How do you watch DVD's over HDMI?? I can't get a signal when I hook up my DVI/HDMI adaptor to the Sony & the Zenith 318.. Thanks..

I don't recall all the details, but it seemed very easy at the store. I was using their toshiba (and sony) upconverting DVD player. I left the TV set on "AUTO" picture. I made sure that DVD player was using "widescreen." I ran the cable from the hdmi out on the DVD player to HDMI in on the Sony. Viola! It worked.

I did notice the "red push" everyone talks about. Sometimes peoples faces looked sun burned. But I am confident the tweaks (in the tweaks thread) will take care of the issue to my satisfaction.

This is my first post on this forum and I have been sitting here all morning reading through this post and I was pretty sure I was going to purchase the A10 this year before xmas so that my xbox360 will look the way it was intended :) but after reading this I am definately getting the 50" A10.

This thread was the most informative post on the A10 out there, thanks for the help. And I will post some pics when I finally take the plunge.

Also, I hadn't really thought about hooking my cpu to the set but after looking at some of the pics here (especially those World of Warcraft pics) its a no brainer.

hey toby did you get your a10 from authorized electronics?

No. A10 will convert nicely.

By convert you mean the wide/zoom features, yes?

Or am I missing a setting that actually converts the signal?

-T-

hey toby did you get your a10 from authorized electronics?

Yep.

It's here. Completely in tact and complete with Sony US docs. All set up. Easy as pie. Just ran it all out of my receiver (Onkyo 602) into a component input and I am off and running.

Just need to fiddle with the settings per tweaks in this thread and others.

Coming off a 27" CRT for a while… so it will be an adjustment. Viewing distance is about 7.5ft.

(I always use receiver audio, so no initial comment on audio until I set up OTA ).

At this point I could not be more pleased. Glad I did the Authorized E route.

-T-

I have an Avia disc on the way but started with the following settings:

Picture mode: Custom
Iris: 2
Picture: 62
Brightness: 42
Color: 39
Hue: G1
Color Temp: Normal
Sharpness: 47
Noise Reduction: Low
Black Correction: off
Adv Vid- Advanced Iris: low
Adv Vid- Gamma: off
Adv Vid- Clear white: off
Adv Vid- Live Color: off

At 7.5' on very bright scenes I get a little SSE, but nothing too heinous.

If anything all this has done is get me a lather about getting HD DVD/Blu-Ray. HDTV is flat out sexy.

-T-

Well I went to Best Buy today to make my decision about the exchange of the Samsung HL-P5063. On Tuesday I will be the owner of a brand new Sony A10 when they deliver and pickup the old junk.

Thanks for the advise of Mark Oliver and his screen shots. I spent numerous days going to Best Buy to make a decision and, thanks to AVS I was able to make a more informed decision, I was looking at the JVC D-ILA but I think the A10 will make me much Happier.

Thanks Everyone!

[QUOTE=-Toby-]Yep.


What type of delivery service did authorized E provide? Did they white glove it all the way inside, or leave it out front?

Were they prompt for when they said they'd deliver it?

Well I went to Best Buy today to make my decision about the exchange of the Samsung HL-P5063. On Tuesday I will be the owner of a brand new Sony A10 when they deliver and pickup the old junk.

you made a good choice, i returned my Sony XBR960 after 2 weeks for the A10, at first I was kind of nervous since I had never owned RPLCD before, and heard a few of the downfalls, but i couldn't have asked for a better set, besides SXRD RPLCD is my favorite HD technology by far.

[QUOTE=-Toby-]Yep.


What type of delivery service did authorized E provide? Did they white glove it all the way inside, or leave it out front?

Were they prompt for when they said they'd deliver it?

I paid for delivery and insurance…

Time to door was 7 or 8 full (not business) days from order.

The primary shipper was Seko (sekoworldwide.com) adn they have a rudimentary tracking code. They subcontract local delivery so YMMV. My local driver helped me up a single flight of stairs (second floor condo). I got a call from the locals for a delivery time. You may be able to arrange white glove from them, but don't expect it.

Once inside, it was cake for me solo. Unit is only 62lbs.

All in all a fantastic purchase.

[QUOTE=jfell99]

All in all a fantastic purchase.


Thanks, i appreciate the feedback. Makes me feel much better about going the AE way.

I have the same feeling myself, I can't tell the differene really. Part of me felt it was a little les quality, but I think it was pyscho symatic. I always and super critical when I change something.

I was at the point of not being hyper critical of the TV picture after having the for 1 month, now I guess I'll be calm next month after the "newness" of the HDMI cable settles in. LOL

P.S. - It's always good to free up your component inputs though, I needed the 2 on the back for my Xbox & DVD player. The side component is inaccessible for me since this fits into my entertainment center perfectly with no room to spare.

I totally agree. I decided to try the HDMI port (over component) because the HDMI was not working correctly with my new ATI x700 graphics card (for my MS MCE PVR), and was a bit dissappointed to notice no or very little difference. I actually think the sound was better with component and RCA analouge inputs, and no noticeable picture quality advantage. I think I might go back to component and return the $100+ cable to leave the HDMI port open for future upgrades. Don't get me wrong, the picture is still excellent, just no difference between HDMI and component (I expected to get rid of the digital artifacts with dig. cable with HDMI), but anyways, I still love this Sony A10! :)

[QUOTE=-Toby-]


Thanks, i appreciate the feedback. Makes me feel much better about going the AE way.Ditto... my AE 42A10 is scheduled to arrive next Friday the 11th.

so toby authorized worked out pretty well then [like your tv works well and all]
because im plannin on buying a 42a10 online from either authorized, central digital, or 6ave

so toby authorized worked out pretty well then [like your tv works well and all]
because im plannin on buying a 42a10 online from either authorized, central digital, or 6ave

I have nothing negative about the experience whatsoever (except maybe my viewing area isn't prime for a 50A10).

I can be a picky fellow, so that says something.

-T-

i have had my 50 A10 for a couple weeks and like it alot. it might be a little too big for my room but we'll see. is there anything that people dont like about the set so far? i see the SDE enough especially when watching bright white pics like a hockey game. HD is beautiful.

i have had my 50 A10 for a couple weeks and like it alot. it might be a little too big for my room but we'll see. is there anything that people dont like about the set so far? i see the SDE enough especially when watching bright white pics like a hockey game. HD is beautiful.

Try sitting back a bit further from the screen to lessen/eliminate the SDE. The only negatives on my A10 that I find slightly annoying is the SSE, black level, and slight misconvergence. All of course are limitations of LCD RPTV technology.

I've hay my 50A10 for about 2 almost 2 weeks now. I am very happy with the set. I do have 2 questions for other owners. Both wich have been asked before but I am unable to find th answers by searching.

1.) Why is it when I play DVDs the display says it is recieving 480P 16:9 but I have to have the settings switched to FULL in order to see it in widescreen. In NORMAL mode it displays 4:3 unlike HD channels through the cable box which display in 16:9 in NORMAL mode. Is this the case for everyone? It looks smooshed in NORMAL and looks correct in FULL. Not a big deal but shouldn't the TV know that the "normal" setting should display in 16:9? I know this is a issue with Xbox in general but I just bought a new Sony DVD player because I thouhgt maybe the same brand component would fix the issue since sometimes they will work better together.

2.) I bought a Radio Shack Gold Series DVI to HDMI cable and I do not notice any picture improvement while using it. I thought this was a decent quality cable since it retailed for over $100. I did get it on sale snce Radio Shack is no longer going to be carrying their own cables and just selling Monster. Should I have bought a Monster cable? Would the brand/quality make a difference? I thought I would see a noticable difference using HDMI.

I love the TV. The picture in HD is beautiful and DVDs look great too. SD channels look much better on this tv than my Father in-laws Panny DLP. I have sit only about 8ft from it and I do notice SDE at times but it is growing on me and I notice it less and less the more I watch the tv. Aby info is helpful. Thanks.

**Well i just read through tthe manual and it stated that there shouldn't even be a NORMAl pick if the signal is 16:9. I still see NORMAL even though when I jit sdisplay it says I am receiving a 480P 16:9 source.

Hehe...Ijust nocticed mine this weekend. It's in the lower right hand corner and it's very small. You really have to strain to see it. Right now, it's a little distracting, cause I'm trying to look for it. It only appears in dark backgrounds, but it's very faint.

Oh I have the 42A10. I've had it for about 2 months now and I'm very happy with it.

I don't think it's worth calling anyone to fix it right now, because it's not that distracting and can pretty much live with it for the time being.

What do you all think? Showuld someone come out and diagnose the issue? I have a 4 year warranty, so I'm not that worried. More worried about them taing it to a shop for a certain period of time. Who knows, it could get worse after the techs work on it. Or it could just be a some dust.

Anyway, I've been reading this thread for some time. I've enjoyed everyone's ability to help one another. I'm new to the whole HDTV thing.

Later!

I've hay my 50A10 for about 2 almost 2 weeks now. I am very happy with the set. I do have 2 questions for other owners. Both wich have been asked before but I am unable to find th answers by searching.

1.) Why is it when I play DVDs the display says it is recieving 480P 16:9 but I have to have the settings switched to FULL in order to see it in widescreen. In NORMAL mode it displays 4:3 unlike HD channels through the cable box which display in 16:9 in NORMAL mode. Is this the case for everyone? It looks smooshed in NORMAL and looks correct in FULL. Not a big deal but shouldn't the TV know that the "normal" setting should display in 16:9? I know this is a issue with Xbox in general but I just bought a new Sony DVD player because I thouhgt maybe the same brand component would fix the issue since sometimes they will work better together.

2.) I bought a Radio Shack Gold Series DVI to HDMI cable and I do not notice any picture improvement while using it. I thought this was a decent quality cable since it retailed for over $100. I did get it on sale snce Radio Shack is no longer going to be carrying their own cables and just selling Monster. Should I have bought a Monster cable? Would the brand/quality make a difference? I thought I would see a noticable difference using HDMI.

I love the TV. The picture in HD is beautiful and DVDs look great too. SD channels look much better on this tv than my Father in-laws Panny DLP. I have sit only about 8ft from it and I do notice SDE at times but it is growing on me and I notice it less and less the more I watch the tv. Aby info is helpful. Thanks.


The A10 should be auto-detecting the aspect ratio on anamorphic DVDs. And FULL mode should always come up unless they are non-anamorphic (use ZOOM mode for these). Make sure that under the SCREEN settings that WIDE MODE is set to "FULL" and that the 4:3 DEFAULT mode is "OFF."

I'm not sure if this your problem, but FULL mode is always 16:9 on the A10, regardless of what the source is outputting. NORMAL is always 4:3, regardless of what the source is outputting.

The benefits of HDMI vary on current harware, and its REAL use will be for upcoming HD-DVD players. Right now component is just as good since DVDs are highly compressed with a 480i output. If you own a cable box with HDMI output I would say use it for a slighly better HD picture. YMMV.

2.) I bought a Radio Shack Gold Series DVI to HDMI cable and I do not notice any picture improvement while using it. I thought this was a decent quality cable since it retailed for over $100. I did get it on sale snce Radio Shack is no longer going to be carrying their own cables and just selling Monster. Should I have bought a Monster cable? Would the brand/quality make a difference? I thought I would see a noticable difference using HDMI.



I don't think I've seen anyone recommending the Monster cables for $$$.....

I purchased inexpensive HDMI cables from monoprice.com and they seem to work fine for me!!!!

I also strongly recommend monoprice.com............low price, high quality and excellent/efficient service

Dark Rain thanks for the reply. I do now understand that having the tv set to FULL is normal when watching dvds that are 16:9.

Do you guys notice a definate increase in picture quality using HDMI cables?

Spent a lot of time reading this thread today and was happy to see some PC-related posts. Was glad to see that the pictures that was posted on here are still viewable, thats why I registered. :D

You've heard it before but after a month of look, researching, driving, and staring; I've decided on the 42A10. I cant afford to pay it off in one jump nor want to sign up for a store card to get only 6month no interest, so I'm going with Crutchfield. They are offering the sony deal and no shipping cost. There are a few other reasons but I've done enough looking and talking and adding up the plus and minus. I'll have the tv in two weeks, once I move, and I cant wait. It'll be my first HDTV so anything better then my current 20" crt will make my jaw drop. :p

I'm planning on using it mainly for gaming, both console and pc. Any ideas on where to get a long vga cable? Say 12 to 16 foot?

Hi, I am a new member and I have a question about the Sony rear projection LCD A10 I have bought for my home theater, does it have a built in scaler? I am planning to buy a A/V receiver, such as a denon 4306 (with a scaler) or the 4806. Should I not be concerned about the receiver having the scaler since the sony has one inside of it? If it does have one, is the scaler on the A10 Sony better than the Denon 4806 or 4306 or Yamaha 2600 a/v ones? Thanks!

I cannot get my A10 to display 1280 X 720 via dvi to hdmi cable. It will run 1280 X 768 but it looks awful. Connecting via VGA it display 720 nicely. From reading other posts, it seems as though others are having no problems displaying 720p via hdmi.

I have used both Powerstrip and the new ATI drivers with no success. When I try to change resolutions my tv just goes black. I have a ATI radeon x300 card.

Thanks, I appreciate any help.

Yes, the A10 comes with a built-in scaler.

Because the A10 is a fixed-pixel display technology (RP-LCD), it needs to have a scaler or you would be unable to watch standard def TV, standard DVD players or 1080i Hi Def content (CBS and NBC, for example).

The built-in scaler and de-interlacer for the A10 is quite nice, and will do the job better than many other options (cheap progressive DVD players, or cheap HD cable boxes).

However, Denon or Yamaha also make high-end consumer eletronics so I would expect that their scalers / de-interlacers are also very good.

There has been a previous post inside this thread from someone who noticed improved results using a specific upconverting DVD player, so you can probably improve on the Sony built-in circuits if you choose wisely and spend some decent $$$

But I suspect that the built-in Sony circuit is more than "good enough" for most viewers and only the very picky folks will think than a slight improvement is worth the extra money.

Hi All,

I turned down the BB plan due to reading about the cheaper Sony warranty on this forum.

