Sony SXRD 50" and 60" - Oct/Nov [Text View] - Page 25

MRL

11-25-05, 06:29 PM

Well I have bought everything new over the last year or so over the net and have been able to make my final upgrade for just about everything... yes!!! Saying that however I would not buy a bigscreen online. I took my online price list with my to my friends audio/video business. He could not match theres but came within $100 and will deliver and have the guys set it up. Thats probably worth the $100 right there. Plus if something went wrong with it over rhe first few months he would not let me hang on warranty he would provice me with a loner until mine was fixed. Happened to me several years ago.. God a Pioneer 53: and had it on for about 2 hours and all of a suddon no sound, then went dead.. Power board went bad. Had to wait two weeks for a new one as it was the first one off the turnip truck and noone had parts yet. He gave me a Toshiba 52 to get me by until I got mine fixed. He would have just given me a new one and taken care of it himself but no one in the area had any at all it was just too new at the time. Just want bigger as my Pioneer HD set is great and never had a problem with it since... But I have this huge entertainment center that takes up 1/2 of a huge tall wall in my HT/Family room.. Just so happens that this TV will fit exactly in it plus instead of a tv shelf I will have matching furniture of the entertainment center under it like a built in which will give me more dvd space. Just my opinion... Others here have had great luck... If I was going to do it online I have dealt with One Call and never had a problem with them at all.
Mike

Jake Ironshirt

11-25-05, 07:08 PM

The viewable picture is approximately 52x29. You can use other furniture, as long as it is deep enough (20" is fine) and can withstand the weight. The set is not top-heavy, but Sony recommends attaching a strap to the back in case someone knocks into it. The strap comes with the Sony stand, or you can buy the buckle alone from Sony (less than $10 shipped) and use a piece of 1" webbing. I have mine on a StudioTech stand and haven't yet attached the strap.

Thanks Stevel, I do appreciate you replying to my newbie question about the Sony 60" SXRD viewing area. Are you satisfied with your Sony?

Vampyro

11-25-05, 08:11 PM

Thanks for your advice guys

I just ordered this stand to go with my 50" SXRD
http://common.csnstores.com/common/products/SY/SY0115_l.jpg

I'm having trouble deciding what I will do with my 25'' wide CC
I had an idea that I might push the tv back, make a pedestal to hold it
up from behind and place the cc on the top shelf, in front of the tv

what did you guys do with your center channels? any suggestions are welcome

ndnbolla

11-25-05, 10:37 PM

Hey guys whats up, I may be purchasing the Sony 60" SXRD soon but had a question about the 1080P feature. Is it true that 1080P can't be viewed via it's HDMI?

So in the future when the PS3 comes out with 1080P viewing capabilities, would it work with the the SXRD with 1080P?

HomeGuy

11-26-05, 01:28 AM

ndnbolla: This has been discussed over and over again. Do a search. The set doesn't accept 1080P.

dsaumkc

11-26-05, 02:24 AM

scout928

11-26-05, 03:26 AM

Does anybody have a picture of their 50" SXRD on the Sony SU-GW12 stand? Does it look 'out of place' on this stand and does it leave enough room on each side for front speakers (depends on brand)?

Thanks.

Codeman

11-26-05, 05:44 AM

I started off with an OmniMount CCH-1 center channel shelf, with the front legs resting on the screen's black frame. This let me forego the tape on the back legs and avoid putting 20+ lbs on the TV's plastic top. I wasn't very comfortable with the weight actually sitting on the frame of the screen itself, though, so I put a shelf up instead.

stevel

11-26-05, 12:45 PM

Thanks Stevel, I do appreciate you replying to my newbie question about the Sony 60" SXRD viewing area. Are you satisfied with your Sony?
Yes, very much so. The picture quality is breathtakingly good.

stevel

11-26-05, 01:00 PM

what did you guys do with your center channels? any suggestions are welcome
I have mine in the TV stand (StudioTech Ultra U-22) behind a grilled door. See pictures below. (The flash makes the components behind the doors more visible than they are normally.)

http://stevelionel.com/images/sxrd-1.jpg

http://stevelionel.com/images/sxrd-2.jpg

Paul Bee

11-26-05, 04:31 PM

I know this must have been answered before, and I apologize in advance for asking it again, but does the SonyStyle 5 year $319 waranty cover bulb replacement? I did a forum search and got too many confusing hits....

Vampyro

11-26-05, 04:54 PM

Vampyro

11-26-05, 05:17 PM

I bought an LCD TV last year at Best Buy and didn't want to pay their outrageous extended warranty prices, so I bought a RepairMaster one from J&R. Trouble is that you have to buy it within 30 days of the purchase date of the TV. I just bought the new 60" SXRD TV from a local B&M and will likely buy another RepairMaster warranty from J&R. If I remember correctly, the RepairMaster warranties kick in once the manufacturer's warranty is up.

Yes, this EXT. Warranty looks good

HomeGuy

11-26-05, 06:30 PM

Vampyro: If a light engine goes or other electronics it could cost thousands to get fixed. There is a lot that could go wrong so I bought the extended warranty through PC Richards. Sony doesn't cover bulbs after the 1st year even with their extended warranty.

Schwa

11-26-05, 06:55 PM

Yes, this EXT. Warranty looks good
I've had to use RepairMaster extended warranties for a portable MD recorder and another TV and their service has been outstanding.

MRL

11-26-05, 07:11 PM

Well I just received my XBR60 and I must say I am impressed. I was a bit worried it might be too big for our 11 Ft. seating area and coming from a 53" HD CRT Pioneer set. Boy its perfect. Need to do a bit of work on the colors but out of the box it was great actually. I was also worried about SD sources as my Pioneer did a great job of displaying them even on the compressed DirecTV SD channels but this set does a great job as well on the 480I stuff. Again though I set up a seperate input with s-video from my HDirecTivo and another with Component for HD channels and do switch back and forth depending on the source. The SD stuff looks way better on Svideo that component. We also (the guys from the store that came to help me set it up, tried my $125 HDMI cable as well against the component. Could not tell any difference, if anything I liked the component picture better. So I axed the HDMI for now on the HDirecTV receiver and will use it on a new DVD player I have coming and see but if there is no differenct and I go directly to the TV with all video sources and only use my Pre/pro for the audio. Anyway this TV is way too cool. Can control my miniDV recorder and camera on it as well... A great choice so far...
MikeL

stevel

11-26-05, 08:46 PM

Nice steve I wish My cc was so small
Well, my old one was bigger. I had to replace all my speakers because my old speakers no longer fit. Instead of NHT VT-2 towers on the side there are B*W LM-1s inside the cabinet (and a B&W subwoofer you can see on the side.) Nevertheless, the sound I get from the new speakers is quite nice.

VIDEOKNG

11-26-05, 08:46 PM

Ok finally pulled the trigger on the 50" SXRD @ PCRichard
good deal too with delivery tomorrow!
Nice steve I wish My cc was so small

! question I have is why get a warranty at all assuming the tv works well, cant we buy our own bulbs and replace them very easily?

I also got the 5 year warranty from PC Richards for my 50" SXRD.
With these sets, the price is worth the peace of mind.

VIDEOKNG

11-26-05, 08:51 PM

http://common.csnstores.com/common/products/MF/MF1287_l.jpg

I bought this stand for my SXRD. It's 60" wide/ 24" tall. It's a Martin Furniture Plasma/DLP stand by Kathy Ireland sold at RacksandStands.com. Costs $1,000. with shipping.

I don't use the platform that came with it.

Very wife approved.

rlb

11-26-05, 10:39 PM

It's in the White Balance area of the advanced settings.. You will find it ...

The white balance adjustments are for gray scale and not for what is typically called "red push".

MRL

11-27-05, 03:55 AM

Just an update after spending a full day now with the XBR60. The more time I spend with this set now at home the more I am pleased with my decision. Again for DirecTV I have used two seperate inputs on the TV. One with S-video for SD channels at 480-i and One with Component for any HD channels 1080i/p. Best picture this way. I love the way you can plug your camcorder in the front of the tv and/or digital camera and the TV knows what you have done and makes the changes for you and you can control the camera via the TV remote. Perfect for home movies and photo gallery. Lets you show off a still gallery as well and you can add or use their own music for a picture diary and the photos look pristine!
Only thing bad I have to say and its really not bad as I can take one very expensive HDMI cable back (I bought a good one before the TV came) is that there is no need for me to use the HDMI for this set, my component looks just as good and sharp in picture and I can save or take back the cable. I will try it on my new DVD player when it gets here that has HDMI and see what happens. Anyway I am a very happy camper with this set.
MRL

scout928

11-27-05, 05:33 AM

I've had my Sony 50" SXRD (Oct. Build) for two days and attached a couple of photos to give people who are thinking about buying this set an example of how much of a 'punch' the SXRD has to offer... display quality is outstanding!

Both Photos in Pro Mode - camera : HP Photosmart R707 Digital Camera
------------------------------
Hot-Springs: Hot Springs -- Nature program seen on one of the HD channels
Charlie-Chocolate: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, when Willy Wonka opens the miniature door at the beginning of the movie for the five children. This scene alone looks awesome on the SXRD.

Jake Ironshirt

11-27-05, 11:06 AM

Yes, very much so. The picture quality is breathtakingly good.

I have been reading and hearing a lot more positive comments from people that bought there SXRD's and are even more satisfied after they get it home and set it up in there own environment. Since the closest SXRD on display is 95 miles away I hope you folks don't mind my questions. When viewing a std or digital channel does the entire screen fill up with a picture or are there black bars on the sides making it look like a 4:3 set?
Thanks

HomeGuy

11-27-05, 12:23 PM

Does anyone know how to setup a Poll so we can compare satisfied customers to unsatisfied customers?

mondo3

11-27-05, 02:50 PM

I think a poll's a great idea!

DrGary

11-27-05, 03:45 PM

I bought the S97 and use it with a 60" SXRD. UNBELIEVABLE!!!
No artifacts at all!!! :D

Hmmm. The Panasonic DVD-S97 has been reviewed and found to have macroblocking issues. I'd post the link, but the forum is blocking links due to spam. It's at hometheaterblog.calm/hometheater/2004/11/panasonic_dvds9.html. (Replace 'calm' with the forbidden word...)

Do you have the macroblocking effects? Photos?

rlb

11-27-05, 04:42 PM

I have been reading and hearing a lot more positive comments from people that bought there SXRD's and are even more satisfied after they get it home and set it up in there own environment. Since the closest SXRD on display is 95 miles away I hope you folks don't mind my questions. When viewing a std or digital channel does the entire screen fill up with a picture or are there black bars on the sides making it look like a 4:3 set?
Thanks

Std/analog channel. You select if the SXRD will display as 4:3 (with black bars) or "stretch" the picture to fill the screen.

Digital HD depends upon what is being transmitted (i.e., set will not change size of an HD signal). If digital 1080i/720p from actual HD source, it will fill the screen. If upconverted SD, the station will determine if it is stretched or if it is 4:3 with black bars.

Vampyro

11-27-05, 08:50 PM

I have received my SXRD 50" and it looks Fantastic
no anomolies to speak of, another satisfied and stunned customer!

