This incredible set is coming out on or about Sept 22. Msrp is $1699.00.

4:3= 36"
16:9= 33"

Spec sheet:
http://www.sonystyle.com/intershoproot/eCS/Store/en/documents/specifications/KD-30-34-36xs955specs.pdf

Current Sony Style (store) deal:

KD-36XS955- 1699.00 msrp
Free stand
Free delivery (stand is going to be delivered first)
12 months no payments no interest - store only
Free remote (programmable) - store only
$119 5 year warranty

This set does lack Firewire, PNP, and 2nd generation resolution, however this IS comparable to the 960 in all other areas.

Spec sheet of XBR960:
http://www.sonystyle.com/intershoproot/eCS/Store/en/documents/specifications/KD34XBR960_specs.pdf


Features:

The KD-36XS955 also features an ATSC Integrated Tuner and is Digital Cable Ready with a CableCARD™ Slot. ClearEdge VM™ (Wideband Velocity Modulation Scanning), and an HDMI/HDCP Interface separate this television from others. You can even view your family photos onscreen and listen to MP3 audio with the built-in Enhanced Memory Stick® Media slot.
• Full HDTV (built-in ATSC tuner for over-the-air HD reception)

• Hi-Scan 1080i™ Display accepts the full 1080 interlaced scanning lines (1080i) or 720 progressive scan (720p) from an external HDTV receiver or a compatible high definition digital satellite receiver. It also accepts 480 progressive (480p) scanning lines from compatible DVD video sources.

SuperFine Pitch CRT provides better image detail with high definition sources. The Aperture Grill was improved by making the vertical slits a finer pitch that increases the number of slits by up to 65%(16 x 9 base). Also improved were the High Precision Deflection Yoke, Fine Focus Electron Gun and the inclusion of higher intensity Luminescent Phosphors. The result is a more detailed image for both moving and still images, higher resolution picture quality, and better edge detail.

• HD Detailer™ Wideband Video Amp provides greater detail on finer images, delivering the best possible image from high bandwidth sources.

• ClearEdge VM™ (Wideband Velocity Modulation Scanning) allows you to select levels to create better separation between an object and its background for clearer edges, greater picture depth and improved overall picture quality.

ATSC Integrated Tuner allows the reception of local, off-air digital broadcasts providing the viewing of free, true high-definition network programming without the addition of a set top box or a monthly fee.

• Digital Cable Ready with CableCARD™ Slot A set of hardware specifications that are defined to include a removable security module, which separates the cable operator's proprietary conditional access system from the retail digital cable device, to enable portability of the host to other cable networks.

• HDMI Interface (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) – HDMI is the first industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface. HDMI provides an interface between any audio/video source, such as a set-top box, DVD player, and A/V receiver and an audio and/or video monitor, such as a digital television (DTV).

HDCP Interface (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) was developed to protect digital entertainment content across a DVI interface. It also serves as the security system for HDMI.

• CineMotion™ Reverse 3-2 Pulldown improves the display of video programs originally shot on 24 frames per second film preserving the integrity of the original film frames for more fluid motion and more fine detail.

• Memory Stick® Media* Enhanced Playback (JPEG,MPEG1,MP3)

I just cant wait for this set... Anyone else?

Me too! I was in my local retailer checking out the 36" Sony HS420 and was awe struck by how good the high-def feed of the Olympics looked. If the XS955 is supposed to be an improvement over that, it's going to blow my mind. I can't wait!

I cant wait to hear the reviews of this set. I have had a Toshiba 32" IDTV for 10 years now and the time has come for an upgrade. As far as buying a 4:3 set instead of 16:9, a 27" 4:3 picture on a widescreen set is too small. I have a large collection of music Laserdiscs and like to watch Fox news and EPL soccer without the distortion of stretch modes. The black bars dont bother me on 16:9 material. One thing that concerns me is the lack of a digital output, which would mean no Dolby Digital surround when using the Cablecard input. Anyone know what retailers will be carrying it?

There is an optical output....

Hi, I'm a newb.. but I'm in the market... What's firewire do? Does this model come in both 16:9 and 4:3?

Also, why is the 34inch model priced higher than the 36inch model?

The 34" is a widescreen version. The 36" is 4:3...

The reason the 34" is more $$$ is because widescreen is the HIP tv set at the moment...

is the 36" geared towards HD tv? I thought only widescreen was geared towards HD/DVD?

Also, whats firewire?

Originally posted by Juggy
is the 36" geared towards HD tv? I thought only widescreen was geared towards HD/DVD?

I think it's a good middle ground. If you watch HD material, it's letterboxed on the set, and that widescreen portion of the screen amounts to 33", only an inch smaller than the pricier 34" set. However, if you watch standard-def 4x3 material, you get a lot more screen real estate than you would with the 34".

Also, whats firewire?

A convenient way to link up various components. (http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,18334,00.asp) It's a handy feature, but the lack of one isn't a deal breaker for me. Search this forum for "Firewire" if you'd like to read some more in-depth descriptions about the appeal.

Where can you read about the 5-year warranty for $119 on the Sony Style site? I can't find it.

Also, what is the deal with the free remote? Is this not the normal one that comes with the TV?

I am not sure if the website offers it??? I bought it from SONY STYLE (the store). Great deal IMO. Sears wants slightly over $500 for theirs. The TV comes with its own remote. Sonystyle (the store) is also offering the 5 device setting remote free.

..saw the 34inch version of the xs beside the 34xbr960 (I'm a 960 owner in fairness of disclosure), and the pq was not even comparable to the 960. I was in fact surprised how much the difference was, and it wasn't a tweaking settings issue, the picture was noticeably less detailed and solid. The geometry was also horrendous, and this was truly scary as the 960 has shaky geometry. Not trying to be capricious, but I'd seriously reconsider any xs purchase based on what I saw. To me a few hundred dollars isn't worth the much lower pq.

Hmmm... Since you are a 960 owner and I WAS a 960 owner.
I read another person that saw the 34XS and said the pq is about the same.

My opinion of the XBR960 is this:
1.) HORRIBLE Geometry (my first set)- Countless people saying they have bad geometry as well.
2.) Tuner problems- (2nd and 3d set)- Countless others have this problems as well.
I wouldnt touch that set if you gave me it to me for free!!!

Each tv set has its own geometry issues.

As for your regard of PQ. Do I doubt your opinion. Sure I do. The 36" xs has almost ALL the same options as the 960, except for the 2nd generation resolution. The XBR960 is the only set with this. DO you think sony will release most of their 2004 tube tv sets with horrible pq. SERIOUSLY doubt it!!! Now leave this thread 955 hater! we dont want you. Go back to your "beloved" 960.

..all I'm saying is be sure to compare them with your own peepers...but jamison, if you weren't happy with the 960, there's no way the xs will do it for ya...sorry. Furthermore, there is no way anyone seriously could suggest that the xs be purchased over the 960..just look at the feature set, in fact it's silly that sony has the list price so high for the xs in my ignorant opinion. Happy viewing no matter which set ya buy!

I wasnt happy with the 960 for the geometric and tuner problems... will sony learn their mistake with the 960's and correct them with the 955..maybe. If they released a working 960, then I would LOVE it. The pq is amazing. According to the brochure, the pq of the 36" should be comparable..thats all Im saying...

..geometry I saw was worse out of the box on the 955...much worse in fact. It was stretched to the point that figures on screen looked like thay had been subjected to the rack of old...just run out and see one yourself jamison and then gimme a shout.

The other person that saw this set never mentioned bad geometry problems. Maybe it was just an isolated case? In fact, they said everything looked almost exact to that of a 960....Your just one person. The 2nd person had a total different experience as yours (he did not own a 960 hmmm...)

..were the sets next to each other, with the same HD feed, and matched as far as menus go...I'm telling you, the picture is just not the same, in fact I'd say the pq was closer to the 34HS510 which i had last xmas and remember well..too well! Although it claims super fine pitch, there's more to it than the tube. I'd guess that the xs has different circuitry in some regard, for example I don't think it's DRC is adjustable for example. However,you may be right...I've only seen one xs afterall. But let's say YOU are right and the picture is equal, why wouldn't you want firewire?

JamisonBWolsh,

Do you have a link to the offer for the free remote? I'm thinking about getting this set, and I see the offer for the free stand, but I don't see anything about a free remote? I checked on Sonystyle, but it just has the offer for the stand.

I dont see any reference to an optical output in the spec sheet, only firewire

The spec sheet for the 34XS955 doesn't list optical output either, yet the set apparently has one (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=4203537#post4203537). I'd imagine the same will hold true for the 36" model, assuming that poster is correct.

Exactly...The offer os only good at the sony Style STORE... not the website...

The spec sheet did not list it. BUT the 34" has one. So, logically speaking, so shall the 36"

As another data point, I noticed the other day that the WS550 rear projection models have an optical output (they're essentially a WS510 with an HD tuner), so I'd be suprised if the XS955 series dosen't have one.

Of course the fact that someone claims to have seen the back of a 34XS955 and saw an output is also good evidence. =)

GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!! well.... not that great...

I think BLOATEDCORPSE needs to get a burual already or something and here is why....

I went to CC today and they did not have the XS955 yet.

HOWEVER, I did compare the 34HS420 to the 34xbr960. With both sets on the same setting using an HDTV program, the pq were ALMOST identical. The difference being 3 feet away I can see the pixels of the 420, but the 960 was smooth (No pixels). 5-6 feet away and I cannot tell the difference between these 2 sets on a HDTV broadcast.

what does this all mean? Well, the XS line is an UPGRADE over the HS line. If the 955 is better than the 420 line (it is) then there is NO QUESTION that the pq of the 955 and the 960 is going to be extremely close.

Bloated, the setup at your store must have been screwed up, becasue the 34 and 960 set looks almost IDENTICAL in pq (except for the pixels). I wonder if the 955 line will have the noticable pixels or not.. we will see..

..the set-up may have been messed up...for future owners, I sincerely hope it was! The HS line in no way compares to the 960 in terms of pq..if it did, why would sony even have the xbr line, it's just silly to compare them, as they are two different lines targeted at different segments of the HDTV market. Next you'll be telling me the 13 inch trinitron is almost reaching the lofty heights that is the 960...all you have to do is sit 6 inches away and imagine. Just having adjustable DRC (not that I even recommend using it), is worth the extra two hundred bucks. I find it absolutely disturbing that you're expecting satisfaction with an inferior model after already being disappointed with the 960!..to each their own I s'pose...but it's kinda like trading in a BMW and getting hyped about the brand new toyota hatchback...silliness...if anything, it would make more sense after your dissatisfaction with sony to try sammy's DLP or something similar. But I'll eagerly await your review of the XS...

I hope you folks will let us know where we can read some reviews when they come out.

Hey...... Just giving you my opinion. Bloated.. Like how you say the sony 955 line has horrible pq...thats your opinion. I compared the 960 and the 420 and the difference was the size of the pixels.. you dont like it? dont read this thread...

NOW back to the subject: KD-36XS955

Please no more talk on any other tv set...use another thread for any other talk

234 pounds! This thing is a monster.

YES>>>>>>>
You can now download the manual for the XS tv`s at Sony`s web site under support.
YUP ***
They DO HAVE AN OPTICAL DIGITAL OUT ( sorry but I had to yell :) )
AND , yes CC (at least some ) have the KD-34XS955.
What did I think ?
Not much :(
It looks very dark (standard mode=reset) , only had a chance for a quick look.
However it does have the enhanced CC and the new "menu" system.
To me , it seems as if something was missing , although I don`t know what.
Maybe it was the "little" things , like NO metal around the memory stick slot.
Maybe if I had more time or if it was showing better source program , my views would be different.
The remote is the RM-Y199 , which is a "hyped-up" version of the on found on the HS series.
NO thumb "thingy" for menu control.
Just wanted to let the news out , it has arrived (at least the 34").
I still need to see the 30" with a VHS tape playing , if I can stand watch source like that then SD would be ok.
Have fun !!
Gary

Did you see the pixels like in the 420's and 510's?? or is as smooth as the 960? You can adjust the darkness.... I will take a look at them when they get to the LA stores... BUT I dont think you can compare the 16:9 vs the 4:3??? I would REALLY like to see how the 4:3 views SD material....the 16:9 probably compares with the 960....but I wonder how the 36" will handle this?

ah... man... no "THUMBY thing"?? I liked that....

also, that manual is actually for the 34" not the 36"...

...ahhhh..the sweet, sweet smell of vindication....and yes it's pixely...suspiciously like my old 510...brrrrrr

Hi JB,
Actually , the manual is for all 3 ( 30" + 34" + 36" ). :D
I couldn`t tell , it realy was a very quick look.
But I did go through the menus and I went to the video mode and selected "standard" and then hit reset just to get every thing back to factory spec`s and it still looked dark.
Yes , you can make it brighter , but compaired to other Sony`s with equal settings , it just seemed a little to dark.
Y`a , the remote is a "cheapy" .
Have you downloaded the manual ? If not give it a try , even in the manual it states the differances between the 36" and the 30" + 34 ".
O and there seems be be a 4th mode of "stretching" something that the 960 is missing (I think) and you can save seperate settings for each input.
Realy check out the manual , I wouldn`t have ya download something for nothin , honest :)
I didn`t notice any specs or pixelization , put I think it was to dark to notice that anyway.
I`m going to check it out again in few days, but please get back to me about the manual !
Take care ,
Gary

Yikes. This doesn't exactly leave me overflowing with enthusiasm about my pre-order.

Never mind bloatedcorpse.. His opinion is weighted. he owns a 960. When I said pixels I meant if your within a certain range, you can view pixels. I did not mean pixelation, which the 960 HAS. I believe it has the same pixels as the 960 (hardly noticable at a 2 feet range). At least sony should have the tuner working in the 955. Unlike the 960's sets that have various issues...

ADAM, try to locate the 955 series of sets. I cant find them in my area yet.

BTW: the REAR panel is the same as the XBR960...

In either case, this set IS the best 36" hdtv 4:3 with a tuner out there...

Please no more talk on any other tv set...use another thread for any other talk
Did you see the pixels like in the 420's and 510's?? or is as smooth as the 960?
:rolleyes:

..maybe he meant to say only compare sets if it supports my point of view...

