategory=null&submenu=null

The 70XBR for $4,888.88 at Electronics Expo.
And they ARE an authorized dealer!
http://www.sonystyle.com/intershoproot/eCS/Store/en/lc/authorized_dealers/index.html

I do believe this is the BEST deal so far...and I live within driving distance and have a truck to save the delivery charge!

volfan

I have exactly what you are describing on your 70XBR. I believe this is an effect of converting 1080 interlaced to 768 progressive. I have not seen this effect in watching any 720 material.

I don't believe this is called "Ringing". Ringing is where a sharp line between contrasting brightnesses or colors is regenerated one or more pixels away from the original line. Basically what happens if you turn the sharpness control all the way up on any TV set.

What you describe and what I have seen on my set, looks more like interference between two different resolutions.

That may explain why I didn't see this watching the playoff game on Fox. My old 55" Mits was CRT based and was able to take 1080I.

So that being the case shouldn't everyone be seeing this?

Update To My Problem

I just found this post on the Dish Forum at Satellite Guys.

I hav a Sammy HLN507W hooked to my 811 via DVI and component. I leave my HD input setting at 1080i most of the time. I watch all HD and live/taped SD via DVI as that gives the sharpest PQ to my eyes. While the 1080i input setting provides acceptable PQ when viewing HD on Fox or ESPN, the gold standard is watching those 2 channels via DVI with the input set to 720p. I to long for a shorter route to changing input resolution as I have lamented for about a year now.

Yesterday while watching the Steelers-Jets game, I thought my Sammy was developing a problem because of the pin-striping affect I saw on the players on the distant shots. Turned out I had forgotten to switch my input setting back to 1080i after an ESPN basketball game. 720p is near flawless on the Sammy DLP if input at 720p.

As to component and DNIE, I've starting using that for SD movies on STARZ and CM, where I can see a significant increase in sharpness and brightness. On HD, particularly live HD, the component/DNIE setup just isn't as sharp and clear as DVI.


This must be the problem. I have the 811 set to output 720P and most of the problems I have seen was in material that was native 1080I. I'll try changing the output on the 811 tonight and see what happens.

Excellent work, Brian. I went to the Nextag site and found only 3 seller reviews. One of them was negative - charge your card now, and wait.

I also went to the Better Business Bureau site to see if there was any information on them. This is what they had for ElectronicsExpo for Succasunna NJ (corporate headquarters):

The information in this report has either been provided by the company, or has been compiled by the Bureau from other sources.

Nature of Business

This company offers electronics retail sales and home
installation service.

Customer Experience

Based on BBB files, this company has a satisfactory record with the Bureau. Any complaints processed by the Bureau in its three-year reporting period have been resolved. The number and type of complaints are not unusual for a company in this industry.

To have a Satisfactory Record with the Bureau, a company must be in business for at least 12 months, properly and promptly address matters referred to it by the Bureau, and be free from an unusual volume or pattern of complaints and law enforcement action involving its marketplace conduct. In addition, the Bureau must have a clear understanding of the company's business and no concerns about its industry.

Report as of: 1/18/2005

Brian, if you do purchase one from there, let us know how it goes!

Tim

Being that this is a "real" dealer, I am going to attempt to get PC Richards to price match this price. They are also running 1 year no intrest on the PC card so that will help too...
If all else fails, I will order from Electronics Expo...they sound like a good company.

One more question:)

Has anyone tried using a DVDO with this set yet? How does the internal scaler compare?

Thanks again!

I'm using an iScan HD+ with my 70XBR950. The scaler is much better than the internal Sony scaler. Just be aware you can only send the set a 720p or 1080i signal via DVI. It will not do a resolution native to its panel. I found sending it a 720p signal and allowing the iScan to do the deinterlacing was the way to go.

Got a web sight for iScan HD +

For what it's worth, those of us considering a 70" XBR purchase may have to accelerate our timing.

I went to a local audio/video store in Rochester NY - not a Circuit City/Best Buy chain. They carry Sony gear, but they haven't had the XBR in stock for a few months. The salesman said he didn't think the XBR would be available after another month or two. The new Qualia line is coming out and dealers will carry that over the XBR.

I think the good news is that prices will drop as the inventory is cleared out. The price at Electronics Expo may be a sign of that. The bad news is once they're gone....they're gone and you'll have to pony up a lot more cash to get the 70 inch Qualia.

My local has 76 in stock...that is good so far. I am going to delay my purchase a little (Feb 6th or so) so I hope they still have.

Swatter911, could you give a little more detail on your set up?
I thought the XBR was native 720P (Well actually a bit more)...is it that (bit more) what you are talking about when you say "It will not do a resolution native to its panel."?