I’m getting conflicting information about when you are able to purchase, and if the policy is the same price when bought online from Sony. Has anyone actually bought the online Sony warranty after the date of sale?

One poster on another forum claimed the Sony/Florida Inc. warranty was much more expensive than the cost “at time of purchase” plan.

The Sony site does not make this clear other than to say “to get full benefits (?), the plan should be purchased during check out”.

Thanks,

Mike

Hi. This is my first posting. I have been reading this amazing thread and find all your information very helpful. I am about to buy either the 42" or 50" A10-- going to run to sears to make the final decision today. My question is where to buy? Who has the best price? deal going? any regrets from where you purchased? thanks much peter

Hi All,
The Sony site does not make this clear other than to say “to get full benefits (?), the plan should be purchased during check out”.


http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/EW_ViewExtendedWarranty-Detail?CategoryName=CE_TV&TabName=Features&Telesales=

As long as your purchase it before the factory warranty runs out you'll be fine.

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/EW_ViewExtendedWarranty-Detail?CategoryName=CE_TV&TabName=Features&Telesales=

As long as your purchase it before the factory warranty runs out you'll be fine.


Does above referenced SONY warranty cover the replacement of the BULB in the KDF-E50A10 LCD TV?

Does above referenced SONY warranty cover the replacement of the BULB in the KDF-E50A10 LCD TV?

I read through their terms and conditions and nowhere do they mention bulbs.

Does above referenced SONY warranty cover the replacement of the BULB in the KDF-E50A10 LCD TV?

All parts and labor are covered for the fist year against failure, including the bulb.

If you are a total TV junkie or leave it on and use up the bulb so it is no longer bright then it would not be covered as it was consumed rather than failed.

There are always obscure circumstances, but that is it in a nutshell.

Hey...long time reader (the whole thread..lol) and owner of a 42" A10. I'd like to get a replacement lamp for it, however I've noticed how much cheaper the replacement lamp (XL-2400) is in the US vs what lamp prices are in Canada (I live in Toronto, Ontario).

I'm going to be in LA for a week soon, and if anyone knows of a place where I can just walk in and purchase a XL-2400 replacement lamp for my A10 it would be greatly greatly appreciated (since purchasing online from sonystyle isn't an option because I'll only be there for a week..lol).

Thnx in advance...

I'm going to be in LA for a week soon, and if anyone knows of a place where I can just walk in and purchase a XL-2400 replacement lamp for my A10 it would be greatly greatly appreciated (since purchasing online from sonystyle isn't an option because I'll only be there for a week..lol).

Thnx in advance...

I don't know the LA area, but you could buy online and have it shipped to your hotel if you know where you'll be staying. If you informed the hotel and it arrived early I'm sure they'll hold it for you behind the desk.

Does above referenced SONY warranty cover the replacement of the BULB in the KDF-E50A10 LCD TV?

No it doesn't. I called Sony this morning about that. It does cover lightning and spikes. That much itself is worth it.

I got a 4yr third party extended warranty for $399 that does include the bulb replacement. I just picked up my 50A10 Friday night. I started reading this thread and thought I'd see if I could get a better warranty. The jury is still out. :)

No it doesn't. I called Sony this morning about that. It does cover lightning and spikes. That much itself is worth it.

I got a 4yr third party extended warranty for $399 that does include the bulb replacement. I just picked up my 50A10 Friday night. I started reading this thread and thought I'd see if I could get a better warranty. The jury is still out. :)


I just bought the same Sony coverage @ 200$, no bulb. It seems that BB and others include the Bulb and an extra $200.

I'm betting the bulb will become cheaper over time, which is now $200 or so from Sony. :D

I feel better spending that extra $200 when needed.

Mike

I feel better spending that extra $200 when needed.

Mike

That's what I'm thinking too. Sony offers a 5 year for $279. The longest I could get with the bulb was 4yr.

I may cancel and get the Sony warranty.

Dark Rain thanks for the reply. I do now understand that having the tv set to FULL is normal when watching dvds that are 16:9.

Do you guys notice a definate increase in picture quality using HDMI cables?

I'm using HMDI for my cable box, haven't really notice much a difference. Some people feel there is more depth and richness to the colors, but it's basically the same to me.

I needed to free up a component input and my DVD player does not use HDMI, so cable box got the cable. Check online retailers for reasonable prices ones, retail is murder on these things.

Hey...long time reader (the whole thread..lol) and owner of a 42" A10. I'd like to get a replacement lamp for it, however I've noticed how much cheaper the replacement lamp (XL-2400) is in the US vs what lamp prices are in Canada (I live in Toronto, Ontario).

I'm going to be in LA for a week soon, and if anyone knows of a place where I can just walk in and purchase a XL-2400 replacement lamp for my A10 it would be greatly greatly appreciated (since purchasing online from sonystyle isn't an option because I'll only be there for a week..lol).

Thnx in advance...

The bulbs have a 90 day warranty, that you may not want to use up sitting on a shelf.

For those of you looking for a place to purchase an A10, the good news is that I just bought a 50in one about two weeks ago, so the price should be dropping any day now. :-) Also, I purchased it at Costco, which includes the Sony stand for $2400. Their stated return policy is so good that it is almost equivalent to an extended warranty.

Did anyone look at the live broadcast of West Wing last night? I was viewing it OTA and noticed a slight lip snyc problem and an image break up problem. Basically, the image would freeze up for a second.

Is that a problem in the TV, does a setting need to be tweaked, or was there a problem with the broadcast, which is in the DC area, or???

That's what I'm thinking too. Sony offers a 5 year for $279. The longest I could get with the bulb was 4yr.

I may cancel and get the Sony warranty.


Check with sony.. i dont think their 5 yr warrantys cover the bulb

Check with sony.. i dont think their 5 yr warrantys cover the bulb

It doesn't. My thoughts were running together when I posted that. :)

I got a 4yr third party warranty for $399 that includes the bulb.

I was checking out Sony's warranties this morning and called them about the bulb. It's not covered. One cool thing is, you can wait 11 months (why 11 and not 11 3/4?) before getting the extended warranty from them.

I'm considering killing the extended warranty that I have currently and getting the 5yr Sony.

On a different note, I really like the TV. Out of the box it looks pretty good. I haven't tweaked on it any yet except for the brightness. It was cranked all the way up and was a bit much. :) I'll pull out the Avia DVD and play around.

XBOX games are amazing on this tv!

Well after a number of weeks of reviews, forums, and articles I finally pulled the trigger on the 50 inch A10 last night.

For all of those in the same boat as myself, my 2 cents is once you decide on what is best for YOUR situation, make sure to look around as many places to get the best price/warranty/perks you can and get these stores to fight over your $$$. Now I personally wouldnt look at an online store to purchase a TV like this, but the B&M stores dont need to know that.
I went to a number of stores in Beaverton, OR basically saying "I can get this from Amazon for $2100 + $150 shipping, what can you do for me?" I used to be a loyal Good Guys customer for all 12 yrs they were here but now that closed thier store to get sucked in by CompUSA I had to find another place to spend my $$.

I went to a number of stores (Chelsea Audio, Video Only, CC, BB, CompUSA, Standard TV and Appliance, Costco, Magnolia Hi-Fi)

With the recent aquisition of Magnolia by BB I figured there would be a chance they were clearing out inventory and I was right. I found my A10 for $2099.86 (yes it was New) This was a surprise as only Amazon had it for less than $2100 (+$150 for shipping)

So I went straight to BB and had them pricematch, and ended up with the following:
50 inch A10 ($2375) = $2000 (knocked another $100 off for getting warranty)
4yr extended warranty ($400, I am moving to AZ next year so wanted to cover my butt with this)
Monster Cleaning Kit ($20) = FREE
Rewards Zone Membership ($10) = FREE
Delivery on Wed ($50) = FREE
No Interest until Jan'08
And $80 worth of Reward Bucks coming in 6 weeks.
Not having to worry about which TV to pick = Priceless

Good Deal? I'm happy with it, hopefully this will help other folks with thier purchase. Now I need to figure out what to do with my RCA 38310 :)

Did anyone look at the live broadcast of West Wing last night? I was viewing it OTA and noticed a slight lip snyc problem and an image break up problem. Basically, the image would freeze up for a second.

Is that a problem in the TV, does a setting need to be tweaked, or was there a problem with the broadcast, which is in the DC area, or???

I would encourage you to post this over in the Washington, DC thread of the HDTV Reception forum (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=517400). You'll be much more likely to get a knowledgeable reply from someone over there.

Benjie-
That was the broadcast-
I got the same thing on my analog TV using Comcast cable.

For those of you looking for a place to purchase an A10, the good news is that I just bought a 50in one about two weeks ago, so the price should be dropping any day now. :-) Also, I purchased it at Costco, which includes the Sony stand for $2400. Their stated return policy is so good that it is almost equivalent to an extended warranty.

Did anyone look at the live broadcast of West Wing last night? I was viewing it OTA and noticed a slight lip snyc problem and an image break up problem. Basically, the image would freeze up for a second.

Is that a problem in the TV, does a setting need to be tweaked, or was there a problem with the broadcast, which is in the DC area, or???

Not the TV.. I get minor break ups when scenes change watching HD broadcast OTA..But none when gaming or watching DVDS.. It's not the TV..

Hi all. Well, where to begin? First off, I love this set--got the 42" after reading this thread, took a couple of days but finally got through it. I am, however having trouble hooking it up to my HTPC. Last night i hooked it up via DVI/VGA adapter-input 7. I have the same issues as everyone else--underscanned with 1-2" border around or if zoom--overscanned and heads are cut off. I just purchased a DVI/HDMI cable that I am going to try tonight and update my ATI 9600XT's drivers to the new catalyst. I haven't been able to find a difinitive answer on getting this to fill the screen. So, can I just set it to 720p and it will work? Has anyone gotten this to connect to a PC without Powerstrip? Any thoughts, suggestions, comments and experiences are appreciated. If you are connecting a PC to this TV and are getting a full picture please reply!
Thanks
JUC

I wont have my tv for another week but what resolution are you running at and refreash rate?

No, it won't "just work" at 720p.

I have an AccessDTV HDTV tuner card that can output 720p using a VGA rgb interface and connected to the VGA PC input (#7?) and the border still exists. You can eliminate the border by using the ZOOM button, but you will still have a little overscan. This is not a problem for TV / video viewing and I suspect it's fine for most video games, but can be a problem for traditional PC use like surfing the web or word processing.

An alternative option for someone like you or me (I also own an ATI 9600XT in a different computer system) is to purchase an ATI COMPONENT adapter dongle for around 30 bucks or so.

This device will allow your ATI (built by ATI) card to output a display via component cables and can then be connected to one of the A10's component inputs.

You would then need to play with the ATI driver scan modes or maybe use something like Powerstrip to adjust the overscan to your liking.

You might not be able to achieve 1280 x 720 resolution, but some other resolution that is close to it.

I can't play games in resolutions above 1024X768??..Is there a way around this.. I'm using a raiden 900.. On my monitor I can go much higher on my PC games.. Any help would be great.. & the overscan is also a problem for me..

Hey, I've had my set for about a month and just recently got my PC hooked up to it. With that, a couple problems/questions:

1. I have a Radeon x800XL and using the VGA output with the built-in 1280x720 resolution. The tv displays the picture and everything fine, but it says "Unsupported Signal, please adjust your PC Output" (or something like that) when you first tune to the PC input. Anyone else get this? Not a big deal really as the picture looks fine, just curious what you need to do to get a supported signal.

2. Not sure if its related to #1, but every so often while using the PC input, the input reminder box pops up in the top left... the "Input 7" box. Stays up a few seconds then disappears. It happens at seemingly random intervals and not sure what is causing it. Its pretty annoying. I haven't seen it appear with any other input. Any idea whats causing that? I check the cables and nothing is loose - the picture doesn't flicker or anything when it does this.

Just wanted to say thanks to all the people on this thread. You all helped me get a 50" A10 tonight. It's being delivered tomorrow.. can't wait to hook it up!

Ok, so I have a 42A10 and I don't know if this has been seen before or not. On my TV I have this small strange behavior where about 20% of the left side of my screen will change hues. Like, if I bring up my TWC DVR recorded program listings, if you look at the left side after about 3-5 seconds the color brightness and hue of JUST the left side of the screen will change.

It's a hard behavior to describe, but it seems as if my TV is having a delay and then refreshing JUST the left side portion of the screen to be a different hue or color or something. This is very distracting as it shows up whenever you watch a show. This does not seen to be any specific channel but on all different channels and in DVR menus.

Does anyone have this behavior on their TV or seen it before? Is my TV defective?

Not sure if its related to #1, but every so often while using the PC input, the input reminder box pops up in the top left... the "Input 7" box. Stays up a few seconds then disappears. It happens at seemingly random intervals and not sure what is causing it. Its pretty annoying. I haven't seen it appear with any other input. Any idea whats causing that? I check the cables and nothing is loose - the picture doesn't flicker or anything when it does this.


i get the same thing with my radeon x850 pro, hopefully someone will pinpoint how to make this stop...............

Just an update. I connected my HTPC via DVI to HDMI cable and set the PC's resolution to 1280 x 720. It fills the screen perfectly for me so all is good i guess.

edit: deleted because I RTFM---note-if you choose not to auto select channels the first time you setup the tv it will prompt you to do so everytime you turn it on.
Thanks
JUC

1. I have a Radeon x800XL and using the VGA output with the built-in 1280x720 resolution. The tv displays the picture and everything fine, but it says "Unsupported Signal, please adjust your PC Output" (or something like that) when you first tune to the PC input. Anyone else get this? Not a big deal really as the picture looks fine, just curious what you need to do to get a supported signal.

2. Not sure if its related to #1, but every so often while using the PC input, the input reminder box pops up in the top left... the "Input 7" box. Stays up a few seconds then disappears. It happens at seemingly random intervals and not sure what is causing it. Its pretty annoying. I haven't seen it appear with any other input. Any idea whats causing that? I check the cables and nothing is loose - the picture doesn't flicker or anything when it does this.

These two problems are interrelated. When I first hooked up my PC to the A10, I used a VGA cable off the VGA output from my (older) nVidia card. Since I knew the native resolution of the LCD panels was 1280x720, and my card supported that, I set that resolution and activated Video 7 on the TV. I got the 'unsupported signal' error message, and that intermittent input label kept popping up.