There IS an optical output!!!

The 36xs955 MANUAL is NOW released:

http://www.sonystyle.com/intershoproot/eCS/Store/en/documents/specifications/KD36XS955.pdf

Check it OUT!!!!

Originally posted by weesleekit2
I hope you folks will let us know where we can read some reviews when they come out.


Well, there is only the review of the KV-30HS420 which should be pretty similar to the 34" HS420 and the review of the KD-34XBR960 so far.

http://reviews.cnet.com/Sony_KV_30HS420/4505-6481_7-30895537.html?tag=pdtl-list

http://reviews.cnet.com/Sony_KD_34XBR960/4505-6481_7-30787600.html?tag=pdtl-list

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
There IS an optical output!!!

The 36xs955 MANUAL is NOW released:

http://www.sonystyle.com/intershoproot/eCS/Store/en/documents/specifications/KD36XS955.pdf

Check it OUT!!!!

Yes, this was established days ago.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=4220890#post4220890

Originally posted by jedi29
YES>>>>>>>
You can now download the manual for the XS tv`s at Sony`s web site under support.
YUP ***
They DO HAVE AN OPTICAL DIGITAL OUT ( sorry but I had to yell :) )
AND , yes CC (at least some ) have the KD-34XS955.
What did I think ?
Not much :(
It looks very dark (standard mode=reset) , only had a chance for a quick look.
However it does have the enhanced CC and the new "menu" system.
To me , it seems as if something was missing , although I don`t know what.
Maybe it was the "little" things , like NO metal around the memory stick slot.
Maybe if I had more time or if it was showing better source program , my views would be different.
The remote is the RM-Y199 , which is a "hyped-up" version of the on found on the HS series.
NO thumb "thingy" for menu control.
Just wanted to let the news out , it has arrived (at least the 34").
I still need to see the 30" with a VHS tape playing , if I can stand watch source like that then SD would be ok.
Have fun !!
Gary

I can't wait to see one and finally hear the reviews. I've been waiting for a TV to replace my 36XBR200. It's been great and has served me well for the last 6 years. I've been using it to watch HD programming and it looks great, even though it's not an HD TV.

Anyways, the size is great for me. Any 16:9 is too small and I don't want plasma or DLP. So this might be my answer!

Keeping my fingers crossed.

Russ

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
Never mind bloatedcorpse.. His opinion is weighted. he owns a 960. When I said pixels I meant if your within a certain range, you can view pixels. I did not mean pixelation, which the 960 HAS. I believe it has the same pixels as the 960 (hardly noticable at a 2 feet range). At least sony should have the tuner working in the 955. Unlike the 960's sets that have various issues...


Well, yeah, his and mine, and my buddy, and my co-worker (who owns the 910). As stated in a different thread. The 955 is suppose to use the same tech as the 910. My co-worker and a friend stated that my 960 looks better than his 910. 2nd gen stuff (grill/software/firmware/hardware/whatever).

I'm not saying the 955 is going to look 'bad'. I think my co-workers 910 looks damn good. I'm just saying that between the 2, (and this isn't even right next to each other or at the same time... this is driving from one house to the next)... all 3 of us universally agree hands down, without question, the 960 looks better. Not the same. That's the whole reason I bought it. Because it does look better. If the 955 looked better, I would have bought it, instead.

I'm not dissing the 955, but I think JBW is living in his own little world. :rolleyes: (Just my opinion, sorry dude - Feel free to send me death threats or poetry - just kidding! Seriously, no poetry.)



In either case, this set IS the best 36" hdtv 4:3 with a tuner out there...

I'm not going to dispute this. It probably is... I just don't want some newbie thinking he is getting the very best pq possible, when it's really the very best 4:3 pq. I'll bet the 955 is a great tv! It's just not the best PQ possible. If it was, it would cost a couple hundred $$$ more. ;)

-C
Ps. Flame away! Or do it privately, and include more profanity! =) :D

PPs. I read it on the internet once... It MUST be true! :)
PPPs. We once thought that with an infinite number of monkeys and an infinite number of typewriters, they would eventually produce the comlete works of William Shakespeare. Now that we have the internet, we see this is not the case.
PPPPs. Arguing on the internet is a lot like running in the special olympics. Even if you win... you're still retarded. <-- If you haven't figured it out by now,... I'm not very PC :D
PPPPPs. After you post your little rant, you'll always instantly spot your only typo on the screen, and then have to edit that damn thing! :P

Originally posted by jedi29
YES>>>>>>>
You can now download the manual for the XS tv`s at Sony`s web site under support.
YUP ***
They DO HAVE AN OPTICAL DIGITAL OUT ( sorry but I had to yell :) )


You can see it here...at least for the 34" model.
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-mGaAllVsRMb/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?s=0&cc=01&g=154350&id=morephotos&pi=2&i=158KD34XS9&display=XL#Tab

I would kill for the KD-30SX955 to replace my TERRIBLE samsung TX-P I can't wait for them to release this TV :) I saw crutchfield and sony have them in but I haven't found any stores in my area that have them yet.

Description of 36xs955 states "digital cable ready with cable card." Cable company does not have a card. Can I use their digital STB instead?

Originally posted by Quaker93
Description of 36xs955 states "digital cable ready with cable card." Cable company does not have a card. Can I use their digital STB instead?

yes, but you would connect the digital STB to the HDMI port or the component ports.

Any New info on this amazing set?

Sonystyle called me to let me know the ship date is STILL sept.22. AND here is a quote from a guy that compared a 960 to a 955:

"I went to Circuit City this weekend and checked out the KD-34XS955.

Wow, great PQ very impressed. There was an 34XBR960 directly next to it. I can't figure it out though, the 34XS955 looked better?

I viewed both on Analog, HDTV and DVD. Same source feed, etc...

I asked if I could play with the sets and the salesmen said "do whatever you want."

He said they just take out of the box and hook up, not much else. He did say that customers constantly mess with them.

The 34XS955 looked awesome, I can only hope the 36XS955 looks as good.

The salesmen said they Can't sell the XBR's but the XS955 is SOLD OUT.

The XS955 was $400 LESS and had a better PQ, IMO.

Why does it appear that the XS955 has a better PQ, can someone explain?

Will the 36XS955 offer the same PQ?"

THIS SET IS GOING TO ROCK!!!

I always try to stay neutral and usually downplay some of these posts. I was just at CC to get a couple of cables I need for my new DVD player.

They had the 955 on the floor right next to the 960. Yes, the cabinets look identical. Yes, the crappy feed on the 955 looked better than the super crappy feed on the 960. I can tell you that no way does my 960 picture look like the one I just saw at CC. The 955 is a great set I'm sure but if you really think it has a better picture than the 960, I think you are very fooled.

They are both great set's for sure...

I don't know what consumers are supposed to do? The feeds in these stores are just aweful. Thank God my 960 does not look like the one I just happened upon and you better hope the 955 does not look like the one right next to it.

-Rick

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
Sonystyle called me to let me know the ship date is STILL sept.22. AND here is a quote from a guy that compared a 960 to a 955:

"I went to Circuit City this weekend and checked out the KD-34XS955.

Wow, great PQ very impressed. There was an 34XBR960 directly next to it. I can't figure it out though, the 34XS955 looked better?

I viewed both on Analog, HDTV and DVD. Same source feed, etc...

I asked if I could play with the sets and the salesmen said "do whatever you want."

He said they just take out of the box and hook up, not much else. He did say that customers constantly mess with them.

The 34XS955 looked awesome, I can only hope the 36XS955 looks as good.

The salesmen said they Can't sell the XBR's but the XS955 is SOLD OUT.

The XS955 was $400 LESS and had a better PQ, IMO.

Why does it appear that the XS955 has a better PQ, can someone explain?

Will the 36XS955 offer the same PQ?"

THIS SET IS GOING TO ROCK!!!

Hmmm.. so your saying that both tv sets are fed Crappy feeds. The 955 has better pq then the 960 using the same crappy feed. Stands to reason that the 955 would have better pq then the 960 when fed GREAT feed....

I am saying that I could "jiggle" the cable on the back of the 960 and the picture would fade in and out.. How can you judge a tube with connections and feeds like this?

I made them play several DVD's on the 960 when I was shopping. I did not even begin to try to make a decision based on the feed coming into the TV.

Good-Luck with a fine 955. I'm sure it is a very good set.



Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
Hmmm.. so your saying that both tv sets are fed Crappy feeds. The 955 has better pq then the 960 using the same crappy feed. Stands to reason that the 955 would have better pq then the 960 when fed GREAT feed....

Actually, he said that one had a "crappy feed" while the other had a "super crappy feed" :)

So that would make it an apples and oranges comparison.

Bob

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
Hmmm.. so your saying that both tv sets are fed Crappy feeds. The 955 has better pq then the 960 using the same crappy feed. Stands to reason that the 955 would have better pq then the 960 when fed GREAT feed....

Have had a 34" 955 for a couple of weeks. Absolutely amazing picture.

Just got ESPNHD on TWC and the PQ is unbelievable. I am sitting out in my den watching this tv, with a Hitachi 60v500 in the living room. It is that great. (in the den I can sit 6-8 ft away, perfect for watching)

Debated between the 955 and the 960. Only thing I may miss is the firewire.

DAMN!!!!! Sony is doing to this tv set what they did to the 960!!!

"Shipping date not available. We will notify you by email when this product has shipped" So..what does this mean?

I just placed my order for the KD-36XS955.

If you are or become an Agoraquest.com member (free) you can get the set (without the stand) w/no tax, no shipping charge (includes white glove delivery), and at a price significantly less than the listed 1699. Just look in their group buy section of the board.

Just thought I'd pass it along.

do you have a link?

I could not find the kd-36XS955, your sure its this tv?

NEVERMIND!!! I found it.....

bestbuy has it in most stores the 34in version

the 30 and the 34" version are 16:9
The 36" is 4:3 and was SUPPOSED to be released on sept. 22 but the date has been changed...

Stupid question, but can this set convert everything to 1080i?

DAMN!!!!! Sony is doing to this tv set what they did to the 960!!!

"Shipping date not available. We will notify you by email when this product has shipped" So..what does this mean?

I had the same question re:30xs955. Here is the email exchange I had with Sony

Question: "The availability date for this item has changed from "on or about September 1" to "not yet available". Could you give me a idea when this model will be shipping? Thank you"


Answer:" The KD-30XS955 30" Widescreen FD Trinitron WEGA HDTV is currently available online for purchase at SonyStyle.com. Shipping date is not available. We will notify you by email when this product has shipped to you. We will notify the Shipping date when you had purchased the Television from our site"

I thought I asked a very direct question. The response was worthy of a politician.

How soon after sept. 1 did they ship that tv?

Inside info:

The official ship date has moved from 9/22 to 10/06. The only reason; filling the supply chain.

Cool!!! Thanks... I can wait another week for this tv set...

Well, it's two weeks, actually.

Technically....but who is counting? I am willing to wait (though would prefer to have the set asap)....

Did we ever determine if this tube is the same Super Fine tube as the 960? Or is it the first generation Super Fine tube that's in the 910?

I'm still a little confused....

Its the same tech as the 910 with some upgraded options... or you can say It's pretty much the same as the 960 minus the "2nd generation super fine pitch". Is there a difference between the resolution of the 960 and the 955? Its a debate. 960 owners says "There is a HUGE difference", but MANY people who compared the 2 at a store said they are pretty much are the same. At the end ...it's your choice. Go to a store and compare the 955 to the 960 (the 30 and 34" 16:9 sets).

IT SHIPPED!

Received my notice and tracking number from Sonystyle this evening...shipped on 9/13.


"In transit to local terminal, please allow 3-7 business days for shipping."

It may get here 2-5 days early? or on time (9/22)

When did you place your order, if you don't mind my asking? I haven't gotten confirmation yet, but I ordered a little late (August 3rd). My credit card hasn't been dinged yet, but it looks like the full amount of the set has been reserved on it. Not sure if that's a recent thing or what.

Neat. Just got my shipping confirmation too.

Good news everyone:

Shipping availability:
Usually delivered within 5-12 business days.

This MUST be a good sign. Released BEFORE the schedule date. UNLIKE the 960 which was delayed.........

Ordered first day...Aug 1, put in on my Sony card with 12 months free money, checked the delevery site again this evening and the text said it will arrive at the terminal on 9/15

I could only find one 34XS955 in my area and it was at a Best Buy. They had the XBR, XS and HS in the same aisle, seperated by other televisions.

The XBR and XS had better pictures then the HS, and thats not a knock against the HS because it had a very good pic. The XBR and XS were just better.

I could see no discernable diffrence between the XBR and XS sets. Both were being fed the Jellyfish video in HD and they both looked darn good in the glare of the lights at BB.

If the XBR has better PQ I couldn't see it at BB.

I am a new poster so I'm not sure what I can post as far as purchasing this set, but I found an unbelievably low price on this set from a bricks and mortar chain in NJ that has a web site. If it's ok I will post the website, if not anyone can PM me and I will respond.

I saw the 420 and 955 at Best Buy. And the Toshiba 30HF84 if anyone was interested. The feeds were really really bad. I'm talking bad even for NTSC. I've already given up on 480i completely, but these garbage signals would in no way allow me to make a fair comparison of picture quality.

Is it just me, or does the 955's screen look a bit smaller than other 34" CRT's screens? Or was it because the larger frame around it makes it look smaller?

just got my email staing mine has shipped as well. I ordered on 01 aug. I'lll keep my fingers crossed that the stand gets delivered first.

I would think if you placed the 2 items on the same order, it would arrive at the same time... do you have frieds to help you lift the tv set onto the stand?

MIne is coming in 7-10 bussiness days as well :)

Checked today.....Delivery expected 9/20/2004

Set up delivery for mine for tomorrow at 10 AM. Can't wait!

where do you check the delivery date info??? Does the delivery company have a website? Hey! tomorrow??? WE WANT A FULL REVIEW pronto :)

You can track the shipment at http://www.nvclogistics.com/tracking/

Oddly, Sony sends the URL in the shipment confirmation, but not the tracking number. (They include the order number, but I couldn't search by that.) I had to log into sonystyle.com and view my order status to get the order #.

They'll call you and schedule an appointment when it's in.

