Originally posted by twocan
Hi,

I apologize if this isn't the appropriate thread to post this subject, but it is regarding the 960. I have been torn between the 34xbr906 and the 36xs955 and have finally decided on the widescreen. My question is if I am able to "haggle" down the price at Circuit City, will I still be able to use one of those 10% coupons. I have seen them on ebay and the fine print doesn't say anything about excluding xbr's like most of CC's promotions. Also, I plan on using a large amount of gift cards to make the purchase. I know not to mention the gc's or the coupon while negotiating, but I want to be sure I can use the 10% if I get a lower price. The coupon says no valid on sale items, but I don't think haggling down would be a sale item.

Another related question is how do you negotiate? I am very bad at it. I was looking at the 960 the other day and just casually asked if there will be any sales and he said, no, the xbr doesn't go on sale. I am going to print out the page with all the prices and try that. Obviously, I want to get the best price possible and I am always amazed at hearing when people get a free warranty and free stand with their purchase. Any other suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thank you and I apologize for the long post.

Brett

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=4012159#post4012159

I describe how I got my deal... Simply talk w/ a manager and ask for 10% off the tv. If they don't give it to you, call the next on your list. Since CC is a chain-B&M... you can buy from any one of them,... and then have them route it to the CC nearest you... ;) Which is exactly what I did because the Store Owner where I live is an @$$hole. I had an agreement w/ the Director of Operations (not some low level flunky)... but he said he wouldn't honor it... so I called around... Took me about 1/2 an hour and I saved $200 (I make a good wage, but I don't make $400 an hour ;) Well worth my time. ;)

Good luck!
-C

what picture mode/screen mode do you guys use? pro? standard? movie?

I am currently using pro, but standard also really looks good.

For screen mode I use full for 16:9, full for dvd and full for 4:3. Everything set to progressive.

What do you guys have ur sets at?

I just got my KD-34XBR960 on Tuesday (9/28) and have a couple of questions.
1) when it is first turned on the picture (NTSC signal via cable) is real poor then after a few minutes is clears up. Is that normal?
2) with a 4:3 signal and screen mode at "normal" the picture with the
surrounding pillar bars seems very slightly hour-glass shaped. Can this be somehow adjusted?
3) I have Comcast here in St. Paul MN very basic service (analog NTSC) that I pay about 9.50 a month for. I called to have them upgrade me to HD with the cable card. They will do this for $30 install and an additional $5 a month bringing my bill to about $15 a month. Is that all there is to it?
4) Should I have this set calibrated? Can I do this myself?

My biggest concern is question 1 above and whether or not this has been others experience as well. TIA Dan

Originally posted by jdaniel2
I just got my KD-34XBR960 on Tuesday (9/28) and have a couple of questions.
1) when it is first turned on the picture (NTSC signal via cable) is real poor then after a few minutes is clears up. Is that normal?
2) with a 4:3 signal and screen mode at "normal" the picture with the
surrounding pillar bars seems very slightly hour-glass shaped. Can this be somehow adjusted?
3) I have Comcast here in St. Paul MN very basic service (analog NTSC) that I pay about 9.50 a month for. I called to have them upgrade me to HD with the cable card. They will do this for $30 install and an additional $5 a month bringing my bill to about $15 a month. Is that all there is to it?
4) Should I have this set calibrated? Can I do this myself?

My biggest concern is question 1 above and whether or not this has been others experience as well. TIA Dan

1) there is a diagnostics feature in the menu to check for signal strenght and errors. You may need a signal booster or may not need one.

2) yes thats a basic geometry issue that either u or a pro calibrator can fix

3) I have very basic cable but with the 960 tuner i was able to get 200 extra digital stations including all the local HD stations for free just by hooking up the cable line to the tv. I "think" its a law that cable companies have to give you at least the local HD stations for free with basic cable. And in my case that is true. In you autoprogram when you first setup, did it detect any digital stations? If so then its a good chance you may have gotten an HD station in there too. Note the new channels are gonna be weird like >80 and sometimes with a decimal in them. Just go to channel 2 on your set and channel down to see if you have em.

4) that depends on ur own expectations. i am just doing the basics myself via AVIA dvd but really very happy/satisfied with the out of box settings.

Thought I had seen somewhere in this thread where it was commented that these geometry problems appeared to be lessening w/ the newer sets purchased in August (showed serial numbers above certain number, I thought).

Is there a way when calling around to CC to ask what serial number is for specific tv, or does that require opening the box?

Originally posted by huggeeze
Thought I had seen somewhere in this thread where it was commented that these geometry problems appeared to be lessening w/ the newer sets purchased in August (showed serial numbers above certain number, I thought).

Is there a way when calling around to CC to ask what serial number is for specific tv, or does that require opening the box?

funny thing you asked, when I bought my 960 at CC the first thing I asked the sales dude was what the serial number was. He gave me a puzzled look, but then went in back and it was written right on the box itself. So no need to open the box they should be able to get you that number. mine was in the 8006xxxx range and was assembled in august in mexico lol. working perfectly.

Originally posted by juandixon
funny thing you asked, when I bought my 960 at CC the first thing I asked the sales dude was what the serial number was. He gave me a puzzled look, but then went in back and it was written right on the box itself. So no need to open the box they should be able to get you that number. mine was in the 8006xxxx range and was assembled in august in mexico lol. working perfectly.

perfect...thanks!

Well, I've finally got an `old-timer' update on my set (built in July). This set had the tuner problem and developed the `pops' maybe two weeks after getting it that continually got more frequent.

All the parts from Sony finally came in and the local repair guy came by this afternoon (no Sony factory repair in Utah). He bad both a new power board and a small surface mount resistor to replace. The repair took about 2 hours total, most of that was spent trying to find the board that Sony was talking about! It turned out that it was the bottom main board on the right (looking from behind the set). The guy did a great job swapping the resistor out, ony took about a minute. The thing was so tiny that you had to hold it with a small pair of tweezers. =)

So...now I'm a little nervous; I sure hope that both problems have been fixed! Only time will tell though.

''there is a diagnostics feature in the menu to check for signal strenght and errors. You may need a signal booster or may not need one.''



Juandixon,

Do you need a cablecard to get into this diagnostics menu? I tried it on my tv and although I see it there, it's not accessible. It's sort of shaded out along with the cablecard option. Is there any other way to find your signal strength?

Thanks

Originally posted by Hiloboy
''there is a diagnostics feature in the menu to check for signal strenght and errors. You may need a signal booster or may not need one.''



Juandixon,

Do you need a cablecard to get into this diagnostics menu? I tried it on my tv and although I see it there, it's not accessible. It's sort of shaded out along with the cablecard option. Is there any other way to find your signal strength?

Thanks

howzit hiloboy, my good friend is from hilo, I am in LA now but from oahu. anyways i just have the raw cable feed connected directly to the tv cable coaxial input. and it gives me the diagnostics option. I don't have a cablecard. I dont use the ant or vhf coaxial input.

No upate on the `tuner problem', but the `pops' are still there. Swapping out the power board didn't do anything. =(

Originally posted by Mike3

I kinda wish I had a memory stick camera, but since I have 3 Kodaks I guess I'm out of luck... my 510 said that it would only display photos on memory stick take on a Sony camera. Is that true of the 960 too or would it be possible to display jpgs take on another camera and moved to memory stick? It would be nice to run slide shows on it.


You can display JPEGs from other cameras. I have an Olympus camera that takes smartmedia and one of those $20 USB every-flash-format-that-exists reader/writers. I use the reader/writer connected to a PC to copy pictures from the smartmedia to the memory stick and they display fine on my 960.

Originally posted by Hiloboy
''there is a diagnostics feature in the menu to check for signal strenght and errors. You may need a signal booster or may not need one.''



Juandixon,

Do you need a cablecard to get into this diagnostics menu? I tried it on my tv and although I see it there, it's not accessible. It's sort of shaded out along with the cablecard option. Is there any other way to find your signal strength?

Thanks

Hiloboy, the diagnostic menu is only active on digital signals. Turne your set to a digital channel (SD or HD) and you'll be able to access that feature.

Mark

Juandixon- thanks for the reply. I did check my connection, which is connected the same way as yours but it still didn't work. Couldn't figure out why.


Mark, thanks for the new info. I'll give it a try when I get home. I noticed a lot of people complaining about the picture quality on non-hd channels, but mine seems fine, just a little bit worse than my old analog sony, which I expected, but it is watchable. I live in a new building so the cable must be good-- just wanted to check and compare my signal strength with others here.

From someone who's had the "tuner problems", what exactly are the symptons of the problem? I've had digital cable via a cable card for a few weeks now with no problems. On Wednesday night, about half of the digital channels were coming up with No Signal. On Thursday night, I experienced the same thing only it was now more like 90% of the digital channels were not available. I have placed a service call with Comcast and they will be coming out on Sunday morning to check it out. Additionally, when I called Comcast, they noted a service problem in my area. I'm not sure if this is related or not.

I'm still going to have Comcast check it out but I wanted to better understand the tuner problem that has been communicated here by a large number of folks to determine if my set is affected.

Thanks in advance.

Michael,

I never had a cable card in my 960, but my tuner problem (with two different sets), and what others have described include no digital reception at all after the TV has been off for a few hours. If the TV power is turned off and back on the digital reception comes right back.

The loss of some channels and not all make me wonder if it is a signal strength problem. It doesn't sound like a tuner problem with the television if you are only losing certain channels. Or at least it doesn't sound at all like the tuner problem that plagued a bunch of the early production models.

MW

Originally posted by MichaelDaly
From someone who's had the "tuner problems", what exactly are the symptons of the problem? I've had digital cable via a cable card for a few weeks now with no problems. On Wednesday night, about half of the digital channels were coming up with No Signal. On Thursday night, I experienced the same thing only it was now more like 90% of the digital channels were not available. I have placed a service call with Comcast and they will be coming out on Sunday morning to check it out. Additionally, when I called Comcast, they noted a service problem in my area. I'm not sure if this is related or not.

I'm still going to have Comcast check it out but I wanted to better understand the tuner problem that has been communicated here by a large number of folks to determine if my set is affected.

Thanks in advance.

Just got this TV and am very pleased with it. Wanted to ask if I had to go through initial set-up (setting language, tilt etc) everytime I turn on the TV or is there a way so that this doesn't happen?

I am interested in purchasing a Sony KD 34XBR960, but after reading about all of the problems this model has had, I don't want to buy one that has been built before September. The serial number of the each set is on the outside of the box, but not the date of manufacture. Can one deduce the D.O.M. from the serial number? If not, is there any office at Sony that can provide this information?
Thanks very much.
Sincerely,
Ron

Originally posted by rekalil
Can one deduce the D.O.M. from the serial number?

Aug. s/n 8005xxx.
Sept. s/n 8007xxx.

mine is 8006xxx made in Aug in mexico, works perfect

So, I have a 960 that's a little over a month old (8005xxx serial number, manuf. Aug. 2004). I noticed today that a pixel had gone completely black practically dead center on the screen. I thought it was an HD show I was watching, so I switched it to other channels and the same pixel was black on all channels.

I purchased the 5 year warranty from Tweeter that covers defects, dead pixels, etc. I will be calling them tomorrow to set up an exchange on the set. I still have the original box and all papers, so it should be a breeze for them to remove. I'm wondering if the replacement set will have an Oct. build date or if it's too soon in the month for that.

I have been getting a ton of requests for the best price on the 34xbr960. I have had several people get the deal from the "champ" on the best price website but they are not delivering anymore (only in store pick up) Could anyone who has purchased the TV provide me with the price you received (anything under $2,100.00) and the store and its location so I can provide our new members with the most current info.


email your best price, store, and location to: KD34xbr960@Yahoo.com (kd34xbr960@yahoo.com)

most appreciated

the retailers nightmare --- an educated consumer

Sleepdoc,

You only need to go through this setup the first time you turn on the set. Once you complete the setup screens (language, channel scanning and picture tilt) you will not be prompted again.

Bill

Originally posted by tennberg
So, I have a 960 that's a little over a month old (8005xxx serial number, manuf. Aug. 2004). I noticed today that a pixel had gone completely black practically dead center on the screen. I thought it was an HD show I was watching, so I switched it to other channels and the same pixel was black on all channels.

I purchased the 5 year warranty from Tweeter that covers defects, dead pixels, etc. I will be calling them tomorrow to set up an exchange on the set. I still have the original box and all papers, so it should be a breeze for them to remove. I'm wondering if the replacement set will have an Oct. build date or if it's too soon in the month for that.

So I guess I'm the idiot for not having them explain to me the specifics of the warranty.

I called Tweeter's Raid Response team and they explained that dead spots are a "wear and tear" item, and that there has to be at least 8-10 of them in the "center zone" for Tweeter to do a warranty replacement. So, here I am stuck with a $2200 TV, a $200 warranty, and a dead spot.

To be honest, I've never seen a CRT that has had a dead spot on it, and I've owned many a TV set and computer monitor.

So I called Sony and the guy I got said he's never heard of a CRT developing a dead spot like that. So he said if I had just gone with Sony's warranty, they would set up a repair. If that didn't fix it, they would set up an exchange. Since I went with Tweeter's warranty, he said to call them back and explain everything in the call with Sony.

So, the second guy I spoke to at Tweeter said the first guy misunderstood me and gave me the information for a plasma or LCD, even though I told him I had a CRT. He is setting up to have a technician come over to check out the TV. Hopefully, it will be an exchange rather than a repair. I really couldn't stand not having the TV for a while :-) Plus, I'd almost rather have an even newer unit since it seems those produced after August have even fewer problems (mine was produced in August).

I'll keep you all informed of any progress.

I had a similar dead spot on my old 34HS510 last year...actually it was my first one...3 510's and one 960 later, I'm still getting another replacement and driving my wife to an early divorce...hopefully my lawyers will have me keep the new 960....hehe

remember, BC, you can find a new wife anywhere. As for a perfectly working Sony HDTV, now THAT'S another story...

..true....I'm sticking with them both, purely to satisfy my morbid curiousity.....LOL

Originally posted by tennberg
So I guess I'm the idiot for not having them explain to me the specifics of the warranty.


So I called Sony and the guy I got said he's never heard of a CRT developing a dead spot like that. So he said if I had just gone with Sony's warranty, they would set up a repair. If that didn't fix it, they would set up an exchange. Since I went with Tweeter's warranty, he said to call them back and explain everything in the call with Sony.



Tennberg,
Sorry to hear about your 960. I think I got mine about the same time as yours, also mfg in August. So far everything seems fine. I thought the Sony 2-year warranty runs concurrently with any store warranty you choose, not in lieu of.

I got mine from CC but did not choose their warranty package which was about $220+ for 3 years and about $300+ for 5 years. I believe Sony provides a 2 yr warranty on all their xbr products, at least thats what the warranty card said that came with the unit, even though CC insists that Sony only provides a 1 yr warranty.

Originally posted by Yung
Tennberg,
Sorry to hear about your 960. I think I got mine about the same time as yours, also mfg in August. So far everything seems fine. I thought the Sony 2-year warranty runs concurrently with any store warranty you choose, not in lieu of.

I got mine from CC but did not choose their warranty package which was about $220+ for 3 years and about $300+ for 5 years. I believe Sony provides a 2 yr warranty on all their xbr products, at least thats what the warranty card said that came with the unit, even though CC insists that Sony only provides a 1 yr warranty.

Interesting info - I just came back from a system "hunt" - ran CC and Tweeter against each other, and came up with pretty nice discount ... but now I wonder if I should even consider the 5-year contract from Tweeter, or just stick with Sony's ... though for a $180/5 yrs it may not hurt having it there, just in case :)

I have read virtually this entire thread. I think I want it. But it looks like the tv portion of the entertainment center is about 36" wide, while this TV is 39.5" wide. Do I have that correct?

I guess I could always put the entertainment center in the bedroom, but it is a nice one. Decisons...

First post!

-dmp

P.S. If I decided to keep the entertainment center, what's the next best TV that would fit?

Just got the 960 a week ago and wanted to know if you use interlaced or progressive scan mode via component input. I have mine on interlaced (cheaper 1 year old panasonic) going by conventional wisdom that the tv would do a better job than the dvd player at upconverting the image. Anyone doing otherwise?

Originally posted by sleepdoc
Just got the 960 a week ago and wanted to know if you use interlaced or progressive scan mode via component input. I have mine on interlaced (cheaper 1 year old panasonic) going by conventional wisdom that the tv would do a better job than the dvd player at upconverting the image. Anyone doing otherwise?

At first I hooked Sony DVP-500 (My long lasting 7 year old DVD player) to the 960. Image was beautiful, but this player is too old to do any of the different format outputs (like 16:9). This model had component video out, but only interlaced.

On a great deal ($100 after rebates) and to consolidate my old Sony TiVo and to get a progressive scan DVD (and progressive scan TiVo!), I bought a Toshiba TiVo/DVD player combo and hooked it up component to the 960.

I must say the picture was MUCH better with the new DVD player. I don't know if I can attribute this to going progressive scan, or because the DVD player supports 16:9 output modes, and is a newer model.

Now, there are a couple Samsung players that output DVI/HDMI 720p (the DVD player does the upconvert). I would be interested to find out what people think when having the DVD player do it, versus having the television do it. I would think that the TV would do a better job perhaps, but then again the DVI DVD player would be digital all the way to the TV.

That's my 10 cents worth.

MW

Originally posted by 56Oval
At first I hooked Sony DVP-500 (My long lasting 7 year old DVD player) to the 960. Image was beautiful, but this player is too old to do any of the different format outputs (like 16:9). This model had component video out, but only interlaced.