HomeGuy

11-27-05, 09:40 PM

AkaStp: I always liked Westa but this behavior of buying and selling sets is really silly. Why doesn't he buy from a B&M like CC or BB so he can return the set if it's not to his liking. This makes no sense to me. He must have a lot of money to waste. First the 60" SXRD was too big for his room and he doesn't even post whether his impressions after following this group for a long time and then he buys a 50" Plasma and realizes there is a glare problem. I wish I had that much money and time on my hands.

metzeric

11-27-05, 11:16 PM

quick question for all of you i am getting the sxrd 60 on tuesday i have datacolors spyder tv to adjust the colors when i go to do this should i do anything special such as turn off the iris??
thanks

scout928

11-27-05, 11:36 PM

I bought the S97 and use it with a 60" SXRD. UNBELIEVABLE!!!
No artifacts at all!!! :D

MB is present on the Panny S97 [HDMI or component] and visible (you can't miss it!) on Master and Commander, during the first part of the movie, the storm and during the battle scenes. I'm using HDMI to minimize cable management to make sure all ports are functional on my SXRD.

MRL

11-28-05, 07:54 AM

FYI.. a friend named Brucer who has his own forum over at ********** does custom wood and metal work and is a true craftsman. He has designed a cover/frame if you will out of very thin nice looking black that will cover all the silver on the XBR 50/60 and still let the sound out on the sides. It really makes it look great for those of us that hate silver. I am in for one if he can get er done. Post to thread below with proto type pictures of it. Photo attached here as well.
Mike L

http://av123forum.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=198388#post198388

wtr1

11-28-05, 11:14 AM

AkaStp: I was more than a little surprised to see that post about Westa. He should have known about that "issue" and as well as his wife's likes and dislikes.

While I wish him well on his next purchase, he really should pull his head from where the sun don't shine.

audiomixer

11-28-05, 01:24 PM

Hmmm. The Panasonic DVD-S97 has been reviewed and found to have macroblocking issues.

Do you have the macroblocking effects? Photos?
None...and sorry, no photos!

Janibrewski

11-28-05, 02:36 PM

I'm having trouble deciding what I will do with my 25'' wide CC
I had an idea that I might push the tv back, make a pedestal to hold it
up from behind and place the cc on the top shelf, in front of the tv

what did you guys do with your center channels? any suggestions are welcome

The DiamondCase TheatreTech 440 center channel space is 25 1/4" wide. Huge WAF.

jimf233

11-28-05, 05:57 PM

Has anyone had experience using one of the programable remote controlers with this set. I am trying to make using our set up more idiot proof for my techno phobe wife. I have a DVD/VCR player, Receiver/Tuner surround sound system, and a DVR/Cable Box.

Thanks for you comments on this. I bought one and it just what I needed. I have its set to watch TV, view DVD's, use my PVR, and listen to music. For each activity it turns on the right stuff and sets them up properly.

The one command it doesn't have in the library is the "on demand" movie command for my cable system. I believe I will be able to set this up as a custom command though I haven't done it yet.
The on line programing is very good. The one problem I had was I made an error in inputting my DVD model number. Once you do this you can't go back and correct it until you finish the whole set up, and its hard to do that with an incorrect entry. I had to call service and have them delete the bad entry my on line data base at Harmony ( Harmony, you ought to fix this). The good news was that I got through to them easily on two occasions and got excellent attention.

:)

MRL

11-28-05, 08:02 PM

AbMagFab

11-28-05, 08:36 PM

Regarding programmable remotes. I have the MX700 and could not find anything already done around for the new KDS-R50XBR1's or the 60XBR1's. They will be the same anyway. So I just sat and learned them all the way I wanted and it didn't take all that long. I hate having multiple remotes around plus like the ability to have the wife say push one button to be able to do something.
MRL

I have an MX-700, MX-800, and MX-850, and I used the built-in Sony codes for any newer XBR TV. I downloaded from remotecentral a discrete code for Vid-7, and for Vid-8 I just do Vid-7+1.

Other than video 7 and 8, all "senior" Sony remotes work the same (from what I've found).

Learned codes are okay for one-offs, but the codes from the database are a lot better, especially for repeating.

Vampyro

11-28-05, 11:04 PM

MRL

11-29-05, 12:39 AM

Thanks AbMagFab for the info.. I will try again... I downloaded some XBR model and it did not work but will try again.

Vampyro... I am working on measurements tomorrow with Brucer and then we will come up with a cost. It will be made of the same plastic that is around the black part of the TV itself.
MRL

kfccon123

11-29-05, 03:38 AM

Sony SXRD - Please Help!!! - Need Some Quick Advice!!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have finally made up my mind that I am going to get the Sony SXRD 60" Model because of the reviews on this site - most of which have been very positive.

I have three questions that those who are much more knowledgeable than me, which means everyone else on this site and some, should be able to answer. I have read the posting rules for this site carefully so as not to violate the Forum code.

First, when would be the ideal time within say the next five weeks to get the best price on the set, before or after Christmas?

Second, am I better off buying the store's warranty and service contract or going directly to the manufacturer?

Last, I have seen some chat as to some of these TVs having more problems than others based upon what month they were produced in. Is there any validity to that statement?

Thanks for any assistance. I know nothing about this stuff except what I have learned from this site, which has been nothing short of excellent I might add, and I was not at all interested in audio, video, components, etc. until I was directed to this site - I just liked to watch about two-hundred football games a year!!!

MRL

11-29-05, 05:13 AM

I will attempt to answer your questions as follows:

I have finally made up my mind that I am going to get the Sony SXRD 60" Model because of the reviews on this site - most of which have been very positive.

"Great.. I have had mine for a week and love it!"

I have three questions that those who are much more knowledgeable than me, which means everyone else on this site and some, should be able to answer. I have read the posting rules for this site carefully so as not to violate the Forum code.

First, when would be the ideal time within say the next five weeks to get the best price on the set, before or after Christmas?

"Does not matter.. Sony like their retailers to try and stay at MSRP on hot items which this is. I was able to get $900 off due to knowing the owner of the store where I bought it."

Second, am I better off buying the store's warranty and service contract or going directly to the manufacturer?

"Buy the Phillips 5 year extended in home warranty for the set. I paid $350 for it but it covers the first bulb with a service call when it goes. The bulbs are just about that expensive (around $250) to replace. So I figure I got a five year warranty for $100. Not bad considering I just had my 3 year old Pioneer loose something and had to have a board replaced on it and total cost would have been $600 if I had to out of pocket it. Fortunatly I had bought a Philips warranty on it for about $200 at the time so I really made out on this one. I never buy extended warranties on anything else but bigscreens."

Last, I have seen some chat as to some of these TVs having more problems than others based upon what month they were produced in. Is there any validity to that statement?

"Don't know and too hard to tell. Of course you will see mostly complaints on a set on any forum. People that don't have problems generally don't post at all."

Thanks for any assistance. I know nothing about this stuff except what I have learned from this site, which has been nothing short of excellent I might add, and I was not at all interested in audio, video, components, etc. until I was directed to this site - I just liked to watch about two-hundred football games a year!!

"HD football on this set is unbelievable!"

Good Luck
MRL

grsz06

11-29-05, 09:24 AM

I have an MX-700, MX-800, and MX-850, and I used the built-in Sony codes for any newer XBR TV. I downloaded from remotecentral a discrete code for Vid-7, and for Vid-8 I just do Vid-7+1.

Other than video 7 and 8, all "senior" Sony remotes work the same (from what I've found).

Learned codes are okay for one-offs, but the codes from the database are a lot better, especially for repeating.

I've been looking for this myself. So now I have the codes for 7 and 8, how do add them to the buttons on the remote..MX 700?? I'm stumped.. :confused:

kfccon123

11-29-05, 05:52 PM

Dear MRL:

Thank you very much for your assistance. As always the people like you that respond to me on this site are quite helpful and I truly appreciate you taking your time and energy to assist me.

Thank You Again,

Kenny Conrad

Vampyro

11-29-05, 06:31 PM

Vampyro... I am working on measurements tomorrow with Brucer and then we will come up with a cost. It will be made of the same plastic that is around the black part of the TV itself.
MRL

Thanks MRL...I liked the idea someone had in that thread...cutting holes where the speakers would be and adding a fabric grill, perhaps with a quality frame behind it
and If I may be so bold as to suggest a matte dark gray over the same sony black, seems more elegant I forgot which new tv has this but it is pleasing to the eyes

Vampyro

11-29-05, 06:52 PM

"Buy the Phillips 5 year extended in home warranty for the set. I paid $350 for it but it covers the first bulb with a service call when it goes. The bulbs are just about that expensive (around $250) to replace. So I figure I got a five year warranty for $100.
MRL

I am seeing it for $500

I need to buy a EW soon can I get some suggestions plz, I would appreciate it

Jake Ironshirt

11-29-05, 06:53 PM

MRL, if don't mind me asking where and how could I get the Phillips 5 year warranty at that price? A 60" SXRD is not to far in the future for me.
Thanks

Lord Flatus

11-29-05, 07:40 PM

MRL, if don't mind me asking where and how could I get the Phillips 5 year warranty at that price? A 60" SXRD is not to far in the future for me.
Thanks
Authorized Electronics has a package deal of the 60" SXRD and the 5 year Philips warranty with a free bulb replacement. With the pakcage deal the warranty comes out to about that.

For some reason they jacked up the price of the Sony stand from $499 to $599 in the last week and a half.

DrAV

11-29-05, 08:20 PM

Maybe I'm the blind one now, but I'm not seeing anything in the advanced settings menu that allows for the adjustment of individual colors. Trying to get rid of the red push. Is there an individual adjustment for red in there somewhere or just the bias control? Thanks.

1) Make sure you are in Pro Mode.
2) Click UP one time
3) Select Advanced Settings
4) Scroll to "White Balance" (Hint... Click Up One Time) and Select
5) You will see 6 selections, the bottom 3 are Red, Green, Blue bias settings and the top three are Red, Green, Blue Color Settings. Select Red from the top three selections.

A great way to make changes (if you have a Tivo or DVD) is to freeze the Tivo or DVD on a typical offending screen and then make changes at your lesiure where you can carefully judge the affect.

You might also try backing off on the Color Selection in the main screen a few clicks and see if that is more pleasing. There is no shortage of ways to make adjustments on this set. ;)

MRL

11-29-05, 08:54 PM

That was the normal price that the dealer charges for that warranty where I bought my TV. He just took it off a price sheet he had there. Apparently it goes by price and since I got my TV down to $4100 that is probably what lowered it some as the break point on pricing of the warranties is probably every $500 in the upper incements. Also it does not have to be a phillips... Just be sure what ever you get that you get the first bulb free, thats a big deal... If your dealer carries another brand of warranty they have room to play with the price of those things quite a bit. I did not argue with price on mine as I got a great deal on the tv and a free monster overpriced $150 HDMI cable.

Thanks for the kind words kfccon123. That's what this place and othe forums are all about and how I have learned about things over the last few years and also have made some great choices because of using this as a resource as well as others like magazines and such.

MRL

11-29-05, 08:57 PM

Also DON'T get the sony stand. You can get a much sturdier one from OmniMount folks. The store where I got mine is using them exclusivley for all of there big TVs. They are made of heavy metal with heavy duty glass shelves. You can get them in any size for any TV. The most expensive one is like $500. The one that goes with the Sony XBR60 was $450 and looked sweet. 19" up from the ground. I would have done that one but I am having a custom made one to match my oak entertainment center for it to sit on.

jazz_24_7

11-29-05, 11:11 PM

Speaking of Authorized Electronics, has anyone bought their SXRD from them? Any issues with shipping etc? Also any issues with using the Philip[s EW?

I'm trying to decide between an on-line purchase or the local CC. The local CC will cost me almost $1000 more for the 60" The benefit of CC is the ability to swap out the set if there are any issues and getting it next day instead of a week or so of shipping delay.

Vampyro

11-29-05, 11:56 PM

PCRichard has a great price, less than $500-$600 less than cc

jazz_24_7

11-30-05, 12:38 AM

I'm in Southern CA with nothing but the national chains. CC, BB, Fryes Sears, Tweeter etc. all with the same pricing. And they match each others price. Currently that is $400 off MSRP.