So adam, How do you like the tv set? Is it as good as the 960? Any problems with the Tuner or Geometry (both of these plagues the 960)? Inquiring minds want to know :)

It's in my living room right now. I'm still reconnecting everything, but I played a couple of high-def Xbox games, and they looked great. The one 480p game I tried seemed more pixelated than I remember, but I still have my analog KV-36FS12, so maybe I'll try to A/B it at some point. The tuner is scanning through the digital channels right now. It says it'll take 50 minutes-plus -- I made the mistake of cancelling it, thinking I'd be able to view what it had scanned thus far, but that doesn't seem to be the case. The cable guys are supposed to swing by tomorrow afternoon with a STB, but I wanted to see what I could pick up with the built-in tuner. I'll post tonight with whatever I find. As far as video quality goes, I haven't watched enough to be able to tell (no DVDs, no high-def channels), and I'm not familiar enough with the 960 to be able to say one way or the other. Geometry seems fine, as far as I can tell.

Edit -- Initially I posted some pretty negative comments about the way an armful of DVDs I tried looked, but that must've been all the sunlight streaming in. I'm used to watching everything in the dark, and now that it's pitch-black outside, I'm left with fewer major complaints about the set. I do need to continue fiddling with the settings, but it looks really nice at night. It seems to depend heavily on the material. I watched part of a Canadian movie called Decoys that was shot on HD video, and it looked excellent. Film-based material wasn't as impressive -- I watched Princess Mononoke a couple weeks ago on my analog VVega, and I seem to remember it looking considerably sharper than it does now. Spirited Away looks excellent, though. I spot-checked a couple episodes of Angel, and they also seemed to look better than they did when I watched them on my analog set recently. When something looks good, though, it's eye-popping -- even though I have a 480i image being pumped to the TV, Monsters Inc. looks as good as anything I've seen at any resolution. Still, I think a healthy viewing distance is necessary -- the image looks pretty lousy close-up.

Yet Another Edit -- The built-in tuner is a little flaky. Not too bad, but I was scrolling through everything once, and I was able to see a slew of channels, including a couple in high-def. When I went back to add those channels to my favorites, I kept getting an error. Then I wasn't able to tune in anything. I turned the TV off and back on (not a speedy process; the TV takes between 15 and 20 seconds to start up), and I was able to see everything again. I'm going to be using a STB anyway, so it's not a big deal to me. Your mileage may vary. I can only get in two HD channels, one of which isn't broadcasting anything but a logo at the moment, but the first legitimate HD show I watched on this set -- Joan of Arcadia (or whatever it's called) looks perfect to my eyes.

Other random comments -- I'm not a fan of the rounded top of the set. Now my center channel won't fit up there. I'll try to rig something to prop it up. The bottom of the stand is cut in such a sharp 'V' that the lowest rack is almost useless. It's neat how the stand and the TV look like one nearly seamless unit, but I would've preferred something less aesthetic and more useful.

Originally posted by russwong
Did we ever determine if this tube is the same Super Fine tube as the 960? Or is it the first generation Super Fine tube that's in the 910?

I'm still a little confused....

XS/XBR = Super Fine Pitch

HS = Normal Pitch

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
Its the same tech as the 910 with some upgraded options... or you can say It's pretty much the same as the 960 minus the "2nd generation super fine pitch". Is there a difference between the resolution of the 960 and the 955? Its a debate. 960 owners says "There is a HUGE difference", but MANY people who compared the 2 at a store said they are pretty much are the same. At the end ...it's your choice. Go to a store and compare the 955 to the 960 (the 30 and 34" 16:9 sets).

The 955 and 960 (XS and XBR) both use the Super Fine Pitch CRT. The HS series use Normal Pitch. It is very difficult to see the difference on a moving picture. But if you have a signal with a still image like a game or sports score in the corner, then it's fairly easy to see the improvement that the Super Fine Pitch offers.

Adam,

do you notice the difference between this set and the "average tv set"? I mean if you sit 3 feet from a normal set, one can see the pixels. Can you see the pixels at this range? If it is like the 910/960 (which it is), the Picture should be seamless.. no pixels noticable...please tell us...

Aren't there any professional reviews on TV's like Phil Askey does on cameras in dpreview? If so, where do you find them?
Jerry

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
I mean if you sit 3 feet from a normal set, one can see the pixels. Can you see the pixels at this range? If it is like the 910/960 (which it is), the Picture should be seamless.. no pixels noticable...please tell us...
I don't know what you mean. I saw scan lines on my old set if I was up close, but not individual pixels. The image looks flat-out awful close up, though...soft and sometimes kind of noisy. Sitting around six/seven feet back, I don't have any problems, though. It depends on the material too. HD material is very clearly defined...standard-definition cable is more obviously pixelated.

"The image looks flat-out awful close up"

Are you serious? The XS line is better then both the 510 and 420 line. It falls between the 910 and 960. How can the image be awful? Have you calibrated the set yet? I would think the image would be outstanding! Are you going to keep it?

some people say the image is as good as the 960...

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
How can the image be awful?

The operative words are "close up". As I said earlier, it looks great at a normal seating distance. I was just surprised at how it looked when I stood right in front of it. I don't remember my old set looking quite that bad from a foot or so away.

When are you getting your set? Since you're more knowledgable about the 960 (and can't seem to post without mentioning it at least twice ;)), maybe you'll be able to contribute more than I can. I don't have a strong high-definition point of reference.

Getting it midweek next week. The stand comes on wedsnesday and the set a day or 2 after that. When I say "pixels" I mean the dots (forgot the tech word for it) you see if you sit close to the set. Do you use quality cables such as hdmi or component cables? Reviewing the specs, this tv set should be the best 4:3 and possibly 16:9 crt tv out there...

Ps: They ran out of the $14 remotes, so they are giving me $150 gift certificate that I am going to use on the new sony upscaling dvd player.

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
When I say "pixels" I mean the dots (forgot the tech word for it) you see if you sit close to the set.

Depends on the material. With high-def programming, I don't see any sort of grid-like structure, and the image doesn't become blocky as I approach, just soft and a little noisy. Same for DVDs, but more exaggerated. Standard-def has a fairly anti-aliased look to it, but I don't see scanlines from a reasonable distance.

Do you use quality cables such as hdmi or component cables?

The DVD player (a Toshiba SD-3109) is connected directly to the set using MonsterVideo3 component video cables. For cable, I'm going to get a set-top box tomorrow afternoon, but in the meantime, I have coax plugged directly into the set and was using the built-in QAM tuner to view high-def programming.

Ps: They ran out of the $14 remotes, so they are giving me $150 gift certificate that I am going to use on the new sony upscaling dvd player.

If it ever comes out. I've pretty much given up hope on that and am eyeing the Panasonic DVD-S97 instead.

I'm accustomed to nitpicking about the appearance of individual DVDs, but I'm so used to watching them on one display -- I had my previous set for three and a half years -- and it's been about that long since I stood a foot from my TV and stared intently at the screen for defects. This is my first high-definition television, and I can't compare it to anything in its general class.

So, are you happy with this set? Have you seen better 4:3? Maybe it's just your tv? Specs scream greatness for this set. I wonder what others will say about this set..

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
So, are you happy with this set?
Yes. I just had to tune in at night to see the set really strut its stuff. I thought most of my posts in this thread were pretty positive, personally.

Have you seen better 4:3?
I can't compare a set I saw in a brightly-lit storeroom a few months ago to what's in my living room now. Maybe some people can, but I don't have that sort of memory. It doesn't seem strikingly better or worse than the other 4x3 HDTVs I've seen, but I'm not in a position to do a direct comparison. I am tempted to say that some of the other sets I've seen looked better from a shorter distance, though.

Maybe it's just your tv?
I doubt it. I don't think I'm saying anything incredibly negative about it, though. The worst thing I've said is that it looks pretty bad if I have my face really close to the set, which for all I know may be typical. I seem to remember my older set holding up better when I was right up against it, but since my couch is a little further than a foot away, it's not really a concern for me. Just surprised me a little, is all. Again, I haven't had a chance to calibrate the set yet, and maybe that will alleviate some of those concerns.

Specs scream greatness for this set.
I'm pleased with the set, but it wasn't the sort of religious experience you seem to want it to be.

Grrrr. I continue to hate the stand. I have a digital cable box, a DVD player, and a receiver. The stand is so tiny that it can't accomodate all three. I don't know what kind of household Sony's design team is gearing this towards. I would think that anyone who would buy their highest-end 4x3 direct view CRT would have more than two components.

Edit - moved everything around, and things are fine now. I just wish I could keep it all in one place instead of shifting some things to a separate stand. :)

Originally posted by Adam Tyner
I am tempted to say that some of the other sets I've seen looked better from a shorter distance, though.

Now that I have HD service from my cable company, I can say this isn't true. It must be dependent on the material -- I remember the Olympics promo material looking fantastic in high-def when standing right next to the televisions in various stores, and now that I have HDNet, the same holds true with the XS955. I must not have been looking at material that really takes advantage of what the set is capable of displaying. My jaw nearly dropped the first time I saw HDNet, and it looks phenomenal no matter how close I get to the TV. I still need to fiddle with the settings some more -- whites are still blooming, and really dark scenes are so dim that I can barely make anything out, but I'm sure that can be corrected as I continue to adjust the settings.

You should buy the avia dvd or other calibration dvd. They really do help. So, as expected, this tv looks outstanding on hdtv and dvd material? Most sets, including the 960, show SD worse then analog tv sets. With the correct settings and cables, one can increase the pq to equal that of SD.

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
You should buy the avia dvd or other calibration dvd.

That's always been the plan -- I just haven't gone out and picked one up yet. I probably will tomorrow.

So, as expected, this tv looks outstanding on hdtv and dvd material?

DVDs seem to be a mixed bag. What I posted last night is still representative of my experience. My living room, despite my best efforts, is so drenched in sunlight during the day that I can't watch DVDs, but I may have some more comments on that tonight. (Going to be watching the fourth season of Mr. Show on DVD, which isn't exactly demo material, though.) Some DVDs look markedly better -- some DVDs don't seem quite as good. I put on probably fifteen different DVDs last night, and there were only a couple that really seemed to fall short of what I was hoping to see (Princess Mononoke and The Apple). The others looked really good.

Is your dvd player Progressive?


I just cant wait untill sony releases their upscaling dvd player...should be in oct...

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
Is your dvd player Progressive?
No, I'm using the deinterlacer built into the set.

I just cant wait untill sony releases their upscaling dvd player...should be in oct...
I was hoping it would be out before the XS955, but no such luck. I do plan on getting a player that upscales over HDMI as soon as an appealing looking one comes out.

Also, are you using component cables to link the dvd player to the set? Using the component cable actually does increase PQ. You dont have to spend $50+ for monster cables though. Go to Target or Walmart and they sell them for $15 for the same PQ. Im not quite sure hot the deinterlacer works. Would you need a progressive dvd player to play a progressive enabled dvd? I dont know...

All i know is that I used component cables and a progressive dvd player on the xbr960 and the picture was awesome. I hope when I get the 955, the pq will be the same.. we will see...

As for the brightness of the set: the 910 (1st generation) was known to be on the dimmer side. 2nd generation fixed this. The 955 however uses the 1st generation.. So.... Using it in a bright room may not be the best??? My apartment does not get much light (I like it dark), so this would not cause a problem...


Anyone else get a 36" 955 yet?

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
Also, are you using component cables to link the dvd player to the set?

I answered this when you asked me earlier.

Would you need a progressive dvd player to play a progressive enabled dvd? I dont know...

The TV should deinterlace everything. I guess it would depend on whether or not the TV has a better de-interlacer than the DVD player. I don't think there are progressive-enabled DVDs, just progressive-scan players.

I like to keep everything dark, but there are eight million windows on the first floor of my house, and short of putting black-out drapes on everything or boarding 'em all up, there's no way I can stop light from leaking in from numerous different places.

The link to the manual for the set at sonystyledotcomyouareonyourownforthecompleteurlbecauseIamnot allowedtopostURLs presently results in download/attempt-to-view a corrput document which will not display.

The manual for the KD34XS955 claims to support the 36" set. I have yet to see the unit in Portland stores I have visited.

lahaina

The tv was just recently released (a few days ago). Its going to take some time to get these tv sets to the local stores. I have yet to see ANY tv sets in the 955 line in any store yet...

The 34XS955 has been available for a pretty good while here in my neck of the woods. The manual is the same as the 34", BTW.

Man, I was SO HOT to get a big wide screen TV. About a month ago I started visiting the stores and finding web sites such as this one. It has almost become a hobby in itself. In the end I have decided that it is not hard finding a wonderful HDTV display--DLP, LCD, LCos, or Plasma (sure, they all have their +'s and -'s and I exclude the CRT projectors because I don't like the size of the beasts).

What makes me reluctant to buy is the fact that analog and SD are going to be around a long time and HDTV rollout timeframe is going to be a lot longer than most people seem to realize. Meanwhile, the projection and plasma sets display analog and SD content poorly compared to even the most unassuming CRT sets. Maybe its just me, but in discussions and the hype surrounding HDTV purchases, I see a lot of "I want to believe" thinking going on.

In the KD-36XS955 I suddenly see a great option. I get a much bigger and sharper analog and SD picture than my present 27" Trinitron and I do get the HDTV, albeit not as big as I had fantasized about. I can't see HDTV accounting for a very high percentage of our viewing for quite awhile. I'm not much into football or network TV, and we time shift almost everything with TiVo anyway. So this set looks like a great option for 4-5 years as (and if) HDTV becomes ubituitous and/or the wide screen units dramatically improve renditioning of analog and SD content.

I owe it to myself to see one in person before pulling the trigger on the deal, but i can hardly wait. Thanks to everyone who shares their knowledge here.

Some of the earlier posts discussed an extended warranty available via the "brick and mortar" Sony Style store. You may purchase the TV using the online Sony Style site and purchase the extended warranty with a follow-up call to 800.378.4590.

Regards,

RM

FYI-

The 34XS955 is up at circuitcity.com, on sale already too.

