Originally posted by RJB in Phila
The 960's cablecard allows you to eliminate the set top box from the cable company, right? This assumes they support the cablecard, which I believe Comcast will be doing soon.

If this is so, I find this feature of the 960 to be a great advantage.

If you have the Comcast HD DVRs (especially if you can get the Motorola DCT-6412), then you also have the CableCARD option. In areas with Moto STBs, it's the Moto CableCARD as well. I also have Comcast as my cable company, and they are doing CableCARD installs in any area that the DVRs are available (all of Greater Washington Metro serviced by Comcast, without exception).

NOTE: CableCARDs do NOT support OnDEMAND or PPV ordering. (Yet.)

After months and months of delays, I finally have my XBR960!

It was made in November so no tuner problems as were reported. I haven't heard any pops yet. The problems I'm having right now though are geometry related. I know that it is impossible to have a perfect set and was expecting some minor things, but there is quite a lot of downward bowing in the top left corner, and a little upward bowing in the bottom right corner. However, there is no bowing when watching 4:3 material. I'd like to get these geometry problems adjusted eventually since there is no way that I'm exchanging the set after all the trouble I went through to get it up the stairs in my house.

Tested firewire with my JVC 40K, records perfectly. The only thing is that you have to hit "record" with your JVC remote. The Sony won't send it the "record" command for some reason.

Anyhow, has anyone been able to adjust the geometry problems themselves without screwing up the set of throwing the corners out of focus?

I just got my xbr960 today and even though I am satisfied in many ways I was wondering if someone can give me step by step instructions on how to address the red push issue and how to fix the settings cause it seems too dark also. Is this very complicated for a complete newbie? Or is calibration my only help?:confused:

Foxfan,

I assume you're using the firewire out from the tv to record with the JVC -- Can you record the premium HD channels or only over the air channels? I was thinking about getting a JVC recorder too but don't much about firewire recording. I have a separate cable box (with no firewire) but would be willing to get the cablecard if that's what I need to tape stuff.

Originally posted by shyguy3763
I just got my xbr960 today and even though I am satisfied in many ways I was wondering if someone can give me step by step instructions on how to address the red push issue and how to fix the settings cause it seems too dark also. Is this very complicated for a complete newbie? Or is calibration my only help?:confused:

I am at work and I don't have the manual, but if I recall correctly, a change to the monitor setting gets rid of the red push. I also recommend the pro setting and then a lightening of the picture to your taste and room conditions. Again, from memory, I think it's the picture setting that lightens it.

Check the manual for detailed directions. The on screen menus make it pretty simple.

Thanks RJB I just noticed that today but I'd like to fix this issue with the picture being dark.I remember reading something on this thread about turning something up from 13 to 15 in the service menu but I don't recall what or how.Any help people?:(

My 960 arrived with a very dark picture, because Sony had set the black level (brightness) very low for some unknown reason. Using a standard calibration DVD, Digital Video Essentials, I set the black level properly, which required setting the brightness control to 54. The picture then looked fine.
The red push can be eliminated entirely by going to "advanced" under video setup, and then to "color axis." Then select "monitor."
Set the color temperature to "warm." Of the available options, the "warm" setting best matches the desired 6500K grayscale.
Ron

Does the xbr960 have horizontal and vertical poitioning and resizing in the service menu?

I still have high hopes for my xbr960,I refuse to send it back unless someone can recommend something better? ;) so I was wondering if anyone can also recommend a good calibrator? I live in New York.
P.S. I don't think it's good enough to just go to the site and choose blindly,no?

http://www.isftv.com/

Call Kevin Miller.

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.

I got mine last month, and over the weekend, the same thing happened to mine. No picture, sound, nothing. Tried unplugging the set to "reset" it, but no luck.

Service coming to take a look tomorrow. Bought the set directly from Sony, through an Employee Purchase Plan, I think this might turn out to be a mistake. Pretty much on your own from a service perspective, warranty coverage applies, but it is serviced through third-parties.

Anybody have any thoughts on what's going on with it? Hopefully it'll be back up and running before the Orange Bowl.

Thanks mikeny I just hope it is worth it. But I just don't know what to do,I'm considering returning my xbr960 and maybe checking out Toshiba's 34XF84 the blacks are just too crushing on this xbr,watching dark movies like "The matrix" or "The crow" I can barely see any detail. :(

I personally found the first and second matrix movies to have low black detail on any display...:mad:

hi, I have adjusted my 960 to the point where I am satisfied in every way and I am very technical/picky.

I can make the image bright and clear, ect without blooming and very small amount of edge enhancement.... I have a Panasonic DVD player so I could adjust the black level to either darker or lighter... I chose lighter so that I wouldnt have to boost the set's brightness too much to get a bright image.

I preferred STANDARD mode because the colors were accurate compared to VIVID, the picture is extremely bright compared to MOVIE and PRO, and the picture isn't overly "enhanced" like VIVID

Picture: 38
Brightness: 33
Color: 30
Sharpness: 29
Color Temp: Warm
VM: Off
DRC Palette: 15(reality), 1(clarity)
Color Axis(red push adjustment): Monitor

To tame internal VM, I adjusted the following in the service menu:
PROV=0
F1LV=0
LTLV=1 (I found turning this adjustment completely off left dark silouettes too soft)

LTMD=0
CTLV=0

adjust BLK to 0 to get the shadow detail that is in the PRO mode. This will also give you a brighter picture.

I then reduced overscan. This brightened the picture because the scan lines were closer.

I adjusted MIDE to 23. then adjusted MHYE to 4.

Originally posted by JoeKing

I can make the image bright and clear, ect without blooming and very small amount of edge enhancement.... I have a Panasonic DVD player so I could adjust the black level to either darker or lighter... I chose lighter so that I wouldnt have to boost the set's brightness too much to get a bright image.
that would have been a bad choice there. By doing that, you loses blacker than black signal...because HDTV black level is at 0 IRE, or 16 shade black, while American NTSC black level is at 7.5 IRE, which is at 16 shade black....by doing your method, you looses black detail, because the the 7.5 IRE is not 16 shade black level since hdtv is 0 IRE for 16 shade. by doing your method, the 16 shade have been move up to 32 shade I believe...

I preferred STANDARD mode because the colors were accurate compared to VIVID, the picture is extremely bright compared to MOVIE and PRO, and the picture isn't overly "enhanced" like VIVID

Brightness: 33
The Sony TV brightness were purposedly set too dark...even though its default setting on the OSM is in the middle, it's actually darker and crushing black than it should be. I have this 20" sony tv, that in service menu, it have this SBRT that I adjust it from 12 to 14 and it looks good on the OSM where the brightness is set to the middle. You can either adjust the brightness in the service menu by turning it up or the OSM from 31 to around 38...


To tame internal VM, I adjusted the following in the service menu:
PROV=0
F1LV=0
LTLV=1 (I found turning this adjustment completely off left dark silouettes too soft)

LTMD=0
CTLV=0

adjust BLK to 0 to get the shadow detail that is in the PRO mode. This will also give you a brighter picture.

I then reduced overscan. This brightened the picture because the scan lines were closer.

I adjusted MIDE to 23. then adjusted MHYE to 4.

pretty interesting...i haven't seen or try PROV or F1LV yet.

but the LTLV, i set it to 0 just like Pro mode, since when i check the Avia resolution chart, the circle in the center looks more round and smooth with no jaggies than when set the LTLV to 1...shrug, maybe i have to recheck to see if setting to 1 makes more sense or to 0...because if my memory serve me correctly, setting it to 0 looks more accurate and the black and white vertical lines looks more even on the resolution chart...

I haven't try this MIDE or MHYE, maybe i have, but i am not sure what are they? My guess would be screen size and positioning?

I am a complete newbie and reading all this looks like rocket science to me
:( I feel frightened to dwell into the service menu.What are the chances of me messing up the TV since I have no knowledge? Or would it be best if I just let the pros do it and get it calibrated? Will it be better than the Toshiba 34XF84?

Water: MIDE and MHYE are to tune the sets edge enhancement. MIDE adjusts 30 preset edge enhancements at once(the MID5 adjustments). After that go to MHYE(one of the MID5 adjustments) and turn it from 7 to 4. This will give a much more solid/detailed image.

ok, I forgot to mention that I purposefully have my DVD player hooked up thru INTERLACED. If I use any DVD player in PROGRESSIVE, the image is slightly softer than with my RP-91 DVD player in interlaced and you have to turn the brightness up a LOT. That is why my brightness is so low compared to most ppl prolly.

k, this is what I know about getting shadow detail and the methods I used in order to take advantage of my sets deep blacks and still retain ALL shadow detail. I first popped in the VE DVD, set my TV to MOVIE setting, put up the brightness test pattern. Adjusted my TVs brightness according to the pattern(32). Looked at all of my DVDs. I dont live and die by test patterns so I adjusted the brightness to 34 because I felt that with that adjustment all of my movies looked excellent. (Blade 1 was adjusted perfectly and the movie was not too dark while Reservoir Dogs didn't look super washed out). Next I went to Standard mode. Turned BLK off. I chose to keep the GAMMA adjustments where they were(all at 4) because I enjoyed the bright image and I didn't see any lost shadow detail like with the vivid mode(all GAMMA adjustments are set to 12). Then I adjusted the brightness to match exactly with the brightness in movie mode by toggling back and forth between the two modes(ended up being at 33 although 34 is OK too). My brightness is set 1 or 2 clicks too high if anything.

This is what I did with my XBOX(very simular to any 480P DVD player I have used as far as brightness is concerned). I had no choice but to look at my XBOX thru progressive because it is the sharper image. I had a problem tho because I had to turn the brightness VERY high in able to see everything. I adjusted UBOF to 7 just because it bothers me that I had to adjust the brightness to around 75%. Because I had to max out the brightness so much I had a slightly blue tinge to the picture(sorry if I am letting ppl see this who havent noticed it b4). To fix this I went and adjusted the red, and green GAMM adjustments to 3, then left the blue GAMM at 2. This might sound pretty silly to some people but I tried all different ratios with the GAMM settings and this worked great and made me much happier with the picture.

I just explained this very fast, if anybody has any questions lemme kno and I will answer. I hope that anybody who is familiar with the service menu gives some of my suggestions a shot. thanx

shy: I gotta say that you can really mess up your television by messin with the service menu but I am sure you know that. Just google it and learn about it. When you feel comfortable then go for it. That's what I did. Don't adjust anything unless u kno bout it first. I would suggest u do it yourself but once u r comfortable with things n that u check some of the 34xbr spreadsheets on the service menu that are out there. I got my TV looking 40% better(no joke) once I learned how it operated and how to better optimize it. A lot of the ppl found out what most of the adjustments do and I am sure they dont mind telling u.

Okay, this is my setting on my Sony HS510...

Video setting: Pro
picture: 32 nothces out of 64. (i don't know how to adjust it, but i find 32 acceptable.)
brightness: 38 out of 64
color: 32
tint: 32
sharpness: 18 (again, no clue how to adjust it accuratedly.)
ClearEdge VSM: Off
Color Temp: Warm (man, it depends on model i guess, some model, neutral looks better)
DRC: Cinemotion

Service Menu:

In group "2170P-4"
-LRGB from 3 to 0 - tones down the on-screen display intensity/brightness.
-GAMM adjust it to 1 for Vivid, Standard or better adjust it to 0. Adjust Movie and Pro to 0 if it’s not in 0 already. (Video setting dependable. ie: Vivid, Standard, Movie, Pro and Input Dependable, so adjust it to all inputs and video setting and 0 for Pro.)
-?BLK from 0 to 3 (this gives great depth to the black level)? Maybe leave it on 0 looks more accurate.

In the group "2103-1” I set
-?ATPD from 0 to 3? - which improves the black levels. Maybe leave it on 0 looks more accurate.

In the group "3D-Comb" I changed...
-VAPI to 0
-VAPG to 0...in Pro mode -which is what I use- (but it is specific to all modes ie: Vivid, Standard, Movie, Pro) which is supposed to give the display a little better resolution.

In group "2170P-3"
-go to menu LTLV and adjust it to 0 in all picture modes (ie: Vivid, Standard, Movie, Pro) this turns off all Edge Enhancements and do this to all 7 video inputs too.

Ok folks, I have been purposely avoiding this thread since I got my 960 so I could enjoy it for what it was and not having to search continually for issues specified on this thread. So here are my impressions of my 960.

I was one of the first to get this set in early July. My TV was part of the first batch produced. It was initially either the 960 or a 37 in Panny plasma. And boy am I glad i went with the XBR. The PQ on this thing is fantastic and I have not even calibrated it, just adjusted using the DVE disc.
I watch HD a la the integrated the decoder through Comcast Cable and a Denon progressive scan 2200 DVD player hooked up through component.

The only issue I have is slight geometry distortion, again very slight and not noticeable if you are not really looking for it. Here's hoping nothing changes.

6 Months with my 960 and I have sooo become accustomed to the crisp picture that I can no longer stand in front of plasmas and projection sets without my eyes hurting.
Case in point, I recently walked into CC to see that the Panny plasma i had initially intended to buy was priced 800 less than what it was in July. I almost had buyer's remorse until I looked up to see the panny display.
I noticed screen door effect galore, then i switched my eyes to the HD plasmas hoping that this effect to alleviated but I still noticed SDE on all the HD plasmas, not as much as the ED but incomparable to the complete lack of it on my 960. I had to step about 10 feet away from a 37 plasma, and even further from a 42 for the screen door effect to eradicate.
I sit 6 feet away from my 960 and notice nothing, thus am getting a relatively larger picture with my 34in 960 than I would with even a 37 or 42 plasma.

Overall, I am very satisfied with this set so far as no issues have troubled.
Besides the bulk factor (this thing isn't gonna move for a while) I highly recommend this set.

Is their away to go directly to one of the video inputs without having to go thru all of the ones before it? It's not very convenient when going from the antenna to video input 5.

Unfortunately no but you could go into "Label Video Inputs" and at least set up the ones you don't use as "Skip". That at least shortens your trip to component Video 5.

That is of course only if there are any that you don't use. :)

thanks, that actually helps alot.

CC also has the XS955 on sale for $1,799 until 1/1/05. What makes you guys go $300 higher for the XBR?

I for one, think the trusurround sound on the XBR is AWESOME , I'm not sure if this feature is available on the XS series :)

I did a comparison on the Sony webiste between the XS955 34" and the XBR960 34" and here are the only differences:

iLink
XBR: 3 total
XS: 0 total

Dimensions
XBR: 39 1/8" x 25 5/8" x 23 7/8"
XS: 39 1/8" x 30 5/8" x 25"

Weight
XBR: 196 lbs
XS: 205 lbs

Parts Warranty
XBR: 2 Year/2 Years for Tube
XS: 1 Year/2 Years for Tube

Labor Warranty
XBR: 2 years
XS: 90 days

Yes they both have TruSurround.
One thing is I think the Xs955 may not have PiP.

To me, the XBR is not worth it unless you really need iLink. As far as I can tell, the PQ should be identical between these two sets. You can always buy a cheaper warranty from where ever you bought the TV.

I think I am going with the XS.

Originally posted by Gage33
I did a comparison on the Sony webiste between the XS955 34" and the XBR960 34" and here are the only differences:

iLink
XBR: 3 total
XS: 0 total

Dimensions
XBR: 39 1/8" x 25 5/8" x 23 7/8"
XS: 39 1/8" x 30 5/8" x 25"

Weight
XBR: 196 lbs
XS: 205 lbs

Parts Warranty
XBR: 2 Year/2 Years for Tube
XS: 1 Year/2 Years for Tube

Labor Warranty
XBR: 2 years
XS: 90 days

Yes they both have TruSurround.
One thing is I think the Xs955 may not have PiP.