On a great deal ($100 after rebates) and to consolidate my old Sony TiVo and to get a progressive scan DVD (and progressive scan TiVo!), I bought a Toshiba TiVo/DVD player combo and hooked it up component to the 960.

I must say the picture was MUCH better with the new DVD player. I don't know if I can attribute this to going progressive scan, or because the DVD player supports 16:9 output modes, and is a newer model.

Now, there are a couple Samsung players that output DVI/HDMI 720p (the DVD player does the upconvert). I would be interested to find out what people think when having the DVD player do it, versus having the television do it. I would think that the TV would do a better job perhaps, but then again the DVI DVD player would be digital all the way to the TV.

That's my 10 cents worth.

MW

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=454315

i guess its a wait and see till those new hdmi upscaling players come out later this month.

Originally posted by powersd
I have read virtually this entire thread. I think I want it. But it looks like the tv portion of the entertainment center is about 36" wide, while this TV is 39.5" wide. Do I have that correct?

I guess I could always put the entertainment center in the bedroom, but it is a nice one. Decisons...

First post!

-dmp

P.S. If I decided to keep the entertainment center, what's the next best TV that would fit?

Based on reviews and other threads here, I would recommend the Toshiba 34HFX84 .
It is less than 34" wide (33 5/8 x 21 3/8 x 23 3/4) as well as 40 lbs lighter than the
Sony. No built in tuners, but 2 HDMI and 2 Component inputs.

I'm considering the Toshiba as well as the Sony for my plan B.
I have a new 46" Samsung DLP that the wife thinks is too big and will
probably be going back to TVA (whimper, whimper).

I haven't found any place local that has the Toshiba in stock yet. I've seen the
34HF84 and the 34HFX83 (last years), and liked the picture. It's quite as nice
as the Sony, but is $500 cheaper, and since I'll be using an HD DirecTivo, the
integrated tuners are less important.

I'm noticing my first slight problem and wanted to check with you to see if you've noticed it. Is this TV loud? Turn down the volume all the way and tell me if you hear the power supply or something buzzing? I'll double-check to make sure it wasn't something else running but I was pretty sure last night at least that the TV seemed loud with the volume down.

By "loud" I mean audible because normally you wouldn't expect to hear it at all. Anyway, one thing I have noticed is that it is by far the loudest television I have ever heard "powering up".

All and all, I still love my new TV and am waiting on a cable card install to see how much of an advantage it offers.

Originally posted by Yung
Tennberg,
Sorry to hear about your 960. I think I got mine about the same time as yours, also mfg in August. So far everything seems fine. I thought the Sony 2-year warranty runs concurrently with any store warranty you choose, not in lieu of.

I got mine from CC but did not choose their warranty package which was about $220+ for 3 years and about $300+ for 5 years. I believe Sony provides a 2 yr warranty on all their xbr products, at least thats what the warranty card said that came with the unit, even though CC insists that Sony only provides a 1 yr warranty.

So a Tweeter technician is going to be calling me to check out the set and see what he can do. I've already tried degaussing the set and that had no effect.

By the way, ever since I degaussed the set, every time I start up the TV now, it walks me through the initial setup. How do I make that go away?

Had that same problem and the way I fixed it was to go through the channel setting process and aborting early since I exclusively use a cable box for tv viewing and have no interest in getting cablecard for the time being especially with the posts saying how much slower surfing channels is with this compared to an external tuner..

Originally posted by tennberg
So a Tweeter technician is going to be calling me to check out the set and see what he can do. I've already tried degaussing the set and that had no effect.

By the way, ever since I degaussed the set, every time I start up the TV now, it walks me through the initial setup. How do I make that go away?

As an update, Tweeter is sending out a technician on Friday afternoon to check out the set and see what he can figure out. Degaussing the set did not make the dead spot disappear so I'm thinking the only solution is to either repair the set or exchange it. The quickest for both me and Tweeter would be to simply exchange it. I'm going to try to convince him to do that, as I'd hate to not have this set for a while. Hopefully a new set will have been produced in either September or October and Sony will have fixed any remaining bugs from the initial batches. I'm just still baffled, as I've never seen a CRT with a dead spot.

One of the people at Sony said that since the sets are injection molded in the center of the screen, this is what I could be seeing. Is this possible? I swear I've never seen this spot before. Any truth to this? Do other people had a dead spot (about 1 millimeter square) near the center of your screen?

Hey guys, I've been reading this thread for awhile now and finally decided to get the 960.

A friend of mine sold me his Su-34HS1 TV stand for $30. It's an older Sony stand but it says it's compatible with the older 34' XBR models. I know the SU-34XBR3 is the official stand for the 960 but I was wondering if SU-34HS1 would also work. It's suppose to be able to hold 247 pounds and the dimensions seem to be almost exactly the same when I looked them up. Is the surface where the TV sits shaped differently on these two stands or do you think I'll be OK?

I really appreciate any help you guys can give and I also wanted to say that this thread has been a great resource.

Thanks

Originally posted by LeRolls
Hey guys, I've been reading this thread for awhile now and finally decided to get the 960.

A friend of mine sold me his Su-34HS1 TV stand for $30. It's an older Sony stand but it says it's compatible with the older 34' XBR models. I know the SU-34XBR3 is the official stand for the 960 but I was wondering if SU-34HS1 would also work. It's suppose to be able to hold 247 pounds and the dimensions seem to be almost exactly the same when I looked them up. Is the surface where the TV sits shaped differently on these two stands or do you think I'll be OK?

I really appreciate any help you guys can give and I also wanted to say that this thread has been a great resource.

Thanks

su34xbr1 and su24xbr3 are the only compatible 960 models that i know of. remember 34hs1 is for a 34" 4:3 tv which is much different in size than a 34 " 16:9

I've read many posts about the xbr910 having a fairly dark picture....how's the 960 in comparison? Was it even an issue with the 910 or an over exaggeration?

I have noticed this, too. At first I was bothered by it. But I adjusted one of the picture modes ("pro") to slightly higher brightness and lower contrast. I also lowered the ambient room lighting. Now I've gotten used to this effect, and I actually prefer it--more like a movie theater. Good grayscale reproduction is a strong suite of the '960 ('910 too, I presume). It's just that 50 years of TV viewing had taught me the expect a washed-out gray picture!

Mark

To All 960 Owners:

I was wondering if any of you have this problem with your 960. The other day, I noticed a dead spot on the screen about 1 millimeter square about 1.5 inches right of dead-center of the screen. This spot stays black on both DVD and cable sources and never moves, so it is definitely a dead spot. Degaussing did not help.

Sony said it might have been due to the manufacturing process. They said the screens are injection molded right in the center and this may be the spot I am seeing.

So, all 960 owners, do you have any small dead spots on the center of your screen? If none of you have it, I am definitely going to have Tweeter replace the set.

Thanks!

Originally posted by juandixon
su34xbr1 and su24xbr3 are the only compatible 960 models that i know of. remember 34hs1 is for a 34" 4:3 tv which is much different in size than a 34 " 16:9

Actually the SU-34HS1 was meant for the KV-34HS510 which is 16:9.

There is a new acticle on the CableCARD at soundandvisionmag (can't post URL's yet), do search on 'wild card'.

My 960 ships today from ABT, they just received new stock yesterday.

Originally posted by tennberg
To All 960 Owners:

I was wondering if any of you have this problem with your 960. The other day, I noticed a dead spot on the screen about 1 millimeter square about 1.5 inches right of dead-center of the screen. This spot stays black on both DVD and cable sources and never moves, so it is definitely a dead spot. Degaussing did not help.

Sony said it might have been due to the manufacturing process. They said the screens are injection molded right in the center and this may be the spot I am seeing.

So, all 960 owners, do you have any small dead spots on the center of your screen? If none of you have it, I am definitely going to have Tweeter replace the set.

Thanks!

Update:

I got a call this afternoon from a Tweeter technician who was about 30 minutes away and wanted a detailed description of the problem with the set. I explained to him what was going on with the dead spot, and he is going to set up an exchange of the set. He said if he drove all the way here and saw it, he would make the same diagnosis. The only way to repair it would be to replace the entire tube, and he did not want to go through the hassle of that.

I will make a note of the current serial number and the serial of the new set, and post some descriptions of any differences between them. The one I have now was produced in August.

Funny you should mention a tube replacement...since that's what's currently in the cards for my set. The `pops' had finally gotten so bad that I was able to demonstrate the problem to a tech and as much as he didn't want to admit it, the tube is bad. The one good thing about the set is that the Sony fix for the `cold tuner' problem worked great.

Originally posted by tennberg
Update:

I got a call this afternoon from a Tweeter technician who was about 30 minutes away and wanted a detailed description of the problem with the set. I explained to him what was going on with the dead spot, and he is going to set up an exchange of the set. He said if he drove all the way here and saw it, he would make the same diagnosis. The only way to repair it would be to replace the entire tube, and he did not want to go through the hassle of that.

I will make a note of the current serial number and the serial of the new set, and post some descriptions of any differences between them. The one I have now was produced in August.

I got a call from a Tweeter rep who told me the tech mentioned replacing the tube. I corrected him and said the tech recommended an exchange. The rep said they currently don't have any in stock but will be getting a shipment on Oct. 18, and that he put me down for one of them. Here's hoping this set is even better.

Hello all,

I hope I don't get in trouble by digressing on the thread, but it seems to have slowed down a bit lately, so maybe I'll throw something out.

I bailed on the 960 (after being impatient and exchanging three of them) because of the "cold tuner" problem that some of us had at first. (I wasn't patient enough to get Sony to fix it like SNClawson.)

I was devistated on that last return, but my wife was actually happy to have the old TV back. (27" Wega SD). I couldn't watch it and went into mourning for a period. She was happy with the old TV because we are addicted to the TiVo, and she hated having to watch HD content live. I put up with no HD TiVo it because I am amazed by the picture. (And I didn't have $800 to drop on the DirecTV HD TiVo.)

Anyhow, I'm about to get back into the fray, and buy another TV. I want to get a 960 again, but she was really smitten by the Samsung DLP models. (Mainly she wants a bigger TV that a 34".) They really do look great in the stores. But I did some research, and they only seem to display 720p. HD Flat panel of any sort is out of the question because of price (and my longevity concerns).

Did anyone else compare a DLP with their 960 before they bought it?

Any good insight?

I haven't seen anything come close to the 960 as far as sharpness and contrast range.

What is the concensus on DLP. I've heard stuff about "rainbow effect" that I'm not clean on what is meant by it.

Anyhow, if it is inappropriate for this thread, feel free to mock me. :-)

MW

Originally posted by 56Oval
Hello all,

I hope I don't get in trouble by digressing on the thread, but it seems to have slowed down a bit lately, so maybe I'll throw something out.

I bailed on the 960 (after being impatient and exchanging three of them) because of the "cold tuner" problem that some of us had at first. (I wasn't patient enough to get Sony to fix it like SNClawson.)

I was devistated on that last return, but my wife was actually happy to have the old TV back. (27" Wega SD). I couldn't watch it and went into mourning for a period. She was happy with the old TV because we are addicted to the TiVo, and she hated having to watch HD content live. I put up with no HD TiVo it because I am amazed by the picture. (And I didn't have $800 to drop on the DirecTV HD TiVo.)

Anyhow, I'm about to get back into the fray, and buy another TV. I want to get a 960 again, but she was really smitten by the Samsung DLP models. (Mainly she wants a bigger TV that a 34".) They really do look great in the stores. But I did some research, and they only seem to display 720p. HD Flat panel of any sort is out of the question because of price (and my longevity concerns).

Did anyone else compare a DLP with their 960 before they bought it?

Any good insight?

I haven't seen anything come close to the 960 as far as sharpness and contrast range.

What is the concensus on DLP. I've heard stuff about "rainbow effect" that I'm not clean on what is meant by it.

Anyhow, if it is inappropriate for this thread, feel free to mock me. :-)

MW

I'm in the opposite boat.

I have a Sammy 46" DLP (bought through the TVA Power Buy), but may have to
return it - the wife doesn;t like it and thinks it 's too big (whimper, whimper).
I'm now scoping out plan B (34" direct view - probably the 960 or the toshiba 34HFX84).
Plan C (a 42" plasma) is currently out of the budget.

I've compared the Sammy and the 960 in stores. SD (DirecTV) looks a bit better
on the 960. HD looks stunning on both, with a slight edge to the 960 (better blacks),
but its only 3/4 the size.

The other plusses of the Sammy - inputs: 1 DVI + 1HDMI + 1 VGA (for HTPC) vs a single
HDMI for the 960.

I plan on getting an HD DirecTivo, so the tuners in the 960 are not a big plus for me
(that is also why i'm considering the 34HFX84 for $600 less).

The rainbow effect is caused by the fact that the DLP set sequentially projects a
blue, followed by a red, fllowed by a green (a color wheel spinning at 10K RPM)
that your eye processes as the appropriate color mix. If you rapidly move your
eye, the sequence of red/green/blue for the same pixel hit your retina at different
locations, causing a multi color rainbow. I have not noticed any rainbows in normal
watching. If I work really hard and intentionally scan my eyes around real fast, I can
see some rainbows.

Some people seem to be sensitive to the rainbows and claim they notice them in
normal viewing, but it's not a real issue for me.

I have another week to convince the wife, but I think it's a lost cause. Our viewing
distance is about 6-8' so the 34" will still give an OK picture size.

I bought the Sammy online (TVA), but will probably buy the 960 at a B&M. The thought
of shipping a(and possibly shipping back) that 200lb monster is not something I want
to deal with. I have found a local store that will do at least 10% off MSRP on both
the 960 and 34HFX84.

I intend to purchase a KD-34XBR960, but would like to reduce the possibility of receiving a defective set. as have others who have posted to this thread. The local CC has received today a new KD-34XBR960 with a serial number of SO1 9001XXXX. I interpret this serial number to mean that the set was manufactured in September, but would appreciate anyone letting me know whether I am making a mistake.
Thanks very much.
Sincerely,
Ron Kalil

I am interested in purchasing a 34xbr960 and have found that both Park Ave Electonics and Hot Buy Electronics offer these sets at abouy 30% off list price on their web sites. I would like to know if anyone has any experience dealing with these retailers and can tell me how reputable they are? Thanks in advance.

Originally posted by rekalil
I intend to purchase a KD-34XBR960, but would like to reduce the possibility of receiving a defective set. as have others who have posted to this thread. The local CC has received today a new KD-34XBR960 with a serial number of SO1 9001XXXX. I interpret this serial number to mean that the set was manufactured in September, but would appreciate anyone letting me know whether I am making a mistake.
Thanks very much.
Sincerely,
Ron Kalil

An xbr960 with serial # in the 9001xxx range should probably be made in late August or September. Mine with serial# 8006xxx was mfg in August and I have had no tuner problems. There is very minor geometry near the top when watching SD, but I'm sure nothing that can't be adjusted.

I just got an xbr960 with a 9000xxx serial, no geometry problems as far as I can see, everything is fine. got it from CC. if that helps..

So has anyone tried recording HD from the integrated tuner using a DVHS deck connected a la firewire?

I am pondering getting a DVHS deck to record HD but will do so ONLY if the DVHS deck and the 960 interface through one convenient firewire connection.

So the will the deck record the 5.1 soundtracks and footage of HD broadcasts and playback the DVHS tapes all through ONE single firewire connection?

Originally posted by jb2002
I just got an xbr960 with a 9000xxx serial, no geometry problems as far as I can see, everything is fine. got it from CC. if that helps..

which CC in NJ ?

Clearedge VM...I know the videophiles state this should be set to "off" for HD.....What is the general concensus on this?? I feel the HD looks better with it on....I would appreciate some insight..

Originally posted by smirnoffski
So has anyone tried recording HD from the integrated tuner using a DVHS deck connected a la firewire?

I am pondering getting a DVHS deck to record HD but will do so ONLY if the DVHS deck and the 960 interface through one convenient firewire connection.

So the will the deck record the 5.1 soundtracks and footage of HD broadcasts and playback the DVHS tapes all through ONE single firewire connection?

I'm curious too if anyone has hooked up a recording device (DVHS or otherwise) to the 960 via firewire, and any results.

Originally posted by NorthJersey
which CC in NJ ?

no, CC in the internet, I ordered it on Oct 1st...got it delivered the following thurdsday....I simply placed the order on their Web site..they had it in stock....Oct 1st.

34xbr960 settings??
Would anyone that has picture, brightness, etc. set up pretty decent on their tv, mind telling me what settings you have it for HD, SD? I've been playing around with it for about 2 weeks. I've got the Digital Video Essentials CD, but right now I'm not sure how to, or brave enough to go into the service mode.
Thanks
John

Anyone wish to share their experiences/recommendations for a DVD player? I have an older Sony, and use the SD component cables. I was thinking about upgrading to a progressive-scan type. Does 480p provide a significant picture improvement over 480i?

The next step, of course, would be to a HDMI-equipped DVD player. Again, would this provide any significant improvement over a 480p unit?

Finally, I am leaning towards buying a 480 p DVD/VCR combination unit. (DVD player and VCR recorder.) Any recommendations or horror stories?

TIA

Mark

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=120

Enjoy !

Thanks, silvertone! Lots of good information!

Mark

Thanks, silvertone! Lots of good information!

Mark

I had my set ISF calibrated. The user control settings I now use for HD and DVD are 43 picture, 34 color, 33 brightness, all sharpness controls off. I modify these for the different programs and DVD's maybe 1 or 2 clicks either way.

Question for all 960 owners:

How are you connecting your DVD player to the back of the 960? My current DVD player, the Denon DVD-2910, has composite video out, S-video out, component video out, DVI out, and HDMI out. I currently use component video out. I've been told this is best since the set is analog, I will not get any improvements from DVI or HDMI, which I am inclined to agree with.