Originally posted by lahaina
Man, I was SO HOT to get a big wide screen TV. About a month ago I started visiting the stores and finding web sites such as this one. It has almost become a hobby in itself. In the end I have decided that it is not hard finding a wonderful HDTV display--DLP, LCD, LCos, or Plasma (sure, they all have their +'s and -'s and I exclude the CRT projectors because I don't like the size of the beasts).

What makes me reluctant to buy is the fact that analog and SD are going to be around a long time and HDTV rollout timeframe is going to be a lot longer than most people seem to realize. Meanwhile, the projection and plasma sets display analog and SD content poorly compared to even the most unassuming CRT sets. Maybe its just me, but in discussions and the hype surrounding HDTV purchases, I see a lot of "I want to believe" thinking going on.

In the KD-36XS955 I suddenly see a great option. I get a much bigger and sharper analog and SD picture than my present 27" Trinitron and I do get the HDTV, albeit not as big as I had fantasized about. I can't see HDTV accounting for a very high percentage of our viewing for quite awhile. I'm not much into football or network TV, and we time shift almost everything with TiVo anyway. So this set looks like a great option for 4-5 years as (and if) HDTV becomes ubituitous and/or the wide screen units dramatically improve renditioning of analog and SD content.

I owe it to myself to see one in person before pulling the trigger on the deal, but i can hardly wait. Thanks to everyone who shares their knowledge here.

There's only one problem with that, the 36XS955 is also a digital TV and uses scalers and therefore will display SD content horribly. I know, I have it's older brother the 36hs510 (professionaly ISF calibrated no less) and can tell you firsthand, standard definition (analog) content completely blows.

I've been toying for some time with replacing my upstairs family television with a HDTV widescreen or 4:3. I was at Best Buy yesterday and showed the sleek 34 widescreen 955 to my daughter. It was displaying standard definition. Her response, "It looks kind of bad. Blurry." I have yet to see SD look good on a direct view HD set. This is the deal breaker for me. SD looks good on my Screenplay 7200 front projector. Why can't it look good on a direct view HDTV?

First off, the 510 and the 955 are NOT brothers. In fact, they are NOT even related. The 955 ACTUALLY falls between the 910 and the 960 in PQ. If properly calibrated, the pq of SD should equal that of an analog set. This holds true with the 910/960/955 Due to the upgraded technology in these 3 sets. The 510 does not use this tech, so it will show horrible pq....Sorry about your set spankey.

TcB- on a 16:9, you were probably looking at an image that filled the screen (wide zoom). this degrades the PQ. Also, Im sure the tv set wasnt properly calibrated. One should also look at their input. All these adds up. By doing these steps, you should be able to get a good quality SD image...

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
If properly calibrated, the pq of SD should equal that of an analog set.

I wonder if that is true. I've looked at a lot of these television, albeit, none that I know were ISF calibrated, and the SD looks horrid. I kind of doubt that calibration would make such a huge difference in SD.

I realize that widescreen fill modes will degrade the image, but I recall going all the way back to the XBR 400 that the SD image looked horrible. That model was 4:3.

Believe me, I want SD to look good on these sets. I'd plunk down the money in a hurry if they did.

Talk to 960/910/955 owners. You will find out your statement is not true. Looking at these tv sets "AT A STORE" you will find sd being horrid. Do you plan to use the same settings at home with the same setups? If so, then your right! your going to get a HORRID Sd. Myself, well, I am going to do what I advise and get great SD as my old set. I owned the 960 for a month and found using wide zoom degrades the pq. BUT, by using the normal 4:3 mode, the image of SD is great. Dont believe me? Fine. Your loss...

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
Talk to 960/910/955 owners. You will find out your statement is not true.
Speaking as a 36XS955 owner... :) I'd have to side with the others on this. I haven't spent any time messing with the way SD cable looks on my set since I rarely watch that, but straight out of the box, it's awful. Like, second generation EP VHS-level.

"I haven't spent any time messing with the way SD cable looks on my set since I rarely watch that, but straight out of the box, it's awful"

Hmmmmm...... To get good SD you HAVE to mess with the settings!!! You have horrid PQ because you did not calibrate this set. Its expected. The PQ compares to that of analog sets if you do what I suggested... also.. garbage in...garbage out. Get good Cables!

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
You have horrid PQ because you did not calibrate this set.

The picture settings are input-specific. If you know of a way to get Avia-ish test signals over basic or digital cable, please toss me the channel number and I'll give it a whirl. Whatever settings are required for SD cable to look any good, they're drastically different than any of the presets, and quick fiddling with the sliders doesn't accomplish much.

The PQ compares to that of analog sets if you do what I suggested

That's a pretty definitive statement considering that this is a television set you haven't even seen. As a pre-emptive request, in your response, please refrain from using the words "specs", "910", or "960".

... also.. garbage in...garbage out. Get good Cables!

While Monster component video cables may be overrated, they're not typically referred to as "garbage".

Originally posted by shpankey
There's only one problem with that, the 36XS955 is also a digital TV and uses scalers and therefore will display SD content horribly. I know, I have it's older brother the 36hs510 (professionaly ISF calibrated no less) and can tell you firsthand, standard definition (analog) content completely blows.

With all due respect, terms like "horribly" are pretty extreme and while they may be impactful to some they don't gain you much credibility at least from my perspective. I have also seen the 36hs510 showing both local and digital (SD) content and thought it had very high quality pictures. Can't beleive the 955 will be a step down, but as I said, I don't intend to buy sight unseen either. But I do have every expectation that the set will meet my needs.

Hey everyone, does anyone have this set yet and is using direct TV with it. I would like to know if I can expect to see a improvement over my analog television I'm using now. Most of my TV viewing will be used that way with DVDs and some HDTV through the built in tuner. If its not at least the same quality my wife is gonna kick my butt. I'll have to consider canceling my order if its the case.

There is NO hdtv yet that can Improve SD better then analog sets. At best, it can equal it. However, the hdtv programs and dvd's is purely AMAZING!!!

Why can't tv's scale sd and hd both good? The 36 inch set will have a big picture both in analog and in hd. This is a big plus as where the 960 in sd was not that big of a picture and i can't get use to watching 27". Is it impossible or does it cost to much or is the technology not there to show both hd and sd good and i mean very good on the same tv set? It is a crime to plunk down $2,000 or more and expect a ****** picture on sd, or get an analog set and see your hd material small across the middle of the screen. The same thing with plasma, why can't they scale hd and sd both good on one plasma? I do not mind fiddling with the remote or doing whatever a little extra but please for my money give me good and i mean very good hd and sd on one tv set. I hope the 955 is it.

Are we into apples vs oranges here? Is the 955 showing bad source material more clearly or not showing the source material well? If the 955 is clearly showing flaws in the source material(compression) then it isn't a problem with the 955.

You got it Goldflow. Its not the 955. Its HDTV sets in general. HDTV sets is meant for HDTV programming. HDTV sets picks up the SD signal and clearly displays it. What you see is all the problems with sd material. Analog sets cannot see these problems because it does not have the capabitlities to do so (not digital).

Here is the rub. Some tv sets displays BETTER sd then others. Why you ask? Simple. Its the hardware the manufactorers use in their sets. Supposedly Sony uses the best (Digital Reality Circuitry as well as a few other devices) followed by panasonic. The 910/960/955 all use this tech (the 960 is adjustable).

In the next few years will they make new tv's with better abilities to view sd programming? Maybe next years models, but i dont see them investing alot of money in research because HDTV will be here soon (5 years maybe?)

But owners of the 960 (myself as one- before I returned it), can accomplish a good PQ with SD programming if you follow the steps as I listed earlier. If you have cable, you can also add an Amplifier to your cable and supposedly that works as well (worked for one 960 user).

Review of other 955 sets are coming in!!! check the other threads. The PQ with SD is Good quality!!!! I cant wait to get mine! I will do a FULL in-depth review!

Admittedly, my expectations for SD quality could be unrealistic, and other people's thresholds for what's good could very well be completely different than my own. As it is, it's watchable and teeters on 'okay', but I'd rather watch analog stuff on an analog set and stick with digital stuff on this digital set.

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
Review of other 955 sets are coming in!!! check the other threads. The PQ with SD is Good quality!!!! I cant wait to get mine! I will do a FULL in-depth review!

I cant wait for you to get your set too. I might be able to read a few posts...ah nevermind

Originally posted by DWhite
I cant wait for you to get your set too. I might be able to read a few posts...ah nevermind

What other threads?? !! ??


bob

Originally posted by spongebob
What other threads?? !! ??
The threads for the 30XS955 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=446406) and the 34XS955 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=447373).

But those are 16:9, right? I thought the big issue is whether 4:3 sd/analog will look better on this set than on a widescreen hdtv?

bob

Yes, I was just linking to what JamisonBWolsh is referring to.

So far, I don't think anyone but me has commented on the way SD cable looks on the 36XS955. It's watchable, but not great, in my opinion. I haven't spent a lot of time messing with the settings to improve it (I don't really watch anything other than DVDs and HD, so I haven't felt motivated to give it much effort), and its appearance out of the box may not be representative of the best the set can offer with tweaked settings.

Some of the positive comments about the way SD looks on the smaller widescreen models could be possibly be attributed to their smaller size.

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
You got it Goldflow. Its not the 955. Its HDTV sets in general. HDTV sets is meant for HDTV programming. HDTV sets picks up the SD signal and clearly displays it. What you see is all the problems with sd material. Analog sets cannot see these problems because it does not have the capabitlities to do so (not digital).

Here is the rub. Some tv sets displays BETTER sd then others. Why you ask? Simple. Its the hardware the manufactorers use in their sets. Supposedly Sony uses the best (Digital Reality Circuitry as well as a few other devices) followed by panasonic. The 910/960/955 all use this tech (the 960 is adjustable).

In the next few years will they make new tv's with better abilities to view sd programming? Maybe next years models, but i dont see them investing alot of money in research because HDTV will be here soon (5 years maybe?)

But owners of the 960 (myself as one- before I returned it), can accomplish a good PQ with SD programming if you follow the steps as I listed earlier. If you have cable, you can also add an Amplifier to your cable and supposedly that works as well (worked for one 960 user).

To me, what you say makes ultimate sense. Just the slight bloom from the phosphor in a CRT is going to cover a lot of small sins. A little tweaking, and a decent signal and I'd have a very hard time believing that a 4:3 set from Sony can't offer a very good to excellent SD picture. Also, just the fact that a set, any set, is bigger is going to reduce the perceived quality when picture on same is viewed close up. Sit back (and I do mean back) a little, pop a cold one and enjoy.

You guys need to so some research. Hd sets have to upconvert all signals to native 1080i, including 480i. This is where the big problem is, not the SD signal. It's the poor quality of the conversion from 480i to 1080i that is the problem. Analog sets are native 480i. I'm sure that just like audio gear, the quality of the conversion is critical. I have (IMO) the best analog set ever made, the Sony 32 XBR Squared (xbr-100). I guarantee my set will blow away any hdtv on sd/analog material.

bob

http://www.avrev.com/news/0904/21.silicon.html

"Silicon Optix Announces The Realta Chip - Bringing Teranex's Hollywood Quality Video to the Home"

This may solve our upconversion problem. I hope it can be utilized in the CRT product lines.

Very cool, Gold

Check this!

http://siliconoptixlive.dimentians.com/Realta_360x202_blur.wmv

bob

It looks like that Realta chip might just be for pixel-type purely digital displays. This might be the boost that non-CRTs need to improve PQ. Oh well, it's probably a while off, and a lot of it is probably marketing smoke and mirrors.

Back to the 36xs955!!!! Anyone have one yet? Mine is scheduled to be delivered Friday. Someone else must surely have this 4:3 set....

Originally posted by spongebob
You guys need to so some research. Hd sets have to upconvert all signals to native 1080i, including 480i. This is where the big problem is, not the SD signal. It's the poor quality of the conversion from 480i to 1080i that is the problem. Analog sets are native 480i. I'm sure that just like audio gear, the quality of the conversion is critical. I have (IMO) the best analog set ever made, the Sony 32 XBR Squared (xbr-100). I guarantee my set will blow away any hdtv on sd/analog material.



It doesn't take much research to find HD sets that don't have to upconvert all signals to native 1080i. A lot of direct view sets support both 480p and 1080i natively. My lowly Sanyo does. Samsung TXPs do, as well as several others. http://www.samsungusa.com/pdf/SamsungHDTV.pdf says:

DynaFlat HD Monitors include:
• Native resolutions 1080i (HD) and 480P (progressive scan)

Any of these sets only need a good line doubler to display good SD at 480p. It also eliminates the time lag waiting to generate the upconverted 1080i. The set I had that did convert to 1080i introduced audio sync issues when I was sending audio directly to an AV receiver and had audio coming from the TV. No similar delay with the Sanyo (or Samsung).

Mine was scheduled for delivery Monday but the driver said he didn't have the equipment to move it 13 steps into my basement...should get it tommorrow...wonder if they will forget to do anything else this time...not mpressed with the "white glove" service.

Those who received it...did they set up the "free" stand and then get the TV running?

I just got the stand today. I will set it up later. I thought my tv was going to be delivered friday, but the date is actually the date it will get to Logistics warehouse. 24-48 hours later, they will call me and have the set delivered. Im thinking next wednesday for me???

BTW, they do NOT setup the stand for you..... your going to have to do that yourself and have a friend lift the set up to the stand

The guys who delivered mine offered to set up the stand, but I declined. (I still had a 230 lb. TV on another stand I had to get out of the way first.)

The place that was supposed to deliver mine said they would bring both at the same time, set up the stand and connect the TV. On a side note the delivery people called on Monday to say both the TV and the stand arrived. The TV was damaged during transit to them. she stated she did all the paper work to get a replacement and it would be around 10 days until it arrived. On Wednesday, todays date I called Sony to see if they could get it delivered faster. The guy at customer service told me that Sony will mark my TV as returned when they received it back and I would have to place a whole new order. I told him that was ridiculous and then I talked to a manager who stated the same. He said they could get the new one to me in early October. I told him I was definitely not reordering through them. I guess it was not meant to be.

So sorry about your ordeal!!! What are you going to do now? Why dont you try it a 2nd time? there really is not a 4:3 set that can come close to the PQ of this set.....

