I am so tempted to buy the 42 incher at a local Great Indoors store for 30% off MSRP (local price match plus 10% difference and a mail-in-rebate). Stepping up from a Sony 36 inch HD would be nice (although not a huge step up and an actually smaller 4x3 image). I might wait and buy a Sony 60 inch widescreen LCD projection next summer once I get the new Directv HD DVR early next year (hopefully it is released by then).

Anyone have any thoughts? I have a 20ft by 20ft room and sit about 9-10 feet away from the TV.

I upgraded from a Panasonic 36" HD tube and the difference was quite significant. The SD image isn't noticably smaller and the 16x9 image is far larger. The additional real estate makes for a more immersive experience with the higher quality HD and DVD material. The image quality is just as good and probably better than my previous set with SD material and definitely better with HD material.

I couldn't fit a bigger set, so there wasn't any temptation to upsize for me. The upgrade from 36" 4:3 to 42" 16:9 was definitely worth it.

I went hunting for a wireless VGA adapter when I first got the set as well and the only thing I found was:
http://www.smarthome.com/7743B.html

It was too expensive for my tastes, and since I wanted to use it with a laptop, the less than portable transmitter is a problem.
I was really hoping for something that would attach to my laptop and not be any bigger than, say, a USB memory stick.

Anyway, I decided to just go and buy a 15' VGA cable - especially since I didn't picture myself using it too much and save $150.


Mitch

Mitch,

Why don't you use a short VGA cable and a wireless USB keyboard/mouse or trackball? That way the laptop can stay near the TV and you can sit in your LazyBoy without the weight/heat of a Laptop in your lap....

No need to have the screen open on the Laptop if you are going to use the A-10 as a monitor, right?

Just a thought....

Scott

Mitch,

Why don't you use a short VGA cable and a wireless USB keyboard/mouse or trackball? That way the laptop can stay near the TV and you can sit in your LazyBoy without the weight/heat of a Laptop in your lap....

No need to have the screen open on the Laptop if you are going to use the A-10 as a monitor, right?

Just a thought....

Scott

If I used the TV as a monitor more than, oh, say, once a year, I would probably do this. As it is, I like to surf and watch TV at the same time. Such as right now. :)

Interesting to note, also, is that the apparent size of the image on my laptop's screen on my lap and the apparent size of the image on the TV screen across the room is pretty much the same. So, the only time I see myself using the TV as a monitor is if I need to show something to a bunch of people.


Mitch

OK I am leaving for CC in 1/2 hour to go pick up a Sony KDF-E42A10.

I have the D* HR10-250.

Am I going to love this set??

I just want it to look good (PQ). I will not be hooking my PC up to it.

Postings to the forum consistently say that the picture is better with cablecard than with the cablebox. The set's tuner does a better job than the box.

OK I am leaving for CC in 1/2 hour to go pick up a Sony KDF-E42A10.

I have the D* HR10-250.

Am I going to love this set??

I just want it to look good (PQ). I will not be hooking my PC up to it.

I'm very happy with it using my HDTiVo. I'm using HDMI for connection, at least until it craps out on the TiVo.

I've seen a lot of discussion on HDMI Cables, but I'm afraid I'm missing something.

I see 6ft Gold Plated HDMI cables at monoprice for $7.65, at RAM for $29.95, and Monster cables for $119.99.

I've read that the Monster Cables aren't worth the $, but are the $7.65 cables at monoprice the type cable I'm supposed to be looking at????

Postings to the forum consistently say that the picture is better with cablecard than with the cablebox. The set's tuner does a better job than the box.

If you use the Motorola 6208 or 6412 cable box, analog channels look terrible on it. So, what I did is use a splitter and use the A10's tuner for analog and the cable box for digital and HD channels. HD looks VERY nice and digital looks good to fair. Mediacom uses too much compression on their digital channels resulting in wide variances in PQ.

Postings to the forum consistently say that the picture is better with cablecard than with the cablebox. The set's tuner does a better job than the box.

. . . that is, if & when the card works . . . . Kinda a foundational requirement to get to that apparently better picture.

When my card was working, I have to say the picture was fine, but I really didn't find the HD to be any better than the HD from the set top box.

For me, and for the record, SD isn't appreciably better directly from the wall v. my STB output via HDMI (using Motorola 6412, Phase 3). I suspect each box can yield different quality. E.g. apparently, the Phase 2's of my box apparently were much worse with SD than the Phase 3. Or so I have read.

I've seen a lot of discussion on HDMI Cables, but I'm afraid I'm missing something.

I see 6ft Gold Plated HDMI cables at monoprice for $7.65, at RAM for $29.95, and Monster cables for $119.99.

I've read that the Monster Cables aren't worth the $, but are the $7.65 cables at monoprice the type cable I'm supposed to be looking at????

Well, I got my HDMI cable from Time Warner cable for just under $30, so I'm guessing the RAM cables would be a good buy.

I can't believe that the monoprice HDMI's are so cheap though. That's crazy. I don't know if that would be a good buy or not.

If you use the Motorola 6208 or 6412 cable box, analog channels look terrible on it.

Is that a 6412 Phase 2 or phase 3 box? Just wondering since I just posted (with vigor and conviction) the better/improved SD abilities of the phase 3, thereby exposing myself to ridicule and condemnation if phase 3 users widely disagree with me. But I'm a risk taker . . .

A 6412 with HDMI out = Phase 3. DVI out = phase 2. Or so I have read.

Is that a 6412 Phase 2 or phase 3 box? Just wondering since I just posted (with vigor and conviction) the better/improved SD abilities of the phase 3, thereby exposing myself to ridicule and condemnation if phase 3 users widely disagree with me. But I'm a risk taker . . .

A 6412 with HDMI out = Phase 3. DVI out = phase 2. Or so I have read.

Mine is a Phase 2 unit. I use component out. I did try using S-video and even composite video connections to see if the analog channels looked any better but there was no difference. Analog channels look very good using the A10's tuner.

Mine is a Phase 2 unit. I use component out. I did try using S-video and even composite video connections to see if the analog channels looked any better but there was no difference. Analog channels look very good using the A10's tuner.

Ah, well then I guess it's hard to compare. I would suggest you try the DVI out,(with a DVI/HDMI cable), as the HDMI from my Phase 3 was noticeably better in pic quality than the component out. I'm not surprised S-Vid and especially composite didn't fare well.

Lastly, all this might not make much difference for SD/analog on a phase 2 box, since posters to this forum indicated that one of the significant improvements with the phase 3 was better SD/analog.

At Best Buy anyway....It's not on FutureShop's site yet.

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926HDS0010065059&catid=21352&PCName=

Doesn't that suck?
I just bought a tube TV, I got sick of waiting :(

I got my S77 hooked up to the 42A10 today and also have found it to not look very good.

Anyone out there with the same setup who has found settings that work well?


Anybody have a Panasonic S77 with the 42" A10? HDMI looks like crap. It seems like the color palette is off. I have tried every single setting in both the TV and the DVD player, no avail. Weird color banding and flesh tones are especially horrible with a green tint. This is not the same as the macroblocking seen in the Faroudja chip, it seems to be completely different. Using component out looks gorgeous though, so I'm not worried, but why the hell did I buy a $200 DVD player? Sure as hell not for my TWO DVD-A discs, that's for sure...

I got my S77 hooked up to the 42A10 today and also have found it to not look very good.

Anyone out there with the same setup who has found settings that work well?

I don't think there is any way to tweak it. I have hundreds of DVDs and have tried a vast majority of them. I can minimize it by desaturating the color drastically, but that's not good...

I replaced my aging DVD/LD player (Pioneer DVL-919) today with a Denon DVD-756S and connected it via HDMI (720P). It looks very good, but I can't notice a huge improvement over the older player. The only benefits I see in this new player are built in DTS decoder, SACD, and DVD-A playback. My oldish receiver only has Dolby Digital onboard, so the DTS is a nice addition.

Can’t you just send the TV a custom resolution using either the Nvidia or the ATI custom resolution feature? The latest ATI and Nvidia drivers both have a custom resolution feature for DVI that acts very much like powerstrip. You can send the TV its native 1280x720 picture with your desktop reduced down to something like 11??x666. It should still maintain the 1:1 pixel mapping because you are still sending it a 1280x720 signal just with a black border around the desktop to compensate for the overscan that is built into a TV. Has anyone tried this? The A20 is the first Sony LCD that could do this because all of the previous Sony LCD TVs converted the 1280x720 signal into a ~788p signal with overscan. No matter what you fed those TVs they always scaled the image and it could not accept its native 788p signal.

I'm using an X800XT, can't remember what driver version. Might be 4.12, or might be 5.x with the 'regular' control panel instead of CCC. I'm running DVI out thru DVI-VGA adapter to the TV, and didn't see any custom resolution option when I played around with it. There was an option to adjust screen size, but it didn't work. I've used 5.x with CCC on other computers and don't remember seeing it either, but then again, I wasn't looking for it on other computers.

I'm out of town right now, but I'll see about updating my drivers next week. Do you have a link to anywhere that might provide some info on custom resolutions with ATI drivers? I'll browse Rage 3D after dinner and see what turns up.

Although your idea of sending an output signal with the 'built-in' border to reduce overscan isn't really going to work, because the problem in full mode is underscan. It would just have even more of a border than it does now. Of course, it might work in the zoom mode, which does have overscan, but if zoom mode scales the image, wouldn't you lose 1:1 pixel mapping? If so, you'd be back to where you started with Powerstrip.... you would get rid of the border, but still not have 1:1 mapping. That would be better than nothing, I guess, if it was an easy setup in the ATI or nVidia drivers.

I actually haven't had time to fool with my PC since yesterday (Red Sox/Patriots combo in HD last night...). I use the HDMI input (DVI output into my Zektor DVS5.1 switcher, to HDMI). I would think this would be the ideal way to go for my setup, but I'm wondering if input 7 would offer any overall advantage to staying digital with the DVI/HDMI route? Any insight? I'm new to this HTPC game (I still need to spend a lot of time with it, esp. since the color is off when playing DVD's from the PC - games and pictures look great).

I don't have any experience outputting a PC over HDMI, so I couldn't say what's best in terms of PQ and setup. I will say that the text and video modes on Video 7 are really nice. With any other input, you'll have to settle for settings that compromise for both internet/email/office and games. It was a super idea for Sony to have these canned modes that are optimized for each activity that can be toggled with a button on the remote. I'm traveling this weekend, but if I was at home I'd post a pic of a game in both modes and then internet in both modes and you'd see the kind of difference I'm talking about.

Thanks for the pictures! That's pretty cool, love the miniatures....(I'm guessing thats a pretty expensive collection there)

Does the Bush stand have an adjustable shelf? My center channel is a little bit taller than yours and wasn't sure if that shelf adjusted or not....

Oh, those little PVC guys were about $4 each. Now THESE (http://www.hovis.cc/Misc_HTML/tf_photos.htm) were the expensive ones...

Unfortunately, the stand shelves are not adjustable. My Fluance center just barely squeaked in, I think it's about 7-1/4" high. I can take an exact measurement for you when I get back into town late Sunday night.

No Sony A10 in Canada until Sept 30.

At Best Buy anyway....It's not on FutureShop's site yet.

Doesn't that suck?
I just bought a tube TV, I got sick of waiting :(

Where did you see September 30th on that Bestbuy page? I was talking with a dealer who was told by his Sony rep that they will start shipping on the 15th.

I'm having the 42" delivered tomorrow. I don't have an HDMI cable as my previous Panny was not HDMI compatable.

Why do I need a $100 cable rather than the component connections I had in the old TV? Of course I know most HR10-250's HDMI don't work. But if it does work and I get the cable what is the advantage?

Where did you see September 30th on that Bestbuy page? I was talking with a dealer who was told by his Sony rep that they will start shipping on the 15th.

It's the line that says "Releases 30 Sep/05." on the Best Buy page that I linked.

I just got the 42" Sony and have had it about two weeks.

I just noticed today when the screen in darker, like when switching channels, that there is a light green spot a little larger that a dollar coin, on the screen just to the left of the middle of the screen.

Are these dead pixels and should they be concentrated in one area? I got this TV from an online dealer and I suspect Sony will have to be called. Should I expect them to be able to repair this or will they have to replace the set?

Thank you for your help.

Brad

Sorry to bug you guys, but I did not get any responses to this question and it is bothering me a little. I will just call Sony in the morning if I do not hear anything.

Thanks, Brad

I'm having the 42" delivered tomorrow. I don't have an HDMI cable as my previous Panny was not HDMI compatable.

Why do I need a $100 cable rather than the component connections I had in the old TV? Of course I know most HR10-250's HDMI don't work. But if it does work and I get the cable what is the advantage?

Didn't your HR10-250 come with one? I got one of the first ones in the spring of 2004, but it came with an HDMI cable and a HDMI-DVI cable.

Didn't your HR10-250 come with one? I got one of the first ones in the spring of 2004, but it came with an HDMI cable and a HDMI-DVI cable.

Duh-I just checked the box and YES there is one in there. Thanks for that-you saved me $100. But what is the advantage of HDMI over component or DVI?

Duh-I just checked the box and YES there is one in there. Thanks for that-you saved me $100. But what is the advantage of HDMI over component or DVI?

HDMI = DVI + audio, so from a picture quality perspective, they are equal.

In theory, HDMI is better than component since it is digital, thus immune to interference. It can also reduce the number of times that the signal is converted from analog to digital and vice versa. In reality, the quality difference between component and HDMI is slight from what I've read. I haven't hooked up component to my set yet, so couldn't tell you what, if any, difference there is on this TV.

stevenmh I noticed you still have the stickers on the front of your A10. If you plan to remove them be careful and do it very slowly. I posted previously and you may have seen that when I removed paint from the bezel came off!!!! Tried to fix but looks like crap. Did a lot of *^&^% and &^%&% and finally did convince seller to replace.

The big 3LCD one did the damage.

Thanks for the tip. I was going to try and peel them off, maybe I'll just leave them alone.

Since I have a notebook with an x600, I can't use ATI's mobility drivers... powerstrip is my only option for setting custom resolutions. I tried to set the custom 1280x720p resolution, and the A10 choked on it... wouldn't display anything. Setting it to 1280x768 (my laptop panel's native resolution) got a signal, as did 1200x666.

I'll see if I can find some modded drivers with the in-built custom resolution functionality that I can use on my notebook and test 1280x720 again.



I use these on my laptop

http://www.omegadrivers.net/

Thanks, Kai. The color shift is real quick and most times not noticeable, but now that I saw it, I see it more often. As long as its normal I will forget about it.

Whew :cool:

No problem. I have the same problem you do, I tend to notice things alot of others don't... and once I see them, I have a tendency to keep looking for them. I really wanted to go with a DLP set, but of course, I got to be one of the people that sees the "rainbow effect". :rolleyes:

Kai

Sorry to bug you guys, but I did not get any responses to this question and it is bothering me a little. I will just call Sony in the morning if I do not hear anything.

Thanks, Brad

If they were dead pixels, you would clearly be able to tell. They really stick out like a sore thumb, especially when you view them up close. Does it look like individual blocks... or is it just a spot of non-uniform color, like a "splotch"?

Kai

I use these on my laptop

http://www.omegadrivers.net/

I've actually tried those, as well as the latest Catalyst drivers patched with the Mobility Modder. No dice.

1280x768 seems to be working just fine, underscan aside.

Kai

Thanks for the tip. I was going to try and peel them off, maybe I'll just leave them alone.

Not to diminish Mach1man's unfortunate experience, but I just took my stickers off, and all is fine. . I was most definitely more careful as a result of his experience, but I expect that if you also are just judicious in your peeling, all will be well. Just do it nice and easy, gently and with consideration (jeez, sounds like, well, you know . . .) . . . one really needs to take those damned things off once one's return-window closes . . . . .

If you use the Motorola 6208 or 6412 cable box, analog channels look terrible on it. So, what I did is use a splitter and use the A10's tuner for analog and the cable box for digital and HD channels. HD looks VERY nice and digital looks good to fair. Mediacom uses too much compression on their digital channels resulting in wide variances in PQ.

The analog while using the Phase 3, 6412 with HDMI looks great. You need to insist that your cable company give you the 6412 Phase 3. Motorola has improved their tuner a bunch, because of all the Complaints. I made my cable company give me the phase 3 after turning in the phase 2. The analog on my 6412 phase 2 (DVI) was terrible. The receptionist said they weren't set to release them until mid Sept. I told her by then I would have Satellite. I came away with the Phase 3 :D

There will be no need to split the cable with this new improved box. Also if you split the feed you would only be able to DVR record on one of them :confused:

I just visited the CEDIA EXPO in Indy today, and saw the new Sony SXRD 50, and 60 inch TV's. They were VERY impressive. The 60 inch blew away the 60 inch A-20 for overall PQ. The 50 looked great too, but A-10 owners take heart....in the 50 inch size the improvement in PQ with 1080P is much less dramatic than with the 60 inch screen. The SXRD has better black levels, and no Screen Door Efffect, but the A-10 is not all that bad compared to it, and a LOT lower priced. Plus it fits in smaller spaces than the SXRD. All in all I can say that the A-10 is a solid perfomer for most people's needs.

The analog while using the Phase 3, 6412 with HDMI looks great. You need to insist that your cable company give you the 6412 Phase 3. Motorola has improved their tuner a bunch, because of all the Complaints. I made my cable company give me the phase 3 after turning in the phase 2. The analog on my 6412 phase 2 (DVI) was terrible. The receptionist said they weren't set to release them until mid Sept. I told her by then I would have Satellite. I came away with the Phase 3 :D

There will be no need to split the cable with this new improved box. Also if you split the feed you would only be able to DVR record on one of them :confused:

Glad to see that they improved it. HDMI would seem ideal for HD although most cable companies compress their HD channels making it pointless to use.