If anyone out there has moved to DVI->HDMI or HDMI->HDMI over component for their DVD player and noticed an improvement in the 960's picture quality, please post your comments. I'm curious to hear.

i don't understand how you can conclude component is better than hdmi on the 960 and that the 960 is an analog set?! With both digital and analog inputs, its both.

You will get degradation on the component since its analog not with hdmi. With component/analog you will need very expensive monster-like cables to prevent signal degration. With hdmi/digital any piece of sh*t cable will work since its only passing 0s and 1s.

Also pq depends greatly on the dvd player and dvd itself, on what type of quality you get with hdmi and components.

Yes the difference/improvements may be slight(again this depends on dvd player,dvd, and 960 calibration even), but hdmi on the 960 set is what you wanna use if you can use it IMO.

Originally posted by tennberg
Question for all 960 owners:

I've been told this is best since the set is analog, I will not get any improvements from DVI or HDMI, which I am inclined to agree with.

If anyone out there has moved to DVI->HDMI or HDMI->HDMI over component for their DVD player and noticed an improvement in the 960's picture quality, please post your comments. I'm curious to hear.

Well, the answer to that is that it depends. Depends on which piece of equipement does a better job on the DA conversion. I had my Sony HD directv reciever hooked up through the component inputs initially then switched to HDMI. I really couldn't tell the difference on SD signals, but HD signals appeared slightly sharper and brighter to me, but then again this could be the placebo effect. Without having two sets side by side, one component one HDMI, and looking at the same exact material I can't be sure. After all, this screen is rather small, so any benefits from either of these it's probably neglegible.

To break down the question some more, is there any difference with the video signal using DVI vs. HDMI? I thought they were the same, except that HDMI also carries audio and copy-protection.

Mark

Originally posted by juandixon
i don't understand how you can conclude component is better than hdmi on the 960 and that the 960 is an analog set?! With both digital and analog inputs, its both.

The 960 is an analog display set, not a digital one (eg. LCD, DLP). It has a built in Video DAC, that it's used when a digital stream is fed to it via the HDMI input.



You will get degradation on the component since its analog not with hdmi. With component/analog you will need very expensive monster-like cables to prevent signal degration.

Not neccesarily the case, it depends on which piece of equipement in the chain does a better job converting the digital signal to analog.

With hdmi/digital any piece of sh*t cable will work since its only passing 0s and 1s.

For short runs of cables I would agree with this. But HDMI/DVI is very sensitive to long runs of cables (say more than 6'). If you have a poor quality cable you might introduce timing problems (jitter) and this could cause noticeable signal degradation. There are a few cable companies out there with proprietary technology addressing this issue.

Also pq depends greatly on the dvd player and dvd itself, on what type of quality you get with hdmi and components.

Yes the difference/improvements may be slight(again this depends on dvd player,dvd, and 960 calibration even), but hdmi on the 960 set is what you wanna use if you can use it IMO. N

Originally posted by BTV Mark
To break down the question some more, is there any difference with the video signal using DVI vs. HDMI? I thought they were the same, except that HDMI also carries audio and copy-protection.

Mark

There's no difference. Both specs are identical when it comes to video. By the way, DVI also is HDCP compatible.

The 960 is an analog display set, not a digital one (eg. LCD, DLP). It has a built in Video DAC, that it's used when a digital stream is fed to it via the HDMI input.

nope the 960 is a digital set with an analog tuner. crts can be digital too. all our crt computer moniters are digi sets. when it gets a analog signal it has to use its dac to convert it BACK to digital.


Not neccesarily the case, it depends on which piece of equipement in the chain does a better job converting the digital signal to analog.

ur wrong here since ur assuming the 960 is an analog set.


For short runs of cables I would agree with this. But HDMI/DVI is very sensitive to long runs of cables (say more than 6'). If you have a poor quality cable you might introduce timing problems (jitter) and this could cause noticeable signal degradation. There are a few cable companies out there with proprietary technology addressing this issue.

cmon this is really a non issue, cheap hdmi cables work fine, yes i know the limitations on distance but that affects analog cables also.

in any case digital(hdmi) > analog(component) in the 960's case.

Originally posted by juandixon
The 960 is an analog display set, not a digital one (eg. LCD, DLP). It has a built in Video DAC, that it's used when a digital stream is fed to it via the HDMI input.

nope the 960 is a digital set with an analog tuner. crts can be digital too. all our crt computer moniters are digi sets. when it gets a analog signal it has to use its dac to convert it BACK to digital.


Not neccesarily the case, it depends on which piece of equipement in the chain does a better job converting the digital signal to analog.

ur wrong here since ur assuming the 960 is an analog set.


For short runs of cables I would agree with this. But HDMI/DVI is very sensitive to long runs of cables (say more than 6'). If you have a poor quality cable you might introduce timing problems (jitter) and this could cause noticeable signal degradation. There are a few cable companies out there with proprietary technology addressing this issue.

cmon this is really a non issue, cheap hdmi cables work fine, yes i know the limitations on distance but that affects analog cables also.

in any case digital(hdmi) > analog(component) in the 960's case.


Let's see. I'll be nice enough to refer you to Sony itself, call their 1-800 CS number and ask them the same question if their display is analog or digital, and make sure you post the answer here when they tell you this is an analog display.

cmon this is really a non issue, cheap hdmi cables work fine, yes i know the limitations on distance but that affects analog cables also.

in any case digital(hdmi) > analog(component) in the 960's case.


Obviously, you do not understand. You are aware of the distance limitations of analog cables dealing with jitter?? (LOL) Since when analog cables carry digital signals ?? You are amusing me.

Originally posted by juandixon
nope the 960 is a digital set with an analog tuner. crts can be digital too. all our crt computer moniters are digi sets. when it gets a analog signal it has to use its dac to convert it BACK to digital.

How do you figure? I mean, sure this set contains some digital circuitry and accepts a digital video input, but the display electronics are most definitely analog. A digital display would imply that the display has been divided into a fixed number of discreet pixels which are "energized" individually. The picture is drawn on the screen by "energizing" all individual pixels appropriately. Examples of this are LCD and DLP displays. An analog display "draws" the image on the screen line by line from top to bottom.

What makes you call this a digital display? Calling a set analog or digital refers to how the image is projected onto the screen and not to what inputs the set accepts.

You two should agree on the definition of "digital set" first. :)

I guess by "digital set", silvertone was referring to "fixed-pixel display", such as LCD, LCD projection, DLP, plasma, etc, while juan was talking about sets that can tune to digital channels.

Both are self-consistent.

One thing worth to mention is that even for fixed-pixel displays, the fixed part is only the spatial resolution. They still have to use D-A converters for the RGB values.

Originally posted by southpark
You two should agree on the definition of "digital set" first. :)

I guess by "digital set", silvertone was referring to "fixed-pixel display", such as LCD, LCD projection, DLP, plasma, etc, while juan was talking about sets that can tune to digital channels.

Both are self-consistent.

One thing worth to mention is that even for fixed-pixel displays, the fixed part is only the spatial resolution. They still have to use D-A converters for the RGB values.

Absolutely correct.

Originally posted by juandixon
the 960 is an analog set?! With both digital and analog inputs, its both.

With component/analog you will need very expensive monster-like cables to prevent signal degration.

Who says so? Purchasers of expensive cables? Sellers of expensive cable?

I say do a double blind test before posting such nonsense :)

bob

Originally posted by spongebob
Who says so? Purchasers of expensive cables? Sellers of expensive cable?

I say do a double blind test before posting such nonsense :)

bob


my point here is to show the discrepancy between a digital and analog cable. personally i don't buy expensive cables especially for digital signals. analogs however can be improved with better shielding, conducitivy etc.

an example you don't see monster making gold plated cat5 cables? NO there is no market and no need to. the SIGNAL IS DIGITAL

I didn't intend to start a war here :-) I was just asking for people's experiences with using both component and DVI or HDMI cables from their DVD player to a 960 set.

Since my DVD-2910 is connected to the 960 via component, the player is doing all the D/A conversion. If I were to connect it via HDMI, then the 960 would be doing all the D/A conversion. Am I wrong on this? I'm going out on a limb and guessing that the DVD-2910's D/A convertors are better than those in the 960.

Any people firsthand noticed an improvement or decline in their picture quality when switching between component and DVI/HDMI ona 960? Thanks!

Has anyone had any trouble when connecting a DVD player with a DVI output to the 960's HDMI input via a DVI-HDMI cable and analog audio?

Originally posted by smirnoffski
So has anyone tried recording HD from the integrated tuner using a DVHS deck connected a la firewire?

I am pondering getting a DVHS deck to record HD but will do so ONLY if the DVHS deck and the 960 interface through one convenient firewire connection.

So the will the deck record the 5.1 soundtracks and footage of HD broadcasts and playback the DVHS tapes all through ONE single firewire connection?

The 960's firewire interface works fine and the firewire menu fairly straightforward. I've tested with both with the "oldie but goodie" Panasonic PV-HD1000" as well as the JVC 30000U.

1) tune to digital TV channel
2) bring up firewire menu
3) press the record button
4) go to full screen

To play back: go to firewire menu, and use the 960's remote to "press" the on-screen control buttons. (Alternatively you could go to firewire menu and press play/ff/rewind/etc. on the DVHS remote.)

Notes: Only when you are tuned to a digital channel does the 960 output on the firewire. (It will not digitize/convert any signals from any other ports, although it will act as a firewire hub if you have other firewire devices connected.)

Originally posted by jimg
The 960's firewire interface works fine and the firewire menu fairly straightforward. I've tested with both with the "oldie but goodie" Panasonic PV-HD1000" as well as the JVC 30000U.

1) tune to digital TV channel
2) bring up firewire menu
3) press the record button
4) go to full screen

To play back: go to firewire menu, and use the 960's remote to "press" the on-screen control buttons. (Alternatively you could go to firewire menu and press play/ff/rewind/etc. on the DVHS remote.)

Notes: Only when you are tuned to a digital channel does the 960 output on the firewire. (It will not digitize/convert any signals from any other ports, although it will act as a firewire hub if you have other firewire devices connected.)


This is great news!! Now, let's see more HD recorders! Perhaps this is why there's only one HDMI port on the '960.

Originally posted by jimg
The 960's firewire interface works fine and the firewire menu fairly straightforward. I've tested with both with the "oldie but goodie" Panasonic PV-HD1000" as well as the JVC 30000U.

1) tune to digital TV channel
2) bring up firewire menu
3) press the record button
4) go to full screen

To play back: go to firewire menu, and use the 960's remote to "press" the on-screen control buttons. (Alternatively you could go to firewire menu and press play/ff/rewind/etc. on the DVHS remote.)

Notes: Only when you are tuned to a digital channel does the 960 output on the firewire. (It will not digitize/convert any signals from any other ports, although it will act as a firewire hub if you have other firewire devices connected.)

Yessss! Very glad to hear this. Now does it also record 5.1 soundtracks through the firewire also?

Can you record to the DVHS deck while you watch another channel?
Is timer recording possible for HD through firewire?
I'm new to the recording scene, so any info will be greatly apprectiated!


Also, How does the playback quality through firewire compare to component?
It should be better correct?
For those of you with the new 5U machine, how would the firewire playback compare to HDMI?


Thanks much

Originally posted by Phantastica
Here's the HTPC lowdown (this is getting a little off topic):

Hardware:

- ATI DVI/Component adapter


It looks like you are connecting to the XBR960 through component inputs. Is there a reason that you didn't use a HMDI-DVI cable? I would assume that the picture quality would be even better using a digital (DVI) connection...

Originally posted by smirnoffski
Yessss! Very glad to hear this. Now does it also record 5.1 soundtracks through the firewire also?

Can you record to the DVHS deck while you watch another channel?
Is timer recording possible for HD through firewire?
I'm new to the recording scene, so any info will be greatly apprectiated!


Also, How does the playback quality through firewire compare to component?
It should be better correct?
For those of you with the new 5U machine, how would the firewire playback compare to HDMI?


Thanks much

It records whatever is in the MPEG stream... if the program contains 5.1, it will record them.

Sorry, it only records the channel you are watching (i.e. doesn't have dual digital tuners [or supporting circuitry]). Besides that, it's limited when doing Picture-In-Picture. I'm disappointed the 960's PIP (aka "Twin View") can only do analog SD on the "right side". No HD side-by-side like my Panasonic CT34WX50.

The 960's timers just turn on the TV and select the channel, they can't issue the firewire "record" commands. (Best to use a "smart remote" that can do macro sequences. Will need to: turn on the 960 & DVHS, set the channel, then enable the firewire, start the DVHS recording, wait the specified number of minutes, stop the recording, and power-off the DVHS. [See the Samsung SIR-T165 Thread in the HDTV Recorders section, as that was needed as a workaround to the 165's timer problems.])

Doing firewire (iLink) recordings is really the same as other "external device" VCR recordings -- (i.e. can't use the VCR's internal tuner or timer). The digital nature is transparent.
Firewire does have a "deluxe" control feature since the protocol allows for VCR control commands and status. (Which some STB can utilize for timer recordings.)

Playback quality depends mostly on the MPEG decoder (i.e. The 960's if using firewire, or the DVHS's if using component.) The short run of analog component cables is trivial considering the loss of picture quality that occured when the content was originally digitally encoded. Another "resolution leak" comes because the 960's horizontal resolution is about 1400, not 1920.

Note: The similar argument goes for HDMI vs. firewire... i.e. which MPEG decoder is best.

The ATI component device apparently makes connecting a computer easier. As I don't have one I can't say for certain, but I can tell you that connecting via HDMI or DVI or both in the case of the 960 is difficult. You are likely to need a third-party application like powerstrip to make the computer's resolution match the tv's screen.

Originally posted by jimg
It records whatever is in the MPEG stream... if the program contains 5.1, it will record them.


The 960's timers just turn on the TV and select the channel, they can't issue the firewire "record" commands. (Best to use a "smart remote" that can do macro sequences. Will need to: turn on the 960 & DVHS, set the channel, then enable the firewire, start the DVHS recording...

Doing firewire (iLink) recordings is really the same as other "external device" VCR recordings -- (i.e. can't use the VCR's internal tuner or timer). The digital nature is transparent.
Firewire does have a "deluxe" control feature since the protocol allows for VCR control commands and status. (Which some STB can utilize for timer recordings.)

Does this mean that if the 960 is programmed to come on at a certain time, to a digital channel, that it's IEEE port won't automatically output a signal, and a digital recording device (DVHS or otherwise) can't be seperately programmed to come on a record from it's own IEEE input?

If this is so, then it would seem that the IEEE isn't quite as usefull as it would first appear. What's the point in being able to tape from the IEEE if you: A) can't watch another channel at the same time, B) have to basically be there to set up the recording, C) Have to worry that the "Smart Remote" is pointing at the set as your rushing out the door to catch the bus or whatever?

Maybe the KD34XS955 isn't so bad afterall.

My understanding of the main differences betweewn the 955 and the 960 are: full DRC controll on the 960 (955 only has three settings), and no IEEE on the 955.

If the IEEE is not transparrant, is the 960 worth the extra $200 over the 955 (i.e. how important is the full DRC)?

Originally posted by Mr. Tracy
Does this mean that if the 960 is programmed to come on at a certain time, to a digital channel, that it's IEEE port won't automatically output a signal, and a digital recording device (DVHS or otherwise) can't be seperately programmed to come on a record from it's own IEEE input?

If this is so, then it would seem that the IEEE isn't quite as usefull as it would first appear. What's the point in being able to tape from the IEEE if you: A) can't watch another channel at the same time, B) have to basically be there to set up the recording, C) Have to worry that the "Smart Remote" is pointing at the set as your rushing out the door to catch the bus or whatever?

Maybe the KD34XS955 isn't so bad afterall.

My understanding of the main differences betweewn the 955 and the 960 are: full DRC controll on the 960 (955 only has three settings), and no IEEE on the 955.

If the IEEE is not transparrant, is the 960 worth the extra $200 over the 955 (i.e. how important is the full DRC)?

Well, the 960 has a firewire standby mode, so I am assuming with that turned on, the stream is output to the DVHS deck when the TV's timer turns on. Can jimg or anyone else please confirm this?

I notice now that a smart remote with timer macros is imperative as the two timers in the set alone will not be sufficient if one wants to record different shows.

keep the info coming folks, this is very helpful.

Originally posted by Mr. Tracy
Does this mean that if the 960 is programmed to come on at a certain time, to a digital channel, that it's IEEE port won't automatically output a signal, and a digital recording device (DVHS or otherwise) can't be seperately programmed to come on a record from it's own IEEE input?


I'll check tonight what is output on the firewire when a 960 timer fires. (And try to find a way for the 960 to do timer recordings.)

However note that the Panny PVHD1000, the JVC 30000 or the JVC 40000 have timers for firewire-- they expect the firewire source to control them. [Needed, yes. Provided, no. Sad lesson learned with Samsung T165's infamous timer problems].


If this is so, then it would seem that the IEEE isn't quite as usefull as it would first appear. What's the point in being able to tape from the IEEE if you: A) can't watch another channel at the same time, B) have to basically be there to set up the recording, C) Have to worry that the "Smart Remote" is pointing at the set as your rushing out the door to catch the bus or whatever?


The reason you can't watch another channel is a design decision: only 1 digital tuner. (Probably done to compete, pricewise.)
Another design decision was only HD on the "left side" of "Twin View" so even with an external HD source, it can't do side-by-side HD (like my 3 year old, Panny CT34WX50.)