I went back to the manual and discovered that the set does not officially support 1280x720 on the VGA input. It will render it, but it doesn't like it. As it turns out, using the VGA input requires using pretty standard monitor resolutions (800x600, 1024x768, 1280x768). There is a chart on page 82 of the manual that shows the supported resolutions and refresh rates for the VGA input (Video 7).

Conversely, when I finally got a DVI-to-HDMI cable and hooked up my PC via the DVI output on my video card, the only resolutions that the set would accept on Video 6 were 'standard' DTV resolutions (1280x720, 720x480). In fact, my nVidia auto-sensed the valid input modes for the HDMI input on the A10 and would not present any non-DTV-standard resolution option for the DVI-out.

I've never attempted to work with PowerStrip, as I've been satisfied with the default options. So there may be other ways to approach this beyond the defaults, but these are the starting points.

Next question--Everytime I turn on the TV--it gives me the user setup screen-where it asks me if I want to setup the tuner etc. Is this normal behavior as it doesn't seem that it should prompt me to do this everytime the TV is turned on. Possibly it has something to do with me hooking it up to the PC but not sure. If anyone can comment on this it would be great.
Thanks
JUC

Hey JUC,

The simplest way to get around the user-setup screen is to simply let it do the channel scan. You can either plug a coax into the back (so you can use the built in tuner) or not. But either way, once it runs thru the channel scan, you will not get this pop up screen. It takes about 20 mins or so.

Just got my 50A10. Used the Comcast DVR box for a few days, and its Toslink out to get 5.1 DD. Got a cable card yesterday. and tried to use the digital audio out on the TV to get 5.1 into my AV receiver. No luck. The analogue out works OK until you plug the toslink into the TV then completely nothing. I know the TV is getting a 5.1 signal because I have another TV tuned to the same station, and the AV Synch menu in the audio menu is live. Sony told me that if that menu is live, 5.1 is there. The only thing that has changed is the connection formerly on the cable box is now on the back of the TV. I have a friend with the same TV and the same problems.

Any thoughts?
Report Post

Just encountered the first problem with my 3 month old 50 inch. I just turn it on this morning and there was no pic or sound. The green power light turned on and stayed solid green. I press menu, volume, etc on the remote and nothing. The only thing I could think of was to unplug it and turn it on. When I unplugged it, i hear the fan click off, leave it unplugged for about 20 seconds and plug it in and turn it on and it works! Any ideas?

Just encountered the first problem with my 3 month old 50 inch. I just turn it on this morning and there was no pic or sound. The green power light turned on and stayed solid green. I press menu, volume, etc on the remote and nothing. The only thing I could think of was to unplug it and turn it on. When I unplugged it, i hear the fan click off, leave it unplugged for about 20 seconds and plug it in and turn it on and it works! Any ideas?

I had this happen once. Turned out that I had it on the ANT input. Unplugging the TV from the power socket will reset the TV to the cable input. At least that was my experience.

Does anybody know whether Sam's or Costco will lower the price of the HDTVs in their store? The price of 50A10 with stand in both stores are the same, from day one. I remembered that they seldom lower the prices of the TVs. They just replace with with another models.

The reason I ask this question is because Fry's has the TV on sale last week, and I don't have to buy the stand (which is a good matching stand by itself). To add a matching stand, it will be the same as the price of Sam's and Costco. So, if regular retail store can sell it the same price, will Sam's or Costco lower the price of 50A10 soon to compete with regular retail stores?

Thanks

I'd go to fry's and tell them the price at Costco and let them know it comes with the stand. They probably have a policy saying they don't price match wholesalers. At that point roll your eyes, say thanks anyway, and see if they REALLY want your business.

Don't do it with the sales lackys, talk to the manager

While we're on the subject, has anyone bought through Con's? I liked their financing and price match, but noted that they only offer a 10 day return policy on TV's. That kinda freaked me out and I didn't pull the trigger yesterday. Anyone agree that 10 days is garbage, or even not recomended?

After reading this forum for the last year I finally had to bite the bullet and buy a new TV. My 1986 26 inch TV finally died. After reading all of the negative things about the A10 on this thread, I was somewha t reluctant. Who would not be with, all the posts about SDE, SSE, corner color problems, etc.

Well, I bought a 50 A10 and I love it. I only have analog cable so far and I think Standard definition even looks good. The TV detected a couple of digital signals and they are outstanding. HDTV should be turned on my cable today...I can hardly wait.

The moral of the story is this. If you are an average Joe who needs a TV now...this is the set for you. It is by far the best value/size for the money at this time.

rosenkavalier - Thanks for the tip about the resolutions in the manual. :D

I am looking for ideas on how to place a center channel weighing 26 lbs, on top of a 42"A10. The HxWxD is 7.5"x21"x10.5". Has anyone devised a shelf or other method for securing a large center channel on top of their very thin A-10? Any suggestions would be welcomed. Thanks.

Neither Sam's nor Costco will price-match.

Let me make my quesiton clearer. Right now, the price of 50A10 at Sam's and Costco with the matching stand is still the best. But on last week, Fry's had $400 off this TV itself. To include a matching stand, the price at Fry's was the same as Sam's and Costco. So if a regular retail can sell something at the same price as wholesalers like Costco and Sam's, will the wholesalers drop the price to compete with retailers? I keep track of the 50A10 at Sam's and Costco since day one at their stores, and so far, they haven't lowered a single penny.

After reading this forum for the last year I finally had to bite the bullet and buy a new TV. My 1986 26 inch TV finally died. After reading all of the negative things about the A10 on this thread, I was somewha t reluctant. Who would not be with, all the posts about SDE, SSE, corner color problems, etc.

Well, I bought a 50 A10 and I love it. I only have analog cable so far and I think Standard definition even looks good. The TV detected a couple of digital signals and they are outstanding. HDTV should be turned on my cable today...I can hardly wait.

The moral of the story is this. If you are an average Joe who needs a TV now...this is the set for you. It is by far the best value/size for the money at this time.

I'd concur with your assessment, Stacey. Mine came in on Monday. Some of the posts regarding SD quality had me concerned and even caused me to consider a panny plasma for a period of time. That is until the wife finally saw the a10 and plasmas side by side. She didn't hesitate to tell me that we should get the sony. We ordered the 50A10 and received it a week later.

No HD here either, but SD looks good when the set is properly tweaked. I didn't use any discs, just Dark Rain's settings on the settings thread. Some channels are less than stellar, but all are very good. Especially considering how bad the cable company is in these parts.

One thing I've discovered that some should keep in mind, this isn't like the old days when you could get your new trinitron out of the box, plug it in and get a stunning picture. You need to play with the settings some to get a picture that pleases you. Each person sees things differently, so just play with the settings and choose the one you like best.

DVDs look outstanding. I used Dark Rain's dvd settings for those as well, only I bumped the color settings up some - flesh tones were a little too gray for my tastes.

I am extremely pleased. I will note that it is much larger than I thought it would be. They don't seem that big in the showroom.

As an aside, the day my wife and I purchased the unit, we were helped by two newbies at best buy - I guess the new christmas hires - in any event, the first one said the following in the plasma section to my wife and me:

"Did anyone tell you about the life of plasmas? They have bulbs that will burn out and need replacement in two years."

I didn't have the heart to tell him the truth.

The guy in the RP section opened up his sales pitch by saying, "Okay, you have cable? Then the regular cable will look like junk on it. You won't be able to watch it." At least he was being "up front."

Phil

I am extremely pleased. I will note that it is much larger than I thought it would be. They don't seem that big in the showroom.

I agree that when I first got the 50A10 home it looked huge, much bigger than in the showroom. The set does seem to shrink over time though and now I can imagine that a 60" SXRD might be just the right size for my viewing distance of 9'. :) I will be keeping the A10 though, I am satisfied with it for the next few years.

Jackie C

I don't know if this is big enough, I don't see the dimensions in the description.

Circuit City OmniMount Center-Channel Speaker shelf on there web site. Model (CCH1P).

Neither Sam's nor Costco will price-match.Probably because their prices are usually lower than the non-member stores but... I went by my local Sears and they will price match the Costco price including the free stand (at least at my Sears). Plus they have a 0% interest till Jan '07 promotion going on now. Might be time to buy!

I am looking for ideas on how to place a center channel weighing 26 lbs, on top of a 42"A10. The HxWxD is 7.5"x21"x10.5". Has anyone devised a shelf or other method for securing a large center channel on top of their very thin A-10? Any suggestions would be welcomed. Thanks.


I have the tv kittied cornered, so that anything that is wall mounted, is out.

Not wall mounted. Sits on top of T.V.

I agree that when I first got the 50A10 home it looked huge, much bigger than in the showroom. The set does seem to shrink over time though and now I can imagine that a 60" SXRD might be just the right size for my viewing distance of 9'. :) I will be keeping the A10 though, I am satisfied with it for the next few years.

Right with you on this. when I was deciding, I was beating myself up between the 42a10 and 50a10, thinking 50 inches would be too big for my viewing distance. Very glad I went 50, I does seem to shrink with time.

I had the same internal fight about the 42" or 50". The factor that will bring home the 42" is that I like to sit close to the screen when I play games. The underline feature is that the largest tv I've ever own is 25", currently have 20", so anything is better then what I got.

Jackie C

I don't know if this is big enough, I don't see the dimensions in the description.

Circuit City OmniMount Center-Channel Speaker shelf on there web site. Model (CCH1P).


Thanks William.

Does anyone with an A10 use this stand. I am afraid the front pegs may exceed the 1.5" frame on the A10.


PS. For you guys wondering about which size to get? If you can afford it, get the 50". You wont regret it.

Does anybody know whether Sam's or Costco will lower the price of the HDTVs in their store? The price of 50A10 with stand in both stores are the same, from day one. I remembered that they seldom lower the prices of the TVs. They just replace with with another models.

The reason I ask this question is because Fry's has the TV on sale last week, and I don't have to buy the stand (which is a good matching stand by itself). To add a matching stand, it will be the same as the price of Sam's and Costco. So, if regular retail store can sell it the same price, will Sam's or Costco lower the price of 50A10 soon to compete with regular retail stores?

Thanks

Just remember that Costco has a FAR more generous return policy than other stores, which makes buying there a no-brainer even if you have to pay a bit more. You can still hope that they reduce the price though. :)

Does anyone have experience with this video card and the A10?

NVIDIA GeForce FX 5500

What will I need to connect to the A10 once I get it?

Does anyone with an A10 use this stand. I am afraid the front pegs may exceed the 1.5" frame on the A10.


I have this stand (in black) on my 50".

The front pegs do not extend below the bottom of the screen bezel.

However, I thought the pegs looked ugly. Since my center channel speaker sits only on the front half of the shelf, I went ahead and removed the pegs. I'm just using the supplied two-sided tape pads (in addition to the weight of the speaker) to hold the stand in place. No problems so far. YMMV.

Bob

In my experience with both Costco and Sam's Club, they tend to offer the same product with a bonus for the same price you would pay elsewhere. For example, we just bought a battery charger with 8 batteries for $20 at Sam's. For the same price elsewhere, you would only get 4 batteries.

Sometimes, that does not happen. We just bought a camera at Costco and paid a bit more than the going rate, just because of Costco's return policy. Usually, they would throw in a memory card or something extra. I was surprised that in this case they did not.

Or sometimes the price is just cheaper. In our experience though, Sam's is almost always more expensive than Costco, though just by a few bucks. However, we did buy the extended wtty for the 50A10 at SAM's, and were told that it included bulbs. It was less than $$ for several (I forget how many) years. The person that told me it did include bulbs pointed out to the "normal wear and tear" part of the policy. If that turns out to be wrong, of course, I will scream bloody murder.

Bottom line, at Sam's, we got a "free" $$$$ stand and paid the going rate for the TV. That was Labor Day weekend.

BTW, no matter where you go, when the A10 sits next to anything else, it just blows the other away. That is what caught my attention, and when I took my wife out to pick the best picture, she picked the A10, which I expected, and we drove off with it in the back of our truck an hour later.

At that time, though CC did not have any yet, they said they had to get rid of last year's model first, and Costco only had last year's model, and we wanted it right away, since our big screen had just bit the dust.

Just a few comments from a 23-year Price Club member who just joined Sams to get the deal on the A10.

rosenkavalier - Thanks for the tip about the resolutions in the manual. :D

No problem -- when I got my A10, I forced myself to read through the manual a couple of times, to make sure I understood how the set worked. And I still had to go back to it several times when I encountered difficulties.

Does anyone have experience with this video card and the A10?
NVIDIA GeForce FX 5500
What will I need to connect to the A10 once I get it?

That's the card/chipset I have in my PC. Presuming you've got the same backplate and connectors, you will have the choice of running a VGA cable and treating the set like a PC monitor, or getting a DVI-to-HDMI cable and setting the PC's resolution to a DTV-standard output. I mentioned both of these options in a post from a page or so back: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6500849&&#post6500849

If you do decide to go with the DVI-HDMI cable, I'd recommend monoprice.com -- I got a cheap cable from them, and it's worked well so far.

What is the response time for this TV is there any ghosting ?

Bought our 50A10 at Sears. Salesman said "bring us your best internet price and we'll match it!!" I bought it for much less than Costco or Sam's. Their return/exchange policy isn't as lengthy, but for the $$$ saved I'm happy.

Bought our 50A10 at Sears. Salesman said "bring us your best internet price and we'll match it!!" I bought it for much less than Costco or Sam's. Their return/exchange policy isn't as lengthy, but for the $$$ saved I'm happy.

I never knew they did that.Did it have to be from an authorized online dealer? I have seen the a10 pretty cheap online from unauthorized dealers.

What is the response time for this TV is there any ghosting ?
The response time of an RP-LCD display is much faster than a flat panel LCD so ghosting is not a problem.

The response time of an RP-LCD display is much faster than a flat panel LCD so ghosting is not a problem.

I've actually noticed ghosting on my cable and cable box inputs. I've noticed this through both RF inputs and through the RCA jacks out of the cable box. Is there anyway to fix this on the tv?