I think the best use for HDMI is going to be for HD-DVD. Upconverting DVD players just don't interest me. I did read thet the Playstation 3 is supposed to be equiped with HDMI, so that may be a good use for it as well.

Ordered this surge protector online for my 50 A10 from best buy and it claims that it has a ups with a 40 minute backup but when I go to any other site that has this model, it mentions nothing about having a ups backup system including Belkin's own site! The information that BestBuy provides looks pretty legit though. What do you guys think? Did BestBuy make an error or does this thing really provide battery backup?

Here's the BestBuy link:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6831182&type=product&productCategoryId=cat08201&id=1099381903473

and the Belkin link:

http://catalog.belkin.com/PureAV_detail.process?Product_Id=162995

The over the air tuner is remarkably sensitive. I am picking up UHF stations that I didn't even know existed before. Getting a slew of strange digital stations and audio only sub channels...even off the back of my non rotatable 4 bay bow-tie on the roof.

Looks like Best Buy made an error. There's no mention of battery backup on Belkin's site.

Its a digital, single-cable connection rather than the 5 you would need for component + analog audio. A downside of trying to use the HR10-250 with the A10 via HDMI is that you won't get audio through the TV speakers unless you disable Dolby Digital audio in the HR10-250, which means in turn that you won't get Dolby Digital through an A/V receiver connected via digital optical. Anyway, not to worry, the HR10-250 looks great on the A10s via component so save the HDMI for an upconvert DVD player like the Panny S77 or S97.
Thanks

Have had my 42A10 now for a couple of days and just wanted to say thanks for all the good advice. Found that OOTB it was very good but using some of the suggested tweaks made it much better. Initially was disappointed with the cable channels but found that the signal strength was down. Not noticed as much with the previous 27" Sony. Got the levels up by cleaning up all my coax connections and by using NR, cleaned up the picture on the weak channels. Family very happy.

Hello all. After much to-do, I opted for the 50A10 and am not looking back. Bright and beautiful from all angles, not like your momma's big screen. My first big purchase without buyer's remorse!

Here's the deal, a minor problem, but sometimes you just gotta know why. I'm in MN with Comcast analog cable only. Fortunately, this tv has a QAM tuner so it picks up the unencrypted digital signals off the cable coax too. Even got free HBOHD this last week while it was being provided for free unencrypted.

There's some issues with the tuner that I think aren't right. I know most of you have cable boxes, and I'm not going there, so if you don't maybe you've encountered these issues.

Anyway:

1) Some digital signals don't get loaded in the channel list even though you can go directly to them by keying in 69.2, 69.3, 74.5 etc. Unfortunately, most of these channels are the 1080i/720p free locals that I'm interested in. (Yes, I get them on the Antenna input, but still want them off the cable input if I can.) So, even if I rescan or click Add digital channels, it never finds them, but sure enough, I can key in 74.5, and there it is in all it's glory. No, they're not all remapping to other channels, but some of them do.

2) Sure, I can add these channels to the Favorites list, by tuning to them and clicking Add, but then I can't label them, because in order to label them they have to also be in the Channels list. (At least I couldn't find a way to do it.)

3) I thought it had something to do with the QAM not finding channels above 69, which is the normal UHF range, but it is finding other digital content like 480i simulcast channels in the 100.+ ranges. (and those lousy music (no video) channels)

4) I wish there was a way to add a channel to the channel list (Not the Favorites List) by just keying in a channel number, but I haven't found one. Is there?

5) Right now I just have them in my favorites, but it's hard to remember that 79.2 is FOX-HD, or whatever. Sure, I can use the OTA HD Antenna input I suppose.

Thanks for any and all responses. (The channel numbers listed aren't exact, I was doing this from memory, and I AM over 40!)

-cp

Sony KDF-E50A10
Tivo (NOT HD, in another room)
DVD (Cheapo RCA)
SoundSystem (looking into, the ex has my old Yamaha setup)
OTA (Silver Sensor)

Good Morning,

Did you find these digitals by finding them with your outdoor or did you find a listing of them somewhere. I would like to find out the exact channel numbers of the ones in the Indy area. I have been able to get a few through the cable but they have the cable numbers associated with them not the xx.x format.

Thanks and

Good Morning,

Did you find these digitals by finding them with your outdoor or did you find a listing of them somewhere. I would like to find out the exact channel numbers of the ones in the Indy area. I have been able to get a few through the cable but they have the cable numbers associated with them not the xx.x format.

Thanks and

One source might be TitanTV http://www.titantv.com/TTV/Grid/Grid.aspx it's the on-line guide I use with my Fusion HD card in my HTPC.

Looks like Best Buy made an error. There's no mention of battery backup on Belkin's site.

Looks like I'll be taking it back then when it shows up. Is it a must have to have a battery backup incase of a power failure with these tv's so that the fan continues to run to cool the bulb down? What are all of you using for your surge protectors?

Ah, well then I guess it's hard to compare. I would suggest you try the DVI out,(with a DVI/HDMI cable), as the HDMI from my Phase 3 was noticeably better in pic quality than the component out. I'm not surprised S-Vid and especially composite didn't fare well.

Lastly, all this might not make much difference for SD/analog on a phase 2 box, since posters to this forum indicated that one of the significant improvements with the phase 3 was better SD/analog.

I also have a phase III unit, just swapped it out yesterday. I was supposed to be able to pick my tv up this morning but Nebraska Furniture Mart called last night and said that they wouldn't be in until Friday the 16th! :mad: oh well.....

Anyway, I was curious as to which format output you are using. Are you using the 720P option or the 1080i, and how does the 480p option for SD material look? A noticable improvement?

Just chiming in to say that the 42A10 picture looks incredible. And this was sitting next to a 5k LG 50" Plasma with the same feed. There was no PQ difference whatsoever, and if any, it was in favor of the Sony. Pulled the trigger immediately but there's a 3-week wait for the set at Best Buy.

I'd seen the 42" WE655 at another store sitting next to a 50" Panny DLP. The pictures were again very comparable. Sony's LCD projection technology looks pretty special.

Is there anything to my rationale that (even assuming that everything else such as size and PQ are equal) LCD projection sets have one advantage over DLP -- no moving parts like that disc that rotates at 10000 RPM?

Btw, the Best Buy guy said that since I "declined" cables (I already have them) and UPS, the 30-day return policy was subject to a 15% restocking fee. Is this legit/legal? I mean if I discover something's wrong with the set within the firstmonth, can they actually enforce the restockingfee?

Just chiming in to say that the 42A10 picture looks incredible. And this was sitting next to a 5k LG 50" Plasma with the same feed. There was no PQ difference whatsoever, and if any, it was in favor of the Sony. Pulled the trigger immediately but there's a 3-week wait for the set at Best Buy.

I'd seen the 42" WE655 at another store sitting next to a 50" Panny DLP. The pictures were again very comparable. Sony's LCD projection technology looks pretty special.

Is there anything to my rationale that (even assuming that everything else such as size and PQ are equal) LCD projection sets have one advantage over DLP -- no moving parts like that disc that rotates at 10000 RPM?

Btw, the Best Buy guy said that since I "declined" cables (I already have them) and UPS, the 30-day return policy was subject to a 15% restocking fee. Is this legit/legal? I mean if I discover something's wrong with the set within the firstmonth, can they actually enforce the restockingfee?

They can't change their return policy based on what accessories you bought! Another example of what snakes Best Buy stores are. The return policy should be posted in the store, and they have to abide by what it says....PERIOD. I would talk to manager if I was you. If they still make this garbage claim. tell them to stick it, and you will buy someplace else.

One source might be TitanTV http://www.titantv.com/TTV/Grid/Grid.aspx it's the on-line guide I use with my Fusion HD card in my HTPC.


Thanks. How do we enter the xx.x number in with the remote? I have been able to tune them with the "digital add" thru the wega gate but has anyone found an easier way?

Thanks and

Anyone put this set up against the JVC HD-ILA (LCoS) sets? After thinking the A10 was my favorite RPTV I ran across the JVCs while killing time at Good Guys. Beautiful picture and bright, they only had that standard Mitsu HD Nature loop going so it was hard to tell how action scenes came across but a section of waves crashing was very detailed. Much more so than the Sony lcds from last year (no A10s on display, just A20s playing a different feed).

Just wanted to see if anyone else was comparing the two and what you your thoughts were. It has a nice cabinet also with no side speakers.

Has anyone noticed any 'bleeding' or uniformity issues with their 42a10? The top right corner of my TV 'bleeds' the backlight more than the other corners. You notice it when the lights are off, and on a dark scene. I've tried tweaking, and adjusting the iris, but no change. I'm calling BB for a tech to come out, but I was just wondering if anyone has noticed any backlight issues on their panels.

Also, I've played with DNR, but can't seem to get rid of the pixel/noise look on certain scenes, whether it be a dark or bright scene from any source. My DVD player is an Onkyo P702 progressive scan (using component). I've tried using prog. and interlaced from the DVD player, but prog. looks less noisy to me on the 42a10? I do have the cable running through my Pio 53TX for video switching, I don't think the Pio would degrade the PQ? I'm sitting 8 feet back. Any suggestions.. or point me to page numbers on this thread?

I've been looking through the thread trying to find people that have paid for ISF calib. to see if it made a difference on SD/HD/DVD media? Debating on weather to pay or just use my Avia disk.

Thanks,
Matt

Looks like I'll be taking it back then when it shows up. Is it a must have to have a battery backup incase of a power failure with these tv's so that the fan continues to run to cool the bulb down? What are all of you using for your surge protectors?


Great question. I'd call Sony directly to find the answer to that. Hopefully you'll be lucky enough to speak to someone who has a clue. :)

Anyone put this set up against the JVC HD-ILA (LCoS) sets? After thinking the A10 was my favorite RPTV I ran across the JVCs while killing time at Good Guys. Beautiful picture and bright, they only had that standard Mitsu HD Nature loop going so it was hard to tell how action scenes came across but a section of waves crashing was very detailed. Much more so than the Sony lcds from last year (no A10s on display, just A20s playing a different feed).

Just wanted to see if anyone else was comparing the two and what you your thoughts were. It has a nice cabinet also with no side speakers.

The JVC's generally look poorer, and less detailed to me in stores than the Sony's. They have also had terrible reliablity problems on the early models. I did see the JVC's new 1080P versions yesterday at the CEDIA EXPO, and they looked great. About on par with Sony's new SXRD from what I could see. The current JVC's are noted to have poor black levels, even worse than the 3LCD Sony's. I would stick with Sony if I was you. Maybe JVC has worked things out by now, but it sounds like more of a gamble to me.

Has anyone noticed any 'bleeding' or uniformity issues with their 42a10? The top right corner of my TV 'bleeds' the backlight more than the other corners. You notice it when the lights are off, and on a dark scene. I've tried tweaking, and adjusting the iris, but no change. I'm calling BB for a tech to come out, but I was just wondering if anyone has noticed any backlight issues on their panels.

Also, I've played with DNR, but can't seem to get rid of the pixel/noise look on certain scenes, whether it be a dark or bright scene from any source. My DVD player is an Onkyo P702 progressive scan (using component). I've tried using prog. and interlaced from the DVD player, but prog. looks less noisy to me on the 42a10? I do have the cable running through my Pio 53TX for video switching, I don't think the Pio would degrade the PQ? I'm sitting 8 feet back. Any suggestions.. or point me to page numbers on this thread?

I've been looking through the thread trying to find people that have paid for ISF calib. to see if it made a difference on SD/HD/DVD media? Debating on weather to pay or just use my Avia disk.

Thanks,
Matt

Does the same area look brighter no matter where you stand relative to the TV's location? If so I would say you have an issue. It may just be related to your viewing angle though, and if that is the case it is probably normal.

I'm using an X800XT, can't remember what driver version. Might be 4.12, or might be 5.x with the 'regular' control panel instead of CCC. I'm running DVI out thru DVI-VGA adapter to the TV, and didn't see any custom resolution option when I played around with it. There was an option to adjust screen size, but it didn't work. I've used 5.x with CCC on other computers and don't remember seeing it either, but then again, I wasn't looking for it on other computers.

I'm out of town right now, but I'll see about updating my drivers next week. Do you have a link to anywhere that might provide some info on custom resolutions with ATI drivers? I'll browse Rage 3D after dinner and see what turns up.

Although your idea of sending an output signal with the 'built-in' border to reduce overscan isn't really going to work, because the problem in full mode is underscan. It would just have even more of a border than it does now. Of course, it might work in the zoom mode, which does have overscan, but if zoom mode scales the image, wouldn't you lose 1:1 pixel mapping? If so, you'd be back to where you started with Powerstrip.... you would get rid of the border, but still not have 1:1 mapping. That would be better than nothing, I guess, if it was an easy setup in the ATI or nVidia drivers.

You need to use a DVI to HDMI cable or the ATI DVI to component adapter for this! DVI to VGA will not give you the custom resolutions screen. DVI to HDMI should be the theoretical best solution although it has problems. You need to use Windows MCE to prevent Black crush. Give DVI to HDMI a try it will solve your problem! With it you can send it the native 720p resolution with the overscan reduced and this should maintain 1:1 pixel mapping with no overscan(something that has not been acheived with a Sony LCD until now). Try that you will probably be shocked at how good an HTPC can looked!

Has anyone noticed any 'bleeding' or uniformity issues with their 42a10? The top right corner of my TV 'bleeds' the backlight more than the other corners....
Matt
Backlight? on a projection set?

Backlight? on a projection set?

Sorry, I didn't know what to call it. I know LCD panels use backlights, and that is what it looks like. If you think of an LCD monitor, sometimes they have backlight issues. Maybe it's a defective lamp or screen issue, but I didn't know how else to describe it.

Does the same area look brighter no matter where you stand relative to the TV's location? If so I would say you have an issue. It may just be related to your viewing angle though, and if that is the case it is probably normal.

Alan, and I am sitting dead center looking at the TV. It's on a stand about.. 2 1/2 feet high. I haven't tried walking around to different angels, but will do. I just figured if you were dead center, it shouldn't be present. :)

Sorry, I didn't know what to call it. I know LCD panels use backlights, and that is what it looks like. If you think of an LCD monitor, sometimes they have backlight issues. Maybe it's a defective lamp or screen issue, but I didn't know how else to describe it.



Alan, and I am sitting dead center looking at the TV. It's on a stand about.. 2 1/2 feet high. I haven't tried walking around to different angels, but will do. I just figured if you were dead center, it shouldn't be present. :)

We know what you meant by 'backlight'. I think you mean there is a 'hot spot' on the screen that is lighter than the rest of it. If it always stays in the same spot, even when you look at it from different angles, I think you do indeed have an issue that is not normal. Let us know what you find out.

I've seen a lot of discussion on HDMI Cables, but I'm afraid I'm missing something.

I see 6ft Gold Plated HDMI cables at monoprice for $7.65, at RAM for $29.95, and Monster cables for $119.99.

I've read that the Monster Cables aren't worth the $, but are the $7.65 cables at monoprice the type cable I'm supposed to be looking at????

Ya...........go for it (monoprice @ 7.65)........I bought them and they are very good..............If you have $ to burn and you want to fatten someone ELSES bottom line then go for it.

Have had my 42A10 now for a couple of days and just wanted to say thanks for all the good advice. Found that OOTB it was very good but using some of the suggested tweaks made it much better. Initially was disappointed with the cable channels but found that the signal strength was down. Not noticed as much with the previous 27" Sony. Got the levels up by cleaning up all my coax connections and by using NR, cleaned up the picture on the weak channels. Family very happy.


What, pray tell, is "NR"?

Anyone put this set up against the JVC HD-ILA (LCoS) sets? After thinking the A10 was my favorite RPTV I ran across the JVCs while killing time at Good Guys. Beautiful picture and bright, they only had that standard Mitsu HD Nature loop going so it was hard to tell how action scenes came across but a section of waves crashing was very detailed. Much more so than the Sony lcds from last year (no A10s on display, just A20s playing a different feed).

Just wanted to see if anyone else was comparing the two and what you your thoughts were. It has a nice cabinet also with no side speakers.

JVC was my original prey in the great hunt for TV of 2005 but if you read the threads here and elsewhere I think it is a very problematic and error prone creature. I would keep far far away.
Just my $o.o2
Tec

Enter the numbers x, x, . (dot button to left of "0" button), x
Or am I not understanding your question?

Duh! At work now without the remote.

Thanks and

What, pray tell, is "NR"?

I thought that it stood for Noise reduction.

Thanks and

I have got my 42" A10 - Let's assume that my HR10-250's HDMI does work, ok.

So I plug one end into the back of the HR10-250 and the other into the HDMI slot in back of the A10-duh

Now though, what setting does the A10 need to be on i.e. cable, antenna, video 1-9? Do I need to go through auto setup? Or should it just be working when I turn the TV on? or do I need to do something with the HR10-250?

Thank you for indulging my ignorance

You need to use Windows MCE to prevent Black crush.

OK I'm totally lost on this one -- what is it about MCE that prevents black crush?

Chris

Ordered this surge protector online for my 50 A10 from best buy and it claims that it has a ups with a 40 minute backup but when I go to any other site that has this model, it mentions nothing about having a ups backup system including Belkin's own site! The information that BestBuy provides looks pretty legit though. What do you guys think? Did BestBuy make an error or does this thing really provide battery backup?


Looks to me like all its saying is that it provides backup during lightning storms, you can still have power during a lightning storm. Seems like they phrased it to make you think it had something it did not.

Nebraska also called me and told me the same thing they told you. No TV till the 16th. That really blows, but it does let me do research about it before it comes so that when it does I will know what to expect and I can always bail out of the purchase.