The "being there" is the issue-at-hand! (We do want a way to do unattended firewire taping without buying an external HD tuner with firewire.)

As for the smart "remote," don't think of it as an ordinary remote to be left haphazardly on the coffee table -- make a designate place for it. (e.g. my Pronto has its recharging cradle, the Radio Shack VCR Programmer, its "home" in an open-fronted, open-topped, 3 sided tray left over from a old calculator.)
Sorry, we're not quite out of the "early-adopter" stage so standard "fit & functionality" for HD recording is still evolving.

Originally posted by smirnoffski
Well, the 960 has a firewire standby mode, so I am assuming with that turned on, the stream is output to the DVHS deck when the TV's timer turns on. Can jimg or anyone else please confirm this?

I notice now that a smart remote with timer macros is imperative as the two timers in the set alone will not be sufficient if one wants to record different shows.

keep the info coming folks, this is very helpful.

Looking at the manual--pg.91--"Notes on i.LINK: *The TV can act as an i.LINK repeater, so that i.LINK signals can be relayed to another device even when the TV is powered off. To enable this feature, set the i.LINK Standby option to On..." so it would appear that the Standby mode only allows signals from other devices to flow through the XBR960. Then, on pg. 106 “i.LINK Standby: On Allows the i.LINK signal to pass through to connected i.LINK devices even when the TV is turned off. …”

Signals that can “pass through” the set wouldn't seem to include signals emanating from the set--turner signals from the 960--so a smart remote would be required (I'm still not clear)?

I don't have one of these sets (yet), but I'm trying to decide between the XBR960 and the XS955, if the 960 does need help to i.LINK automatically, then maybe it's not so "state-of-the-art" after all (maybe the 970, or what ever they'll call the 960's replacement, will be smarter in this regard).

Does anyone see the advantage of having an IEEE connection that works this way (needs a smart remote to setup preprogrammed recording)? What would I be missing by stepping down to the XS955 (vis-à-vis customizable DRC settings)?

Thanks for any furthe insight.

Originally posted by jimg
I'll check tonight what is output on the firewire when a 960 timer fires. (And try to find a way for the 960 to do timer recordings.)...

Thanks, looks like you posted while I was thinking.

Originally posted by Mr. Tracy
What would I be missing by stepping down to the XS955 (vis-à-vis customizable DRC settings)?


To me, the XBR family (since they are the "flagships") tends to have some of the extra "bells and whistles", but also better quality -- especially more-stable power supplies.


Using the "compare" function on the Sony website (in the resultint table as well as under "more-info"), it seems the 960 adds:

iLink (firewire)
Better DRC
Twin-View (i.e. side-by-side "Picture-in-picture"; [caveat:HD only on left side])
Scrolling channel index
Better warranty (esp. labor)


If I remember, I'll check the service manual and see what differences there are in the components between the two.

Just tested...

Test set-up:
I have the 960 connected via firewire to a JVC 30K and the JVC 30K connected via component cables to a Panasonic HDTV monitor.

"normal case":
When tuned to a HD channel, the 960 sends it out firewire. (i.e. I can select the 960's firewire number on the JVC 30K, and it is displayed on the Panasonic HDTV.)


"timer case":
With the timer set to a HD channel and the timer fires, the 960 turns on, tunes the channel and data is sent out the firewire. It does not start the recorder. (And as mentioned before the JVC 30K does not have timer capability for firewire.)

Interesting side-effect: with the 960 "iLink Standby" OFF, when the set is powered off, the JVC 30K's Firewire switched to the firewire channel of a different firewire device. When the 960 timer fired, the JVC 30K stayed on the alternate device. (No problem if the 960 is the only device -- the JVC 30K will "seek to it" when the 960 timer fires. Also no problem if the "iLink Standby" is set to ON, as the 960 doesn't un-couple.)

===
So looks like an external timer is needed. But sorry, since only one HD tuner, you can't watch one HD while recording another.

--

A quick check of the service manual shows the 960 has an extra module or two and some different internal settings (I suspect DRC related.)
Also the service module goes into detail on the wiring of the subwoofer and front speakers, that isn't shown for the 955. Hmmm... Does the 955 have a subwoofer? and possibly different front speakers?

Originally posted by loganhound
Has anyone had any trouble when connecting a DVD player with a DVI output to the 960's HDMI input via a DVI-HDMI cable and analog audio?

No trouble to report, but an interesting side-comment:

When I got the '960, I was able to view via component video (480i) for the first time on my older Sony DVD player. What an improvement over S-video! I decided to go with something even better.

I recently bought a Denon 1910 DVD player, and I got my DVI-HDMI cable yesterday. I wanted to see two "step improvements" in picture quality that I couldn't do with the older player: First, the move to 480p, and then the upgrade to DVI.

Well...so far, I'm pretty disappointed. I see more noise in the picture with 480p, and less clarity using the HDMI input. (I didn't change any brightness/contrast/sharpness settings.) So my preliminary conclusion is it's more important to use a quality DVD player than to necessarily have the "best" outputs. I presume the circuitry in the '960 does a better job than the circuitry in the 1910. But to be fair, this was a quick review, and the 1910 is an inexpensive player. I'll do more comparisons over the next few days and report back later.

Mark

Originally posted by jimg
Just tested...
...
===
So looks like an external timer is needed. But sorry, since only one HD tuner, you can't watch one HD while recording another.

--

A quick check of the service manual ...
Also the service module goes into detail on the wiring of the subwoofer and front speakers, that isn't shown for the 955. Hmmm... Does the 955 have a subwoofer? and possibly different front speakers?

Thanks a lot, very thorough.

As for the Sub, both models are listed in thier user manuals as having "7.5W x 2 + 15W subwoofer".

A couple more questions if you don't mind. Do you see using your Pronto to automatically coordinate IEEE timer recording as a drawback? How important do you foresee being able to use the 960's tuner to tape HD via i.LINK both manually and by timer (I guess that's three questions)?

Thanks for all the info, it's nice to vicariously drive befoie I buy.

Originally posted by Mr. Tracy
Thanks a lot, very thorough.

As for the Sub, both models are listed in thier user manuals as having "7.5W x 2 + 15W subwoofer".

That's what's strange.... the manual lists it for all, yet the pictures for setting the wiring harness only address the subwoofer for the 960. If you're in a position to "test drive" a 955, give it a listen -- let itl tell you if it has a subwoofer.



A couple more questions if you don't mind. Do you see using your Pronto to automatically coordinate IEEE timer recording as a drawback? How important do you foresee being able to use the 960's tuner to tape HD via i.LINK both manually and by timer (I guess that's three questions)?

Thanks for all the info, it's nice to vicariously drive befoie I buy.

Using an external timer won't be that bad since the 960 isn't my primary off-air recording tuner. (I often use a Samsung SIR-T165 for timeshifting to DVHS.)

Now if I only had the 960 to record from, it would come to a question of what I really wanted to save to tape. [When you first get a HD recorder, you record several programs, then you get selective; also a certain amount of recording is time-shifting -- either because you are out or because there are 2 good programs on at the same time.] It would be a little painful, given that I'm used to multiple tuners.

However, I can see the "record manually" mode as an equivalent to the DVR's "pause live feed" function [except you can't do any trick plays when it is recording.] If you think you're going to want the extra trick play capability while recording, plan to spend $800+ for the HD hard disk DVRs that are hitting the market.

Originally posted by jimg
...Now if I only had the 960 to record from, it would come to a question of what I really wanted to save to tape. ....

Again, thanks for the info.

My dilemma is that I'm in Canada where the 960 isn't available, while the 955 is. Not a real problem as I am close enough to the border to be able to drive over and get the 960, only that if anything ever went wrong I'd have to drive it back to the States to get any warranty service. As the 955 is available in Canada, I'd get hassle free warranty.

Second, even though I'm close to the border, I won't be able to get much (if any) OTA HDTV (poor location), and the local cable company only offers about six HDTV channels, so not much use to record via the i.LINK.

I'm looking at this set to be the main set (DVD movies and SD digital cable) for the next 4-5 years at which time I'd upgrade to the next state-of-the-art display and move the 960/955 into the bedroom or den as a secondary set (there'd be more HDTV available then, and the IEEE timer recording would have evolved considerably by then too).

So why go for the 960 over the 955? Well, I could get the 960+stand for the same price--about $15US less--as the 955+stand after all taxes are taken into account (at my door in Canada), so price is not a factor.

My (internal ) struggle is: go for the more features on the 960 (that I won't be using except for full DRC control) but with 3+ hour round trip to get warranty repair, or get the "lesser" 955 with local warranty but restricted DRC control (I don't care about the twin view one way or the other).

So, as you can see, now that I know about the IEEE record logic, the most important thing to me now is how often/important is the use of the more flexible DRC control on the 960, especially on SD digital cable?

I also like the look of the 960 better, but that's not rationale!!!:rolleyes::confused:

Hi everybody. Just found this site (tons of great stuff here!) and this is my first post...sorry if it's been asked or is in the wrong thread...

I'm very interested in this TV. I'm wondering if there is any way to hook up a 1st generation Tivo while using a cable card. I know I can't tivo HD programming, but I'm not sure whether this will work at all.

Right now I've got a digital cable box running into the tivo then running into an older 27" tv.

Thanks in advance.

Originally posted by ajhoop
Hi everybody. Just found this site (tons of great stuff here!) and this is my first post...sorry if it's been asked or is in the wrong thread...

I'm very interested in this TV. I'm wondering if there is any way to hook up a 1st generation Tivo while using a cable card. I know I can't tivo HD programming, but I'm not sure whether this will work at all.

Right now I've got a digital cable box running into the tivo then running into an older 27" tv.

Thanks in advance.


cable line ---splitter --- digital cable box --- tivo ---svideo ---960
cable line ---splitter ----cable card (960)
cable line ---splitter ----cable (coaxial input 960)
antenna -----------------ant (vhf,uhf input 960)

assuming you use both the stb and cable card. i am not sure if the cable card cancels out the cable input.

...finally got my original 960 replaced. The new one has an oct 04 manufacture date. First off, the screen seems to have a different type of sheen to it. Perhaps a different type of anti-reflective finish? The geometry, while not perfect, is much closer to my expectations than the 1st set. The overall geometry in the corners is about 50% better. The new set does not exhibit any of the dark shadowing along the left and right sides the first set had, but to be fair I only noticed this darkening after a little bit of use. The new set only required tilt correction +1 as opposed to +3 in the old one. The focus is also tighter along the sides, this I check easily with the on-screen loading indicator for the memory stick. It's only been 12 hours...but maybe I finally got a tv from sony that won't drive me nuts......nah.....lol

Is that "sheen" you speak of kinda purplish looking? I noticed when my set is off the screen looks sort of purplish-- kinda cool.

..yup...kinda purply is a good description...this wasn't the case with the first one...weird..and after watching it more today...the colors are different. I made sure and recorded all my settings from the original..maybe it's just an individual variance...but maybe the factory or service menu settings default values have changed since the initial production run.

Originally posted by loganhound
Has anyone had any trouble when connecting a DVD player with a DVI output to the 960's HDMI input via a DVI-HDMI cable and analog audio?

This may be an obvious question, but I'm connecting a DVR, from Comcast, to a new 960 (HDMI input) and there is only a DVI connection on the DVR.
The question is, is it difficult to find an adapter and is it very expensive?
thanks
kr

..I also have a comcast dvr, the moto 6208, and it's hooked by a dvi/hdmi cable to my 960. That's the type of cable you need. You can find them fairly cheaply at various on-line vendors. You don't need an adapter, the cable itself has a dvi doohicky on one end and a much smaller hdmi thingymabob on the other end. The picture quality looks somewhat better in my dumbass opinion compared to component. Hope this helps with your q.

Originally posted by BloatedCorpse
...finally got my original 960 replaced. The new one has an oct 04 manufacture date. First off, the screen seems to have a different type of sheen to it. Perhaps a different type of anti-reflective finish? The geometry, while not perfect, is much closer to my expectations than the 1st set. The overall geometry in the corners is about 50% better. The new set does not exhibit any of the dark shadowing along the left and right sides the first set had, but to be fair I only noticed this darkening after a little bit of use. The new set only required tilt correction +1 as opposed to +3 in the old one. The focus is also tighter along the sides, this I check easily with the on-screen loading indicator for the memory stick. It's only been 12 hours...but maybe I finally got a tv from sony that won't drive me nuts......nah.....lol

BC:

I too got my 960 replaced today from Tweeter. The old one (serial number 80058xx, manuf. August 2004) was boxed up by their delivery guys and a new one (serial number 80080xx, manuf. September 2004) was put on my stand.

The old one had developed a black dead spot a bit larger than 1 millimeter square near the center of the set.

The new one seems to have *much* better geometry, especially when watching 4:3 material with black bars on the sides. On the old set, the bars were of uneven width and were not parallel to each other. On this new set, the bars are of even width and are practically parallel. I will continue to watch it over the weekend to see if there are any other improvements. As I use Comcast cable with their DVR box, I have no idea if the tuner is improved at all.

..I concur with the 4:3..watched some tonight and no curving along the left side...nice to see they must have tightened up production. Did you notice any other changes besides geometry..such as color differences?

Originally posted by BloatedCorpse
..I concur with the 4:3..watched some tonight and no curving along the left side...nice to see they must have tightened up production. Did you notice any other changes besides geometry..such as color differences?

BC:

As for color, the set seems to reproduce color to the same level/degree the previous set did.

As for geometry, this set doesn't seem to have pincushion bowing (the top of the screen bowing down, the bottom bowing up) to the great degree the previous 960 did.

As for other changes, I haven't noticed any yet, though I've only had the set for a little over 24 hours. I will defintely notice more watching tonight's World Series game. Go Sox!

My set's geometry has always been curiously off only when gray bars are present. They bow in at the bottom and away at the top. Would that be a normal geometric inconsistency? I could switch to another digital channel with upconverted programming and the black bars on the side will be completely straight.

I wonder if it's a problem from CBS-DT or my set's.

Any comments?

Hello,

I'm looking for the dimensions of the screen. Can anyone tell me the height and width of the screen? None of the specs on Sony or other sites seem to be giving this info.

Overall, it seems most folks rave about this set. My concern is the room in which it's being placed. Viewing distance is 10-13 feet back, and I'm worried the screen may be on the small side. I guess the other opton is the 42" wega, but it's LCD, and I just haven't taken to the look of it.

I didn't read thru all of the pages... are there any issues with prolongd viewing of 4:3 material and any burn issues?

Also, where are most of you encountering favorable pricing?

Thanks!

Marshall

Originally posted by kip r
This may be an obvious question, but I'm connecting a DVR, from Comcast, to a new 960 (HDMI input) and there is only a DVI connection on the DVR.
The question is, is it difficult to find an adapter and is it very expensive?
thanks
kr

Adapters probably too fragile and will put too much strain on the connector -- best to use a cable.
For my Dish 921 DVR, I used a DVI to HDMI cable from www.PacificCable.com and it's been working great. Check which type of DVI you have as there are a couple variants. Also since DVI doesn't contain audio, plan to also have separate audio cables... analog to the 960, and if necessary, digital to your amp. (Note: because the 960 has a reasonable subwoofer and better sound than expected, I only turn on the amp for special movies/shows, etc.)

30 inches across, 17 1/8 inches height.
My viewing sofa is 10 feet from the screen. Quite adequate. These size screens always seem smaller in the big showrooms, especially with all the large projector, plasmas, etc nearby.
Why I got this: when buying a new washer at Sears took my wife over to the big screen rear projection tvs. She hated them. Said all of them looked washed out & not sharp. Our old Mitsubishi direct view looked better.
The 960 ended up being a good compromise in terms of size, price, and certainly picture. Simply absolutely amazing picture from all sources (of course your mileage may vary depending on your source quality). Pure whites and deepest blacks. My south facing viewing room has large glass french doors with only lace type curtains and still the picture is great.
No worries about screen burn ins at all, especially with games that my kids play (which look incredible too). So many inputs. Was surprised that my Sony camcorder plugs right in via the firewire.
The hi-def Olympics were great to watch as are the present world series (even without the Dodgers).
Am using a old Toshiba DVD player via the component hook ups. No progressive scan with the DVD player. But the picture is just outstanding anyway. Plan on getting a newer "hi-def" DVD player to hook up via HDMI.
The tricky part was finding the right stand to set the beast on. Avoided the official Sony one.
I have also read all the problem postings here. Fortunately my unit seems to perform flawlessly.

Just tested by connecting the 960's optical digital audio out to my amp, and a JVC 30000U connected via firewire to the 960.

For D-Theatre tapes, which have both PCM and Dolby Digital soundtracks, you can select either.

You just need to go to the iLink menu, then to the setup menu, then select which Alternate Audio. (Unfortunately the Alternate Audio menu has the menu selections as numbers rather than by type.) For the "Digital Video Essentials" D-Theatre tape, my Yamaha DSP-A1's display showed: Alternate Audio 1=PCM, Alternate Audio 2=Dolby Digital.

----
XBR960 digital audio out summary:

For analog inputs, digital audio out is not active.

For the built-in digital tuner, digital audio out is active.

For iLink (firewire), digital audio out is active (and selectable).

I do not have full HDMI (just DVI-to-HDMI). If someone has full HDMI, please test that when HDMI is selected, the 960's digital audio out is active.

Is it possible to select & use a DTS track from the D-Theatre tapes that contain it?

Originally posted by drvais
Is it possible to select & use a DTS track from the D-Theatre tapes that contain it?

Sure looks that way... you just need to connect the optical digital audio out to your amp. Don't know how many audio formats the 960 can decode internally.
(I doubt it has DTS, internally but it will send it out the digital audio out.)