Phil

I have never seen ghosting on analog cable, digital cable SD and HDTV, OTA digital HDTV, DVD component input, DVD S-Video input, VHS composite input and VGA PC input.

I often watch fast moving sports coverage like football, baseball, basketball and even a little hockey, and I have never seen the "ghost trails" that I saw on a Samsung direct-view LCD flatscreen HDTV.

So from my experience, I have to agree with deconvolver. Ghosting is a non-issue with this TV set.

If your cable box is causing a ghost effect, then you should contact your cable company for help.

I've seen ghosting on crt's, damn cable company tripped over a cord or such and you have to wait for them to fix it. I thought everyone seen some type of ghosting unless your cable company is godlike.

For my pc to tv, I'm getting a 25ft vga cable heavy shielded. My video card came with two dvi-vga things but need vga for laptop. No sense in buying two cables.

I decided to cancel my order for Sony's KD34XS955 34" FD Trinitron® WEGA® Widescreen Hi-Scan link:

http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/servlet/ProductDetailDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=173119&navigationPath=n32050n32052

and get Sony's KFE42A10 42" Grand WEGA® 3LCD Rear Projection link:

http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/servlet/ProductDetailDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=1002155&navigationPath=32050n45260

I think I made a good choice what do you guys think ? I will be playing a lot of xbox 360 on it. My 360 is payed for and the 22 can't come soon enough.

In my experience with both Costco and Sam's Club, they tend to offer the same product with a bonus for the same price you would pay elsewhere. For example, we just bought a battery charger with 8 batteries for $20 at Sam's. For the same price elsewhere, you would only get 4 batteries.

Sometimes, that does not happen. We just bought a camera at Costco and paid a bit more than the going rate, just because of Costco's return policy. Usually, they would throw in a memory card or something extra. I was surprised that in this case they did not.

Or sometimes the price is just cheaper. In our experience though, Sam's is almost always more expensive than Costco, though just by a few bucks. However, we did buy the extended wtty for the 50A10 at SAM's, and were told that it included bulbs. It was less than $$ for several (I forget how many) years. The person that told me it did include bulbs pointed out to the "normal wear and tear" part of the policy. If that turns out to be wrong, of course, I will scream bloody murder.

Bottom line, at Sam's, we got a "free" $$$$ stand and paid the going rate for the TV. That was Labor Day weekend.

BTW, no matter where you go, when the A10 sits next to anything else, it just blows the other away. That is what caught my attention, and when I took my wife out to pick the best picture, she picked the A10, which I expected, and we drove off with it in the back of our truck an hour later.

At that time, though CC did not have any yet, they said they had to get rid of last year's model first, and Costco only had last year's model, and we wanted it right away, since our big screen had just bit the dust.

Just a few comments from a 23-year Price Club member who just joined Sams to get the deal on the A10.

You better start 'screaming bloody murder' now! I bought at Sam's also, and bought the warranty. I called the warranty company 3 times, and each time they assured me that bulbs are NOT included, since they are user-replaceable, and considered a consumable item. I still kept the warranty though, since it was only $200.00 for an extra 3 years past the factory warranty.

i was wondering if anybody is using the audio-out on the tv instead of directly from the satt/cable box? i cant seem to get it to output DD or a digital sigal at all.

Are any bb stores matching internet pricing?
Seems I can get 50" for about 1950.00 including shipping over the internet and about 2100-2150 with a price match at sears or best buy.

Will ANY Sears or Best Buy location match an internet price like that? Or are you just saying what you've been able to haggle thus far on your own?

Thanks in advance.

Question about the Sony's KFE42A10 42" Grand WEGA® 3LCD Rear Projection if these Tvs can not get burn-in why does the manual say this:

CAUTION

When using TV games, computers, and similar products with your projection TV, keep the brightness and contrast functions at low settings. If a fixed (non-moving) pattern is left on the screen for long periods of time at high brightness or contrast setting, the image can be permanently imprinted onto the screen. Continuously watching the same program can cause the imprint of the station logos onto the TV screen. These types of imprints are not covered by your warranty because they are the result of misuse.

This makes no since to me everyone on these forums say you can not burn-in a rear projection LCD but the manual says different. SO WHATS WITH THAT :confused:

Will ANY Sears or Best Buy location match an internet price like that? Or are you just saying what you've been able to haggle thus far on your own?

Thanks in advance.

I'd say he got lucky, or got a salesman who's either: getting fired, leaving the company, or got the okay from sears brass to move some of those TV's at all costs. the Quarter is ending so gotta make the share holders happy with the good sales numbers

Hi,

Last night and tonight I experience something very strange with my Sony. When I watch the hockey game the screen become black randomly for a short or more long time. First I suspect my cablebox so I try with a DVD and I have the same trouble. I had my tv only 2 weeks ago so I found that very annoying. Do you experience something like that and what Sony did to resolve the trouble.

Thanks
Kafou

Just had my 50" A10 delivered Tuesday and the Samsung HLP-5063 taken back to the store. After two days with this tv I must day that I love it. I picked up OTA antenna for HDTV and have pulled in almost all the HD stations, which are truly incredible on this tv.

The standard definition is nice also but I do see what some call SSE but it does not bother me that much. I use a cheapo Wal Mart Cyberhome DVD player with HDMI and it is close to HD but not quite as sharp as the OTA stations which as I said before are breathtaking.

I am glad I spent some time here reading up to see what my replacement for the Samsung would be because I am very happy now.

Thanks to everyone,
Russell, happy A10 owner.

Pictures to come later

Here's the pictures from my 50" A10.

Harry Potter Cyberhome DVD HDMI
http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/4999/tv012medium8zw.th.jpg (http://img458.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tv012medium8zw.jpg)

Lara Croft TBS OTA HDTV 720p
http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/1749/tv013medium4vr.th.jpg (http://img458.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tv013medium4vr.jpg)

CBS SD Tivo
http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/7193/tv031medium3ro.th.jpg (http://img458.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tv031medium3ro.jpg)

Some of the blur is from my unsteady hand, not the TV.

cyberhome has an hdmi out? The SD definition shot of CBS is pretty good.

I am looking at a Sony A10 at Costco. I have become concerned over the bulb life issue on these sets.

Is there any difference in the bulb life between an A10 and an A20?

Is the life as short as what I have been reading in this forum--ie 2000-3000 hours???

Is there a LCD HDTV that does not have a "bulb life" issue-- it does not have to be a rear projection??

I had read in another forum where the estimated life of Plasma is about 60,000 hours. I also read in the same forum (I think) that a LCD also had a very lengthy life (closer to 60,000 hours). I am getting confused because the reasons I was considering LCD over Plasma was the "burn-in" issue as well as the huge difference in power consumption and heat . I did not think I would run into the costly "bulb" issue with LCD.

I presently have a Samsung DLP and I have become increasingly concerned about it's reliability and I do have the "bulb" or lamp issue here as well. I was hoping to replace the Samsung with the A10, for many reasons.

Are there any good HDTV receivers out there that can perform for many years (like older CRT's) without having to constantly bother with all the tweaking issues and bulb replacements? :)

I am looking at a Sony A10 at Costco. I have become concerned over the bulb life issue on these sets.

Is there any difference in the bulb life between an A10 and an A20?


Not really. They may use different wattages, but bulb life is a reality of RPTVs.


Is the life as short as what I have been reading in this forum--ie 2000-3000 hours???


Possibly. There seems to be a good amount of variance with regards to bulb life (a rather large standard deviation). But, you should probably plan on a 2-3 year bulb life and then be pleased if it lasts longer.


Is there a LCD HDTV that does not have a "bulb life" issue-- it does not have to be a rear projection??


LCD flat panels do not have a bulb and so no bulb issue. But, you will pay a premium when compared size-for-size with an RPTV.


I had read in another forum where the estimated life of Plasma is about 60,000 hours. I also read in the same forum (I think) that a LCD also had a very lengthy life (closer to 60,000 hours). I am getting confused because the reasons I was considering LCD over Plasma was the "burn-in" issue as well as the huge difference in power consumption and heat . I did not think I would run into the costly "bulb" issue with LCD.


Life of the LCD panels, or Plasma thingies should not be your deciding factor, imho. And, imho, given the variability in reports about the "burn-in" issue, including "burn-in" as part of your decision process is a very personal factor.
Personally, the combination of having to spend about $1K more for a comparably sized plasma plus my own personal burn-in demons drove me to an RPTV in general and the A10, specifically. I figured, even though I may spend $1K over 10 years buying bulbs, it's better than spending $1K right now and being haunted by burn-in mental demons. Plus, maybe, just maybe, RPTV bulbs will drop in price as more sets are sold. (I can dream if i want to.)


I presently have a Samsung DLP and I have become increasingly concerned about it's reliability and I do have the "bulb" or lamp issue here as well. I was hoping to replace the Samsung with the A10, for many reasons.

Are there any good HDTV receivers out there that can perform for many years (like older CRT's) without having to constantly bother with all the tweaking issues and bulb replacements? :)

If the only reason you are thinking of replacing your DLP is because of a fear of a bulb burning out, then, personally, I would sit tight for a while and wait for the bulb to burn out before buying a new set. By the time this happens, there may be other, better choices available to you.
But, if you are looking to get another set because of the bulb issue, then you will need to focus on Plasmas or LCD flat panel or CRT TVs. Of these three LCD flat panel also addresses the "burn-in" issue. (Note, CRT HDTVs have the "burn-in" issue and actually require tweaks to maintain proper convergence, etc.)

Hope this helps, but it probably only made things more confusing, :)


Mitch

Mitch

Thanks so much for the quick response. You did not confuse me-any more than I already am! Your response was very concise and I really appreciate it!

The "other" reasons we are concerned about our Samsung DLP are some "pixelization issues"- plus occasionally when turning on the set the colors are stuck in like a "pink" mode--plus I have read some recent reviews where there are concerns about the mirrors and color wheel or chip, which would be expensive repairs when out of warranty. We also have audio lag and some echoing issues from time to time.

When I viewed the picture at Costco (on their 50 A10) it was much better than ours. And they only had it hooked up via component cable. I assume it would be better yet with HDMI?

I appreciate your point about "bulb" costs over a 10 year period. That truly makes a lot of sense. Are you aware of any other more costly issues or problems with the A10? And, would you recommend an extended warranty? Most do not include the bulb I am sure.

Question about the Sony's KFE42A10 42" Grand WEGA® 3LCD Rear Projection if these Tvs can not get burn-in why does the manual say this:

CAUTION

When using TV games, computers, and similar products with your projection TV, keep the brightness and contrast functions at low settings. If a fixed (non-moving) pattern is left on the screen for long periods of time at high brightness or contrast setting, the image can be permanently imprinted onto the screen. Continuously watching the same program can cause the imprint of the station logos onto the TV screen. These types of imprints are not covered by your warranty because they are the result of misuse.

This makes no since to me everyone on these forums say you can not burn-in a rear projection LCD but the manual says different. SO WHATS WITH THAT :confused:

After reading up on this I believe that there's a remote possibility for burn-in, but the chances of it happening are so low that it's not worth worrying about. Sony is just covering their butt with the "burn-in" disclaimer. I'd just ignore it.

Today, I walked into the local Sears store here in Durham, NC and told them that if they were to match the Costco offer of the KDF-E50A10 & stand at $2399.99, I would buy it on the spot. The salesman makes a quick phone call (maybe 20 seconds) and comes back with “Sure, we’ll match it”.

So I get the TV & stand for $2374.99 (the sale price at Sears right now) plus free delivery. And since I paid for it with my Platinum Visa, the 1 year warranty from Sony was doubled, including bulb replacement. So now I have the option of extending the warranty through Sony or through Chase Visa. After 4 months of looking and price shopping, I am very pleased. :D

I would love to get a $2100 price without the stand. Seems the Sony warranty extension after a year is the way to go also. I live near I*** and several of their TV stands with funny Swedish names fit the 50" A10 pretty well. I did not like the matching Sony silver stand I saw in the store for about $350. The stained pine at I***for about $150 looks better - especially if you have to pass the spouse test.

BTW, I have been looking at this set, the XBR1, and a Panny Plasma for a while. The panny does not look good with DVDs. The XBR looks great (I saw it during the world series), but the A10 was quite watchable. It also matches the XBR1 for DVDs. For half the price, I am going for the A10.

After reading up on this I believe that there's a remote possibility for burn-in, but the chances of it happening are so low that it's not worth worrying about. Sony is just covering their butt with the "burn-in" disclaimer. I'd just ignore it.
I don't think this technology ever has true permanent burn-in. I think the disclaimer was probably just carried over from the manual for an earlier CRT type TV.

Hi Guys

I have been reading alot of threads like all the other would be buyers and I have to say this TV is blows away everything for the price to value matchup. I am going for the 50 inch for sure, on Sonystyle.ca there is two types of the A10 one with the HD tuner built in and one comming out on the 24th of November without and its 400 bucks cheaper. Living in Canada there arent alot of HD channels in the air for me to take advantage of the built in tuner, so i am leaning towards the other one. Are there any other differences between the two that you guys know of or is just the tuner.

Thanks

cyberhome has an hdmi out? The SD definition shot of CBS is pretty good.

Yes, it has HDMI. The Cyberhome at Wally World also comes with the HDMI cable which is a big plus.

The CBS shot is a good one, however the quality of SD Tivo does vary and some has that SSE but overall I am very, very pleased.

My first post. I bought my 50" a10 before

Hi Guys

I have been reading alot of threads like all the other would be buyers and I have to say this TV is blows away everything for the price to value matchup. I am going for the 50 inch for sure, on Sonystyle.ca there is two types of the A10 one with the HD tuner built in and one comming out on the 24th of November without and its 400 bucks cheaper. Living in Canada there arent alot of HD channels in the air for me to take advantage of the built in tuner, so i am leaning towards the other one. Are there any other differences between the two that you guys know of or is just the tuner.

Thanks

I went to sonystyle.ca and did compare the KDFE42A10 and the new KFE42A10. They both seem to have all the same features, except that the KFE42A10 (new model) will not have an Integrated Digital ATSC tuner or CableCard.

