After years of great viewing I am selling my 960. It works perfect and is in very good condition. Its time to update my electronics. Asking 300 with matching stand. Albany NY

Why update your electronics? Newer doesn't always mean better.

I'm wondering if anyone has had to repair or replace the hdmi input on the back of this TV. I ask because I noticed that my hdmi port is broken inside. This really puts a stop to using the TV as a HTPC monitor.

I'd like to fix this if I could without too much disassembly, but I don't really want to get into it if it involves soldering and possibly screwing something else up. Everything else works fine.

I can't believe I'm about to post this going on 2012.. but I've begun my hunt for another 34XBR960. It's amazing how many panels I've had and enjoyed only to go full circle right back to the little 34" that could.

I had many including a Samsung 46A950 locally dimmed LCD, Samsung 63C8000 plasma, Panasonic 58VT25 plasma, tried out the VT30, LG 55LX9500, Pioneer 4270HD, Pioneer 5020FD, and even tried the GOD ALMIGHTY 500m Kuro which everyone claims is the king of the tv mountain.

After all that it is my opinion that you guys with your 960's still have the best picture quality bar none. I'll admit that my last XBR960 went out due to a bad power supply (at least that's what I think it was) but today's display have too many unsorted issues that I know firsthand (and we pay alot for them too).

There's fluctuating brightness, floating blacks, rising blacks, crushing blacks, halos, blooming, clouding, flashlights, input lag, burn-in, average-poor blacks, buzzing, color problems, and I can go on and on enough to make my head spin. My have we gone backwards. I haven't seen a picture to look remotely as good as the 960 I had years ago. The emphasis now is bigger is better, 3D, frame interpolation, and gizmos and gadgets. I could give a flying **** if my tv has youtube, pandora, skype, or some child alarm indicator on it. I think these companies have put so much **** in it that they forgot what their selling... a television.

Call me crazy but I've just about lost all desire for another flat panel. OLED could be compelling, but I won't have my hopes up until I see it. About the Kuros.. yeah there nice but for as much as you spend I would expect nothing short of pure blacks in a dark room. They can't compare to a 960. They just can't. Not only this but the 960 has a more natural picture with depth to it. It's amazing to hear so many say they wouldn't pay more than $200 for something that runs circles around anything on the market today. Almost dumbfounding.

I pulled my 34XBR960 that was in my closet for years to see what it could do. I didn't realize that I had a different model than my first one, because I could tell right away something was different. The picture looks a little duller on this one than my first. Dark, dull, and not as sharp. The first one I have was extremely crisp, bright (accurate not overdone), as well as having deep blacks. The one I had before was the "N" model. It didn't have a coating on it and I swear everything about it was sharper with more punch. Now I don't mind a dark picture because I'm used to using D-Nice's settings and I like accuracy since I do all my viewing in a pitch black room. But even then this one's lacking. I really wish I had my old one back.

Sooo now I hunt for a 34XBR960N and hope I can find a good one that's well kept. If someone knows of one, or that has one for sell in North Carolina, by all means let me know. I'd pay more than your neighbor would lol.

I forgot to mention but I noticed something else with my 960 that I didn't catch before. It has floating blacks. I notice the black bars on the top and bottom tend to light up with bright objects on screen. This is the exact issue I had with my Panasonic VT25. Take an all black image and put a white dot in the middle and all of a sudden the bars glow a little. It's kinda distracing. My Kuro never did this. From what I remember my 34XBR960N never did this either. It had stable blacks that stayed black. So I ask is this just because my tv has alot of age and usage (I bought it used) or did they really have this problem that I never knew since I got used to the Kuro?

Also I'd like to hear honest opinions about the 34XBR970. I never considered this when they were new since obviously it's lacking the super fine pitch. But I remember someone saying they were in fact brighter than the 960's and almost as sharp (or sharper) depending on content displayed. I watch a good mixture of SD and HD. I found one in my area with a purchase date of 12/2009 which is a miracle really. So assuming it's works like it should.. what's it lacking compared to the 960? What's the real world difference in picture quality? I can't imagine the 960 being much sharper due to the size.. but do I know? I keep mentioning sharp because that's what I'm most attracted to the 960, along with black hole blacks. My first 960 had a natural sharpness to it that I haven't seen replicated (other than pc crt monitors). LCDs tend to be overly sharp and plasma seems to be soft. CRT (at least the 960) has the right amount of sharpness. If the 970 lacks that razor sharpness of the 960 then I'd think twice. Will use it for DVDs, Blu-rays, and Xbox 360 and I don't want to take a hit with sharpness since I like gaming up close.

Thanks in advance for you feedback.

I can't believe I'm about to post this going on 2012.. but I've begun my hunt for another 34XBR960. It's amazing how many panels I've had and enjoyed only to go full circle right back to the little 34" that could.

I had many including a Samsung 46A950 locally dimmed LCD, Samsung 63C8000 plasma, Panasonic 58VT25 plasma, tried out the VT30, LG 55LX9500, Pioneer 4270HD, Pioneer 5020FD, and even tried the GOD ALMIGHTY 500m Kuro which everyone claims is the king of the tv mountain.

After all that it is my opinion that you guys with your 960's still have the best picture quality bar none. I'll admit that my last XBR960 went out due to a bad power supply (at least that's what I think it was) but today's display have too many unsorted issues that I know firsthand (and we pay alot for them too).

There's fluctuating brightness, floating blacks, rising blacks, crushing blacks, halos, blooming, clouding, flashlights, input lag, burn-in, average-poor blacks, buzzing, color problems, and I can go on and on enough to make my head spin. My have we gone backwards. I haven't seen a picture to look remotely as good as the 960 I had years ago. The emphasis now is bigger is better, 3D, frame interpolation, and gizmos and gadgets. I could give a flying **** if my tv has youtube, pandora, skype, or some child alarm indicator on it. I think these companies have put so much **** in it that they forgot what their selling... a television.

Call me crazy but I've just about lost all desire for another flat panel. OLED could be compelling, but I won't have my hopes up until I see it. About the Kuros.. yeah there nice but for as much as you spend I would expect nothing short of pure blacks in a dark room. They can't compare to a 960. They just can't. Not only this but the 960 has a more natural picture with depth to it. It's amazing to hear so many say they wouldn't pay more than $200 for something that runs circles around anything on the market today. Almost dumbfounding.

I pulled my 34XBR960 that was in my closet for years to see what it could do. I didn't realize that I had a different model than my first one, because I could tell right away something was different. The picture looks a little duller on this one than my first. Dark, dull, and not as sharp. The first one I have was extremely crisp, bright (accurate not overdone), as well as having deep blacks. The one I had before was the "N" model. It didn't have a coating on it and I swear everything about it was sharper with more punch. Now I don't mind a dark picture because I'm used to using D-Nice's settings and I like accuracy since I do all my viewing in a pitch black room. But even then this one's lacking. I really wish I had my old one back.

Sooo now I hunt for a 34XBR960N and hope I can find a good one that's well kept. If someone knows of one, or that has one for sell in North Carolina, by all means let me know. I'd pay more than your neighbor would lol.

Have you looked at an XBR8? I am very happy with mine. (Still have a 960 and two other HD LCD TV's.)

Have you looked at an XBR8? I am very happy with mine. (Still have a 960 and two other HD LCD TV's.)

This is probably the only LCD I would consider. I had the 46A950 and it was superb. I've only seen the XBR8 a couple years ago at Magnolia and it did look very good. If wasn't for the price I would have picked it up.

I'm still mainly interested in a Sony tube and would like to know if all the XBRs suffered from floating blacks or was it just my aging set?

I can't believe I'm about to post this going on 2012.. but I've begun my hunt for another 34XBR960. It's amazing how many panels I've had and enjoyed only to go full circle right back to the little 34" that could.

I had many including a Samsung 46A950 locally dimmed LCD, Samsung 63C8000 plasma, Panasonic 58VT25 plasma, tried out the VT30, LG 55LX9500, Pioneer 4270HD, Pioneer 5020FD, and even tried the GOD ALMIGHTY 500m Kuro which everyone claims is the king of the tv mountain.

After all that it is my opinion that you guys with your 960's still have the best picture quality bar none. I'll admit that my last XBR960 went out due to a bad power supply (at least that's what I think it was) but today's display have too many unsorted issues that I know firsthand (and we pay alot for them too).

There's fluctuating brightness, floating blacks, rising blacks, crushing blacks, halos, blooming, clouding, flashlights, input lag, burn-in, average-poor blacks, buzzing, color problems, and I can go on and on enough to make my head spin. My have we gone backwards. I haven't seen a picture to look remotely as good as the 960 I had years ago. The emphasis now is bigger is better, 3D, frame interpolation, and gizmos and gadgets. I could give a flying **** if my tv has youtube, pandora, skype, or some child alarm indicator on it. I think these companies have put so much **** in it that they forgot what their selling... a television.

Call me crazy but I've just about lost all desire for another flat panel. OLED could be compelling, but I won't have my hopes up until I see it. About the Kuros.. yeah there nice but for as much as you spend I would expect nothing short of pure blacks in a dark room. They can't compare to a 960. They just can't. Not only this but the 960 has a more natural picture with depth to it. It's amazing to hear so many say they wouldn't pay more than $200 for something that runs circles around anything on the market today. Almost dumbfounding.