You people have got me scared with all this talk about a digital set's poor picture when showing an analog signal. We watch cable all day on Dish and some cops and robbers now and then at night. (I do get a signal from Raleigh - fringe but OK usually - about 60 miles - that we use fairly often) My set is dyijg (an old 32" XBR) and I thought the 36xs955 was what I wanted but now maybe I should look at something like the KV-36FS320. Maybe the HDTV set should be put off for a couple of more years. What do you think?
Jerry

As stated several times- as well as from people that have owned the other versions of the 955- IF PROPERLY callibrated with avia or other type dvd, THERE IS practically NO DIFFERENCE!!!!!

The old 40XBR800 could do 960i and 1080i. Too bad nobody can do that trick anymore.

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
As stated several times- as well as from people that have owned the other versions of the 955- IF PROPERLY callibrated with avia or other type dvd, THERE IS practically NO DIFFERENCE!!!!!
That is a worthless statement. Settings that look good for DVDs as calibrated with Avia are not ideal settings for analog cable. There's a reason the picture settings are input-specific.

They just deleivered mine 15 minutes ago...2nd try and they still had a hard time getting it down the steps to the basement. They marred up the front a liitle bit which is really only notoicable to me...they plugged it in... saw static and said that's all they do. They did not wear white gloves.

I'll put together the stand, set up tonite, and then report

So you did not plug in the cable yet? I would be too excited to wait...

Keep us posted

My first Sony TV was a 20" that I bought about 20 years ago. I, to this day, remember how vivid and bright the picture was on that set. The 20" died a bout 5 years ago and I upgraded to a Sony 32". I remember getting the 32" delivered and setting it up on the same cable outlet that I had my 20" on. I turned on the 32" set for the first time and was shocked by how bad the picture was. I was disgusted by the cable picture on the 32", especially since the 15 year old 20" looked so good on cable.

I though something was wrong with the set until I put a DVD on. Wow, was a difference, the DVD looked great, so for the first time I discovered just how bad a picture cable provides. Some channels looked OK, some were pathetically bad. I called comcast, they came out, made adjustments with their stuff, but still a really bad picture on some channels.

Moral of story, IMHO, the better the TV, the worse the SD PQ is. It's the source that is the problem, not the television

To answer your question Jamisonbwolsh, I'm not sure. I'm gonna wait it out a few and see what the reviews are and then maybe buy it somewhere.

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
As stated several times- as well as from people that have owned the other versions of the 955- IF PROPERLY callibrated with avia or other type dvd, THERE IS practically NO DIFFERENCE!!!!!

Just not true. The difference is substantial. ANalog TV's display analog source much much better, period. You are fooling yourself and misinforming people.

I guess all the 960 and 955 owners are fooling themselves also??? I know many 960 owners on this very forum that are extremely educated in SD and digital signals. EVEN they say the same thing that I said "Once calibrated correctly, the SD quality can almost equal that ofanalog sets". No misinformation here. Only FACT.

But Lets get back to the 36xs955. The point of this thread. If you want to further discuss this, create your thread!

Originally posted by shpankey
You are fooling yourself and misinforming people.
I think it's pretty firmly established by now that he's blindly evangelizing the set and refuses to accept anything that's not glowing, gushing praise about the XS955. When he posts his review next week, I'm sure you can look forward to hearing about how stunning standard definition programming looks, and I'd bet the numbers "910" and "960" will be continually bandied about in there somewhere.

Hmm...

HMMMM...if you read what I said, which you did not, I said the 960 does a great job showing what sd looks like on a hdtv. Very close to the quality of anaolog sets. Dont believe. Fine. Read the 960 thread yourself and learn something before you run your mouth.

To recap:

But Lets get back to the 36xs955. The point of this thread. If you want to further discuss this, create your thread!

Boy is this thing heavy...fits on the stand fine but you only get one shelf with the stand...the second shelf is an additional cost option (from who?)

Finally got it up and running on all sources last nite. comcast cable, SD DirecTV with TIVO, Sony progressive DVD, and Sony VCR.

Cable...not as good as my analog 35" Sony 35V35 I replaced

DirecTV...depending on the channel...awesome. Dancing with Wolves was beautiful....gardening shows...look like cable. Boils dow to compresion on signal from DirecTV for each channel.

VCR, as good ar worse than cable, quality of the source is the issue.

DVD...interlaced...decent. Progressive...beautiful

HD over the air will have to wait 'till this afternoon for antenna hookup (TV is in the basememt).

Sound is very good.

Let me put a hundred hours on it and then I really know.


BTW, Does anyone have a service manual or list of access codes for the service menu for this set?

hey metman2003, I have a second glass shelf if you need,that I won't be using. I ordered it last month after I placed my order which is now canceled.I got the name of the place from Sony and its the actual manufacturer of the stand. I can't recall the name but if you want to pm me about my shelf or the name I 'll get it for you.

So your totally giving up on this tv set just because it was damaged in shipping? What tv set are you going to replace it with? A 16:9 or 4:3........ If it's just because of the reception of SD, Im sorry to say you willl not find a better tv set that shows SD programming besides the 960. Sony and panasonic actual does SD the best. As for 4:3, Panasonic canceled their 36" 4:3 (which I was really interested in), that leaves the 36" 36xs955 as the front runner for 4:3 sets. If yuo plan on buying 16:9, I would suggest the 34xs955 or the xbr960 (hopefully sony worked the glitches out of this set). If you wait for next year sets, your going to get SD reception better then this years. If you wait 2 years, its going to be better then next years.

So, whatcha going to do?

...my wallet, that is. Finally saw one of these beasts in person and even Connie Chung (or a Connie Chung clone?) looked good on a D****TV (SD) feed. Only problems with that were some noise due to the overextended distribution system and some compression artifacts that arrived with the signal. I tried several other channels due to my concern that the set adequately handle SD. HDTV signals from DVD player and from D****TV of various football telecasts looked excellent. And this was all right out of the box. They had just set the thing up and had not adjusted anything. Interestingly, the set was placed in one of the nice viewing rooms rather than out on the floor.

I am sure the set will prove to be less than perfect, but it definitely meets or exceeds my expectations--particularly with SD content--and will work just fine for the next several years until HDTV becomes more commonplace.

Delivery Wednesday!

Gary K.

You and me both Lahaina!!! Are you excited? I sure am....did you buy the stand or are you using a different one?

I think your plan matches mine. Keep this set for 3-5 years and then upgrade when the slim tvs go down in price and increase in technology as well as increased hdtv channels...

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
You and me both Lahaina!!! Are you excited? I sure am....did you buy the stand or are you using a different one?

I think your plan matches mine. Keep this set for 3-5 years and then upgrade when the slim tvs go down in price and increase in technology as well as increased hdtv channels...

Exactly. I have been in and around the electronics industry for a long time and it seems entirely reasonable to me that 3 chip DLP's, refined LCos designs, and other approaches that may seem exotic today will be much more affordable and robust in design than the present generation of sets, and that this will happen in about 5 years. This is not to disrespect or diminish in any way those who are currently pioneering this early market by purchasing the emerging projection and flat panel technologies today! If my wife did not see rainbows we might well have ordered a Mits DLP.

For now though, the '955 is a beauty. About your stand question, I actually have a striking and unusual platform/rack that I am going to use for this set. I will upload a picture when I get it all installed.

I really hope I can find a good deal on this TV when it's available locally, because I think it will fit our needs until we can afford one of the flat panels or nice rptvs (or projectors in a decked out home theater room, drool). But it's really currently just outside the budget I can rationalize (so far) for an entertainment purchase.

lahaina, can you say how the image quality is at roughly a 6' viewing distance? I ask because we have a really small living room, and I'm concerned that regular SD feeds will look bad when viewed so closely (I know that HD as well as DVD should look great, but we watch a lot of Nickelodeon, History Channel, Speed, and other stations not currently available in HD).

Also, does anyone know if this tv will have a sound sync problem if I feed audio straight to our home theater instead of through the tv? I've read that is an issue with quite a few sets, where the video processing creates a delay that ruins the sound sync when the TV doesn't process the sound as well.

Originally posted by Blues_X
...lahaina, can you say how the image quality is at roughly a 6' viewing distance? I ask because we have a really small living room, and I'm concerned that regular SD feeds will look bad when viewed so closely (I know that HD as well as DVD should look great, but we watch a lot of Nickelodeon, History Channel, Speed, and other stations not currently available in HD).

Also, does anyone know if this tv will have a sound sync problem if I feed audio straight to our home theater instead of through the tv? I've read that is an issue with quite a few sets, where the video processing creates a delay that ruins the sound sync when the TV doesn't process the sound as well.

When you consider how many (few) horizontal scan lines are spread out over a screen that size, then I question how happy you might be with it on standard content--for any 36" TV, not just this one at a 6' viewing distance. My impression is that the SD picture on this set is of a quality approximates that of other 36" CRT sets Sony has made in the past including its analog sets. There are some visitors here who will take exception to such a statement. I don't personally agree with them, having spent some time looking, comparing and deciding for myself. Fortunately, this is something you can definitely test and decide for yourself in a showroom as long as you can identify problems that are due to the broadcast and/or signal distribution and those which are definitely not (probably an whole 'nuther thread for that topic). Having a large, high quality 4:3, non-HDTV capable set (such as a Sony 'FS120) nearby that you can use as a reference might give you some confidence in the showroom.

As to a sound sync issue, that is a non-issue with the '955 so far as I know. I have not heard of this except for some Samsung or Panny DLP sets. Maybe someone else could put a finer point on that one but I think that was a very isolated situation.

Hey Laha, TWO MORE DAYS!!!!!!!!!

What settings are you using to get good SD picture. Most of my SD channels do not display faces that well and I have to turn the picture setting way down.;

Socal,

Have you bought the avia dvd yet? That would help you choose the proper settings...

JamisonBWalsh is incorrect.

Avia is useful for diagnosing specific problems for the television (geometry, etc.), and it helps you find an ideal picture setting for your DVD player. However, Avia strikes that balance just for the combination of your specific DVD player and the input you're using for the DVD player. If you use a different DVD player, those same settings may not be ideal anymore. If you drastically change the way your DVD player is connected to the television, those same settings may not be ideal anymore. If you switch to a different type of source material (SD cable, a video game system, HDTV), those settings are very likely not ideal.

If Jamison's mindset were correct, then ISF folks wouldn't charge to calibrate per input since they'd only need to do it once. If Jamison's mindset were correct, then the XS955 would have one global picture setting instead of being input-specific. That's not to say that settings found through Avia for your DVD player won't make SD cable look better, but I wouldn't bank on the ideal settings for your DVD player flawlessly matching the ideal settings for SD cable or HDTV.

Yes it does help geometric settings. But a big plus is to help adjust the brightness,contrast,picture and color settings. After you adjusted these settings, write them down and adjust the other inputs to match. What Adam fails to understand is that these settings would need to be "tweaked" in each input. But it does give a great starting point. Without calibrating your set, you will get horrible analog reception, just like Adams. If you calibrate it properly, your reception would almost equal that of analog sets. There are MANY poeple that have hdtv 4:3 sets that have great analog reception. PLease dont make decisions based on adams "assumptions". Here is a few people that have the 36hs420 4:3 hdtv set (keep in mind the 955 is even better)...

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/productDetailReview.do?oid=94932&com.broadvision.session.new=Yes&BV_UseBVCookie=No#tabs

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
What Adam fails to understand is that these settings would need to be "tweaked" in each input. But it does give a great starting point.
I completely understand this, but that's not what you said earlier.

As stated several times- as well as from people that have owned the other versions of the 955- IF PROPERLY callibrated with avia or other type dvd, THERE IS practically NO DIFFERENCE!!!!!
Calibration by definition requires having a definitive point of reference. If you use settings from Avia intended for a different input and then change the settings arbitrarily to what you think looks good, it ceases to be calibrated.

PLease dont make decisions based on adams "assumptions".
I'm not the only person saying this. And bear in mind, I have the set and am not basing my comments on specifications or speculation.

D'oh! I just found out that our car needs ~$700 worth of work, so there goes the HDTV budget for now. Maybe I'll be able to find a good Black Friday deal in November.

lahaina, thanks for the feedback. I plan to swing by BestBuy and look at their 36" tvs to decide if we really have room or not. I may end up going with a 32" hdtv, since they seem to be quite a bit less expensive than the 36" options. And I wouldn't be so worried about it being too big for our space.

There are plans out there where there is No payments and no interest for 1 year....

Jamison, you do have a point. In that devil-on-your-shoulder sort of way. ;)

Of course: You dont have the $$$ to buy a tv set. Your spending your money to fix the car. Who needs money? Buy the tv set from Sonystyle and pay NOTHING for 1 full year. Thats how you can afford this set!



Ps: Im getting my tv set between 8am-12:00pm on wed!

You will get a FULL, unbias review on this set from me.

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
You will get a FULL, unbias review on this set from me.
Oh, come on -- I think it's pretty clear you've demonstrated a complete and total lack of objectivity towards this set. A few sample quotes of yours before you ever saw anything in the XS955 line:

there really is not a 4:3 set that can come close to the PQ of this set.....The 955 ACTUALLY falls between the 910 and the 960 in PQ. If properly calibrated, the pq of SD should equal that of an analog set.Hey... Wasn't the Titanic the flagship from star lines ... Anyway, Im happy it occured because now I will have a better tv set than the 960. The 36XS955!This incredible set...Luckily, I jumped off the xbr960 sinking ship and onto the unsinkable XS955 this amazing set...

I await your glowing review of how flawless this set is, how it is vastly superior to the 960, and how anything I said that could possibly be construed as remotely negative is completely off-base. (Nevermind the fact that I really like the set, and that the only downside I feel is present is that analog cable doesn't look as crisp as it did on my analog VVega...something that doesn't matter to me since I always intended to use this TV as an HDTV/DVD monitor.)

Thanx Adam!!!!! Just add a few sentences between those phrases you searched this entire thread for and you will have my review. Want to write if for me?



Im sure I will have Negative comments on the geometry.