Jerry

My first post. I bought my 50" a10 before

Before what? ;)

I don't think this technology ever has true permanent burn-in. I think the disclaimer was probably just carried over from the manual for an earlier CRT type TV.

I've read a few cases where LCD flat panel TV/monitors had gotten permanent burn-in (this may have been just a defect), but with LCD RPTV it's most likely not possible or temporary at best. I think Sony put the disclaimer in the manual just in case someone tries to make the claim that they got screen burn-in. In other words: "Don't bother us with your own stupidity." ;)

Hi Guys

I have been reading alot of threads like all the other would be buyers and I have to say this TV is blows away everything for the price to value matchup. I am going for the 50 inch for sure, on Sonystyle.ca there is two types of the A10 one with the HD tuner built in and one comming out on the 24th of November without and its 400 bucks cheaper. Living in Canada there arent alot of HD channels in the air for me to take advantage of the built in tuner, so i am leaning towards the other one. Are there any other differences between the two that you guys know of or is just the tuner.

Thanks

As far as I know..just the tuner

I have had this tv for sometime now...and while watching I still find myself saying
"What a great TV this is"...a little diddling with the settings amd you will be very happy with this set.

who cares about the bulb if you buy it at costco? return it before the bulb burns out and get something new. thats the beauty of buying from costco. i didnt like having to buy the stand either but its worth it for the return policy. i kept it in the box, in my garage.

who cares about the bulb if you buy it at costco? return it before the bulb burns out and get something new. thats the beauty of buying from costco. i didnt like having to buy the stand either but its worth it for the return policy. i kept it in the box, in my garage.

Obviously, many people would have problems with the ethics of doing that.

Why take back a tv that works well and end up with a POS?

Does any one know if this sets HDMI input does any extra converting ?.... that maybe it's not a straight digital to digital pass through between two hdmi sources ? read some where in the DVD forum about last years model about doing some extra steps in this input like :
digital =>analog=> digital again ?......I'll try to find the post.

Edit here is the quote:

One more thing about your Sony display(if you didn't already know), the HDMI signal path is NOT all digital. It does, in fact, go through an analog conversion in the Sony before eventually being converted to digital for the actual displaying of the image. If it were an all digital path, the picture on the 3910 via HDMI may have been superior to the 2900 and I would have probably kept the 3910. Bottom line is: In CERTAIN situations, upscaling players are FAR from superior/better to a quality component player, IMO.

Obviously, many people would have problems with the ethics of doing that.

I agree about the ethics. Like returning a bought tux after a night of partying because a button is loose.

I read an article about Costco. The CEO is very good to his employees, especially in health care benefits. Happy people=better service.

who cares about the bulb if you buy it at costco? return it before the bulb burns out and get something new. thats the beauty of buying from costco. i didnt like having to buy the stand either but its worth it for the return policy. i kept it in the box, in my garage.Its people like you who keep the cost up to the honest consumers. :rolleyes:

I have seen "burn-in" like symptoms in LCD flat panel computer monitors. It appears like the LCD crystals for those pixels have experienced some kind of fatigue and do not completely rotate back to the "black" or "full light is blocked" position.

However, after powering down the affected monitor for a few hours, I turned it back on and the "burn-in" effect was completely gone. Good as new.

YMMV

I have seen "burn-in" like symptoms in LCD flat panel computer monitors. It appears like the LCD crystals for those pixels have experienced some kind of fatigue and do not completely rotate back to the "black" or "full light is blocked" position.

However, after powering down the affected monitor for a few hours, I turned it back on and the "burn-in" effect was completely gone. Good as new.

YMMV

I figured it was temporary thing unless at some point the liquid crystals fail and go dead. That would suck!

I went by Sears today to look at the A10 50" and loved the picture but felt like it is a little small for me. I am going to be sitting at 10' from the front of the screen, what screen size would be good for me? The A10 50 or the A20 55" the 60" may be a little too big for me.

I current have a 43" Toshiba (non hd) Cinema Series.

I sit about 9' to 10' from my 50" A10 and I think it is perfect for the distance. Any bigger and I feel as if I am watching a tennis match.

i never said i was doing over and over. it makes sense when spending 2500 on a tv. you want the flexibility of a good return policy period.

I was afraid of that...who can trust the grunts in any store to give you a truly informed answer, let alone the right answer. However, I agree with you that the value of the long-term warranty remains.

who cares about the bulb if you buy it at costco? return it before the bulb burns out and get something new. thats the beauty of buying from costco. i didnt like having to buy the stand either but its worth it for the return policy. i kept it in the box, in my garage.
if you are that cheap that you would actually go thru all that hassle to save $200 for a bulb, thats sad. Just buy a 27 inch daewoo for $129.99 and be done with it

I finally received my 50" A10 yesterday morning. Upgrading from a 25" console. I love it, though am very slightly disappointed in the SD picture. I was expecting it though. My wife (who I had to convince to let me get this) thinks the tv is awesome, although she is very disappointed in the SD pic. DVD's look good on my very cheap apex player, may invest in an upconverting player at xmas. No HD hook up yet. All in all, i do believe this was the best bang for buck.

I would love to get a $2100 price without the stand. Seems the Sony warranty extension after a year is the way to go also. I live near I*** and several of their TV stands with funny Swedish names fit the 50" A10 pretty well. I did not like the matching Sony silver stand I saw in the store for about $350. The stained pine at I***for about $150 looks better - especially if you have to pass the spouse test.

BTW, I have been looking at this set, the XBR1, and a Panny Plasma for a while. The panny does not look good with DVDs. The XBR looks great (I saw it during the world series), but the A10 was quite watchable. It also matches the XBR1 for DVDs. For half the price, I am going for the A10.


Fry's electronics here in Phoenix has the A10 on sale for $2099, so if you have a Fry's in your area you may want to check the price. This was in their Friday ad on 11-10-05.

My step son picked one up a few weeks back when they had the same sales price.
I liked his so much I picked one up but at Sam's Club for $2350 with the stand. I really like the stand. It is sturdy and has a small hanging shelf that my center speaker fits perfectly on.

Also a 1 year extended warranty at Sam's is only $59. If you have a Sam's Advantage Discover Card and use it you will get another additional year, for
a total of 3 years.

Fry's electronics here in Phoenix has the A10 on sale for $2099, so if you have a Fry's in your area you may want to check the price. This was in their Friday ad on 11-10-05.



sweeeeet man, that might be the best price I've seen. Might have to pull the trigger and get the Price match + 15% from Conns if Frys has that price here in Austin. Thanks!

Hello Everyone,
I just got the Sony Grand Wega KDF-E50A10 and I love it so far. I was wondering if anyone has the Calibration Settings for it. I was wondering if anyone got their TV professionally calibrated and if they have they could share some information on the settings with me. Thanks.

What is an "official Thread",and what makes it "official"?

With regards to the avia calibration disc, does anyone know if there are newer discs than 1999. I can get one from '99 from my library, but am wondering if a newer edition of the disc would be better. I haven't really found anything online indicating that there are newer editions. amazon is selling one from '99.

What is an "official Thread",and what makes it "official"?

An "official" thread keeps down the number of threads about a subject, although it does not prevent the same questions being asked over and over and over and over and over....

hey do any of you think the price of the 42a10 could drop after xmas or anytime soon .

" hey do any of you think the price of the 42a10 could drop after xmas or anytime soon ." I would also love to hear some responses to this question, as I am very interested in the 42a10 but would be willing to wait a few months if it would mean a lower price.

I'm not sure anyone knows for certain what will happen to prices after Christmas, but stores are very price-competitive between Thanksgiving and Xmas. If you buy during this time, especially if from a place that will price match for 30-days after purchase, you should be able to rest knowing you got a good deal. At the same time, big screens tend to drop lowest in price right before the super bowl.

I'm looking to buy a 50" A10 in the very near future. I know that eventually I'll find a better deal for it AFTER I buy, but thats they way things go. My only decision is if I want to buy online and get cheap prices or pay several hundred more to buy local.

Hi all:
I have been enjoying reading all these informative discussion here and I think I am ready to pick up a 50A10. My wife is very concerned that she saw a few HDTV at friend's house and the SD all look like dwarves. How's the zoom mode in the 50A10? Does it stretch the SD better than the previous generation of GrandWega?
Thanks for all input!

After doing alot of research (incl. lurking here at avsforum for the past month), I am going to pull the trigger and pick up a Sony 50A10 today as my first step into the HDTV world.

To the guy wondering about the best time to buy, now is a great time. Popular models are going to be harder to come by during the peak shopping season starting in a couple weeks and this holiday will be even worse because of the release of the XBox360.

You may be interested to know that Best Buy has extended their price match protection through January instead of the normal 30 days. This gives you a nice cushion in case the model you buy has a price decrease.

" hey do any of you think the price of the 42a10 could drop after xmas or anytime soon ." I would also love to hear some responses to this question, as I am very interested in the 42a10 but would be willing to wait a few months if it would mean a lower price.
It is $1799 at CC now. I have been eyeing this TV myself.

Hi all:
I have been enjoying reading all these informative discussion here and I think I am ready to pick up a 50A10. My wife is very concerned that she saw a few HDTV at friend's house and the SD all look like dwarves. How's the zoom mode in the 50A10? Does it stretch the SD better than the previous generation of GrandWega?
Thanks for all input!

It's a non-linear stretch mode where it zooms in a bit in the center of the screen and the sides are slightly stretched. Toshiba does 4:3 stretching the best, but Sony is a close second. The nice thing about the A10 is that there's only about a 2% overscan, which means news tickers won't be getting cut off when using the Wide Zoom mode. Sometimes people will look a bit "squatty," but most of the time the stretch mode looks very natural.

Hi Guys. I need a quick answer to this question.
The KFE50 will be a tight fit in an enclosure I have planned for it.
Are the speakers front firing??
Thanks guys :D

Hi Guys. I need a quick answer to this question.
The KFE50 will be a tight fit in an enclosure I have planned for it.
Are the speakers front firing??
Thanks guys :D
Hi Dermot:

Sony speakers are front firing on this model. You will need air space in the back and top for cooling since you have a tight fit on the sides. Some members have installed a cooling fan (mounted to the cabinet) with a tight fit cabinet. My cabinet has 3" air space along the side and top with lots of space in the back area. You will enjoy this Sony HDTV - excellent product.

Hi Dermot:

Sony speakers are front firing on this model. You will need air space in the back and top for cooling since you have a tight fit on the sides. Some members have installed a cooling fan (mounted to the cabinet) with a tight fit cabinet. My cabinet has 3" air space along the side and top with lots of space in the back area. You will enjoy this Sony HDTV - excellent product.

Thanks for the info.
Should I drop down to the 42" model then for heat considerations?

My enclosure is about 47 1/2" wide and 17 1/2" deep (lots of room up top but that may not matter)

The set is apparently 46 5/8'wide and 16 1/8" deep. I could pull it out another inch or so as being flush isn't a huge issue.

Because the design is pinched to the back I was hoping the heat would rise from there but I don't want the lamp failing every few months. :(

Thanks

Just found a post of a strange problem with the older model:

Yellow circuitboard-like patch has been developed on the screen.
(Too bad, I can't post URL yet.)

Sounds scary and seems quite common, but then again, that's the old model.
Seems to be a good idea to get the extended warranty.

Anyone has this problem on the new model?

Thanks for the info.
Should I drop down to the 42" model then for heat considerations?

My enclosure is about 47 1/2" wide and 17 1/2" deep (lots of room up top but that may not matter)

The set is apparently 46 5/8'wide and 16 1/8" deep. I could pull it out another inch or so as being flush isn't a huge issue.

Because the design is pinched to the back I was hoping the heat would rise from there but I don't want the lamp failing every few months. :(

Thanks
42" Model is a good choice with your measurements. Your first consideration is your sitting distance from the screen. If the 50" fits your distance requirements then I would mount a quiet fan toward the back of your HDTV for good air circulation. Our sitting distance for our 42" varies from 7 to 9 feet. The 50" would not fit in my cabinet (too wide by 1/2"). We are very happy with our selection.

Re: Christmas and price drops

Many of us purchased our 42" sets during the Labor Day sale at BestBuy when they were $1599.

I personally would not buy one at this point until you can meet or better that price again.

Re: Christmas and price drops

Many of us purchased our 42" sets during the Labor Day sale at BestBuy when they were $1599.

I personally would not buy one at this point until you can meet or better that price again.
I think I read somewhere earlier in this thread, that that price was a mistake, so I don't know if it'll hit that again or not. But that being said, if I've seen a price that low before, I'll definitely wait til I see that price again before buying. It make take a while, but it'll get there eventually.

Thanks for the info.
Should I drop down to the 42" model then for heat considerations?

My enclosure is about 47 1/2" wide and 17 1/2" deep (lots of room up top but that may not matter)

The set is apparently 46 5/8'wide and 16 1/8" deep. I could pull it out another inch or so as being flush isn't a huge issue.

Because the design is pinched to the back I was hoping the heat would rise from there but I don't want the lamp failing every few months. :(

Thanks
I have the E50A10 with 16" deep bookcases pushed almost against the sides and the TV pushed back almost against the wall (open above) and I have not noticed any cooling problems. The pinched design does leave a lot of space for air circulation.

The fan exhaust (primarily to keep the lamp cool) is on the back of the TV. I would think you'd need at least 3 inches of clearance in the back for good air circulation and lamp life.

I think I might buy my 42a10 off 6ave.com, last time I checked it was about $1600 there with $0.06 shipping and no tax.

I think I might buy my 42a10 off 6ave.com, last time I checked it was about $1600 there with $0.06 shipping and no tax.


before you do, you might want to read some reviews about that store. not so hot

The fan exhaust (primarily to keep the lamp cool) is on the back of the TV. I would think you'd need at least 3 inches of clearance in the back for good air circulation and lamp life.

in the manual, sony says at least 4 in.

Gotta make sure you leave the space or you'll just be hurting yourself and your wallet.

Hmm, I was close considering I never read the manual :)

Finally hooked up and calibrated the 50 incher today...just simply amazing. HD looks great of course and SD still looks good, maybe a little bit worse than the 32 inch JVC CRT we replaced but it's still easily watchable.