I pulled my 34XBR960 that was in my closet for years to see what it could do. I didn't realize that I had a different model than my first one, because I could tell right away something was different. The picture looks a little duller on this one than my first. Dark, dull, and not as sharp. The first one I have was extremely crisp, bright (accurate not overdone), as well as having deep blacks. The one I had before was the "N" model. It didn't have a coating on it and I swear everything about it was sharper with more punch. Now I don't mind a dark picture because I'm used to using D-Nice's settings and I like accuracy since I do all my viewing in a pitch black room. But even then this one's lacking. I really wish I had my old one back.

Sooo now I hunt for a 34XBR960N and hope I can find a good one that's well kept. If someone knows of one, or that has one for sell in North Carolina, by all means let me know. I'd pay more than your neighbor would lol.
I agree with you. all these modern sets are quite flawed........but not even good old CRT is without it's flaws. the puny screens alone are a major flawed it-self, but I find it sad that the blacks on my VT25 TV are not as good as my HD-CRT, and I swear I still see motion blur on plasma and I still see Phosphor lag.

I just bought the VT25 and I'm disappointed in it, I'm sure the VT30 is only a small improvement over that, then again I'm not impressed easily as it is, but I'm still disappointed I dropped X amount on this Plasma to just be disappointed and I'm stuck with it.......Sign.

John.

IME, one will not find a better CRT than the 960/960N.

Path,

You are not crazy at all. We will never part with our 960 for a larger screen whether it be Plasma, LCD or DLP - even with the blotches caused by the anti-glare coating that has come off over the year (fortunately not seen when the lights behind us are off). The picture is still too vivid and lifelike to give up.

I believe the consumer does not realize they have given up something in picture quality in exchange for bigger screens, slimmer cabinets or both. For most, it was not even out of choice since the industry rapidly phased out CRT during the HD boom. Also, too many were comparing their old analog standard definition CRTs to high definition flat screens unaware they were not making a comparison between technologies but rather one between lower and higher resolution. I doubt most even realized high definition could be housed on tube sets and thought HD was exclusive to flat screen technology.

Yes, large size is great and the pictures on those new sets (actually, there is nothing new anymore about Plasma, LCD or DLP) are indeed nice, but they still don't compare to that of a good CRT. That kind of puts all of us at a disadvantage when the need for a new set arrives for we know we are going down a step. For all those others, ignorance is indeed bliss. ;)

I'm looking to sell my 34XBR960N. I'm located near Seattle if anyone wants to contact me directly and arrange a pick-up. I love the TV, it's in beautiful condition, original remote. We're moving and since they price the move per/pound, I can't justify taking it with us.

I pulled my 34XBR960 that was in my closet for years to see what it could do. I didn't realize that I had a different model than my first one, because I could tell right away something was different. The picture looks a little duller on this one than my first. Dark, dull, and not as sharp. The first one I have was extremely crisp, bright (accurate not overdone), as well as having deep blacks. The one I had before was the "N" model. It didn't have a coating on it and I swear everything about it was sharper with more punch. Now I don't mind a dark picture because I'm used to using D-Nice's settings and I like accuracy since I do all my viewing in a pitch black room. But even then this one's lacking. I really wish I had my old one back.

Sooo now I hunt for a 34XBR960N and hope I can find a good one that's well kept. If someone knows of one, or that has one for sell in North Carolina, by all means let me know. I'd pay more than your neighbor would lol.

You can remove the screen coating but it's a bitch of job. I know exactly what you're talking about, as I removed mine and it made a huge difference (brighter, sharper picture with more depth, etc.).

The coating is not really a coating but a big plastic sheet glued to the screen.

Also FYI, the 34XS955 has the exact same picture tube (Super Fine Pitch) as the XBR 960 without the screen coating. It seems many don't know this or think the 960 is better but it isn't (at least the picture quality).

Also FYI, the 34XS955 has the exact same picture tube (Super Fine Pitch) as the XBR 960 without the screen coating. It seems many don't know this or think the 960 is better but it isn't (at least the picture quality).

There were 2 SFP tubes, the XBR960 and the 910. The 960's tube was a clear improvement, and the 955 uses the 910's tube.

I have both the 910 and the 960 (one upstairs one downstairs, imagine hauling it upstairs...) and the 960 is still the best tube TV ever built and side by side beats the 910.

You can remove the screen coating but it's a bitch of job. I know exactly what you're talking about, as I removed mine and it made a huge difference (brighter, sharper picture with more depth, etc.).

The coating is not really a coating but a big plastic sheet glued to the screen.

Hi,

Please advise me how you removed that coating since my screen has blotches that although are not seen with the lights low are upsetting never the less. But I also notice in the small areas when lights are shining on the screen the picture on small areas where the coating has rubbed off appears awfully bright compared to the surrounding area. Is that just an illusion or were both user and service adjustments then needed to be made?

Also, I can one ruin the screen if the job is not done properly or is it a matter of just not giving up once begun?

I did post a separate topic of this for those who won't follow this enormous thread, but hopefully you guys won't mind if I note this here for anyone interested:

I'm selling my ISF-calibrated 34XBR960 in great condition and perfect working order in the San Francisco Bay Area. Currently selling as part of a home theater package, but would be willing to sell the TV separately to someone on AVS Forum who might have a greater appreciation for the stunning PQ of this display.

Here's the ad, but contact me if you're interested in just the TV. Local pickup only, of course, I'm not shipping this thing ;)

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/ele/2703677001.html

-Robert

"The coating removal solution was, believe it or not, Steel Wool Grade #0000. This stuff worked like a charm and did not leave a single scratch. I can now fully enjoy one of the finest TVs ever made in the Super-Fine Pitch 34XBR960 once again."

This quote is taken from this very forum.

I took this advice and tried the steel wool out on my super fine pitch tube. It worked like a charm.

"The coating removal solution was, believe it or not, Steel Wool Grade #0000. This stuff worked like a charm and did not leave a single scratch. I can now fully enjoy one of the finest TVs ever made in the Super-Fine Pitch 34XBR960 once again."

This quote is taken from this very forum.

I took this advice and tried the steel wool out on my super fine pitch tube. It worked like a charm.

If you wouldn't mind, please post some pictures of your tv. I took this advice and tried it on my crt cpu monitor and scratched it pretty bad. I've been scared to attempt to try it on my set.

If you wouldn't mind, please post some pictures of your tv. I took this advice and tried it on my crt cpu monitor and scratched it pretty bad. I've been scared to attempt to try it on my set.

I would be scared to attempt it myself. Was it just simply using the soap pad or should the screen first be washed down with warm water or be prepared in another way before use? Actually, any advice on what could have caused the blotches to begin with so we can actually repeat our "mistakes"? :D

At first I suspected it was caused by using "Glass Plus" and/or an abrasive type rag, however more blotches appeared even with a soft cotton rag and cold water. Maybe after ten more years all the blotches would be gone by default. ;)

I would also like to know if there is any way besides steel wool to remove the anti-glare coating. I'm not brave enough to do that.. unless I have to. There has to be some other trick.

I have the non-N model and it was produced in May, 2005. You can find the manufacturing date on the back by the serial numbers. The only difference between the two models is that the N models have the anti-glare coating inside the tube instead on the front - the problem with that is that the coating could come off a bit in areas just from ordinary cleaning. Actually doesn't cause any picture distortion and is not noticable with the lights low.

So are you telling me that the N models still have an anti-glare coating? Call me crazy but I didn't know they had it inside or out of the tube. If this is true.. then I would assume a 34XBR960 with the coating removed should have a punchier picture than an N model (since it has some form of coating).

This doesn't make sense... help me out. I have the non-N model and am debating now to sell it and find an N model (eventually) or to remove the coating myself.

So are you telling me that the N models still have an anti-glare coating? Call me crazy but I didn't know they had it inside or out of the tube. If this is true.. then I would assume a 34XBR960 with the coating removed should have a punchier picture than an N model (since it has some form of coating).

This doesn't make sense... help me out. I have the non-N model and am debating now to sell it and find an N model (eventually) or to remove the coating myself.

I would stick with the N model, not only because the coating coming off is something you would not have to worry about but also because I don't know how vital the anti-glare coating is regarding the deep black level and high range of contrast which helps create it's magnificent picture. Some who removed it noted they found the picture a slightly bit brighter and I don't know if the increased brightness can be compensated via re-calibration.

Which does create a dilemma for us with blotches. Would we be better off keeping the coating on than having no anti-glare coating at all? It's not that can't we can't compensate for the blotches by simply keeping the lamps opposite the set off which then eliminates all notice of them since there is no glare to deal with. Those blotches are only somewhat noticeable with the room full of bright sunlight (which we don't like anyway) -- in fact, it only looks real bad when the set is off and though that bugs me the most, it's really the least important thing to be concerned with.

Well here's the thing Joseph...

The 34XBR960 I found on Craigslist is literally 5 miles from my house. I went to look at last night and he had removed the anti-glare coating! I didn't know this until he told me. He said as they were cleaning it over time the coating started to peel so he decided to go ahead and take it off.

He used steel wool to do so and it looks like it all came off which is impressive. However I can see a small blotch (if that's what you call it) in the bottom corner. It looks like black residue. It's in 2 corners and doesn't seem to effect PQ (I think it wasn't even in the picture zone). The only downside was slight scratches. I didn't even notice them until he pointed them out. He was honest so he got the flashlight and showed me some faint scratches. I don't know if this effects viewing or not but I didn't seem to notice? They were tiny, faint scratches up to 8 inches. You had to get within a couple ft. to see them.

