Currently I have to run a mini-dvi to VGA adapter from the iMac. But it's only like 4 inches long so I have to run a male-male 6 foot VGA cord off of that to the TV.

Does anyone know if they make mini-dvi to HDMI apapters? I've seen DVI to HDMI ones but none for a mini so far. Any links would be appreciated.

thanks

I just purchased a Toshiba 46HM95 from best buy on their Black Friday special. I love that the set has 2 HDMI inputs and the sound is great. But I'm starting to see rainbows and at first it didn't bother me but now I'm thinking will the honeymoon be over in a couple of months when I can't return it. Is the 50inch a10 really worth me spending another $750 dollars or will the screen door effect and black levels drive me just as crazy from about 8.5feet. FYI I can't tell crap in the showroom which is why I went DLP becuase rainbows never appeared to me before. Thanks in advance for any opions.

Looking at buying a complete HTS with the 50A10 connected via HDMI to a Panni XR70 which is fed by a Panni S77 dvd player via HDMI. Will use Athena Micra 6's for the speakers. So far, this appears to be a very good, middle priced HTS and from my readings it should all work together. However, not being an expert. What do y'all think, are there any incompatability issues or are there better mid priced combos to complement the 50A10???

Is the 50inch a10 really worth me spending another $750 dollars or will the screen door effect and black levels drive me just as crazy from about 8.5feet.

I sit exactly 8.5 feet away from the A10. SDE is only there if you look for it, and I only notice it during very bright scenes, but....... it is not a deal breaker. The 42 inch a10 would be too small and wimpy... The A10 is spectatcular with HD content (I have Comcast HD). I was watching the Matrix on TNTHD and the blacks looked fabulous to me. I saw 6 different distinct dark shades during one scene. I haven't tweaked a thing either. I just switched from the Vivid setting to Custom. I am recorded the test patterns on INHD on Saturday morning at 7AM and will do some color adjustments just for kicks, but for the entry level videofile, out of the box Custom settings are great.

TV worked fine last night.
Turned it on this morning and heard sound but no picture, plus the TV would not take any commands from the remote. Not even to adjust the volume.
No WegaGate, No inputs, No nothing, only on and off.

Just a grey screen, which let me know theTV was actually on.

I turned the TV on and off 3 times and still nothing.

Took a shower and 20 minutes later tried again and the TV worked fine.
Needless to say I was pretty upset, considering the TV is only 3 months old and
I would have to go through all the hassles of dealing with Sony.

Anybody have this happen to them?

yep, unplug the tv then plug it back in. thats what did it for me.

Currently I have to run a mini-dvi to VGA adapter from the iMac. But it's only like 4 inches long so I have to run a male-male 6 foot VGA cord off of that to the TV.

Does anyone know if they make mini-dvi to HDMI apapters? I've seen DVI to HDMI ones but none for a mini so far. Any links would be appreciated.

thanks


Mini-DVI? This is a fairly new iMac coirrect? If so, DVI to HDMI cord is how you should hook up the best. Check out monoprice.com for more info on the pricing of cables.

Sorry. Correction on my previous post. It's a mini-VGA to VGA adapter. Is there a DVI out on an iMac? Thought that was only on the Powerbooks and Towers.

Is there any way to get that whiting moving banding to go away through the VGA connection to the Sony? Or is that just a side effect of the adaptation/conversion from computer to tv? If it weren't for that I could live with the picture. Not all that bad.

thanks

Okay last post on this. I think I figured out what I need to get to HDMI from my iMac G5. Became more of a puzzle finding this stuff online than anything. Here goes:

Out of iMac - mini-VGA > VGA female > VGA Male > DVI Female > DVI Male > HDMI Male which goes into the Sony. 2 adapters and one cable.

2 Questions

Is this just a waste of time?

And by the time it goes from VGA to DVI to HDMI am I going to see that much difference in picture quality compared to my current VGA connection?

Anyone willing to breakdown the science of this one?

thanks

My sony 42a10 is on its way, my wife was very generous this Christmas, I was wondering if anyone has used the Monster ups 500 and it worked good and it is a good investment for extended bulb life.
Thanks
Jdmac29

I would not go with the Monster UPS, I suspect it is outrageously expensive, but I would definitely recommend using a UPS. I do. I have a cheap ($39) 500VA UPS for my 42A10. If you can swing it, get one that puts out a better sine wave.

You want a UPS because it provides constant power for your TV, so it can be shut down properly and have the bulb cool off. Shuting down, with no bulb cool down cycle, shortens the life of the bulb. Of course, it is also good for the electronics in the set to have a nice constant input.

This has been discussed lots in hear before. Do a search.

I sit exactly 8.5 feet away from the A10. SDE is only there if you look for it, and I only notice it during very bright scenes, but....... it is not a deal breaker. The 42 inch a10 would be too small and wimpy... The A10 is spectatcular with HD content (I have Comcast HD). I was watching the Matrix on TNTHD and the blacks looked fabulous to me. I saw 6 different distinct dark shades during one scene. I haven't tweaked a thing either. I just switched from the Vivid setting to Custom. I am recorded the test patterns on INHD on Saturday morning at 7AM and will do some color adjustments just for kicks, but for the entry level videofile, out of the box Custom settings are great.

I couldn't agree more. I adjusted my settings to similar settings that I have found on this site. I also sit about 8.5 feet away and the HD is fantastic! SDE is only an issue if I really try to look for it and and really only on real bright scenes. I thought the black levels were really impressive and comparable with DLP in this set and the combination that and the more vibrant colors is what sold me on this over DLP (and the great sale price I got on Black Friday).

I was told I should try posting this question here. I just recently got a Sony A10 42 inch and love it. I have one of my computers hooked up to it and stream movies to it. My question is that somewhere on here I saw a post on how to stretch the image to be wide screen. Can someone link me to that please and also how do I get the Video 7 from randomly displaying in the top corner while I am using the computer. Thanks.

Bump for today. Can someone please help.

Just got my 50A10 delivered today from BestBuy, and everything looks good
so far, except I've got a dreaded "dust blob" in the center of the screen.
It can be seen when the TV is off quite easily, but also when it is on, and a scene
fades to black. It cannot be seen when the room is dark. It's about 3-4" in diameter,
and looks like dust on the inside of the screen.

The question is - do I return it to BB and try a new one, or call Sony to have them
come out and look at it first? My worry is that if I exchange it, I'll just get one
with some other problem that this one doesn't have (bad pixels, etc.).

What should I do?

Thanks!

If you're using the rca cable - red-white-yellow to hook up the component ports, you will need additional audio cables. The three component jacks are all video signals.

i figure out the problem. i didn't know that i have connected audio cable to the receiver while the video cable to the T.V. so i just unplug the audio cable from the reciever and plug it into the T.V and it works fine.

Okay last post on this. I think I figured out what I need to get to HDMI from my iMac G5. Became more of a puzzle finding this stuff online than anything. Here goes:

Out of iMac - mini-VGA > VGA female > VGA Male > DVI Female > DVI Male > HDMI Male which goes into the Sony. 2 adapters and one cable.

2 Questions

Is this just a waste of time?

And by the time it goes from VGA to DVI to HDMI am I going to see that much difference in picture quality compared to my current VGA connection?

Anyone willing to breakdown the science of this one?

thanks
For DVI or HDMI to be worthwhile versus analog you need to start with a digital connection. VGA is analog so there is no point in what you diagrammed. You could try using a different vertical refresh rate or maybe even screen size for the VGA output and see what happens.

Bump for today. Can someone please help.
the program is called Meedio Pro. i haven't messed around with it yet, but there was one member in this thread that was able to make the proper adjustments so their PC filled the screen. you can download a 15-day free trial at the site below, and if it works for you take it from there...

http://www.meedio.com/products/pro/

Looking at buying a complete HTS with the 50A10 connected via HDMI to a Panni XR70 which is fed by a Panni S77 dvd player via HDMI. Will use Athena Micra 6's for the speakers. So far, this appears to be a very good, middle priced HTS and from my readings it should all work together. However, not being an expert. What do y'all think, are there any incompatability issues or are there better mid priced combos to complement the 50A10???

otterhunter,

This is almost exactly my setup =-)

I have the 42A10 with the SA-XR70S receiver, but I'm going to be getting the Sony upconverting DVD player this weekend. I also have the Athena Micra 6s and if all goes well I should have everything set up this weekend, sans the DVD player since I just ordered HDMI cables. I will post again once it's all set up but I believe I've gotten a pretty decent middle-of-the-road/beginner HT setup. I will post again once I'm up and running...

I really appreciate the comments. I stopped by circuit city today and I'm coming to the conclusion that the rainbows will bother me more than the SDE, which I really don't notice unless I really concentrate on it. I still love all the intangabiles of the Toshiba but I might have to go with the A10. Plus I got a Best Buy coupon for 10% off too! Thanks again!

Uggghh
I asked about that 10% off coupon at BestBuy today and it is off the regular price. The coupon that expires on Dec. 18th.
Which, given the TV is on-sale for exactly 10% off the regular price right now just means the coupon isn't good for the Sony 50A10 or the 42A10. Last I checked the local Circuit City, Tweeter and Best Buy all had the TV at the same price so I am going looking for a 50A10 elsewhere in the Raleigh Durham area.

Okay last post on this. I think I figured out what I need to get to HDMI from my iMac G5. Became more of a puzzle finding this stuff online than anything. Here goes:

Out of iMac - mini-VGA > VGA female > VGA Male > DVI Female > DVI Male > HDMI Male which goes into the Sony. 2 adapters and one cable.

2 Questions

Is this just a waste of time?

And by the time it goes from VGA to DVI to HDMI am I going to see that much difference in picture quality compared to my current VGA connection?


Anyone willing to breakdown the science of this one?

thanks


How old is your iMac? Most of the current one's (within the past two years) have DVI out (for hooking up a 2nd monitor/tv). Hell, my regular G4 from two years ago has a DVI card...I'm thinking you don't have a newer iMac?

If you do have a newer iMac, all you need is the DVI/HDMI cable and you're good to go...just make sure the cord is long enough.

Thanks for ending my dream! :-) Thanks for the info.

go into CC with the Best Buy coupon. tell them BB will match their price, and give you an additional 10% off because of the coupon, and CC should match that. i exchanged my 50" for a 42" and i went in CC a week later with a printout of the PC Richards ad and my 12% off BB coupon, and i said that BB was willing to match the PCR price and give me 12% off on top of that, and CC gave me the price adjustment for 12% off the PCR price. after everything, it came out to $1520.99, which is pretty decent for a walk-in retail store. was BB going to really give me the PCR price and 12% off? i HIGHLY doubt it. did CC know that? of course not...

otterhunter,

This is almost exactly my setup =-)

I have the 42A10 with the SA-XR70S receiver, but I'm going to be getting the Sony upconverting DVD player this weekend. I also have the Athena Micra 6s and if all goes well I should have everything set up this weekend, sans the DVD player since I just ordered HDMI cables. I will post again once it's all set up but I believe I've gotten a pretty decent middle-of-the-road/beginner HT setup. I will post again once I'm up and running...


Curious as to your old post on linearity problem with the side bars. Mine is fine on full screen but 1/8" off on bottom left with the side bars. Did you swap sets?

The SA-XR70S is class "D"? Have you tried it with other speakers? I'm thinking of snaging one to replace my Onkyo.