Then you went on to say "I found sending it a 720p signal and allowing the iScan to do the deinterlacing was the way to go." What deinterlacing needs to be done?

Sorry for the questions...newbie just learning:)

Uh Oh! I just went back to Electronics Expo's site and they made the price of the 70XBR950 $6,999!!! What the heck is going on here????

I have heard that the Samsung DVD-HD941 upscales to 768P as well as the standard 720P and 1080I standards. The Sony 70" XBR manual states that 768P is the sets native resolution. Does anyone have experience with using upscaling DVD players with sets that are native at 768P?
I
Does anyone have any experience with DVI switchers for our set. I have seen them by Samsung and Gefen? I would really like to keep my inputs via DVI if possible. It seems a lot cleaner than via the Component inputs.

thesmith

The Sony has a non native resolution

About the only thing you can do is try various output resolutions to see which looks the best.

I've found that 1080i from a Denon 5900 over DVI looked best to my eye on a GWIII. (that's last year's non XBR model of Sony's rear projection LCD). YMMV(your mileage may vary)

Originally posted by Cleanmaxx Brian
My local has 76 in stock...that is good so far. I am going to delay my purchase a little (Feb 6th or so) so I hope they still have.

Swatter911, could you give a little more detail on your set up?
I thought the XBR was native 720P (Well actually a bit more)...is it that (bit more) what you are talking about when you say "It will not do a resolution native to its panel."?

Then you went on to say "I found sending it a 720p signal and allowing the iScan to do the deinterlacing was the way to go." What deinterlacing needs to be done?

Sorry for the questions...newbie just learning:)
The XBR950 has a native rate to its panel of 768p I believe. Sending the XBR a 720p signal is the closest you can get to its "native" resolution. The TV only has to scale the 720p signal to 768p.

The deinterlacing I was referring to is the deinterlacing being done between the source (DVD player or STB) and the iScanHD+. The iScan outputs a 720p signal, so the XBR doesn't do any deinterlacing. The reason for this being that the deinterlacer in the iScan is superior to the deinterlacer in the XBR. I have sent the XBR a 1080i signal from the iScan and found the 720p output of the iScan to be superior in my eyes. Of course YMMV and you should go with whatever looks best to you.

Does anyone have any experience with DVI switchers for our set. I have seen them by Samsung and Gefen? I would really like to keep my inputs via DVI if possible. It seems a lot cleaner than via the Component inputs.

thesmith- I have used the Gefen 2x1 DVI switcher with my XBR950 with no problems at all.

I've been monitoring this thread and others hoping to decide between the 70XBR950 and 60XS955 or waiting until the new 70" SXRD is available. With high def. DVD players producing {DVI|HDMI}/HDCP outputs on the horizon, I am concerned these new players w/ their encryption schemes may not be compatible with the DVI connector on the 70XBR. Is the XBR DVI connector HDCP compliant? Has anyone actually hooked up a HDCP-compliant device to an XBR?

Wen

At this point in time, I'd wait 6 months to see what's available. You're too close to a major change in the industry to not take advantage of it.

If you're not willing to wait, I'll make you a nice deal on my 60" GWIII. lol

The XBR is HDCP compliant

Unless you want to spend 10 grand for the next 70" Sony, you'd better act now. I wouldn't wait because you get to enjoy 70" of HDTV and get the best deal since they are now last years model. The DVI input on the TV is HDCP compliant so no reason to expect HD DVDs would not work fine. Of course if you want more than one HDMI/DVI input, then you would need to buy the 60XS955. How far are you from the screen?

Where is anyone getting that the next 70" is going to be $10K? I haven't seen anything where pricing has been mentioned. Links to the articles would be appreciated.

Well I knew it was coming because my image was getting dimmer and dimmer over the past couple weeks but I was hoping I'd at least make it through this weekend. :p I turned my set on tonight and within 30 seconds just as the brightness was starting to come up towards where it would settle POP! I tried turning it back on a couple minutes later but was greeted with the blinking bulb light and the infamous buzz of death. After letting the set cool down for several minutes and unplugging it I popped the bulb out and sure enough it had a bunch of shattered glass in it.

This is a replacement set for my original 60XBR950 that I'd gotten delivered on 11/26/2003 (replaced due to uneven color in dark scenes); I've had this one since 4/5/2004. For reference, last night I checked in the SM and it was at something around 1850 hours. I talked with Sony already and it seems they'll be willing to send me a new bulb no charge, so they're apparently honoring the replacement set's warranty as if it was a new set (which is nice and makes sense but I wouldn't have been surprised if they said this couldn't be done). Only problem is that unless I find a local seller of XL2100U bulbs tomorrow I'll be without my set over the weekend (the replacement from Sony should be here sometime early-mid next week). Even the Sony guy on the Grand Wega Hotline (hey that's how he answered :p) laughed when he noticed the timing of this happening. So, live and learn I guess; make sure you keep a spare bulb around!