Viewing distance:

I just saw the 50" a10 and was thinking about upgrading from my 42" at 7 feet. But it has too much SDE from that distance. In my opinion you need to be at least 8 feet from the 50". It does have a very nice picture though. Hope this helps for those on the fence.

Is it safe to assume that you drilled down into the Display --> Other Settings --> Picture menu and set the output resolution for HDMI to 720p? This has caught quite a few new S77 and S97 owners out. I have an S97 hooked up to a 50A10 via HDMI and it looks great!


I have, and I have also made sure that it's outputting to the correct type of TV. I have tried 1080i and 480p just for the hell of it. It's definitely a color palette issue and not something that I have been able to fix. Component looks gorgeous though.

Is it a must have to have a battery backup incase of a power failure with these tv's so that the fan continues to run to cool the bulb down? What are all of you using for your surge protectors?
Yes, it's probably a good idea to have one, but not just to power the fan.
It helps to prolong the bulb's life by keeping the line voltage as stable as possible. But you'll need a good quality UPS with AVR (automatic voltage regulation), which most don't have. Most just kick on when the power fails, but do nothing for the dips and surges caused by vacuum cleaners, air conditioners, hair dryers, etc.

Here is a link to a good one:
http://www.powercom-usa.com/ProductDetail.asp?ID=7370

Newegg.com has them for less than you paid for that fancy Belkin surge protector.
Make sure you hook your DVR to it as well.

Yes, it's probably a good idea to have one, but not just to power the fan.
It helps to prolong the bulb's life by keeping the line voltage as stable as possible. But you'll need a good quality UPS with AVR (automatic voltage regulation), which most don't have. Most just kick on when the power fails, but do nothing for the dips and surges caused by vacuum cleaners, air conditioners, hair dryers, etc.

Here is a link to a good one:
http://www.powercom-usa.com/ProductDetail.asp?ID=7370

Newegg.com has them for less than you paid for that fancy Belkin surge protector.
Make sure you hook your DVR to it as well.

If you plug an ordinary surge protector, kinda like the one I ordered, and then plug it into a UPS, will it provide backup time for everything that is plugged into the ordinary surge protector?

I may sound really lazy but there is no way I'm searching through almost 100 pages of posts looking to these answers, so if someone will please recap for me what has been discussed I just have a few questions:

I'm thinking about getting the 42' A10 model

1. If the max resolutions is 1280x728, how does it display 1080i if that needs 1920x1080?

2. What problems, if any are people having with the tv?

3. Hows the speaker quality?

Also, just wondering if playing DVDs on my Xbox and my future 360 will act as a progressive scan DVD player or if I should buy a seprate DVD player for that.

Thanks

I may sound really lazy but there is no way I'm searching through almost 100 pages of posts looking to these answers, so if someone will please recap for me what has been discussed...
It's called Cliffs Notes (that guy Cliff was the real-deal slacker)...:D Or maybe you could use the Search function, or maybe posit a specific question, or possibly peruse a FAQ, or discover a Sticky...or maybe, if the spirit inspired you, it might just be a matter of FIND IT YOUR DAMN SELF! Who knows...? :rolleyes:

FWIW, it's called effort...look into it.

Jason

Yes, it's probably a good idea to have one, but not just to power the fan.
It helps to prolong the bulb's life by keeping the line voltage as stable as possible. But you'll need a good quality UPS with AVR (automatic voltage regulation), which most don't have. Most just kick on when the power fails, but do nothing for the dips and surges caused by vacuum cleaners, air conditioners, hair dryers, etc.

Here is a link to a good one:
http://www.powercom-usa.com/ProductDetail.asp?ID=7370

Newegg.com has them for less than you paid for that fancy Belkin surge protector.
Make sure you hook your DVR to it as well.
I have no experience with battery back up surge protectors. I see one advertised at comp usa, it says surge protector with 4 outlets, 2 outlets are battery back up. it's only $25.00. Is this what Im looking for?

It's called Cliffs Notes (that guy Cliff was the real-deal slacker)...:D Or maybe you could use the Search function, or maybe posit a specific question, or possibly peruse a FAQ, or discover a Sticky...or maybe, if the spirit inspired you, it might just be a matter of FIND IT YOUR DAMN SELF! Who knows...? :rolleyes:

FWIW, it's called effort...look into it.

Jason

Our AVS buddy Jason is bitchy tonight! LOL :D

The analog while using the Phase 3, 6412 with HDMI looks great. You need to insist that your cable company give you the 6412 Phase 3. Motorola has improved their tuner a bunch, because of all the Complaints. I made my cable company give me the phase 3 after turning in the phase 2. The analog on my 6412 phase 2 (DVI) was terrible. The receptionist said they weren't set to release them until mid Sept. I told her by then I would have Satellite. I came away with the Phase 3 :D

There will be no need to split the cable with this new improved box. Also if you split the feed you would only be able to DVR record on one of them :confused:

For those with the phase 3 6412, are you having any problems with the passport software? There is some talk in the "Recorders & Players" forum about the phase 3 boxes having major problems with the recording mechanism, notably HD material. Dropped shows, recording shows not selected. Not recording HD material because the screen will go blank when switching to HD channles via HDMI and the recorder picks this up as no picture and stops recording :confused: :confused:
Also there is a rebooting and freezing problem with the phase 3, which mine has, :mad: :mad: when the box is powered off.
And there is a problem when using HDMI with outputing 5.1 DD. When you select DD in the settings on the phase 3, and then switch the channel, it goes back to PCM. :mad:
Some have gotten responses from Cox, and they are working on a software upgrade but its 2-3 months away. I may go back to the phase 2 for now! Now I know Comcast customers with the Phase 3 are not having problems like this.
If only Cox would get their head out of their ASS!!

Just as an FYI...I have Time Warner Digital Cable with a HD DVR and was getting noise (gray bars about an inch thick) moving up the screen which was very annoying when viewing TV or movies. I ruled out the component cable, plug on TV, cable line and HD DVR box itself. I ended up getting the advise of a member here and he suggested I try a Monster or other brand Power Conditioner. It actually worked. It was expensive ($150) but it cleared up all my problems. Just a heads up if someone has any problems to try that out.

If you plug an ordinary surge protector, kinda like the one I ordered, and then plug it into a UPS, will it provide backup time for everything that is plugged into the ordinary surge protector?
Yes, but it's redundant since a UPS already has surge protection... unless you just need the extra outlets. Be careful not to exceed the rated power output; The one I linked, the Powercom KIN-625CSU, can supply 625 VA or about 450 Watts. The 50A10 consumes about 200W plus 100W for a DVR, so that leaves you with 150W to spare. You might want a larger unit (such as the KIN-1000AP) if you plan on an XBox360... I have a feeling that it'll be power hungry.

I have no experience with battery back up surge protectors. I see one advertised at comp usa, it says surge protector with 4 outlets, 2 outlets are battery back up. it's only $25.00. Is this what Im looking for?
I believe I know the one you're talking about... No, it won't supply enough power for the TV, and it doesn't have Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR). CompUSA has the Belkin Office Series F6C550-AVR that's not too expensive. It should be able to handle the TV and a cable/sat box, but any else and you'll need a larger one.

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=&Product_Id=171876

I believe I know the one you're talking about... No, it won't supply enough power for the TV, and it doesn't have Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR). CompUSA has the Belkin Office Series F6C550-AVR that's not too expensive. It should be able to handle the TV and a cable/sat box, but any else and you'll need a larger one.

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=&Product_Id=171876
How do we find out if this unit is strong enough to run the tv? I dont want to sound ignorant, but IM not concerned about watching tv during a black out, just want to know if the fan will run. I know we just need enough power to run the fan, but are there 2 power circuits, 1 for the tv and 1 for the fan. Dont you need a battery strong enough to run the tv, then just turn the tv off and let the fan continue to run? Dont want to sound stupid, but I never had to use a battery back up for any of my gear before. So do I look for a back up that can run the wattage of the tv in use?

[QUOTE=SonicDark]Just as an FYI...I have Time Warner Digital Cable with a HD DVR and was getting noise (gray bars about an inch thick) moving up the screen which was very annoying when viewing TV or movies.

Far cheaper way to solve ground loop problems..

Just get what they call a "Hum bucker"...here

http://www.21best.com/21_best/electronic/security/video/filters/for_sale_.html#HUMplug

Far cheaper way to solve ground loop problems..

Just get what they call a "Hum bucker"...here

http://www.21best.com/21_best/electronic/security/video/filters/for_sale_.html#HUMplug

Hmmm. I'm having this problem with picking up a local radio station through my guitar amplifier when I turn up the reverb. Think that device will help me with my problem?

After two months of researching this set and this week's advertised bargain buy, I pulled the trigger and purchased the 42" A10. Overall, I've been happily surprised by it's performance. HD is terrific (as expected). Digital channels are more than acceptable. SD...not quite so hot, but I don't think anyone should expect an SD image to stretch into perfection. Some channels do look like hell. Some as good as my 27" Sony CRT.

My question is about pixel defects. What is the norm here?

As I've been checking over the set since Friday, I swear I now have a completely DEAD pixel (as impossible as that should be with three LCDs). I didn't see this pixel before on a completely blank white/grey screen, but it's there now. I have located two dead green subpixels (since I see blues and purples). A scratch on the inside of the screen that covers one pixel. And what appear to be some small dust particles or similar items that sit inbetween pixels or nearby. Since they are pretty solid black I'd assume they are close to the screen and not on the LCDs.

I hate the idea of exchanging the set, but might do it for peace of mind. Especially if see more. They are only noticeable from the cheap seats, normal viewing is pretty impossible.

PS: Set made in Mexico.

Hmmm. I'm having this problem with picking up a local radio station through my guitar amplifier when I turn up the reverb. Think that device will help me with my problem?


Totally different problem

you need something like this

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog_name=CTLG&category_name=CTLG_011_002_009_000&product_id=273-104

Pulled the trigger at Best Buy, last night. Got their sale price + 10% off. Long story... Went for the extended warrenty. Will be delivered on 26th. This will replace the RCA 38" HD CRT that my son took to his apartment in Chicago.

I have had a Panasonic 50" RP LCD for a couple years (with no bulb problems) and am looking forward to the improvements. I am very impressed with crisp definition of the Sony picture and there is no worry about game lag . If you read the CEDIA discussions, on the comparison with the SXD, it appears the 50" A10 is right in the sweet spot right now as far as bang for you money.

Ready for delivery.

I have a KDF-50WE655 and noticed a few very small pixel defects. No dead ones but maybe dirt in one or two pixels. It doesn't bother me in the least. If you stare at the screen from a distance of two inches away, you will see some impefections as the LCD panels are so incredibly small to begin with. A dead pixel is something else. I don't have any of those. Perfection is not likely no matter how many sets you you look at but if it's a dad pixel and you can make a return, I would suggest you get another set.

OK I'm totally lost on this one -- what is it about MCE that prevents black crush?

Chris

Windows Media Center Edition operates in the correct color spectrum for TVs. Since the operating system uses the correct output all programs will also have the correct DVI color output. Therefore, you will not get black crush on any program even if you don't use a program like ffdshow. I have not tried MCE myself but this fact has been confirmed many times over in the HTPC forum.

How do we find out if this unit is strong enough to run the tv?
The back of the TV should list the power requirements in Watts; it should be 210W for your TV. The specs for the Belkin F6C550-AVR UPS claim it can provide up to 330W, which is plenty. Ignore the claims of 28m backup time, since that is for minimal load; My guess is that it would last about 5 minutes, giving you plenty of time to turn off the TV and let it cool down.

You can buy a cheaper UPS as long as it can supply enough power for the TV. Buying one with AVR is optional, although it will help extend the bulb's life, which is why you need one in the first place. It wouldn't hurt to buy one large enough to power anything with a hard drive (DVR and XBox). I haven't had as many DVR problems since using a UPS.

I'm not endorsing the Belkin; I only mentioned it because it's available at CompUSA, and it's the minimum you should buy. I have a Powercom KIN-1000AP for my living room and a Powercom KIN-1500AP for my computer, and they work great.

Pulled the trigger at Best Buy, last night. Got their sale price + 10% off.
How did you get the extra 10% off?

Good Afternoon,

Has anyone discovered how to bring up a signal strength meter for the digital channels? It would probably showup with something like the error rate or correction rate. This is for the 42A10.

Thanks and

I have narrowed down my choice between the new Sony 50a10 and the Mits 52725. I'm on the fence with this as well. The Sony 50a10 is going for about 10% off of MSRP in the DFW area for a little while now. I stopped in the Tweeter the other day and the sales rep tried to sale me on your other choice (the Mits). And while that thing retailed for just shy of $4K last year, they have 2 left - open box though - and are blowing them out for less than a Benjamin above $2K...a tremendous price for that unit...even compared to anything I can find online. I'm just worried about buying a slightly older technology. The Sony and Mits were no where near each other in the store either, so I couldn't compare them side by side. Did you ever pick one out? If so, which? And why?

HDMI = DVI + audio, so from a picture quality perspective, they are equal.

In theory, HDMI is better than component since it is digital, thus immune to interference. It can also reduce the number of times that the signal is converted from analog to digital and vice versa. In reality, the quality difference between component and HDMI is slight from what I've read. I haven't hooked up component to my set yet, so couldn't tell you what, if any, difference there is on this TV.

The difference appears to be in the eye of the beholder. For me, I compared HDMI and component and found a noticeable difference; HDMI looked better to me. The difference in my case was more than slight (although I admit not huge . . . . medium difference?). The picture is crisper and, in my case, component had a flicker on the screen that HDMI didn't have.

I recommend to anybody who will listen to at least compare the two to see if they notice a difference. You might as well get the best picture you can for your eyes.

I also have a phase III unit, just swapped it out yesterday. I was supposed to be able to pick my tv up this morning but Nebraska Furniture Mart called last night and said that they wouldn't be in until Friday the 16th! :mad: oh well.....

Anyway, I was curious as to which format output you are using. Are you using the 720P option or the 1080i, and how does the 480p option for SD material look? A noticable improvement?

I can't remember how I have the SD material set out of the STB. I have HD set at 1080i, only because I personally can't find a 720p setting. Everything looks great, though, so I stopped poking around . . .

I've been looking through the thread trying to find people that have paid for ISF calib. to see if it made a difference on SD/HD/DVD media? Debating on weather to pay or just use my Avia disk.

Thanks,
Matt

From what i can tell, I may be the only person who has tried to have his set ISF calibrated. The guy had no idea, and he was a quite reputable calibrator. He had no idea because the A10's service menu is not anything like the prior models' service menus, so he now plans on getting all the new material on this set, reading up on it, and then coming back to calibrate. Don't know when this will be at this point.

One thing's for sure, though: Grill any calibrator you might be considering using, and make sure they know they have to read up on this set; they can't rely on what they know about prior Sony LCD RPTVs at all, which is what my guy thought.

The Labor Day Certificate. Tried to buy it Monday and they were out and they said I could use cetificate on the Web. The price was higher on the web and they would not take the certificate. Manager was nice.....

Been reading lots of horror stories on bulb problems with a certain Panasonic LCD TV. The 42A10 Sony hasn't been around very long, but is anyone aware of any bulb problems for this model? Any idea how many hours of bulb life can be expected. The Panansonic owners stated that bulbs were costing them about $300 bucks each and that some were lasting only about 1,000 hours. Thanks.

I have a problem with my A10. Other than the below issue, the set is great!

I am assuming it is dust or something on the bulb or between the lcd panels.

When watching the set, theri s this ring or halo like dark spot. It's about 1.5 inches thick and about 7 or 8 inches across. It not a perfect circle by any means, it's just circular like.

I only notice this on the dark scenes, you can't see it while color is present in that area.

It's w/in my 30 days but I'm wondering if I should just have someone come out to fix it.

It's called Cliffs Notes (that guy Cliff was the real-deal slacker)...:D Or maybe you could use the Search function, or maybe posit a specific question, or possibly peruse a FAQ, or discover a Sticky...or maybe, if the spirit inspired you, it might just be a matter of FIND IT YOUR DAMN SELF! Who knows...? :rolleyes:

FWIW, it's called effort...look into it.

Jason

Hey dude,
Why don't you keep your sorry-ass attitude away from this thread and keep polluting the Sony 1080p thread with your crap.
:mad:

I'm on the fence with this as well. The Sony 50a10 is going for about 10% off of MSRP in the DFW area for a little while now. I stopped in the Tweeter the other day and the sales rep tried to sale me on your other choice (the Mits). And while that thing retailed for just shy of $4K last year, they have 2 left - open box though - and are blowing them out for less than a Benjamin above $2K...a tremendous price for that unit...even compared to anything I can find online. I'm just worried about buying a slightly older technology. The Sony and Mits were no where near each other in the store either, so I couldn't compare them side by side. Did you ever pick one out? If so, which? And why?

I have both...sort of. I bought a Mitsu 62725 last October and just picked up a 42A10 for the family room last week.

Picture-wise, it isn't even close. I love the look of the HD2+ chip. It is too bad that TI has all but killed it. The Mitsu implementation of that chip is excellent. Great crispness, clarity, and color.

The only smaller set with the HD2+ that would fit in my space was the Samsung 46" (model ends in 74). I much prefer the picture to the Sony, but for a second set, I could not justify the Sammy's $1000 premium. Had the Sony not been acceptable, I would have gone with a Panny plasma.

Also, the feature list of the Mitsu is slightly better even for a year old set. Inputs are similar but the Mitsu adds Firewire. Neither set has TV Guide. Mitsu has PIP.

The downside for the Mitsu is the fact that the screen is highly reflective and the size and weight. This unit is heavy and not effeciently packaged. And of course rainbows (I see them, they don't bother me).

Alll that said, if you are going in a dark room with limited space, or if rainbows bother you, go Sony. Otherwise negotiate a great deal on the Mitsu.