Since my old Pany DVD died two days ago, I'm also checking out players with HDMI output. I found a 6 foot HDMI cable at RS for $10. Let us know what you think of the Sony DVD.

hello all,

I just got my sony a10 and was wondering if anyone could tell me how to set up my xbox properly so that i can get good visuals on my t.v. I initially hooked up my xbox to the component input and enabled everything in the dashboard, i loaded up madden 06 and halo 2 and they looked horrible, extremely jagged and pixelated. It looked 10x better on my analog t.v.

I keep reading about people playing their xbox and saying how great it looks, am I doing something wrong??? what settings do I change on the t.v. or is it on the xbox???

thanks,


J.C.

hello all,

I just got my sony a10 and was wondering if anyone could tell me how to set up my xbox properly so that i can get good visuals on my t.v. I initially hooked up my xbox to the component input and enabled everything in the dashboard, i loaded up madden 06 and halo 2 and they looked horrible, extremely jagged and pixelated. It looked 10x better on my analog t.v.

I keep reading about people playing their xbox and saying how great it looks, am I doing something wrong??? what settings do I change on the t.v. or is it on the xbox???

thanks,


J.C.

You enabled wide screen too? did you turn on game mode in the set up menu on your A10? Playing games in 480p on a huge screen brings out more flaws in games... But they still shouldn't look horrible.. Doom3 in 480p looks great on my A10.. Try playing a game that supports 720p.. Your jaw will hit the floor..:)

hello all,

I just got my sony a10 and was wondering if anyone could tell me how to set up my xbox properly so that i can get good visuals on my t.v. I initially hooked up my xbox to the component input and enabled everything in the dashboard, i loaded up madden 06 and halo 2 and they looked horrible, extremely jagged and pixelated. It looked 10x better on my analog t.v.

I keep reading about people playing their xbox and saying how great it looks, am I doing something wrong??? what settings do I change on the t.v. or is it on the xbox???

thanks,


J.C.

Did you flip the switch near the console to "HD"? Also enable 720p in the dashboard (I assume you have?) Keep in mind Halo 2 won't look nearly as good as a 360 game like Call of Duty 2 or PGR 3.

Just got my 50A10 delivered today from BestBuy, and everything looks good
so far, except I've got a dreaded "dust blob" in the center of the screen.
It can be seen when the TV is off quite easily, but also when it is on, and a scene
fades to black. It cannot be seen when the room is dark. It's about 3-4" in diameter,
and looks like dust on the inside of the screen.

The question is - do I return it to BB and try a new one, or call Sony to have them
come out and look at it first? My worry is that if I exchange it, I'll just get one
with some other problem that this one doesn't have (bad pixels, etc.).

What should I do?

Thanks!

I have a piece of lint & what looks like specs of dust inside my screen.. A guy in this thread emailed me how to clean the inside of the screen.. He said it was very easy to do, & claims his PQ is much improved.. I can send you the email he sent me via PM..

Is it right in the middle of the screen? Can you only see it when the set is off? If so it's ambient light reflecting inside the tv, and it's normal. We have 2 in our family and they both do the same thing.
right now, i have 2 A10's (1 42" and 1 50", until i return the 50") and they both also have that same line that goes down the middle of the tv when they're off. it's a few inches wide, and about a foot tall, and it's more noticable on the 42" (which is in a brighter room) than the 50"...

is there anything that can be done to make it less noticable? honestly, it's actually kind of annoying seeing it when you walk by the tv, since it's quite noticable. i don't think it makes the picture look any different when the tv's on though...

right now, i have 2 A10's (1 42" and 1 50", until i return the 50") and they both also have that same line that goes down the middle of the tv when they're off. it's a few inches wide, and about a foot tall, and it's more noticable on the 42" (which is in a brighter room) than the 50"...

is there anything that can be done to make it less noticable? honestly, it's actually kind of annoying seeing it when you walk by the tv, since it's quite noticable. i don't think it makes the picture look any different when the tv's on though...

Try to decrease any light reflections hitting the screen. The projection mirror inside of the TV is to blame.

I have a piece of lint & what looks like specs of dust inside my screen.. A guy in this thread emailed me how to clean the inside of the screen.. He said it was very easy to do, & claims his PQ is much improved.. I can send you the email he sent me via PM..


Does the "dust blob" problem look like a light, washed-out circle in the middle of the screen when the TV is off? If so, I may have the Sony tech clean this out when he comes next week.

thanks for the feedback. and I figured as much on that vga > hdmi circus connection.

My iMac is a G5. Not the newest ones with the built in iSight camera but the one just before that. But as far as I can tell from Apple's specs on it the mini-VGA is the only video out.

Try to decrease any light reflections hitting the screen. The projection mirror inside of the TV is to blame.
ok, i'll try that. i only put the 42" up last night, and noticed this morning during daylight that there's a second smaller line to the right of the larger center line on that set. i take it that's the same thing, only the light is coming in from another angle, so the mirror is reflecting it to another location on the screen?

and will that light effect picture quality? by that, i mean will the location(s) with the grey line look either brighter or darker from the rest of the picture when the set's powered on? i'm guessing they will, since that light is going to continue to the reflect off the mirror whether the set's on or off, but does anyone know for sure?

i'm only asking because i'm in the process of re-doing my living room, and haven't powered the set up yet. i'm still deciding if i should stick with the Sony KDF-E42A10 or go with the Sony KD-34XBR960 for less. i know the picture quality of the 34" is better, but lugging around a 190 pound tv is no easy task, which is the one thing i personally like about the 42" A10...

I just bought a 42" A10 a couple of weeks ago and I love it. I still haven't done the "red push" tweak because I am nervous about delving into the service menu, but I am contemplating it. I purchased it at Best Buy and declined to purchase the extended warranty at the time. I discovered that I needed to purchase some additional cabling the next day and the closest store to where I work was a Circuit City. I was speaking to the salesperson who was helping me out about my recent purchase of the A10 and he asked me if I had bought the extended warranty. I said that I hadn't and his eyes got wider... said that he doesn't neccessarily want to boost the sales at a competitor, but if he spent that much on a (HD)TV he would buy the extension himself.

Is the $400 cost of an extended warranty a good piece of insurance or a waste of money? I have 30 days from the purchase date to purchase it. I've never owned a rear projection TV before so I don't know if they are more prone to problems. My previous TV was a 35" Mitsubishi that still had as good a picture as when I purchased it 9 years ago and I never had problem 1 with it.

P.S. I will say that a service person coming to me (as opposed to me lugging the TV about) if something happens is an attractive thought.

Just got my 50A10 delivered today from BestBuy, and everything looks good
so far, except I've got a dreaded "dust blob" in the center of the screen.
It can be seen when the TV is off quite easily, but also when it is on, and a scene
fades to black. It cannot be seen when the room is dark. It's about 3-4" in diameter,
and looks like dust on the inside of the screen.

The question is - do I return it to BB and try a new one, or call Sony to have them
come out and look at it first? My worry is that if I exchange it, I'll just get one
with some other problem that this one doesn't have (bad pixels, etc.).

What should I do?

Thanks!
Sharkey21, as others have being saying here, check various ambient light sources. I've found some internal blobs of faint white light on my A10 depending on which curtains are open, which lamps on on, etc., but with "reasonable" levels of indirect lighting there is no problem. I have the Canadian A10 version (no digital tuner) so I don't know if the manual is the same, but in mine there is a specific mention of this internal reflection phenomena in the disclaimers of the first few pages. Of course Sony rfers to this as a standard feature of this technology and not to worry about it

I just bought a 42" A10...Is the $400 cost of an extended warranty a good piece of insurance or a waste of money...

nokoon,

Congrats. The extended warranty issue has been extensively discussed here already. Try a search.

Keep in mind that warantees are nearly the sole source of profit for the Circuit Cities and Best Buys, hence the response by the salesperson.

Curious as to your old post on linearity problem with the side bars. Mine is fine on full screen but 1/8" off on bottom left with the side bars. Did you swap sets?

The SA-XR70S is class "D"? Have you tried it with other speakers? I'm thinking of snaging one to replace my Onkyo.

Since my old Pany DVD died two days ago, I'm also checking out players with HDMI output. I found a 6 foot HDMI cable at RS for $10. Let us know what you think of the Sony DVD.

My measurements are still pretty off (screen bows inward, and down at the top a bit). I may actually end up returning it for the Panasonic plasma :-( My reasoning for this is, I've searched here extensively, plus done measurements/eyeballing at B&M stores and I've come to find that it's evident on every single one of them. If yours is only off in one place, I would suggest getting it replaced but you may end up with what I have. I just can't get past having a flat screen with curved lines on it. I'm going to be setting things up this weekend but if I don't see noticeable improvement I'll have to return it. I'm extremely OCD/anal about something like this once I know it's there and it'll bug me forever if I try to live with it!

From what I see in the SA-XR70S manual, it's a "class B" - from the manual: "This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, persuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules." Not sure if this is what you meant...

ok, i'll try that. i only put the 42" up last night, and noticed this morning during daylight that there's a second smaller line to the right of the larger center line on that set. i take it that's the same thing, only the light is coming in from another angle, so the mirror is reflecting it to another location on the screen?

and will that light effect picture quality? by that, i mean will the location(s) with the grey line look either brighter or darker from the rest of the picture when the set's powered on? i'm guessing they will, since that light is going to continue to the reflect off the mirror whether the set's on or off, but does anyone know for sure?

Most likely it's causing more reflections. Just turn up the contrast and Iris settings during the day to help compensate. At a normal 'sitting' distance I doubt you'll see it.

thanks for the feedback. and I figured as much on that vga > hdmi circus connection.

My iMac is a G5. Not the newest ones with the built in iSight camera but the one just before that. But as far as I can tell from Apple's specs on it the mini-VGA is the only video out.


Weird, would have thought the HDMI card would work to hook up an external monitor, which would be video out. I'll try it with my wife's iMac tonight and let you know. I think Apple's manual is a little lacking, as they don't think many people will hook up their iMac (with built in monitor) to a TV.

Well, I just took the plunge on the KFE-42A10 Sony. The reason I went with the KFE is because where I'm located the ATSC tuner would be practically useless.....and I will be using the TV mainly for upconverted DVD and Xbox 360. I wheeled and dealed a bit and got it for $1899 CDN.....which is $1637 US. I don't have it yet, because they didn't have one in stock.....I'll be picking it up on tuesday! :D

I hope you enjoy your TV maverick. I've LOVED mine since the day I got it. I watched Sin City last night and it blew me away.

I've got my computer running through the tv using a dvi-hdmi cable. I'm trying to figure out the best way to do the audio. I saw that the turtle beach catalina sound card has an optical port on it. I know that will work and it's only around 50 bucks. Creative just released a new sound card though that supposedly makes your mp3's sound as good as the original CD. The problem is that there is no optical port. What have you guys used? THanks for the input.

Creative just released a new sound card though that supposedly makes your mp3's sound as good as the original CD.
I would be suspicious of a claim that MP3 playback could be greatly improved. There is no way that the player would know what is encoding noise and what is music. Almost all improvements in compressed audio quality need to happen during encode not playback.

hello all,

I just got my sony a10 and was wondering if anyone could tell me how to set up my xbox properly so that i can get good visuals on my t.v. I initially hooked up my xbox to the component input and enabled everything in the dashboard, i loaded up madden 06 and halo 2 and they looked horrible, extremely jagged and pixelated. It looked 10x better on my analog t.v.

I keep reading about people playing their xbox and saying how great it looks, am I doing something wrong??? what settings do I change on the t.v. or is it on the xbox???

thanks,


J.C.

are you using the standard cable or the HD pack to connect it to the tv? (XBOX 1, right?) I've got the settings to "widescreen support" and enabled all of the picture modes (480p, 720p and 1080p in the xbox settings, then use the HD(component cables) pack and it looks pretty freaking awesome. Maybe the use of standard cables is that noticeable (assuming that's the case)?