MRL

11-30-05, 04:07 AM

I just received my S97 from UPS today. Have not had time to hook it up. I am interested to see if it can out do my RP91 which has been a great player and still is. I can't believe how small and light weight this stuff is now compaired to the older stuff of say just 4 years ago.

ISO Perfect HDTV

11-30-05, 04:52 AM

1) Make sure you are in Pro Mode.
2) Click UP one time
3) Select Advanced Settings
4) Scroll to "White Balance" (Hint... Click Up One Time) and Select
5) You will see 6 selections, the bottom 3 are Red, Green, Blue bias settings and the top three are Red, Green, Blue Color Settings. Select Red from the top three selections.

A great way to make changes (if you have a Tivo or DVD) is to freeze the Tivo or DVD on a typical offending screen and then make changes at your lesiure where you can carefully judge the affect.

You might also try backing off on the Color Selection in the main screen a few clicks and see if that is more pleasing. There is no shortage of ways to make adjustments on this set. ;)

could you please explain me the difference between RGB Color settings and RGB Bias Settings? Thanks

jimf233

11-30-05, 08:34 AM

I have set up my 50" SXRD with a HDMI cable from the cable box/ PCR to the set, and a optical audio connection from the set to the Receiver for my sound system. This lets me keep the receiver set on a single input, for all sources (over the air, cable, and DVD). I notice this is not one of the recommended set ups in the manuals. What am I giving up in this set up?

On a different topic my set came with only one of the two HDMI inputs working. They have ordered a new board to correct this problem. Is it worth fixing? I am getting great results with my current component connection to the DVD and I am not sure I want the tech messing with the set.

JimP

11-30-05, 09:02 AM

jimf233

The second HDMI input may not be used now, but what happens in 2 or 3 years if you replace your DVD player with one that has superior signal quality over HDMI? Also, what about Blue-Ray and HD-DVD (if they ever show up??), they're likely to be HDMI.

MRL

11-30-05, 10:59 AM

Jim I would get your HDMI both fixed now while under warranty. I don't know if you have an extended one but if you do then there is not that big of a hurry. Both of mine work but I will only be using one of them with my DVD player as so far with my HDirecTivo it looks just as good over component and maybe even just slightly better. Plus I set up s-video (you need to use a good cable for this) to a seperate input on the set coming from the DirecTivo for channels that are not in HD. They all look better this way. And depending on what I am watching HD or SD depends on which input I will use and of course change your settings on the DirecTivo to 1080I output when you are on the HD stuff as it won't do it automaticly. I have a macro set up on my MX700 remote that does all of this with the punch of one button.
Good luck
Mike

INeedABreak

11-30-05, 02:49 PM

i_can_help

11-30-05, 07:57 PM

I have set up my 50" SXRD with a HDMI cable from the cable box/ PCR to the set, and a optical audio connection from the set to the Receiver for my sound system. This lets me keep the receiver set on a single input, for all sources (over the air, cable, and DVD). I notice this is not one of the recommended set ups in the manuals. What am I giving up in this set up?

You're giving up multichannel audio for anything going through the HDMI connection in this setup. This TV (and every single other one out there apparently) only accepts 2 audio channels via HDMI. That's just the way it is.

MRL

11-30-05, 08:57 PM

Well then I am glad that component looks just as good as the HDMI. Seems like most people would run the HDMI to their TV and an extra set of audo cables to their receiver or pre/pro anyway though.

robneal81

12-01-05, 06:45 PM

audiomixer

12-01-05, 06:52 PM

robneal81

12-01-05, 06:57 PM

Million Times??? I have seen both, too. I have the 60"...Million Times Better!?!
Sorry.
I DON'T THINK SO... :p

audiomixer,

I'm sorry, I didn't mean that as an insult. Please remember the Qualia MSRP's for almost $10,000 more than the 60". The 60" is a great set, but there's no way it could compare to the Qualia. If it did, Sony wouldn't be able to charge so much more. Also, I did see them side by side running off of the same signal. The Qualia looked as good as my Loewe Articos 30" CRT (which nothing else has ever come close to) and the 60" just paled in comparison. If you get a chance, go to one of the Sony stores to see for yourself.

robneal81

12-01-05, 07:00 PM

I forgot about a few things...

I heard somewhere that you can get 1080p through the VGA input of the TV, just not HDMI or component. Does anyone know if that's true?

If I use a cable card, is there a built in guide like in the samsung tv's?

AbMagFab

12-01-05, 07:06 PM

audiomixer,

I'm sorry, I didn't mean that as an insult. Please remember the Qualia MSRP's for almost $10,000 more than the 60". The 60" is a great set, but there's no way it could compare to the Qualia. If it did, Sony wouldn't be able to charge so much more. Also, I did see them side by side running off of the same signal. The Qualia looked as good as my Loewe Articos 30" CRT (which nothing else has ever come close to) and the 60" just paled in comparison. If you get a chance, go to one of the Sony stores to see for yourself.
#1 - The Qualia 006 is SRP of $11,000, the XBR1 60" is SRP of $5,000 - so hardly a 10K difference. And the 006 is 70", came out first, and is a "flagship" type of product, intentionally overpriced.

#2 - I've seen both side by side, and when both are properly calibrated, with the XBR1 set to maximize contrast ratios, they look very similar. The XBR1 looks like a CRT, and the 006 has more SDE than the XBR1 (known issue). Both have similar SSE.

#3 - The 006 is brighter overall, but that's mostly useless except in a showroom, and likely due to the brighter bulb.

The XBR1's actually have a tighter pixel spacing than the 006, from my last read. And from the looks, the XBR1's look slightly better to me overall.

So you must have seen a very poorly calibrated XBR1, likely to get suckers to buy the "better looking" 006 sitting next to it. Silly.

Think before you write.

bhollis

12-01-05, 07:14 PM

Hello,

I am interested in purchasing one of these sets. The size doesn't matter to me as much as picture quality. I've seen the Qualia side by side with the 60" at CEDIA and the qualia looked a million times better. Unfortunately, I can't afford $11,000 for a TV so I have to chose between the 50" and 60". I've never actually seen a 50" in person, but I would assume that it slightly clearer than the 60" because it is the same electronics projected on a smaller area. Can anyone give me more input and their opinion on this? Thanks guys!

It really comes down to two factors: 1) your desired viewing distance; and 2) your desired angle of view. A lot of people want the same sort of angle of view/perspective they'd get in a theater, which means either getting up close, or getting a big screen. Others are happier further back or with a smaller screen.

If you've got a fixed viewing distance, go with the screen size that gives you the angle of view you're looking for. If you're flexible on viewing distance, then you can either go with the smaller screen at a closer distance, or the larger screen at a greater distance--whichever you're more comfortable with.

By the way, one of the advantages of the SXRD's 1080 resolution is that the picture still looks very sharp even on a 60" or 70" screen.

audiomixer

12-01-05, 07:14 PM

#1 - The Qualia 006 is SRP of $11,000, the XBR1 60" is SRP of $5,000 - so hardly a 10K difference. And the 006 is 70", came out first, and is a "flagship" type of product, intentionally overpriced.

#2 - I've seen both side by side, and when both are properly calibrated, with the XBR1 set to maximize contrast ratios, they look very similar. The XBR1 looks like a CRT, and the 006 has more SDE than the XBR1 (known issue). Both have similar SSE.

#3 - The 006 is brighter overall, but that's mostly useless except in a showroom, and likely due to the brighter bulb.

The XBR1's actually have a tighter pixel spacing than the 006, from my last read. And from the looks, the XBR1's look slightly better to me overall.

So you must have seen a very poorly calibrated XBR1, likely to get suckers to buy the "better looking" 006 sitting next to it. Silly.

Think before you write.

Thank You!!! :D

robneal81

12-01-05, 07:27 PM

bhollis

12-01-05, 07:36 PM

Which is clearer from an average viewing distance of 12 feet?

Does the VGA/PC input accept 1080p?

Does the TV have a built-in guide when using the cable card reader?

Not sure what you mean by "clearer," but at 12 feet, you'll be able to see more detail with the 60" screen than with the 50."

Not sure I've seen a definitive answer to your second question, although it appears doubtful.

Don't know the answer to your third question.

drhill

12-01-05, 08:07 PM

You will be greatly disappointed with the VGA input.

jimf233

12-01-05, 08:16 PM

[QUOTE=i_can_help]You're giving up multichannel audio for anything going through the HDMI connection in this setup. This TV (and every single other one out there apparently) only accepts 2 audio channels via HDMI. That's just the way it is.[/QUOTE

Thanks, "...Help"- I have switched to seperate digital optical connections from my cable box and DVD player to my receiver. I do not use the 5.1 channel inputs on the Receiver.

I still do not get 5 channel surround sound when playing a DVD disk that has DTS and 5.1 Surround output. It am set for digital inputs on the DVD player but get prologic processing with monural rear speaker output. Any ideas on what I have set wrong, if anything? Shouldn't the DTS precess the audion to provide five channel surround sound?

Lord Flatus

12-01-05, 08:23 PM

MRL

12-02-05, 12:56 AM

You will be greatly disappointed with the VGA input.

Are you speaking from experience with having one or just a guess... I have not tried mine but was going to tomorrow. I have heard from others that it is an ok display for a computer..

drhill

12-02-05, 08:10 AM

Experience.

robneal81

12-02-05, 08:35 AM

Experience.

Well, that stinks. I'm using a HTPC w/MCE 2005 as my DVD/Media player. As soon as cable card inputs become available to PC's (4th quarter next year) I'll use it for everything, so if the VGA was 1080p, that would have been the perfect solution.

rlb

12-02-05, 09:24 AM

drhill

12-02-05, 11:04 AM

MRL

12-02-05, 02:14 PM

Dr. Hill... Did you have to have a special cable to do that with. I would like to hook up a laptop to mine but a long video cable is super expensive for around 20 Ft. or so. Also how di you wire it up? Thanks...

robneal81

12-02-05, 02:16 PM

I feed my pc into the tv via dvi->hdmi. Looks great.

Oh, so I take it your tried using VGA and DVI to HDMI for your PC. What about the VGA made it lower quality? Sharpness of picture, brightness of colors?

AbMagFab

12-03-05, 01:22 PM

Well, that stinks. I'm using a HTPC w/MCE 2005 as my DVD/Media player. As soon as cable card inputs become available to PC's (4th quarter next year) I'll use it for everything, so if the VGA was 1080p, that would have been the perfect solution.

Ignore the ambiguous people.

#1 - The VGA input supports only 1280x1024 at 4x3 ratio (although you can stretch it on the TV, it's still not really 16x9).

#2 - The HDMI inputs directly support a DVI video card. If you have a mid- to high-end video card that support 1920x1080 at 16x9, then you can use the HDMI port (with a cheap DVI->HDMI adapter)

The TV doesn't support 1080p at all as an input, but does support 720p and 1080i (and 480i/p), so you can send any of those from your PC to your TV via the HDMI port. Your HTPC will work perfectly in this mode.

drhill

12-03-05, 02:53 PM

Oh, so I take it your tried using VGA and DVI to HDMI for your PC. What about the VGA made it lower quality? Sharpness of picture, brightness of colors?

PQ looked fine. You can't find a resolution that actually fills the screen.

robneal81

12-03-05, 03:39 PM

#1 - The VGA input supports only 1280x1024 at 4x3 ratio (although you can stretch it on the TV, it's still not really 16x9).

#2 - The HDMI inputs directly support a DVI video card. If you have a mid- to high-end video card that support 1920x1080 at 16x9, then you can use the HDMI port (with a cheap DVI->HDMI adapter)

The TV doesn't support 1080p at all as an input, but does support 720p and 1080i (and 480i/p), so you can send any of those from your PC to your TV via the HDMI port. Your HTPC will work perfectly in this mode.