The only issue for me is that the 960's iLink Set-up menu, the audio is listed by number not by type, so I have to check the display on my amp to tell me what format the 960 is passing through. [ If there is only 1 audio stream the Audio selection would only have Alternate Audio 1. If you had 2 , Alternate Audio 1, Alternate Audio 2. If you had "n", it would be: Alternate Audio 1, Alternate Audio 2, ... Alternate Audio "n". Sure would be nice if it had "PCM", "Dolby Digital 5.1", "DTS", "Dolby Digital 7.1", etc. (Might not be possible since I don't think the "audio type" is noted in the firewire info packets.)]

I thought I might have seen a discussion on this before, but I can't find it. Is there anyway you can go straight to say Video 5 or Video 6 input without having to press the TV/VIDEO button 5 or 6 times?


Also, is it possible to add a specific channel to the TV's memory. For some reason, when I ran the Autoprogram the sensor detected a channel on ch. 48 when the actual channel is ch. 47. I know some remotes have an ADD/Delete Channel feature, and was wondering if its possible to do this with the 960 remote.

I have noticed that when I am watching movies (using RP82 via component 480i--->Cinemotion) there are black smears or shadows when the scene changes from light or white object to black. Is this a common occurence, mis-calibration, or defect?

My 960 was just delivered last night and I have a couple of questions maybe someone can help with. I have cable from brighthouse, no cable box or cable card yet. I also connected a pair of rabbit ears to see if any ota would come in. On ota I am getting every local digital/HD channel with pretty good signal strength. On cable I am only getting 603 through 610. Shouldn't I be getting all the local digital/HD cable channels (ie. 613 and 628)? The other question is about the picture width not completely filling the screen. I was watching CBS and it said 1080i, 16x9. The picture has about a 3/4" area of black on each side, some other channels have less than 3/4" but still not completely filling the screen. I have it set to full. Is there an adjustment for this? SD and DVD are displaying ok. I am also seeing some slight bowing in the top couple of inches on both the right and left. Thanks for any help.

Brighthouse has these digital channels:
603 - WEDU PBS
604 - WEDU PBS Kids / Florida Knowledge Network
605 - WEDU PBS HD/The Florida Channel
610 - WTSP CBS HD
613 - WTVT FOX DT
616 - WUSF PBS
617 - WUSF Annenberg/CPB
618 - WUSF PBS University
619 - WUSF - Florida Knowledge Network
628 - WFTS ABC HD
690 - Discovery HD Theater
691 - TNT HD

Originally posted by Yung
I thought I might have seen a discussion on this before, but I can't find it. Is there anyway you can go straight to say Video 5 or Video 6 input without having to press the TV/VIDEO button 5 or 6 times?



yes there is an option called label inputs in the settings menu which allows you to turn off(skip) and even label video inputs of your choice.
i currently just have video1(tivo) and video7(hdmi dvd) enabled. works like a charm

Originally posted by bobk999
My 960 was just delivered last night and I have a couple of questions maybe someone can help with. I have cable from brighthouse, no cable box or cable card yet. I also connected a pair of rabbit ears to see if any ota would come in. On ota I am getting every local digital/HD channel with pretty good signal strength. On cable I am only getting 603 through 610. Shouldn't I be getting all the local digital/HD cable channels (ie. 613 and 628)? The other question is about the picture width not completely filling the screen. I was watching CBS and it said 1080i, 16x9. The picture has about a 3/4" area of black on each side, some other channels have less than 3/4" but still not completely filling the screen. I have it set to full. Is there an adjustment for this? SD and DVD are displaying ok. I am also seeing some slight bowing in the top couple of inches on both the right and left. Thanks for any help.

Brighthouse has these digital channels:
603 - WEDU PBS
604 - WEDU PBS Kids / Florida Knowledge Network
605 - WEDU PBS HD/The Florida Channel
610 - WTSP CBS HD
613 - WTVT FOX DT
616 - WUSF PBS
617 - WUSF Annenberg/CPB
618 - WUSF PBS University
619 - WUSF - Florida Knowledge Network
628 - WFTS ABC HD
690 - Discovery HD Theater
691 - TNT HD

you will get black bars on hd channels like fox hd, cbs hd, that don't always have 16:9 content to stream. take the world series for example, the game itself was in 16:9 but the commercials were in 4:3 which makes the black bars show up even though 1080i and 16:9 were indicated. just watch a program that is in full hd.

In regards with your cable. I am in a similar situation. i just have basic analog cable with no stb or cable card. My 960 tuner is able to get the local hd channels and a few new digital channels. Depending on the cable company you will get channels that are encrypted etc. You may just need a cable card in your situation since those channels(HD/DTV) are there but just encrypted.

I am not sure if the law states that cable companies cannot encrypt the local digital channels, but you may need to do some research on that. just call your cable provider.

Your local cable company decides whatever OTA channels they want to carry. Push them.

As to the 16x9 that looks like 4x3, the picture delivered to your TV IS 16x9, with the black bars as part of the picture. The original source is 4x3 480i. TV broadcaster upconverts it to 1080i and adds the black bars to make the overall aspect ratio 16x9.

Originally posted by bobk999
Shouldn't I be getting all the local digital/HD cable channels (ie. 613 and 628)? The other question is about the picture width not completely filling the screen. I was watching CBS and it said 1080i, 16x9. The picture has about a 3/4" area of black on each side, some other channels have less than 3/4" but still not completely filling the screen. I have it set to full. Is there an adjustment for this?

Good explanation on aspect ratio.

FCC requires that all the local OTA retransmitted on cable be in clear. But the cable company does not have to carry them. How many and which local OTA channels to carry is totally up tp the cable company. In any event, they can't encrypt them (to force you to pay).


Originally posted by juandixon
you will get black bars on hd channels like fox hd, cbs hd, that don't always have 16:9 content to stream. take the world series for example, the game itself was in 16:9 but the commercials were in 4:3 which makes the black bars show up even though 1080i and 16:9 were indicated. just watch a program that is in full hd.

In regards with your cable. I am in a similar situation. i just have basic analog cable with no stb or cable card. My 960 tuner is able to get the local hd channels and a few new digital channels. Depending on the cable company you will get channels that are encrypted etc. You may just need a cable card in your situation since those channels(HD/DTV) are there but just encrypted.

I am not sure if the law states that cable companies cannot encrypt the local digital channels, but you may need to do some research on that. just call your cable provider.

bobk999

oh you should try to so an auto program(in cable mode) to see if those local digital channels get picked up and see which new digital channels get picked up. You see the channels you listed 600 etc, are the channels that your local cable company chooses to map to not what the 960 qam turner will pick up.

for example say channel 613= fox hd. getting a cable card or hd stb will give you that channel. but the 960 qam tuner will give the same channel just under a different mapping.

so you may very well be getting those channels just mapped differently under the 960 turner. again do an autoprogram to detect those new channels.

in my case i was able to get fox hd under channel 100.3 directly from the cable itself. however if iwas to get a stb or cable card that channel would be converted to the channel that my cable company chooses to display. kinda confusing. but cable companies use different internal channels then they map it to a different channel (with or without encryption) on their stb or cable cards. the beauty of the 960 tuner is its able to pick up some of those internal cable channels and display them if its not encrypted. the qam feature of the tuner allows this.

All,

Thanks for the response. I not sure what I am seeing is black bars, it does not look wide enough, plus the width varied by channel. The content looked like 16x9 but it was not quite filling the picture tube edge to edge on the right and left. There was a small about of black, as if the picture needed to be widened a little bit more. I tried different hd channels and the amount of black varied but there was at least some black on each side. Is this normal or does it need an adjustment?

I did do a complete auto program in cable mode and it picked up the cable hd for PBS and CBS, it did not detect FOX and ABC, just not sure why. They do carry them all.

Originally posted by bobk999
All,

Thanks for the response. I not sure what I am seeing is black bars, it does not look wide enough, plus the width varied by channel. The content looked like 16x9 but it was not quite filling the picture tube edge to edge on the right and left. There was a small about of black, as if the picture needed to be widened a little bit more. I tried different hd channels and the amount of black varied but there was at least some black on each side. Is this normal or does it need an adjustment?

I did do a complete auto program in cable mode and it picked up the cable hd for PBS and CBS, it did not detect FOX and ABC, just not sure why. They do carry them all.

Try using the Square Shooter antenna from Wineguard. Very compact and installation friendly, it also has won lots of awards for perfornmance, I get every single channel with it.

Originally posted by bobk999
All,

Thanks for the response. I not sure what I am seeing is black bars, it does not look wide enough, plus the width varied by channel. The content looked like 16x9 but it was not quite filling the picture tube edge to edge on the right and left. There was a small about of black, as if the picture needed to be widened a little bit more. I tried different hd channels and the amount of black varied but there was at least some black on each side. Is this normal or does it need an adjustment?

I did do a complete auto program in cable mode and it picked up the cable hd for PBS and CBS, it did not detect FOX and ABC, just not sure why. They do carry them all.

yes black bars vary depending on the content playing. Make sure your content is a 16:9 signal goto hdtvgalaxy.com for shows playing in hd. If you still get black bars say on monday night football, they you just need to adjust(calibrate) the horizontal geometry(service menu) i believe. also may want to try the avia disk to check you geometry if there really is a problem.

Originally posted by BloatedCorpse
...finally got my original 960 replaced. The new one has an oct 04 manufacture date. First off, the screen seems to have a different type of sheen to it. Perhaps a different type of anti-reflective finish? The geometry, while not perfect, is much closer to my expectations than the 1st set. The overall geometry in the corners is about 50% better. The new set does not exhibit any of the dark shadowing along the left and right sides the first set had, but to be fair I only noticed this darkening after a little bit of use. The new set only required tilt correction +1 as opposed to +3 in the old one. The focus is also tighter along the sides, this I check easily with the on-screen loading indicator for the memory stick. It's only been 12 hours...but maybe I finally got a tv from sony that won't drive me nuts......nah.....lol

How can I figure out when my 960 was manufactured? I too had an issue with my 960-blurry on the sides and focus was just off. I had myer emco replace it and I just got the new one this week and so far I am happy with it. I just want to make sure that I got a newer model as I think myer emco may have given me a tv that another customer returned.

on the back has the serial number and manufactured date.

Originally posted by juandixon
on the back has the serial number and manufactured date.

Thanks. I guess a better question would be whether there is a division between good sets versus bad sets based on the manufacturing date. I heard that one of the reasons this set was backordered across the country is because Sony had to fix the screens. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but will I be able to tell if my tv is ok based on the manufactured date? Thanks!

Originally posted by 7thstranger
Thanks. I guess a better question would be whether there is a division between good sets versus bad sets based on the manufacturing date. I heard that one of the reasons this set was backordered across the country is because Sony had to fix the screens. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but will I be able to tell if my tv is ok based on the manufactured date? Thanks!

mine was manufc in aug serial number 8006xxxx

seems like the 8004xxx had problems. i think those were manuf in june or july.

I looked on the back and my (second) 960 was manufactured in 9/04 with a serial nuber beginning with the 900XXX.

For the second time last night my auto programming memory got erased. It happened to me last week when I first got the tv so I thought I might have pressed reset on the remote or something. This time, I did nothing of the sort. I simply turned off the tv and turned it back on a 1/2 hour later and my auto programming was gone. The tv only recognized the channels I had stored in my favorites menu. The only thing that I remember doing both times the auto programming went out was that I was labeling my channels in my favorites menu so I could easily recognize FOX HD, NBC HD etc. Has anyone else had a problem with this?

On another note, I subscribe to basic and expanded basic cable w/ HBO and SHO. I do not have a cable box. After hooking up the 960 and running auto program, I get a lot more channels including some that come on intermittenly that I know I should not be getting (like TEN). Wondering if anyone else hadthe same experience. Thanks.

Originally posted by HDTVFanAtic
BTW, something I wanted to pass along to those that own the 910 or this one. The tech showed me this and I confirmed it. There are slightly different circuits for Vivid, Standard, Movie and Pro inside the set. Thus if you set Standard to the same settings as Pro, you'd expect it to look the same - there are still differences though due to the circuitry.

After playing around with it, I would RECOMMEND starting in the Pro mode and ajusting from there. It comes from the factory in VIVID, which if you look at my first post - IS WAY TOO HOT. People complained about a dark set, so they made it lighter, lol.

A good starting point would be in this area.

Pro

Picture 42
Brightness 36
Color 28
Hue 0
Sharpness 31
Color Temp Warm
Clearedge VM Medium

This should get you close to the ballpark and adjust from there.

Then set one for a dark room and one brighter during the day and you'll be set.

I just received a 34xbr960 yesterday and it seems that the picture is WAY too dark. The settings you show in the quote above are not near what I have to do to "lose" very low black levels. I actually have to bring the brightness up almost all the way so that I can see detail in dark areas.
I have a call into Sony, so I don't know what they are going to say about that. The tech on the phone last night thought that something is wrong.
I work in video, so I am sensitive to low black levels in the dark areas. Any thoughts?
thanks, kr

7th...same thing happened to me a couple of days after I got the set, had to autoprogram my main cable channels, plus I had an issue where the TV would turn on and the red light would blink a few times but no picture would show up. I fixed it my recycling my surge protector and everything came back.

I also have the channel issue...I subscribe to basic cable with no HBO or anything and I too get the digital cable channels that pop up, sometimes HBO and also the same TEN which is not good when I have two young ones!

thanks kaustin. can you be more specific as to how you fixed the auto program problem? did you replace your surge protector? if so, have you not had a problem with your channels getting erased? Thanks.

I had to go back and autoprogram my channels and have not had it happen again in the week or so since it first happened. Reseting my surge protector was a seperate issue and not related as far as I know.

I also have not had the turn on issue again since I reset my surge protector, which is a brand new Monster brand. go figure?

Interesting...because the guy at myer emco was concentrating on my "power" situation. I have a regular old power strip hooked up to my equipment so I wonder if the channel problem was caused by surge from turning the tv on and off... just a hypothesis but this might be a good enough reason to invest in the monster power center thingy.

I've had this set for quite a while now. Today when I got very close to the screen while hooking up my new dvd player, I noticed two very thin horizontal black lines accross the screen. One is about 6 inches down from the top, the other one six inches up from the bottom, they run all the way accross. I guess it's possible that it's been like this since I recieved it (3 months ago), it's very hard to see them from where I'm siting. If I had to describe them I'd say they look like 'dead scan lines'. Has anybody else noticed this? It's much more noticeable on light color backgrounds (white, blue). I'm wondering if my set is starting to go bad.

thanks

I don't have a960 to compare, but they sound a lot like the lines I
had on an old Sony Trinitron monitor. Apparently they were fine wires
which supported the shadow mask on the front of the tube.


Originally posted by silvertone
I've had this set for quite a while now. Today when I got very close to the screen while hooking up my new dvd player, I noticed two very thin horizontal black lines accross the screen. One is about 6 inches down from the top, the other one six inches up from the bottom, they run all the way accross. I guess it's possible that it's been like this since I recieved it (3 months ago), it's very hard to see them from where I'm siting. If I had to describe them I'd say they look like 'dead scan lines'. Has anybody else noticed this? It's much more noticeable on light color backgrounds (white, blue). I'm wondering if my set is starting to go bad.

thanks

Originally posted by kdb209
I don't have a960 to compare, but they sound a lot like the lines I
had on an old Sony Trinitron monitor. Apparently they were fine wires
which supported the shadow mask on the front of the tube.

They certainly look like fine wires. I'll see if I can visit my local retailer and see if their floor model has them.

a trinitron is NOT a shadow mask!

Its an aperture grill (IMO and most others, much better then Shadow mask)

Those are stabilzation wires. perfectly normal.

Originally posted by silvertone
I've had this set for quite a while now. Today when I got very close to the screen while hooking up my new dvd player, I noticed two very thin horizontal black lines accross the screen. One is about 6 inches down from the top, the other one six inches up from the bottom, they run all the way accross. I guess it's possible that it's been like this since I recieved it (3 months ago), it's very hard to see them from where I'm siting. If I had to describe them I'd say they look like 'dead scan lines'. Has anybody else noticed this? It's much more noticeable on light color backgrounds (white, blue). I'm wondering if my set is starting to go bad.

thanks

Welcome to the land of "Trinitron" :)

All Sony monitors have it.

bob

Thank you all for the feedback. Now, back to the HD broadcast of Monsters Inc.

Regarding losing the autoprogramming, I read this over at a different forum:

This issue is addressed in service bulletin E26205993, dated 10/26/2004, "TV loses channel memory". The resolution is to upgrade the software to version 1.30 (part number T99860195, a memory stick). I would schedule a service call from an authorized Sony service center, advising them of the problem, the service bulletin number and the part number of the software upgrade required.

I have my 960 being delivered tomorrow, so now I'm wondering how can I tell what software version it is running?

mr2828:

Interesting. I'd be curious to hear how one obtains this software udpate and if it fixes anything else with the set. Also, would this update *all* the software on the set, or would you need multiple Memory Sticks to update certain aspects?

To all other 960 owners:

I am currently on my second set (serial number 80080xx, manuf. Sept. 2004). The first set had a serial number of 80058xx.

Tonight, while watching an HD channel, the TV had a quick green flash across the entire screen which was accompanied by a small popping sound coming from the direction of the set. I immediately got up to see if anything was burning or if I could smell anything. Nothing. It also seems the picture quality was not affected.

What happened here? I believe others have had a problem similar to this. Should I be concerned? Does this 960 need to be exchanged again?

This site won't let me post a direct link to where I found that info since I have too few posts, but it was at the www agoraquest dot com forum, in the television troubleshooting subforum, in the 34xbr960 autoprogramming problem thread.