Good Afternoon,

Has anyone discovered how to bring up a signal strength meter for the digital channels? It would probably showup with something like the error rate or correction rate. This is for the 42A10.

Thanks and

For digital over-the-air (OTA) channels, go to Wega Gate->Settings->Applications (i.e. the bottom option)->Diagnostics and it'll show you the signal strength.


Mitch

Looks like I'll be taking it back then when it shows up. Is it a must have to have a battery backup incase of a power failure with these tv's so that the fan continues to run to cool the bulb down? What are all of you using for your surge protectors?


This is what I use. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00020T5M2/qid=1126483568/sr=8-5/ref=pd_bbs_5/104-0652799-7266310?v=glance&s=hi&n=507846

And its free shipping and no tax. Cheaper than the one at BB and has AVR as well as surge protection on the coax.

I pulled the cable while the STB and TV (50") still going and switched over without a hiccup.

Anyone put this set up against the JVC HD-ILA (LCoS) sets?

I had my eye on the JVC set for a number of months now and would look at it longingly every time I went into Best Buy. I made my monthly walk-through yesterday and saw the A10 for the first time and I was blown away. I didn't see them side by side (the JVC was down the row), but I believe the Sony had it beat.

I actually think I'm one of the rare people that would chose an 3-panel LCD over a DLP at any price. They always look better to me, regardless of material or the quality of the setup (I've looked at $10k+ front projectors as well).

I ordered my A10 today. I bought it online, so I have a few weeks to wait. I went with a 50" set, which is undoubtedly too large for my viewing distance but I wanted a significant step-up from my 34" Panny.

After power on, how long before the picture is watchable and bulb reaches full brightness?
Also, what is the wait time for powering back on once you shut off these sets?

I also can't stand dlp tv's. I worked at a high end a/v store and saw sammy and mitsu tv's all day they look alright in the store with a feed that is meant not to show rainbow effect but wait till you get them home and damn its all over the place especially in movies I've seen on it such as spiderman and Sin City. I also looked at a hdila set next to a 50a10 and could not see anything better in the hdila, it was better then dlp but no better then the sony a10's maybe a little bit better then the a20's.

Good Morning,

Did you find these digitals by finding them with your outdoor or did you find a listing of them somewhere. I would like to find out the exact channel numbers of the ones in the Indy area. I have been able to get a few through the cable but they have the cable numbers associated with them not the xx.x format.

Thanks and

I just did the channel scan off of the cable, then off the antenna wth a silver sensor. The channels that didn't show up on the scan, I just guessed and started keying in 69.1, 69.2, etc. and found them as they didn't add to the channel list when doing the Digital Add or the intitial scan. cp

This is the 42" KDFE42A10? for $1599? Where are you located? I'm in Houston and the add from today's (9/11/05) paper shows it for $1899 (incl the $100 instant savings).
Bill

Hey!

I'm looking into the stand for the KDFE50A10. The specs say its approximately 28" high. I find this kind of odd as my 32" tube stand is lower than that. I was wondering if someone that has the matching stand for this model could measure the height of the stand for me. Thanks!

I have 42" A10 connected to Dish 811. Dish OOTB is set to send 480. Finally found where to change that. (811 manual is worst I have ever seen.) I assumed 720p would be the right choice, Wrong! 1080i is the way to go, Looks like 811 is real crappy at scaling up, Sony A10 scales really nicely. Difference is dramatic.

Has anyone bought from Bestbuyplasma? They have the 50a10 for $1,825. This is the best price I have seen.

Hey!

I'm looking into the stand for the KDFE50A10. I was wondering if someone that has the matching stand for this model could measure the height of the stand for me. Thanks!

My SU-RG11M height measures 20+1/8" from floor to base. The manual lists 20+3/8 to the top of the vertical cap. The 28" on the web site is a misprint.

Hello-

My new 50-inch A10 just blew the bulb after receving it about a week and a half ago. Regular use, did not leave it on all day, turned it on roughly 2-3 times a day for normal use.

Is this a bad bulb? Bad TV? Will Sony honor my warranty if I call them and order a new bulb? Any suggestions on dealing with Sony and the warranty process? I bought from BB.

Really could use some help....many thanks in advance.

Has anyone bought from Bestbuyplasma? They have the 50a10 for $1,825. This is the best price I have seen.

Use Pricegrabber (http://www.pricegrabber.com/p__Sony_Grand_Wega_KDF_E50A10_50_Projection_TV,__10087319) to find the best online price and to check a website's reputation.

Hello-

My new 50-inch A10 just blew the bulb after receving it about a week and a half ago. Regular use, did not leave it on all day, turned it on roughly 2-3 times a day for normal use.

Is this a bad bulb? Bad TV? Will Sony honor my warranty if I call them and order a new bulb? Any suggestions on dealing with Sony and the warranty process? I bought from BB.

Really could use some help....many thanks in advance.

I would call Sony right away and ask them to overnite a new bulb to you, or you are going to return the TV to Best Buy. Your bulb is guaranteed the first year by Sony. It was probably just a bad bulb, and has nothing to do with the TV. Like all bulbs, a small percentage will fail quickly, and you happen to be the 'lucky guy'. Some people report getting over 8000 hours on the same type bulb, but from what I have heard, most people are getting around 3000 to 6000 hours or so.

I can't remember how I have the SD material set out of the STB. I have HD set at 1080i, only because I personally can't find a 720p setting. Everything looks great, though, so I stopped poking around . . .


FFFred:
You need to turn the cablebox off and you will have a blank screen on your TV. Then hit the menu button on your remote or box and a white screen will appear with all the settings for you to try including the 700p. You may have to hit the button a couple of times with quick push and release. Let me know if you can get this. Yes - I know it's a weird way to get to the 6412 phase 3 menu but thats it. :)

I was looking at a 50 inch A-10 today at a store here in Indy. The picture on the screen was tilted slightly (not level relative to the top and bottom edges). Anyone else had this issue? If so what was done to correct it?

Hello-

My new 50-inch A10 just blew the bulb after receving it about a week and a half ago. Regular use, did not leave it on all day, turned it on roughly 2-3 times a day for normal use.

Is this a bad bulb? Bad TV? Will Sony honor my warranty if I call them and order a new bulb? Any suggestions on dealing with Sony and the warranty process? I bought from BB.

Really could use some help....many thanks in advance.

I would return the set, that's what the 30 days is for. Yea it could be a bad bulb or it could be something wrong in the electronics that puts un - normal strain on the bulb. If you get a new bulb it may last just over the Sony warranty and then what would you do. :confused:

Also Make sure you don't have the TV's power cord hooked up to another system that turns the power off when you power down ( example - Receiver ). There was a report that one guy had 3 bulbs replaced in a 9 month span ( another model) at his expense, and on the 4th time they sent a Tech out. The Tech found that the guy had his tv hooked to a turn off devise or on/off switch. after he turn the TV off, he would then power down whatever he was hooked up to. This caused The TV'S bulb cooling fan to stop working, thus causing the bulb to be damaged or weaken. Remember the fan "Must Continue to run for several minutes after the TV is turned off".
Hope this helps :)

I would return the set, that's what the 30 days is for. Yea it could be a bad bulb or it could be something wrong in the electronics that puts un - normal strain on the bulb. If you get a new bulb it may last just over the Sony warranty and then what would you do. :confused:

Also Make sure you don't have the TV's power cord hooked up to another system that turns the power off when you power down ( example - Receiver ). There was a report that one guy had 3 bulbs replaced in a 9 month span ( another model) at his expense, and on the 4th time they sent a Tech out. The Tech found that the guy had his tv hooked to a turn off devise or on/off switch. after he turn the TV off, he would then power down whatever he was hooked up to. This caused The TV'S bulb cooling fan to stop working, thus causing the bulb to be damaged or weaken. Remember the fan "Must Continue to run for several minutes after the TV is turned off".
Hope this helps :)

Good point about the need for the fan to run after the TV is shut off! As you say he could just return the set to Best Buy, but if that is not convenient I would see if he can get a new bulb sent by Sony. If they want to send a repair guy out though, I would return the set if possible. If the set is causing the problem (unlikely), the next bulb should die quickly too. These things are rather huge though, it's not like taking a DVD player back to the store...I was trying to make it easier on him by attempting to avoid a return.

I was looking at a 50 inch A-10 today at a store here in Indy. The picture on the screen was tilted slightly (not level relative to the top and bottom edges). Anyone else had this issue? If so what was done to correct it?

There's no tilt correction in the user controls to adjust it. There may be a service menu option to correct it. If not I wouldn't accept it and would take it back.

I did notice on my 42A10 that the top part of the bezel bows downward toward the middle. It's a gradual thing and doesn't seem to affect the picture because everything looks straight. I only noticed it after checking the viewing angles.

Hi guys,

Thanks so much for the information- I appreciate the help.

I am going to try to call Sony and have them send me a new bulb. I was quite careful with letting the fan run after turning off the TV, and did not have any shut off sequence that would power down like described above. I did my research before buying (mainly through this thread!) and knew of all the advantages/disadvantages/concerns of a TV like this. I considered myself well-prepared. Oh well.

Returning the whole thing is not convienent, however that is an option if this happens again. Also, the set works quite well (when there is a bulb in there) and I'd hate myself if I returned the set and got one that had a bad pixel, etc...

I'm paranoid that they'll be out of bulbs, backordered, whatever. We'll see what happens.

Many thanks-
Trevor

No offense intended but the fact that you've mentioned this (several times?) would seem to imply that it is bothering you a lot. You should not have to deal with this obvious defect. Send the TV back and get a replacement or get someone out to fix it but don't accept it. :)

AkaStp,

No offense taken but if you search my posts, I have never compalined of this problem before. Only had the tv for 7 days now.
I think you were confusing me w/ someone else.
I plan to return it next wekend, when I get the time.

Windows Media Center Edition operates in the correct color spectrum for TVs. Since the operating system uses the correct output all programs will also have the correct DVI color output. Therefore, you will not get black crush on any program even if you don't use a program like ffdshow. I have not tried MCE myself but this fact has been confirmed many times over in the HTPC forum.

Interesting! That's great to know, thanks for the tip.

This is the 42" KDFE42A10? for $1599? Where are you located? I'm in Houston and the add from today's (9/11/05) paper shows it for $1899 (incl the $100 instant savings).
Bill

Sorry Bill but if ya snooze, ya lose. The lower price was in the prior weeks ad, and was only good till the 10th.

Hi guys,

Thanks so much for the information- I appreciate the help.

I am going to try to call Sony and have them send me a new bulb. I was quite careful with letting the fan run after turning off the TV, and did not have any shut off sequence that would power down like described above. I did my research before buying (mainly through this thread!) and knew of all the advantages/disadvantages/concerns of a TV like this. I considered myself well-prepared. Oh well.

Returning the whole thing is not convienent, however that is an option if this happens again. Also, the set works quite well (when there is a bulb in there) and I'd hate myself if I returned the set and got one that had a bad pixel, etc...

I'm paranoid that they'll be out of bulbs, backordered, whatever. We'll see what happens.

Many thanks-
Trevor

Let us know how they respond to your bulb issue. Good luck to you!

Based on the great information in this thread, I decided to get the A10, and I had Sears pricematch the BB special last week. I can't wait to receive it next week! It's too bad I couldn't get it in time for tonight's Philly vs. Atlanta game on MNF.

Coming from a Panny 36" SD tube, I needed to find a TV stand that could hold my rather large center channel speaker (Athena AS-C1) below the TV, and still have room for my components, side-by-side on the lower shelf. I searched everywhere for days, and I finally found a stand that will do everything I need while looking great, and the best part is that I found a great deal on it. It's the Z-Line Designs model 23541S at Circuit City, regularly priced at $179.99, but they have it on sale for three dozen less! I picked it up yesterday.

It's the Z-Line Designs model 23541S at Circuit City, regularly priced at $179.99, but they have it on sale for three dozen less! I picked it up yesterday.

Awesome, that's my setup exactly!
http://members.cox.net/kwatts24/hometheater.jpg

The stand is great, but expect to dust it a lot, the black glass and electronics are magnets for the stuff.

AkaStp,

No offense taken but if you search my posts, I have never compalined of this problem before. Only had the tv for 7 days now.
I think you were confusing me w/ someone else.
I plan to return it next wekend, when I get the time.

He may be confusing your post with my previous post regarding the same problem. I ended up exchanging the set and the new one was a lot better. It only had a very small discoloration area, this time on the lower left corner (previous was on the upper left corner). It was barely noticeable and I figured I could live with it. However, after a week of using the TV, the "bad" spot has moved! It is now on the upper right, and VERY noticeable. Maybe the fan "moved" the dust around the light engine? Or who knows what happened. In any case, it's going back to Circuit City and I'll get another one. If this third set has the same problem, then I'm going to drop it altogether and go for the Panny, or a flat panel that wouldn't have this problem.

I'm worried that, even if I get a "good" set, dust will settle in at some point in time. Good thing I'm getting the 4-year extended warranty, so if this thing ever needs cleaning I can just call them and get it done.

He may be confusing your post with my previous post regarding the same problem. I ended up exchanging the set and the new one was a lot better. It only had a very small discoloration area, this time on the lower left corner (previous was on the upper left corner). It was barely noticeable and I figured I could live with it. However, after a week of using the TV, the "bad" spot has moved! It is now on the upper right, and VERY noticeable. Maybe the fan "moved" the dust around the light engine? Or who knows what happened. In any case, it's going back to Circuit City and I'll get another one. If this third set has the same problem, then I'm going to drop it altogether and go for the Panny, or a flat panel that wouldn't have this problem.

I'm worried that, even if I get a "good" set, dust will settle in at some point in time. Good thing I'm getting the 4-year extended warranty, so if this thing ever needs cleaning I can just call them and get it done.

You guys are making me wonder about the QC on these things! I saw one at a store yesterday, and the projected picture was tilted on the screen. Maybe I should just keep my flawless 42 inch GWIII that has been good for 12 full months now. UGH

FFFred:
You need to turn the cablebox off and you will have a blank screen on your TV. Then hit the menu button on your remote or box and a white screen will appear with all the settings for you to try including the 700p. You may have to hit the button a couple of times with quick push and release. Let me know if you can get this. Yes - I know it's a weird way to get to the 6412 phase 3 menu but thats it. :)

Thank you Cobbway. You know, I have done this, and I didn't see an option for 720p out; only 1080i. I'll have to jump in again and see if I can find it.

Went home for lunch today and was watching the Sony and all of sudden these popping sounds started.
This is not a sound that a power supply makes, but is totally volume dependent.
Zero volume equals no popping sounds.
Anybody had this prob yet?

Got the TV a month ago from abt electronics in Chicago and it has worked great up until now.

Went home for lunch today and was watching the Sony and all of sudden these popping sounds started.
This is not a sound that a power supply makes, but is totally volume dependent.
Zero volume equals no popping sounds.
Anybody had this prob yet?

Got the TV a month ago from abt electronics in Chicago and it has worked great up until now.

See if you get the same sound from all sources....such as cable, DVD, etc. That might isolate whether it is from the TV, or a device that is connected to it.

I occasionally get popping when watching OTA stuff during changes from the program to a commercial or between commercials. But, it's one "pop" and then it's over until the next time. And, it's not every time there's a change. Most nights I don't hear any pops. Some nights I get them almost every commercial break.

So, if this is what you are experiencing, I wouldn't panic. I think it's just the tuner dealing with a funky signal.


Mitch

It's random pops that don't stop.
Every few seconds.

It's random pops that don't stop.
Every few seconds.

How are you getting your TV programs? Cable, satellite. or over the air? And do you hear the pops if playing a DVD?

OK, new information on the bulb issue---

I called Sony. Before they would send me a new bulb, they wanted me to "troubleshoot-" they wanted me to unplug the TV from my Monster Power Center HTS 1000 and plug it into the wall to see if that helps.

I was at work and could not do this, so I shrugged, hung up, and called again an hour later saying that the "troubleshooting" did not work. A new bulb is on its way.

As luck would have it, I forgot my lunch, so I drove home, said what the heck, and plugged the TV into the wall and turned it on as I went to the kitchen...

...and heard the speakers come to life....the picture magically appeared...

Now I'm confused. No flashing red light at all. Why would it work being plugged into the wall...something BB told me NEVER to do? I'm not calling Sony- too embarrased, and I still want my free bulb.

Any ideas? Thoughts? Comments? Should I even try to plug it back into the power strip?

OK, new information on the bulb issue---

I called Sony. Before they would send me a new bulb, they wanted me to "troubleshoot-" they wanted me to unplug the TV from my Monster Power Center HTS 1000 and plug it into the wall to see if that helps.

I was at work and could not do this, so I shrugged, hung up, and called again an hour later saying that the "troubleshooting" did not work. A new bulb is on its way.

As luck would have it, I forgot my lunch, so I drove home, said what the heck, and plugged the TV into the wall and turned it on as I went to the kitchen...

...and heard the speakers come to life....the picture magically appeared...

Now I'm confused. No flashing red light at all. Why would it work being plugged into the wall...something BB told me NEVER to do? I'm not calling Sony- too embarrased, and I still want my free bulb.

Any ideas? Thoughts? Comments? Should I even try to plug it back into the power strip?

That is really weird...but on a brighter note you just got a FREE $200.00 spare bulb. I can't imagine why plugging the TV in the wall would make it work, unless the TV had a processor type freeze up, and killing the power briefly 'rebooted' it, OR your Monster Center is not putting out power at all. If it happens again, try unplugging from the Monster Center briefly, and then plug it back into the Monster Center and see if it then works. This is a weird one for sure.

Trevor78

Not enough current available throught he Monster Power Center during startup.