I would be suspicious of a claim that MP3 playback could be greatly improved. There is no way that the player would know what is encoding noise and what is music. Almost all improvements in compressed audio quality need to happen during encode not playback.

If your familiar with the site IGN they did a review of it back in August. You can read it for yourself but it says in plain english that the creative x-fi crystalizer actually does this. You can tell a signifcicant increase in sound quality and clarity.

I really appreciate the comments. I stopped by circuit city today and I'm coming to the conclusion that the rainbows will bother me more than the SDE, which I really don't notice unless I really concentrate on it. I still love all the intangabiles of the Toshiba but I might have to go with the A10. Plus I got a Best Buy coupon for 10% off too! Thanks again!


I have had the 50 inch A10 for a couple of weeks now. DVD's look great on it, I will see the direcTV HD feed tommorrow.
Standard def looks good, I tried the settings of another user here, and I like the results.

I don't really see the SDE, and I find the black levels to be very good, much better than I might have expected.

Does anyone have any input on how to get the "display" feature to show the entire program information for OTA HD broadcasts instead of cutting the description off at the end of the second line?

Can someone tell me how to see how many hours are on my sony a10 lamp. I know it is in the service menu somewhere. Thanks.

Whew. I've read through the first 3000 posts in this thread and there is a wealth of info here!

Okay... for anyone who may have been following my posts about the geometry defects...

I will be calling Sony soon to see what they say but check this out: when my TV was first delivered, the delivery guys plugged it *directly into the cable box* which now I understand is a BIG no-no because of the fan needing to run. This being said, not knowing about this and being less annoyed than lazy about only having the TV being able to turn on when the cable box was on, I didn't change this for a couple days and probably 5-6 hours of viewing. Does anyone think it's possible that this lack of cooling has damaged the optics/display/bulb enough to cause the curved vertical lines that I'm seeing towards the sides of the screen?

Like I said, I'll be calling Sony today or Monday and probably having CC replace the set, just to be on the safe side...

Does anyone think it's possible that this lack of cooling has damaged the optics/display/bulb enough to cause the curved vertical lines that I'm seeing towards the sides of the screen?

Like I said, I'll be calling Sony today or Monday and probably having CC replace the set, just to be on the safe side...

It's doubtful. The geometry will be off some due to the fact that it uses optics to project the image onto the screen. Mine is off a little. I really only see it when I'm viewing something in 4:3 mode. I doubt you'll find one that is perfect, but you may get lucky with the next one. But it's possible that the next one may look worse.

Can someone tell me how to see how many hours are on my sony a10 lamp. I know it is in the service menu somewhere. Thanks.

Here ya go:

Checking Lamp Hours

It's doubtful. The geometry will be off some due to the fact that it uses optics to project the image onto the screen. Mine is off a little. I really only see it when I'm viewing something in 4:3 mode. I doubt you'll find one that is perfect, but you may get lucky with the next one. But it's possible that the next one may look worse.

Well I'd like to believe that, except I've seen pics on this forum and a couple other places that show what appears to be a perfectly straight geometry. The optics explanation makes perfect sense, but it also makes sense that it can be adjusted or fixed manually *within the light engine*. I'd love to get my hands on a service manual now, just to see how everything goes together and how the projection actually works. I also recall reading about someone who had returned theirs for a new one and gotten one that was satisfactory. I'm not entirely convinced it can't be done, even though every set that I've seen in person has looked exactly the same. I'm going to try to take a few pics today and post them up to show y'all exactly how far mine is off...

Well I'd like to believe that, except I've seen pics on this forum and a couple other places that show what appears to be a perfectly straight geometry. The optics explanation makes perfect sense, but it also makes sense that it can be adjusted or fixed manually *within the light engine*. I'd love to get my hands on a service manual now, just to see how everything goes together and how the projection actually works. I also recall reading about someone who had returned theirs for a new one and gotten one that was satisfactory. I'm not entirely convinced it can't be done, even though every set that I've seen in person has looked exactly the same. I'm going to try to take a few pics today and post them up to show y'all exactly how far mine is off...


I had a quick question for you. Regarding your geometry issues, is this with HD material or SD material. I've noticed if I watch a Football game on a SD channel, AND I have it set to "wide zoom" some funky things happen, and you end up with yard lines that look like boomerangs (exaggeration), however with HD material, this does not occur.

Any chance this is what you are seeing?

Even if it is not, I wish you good luck in you endeavor.

I had a quick question for you. Regarding your geometry issues, is this with HD material or SD material. I've noticed if I watch a Football game on a SD channel, AND I have it set to "wide zoom" some funky things happen, and you end up with yard lines that look like boomerangs (exaggeration), however with HD material, this does not occur.

Any chance this is what you are seeing?

Even if it is not, I wish you good luck in you endeavor.

It occured in both HD and SD (i.e., I had an instance where a field goal was being kicked - on side of the upright was to the left of the screen and one in the center. The one in the center was perfectly straight, the one on the left was curved in towards the center.)

Good news to report - this may be a source issue! Comcast just came and upgraded my cable box to a newer one and I am not seeing this effect nearly as bad as it was before! It is still there, and still measureable, but it is not distracting as it was before. I'm experimenting with other sources today as I set up my HT system and I'll report back when I'm done. I may now have reduced the geometry quirk to a level that Dark Rain was mentioning - I'm aware that it's inherent in this kind of TV, but not at the level I've been seeing it...

If your familiar with the site IGN they did a review of it back in August. You can read it for yourself but it says in plain english that the creative x-fi crystalizer actually does this. You can tell a signifcicant increase in sound quality and clarity.
That means it would also increase the "sound quality and clarity" (which means it would change it) of a song that happens to match the encoded values exactly with no quantization errors at all. I suppose you could say that normal instruments and voices should not produce certain types of stuff around the main signals in an encoding so if that occurs it must be noise and should be filtered out. The video analogy would be to recognize mosquito noise and remove it from an MPEG-2 stream which would be nice until you want to watch the nature program with mosquitos buzzing around everyone. Yes, such filters exist and they do help the clarity a bit at the expense of some added softness. Improving the encoders or increasing the bit rate are better solutions.

P.S. I love the explanation that an x-fi crystalizer is what does this. I must have missed the article in IEEE transactions on signal processing that describes those.

Here ya go:

Checking Lamp Hours

BTW, to exit the service menu, you have to let the TV turn *completely* off - in other words, wait for the fan to stop.
Otherwise, the service menu remains on the screen.
(I got a bit scared for a while there when the service menu was still there when I turned the set back one right away.)

I'm at 986 hours already after about 4 months! Maybe I should read books more. :)



Mitch

Got the set a couple of days ago and was too busy to post until now.

Before I got the TV I also purchased a new Moto 6412 P3 and I am blown away by how good the SD looks as opposed to my Hitachi 57TWX with my older 6208.
I have it hooked up over HDMI.
Is it the TV....the moto (apparently better SD on the P3) or a combination of both? Almost looks HD like.

There is a bit of SDE but not too bad. I only seem to focus on it infrequently.

I copied Dark Rain's settings from the tweak thread as he had a 6412 but input over component. I like his settings and have only tweeked them a bit as my room is more well lit.

Attached is a pic.....just barely fits in the area on the sides and I have it pulled out to make sure I don't get heat build up.

how do you guys clean ur T.V? use cleaning kit?

[QUOTE=AkaStp]

True. But then again, if it wasn't for this forum, I probably would've wound up bringing home a Samsung... then I would really be in hell.

Kai

That's exactly why I am perfectly happy with this TV. I did have a Samsung HLP5063 which made me unhappy, so no matter what I read here it won't make me change my mind about the satisfaction I get from watching this TV compared to my old one.

Just got my 50A10 delivered today from BestBuy, and everything looks good
so far, except I've got a dreaded "dust blob" in the center of the screen.
It can be seen when the TV is off quite easily, but also when it is on, and a scene
fades to black. It cannot be seen when the room is dark. It's about 3-4" in diameter,
and looks like dust on the inside of the screen.

The question is - do I return it to BB and try a new one, or call Sony to have them
come out and look at it first? My worry is that if I exchange it, I'll just get one
with some other problem that this one doesn't have (bad pixels, etc.).

What should I do?

Thanks!

I don't think it is dust. It is probably a reflection from your lights.

OK, I've convinced myself that the "dust blob" is from ambient lighting reflections.

My new question - when I'm watching OTA HD channels, some are in 16:9 format,
meaning they completely fill the screen, but some aren't. I think that's because
the source is not always shot in 16:9 - I understand that. But why does my A10
tell me all of those channels are 1080i and 16:9 in the Display bar?

Thanks again!

Steve

They upconvert the image at the station or network feed.

I had a quick question for you. Regarding your geometry issues, is this with HD material or SD material. I've noticed if I watch a Football game on a SD channel, AND I have it set to "wide zoom" some funky things happen, and you end up with yard lines that look like boomerangs (exaggeration), however with HD material, this does not occur.

Any chance this is what you are seeing?

Even if it is not, I wish you good luck in you endeavor.

WIDE ZOOM is a non-linear stretch mode and will produce this weird effect. I saw the same thing on my Sony 30HS420 when I had it. The sides are stretched a bit while the center of the screen is zoomed in a bit.

Bill-
Virtually all DVD players today are progressive scan or 480p. What people are talking about are players that upconvert (within the player) from 480p to 720p or 1080i.

Hi all,

this site is rich of information and first post here.
what you people will set your "upconverted dvd" with hdmi output to a10 hdmi to 720p or 1080i.

thanks

I have had the 50 inch A10 for a couple of weeks now. DVD's look great on it, I will see the direcTV HD feed tommorrow.
Standard def looks good, I tried the settings of another user here, and I like the results.

I don't really see the SDE, and I find the black levels to be very good, much better than I might have expected.

I just got my A10 and was wondering where the settings of the other persons is so that I can try that

I just got my A10 and was wondering where the settings of the other persons is so that I can try that

Check out this thread here...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=567709&page=1&pp=30

Need some advice...I'm planning on going with either the 42inch or 50 inch A10.

Ideally I would like to save some cash but I was wondering what the optimal viewing distance is for either of these sized screens?

Are there issues if you sit to close, Ie loss in PQ etc...
And how far is too far away.

This setup will primarly be Home theater and Gaming...60/40.

Thanks for the suggestions.

At long last and after months of following every post in this mountain of a thread, I am the proud owner of the 50A10! Delivery is all set for Thursday and Tom Petty was right. The waiting is the hardest part!

Thanks in advance to Dark Rain as I will be using your settings as a benchmark right out of the box.

Need some advice...I'm planning on going with either the 42inch or 50 inch A10.

Ideally I would like to save some cash but I was wondering what the optimal viewing distance is for either of these sized screens?

Are there issues if you sit to close, Ie loss in PQ etc...
And how far is too far away.

This setup will primarly be Home theater and Gaming...60/40.

Thanks for the suggestions.

The general rule for optimal viewing is twice the distance of the diagonal measurement of the TV. For example: 42" x 2 = 82"....82/12 = 7 ft. For 50"
TV's it would be 8.3 ft.

I hear the a10's have poor contrast ratios something like 700:1. This was hard to come by because Sony does not publish these spec anywhere. The 50A10 was recommended in Consumer Reports but the low C/R has me concerned. Any comments or feedback would be appreciated.
Scott

I just got a new 42 in model. The over the air HD football and basketball looked great until they moved. The faster movements pixelate or breakup around the movement only. This breakup only occurs around the movement - not the whole screen. The faster the movement the worse it is.