Originally posted by kip r
I just received a 34xbr960 yesterday and it seems that the picture is WAY too dark. The settings you show in the quote above are not near what I have to do to "lose" very low black levels. I actually have to bring the brightness up almost all the way so that I can see detail in dark areas.
I have a call into Sony, so I don't know what they are going to say about that. The tech on the phone last night thought that something is wrong.
I work in video, so I am sensitive to low black levels in the dark areas. Any thoughts?
thanks, kr

I too got a new one yesterday, manufacture date 10/04 which seems WAY too dark. This is actually my secobd set, the first being replaced as a result of the warming up tuner glitch (need to turn set off and back on several time to get the tuner too work properly). Have you found any solutions kr? calibration?
CA

I got mine this morning, and have done basic calibration using the Video Essentials dvd. I have it set in Pro mode, color temp warm, all sharpness off/reduced, color axis set to monitor. I ended up with brightness set at around 43 when finished, but I bumped it up to 47 after watching some test material.

How does this compare with others' brightness settings?

Also, two other small questions: There is a digital cable ready sticker on the lower left of the front of the set - is it safe to remove it or will it leave behind an ugly mess?

Secondly, if I'm watching output from my dvd player and the player is set to progressive mode, and I'm connected to Video 5 input, should the tv display show the signal as 480i? Or will it say 480p? So far all I get is 480i.

To follow-up my previous comments about the Denon 1910: I found the video quality IS best using the DVI output with the DVD player set to 480p. The picture does not fill the screen until I go to "full" on the TV. (The picture is larger if I set the DVD to 720p or 1080i, but the quality isn't as good.) I presume this means the additional processing done in the TV is better than if done in the DVD player.

OK, no surprises there. Now a question: The 960 manual does not have any codes for Denon DVD players. Anyone know a code that will work? Or do I just need to use the Denon remote or get a "learning" remote?

Mark

Originally posted by mr2828


Secondly, if I'm watching output from my dvd player and the player is set to progressive mode, and I'm connected to Video 5 input, should the tv display show the signal as 480i? Or will it say 480p? So far all I get is 480i.

Here's what I've observed: External composite video inputs do not show 480i. However, my component DVD player's modes display properly (480p, 720p, 1080i) on the TV when connected through the DVI/HDMI connector, and show 480p when connected through component cables.

Mark

Originally posted by cafzal
I too got a new one yesterday, manufacture date 10/04 which seems WAY too dark. This is actually my secobd set, the first being replaced as a result of the warming up tuner glitch (need to turn set off and back on several time to get the tuner too work properly). Have you found any solutions kr? calibration?
CA
I have not found any solutions and, as I said, the sony tech. said that things are not right.
I plan to call them back and, as they suggested, have a tech. come out to check things. The only settings that are at all viewable are the vibrant setting and the standard setting. The cinema and pro setttings look like next to black!
I am very glad I bought from CC instead of the on-line place where there is a 20% restocking fee. CC is, of course, 30 day return....
will update...
kr

Hmm, well I'm connected through component cables from the dvd player to input 5 on the tv, but it still shows 480i when I hit the display button. Perhaps my el-cheapo Toshiba dvd player which supposedly does progressive mode really doesn't? But the player does have a setting for it in its setup menu which I have turned on. Odd. Looks beautiful though as it is.

My set's serial number is 8001xxx and I have had no problems whatsoever. This could probably due to the fact that mine is a first batch production as manufacturers always pay special attention to those.

Ahh I figured out the dvd player issue. Apparently on this model you have to specifically press the "progressive" button on the remote every single time you watch a new disc. Guess I'll get a better player soon.

Originally posted by mr2828
Hmm, well I'm connected through component cables from the dvd player to input 5 on the tv, but it still shows 480i when I hit the display button. Perhaps my el-cheapo Toshiba dvd player which supposedly does progressive mode really doesn't? But the player does have a setting for it in its setup menu which I have turned on. Odd. Looks beautiful though as it is.

The most important thing is it looks good to you, and I think the biggest improvement is moving from compoite to component video. But...I think we all want to know we're getting every feature, too! It sounds like you're getting 480i instead of 480p out of your DVD player.

Mark

Hey,

I received the 960 on Friday and the delivery men almost had a heart attack carrying the thing upstairs. I know I can never move now. I know no one would want to move this thing.

review:

Picture on SD is very good
Picture on HD awesome
Picture on DVD awesome
Picture on VCR is So So

No color, tuner or geometric problems whatsoever. I feel very blessed for the receiving of a good set. I do not use cable, or satelite. I do not believe in paying $40-50 a month for nothing to watch. I am probably the only house in America that uses a good ole fashion attic antenna. I hooked up the antenna, and it found every local SD, and HD channel in Houston. it was pretty cool.

I have it plugged into an ISO Bar (Tripp Lite) Ultra Surge Surpressor. We use these at work on all computers, so I figure they can't be that bad.

A pure awesome TV.

Now all I have to do is pay for the thing.

Brian

No you're not- I also have the 960 with no cable, just a good ol' fashioned antenna. We also get all the local SD and HD channels.
We have a Monster Cable htps 7000 (balanced power) for the surge protector.
I love this tv- the picture is absolutely stunning- especially HD. We watched college football last Saturday and WOW!!- nuf said.

960 Owners:

I recently got a replacement 960 (manuf. September 2004, serial 8008xxx). A few nights ago, while watching an HD channel, the screen flashed green, I heard a small popping sound coming from the set, and the picture lost some of its clarity for a couple seconds. 10-20 seconds later, the set was back to normal. As far as I can tell, no permanent damage was done.

Has anyone with a newer set (September/October 2004) noticed this problem with their set? My previous set was manufacured in August 2004 and I never experienced that problem with it.

Thanks.

Originally posted by mr2828
This site won't let me post a direct link to where I found that info since I have too few posts, but it was at the www agoraquest dot com forum, in the television troubleshooting subforum, in the 34xbr960 autoprogramming problem thread.

Great post. Thanks for the info. I'm wondering if anyone knows how to check the software version on this TV, and what any other fixes / upgrades are available

hancox, et. al.:

I've spoken to two Sony technical support people and asked them the following questions:

1. How do I determine the software version on my KD-34XBR960?

Sony's response (both times): "We have no further information at this time."


2. How do I obtain software or firmware updates for the KD-34XBR960? Here is the service bulletin number for software version 1.3, which may help.

Sony's response (both times): "There are no software or firmware updates for this set."

Go figure.

I just received a new 34XBR960, and all that I can say for now is that it turns on when it's plugged in. This is a good first start, but I suspect that soon I will want to calibrate the set, which will require a service manual to make the adjustments in the service menu needed to set color temperature and gray scale properly, adjust the red, blue and green guns to improve color balance, etc.
I have some experience making service menu adjustments with my 32XBR2, which improved the picture significantly. The adjustments were relatively easy to make for the XBR2, because appropriate values for each relevant adjustment had been published at the the time, as have similar adjustments under the service menu now been published for the XBR910, as posted in this thread.
However, I don't think it would be prudent to use the values published for the 910 with the 960, and, therefore, I am wondering whether a table of suggested settings for the parameters that affect picture quality is available for the XBR960.
Thanks very much.
Ron

troll this thread - they're in there, promise :)

Hey,

Well I have had the set for a week now and every thing is still working (knock on wood, and throw salt over my left shoulder). I am not a real videophile where I constantly look at the picture and think it needs to calibrated. I am just in awe of the HD picture available using the menu controls. I do not think I want to mess with the service menu.

Is there any reference available to know what the HD channel signal strengh tranlates to. On some i get 85 range and on others I get 98 range. Just was curious if this is good, or bad???? There is nothing listed in the manual.

Another question do the networks show commercials in HD?? I notice when I watch CSI that the show is in widescreen, but the commercials go to a acreen with bars. Just curious.

Amazing TV. CSI was awesome in HD, and i do not even care for the show.

Brian

commericals are not broadcast in HD so the bars are normal. Re CSI in HD, that's how they get you man! I've ignored cable the last few weeks and started watching shows that I either don't care for or haven't watched in a while like ER or West Wing. If you are a sports fan, wait till you see football in HD, baseball looks even better because the action is slower.

Shortcomings
The built-in HDTV tuner guide: I've had afew OTA boxes before and everyone of them had a significantly better guide. This TV's guide virtually does nothing more than show you what's on the cchannel you're watching. Other guides let you page ahead and set reminders for future programming or browse the offerings of other OTA channels.
POP: I like it for the most part and it's part of the reason I went with this model instead of the other two 34 inch models currently offered. The Picture outside picture feature is the same as on the 510 I used to have from Sony. It would be nice if there was also a PIP option where you could watch one program full screen and another in a window or watch two programs full screen either with distortion/compression or centered and cropped.
Remote: It would be so much better if you could have dedicated buttons so it wasn't necessary to hit video several times to get through all of the different videos. While I realize it's possible to skip some of them, you don't want to skip ones that you use or might use like video2. Currently I'm only able to skip 3 and 4.

All and all, I'm very pleased these are just a few of the things that could be better. I've had the TV for like 2 months now and these are the only real shortcomings.

Originally posted by 7thstranger
commericals are not broadcast in HD so the bars are normal. Re CSI in HD, that's how they get you man! I've ignored cable the last few weeks and started watching shows that I either don't care for or haven't watched in a while like ER or West Wing. If you are a sports fan, wait till you see football in HD, baseball looks even better because the action is slower.

7th:

I have not seen commercials in HD on any of the broadcast channels. However, I did see an HD commercial from Circuit City and one from either Samsung or Philips the other night on Discovery HD Theater.

As for baseball in HD, it depends on who broadcasts it. On my 960, baseball from NESN (the local Red Sox station) or ESPN tends to look better than what Fox broadcast during the baseball playoffs (though these are better than anything in analog 4:3).

I only get the fox broadcast and I thought it was amazing. If you are saying NESN and ESPN looks even better, that's great. I've heard that ESPN is the only network broadcasting true HD because it is processed only once and does not go through an upconversion. I don't know if this is true or not but it might explain why it looks better to you than the FOX sport's broadcast.

I'm finally getting my XBR960 this Monday and I would like to buy a good surge protector for it, any models #? I think Monster was mentioned, which model?
And what about video component wires?

Cant' wait.....:D

Originally posted by Salem_Sony
I'm finally getting my XBR960 this Monday and I would like to buy a good surge protector for it, any models #? I think Monster was mentioned, which model?
And what about video component wires?

Cant' wait.....:D

I have a Monster Power htps7000 (balanced power) I think it works fine- very happy with it. It basically depends on how much money you want to spend.
I also have a bravo D2 dvd player connected to the tv via a dvi to hdmi cable. Picture is awesome!!

whoa, that's a serious surge protector. I use the HTS 1000 MKII PowerCenter with Clean Power Stage 2 v.2.0 and it works well for me. the htps is for more high end then our xbr960 right?

Yeah....htps7000 it's over a $1000.....ouch!
I went to look for the HTS 1000 and they ranged from $100 to $150.
But found an awesome deal through Amazon for an HTS 2000 for $120....almost 50% off and it brand new.

Now I only need to wait for some reviews between the P70 or the DVP-NS975V dvd players before I buy either composite or HDMI wires.....

Now I only need to wait for the 960 to come on Monday.....can't wait!!!!

Thanks again!

I have my xbr960 hooked up to DVD through the progressive component. The problem I am having is that when i watch a wide screen dvd on the normal view mode, the image is rectangle in the middle of the screen with black bars all the way around. I have tried using to different progressive scan dvd players, a sony and a samsung. How do i get the tv to recongize the dvd as a wide screen source and get 16:9 picture instead of 4:3?
Thanks

configure the dvd player to be connected to a 16x9 tv, most have this option in the player's config menu. Also, use the Full picture mode on the 960

Tonight I was watching a bit of Stargate SG-1 on SciFi and saw it was letterboxed so I decided to take advantage of that and switch to the normal Zoom mode so it would fill the whole screen.

However it seems that the normal Zoom (not wide zoom) on my xbr960 is stretching the picture slightly. I actually got my tape measure out, paused the show, and measured the ratio of a character's head in normal mode and zoom mode. In normal it was .678 and in zoom it was around .74. It's enough of a difference to make everyone's head look slightly too fat, which really is a shame because more and more SD shows are letterboxed to HD ratio and it's great to be able to fill the whole screen.

I think the other modes are working great - is there a service mode adjustment available for ONLY the zoom mode geometry? Or is the Sony zoom mode just a bit broken? I took a brief look through the xbr910 service mode excel file and don't see anything useful.

Looks like I found an answer over in the xbr910 service mode thread. I'll try it out tomorrow and see if I can tweak the zoom mode to have correct proportions.

There are sizing and positioning controls for all the different signal types and different aspect ratio modes. That's why there are so many, and yes they are complicated.

VSIZ (and HSIZ) seem to work sort of like master controls for the whole raster, so they may be the easiest to use, but may also tend to distort the picture more than other controls, since they're sort of the ground zero for many other geometry adjustments. HSIZ is signal sensitive, ie, can be set differently for 1080i than other signals.

ASPT creates less distortion than VSIZ, so ASPT is my personal preference between those two commands. But unlike VSIZ, ASPT is signal and aspect ratio sensitive, meaning ASPT can probably be set differently for each type of signal (480i, 480p, 1080i) and AR mode (Full, Zoom, Normal, Wide Zoom). so getting it adjusted the same for every signal and AR mode may take alot more work. And it may not fit with the paradigm for adjustments layed out in the XBR910 spreadsheets here, and hence may not be the way you'd want to go.

I believe that MID1/MDVS & MDVP could also be somewhat signal and AR sensitive too. These should also create less distortion than VSIZ & HSIZ. Not really sure how the MID1 commands should be used though. Maybe someone else can comment on that.

By the way for anyone curious about that distracting bright white "digital cable ready" sticker in the lower left of the front of the tv, it does come off easily without leaving behind a big mess.

More info on the new software upgrade. I'm curious if the people here who experienced autoprogramming loss had this many channels?

Service bulletin E26205993, "TV loses channel memory", is back. It was revised on 11/1/04. You should know that the issue addressed only occurs if the number of cable channels exceeds 511.

http://www.agoraquest.com/viewtopic.php?topic=17026&forum=34

The XBR960 has a Digital Audio Optical out labeled PCM/Dolby Digital. Does any one know how to switch this output from Dolby Digital (I assume this is up to 5.1 depending on the broadcast) to PCM (I assume this is two channel). I couldn't find it in the manual.

Originally posted by mr2828
Looks like I found an answer over in the xbr910 service mode thread. I'll try it out tomorrow and see if I can tweak the zoom mode to have correct proportions.

I have read the 910 service mode thread but I am not sure everything applies or should be used on the 960. I am waiting for someone to make 960 service mode thread with the detail that is in the 910 thread. There are bits and pieces about the service mode settings for the 960 in this thread but it would be nice to see someone put together a nice concise thread like the 910 one.

So...

My second XBR960 (the first one had a dead spot with no color in the middle of the screen) has exhibited the same problem twice in 1 week: the entire screen will flash green accompanied by a popping noise. It then takes some time for the screen to recover its color, contrast, brightness, etc. It seems as though the TV is auto-degaussing.

I have a few questions:

1. Has anyone seen this problem on their 960? The current 960 was manufactured in Sept. 2004 with serial number 8008xxx. The previous 960 with the dead spot was manuf. in August 2004 with serial number 8005xxx.

2. Is this causing any damage to the set or tube?

3. If the set is auto-degaussing itself, why is it doing it and how do I stop it?

The only thing that's been connected to the TV while it's been doing this has been a Motorola 6208 cable box connected via high quality component cables.

To followup, I was able to tweak the zoom mode specifically on my video 1 to get identical proportions as the normal mode using the service mode. Now I can zoom in on letterboxed content on the satellite receiver without any distortion.

First I tuned to video 1 and zoom mode, then entered service mode. The settings I used including old / new values were:

MID2 DRHP 117 / 92
MID2 DRHS 180 / 190
MID2 DRVP 37 / 26
MID2 DRVS 120 / 125

I wasn't planning initially to tweak the vertical size/position settings, but I realized when comparing to normal mode that the zoom was chopping a bit too much off the top & bottom.

As far as I can see, these tweaks didn't affect any other mode on the tv.

OK - I've got a pickle here...

Got the 960. Love it. Used to have a set with a built in PS DVD player.

Only DVD player I have now is a non-PS DVD player, but it has component out (never heard of this, but I'll take it!)

Watched a couple of movies, and I'm VERY happy with the output. I'm under the impression that the XBR is scaling the 480i component in.

That being the case - I'm wondering if it's best to:

1) Leave as-is (XBR has best scaler for 480i)

2) Go for a good PS DVD (XBR scales 480p well)

3) Go for an upconverter

I'm thinking it's between 1 and 2, but I'm open to options...

I decided to purchase a service manual for my XBR960 at Sony's Direct Parts and Accessories web site, http://servicesales.sel.sony.com/web/index.jsp, but have been unable to locate the manual for the set or anything else for that matter, other than two options for additional remote controls.
If anyone has had success in navigating this site, I would appreciate learning how it is done.
Thanks
Ron

Well I finally received my 960 and I can only say totally awesome.
The weird part is that my number is 8004XXX and was manufactured in October???? I thought 8004 was July/Aug.......anyway.....
I just plugged my cable without a box and I get 3 HD channels, plus HBO, Cinemax, Playboy and Spice....hehehee without paying......the weird part the channels keep changing around(the ones I suppose to be paying)......1 minute HBO is on 80.7 then its on 81.3.
With the Antenna I only get 2 HD channels.