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
Yes it does help geometric settings. But a big plus is to help adjust the brightness,contrast,picture and color settings. After you adjusted these settings, write them down and adjust the other inputs to match. What Adam fails to understand is that these settings would need to be "tweaked" in each input. But it does give a great starting point. Without calibrating your set, you will get horrible analog reception, just like Adams. If you calibrate it properly, your reception would almost equal that of analog sets. There are MANY poeple that have hdtv 4:3 sets that have great analog reception. PLease dont make decisions based on adams "assumptions". Here is a few people that have the 36hs420 4:3 hdtv set (keep in mind the 955 is even better)...

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/productDetailReview.do?oid=94932&com.broadvision.session.new=Yes&BV_UseBVCookie=No#tabs

According to a rather lengthy and technical thread in the Sony area over at hometheaterspot, 480i signals arriving via the tuner or composite video inputs do not go through the digital scaling circuitry AT ALL on Sony CRT sets. This is true for both direct view and RP styles. Based on that, my disagreement with those who insist that SD does not render well on these sets intensifies. It also reflects my experience in viewing SD content on these sets in the store. Out of the box, the colors, contrast, sharpness etc. may well be suboptimal, but that is true of any set you might buy.

I watch analog cable fed through my cable provider's set-top box via component video cables, a combination that, as best I can tell, does trigger the DRC circuity.

I haven't used the QAM input for analog cable in a couple of weeks, and even then not for any significant length of time, so I can't really comment on how that stacks up by comparison without unplugging and plugging some things in.

My disappointment could be a combination of the signal quality and the set-top box. I'm using the same cable provider I was with my old set, but with different set-top boxes and different connections. Either of those could possibly be to blame.

Originally posted by Adam Tyner
I watch analog cable fed through my cable provider's set-top box via component video cables, a combination that, as best I can tell, does trigger the DRC circuity.

I haven't used the QAM input for analog cable in a couple of weeks, and even then not for any significant length of time, so I can't really comment on how that stacks up by comparison without unplugging and plugging some things in.

My disappointment could be a combination of the signal quality and the set-top box. I'm using the same cable provider I was with my old set, but with different set-top boxes and different connections. Either of those could possibly be to blame.

Yes, the DRC circuitry does come into play as I understand it when you use the COMPONENT video inputs, not the COMPOSITE video, however. Who knows? You might have found a way to get happy with it!

JBW…

I've been reading this forum for over a year now. I started when considering an XBR800. Then the 910 came out. Then I bought a house so the TV budget was exhausted but I know I'm going to buy something sooner or later. I was going to buy a 960 but the wife is now drooling over a JVC-DILA so who knows what's going to happen. Anyway, to my point…

Your first posts to this forum were pretty much that of an uninformed person trying to learn about the subject of CRT HDTVs. Very commendable - you shouldn't go blow a chunk of cash without educating yourself as to your purchase first, so well done.

Unfortunately, subsequent to that, your posts became incredibly misinformed. This ranged from wildly overstating the risk of burn in on a CRT TV to trying to support the suggestion that the "first batch" of 960's were all faulty and that a recall had been issued. At this point your posts were a little like a car crash - you didn't want to look, but you couldn't help yourself.

Tragically your posts have descended into "neener, neener" territory. I believe the kids call them "fanboys"… I guess the definition of that someone who is so impressed by a particular piece of equipment (or whatever) that you consistently, blindly disregard the cons of something and will insist that your particular favourite [whatever] is way above the rest. And it's at this I take issue - you are misinforming people.

People come to read these forums to get the opinions of others and then make more informed decisions about their purchases. If someone is constantly posting false information, like "Burn in is real, people", then these people are being misguided. For myself, having read the board for so long and only having seen your name pop up a few months ago along with your descent from "I'm a noob" into "I'm a self-professed expert", I am able to distinguish the fact that your posts are frequently inaccurate. However, someone just starting to read the board recently wouldn't know that.

As a posting member of this forum you have a responsibility to understand that fact. If you intentionally mislead someone, whether it be from your own ignorance or just a complete bloody-minded refusal to believe that an XBR960 could possibly be better than an XS955 (or whatever petty delusion you choose), you are being completely irresponsible. Especially since through much of this escapade you hadn't even seen an XS. Imagine if I made a purchase based on some entirely incorrect "fact" stated by yourself (or any other posting member of this forum) and found that my purchase was based on incorrect information and I had paid $2000 for something that I really didn't want. How would I feel ? If I could at least return the item you personally would have cost me at best a considerable amount of time and disappointment, and at worst, money.

Speaking personally, you have ruined pretty much all of the XBR/XS related threads for me. What could have been a very worthwhile experience has been ruined by the constant barrage of almost insulting of the forum's collective intelligence, misinformation and downright lies. If the XBR didn't work for you, I'm sorry to hear it and I hope you have better luck with the XS. However there are plenty of people who will be better served by the XBR and you need to understand that. You don't want firewire ? Great… save yourself a few bucks and go with the cheaper TV. Personally, I could use the firewire. Are you still going to tell me the XS is better for me ?

If you want to post please try and at least keep it at an adult level. Nobody wants to see your nonsensical statements anymore.

Jamison-
I am hoping that you recieve the 36xs955 and give it a review within the next few days. I have until 10/2 to buy it at Sonystyle and get no interest or payments til 3/06. I just saw the 36" 420 today at CC and was very impressed with the picture. The silver cabinet was definitely out of the question, though. Anyone else who has seen this TV in action, please post your impressions.

Sideshow pete with 3 posts is berating me.. hmmm....

1.) Burn in is real on crt sets.. It;s fact. Plain and simple. A portion of the screen is in use and the other portion (black bars) is not. That means phospors are being used= Burn in. Fact!

2.) 960 xbr= 1st batch HAD problems. Many people reported them. I had 3 bad sets... it seems though that the following batches is problem free with the tuners. Geometry is another story though.

3.) My review will be coming out soon enough. Maybe tonight? In it, I will explain the difference between these 2 sets Pq.

4.) Fanboy??? Me...never. Remember, all I had was the manual that sony has provided on their website. Now I have the tv set, so I can test the real results.

Now back to the title of the thread ..The 36Xs955..


Ps. Are you an old member hiding behind a new name and couldnt have the ***** to show who you really are?

Originally posted by shugazer9
Anyone else who has seen this TV in action, please post your impressions.

On Monday, I was at Fry's (Sacramento) and compared the 34XS955 and 36XS955 they had beside each other for 15 minutes. There was no feed available except a single NTSC (crappy channel 3) on either. Nothing I could adjust on the 36 (didn't venture into service menu) seemed to make the picture look as good as the 34". When I do a serious comparison, I take my own NTSC on a satellite digital recorder (what I'll be watching at home most of the time) and plug it into things. The 36" might do better in that setup but it is still displaying the 4:3 image in 5 more inches of vertical height than the 34". If there had been an HD source, I think they both would have been great!

I'm not here to start a war and I'm just one of those people who want to be better informed.

In my viewpoint, if they mad a 36XBR960, that would be the set I would buy, because the 34" widescreen is too small for my needs. I currently have the 36" XBR250 or something old from 5 years ago.... The size seems to be good. Still I'd have to say I would rather have a 38" widescreen or even a 40" widescreen, but that doesn't seem like it's going to happen for the CRT world (in the $2000 range).

Is the 36XS955 my best bet? I don't have an issue with the black bars, I still watch SD, but I also watch HD and DVDs... WHY OH WHY won't sony make a 38" 16:9 XBR TUBE!!!!!!!

CRUNNNCH! My set was late in arriving today. I called the store and found out that the drivers had a mishap. Seems they dropped the corner of another set onto the box in which my set was quietly awaiting delivery. They said there appeared to be only cosmetic damage and offered me a discount. I refused that, and am now confronted with the decision to accept the store display unit (at a small discount) or wait. I have not decided yet, but I am thinking about cancelling the whole thing and ordering anew from sonystyle.com and getting the free stand even though I don't need it.

JamisonBWolsh,
People have tried to point these facts out to you delicately and, now, more pointedly. Personally, I hope that no one reads your review and takes it as a credible analysis of this television. You are clearly biased. It shows through the dozens and dozens of posts you've made and threads you've started.

You are proclaiming yourself as a semi-expert, but I fear the reality is you are just a very enthusiastic hobbyist like many of us (myself included), with little or no expert knowledge of real value. I said earlier that I hope you love your new tv. I mean that sincerely. However, it is not necessary for you to convince the world that you bought THE BEST television currently on the market.

(This paragraph edited. I thought it was too harsh. Sorry)

O.K. This is all getting too heated for comfort. Can we please stop the existing conflict and stick to reporting impressions of the 36xs955 once installed?

Agreed... anyone else want or need a 38" 16:9 tube wega? Or am I alone in this desire....

Originally posted by russwong
Agreed... anyone else want or need a 38" 16:9 tube wega? Or am I alone in this desire....

that thing would be HUGE like 350 lbs. but very nice I bet.

Originally posted by TCB
JamisonBWolsh,
People have tried to point these facts out to you delicately and, now, more pointedly. Personally, I hope that no one reads your review and takes it as a credible analysis of this television. You are clearly biased. It shows through the dozens and dozens of posts you've made and threads you've started.

You are proclaiming yourself as a semi-expert, but I fear the reality is you are just a very enthusiastic hobbyist like many of us (myself included), with little or no expert knowledge of real value. I said earlier that I hope you love your new tv. I mean that sincerely. However, it is not necessary for you to convince the world that you bought THE BEST television currently on the market.

(This paragraph edited. I thought it was too harsh. Sorry)

Agreed. To be blunt, I think he is some overzealous kid who has read a little bit, think he learned it all and is now running around spitting out random strung together tidbits he's picked up as knowledge. Unfortunately, he's just misguiding people. I almost spat out my drink in laughter when I seen his "There is practically NO DIFFERENCE!!!" remark. Calibrating a digital display that originally looks average (at best) with analog content does not make a dramatic difference. A small difference is gained in reality. I feel sorry for any newbie who has the misfortune to read any of his posts.

Screw you guys. Kid? whatever. I bet these are all 960 owners who are upset how NICE the 36xs955 actually is. Whatever I stated previously is completely true. Misfortune? I feel sorry for the poeple who are actually listening to the uncontented poeple on this forum.
If your HDTV set (not the 36xs955-with my cable anyway) cant handle SD cable and it shows up horribly, I am sorry about that. You dont have to be envious and diss me or the 955 because you made a wrong choice.

The 36xs955, once the settings has been changed, has almost as good Sd programming as an analog set. Dont believe? I really Dont care. My set shows great analog service AND thats all I care about.

"I almost spat out my drink in laughter when I seen his "There is practically NO DIFFERENCE!!!""

My statement is true, if you cant handle it, dont read this thread. I would invite you over to my house to actually see the reality of how great the 955 handles SD, but why should I care what a newbie LIKE YOU thinks?


Diss me all you like (sticks and stones), BUT DON'T YOU EVER SAY INCORRECT, MISLEADING INFO of the 36xs955!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AM I HAPPY WITH THIS SET? YES!!! IS THIS THE BEST SET OUT THERE FOR THIS TRANSITIONAL PERIOD? ABSOLUTLY!

Shpankey,

By the way, if you need help setting up your website, just ask. Your website http://www.gnsproject.com needs help. I would be more then happy to assist you.
Did you take that course in COLLEGE yet? Im 32, so im not a "kid". The only kid here would be you.

To all....PLAY NICE please or risk post removel or account being removed.

Thank you.

Wow, what the hell's this?

Anyways, I walked into my local retailer today and by complete uknown happenstance, what TV is staring me right in the face 30 seconds later? You bet.

I bought the Zenith c32v37 back in March, and I'm happy with it and I'm probably going to keep it for years to come. But I'll tell ya: You want to talk about a severe upgraditis/I wish I won the lottery right now type feeling that I had.

You all must be blown away with this set. The retailer wanted 2G's for it. I'm assuming that's MSRP? Anyways, too rich for my blood, but...wow.

FWIW, they had this TV showing SD material on a spliiter with God knows how many other TV's. Looked amazing. I can't imagine what HD must look like on this. I'm kind of glad I didn't see it, because then I might have done something rather rash. :p

That being said, my ultimate dream TV has to be the XBR960. What's the MSRP on that? ;) Academically, I'd love to see these two Sony's side by side and run through their paces for the hell of it. Obviously, I would expect the XBR to better, but by how much? Considering how impressed I was today with the XS, the XBR must just downright be ungodly.

Now...if I do see that pup anytime soon, running DiscHD, please pray that my credit card is already near maxed out or something or...I might do something REALLY rash. ;)

And I'd love a 40 inch 16:9 WEGA tube. I'll just pay a moving company to come bring it and set it up! I'll MAKE room for it! :D

Originally posted by Q of BanditZ
Wow, what the hell's this?

[snip]... And I'd love a 40 inch 16:9 WEGA tube. I'll just pay a moving company to come bring it and set it up! I'll MAKE room for it! :D

Funny post!

Dude, you might want to consider getting one of those fresnel lenses they used to sell that were supposed to make small picture tubes look big. I think they sold them in the back pf Parade magazine! (Because of all the bad vibes around here lately, I want to note and emphasize that I am just funnin!)

Anyway, a 40"er would be quite the unit. But it would fit in so few cabinets or require such a substantial stand that the manufacturers probably figure that you'd be a candidate for a CRT-RPTV at that point.

I don't think any CRT RPTV's that I have personally seen yet have come anywhere close to a PQ that the good ol' tubes still do. ;)

I don't need any cabinets or furniture! I'd simply get whatever TV stand Sony would sell with that 40 inch super monster and be on my merry way...nevermind that I'd probably have to bulldoze down a wall or something... :D

I am very happy with my 955. HD in 720 and 1080 looks incredible, for some reason the local PBS 720p antenna feed looks almost real. I have my DirecTivo hooked up and I am very happy with the picture. I have not calibrated my DVD input with my Avia disk yet but I am happy with the picture right out of the box, Star Wars IV was great... 7 inputs plus cable and antenna are enough selection for me.

I am glad I waited and got the 955,,,seems like an excellent value.

Originally posted by Q of BanditZ
I don't think any CRT RPTV's that I have personally seen yet have come anywhere close to a PQ that the good ol' tubes still do. ;)

I don't need any cabinets or furniture! I'd simply get whatever TV stand Sony would sell with that 40 inch super monster and be on my merry way...nevermind that I'd probably have to bulldoze down a wall or something... :D

Yeah, I know some people really like the CRT-RPTV's, claiming especially that the ones with "9 inch guns" are really great. But I don't understand what advantages they see in those. To me, the direct CRT display is the safest purchase right now and the '955 is the one I am after--if I can just get one delivered in one piece!