For those thinking about space issues, this tv really takes up less space than that old 32 inch and is definitely lighter.

2 thumbs up on this tv!!!

I think I read somewhere earlier in this thread, that that price was a mistake, so I don't know if it'll hit that again or not. But that being said, if I've seen a price that low before, I'll definitely wait til I see that price again before buying. It make take a while, but it'll get there eventually.

I think that it seemed like a mistake, especially given that BB normally carries the set for the full $2000 'suggested' price. But given that another store (Fry's) had sold the set for that same lower price a few weeks earlier, it's not likely to have been a true pricing mistake. As one of the folks who got it at that great price from BB (along with no interest for 36 months!), I've been very happy with my purchase so far.

I live in the tulies, literally. Thanks to this great thread I learned of BB's $400 off sale. Downloaded the BB ad and took it to our very small, locally owned Sears and to my surprise they did a 110% price match with the closest BB 85 miles away. They even had to order it since they did not stock the 42". Thanks guys you saved me $440 and a long trip.

Just picked up a Sony 50” A10 at local CC. It was what they call an OPEN BOX unit, so literally all I received was the TV and the remote. As the sales staff was working on me to purchase the 499 dollar extended warranty, I mentioned I could beat that price by getting it directly from Sony. At that point they unloaded on me, telling me how I would have to package up the TV and send it to Sony for any warranty work. They were adamant that Sony will not make house calls for warranty work.

I didn’t purchase the warranty, but I was wondering if anyone had any experience with the Sony warranty procedures?

Just picked up a Sony 50” A10 at local CC. It was what they call an OPEN BOX unit, so literally all I received was the TV and the remote. As the sales staff was working on me to purchase the 499 dollar extended warranty, I mentioned I could beat that price by getting it directly from Sony. At that point they unloaded on me, telling me how I would have to package up the TV and send it to Sony for any warranty work. They were adamant that Sony will not make house calls for warranty work.

I didn’t purchase the warranty, but I was wondering if anyone had any experience with the Sony warranty procedures?

CC are full of BS. Typical. :rolleyes:

As long as you have a Sony "in-home" service center in your area they will come to your house and either fix any problems there or take it back to their shop. If not, Sony will tell you where you can take it, which will be locally or not far from where you live. Sony will only take the TV back if you're getting an exchange or refund.

JK,

An article in yesterday's Sunday Boston Globe said that 100% of CCs profits are derived from Extended Warranties, and 35% of BBs profits are derived from same. It's no surprise that either of the 2 aforementioned companies will hammer you to purchase the extended warranty.

Carter

Would anybody care to post their custom video settings for their regular ol' XBOX on the A10? I have been messing around with the settings, but can't get them exact. Maps like Gemini and Warlock are too dark. If you have day and night time viewing settings, that would be nice.

And yes, I bought the 50" A10 to play XBOX 360 and to watch the RED SOX on NESN HD in the Spring. And yes, I did do a search............. thanks.

just want to ask for someone's opinion. I am planning on buying the A10 this sunday. My question is i don't know what size to get. the room in which the tv will be going into is pretty big.

The A10 will be replacing a 36in. Trinatron Wega. My current tv stand is 48in wide and the a10 50in is approx. 47in wide. so I know that is will look good on the stand. The best seat in the house is approx 13ft away. all the other seat are about 8ft.

I am afraid if I buy the 42in that I won't be gaining that much of tv screen? I have a relative that works at one of the B&M stores so I get one purchase at their cost. I don't want to talk about pricing here, but without this discount the 50in is out of my budget.

Just wondering what you folks think. the 42in would be more practical but I don't want to regret it in the long run thinking I should have gotten the 50.

any advise is welcome. thanks

8-13 feet? I'd get the 50".

just want to ask for someone's opinion. I am planning on buying the A10 this sunday. My question is i don't know what size to get. the room in which the tv will be going into is pretty big.

The A10 will be replacing a 36in. Trinatron Wega. My current tv stand is 48in wide and the a10 50in is approx. 47in wide. so I know that is will look good on the stand. The best seat in the house is approx 13ft away. all the other seat are about 8ft.



With a main 13ft viewing Distance I'd definitely get the 50 inch. I watch my 50A10 at 9+ feet, and I am very comfortable. 8 feet is a little close but I don't get SDE at that distance, so I'd really recommend the 50 if the cost is managable for you. Besides, rarely do you hear someone lament getting the larger size, its always the people buying smaller who say, "You know, I could have gone larger."

At least that's my opinion after sitting on the 42/50 fence for a month before taking the plunge.

Either way, its a great TV, enjoy.

An article in yesterday's Sunday Boston Globe said that 100% of CCs profits are derived from Extended Warranties, and 35% of BBs profits are derived from same.

100%? Wouldn't that mean that every single item in the entire store at CC was being sold at wholesale prices? (Which clearly isn't the case.)

You may be interested to know that Best Buy has extended their price match protection through January instead of the normal 30 days. This gives you a nice cushion in case the model you buy has a price decrease.

Are you sure about this? Does this apply to all stores, or only to a particular store in your area. I could not confirm this information.

Thanks,
Jerry

I called the local Bestbuy, and they tell me that the price-match plan is only for 30 days. There is no "Holiday Special" price-match protection plan that runs through till Jan.

Besides, rarely do you hear someone lament getting the larger size, its always the people buying smaller who say, "You know, I could have gone larger."

.

Yep...you hear it in reference to TV's with men and breast jobs from women. :p

before you do, you might want to read some reviews about that store. not so hot
I usually find good reviews on them....mostly from reseller ratings.

I called the local Bestbuy, and they tell me that the price-match plan is only for 30 days. There is no "Holiday Special" price-match protection plan that runs through till Jan.

Well I apologize for leading you otherwise. It must be on a store-by-store basis as my salesman guaranteed pricing match for 60 days because of the holidays.

...now if my guy was lying to make a sale, he will be hearing from his manager Wed when I go to pick up my TV!

Can someone post here the tweaks I should make to the out-of-the-box settings to the E50A10?

I am having some trouble locating it on here, and I could really use your assistance. If you have:

1) Overall best settings for anytime viewing

and specifically:

2) Daytime Viewing

3) Nighttime Viewing

4) XBOX Viewing

Thanks.

in the manual, sony says at least 4 in.
Thanks for the reminder. One of the advantages of this TV to me is the shallow depth which would be negated by having to keep it 4" from the wall. The air behind the set didn't seem overly warm to me but since the manual says 4" I have cut a big hole in the sheetrock behind the TV to allow for air flow. I can feel the warm air rising through the opening so the hole is making a difference. I may also try the high altitude setting to increase the fan speed to improve air flow.

Can someone post here the tweaks I should make to the out-of-the-box settings to the E50A10?

I am having some trouble locating it on here, and I could really use your assistance. If you have:

1) Overall best settings for anytime viewing

and specifically:

2) Daytime Viewing

3) Nighttime Viewing

4) XBOX Viewing

Thanks.
Check the links in Dark Rain's signature.

Is anyone having a problem getting a signal on video 6 (HDMI).. I'm using a DVI to HDMI connection to my Zenith 318 & get no picture??

ok guys big dilemma here. I was all set on the A10 50" model but I got it home and its to small know I have to return it to get a bigger set, guy told me at futureshop that the 55" A20 is the same set as the A10 but just bigger but after reading the posts here i see thats not true. Should I just start looking at different sets other then sony at this size and price or what?
I am sitting almost 15 feet from the set.

OK guys, I've had the 42A10 about a week now. It's coupled to the DirecTV H10 receiver with an HDMI cable from monoprice. My room is very bright. The out of the box settings were not all that bad for a brightly lit room. In the evenings a switch to standard from the vivid setting does the trick. I'll play with custom settings later. Got the TV from CC. They came down to a g1o7o5d0 price for me (read btween the lines so to speak). Love the picture. As was said before, much better than anything I saw in the stores.

Question for the more experienced (and no, I haven't read the manuals): Which remote is best to use? If it's the H10's, where do you leave the "wide" setting on the Sony? Normal?

Every now and then when turned on, the TV. (receiver?) can't find the resolution that's right and I have to 'reboot' by shutting down and restarting everthing. Solution? Bad receiver? Bad TV? Would appreciate any feedback if others have seen this.

If you're still on the fence don't hesitate.

I just picked up the 50A10 at BB tonight in time to watch the game. Here's my quick impression after watching for a few hours tonight from my HR10-250 over HDMI.

1) Settings OTB aren't ideal but still very watchable. Based on the information posted in these forums, the issues here appear to be easily adjusted
2) Obvious SDE at 8.5-9ft
3) Minimal audible mechanical noise
4) HD picture quality is good (but not great). Hopefully this will improve as I dial in the settings and experiment a bit using 1080i or 720p from the HR10-250.
5) SD picture quality is good (for SD) -- just as good as my former 46" Sony RPCRT.

Bought my 50 A10 last week and had HDTV cable with a SA8300 HDTV cablebox/DVR installed. From time to time I'll briefly lose sound or sound and picture. I'm not sure if it's happening on all channels or just the HDTV channels (those are all that I seem to watch now!). I'm not sure if this is a TV or a cable and/or cablebox issue. Any ideas??

Ok fellas, I have been thinking the same thing that you folks said... I am definilty makinf the 50a10 my number 1 choice

Thanks

just want to ask for someone's opinion. I am planning on buying the A10 this sunday. My question is i don't know what size to get. the room in which the tv will be going into is pretty big.

The A10 will be replacing a 36in. Trinatron Wega. My current tv stand is 48in wide and the a10 50in is approx. 47in wide. so I know that is will look good on the stand. The best seat in the house is approx 13ft away. all the other seat are about 8ft.

I am afraid if I buy the 42in that I won't be gaining that much of tv screen? I have a relative that works at one of the B&M stores so I get one purchase at their cost. I don't want to talk about pricing here, but without this discount the 50in is out of my budget.

Just wondering what you folks think. the 42in would be more practical but I don't want to regret it in the long run thinking I should have gotten the 50.

any advise is welcome. thanks

I had a "36 Trinatron Wega and went to the A10 "42 and it's great for me, my viewing distance is about 7-8 feet and it BIG enough :) but for the distance you have get the "50. These are great HDTV's :D
Mark

ok guys big dilemma here. I was all set on the A10 50" model but I got it home and its to small know I have to return it to get a bigger set, guy told me at futureshop that the 55" A20 is the same set as the A10 but just bigger but after reading the posts here i see thats not true. Should I just start looking at different sets other then sony at this size and price or what?
I am sitting almost 15 feet from the set.

hbassi,
I purchased the Sony KDF-E55A20 online about a month ago and have been very pleased with the PQ, especially sharpness and color brightness. The A10 has the "black iris" feature and speakers on the bottom. Some have reported that they have turned the "black iris" feature off. I can't speak to that and I am sure some will argue with that statement. I do know the A10 gets a lot of press and has a great picture. It also is cheaper and is not as wide because the speakers are on the bottom. From my comparison, the A20 sharpness and brightness is very similar to the A10. Some may argue with that. What you have to do is let your eyes make the decision. Make sure both models have a comparable picture input. Good luck with your decision. WolfpackRon.

Is the KFE model being offered in the US?
It is offered in Canada for about $500CD less than the KDF model.
The difference is KFE model does not have ATSC tuner and cablecard slot.
(Someone seems to mention that the KFE model has no PC input either???)
I am heavily debating weather I should stick with the KDF model since the cable provider here in Toronto may never support cablecard. Seems a lot of people already jump in and ordered the KFE model from sears.ca. I am so tempting to get it now but can't get this struggle straight. :(

I just picked up the 50A10 at BB tonight in time to watch the game. Here's my quick impression after watching for a few hours tonight from my HR10-250 over HDMI.

1) Settings OTB aren't ideal but still very watchable. Based on the information posted in these forums, the issues here appear to be easily adjusted
2) Obvious SDE at 8.5-9ft
3) Minimal audible mechanical noise
4) HD picture quality is good (but not great). Hopefully this will improve as I dial in the settings and experiment a bit using 1080i or 720p from the HR10-250.
5) SD picture quality is good (for SD) -- just as good as my former 46" Sony RPCRT.
My experience with Dish, use the 1080i, much much better.

Steve,

There are number of settings available on the Grand Wega V Tweeks thread.

As you might guess, I prefer my settings the best :)

I adjusted my settings to accomplish 3 main goals.

1) To get rid of the color oversaturation, most noticable in the "Red" colors.
2) To be able to see details in dark objects like TV news announcer's pinstriped suits.
3) To be able to view the TV during the day from inside a daylit room (or nighttime with typical living room lighting) without it looking too dim or washed out.

Here is the link:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6258083&&#post6258083

Steve,

There are number of settings available on the Grand Wega V Tweeks thread.

As you might guess, I prefer my settings the best :)


Here is the link:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6258083&&#post6258083

Thanks for the assist. I would ask one question: did you do the 'red push' fix as well, and what are the thoughts on a regular power strip surge protector. Is that enough to protect the TV?

Also is it true that if I muck up the TV, I can hold down the up arrow key and press power 'on' on the TV and it will reset the entire TV back to factory settings regardless of changes made in the service menu?

Thanks a ton.
Steve

Making changes to the service menu will not only void your warney in most cases, but can perminantly damage your TV. There is no master reset button for the service menus.

I have orderd from these guys with no incident. 6ave.com

I started off relationship with them buying the Sony 400 Disc DVD player with the HDMI upscaling. It arrived quick and without incident, packaged perfectly.

Then I ordered the Sony E50A10. Same thing. Yes, they will try to sell you more bulbs (at great savings....3 for $300!) and they will try and sell you an HDMI cable, but they are decent guys.

Remeber, they are authorized dealers for Sony and all their electronics, and CNET gives them a 5-star rating which is important to their business. I would trust them a third time.

After reading this thread backwards and forwards, I've decided to buy the 50" A10. That said, I've read a lot of you have had luck negotiating/price matching with the folks at Best Buy/Circuit City/Retail Stores to obtain reasonable prices. I want to buy this thing NOW, but I don't want to pay retail plus tax, since I can seem to find the same set online for around 2k shipped. Could you please post some suggestions or solutions you've all used to purchase your 50A10 at a discount from BB/CC? Thanks.