I've always wanted to take the stupid coating off my tv because I FREAKIN' LOVE the added contrast. The N model is like night and day to mine now. As a bonus he told me he would help me deliver to my house, and even onto my stand. That's a huge one for me... all for $100.

I'm thinking I should jump on this and at the very least I would have a backup XBR960. What do you think?

I have decided to turn to the dark side.

Selling our 34xbr960 with its "jan-u-wine" Sony TV stand, remote/manual and replacing it with, sinner repent!, a Panasonic 55 plasma.

So, if you are (or know someone) in the San Francisco Bay Area (I'm in Dublin) who wants (needs) this set up, please contact me.

As an added bonus, I have a utility trailer and can help transport this 200lb wonder. But plan on bringing help because my bad back prevents me from doing heavy lifting. Thanks
http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii211/pca7ggr/Sony34xbr960.jpg

Well here's the thing Joseph...

The 34XBR960 I found on Craigslist is literally 5 miles from my house. I went to look at last night and he had removed the anti-glare coating! I didn't know this until he told me. He said as they were cleaning it over time the coating started to peel so he decided to go ahead and take it off.

He used steel wool to do so and it looks like it all came off which is impressive. However I can see a small blotch (if that's what you call it) in the bottom corner. It looks like black residue. It's in 2 corners and doesn't seem to effect PQ (I think it wasn't even in the picture zone). The only downside was slight scratches. I didn't even notice them until he pointed them out. He was honest so he got the flashlight and showed me some faint scratches. I don't know if this effects viewing or not but I didn't seem to notice? They were tiny, faint scratches up to 8 inches. You had to get within a couple ft. to see them.

I've always wanted to take the stupid coating off my tv because I FREAKIN' LOVE the added contrast. The N model is like night and day to mine now. As a bonus he told me he would help me deliver to my house, and even onto my stand. That's a huge one for me... all for $100.

I'm thinking I should jump on this and at the very least I would have a backup XBR960. What do you think?

I don't know if picture quality is better without the coating or that it just appears more vivid and/or brighter but not really natural (don't forget that many are impressed when there is too much color, brightness, etc. when in reality it is really artificial). If the scratches don't bother you, then that's not an issue.

If it's a matter of picture quality, I have no idea. Sorry I could not give you more advice but if it was up to me, I wish I had the N model since anti-glare coating is still anti-glare coating, no matter where it's placed - and I would then have avoided those blotches which one can only see with the set off or in a brightly lit environment.

Good luck with your decision - if you got a place for a second unit then the $100 is not a bad investment and you can decide which you prefer in your main home theater system.

Anyone else have this issue?

I ended up giving my 34XBR960 to my folks. A month or so ago the set stopped powering on and the red light was blinking. A few weeks passed and the set actually turned on again but there was a problem: apparently the L/R speaker amplifier blew and only the subwoofer is operating...there is no sound otherwise from the speakers. Is there an easy fix or is it an expensive technician-only job? For now it's linked to a small stereo via analog output. I had to downgrade the BD player from HDMI to component to get sound to the stereo.

Well I picked it up! Now I have two 34XBR960s and can say with confidence this one is better than the one I've been using. He really did a good job removing the coating. The reason it has minor scratches is because he said the coating was baked on.. opposed to a film. He somehow managed to take it off with steel wool and hours later. Kinda scary, but really only a few minor scratches that can't be seen past 2-3 ft.

It's night and day from my old set. The contrast is better, and the sharpness is rediculous. I can only describe it as taking off a pair of dark sunglasses. I can see clearly now. So to say I'm tickled pink is an understatement. Oh and I totally agree with you Joseph when you talk about artificial brightness and sharpness attracting consumers. I'm not one of them! I just happen to think the anti-glare coating on the XBR960 was a mistake and too aggressive. I have about 60-70% improvement in PQ with my new set.

However.. I'd like to hear what you guys are using for your picture settings. I'll be using it for everything.. Xbox 360, PS3, Blu-ray, DVD, and less-than-480p (512x384) stuff. My current settings are:

Mode - Pro
Pic - 31
Bri - 31
Color - 31
Hue - 0
Sharp - Min ???
Col Temp - Warm
ClearVM - Low-High ???
Axis - Monitor

This is pretty much the default settings in Pro mode. The only thing I did was back down the sharpness, set Color Temp to Warm, and Color Axis to Monitor. I like the colors but it seems a little dark. In fact I know it's dark because everyone has pitch black hair, no detail. How far do you guys suggest I crank up the Picture/Brightness? Is there service menu tweaks to increase brightness, or improve the picture? Also what do you keep your Sharpness at? I wish I could remember what I did with my original XBR but I can't. I remember going into the service menu and adjusting something that made everything SHARPER and overall solid. Maybe you guys know the ultimate tweak. I know there's a forum dedicated to service menu tweaks but it would be nice to hear what ppl have done here.

Finally (sorry for so many question)... What resolution should I set my players n' consoles at? My Dune Player has all resolutions and if I'm not mistaken this tv outputs 1080i regardless yes? So does this mean I need to set my Dune to 1080i and forget it? Or do I need to set it according to the source currently playing? Like DVDs need 480p, Blu-ray 1080i, 720p shows at 720p or 1080i? 512x384 SD shows at 480i or 480p? Xbox 360 set to 720p or 1080i? The games I play on 360 are mostly 720p (1280x720) so I figure if I set the 360 to 720p it's a match for my games and the tv will upscale. Is this better or should I change the settings in Xbox to 1080i? I assume same with PS3.

Wow all these questions. But really you guys (esp Joseph) have been helpful. I think I'd be lost without you guys. Help!



Thanks guys!!

Hi Path,

Glad you're happy with your second set. Since each set is different I suggest simply getting a bluray set-up disc to get the picture settings correct. I do notice your contrast and brightness settings are the same and usually the brightness is lower.

I was reading through the thread and found something interesting concerning older video game consoles (NES, SNES) and this tv. Someone mentioned to find an entry in the service menu called "TRAP" and change the value to 1. Supposedly it makes the 240i games look better.

I'm curious does anyone know what this means and how it works? I'd love to use my XBR960 for older consoles but as you know this is an HDTV so it's not preferred. I'd like to know what this trick does before I pick up a 32" Sony 480i CRT. Even still.. would the XBR960 compare to something like a 32FS130 for old consoles? I'm thinking not, but what you think? I'd like to know because my neighbor has a 32FS130 (already checked) in perfect condition she would give me. But obviously if there was a way to make older games look better on what I have then I wouldn't need it.

FYI, I've separated my KD-34XBR960 from the home theater package I was selling it with on craigslist, and am now offering the set on its own for $450 to local buyers in the Bay Area. Set is in perfect condition, works great, comes with original accessories, and has been ISF-calibrated.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/ele/2769630664.html

Buyers local to SF only, no shipping.

Uh oh. I fixed my 7 led blinking / IC problem about a year ago, and now the 960 is not powering up. The standby led flashes 20 times like its trying to start, but nothing ever comes up on the screen. Crap, I had plans to keep the 960 and buy a projector to project above the 960 and hopefully have the best of both worlds. If the 960 stays off, looks like ill be tossing her and just getting a LCD.

FYI, I've separated my KD-34XBR960 from the home theater package I was selling it with on craigslist, and am now offering the set on its own for $450 to local buyers in the Bay Area. Set is in perfect condition, works great, comes with original accessories, and has been ISF-calibrated.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/ele/2769630664.html

Buyers local to SF only, no shipping.

That same set sold for $100 by me a month ago

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/ele/2727491746.html

They refuse to take the post down but I emailed them and the TV is sold.

I am currently buying the XBR970 for $50. Just waiting to borrow a truck to go pick it up. I don't see anyone in their right mind paying $450 for your TV or anything close to it.

I have a Sony 34XBR800 and my old non-HD DVD player recently broke, so I picked up a Toshiba BDX2150 Blu-ray player. However, the picture is pastel colored and the graphics all fuzzy. Is the xbr800 (1080i) incompatible with a 1080p blu-ray player? I have everything running through my Denon AVR-1910 receiver via HDMI now (except the HDMI to DVI for the TV connection). I think I had this same problem briefly with the old DVD player via component cables when one of the was loose, but I checked all my HDMI connections and they are secure. Does anyone have any idea what is wrong, or is the TV just incompatible with 1080p? I would think the Denon would downscale to 1080i. I tried various settings from Auto to 1080i and 1080p on my Denon input. I tried playing both a Blu-ray and a regular DVD with the same results. I also plugged the Blu-ray player into my LAN via ethernet cable to make sure it upgraded the BIOS as necessary. My Motorola Comcast DVR works fine with it by setting the DVR to 1080i in the menu.

The XBR800 (and all sony crt's) is not compatible with 1080p. Be sure to also set-up the blu-ray to output 1080i in HDMI before sending it to your Denon. Also try connecting directly the blu-ray to your TV. HDMI rarely has problems with color so its most likely either a bad set-up in your blu-ray or the denon doesnt downconvert correctly to 1080i for your TV.

I also set up the Blu-ray to output 1080i in HDMI. I'll try connecting it directly to my TV.