Ahhh, gotcha. Thanks for your responce. You too drhill. I'm going to CES next month. I'll just wait till then to see if there are any new TV's coming out that do support 1080p. I realise not much has a 1080p output yet, but I'd still want it there just in case anything comes out in the future.

drhill

12-03-05, 04:23 PM

As long as you wait you won't be disapponted. More options, more features, less money probably. Just don't keep on waiting to the point you never get anything.

AbMagFab

12-03-05, 05:24 PM

Ahhh, gotcha. Thanks for your responce. You too drhill. I'm going to CES next month. I'll just wait till then to see if there are any new TV's coming out that do support 1080p. I realise not much has a 1080p output yet, but I'd still want it there just in case anything comes out in the future.

Remember, these TV's always output 1080p. The only missing piece is a 1080p input. It currently takes a 1080i input, and deinterlaces to 1080p, at least 30fps full 1080p (if I recall the HD signal specs properly).

So the only real question is if a 1080p HDDVD/BluRay player can deinterlace better than this TV (or if interlacing a 1080p source, then deinterlacing at the TV reduces picture quality at all).

Yes, it would be nice to support 1080p natively, but it's hardly a reason to wait, IMO. Plus, as it is, movies re-scanned for HD are still way below real 1080i/p quality - they only look slightly better than a 480p DVD (animation aside). I suppose they might go back and rescan all these movies, but I doubt it.

The next big step will be when we have TV's that have 2160p native resolution (or something much better than 1080p). While the source signal won't get any better, we can get even better pictures (likely with even more lip synch issues), with more picture enhancers.

Doctor52

12-03-05, 08:36 PM

Sorry if this has been addressed already, but I didn't have time to read the entire 200+ pages of this thread.

I just bought the 60 inch SXRD. My only complaint is the way the VGA input handles PC signals. No matter which resolution I pick, it doesn't even come close to filling up the screen. The instruction manual says that you can use the "Wide" button to adjust the aspect ratio with 60 hertz resolutions, but not matter which resolution I set my PC to, the Wide button doesn't work. Is the instrucion manual wrong??

drhill

12-03-05, 09:22 PM

VGA implementation leaves tons to be desired on these sets. It isn't you, it's me... err the tv. I think the manual is wrong, I don't remember wide working for me either.

HughScot

12-03-05, 09:28 PM

VGA implementation leaves tons to be desired on these sets. It isn't you, it's me... err the tv. I think the manual is wrong, I don't remember wide working for me either.

You should also keep in mind that these sets were not designed to be PC monitors but rather televisions and the vast majority of buyers will never watch anything via their computer on the screen.

Doctor52

12-03-05, 09:35 PM

You should also keep in mind that these sets were not designed to be PC monitors but rather televisions and the vast majority of buyers will never watch anything via their computer on the screen.

True, but many pre-DVI set top boxes have VGA as the highest bandwidth output. 1280 x 720p should be easily handled by the the VGA input, but it is not.

drhill

12-03-05, 11:16 PM

You should also keep in mind that these sets were not designed to be PC monitors but rather televisions and the vast majority of buyers will never watch anything via their computer on the screen.
But that doesn't mean it isn't a half assed implementation.

MRL

12-04-05, 03:09 PM

I don't know about the rest of you but I am pretty happy with the display from my laptop on my 60" actually through the VGA input. Also for you on the fence about the 50 vs. 60" size. Even if your sitting at 10-11 feet back like I am go for the 60". You won't regret it and I went from a 53" to 60 and just love it. It also does such a clear job on SD that you will be impressed as well.. at least thats using DirecTV... I don't know about cable.
Mike

Phil Tomaskovic

12-04-05, 03:20 PM

Do you have a vcr or dvd recorder hooked up? I'm somewhat unhappy with the picture from my Panasonic EH50 dvd-r over-Svideo to my 50" sxrd.

Governator

12-04-05, 03:59 PM

Hey all, I was wondering If getting an upcaonverting DVD player would improve my PQ or if the upscaler in the TV is already good enough?

HughScot

12-04-05, 04:05 PM

Do you have a vcr or dvd recorder hooked up? I'm somewhat unhappy with the picture from my Panasonic EH50 dvd-r over-Svideo to my 50" sxrd.

Suggest you use component cables otherwise you are just watching analog.

ndnbolla

12-04-05, 04:40 PM

lovebuzz#836

12-04-05, 05:47 PM

Hey guys,

so we just purchased a 60" SXRD from tigerdirect at about $4100 we didn't get the extended warranty since the 1 year manufacturers warranty should be enough right?

Nope, can't say I'd stick with just the manufacturer on this one.

Doctor52

12-04-05, 05:54 PM

With a 4000+ set, I would recommend the warranty. If anything, call them in 2 years and say the set is off. They will come out and calibrate everything.

Phil Tomaskovic

12-04-05, 08:50 PM

Suggest you use component cables otherwise you are just watching analog.
Isn't it still analog with component cables? I had tried component and didn't see any great difference plus for any shows recorded on the dvd-r, I only see closed captioning on s-video and composite; the set won't "decode" CC from component input.

HughScot

12-04-05, 09:00 PM

Isn't it still analog with component cables? I had tried component and didn't see any great difference plus for any shows recorded on the dvd-r, I only see closed captioning on s-video and composite; the set won't "decode" CC from component input.

Sorry, didn't know you were talking about recorded DVD's. But when watching a DVD using a progressive scan player you need to use component cables and not S-video.

Phil Tomaskovic

12-04-05, 09:17 PM

Sorry, didn't know you were talking about recorded DVD's. But when watching a DVD using a progressive scan player you need to use component cables and not S-video.
Yes, knew that. Have a different player for commercial dvds and it uses progressive scan and component.

The Panasonic dvd-r also can be set up that way, but I don't see much difference playing what I recorded on its hard drive even at XP resolution (1 hr).

rhsole

12-05-05, 10:02 AM

Question - Might have been answered / Is 9 1/2 feet viewing distance OK for the 60 inch?

AbMagFab

12-05-05, 10:06 AM

Question - Might have been answered / Is 9 1/2 feet viewing distance OK for the 60 inch?

Yes.

I'm 9-11 feet away (depending on how reclined I am), and it's beautiful. No picture issues at all. It's just small enough for only minimal eye scanning required, and big enough to fill a large area of your field of vision.

If I were futher away, the 60" might be too small.

Big J

12-05-05, 10:13 AM

Hey all, I was wondering If getting an upcaonverting DVD player would improve my PQ or if the upscaler in the TV is already good enough?

That depends. The TV's upscaler is pretty good, but I found I like the Oppo's @1080i slightly better.

Frohlich

12-05-05, 10:21 AM

Sorry if this has already been covered but I did a search and could not find anything. I was doing research on this set several weeks ago and saw the issue with purple or green spots when the screen is completely black and went ahead and bought a 60 inch SXRD anyways knowing that if I saw it I would ask for a new set. Luckly my set does not have this issue. However, I have noticed on scenes where there is a lot of white and if there is a dark object, it seems to "band" to the right side. The whites will be uniform above the dark object but the white to the right of the dark object will be a different shade of white then the white above the dark object. Anybody else seen this? Not too distracting but I didn't know if this is something I can fix via some setting in the menu or if it is a known issue with this display. Once you see it then it becomes easier to see in the future.

jdk123

12-05-05, 04:54 PM

I'm getting the 60"SXRD this week. Would it be ok to tilt the set forward a little to correct the viewing angle?

sunnygunny

12-05-05, 09:43 PM

I'm getting the 60"SXRD this week. Would it be ok to tilt the set forward a little to correct the viewing angle?

Congrats on your new 60 :cool:
I wouldn't do that. Please see the spec for corresponding stand (SU-GW 12) from sony, they recommend you to use the harness in the back to hold the tv to the stand.
-Sunny

J\V

12-05-05, 11:48 PM

Hey guys,

so we just purchased a 60" SXRD from tigerdirect at about $4100 we didn't get the extended warranty since the 1 year manufacturers warranty should be enough right?

So when it come in a few days, what should I look for right when it comes out of the box to make sure that nothing is wrong with it. Because tigerdirect has a policy that if something is wrong with the t.v., have the delivery guy stay their til you finish checkin and reject it if anything is wrong with it.

Exactly what should I look for?

Other than that I can't wait til it gets here. Damn. Now I gotta pick up the stand at cc for 425.

The delivery guy's gonna be mighty pi$$ed when he has to wait around for 2 hours for you to set it up, wire it, and critically take a look at it. I think they mean obvious physical damage for making the delivery guy wait around, i.e. if there is a huge gash in the box, then open it while he is there to confirm whether or not there is physical damage.

It will likely take awhile for you to determine whether or not you have any of the 'publicized' issues, and the amount of time it takes is likely inversely proportional to how much you read this forum. LOL

Good luck, and enjoy the fantastic set!

MRL

12-06-05, 10:28 AM

Do you have a vcr or dvd recorder hooked up? I'm somewhat unhappy with the picture from my Panasonic EH50 dvd-r over-Svideo to my 50" sxrd.

I have one hooked up via s-video.. I figured it won't copy from component so why out put it that way and it looks much better, actually pretty good compaired to my 2 1/2 year old Pioneer set which did most SD stuff pretty good but failed miserably at things like home movies or anything to do with a VCR. I don't have a VCR left in the house but tried it off an older 8 mm Analog camcorder and does a reallly decent display.
MRL

DrAV

12-06-05, 08:51 PM

Question - Might have been answered / Is 9 1/2 feet viewing distance OK for the 60 inch?

I orginally thought that at that distance 50" would be max. But now that I have the 50" SXRD at home I realize the 60" would be no problem at all. Even at 2-3 feet the 50" is very watchable on good HD. It is totally seamless.

DrAV

12-06-05, 08:58 PM

could you please explain me the difference between RGB Color settings and RGB Bias Settings? Thanks

I don't have my manual in front of me, but the bias settings are for "Dark" areas of the pictures and the RGB color settings are for the "Bright Areas" of the picture. I probably am not using the correct naming convention for the first 3 choices that is the "RGB Color settings" as I am at work and do not have the set in front of me.

Bias settings are usually a low level setting for operation in an area which is very close to "off", in this case how the set behaves in low level conditions, for example dark scenes.

DrAV

12-06-05, 09:05 PM

Thanks guys for your wonderfully polite responses and thorough answers to my questions.

I post at avsforum to talk to knowledgeable people and get their respected opinion. It stinks that you always have to filter out the know-it-all's and people who just love putting others down (not you bhollis, I appreciated your post).

So, all opinions aside...

Which is clearer from an average viewing distance of 12 feet?

Does the VGA/PC input accept 1080p?

Does the TV have a built-in guide when using the cable card reader?

Clearer needs to be defined.... With HD the 50" will have a sharper image always but at 12' the 60" will be easier to see smaller details and hence appear "clearer". With a SD input the 50" will seem clearer at 12' because a poor video input blown up larger will seem less clear.

VGA/PC does not accept 1080p

No built in guide (TV-Guide) with this set.

ndnbolla

12-06-05, 09:49 PM

just curious if its necessary to "break-in" this tv as you would with plasmas.

if so how long?

Aceman

12-06-05, 09:54 PM

Guys,

How are the jaggies on this set vs. the XS??? are the prevalent for SDTV?

thx.

Aceman
(i posted on the other thread so sorry if this is a dup!)

MRL

12-07-05, 08:56 AM

I have no jaggies on SDTV using DirecTV...