So far no problems at all.....

I will probably pay the extra $10 to get ESPN, DISC and etc. through Comcast in the next few days and I'm sure I'll lose all those free channels.

Hey Tennberg do you ha ve a card or a box for HD? How much do you pay through Comcast? Any preferences? Which channels come with the package?

Need to investigate my DVD a bit more before I report.....

All for now.......

You can get a pdf manual for free right at sonystyle:

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?CategoryName=xbr_tube&Dept=tv&ProductSKU=KD34XBR960#

Originally posted by mr2828
More info on the new software upgrade. I'm curious if the people here who experienced autoprogramming loss had this many channels?



http://www.agoraquest.com/viewtopic.php?topic=17026&forum=34

It is I, the one and only 7thstranger who posted on agoraquest as well to try and solve my autoprogramming problem. I do not have over 511 channels programmed (although I have to check but I really do not remember that many channels being programmed). I've contacted my retailer who is supposed to look into it. I've also ordered a monster power cleaner/surge protector to see if it was a power issue as I live in an apartment building.

On another note, my 960 (this is my second as the first one was replaced) was also manufactured in Sept 2004 but the serial number begins in with 900xxx . Not sure what this means b/c it seems like everyone else's tv begins with 800xxx.

Mine was made in October with 900xxxx...

When I got my 960 a couple months ago, I expected 1080i programming would look better than 720p since the set upscales 720p instead of displaying it natively. However, I've found that upscaled 720p ABC shows (LOST, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, etc.) look much sharper and more vivid than 1080i NBC shows such as THE WEST WING, ER etc. Is there a particular reason for this? Does it have something to do with the way the networks convert their respective programs to HD? Or does 720p have an inherent superiority that transcends the upscaling process?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by rekalil
[B]I decided to purchase a service manual for my XBR960 at Sony's Direct Parts and Accessories web site,


I just got one. I had to speak to a service representative, they give you a service number and then send the manual.

I knew it was to good to be true, I'm getting a green spot right in upper corner, 2 inches wide & 4 inches long. Just like if somebody put a magnet at that corner. And No I don't have any speakers in the room.
Do I need to replace my TV? Or is it something that can be fixed?
I think a few people had this problems....

Let me hear.......

My set was also made in October with serial 900xxxx. I have owned it for about 2 weeks and have not experienced any of the earlier mentioned problems.

Originally posted by cafzal
[QUOTE]Originally posted by rekalil
[B]I decided to purchase a service manual for my XBR960 at Sony's Direct Parts and Accessories web site,


I just got one. I had to speak to a service representative, they give you a service number and then send the manual.

How much did it cost? I'm curious whether a person (like myself) should delve into the service menu with no experience. I'm hesitant but I also don't feel like spending $400 for a tech to configure my 960. Any thoughts?

I just bought this set from CC, while it has not yet arrived, I'm looking forward to having a great time with it. Is there a "tuning" guide available yet, something to help me calibrate for the best picture?

I have only 1 reservation about buying this TV. That is there is just 1 HDMI port. I figure I will attach my satelite box to the HDMI port in back but how would I attach both a Satelite box and a DVD player with only 1 HDMI port?

I figure this will be resolved when recievers come out with HDMI ports of their own, but right now there aren't any I know of. Does anyone know when recievers will start having HDMI ports on them?

Originally posted by 7thstranger
How much did it cost? I'm curious whether a person (like myself) should delve into the service menu with no experience. I'm hesitant but I also don't feel like spending $400 for a tech to configure my 960. Any thoughts?

It cost about $40. In the end it was not very helpful, because there is no glossary for the service codes. You end up just playing with various settings using trial and error or else trying to guess what they stand for. I had a xbr960 which was to dark, the brightness had to be pushed up almost all the way just to reveal the backgrounds in some sources (Law & Order, CSI, Cspan etc.). Rather than being able to simply tone down the Black levels I had to hump the tv back to the dealer and accept their demo (which was on since August) It had balanced dark and light levels. This with the added humiliation of debating the relative merits of the various blacklevels ("Its too dark, No it isn't , No it really is.") So even though its a wonderful machine, there is a bittersweet taste in my mouth from the experience. In the end a piece of high end equipment should not be like a fine wine, having bottle variation; what happened to standard acceptable tolerances

Anyone have this problem
I've had the XBR960 since 9/22. Perfect until this morning. When I turned it on the screen had a flash to it, like something popped. Now it is all out of focus, menus, everything. I unplugged it for about 20 minutes hoping it would reset, but no luck. I'm calling repair, but was just wondering if anyone else had the same problem.
Thanks
John

imperial521,

Panasonic has such a receiver coming out soon.

Originally posted by jmatotek
Anyone have this problem
I've had the XBR960 since 9/22. Perfect until this morning. When I turned it on the screen had a flash to it, like something popped. Now it is all out of focus, menus, everything. I unplugged it for about 20 minutes hoping it would reset, but no luck. I'm calling repair, but was just wondering if anyone else had the same problem.
Thanks
John

jmatotek:

Was the flash green? Was the pop noticable but not loud? I've had the same thing happen on my current 960 twice. This is my second 960, as the first developed a dead spot in the center of the screen with no color or picture.

I swear the picture doesn't seem as focused as before. Even though the set has a 5-year warranty on it (through Tweeter), I am slightly hesitant to go back to them and say "Hey, the second set seems to be defective as well." I bought the first 960 back in late August of this year, and had it replaced about 2 weeks ago.

Keep me posted on your situation. I may give Tweeter a call next week to describe my problem to them and see what they think.

Tennburg
The flash was green. The picture isn't terrible. The HD seems more like low resolution digital, and the digital(Directv) seems like grainy analog. The focus is very noticeable on menus, can't hardly read them. Someone's coming Wednesday to check it out. When I called Sony service, he said he looked through the records, and no one has reported focus problems on this set. Yesterday when I was watching it had 2 small pops, never did that before either. I'm hoping it's just one of the boards, I don't want to try to get it back in the box.
John

Originally posted by imperial521
I have only 1 reservation about buying this TV. That is there is just 1 HDMI port. I figure I will attach my satelite box to the HDMI port in back but how would I attach both a Satelite box and a DVD player with only 1 HDMI port?

I figure this will be resolved when recievers come out with HDMI ports of their own, but right now there aren't any I know of. Does anyone know when recievers will start having HDMI ports on them?

I was concerned about this also. There ARE some "A/B" switchboxes available, ( e.g. http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/hdmi-2x1-switch.htm)but currently they are expensive. So that's one option.

I am hoping that more devices come out with Firewire capability. Perhaps then it won't be so important to have more HDMI ports.

Any other thoughts?

Mark

I've had this set since August. When I turned it on this evening it had no piture, tried turning it on and off several times with no luck. The Timer/Standby led would flash for a few seconds then it would go out.

I decided it to unplug it and plug it back in and the picture came back.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Originally posted by silvertone
I've had this set since August. When I turned it on this evening it had no piture, tried turning it on and off several times with no luck. The Timer/Standby led would flash for a few seconds then it would go out.

I decided it to unplug it and plug it back in and the picture came back.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

The good news is that it's working again, but whether or not it was a one time event you may not know for a while. It might be best to call for service. You can check the error codes(which the flashing standby led indicated) by pressing the following keys on the remote: Display - 5 - Volume down - Power on. Starting with the set turned off. All this will tell you though, is that there was a problem, which you already know. The tech will use this to determine where the fault may be.

Thanks for the feedback. That sequence of key strokes didn't do anything, the good news is the tv seems to be back to normal.

For the XBR910, setting the color temperature to "warm" in Pro mode was closer to 6500K than "neutral." Is the "warm" setting in Pro mode for the XBR960 also closer to 6500K than "neutral" ?
Thanks .
Ron

Originally posted by rekalil
For the XBR910, setting the color temperature to "warm" in Pro mode was closer to 6500K than "neutral." Is the "warm" setting in Pro mode for the XBR960 also closer to 6500K than "neutral" ?
Thanks .
Ron

My calibrator used the Neutral setting.

Can use from advice from the group:

1) Looking for opinons on "Tilt." My new XBR (mfg date of 11/2004) required +3 tilt to get the picture perfectly level. Is this unreasonable and reason enough to ask for a swap?

2) Second concern is that there is a bit of convergence related outlines in the corners--is this reason to go for a replacement?

3) Third concern is that Fox 5 (D.C) from my OTA antenna is off center to the left a few inches. All other OTA channels are dead center. This one is really odd. I swapped out to use my DirecTV OTA decoder with the same results: only Fox 5 is off to the left.

My frame of reference is a 12 year old Mitsubishi--the new XBR is phenomenal by comparison, but welcome views from this forum.

Thanks!

CB_Avatar

Originally posted by cb_avatar
Can use from advice from the group:

1) Looking for opinions on "Tilt." My new XBR (mfg date of 11/2004) required +3 tilt to get the picture perfectly level. Is this unreasonable and reason enough to ask for a swap?

2) Second concern is that there is a bit of convergence related outlines in the corners--is this reason to go for a replacement?

3) Third concern is that Fox 5 (D.C) from my OTA antenna is off center to the left a few inches. All other OTA channels are dead center. This one is really odd. I swapped out to use my DirecTV OTA decoder with the same results: only Fox 5 is off to the left.

My frame of reference is a 12 year old Mitsubishi--the new XBR is phenomenal by comparison, but welcome views from this forum.

Thanks!

CB_Avatar

Avatar, it seems to me you're looking very hard for reasons to return the set. Although this TV is excellent, no set is perfect. Perhaps your expectations are too high. I suggest you go to a retail dealer to see how your set compares to those in the showroom. My opinion on your concerns:

1) As long as the picture is level within the adjustment range, you have no problem
2) Well, there ARE very slight errors in every set. In my case, the dealer sent a technician who made minor convergence adjustments at no charge to me. I'm perfectly happy now.
3) This one beats me. Since you get this from OTA and DirectTV, I would suspect the source. Again, check this on another set at your dealer.

Mark

I think everyone lost track of this thread as there's like 6 other threads going now about the 960.

Bump!

Question for all 960 owners:

For those of you who have experienced "popping" or green flashes from this set, what did Sony or your local retailer say was the cause when you mentioned this to them?

I am on my second 960 (first was replaced due to dark spots on the screen) and this 960 is now experiencing this problem. On a few occassions, the screen emitted a green flash and I heard a small popping sound coming from the set. After the flash, the screen looked very washed out and took a minute to get back its original color and contrast.

I am also of the belief that the set is a bit "blurrier" now, as some HD channels do not look as sharp anymore.

I am a bit hesitant to have the set exchanged again for two reasons. One, my retailer, Tweeter, may think I'm trying to get new sets out of them all the time. Granted, I have a 5 year warranty through them, but still. Two, I cannot reproduce this problem. With the first set, the techs could easily see there were black spots on the screen.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

It's your call, but personally in your situation I would get it replaced again. Especially if it seems to be doing it more than once / regularly. Mine has never done that in the six weeks I've had it now.

I've had my 960 since September and I would say I haven't had any problems with it. I've been very pleased.

Hi,

I've had my 960 for 4 days now, my first HDTV. No geometry issues that matter. On 4:3 on the right top side it curves out a little bit, but no one would notice if you weren't looking for it. I think I've figured out the tuner. It is more important to have my OTA antenna turned exactly right to get digital stations. The analog tuner must be excellent, because I get more analog stations than I did before, and I can get 20 digital stations. I live in southern PA and I can get digital stations all the way south to DC. Analog stations and Directv are not bad, DVD excellent. After reading some posts, I was worried that they would look terrible. My problem, is that the color consistantly looks toward the green side. I can adjust the hue to about 5 or 6 red and that helps fleshtones, but shadows still look a bit green. I remember old color sets had red, green, and blue drive, and RGB screen settings. Is there a place in the service menu to adjust color? I wouldn't change any settings in the service menu until I've had it for awhile anyway.
Would a professional calibration correct this? Anyone know of a calibrator in the York, Harrisburg, Lancaster PA area?
Thanks

Well, thanks in no small part to the wealth of information on this board I took delivery of my new 960 last week. The picture is stunning and I am loving football on HD. I do have a couple of questions, though.

1. I've got the audio set up to run from the tv into my Yamaha receiver. I'm using both the optical audio out and the composite audio out. I have the TV's speakers turned off and have tried both "fixed" and "variable" for the audio out. The problem I'm having is that the volume seems to be drastically different depending on which channel I'm watching. I think the digital channels (I'm using a cablecard) are generally much louder than the non-digital channels. Any ideas on how to fix this?

2. Can I program the TV's volume control on the remote to control my receiver's volume? I had my Sony Tivo doing this, so it must be possible somehow...

3. When I use either the TwinView or the Favorite Channels preview screens the audio output seems to cut off when I'm watching a non-digital channel. I then have to go back to a digital channel and redo the audio out selections. Am I doing something wrong here, or is this just some kind of bug with the tv?

Thanks for all your help with this.

1) My HD channels are louder, too. I think this is normal since HD is not only quality video, but better audio, also. Just have to learn to live with it.

Question: does the TwinView work with the CableCard allowing you to basically use it like a PIP? I thought the TwinView only showed you things on 2 different video settings, so you can flip from the TV to a DVD, but not TV to TV. Just curious.

Yes the remote can control your receiver. The procedure for setting that up is in the manual.

Question: does the TwinView work with the CableCard allowing you to basically use it like a PIP? I thought the TwinView only showed you things on 2 different video settings, so you can flip from the TV to a DVD, but not TV to TV. Just curious.

I haven't played with TwinView too much, so somebody else probably ought to answer this. I do know that when using the Favorite channels feature the HD channels will not display in the display window on the upper right hand side.

As to the remote setup, I checked the manual and it doesn't have any instructions for receivers, just DVD players, VCRs, etc. I also don't remember seeing any Yamaha components displayed. What I'd like to do is be able to control my receiver volume with the TV remote to help deal with the varying audio levels discussed above (without having to juggle different remotes!)

Originally posted by ajhoop

3. When I use either the TwinView or the Favorite Channels preview screens the audio output seems to cut off when I'm watching a non-digital channel. I then have to go back to a digital channel and redo the audio out selections. Am I doing something wrong here, or is this just some kind of bug with the tv?

Thanks for all your help with this.

Yup. Hate this, wondering if it's fixed in later models.

Originally posted by ajhoop

3. When I use either the TwinView or the Favorite Channels preview screens the audio output seems to cut off when I'm watching a non-digital channel. I then have to go back to a digital channel and redo the audio out selections. Am I doing something wrong here, or is this just some kind of bug with the tv?

Thanks for all your help with this.

Yup. Hate this, wondering if it's fixed in later models.

RE: audio out in Twinview mode

Is there a way to "anchor" the audio to the left side while "surfing" on the right side? In other words, I want to watch AND LISTEN to the program on the left while surfing "video only" on the right.

Mark

So far, I am on page 17 of this thread (about half way). I just returned my Sanyo 30" WS that everyone is raving about in the other thread. Not that I was dissatisfied with the Sanyo (actually, I was very satisfied considering the $700 total cost of the unit), just that I have the opportunity to pick up the 960 for more than 50% off MSRP with a 3 year warranty. The only caveat is that the unit is a B-stock unit. Which is fine with me considering there seems to possibly be some issues with early runs of this model.

Right now, where I am at in the thread reveals that there are some issues with the tuner and to a lesser degree, the geometry of the unit. Seems from the thread that most of the units that exhibit this problem were made before August. My question is has this since been fixed in the later models.

Oh, another question. One of the drawbacks of the Sanyo was that the ATSC tuner was integrated with the QAM tuner. And while I got perfect HD with Comcast cable, some of the OTA channels just aren't yet available on Comcast like WB and FOX. And to top it off, the Sanyo only memorized the channel scans for either HD cable for HD OTA, not both. So even if I wanted to run both through a switch box or something, I would have to go through the lengthy channel scan process each time.

I noticed that there are two separates RF inputs on the 960. Both of them are labeled for analog feeds. One is for NTSC/UHF and the other is for cable. Question is, are the ATSC and QAM tuners on separate inputs RF inputs or are the integrated into one RF input?

Originally posted by niggenz
Oh, another question. One of the drawbacks of the Sanyo was that the ATSC tuner was integrated with the QAM tuner. And while I got perfect HD with Comcast cable, some of the OTA channels just aren't yet available on Comcast like WB and FOX. And to top it off, the Sanyo only memorized the channel scans for either HD cable for HD OTA, not both. So even if I wanted to run both through a switch box or something, I would have to go through the lengthy channel scan process each time.

I noticed that there are two separates RF inputs on the 960. Both of them are labeled for analog feeds. One is for NTSC/UHF and the other is for cable. Question is, are the ATSC and QAM tuners on separate inputs RF inputs or are the integrated into one RF input?

The inputs aren't analog or digital--they're both. The set internally routes the signals to the proper decoder. As a user, you select whichever RF input you want.

Mark

Just like you use the TV/Video button to navigate through the different video inputs, you use the antenna button on the remote to alternate between the OTA (analog and HD) and the Cable signal (which includes HD and SD channels).

Those channels just have to be programmed once.

Mark - a simple work around to anchoring audio so to speak is to simply use a cable box or separate tuner and leave the focus on the TV's tuner. Surf with your cable box or VCR tuner; other than that I don't know if there's a way to reprogram the TV to work they way you want it to.

Coolio. So I have finished this thread and for the most part, it sounds like if I get a set that doesn't have issues with the tuner I will be more than satisfied since i don't think the geom issues will be a deal breaker for me. For one, I am not that picky with little bits of distortion and two, it seems that some of the pincushioning can be fixed to some degree in the SM. In addition to my viewing distance, I should be A-OK. And it seems like later production runs have fixed most of the tuner problems. And since mine is going to be a B-stock unit, things should be kosher anyway.