The Denon has a scaler that down converts to 1080i, 720p, 480p, and 480i resolutions. I tried setting the HDMI port that my DVD was hooked up to for scalar off, auto-scale, and 1080p.

When I was messing with it this morning after sunrise so I could clearly check and see that the connections behind the components were tight, the DVD player displayed what looked like a "No media present" message whether I put in a Blu-ray or regular DVD, then wouldn't shut off. Hopefully it was updating the PROM - I left it on and will see if it shuts off (without having to unplug it) when I get home tonight.

The XBR800 has no HDMI input. It only has DVI input, along with component video input. So how do you actually have your Denon connected to the XBR800? Component video, or DVI? You'd probably have to have an HDMI-to-DVI cable if you're going out of the Denon from one of its HDMI ports?

I assume from your discussion that you have the BluRay player connected to the Denon via HDMI.

Yes, the Sony HD CRTs do NOT support 1080p. You MUST set the BluRay player to output 1080i. I'm not sure if "auto" would detect that the display can't accept 1080p, although the intermediate Denon AVR can... but you might as well just set the BluRay player to 1080i and be done with it.

The "pastel" coloring is generally an issue with the green component video connector, but don't know.

I myself went with a component video connection to my cousin's XBR800 after I tried the DVI connection (from his SA8300 DVR) and the colors were also very off. This "1st-generation" HDTV from Sony may just have had a crummy DVI design.

You're not going to get 1080p anyway, and you want to be able to watch 1080i BluRays and other content. Just use component video to the XBR800 from the Denon.

Also I'd suggest trying component video from BluRay to Denon, to keep it all analog and let the player create those signals. That way the Denon has to do nothing but pass it along, and you don't have any issues with HDMI-to-component conversions.

For sure I'd try avoiding the DVI input on the XBR800 and see if that helps.

DVI to TV as I mentioned previously.

Unfortunately, there is no component output on the Blu-ray, just HDMI. I really hate how most new Blu-ray players are HDMI only as they won't be usable with older TVs and at nearly $50 these days, there is no reason to buy a non-Blu-ray player.

The only glitch with the DVI loop is that it causes my DVR to revert to unwatchable DVI mode and I have to go through a long PITA process to reset it to HDMI every time I turn the TV back on even though it is going to my receiver before the TV. This is actually a bug with the Denon, but being grey market purchase, could not get warrantied for PROM reprogram. Otherwise the HDMI to DVI works fine.

Yes, I noticed the green component cable coming loose used to cause discoloration with my old DVD player since the green and blue outputs were switched around, forcing me to mangle the (3 or 5 attached) cables just before the attachment points.

If I can't get the issue resolved before the 24th, I'll return the player. Fortunately I bought it at Best Buy and not online. Unfortunately, the main competitor, a Panny, doesn't have digital sound outputs. I listen to CDs quite a bit and hate having to turn on the TV just to listen to audio. Another gripe is with DVD players that don't have track/time displays on them - I hate having to turn on my TV in my office bedroom just to see what track it's on.

Unfortunately, there is no component output on the Blu-ray, just HDMI. I really hate how most new Blu-ray players are HDMI only as they won't be usable with older TVs and at nearly $50 these days, there is no reason to buy a non-Blu-ray player.I understand the attraction of a $50 "commodity" (like a cheap toaster or coffee maker), but sometimes "you get what you pay for".

For a variety of reasons I decided to go with what I feel to be the best valued (but not dirt-cheap) all-around best "universal player", in the Oppo. My model was their first, BDP-83, but they've got a range of products now... including more expensive versions. You could certainly find one used probably in the $350 range.

But if you want to future-proof yourself, and invest in something now that will work for you in the future (e.g. if you ever go with a new HDTV, say possibly in the 3D-world), Oppo's got it all. Current BDP-93 is $500. Component and HDMI, optical/coax, audio out over HDMI, etc.

Here's PC Mag's list of the 10 top-rated players (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2397234,00.asp?obref=obinsite), from cheap to high-end.


Anyway, if you want to use your XBR800 for BluRay, I'd honestly suggest trying component video and not DVI.

The Blu-ray player had turned itself off by the time I got home last night. I turned it back on after turning on the receiver and TV and after a few minutes it froze on the initial screen of a non-Blu-ray DVD. Neither the remote control buttons nor the player front panel buttons worked - I couldn't even turn it off! After a long time, I unplugged and replugged in the power cord and it worked ok after that. I can't understand it freezing up like that as it shouldn't have been trying to retrieve BD Live data or anything. I discovered a "Deep Color" setting (that wasn't available in the Quick Setup Settings menu, but the regular settings menu), and this solved the pastel/hazy display problem. Apparently the xbr800 isn't capable of handling "deep color". After that, the regular DVD as well as a Blu-ray DVD played fine. It works with the video setting on either "HDMI Auto" or "1080i", but I chose to leave it on 1080i since I don't know if the auto setting is down converting lower than 1080i. I also turned off my receiver's HDMI scaler to minimize the amount of processing, but may do some experimenting later to see if it's scaler is higher quality than the DVD player's. Surprisingly enough, the Blu-ray movie was not that much more astounding than the upscaled regular DVD - I suppose the Sony's line doubling and player upscaling of 480p minimize the difference between that and 1080i. I did notice the blacks weren't quite as black and slight fuzziness on the regular DVD concert.

I will report back if the player freezes up again, but might just turn off the "always allow network access" setting since I have no USB stick connected to download any BD Live content and only currently have 1 Blu-ray DVD.

DSperber, thanks for the PC Mag reviews. In my haste to replace my old broken DVD player, prior to purchase, the only recent reviews I could find were Consumer Reports which had minimal content. I think this basic budget player will do for now as I rarely have time to watch an entire DVD in one sitting. I have no need for WiFi, don't need to watch online content (and don't see a need to outside of a PC), and don't care to have to wear another set of glasses for 3D.

"Deep colour" describes a colour gamut that is a billion colours or greater. This presents two issues, circuitry in these old televisions probably do not explicitly support this kind of a signal, and additionally it is problematic as being a CRT, its analogue output does not have any technical limitation on the infinite waveforms that can describe the colours it can possibly be made to reproduce.

So to my understanding you really should not need deep colour at all for these kinds of CRT sets.

Last night I played a CD and then turned off the TV, still had audio, then unplugged the digital audio coax cable and still had audio, so I suppose audio-only works through HDMI and digital audio outputs are not necessary even with DVI as part of, although outside the loop (a digital or analog audio connection direct to my receiver [instead of looping back via the TV audio in/outs] on my bedroom system was necessary to hear CD audio with the TV off with component and coax connections).

Last night I played a CD and then turned off the TV, still had audio, then unplugged the digital audio coax cable and still had audio, so I suppose audio-only works through HDMI and digital audio outputs are not necessary even with DVI as part of, although outside the loop (a digital or analog audio connection direct to my receiver [instead of looping back via the TV audio in/outs] on my bedroom system was necessary to hear CD audio with the TV off with component and coax connections).The TV has nothing to do with sound coming from your AVR receiver, if you have your player connected to your AVR. The sound is coming from the speakers/sound system which is connected to the AVR and presents whatever audio is feeding the AVR, and has nothing to do with what video you see on the TV. The TV is strictly for displaying video sent to it by the AVR from whatever video source(s) signals feeds the AVR. You could totally disconnect the video cable from AVR to HDTV and still have sound. (To use an old analogy, it's just like how you could turn off the TV and still record a program on a VCR placed between the wall antenna/coax and the TV.)

There is no audio delivered over a DVI cable (going from AVR to the HDTV). Unlike an HDMI cable a DVI cable it is strictly for video. If you wanted to hear sound from your HDTV speakers you'd need to add a secondary audio cable from AVR to the HDTV, either an optical digital one (if the XBR800 supported digital audio input which I don't believe it does) or at least an analog L/R-stereo red/white audio cable. This 2-channel analog cable would actually be fine, since the XBR800 only has two speakers anyway.

But otherwise, in your setup the HDTV is strictly for video. The AVR and connected speakers are for audio.

So, if your BluRay player [source device] is connected to your AVR via either (a) HDMI, or (b) component video + optical, then you have both audio and video always being delivered digitally to your AVR. If your HDTV is turned off that has zero impact what got delivered to the AVR from its source devices. And eliminating any output video display device by turning it off does not prevent the AVR from continuing to distribute audio to its conncected speakers from any AUDIO-source. Your BluRay player is both an audio and video source... via (a) HDMI, or (b) component video + optical.

Not surprised about finding little difference between upscaled DVDs and blurays. Don't know about the 800 but the 960's line doubler is outstanding. I dub films from HD stations onto DVD-R using a highly rated Panasonic recorder using the flexible recording mode for maximum picture quality. Yes, there is a difference between the original 1080i source and 480i down-converted recording dubbed through s-video cable and then up-converted to 1080i but on a comparison scale of 1-10, I would rate the recording about an 8 - not bad for a blank DVD costing maybe 35 cents. On our 32 inch LCD it looks about a 6.

Don't worry about the deep colour mode - the human eye can only see up to a certain amount of colors and all those advertised on bluray and flat panels go beyond the range of our eyeballs. Often, these additional enhancements (including more than three primary colors) usually distort what the actual color is supposed to appear as.

After six years of pretty much daily use, I replaced my 960 today with a newer and much larger (over 300% larger screen size) set for our "main television". Now that the day has quieted and everyone else is in bed, I've been reflecting on what a great set it was (is).