Big J

12-07-05, 09:21 AM

just curious if its necessary to "break-in" this tv as you would with plasmas.

if so how long?

I found that my set seemed to "settle down" after somewhere around 50-100 hrs. The picture got a little smoother, more life-like, but nothing dramatic.

MRL

12-07-05, 03:07 PM

Had mine two weeks now and it has pretty much been going about 20 hours a day. I have been home the last two weeks and just leave it on even when not watching it for a noise maker so to say or to catch up on the news if something instant happens. No change or drastic change in picture out of the box. Still very good and does very good on all inputs. Only using one HDMI for my Panasonic DVD player, decided not to use the HDMI for my HDirectivo and use component, there was no difference at all. I amy go back and try again at some point later one down the road but that would be not good either come to think of it as we are all getting new boxes shortly when Directv does the swap over. I have set up my HDirecTIvo this way which I found gives the best picture. S-video out to input 3 and component out to video 4, I run the optical to my pre/pro and split the analog speaker L/R at the TV to go into video 3&4 in case you don't want to fire up all the gear just to say watch TV news or something. Anyway works great. Video 3 with s-video does a much better job at displaying SD channels, all HD channels that are switched to 1080i are watched through video #4 which has component input. I did it this way with my last CRT set and it was the same. Better video both ways this way. If you only run component the SD sometimes looks a bit washed out. Love this TV so far. Am having a custom bezel made in black plastic to cover the entire silver portion. The tv is going into a custom entertainment center as well so it should look all black and no ears. Should look good. Take a look at the file below. Anyone care to tell me how I can just insert a photo in with a post? I can't seem to figure it out.
Mike

MRL

12-08-05, 01:08 PM

I bought the Panny S97 just two weeks ago with my XBR60. I have watched a DVD on it just about every night and had no problems at all with it. It also does DVD-A which is a real plus for me as I have a few of them and they sound wonderful!
MRL

audiomixer

12-08-05, 01:21 PM

MRL

12-09-05, 04:57 PM

I have a brand new S97 and it works great with this TV through the HDMI... Couldn't be happier and it does DVD-A as well which is what I wanted. Got it somewhere on line on a closeout for like $299 or maybe a bit less.'
MikeL

motordavid

12-17-05, 09:24 AM

We got our 60" on Thursday...pretty good right outta the box. HDMI cable from SciATL DVR/HD box via Comcast. HD stuff is remarkable, the SD is all over the map, qual-wise.

I've just begun trying to digest the manual and do a few neophyte "adjustments", but no techie, here.

After an hour of HD you wonder how you'll ever again enjoy StdTV!

First post, here, but have been reading and perusing and trying to learn as quickly as I can.
And, thanks to DrAV for his PMs that cleared up many wonderments for me.

Outstanding Forum, but I feel like a caveman reading most of the info, here, lol!
Thanks and Best Regards,
Ol'UncleMotor

CFoote

12-17-05, 06:12 PM

Vampyro

12-19-05, 01:32 PM

audiomixer

12-19-05, 01:41 PM

maximum360

12-19-05, 02:22 PM

Just had a Sony tech comeout and check my SXRD
He deemed my tv grayscale uniformity tolerant, which in actuality it is
I have some very slight pink and yellow uniformity issues in the grayscale
but I guess this is the case w/ EVERY Sxrd, I think some notice it more
because they have keen eyes...he did say if it was a light engine problem
then it would be too obvious, I guess I can keep on enjoying my Tv now

If the tv seems fine to you, then that's all that counts.

Never let a tech determine what's acceptable. For the most part they're already stretched thin so the less time they spend with your set, the better for them. In addition, they'd probably like to avoid working on new sets until Sony has likely discovered most of the issues and other techs have reported their experiences to Sony. Why do the work when you can have someone else do it for you? ;)

I've dealt with at least several techs regarding problems with two separate tvs (SXRD and RP CRT). Every single time (no exaggeration), they claimed they coulnd't see anything beyond the norm. I'll tell you in advance that if they're already rushing through the analysis of the issue, the outcome will unlikely be unfavorable to you. It's really luck of the draw whether you get a good tech or not.

With my RP CRT, I got the tech to replace a CRT due to flickering. He screwed up my grayscale royally though when he left. I had to do some adjustments in the service menu just to get it looking somewhat normal again, and then get the set ISFed.

With my SXRD I was very prepared for the tech. I had different material ready for him to obviously recognize the issue. He even brought a second person with him. At first he feigned ignorance. Then when it became blatant (to the point that he started looking the fool) he got on the phone with Sony explained that the blue hue was obvious as he scrolled through each input. He was less than enthusiastic about it too. The tech then claimed that he would go back to the shop and look at another tv that they had there to compare. He then told Sony that my tv was operating within normal limits after examing others at the store. That either means that every tv he saw in the store was malfunctioning or he just straight lied.

The second tech tried to feign ignorance at first as well but at least he took the time to analyze the problem and even tried to get into the service menu to adjust some settings. He worked on the set a few times but was never able to get it functioning properly again.

Moral of the story. Trust your opinion and not his. If they don't want to do the work or just seem shady, just point them to the door and find another tech that will.

karafu

12-19-05, 02:48 PM

I took delivery of this baby (60 inch) on Friday, and love it. The HD video on this unit is gorgeous.

I am using a Samsung DVD-R120 DVD Recorder to output the signal at 480P using component cables, and have experienced mixed results. Some DVDs look good, while others look OK. Am I better of using the built in upcoverter of this TV, or should I get a DVD player with a built in upconverter outputting at 1080i using the HDMI connection?

Also I have noticed that the blacks look a bit bluish, especially the top and bottom bars when watching a widescreen DVD. Is this something that can be fixed after caliberating the TV (using the DVE DVD)?

Big J

12-19-05, 02:59 PM

I am using a Samsung DVD-R120 DVD Recorder to output the signal at 480P using component cables, and have experienced mixed results. Some DVDs look good, while others look OK. Am I better of using the built in upcoverter of this TV, or should I get a DVD player with a built in upconverter outputting at 1080i using the HDMI connection?

I think discs look better being upscaled to 1080i with the DVD player, then sent to the tv using HDMI.
J

Hoyt

12-23-05, 12:34 PM

jdifonzo

12-24-05, 11:04 AM

I am on the verge of buying the 60" model and looking at the previous posts, I am still not clear on the ability to hook up a PC through either the HDMI, DVI, or VGA ports.

Hooking up through the VGA port allows a max resolution of 1280x1024 @60Hz and leaves black bars on the sides, right?

Hooking up through the DVI/HDMI ports (assume the latter is through an adapter cable since PCs don't have HDMI ports) supports 1920x1080@60Hz? Or not?

Wouldn't this be 1080p? If not, how do you get the PC to output 1080i? (I am using Nvidia 7800GT.) Can you use the standard (1080p) output or do you have to mess around with some video tweaking app?

Does the DVI/HDMI approach allow the whole screen to be filled? Are there any overscan/underscan issues? (E.g., can you see the whole start button and task bar?)

Has anyone actually tried to use Windows in 1920x1080 on this TV? Can you read the text on the screen? Use a web browser, etc?

Has anyone tried to play a game that only supports 1024x768 resolution? Does it stretch or does it leave bars on the sides? In general, what would happen if your video card switched resolutions on the fly to a 4x3 resolution?

Sorry for so many questions, just trying to make sure this thing does what I want before I plunk down 5 grand...

Thanks!

HughScot

12-24-05, 07:07 PM

comtech

12-25-05, 01:49 PM

If some discs look great and some don't, it's likely the disc.

Not all discs are created equally.

I've had a 60 inch SXRD for over 2 months now and love it.

I saw a lot of green patches in Million Dollar Baby on people's faces at
the end of the movie and thought it was the TV. I tried the disc in my
desk top computer and saw the same thing.

Some discs just aren't created well.

I also just got cable TV and was surprised that regular TV look pretty
decent at 9 feet on this set.Likely but not necessarily. I have a Samsung DLP HL-R5662W that I purchased from Costco and it looks great on some discs and has many artifacts especially on dimly lit scenes on others.

Other sets at costco do the same thing using different DVD players. I was unable to reproduce the artifacts on any other set at any other store including another Samsung DLP from FS. Looks like it is only the Costco model that has the Problem. Good thing their return policy is so good. Thinking about the SXRD now. Looking here for potential problems with DVD.

Yes I have tried several DVD players on the set with component, dvi and svideo to no avail.

comtech

12-25-05, 11:03 PM

I'm using the Oppo DV971H with great results, so I can't address the Bravo issue at 1080i, but about HDCP: as I understand it, a HDCP-compliant display doesn't care if the source is HDCP-compliant, but an HDCP-compliant source wants to see an HDCP-compliant display (to ensure that the signal it sends out won't be pirated :p ). So HDCP is a good thing to have on your display (because it allows you to use HDCP sources), but a bad thing to have on your source (because it limits you to HDCP displays).

Glad to hear that Dixie as I have the OPPO and am considering the SXRD.

jvrobert

12-26-05, 02:09 PM

jdifonzo

12-26-05, 02:18 PM

jvrobert, how are you getting an interlaced signal out of your PC? When I set mine up to this resolution it sends 1080p (i.e., 60 full frames per second), not 1080i.

Also, are you using a DVI/HDMI converter cable? Is there any other special hardware required to hook a PC up to this thing?

Finally, are you seeing any over- or underscan on the picture or is it perfect pixel for pixel mapping? (In general, you don't want the TV's built-in scaler messing with your PC input.)

Thanks!

karafu

12-26-05, 11:22 PM

doctorviolin

01-12-06, 05:33 PM

I have had my 60" for a week, and have noticed that the middle of the screen looks slightly yellowish (or on the border of being greenish) on whites and grays (snow and ice shots especially). Is this similar to the greenish/yellowish blob that everyone is referrring to? My set is an October build.

Yes, I think so, unfortunately.
I have had my 60'SXRD with a similar problem replaced with a new one(November build), but it has the same problem, unfortunately, again! :(

audiomixer

01-12-06, 05:56 PM

Yes, I think so, unfortunately.
I have had my 60'SXRD with a similar problem replaced with a new one(November build), but it has the same problem, unfortunately, again! :(
Was it any better, worse, or about the same?

doctorviolin

01-13-06, 12:52 AM

Was it any better, worse, or about the same?

About the same.
The 1st one had a big doughnut shape yellow-green discoloration in the central area of the screen.
This 2nd one has a square-shape one in the lower left area of the screen.
Both of them did not fade after watching for several hours.

I have not made my mind yet between another try for a problem-free replacement & waiting for any solution from SONY or a 2006 new model.

Please try the color setting into 0(minimum)
to check you have this kind of Green-Yellow Glob,
as other members recommend.
In a Black/White scene setting, you can recognize it easily.
(Black,Gray,White, !YELLOW-GREEN!)

Good luck!

jjsmithin

01-13-06, 01:34 AM

About the same.
The 1st one had a big doughnut shape yellow-green discoloration in the central area of the screen.
This 2nd one has a square-shape one in the lower left area of the screen.
Both of them did not fade after watching for several hours.

I have not made my mind yet between another try for a problem-free replacement & waiting for any solution from SONY or a 2006 new model.

Please try the color setting into 0(minimum)
to check you have this kind of Green-Yellow Glob,
as other members recommend.
In a Black/White scene setting, you can recognize it easily.
(Black,Gray,White, !YELLOW-GREEN!)