To me, the XBR is not worth it unless you really need iLink. As far as I can tell, the PQ should be identical between these two sets. You can always buy a cheaper warranty from where ever you bought the TV.

I think I am going with the XS.


Oh, but you actually have not watched an XBR960 in HD??...you must SEE first , then decide....in my opinion....if you can that is...!!

Originally posted by TheInvisibleGods
Oh, but you actually have not watched an XBR960 in HD??...you must SEE first , then decide....in my opinion....if you can that is...!!

They have the same exact tube and to the best of my knowledge, PQ is identical on these sets.

Just got this TV yesterday and am working through all of the settings and options, but there is one part I'm having trouble finding info about: i.Link

From what I've found this is basically IEEE1394 Firewire. Other than a camcorder, are there any other uses for this input i.e. cable STB?

yeah, firewire is starting to crop up on cable and satellite STBs. With a DVHS player or VirtualDVHS, you could (theoretically) record in HD using the i.Link. However, I'd wager that 5C copy protection will prevent this on premium channels like HBO.

You could also feed pristine digital into the i.Link from your DV camcorder or DVHS player.

So is it only 1-way? i.e. from a camcorder to TV?

Reason I'm asking is that I have the opportunity to buy a very good DVD recorder with Firewire but not sure if I will be able to record from the HD signal that the set is picking up to the DVD. The product page says it has IEEE1394/i.Link, but don't know if it means it can only take a signal from a camcorder to burn to disc.

I have recorded OTA HD content from my 960 to my mac using the iLink interface, so it is definately 2-way.

Hi all-
I just took delivery of my 960 yesterday from CC. Comcast HD (Motorola) set up. This TV is incredible! I have changed the video to monitor setting and made a few slight changes to improve the picture. I want to get the DVE disc this weekend, but if anyone out there can tell me their current settings it would be really appreciated. I want to have the best picture possible and I can see that this forum is full of some very experienced contributors. Thanks.
Jim

I received mine on Monday and it might sound crazy but the picture is looking better each night when I watch. Maybe it's a burn-in thing, or I really am crazy.

The picture was very dark and I did adjust the settings a bit, but I'm going to wait a week or so until I use the Avia disk to calibrate it a little better.

I'm sure others in this forum will give us the same advice.

I think you are right about the burn-in thing. My picture looks better today than yesterday. The non-HD channels now look almost as good as the HDs looked yesterday, and the HDs look liquid.

This is probably in some FAQ somewhere but I thought ask anyway:

Someone in another forum where I was reading posted that since the XBR960 was a direct-view tube, it was therfore analog. The point was that this is why the set is better suited for component output vs. DVI/HDMI. I thought that it was digital all the way. I'd appreciate if someone cleared this up.

Along these lines, I've primarily used DVI to HDMI and then HDMI as I recently got the HR10-250. When my 1st HR10-250 came with a dead HDMI port, I was surprisingly pleased with the component output. It seemed much brighter.

Although I've gone back to HDMI, I feel like I might it want it a little brighter now at times. The strange thing is that this HDMI input was calibrated and the component input on Video 6 was not. I had at least made the main menu settings the same on Video 6 as Video 5. Video 5 had been calibrated for DVD. Don't get me wrong it's great picture on HDMI. Maybe it's just the Law and Order 'shows' being extremely dark where I'm observing this. HDMI seems bright enough on HD Net and Discovery HD Theater.

What opinions do you guys have in comparing your component to HDMI output for HD?

What do most of you guys keep the brightness at on your sets? For me, the minimum I need to set it at is 50, which seems way above the 31 default setting. I'm hoping it's not a problem.

the brightness on my model (34HS510) is set at 38 out of 64...

Foxfan,

maybe you need to control the room lightning. If its too sunny or too bright in the room, the picture might look a little too dark for you...

Actually, this was a setting I set with the room completely dark, using both the THX optimizer and the DVE disc.

From what I've heard, the standard HS is brighter than the super-fine-pitch models.

Several people have asked about switching the 960's video input directly to a specific source. This is indeed possible if you have an appropriate programmable remote control.

After getting my 960, I bought the Sony RM-AV2500 universal remote control. I can't post links here, so go to remotecentral-DOT-com and search for av2500 to read a great review). It does a nice job of operating my 960, a Phillips Tivo, a Toshiba DVD player and a Sony receiver and VCR. While it isn't perfect, I can strongly recommend this remote.

Page 14 of the AV2500's manual (go to docs-DOT-sony-DOT-com and search for RM-AV2500) describes a method for switching a Sony TV's input directly to a specific source. The component code 8077 is the preset code number for the input select of a Sony TV. By setting one of your universal remote's component's to use this code, you program its number keys (0-9) to select different video inputs on the TV. 0 selects the TV tuner, 1-6 select inputs VIDEO1-6, and 7-8 select inputs HD1-3.

Note that this code may only be understood by Sony remote controls. In fact, it may only work on their newest and most powerful remotes. RemoteCentral describes another method that you may want to try for selecting inputs (page 11 of the review mentioned above). Here, the user holds the Input key down while pressing one of the number keys to access a specific video input. Again, this operation may only work on certain Sony remotes.

I hope this helps!

Ben

I have my cable split between the STB and the TV (Cable input).

When using the built-in tuner, a diagnostics option is available through the menu. I was wondering if anyone can tell me what an acceptable level of SNR is and what AGC is. I get readings of 32-34 for SNR and 17-19 for AGC. Is this a good quality signal? I'm wondering if having the line split 3x without a booster is giving me the best HD possible from Time Warner without using their crappy box.

Sorry if this is posted somewhere else - can't seem to find the answer if it is.

Originally posted by pdroth
I have my cable split between the STB and the TV (Cable input).

When using the built-in tuner, a diagnostics option is available through the menu. I was wondering if anyone can tell me what an acceptable level of SNR is and what AGC is. I get readings of 32-34 for SNR and 17-19 for AGC. Is this a good quality signal? I'm wondering if having the line split 3x without a booster is giving me the best HD possible from Time Warner without using their crappy box.

Sorry if this is posted somewhere else - can't seem to find the answer if it is.

pdroth: I asked some of the same questions much earlier on this thread, and got only a few comments. I then bought the Sony service manual, again coming up with no informationl. Finally, I went back to the store where I bought the set and asked both sales and service people about it. No one had any information. I went to the floor model and checked the signal strength it was getting, and it was about the same readings I get.

Obviously, there are specs, but I haven't been able to get any information.

My set's picture drops out at a S/N of between 23 and 25. Normally, the signal it gets is about S/N of 29 and AGC of 10-15. I am usually able to maintain signal lock for 1-2 hours before a momentary drop out, so I'm happy about my reception.

Mark

My new set is being delivered tomorrow (woohoo!). Somebody mentioned to me that I should leave the set on for 3 days(?) after I first receive it to alleviate any problems with dust in the tube assembly? Obviously not on a static picture. :) Any opinions on this?

I would also like to see the settings people are using. I see a a few posted but am certainly curious as to what the consensus opinion is. I plan on calibrating with HVE as well.

Greg, enjoy the new set!!

re: leaving it on: It's a good idea, because it lets everything stabilize. I think the specific recommendation is to leave it on to cumulate enough hours to completely "burn in" prior to having the set professionally calibrated. I don't believe these hours need to be consecutive, and of course you're right--don't leave it on a static image.

But there's another reason to give the set a thorough "workout." And that is to see if it suffers an early failure. (Electronic devices tend to either fail early or run a very long time.) So run it a lot to be sure everything's operating. Also, test the memory card and firewire ports if you can, to be sure they're operating. (You don't want to find out 2 years from now that these never worked!)

Mark

Is it possible to output video via the firewire ports. My laptop has a firewire port and wanted to capture video digitally. I have been using an analog setup with my camcorder, and I am losing quality all over the place.

??

So, I unpacked this mother yesterday and got everything set up. They are not kidding with this thing - it is a heavy sucker! But, WOW - what an amazing image. I am using the Momitsu 880DX with a DVI-HDMI cable and upscaling to 720p. There are times it looks like you can almost put your hand through the screen!

I have two questions though. If I am using the Momitsu to upscale to 720p, should the DRC mode be set to Progressive or Cinemotion? I have it set to progressive now and it looks great but I'm not sure. What exactly does 'Cinemotion' do?

Also, I have some slight geometry bowing in the top left and bottom left of the screen. On 16x9 material it is really not noticable, but on 1:2.35 material you can see the black bars turn slightly in at the corners. Is there a way in the service menu to correct this? It only affects the left corners. I will probably wait a month or so to let the set "burn in" before I go messing with service menu options, but I would like to correct it.

Thanks, Greg

I've had my 960 for about a month now and the only problem I have is also with the geometry and am looking into checking out in the service menue to see if it can help if possible. How exactly do you get into the service menue?

Yes you can adjust this, but it will never be axactly perfect. Do a search for the official xbr910 thread, and you will find the info you need to help you cal it. Someone posted an Excel spread sheet of the service manual with good descriptions of the adjustments. It maybe somewhere in this thread also. Make sure to copy the default setting's down, as the geometry settings take some time to figure out, and you may need to take a step back at some point.

Check out this thread

http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=368718

We've had our XBR960's (one for me...one for the wife and kids) for 3 and a half weeks now and other than slight geometry issues in the upper left and right corners...these damn TV sets are AWESOME!!!! Mines is hooked up via Cox cable card while theirs has a COX STB with built in DVR. I've tweaked the PQ referencing quite a few recommendations from this thread and without throwing out more superlatives of praise...besides the great deal I got from Bernie's here in CT, let's just say this was one of the best purchases I've ever made.

P.S. In order for me to get mines...HAD to get THEM one too.

I had a chance to use the DVE disc the other night and am happy to say almost all my settings were spot on. Since I have Comcast HD with a Motorola box, I called Comcast to see if they broadcast a test signal but unfortunately they do not. My geometry is fine and I consider myself lucky not to have to go into the service menu, yet. The picture is really amazing when the source was shot in HD as well. Am I missing something? Is it common to be able to get a great picture from DVE and the user menu?
Thanks,
Jim

Originally posted by Greg Samsa

I have two questions though. If I am using the Momitsu to upscale to 720p, should the DRC mode be set to Progressive or Cinemotion? I have it set to progressive now and it looks great but I'm not sure. What exactly does 'Cinemotion' do?

Thanks, Greg

If I remember correctly DRC is disabled on a 720p signal, so you should not be able to select Progressive or Cinemotion. Cinemotion is used for Film based material, it engages a 3/2 pulldown to convert from 24 frames per second to 30 frames per second. Progressive is good for Video based material, Freinds or Seinfeld for example. If your are close to the TV you may actually prefer interlaced.

Why does a top-of-the-line CRT t.v. like the XBR960 have geometry that's off on quite a few of the sets? Also, does
anyone know if Sony is aware of this problem, and has it been fixed on all new production XBR960 t.v.'s?

That's a very good question and is the only reason I haven't bought an XBR960 already.

Originally posted by Dunedain
Why does a top-of-the-line CRT t.v. like the XBR960 have geometry that's off on quite a few of the sets? Also, does
anyone know if Sony is aware of this problem, and has it been fixed on all new production XBR960 t.v.'s?

Dunedain:

I don't think it's so much a fault of Sony as much a fault of aperture grill CRT technology. The one benefit of plasma or LCD technology is better geometry, though these two technologies have their own list of faults. However, when compared to other widescreen CRTs I've seen, Sony actually comes the closest to near perfect geometry.

On my 19" Sony Trinitron CRT computer monitor, I can notice, if I look really hard, slight geometry issues in the corners. Blow this up to 34", and the flaw becomes magnified.

If geometry is an issue for you, grab an LCD. However, I think you're sacrificing a lot more by going with an LCD over what little you gain.

I have no intention of going with an inferior LCD display, for a t.v. or even for a computer monitor. :)

Well, if it's just a minor thing on the geometry, then it's no big deal I guess. Although it would be nice
to see it further improved.

Of far more concern is the apparent frequency of bad power supplies in the XBR960. Reliablity is a must
with a high-end t.v., so this needs to be corrected ASAP, so no more t.v.'s are made with this problem.

Do any XBR960 owners have computers hooked up to their t.v.'s? If so what video cards are you using?


Thanks for your help.

Anyone been able to get the firmware updated on this TV? I know service bulletins are out there, and can get updates via memory stick...

I haven't heard of this hancox, please keep us posted if you hear anything.

Upscaling Question...

I bought the NS975. I didn't purchase for the upscaling, since I have read I won't see anything better, in terms of PQ, on the 960. I bought it so I can free up one of my componets Inputs, by using the HDMI port on the television. I have been fiddling with the player settings, toggling between, 1080 and 720, but I wonder, should I just leave it at 480p?

Perhaps I would get the best PQ on that setting?
I'm a novice to this native resolution stuff.

I've noticed that the bars on the left and right and top and bottom are parallel and are not bowed but are not the same width.

Adjustment from the menu helps but doesn't completely correct.

Is this whats referred to as "geometry problems" in this thread? Enough to warrant a return? Can I correct without a calibration?

Need some input please. I don't have the 960 but do have the 955. Can anyone confirm if they have the below issue or not with the 960? I only have 10 days left to decide if this issue is going to bug me enough to warrant a return. I also know this might be me being very picky... ;)

The issue I have is with what I will call an "offset shadow ghost" that is always about 1/10" to the right of images viewed on my TV. Kind of like the grayscale image is to the right by 1/10" of the color image. It does it with all inputs and with HD and SD TV as well. It is most noticeable with animated DVDs like Aladdin, Lion King, Nemo, etc, because of the solid color fields. With 4:3 content it is very obvious to see to the right of the left black bar.

Here is a close up shot I posted a while back of Simba's paw. Notice the shadow to the right of each paw pad.
http://www.meettheferrells.com/photos/albums/userpics/junk/paw.jpg
Does anyone else have this type of issue? Can you play an animated DVD and look close to see if you see it? Do you see a shadow line to the right of the left bar is 4:3 mode?

Since the above shot, I have gone into the service menu and adjusted
SYSM=3 (flat)
VMLV=0
VMCR=0
VMLM=0
VMFO=0
VMDL=0

This keeps the problem from being emphasized by Scanning Velocity Modulation especially SYSM=3 but it is still slightly visible.

The Circuit City tech guy came out today and acknowledged the problem, but said the rest of the image looked so good, he did not want to adjust anything since he did not know exactly what was causing the problem.


Thanks much for any input!

Ronnie Ferrell

After adjusting SYSM on my set I got a strange double image on the right side of images that resembles the edge enhancement that u would find on DVDs. I fixed that effect by adjusting PPHA. From the pic u showed me, it looks like your TV has ghosting and both of my XBRs came with a slight amount of ghosting when I brought them home.

I want to share the focus adjustments I have made in the service menu because they improved my picture so drastically. I tried adjusting the focus on the dot pattern I found in the VE disk and I had trouble making out if some of the dots were actually getting smaller. Instead I popped in NBA2K on my XBOX, picked my team, and adjusted focus so that all of the players faces on the roster screen look as clear as possible. Next, I popped in the VE disk and brought up the test pattern to get the corners as clear as possible. Here are my results... Keep in mind that if you adjust the focus you will have to redo the convergence. Also, I really want to know what the QPDV adjustment does as well as the QPDP adjustment.

2170D-4 0 QPAM 31
2170D-4 1 QPAV 63
2170D-4 2 QPAP 15
2170D-4 3 QPDC 34
2170D-4 4 QPDV 63
2170D-4 5 QPDP 6
2170D-4 6 CPY1 0
2170D-4 7 DF 39
2170D-4 8 DQP 33

How did you determine what functions are served by the 2107D-4 values that you mention in your post? I have looked throughout AVS and elsewhere for a service menu chart for the XBR960 similar to that which is posted for the XBR910, because I want to reduce the overscan on my XBR960, but have not been able to find one. Even the service menu chart for the XBR910 does not explain the function of each of the 2170D-4 values .
Thanks very much.
Ron

PS. Please reply to rekalil@wisc.edu

those adjustments are focus adjustments. Most of them focus the corners but blur the middle of the screen and visa versa.