Oh well... as the saying goes, time stops for no one. Our basement game room, which is truly more game room than it is home theater, will be getting a fine set as its first 16:9 tv, right next to my 15+ years old 35" tube 4:3 Proscan.

I placed a Vizio 32" XVT323SV on the floor, in front of and below the XBR960N, for watching broadcast TV via antenna.

My BluRay player is connected to the XBR960N. So if I only play discs once every week, the XBR960N only goes on once every week.

I am keeping the XBR960N forever. The BluRay version of Wall Street 2 has extra material in the back, and one of them is a tour of downtown Manhattan. That segment looks superb on the XBR960N.

After six years of pretty much daily use, I replaced my 960 today with a newer and much larger (over 300% larger screen size) set for our "main television". Now that the day has quieted and everyone else is in bed, I've been reflecting on what a great set it was (is).

Oh well... as the saying goes, time stops for no one. Our basement game room, which is truly more game room than it is home theater, will be getting a fine set as its first 16:9 tv, right next to my 15+ years old 35" tube 4:3 Proscan.

Hi Robin,

I believe as the screen becomes larger, some of the HD resolution is bound to be lost. For example, the original factory settings for our overscan were way off causing us to lose some of the information on all four sides. With the aid of a swatch pattern I was able to adjust the service settings and in doing found the picture to be sharper because the picture had been slightly stretched. Thus a small amount of picture quality has to be sacrificed for want of a larger screen.

Also, flat screen technology still cannot match the deep blacks and contrast of a CRT which results in a more detailed picture with depth perception.

But that doesn't mean one still cannot enjoy the picture quality of a new larger screen, only that that modern technology be it Plasma, LCD/LED or DLP still has it's short comings.

Also, flat screen technology still cannot match the deep blacks and contrast of a CRT which results in a more detailed picture with depth perception.

But that doesn't mean one still cannot enjoy the picture quality of a new larger screen, only that that modern technology be it Plasma, LCD/LED or DLP still has it's short comings.

I totally agree with both of these statements. Even six years ago, some of my friends had started going with LCD or Plasma sets (hmmm, I think they were out then but much more expensive, of course) and many had rear-projection big screens and didn't understand why I wanted an "old CRT" type tv. I never regretted my choice but having 3 teenage sons now, who are into watching sports on TV, has pushed me into "needing" a bigger set.

As for the new technologies, I admit I'd have hated to lift a 70" CRT onto my stand... if I could have even found a stand strong enough to hold it. :) (In fact, I'm not looking forward to carrying the 960 down to our basement game room.)

@Freeze Time, I was able to sell the set for my asking price. Guess the market varies depending on your location.

-R

I totally agree with both of these statements. Even six years ago, some of my friends had started going with LCD or Plasma sets (hmmm, I think they were out then but much more expensive, of course) and many had rear-projection big screens and didn't understand why I wanted an "old CRT" type tv. I never regretted my choice but having 3 teenage sons now, who are into watching sports on TV, has pushed me into "needing" a bigger set.

As for the new technologies, I admit I'd have hated to lift a 70" CRT onto my stand... if I could have even found a stand strong enough to hold it. :) (In fact, I'm not looking forward to carrying the 960 down to our basement game room.)

Actually, due to the price factor, we lucked into the 960 back in July, 2005.

At that time the more expensive and larger Plasmas and LCDs were taking over and companies were pushing flat screens onto the consumer, implying that CRTs were inferior to these new technologies. We all know now that was a lot of BS but the trick was referring to CRTs in terms of 480i, not 1080i. Of course a high definition flat screen would look better than a standard definition tube set but they conveniently failed to mention that CRTs could handle high definition as well, thus misleading the public into thinking HD only meant flat panel.

The trend to flat panels was not to be stopped but am so glad our financial restraints caused us to "settle" for this gorgeous CRT instead of believing that misinforming hype. Even though I knew the 960 was a top rated HD monitor I still thought it wasn't as good as the flat panels until my eyes convinced me otherwise, first by finding this forum and then seeing the difference in picture quality for myself.

Again, not a knock on flat panels as this is more a defense of CRT.

So ive realized 34" is just too small for my movies and have spent the last few weeks shopping for a new TV. I dont know if its just me or what, but many many newer TV's look much better than my old 960. I realized, no matter what size TV I get, it will always become small to me.

I didnt want to worry about lag and super crappy SD viewing. So since my 960 is still working pretty good, here was my solution.

960 for daily TV, SD and video games use. Epson 8100 projector with an 130" image for movies, sports, and video games. Pic looks pretty washed out because it was taken with full sunlight, but you get the idea.

I was all but ready to dump the 960, but nothing compares to it for SD use and old video games.

http://i44.tinypic.com/2ugjtyt.jpg

So ive realized 34" is just too small for my movies and have spent the last few weeks shopping for a new TV. I dont know if its just me or what, but many many newer TV's look much better than my old 960. I realized, no matter what size TV I get, it will always become small to me.

I didnt want to worry about lag and super crappy SD viewing. So since my 960 is still working pretty good, here was my solution.

960 for daily TV, SD and video games use. Epson 8100 projector with an 130" image for movies, sports, and video games. Pic looks pretty washed out because it was taken with full sunlight, but you get the idea.

I was all but ready to dump the 960, but nothing compares to it for SD use and old video games.

http://i44.tinypic.com/2ugjtyt.jpg

Wow, that is really big. Took me a few minutes to realize that was the 960 underneath it being dwarfed. And with that setup you've got as large a split screen system one could ask for. :)

Because I make a lot of DVD-R recordings I need to zoom the picture for anything recorded off a HD station since otherwise it would be played back window-boxed.

I used to have my DVD recorder's HDMI output set to fill the screen and then used the 960's vertical expand to get the correct aspect ratio for those wider than 4;3. I recently noticed, however, that the recording appears a bit sharper if I leave the recorder's HDMI output set to "normal" and use it's own zoom output, thus keeping the 960's picture size at the standard "full". So by having a zoomed output going into the 960 instead of depending upon the 960's various zoom features my DVD-Rs (and non-anaphoric commercial ones) do look even crisper.

I have the Panasonic EZ-28 DVD recorder connected to a DVR via s-cable and use the Panny's flex mode to useas little recording space as possible, I would say a film off a HD station down-converted for recording and then up-converted for playback (despite this multiple processing) looks like an 8.5 compared to the original source's 10 on the 960. These same discs played back via HDMI at 1080p on our 32 inch LCD appear good but the picture quality is not like it is on the 960.

Another reason why this old CRT technology set is still the greatest. If it does have to be replaced, I will have to accept the picture quality on these recordings to suffering just a slight bit.

I've come across a Loewe ACO9383 38" widescreen CRT for $60. I currently have a Panasonic CT-34WX50 34" widescreen CRT.

Hard to find info but the Loewe appears to be ~2002, only one component input, a VGA input that may even be required for HD (?), and 220 lbs. Spectacular PQ at its time, may have had reliability issues (?) if I trust the blogs, and a curvy tube.

For OTA tuners all I have are converter boxes. I have a Sony Blu-ray player but I read there may be some issue getting HD (1080i) on component connections with some disks and a similar issue holds for DVDs.

Since I hate to use up my 'lifting help quota' should I hold out for one of the Sony HDMI ATSC Super Fine Pitch CRTs?

Selling our KD-XBR960 - turning to the darkside and buying a 55" Panasonic Plasma. So if you are in the area, come by and pic it up for $200. No issues - great picture and flawless cabinet - includes remote and manuals. Thanks

Sergio
sgmeza@sbcglobal.net

My xbr960 is now gone.... Picked up a new LCD 40" TV at the Sony Outlet today.

Pains me to say it, but I think the PQ on the new ($377) set is better than my ISF-calibrated 960.

If anyone lives in the Salt Lake valley, I donated my KD-34XBR960 to the 7th East and 21st south Deseret Industries last Saturday, so it should be available to pick up there sometime soon (if not already). The thought of having the TV sit in our living room for weeks until some joker responds to the online ad and comes and gives a lowball offer -- along with wanting something extra -- was too much to deal with!

I am really sad that it's gone though. I ordered mine before it came out (after wanting an XBR910 for years), so I had it for nearly 8 years and it always was a great TV! With it gone I'm down to two CRTs now: my trusty Sony 19" GDM-F400 and a Panasonic 13" BT-H1390Y.

@LiquidSnake

I have an XBR960 which I have always loved but it is due for retirement soon, mainly because of space constraints.

I am curious, and always have been about one thing... So when you say "its analogue output does not have any technical limitation on the infinite waveforms that can describe the colours it can possibly be made to reproduce."

Are you suggesting that this set might be able present colour precision greater than 8-bit?

I know this set has a 10-bit comb filter but I don't think that is relevant (but have never been able to get anyone, including the Japanese designer of this set, to really explain things adequately.

I know the HDMI port in this set is only 8-bit.

A color grader I talked to over on Creative Cow suggested it might just possible be capable of 10-bit, providing I used the component inputs, going from SDI to component via a little converter box made by AJA.

In case anyone was wondering why I am bumping this very old thread about this very old TV, well 'retirement' means that i am considering using it as a client monitor for my own (soon to be 10-bit) video editing projects. Using the CRT for color rendition and an LCD for pixel accuracy. Not Hollywood, just to give me a better idea. I have the set anyway so why not use it.