Good luck!

looks like about 50% of the SXRDs are having problems similar to this per posts in this forum and the current pole. YOu should post your opinion on this current poll asking this very question. Make you really think twice about getting an SXRD until Sony fixes the problem. I was hoping they would do something over time but even the December builds are reporting in this forum more problems with the green glob.

videobruce

01-13-06, 11:50 AM

All you veteran Microdisplay owners, please vote on lamp life here;

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=629175

Schwa

01-13-06, 10:10 PM

KDH

01-13-06, 10:27 PM

C'mon guys, all these color uniformity issues are simply a limitation of three-panel technologies. My RP LCD sets have 'em, my FP LCD projector has 'em, and my SXRD has 'em. If you can't live with them, get a DLP set. In most cases you really, really have to be looking for the problem to notice it. We're flogging the crap out of a dead horse.

On some sets yes but others are bad enough that color doesn't drown it out.
It can be very distracting.

I can say that.
1. these sets are capable of almost perfect black screen with little to NO discoloration.
2 Shading or discoloration should go away and not be distracting with normal color programing after about 30 min warm up.
3 mc should not be seen at normal close viewing distance.

Now the real trick is getting all that in one set. although it can and is being done.
:cool: :cool: :cool: :D :D :D

Grateful11

01-14-06, 07:31 AM

Not sure if this has been posted yet or not. According to this video the 55" SXRD has
no dumbo-ear speakers but this is a prototype. Let me not tif the link doesn't work.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/genericContent.do?oid=142563&c=1&cm_re=lower%20banner-_-2006%20Consumer%20Electronics%20Show-_-Find%20out%20more%20#top

Click on the Home Theatre/Video link

Grateful11

JimP

01-14-06, 09:10 AM

jjsmithin

01-14-06, 11:13 AM

Gratful11

Does look like they dropped the dumbo ears on the 55" prototype. Nice looking cabinet.

Wonder how it'll carry over to the other sizes (70") and actual production sets.

Since the Sony line show is in March, we don't have too much longer to wait to find out.
No DUMBO EARS would be an aesthic and functional evolutionary leap forward for the SXRD. I hope your right about the 2006 models. I guess we will know in March.

jwylie

01-20-06, 10:24 AM

I have had my 60"SXRD since October and have also noticed the yellowish circle in the middle of the screen during hockey games...I thought it was just me or the lighting in the room.

BUT, the big problem is now my TV does not work!!!!!!!!!!

A couple days ago when playing a DVD I could not switch to another video input and no buttons on the remote or TV would respond. The only thing that would work is the power button.

A technician came to my house yesterday with no idea what the problem was. He eventually took the TV apart at the back and determined that a connection was loose, which he fixed. Everything worked when he left and I assumed everything was okay. Last night I put a DVD on again and after about 20 minutes the video input display came on out of the blue (this happned before too), I then tried to change inputs and AGAIN nothing works!!

I called the Technician again and he said that he will have to order a new module which wil probably take a couple of weeks.

I am really unimpressed with this as I am pretty sure I cannot get a replacement TV. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
Any suggestions??

rlb

01-20-06, 10:49 AM

treysbieen

01-29-06, 08:22 PM

I am a complete idiot when it comes to this stuff but I know this TV is the best out there. I bought monster cable ultra THX 1000. Are these real good? I spent 94 bucks for it, if I should get better please let me know. I also did not buy the 500 dollar stand they recommend to you because I think it's to big for the 50 inch, perfect for the 60 inch though. And lastly I will be sitting about 14 inches from the TV, is this to far of a distance, or should I be closer?

What are the necessities for this TV? I bought the following.

Monster Cable 1000 Ultra THX for 95 bucks
Audio cables for 25 bucks
And the Power Srge for 150 bucks. What am I missing?

Thank You

RickE

01-29-06, 08:37 PM

Honestly, I think you spent too much on your cables. In my opinion, you could get cables just as good and for a lot less. Check the link at the top of the page for monoprice.com.

Also, I think sitting 14 Inches away from the screen is a little to close, but thats just me.
Rick

Fiberop

01-29-06, 08:42 PM

Also, I think sitting 14 Inches away from the screen is a little to close, but thats just me.
Rick

Lol, yea just a little too close.

Artwood

01-29-06, 09:59 PM

If I sat 14 inches away from the screen late on Friday night watching Cinemax I would hurt myself!

JimP

01-29-06, 10:25 PM

If I sat 14 inches away from the screen late on Friday night watching Cinemax I would hurt myself!

Should we ask? nay :rolleyes:

AnotherDude

01-31-06, 10:20 PM

If I sat 14 inches away from the screen late on Friday night watching Cinemax I would hurt myself!
I used to like sitting on the third row at the movies, but this is definitely pushing it :eek: ...

ditcin

02-04-06, 07:17 PM

After calling Sony and complaining about the green tint in the center of the screen (I also have a blue tint in the outer corners) they told me that it should go away after the TV warmed up, about a 1/2 hr or so (had it on for an hour) - they also said the TV is senitive to a cooler enviroment and that this would happen in the summer. ((((??!?!) After playing the settings I noticed that the TV had come pre-set to VIVID. I took note of those setttings and re-created them in PRO - to have access to the the other sub-menu goodies. When in this VIVID setting the green tint is less noticable. (have the temp control to "cool" is part of this) I think its interesting that the TV comes "pre-set" to the option that makes his annoying green tint less noticable.
A tech is coming to the house in any case and I've already inquired about an exchange since I'm only on my 2nc day. It's seems SONY has a sheet with handy answers for callers on this subject. Now the place I purchased the TV from said it could be due to mis-handling via the frieight company - which I don't doubt since they actually stood the box on end and rolled it over to its correct postion. Well, we'll see happens next. BTW - my TV was made in Dec.

roybishop

02-06-06, 12:17 PM

Pacific Media Associates (PMA) reports that sales for rear-projection HDTVs grew 23% last December sequentially, with revenues increasing 24%.

The overall ASP (average selling price) increased slightly due to a small shift toward more expensive models, according to Rosemary Abowd, vice president of PMA. The ASPs of 23 of the top 25 models were flat or down slightly. Increased sales for the more expensive LCOS (liquid-crystal-on-silicon) models helped boost the overall revenues, Abowd said.

The LCOS segment grew to 19% of the rear-projection HDTV market largely on the strength of Sony’s SXRD models. The 50- and 60-inch models were the second and third in the top sellers list, with Sony’s 42-inch KDF-E42A10 LCD model taking the top position. Sony’s 50-inch LCD RPTV model held the fourth place, which gave Sony the top position overall, with 39.8% unit market share and 41.8% of the total revenues.

In spite of this end-of-year increase, RPTV sales were down 6% compared to the same period in 2004. During 2005, pressure from flat-panel TVs kept down RPTV sales. Last December, the US$1,750 average street price for a 42-inch enhanced-definition PDP (plasma display panel) TV was about the same as for RPTV models of similar size, and average prices for high-definition 42-inch PDP TVs were approaching US$2,000. As a result, RPTVs are having a difficult time competing in this size segment.

Big J

02-06-06, 12:37 PM

#2 and #3 huh? I love it!

ditcin-the reason the factory setting is vivd, is so it will be eye catching in the store.
J

Mostly Harmless

02-10-06, 06:03 PM

After reading many times every word on this forum I finally have home the KDS-R60XBR1. There are times after you make a significant purchase that you have a feeling of uncertainty. Not this time! The TV was not as difficult to choose as the place where to buy it. The three local stores would not discount the TV more than 10% of the MSRP. The Web was much better but, with the dubious reviews of most discount stores, I was gun-shy. I decided for Sunshine because of the frequent mentions in this Forum and the reviews on eBay, since they can only be posted after a purchase. I will add myself to the people that are happy with them. I bought their 5 years extended warranty that included 3 years lamp replacement. It was just about $100 more than the SONY without covering the lamp.

I do not have to mention here how great the TV is and how elated we are. Even in a very sunny room it looks better than my old Wega CRT. In the evening, I switch the mode to Pro and enjoy the best possible viewing. The description of looking through a window is not exaggeration. We are happy with the settings right out of the box. Even with my old Toshiba 420p DVD with just components or my LITEON for DivX and A.V.I,’s just connected with an S cable are breathtaking. I am looking forward to an HDMI 1080i capable DVD player in the near future.

The delivery was sooner than I expected and the communication was prompt and efficient. I got it 2 days after the Superball but then, it just would have been icing on the cake since I didn’t expect to be that soon.
Thank you guys (and gals—is there any?) of the Forum for been so thorough and shearing your knowledge with newbies like me to help us make an informed decision.

largeeyes

02-10-06, 10:06 PM

hschultz

02-10-06, 10:18 PM

went to a local (Reston VA) BB this evening to check their price on the 60" SXRD. $4,499. Asked about their price match guarantee and learned that they'll match any local B&M plus pay 10% of the difference.

A local B&M has it on the web for $3,899, and when I called them this evening, was quoted $3,799 over the phone. Thinking about going back to BB, getting it for $3,799 plus an additional $70 off (10% of $700 price difference), for a net (prior to tax and warranty) of around $3,730.

Hoyt

02-12-06, 06:58 PM

It's the best TV on the market... had mine since October and LOVE IT!!!

sea2blue

02-17-06, 10:31 PM

Wow, it has been a long search to come to a decision on my first HDTV purchase. I've settled on the Sony KDS-R60XBR1. I've been looking at a Samsung for a long time but oh well.

Has anyone dealt with www.pcandplasma.com? They have this TV for $2899.00. It looks like a very good price. Thoughts...

Also, I will most likely buy an extended warrentee but their 5 year plan is crazy expensive at $1500. Any suggestion as to buying an extended warrentee?

Thanks very much.

sea2blue

02-17-06, 10:31 PM

My appologies in advance if this is the wrong thread for this questions.

Wow, it has been a long search to come to a decision on my first HDTV purchase. I've settled on the Sony KDS-R60XBR1. I've been looking at a Samsung for a long time but oh well.

Has anyone dealt with www.pcandplasma.com? They have this TV for $2899.00. It looks like a very good price. Thoughts...

Also, I will most likely buy an extended warrentee but their 5 year plan is crazy expensive at $1500. Any suggestion as to buying an extended warrentee?

Thanks very much.

pavlograd

02-17-06, 11:26 PM

I bought an R60XBR1 at Sam's Club today and got a very sweet deal. TV plus stand for $3199! Also, I upgraded my membership to the PLUS membership for just $3.45 (because there is only 3 weeks remaining in my membership year) and that entitled me to an extra 1 year of warranty, for no extra charge. Their 1 year warranty (which starts after Sony's ends) was $70, so I got 2 years for $70. So, I got the TV, the stand, and a total of 3 years of warranty for $3269 plus tax! I'll be renting a truck from Lowe's to pick it up with tomorrow morning (it wouldn't fit in my van).

JohnGZ28

02-18-06, 07:10 AM

Are you sure it was the 1080p R60XBR1 SXRD and not the 720p 60XS955 RP-LCD TV (which has the same cabinet as the SXRD)?

No, he's not sure and it probably isn't. Once he confirms it's not hopefully he'll delete the thread he started (or she).

roybishop

02-18-06, 11:19 AM

Wow, it has been a long search to come to a decision on my first HDTV purchase. I've settled on the Sony KDS-R60XBR1. I've been looking at a Samsung for a long time but oh well.

Has anyone dealt with pcandplasma They have this TV for $2899.00. It looks like a very good price. Thoughts...

Also, I will most likely buy an extended warrentee but their 5 year plan is crazy expensive at $1500. Any suggestion as to buying an extended warrentee?

Thanks very much.

Please read the comments at resellerratings(I can't post URL's yet). It looks like another Brooklyn "no ship if you don't buy overpriced accessories" store.

egginspector

03-01-06, 06:00 PM

I went to the Tweeter store in New London Ct. They said the would match the C.City price $3050 as long as the B&M store is within 25 miles of their store. The price match last for 2months from the point of sale. Sounds like a good deal Egginspector

OnlookerDelay

03-01-06, 06:14 PM

No, he's not sure and it probably isn't. Once he confirms it's not hopefully he'll delete the thread he started (or she).