I had a "36 Trinatron Wega and went to the A10 "42 and it's great for me, my viewing distance is about 7-8 feet and it BIG enough :)
Mark

I will have my A10 42" on Sat and plan on being pretty close to it during my madden games. Could you tell me at what distance you see the SDE? I tested it at the store and thought 4ft was as close as I could get.

bertreynoldz - You should checkout a local sears, I hear they will price match even online stores so print out the best deals online and try it out. Never hurts to try and make sure you dont act like you want the tv that day. :D :p

Bought my 50 A10 last week and had HDTV cable with a SA8300 HDTV cablebox/DVR installed. From time to time I'll briefly lose sound or sound and picture. I'm not sure if it's happening on all channels or just the HDTV channels (those are all that I seem to watch now!). I'm not sure if this is a TV or a cable and/or cablebox issue. Any ideas??

For whatever it's worth, I have the same setup with Adelphia outside of Buffalo and I notice one HD station in particular where the sound cuts out fairly regularly. If I get tired waiting for it to return, I just switch to the SD version and it always has sound.

Before I got the HD box, I used to have a digital box and the picture would lock-up for a few seconds on some of the channels.

I chalk it all up to Adelphia.....

Steve,

No I did not try the "red push" fix. I did not want to play with the service menu and besides, some of the results were confusing. Some people reported that the "Red push" fix needed to be applied multiple times to cover every different broadcast resolution (HD or SD) and also some different inputs like HDMI or VGA. And others have noticed a greenish tint to some skin tones in certain broadcasts.

Instead of trying to achieve true color accuracy, my eyeballs were the deciding factor instead of a color filter or other gadget.

As for a surge protector, any decent TrippLite or APC or even Monster protector will work fine for your TV set itself excepting the rare circumstance of a direct lightning strike.

However, your bulb life is a different story. Under normal circumstances, when you turn the TV "OFF", a cooling fan will continue to run and rapidly cool down your projector bulb. This is needed to extend the life of the bulb. However, under abnormal circumstances, like you KILL POWER to your TV set or your home's eletricity goes out, the fan will be unable to cool down the bulb and there have been reports of premature bulb failures sometimes within a week of the "cooked bulb" event.

So if you use a UPS, you will be able to turn OFF your TV in a controlled manner and let the cooling fan do its work.

After reading this thread backwards and forwards, I've decided to buy the 50" A10. That said, I've read a lot of you have had luck negotiating/price matching with the folks at Best Buy/Circuit City/Retail Stores to obtain reasonable prices. I want to buy this thing NOW, but I don't want to pay retail plus tax, since I can seem to find the same set online for around 2k shipped. Could you please post some suggestions or solutions you've all used to purchase your 50A10 at a discount from BB/CC? Thanks.

I was in CC today and the salesperson told me that they'd price match any advertised offer (B&M i suppose) through January 7th I think. He said with the holidays, prices will fluctuate, so they're going to extend past 30 days.

I just got my 42inch A10 on Friday. When watching the tv I am seeing what looks like dust on the screen. I say dust because the picture looks exactly like my CRT TV would if it was covered with dust. Is this SSE, and if so is there any way to limit it? Also, do LCD's have SSE also? If I can't get something resolved with this TV I might return it for a Sony 32inch XBR LCD.

[QUOTE=emperorbob]I just got my 42inch A10 on Friday. When watching the tv I am seeing what looks like dust on the screen. I say dust because the picture looks exactly like my CRT TV would if it was covered with dust. Is this SSE, and if so is there any way to limit it? Also, do LCD's have SSE also? If I can't get something resolved with this TV I might return it for a Sony 32inch XBR LCD.[/QUOTE

I expect that you are seeing SSE. There is no way to eliminate it. If you don't watch the TV directly and sit a bit to one side you might reduce the effect. Lowering the IRIS setting in a dark room might help somewhat too. I don't find it that objectionable most of the time. You might note that Consumer Reports just tested various types of HDTV's, and the A-10 was rated higher than ANY of the flat-panel LCD's (including Sony's) for HD picture quality. Plus a 42 inch screen is far more fun to watch than any 32 inch would be. If you really want a top quality picture, and are willing to give up size, I would buy a Sony direct view CRT in the 34 inch widescreen size, before I would buy any LCD, unless you don't the room for the CRT model. You also might consider a Panasonic 42 inch HD plasma. They are a great TV also, and won't have the SSE issue. However you will have to deal with a lot more glare issues on the 34 inch Sony and 42 inch Panny screens vs. the A-10's glare- resistant screen.

After reading this thread backwards and forwards, I've decided to buy the 50" A10. That said, I've read a lot of you have had luck negotiating/price matching with the folks at Best Buy/Circuit City/Retail Stores to obtain reasonable prices. I want to buy this thing NOW, but I don't want to pay retail plus tax, since I can seem to find the same set online for around 2k shipped. Could you please post some suggestions or solutions you've all used to purchase your 50A10 at a discount from BB/CC? Thanks.

BB matched CC + $25.00 total $2225

I also bought the warranty, it seemed less restrictive than the manufacturer's.

Additional $80 is BB credit for future (bonus card).

S***s was good but warranty did not cover surge overload (I read the small print in the handout).

Very happy with the 50A10. For some reason, comcast's HD network picture is way better than the other channels, and I am just using component from the box. I do not see any SSE on that channel.

Thanks for the replies. I'm now actually thinking I'm going to purchase the set online and pick up an extended warranty with the savings. I've read several people mention Authorized Electronics on this forum, and their price for the 50A10 I want seems great. Who has purchased from Authorized Electronics, and how was your experience? Also, did you buy the Phillips Extended Warranty, and does it seem worthwhile/legitimate to you? Thanks.

Thanks for the replies. I'm now actually thinking I'm going to purchase the set online and pick up an extended warranty with the savings. I've read several people mention Authorized Electronics on this forum, and their price for the 50A10 I want seems great. Who has purchased from Authorized Electronics, and how was your experience? Also, did you buy the Phillips Extended Warranty, and does it seem worthwhile/legitimate to you? Thanks.

bertreynoldz,
I purchased two Sony KDF-E55A20 TV's from Authorized Electronics with very good results. My buddie talked me out of the first one for his business and I ordered a second Sony TV to replace the first one. Good luck on your purchase. WolfpackRon.

You may want to give Electronics Expo a call. Talk to Richard at x124.

Has anyone use the A10 to browse the web?
what resolution is your setting and does it work ok?

Has anyone use the A10 to browse the web?
what resolution is your setting and does it work ok?

I connect my dell inspiron 6000 laptop to the 15 pin jack on input 7 and I use a wireless keyboard & mouse from 8 feet away, Works and looks great!
I get the black border around the screen but that does not bother me at all and I don't want to start fiddling with downloads-resolutions-etc to fill the entire screen.


dave.

I connect my dell inspiron 6000 laptop to the 15 pin jack on input 7 and I use a wireless keyboard & mouse from 8 feet away, Works and looks great!
I get the black border around the screen but that does not bother me at all and I don't want to start fiddling with downloads-resolutions-etc to fill the entire screen.


dave.
Thanks Dave. That makes me feel more confident to get one now.

Found This link on another forum, a lot of people had been experiencing strange color patch problem on the previous generation of sony lcd projection:

http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/2/137540.html

comes with some scary picture, too.:
(Hmmm, don't know how to post the picture, but it is in that links)

Some people report that this happen in the new model, A10.
Anyone seen this before?

Just got back from picking up my 50" A10, time to setup the stand and get this sucker hooked up.

Will report in later :D

anybody have any problems programming another remote to control the sony? i cant get my denon remote to learn from the sony.

Has anyone had this problem. Recently I have been experiencing very thin red horizontal lines across the full lenght of the screen. This is on only HD broadcasts both DirectTV and OTA. At first I could switch to an SD station and go back and the lines would disappear. Now the lines are more frequent and at times the there are dozens of these lines on the screen at the same time. I've already had one service call because the PC input didn't work correctly. Come to find out a cable from a circuit board on the back of the PC input wasn't secured properly on onto one of the main boards of the TV. I hope I don't have a unit that squeaked through with substandard quality control. My Unit was manufactured in Mexico.
If anyone has had this problem fixed please let me know so what they did so I can let the Tech know.

CousinVinny - Your mistaken about the A10 comment in that thread. The poster said he had his A10 for 2 years which is impossible since the tv came out in late summer. Either he made a typo or is trying to create confusion and dis-information.

anybody have any problems programming another remote to control the sony? i cant get my denon remote to learn from the sony.

My HTM MX500 was able to learn the Sony remote commands. The only thing that I cannot figure out is how to make the MX500 macro change the E50A10's various external inputs.

Making changes to the service menu will not only void your warney in most cases, but can perminantly damage your TV. There is no master reset button for the service menus.
If you have specific knowledge of how performing the tweaks in the tweaks thread will damage the E50A10 then please let us know. Do you know for a fact that the master reset that is posted in the tweaks thread doesn't work? If the TV has a manufacturing defect during the warranty period then why wouldn't Sony be obliged to honor their warranty regardless of unrelated settings that you have applied?

PS: It is true that you can mess up your TV by indescriminantly changing items in the service menu but that doesn't mean that your TV will implode the moment the service menu is entered either.

I've had my 50A10 for several weeks and am still trying to figure out what differences the sound mode , trusurround, and BBE sound settings make. I can hear some differences, but to my ears the differences are subtle. I've read what the settings are supposed to do in the instruction manual but I'm not noticing much of an effect when listening. Has anyone found a more detailed and understandable explanation, not marketing lingo, of what the sound settings are supposed to do?

My HTM MX500 was able to learn the Sony remote commands. The only thing that I cannot figure out is how to make the MX500 macro change the E50A10's various external inputs.

I covered my method for this on the MX500 in an earlier post: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6298892#post6298892

My HTM MX500 was able to learn the Sony remote commands. The only thing that I cannot figure out is how to make the MX500 macro change the E50A10's various external inputs.
are there new codes for sony tvs? my denon is 5 years old so the codes listed are probably not used anymore.

I will have my A10 42" on Sat and plan on being pretty close to it during my madden games. Could you tell me at what distance you see the SDE? I tested it at the store and thought 4ft was as close as I could get.


I'd say about '3 or less is when it is noticeable for me any way. It also depends on the signal your watching to. But with the action of a football game you prolly won't be seeing it unless you really look for it.
Mark

Hi.

A friend of mine just purchased the Sony KDFE50A10. Can some one post the optimal settings for this tv, like callibrating it to watch dvds, or HTPC, color settings and such. Much appreciate thanks.

Every tv, viewing environment (lighting), input source is different. Purchase a calibration dvd such as Avia or DVE, or use THX Optimizer found on many Pixar DVD's, and calibrate your display to the video test patterns.

After 2 months my A10 died. On Saturday I woke up and turned on the TV. It cycled through the warm up, saw and heard video for a secod, and turned off-flashing red five times. I unplugged it and it worked, but yesterday it happened again and didn't turn again even after unplugging it. This the second time its broken down. The first was a fan error according to TVs self diagnostic system.

After 2 months my A10 died. On Saturday I woke up and turned on the TV. It cycled through the warm up, saw and heard video for a secod, and turned off-flashing red five times. I unplugged it and it worked, but yesterday it happened again and didn't turn again even after unplugging it. This the second time its broken down. The first was a fan error according to TVs self diagnostic system.
Same thing happened to my JVC 27 inch, lightning waz the cause. Red light blinked and no sound nor picture, just a thought.

Today, I got my 42A10 from crutchfield at my new place. It was delievered via eagle freight. The box has no dents or such and the box itself looked like you could walk on it with no issue.

Two problems with eagle, bottom of the box was dirty and they let it slide down the stairs. So the steps are now dirty and I dont mean just here and there, I mean a streak. And the other is that they didnt unpack the box even thou it says it on the worksheet. This was mentioned but they said something like not in this case or such and got the hell out quickly. I will be calling eagle and crutchfield about this, most just to vent but we'll see how they respond. I'll let you all know.

are there new codes for sony tvs? my denon is 5 years old so the codes listed are probably not used anymore.
Not sure, but I just cycled through the codes until I found one for which the tv reacted (power on works). After that I just learned all buttons that didn't work on my mx-500.

Today, I got my 42A10 from crutchfield at my new place. It was delievered via eagle freight. The box has no dents or such and the box itself looked like you could walk on it with no issue.

Two problems with eagle, bottom of the box was dirty and they let it slide down the stairs. So the steps are now dirty and I dont mean just here and there, I mean a streak. And the other is that they didnt unpack the box even thou it says it on the worksheet. This was mentioned but they said something like not in this case or such and got the hell out quickly. I will be calling eagle and crutchfield about this, most just to vent but we'll see how they respond. I'll let you all know.

Sorry to see this again. Eagle freight like to cut corners and they are a sad example of a freight delivery company. I had problems ordering from Crutchfield in the past and it wasn't a very pleasant experience. The deilvery guy (it was supposed to be two of them) was careless with the TV I had ordered and I had to help him carry it into my apartment. You'd think with the prices they charge that they'd use a better freight carrier.

Hi.

A friend of mine just purchased the Sony KDFE50A10. Can some one post the optimal settings for this tv, like callibrating it to watch dvds, or HTPC, color settings and such. Much appreciate thanks.

See the links in my signature to help you get started.

Same thing happened to my JVC 27 inch, lightning waz the cause. Red light blinked and no sound nor picture, just a thought.

I'd agree with that, if you had storms in your area, that is likely the cause. Same thing happened to my in-laws televisions - they live out in the woods and lose at least one electronic item per year due to lightening strikes. They don't buy surge suppressors (which won't help in the event of a direct strike), just cheap electronics. :rolleyes:

Phil

Sorry to see this again. Eagle freight like to cut corners and they are a sad example of a freight delivery company. I had problems ordering from Crutchfield in the past and it wasn't a very pleasant experience. The deilvery guy (it was supposed to be two of them) was careless with the TV I had ordered and I had to help him carry it into my apartment. You'd think with the prices they charge that they'd use a better freight carrier.