Hello everyone, I recently bought an XBR960 on Craigslist for $150 and removed the anti-glare coating (which was a pain to do).

I use the TV for playing PS3 games and occasionally watching a Blu-Ray movie, and I was just wondering if it's really bad to always have this television set to Vivid mode instead of Standard, Movie, or Pro.

Vivid just looks the best to me, even though it's a little exaggerated and whites tend to seem a bit "neon" because of this. The other modes are very dim and dull in comparison to Vivid (I wish there was a middle ground between Vivid and Standard).

Reason I'm asking is because I heard Vivid mode could hurt the picture tube in the long run. Thanks in advance for the help!

My 960 died last Feb 17,2012. Cause of death-- the 6-7 red blinks. I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later because on cold days when I turn it on it needed a couple of restarts to get it going. Anyways, I did lots of research and was able to find all the info I needed here, of course. It was the 2 IC chips MCZ3001DB that needs replacing. Cheapest for US vendors that time was $14-$15 a chip with a socket--ebay. I decided to get the one coming from China for $15 +$2.50 SH for 5 chips--ebay. Then I bought 2 sockets from RS for 59 cents each. Ordered it 2/19 and got it 3/7. Desoldered the 2 chips out of the board and soldered the sockets in. Pressed in the new IC chips and BINGO! My 34XBR has been resurrected!:D Repair cost $35.--5 chips, 2 sockets, desoldering rod, magnifying glass.

Meanwhile, as I was waiting for the chips, I decided to try out a plasma tv from costco the Panasonic TC-P60S30 floor model for 900 + tax with 2 year warranty/90 day return. Man! plasmas sure have changed some from the last time I tried it 8 years ago. Picture looks good. Test drove it with some action dvds and blue rays, OTA signal and it sure performed well. Only gripe is that it has 920 hours of display time in costco warehouse-3 months in display. And a couple of seems to me a dot scratch on the screen. I did not want 3D so I got this lower model vs the TC-P60ST30 3D for $1200 + tax which I was thinking of getting first. Anyways, this is just as good I think for less. And the picture is really good.:D

The size of this 60" plasma sure makes my 960 look tiny now:(. Although certain things like the tv speaker is better on the 960. Tweeking the remote and the tv options the 960 has a couple of better options as well. But size sure matters in this case. And the pictures good enough for me to keep. Now I am trap in the middle. But my 960 has no other place to go but the spot where it is in right now--living room. And thats where I was hoping to put the plasma as a replacement if I wasn't able to fix the 960. Had no plans on buying a tv and I was just trying it out but now it seems that I might keep this plasma. Its gonna be my first one if only I can figure out where else to put the XBR....:cool:

Reason I'm asking is because I heard Vivid mode could hurt the picture tube in the long run. Thanks in advance for the help!

Vivid was the so-called "torch" mode that stores would set the TV to so it would stand out in a fully lit department store. Since the showroom sets were on all day every day, it would really shorten the life of the tube. The phosphors on the inside of the tube only have so many good hours, and maximum brightness accelerates the aging process.

Theoretically, vivid will age the tube faster, but in your case you aren't leaving it on all the time. If that's how you like the picture to look, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Hello everyone, I recently bought an XBR960 on Craigslist for $150 and removed the anti-glare coating (which was a pain to do).

I use the TV for playing PS3 games and occasionally watching a Blu-Ray movie, and I was just wondering if it's really bad to always have this television set to Vivid mode instead of Standard, Movie, or Pro.

Vivid just looks the best to me, even though it's a little exaggerated and whites tend to seem a bit "neon" because of this. The other modes are very dim and dull in comparison to Vivid (I wish there was a middle ground between Vivid and Standard).

Reason I'm asking is because I heard Vivid mode could hurt the picture tube in the long run. Thanks in advance for the help!

Yes, don't use the Vivid mode at all - it is so high in contrast that it will shorten the lifespan of the tube. Best to use PRO.

My 960 died last Feb 17,2012. Cause of death-- the 6-7 red blinks. I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later because on cold days when I turn it on it needed a couple of restarts to get it going. Anyways, I did lots of research and was able to find all the info I needed here, of course. It was the 2 IC chips MCZ3001DB that needs replacing. Cheapest for US vendors that time was $14-$15 a chip with a socket--ebay. I decided to get the one coming from China for $15 +$2.50 SH for 5 chips--ebay. Then I bought 2 sockets from RS for 59 cents each. Ordered it 2/19 and got it 3/7. Desoldered the 2 chips out of the board and soldered the sockets in. Pressed in the new IC chips and BINGO! My 34XBR has been resurrected!:D Repair cost $35.--5 chips, 2 sockets, desoldering rod, magnifying glass.

Meanwhile, as I was waiting for the chips, I decided to try out a plasma tv from costco the Panasonic TC-P60S30 floor model for 900 + tax with 2 year warranty/90 day return. Man! plasmas sure have changed some from the last time I tried it 8 years ago. Picture looks good. Test drove it with some action dvds and blue rays, OTA signal and it sure performed well. Only gripe is that it has 920 hours of display time in costco warehouse-3 months in display. And a couple of seems to me a dot scratch on the screen. I did not want 3D so I got this lower model vs the TC-P60ST30 3D for $1200 + tax which I was thinking of getting first. Anyways, this is just as good I think for less. And the picture is really good.:D

The size of this 60" plasma sure makes my 960 look tiny now:(. Although certain things like the tv speaker is better on the 960. Tweeking the remote and the tv options the 960 has a couple of better options as well. But size sure matters in this case. And the pictures good enough for me to keep. Now I am trap in the middle. But my 960 has no other place to go but the spot where it is in right now--living room. And thats where I was hoping to put the plasma as a replacement if I wasn't able to fix the 960. Had no plans on buying a tv and I was just trying it out but now it seems that I might keep this plasma. Its gonna be my first one if only I can figure out where else to put the XBR....:cool:

All I know is if my 960 is ever in need of repair, I'm flying you in from San Francisco to New York no matter what the cost!

Can imagine your joy at discovering the 960 was back up and running. Good luck with the new Plasma too - and unless you are into 3D, I think you did well to avoid paying more for the 3D feature for no matter what the industry tries to spin, the picture quality is not really better due to the "advanced" technology required for 3D (3D is a dud but remember when the first signs of it being a flop became apparent, the advertising hype was changed to emphasize getting it for the best 2D picture instead?).

BTW - if both sets are in the space you wanted the Plasma, there's always those TV stands on wheels and then you can always move the Plasma in front of the 960 whenever you want to. ;)

Yes, don't use the Vivid mode at all - it is so high in contrast that it will shorten the lifespan of the tube. Best to use PRO.Correct.

But just because PRO starts off by eliminating all of the "torch mode" settings in the VIVID preset, and thus looks darker and duller by comparison, if you watch TV in a dark room these initial PRO settings with lesser brightness and lesser contrast actually make for quite a stunning picture... viewing in a dark room.

VIVID was intended for viewing in a brightly lit store environment, where higher brightness and contrast was required to have the customer be able to see anything on the screen.


Anyway, all of the VIVID, MOVIE, STD and PRO setups are simply "presets", with VIVID having the largest "bias" values off of dead-center flat. But you can still apply user-customizations to all four of them and they will be remembered (uniquely).

PRO simply starts off as "FLAT", with no built-in bias for anything. And because of this it's actually the proper starting point for tweaking user and service mode settings to optimize the picture from the XBR960.

So you can create your own four separate customized "presets" for four different viewing conditions, with these four names even though the settings are yours. Yes, you will be starting from the internal preset bias values but you can adjust them yourself. I'd suggest allocating PRO to the dark room viewing environment, and VIVID for the bright daylight room viewing environment, etc.

Correct.

But just because PRO starts off by eliminating all of the "torch mode" settings in the VIVID preset, and thus looks darker and duller by comparison, if you watch TV in a dark room these initial PRO settings with lesser brightness and lesser contrast actually make for quite a stunning picture... viewing in a dark room.

VIVID was intended for viewing in a brightly lit store environment, where higher brightness and contrast was required to have the customer be able to see anything on the screen.


Anyway, all of the VIVID, MOVIE, STD and PRO setups are simply "presets", with VIVID having the largest "bias" values off of dead-center flat. But you can still apply user-customizations to all four of them and they will be remembered (uniquely).

PRO simply starts off as "FLAT", with no built-in bias for anything. And because of this it's actually the proper starting point for tweaking user and service mode settings to optimize the picture from the XBR960.

So you can create your own four separate customized "presets" for four different viewing conditions, with these four names even though the settings are yours. Yes, you will be starting from the internal preset bias values but you can adjust them yourself. I'd suggest allocating PRO to the dark room viewing environment, and VIVID for the bright daylight room viewing environment, etc.

Hi Ds,

I too noticed that if I lowered the vivid picture/brightness controls (with the aid of test patterns) enough to eliminate the torch effect the picture was dull and flat. Service settings had been tweaked prior to that. When seriously watching the set (for a movie or sporting event - not QVC :) we tend to keep the room lowerly lit to begin with so our service and user settings were made under those conditions.

The closest of the two picture modes when properly tweaked seem to be standard and pro. Use movie mode for DVDs because it shares the HDMI input with the DVR (have a switch box for multiple HDMI uses).