I think he meant "KDFE60A20". Sam's has this advertised for $3,199.95, with the stand on their website.

janno25

03-07-06, 07:10 PM

McGillicutty

03-07-06, 09:05 PM

I am looking at the Sony KDS-R60XBR1 & the KDS-R50XBR1. I never bought anything from on-line but some on-line stores are $1000 cheaper than Circuit City. Can anyone offer any suggestions for me? Thanks, Sharon

Well I got the 50XBR1 at BB with warranty and stand (not the Sony Junk stand) for $3500. It was a killer deal. I pitted BB and CC against one another and saved some cash.

egginspector

03-08-06, 03:13 PM

What about new 55 sony xbr shown at the CES. Is it real or just a rumor? Egg inspector

MRUSS

03-09-06, 11:19 AM

Last Nov. I got the SXRD 60" at BB plus stand and 4yr warranty for 4995.00. I like it very well, but I get some color smear on tree leaves and bushes, or I might say blurry looking.When I turn my DTE on high it seems to help.MY old Mits 55" CRT seemed to do better on detail.

baylok747

03-09-06, 12:26 PM

I am looking at the Sony KDS-R60XBR1 & the KDS-R50XBR1. I never bought anything from on-line but some on-line stores are $1000 cheaper than Circuit City. Can anyone offer any suggestions for me? Thanks, Sharon

Be careful with on-line stores. Make certain the retailer is an authorized seller for the brand being purchased. Typically, those offering low prices are not authorized, and you can run the risk of having an item that is not waranted by the manufacturer.

Additionally, the some cheaper stores will try and sell accessories (at inflated pries), and when you don't buy them, they will suddenly be "out of stock" of the TV.

I'm also considering the KDS-R50XBR1, but I am holding off to see whether the 55 that was announced at CES will have better features, or whether the price of the 50 will fall further.

john18

03-10-06, 08:58 AM

[QUOTE=baylok747]Be careful with on-line stores. Make certain the retailer is an authorized seller for the brand being purchased. Typically, those offering low prices are not authorized, and you can run the risk of having an item that is not waranted by the manufacturer.
QUOTE]

I agree with what is said here. Getting a TV drop-shipped to you has you taking a chance on whether or not you get a unit with the green blob, or some other fault that shows up early into your ownership experience. As I have posted elsewhere I found a high-end B&M local retailer who price matches local retailers (Circuit City, Best Buy, Sears, etc.) and provides that for 30 days post sale. Also, you now have a place to ask questions and be able to have a face-to-face chat is something is unacceptable.

I wasn't willing to take the chances. When I bought the 50" the retail price was $3,995.00. Prior to the sale CC had dropped their price to $3,599.00 on a sale and then on the last day of my 30 day period there was another $500.00 price match drop. Had I purchased on the internet I would have ended up with a further net saving of about $300.00 (based on prices last December), and I am very comfortable with what I paid vs. what it would have cost considering the service and convenience of doing it locally.

If you are going to continue thinking of dealing with an internet seller, carefully examine the shipping and return policies, as well as whether you have the option of an extended warranty (and what it will cover under what circumstances).

Gary_Kreie

03-11-06, 11:49 AM

[QUOTE=treysbieen]I also did not buy the 500 dollar stand they recommend to you because I think it's to big for the 50 inch, perfect for the 60 inch though. And lastly I will be sitting about 14 inches from the TV, is this to far of a distance, or should I be closer?[QUOTE]

If you get any closer, you might start seeing SLE, screen licked effect. I assume you mean 14 feet. I started to go for the 50", but from 13 feet, it looked too small. I didn't really have room in my space for the 60", but I got it anyway and wedged it in. From 14 feet, I strongly recommend the 60". You won't regret it.

I think the Sony stand is too expensive. I like the Z-line stand from CC orginially meant for a 36" CRT TV, but the style and size matches the 60" base perfectly. And it is a lot cheaper.

KDH

03-11-06, 01:48 PM

HomeGuy

04-08-06, 05:48 PM

We must all be nuts. I paid in excess of 4k for my 60" set and I'm comfortable with that price too. However, when you really think about it 4k for a TV is still steep. I guess we only live once.

HomeGuy

04-10-06, 07:34 AM

Print out several prices from online stores. Then go to BB, PC Richards, CC or Sears. Try to get them to price match your best deal. They usually will come within a few hundred dollars of the online merchants. Good luck.

BKSinAZ

09-11-06, 04:17 PM

I have the 2005 Sony SXRD. I understand that the tv takes a signal and de-interlaces it to 1080i and then it upscales it to 1080p/30 (1080p at 30 fps)

My question is what if the source (my DVD player) puts out true 1080p/60? Does the tv still takes that signal and de-interlaces it to 1080i and then it upscales it to 1080p/30

HomeGuy

09-11-06, 05:28 PM

No. The set can't accept a 1080P signal. Your player can output in 1080i and then the set would upcovert to 1080P.

AbMagFab

11-06-06, 10:39 PM

Okay, I've just noticed my first stuck/dead pixel on my 60XBR1. It's one black dot in the upper left quadrant.

1) Is there anything I can do about it?
2) Will a warrantee cover replacement of this component with only one pixel stuck/dead?
3) Can I still buy a warrantee within the first year (I'm right around 12 months since I bought it)?
4) How much would a replacement component (panel?) cost if I have to pay for it?

It's not horrible, but it is noticable on very bright scenes, as I'm right about 9.5 feet away, so just close enough to see a specific pixel.

Thanks for any advice!

AbMagFab

11-11-06, 10:20 AM

rlb

11-11-06, 03:18 PM

So I called up, and I'm literally 3 weeks out of warrantee. The repair place said it would be about $750 with labor to fix it. Is there any chance Sony would do this free/discounted since it's so close to warrantee?

From what I've read, they would not have "fixed" one dead pixel if the set were only a week old. Requires quite a few more than that for it to be beyond spec.

AbMagFab

11-11-06, 03:25 PM

From what I've read, they would not have "fixed" one dead pixel if the set were only a week old. Requires quite a few more than that for it to be beyond spec.

Well, that's what I figured. And after talking to the guy, even though he's "Platinum", I can only imagine how out-of-whack my TV would be after he was done. Crooked, overscan screwed up, etc.

At least now it's in really good shape, and only one, almost invisible pixel dead.

Papethova

11-12-06, 02:26 AM

rlb

11-12-06, 09:34 AM

Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum and really a rookie when it comes to AV gear.

I purchased a SONY SXRD (KDS-R60XBR1) last year but am now confused over something in the specs. My understanding is that the set is 1080p, but the HDMI inputs only support 1080i. Does this mean any 1080p accessory will be forced to display as 1080i? If so then why make the set 1080p?

I almost feel cheated. Is the difference between i and p enough for me to look into selling this set and getting the new XBR2 which supports 1080p through the HDMI inputs?

Thanks in advance

It's 1080p because that is what it displays (takes whatever resolution is input and converts it to 1080p). Set does an outstanding job of deinterlacing 1080i to 1080p. With a HD DVD player the disc has movie stored at 1080p/24. You won't be able to tell the difference between the player upconverting to 1080p/60 (and outputting to a set capable of receiving it) or the player outputting 1080i and the SXRD deinterlacing to 1080p. There is no "lost" data/resolution. Now, if you have a true 1080p/60 source (i.e., computer), the ability to receive 1080p would provide some value. Bottom line: I wouldn't worry about it unless you use your SXRD as a computer screen.

zoro

11-12-06, 02:22 PM

but I think, for new buyers xbr2 is preferable imho

WaldorfSalad

11-12-06, 02:27 PM

Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum and really a rookie when it comes to AV gear.

I purchased a SONY SXRD (KDS-R60XBR1) last year but am now confused over something in the specs. My understanding is that the set is 1080p, but the HDMI inputs only support 1080i. Does this mean any 1080p accessory will be forced to display as 1080i? If so then why make the set 1080p?

I almost feel cheated. Is the difference between i and p enough for me to look into selling this set and getting the new XBR2 which supports 1080p through the HDMI inputs?

Thanks in advanceYou feel cheated? Seriously? It took you a year to discover this? I also bought a 50XBR1 a year ago and I knew at the time that it was limited to 1080i inputs but I didn't want to wait another year for the new models with 1080p inputs. I don't feel cheated. I'm OK with feeding my TV with 1080i sources, even from HD DVD and Blu-ray players, and let it deinterlace to 1080p. I doubt I'll be able to see a difference between 1080i and 1080p on my TV at my viewing distance. ;)

lovebuzz#836

11-12-06, 04:58 PM

rlb

11-13-06, 08:34 AM

but I think, for new buyers xbr2 is preferable imho

Agree. If I didn't own an ISF tweaked XBR1 that I'm very happy with, I would be buying the XBR2. However, I definitely wouldn't trade my XBR1 for an A2000.

WaldorfSalad

11-13-06, 07:41 PM

...I definitely wouldn't trade my XBR1 for an A2000.Same here.

villagedeliman

11-13-06, 08:06 PM

Please forvgive my ignorance in asking this related question. I've tried searching the forum, but haven't come across a complete answer yet (although I'm sure I've just missed it.)

I'd like my XBR1 to always automatically pulldown material when appropriate (most of the time, if not always, this would be limited to 1080i material coming off HBO, Showtime and PBS HD cable, and the new HD-DVD add-on for my XBOX 360.) Am I correct in understanding that the set needs to be set for CineMotion for this to occur?

Follow-up question: if the CineMotion setting automatically detects the need for pulldown, why would I ever set the TV to anything else?

Final follow-up question: is there any way to determine that the set is correctly detecting and performing pulldown? (i.e. will the Display button show "1080p"? So far, I've never seen anything but 1080i on the onscreen display - when using 1080 source material, of course.)

JimP

11-16-06, 09:04 AM

villagedeliman,

3:2 pulldown and progressive are two different animals.

Progressive relates to taking an interlaced signal (i.e. 1080i) and deinterlacing it to 1080p which is the resolution of your display.

3:2 pull down has to do with reconstructing the pattern of how frames are displayed that originate from film.

As to why CineMotion is selectable if its automatic, I've been wondering the same thing for a very long time too. Have no idea other than perhaps the flags in either video or film based signals don't always work and you can wind up with the wrong setting. I think I would set it and just forget it.

cbaud76

11-23-06, 10:24 AM

rlb

11-23-06, 12:33 PM

Duffeymt

11-23-06, 12:43 PM

where can I find people's calibration settings for this TV??

geoffblue

11-23-06, 01:01 PM

Hello everyone,

I am new to posting on this forum although I have been reading it since I bought my 50" back in Dec 05. I have some questions and am asking for possible answers.

For the past couple of months there has been a orange tint on the lower right of my screen. If I leave it on a station that has a fixed logo (such as the "eye" on CBS) for long periods of time and then switch channels the logo shapes stays there in orange. You can really see it in blues and browns. What is this caused by? Have you ever heard of this?

Also my TV will go black periodically while watching it (sometimes its for a few seconds sometimes for as long as a minute). It does not lose power it just goes black. When it comes back on it shows the gray display thay gives you what video channel, what resolution(420, 1080i) etc.. I though that it might be the cable box but this happens when I use the DVD player.

Any answers or suggestions would be helpful.

you are living the sxrd horror. You are observing the inability of the sxrd technology to maintain spacing tolerance over temperate and ageing.
they are not urban legend rumor.