On the OTA thread I got a response saying this was due to our local broadcasts splitting the broadcast into multiple sub channels. Another response thought it was due to weak signals. Is there any chance this is a function of this type of TV? I don't know whether to invest in better antennas, get the cable HD, or whether no matter what I do this is just how these models work. Help?

I notice when I turn on the set for the 1st time of day, I hear a click or 2.
I also heard it after I shut it off.

Is this normal ?


If so what is it ?

This TV is awesome with the new Xbox 360.

The mini shelf holds the 360 Perfectly!

UDFlyer

I just got a new 42 in model. The over the air HD football and basketball looked great until they moved. The faster movements pixelate or breakup around the movement only. This breakup only occurs around the movement - not the whole screen. The faster the movement the worse it is.

On the OTA thread I got a response saying this was due to our local broadcasts splitting the broadcast into multiple sub channels. Another response thought it was due to weak signals. Is there any chance this is a function of this type of TV? I don't know whether to invest in better antennas, get the cable HD, or whether no matter what I do this is just how these models work. Help?

This isn't normal performance for this tv. I set up and calibrated my neighbor's A10 and OTA HD looks excellent. We have one channel in this area that is full of jagged lines and it's because of their equipment. Does this happen on all HD channels for you? If it's on all HD channels, it could be your OTA STB. If the problem is only on one channel, it's most likely a technical problem at the station. Have you calibrated your tv?

I notice when I turn on the set for the 1st time of day, I hear a click or 2.
I also heard it after I shut it off.

Is this normal ?


If so what is it ?

This TV is awesome with the new Xbox 360.

The mini shelf holds the 360 Perfectly!

UDFlyer

Yup, all is good. This is just the fan either getting going or turning off.

No worries.

Congrats on the TV and xbox.

Have fun!

I just got a new 42 in model. The over the air HD football and basketball looked great until they moved. The faster movements pixelate or breakup around the movement only. This breakup only occurs around the movement - not the whole screen. The faster the movement the worse it is.

On the OTA thread I got a response saying this was due to our local broadcasts splitting the broadcast into multiple sub channels. Another response thought it was due to weak signals. Is there any chance this is a function of this type of TV? I don't know whether to invest in better antennas, get the cable HD, or whether no matter what I do this is just how these models work. Help?
I have comcast Hd cable. Football and basketball look excellent, no pixilating. Hockey does look as great because of the white ice and sse. I have the 50a10 and am 9.5ft from screen

I obviously got the 50" A10. Love it.

mainly use for Movies and Games (360).

Due to budget reasons, I have regular cable for now thru insight. Not bad actually all
things considered.

Here's where I need help, I can't find an indoor antenna to get me any free HD signals.....

So my questions are:

1. Do any indorr boosters work ?
2. When I add the antenna, is there anyway for this set just to scan the ANT jack and not the digital jjack for channels again (takes to long).

3. If I did know the channel number , how can you enter in the remote 7.2.

Thanks!

UDFlyer

Check out the Zenith Silver Sensor for an indoor antenna. I read some user reviews on CNET and decided to give it a shot. It works amazingly well for such a small antenna. I've tried some others that were amplified and got no signal whatsoever. The Silver Sensor is not amplified, but it is very directional. Some channels require some manipulation of the antenna, but I don't mind since I can always get the signal eventually.

Don't know about boosters...although I may try an inline one for this antenna just for kicks.

You could try disconnecting the cable from the jack while it scans....that may work.

I believe there is a period button the remote....look at the number pad...bottom left. Press 7 "period" 2 for 7.2

Greetings all, I have been lurking for a while, and this will be my first post. I am stunned by the amount of experience and useful info on this site, but moving on....

So I'm just about to buy my first HDTV, upgrading from a 32" JVC 4:3 CRT. I've pretty much settled on the A10s, having eliminated the Sammy's due to gaming lag. The only question that remains is 42" vs 50"

Now, before I continue.... I am one of those people that goes straight to the front row when I'm at the movies. I like my video huge and in my face. I realize that not everyone (read: hardly anyone) would agree with me, hence my question:

My viewing distance is a uniform 7.5-8 feet in all seats. When I go view the 50" at this distance, to my "front row" preference, it looks great. Do I see SDE? Sure. Do I see SSE? A bit. But what can I say, being incredibly close to a large screen just puts a smile on my face, and seeing the pixels is just part of the fun.

The problem is, I'm not the only one that will be watching this TV, and I want my guests and other viewers to enjoy it as well. Everything that I read tells me that the 42" is "right" for my space, but Lord help me, I just want the 50.

Is 8 feet (max) so close that no one but a front-row-sitting-lunatic like myself can possibly enjoy it? Should I just suck it up, admit that there's trade-offs for living in manhattan, and get the 42"? Or, should I just say, it's my money, I like it huge and close, and my guests can suck an egg?

I should mention that my viewing profile is pretty much evenly split between HD (estimating a bit here, since I don't really know how much HD I'll watch) SD via TiVo, video games (XBOX 360 and PS2, soon PS3) and DVDs.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance,
-alex.
[edited to add info about viewing profile]

Greetings,

(figure, why stop at one first post when I can go for two :)

So, as mentioned in my last post, I'm about to take the plunge for either a 42" or 50" A10. My concern is this: I live in a walk-up appt. building. My stairs are narrow, steep, and wind like a spiral staircase. I've read plenty about shipping these units upright, but there is absolutely no way either one of these units is coming up my stairs without being tipped basically 90 degrees onto either its right or left side (note: I am not talking about laying ths unit on its back or face, but rather rotating it 90 degrees so it stands up "the long way").

Will this be OK? We're talking about 5-10 minutes with a small amount of jostling. Should I be worried?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts,
-alex.

Is 8 feet (max) so close that no one but a front-row-sitting-lunatic like myself can possibly enjoy it? Should I just suck it up, admit that there's trade-offs for living in manhattan, and get the 42"? Or, should I just say, it's my money, I like it huge and close, and my guests can suck an egg?

I should mention that my viewing profile is pretty much evenly split between HD (estimating a bit here, since I don't really know how much HD I'll watch) SD via TiVo, video games (XBOX 360 and PS2, soon PS3) and DVDs.


If SDE doesn't bother you then I'd get the 50A10. Some say they can't see it at 8 feet on the 50" so I'd say go for it. If it does become bothersome after you get it then take it back (try to buy it locally) and get the 42". SD and DVDs will look slightly worse on the 50" due to its larger screen size and your sitting distance, so take that into consideration as well.

If SDE doesn't bother you then I'd get the 50A10. Some say they can't see it at 8 feet on the 50" so I'd say go for it. If it does become bothersome after you get it then take it back (try to buy it locally) and get the 42". SD and DVDs will look slightly worse on the 50" due to its larger screen size and your sitting distance, so take that into consideration as well.


Mmm.. .yes. That's it exactly, the SD material. It's so hard to get a decent viewing in any of the big box (or even some of the boutique) stores. That's why I'm reduced to asking the hackneyed "screen size question". Take this conversation I had with the guy at Worst Buy today:

Me: The HD material on the 50A10 looks great. Any chance I could get a look at some SD material? Maybe some cable TV?

BBGuy: Absolutely. Just plug your cable right into it.

Me: Uh.... no. I understand I can view SD when I get it home, can you show me some SD right here before I buy it?

BBGuy: (Climbing behind TV) No... no.... looks like it's just component plugged in on these sets.

Me: can you switch the source to something else? A DVD maybe? Just so I can see some SD video.

BBGuy: (rolling eyes)That's impossible, component is HD only.

Me: uh.... I.... It..... never mind. Thanks for your time.

MInd you, that's the worst of the worst, but still, even if I get someone to switch away from the house "no dark scences, no bright scenes, just pretty grass and water with the occaisonal football clip" HD feed, they throw on (say) the local news, complete with snow. Thanks buddy. Thanks a lot. I can really study the PQ now. I suppose I should try the Sony Style store.... maybe they can get it right.

(As a side note: Samsung has opened a retail store front (more of a showroom, really) where I work in mahattan, in the Time Warner Center. They got their showroom really right. Nice living-room style seating around each TV, lighting that you can control, many sources, including game consoles on each TV....

....too bad I have no interest in any of their TVs :) )

Sheesh... I guess I just needed to vent.

Thanks for your answer!
-alex.

I ordered my 50A10 today. I've went to 6 different stores, read and researched this TV for many months. I'm curious about my viewing distance because I will be further than the optimal. Almost double to be exact. Does anyone think this is going to be a problem or should I be ok. I think i'll manage considering it looked ok when I checked the displays. I just want some input. TIA

from what i understand, double is for HD and triple is for SD, but i'm sure people can argue that all day if they really wanted...

Mmm.. .yes. That's it exactly, the SD material. It's so hard to get a decent viewing in any of the big box (or even some of the boutique) stores. That's why I'm reduced to asking the hackneyed "screen size question".

I will add that the Sony A10 models scale SD to 720p very well. Their line doubling technique is superior to the other brands. By using the DRC Palette for SD you can get more picture density and clarity from SD cable or satellite signals. DVDs still look a little rough, but you can tweak the sharpness setting to help reduce the glaring edge enhancement on some movies. Most recent DVD releases look really good on the A10.

i'd like some responses from ppl with the sony ns70h up converting dvd player. what are your thoughts on it? a noticable upgrade?

I have a Sony 5.1 audio receiver and I want to program my A10 remote to lower/raise volume and to select the appropriate input for sound, etc.

I saw the proper code in the manual but I can't figure out how to enter it. I programmed my other equipment using the proper sequence with (function key + display) but I don't see a receiver function button and my DVD function is already set to my Sony DVD changer.

Anyone know how to program the remote to control the reciever. It must be possible to do this as there is a code for it.

I am having a problem with my KDF-E42A10.

When I got it about 3 weeks ago I plugged it into the wall via coax as I was waiting for the cable box to arrive. I calibrated it, hooked all the externals up, and everything was great, EXCEPT... I noticed this flickering line near the top of the display on most of the cable channels like TNT, TBS, USA, etc... it never appeared on any of the HD or basic channels like ABC or FOX or any of my external inputs.

Today I hooked up my HD box from cablevision and now the line appears on every station, even the HD ones and the picture quality is actually somewhat worse! It's not a solid line, but it flashes every few seconds near the top and is quite annoying. And now with the box hooked up, none of the HD channels upscale to fit the entire screen like they did before when I was plugged directly into the wall.

Does anybody have a clue as to what the problem might be? I'm pretty sure it's not the TV itself as the other inputs (DVD, PS2, XBOX) are working fine with no issues... I was just wondering if anybody had an solution or an idea as to what the issue might be? I've never had a problem like this with a TV before and I'm wondering if I have a bad box/cable feed, or have set something up wrong.

My 30 days is almost up, though I did buy the extended 2 year warranty, I'd like to be safe and take it back soon if it is in fact the tv.

PLEASE HELP!

Mr M

It would help if you told us where you are located (see profile), who your cable provider is and what make and model HD cable box you have.

Do you have another TV that you can plug into the cable box to see if its the TV or the cable box?

It is a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 4200HD box provided by Cablevision here in Suffolk County, Long Island.

None of my other units in the house would be compatible with an HD box, but running on standard cable straight from the wall they all are fine.

Mr M

Do you happen to know anyone in your area that has this cable box with a HD set?

(process of elimination) :)

JimP,

Not that I know of. I just recently moved here... my landlord and I share the same cable, but he does not have any HD sets in his house that I could compare to. He has no problems with his cable or any sets in his house.