I did read on other forums that eagle wasnt that bad and in all cases, its just luck to see what type of guy shows up. I dont mind them not opening it up and taking the trash but leaving a path of crap on the carpet smacks of not giving a damn. Thats my main bitch. I know crutchfield's CS is awesome so maybe they'll knock something off the price to clean the damn carpet. We'll see, for the record, I dont blame crutchfield.

I've had my 50A10 for several weeks and am still trying to figure out what differences the sound mode , trusurround, and BBE sound settings make. I can hear some differences, but to my ears the differences are subtle. I've read what the settings are supposed to do in the instruction manual but I'm not noticing much of an effect when listening. Has anyone found a more detailed and understandable explanation, not marketing lingo, of what the sound settings are supposed to do?

Trusurround is basically "fake" surround sound. You can't get true surround sound out of 2 speakers. But it's a nice feature since it adds some dimension to stereo sources.

BBE is phase correction processing. This basically delays frequencies, such as bass and midrange, in order to get more clarity out of higher frequencies. The effect makes the sound less muddy and muffled. The nice thing about this processing is that it's not adding anything to the sound. I recommend using it.

I did read on other forums that eagle wasnt that bad and in all cases, its just luck to see what type of guy shows up. I dont mind them not opening it up and taking the trash but leaving a path of crap on the carpet smacks of not giving a damn. Thats my main bitch. I know crutchfield's CS is awesome so maybe they'll knock something off the price to clean the damn carpet. We'll see, for the record, I dont blame crutchfield.

It's not Crutchfield's fault, but when I called them and complained, the guy that I spoke to told me that they've had problems using Eagle before. Sending one guy to deliver a 150 pound TV into my home wasn't exactly my idea of good service.

Crutchfield is a class act, but they need to ditch Eagle freight if they want to get anymore of my business.

Blown away I am.

I entered the HDTV realm last night with a Sony 50A10. Haven't been to sleep since trying out movies, HDTV cable programming, and XBox games. This TV is going to change my life in ways I could never fathom until I saw it myself hooked up in my house.

I can't get over watching movies and playing games and seeing things I had never noticed before. Incredible picture which I didn't even tweak too much for it to be immensely satisfying to my eyes.

I complemented my setup with a 7.1 1000w Onkyo (S870) surround system which can rattle my windows if I so choose.

I realize I have much to learn with programming and maximizing it, but one thing that struck me odd was trying to get the cable up and running. I added a Motorola HD box from the cable company and I couldn't get the TV to recieve a signal. After triple checking my connections, calling the cable company twice to no avail....I found that my cable signal was on Video 5. (I'm using components from the cable box to the tv).

Surely there is a way to program the remote so I don't have to flip through the tv/video button just to get to my cable signal, right?

I know I am a noob and hope to be up to speed on things soon, but really just wanted to come on here and do a shout for joy and a thank you for all you who helped lead me to this purchase!

Why is it that my 50a10 never automatically shows the right aspect ratio for my anamorphic DVD's ?....it always defualts to zoom even though I have the input setting at full !!....I always have to reach to the remote and change it back to "full".

Blown away I am.

I entered the HDTV realm last night with a Sony 50A10. Haven't been to sleep since trying out movies, HDTV cable programming, and XBox games. This TV is going to change my life in ways I could never fathom until I saw it myself hooked up in my house.
I had a friend come over to see my 42A10 a couple weeks back and after seeing Discovery-HD he said, "I'm amazed you'd even leave the house!". :D

Oblong360- There is a skip feature in the menu which allows you to deactivate the inputs that are not being used: in my case video 1 for dvd recorder, video 4 for satellitle and video 5 for dvd. You can then custom label each input as applies to your situation.

I covered my method for this on the MX500 in an earlier post: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6298892#post6298892

After I set my unused inputs to 'skip' (it hides them) I was able to configure my 2nd macro button on the bottom (M2) and it works like a champ. The macro I have for M1 also works too. Thanks! :D

Oblong360- There is a skip feature in the menu which allows you to deactivate the inputs that are not being used: in my case video 1 for dvd recorder, video 4 for satellitle and video 5 for dvd. You can then custom label each input as applies to your situation.

Thanks for the tip!

I've just been informed by the neighborhood kids that I now have the best TV in the neighborhood and they will now be spending all their free time at my house.

(Fat chance kiddies, Daddy is first in line! :))

(Someone seems to mention that the KFE model has no PC input either???)
:(

No. the KFE has a PC input as well.
http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/servlet/ProductDetailDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=1002156&navigationPath=n32050n45260

Why is it that my 50a10 never automatically shows the right aspect ratio for my anamorphic DVD's ?....it always defualts to zoom even though I have the input setting at full !!....I always have to reach to the remote and change it back to "full".

The only thing I may be able to think of, is that your DVD player isn't setup to be displayed on 16:9 TV's. Access your settings for your DVD player and somewhere you should be able to change the TV type your viewing on from a 4:3 to a 16:9. Having it setup just on your television to view the 'full' picture of your widescreen DVD is just part of what you need to do. If your DVD player IS already changed to be viewed on a 16:9, then I'm lost.

I have the 42A10 and love everything about it except for the so called SteadySound feature. Have the BB extended warranty but the TV works great and I am hesitant to have a service call and have the TV screwed up.
Any comments ?? Or do I have an odd ball problem with the erractic SteadySound feature? Suggestions.

It looks like very hard to put the center channel speaker on top of the 50A10. I am thinking about using the A10 buildin speaker as center channel. Anyone tried that before?
I havn't jump ahead and buying the A10 yet. But I am planning everything ahead. :)

I have the 42A10 and love everything about it except for the so called SteadySound feature. Have the BB extended warranty but the TV works great and I am hesitant to have a service call and have the TV screwed up.
Any comments ?? Or do I have an odd ball problem with the erractic SteadySound feature? Suggestions.

i have found that if you change the sound effect (surround, simulated, ect.), this will stop the steady sound from working. So if you have been playing with the sound effects try turning it off and see if you still have a problem.

m

It looks like very hard to put the center channel speaker on top of the 50A10. I am thinking about using the A10 buildin speaker as center channel. Anyone tried that before?
I havn't jump ahead and buying the A10 yet. But I am planning everything ahead. :)

You can buy a little shelf from the likes of Circuit City that sits on top of RPTVs and has legs that can adjust to rest on the back part of the set.
I haven't used one, but I seen posts of others who have.
I think they added some self sticking Velcro to the setup as well to hold the legs more securely to the Tv.

Here's a link to the Circuit City one: http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/OmniMount-Center-Channel-Speaker-Shelf-CCH1B-/sem/rpsm/oid/108951/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

Mitch

It looks like very hard to put the center channel speaker on top of the 50A10. I am thinking about using the A10 buildin speaker as center channel. Anyone tried that before?
I havn't jump ahead and buying the A10 yet. But I am planning everything ahead. :)
I would buy a stand for the tv with a space for a center channel speaker. My old Toshiba HDTV was to thin for a speaker on top so I put a shelf on the wall behind the tv and it worked great. The stand for my 50a10 (Elite 905) looks great

I would buy a stand for the tv with a space for a center channel speaker. My old Toshiba HDTV was to thin for a speaker on top so I put a shelf on the wall behind the tv and it worked great. The stand for my 50a10 (Elite 905) looks great

I would agree, however please be aware that the matching stand has a small center channel shelf, that was 1. too small to fit my Bose center channel speaker, and 2. the shelves were too short to fit my Onkyo receiver, so I had to remove the shelf to allow all my components to fit.

I ended up gerryrigging some support beams using crafting foam on top of the TV. It works great, and unless you look behind the TV you wouldn't know the speaker was sitting on anything other than the top of the TV.

You can buy a little shelf from the likes of Circuit City that sits on top of RPTVs and has legs that can adjust to rest on the back part of the set.
I haven't used one, but I seen posts of others who have.
I think they added some self sticking Velcro to the setup as well to hold the legs more securely to the Tv.

Here's a link to the Circuit City one: http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/OmniMount-Center-Channel-Speaker-Shelf-CCH1B-/sem/rpsm/oid/108951/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

Mitch
Thanks Mitch, but we don't have CC in Canada, Let me check out BB and Futureshop.

The 42" TV is also (obviously) too thin for a center speaker. I grabbed a small piece of wood I had downstairs in the basement, sanded it to be smooth and got rid of all the sanding dust on it. There's this kind of rubbery matting you can buy that people use to line their kitchen cabinets sometimes. I put it under the wood so it wouldn't move. The piece of wood and the top piece of the TV were level. I used another piece of the white mattering to sit on top of the TV and the block of wood. I have had my center channel placed on top like for for a week now, and neither the wood nor the speaker have moved at all. Some of you may use a large center speaker though, so maybe that wouldn't be good enough for you. But if you have a home theater in a box, this works. Spending thirty dollars on something just to have a place to sit a speaker isn't really necessary, in my opinion.

I would agree, however please be aware that the matching stand has a small center channel shelf, that was 1. too small to fit my Bose center channel speaker, and 2. the shelves were too short to fit my Onkyo receiver, so I had to remove the shelf to allow all my components to fit.

I ended up gerryrigging some support beams using crafting foam on top of the TV. It works great, and unless you look behind the TV you wouldn't know the speaker was sitting on anything other than the top of the TV.
The stand i purchased is not the stand that comes with the sony. I bought the Elite 905. It has a very large shelf for a center speaker and a lot of room for components. I have a rather large Focal JM Lab center and there is plenty of room. Type it in on google and check it out. I have seen it online from $300-599. It fits the 50a10 perfect!!!! I purchased it at the same store where I got the tv for $350

I needed a place to put the cable box, dvd player, vcr, and center speaker so I'm just mounting a big shelf right above the tv. Plenty of room for everything and more. I'll be sure to post a picture either tomorrow or sunday.

Quick question: I just tried hooking up my PS2 and Gamecube to my 50 inch A10 with the standard A/V cable and all I get is a black and white picture. The TV says the image is NTSC. WTF is going on here?

Can the 50" A10 be hauled lying down? I stopped at Sams today and the box is too high to fit
my wifes Explorer. I guess I could take it out of the box and break the box down and
bring it home. I'd like to keep the box. I think I'm going to get it at Costco because of
their return policy and it comes with a stand. Also are most of you satisfied with this set?
I'll read over some more of the posts when I get back from Harry Potter.
Thanks, Grateful11

Quick question: I just tried hooking up my PS2 and Gamecube to my 50 inch A10 with the standard A/V cable and all I get is a black and white picture. The TV says the image is NTSC. WTF is going on here?

Is it possible that you have your composite cable (I assume by "standard A/V cable" you mean composite cables and not component or S-video) plugged into component inputs or something like that? Or, (fi the PS2 supports component output), make sure the PS2 is setup to use composite output.
I know I had a similar problem once with a DVD player that was set for component or something, but I was using S-Video or something. Anyway, make sure it's not something silly like that.

If everything checks out cable-wise and you still have the problem, try a different set of inputs - if you haven't already.

And, maybe try a different device plugged into the same inputs you used for PS2 and see if the picture is correct.


Mitch

Is it possible that you have your composite cable (I assume by "standard A/V cable" you mean composite cables and not component or S-video) plugged into component inputs or something like that? Or, (fi the PS2 supports component output), make sure the PS2 is setup to use composite output.
I know I had a similar problem once with a DVD player that was set for component or something, but I was using S-Video or something. Anyway, make sure it's not something silly like that.

If everything checks out cable-wise and you still have the problem, try a different set of inputs - if you haven't already.

And, maybe try a different device plugged into the same inputs you used for PS2 and see if the picture is correct.


Mitch

It was in its own input and everything. It was black and whtie for BOTH the gamecube and PS2. It's seems to be a problem with the TV, and not one of the systems. I tried multiple inputs.

It was in its own input and everything. It was black and whtie for BOTH the gamecube and PS2. It's seems to be a problem with the TV, and not one of the systems. I tried multiple inputs.
What type of cable did you connect to which input?

What type of cable did you connect to which input?

Standard composite (yellow) to both the side input and then a back input. The side one said it accepts 480i...

I also did a Google and found this:


NTSC is the other dominant TV system in the world. Technically, it isn’t superior to PAL, however it is more widely used worldwide thanks mainly to its use in the United States and a variety of other countries, such as Canada, Japan, and The Philippines. NTSC has a maximum resolution up to 525 lines with a vertical frequency of 60hz.

With NTSC, there’s NTSC 3.58 and NTSC 4.43. To put it simply, true NTSC is 3.58, while 4.43 isn’t. If the TV only supports NTSC 4.43 and you try to run a Japanese or American GC (with corresponding game) on the TV, all you’ll get is NTSC’s 60hz frequency, but a black and white picture. This is due to the colour palettes between 3.58 and 4.43 being different. So, you should always hope your TV supports NTSC 3.58, as that will ensure it also works with NTSC 4.43, and PAL60.

There is an extremely rare NTSC50, where the vertical frequency is set at 50hz instead of 60hz but we won’t be covering that in this article since NTSC cubes are proper NTSC, and the majority of our readers using NTSC machines will be playing their games in 60hz anyway..

Guess it applies to the PS2 too...

I've never seen this issue concerning a ps2 and a HDTV. If I was you, I'd go to toys r us and buy the componet cables for $20. I got mine for one cent, seriously. The cashier said it must be the green tag sale. I said whatever and gave a nickle.

Can the 50" A10 be hauled lying down? I stopped at Sams today and the box is too high to fit
my wifes Explorer. I guess I could take it out of the box and break the box down and
bring it home. I'd like to keep the box. I think I'm going to get it at Costco because of
their return policy and it comes with a stand. Also are most of you satisfied with this set?
I'll read over some more of the posts when I get back from Harry Potter.
Thanks, Grateful11

I have had my TV for a week and a half and all I can say is this TV kicks butt!

I just watched the last Star Wars movie on DVD. This TV has the most beautiful picture I have seen. The color are so rich and the pictures is crisp and clear from my $79 dollor Cyberhome DVD player with HDMI cable.

The OTA HDTV is amazing! I was watching CSI just the other night and was amazed when one of the people rose from the couch and I could see dust particles in the air.

This TV kicks my old Samsung DLP in the pants. OK, there I said it. :)