I reduced overscan by adjusting HSIZ and VSIZ as well as a couple of geometry adjustments but I can't think of them off hand.

yeah, HSIZ and VSIZ will helps you adjust overscan. So are HPOS and VPOS which helps center the screen pic.

You can find VPOS and VSIZ on 217OD-1.

and HPOS and HSIZ on 2170D-2.

XP driver?

Like HooDSide I'd like to try recording from the ATSC tuner through firewire to a PC.

Is there any driver out there that might work?

Question on tuning Digital channels.

Hi. Sorry if this has been adressed before, the thread is very long and I am only up to page 45. A search did not help me get an answer.

I recently got my new XBR960. I live in CT and have Comcast digital cable. Is the tv's tuner supposed to be able to show me all the non-premium digital channels (higher than 100)??

The confusing thing is that I can get some channels like DIY (121) and Fine living (122) but none of the others (for example, G4-tech TV in channel 138, if I try to tune 138 and go to diagnostics, both in band and out of band say UNLOCK). Am I missing something here? The built in tuner works great otherwise. HD rules, PBSHD is my favorite. If there is a thread better suited to answer this question, I sure would appreciate the advice. Thanks,.

Correction.

In fact, the diagnostics for 138 say:

In Band (FAT)
89
615000
QAM256
LOCK
0
31-32
20

Out of Band (FDC)
70000
772
1544
unlock
0

Cable card: none

Thanks

I am finding some information to this regard around post 1368 in this thread. It seems that my cable company may be encrypting these channels and thus I can not see them.....

You have to get a cable card to get anything encrypted.

r6rome,

You should be able to get the non-premium HD channels such as PBS and CBS. Do a search through all the channels to find them. They will have a decimal in them (at least mine do) such as 81.1 or 118.2. Of course, they will not match the locations that Comcast lists for them. Just start at the bottom and keep pushing that up channel button.

Hi guys. thanks for the replies. Actually, I do get all the non-premiun HD channels. I get PBS, Fox, ABC, CBS and ESPN. I kinda had a feeling that what mr2828 says is right, that I do have to get a cable card. I wanted to bounce this off y'all to make sure I wasn't missing something obvious

Now, what is your take, should I wait for the cable cards that will allow PPV and on-demand? it seems to me that right now, cable cards are not quite up to par with the STB. Any idea when the 'next gen' cable cards will come out? The main advantages is that 1) I would free up a componenet imput and 2) no stb to rent.

Originally posted by r6rome
Hi guys. thanks for the replies. Actually, I do get all the non-premiun HD channels. I get PBS, Fox, ABC, CBS and ESPN. I kinda had a feeling that what mr2828 says is right, that I do have to get a cable card. I wanted to bounce this off y'all to make sure I wasn't missing something obvious

Now, what is your take, should I wait for the cable cards that will allow PPV and on-demand? it seems to me that right now, cable cards are not quite up to par with the STB. Any idea when the 'next gen' cable cards will come out? The main advantages is that 1) I would free up a componenet imput and 2) no stb to rent.

My HD cable box only adds $6 per month to my cable bill, so I've never thought it was that big of a deal. Right now, I'm waiting for the upgrade to a HD PVR STB, provided the cost is not outrageous.

Two-way cable cards will not work on the XBR960 even when they release. I haven't heard much that indicates when we will see that technology. The consensus is not in next years models, probably the following years models.

Cable cards usually are free or only like $1 a month to rent, so I would go ahead and get one. Although honestly I do not use one in my 960. What's the point when you can get a very nice dual-tuner HD DVR from Comcast for $9.95 a month?

Hello all.. I'm a relative noob, but had a question. I am considering getting this set but was wondering if anyone has used the xbr for xbox?? My current t.v. is a 27 inch dynaflat hd 4:9 ratio. I was wondering if anyone has compared this set to other ones using there xbox. For instance... How does 720p games look on this set?? Are they better looking than if you played a 720p game on a 480p set?? Any comments would help me out. Ohh ya, and how is the widescreen?? Does it seem to work well with 720p WS games?? Thanks.

Originally posted by mr2828
Cable cards usually are free or only like $1 a month to rent, so I would go ahead and get one. Although honestly I do not use one in my 960. What's the point when you can get a very nice dual-tuner HD DVR from Comcast for $9.95 a month?

That's a price I can live with, and hopefully Brighthouse will be offering the HD DVR in a month or so.

Originally posted by mukdweller
Hello all.. I'm a relative noob, but had a question. I am considering getting this set but was wondering if anyone has used the xbr for xbox?? My current t.v. is a 27 inch dynaflat hd 4:9 ratio. I was wondering if anyone has compared this set to other ones using there xbox. For instance... How does 720p games look on this set?? Are they better looking than if you played a 720p game on a 480p set?? Any comments would help me out. Ohh ya, and how is the widescreen?? Does it seem to work well with 720p WS games?? Thanks.


xbox games look awesome on this set. for ex, halo 2 and grand theft auto (both in HD) are 1000x clearer on the xbr960. you will not be disappointed.

..I concur, I couldn't be happier with the way most of my xbox games look. The new Mercenaries looks damn good in widescreen. There are a handful of games however, that suffer from a digital set, such as fable with the sloppy artifacts on special effects. 720 games are few and far between, but even with the side conversion to 1080i, they look awesome.

xbox games.

Here is a honest asessment.

I find that most xbox games are 480 P, Halo 2 included. Having said that, they look excellent. The best looking game I have put in so far is SOul calibur 2, which is 720 P. The into cinematic fills the screen and is incredible.

If you use the component input, be sure to eanble the dashboard for widescreen tv and to anable the 480i, 720 p and 1080i modes.

In Halo 2, you have to put the tv in FULL mode for it to fill the screen in single player. The cinmatics looks awesome. The gameplay will look a bit streched, but you get used to it. Interestingly, if you play in coop mode, the screens are side by side, and they do not look streched at all. I did have to adjust the brightness ans some other setting to get it to how I liked it. I am using the xbos high def AV pack.

All in all, i am very happy with how the xbox looks. I am not using it for DVD's however, as I have a better DVD player,

>>Does it seem to work well with 720p WS games?

Are there any other than Soul Calibur? Halo 2 is only 480p. SOuls calibur 2 BTW, will play in 720p, but will show some vertical bars on the side.

Originally posted by mr2828
What's the point when you can get a very nice dual-tuner HD DVR from Comcast for $9.95 a month?

What we have here is a failure of imagination. I have been known to watch one show via the cablecard in my 960 while recording two shows on my HD DVR. :D

Thanks for all your responses!! Yes there are some other 720p games like Xmen legends, and all the new Tony Hawk games. Another question I have is has anyone compared the xbr with a lower res hd tube?? For instance I wondered if I would see a difference in picture quility from my Dynaflat HD 27 inch 4:9 to the XBR??? I've read that the xbr has much better resolution than other tube televisions. So how would Halo2 look running in 480p on the xbr compared with my dynaflat running in 480p?? The same?? Or would the better resolution on the xbr be a big difference even though both t.v.s are running in 480p?? This has always confused me.

I believe only high definition sources like 1080i will use the extra resolution the 960 provides. 480p sources won't look any better than 480p.

Ahh this has always puzzled me, thanks for the response. So maybe I should hang on to my dynaflat hd{even though I don't get WS 480p} and wait until xbox next when all games will be running in 720p or 1080i. Then I will probably really see the difference from my current set??

I've had this TV since mid-October and when I turned on the TV tonight there was no picture, only the flashing red light. I'm pretty sure I turned off the TV last night. I tried turning the power again with the remote and then with the power button on the TV set and got the same result. I then unplugged it for a couple of minutes and plugged it back in and it was fine. A bit scary, but I hope everything is fine from now on as I didn't buy any extended warranty coverage. I have the standard 2yr warranty card for Sony XBRs although CC insists its only a one year coverage. Has this happened to anyone else?

Originally posted by mukdweller
Ahh this has always puzzled me, thanks for the response. So maybe I should hang on to my dynaflat hd{even though I don't get WS 480p} and wait until xbox next when all games will be running in 720p or 1080i. Then I will probably really see the difference from my current set??

I sold my 27" Samsung dynaflat HD to a friend and bought the xbr960 because I was sick of the cruddy dot pitch at the edges and I was gonna get a better HD set sooner or later, so I went slightly above my budget and bought the 960. I don't have any HD content right now, but I just had to get rid of that crappy 27".
I know that the next generation of consoles from MS and Sony will have alot more (if not all) HD titles and there's also the HD video mediums that might catch on soon too. In your case, if you are happy with the picture of your dynaflat, I don't see any reason to upgrade just yet (especially if better tvs than the 960 come out)

What do you mean by cruddy dot pitch?? Sorry I'm a noob.

Originally posted by mukdweller
What do you mean by cruddy dot pitch?? Sorry I'm a noob.

At the right and left sides of the screen the phosphor dots are spaced so far apart that the "screen door" effect is clearly visible from up to 11 feet away; And from up to 15 feet away, which is more viewing distance than I have in my room, it is still visible as a sort of fading of the image at the sides. Very bad for picture quality.

Yung,
I had the same issue. Powered on the set, heard the degausiing circuit do its thing, the red led on the front panel flashes several times and nothing, no picture no sound. i also unplugged the set for a few minutes and it was okay. I had my set for only five days when it happened. Its now about a week old and I am awaiting word from Sony about this issue.
Jon

Hello All,

Does anyone have knowledge on the Kd-34xbr960’s overscan?

I received an inexpensive DVI to HDMI cable from Monoprice on Saturday. I am using it to post this message with legible text on my XBR960. I have set it up as the second monitor off my ATI 9600XT graphics card with a 1280X720 resolution at 59Hz.

I would like to know how to manage the overscan when using it as a PC monitor.

I have downloaded and tested both ATI’ latest driver (5.1) and Powerstrip. I still have not eliminated the overscan.

Kind Regards,

SoManyInputs

Hello All,

Had a question that has been running through my mind for a while:

When you click on the remote's Display button depending on the source, it displays the aspect along with the scan line resolution + interlaced/progressive.

My question is this:

Does the XBR actually maintain this when you physically view it on the tube or does it upscale all these to its default of 1080 lines? In other words when the source is a 480i based source, is the XBR diplaying this on th tube at 480 lines or is it upsaling this to 1080i? Similar question for 480p & 720p?

Just curious to learn - any feedback/opinions on this would be greatly appreciated.

KOB

Originally posted by Yung
I've had this TV since mid-October and when I turned on the TV tonight there was no picture, only the flashing red light. I'm pretty sure I turned off the TV last night. I tried turning the power again with the remote and then with the power button on the TV set and got the same result. I then unplugged it for a couple of minutes and plugged it back in and it was fine. A bit scary, but I hope everything is fine from now on as I didn't buy any extended warranty coverage. I have the standard 2yr warranty card for Sony XBRs although CC insists its only a one year coverage. Has this happened to anyone else?


Same thing for me as well. i shut off my strip and turned it back on after a few minutes and the set was fine. I've had a recurring problem w/ the channel autoprogramming. Basically ever once in a while the channel memory gets mysteriously wiped out and I have autoprogram it which takes about 45 minutes. There is a service bulletin on this issue so the myer emco guy is coming out to fix it next week via a memory stick software upgrade. The problem seems to occur after I've used the channel label function. in addditon to wiping the channel memory, the channel labels get wiped out as well. I also suspect that the cold weather is a factor because it happened twice in one week when it was exceptionally cold (we use the zone heating so I don't have the heater on in the living room at night). Curious to see if anyone else has experienced this problem. :D

I have an XBR-960 that was purchased in November. It is turned on only two or three times a week and therefore hasn't seen much use. Nevertheless, the TV always has always turned on normally. I have never experienced any problem in this regard (overscan and poor geometry in the corners are another story). However, I'm concerned by the frequent reports of power-on failures appearing in this group from others who have owned their XBR960 for as little as a few days to several months. In view of these reports, I called the two local CC stores and a regional independent retailer to inquire whether their display model XBR960s had ever failed to power on normally. Each of the three stores reported the same thing; namely, that the sets are run for 12 hours each day, turned off each evening and turned on in the morning, 7 days a week, and there has never been a problem with the display model XBR960s turning on each morning, and in one of the stores this normal behavior has persisted for nearly 6 months.
While I realize that this is a small sample, these display sets are subject to a very heavy duty cycle, yet they appear to turn on and off normally. This makes me wonder whether the reports of power-on failures in this group, which seem unrelated to date of manufacture or duration of use, may be caused by local conditions such as low voltage swings or power surges.
Opinions on this from other would be appreciated.
Thanks
Ron

I think it's a one-time only thing for everyone who has experienced it. My old 27" WEGA (non widescreen) did it three days after my family purchased it. Hasn't happened since. Has been running fine for several years.

Originally posted by kindofblue
Hello All,

Had a question that has been running through my mind for a while:

When you click on the remote's Display button depending on the source, it displays the aspect along with the scan line resolution + interlaced/progressive.

My question is this:

Does the XBR actually maintain this when you physically view it on the tube or does it upscale all these to its default of 1080 lines? In other words when the source is a 480i based source, is the XBR diplaying this on th tube at 480 lines or is it upsaling this to 1080i? Similar question for 480p & 720p?

Just curious to learn - any feedback/opinions on this would be greatly appreciated.

KOB


I have also wondered this. Anybody have an answer? So does the 720p signal display at 720 or does it scale it to 1080i?

I've had my 34XBR for just over a month and haven't experienced the power problems.

I'm using a Monster $400 power center to avoid such problems.

Originally posted by foxfan
I've had my 34XBR for just over a month and haven't experienced the power problems.

I'm using a Monster $400 power center to avoid such problems.

means nothing. it happened to me and I am using a comparable power center.

Originally posted by rekalil
While I realize that this is a small sample, these display sets are subject to a very heavy duty cycle, yet they appear to turn on and off normally. This makes me wonder whether the reports of power-on failures in this group, which seem unrelated to date of manufacture or duration of use, may be caused by local conditions such as low voltage swings or power surges.
Opinions on this from other would be appreciated.
Thanks
Ron

Ron: I've actually been through 2 XBR960's with this problem, and the 3rd one is being delivered tomorrow. For whatever reason, the unplug "reset" has not worked for me, so the TV's were inoperable.

I have certainly considered that I may be having some power issues at my house. But my house is brand new, and I have not had any issues with my computers, audio equipment or other TV's. I've discussed this directly with Sony, and they seem to be inclined to believe that my XBR's have had faulty power supplies in them, and the failures were not due to user error on my part.

I guess my take on this is that any power surges or low voltage issues could potentially damage electronic equipment, however, some variability in the power supply should be expected. These things are not new occurrences and we have plugged in TV's directly to the outlet with no fancy power conditioners for years with no issues. I expect that when purchasing a $2K TV that it should be a plug and play event, and there is no need to invest another couple of hundred dollars in a power conditioner to make sure that the TV will turn on reliably.

Just my $0.02. DK.

SoManyInputs,

There is a dedicated thread to using the 960 as a monitor. It's referenced somewhere in this thread, but I think it's located in the HTPC section.

In the March 2005 Issue of Cunsumer reports there is an article on Big Screen Tv's, all types.

Pages 22 and 23 has the info on the 34XBR960 and its bretheren, The 960 is selected as one the 'quick picks' and 'excellent with HD and very good or excellent with DVD and regular TV'. The longer warranty of the 960 is mentioned.