The sxrd technology cannot work. Its physcially impossible to maintain the impossibly tight lens spacing with ageing and temperature. the green glob distortion, or other shades of color as orange are always present in these tvs and color distortion varies slightly due to sxrd cell light refraction around the edges. It may be so faint at some times its not noticeable, but its there and a guarantee it will get worse. Replacing thelight engine will at best, just forstall the eventual green hasey coffee cup stain cast that will be present during all viewing conditions but especially noticeable on white backgrounds.

Its best to not do what the typical sony fanatic will do and live with it, you spent too much on the tv. If you can return the set for exchange for something decent like the 2007 1080p dlps or demand you money back. the extended warranties have a lemon clause that could apply.

Further, this forum heavily benefits from sony contributions so you will see heavy forum censoring of sony discussions that tend to hit the mark on the reasons for the their sxrd design mistake. As you will soon see here.

gallilaw

11-23-06, 03:00 PM

My 50XBR1 has the yellow/green blob problem over the right 15% or 20% of the screen. Service will be visiting for the first time on this coming Saturday.

I have already warned them that I know this problem occurs in many sets, and that steps taken by service in the home frequently provide only temporary help and the problem eventually recurs.

But...

Has repair in the home by authorized service people EVER actually FIXED the problem permanently?

Please respond here and/or privately if your blob problem has been permanently fixed by authorized service -- rather than by replacement.

When replying, if authorized service did result in a permanent fix of the blob problem -- please indentify as precisely as possible what the fix was. Parts, methods, anything like that.

Best wishes.

Richard Galli
richard[at]gallilaw[dot]com

geoffblue

11-23-06, 05:58 PM

No.

The sxrd is where they put the components (resistors etc) behind the lens instead of on the side between the lenses. They did this to be able to place the lenses closer together and remove the screen door effect. Because of the incompetence of the sony engineering, they failed to realize the disatrous effect of refraction. As the sxrd edges are now so microscopically close, they are approaching the wavelengths of the light. Refraction occurs when two edges get so close the approach the visible light wavelength and then bend the light hence affecting the color. The edges are so close now its impossible for the spacing to be controlled within enough tolerance to prevent refraction. The coffee stain effect in the center of the screen is a result of those lenses making that stain heated differently then those arround it. the shape is equivalent to the heatsink mounting footprint on the sxrd device.

Its an impossible problem to fix, at least economically enough for consumers. Hence Sony has to keep pushing the defective technology until they ultimately can abandon it for dlp or other. Anyone who owns a sxrd has the problem, everyone, it shows in various degrees of intensity, but ultimately it will become an obvious green hazey coffee stain in the center of the screen or a green hazey smuge somewhere on the screen. Color can vary depending on the edge spacing and will vary due to manufacturing differences from lot to lot.

Your best bet is to return the defective sxrd and get something decent like the 2007 1080p dlps. Which are better then sony in all respects even if sony did not suffer from the green glob.

geoffblue

11-23-06, 07:12 PM

You are a jerk dude and spammer. Stop repeating this in every SXRD Sony thread you find. This ain't true.

I'm reporting your posts, every one of them.
thank god we only have religous fanatics in iraq. I cannot imagine the horror if it was as country of sony fanatics.

geoffblue

11-24-06, 01:48 AM

LOL!! Isn't that the true? :D
yes...thats the "true". 100% of all sony sxrd have the green glob. it is impossible to correct at least at a cost still viable to consumer. They will push the defective technology until they as quickly as they can migrate to dlp.

Michigan Muskie

12-09-06, 09:28 AM

Agree. If I didn't own an ISF tweaked XBR1 that I'm very happy with, I would be buying the XBR2. However, I definitely wouldn't trade my XBR1 for an A2000.

I am a yellow/green blob victim and was recently offered an exchange. Sony will replace my 50" XBR1 with the newer model 55" SXRD A2000. I was told the features I will lose are PIP and a slot to insert a photocard. Since I don't use either of those features, I accepted the offer. My other choices were wait for parts to service my current model or exchange for a reconditioned unit.

I opted for new because I don't want someone else's problem TV. Of course, I bought mine in early 2006 when prices were about $1000 higher (sadness) so I'm getting a TV that now retails for $700 lower than what I paid. But I do gain 5 inches of screen size and lose the side speakers. I prefer the look of the newer model.

I'm curious as to why some of you are adamant about not trading the XBR1 for the A2000. Maybe it's not too late to change my mind...!

Phil Tomaskovic

12-09-06, 10:00 AM

I couldn't live without the PIP/TwinView. Luckily I haven't had any problems with my 50" XBR.

rlb

12-09-06, 11:17 AM

I am a yellow/green blob victim and was recently offered an exchange. Sony will replace my 50" XBR1 with the newer model 55" SXRD A2000. I was told the features I will lose are PIP and a slot to insert a photocard. Since I don't use either of those features, I accepted the offer. My other choices were wait for parts to service my current model or exchange for a reconditioned unit.

I opted for new because I don't want someone else's problem TV. Of course, I bought mine in early 2006 when prices were about $1000 higher (sadness) so I'm getting a TV that now retails for $700 lower than what I paid. But I do gain 5 inches of screen size and lose the side speakers. I prefer the look of the newer model.

I'm curious as to why some of you are adamant about not trading the XBR1 for the A2000. Maybe it's not too late to change my mind...!

My primary issue with the A2000 is the "lesser" DRC capability. It doesn't have Cinemotion for 1080i and there are reports than it does not deinterlace 1080i as well as the XBR1. If I were you, I would press them on upgrading to the XBR2 and paying the difference between what you paid for the XBR1 and retail on the XBR2. There are many reported cases on the forum of Sony offering this option. See the following: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9114502&&#post9114502
Plus, the XBR2 provides many additional benefits (fewer green blob reports, brighter lamp, better DRC than the XBR1, etc.)

Randy M

12-09-06, 11:50 AM

Gaining inches is always a good thing :D

Mbpblue

12-12-06, 01:57 PM

I have a 60xbr1 and when scenes are dark there is a blotchyness in the dark parts of the screen. Dark areas of the picture will have various degrees of darkness and not be uniform. Does anyone experience this and if so can it be corrected. Bright scenes are no problem. Thanks

heat23

12-12-06, 02:49 PM

got my Oct build 50A2000 on Saturday and HD looks AMAZING with 0 calibration. no green issues either.

Randy M

12-12-06, 10:45 PM

I think I've read this quite familiar statement from another members post before. Hmmm...

Randy M

12-12-06, 10:56 PM

How would you know if you're so new here???

WTF??? (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/search.php?searchid=135567)

Wacko3Anime

12-18-06, 07:18 PM

Okay, I have had a 50" Xbr1, since Nov 2nd, 2005.

The first one was manufactured in October 2005.
1.--Major Problems with the CableCard feature. The CableCARD would not "Mate" with the TV no matter how many times the Cable Company and Me tried, there were quite a few hard resets, and 12 different CableCARDS before I convinced them that there was a problem. The READER was unable to Generate the HOST ID or READ the CABLECARD ID. They kept going back and forth telling me it was the cable companies fault long enough to prevent me from returning it to the Best Buy from whence it came. First repair took 4 different Sony Authorized and Dispatched Repair Techs, and 2 Months. They decided it was going to get fixed by replacing the CableCARD Reader in the TV. (Wrong Information from BEST Buy service, they told me to continue to deal with Sony Support).
a.--They took apart the TV and switched the Reader Device out, put in a new one...took about 2 hours for the Repair Tech to do this. We placed the CARD into the TV, and it actually worked.

2.--About two months later this is Feb '06, I noticed overnight the picture get horrible on every channel. CableCARD started to need to be reset more frequently, this was attributed to the changing of the line up provided by Cablevision Long Island, and IO, so I had another 8 CableCARDS tried and on the last one it worked well enough to say problem was kinda solved.

3.--End of March '06, April '06,
A weird Blue Tinge, Swathe of Color is visible on the upper right corner going towards the center of the screen. Two weeks later, what I can only describe as Clear BARs, running Diagnolly, across the whole tv appear anytime a solid color image appears or white images, unfortunately it doesn't show up in pictures to well, but even the repair guys that later showed up, said what the heck is that.
a.-- They said I needed a new optical block, a month goes by before said optical block can be ordered or is delivered, and then 3 weeks later before the repair guys could get a hold of me, even though i was calling them daily.
b.--THIS IS WHERE IS GETS FUNNY, the repair guys don't realize that a connection point male/female prongs are held to each other by a button lock...so they are pulling on this thing like nobody's business and waiting on hold for their sony help. They take that off after finding the button and proceed to take the tv completely apart in my living room, it was down to the bare frame. I got concerned when they opened up the box for the new optical block, and took a protective cover off the lens, and tried to put the protective cover on the old one, it did not fit the old lens was about half an inch bigger in diameter than the one they were putting in.
---They put everything back in the TV, turn it on, and not only is the problem still there, clear diagnol bars running from side to side, and a completely green tinged screen. They fiddle with it for the next couple of hours disassembling and reassembling the tv, they track down the problem to the wire that had the button lock...they pulled it off the board and it was now to loose to maintain the proper connection. They apologized and left me to contact SONY, as not even they could get through to them.

June '06
4. SONY says they can and then cannot give me a new TV to replace the one they broke. This goes on for most of the month, and it wasn't until my lawyer started calling for me towards the middle of the month that by the end of the month they agreed to ship me a new tv.

July '06 2nd KDSR-50XBR1 SXRD
5. They actually deliver the TV.
a.--required to call Cablevision in to install the CableCARD. I know i have a working card, the one that was working quite well in the other tv, i explain to the Cable Tech all i need him to do is call in the Host ID and CAbleCARD ID to the Office, he decides that not the way to do it and gives me a New CARD, which fails amazingly. The CCI Exchange is stuck in a loop, it will not go through, so the card has to reset itself. I also get (25)Error Installed Card is not a Viewing Card, Please Contact Cable Company or install Proper Viewing Card, message on screen. Sony Support up to Level 2 says they have no information about this error code, and the Cable Company says the same thing.

Sony Support Also at this point told me to contact the store where i bought the tv.

Aug. '06
7. Best Buy repair guy comes to house and performs a hard reset, tells me he'll get back to me when that doesn't solve the problem.

Oct. '06
8. Picture quality again starts to get worse and worse, the blockiness of things goes from dealable to what is going on. Best Buy Repair guy says there is a known issue with Cable CARDS and the NorthEast, and there is nothing they can do.

Nov.'06
9. Anytime there is words or letters, bars appear across the whole screen, this problem has begun to occur on all my TV's in the house. It is most notable when watching Cartoon Network and Comedy Central, animated shows...it has gotten so bad that I don't know what to do, the TV is not worth this much aggravation. I have contacted Cablevision and they have replaced the line, and everything has checked out, they are within their specifications.

DEC. '06
10. I have Cable Co. coming by to replace the CARD one more time, and check the line.
a.--best buy repair guy soon after if that doesn't fix the problem.

Special Notes....
even with my cheap piece of junk ATI HDTV antenna the channels that are OTA are so much crisper and sharper, so when the cable guys show up they hit me, you get much better reception with a cablebox. Not true, based on my experience as bad as things are with the CARD I am a diehard fan of it. I like not having on Demand, because everytime i would tune to those channels the damn cablebox would reset itself, taking up to 20 min or more, and was constantly being pressured to get a dvr type of box, not just the hd box i have here for my other 50in in the bedroom, and in case the cable card tanks.
--when running set-up it tells me that it has found 305 digital channels and 7 analog, those channels in 480i and 4x3, not altered in the normal showing the black bars on the side non stretched picture. About 25 display as 1080i and 16x9, but even than there are a good chunk that say they are that, but are really only 720p 4x3 stretched.