Trevor78

Not enough current available throught he Monster Power Center during startup.

I would doubt that...my Sony GWIII doesn't even dim the lights when i power it up...my older Sony direct view CRT did though. Unless there is something wrong with his highly overpriced Monster Power Center. :rolleyes:

I would doubt that...my Sony GWIII doesn't even dim the lights when i power it up...my older Sony direct view CRT did though. Unless there is something wrong with his highly overpriced Monster Power Center. :rolleyes:

Can you exchange the power center or get a refound and get a different Power center. :confused:

My KDF-50WE655 is going strong on the same bulb since March and I believe bulbs should last about 8000 hours (or so they say). I might want to exchange the set just in case..I keep an extra bulb handy even though I am covered by my extended warranty so I can instantly replace the bulb and not have to wait to get the replacement bulb delivered.

I have a question for those of you who are hooking this up to a PC

I have a NVidia 6800 GT PCI-E (Dual DVI) and when I have the Sony hooked up the picture only works if I have it set to primary for the Sony and secondary for the PC. If I have it hooked up as primary PC and secondardy Sony the picture is huge on the TV, not formatted correctly.

If I got another basic video card and hooked it up in the PC and ran it strictly for the Sony TV would that work?

I might be missing something but the only noticeable difference I see is, 1.) These sets have an iris (Cinema Black Pro - Iris & Advanced Iris (High/Medium/Low/Off)) and it has a lower resolution than last years sony's (1280 x 720).

The last two years they were 1386 X 788. I guess the big thing is how well the Iris features work. I have been pleased with the other sony tv's but they were higher resolution. Or generally I don't like LCD projo's.

I thought I'd share my experiences, and pose a few questions to the group, after having my new 42" A10 for 2 days now. Got it on the 20% off sale at BB, went ahead and bought the warranty (which does explicitly cover bulbs, BTW), and had it delivered on Saturday morning. Keep in mind that I've had a 25" Sanyo cheap-o for about 10 years, so this TV seems absolutely massive to me. :)

When I got it in my entertainment center (I had pre-run all of the cables, so they just had to be plugged in), it didn't look so great on the default Vivid setting. Of course, I went back through this massive thread and ended up applying some of the suggested picture settings to the three inputs I'm using (internal NTSC tuner, Input 1 on S-Video from A/V Receiver, and Input 4 on Component from DVD player). I've left them pretty much alone since then to get acclimated. I have no HD sources available (and probably won't for the indefinite future), so I'm dealing with analog SD cable, Series 1 stand-alone TiVo, SVHS VCR, laserdisc player, and DVD player as sources.

On the cable input (TiVo or Sony internal tuner), after I changed the settings I'm reasonably pleased with the picture quality -- not nearly as bad as I had imagined. On my S1 TiVo, I'm having to record most everything at High or Best Quality (I used to use Basic a lot, since on my old TV it didn't matter that much). Quality is noticably better on the internal A10 tuner than on the MPEG-buffered TiVo output via S-Video.

So far, the only DVD I've actually watched is The Incredibles. I'm running my Pioneer DVD player on 480i via Component -- the DVD player is inexpensive enough that I'm more comfortable with the Sony electronics handling the progressive conversion and upscaling to 720P. What I'm seeing (at about 12 feet away) is what I think is SDE on bright solid colors. Example: the characters' faces in the movie are rendered with very even tones -- on Mr. Incredible's forehead, I kept seeing faint, unmoving square patterns. It was only evident when the shot was static (no motion). I don't know enough to know if it's SSE (silkscreen effect) as opposed to SDE (screendoor effect), but I kept seeing it. I didn't see it on the SD cable signals -- my guess is there's enough random noise in the cable signal that my eye is drawn to that instead. I'm going to put in some other discs tonight and see if it's as evident on non-CGI-animation sources. I was curious to know if anyone else had experienced this (at least, from this distance).

I also messed around with the 'Wide Zoom' setting on 4x3 material. I've never seen an implementation of this that really worked for me -- this one is pretty close on some material, but anything with lots of camera pans side-to-side just gave me headaches (the distortion at the edges actually made me a little nauseous on some of the whip-pans). While I'll still experiment with Wide Zoom from time to time, I'm comfortable with Normal (windowboxed 4x3) on this set. I did watch a little of some letterboxed SD programs (such as movies on TCM) -- the Zoom setting worked as intended, but when the signal wasn't of high quality to begin with, zooming in on it made a passable picture into an awful one. I'll be curious to see how letterboxed 16x9 SD shows (such as on one of my favorites, Veronica Mars, when it returns later this month) look when Zoomed.

Overall, I'm pleased with the set so far. I need to resolve the SDE/SSE/whatever it is issue in my mind before I make the final decision to keep the set (I have three weeks left on the 30 day return window). Of course, I don't know of anything else, other than a 32" 4x3 or 34" 16x9 CRT, that will fit in my entertainment center -- so I'll also have to decide if any negatives that I see in the A10 are outweighed by the significant dropdown in size I'd have to accept.

<snipped>

So far, the only DVD I've actually watched is The Incredibles. I'm running my Pioneer DVD player on 480i via Component -- the DVD player is inexpensive enough that I'm more comfortable with the Sony electronics handling the progressive conversion and upscaling to 720P. What I'm seeing (at about 12 feet away) is what I think is SDE on bright solid colors. Example: the characters' faces in the movie are rendered with very even tones -- on Mr. Incredible's forehead, I kept seeing faint, unmoving square patterns. It was only evident when the shot was static (no motion). I don't know enough to know if it's SSE (silkscreen effect) as opposed to SDE (screendoor effect), but I kept seeing it. I didn't see it on the SD cable signals -- my guess is there's enough random noise in the cable signal that my eye is drawn to that instead. I'm going to put in some other discs tonight and see if it's as evident on non-CGI-animation sources. I was curious to know if anyone else had experienced this (at least, from this distance).


I am not sure, maybe you are describing "macroblocking." Unless you are talking about tiny (and I mean tiny) unmoving square patterns - then it may be SDE.

SDE is exactly what it sounds like. Stand about 2 feet from the TV and watch a moving scene and it will appear as if you watching the scene through a screen door on a train (since the image is moving, right?). So, if the square patterns you described are small like those on a screen door, then you may be seeing it. And seeing it at 12 feet is pretty impressive, imo. You should probably be a sniper for the army or something. :)

SSE is a sparkling effect and doesn't sound like what you described.

To be honest, I'm not sure what macroblocking is. I'm under the impression it is seeing larger squares (quarter inch on a side? half an inch on a side? I don't really know) of slightly different color. I actually think I saw it once on my old TV while watching one of the original Star Wars movies and figured it was an artifact of the movie and not the DVD player or TV. Anyway, macroblocking appears to be dependent on the DVD player and TV combination. But, again, this concept of "macroblocking" is still rather new to me. So, I may be talking out my a$$. :)


Mitch

has anyone had this tv professional caliberated yet? Is so , can they please post their settings to helps others out. :)

OK, I got the Belkin 750 today and IM letting it charge 8 hours like it says before I plug my gear into it. What should I plug into the battery backup besides my tv? I never used a backup like this before, is there anything I shouldnt plug into the backup?

I got the KDF-E42A10 a couple of weeks ago and it produces a beautiful picture. I have one question. The instructions say the TV will output sound on the optical out if it receives a digital input signal. Does this count for the cable card AND HDMI inputs?

Thanks,

Jeremy

has anyone had this tv professional caliberated yet? Is so , can they please post their settings to helps others out. :)

The one person that did pay for professional calibration could not get it done with the A10. This is because the service menu is so much different than previous Sony Rear-Projection LCD HDTV's.

Besides, settings for professional calibration is not something that can be posted. You have to pay to get it done yourself.

The one person that did pay for professional calibration could not get it done with the A10. This is because the service menu is so much different than previous Sony Rear-Projection LCD HDTV's.

Besides, settings for professional calibration is not something that can be posted. You have to pay to get it done yourself.


Funny. I've been corresponding with a very famous ISF calibrationist these last few days via email, and he tells me that these sets are definitely calibrateable.

*Shrug* Hopefully someone will get this done soon. I don't have the TV yet, planned on getting it but that happened. I missed out on the BB sale last weekend, too, so I'm kinda bummed. :(

New here with a question, I have tried a search and read thru most of this thread.

I bought my 42A10 a couple of weeks ago and have been quite happy with it. Waiting on a HD box but have been watching DVDs on an old Panny RV-80. It is non progressive and I'm wondering if an upconverting or progressive player would give me a better picture. If I get a progressive player will the 42 do the upscaling?

Thanks for any info,

Jim

Hopefully someone can answer this question!

I purchased the 50" A10 last week and hooked everything up. I'm running the cable through my SA 8300HD cable box. I'm running audio through my stereo receiver (I'm not concerned about using HDMI for audio).

I've gone through everything that I can think of, but I can't seem to get the video to work. It works fine using component cables, but just not with the HDMI.

Is there a setting on the TV or cable box that I'm missing?

So far, the only DVD I've actually watched is The Incredibles. I'm running my Pioneer DVD player on 480i via Component -- the DVD player is inexpensive enough that I'm more comfortable with the Sony electronics handling the progressive conversion and upscaling to 720P. What I'm seeing (at about 12 feet away) is what I think is SDE on bright solid colors. Example: the characters' faces in the movie are rendered with very even tones -- on Mr. Incredible's forehead, I kept seeing faint, unmoving square patterns. It was only evident when the shot was static (no motion). I don't know enough to know if it's SSE (silkscreen effect) as opposed to SDE (screendoor effect), but I kept seeing it. I didn't see it on the SD cable signals -- my guess is there's enough random noise in the cable signal that my eye is drawn to that instead. I'm going to put in some other discs tonight and see if it's as evident on non-CGI-animation sources. I was curious to know if anyone else had experienced this (at least, from this distance).


Like was already mentioned, that sounds like macroblocking or some other kind of artifacting, either coming from the source DVD player or happening during the upconversion in the TV. The first thing I watched on my 50A10 was the Incredibles, using a Samsung HD950 via HDMI at 720p, and didn't have any problems at all. Since it was my maiden voyage with both the TV and the DVD player, I was watching very critically for any artifacting or other PQ issues. I never saw a single glitch.

I used to have a similar problem with my previous Toshiba DVD / TiVo combo unit. After watching a DVD the unit would stay in progressive mode. Then when watching satellite, it would have these weird colored squares in some scenes. If I toggled it to interlaced output it would go away. I would try letting your DVD player output progressive to see if that helps. Also check that your TV is set for 3:2 pulldown under the advanced menu, although I don't know if that would make a difference on that movie or not.

Bulb issue redux...

My wife and I sat down with the TV (now still plugged into the wall) and it still worked fine. Here are my questions:

1. Someone mentioned "not enough current." Confused why this may be a problem. That said, I thought back to my viewing habits before this happened. The only thing I did differently was that I finally got my DVD player hooked up, so I was running the TV, Yamaha surround sound receiver, subwoofer, cable box, and Samsung DVD player all from the Monster Power Center (all plugged in at the same time). Do you all think this could be a problem?

2. I am able and am contemplating returning the power center, yet I'm not sure what else to do. Is another type going to give me more problems? Do I need to get a more "powerful" one? Maybe this one is defective.

3. Is it safe to try to plug the TV into the Power Center again to see what happens? Due to the above advice, I unplugged, turned off, replugged, and turned on the Power Center to "reboot" it. I'm nervous to plug the TV back in...worried that I might damage it if it happens again. Or maybe that's not possible. My degree is in music, not electrical engineering, so if there is anyone who could school me in this, I'd be mighty obliged. Basically, I still don't understand why a faulty Power Center would cause the bulb light to flash red. And again, I still don't want Sony to necessarily find out by me calling them...because of that bulb they sent me today.

Many thanks again.

Hopefully someone can answer this question!

I purchased the 50" A10 last week and hooked everything up. I'm running the cable through my SA 8300HD cable box. I'm running audio through my stereo receiver (I'm not concerned about using HDMI for audio).

I've gone through everything that I can think of, but I can't seem to get the video to work. It works fine using component cables, but just not with the HDMI.

Is there a setting on the TV or cable box that I'm missing?

Not sure if this helps, but I just had my 42" A10 delivered, used component cables, and couldn't get the SA 8300HD to go thru the setup.

I remembered that the Adelphia Cable dude told me to make sure I connected my SA 8300HD to the TV with the coax cable, tried it, & all seems fine.

Not sure why that's req'd??????

Also check that your TV is set for 3:2 pulldown under the advanced menu, although I don't know if that would make a difference on that movie or not.

OK, I'm officially an idiot. I would have swore on a stack of bibles that I had set CineMotion (under Setup) to 'Auto' on all of the inputs. Of course, the one input I missed was the DVD-Component input. :rolleyes:

After I fixed that, I went back and rewatched a few scenes from The Incredibles. Of course, I can't tell if it's wishful thinking (or tired eyes), but I'm not seeing the same level of patterning. (And, to go back and answer an earlier question: the blocks were tiny, more like a screen door pattern than large macroblocks, which I have seen in poor MPEG encodes on my PC.) I can still make it out, but it seemed less noticable (I had to be staring intently at the screen to see it). What's funnier is that I have pretty poor vision (and perennially dirty glasses), so I had ruled out the possibility of my seeing SDE at 12 feet. I am wondering if I tweak the settings (sharpness, contrast, black level, etc.), if it might be possible to lessen what little effect I am still seeing.

And I remembered the other question I intended to put in the first message: after I power down the TV, about a minute or two later I hear a couple of clicks coming from the back of the set. I have the TV running through a UPS, and I'm pretty sure the fan is still running once the screen goes black. Are those clicks the final shutdown of the set after cooldown?

For digital over-the-air (OTA) channels, go to Wega Gate->Settings->Applications (i.e. the bottom option)->Diagnostics and it'll show you the signal strength.


Mitch

Thanks Mitch and

Monday night football looked great!!!! after the game I switched on Leno and Letterman in HD, and faces still have that pinkish tone. Is this the "red push"? I think the picture is great except for that. Anybody have any luck getting a natural skin tone?

Is there any way to have the set remember the wide setting? Every time I switch inputs over to my Xbox I have to find the remote and put it back into full mode. Sure would be nice if it would just stay in full for that input.

Bulb issue redux...

My wife and I sat down with the TV (now still plugged into the wall) and it still worked fine. Here are my questions:

1. Someone mentioned "not enough current." Confused why this may be a problem. That said, I thought back to my viewing habits before this happened. The only thing I did differently was that I finally got my DVD player hooked up, so I was running the TV, Yamaha surround sound receiver, subwoofer, cable box, and Samsung DVD player all from the Monster Power Center (all plugged in at the same time). Do you all think this could be a problem?

2. I am able and am contemplating returning the power center, yet I'm not sure what else to do. Is another type going to give me more problems? Do I need to get a more "powerful" one? Maybe this one is defective.

3. Is it safe to try to plug the TV into the Power Center again to see what happens? Due to the above advice, I unplugged, turned off, replugged, and turned on the Power Center to "reboot" it. I'm nervous to plug the TV back in...worried that I might damage it if it happens again. Or maybe that's not possible. My degree is in music, not electrical engineering, so if there is anyone who could school me in this, I'd be mighty obliged. Basically, I still don't understand why a faulty Power Center would cause the bulb light to flash red. And again, I still don't want Sony to necessarily find out by me calling them...because of that bulb they sent me today.

Many thanks again.

Monster is not the be all power conditioner the marketing people would like you to believe...

Look at a Panamax 5100 or 5300 EX - a much better unit and usually at a lower price!

Is there any way to have the set remember the wide setting? Every time I switch inputs over to my Xbox I have to find the remote and put it back into full mode. Sure would be nice if it would just stay in full for that input.

Find the "4:3 Default" in the settings menu and change it from OFF to FULL (or other). You'll need to change this for each input if you want it to stay at a certain screen mode for that input.

Monday night football looked great!!!! after the game I switched on Leno and Letterman in HD, and faces still have that pinkish tone. Is this the "red push"? I think the picture is great except for that. Anybody have any luck getting a natural skin tone?

You need to turn the color down since the A10 color decoder pushes a lot of red. For HD through a Motorola 6412 I have the color set at 35. I still get really good color saturation and skin tones are more natural. If it still looks pink then adjust the Hue slider a bit to the right.

I actually find that on most inputs/sources that the Color setting needs to be in the 30s to help lessen the red push. Setting the Color Temp to Neutral also helps.

And I remembered the other question I intended to put in the first message: after I power down the TV, about a minute or two later I hear a couple of clicks coming from the back of the set. I have the TV running through a UPS, and I'm pretty sure the fan is still running once the screen goes black. Are those clicks the final shutdown of the set after cooldown?

Yes. If you look inside the back of the TV there is a red and green LED and they turn off as well once the cooldown ends. I'm not sure if those LEDs are actually a part of the light engine or what.

Hopefully someone can answer this question!

I purchased the 50" A10 last week and hooked everything up. I'm running the cable through my SA 8300HD cable box. I'm running audio through my stereo receiver (I'm not concerned about using HDMI for audio).

I've gone through everything that I can think of, but I can't seem to get the video to work. It works fine using component cables, but just not with the HDMI.

Is there a setting on the TV or cable box that I'm missing?

Make sure the TV is set to the correct input for HDMI. If that's okay then it might be at the cable box. Make sure the HDMI output is enabled or find out from the cable company on how to check to see if it is.

New here with a question, I have tried a search and read thru most of this thread.

I bought my 42A10 a couple of weeks ago and have been quite happy with it. Waiting on a HD box but have been watching DVDs on an old Panny RV-80. It is non progressive and I'm wondering if an upconverting or progressive player would give me a better picture. If I get a progressive player will the 42 do the upscaling?