The 960 scores thus:
Price listed at $1800

Overall: Very good + (looks like 88 % out of 100)
HD Programming: Excellent
DVD playback: Excellent
SD TV via high-quality input: Very good
SD TV via basic inout: Very good
Sound: Excellent
Ease of use: Good

Built in HD tunre : yes
Rear inputs: comp: 2, S-vid: 2, Composite: 3

Waranty: 24/24

I'd like to see that price. Most of the "traditional" retaillers are sticking to MSRP, at least at the ask.

While I do remember reading about this issue somewhere in this forum, I was unable to locate it, hence I am posting this one.

This issue has been bothering me for some time now. When I use the "normal" Screen mode (shows picture in 4:3 aspect with 2 vertical pillar bars on the side), I notice that there is a slight outward curve on the left hand vertical bar. While that isn't too bad, also noticed that there is a slight inward curve on both the horizontal bars when watching video source that has aspect greater than 1.78

Has anyone else seen this? If you have, can you tell me if this is something that can be corrected & how?. Since I am still within the first 30 day window, I can always get it replaced, but would like to know if this can be corrected.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

KOB

I just purchased an XBR960 at a local vermont dealer, and got 10% off. They had it in stock, and will deliver it Friday or Monday. It replaces a Sony LCD 32M1 that I got from them last week. Unfortunately the 32M1 had several areas of the screen that had bright hot spots.

Originally posted by kindofblue
While I do remember reading about this issue somewhere in this forum, I was unable to locate it, hence I am posting this one.

This issue has been bothering me for some time now. When I use the "normal" Screen mode (shows picture in 4:3 aspect with 2 vertical pillar bars on the side), I notice that there is a slight outward curve on the left hand vertical bar. While that isn't too bad, also noticed that there is a slight inward curve on both the horizontal bars when watching video source that has aspect greater than 1.78

Has anyone else seen this? If you have, can you tell me if this is something that can be corrected & how?. Since I am still within the first 30 day window, I can always get it replaced, but would like to know if this can be corrected.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

KOB
There are geometry adjustments in the service menu to try to make it look better. Keep in mind that this tube is curved horizontally, which will produce some small distortions near the edges. I've never seen a flat CRT with perfect geometry due to the nature of the technology. If you do feel it's too much of a distraction, exchange it for another one. You might want to see if you can have it taken out of the box so you can test it.

Does the 960 output DD 5.1 that's fed into it via the HDMI input? It seems that if I want to use the HDMI jack on the Scientific Atlanta 8300HD cable box DVR, the TV it's connected to has to support 5.1 itself and pump it out via the digital out--otherwise, I can only get Pro Logic II from the 8300, even if I'm running a digital cable from the 8300 to my receiver.

Don't exchange your TV because of that unless it is REALLY bad. Mine does the same exact thing, in addition to that, the left and right sides aren't as sharp as the center. You can especially notice this on the Windows desktop if you have it connected to a computer. As someone else said, that's the technology. This screen still looks better than other HDTV technologies with its flaws. If you return it, you could get one that is worse. I can even see bend horizontally when the channel display is up.

Joe

can anyone verify whether or not it's *actually true* that the XS955 really has the exact same tube as the 960? If so, I would definitely like to save the money, as I'm not interested in the additional features listed below. However, if there really is any actual difference in the tubes and therefore PQ, I'd love to know before I shell out the cash.

Can anyone actually verify this?


Originally posted by Gage33
I did a comparison on the Sony webiste between the XS955 34" and the XBR960 34" and here are the only differences:

iLink
XBR: 3 total
XS: 0 total

Dimensions
XBR: 39 1/8" x 25 5/8" x 23 7/8"
XS: 39 1/8" x 30 5/8" x 25"

Weight
XBR: 196 lbs
XS: 205 lbs

Parts Warranty
XBR: 2 Year/2 Years for Tube
XS: 1 Year/2 Years for Tube

Labor Warranty
XBR: 2 years
XS: 90 days

Yes they both have TruSurround.
One thing is I think the Xs955 may not have PiP.

To me, the XBR is not worth it unless you really need iLink. As far as I can tell, the PQ should be identical between these two sets. You can always buy a cheaper warranty from where ever you bought the TV.

I think I am going with the XS.

"I did a comparison on the Sony webiste between the XS955 34" and the XBR960 34" and here are the only differences:"

I think the XBR has a digital/optical audio out.

hi, I changed the following and I think it gave me a brighter, sharper picture with less edge enhancement. I do think that the colors look a little more "artificial" now though. Earlier I said that changing YLEV to 38 was good but I was mistaken though because on the Ice Age THX test, in the contrast test pattern I could not differenciate between the shades of white.

YLEV from 19 to 28
SHAP from 4 to 2
YOSW from 0 to 1
SHFO from 1 to 0
LTLV from ? to 0
YCON from 1 to 0
SCOL from 32 to 42
GAMR from ? to 11
GAMG from ? to 11
GAMB from ? to 11

DRC pallete is 25 sharpness and 0 DNR

STANDARD
Contrast 28
Brightness 32
Color 29
Hue G1
Sharpness 29

hope to hear back from ppl who have given my adjustments a shot.

The January 2005 issue of Widescreen Review carries a review of the XBR960. In it the reviewer states:
"DRC stands for Digital Reality Creation, and is Sony’s trademark for their built-in line doubler. Three settings are offered for DRC control; interlaced, progressive,
and Cinemotion. Cinemotion is intended for film-based material viewed through an interlaced input and performs a proper 3-2 pulldown conversion of 24 frames per second (fps) film to 60 fps video. The progressive setting is intended for still pictures or graphics. NTSC 480i input signals are converted to 960i, and 720p HD signals are displayed at 1080i. If the DRC control is set to Progressive, then the display is set to 540p."

Writing to confirm this with Sony, I asked what the XBR960 displayed when it received a 480i signal. A Sony "technician" replied: "A 480i signal with the use of cinemotion will be seen as if it were a 480p, a 480p signal will be viewed as a 480p TV"
Writing back to Sony to ask for an explanation of the discrepancy in explaining how a 480i signal is displayed, the Sony technician refused to comment, referring me to the telephone support line, which in my experience is worse than the on-line support.

Does anyone know for certain what the XBR960 displays when it receives a 480i signal?

Thanks very much.
Ron

hey when your set is hooked up to a non progressive(480i) DVD player you are using your TVs line doubler. If you set you TV to interlaced you will get a 480i picture that flickers. If you set your TV to Progressive you get a 480P picture. If you set you TV to cinemotion you get a 480P signal that does 3:2 pulldown.

IMO the 34 inch sonys have line doublers that look better than any progressive scan DVD players I have used.

Originally posted by Dark Rain
There are geometry adjustments in the service menu to try to make it look better. Keep in mind that this tube is curved horizontally, which will produce some small distortions near the edges. I've never seen a flat CRT with perfect geometry due to the nature of the technology. If you do feel it's too much of a distraction, exchange it for another one. You might want to see if you can have it taken out of the box so you can test it.

Just got my 960 yesterday and am absolutely knocked out by the picture quality. However, I have the geometric distortion on 4:3 screens and well as a waviness in horizontal lines such as those generated by my DVD player. Both are bothersome and easily seen even by my wife. I am willing to attempt to adjust these myself rather that losing a day of work and waiting for a technician to show up.

Can anyone tell me how to get into the service menu?

With the tv turned off: display, 5, volume+, power.

You cannot correct horizontal defects thru the service menu. Sony uses little magnets to align the image attached to the nect of the CRTs. I do not recommend anyone to go into the service menu as the descriptions are very cryptic and messing around with the wrong settings can really mess up the TV. That's why the service menu is not accessible by mere mortals.

Probably good advice. I got into the service menu and realized that I had no idea what to do next. I will call a service guy to come out to work his magic.

Hello,
Thanks to all the folks here for sharing their knowledge. I've read this entire thread.

I live in the Washington DC metro area and bought a 34XBR960 about 4 weeks ago from a local franchise, Myer-Emco. I paid about three hundred off the list price for an open box (manufactured August 05). This is my first HDTV. I tuned the set with Digital Video Essentials (DVE) and I'm happy with everyting except overscan. According to DVE both verticle and horizontal overscan are about 4.5 to 5 percent. Right now I'm using the set with OTA broadcast and Prog. DVD connected via component cables. Eventually I'll add my sat. DTV box (non-HDTV, best output is S-video).

I contacted Kevin Miller in New York for a recommendation on an ISF calibrator. Kevin Miller wrote the review of this set on CNET.com. His web site is www.isftv.com. I think he is considered a reliable source. Kevin recommended a guy in Wash. DC and shown below is what this guy wrote to me.

I understand that ISF calibration may improve color accuracy and other things, but the only thing really bothering me is the overscan. Actually I'm very happy with the color after using DVE, and any other things like geomotry and focus must not be too bad because I don't notice a problem.

It seems to me that $450 is a steep price to pay for calibration. I've called two other calibrators (found at www.imagingscience.com) and they haven't returned my call after two weeks. Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks, jeff

------------------------
From ISF Calibrator:

You mentioned you were experiencing what you felt was too much overscan. While I can bring it down somewhat, it's been my experience that when I try to get it much lower, I run into a nonlinearity on the edges, which results in a "fun house mirror" effect on left and right panning shots. In fact, if you think you see any gross geometric problems, you may want to have Myer Emco look at it, as this kind of thing varies from one serial number set to the next, and is dependent on the actual CRT in your set.

The basic ISF service is $225, and covers 1 format. Your Sony is calibrated by a combination of input type and formats. I then charge $80 for the first extra format (1080i) and $40 for all other formats (480p, 720p, DVI, etc.). The color decoder on these sets out of the box is not accurate, and I will perform the necessary alignments to make it accurate. I then calibrate all of your user settings (contrast, brightness, color, tint, and sharpness) so that the "correct" settings will be had with one of the modes selected and the "Reset" button pressed. I will also verify the performance of your DVD player to make sure it is set up correctly and working well with your set.

I then charge $100 per hour for focus, convergence and geometry alignments, but your set has very few necessary alignments that fall into this category. Unless you are having any specific problems in this area, budget $25 for this, if that much.

I also charge a service call fee of $75 to come to most areas around DC, so the total cost should be $445.

Hi Jeff,

I contacted the same guy re my 960 and opted not to go with calibration because of the price. This person has a good reputation and while I'm sure that he would would have made a significant difference on my set, I am very happy with the settings after using DVE. I would caution you about the open box set you got from Myer Emco which is where I bought by set. My first one was manufactured in August 04 and had focus issues as well as color and "crispness" issues. I returned it and they gave me a new one which I am happy with. The people at Myer Emco have great service (which you basically pay for by paying retail) and I would highly recommend getting the service plan for this set. For example, a service guy is coming out to fix my autoprogramming memory issue. It is much easier to go through Myer emco than Sony in terms of service. good luck and enjoy!

Hi 7thstranger,

Thanks for all the info. I agree with you about Myer-Emco - I've had good luck with them for over a decade. I bought the 4-year service plan extension , so I'm covered for 6 years all together.

I have the DVE disk also. How would I look for the issues you mentioned: focus, color, and crispness?

How is the overscan situation on your set? Do you think 4.5 to 5 percent is acceptable?

Do you think Myer-Emco will replace my set even if I purchased more than 30 days ago? My 30 day mark is coming up this Friday.
Many Thanks, jeff

I do not know enough about overscan to give you an educated answer. Maybe you can tell me about this. In terms of the focus issues etc. that I had, it was clear to me when, for example, the move credits are scrolling and the credits on the left and and right 1/3 of the screen were blurry while the middle of the screen was crystal clear. when my dvd player played its "Screen saver" or desktop, you could tell that there was a lot of noise (almost like pixelation) around the words. On my new set, this is not the case.

Re Myer emco, they will definetly replace your set after the 30 days but it is a lot cleaner (no questions asked) if you replace it before your 30 days are up.

When I pull up the favorites menu or use split view, I sometimes lose audio. This occurs on both analog and digital channels. I have to pull up a channel via favorites or switch to another video input to get the audio back. Has anyone else experienced this?

Does anyone know of a way to directly go to a specified input instead of having to cycle through all of the ones I haven't already set to Skip?

I find myself hitting the input button so much I really think I can wear it out.

Thanks!

Anyone know if the tuner will pickup cable hd signals, all my hd channels are on channel 700 and above.
You can program the inputs to ones you use.
This is hard decision to buy considering i can get a plasma or lcd for about the same price.

The tuner will pick up unencrypted digital HD channels.

pdroth
I can't say for certain but I thought I remembered reading on this read that there is a remote code for skipping to certain inputs. You would have to have a remote that you could program to the appropriate code (I think it might have been for a different Sony TV) and then a learning remote that you could transfer the new code to.

Try a search.

Originally posted by pdroth
Does anyone know of a way to directly go to a specified input instead of having to cycle through all of the ones I haven't already set to Skip?

I find myself hitting the input button so much I really think I can wear it out.

Thanks!

Well, I don't know, but what about using a learning remote? My guess is there's a discreet code for each input (as opposed to just a "next input" command that would cycle through the inputs.)

The reason I believe this will work is our kids gave us a Harmony remote for Xmas. It either "knows" the proper codes or it cycles through them, because it does select the right codes and we never have to think about selecting the inputs. (I think it's great, although a bit pricey.)

Mark

Which Harmony remote do you have? Someone else recommended that to me as well.

Discrete codes are definitely what I am looking for. Too bad there isn't a way to use them on the remote provided.

Originally posted by pdroth
Which Harmony remote do you have? Someone else recommended that to me as well.

Discrete codes are definitely what I am looking for. Too bad there isn't a way to use them on the remote provided.

I have the 659--the "entry level" unit.

So where can i find the best price for a new Sony 34XBR960?

I currently have the 34XBR910. I bought it back in December of 2003. It has been a great TV and I have had Zero issues with it. Since I have not been around the boards for a long time and I was never looking at other sets, I did not know that Sony had released the 960.

So, if I have a perfectly working 910, is the 960 worth getting? I have someone that is willing to buy my 910 and I just wanted to know if there is that much of a difference between the 910 and the 960 to warrent doing it.

My primary use is Video Gaming (Xbox), DVD & Cable.

Thanks!

Your call Hawkmoon -

Upgrades are: HDMI instead of DVI; firewire ports; built in HD tuner; cablecard (one way); a nicer one screen menu system; and, perhaps incrementally better pq (though the tube part is the same, and most people seem to think the changes would be minimal).

Alternatively, Sony has a history of announcing their updates in late Feb. I have been watching this link to see if the successor to the 960 will have anything to make me delay my purchase.

http://news.sel.sony.com/pressroom/consumer_products_services/television/

(waiting for a Feb 05 press release, the Jan 05 one isn't relevant to this discussion)

For me, cable card, and the built-in tuner are appealing (firewire too, if I ever went for a HTPC or D-VHS) enough for me to buy a 960. But I doubt I'd sell a perfectly good 910 unless my net cash outlay would be minimal.

If a new model has two-way cablecard, I'll probably wait a while longer for the 960's successor.

So I've checked the last few pages and done a couple of searches and still don't know the answer to my question, so here goes:

When you use the HMDI input can you still utilize the screen modes (wide zoom, etc). In particular, can you use the Wide Zoom mode with a 480i source coming in through the HDMI?

I know that Wide Zoom is possible with a 480i source via component cables, because that's my current hook-up. I'm about to pick up a new cable box that has the HDMI port (SA 8300HD with Time Warner NYC), and I'd like to use it as my single connection between my TV and cable box, passing all sources (480i/480p/720p/1080i). I like to use the single cable so I don't have to change inputs when going from HD to SD (that's one of the reasons I love this TV).