I never had a problem with the old set we were using, and it was a crappy 17 inch tv that was 10 years old hooked up straight from the wall jack I'm using now. I moved that set to the bedroom and it still runs fine.

I am really lost here, I've never had an issue like this. I figured the HD box would solve the white flickering/flashing line, but instead of just a few cable channels having it, now they all have it! :mad:

I have played with the settings on the box and nothing so far has helped.

Any other ideas?

I hear the a10's have poor contrast ratios something like 700:1. This was hard to come by because Sony does not publish these spec anywhere. The 50A10 was recommended in Consumer Reports but the low C/R has me concerned. Any comments or feedback would be appreciated.
Scott
Is no one willing to respond to my contrast ratio question? I was told that AVS forums was the place to go to get answers but I have posted this question twice and not a single response. I must assume then that then A10s do have low contrast ratios and are not much better then my off-brand 32" flat panel LCD (600:1 C/R). Oh well the 50A10 is off my list ... on to the DLPs

JimP,

Not that I know of. I just recently moved here... my landlord and I share the same cable, but he does not have any HD sets in his house that I could compare to. He has no problems with his cable or any sets in his house.

I never had a problem with the old set we were using, and it was a crappy 17 inch tv that was 10 years old hooked up straight from the wall jack I'm using now. I moved that set to the bedroom and it still runs fine.

I am really lost here, I've never had an issue like this. I figured the HD box would solve the white flickering/flashing line, but instead of just a few cable channels having it, now they all have it! :mad:

I have played with the settings on the box and nothing so far has helped.

Any other ideas?

It sounds to me like your display is showing the area that's outside of the normal viewing area of the picture. The reason I know this is I recently have been playing around in the service menu of my GWIII in order to maximize the amount of the picture that I can see. I also adjusted the vertical to horizontal ratio (geometry) of the picture. I was aiming to achieve 0% overscan and proper V:H. From the factory, the display picture is cropped a little because all sources are different and you will see past the edge of the picture on some of them unless you dial in some cropping. I used a few video test patterns from the Avia calibration dvd to adjust my screen position, size, and geometry but then later when I was watching some network television, I noticed the occasional white and black flickering area that you speak of at the top and bottom of my screen. I found this depended on what channel I was watching. Even after I adjusted for this in the service menu a second time, I had to go back into the service menu a third time due to the same thing occuring on the Toyota - Meteor Proof commercial on Fox. Anyways, I have no idea why you, with a brand new television, would be experiencing this unless it wasn't set right from the factory. Maybe you should try another STB first before you request service under your warranty. I can't recommend any settings in your service menu as it's a bit different than my GWIII but the parameters I was playing with were in the MID4 category and they were DHPL (horizontal position), DHSL (horizontal size), DVPL (vertical position), and DVSL (vertical size).

Greetings,

(figure, why stop at one first post when I can go for two :)

So, as mentioned in my last post, I'm about to take the plunge for either a 42" or 50" A10. My concern is this: I live in a walk-up appt. building. My stairs are narrow, steep, and wind like a spiral staircase. I've read plenty about shipping these units upright, but there is absolutely no way either one of these units is coming up my stairs without being tipped basically 90 degrees onto either its right or left side (note: I am not talking about laying ths unit on its back or face, but rather rotating it 90 degrees so it stands up "the long way").

Will this be OK? We're talking about 5-10 minutes with a small amount of jostling. Should I be worried?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts,
-alex.

Given that the unit is only about 16" deep and 39" wide, and "only" about 70 lbs, I do not see why you would need to tilt it 90 degrees to get it up some stairs, or even go around corners on stairs. You do not want to tilt it on the side 90 degrees.. I seem to recall that this messed up someone's TV early on.

You could try making a piece of cardboard the basic size of the TV and see if you can negotiate the curves with the TV in the upright position.

When you do move it for real up the stairs, tape a piece of cardboard over the screen so that you do not scratch it or bump it.

Is the $400 cost of an extended warranty a good piece of insurance or a waste of money? I have 30 days from the purchase date to purchase it.

One way to save $$$ on the EW is to get it directly from Sony. If you go to sonyStyle, add the 42A10 or 50 to your cart and you'll see the prices for the EW available.

I think it's 150 for 3 years and 200 for 4 years and 260 or so for 5 years. Also, you can buy that EW within the next year, since it comes with a 1 year warr.

Is no one willing to respond to my contrast ratio question? I was told that AVS forums was the place to go to get answers but I have posted this question twice and not a single response. I must assume then that then A10s do have low contrast ratios and are not much better then my off-brand 32" flat panel LCD (600:1 C/R). Oh well the 50A10 is off my list ... on to the DLPs

I'll respond. If the tv looks good to you, buy it. Many have been happy with it, and I'm sure it is not what others are looking for.

Either way, it seems silly to rule out a tv because your question about an unpublished contrast ratio wasn't answered on a message board.

I just received my 2nd 50 inch A10 over the weekend. The first one I had to send back due to dead pixel issues. Well on this set when watching movies in the 2.335, you know you get the black bars top and bottem.

well the bottem seems fine but on the top side the left side is slighty lower than the right side. Like maybe 1/8 of an inch or so basically when sitting on the couch like 11 ft away its easier to see that it's not a staright line. Is this normal? I would be bummed to send this set in for another one again. Thanks in advance for your advice

Contrast Ratio specs are useless for comparison. It is generally regarded that these specs are not measured consistently between different brand names so you are not comparing apples to apples.

Unless you have a testing method to determine that actual contrast ratio between two potential TV models for a future purchase, I would ignore it and use your eyeballs or other method to deterimine if you like the TV.

As for SD viewing at BB, you might want to give the folks at Tweetie Bird a shot at it. In my experience, they seem to be more responsive to customer requests for evaluation of HDTVs. They even have a "viewing room" for your use.

Given that the unit is only about 16" deep and 39" wide, and "only" about 70 lbs, I do not see why you would need to tilt it 90 degrees to get it up some stairs, or even go around corners on stairs. You do not want to tilt it on the side 90 degrees.. I seem to recall that this messed up someone's TV early on.

You could try making a piece of cardboard the basic size of the TV and see if you can negotiate the curves with the TV in the upright position.

When you do move it for real up the stairs, tape a piece of cardboard over the screen so that you do not scratch it or bump it.


mmm..... you haven't seen my stairs :)

The problem is the landings between floors. They're literally small enough that two people standing side by side pretty much fill the landing. It's a turning-radius issue, since you need to turn 180 degrees on the landings.... I suppose I can sort of put the TV on the landing, clamber over it, and resume from the other side... But I don't think the landing is big enough for the TV to turn while in the upright position.... close, but not quite.

But perhaps 90 degrees is a bit much. I can probably get away with 45-60 degrees. One way or the other, though, it's gotta tilt to negotiate the stairs.

(the truth is, I'll probably try it anyway, and just tilt as little as possible)

Thanks for the answer!

Is no one willing to respond to my contrast ratio question? I was told that AVS forums was the place to go to get answers but I have posted this question twice and not a single response. I must assume then that then A10s do have low contrast ratios and are not much better then my off-brand 32" flat panel LCD (600:1 C/R). Oh well the 50A10 is off my list ... on to the DLPs


You know what they say about "assuming"...do you normally not get people to answer your questions? And why are all LCD's out, simply because you can't get an answer about a contrast ratio?


T
R
O
L
L

Anyone have any suggestions for a good DVD player at a decent price for my A10 that has an HDMI output and upconverts to 720p?

thanks

Here's where I need help, I can't find an indoor antenna to get me any free HD signals..... So my questions are:

1. Do any indorr boosters work ?
2. When I add the antenna, is there anyway for this set just to scan the ANT jack and not the digital jjack for channels again (takes to long).
3. If I did know the channel number , how can you enter in the remote 7.2

I use the Silver Sensor indoor antenna (previously mentioned), combined with a ChannelMaster 7777 pre-amp (http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?main_cat=03&CAT=&PROD=ANC7777). Along with some inexpensive RG-6 coax cables from Monoprice.com, this is serving me well in my apartment.

However: depending on your location, you might be able to pick up all of your digital channels with just an antenna. So I would recommend doing this in steps -- start with an antenna, and only if you find that the signal is a little too weak, then add a pre-amp.

The A10 sets have two coax inputs: one for Cable and one for Antenna. Just connect the new antenna to the 'Ant' coax input, switch from 'Cable' to 'Ant' in WegaGate, and then run the channel setup on the 'Ant' input. You really need to let the TV set do this completely, or you'll have problems selecting the correct channels later. (In my experience, the setup runs much faster on the Antenna input than it does on the Cable input.)

Is anyone elses set resetting to Video 1?
I have it set up for Video 6 for HDMI and sometimes it goes back to Video 1 spontaneously.
Apparently when we went out the grandparents said it did it while the set was on.
I suspect power bumps but only once were other electronics in the house affected so I am not sure.
Any suggestions?? :confused:

Well,

I gave up on the indoor antenna where I live.

Outdoor ones too much of a hassle for me.

Turns out , my cable company will let you use a cablecard for $2/month to get
ABC/NBC/FOX/PBS in High Def.

Do these work well ?

Anything I need to know before the installer comes out ....

I still not have decided if ESPN-HD + Discovery-HD is wiorth an extra $8/month.

UDFLyer

mmm..... you haven't seen my stairs :)

The problem is the landings between floors. They're literally small enough that two people standing side by side pretty much fill the landing. It's a turning-radius issue, since you need to turn 180 degrees on the landings.... I suppose I can sort of put the TV on the landing, clamber over it, and resume from the other side... But I don't think the landing is big enough for the TV to turn while in the upright position.... close, but not quite.

But perhaps 90 degrees is a bit much. I can probably get away with 45-60 degrees. One way or the other, though, it's gotta tilt to negotiate the stairs.

(the truth is, I'll probably try it anyway, and just tilt as little as possible)

Thanks for the answer!

Ok, good luck to you, and let us know how it goes.

I was just try to point out some geometry, in that theoretically, the TV could be carried up a stairway, with 180 degree landings, that is only 20" wide. But, theory and reality are sometimes different. :)

Be sure to have someone standing by with a camcorder, in case you drop it and it goes crashing down the steps -- you will have an entry for the NationWide commercial. Yeah, I know, I am sick.

I have a Sony 5.1 audio receiver and I want to program my A10 remote to lower/raise volume and to select the appropriate input for sound, etc.

I saw the proper code in the manual but I can't figure out how to enter it. I programmed my other equipment using the proper sequence with (function key + display) but I don't see a receiver function button and my DVD function is already set to my Sony DVD changer.

Anyone know how to program the remote to control the reciever. It must be possible to do this as there is a code for it.

No one answered this the first time around so I guess it got lost in the shuffle. If anyone know how to do this, any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

I noticed on my 50" set the fan does not appear to be running, is that normal.

Is it supposed to run continuously?

UDFlyer

My bad....it was just so quiet...it was running.

UDFlyer

Turns out , my cable company will let you use a cablecard for $2/month to get ABC/NBC/FOX/PBS in High Def. Do these work well ? Anything I need to know before the installer comes out ....

I still not have decided if ESPN-HD + Discovery-HD is wiorth an extra $8/month.

I can't speak to the value of ESPN/Discovery/TNT/etc.-HD cable channels, as I'm still waiting for my cable company to join the 21st century... However, I did want to ask: have you tried connecting your cable line (coax) to the TV and seeing if the A10's internal QAM tuner can get those channels in-the-clear? (That is, connect the coax line to the Cable coax input, then go through the 'Digital Chanels - Add' function of the Setup menu.) Many cable systems offer HD locals unencrypted, which means that you wouldn't need to pay for the CableCard to see them. (That said, a few systems do charge for anything HD.)