Let me make a plea to all the manufacturers who are still producing Direct-view CRTs. All of us CRT lovers would really love it if you could just produce a tube that was a little bit bigger. We know that Sony feels like they can't make anymore money with a 40 inch 4:3 and Loewe and Thmpson don't feel like they can make anymore money with 38-inch Widescreen. How about a 38-inch last hurrah 4:3 and a 36-inch Widescreen? I gurantee you if you produce at least one model of each variety it will sell and it won't hurt sales of 37-inch Widescreen Plasma or 42-inch Rear Projection LCD, it's only a little bit bigger so it wouldn't be impossible to make or have the problems that the 40 and 38 inch ones had. To paraphrase John Lennon: All we are saying is give Direct-view a chance!

All was fine...until it died.

Watching a program on DirecTV and the picture and sound quit...and it will not come back, turn it on and it flashes a little red light at me 8 times and then nothing.

Sony Service is not open at 8PM on Saturday...looks like Monday will be the start of my adventure with the service route.

It worked OK for a week, about 20 hours.

Do I sound happy?

It Lives!!!!!

Unplugged it from the UPS....it rebooted and now works fine, or so I think.

Should I have a repair scheduled? should I buy the extended warranty?

Digital TV's are like computers? I hope not...even though I just read my software agreement for the Linux software version it uses.

I just placed an order at sonystyle. It is on backorder. I wonder how long it will take? Anyone else on Backorder?

For the price you paid, I would buy an extended warranty. Sorry to here your troubles. Mine is working good so far (knock on wood). I LOVE this set. I am so happy I waited for this set!

Bari,

You should get one in the next batch.....hopefully soon. YUo too will love this set!

Originally posted by metman2003
It Lives!!!!!

Unplugged it from the UPS....it rebooted and now works fine, or so I think.

Should I have a repair scheduled? should I buy the extended warranty?

Digital TV's are like computers? I hope not...even though I just read my software agreement for the Linux software version it uses.

If the set drew too much power from your UPS, it might have caused an undervoltage condition in which case the set would shut itself off. You might want to double check that the UPS is big enough for the set, keeping in mind that there is a pretty good size surge when the beast starts up. Just a guess. You could check this with a multimeter plugged into one of the other AC plugs on the UPS--just take appropriate safety measures when you do so.

It is also possible that the set draws enough current to cause a voltage sag on your circuit. After the set has been running for awhile, turn it off, immediately pull the plug and check the temp of the plug tips. As a rough guide, if it is anything more than slightly warm to the touch, then you may need to beef up your wiring or run another circuit. Consult an electrician if you are the least bit squeamish about messing with this.

I have a New Sony KD-36XS955 and It only has a HDMI Interface to connect pure Digital to a Receiver. I have a Monster DVI to HDMI Cable connecting my receiver to the TV. I see the DVI indicator lit up on my Receiver but No Input on the TV Side. Is there something I should be doing that im missing?

Jason

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
You got it Goldflow. Its not the 955. Its HDTV sets in general. HDTV sets is meant for HDTV programming. HDTV sets picks up the SD signal and clearly displays it. What you see is all the problems with sd material. Analog sets cannot see these problems because it does not have the capabitlities to do so (not digital).

Here is the rub. Some tv sets displays BETTER sd then others. Why you ask? Simple. Its the hardware the manufactorers use in their sets. Supposedly Sony uses the best (Digital Reality Circuitry as well as a few other devices) followed by panasonic. The 910/960/955 all use this tech (the 960 is adjustable).

In the next few years will they make new tv's with better abilities to view sd programming? Maybe next years models, but i dont see them investing alot of money in research because HDTV will be here soon (5 years maybe?)



OK I have been scrolling through these pages reading info and I have to start responding. There is some great info here but no offense there is some incorrect info too. If this has already been addressed in the pages following, I apologize in advance for the redundancy.

Lets start with the above statement.

Some background, NTSC and SD programming carry the same inherent resolution - 480i. In theory and generally in practice, the digital transmission of the image allows for a better product on the receiving end. The resolution is still essentially the same tho.

All of the sets discussed in this thread 34-910 & 960 and both the XS models are ANALOG display devices. Most CRT displays are pure analog devices while some could be termed as quasi-digital. Because of the way a CRT produces its image IMO no CRT could every be described as a fully digital device.

On a side note, the defined HD signal itself does not require that the signal be applied digitally(although any other known way is so bandwidth inefficient that they are borderline impossible) merely that the signal itself contains much more information and therefore creates a more defined(high def) image. There are currently still some very expensive analog CRT projectors that can still trounce the performance of even the most expensive digital display devices. Digital devices generally have a defined reolution, analog devices can have widely varied resolution potential. A hi-def signal can be displayed on either an analog or digital device if its resolution is high enough.

That aside I believe what you were trying to say is that the 960 and both XS models have such high resolution that they tend to more easily expose weaknesses in the relatively low res input signal.

The most logical place to look for the source of problems in displaying SD images on these sets is the interface between the QAM signal and the display output on the set.

Originally posted by Adam Tyner
Depends on the material. With high-def programming, I don't see any sort of grid-like structure, and the image doesn't become blocky as I approach, just soft and a little noisy. .........

For cable, I'm going to get a set-top box tomorrow afternoon, but in the meantime, I have coax plugged directly into the set and was using the built-in QAM tuner to view high-def programming.

I also wanted to address some comments made earlier about poor(or similar performance) of some HD channels off the rf cable feed from the wall made by Adam. Now Adam you later changed your opinion of the hi-def performance. If your cable company is setup the way mine is, with your rf cable connected from the wall, you are not getting any hi-def signals through the cable. The 960 and XS series have built-in OTA hi-def tuners and QAM tuners. OTA works with antenna derived hi-def signals and QAM tuners decode either SD or HD signals transmitted via cable. If you hooked up an antenna and had a hi-def station in your area you could have viewed hi-def without assistance from the cable company. The QAM tuner however will only allow you to view hi-def signals that the cable company is allowing you to view. Having the QAM tuner built in is like having an unauthorized cable abox in your tv. You were likely recieving a SD view of a hi-def channel. You are not gonna get the full high-def signal from the cable company until they authorize it via their own STB. So after receiving the hi-def cable box those channels should have looked much better.

Hope that makes sense.

ss

Originally posted by subysouth
You were likely recieving a SD view of a hi-def channel. You are not gonna get the full high-def signal from the cable company until they authorize it via their own STB.
Your assumption is incorrect. Some cable providers encrypt all of their channels, some just encrypt the 'premium' channels, and some don't encrypt anything at all. I couldn't receive channels like HDNet or HBO through the QAM tuner, but I could receive the local CBS affiliate and, although there wasn't any actual content at the time, a placeholder graphic for a channel that shows nothing but high-definition Braves games. I was absolutely seeing HD material on the CBS affiliate. The difference is blatantly obvious, and SD material wouldn't cause the XS955 to lock into widescreen mode and indicate 1080i input.

Originally posted by Adam Tyner
Your assumption is incorrect. Some cable providers encrypt all of their channels, some just encrypt the 'premium' channels, and some don't encrypt anything at all. I couldn't receive channels like HDNet or HBO through the QAM tuner, but I could receive the local CBS affiliate and, although there wasn't any actual content at the time, a placeholder graphic for a channel that shows nothing but high-definition Braves games. I was absolutely seeing HD material on the CBS affiliate. The difference is blatantly obvious, and SD material wouldn't cause the XS955 to lock into widescreen mode and indicate 1080i input.

I am not assuming anything, merely giving a plausible and possible reason for your description of the HD performance pre and post your STB procurement. Had you listed widescreen and 1080 lock in your first post I wouldnt have mentioned it.

And if your cable provider is passing HD free via the built-in tuner they are different than mine(not a huge suprise.) You cannot receive HD(even from networks) without their Hi-def STB(ostensibly with POS de-encryption) and an additional fee for HD service.

ss

Originally posted by subysouth
I am not assuming anything, merely giving a plausible and possible reason for your description of the HD performance pre and post your STB procurement.
I don't think the performance is really any different between then and now, just my perception of what I was seeing. That was the first time I'd really spent any length of time with a high-def set before. I mistakenly thought that HD was supposed to be crystalline and razor-sharp at any distance, even if I practically had my nose pressed against the screen. I understand now that isn't the case, which makes what I believe was the only negative comment re: HD performance in that initial post moot.

Originally posted by Adam Tyner
I don't think the performance is really any different between then and now, just my perception of what I was seeing. That was the first time I'd really spent any length of time with a high-def set before. I mistakenly thought that HD was supposed to be crystalline and razor-sharp at any distance, even if I practically had my nose pressed against the screen. I understand now that isn't the case, which makes what I believe was the only negative comment re: HD performance in that initial post moot.

Yea it is going to be hard for even a quality HDTV to have razor sharp resolution up close. A lot of this has to do with light output and beam spot size. A CRT computer monitor for instance typically has about a .25mm beam spot size and much lower light output that a similarly sized direct view tv. IIRC the beam spot size on the fine pitch Sonys is about .68mm vs a more typical .9-1.0mm on most TVs. So even tho the Sonys will look better closer than the average CRT TV it is still not gonna look anywhere near as sharp as, say, a computer monitor.

An interesting note about beam spot size and true picture performance is that you can use beam spot size to calculate the "sweet spot" resolution for a CRT device. Just use the height of the displayed area in mms divided by the lines to be displayed in that area. This will also show you how ridiculous the claims can be for lines drawn in particular area. Even with these fine pitch monitors it is unrealistic to expect 1080 lines to be drawn with a .68mm gun in the available space. Granted the HD signal will carry more info, but if the picture cant be drawn in that space without without image quality destroying line overlap, youre not getting the full affect. And that brings to the fore another disadvantage to the CRT devices, the beam spot size often is applied to widely varying screens when it will perform its best really in a limited screen size range. Another reason I have always favored 540 and 720p to 1080i

True line performance is where digital devices can quickly get a leg up on CRTs. They dont have gun speed to fight against.

ss

Great Thread! I live in Canada and am contemplating getting the 955 since Sony Canada has decided not to carry the 960.

I would like to know if any of you have had any experience trying to connect your PC's video card via the DVI output to either the HDMI or Composite inputs on either the 960 or 955. I have an ATI Radeon 9800XT 256mb Video Card and I get my HDTV signal via my DVB-S Satellite PC Card. Has anyone done this by just using a cable (DVI>Composite or DVI>HDMI) and had it work right off the bat?

TIA

I haven't seen this tv at the Circuit City or Good Guys. Not showing up on the online sites either...

Will they be carrying this tv?

Russ

ps What happened to your review Jamison?

Originally posted by russwong
ps What happened to your review Jamison? He opted not to post it in this thread, for some reason. You can find it here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=452328).

Here is another thread review:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=453456

I've decided on the KD-36XS955, the only question is where to buy it. Abt has a good deal for argoraquest members but sonystyle.com still has the free stand offer. I guess it comes down how good the stand is. I read Adams review and it sounds like it isn't a good deal. I have two comcast digital cable boxes, a Tivo, a reciever and a dvd player. It lseems like the stand can't fit everything, but I'd like to hear from someone who actually has it.
Also, has anyone rigged anything so the center speaker can rest on top of the tv? It would seem to me that this would save some space.
Thanks.

The stand really accentuates the set well. It's incredibly eye-catching, and it makes the set look larger and more impressive. I do wish it were even just a half-inch taller, that it had more than two different slots for the interior shelf, and that the 'v' base weren't so sharply angular. Judging by the size of that list, I'd be surprised if everything would be able to fit. I admittedly have an inhumanly large receiver and a taller-than-average DVD player, and if I snapped the feet off something in that chain (either of those or my digital cable box), I'd be able to squeeze everything in. I'd had everything set up on one stand for three and a half years and was annoyed with the idea of having to change the way everything's set up, but after a couple of weeks, I'm almost used to it (I still find myself looking for my DVD player in the wrong place). Even though it's not completely ideal, given a choice between using this stand or the one I kept my 36FS12 on for several years, I'd opt for the new stand. Purely for aesthetic value, but that's the way I'd lean.

Right now, my center speaker is on top of the television, but it's tilted back. At some point, I need to cobble together a 'wedge' or two to lift it up. I've been told there are prefab products out on the market to do that, but I don't know any brands or model numbers specifically.

Obviously a rather radical suggestion, but after months searching for the stand I wanted, I gave up and built one.

The biggest disadvantage to me of most commercially available stands(and center channel speakers) is the treatment of the center channel speaker space(or lack thereof.) We have kinda been sold on these speaker sets that include a horizontal profile center channel speaker when in fact this is inherently a compromise. IMO the front three speakers should not just be similar in tonality, but exactly the same speaker and oriented towards the listener as close to equal as possible. I ended up building a stand with a center vertical rectangular cavity open at the back to accomodate rear ported speakers. The speaker shelf in the cavity is adjustable in the cavity for height and tiltable and will accomodate many healthy sized bookshelf speakers. The center rectangle is flanked by 4 equipment shelves(2 on each side) with 10" shelf heights for good air circulation. The LR speakers are set at the same height and tilt as the center on each side of the stand.

I have been very pleased with the accuracy and tonal balance of the front soundstage compared to other Vert LR and Horiz C applications. Pans are spotless.

Also if you are using your speakers for primarily HT applications, a well designed 5. speaker really just needs to do down to about 75hz(and I mean do it well - with room to spare.) There are a number of 6.5" equipped and a few 5" equipped bookshelf speakers that will fill this bill quite well.

ss

Adam,

Do you have any concerns about the magnetic fields from your center speaker affecting your display? I know that some people felt there was a connection between the apperance of color globs appearing on their 40XBR800s and closely mounted speakers.

I have an older 36" Sony, a KV-36XBR400, and my center speaker is mounted about 11" above the top of the TV. This is convenient since there a center channel shelf on my entertainment center. I considered sitting it directly on top of the TV but I didn't want to risk a magnetic field interference problem.