As background, I'm not 100% sure the HDMI port is active (I've got a question posted in another forum), and even if it is, I'm not sure that the cable box can/will pass 480i through the HDMI port.

If anybody knows about this, any help would be much appreciated.

"Alternatively, Sony has a history of announcing their updates in late Feb. I have been watching this link to see if the successor to the 960 will have anything to make me delay my purchase."

"If a new model has two-way cablecard, I'll probably wait a while longer for the 960's successor."

I think we're all going to watch to see what features are available in a successor to the 960. Just be prepared to wait, however, because the products you see announced in Feb. don't show up in stores for 4-6 months.

What's the best way to clean a smudge off the 960's screen without leaving streaks? A damp towel? I assume Windex or the like would be a Bad Idea. Whatever I do, I don't want to put the screen's coating at risk...

I'd just use a damp face cloth with warm water, and a dry face cloth to finish it off.

I just took delivery of my 34xbr960. It is replacing my old 36xbr450.

I just hooked it up last night, and was less than impressed with overall picture quality.

I am feeding it via HDMI from a Denon DVD-2910.

This is the first time I have used the HDMI port on the 2910. I have set the output res to 1080i, and the picture seems okay.

However, I think the picture on my 36xbr450 was better. I was using component on that set.

Should I be outputting 1080i from the player? Perhaps 720p?

I have calibrated with Avia, and noticed some slight vertical ghosting on the needle pulses and steps pattern. I dropped the sharpness setting waaay down, and that seemed to help a bit. However, my 36xbr450 is flawless on this test. Perhaps this is something that will go away as the set is broken in?

My older set had an option called "16:9 Enhanced mode." Basically it doubled the res when playing 16:9 format DVDs. It produced a very clear picture. I think it was just up converting the 480p signal to 1080i. Is there anything similar on this set? Currently at either 1080i or 720p, i can see little artifacts in the lesser contrast portions of the picture. It almost looks like film grain from a digital picture taken at a high iso setting.

I have set the picture mode to pro, color temp to warm, turned off the input memory (so my calibrations are the same on all inputs for now), turned of that edge sharpness thing, calibrated via Avia, set DRC mode to Cinemotion.

Anything else I should be doing? Anything I am doing wrong? Is 1080i what I should be using from the DVD? Will the slight vertical ghosting go away (please say yes)? Any particular setting on the DRC palate that seems to work better?

Thanks!

Your widescreen dvd's will look better now that you have a widescreen set,Try setting your dvd player to 480p and use component cables and see if that improves the picture.

For DRC try interlaced instead, this setting upconverts everything to 960i.

Like you said the tv set is brand new, and should give some time for the set to burn in and get at least a 100 hours on the set to break it in then the picture quality will be better.

Really? Interlaced? I thought it was best to use Cinemotion when using a progressive scan player for the 3-2 pulldown stuff to work.


I will try switching to 480p with DRC set to interlaced when I get home.

Thanks for the suggestion!

Definitely allow some burn-in time. I've had my set for exactly 2 months now and am totally satisfied.

It took a few weeks and a visit by an ISF calibrator but let me tell you that now I am thrilled with the picture quality. Before the colors seemed to bleed a lot, and the picture was way too bright.

Now, the resolution is excellent and colors seem very natural yet crisp. I would definitely wait a few weeks after you have a few hours on the set and see how it performs.

Ill definately give it some burn-in time before I get too worried about it. :)

Can somone verify my setup though? Does it look like I have configured everything properly for the best possible picture quality? Is 480p from the DVD the better option?

-Paul

Actually, I find that 1080i is the best with HDMI. There's noticeably less artifacting. Make sure that your DVD player is configured for 16:9 aspect ratio since your older XBR was a 4:3 set.

I was playing with this tonight, and noticed that there is a line entirely accross the top of the screen of dead pixels.

:(

Only noticable when up close. It is one pixel wide. I tried all differant video formats (480 720 etc) and it is still there. ugh.

Anything I can do, or is this tv just crap?

I ordered via shopsunshine.com.... Anyone know of their return policy? heh.

now I feel sick.

Holy Cow!

Since you mentioned shopsunshine.com, I checked their website just for the heck of it ... they've got the XBR960 for $1629 !! That's crazy. I've never seen a price that low on it. Surely they're not an authorized dealer? Even with the $245 shipping to Texas that's cheaper than anything else I've found. Anybody know anything about these folks?

They are an authorized Sony dealer.

They sell a bunch on Ebay, and I checked their ratings/reviews there, and they were all good.

The box came in perfect condition. I think I just got a bad copy.

My cable box, a Motorola digital has a dvi input as well as component. Right now I am using component. Would dvi be better?
Thanks,
Jim

Well ok, that sounds good. I'm reading scouring the web to find out how well they handle returns, which is really the make-it-or-break-it issue if you happen to get a bum set. So far haven't found any user reviews on how they handled a return.

From their website:

"Repair and replacement requests for special order and select products must go through the manufacturer. These products include:
- Large Screen Televisions (20"+) ... "

Not sure, but it sounds like that means they won't replace a defective tv that big; you'd have to go through Sony themselves. I have no idea how well that would actually work. Makes me a little nervous. Also:

"Defective Products:
ShopSunshine.com offers a 30 day (from date of shipment) replacement or credit policy for defective products. Prior to returning any item, please contact the manufacturer to confirm the item is defective. Customers who do not want an item repaired or replaced can request a return authorization, however a 15% restocking fee will be accessed to cover testing, repair, cleaning and repackaging expenses. Items found not to be defective may be subject to additional fees"

Now, that may be invalidated by the prior quote saying repair/replacement requests must go through the manufacturer instead of them. Nonetheless, that 15% restocking fee does NOT sound good, and that bit about additional fees if THEY don't think it's defective sounds very very bad.

I love that price, but all of the above sounds kinda squirrely. Anybody else have any experience w/ these guys?

Wow ... never mind ... don't think I'll be shopping from them anytime soon after reading these reviews:

http://www.epinions.com/pr-Online_Stores_Services-ShopSunshine_com/display_~reviews

Sounds like they're shipping refurbished items while describing them as new, and that whole thing about making the customer deal w/ the manufacturer for repairs/refunds instead of them sounds like nothing more than a scam.

Guess I'll fork out the extra coupla hundred bucks to get it from Crutchfield - at least they have better reviews!


p.s. just read this one - egad!!
http://www.epinions.com/content_75306405508

Yeah, I usually blow off the epinons ratings for the most part (unless they are all bad). Many people will post a bad review if they have a bad experience, but few will post if they have a good experience.

I find the E-Bay ratings to be much more accurate, as pretty much everyone will post feedback (good or bad).

So here is where I stand now:

Shopsunshine told me that I should go to Sony since they can dispatch a rep directly to my house to look at the problem and issue a replacement. Sure enough, I called Sony, they took all my info, told me I was covered under their warranty and there would be no charge for the service call, and gave me the number of a local authorized repair shop.

I called, and they will be out sometime in the next hour or so to look at it.

So Im pretty happy thus far. As long as the set gets replaced, I have no complaints. It is possible I just got a bad copy. The box was shipped all the way from NY to my house in Phoenix, AZ, and there was no noticable damage on it at all.

Another thing, the manufacture date on my set is January 05, and all of the packaging seemed in perfect order. I dont think this set was pre-owned.

Im so dumb.

Can anyone guess what I was actually seeing?

1) Pixels dont die on a direct view screen. (Duh, I knew this)
2) All sony trinitron sets have two very thin wires that hold up the mask on the inside of the tube. (I remember reading this when I bought my first xbr a few years ago).

It is extremely hard to see these at standard resolution because the electron beam pattern is so wide. However at 720p and above it becomes more apparent.

You can see it yourself if you stand close to the tv, and look at a bright image (I was watching the 4th chapter of "Return of the King" and looking at the sky above the tower).

Wow, now I feel like a heel. :)

Oh well, crisis averted.

Originally posted by paulfries
They are an authorized Sony dealer.

They sell a bunch on Ebay, and I checked their ratings/reviews there, and they were all good.

The box came in perfect condition. I think I just got a bad copy.

this place is NOT an authorized sony reseller. There are 20 authorized online resellers and this place is NOT one of them . I'm sure they told you they were. Just like ABEs of Maine who tell you they are. Abes of maine isn't even in maine they are in brooklyn NY.

Hmm...that ShopSunshine.com just plain smells bad.

Something about them that isn't above board. To many Fees for one. I would not trust them with my money or credit card numbers.

My guess is that they have very little actual inventory. This is why it takes a while to get your order shipped. Sunshine goes out and gets the orders filled in that time. I'll bet that is why you have to wait 24 hours to pick up an order at their Coney Island address. I wouldn't be surprised if they put that off to 48 or 72 hours.

When I called Sony, they asked who I purchased from. WHen I told them Shopsunshine, they said that I was definately covered under Sony's warranty.

I believe they are a Sony authorized retailer (their stores, warehouses) but they may not be an online authorized dealer yet.

Regardless, the set is covered under Sony's warranty.

For what its worth, I had a fine experience with them. My order was "In Transit" the day I ordered it, and arrived to my house (on the other side of the country) in perfect condition. There was not even the slightest ding on the cardboard box.

Personally I would have no reservations about ordering from them again.

-Paul

I purchased a Denon AVR from Sunshine. No problems. They also told me that they are not an authorized Denon dealer. I felt the risk was extremely low with a Denon product, and I purchased anyway. So far I'm correct.

Which is the correct setting for widescreen DVDs? The manual only talks about what different setting do to a 4:3 picture. Is it 'zoom'?

I tried one DVD and it was full width, but there were black bars on top and bottom.

If the DVD has an aspect ratio of greater than 1.78:1 (?) then you should see black bars on top/bottom. It is normal. You are seeing the entire picture as you should.

If it is a 1.78 or 1.85:1 then you should NOT see bars.

How do you find out the aspect ratio of a particular DVD?

Usually says so on the back of the case or even on the disk itself.

To make it simpler to understand- you have a 16:9 TV. If you decide 16 by 9 you get 1.78. That means a DVD with a 1.78 ratio will fill up your screen.

A 2:35:1 DVD is somewhere around 21:9, and in order to see the entire picture it needs to be letterboxed. You should definitely notice that a 2:35 on a 16:9 screen has smaller width bars than on a 4:3 screen.

Along with most people on this forum, I prefer to see films in OAR (original aspect ratio) so I don't mind the bars. The Sony will give you a bunch of screen modes to stretch and zoom, but if you use them you are distorting the picture.

Hope that explains it a little better. I'm sure there are tons of links here that can explain it further if you need to know more.

That was excellent. I finally understand. Thanks.

Originally posted by powerdog
Which is the correct setting for widescreen DVDs? The manual only talks about what different setting do to a 4:3 picture. Is it 'zoom'?

I tried one DVD and it was full width, but there were black bars on top and bottom.

Only use the 'ZOOM' mode for non-anamorphic DVDs. You can always tell if it's non-anamorphic because you'll see wider black bars on the top and bottom and also on the sides. The 'Zoom' mode will remove the black bars on the sides and, depending on the aspect ratio of the film, will remove the top and bottom black bars.

A good guide can be found here:

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/anamorphic/index.html

and here:

http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/special/caveat_emptor.htm

Those are great resources! THanks.

Optical Out Question:

If you plug in an optical cable from the 960 to your stereo receiver, does the 960 send an audio signal out to the receiver for both the HD tuner and the analog cable tuner? Do you get audio over the internal speakers as well, if you do not turn the internal speakers off.

Basically, I would like to use the TV's speakers when I am watching regular/analog cable tv (utilizing the 960's tuner) but I would like the audio to go to my Denon stereo receiver when I am watching HDTV (using the internal OTA receiver).

On my XBR: On some DVD's, after watching for a while, the screen starts freaking out, going from different modes, zoom, wide, etc. until finally it just turns black. It looks like the TV is deciding how to display the image and can't decide and then just quits. The same DVD played on the same (inexpensive) Panasonic player on another TV has no problem. Any Ideas??

Originally posted by roblim
Optical Out Question:

Basically, I would like to use the TV's speakers when I am watching regular/analog cable tv (utilizing the 960's tuner) but I would like the audio to go to my Denon stereo receiver when I am watching HDTV (using the internal OTA receiver).

My understanding is that the audio optical out port is only active when there is some form of digital audio available to transmit (e.g. 5.1). Accordingly I would think that only HDTV (and DVDs) would be broadcast on that port. People who want to use their receivers for all audio have commented that they need to hook up the optical and analog outputs.

Not sure if the internal speakers automatically turn off when the optical port is active. That would make sense.

Mind you the above is based on my reading. I don't own this tv (yet).

I don't think the internal speakers automatically turn off when the optical port is active. And the TV does not convert analog audio to digital and send it out the optical port when watching HD. You have to use both the analog and digital out to your receiver. The problem I have is my receiver is either/or for the audio inputs for a given setting. So I have my receiver set up for analog input in the TV setting and digital input on the Sat. setting. I don't have Sat. so I use that for TV digital.

The good thing for my wife, who could care less about 5.1 when watching HD, is that the TV does convert the digital to analog and send the audio for HD content out the analog output. This way, all she has to do is set the receiver to TV and she can here all the audio for any station.

For your situation I think your only option is to turn the TV volume down when listening to the HD audio via your receiver, and then turn the TV audio up when watching SD content on the TV. Or you can do as I do and hook up both digital out and analog out to your receiver.

Ronnie

When I'm on a HD channel I will sometimes see a green line streak from right to left across my screen in two places. It's about one pixel wide. There is one about a quarter from the top and one about a quarter from the bottom. Anybody have any idea what this might be?

Originally posted by Ronnie Ferrell
I don't think the internal speakers automatically turn off when the optical port is active. And the TV does not convert analog audio to digital and send it out the optical port when watching HD. You have to use both the analog and digital out to your receiver. The problem I have is my receiver is either/or for the audio inputs for a given setting. So I have my receiver set up for analog input in the TV setting and digital input on the Sat. setting. I don't have Sat. so I use that for TV digital.

The good thing for my wife, who could care less about 5.1 when watching HD, is that the TV does convert the digital to analog and send the audio for HD content out the analog output. This way, all she has to do is set the receiver to TV and she can here all the audio for any station.

For your situation I think your only option is to turn the TV volume down when listening to the HD audio via your receiver, and then turn the TV audio up when watching SD content on the TV. Or you can do as I do and hook up both digital out and analog out to your receiver.

Ronnie

Thank you for the advice. Hmm...the integrated HD Tuner is going to complicate my audio setup a bit.

I know that a lot of OTA HD is not broadcast in 5.1 and is just 2 channel stereo audio. I thought that the 960 sends the two channel audio over the optical port, just like most stand alone HD receivers do, but apparently it doesnt. Which would mean that I need to change inputs on my stereo receiver everytime I change OTA HD channels and come across a non-5.1 show.

I connect the optical out from the TV to my sony receivers optical input for Sat/Ant. My Sony receiver also a Sat/Ant for input in analog. Here I connect from the Audio Out on the TV. When I then select Sat/Att on my receiver I get 5.1 if the channel sends 5.1 and analog if analog is send.

After that I set the Audio Out to fixed in the audio menu. This means that the TV always send the audio to the receiver.

Originally posted by roblim
Thank you for the advice. Hmm...the integrated HD Tuner is going to complicate my audio setup a bit.

I know that a lot of OTA HD is not broadcast in 5.1 and is just 2 channel stereo audio. I thought that the 960 sends the two channel audio over the optical port, just like most stand alone HD receivers do, but apparently it doesnt. Which would mean that I need to change inputs on my stereo receiver everytime I change OTA HD channels and come across a non-5.1 show.