Regarding the CableCard itself: there are a range of experiences with the CC, not limited to these Sony sets. Some folks actually have it work 'plug-and-play' with no problems at all, while others have nothing but frustration and runarounds in trying to get it to work. You might look in the 'Local HDTV Info and Reception' forum, see if there are posts for your area regarding your cable provider, and ask if anyone locally has gotten the CC to work. Most of the time, the set is not part of the problem -- it has to do with the cable system, the card manufacturer, and how the card is programmed.

No one answered this the first time around so I guess it got lost in the shuffle. If anyone know how to do this, any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

You could keep trying to enter it a few more time to see if it will program. Sometimes it doesn't always work with the code number in the manual. You could call Sony and ask them if there is a different code number for it.

You could keep trying to enter it a few more time to see if it will program. Sometimes it doesn't always work with the code number in the manual. You could call Sony and ask them if there is a different code number for it.

Thanks for the reply Dark but my problem is in order to program the remote for a device you must hold down a funtion key (ie DVD,SAT,DVR, etc) + "display" until the light flashes, then enter the code.

I need to know which function key to hold down along with display to program my audio only receiver. Do I have to give up like my DVR fuction key for it or something or is there a way to just set it so that the volume up/down affects only the receiver and not the tv's volume.

Thanks.

I just received my 42" set yesterday and it has a problem. The top left corner of the screen has a blue tint to it about the size of my hand. Its there on every input and resolution its only really noticeable on a black background but annoying none the less. Anybody know what may cause this?? Thanks. Well now after doing some reading on other sites it seems this is a common problem lately. Peolple have stated since mid november this blue cloud in the upper left corner issue is happening on many tvs and sony doesnt know why. Guess i might have to look at another model. Its a shame too because i really like this set.

Mike

Anyone have any suggestions for a good DVD player at a decent price for my A10 that has an HDMI output and upconverts to 720p?

thanks
The OPPO is generally well liked, see here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=423609
There is some mention of macroblocking on some TVs and it seems that the audio can get out of sync on a couple of DVDs but that can be fixed with a quick stop/play.
Personally I am happy with my non-upconverting and non-progressive scan Panny DVD player for now. I will save my money for a future DVD solution that can play HD discs.

Thanks decon. I will look into it. I think a separate DVD player with upconvert needs to happen. I got burnt by the HD AV cable pack from MS in both gameplay and movies. I read various posts on how games in 480p just don't look that great with jaggies and such. This was my experience as well. And movies are only put out at 480 as well. I did a test with this new cable and my old S-Video adapter for my XBOX 1. Put in Gladiator and I really couldn't tell the difference btw the 2. If there was it was suttle but nothing night and day. I unplugged the component from my system, going back to S-Video. Especially for gameplay. Oh well, there goes $20.

PICS (http://engenzero.blogspot.com/)

here are some of the working pics of my tv getting a optics engine replacement... i am nervous...

Hi folks,

I am new to the forum and have been considering purchasing a 42" A10. I have two limitations (don't ask): It has to fit in a 40.5" wide cabinet (it will, but no larger) and it has to look good (it does). The only other alternatives are 40" LCD Flat Panel, 42" DLP, or 37" plasma. The Sony seems to fit the bill and I really like the picture.

One question - TI claims that DLP Chips will never wear out, but LCDs will. This concerns me - should it? I have done several searches of the forum before posting, but have not been able to find a post that addresses this issue. Your input, OPs, etc are needed and greatly appreciated.

Jay B.

Hi folks,

I am new to the forum and have been considering purchasing a 42" A10. I have two limitations (don't ask): It has to fit in a 40.5" wide cabinet (it will, but no larger) and it has to look good (it does). The only other alternatives are 40" LCD Flat Panel, 42" DLP, or 37" plasma. The Sony seems to fit the bill and I really like the picture.

One question - TI claims that DLP Chips will never wear out, but LCDs will. This concerns me - should it? I have done several searches of the forum before posting, but have not been able to find a post that addresses this issue. Your input, OPs, etc are needed and greatly appreciated.

Jay B.

See my post with pics: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6073841&&#post6073841 I have a 40.5" cabinet too.

I suspect that you will be tired of the TV before the LCDs wear out, at least I hope that is the case.

Besides, think about TI's technology: millions of moving mirrors and spinning wheels...sounds like something waiting to break to me.

Thank you, abward, for your thoughts. I would like to get a few more, as I tend to buy and hold on technology whenever possible.

Jay B.

One question - TI claims that DLP Chips will never wear out, but LCDs will. This concerns me - should it? I have done several searches of the forum before posting, but have not been able to find a post that addresses this issue. Your input, OPs, etc are needed and greatly appreciated.

Jay B.
I am not worried about wear-out of the LCD. It looks like TI is just trying very hard to create FUD. The one part that will wear out for any microdisplay projector is the bulb.

Geez whats with all these sets with problems popping up all of a sudden?

greetings all,

Just wanted to let everyone know that I pulled the trigger on the 42A10 last night. Though I don't have any HD inputs just yet, I am thrilled with the quality of the SD material... even crappy, low quality TiVo recordings look no worse than they did on my old JVC 4:3 CRT.

To follow up to my own questions:
-I picked the 42 over the 50. I dragged my GF and several friends to the stores, and while I liked the 50 at 8 feet, they thought I was crazy..... so I took their advice :)

-I was really worried about tilting the unit to get it up my stairs. But when they brought it out at CC for me to cart off, they rolled it out on a handtruck..... rotated 90 degrees and sitting on its side. As it turns out, I tilted it less than the retailer did. As for my stairs, I dumped the box, walked carefully, and manged not to exceed about 35 degrees. No obvious geometry, convergance, or color problems that I can see; no blotches, no uneven color.... just looks great (furiously knocks wood).

I haven't really had a chance to apply any settings, or even to switch my inputs to component yet, and I've got a lot of re-arranging and hooking-up to do before I'm really using the unit properly (plus, Time Warner needs to get their butts out here with my HD DVR) but so far, I couldn't be happier.

Thanks again to everyone on the forum. I can't imagine navigating the bleak landscape of smarmy retailers and marketing non-information without this resource. Y'all rock.

-alex.

I have no expert inside knowledge on how long an LCD panel "lasts".

However, I do know that my B&W LCD watch from 1988 still works fine :)

LOL, my casio calculator watch from grade school, hung in there for YEARS ;)

I just got my first big screen tv, a Sony KDFE50A10, Its so Amazing. I have adjusted the best I can, and have bought an additional 1500 in cables and other add-ons to get best possible picture. However, I see that there is a a service menu which I have accessed, however, no one can give me any information on how to adjust it, it seems different from other sony service menu...ie xbr and previous wega engine, maybe it is new for '06. Can some please help, send me info or some adjustment values for this new sony service menu. I would appreciate so much, I have spent alot of my money and just want to get best picture possible. Sorry Im new at this, and I know some of you out there have alot of experience with this.

Much Appreciation
Sincerely,
Nick from NY

I am not worried about wear-out of the LCD. It looks like TI is just trying very hard to create FUD. The one part that will wear out for any microdisplay projector is the bulb.

Ah, DLP's do fail. The mirror actuator can fail. I pointed out the small dark spot to the BB salesman, 2 years ago, who then changed several inputs trying to clear the spot on the screen. Then we have the new improved color wheel that spins at 7 thousand RPM.

I just got my first big screen tv, a Sony KDFE50A10, Its so Amazing. I have adjusted the best I can, and have bought an additional 1500 in cables and other add-ons to get best possible picture. However, I see that there is a a service menu which I have accessed, however, no one can give me any information on how to adjust it, it seems different from other sony service menu...ie xbr and previous wega engine, maybe it is new for '06. Can some please help, send me info or some adjustment values for this new sony service menu. I would appreciate so much, I have spent alot of my money and just want to get best picture possible. Sorry Im new at this, and I know some of you out there have alot of experience with this.

1. The Service menu is new. Not much is known about it outside of professional installers as far as I've been able to gather from this and other threads.

2. What cables do you have and can you return them? You may have spent far more than you need to on "name brand" connectors.

3. What other equipment are you using? (Reciever, DVD Player, etc.)

I just got my first big screen tv, a Sony KDFE50A10, Its so Amazing. I have adjusted the best I can, and have bought an additional 1500 in cables and other add-ons to get best possible picture. However, I see that there is a a service menu which I have accessed, however, no one can give me any information on how to adjust it, it seems different from other sony service menu...ie xbr and previous wega engine, maybe it is new for '06. Can some please help, send me info or some adjustment values for this new sony service menu. I would appreciate so much, I have spent alot of my money and just want to get best picture possible. Sorry Im new at this, and I know some of you out there have alot of experience with this.

Much Appreciation
Sincerely,
Nick from NY
Here is the thread for tweaks:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=567709
It should not cost much for cables. A better use of the money would be to hire a professional calibrator- if you that then be sure to get one that is familiar with the new service menu's.

I obviously got the 50" A10. Love it.

mainly use for Movies and Games (360).

Due to budget reasons, I have regular cable for now thru insight. Not bad actually all
things considered.

Here's where I need help, I can't find an indoor antenna to get me any free HD signals.....

So my questions are:

1. Do any indorr boosters work ?
2. When I add the antenna, is there anyway for this set just to scan the ANT jack and not the digital jjack for channels again (takes to long).

3. If I did know the channel number , how can you enter in the remote 7.2.

Thanks!

UDFlyer


After several bad choices, I bought the Terk5 indoor powered antenna and it picks up every local HD station perfectly. They look as good or better than the Cable HD feeds (and include a few stations that my cable provider does not offer in HD). I have mine in a corner entertainment unit about 8 feet from the floor and completely hidden by my center channel. The Terk5 is only about 4 or 5 inches tall. Good luck.

I just got my first big screen tv, a Sony KDFE50A10, Its so Amazing. I have adjusted the best I can, and have bought an additional 1500 in cables and other add-ons to get best possible picture. However, I see that there is a a service menu which I have accessed, however, no one can give me any information on how to adjust it, it seems different from other sony service menu...ie xbr and previous wega engine, maybe it is new for '06. Can some please help, send me info or some adjustment values for this new sony service menu. I would appreciate so much, I have spent alot of my money and just want to get best picture possible. Sorry Im new at this, and I know some of you out there have alot of experience with this.

Much Appreciation
Sincerely,
Nick from NY

Return the TV and the cables and spend the combined money all on a higher end tv. The A10, while great is still an entry level Sony HDTV...you can get a 50" Panny Plasma for what you spent and you'll be a good deal better off.

Return the TV and the cables and spend the combined money all on a higher end tv. The A10, while great is still an entry level Sony HDTV...you can get a 50" Panny Plasma for what you spent and you'll be a good deal better off.


Yeah and have crappy non-HD picture. No thanks!

Return the TV and the cables and spend the combined money all on a higher end tv. The A10, while great is still an entry level Sony HDTV...you can get a 50" Panny Plasma for what you spent and you'll be a good deal better off.

Well for being an entry level TV it sure has less issues then the SXRD :D

Return the TV and the cables and spend the combined money all on a higher end tv. The A10, while great is still an entry level Sony HDTV...you can get a 50" Panny Plasma for what you spent and you'll be a good deal better off.