I plan on using an HTPC with the 960 via HDMI. But there hasn't been too much talk about using this TV with an HTPC via HDMI. I know there are some overscan issues. Anyonce care to elaborate? Is there any fix that can be applied in the service menu without screwing with headache inducing Powerstrip settings/timings?

Lastly, I am going to pick up this unit next week through a Sony employee program for just under $1200 with a 3 year gaurantee (not warranty) out the door! So envy me guys!

I'll keep you all posted.

Oops, nevermind, apparently there is an HTPC thread devoted for this TV =). Now to get to reading :{.

Originally posted by Mike3
Just like you use the TV/Video button to navigate through the different video inputs, you use the antenna button on the remote to alternate between the OTA (analog and HD) and the Cable signal (which includes HD and SD channels).

Those channels just have to be programmed once.

Mark - a simple work around to anchoring audio so to speak is to simply use a cable box or separate tuner and leave the focus on the TV's tuner. Surf with your cable box or VCR tuner; other than that I don't know if there's a way to reprogram the TV to work they way you want it to.

Thanks, Mike3. Of course! That's the power of this forum. I wouldn't have thought of this approach. I'll use the VCR. (

Thanks again!

Mark

Originally posted by niggenz
Lastly, I am going to pick up this unit next week through a Sony employee program for just under $1200 with a 3 year gaurantee (not warranty) out the door! So envy me guys!

I too had the opportunity to purchase the 960 through the Sony employee program but I cancelled my order because while the discount was great, not having a service agreement with a local retailer was too risky, especially for this particular tv. I'm glad I didn't go through Sony because I am already on my 2nd set and again have issues. I would not assume that because you have a B stock item, that it will be error free because it has been checked out by a "tech." These guys turn on the sets and if they work, it's "certified." If there are dead spot, autoprogramming issues etc. that are not apparent to the tech, you will be buying a lemon. More importantly, if you have any problem with the set, you will have to lug this 200lb mammoth to the nearest Sony repair center. If there isn't one near you, sending it will not be fun. That being said, $1200 is a great deal but I would definetly consider the risks.

Hi. I'm debating between 2 TV's... I like both & it's going to be a hard decision. KDF55WE655 LCD-RP & the 34 XBR960.

Can people PM me with prices paid for the XBR960? (I'm getting quite a few responses from the 55WF655 :)

Thanks for the feedback!

Originally posted by wayde
Hi. I'm debating between 2 TV's... I like both & it's going to be a hard decision. KDF55WE655 LCD-RP & the 34 XBR960.

Can people PM me with prices paid for the XBR960? (I'm getting quite a few responses from the 55WF655 :)

Thanks for the feedback!

Not sure if this helps but the price of LCDs, as you may have heard, is set to drop considerably over the next few months. I went with the 960 because the picture quality cannot be matched. don't care what the DLP/LCD/Plasma junkies say about digitial to digital versus digital to analog, if you look at the reviews, the 960 is considered to be reference standard. If your room size is not too big and can accommodate the large depth, I would definetly go with the 960. In a few years, the price on LCDs will drop significantly and the technology will continue to improve whereas the 960 is probably at its peak and should last for many years to come w/o having to replace a lightbulb. :)

What is everyones opinion about watching standard cable (not digital) with the 34XBR960?

I just dont have the means to purchase digital cable or HD signal as I honestly think they are a bit overrated at the moment (sort of like the DLPs, plasmas, etc... but please that is not why I am posting).

Of course most of my viewing will be with widescreen DVDs, making the most of the 16:9 ratio, but when not viewing DVDs I will be watching standard cable. I am concerned that the image will be quite small, being that it wont be WS. The image will be around 25" diagonally...correct?

..standard cable is passable at best. The digital channels look a bit better, but this tv is meant for HD and this is where it garners it's well deserved praise. DVD's look very good, I just had a friend watch some of the lord of the rings and he was amazed at the picture quality.

I agree with BC:

I have an HD cable box connected to my 960 via component.

Analog channels (2-94) are okay to watch if there is no equivalent HD channel available. My local cable company, Comcast, is apprently going to do an analog-digital simulcast, so all analog channels will be broadcast as digital channels. This should help to improve picture quality greatly.

Digital channels (194+) are marginally better than the SD channels, in my view. I tend to avoid these as well unless there is something I *must* watch. Again, Comcast is apparently doing something with bandwidth here in Boston to improve the quality of these channels.

HD channels (15 or so available here in Boston) are where the set shines. For channels that are broadcasting in 720p or 1080i, the quality ranges from great to stunning, depending on the content being displayed and original filming, obviously.

DVDs also shine on this display. I currently use component from my DVD player, so I don't upconvert. However, DVDs look great to me, so I leave it at that.

Does anyone know if there are any available software or firmware updates for the 960?

I recall someone mentioning on here that there was an update available via a Memory Stick, but two chats with Sony said nothing was available. They wouldn't even tell me how to check the firmware or software version on the set.

kezug,

Standard cable looks very good on my 960.

My experience is that this set needs a somewhat stronger signal than my previous Sony TV did. I had a marginal signal from the cable company and the picture looked pretty good on my old set and OK on this one. Once the cablecard was added to my 960 the picture looked pretty bad on analog channels. Stuck an amplifier on the cable and I get the best picture I've ever seen on analog channels.

Don't knock HD until you've tried it. If you buy a 960 and you are anywhere near HD broadcast towers (even 40-50 miles if you have line-of-sight) pick up a <$30 Silver Sensor antenna, connect it to the antenna connection on your 960 and stick it on top the set aimed in the general direction of the towers and see what you get.

I get half a dozen HD channels where I live and they look great.

Pardon my ignorance on this matter...I have the 960 for about 2 months now and love it.

I wound up purchasing an HDMI to DVI cable because I figured my HD cable box would have it's DVI slot enabled. But silly me, Time Warner doesn't want to do that, they'd rather I use the component. With this 100 dollar cable lying around I decided to see what the PC would look like on the television.

I am thinking maybe because the television isn't pixel based or something, but to say it didn't really look so hot is an understatement. I didn't expect good quality, but I thought, that since it's display type is 1280x whatever it would work.

Perhaps someone can give a quick explination, do LCD's and plasma screens have a higher resolution?

Hoodsie,

When I get my 960, I intend to hook an HTPC up to it via HDMI. So what made it look so bad? Did you just run Windows on the TV or did you try DVD playback? I hear the unit has alot of overscan through the HDMI port. Could that have been the problem? What resolution did you have your HTPC set as?

BTW, I don't think the 960 does 720p natively as there are no tube TVs that can handle that resolution (keep in mind that those Princeton units aren't TVs). You might want to try 1080i.

Originally posted by niggenz
Hoodsie,

When I get my 960, I intend to hook an HTPC up to it via HDMI. So what made it look so bad? Did you just run Windows on the TV or did you try DVD playback? I hear the unit has alot of overscan through the HDMI port. Could that have been the problem? What resolution did you have your HTPC set as?

BTW, I don't think the 960 does 720p natively as there are no tube TVs that can handle that resolution (keep in mind that those Princeton units aren't TVs). You might want to try 1080i.

I did both...here is the exact setup. Off my Dell Laptop,which has am ATI 9700 mobility card, out of the DVI port I put it right to the HDMI port. Windows looked pretty crappy. Not so much the desktop but lettering was very un readable. DVD playback (through Power DVD) looked good. Only problem with the playback is that it didn't appear to output the anamorphic correctly. A 2.35 widescreen movie was not fixing itself to the set right...the letterbox bars were nice and thick.

Perhaps I didn't toy around with it enough, I might try tomorrow..but where you mention 720p and 1080i, is there a certain one I am supposed to use. Newb here.

HooDSide,

Let's try discussing it over at this thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=423652

It is the HTPC thread for this TV. Should allow for more focused discussion on the topic.

Also, I found this thread and while it is relating to a different Sony TV, there is alot of info here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=479623

-niggenz

in wide screen mode, standard cable will fit the screen w/o too much distortion unless they have a tickertape at the bottom like cnn or espn. I think that certain standard cable channels look terrible but others are excellent. seems that the higher you go on the channels, the better it looks. Also, the xbr960 will conduct a channel search that will pick up channels that you are not aware of including many digitial channels. i get fox,nbc,abc,and cbs HD for free as well as some other movie channels but those are in 480i. Even if you do not get these channels through your cable provider, get an over the air antenna to pick up the local channels in HD. You will be amazed especially if you are a sports fan. well worth the extra bucks.

my setup is in the basement...I am wondering if the HD antenna would even work in this location

So, I called Tweeter today to have a technician come out and check my 960. This is my second 960 (the first one had a dead spot in the center of the glass). This 960 has had three instances where the entire screen would display a green flash accompanied by a popping sound from the rear of the set. The entire screen would become washed out, and would take about a minute to come back to its original saturation and contrast.

Since then, the set doesn't seem as sharp anymore when displaying HD material. I believe there was another poster on here who mentioned this.

Last time, the technician called me, said he was an hour away, and wanted me to describe the problem to him. He said rather than him looking at it, he would set up a replacement. I'm hoping this happens again this time. It's very hard to reproduce this problem.

I'll post any updates.

..good luck tennberg...I love the pq when the sony's work but I'm on my 2nd 960 after going thru 3 shoddy 34hs510's. My current 960 has much better geometry than the first set, but still has a tiny amount of distortion in the upper right-hand corner. This set is also noticeably darker than my previous set. I dare not try another one....

BC:

I found my second 960 to have *much* better geometry than the first set, with no loss in PQ between the two. The second set still has a bit of distortion in the upper left corner with a slight bit of geometry issues. I'm hoping the third set (if they decide on a replacement) is even better with its geometry.

I just comfort myself knowing there is no perfect set yet. Find me a set larger than 34" that can display both 720p and 1080i natively with superb color saturation, true blacks, no motion artifacts or ghosting, and that doesn't weigh 200 pounds, and I have a bridge I'd love to sell ya :-)

I just recieved my 960 a couple of days ago and am pretty happy with it's quality out of the box. I did a quick Avia adjustment and it looks pretty darn good. There is, however, some "pincoushining" around the edges of the screen, which although it isn't horrible, still has bugged me enough to set up an appointment for a Sony tech to come out and try to fix the geometry, since it is covered under warrenty. So to get to the point, there are a few questions I was wondering if anyone out there with a 960 could answer:

1. How successful have Sony tech's been (for those of you who have had one out) with fixing your geometry issues?

2. I am waiting on my Sony DVP-NS975V DVD player to arrive still, so I have not yet watched any DVD's through the HDMI input. Has anyone used this combination yet, and if so, how has it worked out for you? Do you let the tv do the upconverting to 1080i or the player? I've heard that generally the tv's do a better job, but I was just wondering if anyone's experimented a little bit...(and yes, I have read CNET's review of the DVD player along with the 960....but somebody else's experience would be nice).

3. HD television is not going to be available to me through Comcast until early 2005, but when it is available, would you reccomend that I use a Cablecard and let the 960's tuner do the job, or get the standard Comcast set top box? Does one work better than the other?

Thanks for your help

Originally posted by kezug
my setup is in the basement...I am wondering if the HD antenna would even work in this location


That's a good question. Unless you are close to the transmitter(s), it probably will not work. The tuner does need a good strong signal in order to do it's work.

Mark

Go to the following for a nice real user review of the DVP-NS975V dvd player with the xbr960.
agoraquest.com/viewtopic.php?topic=17434&forum=35
After reading this and then learning that the real hi-def DVD players will be coming out late 2005, I opted for the DVP-NS775V instead. What a stunning picture on my XBR960! Like hi-def already, just using the component hookups. Very compatible as its Sony to Sony. Plays every disc format I put into it. A added unexpected bonus is the great sound from this player. Only paid $116. And no hdmi cables to add to the cost.
This replaces a old Toshiba DVD player.

hi, I have some assorted questions and comments about the 960 as well as a comparison between the 960 and the 34 inch XBR800 I used to own. here goes...

34XBR960 compared to the other fine dot pitch models: I have seen the XBR 910 and 960 side by side at many different places and the 960 appears much clearer for some reason. The 960 is also MUCH brighter as well because I maxed the contrast on both sets on VIVID mode to test this. I am assuming that both sets have the same tube but the 960 has been tweaked thru the sets electronics or something. I see the 960 and the XS955 side by side as well sometimes and to be honest the 955 looks better more times than not although sometimes the 960 looks like it is on par. I am assuming that because the 955s are newer and when shown next to the older batch of 960s that might not have been tweaked as well in the factory, the 955 has a clearer image.

Comparing fine lines on 480 material between new and old XBRs: Although the 34XBR has a super fine dot pitch and there are not any noticable vertical lines like there are with the 800, the 960 has an issue that I haven't heard about too much about on this forum and I would love to hear people's opinions about this... Because the 960 has finer lines, there is a visible gap between horizontal lines when viewing 480p material that only uses half of the TVs resolution. I find this just as annoying as seeing the vertical lines on the 800. This can be solved by hooking up an interlaced player(like my RP91) and setting the TVs scaler to Interlaced but I doubt many people do that or would prefer that to a more solid progressive image. Also, I dont know if I will see a stairstepping effect on Interlaced like I did when I watched DVDs with my 800 TVs scaler set to Interlaced instead of Cinemotion. I am very curious about what other people think about this.

Brightness and blooming compared to 34XBR800: I got used to the bright image on the 34XBR800 and set the contrast to around 65 percent in VIVID which is very bright. I am happy to say that the 34XBR960 adjusted to the point where no blooming was present (around 35 on VIVID), the image looked exactly as bright as the 34HS420(simular to 34XBR800) next to it tweaked to my liking. That means I won't have any problems with the set's brightness.

Tweak for the 960 that I don't hear enough about: Adjusting BLK to 0 on VIVID mode so that you can get all of the shadow detail that you get while in PRO mode. This also allowed me to turn the brightness down around 10 clicks and actually gain MUCH more detail. Anybody who tries this tweak will love it. I think it will be especially valuable since it will allow you to get a brighter image without boosting the TVs settings and causing blooming.

Red push: I adjusted the red push on the 800 though the service menu and agree that the picture looked MUCH more natural. However, after toggling the color axis between standard and monitor I found that the monitor color axis looked too green. What do you guys think? Even though the monitor color axis was green, I still prefered it to the standard one with red push though.

More comparisons between new and old Sony XBRs/Recommendations: I think that if you have a 34XBR800/34HS510 you should keep your set because the image sometimes appears a little bit more crisp when compared with the 960 and even though the 960 is more solid and HD looks slightly better, it's not a big enough improvement imo to warrant spending money to upgrade. Also, because the 34XBR800/510 is big, the vertical lines are not noticable from a reasonable viewing distance so you would not benefit from the fine dot pitch as much. However, I think that anybody with an older 30' or 32' inch XBR would see a big improvement if they switched to the 955 versions of their sets because with the older 30' and 32' XBRs the vertical lines are very noticable when looking at the set up close and this would be eliminated with the super-fine dot pitch. Also, because those are smaller sets, you will not see the horizontal gap that I mentioned earlier with the 34' 955/960. Now here is what I think about the 36' models, the 36XS955 looks MUCH cleaner/clearer than the 36 non-fine dot pitch models although the image seems to be too dark even after the contrast is maxed out in VIVID mode. Also, because this set is so big, there is a HUGE gap between horizontal scan lines when viewing 480p material in full screen mode. It is hard to say if I would upgrade to the 36xs955 if I had the older model 36' incher. thanx for reading this and I would appreciate any replies, comments, or questions.

BUMP

This is a great review

Has anyone had their xbr960 professionally calibrated? If so, was it worth it (please be honest!) or do you think we can get acceptable results w/ DVE or Avia?

RCS24pro

Cablecard is nice and it will function as an additional tuner so that if you are a recording from your cable box, you can still watch HD programming via cable or if you want to forgo the 5 or 10 for the cable box, you can simply use the card which should be free of a monthly rental. The cablebox (STB) is nice because you can get on-demand and DVR if you want.

Well after 3 months of deciphering all the info on HD T.V.s I've narrowed it down to either the Sony KD-34XBR960 or the Sony KD-36XS955.

I would greatly appreciate any user comments on the 2 T.V.s

All the reviews of checked ie... consumer reports, various home theater review forums, and print magazines give these T.V.s excellent reviews.

PQ is the most important feature; that is why I have shied away from the other technologies; to much uncertainty. Would have liked a little bigger screen - but these will do.

How do both T.V.s handle the various picture menus ( zoom, normal, movie. wide, etc.. )???

This forum has been great, Thanks

Originally posted by 7thstranger
Has anyone had their xbr960 professionally calibrated? If so, was it worth it (please be honest!) or do you think we can get acceptable results w/ DVE or Avia?

I was happy with my post-calibration (ISF) and for me it was worth it. I tried using Avia but I didn't feel confident that I was making improvements. I definitely am too new at this and this was too much of an investment for me to screw up the tv in the service menu. Statistically, the IRE levels were drastically changed in the service menu to the point that that they 'passed'.

The calibration improved Satellite "480P" on the S-Video input. It made that type of source tolerable. It had been horrible. The gray scale was obviously fine tuned. Flesh tones became realistic. Honestly, I never bother to switch inputs anymore and just watch SD through HDMI. It's fine. (relatively speaking to HD)

OTA HD/Satellite HD was improved and DVD (Component) as well. I had already been blown away by those sources but it did seem better post-calibration.

It's up to you, of course. I would recommend the service, if you plan on keeping the set for a while.

Good luck.