The next 70" Sony uses the SXRD technology and has 1920x1080 resolution. It is called Qualia 006 or KDS70XBR100.


See this link.
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,117749,00.asp

Sony is continuing to lead the transition to high-definition television with the introduction of a new 70-inch Grand WEGA micro-display rear projection television that achieves full 1920x1080 HD resolution.

Sony's Silicon X-tal Reflective Display™ (SXRD) technology was originally introduced in the acclaimed QUALIA™ 004 front projector. The new rear projection model (KDS70XBR100) achieves higher panel pixel density than conventional micro-display devices. Its narrow inter-pixel spacing provides greater detail and more film-like picture quality with no visual artifacts.

The new model also employs vertically aligned liquid crystal for a high device contrast ratio exceeding 3000:1 and optimal black level reproduction. Additionally, an ultra-thin cell gap with less than a five-millisecond response time (sum of rise and fall time) enables crystal clear images -- even during the most action-packed sequences. The SXRD technology's high luminance three-panel design produces continuous uniform brightness across every frame, for truly accurate color and flesh tones.

"Last year our Qualia 004 SXRD projector set a benchmark in HD performance for high-end custom installations," said Mike Fidler, senior vice president of Sony Electronics' Home Products Division. "With the new KDS70XBR100, we'll bring the full power of HD to the rear-projection TV category so more people can enjoy the ultimate HD experience on high quality home theater systems."

Optimum Design in Rear Projection Television

The KDS70XBR100 features other video signal process enhancements, including Sony's WEGA Engine and the latest DRC-MF video technology. Digital Reality Creation® MultiFunction version 2 circuitry (DRC-MFv2) enables the digital mapping of not only conventional NTSC sources but also 1080i HD signals. DRC-MFv2 utilizes a proprietary algorithm to provide crisp, clear pictures along with an Image Format Processor™ (IFP) technology that optimizes contrast by providing the widest dynamic range possible. IFP's enhanced motion vector algorithm also reduces signal noise without reducing the overall level of sharpness.

For greater brightness and improved color reproduction, especially with reds, the new 70-inch SXRD Grand WEGA television incorporates a 200-watt high-output lamp, along with a new optical engine complete with high contrast Cinema Black Pro mode. A special lenticular glass screen with ARCoating also reduces screen distortion while expanding off-axis viewing.

In addition, the new model has a built-in, low noise S-Master® digital amplifier that ensures crystal clear sound reproduction. It also has detachable speakers to provide custom installers with the option to add separate high-end speaker solutions.

The KDS70XBR100 also has an HDMI™ connector with HDCP (High Definition Multimedia Interface connection with High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection). HDMI with HDCP is an enhanced version of DVI-HDTV -- the latest interconnect for digital sources that supports uncompressed high definition video through a single cable.

In addition, a Memory Stick® media slot allows convenient JPEG, MPEG1 and MP3 file playback. The KDS70XBR100 also includes i.LINK® (IEEE 1394) connectivity, which enables digital transfer of HD content to compatible home network devices.

The new KDS70XBR100 Grand Wega HDTV will be available in January 2005 for under $10,000.

The other link says 11K and this one says under 10K, I guess they really haven't figured how receptive people are going to be considering todays prices on the 70XBR950.

Originally posted by Runch Machine
(deleted)...Of course if you want more than one HDMI/DVI input, then you would need to buy the 60XS955. How far are you from the screen?
WRT inputs, I can envision having more than one or even two HD DVI sources. I can imagine several different ways of supporting multiple DVI/HDMI inputs: 0) Manually plugging and unplugging the input to the display :-( 1) Get a display with multiple inputs, 2) getting a DVI switch, 3) getting an A/V receiver with multiple DVI inputs 3) getting/building a HTPC with equivalent switching functionality. Maintaining fidelity would be my first priority followed closely by ease of use. Although the resulting system will be mine to manage, I will still have to share it with the wife and kids:-)

WRT screen distance, 15' from sofa to screen. However, the "great" room extends another 50' back into the dinette and kitchen.

The KDS70XBR100 has been renamed and released as the Qualia 006 and you can read about this set in the Qualia owners thread. Sony raised the price from 10K to 13K for this set. At this time, there is NO INFORMATION on the 70XBR950 replacement. Right now, the Qualia IS the replacement set but I am guessing there will be a replacement for the XBR at a lower price than the 006.