Oh, please. Same cost? Let's compare apples to apples here. The 50" Sony is available for approximately $2,000. The Panasonic Plasma lists at this website for $4,000.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-BifL83PHb71/cgi-bin/prodgroup.asp?g=146350&nvpair=FFBrand|Panasonic&nvpair=FFScreen%5FSize%7C%5Brank5%5D43%22+and+up#see_all

Yeah, I'm sure you can get it a bit cheaper than that but not even close to $2,000. Whether you buy the plasma or the RP-LCD, you still will need the cables. I agree that you don't have to go out and buy Monster cables as there are many alternatives for a fraction of the price but still - your comparison is invalid. RP-LCD gives you the better 'bang for the buck' IMO! Quit trolling and go back to your Panny Plasma thread.

His comparison may be invalid (you should be comparing retail to retail in which case the A10 is $2499...but I get the point), but $1500 worth of cables? Those should definitely be returned. Buy your cables at monoprice.com. You will probably save at least a grand. Yeah, yeah...I don't know exactly which cables you have, but there is no reason you should be spending that much on cables.

Don't think you can buy a panny plasma for savings, but perhaps a toshiba (rebadged panny). Retailing at $2999. And no, Im not a plasma troll. I own the 50" A10 and love it, but I was torn between it and the Toshiba plasma. Wish I could afford both. :D

Return the TV and the cables and spend the combined money all on a higher end tv. The A10, while great is still an entry level Sony HDTV...you can get a 50" Panny Plasma for what you spent and you'll be a good deal better off.
Keep the TV, but return the cables. You spend far too much money for cables.

Oh, please. Same cost? Let's compare apples to apples here. The 50" Sony is available for approximately $2,000. The Panasonic Plasma lists at this website for $4,000.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-BifL83PHb71/cgi-bin/prodgroup.asp?g=146350&nvpair=FFBrand|Panasonic&nvpair=FFScreen%5FSize%7C%5Brank5%5D43%22+and+up#see_all

Yeah, I'm sure you can get it a bit cheaper than that but not even close to $2,000. Whether you buy the plasma or the RP-LCD, you still will need the cables. I agree that you don't have to go out and buy Monster cables as there are many alternatives for a fraction of the price but still - your comparison is invalid. RP-LCD gives you the better 'bang for the buck' IMO! Quit trolling and go back to your Panny Plasma thread.

He spent $1500 on cables and the 50" Panny's can be had in commercial versions for $3k plus shipping and the consumer for $3.5k, just check out the dealers above that support these forums.

The Sony 50A10 is priced many places at slightly below MSRP....it's not worth 3.5 to 3.7 grand (slightly below MSRP + 1500 for cables). If you have that kind of money to spend you can buy a much better tv.

And while I'd love a panny plasma I'm buying either an olevia 42" or the 42A10 next week but that's at the $2k price point. If you're spending $3.5k to enjoy one of these tv's you can do much better with your money. Hit up monoprice or bluejeans or any other reputable online cable dealer and he can snag all his cables for a hundred bucks total, maybe two hundred and put the rest of the difference back into a better tv (if you don't think a better tv can exist you are being unreasonable, the Sony A10s are a great tv...but it's not the best tv ever made....certaintly the best RP-LCD at this price point and definitly better than any DLP i've seen, but there are better tvs...just cause someone says you can get better when you nearly double what you'd spend on the tv doesn't make them a troll...it's called being sensible).

After several bad choices, I bought the Terk5 indoor powered antenna and it picks up every local HD station perfectly. They look as good or better than the Cable HD feeds (and include a few stations that my cable provider does not offer in HD). I have mine in a corner entertainment unit about 8 feet from the floor and completely hidden by my center channel. The Terk5 is only about 4 or 5 inches tall. Good luck.

On the whole antenna topic (sorry, I'm trying to reply to the original question...)

I recommend checking out the avs Antenna thread. There is a lot of valuable info there, and some pretty bright posters.

From what I read there, they discourage use of boosters, etc though I think there may be a proper way to do it. Check out antennaweb.org to see what stations your area is capable of receiving. There are color coded zones for distances from stations, etc. Some people put a roof antenna in the attic and have success that way. You can buy the Channel Master antenna's at Home Depot or Lowes.

Good luck.

The antennaweb site will also provide guidance on what type of antenna to purchase based upon the frequency bands the stations in your area use, it's extremely helpful website and invaluable to anyone trying to get OTA HD up and running.

Well for being an entry level TV it sure has less issues then the SXRD :D


Exactly, which is why people have been buying this tv up left and right. It's a great entry-level tv, better than many non-entry tv's in the same group.

On the Sony specs, they list the width of the 42" A10 as 39 3/8". Can someone confirm that this is the actual physical size of the 42" A10 ?

Thanks, and yes I know it's a goofy question.


Paul

On the Sony specs, they list the width of the 42" A10 as 39 3/8". Can someone confirm that this is the actual physical size of the 42" A10 ?

Thanks, and yes I know it's a goofy question.


Paul

It is 39 3/8" wide, and it is not a goofy question.

It is 39 3/8" wide, and it is not a goofy question.

Great, thank you! I meant "goofy" as in hey why don't you just drive down to a place that has one, and measure it yourself ! My cabinet is right at 39 3/4" width so it'll be a tight fit.

That 15% restocking fee is inaccurate. There is no restocking fee. The return policy on electronics is 30 days with no restocking fee, but the manager can allow returns after the 30 days with no restocking fee as well but that is up to the individual stores.Well unfortunately for me it is accurate. Bought my 42A10 from Sears last month (no BB or CC in my area). I am very happy with the HD/DVD picture quality, but for the life of me can't get used to the SSE (not SDE) effect. SDE is not a problem as I sit 7-8ft. from the screen. I gave myself ample time to try to get used to it, but it drives me crazy! So I boxed it up and took it back. But as my receipt and Sears web site state:

"Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back. Our goal is that you are completely satisfied with your purchase. If for any reason you are not satisfied, simply return your purchase in its original packaging, with your receipt within 90 days of your purchase, 30 days for Home Electronics and Mattresses for a refund or exchange. If you are not satisfied with your purchase after these time periods, please let us know. Your satisfaction is important to Sears.

A 15% restocking fee applies on select Home Appliance, Home Electronics, Home Improvement, Household Goods, Lawn & Garden, and Automotive products not returned in the original box, unused, and containing all original product packaging and accessories."

I kept the "original box and all original product packaging and accessories". The word that gets me in their description is "unused". Why would a restocking fee apply to something that was "unused"??? That's what I asked the salesperson and the manager, and both explained that since the TV is used, it is subject to the restocking fee. I said then that's what it should say.

I got no satisfaction from either of them so I guess I'm stuck with the thing. So my shopping tip for everyone is DON'T BUY AT SEARS!!!!

This may be a little off topic, but I like the folks in this thread.

I am seriously considering buying a 42" A10. Here's the particulars:

It must fit in a 40.5" wide cabinet
The room is too small for anything larger - 7.5-8' viewing distance max
I like the picture and the price is right

The other limitations include the sound must primarily come from the cabinet area, so 2.1 is the max.

What I would like to get thoughts on is a good system to accompany the TV. Should I go with 1) a receiver or HTIB, 2) Media Center PC, 3) Use a separate DVD, etc. and run a slave sound system off the TV audio outputs (i.e. Bose Cinemate)?

Also, is a $200-300 power center really necessary for the whole setup? Or, are there less expensive alternatives to Monster, etc.?

Any input or thoughts are greatly appreciated, including other threads to post this in.

Jay B.

I just purchased a E42A10 a few weeks ago. I am very pleased for the most part but I do have one concern regarding what appears to be a horizontal bar running across the entire bottom of the screen that is approx. 1cm tall. It is difficult to describe but in this 1cm bar of "distortion" the picture still displays but is slightly dimmer than the rest of the screen. Even when the screen is black this "distortion" is visible.

It is visible (albeit barely) on every input and regardless of lighting level so I don't believe it is a content, source or reflection related issue. The thing is, it doesn't really interfere with normal my viewing of the TV. Still, if it is an issue with the TV I would like to get it remedied. If it is normal for this type of TV, than at least I'll know.

I would appreciate the input of others with this TV or who are familiar with this technology whether what I am seeing is normal and whether it is something I should just deal with or have looked at.

Thanks for the input

I have the toshiba sd 5980 connected with HDMI, and when i try to calibrate BTB and WTWwith DVE it clips them both so i have it connected with component where i can set BTB but it clips WTW so i do that best i can. My question is what kinda DVD players do u guys use, and does the new sony upconverting DVD player pass BTB/WTW test or does it clip them?

thanks

Hello all!

With the research of the forum, along with the help of my local Ultimate Electronics representative I went out a couple weeks ago and got myself a new TV. I chose the Sony GW 50" LCD (KDF-E50A10). While in the store, they tried to get me to purchase the SXRD, and boy was I close. In the store it seemed tons better than anything else (save the mistu 1080p models). Luckily my fiance at the time kept me rational and I took home the A10. Once I got it home I was blown away. This TV was AMAZING. I don't think there is a better TV out there for the money except the 1080p sets, and definately not worth twice the money I paid. I am extremely happy with this and have been officially bitten by the HD bug after telling charter to flip the switch on my moxi.

Add me to the club!
-D

I have the toshiba sd 5980 connected with HDMI, and when i try to calibrate BTB and WTWwith DVE it clips them both so i have it connected with component where i can set BTB but it clips WTW so i do that best i can. My question is what kinda DVD players do u guys use, and does the new sony upconverting DVD player pass BTB/WTW test or does it clip them?

thanks

I use the Oppo. You can purchase it at oppodigital.com Specify the DVI-to-HDMI adaptor cable if you decide to order.

deadcoldfish and jwillb,

(And anyone else with a tight fit)... Be sure to concern yourselves with adequate cooling for the set. Since you will be under Sony's recommended clearance distance, I suggest considering a fan or two, depending on how closed-in your cabinet is.

My fans, which you can see here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/show...1&&#post6073841 , are very quiet themselves, but do make some noticable noise because they are mounted to the cabinet with screws. I plan on rigging up a solution to this during the holidays, like suspending them with string or something.

Also, the side input will be tight, but it will still be possible to just squeeze in cables for the side. You can remove (I think) two screws holding in the side jacks pod, and it will rotate a bit for you.

Post pictures when you are done!

hey guys,
haven't been around for awhile, but I have a concern with my set that I am not sure as to whether it is the set or dvd. Well, I am noticing what appears to be like a yellow push or glow type. Details, when watching The Island, there seemed to be a lot of a muddy yellow type glow, but I wasn't sure if its part of the movie or not. Second example, Mr. and Mrs. Smith tango scene, there appeared to be somewhat of a glow in Angelina Jolie's face that would shift from her normal skin tone to a quick yellowish tone that I described. Anyone else experience this?
I did the red push fix and had it set to 0002 and then changed it to 003c? (I think it was) that was recommended by another member so could it have been that?

hey guys,
haven't been around for awhile, but I have a concern with my set that I am not sure as to whether it is the set or dvd. Well, I am noticing what appears to be like a yellow push or glow type. Details, when watching The Island, there seemed to be a lot of a muddy yellow type glow, but I wasn't sure if its part of the movie or not. Second example, Mr. and Mrs. Smith tango scene, there appeared to be somewhat of a glow in Angelina Jolie's face that would shift from her normal skin tone to a quick yellowish tone that I described. Anyone else experience this?
I did the red push fix and had it set to 0002 and then changed it to 003c? (I think it was) that was recommended by another member so could it have been that?