How have things been?

I too noticed that if I lowered the vivid picture/brightness controls (with the aid of test patterns) enough to eliminate the torch effect the picture was dull and flat.Could be just the combination of all of the Sony factory adjustments going into the VIVID preset cause the result you describe when turning down just brightness or contrast in trying to make it a bit less "vivid". Might be that there are further service menu settings that should also be reduced, and that just one or two simple user menu reductions actually do make it look kind of worse.

I honestly can't contribute from firsthand experience, because I never leave the PRO-tweaked setup I have, no matter whether it's day or night. This is my one-and-only viewing setup "for real", and is intended and optimized (for me, anyway) for true dark room environment watching when I sit down to seriously view anything (be it HDTV or BluRay movies).

I actually don't care what it looks like if I'm working on my computer during the day and have the TV on ("in the background") for a talk show or something irrelevant. So the fact that with daylight in the room the picture is clearly not really usable is just not critical to me, as long as I can hear the sound. I know, that sounds unacceptable for others, but it's just how I use TV... during the day, anyway.


The closest of the two picture modes when properly tweaked seem to be standard and pro. Use movie mode for DVDs because it shares the HDMI input with the DVR (have a switch box for multiple HDMI uses).I've got my three HD sources (DVR which is actually HTPC, Oppo BluRay player, and DVHS VCR) going through my Yamaha AVR, with the HDMI output of the AVR feeding the XBR960. I simply use my one and only PRO adjustments settings for everything. Never touch the XBR960 from that, even though there are bound to be minor differences in appearance on the TV from TV show to TV show, as well as from movie to movie.

Perhaps it's just laziness, but it's like the audio EQ setup in my car, where I just feel I've found the "optimal" general setup that seems to work "best, for almost everything". I just don't want to fool with it anymore because I don't want to lose that "sweet spot" I've found, fearing I'll never find it again. Same with my XBR960 viewing setup, all other variables in my environment considered. Same with my home sound system setup to go along with the XBR960, which also involves adjustments to several component/variables. I just like the final result, and have gotten used to it for general use, even though for individual situations perhaps there might be some little tweak here or there that could make it "better".

I've just gotten used to the audio/visual results of what was a focused effort to find "the best" settings in all of these systems. I have definitely "gotten use to" all of these results, and now just use (a) POWER on/off, and (b) AVR volume. I know that sounds almost criminally naive, but it's all just that otherwise satisfying to me with the net total set of "adjustments" that we all know really went into the setup/tweaking of each individual component in the entire system.


How have things been?Good! My XBR960 is now about 8 years old (knock wood) and still stunning. I have made only two subsequent very small geometry and picture adjustments in the user and service menus since settling on my original set of values as recorded in the spreadsheet I'd posted a long time ago. These small "post-launch course corrections" were done a few years ago now, and I attribute the need for them to ordinary aging of the set.

Apart from its original two "failed" visits from a Sony factory tech when I first bought it because of geometry problems when it was brand new, followed by two "successful" visits (one primary, and one follow-up for some small further adjustments) from a local very qualified TV service technician who did the very significant and completely successful "magnet job" on the picture tube and additional "by sight" service menu adjustments, all of which were done in the first few months of its life in my home, it's never needed any further formal technician service since.

Never been ISF'd, and I don't want to start now. Best to leave well enough alone.

I still watch from a viewing distance of about 4-1/2' to 5'. Sure, the 55" new Sony XBR LCD set at my sister's is much larger and can be watched from the sofa across the room, and it can deliver 1080p, but I'm still perfectly content with my XBR960 and my own personal viewing/listening configuration.


It should be noted that I still don't have a true multi-channel loudspeaker-based sound system, although I do use an old Altec-Lansing 621 2.1 speaker system as my "external speakers" for the XBR960 (fed from AVR, and DBX EQ for tone control), rather than the pretty poor built-in speakers on the TV itself.

The rest of the "serious listening" capability comes from headphones. This Stax and Smyth Realiser-based system has undergone a number of very significant improvements over the years:

(a) Stax SR-Omega headphones (aka Omega-1), vintage 1995

(b) Stax SRM-007tII headphone amp (recently acquired, replacing a former Stax SRM-T1S vintage 1995 headphone amp); the amp is fed via Audioquest King Cobra XLR cables from an external DAC

(c) Audio-GD NFB9 external DAC, feeding the headphone amp via XLR cables; fed via 2-channel optical digital from my Smyth Realiser

(d) Smyth A8 Realiser, for "SVS" processing fed from multi-channel input; delivers 2-channel headphone-intended digital optical output of its "SVS-processed sound" to the external DAC; fed via discrete 8-channel analog input from the discrete 8-channel preamp outputs of my Yamaha AVR. The AVR (for DD5.1 delivered by the DVR or DVHS VCR) or Oppo (for DD5.1, DTS-MAHD, etc., delivering 192/LPCM to the AVR) converts digital to discrete channel analog for delivery via preamp outputs to the Realiser.

The Realiser replaces the previous Dolby Headphone processors I used to use way back when (Pioneer DIR-SE1000C and Philips HD1500U).

The current digital optical delivery system from Realiser to external DAC and analog XLR cable to the SRM-007tII amp is a recent upgrade. Originally this was an all-analog RCA 2-channel analog delivery system (making use of the Realiser's built-in DAC and output amp), going from the Realiser's RCA headphone outputs to my DBX 14/10 EQ for gain and 14-band tone control, and then from DBX EQ to the SRM-T1S headphone amp.

Although my own Realiser cannot be upgraded, more recent models of the Realiser include an HDMI-input option, to support input of 8-channel discrete LPCM digital audio (decoded upstream by the source device) via HDMI, in addition to its alternative 8-channel discrete analog inputs. This avoids the A-to-D conversion in the Realiser (needed for the analog inputs) in order to perform the digital SVS processing of multi-channel source to "Smyth virtual surround" 2-channel headphone.

Using the 8-channel LPCM via HDMI input option the entire multi-channel source delivery system feeding input to SVS is then completely digital, with no D-to-A and A-to-D conversions needed. And when the optical-to-external-DAC output system is involved, the only analog stage anywhere is that final required one feeding the headphone amp from the external DAC, to provide the SVS-processed 2-channel "virtual surround" headphone result from the 8-channel digital input.


For anybody not knowing about the Smyth Realiser, this is NOT DOLBY HEADPHONE nor is it anything like Dolby Headphone. It is a system designed to deliver sound through headphones that is an exact duplicate of any listening environment sound room you take a "measurement" in. The "measurement" involves calibrated microphones inserted into your ears, processing the measured binaural results from listening to specific generated sweep signals sent individually by the Realiser (in "calibration mode") to each speaker the listening room.

The digital results (stored as a file on an SD flash card and/or in digital memory of the Realiser) describe how YOUR EARS AND BRAIN heard the sound IN THAT ROOM, involving all of the characteristics going into what makes that room sound like that room to you. This includes the net total effect of floor, wall and ceiling treatments and sound baffles, speakers used and their placement, electronics and delivery components, etc.

When that digital file (known as a PRIR, which describes how that room sounded to your own ears) is used "in reverse", to LISTEN TO ANY MULTI-CHANNEL SOURCE through that same "filter", the effect is as if you were listening to whatever source content you're listeing to IN THE VERY SAME ORIGINAL LISTENING ENVIRONMENT.

In other words, it's like taking home a "sonic photograph" of any listening room in which the PRIR measurement gets made (think buying an hour of high-end sound studio time, and getting a PRIR to take home with you) that is a perfect sonic "filter" which can then be used to duplicate that room's sound in your headphones from any source you care to play back through that filter. Watch a BluRay movie or HDTV program, and through your headphones it sounds like you are in that original high-end studio listening room to the sound through the speakers and environment of that room.

There is no "optimal" or "best" PRIR. That's not the intent of the system. In fact, you probably will accumulate a whole "library" collection of assorted PRIR's, from each "measurement" you're lucky enough to arrange in some particular sound studio or theater or home or wherever. You then use any or all of them at "playback" time, to listen to actual new movie/DVR content in your bedroom or living room or theater... through headphones.

So your collection of PRIR's represents different listening rooms you've been fortunate enough to "measure". And then you can duplicate the sound of that particular room when listening through headphones to anything fed through that particular PRIR "filter", thanks to the Realiser and SVS processing.

If you haven't ever heard of it or experienced SVS for yourself (and in particularly, been lucky enough to arrange for a PRIR measurement in a high-end sound studio with astonishing sound that you would otherwise never be able to afford for yourself in your own home, e.g. the AIX mixing room in Los Angeles), and if you're a real lover of high-end sound and high-end headphones... look into it.

Some TVs have a photo sensor linked to one of the pic adjust settings that automatically adjusts for room light. On my Panasonic CT-34WX50 it's called Auto.

Some TVs have a photo sensor linked to one of the pic adjust settings that automatically adjusts for room light. On my Panasonic CT-34WX50 it's called Auto.

Yes, my XBR8 has a "Light Sensor" that "allows the TV to automatically adjust the backlight brightness based on the picture settings and the ambient room light conditions."

Yes, my XBR8 has a "Light Sensor" that "allows the TV to automatically adjust the backlight brightness based on the picture settings and the ambient room light conditions."