Lets back up a second. I was not following what you were asking...

The 960 itself does not do any analog to digital conversion of the audio signal. If a station is broadcasting SD content over a HD channel, the station has converted the analog audio to digital before it is broadcast. That means for the situation you mention above, you WILL get the SD stereo audio via the optical cable because the station is doing the A/D conversion. What you WILL NOT get over the optical cable is SD audio broadcast on a SD channel. That is where you will need to use the L/R RCs outs to a receiver.


Ronnie

Originally posted by Ronnie Ferrell
Lets back up a second. I was not following what you were asking...

The 960 itself does not do any analog to digital conversion of the audio signal. If a station is broadcasting SD content over a HD channel, the station has converted the analog audio to digital before it is broadcast. That means for the situation you mention above, you WILL get the SD stereo audio via the optical cable because the station is doing the A/D conversion. What you WILL NOT get over the optical cable is SD audio broadcast on a SD channel. That is where you will need to use the L/R RCs outs to a receiver.


Ronnie

I got it now, thanks for the clarification. Then your original suggestion about just lowering the volume on the tv when I watch OTA Hi def is the best solution. I would like to program my harmony remote to mute the tv so that I do not get sound out of the built in speakers when I watch Hidef, but I dont think there is a way to mute sony tv's without displaying the on screen notification.

Originally posted by roblim
I got it now, thanks for the clarification. Then your original suggestion about just lowering the volume on the tv when I watch OTA Hi def is the best solution. I would like to program my harmony remote to mute the tv so that I do not get sound out of the built in speakers when I watch Hidef, but I dont think there is a way to mute sony tv's without displaying the on screen notification.

I'm not in front of my TV right now, but I think the harmony remote idea will not work. I think the TV's mute is a full audio mute and also mutes both analog and digital audio outs as well.

You might try programming a remote macro to turn the TV's speakers OFF from the audio sub-menu. Or better yet, see if there is a discrete code to turn the TV speakers's off.


Ronnie

Originally posted by Ronnie Ferrell
I'm not in front of my TV right now, but I think the harmony remote idea will not work. I think the TV's mute is a full audio mute and also mutes both analog and digital audio outs as well.

You might try programming a remote macro to turn the TV's speakers OFF from the audio sub-menu. Or better yet, see if there is a discrete code to turn the TV speakers's off.


Ronnie

This has basically been my experience. My son-in-law and I spent a lot of time trying to make this work over the holidays. Reason: I didn't want to give up the on-screen "volume bar," and I also wanted to take optical out of the DVD player directly into the receiver. We couldn't figure out how to do it, so we decided to always control the audio via the receiver. Now, the Harmony tells the receiver to switch between DVD and TV line out sources, as needed. Works great, but we had to give up the on-screen volume bar.

Mark

BTV Mark or anyone else in or near chicago-- can you recommend someone to calibrate my 960 based on a positive personal experience either calibrating this or a similar Sony crt?

Originally posted by arabinsky
BTV Mark or anyone else in or near chicago-- can you recommend someone to calibrate my 960 based on a positive personal experience either calibrating this or a similar Sony crt?

Sorry, never had it done. (When I bought the set last July, I asked my dealer, ABT, and as I recall they said it would be $450-$500.)

Mark

Can anyone using a cablecard with this set tell me what input you use to watch shows via the cablecard? Is it a separate input other than the inputs 1-6, like an input 7 or 8? I have my cable split, one going into the HD DVR and the other going into the "cable" part of the tv. I just want to know if I will be able to keep this configuration and still add the cable card.

Originally posted by Hiloboy
Can anyone using a cablecard with this set tell me what input you use to watch shows via the cablecard? Is it a separate input other than the inputs 1-6, like an input 7 or 8? I have my cable split, one going into the HD DVR and the other going into the "cable" part of the tv. I just want to know if I will be able to keep this configuration and still add the cable card.

While I don't use the cable card, from what I gather it allows the internal tuner to function like the box supplied by your cable company. So your current configuration is just fine.

CableCard is currently one way, so it won't let you do things like order Pay per View or On Demand video, and it also the cable company's EPG won't be functional.

Does anyone know why the TV does not output analog audio when in TwinView? My receiver picks up the digital signal from an HD station, but when i swap to the other side for audio, I get no sound. Any ideas?

As of 3/25/2005, mine will have been stuck in an HH Gregg service center for a warranty repair for half of the time I have owned it.

First, the good news: If memory serves, the HD picture quality is just stunning and the DVD picture isn’t far behind. All the good things others have reported are true. I could easily get broadcast HD from 35 miles on an old Radio Shack Yagi (sp?) antenna that had been in my attic before switching to cable (local cable doesn’t have HD yet)

In addition, one other attribute that deserves mention is the sound quality, which seems excellent to my untrained ears.

Now, for the rest of the story.

September 25, 2004: I purchased my set from Circuit City. S/N 806415. No reason to buy from them except a new store was opening and they were offering a 10% discount. I didn’t buy the CC extended warranty because the Sony warranty is for 2 years of in-home service. I picked this model because of the reviews here and in Consumer Reports and also because my son has had a Sony HD TV for a couple of years without problem.

December 23, 2004: While watching the TV, the set suddenly went blank without warning, funny noises or blue smoke. No picture, no sound, nothing. Nothing happened when it is turned on except a red light on the front blinks a few times - probably the same problem reported by others.

December 24, 2004: Called Sony to start the warranty repair process. After trying some simple fixes, I was directed to call HH Gregg for warranty repairs in the Indianapolis area. HH Gregg is regional chain of appliances stores in the Midwest, carrying much the same kinds of things as Circuit City. While they carry Sony products, for some reason they do not carry a KD34XBR960.

December 30, 2004: HHG service technician came to our house, verified warranty claim but determined it had to be taken to their repair facility. Because of the weight, he couldn’t take it with him and had to have a store delivery crew take it.

January 3, 2005: HHG picked up the TV.

January 7, 2005: HHG ordered a circuit board. I think it was a P/N A1303038.

February 15, 2005: The circuit board finally arrived at HHG.

February 19, 2005: HHG delivered the TV to my house. There was obvious damage to the front and side of the cabinet. When turned on, there was sound and a picture, but there were narrow horizontal gray bands apparent on reception from either antenna or cable. Luckily, the HHG delivery guys saw all of this and took it back to their shop without hassle.

February 25, 2005: I was informed by Sony and by HHG that the picture had been fixed but that HHG had ordered a new cabinet to replace the damaged one. This is supposed to take about 10 more days.

March 16, 2005: 19 days later, I was informed that the cabinet had arrived.

March 18. 2005: I was informed that the replacement cabinet was damaged and couldn’t be used. Somebody in authority was supposed to call to discuss the next action, but or course, nobody has for two days.

So, three months after the problem occurred, I still do not have my TV back. I won’t comment on how I feel about the level of customer service demonstrated by the companies mentioned because I would probably be sued for slander. I think the delays evident in my time-line are proof enough – as are their unwillingness to authorize a replacement, no matter how long I have been inconvenienced. The only concession I have received came from Sony when a nice lady finally authorized $200 for me to rent a replacement until my TV was fixed - and that has to run out during the latest HHG cabinet fiasco.

BTW, if there are any Circuit City, Sony or HH Gregg folks out there who want further proof and maybe try to salvage a bad situation, the Sony Event ID is E26713607, the HHG service order is 493616 and the CC sales slip number is 319400103816. My phone number will be found with any one of them. I will gladly report any such hero on this board.

Likewise, I will promptly post a message to this board whenever I receive a replacement television or whenever my original television has been returned to me in working order and without cabinet damage. Until then, I urge you to somehow learn from this and beware.

Originally posted by curse
Until then, I urge you to somehow learn from this and beware.

Wow, my condolences and I hope that a hero steps forward to help. As some one who is readying to purchase this television - I am not sure what the lessons might be. Perhaps buy from a dealer with a service arm - or buy the retailer's warranty if I think that will make them more responsive. Wow.

Anyone know the measurements of the very top of the XBR960 - particularly the depth - I am thinking about whether it is sufficient to hold a center speaker.

Mine is holding a center speaker. It's about 6 or 7 inches deep. Even tilts the speaker down a little bit toward the listeners.

Does anyone know if there are any available software or firmware updates for the KD-34XBR960?

I recently updated the software on my Rotel pre-amp and the firmware on my Denon DVD player, and was curious if there was anything I could apply to my TV.

Thanks!

There was talk on this thread earlier of a firmware update for older sets made last year that you could accomplish via a memory stick, but I don't know more than that.

Here's something I think *many* of you in this thread will hopefully find interesting and useful...

I had been having several issues with my XBR960 since I got it. One was the CableCard dropping channels and having to be reset periodically (occasionally giving a 161-6 error). The other was no audio for analog channels in TwinView (when connected to an AV Receiver). From what I read in this thread, the latter was just a normal issue with the TV, so I'd have to live with it.

The CableCard issue, however, is another story. According to Sony support, the 161-6 error often indicates a problem with the CableCard unit in the TV (the box, not the card itself). So I called the local service company and they ordered a replacement unit (a "Q Box", as they called it). Today the tech came out and installed it. While I'm still going to have to test for a few days to see if the channel dropping issue is solved, it did solve something completely unexpected...

The audio works for analog channels in TwinView now (with internal speakers or with external via an AV Receiver)! Apparently either the original Q Boxes in these TVs had a problem, or there is a software update not otherwise available that was installed on the new box. So those with TwinView audio problems, know this: it *can* be fixed!

I'll report back in a few days about the channel dropping issue.

Just a note: installing a new Q Box will reset all of your settings, as everything is stored on there. Be sure to write down your picture settings if you don't know them off hand.

EDIT: Another interesting note: The tech told me that the new Q Box would normally cost $820 if the set was out of warranty, excluding labor and shipping charges (they shipped the part overnight).

I finally bought a MemoryStick and must admit it's a real nice feature.

I don't have any Sony cameras or video cams so I get video, images, and music from the PC via a card reader/writer.

It does real nice slide shows and the pictures from both my 3 megapixel and 5 megapixels look great. To show off your television even more I'd recommend cropping your pictures to fit. You can show them as is, but the pictures look much better when shown 16x9.

The TV has built-in piano music to play with your slide show or you can easily load MP3s to play with your slideshow. As I mentioned it also plays video, but I didn't have a lot to adequately judge how well it works. I think I had some low quality video.

The only complaint about the MemoryStick feature was the speed. I was loading what I consider to be average size jpgs (in the area of 400k) and when set to fast, the load time seemed to be about 6 or 7 seconds. I can only imagine that slow or medium must be really slow. It would be nice if you could set the time in seconds, but you can't have everything and I thing the fast time is as fast as it can go given the image size.

Sorry this is long, but I have not seen this problem addressed at all in this thread, and I have read the entire 85 pages.

First off I should say I've had this TV for one week now and love it. Have read all the early horror stories herein, but am happy to report that my only issue besides the one delineated below is the common geometry problem, which is admittedly a bit irritating when watching non-16:9 material. (I will of course be contacting Sony to hopefully get this repaired via magnets et al once my 100 hour burn-in period has elapsed.)

OTA HD looks absolutely stunning – I haven't even adjusted the antenna input's picture settings yet or tweaked the antenna's positioning, merely threw it atop the TV in the general direction of the tower, and voila! I actually spend lots of time in high-end motion picture post-production facilities and I have to say this set arguably rivals the monitors they use for HD color correction.

My only dilemma is with DVD. The player I had used for three years (JVC XV-SA70) with my previous television (Zenith D32D51 HD-ready 4:3) worked flawlessly with it. Gave a gorgeous picture (in progressive mode, using component Monster cable) and I couldn't really ask for much better even knowing I was upgrading to a far superior TV. But I was certainly not expecting WORSE!...

Since I'm a film geek the first thing I did upon getting my XBR960 was not to tune in all these newfangled HD channels I could now get (I hardly watch any TV!) but rather to connect my DVD player. I must say I had somewhat of a freak-out moment when I hooked up my SA70 (via the same component Monster cables) and the picture went CRAZY… Distorted, wavy, snowy, you name it. Well my levelheadedness prevailed and I realized I needed to switch to 16:9 mode in the DVD menu. Did that, yet the most pronounced problem persisted: a portion of the picture jumps/flits around like a filmstrip that has lost its registration and is flapping in the projector gate. Seemed like maybe it could be due to some sort of Progressive scan compatibility problem between the player and the TV, so I switched to Interlace. I know by reading this thread that the XBR960's Progressive mode is supposed to be better than any DVD player's, but there was a marked deterioration in picture quality when I switched to Interlace. I cycled through all the settings and the best looking combination was CineMotion and DRC Custom 3, but it doesn't even hold a candle to my old setup with the Zenith.

So there's obviously something amiss here. Still not wanting to start screaming at a Sony rep just yet, I connected my XV-N44 (also JVC) which I got as part of a home theater package a year or so ago. But I never wound up using that DVD player because the PQ was unfortunately much worse than the older SA70 model with which I had always been so impressed. Interestingly, one of the problems I had with the newer N44 player on my Zenith was a strobing/motion artifacting, particularly noticeable during pans and tracking shots. However, this problem was inexplicably not present when attached to the XBR960. Also please note that this player did not exhibit any of the flapping exhibited by the SA70 when used in Progressive mode, which I found to be quite odd. Same manufacturer, presumably using the same software, why the discrepancy? Equally perplexing is that the difference in PQ between Progressive and Interlace on the newer N44 model is nowheres near as pronounced as on the SA70, if there is one. Most importantly however, although the strobing issue is not present, the overall PQ of this unit is unfortunately unchanged between how it displayed on the Zenith: the images are simply not as crisp. (And yes, I've adjusted the player's internal settings.)

A characteristic that might be telling is that on both of these DVD players, the lack of detail seems to fluctuate to a small degree, almost like a focus flutter. Obviously, this did not happen on my older SA70 when connected to the Zenith. And I of course will be calibrating all my settings with DVE once my 100 hours have elapsed and hopefully a sharpness setting (which I have turned down significantly in the meantime) will magically resolve this "focus" issue... But that of course doesn't help explain the Interlace/Progressive inconsistency between the two machines, or of course why on earth the SA70 is flapping as if possessed when set to Progressive.

The only record I can see in this entire thread of anyone else reporting something akin to this symptom is by tennberg, whose issue was with a Denon player…and it appeared he soon after returned his 960? (tennberg: I see you still post on this thread, did you get a new one? How did you resolve this problem?) I don't think mine will come to a return, I am confident this is resolvable -- but I am still looking for the how and the why. I can't see any reason for a) the Interlace output to look any worse than the Progressive given the TV's specs, b) the Progressive to cause the crazy flapping, c) the PQ of the SA70 to be any worse on my XBR960 than it was on my Zenith, and d) for there to be any sort of "focus flutter" issues with DVD playback when there are none at all with OTA HD. (FYI, as far as I can tell through the flapping Progressive picture, there are no focus issues with the SA70 while in Progressive mode.)

As a point of comparison, I also hooked up my friend's Xbox via component and had none of these issues watching video from its hard drive, so it doesn't seem it could be the component circuitry at all. (In case you're wondering why I simply didn't play a DVD from the Xbox, its player does not function.)

My next step will be to borrow a high-end DVD player (like the Sony DVP-NS975) preferably with HDMI so I can test that too. If that delivers the needed results I guess I will buy one, but I don't see why I should need to as my SA70 worked so beautifully!

If anyone has any suggestions so that I can avoid all this hassle I would greatly appreciate it.