But perhaps my concerns are not justified? (My center is a BIC DV62CLRs)

Bob

Originally posted by Adam Tyner
Right now, my center speaker is on top of the television, but it's tilted back.

Originally posted by RobertF
Do you have any concerns about the magnetic fields from your center speaker affecting your display?My center speaker (an Axiom VP100) is pretty heavily shielded. My current floor-standing mains aren't, so I do have to keep them a good distance away. This is my third television and my third center speaker I've kept on top, and I haven't had any problems in the past five years doing that.

Originally posted by russwong
I haven't seen this tv at the Circuit City or Good Guys. Not showing up on the online sites either...


You might try Video Only. The Portland locations have them now and I think they have CA locations as well. Kind of pushy, but they deal. Magnolia Hi Fi, a division of Best Buy is also planning on carrying them here, but they do not have them yet. Don't know about Best Buy itself. I am going to hazard a guess that Sears might carry these but I have not checked. Finally, a few of your local boutique video-Hi Fi stores will probably carry them. The videophiles still really dig tubes.

Originally posted by RobertF
Adam,

Do you have any concerns about the magnetic fields from your center speaker affecting your display? I know that some people felt there was a connection between the apperance of color globs appearing on their 40XBR800s and closely mounted speakers.

I have an older 36" Sony, a KV-36XBR400, and my center speaker is mounted about 11" above the top of the TV. This is convenient since there a center channel shelf on my entertainment center. I considered sitting it directly on top of the TV but I didn't want to risk a magnetic field interference problem.

But perhaps my concerns are not justified? (My center is a BIC DV62CLRs)

Bob

Like Adam said it all depends on the shielding(and power) of the speaker. I dont know which instances you were talking about specifically but color globs sound exactly like what you would get from having a non or poorly shielded speaker too close to a CRT TV. It is caused by the shadow mask becoming magnetized and deflecting the electron beam of the CRTs gun. Depending on the extent of the problem it is usually fairly easy to fix by a process very similar to degaussing your computer monitor.

ss

Adam and ss,

Thanks for the comments on my magnetic field question.

Bob

Originally posted by Adam Tyner
My center speaker (an Axiom VP100) is pretty heavily shielded. My current floor-standing mains aren't, so I do have to keep them a good distance away. This is my third television and my third center speaker I've kept on top, and I haven't had any problems in the past five years doing that.

bump

I haven't read all of the entries in this thread, but I am interested in the 36XS955. I live in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, and this television is not available locally. Does anyone know if, like the 34" 960, this unit will not be sold in Canada?

Still waiting in san jose. Checked CC, GG, and BB, nothing nowhere :)

bob

Just to add to the available info on the 36XS955 I wonder if one of the new owners could try something that would help us define the actual resolution on this unit.

As I had posted above there are several limiting factors to the resolution on a CRT tube.

-One is the beam spot size discussed above. While rarely published on consumer TVs, occasionally the info is available from the manufacturer and can be helpful in deciding if the resolution that is being applied to the set is at or near its "sweet spot." Again smaller beam spot size yields higher resolution but generally lower light output.

-Another limiting factor is the number of holes or vertical slits in the shadow mask. Some manufacturers use holes which limit horizontal and vertical resolution and others use vertical slits which limit horizontal resolution only. Unfortunately this info is not readily available to the public.

-Another is gun speed. There is only so much linear real estate that can be covered in x time. The 40" tube at 1080i(540p) is about it in terms of area potential for a direct view set.

-However a final limiting factor can be readily viewed and approximately(or exactly) measured - the tricolor phosphor block count. By placing a light colored static image on the screen and viewing the screen very closely a viewer can actually see the seperate individual phosphor blocks. Now if youre a real glutton for punishment you can count each one of the blocks horizontally and vertically(use the middle for both directions) to arrive at the exact maximum resolution potential of the CRT. Another method is just to count say 2" of blocks and multiply the number of phosphors/inch by active screen width and height. You cant create more phosphor blocks by painting more lines over the same area - the phosphor blocks cant lie about resolution.

If I had a 36XS955 myself(or could even find one locally in a showroom and could a static image on it) I would do it, but if any of you that have the set would give it a shot, I thank you in advance.

ss

I just received my 36XS955 today.

Got everything hooked up and sure enough I have a 6 inch by 6 inch (or so)purple spot (when showing a blue screen) in the top left of the screen.

Not the greatest news since it took 3 weeks to get it from Sonly Style and the thing weighs about 230 pounds.

I tried degaussing a few times with the power on off after 20 minutes rest but no luck. Any ideas? I will be calling tech support first thing in the morning.

Other than that so far this thing is amazing! I really would like to keep it

If you have any speakers or components near the TV, try moving them and see if that makes a difference.

But I will move them just to try.

Tech came out and agreed that the "picture mask is damaged" and left would not try anything to correct the issue. He had nerve calling himself a technician.

So far I have been in Sony Style hell as I have been on the line for two hours trying to get something resolved. I will never buy a TV online again, especially a 230 pound one that no one wants to deal with.

Curious if anyone has seen one of these in a good old fashioned brick and mortar store. So far all I've heard of is people getting them from SonyStyle.

I would really like to see one (in person) to see how it compares to the 960....and lets face it, if the 955 has issues (as indicated by above posts, Jamison) like my 960 did, I want to be able to take it back and not deal with shipping it somewhere. <grin>

Me too 56OVAL. I'm not getting much on my thread kd36xs955. Where are they?
Jerry

What I meant to say was:
Me too 56OVAL. I'm not getting much on my thread "kd36xs955 Availability". Where are they?
Jerry

Originally posted by weesleekit2
What I meant to say was:
Me too 56OVAL. I'm not getting much on my thread "kd36xs955 Availability". Where are they?
Jerry

I called around the local electronics stores, and got the word the Best Buy has them in the warehouse and will have one on the floor within a week. So that is cool news!

i've been hunting them in Tulsa with no luck :(

Originally posted by 56Oval
Curious if anyone has seen one of these in a good old fashioned brick and mortar store. So far all I've heard of is people getting them from SonyStyle.

I would really like to see one (in person) to see how it compares to the 960....and lets face it, if the 955 has issues (as indicated by above posts, Jamison) like my 960 did, I want to be able to take it back and not deal with shipping it somewhere. <grin>


You cant compare the issues of the 960 with the 955.

1.) there is only ONE person that has issues with the 955.
2.) there are MANY poeple that has issues with the 960.

You dont want to have to take it back? Have them deliver it. Then, if there is a problem (doubtful with the 955 series), you can have them send another set your way.

Originally posted by JamisonBWolsh
1.) there is only ONE person that has issues with the 955.
2.) there are MANY poeple that has issues with the 960.That's not an apples-to-apples comparison, though -- the number of people on this forum with 960s grossly outpaces the number of 955s. There are only a handful of us with the 36XS955, and that's not a large enough sample size to come to any conclusions about how reliable the 955 is out of the box. 100 people posting about their experiences gives a better impression than the 5 or 10 of us. You're not in a knowledgable enough position to say something like "if there is a problem (doubtful with the 955 series)". No one that's posted so far in this thread is either.

Abt electronics has them on display in the Chicagoland area. Btw, for everyone who has the Sony stand, it looked to me like it can fit two shelves. I was in a hurry and Abt was packed, so i wasn't able to ask. Is this true? If so, does this eliminate the space issues? Thanks.

It can hold two shelves, but the space between the two shelves would be very, very small.

I would like to know how JWIGIBSON resolved the problem with his KD-36XS955.
I was thinking about buying this set, but after hearing the problem with Gibson I think I know why they want to give the stand away. No way someone would try to fix the set in a cabinet. At first was thing about buying a DLP set and decided that they were not ready yet, however, trying to handle a 230 pound set would be impossible. Maybe I have to go back to looking at a DLP. I'll add this, I have a 27 inch Sony XBR for almost 18 years and it will not break, however, it is getting out the focus.

I picked up this set last Sunday at Best Buy (I expect it was supposed to be their display unit, but they hadn't gotten around to unpacking it yet). Overall my quick impressions seem to be pretty good. I've been able to use the internal tuner to pick up some terrestial digital that looks good and the analog cable, although not sharp (particularly up close), is still much better than the old analog I'm replacing (this is all without tweaks yet).

The one concern I do have is their guide system. When I do guide, it lists a number of channels at a time (which is nice). However, I can't find a way to page down and when I go down one at a time using the cursor controls, it changes channels! I'm used to being able to browse in guides without channel changes. Does anyone know how to page down or browse on these sets?

Originally posted by gccjr
The one concern I do have is their guide system. When I do guide, it lists a number of channels at a time (which is nice). However, I can't find a way to page down and when I go down one at a time using the cursor controls, it changes channels! I'm used to being able to browse in guides without channel changes. Does anyone know how to page down or browse on these sets?

What type of guide system are you talking about? A program listing guide? What type do the use(TVGuide etc.) and how does it source its listings?

ss

The guide on the Sony is a listing of channels (about 8 at a time) with the channel label name (e.g., WJLA-DT) if the provider decides to pass it through (it seems the cable company doesn't pass any information on the guide level - although it does pass through program names on some channels) or I give it a label. Because I hate to memorize what every channel is, it would be nice to flip through using the guide. However, because it flips to the new channel when I browse through and there appears to be no benefit versus channel surfing (other than it will return to the station you started at if you don't actually select the channel). Because tuning each station takes time, its a royal pain to jump around using the guide.

After talking to sonystyle for forever, (you would think I was the first person ever to receive a damaged set). It looks like the shipper may have dropped it although I definitely inspected the box before accepting.

The shipper eventually returned and they repacked the TV.

I should have a replacement in a couple more weeks due to the large backorder at SonyStyle.

I will definitely insist this time they remove the TV and wait until I test it prior to the shipper leaving.

I finally got my KD-36XS955 and am posting some observations after a two days or so of adjusting, viewing and experimenting. I am trying not to go over things that have been covered before.

We have Comcast cable and have both a CableCard for the set and a GI/Motorola DCT 2000 set top box which is controlled by our TiVo. Even though TiVo does not support HDTV, there is very little HDTV content yet and we watch most of our TV via TiVo. That is why we kept the box.

Many people including me are concerned about SD. I have been very pleased with the SD picture quality so far with this set. It seems to me that many of the problems reported with SD pictures in larger sets are simply due to the screen size amplifying problems with production or signal problems that smaller screens do not show.

Sony's digital conversion circuitry is called "DRC." As I understand it, this circuitry does not come into play AT ALL for content delivered via composite video inputs and the cable RF input, except for digital transmissions. In other words, this set acts as a state of the art analog set for analog signals. I kept the old Sony 27 inch set that this set has replaced and have spent some time viewing both sets side by side. As near as I can determine, for any NTSC source whether it is the sub 100 analog channels or the "digital"channels that are sent to the set as 480i from the digital set top box, the same artifacts appear on both sets. Of course all problems are more visible on the bigger set.

I don't have a magic list of Video settings, but I do like the cool settings rather than the neutral or warm settings and have been most happy with the "Clear Edge VM" (which is similar to the unsharp masking in Photoshop) set to Low or None. I use mostly the Standard mode and bump the Picture and Brightness up and the Sharpness down a little bit. You can independently establish video settings for each of the 7 inputs on the set.

With this set, you will definitely want to use TiVo's "Best" quality for sports and movies. Medium is okay for "talking head" type shows and other shows with slow movement such as procedural crime dramas, etc. It may just be a fluke, but I experimented the the Champ Car race on Spike TV today--real time vs. TiVo Best and I preferred the recorded TiVo picture to the real time picture.

I bought this set even though it does not have picture in picture. I thought I could go cold turkey but i could not. I bought a small LCD set (Magnavox 15MF150V/37) that I have incorporated as a sort of gonzo PIP. Also, I like to use close captioning (CC) sometimes if I want to view while listening to NPR radio or just want silence. In this set the CC function is buried three or four menus deep and so is inconvenient. Otherwise the on screen menus are very easy to use, and most settings appear on the screen as you make them so it is easy to experiment.

I have not talked about HDTV. However, we are very pleased with it as you might expect. There is a very slight droop of the picturebox at the right, but it is barely noticeable. I do not know if that can be adjusted. We do not have a progressive scan DVD yet, so I have no observations on that.

If anyone has specific questions or something they would like me to try and report on, I will do my best.

How do you have your cable set-top box set up with the TV? Are you using component/HDMI to watch HD material, and then switch back to RF/composite for SD material?

Our cable box output is composite video going to the TiVo box; the DCT2000 does not have component video, HDMI or DVI. We are going to wait for a month or two until Comcast rolls out their HDTV-capable DVR/set top boxes here before we make any other changes. I think the CableCard is likely to provide the best HDTV pictures anyway since there is less electronic "physiology" between the cable company and the picture tube that way--just the Sony tuner.

Have these showed up at BB in N. Cal. yet?

thx

bob

The ABC Warehouse in Battle Creek, MI had one, which makes me think they've finally worked their way down into the supply chain. No idea what the MSRP is, but it was priced $300 less than the 34" XS955. They only had one TV and didn't have it on display.

How is the non-HD picture quality on the KD-36XS955?
I have Dish Network and they don't offer much HD programming
yet, so until they do, I don't plan on upgrading my PVR receiver.
Thanks.

I had this set for a month now and find the pq on cable to be good. As long as you adjust the different settings, the pq is pretty much the same as an analog set. IMO.

Hey everybody, just recieved this 230lbs monster. Have to say that I'm pretty inpressed with the out of the box pq. I think that the non-hd pq is fine. Several questions for you guys though (I'm a noob when it comes to HD).

1. I've been told to wait untill the set has had at least 40 hours of run time to mess with the settings. Is this correct?

2. Once I do start to tinker with it, what should I do? Is there any settings that people prefer? Should I use a set up DVD like Avia?

3. I agree with the previous posts about the stand. It's brutal. Really form over function. The top shelf can't even fit a Sony reciever! I need to have the center speaker rest on top of the tv. I've found this (http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=1361924), any thoughts or alternatives?

Thanks in advance for the help.

I would try seeing if placing the center channel speaker that close to the screen will result in any picture discoloration first. Sonys seem to be sensitive to magnetic interference.