I had one on an old Panasonic CRT from the late eighties and liked it, however, with a high definition set I'm wondering if those sensors could have some drawbacks for the more serious viewer. After calibrating, the viewing conditions would thus always need remain constant for otherwise could the sensor somewhat alter the picture quality since detail, color and sharpness is so much dependent upon proper brightness and contrast settings? So if the brightness and contrast changes under varying conditions, could that throw off the "true" HD picture quality during certain times, even if calibrated with the sensor off? Maybe not off by much, but for the discerning viewer that could make a major difference.

So I'm not too sure how much use of a sensor would alter the more complex picture quality of high definition.

So I'm not too sure how much use of a sensor would alter the more complex picture quality of high definition.

My Panasonic 34" widescreen HD CRT works fine with it but I don't know about flat panels, assuming they even have it. I would think the trick is to adjust pic in a dark room, which I suspect is a standard methodology, and let the sensor do its magic in a bright room.

Hi All, it's been a while since I have been on the thread.

Like some of you, I too have two 960s and just ran into my first MALFUNCTION. The screen suddenly went dark red with only ghost-like images visible. Use Directv with composite inputs. Swapped cable, rebooted TV and receiver, nothing.

Anything I should know? I would hate to discover it's shot.

I've decided to turn to the darkside and replace my XBR960 with, dare I say it, a Panasonic plasma big screen.

As such I am selling our XBR with the SONY stand. So if you (or someone you know) are in the San Francisco Bay Area and want (or need) this excellent TV, contact me and we'll work out a deal. sgmeza(at)sbcglobal.net Thanks

I pulled the trigger on Panasonic TCP65VT30 65" 600Hz 1080p 3D TV.

So, my XBR960 with Sony stand, remote and manuals gotta go.....

NO reasonable offer refused - the TV is in Dublin CA (San Francisco East Bay)

Sergio
sgmeza@sbcglobal.net

I pulled the trigger on Panasonic TCP65VT30 65" 600Hz 1080p 3D TV.

So, my XBR960 with Sony stand, remote and manuals gotta go.....

NO reasonable offer refused - the TV is in Dublin CA (San Francisco East Bay)

Sergio
sgmeza@sbcglobal.net

PCA,

Just make sure that nobody confuses the TV in Dublin for the one in my house.:D

How are you enjoying the 3D on your new set?

This may be better suited for the audio forum but thought I'd post here to see what you think...

I recently obtained my third 34XBR960, and a beauty it is. All I have now is an Xbox 360 but for some reason the picture looks sharper with more brilliant color with the component connection. I also used it instead of HDMI on my last one because the HDMI resulted in slightly softer picture. I also noticed the same with my Oppo DVD player. When using monoprice component cable and 480i mode even DVDs are astoundingly sharp. Not so much with HDMI (tried several cables). I don't know what I'm doing wrong but that's how it is.

Anyway the real question I need answered is can you recommend me a receiver that's under $600 that has lots of rca component connections? Currently I'm using an Okyo SR608 and it's been good to me. I know it's nothing high end but I'm okay with that. I have it hooked up to Definitive Audio 600-series speakers and for a setup that cost a grand it rocks my room.

I plan to keep these speakers and just need a replacement receiver that has several standard a/v and component inputs (like min 4 each). Would be nice to have some standard a/v, hdmi, etc but not necessary. Does Onkyo make one for me that you can recommend, or perhaps another brand that's just as good?

If someone can tell me how to properly adjust things maybe I'll keep what I have because I have like 5 hdmi inputs on my Onkyo and it's a nice unit.

The sony should have at least two component inputs on it.
I suspect the sony crts work better on component than hdmi, with newer sources anyway.
Seems I've read some people prefer component always.

Last receiver I bought, the switching was so useless and the amp quality so bad, I returned the unit and bought a used one of the same brand, but made earlier.
No regrets.

The only choices I found at the time were high end preamps with superb flexibility and high quality, and high cost.

Separate editing switchers is another alternative for you.
Editing is the only time I'll probably need more than the seven inputs on the sonys.
A lot of analog equipment is on the market now.

I recently obtained my third 34XBR960, and a beauty it is. All I have now is an Xbox 360 but for some reason the picture looks sharper with more brilliant color with the component connection. I also used it instead of HDMI on my last one because the HDMI resulted in slightly softer picture. I also noticed the same with my Oppo DVD player. When using monoprice component cable and 480i mode even DVDs are astoundingly sharp. Not so much with HDMI (tried several cables). I don't know what I'm doing wrong but that's how it is.

I read an article (search 'component vs HDMI') and it stated that HDMI is not always better than component, depends on the devices, setup, etc. Of course it could be due to picture settings on your devices, at least for the TV the menu settings most likely change vs input and format. Hopefully the 960 and/or gaming experts here can help you further.

Anyway the real question I need answered is can you recommend me a receiver that's under $600 that has lots of rca component connections?

I see lots of those going dirt cheap on Craigslist as folks upgrade to HDMI (or HDMI to 3D?). Fry's ads have been showing new ones on sale for only a few hundred bucks although they may have cut back on the number of component ports with the proliferation of HDMI. I don't know about those Onkyos, my neighbor gave me his TX-SR707 after the audio section went out and after looking this malady up on the 'net it appears it's a (or was) common problem with Onkyos; he said it was only a few years old and he paid around $800, amazing a new and even fancier equivalent I've seen in the Fry's ads for $300 (BTW this 707 (HDMI) only has two component inputs and one component output).

I pulled the trigger on Panasonic TCP65VT30 65" 600Hz 1080p 3D TV.

So, my XBR960 with Sony stand, remote and manuals gotta go.....

NO reasonable offer refused - the TV is in Dublin CA (San Francisco East Bay)

Sergio
sgmeza@sbcglobal.net

Let me know if you need someone to take the stand off your hands ;)

Digital to digital conversion is not always better than analog to digital. Picture quality is much more dependant on the DA4 scalers used in the XBR960. The DA4 chassis has no real HDMI capabilities. It has a integrated HDMI (or DVI on previous models) to component coverter, which is HDCP compliant. This conversion brings its losses.
Pure 1080i in analog will not require any scaling and should result in a better quality image, if only slightly.
Ive observed the same on some Samsung Slimfits (other than the horrible geometry :p). The picture quality in component is more precise and has less digital to digital loss.
Remember that all CRT's are analog. No way its information being sent to the CRT ;).
There is always a loss when there is conversion, be it digital to digital or analog to digital (or vice versa). The Xbox 360 has a 720p output without scaling. The DA4 has a 1080i 'native' resolution (no scaling required).
This means
XBOX 360 to HDMI out : 720p to 1080i scaling - Digital to digital
inside the XBR960 : UD board converts 1080i digital to 1080i analog in component format - digital to analog
the picture is then processed by the MID and DRC on the B-board and sent as RGB signals to the CRT.
Here's how it is:
http://i43.tinypic.com/34oeedw.jpg

Yes i know its written DVI but the same applies to the HDMI board on the XBR960 (different revision of the UD board which has integrated amplification of the component signal)

In the past I did compare HDMI to component, using test patterns to try and get the settings to be equal.

Found picture quality to be a subtle bit more sharper and vivid than component for both my HD DVR and DVD (both commercial and my own DVD-R recordings) up-converted to 1080i as opposed to 480p.

But I must also add that I only calibrated the HDMI service settings on my own (with HD test patterns) and not component - perhaps had I tweaked component as well I might not have noticed any difference.

While not this exact set I've found that my Toshiba 30HF66 does display a bit better performance over component than over HDMI. Resolution test patterns showed component had the edge over HDMI using the same picture settings on both inputs. I'd wager that most HD CRTs do slightly better over component than HDMI do to the signal remaining analog.

Well,

Just now you guys have me thinking I should do the long exercise all over again with the component - except that had test patterns stored on my HD DVR from the old INHD station that were accidentally erased and I as yet do not have a bluray. I find external test patterns much easier to use than those inside the unit - the internal geometry patterns alone caused a much distorted picture.

Of course there's the issue of how a source device spits out its signals. For example a blu-ray player with a 1080p disk has to convert to 1080i and there's its conversion to component output. Also the frame conversion for 24p.

Then some blu-ray disks (players too?) won't allow HD on component due to copy protection.

Is that bluray or just dvd upconversion?
I have noted that my dvd recorders won't accept component input.

Panasonic told me that my Pana outputs in hidef on component.
Seems to.

If I can't get hidef, I have no use for bluray whatsoever.

Is that bluray or just dvd upconversion?
I have noted that my dvd recorders won't accept component input.

Panasonic told me that my Pana outputs in hidef on component.
Seems to.

If I can't get hidef, I have no use for bluray whatsoever.

Blu-ray and possibly DVDs. The film makers didn't want their HD stuff being pirated so copy-restriction is part of HDMI protocol or somesuch; component was before this time so that's how the component requirement came to be as far as I know. I believe component outputs on blu-ray players is being or has been phased out. Also something about some blu-ray disk makers putting a flag on the disk to prevent 'full' HD on component (although I think in 'olden' times 480p might have been considered HD). The manual for my older Sony blu-ray player shows that it may only output 480i or 480p on component with some copy-guarded BDs/DVDs and if I set to output 1080p it'll output 480i on component. It'll give me 1080i on component if the BD isn't restricted and 480p on component if the DVD isn't restricted (regardless of 720p or 1080i setting for DVD). The table&notes in the manual would be worth a thousand words here (model BDP-S300).