Best,
Josh

Man AVS Forum is killing me........1st I got a Sony 34xbr960......then a panny AE700 w/B&W 81EF filter......Had to upgrade DVD player so a new panny S97 was in order....and don't forget the popcorn machine in the powerbuy (4oz Contempo). All this in the last 6 months. My wife's ready to leave me....Oh I forgot the bass shakers that came yesterday. Does this madness ever end? I hope not......:)

Having a CableCARD install issue with my new 34XBR960. When the card is installed... it doesn't see any channels (not even the analog ones). However, Comcast can see/communicate with the card and the card can respond back to Comcast. The one thing that the tech and I have noticed is that the Card's status says "Waiting to Start".

Anyone got a solution for this one? Comcast is planning on talking to Motorola (maker of the Card) about this... and they have asked me to contact Sony.

Originally posted by cheerdude
Having a CableCARD install issue with my new 34XBR960. When the card is installed... it doesn't see any channels (not even the analog ones). However, Comcast can see/communicate with the card and the card can respond back to Comcast. The one thing that the tech and I have noticed is that the Card's status says "Waiting to Start".

Anyone got a solution for this one? Comcast is planning on talking to Motorola (maker of the Card) about this... and they have asked me to contact Sony.

In a logical world this would be a very stupid question but given past experiences with Comcast...

Have they tried a different card to make sure it's not just a problem with the card?

Originally posted by domiprod
.....The only record I can see in this entire thread of anyone else reporting something akin to this symptom is by tennberg, whose issue was with a Denon player…and it appeared he soon after returned his 960? (tennberg: I see you still post on this thread, did you get a new one? How did you resolve this problem?) I don't think mine will come to a return, I am confident this is resolvable.....

Best,
Josh

Hey Josh,

My situation actually had to come down to a return. I traded in my Denon DVD-910 and got about a 90% credit of that purchase price toward a Denon DVD-2910. Since then, I have had no issues watching anything in 480p.

Apparently, there was an issue between my Sony KD-34XBR960 and the Denon DVD-910 when watching 480p material over component video. Denon didn't acknowledge it; I'm not sure why. It could be that it's a very specific problem that only a few people ran into so they didn't bother fixing it.

Good luck in your resolving your issue. I hope it turns out well.

Anyone have any luck or experience using their Windows based PC to *OUTPUT* video to this TV via firewire?

Thought you folks might like the once over drill with a cablecard from Brighthouse and numerous over the air stations via an attic array including UHF grill antenna.

Not happy with the cable offerings. Hundreds of channels, few HD, waiting to get the full package as the people arrived with an incorrectly programmed card, leaving out services. They were harried. Not really comfortable with the card setup yet. My impression is the card is a simple filter with zero communications capacity either two way OR one way since the cable folks must return with another card to change the service. Whoever pushed THIS thing through has egg all over their faces. When all this is done, you may see him selling apples in Washington DC, just off K Street.

I bought the cable service and TV to get CBS HD and a few specialty channels one of which is the SciFi channel (NBC/Universal) with the new hit, Battlestar Gallactica. Oooops! Brighthouse is holding me and Universal hostage for this HD service. I know a few top guys at Universal Orlando, they won't be happy to hear this. GE doesn't listen too well when small fry like Brighthouse say "It's our way or the highway". BSG is their smash hit, on the cover of TV Guide last week.

The set is fantastic at 1080i. On can see the difference between 720P and 1080i from 25 feet away. SD is a small square in the middle. Audio is fine but will get new speakers from Ascend soon. Peeked into the service menu without changing anything as the geometry wasn't bad even at the left corner. Changed the color settings ...very easy to do with the remote and standard menu choices.

VERY happy with the TV but disappointed with the cable card and provider. No Monthly Guide, On Demand service, but you knew that. So I'm going to stiff these mopes and tell then here's what I'm willing to pay for a diminished package, dada dada. I bought into NetFlix...really great.

LOVE the DVD capacity through my Panasonic s97 HDMI. Fast, clear and the audio promises a WHOLE lot more with speakers. And guess what...one gets wonderful audio through HDMI, contrary to what you may have heard elsewhere. One cable does all. Getting a panny receiver SAX70 too.

Remote is OK but keep a flashlight handy for movie breaks.

I sit 10 feet away and that is just fine for a home theather and don't let anyone tell you differfent. Would do this over in a heartbeat for the XBR.

A couple of weeks ago, I submitted Post No. 1680 concerning a protracted warranty repair and mentioned that I would report when it had been resolved.

A few days after that post went up, I received a call from HH Gregg informing me that there had been a misunderstanding and that the replacement cabinet was not damaged after-all. So, on March 26, TV was returned in perfect working and cosmetic condition - about 3 months after the problem first occurred.

So, what have I learned from this that you might want to keep in mind?

1. For cases where Sony does not have parts available to support warranty repairs, they will, if asked, pay for a rental. My check arrived about 2 weeks after I submitted the claim.

2. Similarly, I asked for an extension of my warranty for 3 months and received a written confirmation of their approval of that agreememt.

3. I doubt that I will ever buy an item like this again from a distributor who does not also do the factory warranty work. I can't explain why this would be better, but it just seems to make sense.

4. During this saga. I spent hours on the phone, on hold waiting for somebody to take my call at HH Gregg. Then, once I was finally talking to one of their 'Supervisors', I started dealing with them via email - no faster, but less wasted time. Sony, on the other hand, was much easier to deal with because they had voice mail and would call back.

By the way, I originally bought a Sony DAV-FR8 home theater system with this TV because there was a nice rebate. They really look nice together and the DAV offers a lot of nice features. BUT, the TV remote won't operate the DAV system. It is just not compatible and I seem to remember a notice to that effect on the Sony website. On the other hand, the DAV's remote will at least change channels on the TV. Go figure.

Cheers

The convergence on the left side of the screen on my XBR 960 (purchased in July 2004) seems to be worse than I remember when I first bought it. If I look at the box around the input label when on something like "Video 5", the right half of the box is crisp and square, but on the left side it starts to curve downwards, and I can make out distinct red and blue fringing to the point that they're almost seperate lines. Should Sony send a tech out to look at this and correct it, as I'm still in my warranty? Should I just call about this, as when I email I seem to get a form response. Thanks.

I have a new KD-34XBR960 that has a dark picture! It's like looking at programs through sun glasses. I am using TimeWarner San Diego and have installed a SA8300DVR cable box. When the cable is attached directly to the TV, the analog stations come throught clear and bright - but the digital and HD stations are dark with almost no shading. When connected via the cable box, all pictures are dark with minimal or no shading. (I have tried a Pioneer cable box and a SA3250HD box, but the picture is the same.) I have also spent considerable time trying to brighten up the picture using the TV controls. A Sony tech came to my house and adjusted the geometry and increased the internal brightness level, but didn't have an explanation for the dark picture. A Time Warner tech in the home office said that they have received some other complaints regarding dark pictures - they are looking into it, but who knows what they are doing.

I am awaiting the RMA from the Sony authorized e-tailer where I purchased the unit...oh well...

ANY SUGGESTIONS!!!!!

Perhaps the issue is with your component inputs... have you tried dvi/hdmi? Have you tried internal QAM/HD? How do those look? How about a different componet cable? How does DVD look?

Just picked up my new XB960 today for a great deal. A small chain B&M just opened a 2nd & 3rd location in Houston and they had the 960 for $500 off. I took the ad to a larger national chain and got them to match it plus an extra 10% off the difference. Now, I just have to figure out a new DVD player (any suggestions), what cables I need to hook up to yet unpurchased DVD player, weather to keep my TIVO on the 960 or get the HD DVR from Time Warner or just the cable card, and what cables I would need for the TW DVR.

Anyway, I had been looking at the 960 for a while and wasn't quite ready to purchase but I could not pass up this one day only deal. I would of rather finished my homework and decided on a DVD player, TIVO or TW DVR, and had all the cables I needed plus the cable card from TW before I bought the TV so I could enjoy it to its fullest but I will have to settle for the HDTV that I can pick up from the cheap rabbit ears that I have. I have the 960 side by side with my old sony standard picture tube and the difference is just amazing. I can't believe I waited this long to take the plunge.

I thought I'd throw this in here. A retail source for KD-34XBR960 parts. And I do mean parts.
http://www.partstore.com/modeldetail.aspx?MfgId=76&ModelID=435099&close=0&exact=1

Like you, I waited waay too long to get the XBR960. The Masters today was breathtaking. I have a cable card and have adjusted the PQ several times via the on screen menu options and feel that the control range is very wide and can accommodate all tastes.

DVD

You must consider the Panasonic S97 DVD, especially in concert with the panny xr70 digital receiver. BOTH are HDMI multi-channel audio compliant with ONE HDMI cable connection. The DVD quality is equally breathtaking , even in 480P, In fact it is difficult to believe it's not 1080i. I am getting Ascend speakers and an HSU subwoofer later this month. Netflix is a must...no more shlepping DVDs back to Blockbuster.

Receiver Panny XR70
Very hot item at $370 and 100 watts for seven channels of HDMI audio and video. Forget the boat anchor pioneers, Yamahas, Onkyos and Marantz...not that they are bad...just obsolete, heavy and inefficient as far a excess heat generation goes. The panny weighs 9.4 lbs. Sound and Vision reviewed it last month with very good marks.

The only issue witht eh XBR960 is a cable card box "161-6 error (mandatory service visit). I'll get a new box and get a service menu PQ tweak from the tech at the same time. A few dollars goes a long way.

Originally posted by max2004
Just picked up my new XB960 today for a great deal. A small chain B&M just opened a 2nd & 3rd location in Houston and they had the 960 for $500 off. I took the ad to a larger national chain and got them to match it plus an extra 10% off the difference. Now, I just have to figure out a new DVD player (any suggestions), what cables I need to hook up to yet unpurchased DVD player, weather to keep my TIVO on the 960 or get the HD DVR from Time Warner or just the cable card, and what cables I would need for the TW DVR.

Anyway, I had been looking at the 960 for a while and wasn't quite ready to purchase but I could not pass up this one day only deal. I would of rather finished my homework and decided on a DVD player, TIVO or TW DVR, and had all the cables I needed plus the cable card from TW before I bought the TV so I could enjoy it to its fullest but I will have to settle for the HDTV that I can pick up from the cheap rabbit ears that I have. I have the 960 side by side with my old sony standard picture tube and the difference is just amazing. I can't believe I waited this long to take the plunge.

Max,

I sent you a PM.

Does anybody have more specific footprint information? I have a retarded piece of furniture I need to fit a TV into, and simple rectangular dimensions are not good enough. How much of the TV is the full width? My furniture starts out at 37", gets about 14" wider, and then gets narrower again. Damn woman chosen furniture while I wasn't there.... :mad:

It's only full width for about 6 inches at the front. Then narrows linearly to approximately 22 inches at the back.

Originally posted by kleptophobiac
I have a retarded piece of furniture :mad:

Nice! All the people here with Down Syndrome children thank you for kind words.

Originally posted by mr2828
It's only full width for about 6 inches at the front. Then narrows linearly to approximately 22 inches at the back.

Awesome, I think it'll work. Thanks.

Here's a KD-34XBR960 complaint that will sound amusing:
I cannot tell any difference between the TV being off, versus just the DVR being quasi-off and feeding a black video signal. The screen looks the same, and there are no indicators on the front that hint about the TV's status.

The LED in the front of the set doesn't stay on when the TV is on, which I have no complaints about. It is just hard for me to be sure that the TV has really turned off, without hearing the click or pressing a DISPLAY button or something. A few times I've left the set running and not even known about it until I turn my entertainment center back on.

Turning on the KD-34XBR960, however, is a different story. The degauss cycle makes a pretty loud noise, and slightly dims the lights in the room. There is no missing when you turn THAT television on!

If you have "i-link standby" set to ON (in the Setup menu), when you power the TV off the "ilink standby" red LED will light up on the front of the set. That LED is normally unlit when the set is powered on.

This is my setting because I have four i-link devices, with the XBR960 as a "middle" device in the firewire daisy chain. Setting "ilink standby" to ON allows firewire data to be sent through the TV between two devices (e.g. from one of my D-VHS VCR's to the other, to copy something) without requiring that the TV be powered on.

I agree, it's interesting that there is at not at least a green LED somewhere on the front that comes on when the set is powered on.

I have had this TV for about a month now and I have noticed that the geometry is off on the edges of the screen. It slightly swoops up towards the bottom of the screen and down at the top. From what I have been reading on here it seems like a common problem. Would a Sony Tech be able to fix it in the service menu? Since the TV is new is that covered under the warranty?

Horizontal convergence is adjusted by using magnets (no kidding) on the back of the CRTs. This makes it almost impossible to get perfectly right in any case, especially with wide screen sets. That is why this is a such a common issue.

Originally posted by omeletpants
Nice! All the people here with Down Syndrome children thank you for kind words.

You're not supposed to call down syndrome kids retarded, that sucks.

When I display the overscan test pattern on Digital Video Essentials (Chapter 12 Title 17) in Full Screen mode, the 5% overscan borders are off the screen and not visible. In addition, the circle in the middle of the test pattern is wider horizontally than it is tall vertically, and appears elliptical.
I would be very grateful if someone will please advise which of the service menu adjustments are relevant to correcting the overscan and "circularizing" the circle. It would be especially helpful if the advice included the direction in which the relevant values should be changed, i.e., whether to increase or decrease the current settings.
Thanks very much.
Sincerely,
Ron

I think some of the test patterns on the essentials dvd are designed for older 4:3 aspect ratio TVs, which would make the circle out of shape. Make sure you are using one for widescreen or "anamorphic" TVs.

For adjusting any of this or the overscan you will have to access the service mode. I used some older instructions I found for the XBR910 - if you can find those it has an excel file containing all the adjustment parameters you'll need.

Well, that's a tough one, because it's so subjective. I like the zoom mode. I think it's as "clean" as it is possible to be. I use it sometimes to fill the screen on SD programming.

Realize, of course, that you'll crop some of the picture and you'll see some noise, but the zoom mode doesn't distort as the horizontal and vertical stretch modes do.

Mark

I only Zoom on SD programs that are in widescreen, although you lose a bit of picture on all sides. It's not much, but to me seeing more picture instead of the black vertical and horizontal bars is worth the small sacrifice.

Otherwise, I never use it or any other picture mode.

Hi

We just had TNT-HD added to our Comcast programming in Los Angeles. I would like to save the +1 hour doing auto programming, so does anyone know where this channel is placed on the Sony tuner grid?

This is strange, I just reset my tv to the factory defaults through the service menu, and now the Color Axis setting is reversed. Setting it to "Monitor" makes the reds more intense, setting it to default makes the red de-emphasized.

Has anyone seen this happen before? Totally bizarre.

Can someone please comment on 4:3 picture quality (not stretched) compared to a dedicated 4:3 TV? I viewed this TV yesterday and the HDTV stuff looked great but the SDTV stuff looked really bad compared to the standard 4:3 TV next to this set. The salesperson told me it was the feed but I was looking for a 2nd opinion.

Also, will there be any burn-in problem if I continously watch 4:3 in the non-stretch mode?

I think the 4:3 looks significantly better than the old 4:3 set this XBR replaced. Because of the DRC there are no scan lines visible and you get a really solid looking image - as long as the signal is good quality. Try to find a retailer that can hookup a DVD player with some 4:3 content to the set.

But if you are for some reason only going to be watching 4:3 continuously then why buy this set?

I find after 6 months living with it that my viewing habits have broken down into:

About 40% HDTV or DVDs in Full (widescreen) mode (this is edging towards 50%)

About 30% SD or DVD content that is letterboxed in Zoom mode (fills the screen)

About 30% 4:3 SD... most of this is crap reality and other lesser shows that I don't mind stretching using the Wide Zoom mode.

So I find I am only having potential burn-in 4:3 material non-stretched running maybe 20% of the time at the most. So I'm not worried about burn in - no sign of it so far, and as 4:3 material continues to decline, the percentage of time this set will be displaying it unstretched will continue to decline towards zero.