Originally posted by wen


WRT screen distance, 15' from sofa to screen. However, the "great" room extends another 50' back into the dinette and kitchen.

We are 14 feet away and have the 70" set. It is not too big at all. If I were you I'd go with the 70" set and deal with it only having one DVI input by getting a switcher at some point in the future when one DVI is not enough. Right now I only have one HD source, our HD Tivo. I also have a D-VHS VCR, but it's signal in input via firewire/i-link.

What does WRT stand for?

Originally posted by Runch Machine
(deleted)...I also have a D-VHS VCR, but it's signal in input via firewire/i-link.

What does WRT stand for?

Does firewire give you comparable bandwidth to DVI? It will be interesting to see the different outputs support by the yet-to-be-introduced HD DVD players.

WRT = "With respect to"

Maybe it's the settings, but I actually think the picture from firewire is slightly better then from HD Tivo connected via DVI. I don't know the specs of firewire, but it is another all digital pipe into and out of the TV.

Besides using firewire to play from the D-VHS VCR into the TV, the D-VHS VCR can record from the TV's built in digital tuner. For awhile TW cable was showing VOD wide open. I was able to record it onto the D-VHS VCR. Before I got the Samsung SIR-T165 tuner for the D-VHS VCR to record from, I used the Sony's digital tuner to record HD programming as well.
I also have a couple of D-VHS movies which have a higher bit rate then Over the Air broadcasts.

Originally posted by volfan
Update To My Problem

I just found this post on the Dish Forum at Satellite Guys.



This must be the problem. I have the 811 set to output 720P and most of the problems I have seen was in material that was native 1080I. I'll try changing the output on the 811 tonight and see what happens.

I have my 70XBR set to 1080i and keep it there all the time, Running the 811 from dish, you can hit the page up or page down while viewing a picture and the screen setting will change. Page up controls HD and Page down controls SD. This works for me and my picture is always great.

I have the 60XBR950 and the Sony HD300 and keep it on AUTO DVI :)

I have the 70XBR950 and the Sony HD300 and keep it on AUTO DVI :)

just bought a 60xbr950.

I have a HDMI Panny XR70 Recv and a DVB 318 DVD player. I also bought two HDMI to DVI cables. Can someone help in install the system togather. Also is there such thing as a DVI switch box. I have a sat recv that have DVI, however the 60XBR950 only has one DVI input. Any help will be appreciated. :)

Wen...

Firewire gives you bandwith comparible to DVI. With the Comcast/Motorola 6412, you can set it up for Signal Pass-thu on Firewire, so you get the native 480i/p, 720p, 1080i image without additional up or down conversion.

COnsidering the xbr950, Firewire is the only Pure digital path on the set.

Thx,
Vidkidd

Originally posted by vidkidd
Wen...

Firewire gives you bandwith comparible to DVI. With the Comcast/Motorola 6412, you can set it up for Signal Pass-thu on Firewire, so you get the native 480i/p, 720p, 1080i image without additional up or down conversion.

COnsidering the xbr950, Firewire is the only Pure digital path on the set.

Thx,
Vidkidd

How do you conveniently access what's connected to the firewire input (without having to go through the special menu option)? I tried this and it seems like a pain, but maybe I'm missing something.

I have a Motorola 6200, connected via component, that I use to watch cable. My Denon 3910 gets the DVI input. I also use an indoor UHF antenna to access local channels. Using a Harmony universal remote, switching from any one to another (including getting the correct receiver input) just takes one button push, and unless firewire can be set up to do this, I don't think it's worth changing.

"........Are there any problems placing the 70" on a stand that is 20" deep? Is it possible to only partially retract the toe-kick in the base or is it all or nothing......"

Yes you can retract it as little or as much as you like. If you retract it all the way you may want to secure the set to the back wall for stability purposes.

Hi Everybody,
Any tips on entering the service menu of the 70XBR950? I am doing the button press' as listed in UMR's tweaks, but I can't seem to make it work. Thanks, Scot

I am having a problem with the "favorites" function. If I set an analog channel to "skip" then a picture won't show up in the favorites window. I am wondering what others have experienced. I have all of my analog channels set to skip because they are all available on a digital broadcast.

I'm in the market for a new DVD player. Has anyone had any success with using the firewire/i-link input as the connection from your DVD player to the XBR950?. I am using the DVI port for my D*.
If needed I could go with one of the up-converting component players or even use a DVI switch. But my uneducated guess is that the digital i-link would be better than using component inputs and that optimizing the picture would be difficult with two devices connect to a DVI switch.
Your thought are appreciated.

Don't forget HD - DVD is just around the corner....

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=5095469#post5095469 Here is a good place to get an idea....G.B.