Thanks for any info,

Jim

My Sony 775 DVD player looks better on progressive compared to the A10s deinterlacer. A cheap $60 PS DVD player probably won't do as good of a job as the A10, so let the A10 deinterlace by turning PS off on the player. If you decide to let the A10 deinterlace the 480i signal then also make sure to set CineMotion to ON in the user settings. This will give your DVDs a much smoother and more film-like appearance.

But, aside from all that technobabble, let your eyes decide on what looks better. Sometimes it's hard to tell a difference and sometimes it's not.

I'm just curious. How many of you have used the services of a certified ISF prfoessional to calibrate your system for the 42" or the 50"?

The difference appears to be in the eye of the beholder. For me, I compared HDMI and component and found a noticeable difference; HDMI looked better to me. The difference in my case was more than slight (although I admit not huge . . . . medium difference?). The picture is crisper and, in my case, component had a flicker on the screen that HDMI didn't have.

I recommend to anybody who will listen to at least compare the two to see if they notice a difference. You might as well get the best picture you can for your eyes.


FFRED, Drewba is incorrect & your eyes do not decieve you. HDMI/= DVI + Audio. In addtion to providing audio, HDMI can potentially have a better video signal than DVI ever could. The spec for HDMI calls for up to 12 bits of video resolution, however I do no think any manufacturer has implemented that yet. DVI is maximum 8 bits, & most of today's (even the low end gear that has it) HDMI devices use 10 bits. Those 2 extra bits allow for much improved gray sacle.

The caveat is that it must be pure HDMI from player to display. No HDMI to DVI conversion allowed!!

allenbuck,

Got home last night and hooked up both of my Sony DVd players to the TV.
The 755 and the brand new 975 which had been sitting in the box unopened.
No popping sounds with either DVD player.
So it must be the Scientific Atlanta 3250 cable box.

Have the 975 set to 720p and DVDs look incredible, by the way.

Trevor78

Not enough current available throught he Monster Power Center during startup.


That it was I was thiking. Probabaly some kind of clamp circuitry that is stopping the instantaneous ramp up when you first turn it on.

Make sure the TV is set to the correct input for HDMI. If that's okay then it might be at the cable box. Make sure the HDMI output is enabled or find out from the cable company on how to check to see if it is.

I was messing around some more last night. I did make sure that TV was set to input 6 for the HDMI connector. I downloaded the instruction book for the cable box, and followed those instructions. It indicated that the box should normally be set up for pass-through, but when an HDMI cable is used there will be a separate option for that. When I went into the menu, the HDMI option was not there.

Would that indicate a possible faulty cable?

I was messing around some more last night. I did make sure that TV was set to input 6 for the HDMI connector. I downloaded the instruction book for the cable box, and followed those instructions. It indicated that the box should normally be set up for pass-through, but when an HDMI cable is used there will be a separate option for that. When I went into the menu, the HDMI option was not there.

Would that indicate a possible faulty cable?

Call your cable company and see if the HDMI port has been enabled. It's very possible that it isn't.

Call your cable company and see if the HDMI port has been enabled. It's very possible that it isn't.

I have a call into them...believe it or not they are "changing departments" and someone needs to call me back in the next two hours. Go figure!

Is enabling the port something that they can do on their end?

Thanks!

You need to turn the color down since the A10 color decoder pushes a lot of red. For HD through a Motorola 6412 I have the color set at 35. I still get really good color saturation and skin tones are more natural. If it still looks pink then adjust the Hue slider a bit to the right.

I actually find that on most inputs/sources that the Color setting needs to be in the 30s to help lessen the red push. Setting the Color Temp to Neutral also helps.


Absolutely. I reduced it to a 38, I think, and the tone to a G2, after calibrating with Avia.

Jeremy

I was running the TV, Yamaha surround sound receiver, subwoofer, cable box, and Samsung DVD player all from the Monster Power Center (all plugged in at the same time). Do you all think this could be a problem?


Yes. That's quite a bit of gear. Have you checked the max power requirements for each of the components, summed them, then doubled or trippled that number in sizing your power center? If all your gear switches on at the same time it could put a pretty high drain on the power center for a short period and it might not deliver enough current so the TV power supply refuses to light the bulb.

Yes. That's quite a bit of gear. Have you checked the max power requirements for each of the components, summed them, then doubled or trippled that number in sizing your power center? If all your gear switches on at the same time it could put a pretty high drain on the power center for a short period and it might not deliver enough current so the TV power supply refuses to light the bulb.

OK...sounds reasonable. Do I check the manuals for specifications on how much power they put out? I figured it was OK, because they've certainly got enough outlets on the darn thing. That said, maybe they didn't assume I would be using them ALL AT ONCE. :o

You need to turn the color down since the A10 color decoder pushes a lot of red. For HD through a Motorola 6412 I have the color set at 35. I still get really good color saturation and skin tones are more natural. If it still looks pink then adjust the Hue slider a bit to the right.

I actually find that on most inputs/sources that the Color setting needs to be in the 30s to help lessen the red push. Setting the Color Temp to Neutral also helps.

I started out with comparable settings but found that the picture was way too dark and lifeless when watching HD through the Antenna (directly to TV). I had to kick the picture back up to around 60.

D* is coming tomorrow to install the HD 10-250 receiver, my question is should they connect the HDMI out on the receiver to my 42" a10 input or should they use component out to component in on the a10? This t.v. has only 1 HDMI in and I don't know whether to use the HDMI for satellite or DVD playback.

I recently bought the E42A10 and since i set up tivo to record a movie from hbo. it seems like the picture is stretched with images looking wider than normal. I have the tivo setup to 16:9 aspect ratio.

do i need to change something on the tv settings?

also... what are some suggested tweaks i should do on a new set? color changes, etc.

I can get HD OTA channels for cbs (3.1), nbc (10.1, 10.2) & wb (17.1). I cannot get abc & fox OTA in HD. I am using an indoor RCA ANT501 on a Sony KDF-E50A10. Can anyone in the Towamencin or Harleysville area (state--->PA) get these two channels using an indoor antenna? If so, is there something special i have to do to get these channels?
Also, I have noticed that these two channels are 720p (abc, fox), and the ones i get are 1080i (cbs, nbc). Do i need to change the settings in the TV?
Watching MNF in SD cable sucks!

D* is coming tomorrow to install the HD 10-250 receiver, my question is should they connect the HDMI out on the receiver to my 42" a10 input or should they use component out to component in on the a10? This t.v. has only 1 HDMI in and I don't know whether to use the HDMI for satellite or DVD playback.

Use HDMI for upconverting DVD player. See problems with 10-250 HDMI port in HDTV recoder forum. Unless you also have Dolby Digital/DTS sound system then you might find DVD players audio setup setting needs to be set to Bitstream for Dolby Digital output on DVD Toslink or SPDIF connectors. This Bitstream setting might not produce audio to your 42A10 using the HDMI connector and the DVD player will need to be set to PCM for 2 channel audio. In this case, use component video connections and analog audio for your DVD player to 42A10 and HDMI for the 10-250.

Cable company said that they are sending a "diagnostics" over to the box, and that it should activate the HDMI port. Otherwise, they said to bring it in and they will give me a new box.

Does this sound right?

Funny. I've been corresponding with a very famous ISF calibrationist these last few days via email, and he tells me that these sets are definitely calibrateable.

*Shrug* Hopefully someone will get this done soon. I don't have the TV yet, planned on getting it but that happened. I missed out on the BB sale last weekend, too, so I'm kinda bummed. :(

Yoda, I am the guy who had the ISF calibrator come out, and it's not that felt the set was not calibrate-able (though initially he did wonder), instead it became clear that the problem is the new set-up of the A10's service menu and the commensurate knolwdege one needs to acquire to navigate this new menu.

Prior to the A10's, previous iterations of the LCD RPTV Grand Wegas all had the same or very similar service menu. So a calibrator who had experience with a Grand Wega II could confidently make his/her way around Grand Wega IIIs and IVs. Not so any more - the A10s are the first ones to have a very different new service menu. One just needs to obtain a manual or something that will provide a full explanation of what/where the various settings are. The abbreviations for settings appear not to be the same, either.

My guy, also a pretty reputable and long-standing well-known ISF calibrator, will be out a second time to finish the job once he feels he has a firm grasp of the A10 service menu.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Make sure any ISF calibrator is aware that the A10s' service menus aren't at all the same as previous Grand Wegas, and that they cannot rely just on their knowledge of those previous models to make their way around the A10s.

It's a whole new ballgame. Speaking of which, Monday Night F-Ball and the return of Mr. Bonds last night were just so much fun to watch on this thing . . . .

I can get HD OTA channels for cbs (3.1), nbc (10.1, 10.2) & wb (17.1). I cannot get abc & fox OTA in HD. I am using an indoor RCA ANT501 on a Sony KDF-E50A10. Can anyone in the Towamencin or Harleysville area (state--->PA) get these two channels using an indoor antenna? If so, is there something special i have to do to get these channels?
Also, I have noticed that these two channels are 720p (abc, fox), and the ones i get are 1080i (cbs, nbc). Do i need to change the settings in the TV?
Watching MNF in SD cable sucks!

I suggest heading over to the OTA forum. There are threads for all major metropolitan areas and for some smaller areas as well. So, you're best bet is to check out that forum and find a thread for your town or a nearby town and ask over there.


Mitch

I suggest heading over to the OTA forum. There are threads for all major metropolitan areas and for some smaller areas as well. So, you're best bet is to check out that forum and find a thread for your town or a nearby town and ask over there.


Mitch

I agree. I did that, however, i just wanted to know if there was anything special i have to do in the TV's menus (you guys are the experts in that) :)

I agree. I did that, however, i just wanted to know if there was anything special i have to do in the TV's menus (you guys are the experts in that) :)

Sorry didn't pick up on that part of your question.
The answer is "no." :)
All you need to do is switch inputs to the UHF/VHF input (i.e. antenna) and do a channel scan and it should pick up all the OTA channels available - both digital and analog.
Personally, I then went through and deleted/hid all the non-HD channels since I have no desire to try and watch OTA analog.


Mitch

A progressive unit will definately help, an upconvert will do a decent job. I will qualify that; If your going to get an up convert I would recomend opening your pocket book. DO NOT GET A CHEAP ONE. If your going to invest in a upconvert get a denon.($600-900) The cheaper samsung and toshiba and other units out there have very poor scalers in them. You'll get a ton of noticable artifacts. My advice would be get a decent progressive scan and decent component cables, save the HDMI for like an HDDVD or BLURAY player or XBOX 360.

Do I check the manuals for specifications
YES
on how much power they put out?
NO

You want to look at how much power they consume.
Your receiver may put out 110W/ch to 7 ch (like my Yamaha 1400) but it isn't 100% effecient - it generates heat. So, it should require more power than the sum of the outputs (strangely my Yamaha's manual claims it uses 500 watts - must be able to create power out of thin air! :D )

Well after 28 days i returned my 42a10 today. I just couldnt live with the black levels and the SSE. I really wish I could have kept this tv because it has all of the features I wanted and a pretty solid picture but in the end i decided it wasnt worth the cash. Now I intend to purchase a direct view crt. For the money you just cant beat the picture. Ill prolly end up going with the sony xs955. The sharpness, contrast, and black level just cant be beat on a good crt unless you are willing to spend an arm and a leg. Anyways everyone enjoy your a10s, i know i did while i had it but for now its back to old reliable

OK, Just got my 42" A10 and I'm lost.

Waiting for HDMI cable, so I'm connecting my HD cable box to the HD input on the TV with component cables (5)

I see how to label the video inputs, but have no idea what that really means and the owner's manual doesn't seem to help too much.

Can someone point me in the right direction? thnx

I've historically (older CRT sets) always just plugged into a surge-protector (a $10 plastic slab with power outlets that I originally bought to protect a PC). Would it be okay do continue with a A10 like this? Reading this thread seems to indicate that the main concern is that the fan should have power to run (and cool the bulb) after the television is turned off. I can't ever recollect the electricity turning-off precisely when I am watching TV...so it sounds like overkill.

How many of you are actually using a "power" center type UPS device? Does the A10 manual recommend a UPS?

OK, Just got my 42" A10 and I'm lost.

Waiting for HDMI cable, so I'm connecting my HD cable box to the HD input on the TV with component cables (5)

I see how to label the video inputs, but have no idea what that really means and the owner's manual doesn't seem to help too much.

Can someone point me in the right direction? thnx

Input labelling allows you to identify what is plugged into any specfic input on the TV without having to remember what you put in.

So if you are using input 4 for your DVD player and input 2 for your ps2, you can label input 4 as "DVD" and input 2 as "Game."

Page 16 and 17 of the manual show you what numbers go with each input.
Namely:
1 S-Video in
2 Component in 1/Composite in 1
3 Composite in 2
4 Component in 2
5 Component in 3
6 HDMI input
7 PC input

Input labelling allows you to identify what is plugged into any specfic input on the TV without having to remember what you put in.

So if you are using input 4 for your DVD player and input 2 for your ps2, you can label input 4 as "DVD" and input 2 as "Game."

Page 16 and 17 of the manual show you what numbers go with each input.
Namely:
1 S-Video in
2 Component in 1/Composite in 1
3 Composite in 2
4 Component in 2
5 Component in 3
6 HDMI input
7 PC input

DUH....I was looking at the little boxes labelled 1-10 on page 17.

Thanks!!!!!!!

I just had my 42" A10 delivered, used component cables, and couldn't get my SA 8300HD to go thru the setup.

I remembered that the Adelphia Cable dude told me to make sure I connected my SA 8300HD to the TV with the coax cable, tried it, & all seems fine.

If I disconnect the coax, I still get the channel label at the bottom of the screen, but no picture!

Is this the way it's supposed to be?

Am I really looking at HD?

thnx

PS: I've got the SA 8300HD set to "pass-through."

I've historically (older CRT sets) always just plugged into a surge-protector (a $10 plastic slab with power outlets that I originally bought to protect a PC). Would it be okay do continue with a A10 like this? Reading this thread seems to indicate that the main concern is that the fan should have power to run (and cool the bulb) after the television is turned off. I can't ever recollect the electricity turning-off precisely when I am watching TV...so it sounds like overkill.

How many of you are actually using a "power" center type UPS device? Does the A10 manual recommend a UPS?

Correct, it is recommended that you plug into a UPS, NOT the wall. I have mine, and a DVD player, and an 8300HD STB plugged into an APC 500VA unit. It was cheap. I would recommend looking at the discussion a page or two back about UPSs with automatic voltage regulation. There was one that was about 700VA for a reasonable price.

Whatever the cable company did, it worked! Came home from work and the HDMI port worked!

Although to be honest, I didn't really notice a difference between component and HDMI. =)

I've historically (older CRT sets) always just plugged into a surge-protector (a $10 plastic slab with power outlets that I originally bought to protect a PC). Would it be okay do continue with a A10 like this? Reading this thread seems to indicate that the main concern is that the fan should have power to run (and cool the bulb) after the television is turned off. I can't ever recollect the electricity turning-off precisely when I am watching TV...so it sounds like overkill.

How many of you are actually using a "power" center type UPS device? Does the A10 manual recommend a UPS?

When I first started reading this forum I was thinking the same as you. I've never felt the need to get a UPS for any of my electronics. We don't get brownouts where I live, and power failures only happen a few times a year, and I'm usually asleep when they do. However, the bulbs in these LCD and DLP projection TVs have to be kept cool to maintain their lifespan. Allowing the bulb to overheat can seriously shorten its lifespan, or even kill it all together.

The rationale is this: You can get a UPS for less than the cost of a bulb. So, if the UPS saves the life of just one bulb over the course of your ownership of the TV, it has paid for itself.

Keep in mind you don't need an expensive one, there have been many links in this thread to inexpensive UPSs.

Whenever the A10s become available in Canada, my 50" will be plugged into a UPS. I won't bother with the rest of my components, they will be connected to a good surge protector.

Find the "4:3 Default" in the settings menu and change it from OFF to FULL (or other). You'll need to change this for each input if you want it to stay at a certain screen mode for that input.


Thank you very much!


EDIT: turns out this didn't work, if I set the video 5 (Xbox) input to 4:3 full, and then go back to video 4 (cable box), the same setting is applied. So I have to keep switching it.

Monster has a answered the call with a $299 MSRP, ~$200 web store price UPS product that will help concerned projection TV owners with decreasing bulb life. It's Monster model number HT UPS 500 and has a learning infrared eye that repeats command(s), such as power OFF when a loss of power occurs and a load is detected on the AC outlets, keeping the bulbs fan running during the cool down period. Monster call's this 'CoolDown Technology' and it's just what's needed for concerned rear or front projection owners.

Installation note: The corded infrared transmitter must be pointing at your IR eye of the display device (TV). Your IR eye could be inside your cabinet, such was the case of my Samsung DLP and the eye had to positioned inside the cabinet - not on the front of the screen. Locate your IR eye before buying.

So get this: I have learned that, apparently, Sony is purposefully NOT providing information regarding the service menu PQ adjustments for the A10's because they felt that sooo many people before screwed up their sets by messing with the service menu themselves.

Interesting.

Given how complicated the service menu appears to me, I, for one, would not try to tweak this set via the service menu by myself, nor would I be able to convey to others those service menu tweaks done by a calibrator, as I would not understand what he had done.

Maybe that's why UMR is not providing any service menu tweaks on this model. Perhaps Sony has urged him not to do so . . . .

YES

NO

You want to look at how much power they consume.
Your receiver may put out 110W/ch to 7 ch (like my Yamaha 1400) but it isn't 100% effecient - it generates heat. So, it should require more power than the sum of the outputs (strangely my Yamaha's manual claims it uses 500 watts - must be able to create power out of thin air! :D )

I'm thinking this may not be the problem...The Power center can take 1800 W, but with the receiver, DVD player, and TV combined, I'm only getting roughly 500 W total. Should be more than enough. I'll try to be brave enough to hook the TV back into the Power Center to see what happens...