Here's my story, folks. I'm leaving ALL options on the table.

First things first: This is the TV I should have saved up and bought for myself a year ago. Even now, I'm convinced that this is probably THE best widescreen tube currently on the market.

That being said, I got bit hard by the HD bug, "had to have it now", didn't have much money, so I settled on a Zenith 4:3 c32v37. Solid for what it is, but it's no Sony (as tubes go.)

In light of Xbox 360, PS3, and a bunch of minor issues adding up, I want to upgrade displays this Fall.

I've been browsing every forum around here and making a lot of trips to stores to scout out all the new technologies. I can't say I'm 100 percent confident in any of them.

My viewing distance is about 8-10 feet. Letterbox movies on my 4:3 32 inch tube leave something to be desired. I've been kind of dissatisifed with that for a while.

Should I consider buying this TV, even now, or is Sony coming out with a successor to the 960 anytime soon...or should I take the gamble on a 1080p ready display like a DLP come Fall?

My goal is to buy something that I won't turn around a year from now and feel mixed feelings about our outright regret...kind of like I do right now.

ALL thoughts appreciated. :)

This TV is great, but obviously the longer you can put off a purchase the better a deal you can get... meaning if Sony is introducing a new model in a few months or even 6 months, the price will drop on the model being replaced. Or you have thew option of paying the premium on the new model. If you're really waiting for the next x-box or PS3 than wait for them before buying the TV, besides with the delays that normally come with these things you might be better off waiting for the xmas and after xmas sales.

Originally posted by Mike3
This TV is great, but obviously the longer you can put off a purchase the better a deal you can get... meaning if Sony is introducing a new model in a few months or even 6 months, the price will drop on the model being replaced. Or you have thew option of paying the premium on the new model. If you're really waiting for the next x-box or PS3 than wait for them before buying the TV, besides with the delays that normally come with these things you might be better off waiting for the xmas and after xmas sales.

Excellent advice! I was figuring that the Xbox 360 launch in November was going to be my unoffical deadline.

How much do I gain for HD or DVD watching, going from a letterboxed picture on a 4:3 32 inch Tube to a 34 WS tube?

Will 34 inch WS be good at 8-10 feet?

Originally posted by Q of BanditZ
How much do I gain for HD or DVD watching, going from a letterboxed picture on a 4:3 32 inch Tube to a 34 WS tube? Night and day, if you ask me. I have a 34XBR960 right next to my 4:3 35" SD Mits CS35803 (which of course is larger than a 4:3 32) and there's really no comparison. Not only is the displayed 16:9 image larger on the XBR960 than the equivalent letterboxed image on the Mits, but the HD quality of the image makes it seem like another world.


Will 34 inch WS be good at 8-10 feet? I'd say 8-10 feet is good (I'd also say 5-8 feet is very good). But obviously the further back you sit, the easier it is for the surroundings to distract your eye (unless the room is dark) and a 34" 16"9 is, after all, not a big widescreen. Also, the further back you sit the smaller the displayed image seems... even if the room is dark.

You're not going to get a theater-like immersive sensation from a 34" TV, no matter what. But the picture on the XBR960 (once set up well) is so spectacular that you can't stop watching it, or looking for new content (like on DiscHD) to generate "wows". I usually sit on the floor about 5 feet from it, mouth agape, looking for imperfections that aren't there. And I'm coming from a four year love affair with a Sampo.

Originally posted by DSperber
Night and day, if you ask me. I have a 34XBR960 right next to my 4:3 35" SD Mits CS35803 (which of course is larger than a 4:3 32) and there's really no comparison. Not only is the displayed 16:9 image larger on the XBR960 than the equivalent letterboxed image on the Mits, but the HD quality of the image makes it seem like another world.

Wow! That's encouraging!

I'd say 8-10 feet is good (I'd also say 5-8 feet is very good). But obviously the further back you sit, the easier it is for the surroundings to distract your eye (unless the room is dark) and a 34" 16"9 is, after all, not a big widescreen. Also, the further back you sit the smaller the displayed image seems... even if the room is dark.

This will be a dark room, but your points are well taken.

You're not going to get a theater-like immersive sensation from a 34" TV, no matter what. But the picture on the XBR960 (once set up well) is so spectacular that you can't stop watching it, or looking for new content (like on DiscHD) to generate "wows". I usually sit on the floor about 5 feet from it, mouth agape, looking for imperfections that aren't there. And I'm coming from a four year love affair with a Sampo.

That's exactly what I'm going to balance in mind vs. buying one of these new 1080p ready DLP's come this Fall.

The XBR960 is the closest thing I know of to a "safe bet" and it's something that I know I can buy with confidence and not worry about the bugaboos that come with early adoption and such.

And PQ means EVERYTHING to me. I'm crazy enough to consider sacrificing some size for the best PQ.

So...thou hast given me much food for thought. ;)





I forget which thread it was in, but supposedly there was a news article that said Sony would be dropping the prices on many of their current sets in July or so.

I guess it would behoove me to wait until at least July if I decide to make a move on this set or the xs955.

For the XBR960, I have no choice but to go online, so that means paying MSRP at Crutchfield but getting great service. $200 less will go a long way.

Sony did not show any new widescreen CRT displays this year at their annual new product show for dealers. This may mean they may be considering discontinuing CRTS in the very near future. They have already discontinued CRT monitors for PCs. I know they are betting a lot on their LCD sets.

Originally posted by Jon S
Sony did not show any new widescreen CRT displays this year at their annual new product show for dealers. This may mean they may be considering discontinuing CRTS in the very near future. They have already discontinued CRT monitors for PCs. I know they are betting a lot on their LCD sets.

That's terrible news.

Firewire? Anyone? Gotten the firewire to work sending video either to or from your Windows XP PC? I can receive video from my Motorola DCT-6412 just fine to the TV, and I can receive it to the PC as well. Just I can't get the PC to communicate to the TV. Windows recognizes it as a new device "Sony KD34XBR960", no drivers.

I might be onto something with the Firewire and the KD34XBR960 and Windows. I've added a bit to the firewire/Windows XP thread, but I think I need the help of someone who knows how to twiddle Windows device drivers to get them to do what you want. I'm just a UNIX guy.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&postid=5655431#post5655431

Not only have I heard nothing about Direct-view Widescreen CRT, but I've heard nothing about RP CRT from Sony either. I hate to say it but that tells me they're going to discontinue CRT but they're holding off on saying so because they feel like once they make the announcement the prices on all remaining CRTs still in the pipeline will plummet--a similiar thing happened when Panasonic got out of the RP CRT buisness. A bad thing for us Direct-view CRT fans, but there should be some fantastic deals on the Sonys if you can corral one of the last ones!

Not only have I heard nothing about Direct-view Widescreen CRT, but I've heard nothing about RP CRT from Sony either. I hate to say it but that tells me they're going to discontinue CRT but they're holding off on saying so because they feel like once they make the announcement the prices on all remaining CRTs still in the pipeline will plummet--a similiar thing happened when Panasonic got out of the RP CRT buisness. A bad thing for us Direct-view CRT fans, but there should be some fantastic deals on the Sonys if you can corral one of the last ones!

This makes me sad. :(

I just have to try and be patient. I'm so tempted/eager to just pull the trigger on the XBR960 right now.

I can't buy an XBR product within a 2 hour driving radious of any direction, so I'm going to be forced to go online for it. Probably with Crutchfield.

They're a great company and there's no question about their customer service, but I'm VERY annoyed that I can't seem to get them to budge on MSRP whatsoever. There's just nothing you can tell them that makes them budge.

I guess I could comfort myself on the idea that I won't pay the high 7 percent Ohio sales tax. I guess that's some consolation.

Paying MSRP for something feels like mortal sin to me.

Locally, some dealers are now reporting they are no longer able to obtain stock of Sony RP CRT sets. This may mean Sony may quietly let inventory go down before announcing the end of the product line to avoid discounting. By the time you want to get a set, it may be long gone.

I also noted that the same dealer is selling 34XBR960 for $1999 with the stand which is lower than normal.

Locally, some dealers are now reporting they are no longer able to obtain stock of Sony RP CRT sets. This may mean Sony may quietly let inventory go down before announcing the end of the product line to avoid discounting. By the time you want to get a set, it may be long gone.

I also noted that the same dealer is selling 34XBR960 for $1999 with the stand which is lower than normal.

I'd like to see that become the MSRP outright. If the news story in some other thread around here is true, I'd have to wait until July for Sony to implement that kind of price drop.

I'm completely at the mercy of the Internet for getting this TV.

Q of BanditZ try www. jr.com and check up the 34XBR960. You will be pleasantly surprised.

I saw JR's price but I wasn't sure about a few things with them.

I just ordered the 960 from Crutchfield this morning and I must say: Their customer service is beyond insanely good. WOW! Talk about peace of mind! I was nervous about ordering something big and expensive like a TV over the Internet but I called them on the phone and it just couldn't be a plusher setup all the way.

So...I'm a 960 owner now! It should be here at the end of the week. I'll be scanning this thread but I look forward to any tips or recommendations from FELLOW 960 owners!

Wow, it's great to finally make a decision, know it's the right one, and get it done! :D

A good choice. I'd be interested in what the upconverter DVD boxes do with this. If it's anything like what I experienced with PS2 games, you might be a little surprised. :)

A good choice. I'd be interested in what the upconverter DVD boxes do with this. If it's anything like what I experienced with PS2 games, you might be a little surprised. :)

I'm using an Onkyo DV-SP1000 and I'll have it upscaling to 1080i. I'll bet I'll be real happy! :)

Q...............

I've followed your comments in this and other forums. Congratulations on your 960 decision!! I bought one(960) last summer and I am also the proud owner of the Qualia 006 since March. They are both the best sets in their categories, in my opinion.

Q...............

I've followed your comments in this and other forums. Congratulations on your 960 decision!! I bought one(960) last summer and I am also the proud owner of the Qualia 006 since March. They are both the best sets in their categories, in my opinion.


Heh, did the 960 get relegated down to the bedroom in lieu of that big beast Qualia? ;)

Hey Q,

No, the Qualia replaced an HD MITS RPTV 73". The neat thing about the 960 is that it's convergence pretty well stays put and I have had no screen burn issues with the 960. The Mits on the other hand, does have the FOX News logo burned into the screen and I have had to re-converge the Mits at least twice a week. The Qualia has a WOW FACTOR in it's picture, but so does the 960. My Mits can't hold a candle to either of them!! The resolution on both of the SONY units is unbelievable! Again, you made a smart purchase!!

Q.....

By the way, I also own three Zenith 318 DVD's, which all have the "old" firmware. I love them!!!

Hey Q,

No, the Qualia replaced an HD MITS RPTV 73". The neat thing about the 960 is that it's convergence pretty well stays put and I have had no screen burn issues with the 960. The Mits on the other hand, does have the FOX News logo burned into the screen and I have had to re-converge the Mits at least twice a week. The Qualia has a WOW FACTOR in it's picture, but so does the 960. My Mits can't hold a candle to either of them!! The resolution on both of the SONY units is unbelievable! Again, you made a smart purchase!!

From what I gather, I should expect not to have any serious geometry or convergence issues with the 960. Good! :)

I've had some limited success now in outputing video to the KD-34XBR960 via firewire. Unfortunately, it isn't with the standard Windows driver. It is the "firebus" DTV Recorder from vivid logic:
http://www.vividlogic.com/products/dtvr_overview.html

Unfortunately, it replaces the standard firewire drivers. And I seem to have some problem with most of my clips having sound cutouts and pixelation (which play fine on the PC, and mpeg2repair give a clean bill of health). Anyone in a position to play around with it?

NOTE: Pixelation/sound dropouts are always in the same spots in the video, and seem to always happen the same way.

Has anyone purchased the Sony KD-34XBR960 from J&R Music and Computer World? I just need some feedback on this online retailer. If it's forbidden to talk about such thing in here, please p.m. me. THanKs.

Locally, some dealers are now reporting they are no longer able to obtain stock of Sony RP CRT sets. This may mean Sony may quietly let inventory go down before announcing the end of the product line to avoid discounting. By the time you want to get a set, it may be long gone.

Well crud. I was hoping to be able to purchase the 960 (or even the XS955) by mid to late fall. If these suckers aren't going to be around by then (and worse, if they aren't going to be supported by Sony for very long) then I may have to rethink that.

Any other "right at the top of the list" alternatives people have? Despite my preference of a tube widescreen HDTV, I've recently been told by several people that "LCD projection" TVs are getting better, and are in a similar price range.

<shrug> I dunno. I'm a complete newb at all of this, so any guidance greatly accepted.

Thanks,
ojo

Well crud. I was hoping to be able to purchase the 960 (or even the XS955) by mid to late fall. If these suckers aren't going to be around by then (and worse, if they aren't going to be supported by Sony for very long) then I may have to rethink that.

Complete rumor and speculation! There's no news anywhere that says Sony is cutting these TV's off this year. I just bought a 960 earlier this week without hesitation and I have no doubts I'll have support for however long I own the product.

If you want the XBR960 or XS955, buy with confidence!



Any other "right at the top of the list" alternatives people have? Despite my preference of a tube widescreen HDTV, I've recently been told by several people that "LCD projection" TVs are getting better, and are in a similar price range.

Nowhere near the same PQ in terms of price/value for your dollar. These are still the best.

JR_U

No TV's from J&R but a ton of other stuff. Excellent company to buy from. Since Sony packages these 200 pounders to withstand travel all over the world, double boxing shouldn't be much of an issue. Having said that, I recall that Crutchfield was doing some amazing double boxing on TVs, at least they were some years ago. Also, while Crutchfield is still charging $2,200 for the XBR, shipping is free. Depending on where you live, shipping from J&R could be hundreds.

Thanks spyboy but I lost interest on the Sony XBR960. I don't think I could tolerate going smaller in screen size, coming from a 42" Sampo plasma. Now, I'm leaning towards the Samsung HL-R5668 56" 1080p DLP. I just hope that the PQ is comparable to the Sony KD-XBR960.

I need tips on the best way to do this:

I'd like to have the option to play certain PC games (like the new GTA:SA that just came out on the PC and Xbox today) on my XBR960, should I so choose.

Currently, the Onkyo 1000 uses the HDMI slot on the XBR960. I don't want this to change.

Do I need a DVI-I cable to connect the PC to the TV, or will DVI-D suffice? I guess I'd either use one of those GeFen DVI switchers...unless they've made an HDMI one. In any event, an HDMI-DVI cable may get involved.

What's the best way to connect my PC to the XBR960? What do I need and what kind of switcher(s) would be involved based on what I've described?

If you're interested in Gefen switchers, you might wanna visit their forum. Ask if your setup is compatible with their switchers. Because from what I've read some people were having issues mixing DVI and HDMI sources. Good luck.
http://forum.gefen.com/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=2

Thanks!

I have an XBR960 and a question about the image. It seems that when the image pans at a certain speed from left to right the image appears wavy. For example, in video games that use a top down view the visuals will appears to wave across the screen like a flag. It's not very noticable in 3d games unless the camera is panning from left to right. This is also noticable in movies and TV shows but not as much.

Is this something that can be fixed? I know that widescreen CRTs are suspectible to certain geometry problems that are just a part of the technology, but is a wavy image one of them?

Thanks for your help.

I have noticed this very slightly on my set, and have mostly corrected it via service mode adjustments. What causes it is a lack of linearity - in other words if you put up a grid display on the screen like from the video essentials dvd you will see that some of the grid squares are not the same width as other squares. This becomes noticeable in side to side pans in movies or games. Also the vertical linearity can be off, you should check both using a display grid and ruler if you want to get super-precise.