Ok everyone.. I went and decided to finally buy the A10 50 incher.. I got it for $2100 at Bestbuy delivered + tax... I think that's a great deal right?? :D

Thank you very much!


EDIT: turns out this didn't work, if I set the video 5 (Xbox) input to 4:3 full, and then go back to video 4 (cable box), the same setting is applied. So I have to keep switching it.

Apparently it doesn't work for each input. I assumed that it did.

I leave the the 4:3 Default setting to OFF because what that does is enable the auto-detect screen ratio function. Now, if you happen to change the screen mode manually from Wide Zoom to Full it will stay at Full rather than switch back to Wide Zoom. The auto-detect screen ratio only works consistently if you don't ever manually change a screen mode. This is something you'll probably grow to hate.

Apparently it doesn't work for each input. I assumed that it did.

I leave the the 4:3 Default setting to OFF because what that does is enable the auto-detect screen ratio function. Now, if you happen to change the screen mode manually from Wide Zoom to Full it will stay at Full rather than switch back to Wide Zoom. The auto-detect screen ratio only works consistently if you don't ever manually change a screen mode. This is something you'll probably grow to hate.


Actually, after doing a lot of reading it turns out the tv does work as you described (and the owners manual concurs). The problem seems to lie with the Xbox. If I open the disc tray and display the Xbox dashboard the tv works exactly as you stated, but the minute I load a disc into the Xbox it switches back to normal. This only occurs with 480P Xbox games, 720P games work fine. Apparently the Xbox sends a 4:3 signal even on 16:9 games (480P only), and then it expects the tv to stretch the picture. I have input 7 (DVD) set to full and it doesn't change by itself, so it works as described.

Oh well, one of the reasons I got this set was for the upcoming Xbox 360, which will be 720P & 16:9 on all games, so I guess I can live with it for now.

So get this: I have learned that, apparently, Sony is purposefully NOT providing information regarding the service menu PQ adjustments for the A10's because they felt that sooo many people before screwed up their sets by messing with the service menu themselves.

Interesting.

Given how complicated the service menu appears to me, I, for one, would not try to tweak this set via the service menu by myself, nor would I be able to convey to others those service menu tweaks done by a calibrator, as I would not understand what he had done.

Maybe that's why UMR is not providing any service menu tweaks on this model. Perhaps Sony has urged him not to do so . . . .

This is why I haven't bothered with it. I did venture into the SM for a quick glance and it is very different from my 30" Sony. I was going to attempt the red push fix but decided to just turn the color down for now.

I think UMR just doesn't want to hurt his or anyone else's TV calibration business. That is understandable.

What would be usefull is if someone can figure out how to get in and out of the service menu to check the number of bulb hours, without screwing things up. Any volunteers?

So get this: I have learned that, apparently, Sony is purposefully NOT providing information regarding the service menu PQ adjustments for the A10's because they felt that sooo many people before screwed up their sets by messing with the service menu themselves.

Interesting.

Given how complicated the service menu appears to me, I, for one, would not try to tweak this set via the service menu by myself, nor would I be able to convey to others those service menu tweaks done by a calibrator, as I would not understand what he had done.

Maybe that's why UMR is not providing any service menu tweaks on this model. Perhaps Sony has urged him not to do so . . . .

Hey Fred, that stinks. However you and I both know that the service menu settings WILL show up at some point. Sony can't keep the secret forever, technicians will have to use the settings at some point to fix sets.

As far as UMR goes, umr has mentioned that he is now in business for performing calibrations, hence no tweaks for any TV :D

Does anyone else here agree with my viewpoint that it is not worth spending the $1500 for the SXRD 50 inch over the existing A10 since technlogy is changing so quickly and the A10 isn't a bad set to begin with?

I mean, I'm not made of money, but it just seems like the SXRD is a beautiful set, but the technology behind the HD tvs keeps getting outdated at rather quick clips...

Does anyone else here agree with my viewpoint that it is not worth spending the $1500 for the SXRD 50 inch over the existing A10 since technlogy is changing so quickly and the A10 isn't a bad set to begin with?

I mean, I'm not made of money, but it just seems like the SXRD is a beautiful set, but the technology behind the HD tvs keeps getting outdated at rather quick clips...

Better optics, light engine, and improved black level would be a good reason to get the SXRD. If only I had the money... :)

Does anyone else here agree with my viewpoint that it is not worth spending the $1500 for the SXRD 50 inch over the existing A10 since technlogy is changing so quickly and the A10 isn't a bad set to begin with?

I mean, I'm not made of money, but it just seems like the SXRD is a beautiful set, but the technology behind the HD tvs keeps getting outdated at rather quick clips...

The only real answer to your question is to go see for yourself. What is an inconsquential difference for some people is substantial for others.

You also need to look at your choice in light of how long you think you're going to keep the set.

The only real answer to your question is to go see for yourself. What is an inconsquential difference for some people is substantial for others.

You also need to look at your choice in light of how long you think you're going to keep the set.

I understand.. but I'm a technology addict.. so I don't want to drop the extra $1500 when I will probably upgrade the set in about 3 years..

YES


Your receiver may put out 110W/ch to 7 ch (like my Yamaha 1400) but it isn't 100% effecient - it generates heat. So, it should require more power than the sum of the outputs (strangely my Yamaha's manual claims it uses 500 watts - must be able to create power out of thin air! :D )


110 watts per channel output to the speakers is very different from AC power consumption. There is almost no chance that you will ever get 110 WPC output to all 7 speakers at the same time. The capacitors in your Yammy store up the needed power to make that 110 WPC. That is 110 CPC peak output - instananeous... The specs on your Yamaha are correct.

With average listening you are most likely only using at most 35 WPC RMS and more likely you are using about 7 WPC when watching a TV program.

The point is that the original poster has purchased a MONSTER power conditioner. This power conditioner should be able to handle the demands of a moderate home theater system. This is what it says it will do and it is supposed to be what it was designed for. Unfortunately it is not doing the job. These Monster power conditioners are well regarded by the people who sell them, not so well regarded by people who actually use them.

If he switches to a Panamax Power conditioner he would not have the problem he is having with start up because the Panamax has dedicated protection for three sets of outlets. One block of outlets is designed specifically for high power consuming devices such as subwoofers and amplifiers.

Unless he has poor wiring in his home and is feeding his Monster with less than a 15 Amp circuit my contention is that the Monster is failing him and he needs to change to another product.

Scott
Sony DA4ES
B&K Reference 4430
Sony CX985 400 disc DVD
Sony CX450 400 disc CD x 2
Definitive Technology BP30 Mains Bi-Amped
Definitive Technology ProTower400 Center
Definitive Technology BPX Surrounds
SVS 25-31 PC+
Cerwin Vega LW10 Surround sub
Sony Grand Wega 42 A-10
Panamax 5100
Sony VCR
XBOX
Hughes DirectTv Tivo

Does anyone else here agree with my viewpoint that it is not worth spending the $1500 for the SXRD 50 inch over the existing A10 since technlogy is changing so quickly and the A10 isn't a bad set to begin with?

I mean, I'm not made of money, but it just seems like the SXRD is a beautiful set, but the technology behind the HD tvs keeps getting outdated at rather quick clips...
Unless you have an unlimited budget, it's best to stay behind the curve a little.

You are paying a premium to get the latest and greatest technology, but 12 - 18 months from now, will it matter to you that you are only two generations behind instead of three generations behind? Personally, I have too many hobbies to focus all my cash on one.

In just a few months, the SXRD will be displaced by something else and the price will drop dramatically.

Here's an example: in Nov. 2003, I considered buying one of the new 50" Samsung DLP sets that had just been released. I decided against it.

Since that time, I've spent about the same $3500 on a Sanyo Z2 projector with 96" screen, and a 42" A10. I now use the Z2 in a room just for HD, Xbox, and movies. I use the A10 in another room for SD and some movies.

If you've got the room, and can use two sets down the road, it's a great way to purchase. Neither will be the absolute latest and greatest when you purchase them, but they will both be great sets.

I will say though, that I won't buy anything I don't like just because it's less expensive.

I've historically (older CRT sets) always just plugged into a surge-protector (a $10 plastic slab with power outlets that I originally bought to protect a PC). Would it be okay do continue with a A10 like this? Reading this thread seems to indicate that the main concern is that the fan should have power to run (and cool the bulb) after the television is turned off. I can't ever recollect the electricity turning-off precisely when I am watching TV...so it sounds like overkill.

How many of you are actually using a "power" center type UPS device? Does the A10 manual recommend a UPS?

I use both a Panamax 5100 Power conditioner and a APC Battery Back Up UPS. I have all power from the wall outlet going through the Panamax before it is routed to any component or the UPS. The TV and my DirectTV TiVo is plugged into the UPS.

I found that there are more benefits from using a quality power conditioner than just the disaster protection it provided. There was a noticable improvement in my television picture and I think my sound system benefits from the RFI filtering a great deal.

I also have experienced the disaster protection first hand and the Panamax 5100 saved all of my equipment.

Is it worth the extra money? That is up to you, but I am darned glad that I bought one.

My next move will be to add dedicated whole house protection and filtering.

Scott
Sony DA4ES
B&K Reference 4430
Sony CX985 400 disc DVD
Sony CX450 400 disc CD x 2
Definitive Technology BP30 Mains Bi-Amped
Definitive Technology ProTower400 Center
Definitive Technology BPX Surrounds
SVS 25-31 PC+
Cerwin Vega LW10 Surround sub
Sony Grand Wega 42 A-10
Panamax 5100
Sony VCR
XBOX
Hughes DirectTv Tivo

Unless you have an unlimited budget, it's best to stay behind the curve a little.

You are paying a premium to get the latest and greatest technology, but 12 - 18 months from now, will it matter to you that you are only two generations behind instead of three generations behind? Personally, I have too many hobbies to focus all my cash on one.

In just a few months, the SXRD will be displaced by something else and the price will drop dramatically.

Here's an example: in Nov. 2003, I considered buying one of the new 50" Samsung DLP sets that had just been released. I decided against it.

Since that time, I've spent about the same $3500 on a Sanyo Z2 projector with 96" screen, and a 42" A10. I now use the Z2 in a room just for HD, Xbox, and movies. I use the A10 in another room for SD and some movies.

If you've got the room, and can use two sets down the road, it's a great way to purchase. Neither will be the absolute latest and greatest when you purchase them, but they will both be great sets.

I will say though, that I won't buy anything I don't like just because it's less expensive.


It's not because its less expensive.. If I wanted to I could spend the extra $1500 for the SXRD..but with how quickly tvs are changing tech, it's not justified for me. :)

Scott- many thanks...this was exactly the information that I was looking for. It looks as though your recommendation would be to return the Monster and get Panamax. A follow up, though...I spent $150 on the Monster and neither myself (nor my wife) thinks that paying much more would be worth it (or am I wrong)? I mean, spending $150 sure didn't help the situation.

So- what model of Panamax should I be considering, and where should I purchase? Is it available at BB or CC?

Many thanks again.

For these line conditioners, please check ebay, amazon, ecost, buy.com etc. THere are substantial savings to be had. Specifically, I know the Belkin PF30 lists for $249, but with a little digging, you can easily find it for $110 or so.

For these line conditioners, please check ebay, amazon, ecost, buy.com etc. THere are substantial savings to be had. Specifically, I know the Belkin PF30 lists for $249, but with a little digging, you can easily find it for $110 or so.

I will certainly do the research...but even more than that, just how much protection do I NEED? I don't trust the salesman to tell me anymore; I trust you guys because you're not out for my money.

At least, to my knowledge. :o

Again, just don't want to spend $200 when spending $100 will work just fine.

I will certainly do the research...but even more than that, just how much protection do I NEED? I don't trust the salesman to tell me anymore; I trust you guys because you're not out for my money.

At least, to my knowledge. :o

Again, just don't want to spend $200 when spending $100 will work just fine.

Hi Trevor, what are you trying to accomplish with the line conditioner? Don't jump on the 'me too' bus because everyone else has it :) Seriously, unless you think your picture is bad or if you have RF hum coming from your stereo a line conditioner is not worth it -- a good surge protector would work to protect your equipment from damage just as well. Check out Brickwall (google it) as they make a very nice protection device.

I have seen line conditioners clean up a cable signal nicely. Of course that probably won't help too much once we all go digital...

I've had more than a few manufacturers tell me that while line conditioning is good for some components, it's not so good for others. Krell actually reccomends against it on some of their stuff.

So if you just want protection, the Brickwall stuff is about as good as it gets in a decent price range and will provide years and years of protection. I believe they are also a sponsor of this forum...

Hi Trevor, what are you trying to accomplish with the line conditioner? Don't jump on the 'me too' bus because everyone else has it :) Seriously, unless you think your picture is bad or if you have RF hum coming from your stereo a line conditioner is not worth it -- a good surge protector would work to protect your equipment from damage just as well. Check out Brickwall (google it) as they make a very nice protection device.

I have seen line conditioners clean up a cable signal nicely. Of course that probably won't help too much once we all go digital...

I've had more than a few manufacturers tell me that while line conditioning is good for some components, it's not so good for others. Krell actually reccomends against it on some of their stuff.

So if you just want protection, the Brickwall stuff is about as good as it gets in a decent price range and will provide years and years of protection. I believe they are also a sponsor of this forum...

Good question...essentially, I am looking for basic protection for my A10 and other equipment (receiver, DVD, XBox, woofer) from power surges. My SD tends to be pretty hazy through Comcast and have noticed a slight improvement with the conditioner, so that is an issue as well.

Also, my wife and I live in a condominium, so from what I've understood, conditioners are more important in these situations because of the way the power is lined throughout the units.

I guess the biggest problem is that I've been psychologically damaged from salesmen telling me I will burn in Hell if I plug this TV into the wall.

:D

Anyway, thanks again for the information!

Well after 28 days i returned my 42a10 today. I just couldnt live with the black levels and the SSE. I really wish I could have kept this tv because it has all of the features I wanted and a pretty solid picture but in the end i decided it wasnt worth the cash. Now I intend to purchase a direct view crt. For the money you just cant beat the picture. Ill prolly end up going with the sony xs955. The sharpness, contrast, and black level just cant be beat on a good crt unless you are willing to spend an arm and a leg. Anyways everyone enjoy your a10s, i know i did while i had it but for now its back to old reliable

I am afraid I will have the same issues on the A-10. I certainly do on my current 42 inch GWIII. The 50 inch A-10 fits perfectly in my nice existing entertainment center, BUT when I went and looked at them again last nite I was not thrilled with the PQ. It held its own against the other RPTV's on display, and was even better than most. My mistake was when I looked at the Panny plasmas nearbly. WOW, what a difference! Totally blew ALL the RPTV's out of the water. I kept trying to like the A-10 after seeing the plasmas, but that is sure a stretch. How some people here have stated that the A-10 is superior mystifies me completely. Now I am faced with 2 choices, buy the 50 inch A-10 and get a big picture that sometimes is very good, and sometimes pretty mediocre (mainly on darker scenes), or buy the 42 inch Panny HD plasma for a few hundred more , and give up some pic size for a drop- dead- gorgeous WOW picture. Oh boy..lol

Not sure what I did, but the "Wide Mode" is too wide for the TV on my HD channels. (Using the SA8300HD)

When I set Wide Mode- Full and switch between ESPN and ESPNHD, the graphics on the bottom of ESPNHD don't fit anymore.

Did I set something wrong???

thnx

PS: Tried to search the thread, but the server is too busy!!!!

Scott- many thanks...this was exactly the information that I was looking for. It looks as though your recommendation would be to return the Monster and get Panamax. A follow up, though...I spent $150 on the Monster and neither myself (nor my wife) thinks that paying much more would be worth it (or am I wrong)? I mean, spending $150 sure didn't help the situation.

So- what model of Panamax should I be considering, and where should I purchase? Is it available at BB or CC?

Many thanks again.

Trevor,

I know it seems like a lot of money to spend but how much money have you already spent? Many experts believe that power fluctuations (especially low voltage) can harm electronic components. If an immediate failure does not occur it could over time. The power conditioning technology in a Panamax conditioner will shut down any over or under voltage.

I especially appreciate the RFI and EMI filters used in these units. I have so much RFI in my neighborhood that I can plug in self powered speakers (like computer speakers) into an unprotected outlet in my home and get a clear FM station - without any source hooked up to the speakers at all... With the Panamax I don't.

Your selection of the model would depend on your needs. I am connected to Direct TV with a dual LNB dish for my TiVo so I need to have the Panamax 5400 model or higher because it will protect two satellite inputs. It will also protect two cable TV inputs, and yes, they are different, you cannot hook up a satellite feed to a cable input - the voltage protection is Different. I currently have the Panamax 5100 which only protects one satellite input. I got around that by purchasing a Panama 8 DBS power strip which protects both of my satellite feeds.

Someone else said "For these line conditioners, please check ebay, amazon, ecost, buy.com etc. THere are substantial savings to be had."

You can do that, but be aware that the manufacturers will not honor the equipment replacement protection insurance if the unit is purchased used or not from an authorized dealer.

I can tell you that I am a believer. My brother who has a strong electrical background was a non-believer and lobbied hard against my buying a Panamax.

I had to do something about the RFI problem I had however. Therefore I bought the thing anyway... Not knowing if it would work or not. After I bought it and told my brother that I thought it improved my picture and sound, he dismissed my findings...

But then on an unrelated visit he saw the difference... Still not saying a word...

He also had an expensive amplifier that he was sending to the shop every 6 months or so for different failures, all not under warranty... Next thing I know he not only bought a Panamax - He bought the Panamax 5400EX from Crutchfield. Now he tells his friends that his Sony XBR television never looked so good. He also found out, after installing the Panamax that his ground protection in his home was faulty... The Panamax immediately shut everything down. So in the end he spent much more than I did or more than he expected, but now he is protected and his electrical system is repaired.

Buy one from Crutchfield, they do great with returns if you are not satisfied or don't think it made a difference... But I think you will see the difference. And... You will appreciate the safe feeling you have the next time your power surges or worse browns out and you look at your entertainment system and all is shut down and safe. (Of course this is the reason for the UPS - you have to have power for the fan in your TV).

Good Luck!

Scott
Sony DA4ES
B&K Reference 4430
Sony CX985 400 disc DVD
Sony CX450 400 disc CD x 2
Definitive Technology BP30 Mains Bi-Amped
Definitive Technology ProTower400 Center
Definitive Technology BPX Surrounds
SVS 25-31 PC+
Cerwin Vega LW10 Surround sub
Sony Grand Wega 42 A-10
Panamax 5100
Sony VCR
XBOX
Hughes DirectTv Tivo

I am afraid I will have the same issues on the A-10. I certainly do on my current 42 inch GWIII. The 50 inch A-10 fits perfectly in my nice existing entertainment center, BUT when I went and looked at them again last nite I was not thrilled with the PQ. It held its own against the other RPTV's on display, and was even better than most. My mistake was when I looked at the Panny plasmas nearbly. WOW, what a difference! Totally blew ALL the RPTV's out of the water. I kept trying to like the A-10 after seeing the plasmas, but that is sure a stretch. How some people here have stated that the A-10 is superior mystifies me completely. Now I am faced with 2 choices, buy the 50 inch A-10 and get a big picture that sometimes is very good, and sometimes pretty mediocre (mainly on darker scenes), or buy the 42 inch Panny HD plasma for a few hundred more , and give up some pic size for a drop- dead- gorgeous WOW picture. Oh boy..lol

There's always something. :) Too bad you can't get the better picture on the larger size. Is a 50" Panny plasma too pricy??

There's always something. :) Too bad you can't get the better picture on the larger size. Is a 50" Panny plasma too pricy??

The Panny 50 inch plasma won't fit in my entertainment center, whereas the 50 inch A-10 will....it IS always something..lol. :)

Sort of OT to the Sony thread, but maybe not so much since a lot of you seem to be comtemplating the Panny plasma's like myself. Apparently, Panasonic is very good with their warranty work, i.e. you do not need to buy from an authorized dealer. You can search pricegrabber and some of the internet vendors and apparently buy them from, and rest ashurd that Panasonic will cover your TV under it's warranty. I found that to be pretty cool.

That 50px500u is sure a nice looking set. :D

My mistake was when I looked at the Panny plasmas nearbly. WOW, what a difference! Totally blew ALL the RPTV's out of the water. I kept trying to like the A-10 after seeing the plasmas, but that is sure a stretch. How some people here have stated that the A-10 is superior mystifies me completely. Now I am faced with 2 choices, buy the 50 inch A-10 and get a big picture that sometimes is very good, and sometimes pretty mediocre (mainly on darker scenes), or buy the 42 inch Panny HD plasma for a few hundred more , and give up some pic size for a drop- dead- gorgeous WOW picture. Oh boy..lol

Ah, well, Alan, indeed that was your mistake - you have eaten from the Tree of Plasma Knowledge and you are forever changed, kicked out of the Garden of LCDRPTVs with no way of going back, your RPTV innocence gone forever, and you can't un-ring the bell . . . while there perhaps once there was, there is no longer a way to get back home for you and others who have partaken of this gaseous fruit . . .

Inadvertently I suppose, I got lucky and just bought the A10 when they first came out, from the warehouse, with a 30-day return policy affording sufficient comfort. Never looked at the plasmas, assuming they were just out of my price range given the size I wanted (50"). So I just don't know these plasma displays of which you speak and, given how much I enjoy my A10, I don't want to know. . . . Why spoil a good thing?

I do want to thank you and others who have talked about the plasmas: I know now to steer well-clear of these tempting delights, to avert my gaze from them at BB/CC/etc. so as not to spoil the very good relationship I currently enjoy with my A10.

Ignorance, it turns out, truly can be bliss . . .

Ah, well, Alan, indeed that was your mistake - you have eaten from the Tree of Plasma Knowledge and you are forever changed, kicked out of the Garden of LCDRPTVs with no way of going back, your RPTV innocence gone forever, and you can't un-ring the bell . . . while there perhaps once there was, there is no longer a way to get back home for you and others who have partaken of this gaseous fruit . . .

Inadvertently I suppose, I got lucky and just bought the A10 when they first came out, from the warehouse, with a 30-day return policy affording sufficient comfort. Never looked at the plasmas, assuming they were just out of my price range given the size I wanted (50"). So I just don't know these plasma displays of which you speak and, given how much I enjoy my A10, I don't want to know. . . . Why spoil a good thing?

I do want to thank you and others who have talked about the plasmas: I know now to steer well-clear of these tempting delights, to avert my gaze from them at BB/CC/etc. so as not to spoil the very good relationship I currently enjoy with my A10.

Ignorance, it turns out, truly can be bliss . . .

Good one! LOL I am really on the fence on this one. I want the 42% larger picture afforded by 50 inches, versus 42. I think I will go ahead and pick up an A-10 at Sam's Club tonite and give it a try. They have an open-ended return policy like at Costco...you can basically return the TV anytime if you aren't satisfied. (even after a year or more). So I will give the A-10 a shot. If I am reasonably happy with the PQ I win. If not, I take it back and try something else. I am really hoping it's a keeper.

Good one! LOL I am really on the fence on this one. I want the 42% larger picture afforded by 50 inches, versus 42. I think I will go ahead and pick up an A-10 at Sam's Club tonite and give it a try. They have an open-ended return policy like at Costco...you can basically return the TV anytime if you aren't satisfied. (even after a year or more). So I will give the A-10 a shot. If I am reasonably happy with the PQ I win. If not, I take it back and try something else. I am really hoping it's a keeper.

Great idea! Just don't make it harder on yourself - don't look at plasmas for awhile after you get the A10 . . . . . . you may well be able to pull it off and enjoy your A10 to the fullest.

Good luck!

Yeah, I don't think its as liberal as Costco.

Yeah, I don't think its as liberal as Costco.

They have supposedly recently changed it to match Costco....Satisfaction is guaranteed ...Period. The signs used to have rules and limits on them...now they just promise satisfaction. I have asked 4 times, at 2 different locations specifically about returns on TV's, and that was their story. If anyone knows different. please let us know.

Great idea! Just don't make it harder on yourself - don't look at plasmas for awhile after you get the A10 . . . . . . you may well be able to pull it off and enjoy your A10 to the fullest.

Good luck!

Strange way to decide on which tv to buy. Sounds more like a person is "settling" for a choice, rather than making a choice. If it comes down to using this type of buying technique, I say put off buying altogether....at least for awhile.

Just got mine. Totally stunned as to how good it is. Will report more later.

http://www.bitflydesign.com/misc/sonya10_1.jpg

http://www.bitflydesign.com/misc/sonya10_2.jpg

Scott,

Many thanks once again. Hope I did not derail the thread with what I thought was an A10 problem, but now seems to be a UPS problem!

I'll probably go with a Panamax depending on what I can find in my area.

Trevor

Mark Oliver more pics! MORE PICS!!!! :D

BTW what model did you get? The 42" or 50"?

Oh, oh and what are your settings? :)

Mark Oliver more pics! MORE PICS!!!! :D

BTW what model did you get? The 42" or 50"?

Oh, oh and what are your settings? :)

What kind of pics?

I got the 50". So far the settings are close to default as it looks sweet to me. Avia is also useless for this TV.

What kind of pics?

I would say side view but you got that damn plant in the way. :p

How about more screenshots of different material (ex: dark movie, video game, SD feed, HD feed, etc) being played on the TV.

What kind of pics?

I got the 50". So far the settings are close to default as it looks sweet to me. Avia is also useless for this TV.


The unit looks good. How far is your couch from the TV?

Just got mine. Totally stunned as to how good it is. Will report more later.

http://www.bitflydesign.com/misc/sonya10_1.jpg

http://www.bitflydesign.com/misc/sonya10_2.jpg


Sweet :D Great Piks, Dude. Outlandish setup :)

The unit looks good. How far is your couch from the TV?

Sitting my eyes are about 8-9 feet from the screen.

Just got my 42 a10 today...and i really like it except for the fact that I have a LIT PIXEL!!! damn... any a10 owners here dealing with this???

not sure what to do ...got it from bestbuy...whats their policy on these things?

or should I just deal with it and be glad it wasn't more than one? what would ya'll do?

Return it. BB has a 30 day return policy. No need to worry about how they feel about "why" you are returrning. For 30 days you are the boss.

Scott,

Many thanks once again. Hope I did not derail the thread with what I thought was an A10 problem, but now seems to be a UPS problem!

I'll probably go with a Panamax depending on what I can find in my area.

Trevor

No problem Trevor... Glad I could help!

BTW the hype in the stores and elsewhere is omnipresent on all Monster products... You don't need to be fooled again. When it comes to cables or speaker wires or anything else... Just shop for quality and price - not name.

I buy all of my cables and a lot of other stuff from http://www.partexpress.com. Their DAYTON line of interconnects work just fine, look like a million and don't cost you but 1/3 of Monsters stuff...

Good Luck Once Again!

Scott
Sony DA4ES
B&K Reference 4430
Sony CX985 400 disc DVD
Sony CX450 400 disc CD x 2
Definitive Technology BP30 Mains Bi-Amped
Definitive Technology ProTower400 Center
Definitive Technology BPX Surrounds
SVS 25-31 PC+
Cerwin Vega LW10 Surround sub
Sony Grand Wega 42 A-10
Panamax 5100
Sony VCR
XBOX
Hughes DirectTv Tivo

Okay, I've read the most of this thread to answer these questions but couldn't find an answer, so if I missed something, don't shoot me :eek:

1 - is CINEMOTION set to ON or Auto for all the inputs by default?

2 - I will be hooking my Xbox & Xbox 360 up to the TV via component cables but connecting the audio directly to a 5.1 surround sound receiver. Will I have "lip synch" issues? If so, how do I correct this?

3 - I will be using the Xbox 360 as my DVD player, should I use the same settings to play games and watch movies? Can you have more than 1 custom setting on the same input? If so, can you reccomend a setup for each (gaming & DVD's)

4 - if I turn CINEMOTION ON for DVD's, will this be okay for gaming?

5 - since all Xbox 360 games are 16:9 & minimum 720p - do I need to change anything in the settings and/or TV to obtain the best picture quality for DVD viewing?

6 - for standard TV watching, should I just watch them with black bars on the sides so the picture looks normal? Seems like all those WIDE & ZOOM modes are confusing and screw with the picture.

Not sure if this matters to my above questions, but I will be using a CableCard & the Xbox(s) will be the only other things hooked to the TV. I will have the Audio Out of the TV sent to my receiver for 5.1 surround sound (which I know I need to turn the speakers off for it to work).

Thanks for your help. :D :D :D

Great idea! Just don't make it harder on yourself - don't look at plasmas for awhile after you get the A10 . . . . . . you may well be able to pull it off and enjoy your A10 to the fullest.

Good luck!

Well, I went to Sam's at bought the 50 inch A-10. Price was below list and INCLUDES the stand (which I really didn't need). They still are saying that they will pretty much take the TV back at any time, but would prefer it be returned in 90 days or less..sounds fair to me. I got the thing home, and set in my entertainment center. I have to say I think people have underplayed the improvment in the A-10 vs the GWIII. It is MUCH better, even though my GWIII was a 42 incher. The contrast, black levels, and shadow detail are greatly improved. I watched a wide variety of material last nite, and I am far more impressed than I expected to be. Spiderman played on a cheap Sony DVD player with progressive OFF looked great...far better than it did on the GWIII. Leno, and Letterman looked amazing. So far the only correction I have made was to dial down the color level from 50 to the mid-30's for all picture modes. The default setting for color on these things looks like a cartoon! (Why does Sony do that?) I am eating crow on this one, after stating that I was afraid the A-10 had the same PQ issues as the GWIII. I can also say, that I tried a Samsung HLP5063W a year ago, and was VERY dissapointed in the PQ. It lacked sharpness, had weird artifacts, plus suffered from rainbows. This A-10 is truly better than ANY DLP I have even seen. I think the Panny plasma is still superior, but it too has issues, and far higher price tag. All in all it seems the A-10 is a great value. Thanks for all the input from everyone on this forum. I will continue to check it out, and keep you posted on how things are going with this TV.

Strange way to decide on which tv to buy. Sounds more like a person is "settling" for a choice, rather than making a choice. If it comes down to using this type of buying technique, I say put off buying altogether....at least for awhile.

You forget that these better plasmas are around $1,500 more right now (give or take a few hundred). If one likes the A10 picture good enough, and does not have the extra cash, why not get it? Does one "settle" for a well-built, solid Lexus/Mercedes/equivalent when clearly the Bentley/Rolls Royce/Exotic Sports Car is a better built, higher performing car?

Perhaps one buys the best one can afford at the time one is in the market.

Why continue to go to the Rolls/Bentley/etc dealership and oogle at the high performance, flashy, stunning vehicle you did not purchase and could not afford, once you get that quite nice Lexus 430?

Editor's note: Realize the choice of autos in the above rather well-reasoned argument is merely one for analogy-sake. If one believes Rolls/Bentley/etc. suck, understand that this does not invalidate the above analogy. Just a clarification . . .

Hi, total noob here.

Since this thread is sooooooo long and I am short on time, I thought I would just ask this rather than surf through roughly 3,000 posts, so I apologise if this has already been covered.

I recently bought the 50A10. I have an SA8300HD box from Cablevision hooked up to the TV through HDMI. The question I have is, do I still need to connect a coax from the box to the TV? I realise this may be a very dumb question, but I am very new to all this so please bear(sp?) with me.

You could just unplug it and see what happens. ;)

You could just unplug it and see what happens. ;)

The Coax? Also, should the set be on Input 6 to see the Signal from the box through the HDMI? Currently it's set to cable in Wega Gate.

The Coax? Also, should the set be on Input 6 to see the Signal from the box through the HDMI? Currently it's set to cable in Wega Gate.

What he's saying is that if you are getting a picture without the coax running from the tv to the STB then there is no reason for you to connect a coax from the STB to the tv. If you are using HDMI then there is no reason to have a coax running from the Box to the tv. Basically you are getting the cable through the coax from the wall to your cable box, then you transfer the audio and video from the cable box using the HDMI cable to your television set.

Hi, total noob here.

Since this thread is sooooooo long and I am short on time, I thought I would just ask this rather than surf through roughly 3,000 posts, so I apologise if this has already been covered.

I recently bought the 50A10. I have an SA8300HD box from Cablevision hooked up to the TV through HDMI. The question I have is, do I still need to connect a coax from the box to the TV? I realise this may be a very dumb question, but I am very new to all this so please bear(sp?) with me.

If HDMI is working properly for you then you don’t have to use the co-axial cable at all. However, you could split the co-axial cable into two. Then plug one of the co-axial cables into the TV straight from the wall and skip the cable box. Then plug the other end into the cable box and use HDMI out from the box to the TV. This method will give you the cable boxes good on screen guide when watching through HDMI and it will also allow you to tune in all of the “in-the-clear” digital and HD channels with the TV. The cable box can send the TV the signals in their native resolutions through HDMI. However, if you send everything through in its native format then it can take a longer amount of time to switch channels if you are going from a 1080i station to a 720p station. What I do is set the 8300HD DVR to output everything at 1080i. Then if I want to watch a 720p station I switch to the TVs internal tuner and the signal will come in at 720p. It probably isn’t really worth doing this because 720p looks very good through HDMI at 1080i anyway. It is just another option to consider. The Standard Definition content can look a lot better using the TVs built-in tuner though. SD ESPN2 football games look terrible when upconverted through the 8300HD to 1080i. They look acceptable through the TVs tuner. OH yea the TV tuner does not put “Grey” bars on 4:3 content like the passport 8300HD does. That might be another reason to set it up this way.

What kind of pics?

I got the 50". So far the settings are close to default as it looks sweet to me. Avia is also useless for this TV.

Mark

Why is Avia useless for this TV?

Mark

Why is Avia useless for this TV?
I want to know this too, and is DVE more or less useful than Avia for this TV? My DVE disk will be delivered next week.

Would someone be kind enough to post the dimensions of the box (not the TV dimensions, the actual box that it comes in)? I've searched through this thread and haven't found anyone mention it yet.

I'm wanting to make sure this thing will fit into my wife's SUV and save me delivery charges. Also, the box dimensions of the stand would be a plus. :o

Thanks in advance for the help!

I want to know this too, and is DVE more or less useful than Avia for this TV? My DVE disk will be delivered next week.

Well, for one thing, the Avia test where you're looking at white space on the bottom half of the screen and tracking those two faint vertical bars going back and forth over the white seems not to work (Contrast adjust? Color? Can't remember). The faint vertical bars are nowhere to be seen on my 50A10, which makes it impossible to adjust. You're supposed to adjust until one of the bars disappears and the other one is just barely visible. But, without any bars . . . . well, it's a completely useless test/adjustment on the A10.

Oddly, the converse test on Avia (I think it's brightness), where you have a totally black background and you're adjusting two faint vertical bars until one just disappears, does work - just fine. It's only the white background one that doesn't work.

I was wondering if all RPTV LCDs would also not display the faint bars-on-white-background test. IE, is this a unique phenomenon of the A10s or is it inherent in LCD RPTV technology?