0002 seems to do this with skin tones. 003b eliminates it but adds just a bit of red push.

have you tried both? which setting did you think worked best without having colors looking pale or washed out? does the 003b have enough red push do give the sun burn look?

003b appears to offer the best color rendering over 0002 and 003c. Skin tones look the most natural with 003b. The red push is pretty minimal and it doesn't seem to cause the sun burn or rosy look with the proper Color setting.

great, thanks, I will try it when I get off work.
just curious if there have been any other service menu tweaks that I might of missed?

Well...after reading 5000+ posts.....I'm about ready to buy the KDF-E42A10. It'll be my 1st big screen HDTV. My main reason for pruchase is the Xbox 360....gotta play those games in HD!!!

I have a couple of questions:

1) Saw the TV at CC.....is it safe to assume that even though they have them hooked up with component cables.....that the HD feed sucks?! At times the TV looked good...but other times looked bad. I just want to make sure that the CC feed is the main problem.

2) For DVD's.....do people recommend getting a player that can upconvert to HD? Will that make enough difference to justify getting a new player and the HDMI cable?

3) I'm assuming that you can get a pretty decent picture on this TV by following some of the Custom picture settings.....without going it the service menu.


The forum is awesome....glad I found this thread as it has convinced me to buy the Sony. I was contimplating the Samsung...but with all the reports of the lag in gaming, I'll stick with the Sony.

Thanks!

-Kevin

Also, is a $200-300 power center really necessary for the whole setup? Or, are there less expensive alternatives to Monster, etc.?

Any input or thoughts are greatly appreciated, including other threads to post this in.

Jay B.

Really depends on the situation your neighborhood is in. With a RPLCD that has a bulb with fan I think that a battery backup / surge protector is the best idea as that way any interrupts to power will not prevent the fan from cooling the bulb. You can get these from APC for under a hundred dollars.

Some people insist that a line conditioner to provide 'clean' power will improve the quality of the picture, but these are those multi-hundred to thousand$+ power conditioners. There are any number of debates, mostly over in the audio section about what the best is. Try a seach for 'surge protection' or 'line condtioning' or some such for lots of debates about what the pros and cons of different options are.

just got a 360 today, but i don't know if i should set it to output 720p or 1080i in the dashboard. anyone know something about this?

go with 720p since that's the native res of the A10

Scored my 360 today too, cant wait to hook her up to the A10 =)

FWIW, Fry's has a great deal on the 50" A10 until the 27th. I'm moving to a new house in January and I don't know if I should get the TV now or wait until I move.

Fry's has similar sale on 50A10 several times in the past month. So I think you will see the same sale after you move to your new house. Why bother to have another bulky stuff to move?

Also, I saw some blockiness on fast action video, like football play, on this TV, and on other projection TV also. Is it because of the video feed, or this is the nature on projection TV. Not as serious as on plasma or LCD. Is it just because of the size, as everything is blew up proportionally?

What's up guys,
Took the jump and bought my first big screen :D got the 42A10, with the Sony DVPns70. I wanted to know something I did a search but didn't really found what I was looking for so now I'm asking. What is a good Surround sound system to get for this tv set up I really don't want to spend more than 300 bucks and I don't need a dvd so what do you guys have? Thanks Man I got a big screen!!!! :D :D

deadcoldfish and jwillb,

(And anyone else with a tight fit)... Be sure to concern yourselves with adequate cooling for the set. Since you will be under Sony's recommended clearance distance, I suggest considering a fan or two, depending on how closed-in your cabinet is.

Also, the side input will be tight, but it will still be possible to just squeeze in cables for the side. You can remove (I think) two screws holding in the side jacks pod, and it will rotate a bit for you.

Post pictures when you are done!

Thanks for the info, and I did look at your installation, and it looks nice. I'm planning on forgoing the use of the side inputs for now with this cabinet, as I don't think there'll be any clearance for them. The back of the cabinet can be opened up, so I'll try that without a fan and see how hot things run. All the other electronics are in another cabinet, so there won't be additional heat sources, and the depth and heighth of the cabinet are larger than the A10 so hopefully that will help. It's just the width issue with this cabinet.

thanks again for the advice,

Paul

I just purchased a Sony 50" A10. I read on a forum somewhere that if you have an old UHF/VHF antenna to first try it before you spend any money on a new one. So I did. When I had the Sony do a search for channels, I was able to tune 26 stations with no real problems except all of the digital channel have red vertical dotty pinstripes running through them. Other than that the picture looks very clear and sharp.
My antenna is about 8 years old. I bought it at Home Depot and have it in the attic. The house was wired for multi rooms and when I installed the antenna I found it necessary to get an amplified splitter to replace the one the builder provided. It worked fair on SD channels. I had upgraded to D* TV so I hadn't used it in a while.
Does any one have a clue as to what is causing the stripes?

Thanks

Steve

Really depends on the situation your neighborhood is in. With a RPLCD that has a bulb with fan I think that a battery backup / surge protector is the best idea as that way any interrupts to power will not prevent the fan from cooling the bulb. You can get these from APC for under a hundred dollars.

How big of a UPS is recommended for the KDF-E50A10 (assuming nothing else is plugged into the UPS)? I have a 350VA on hand, but wonder if a bigger one (500VA or higher) is necessary? All it will do is run the fan for a few minutes after a power outage.

I think you'll be ok with 350VA, but what you'll want to do is turn off the tv when the power goes out so that the only thing drawing power is the fan (which will run for quite a while on 350VA), leaving the tv running for a few minutes will really dig into the battery and you want to avoid that. The 350 should be fine for your fan and your vcr clock :)

Hello all!

With the research of the forum, along with the help of my local Ultimate Electronics representative I went out a couple weeks ago and got myself a new TV. I chose the Sony GW 50" LCD (KDF-E50A10). While in the store, they tried to get me to purchase the SXRD, and boy was I close. In the store it seemed tons better than anything else (save the mistu 1080p models). Luckily my fiance at the time kept me rational and I took home the A10. Once I got it home I was blown away. This TV was AMAZING. I don't think there is a better TV out there for the money except the 1080p sets, and definately not worth twice the money I paid. I am extremely happy with this and have been officially bitten by the HD bug after telling charter to flip the switch on my moxi.

Add me to the club!
-D


I had the same exact story. I am very satisfied with the A10. Couldn't beat it for the price

Well...after reading 5000+ posts.....I'm about ready to buy the KDF-E42A10. It'll be my 1st big screen HDTV. My main reason for pruchase is the Xbox 360....gotta play those games in HD!!!

I have a couple of questions:

1) Saw the TV at CC.....is it safe to assume that even though they have them hooked up with component cables.....that the HD feed sucks?! At times the TV looked good...but other times looked bad. I just want to make sure that the CC feed is the main problem.

2) For DVD's.....do people recommend getting a player that can upconvert to HD? Will that make enough difference to justify getting a new player and the HDMI cable?

3) I'm assuming that you can get a pretty decent picture on this TV by following some of the Custom picture settings.....without going it the service menu.


The forum is awesome....glad I found this thread as it has convinced me to buy the Sony. I was contimplating the Samsung...but with all the reports of the lag in gaming, I'll stick with the Sony.

Thanks!

-Kevin


1. The HD feed in your house will look much better than the one in the store. I have a 50 inch version, and the HD stuff looks great from DirecTV.

2. I have a player that upconverts to 720p. I needed to replace my non-proggressive scan one. So I just spend a little more and got the upconverting one. I am still trying to decide if I should use the hdmi for the dvd or the HD. That TV only has one input for hdmi, so you have to chose.

3. I haven't gone into the service menu yet. I used somebody on here's setttings and just tweaked a bit, and I love the picture. It can be made much better if you change some settings as soon as you take it out of the box.

Really depends on the situation your neighborhood is in. With a RPLCD that has a bulb with fan I think that a battery backup / surge protector is the best idea as that way any interrupts to power will not prevent the fan from cooling the bulb. You can get these from APC for under a hundred dollars.

Some people insist that a line conditioner to provide 'clean' power will improve the quality of the picture, but these are those multi-hundred to thousand$+ power conditioners. There are any number of debates, mostly over in the audio section about what the best is. Try a seach for 'surge protection' or 'line condtioning' or some such for lots of debates about what the pros and cons of different options are.


thanks for the tip. I do need to make a purchase soon. I could probably get something like that from newegg, no?

Hi all, Just got into this forum and wanted to say yo too all. I just got my 42" A10 and am very happy with it. Replaced a 4 year ond Samsung 30" CRT HDTV and have been very happy with my investment. The old Samsung was cheep (for a HDTV) and could only do 1080i and only had 2 component imputs and it just could not keep up with my ever incresing HD and progressive scan needs. Anyway... Great picture though the HDMI and my cable box and DVD and X box are beyond my wishes.

1. The HD feed in your house will look much better than the one in the store. I have a 50 inch version, and the HD stuff looks great from DirecTV.

2. I have a player that upconverts to 720p. I needed to replace my non-proggressive scan one. So I just spend a little more and got the upconverting one. I am still trying to decide if I should use the hdmi for the dvd or the HD. That TV only has one input for hdmi, so you have to chose.

3. I haven't gone into the service menu yet. I used somebody on here's setttings and just tweaked a bit, and I love the picture. It can be made much better if you change some settings as soon as you take it out of the box.

Thanks for the tips. For #2.....in order to use a DVD player that upconverts....you NEED to use the HDMI interface on it correct? If so then I think I'll just stick with progressive scan and component as I'll want to have my Comcast HD box use the HDMI.

-Kevin

Thanks for the tips. For #2.....in order to use a DVD player that upconverts....you NEED to use the HDMI interface on it correct? If so then I think I'll just stick with progressive scan and component as I'll want to have my Comcast HD box use the HDMI.

-Kevin


there you go. The only reason I bought a new dvd player is because I needed at least progressive scan 480p.

Your only other alternative would be an AV receiver that switches HDMI, but they are usually expensive. Over 800 bucks eay into the thousands

How big of a UPS is recommended for the KDF-E50A10 (assuming nothing else is plugged into the UPS)? I have a 350VA on hand, but wonder if a bigger one (500VA or higher) is necessary? All it will do is run the fan for a few minutes after a power outage.

The formula was posted here awhile ago. It is something like 1Watt = .6VA,
so a 500VA UPS can supply 300Watts. Look in your user manual to see how many watts the TV, and everything else you are going to plug into the UPS, needs.

I'm a new HD user. Just got the 50A10 - Great TV, but I have a few setup questions:

Basic configuration: OTA HD is great with old roof antenna. No cable at this time., I have always used an AV receiver and surround sound for all TV viewing, and I plan to continue that practice.

Audio question 1. - My DVD player has an optical audio output which I have always connected to my AV Receiver. Should I keep it that way or feed the TV Optical output to the receiver?
What are the pros & cons of these choices?

Audio question 2 - I have a slight 60hz hum that is accentuated by the subwoofer. It is coming from the TV hookup. It is more intense when the TV audio output is variable instead of fixed. I haven't had any grounding problems with any other equipment, not even an old phono cartridge. Has anyone else had a hum through their system?

Audio question 3 - Assuming I get rid of the hum in #2, I would like to use the variable output from the TV to feed to the AV receiver. What are the pros & cons of this approach?

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

just got a 360 today, but i don't know if i should set it to output 720p or 1080i in the dashboard. anyone know something about this?


Actually, 1080i for this set.

Take NBA Live for instance. It looks noticeably better when set to 1080i vs. 720p.

UDFlyer

I just purchased a Sony 50" A10. I read on a forum somewhere that if you have an old UHF/VHF antenna to first try it before you spend any money on a new one. So I did. When I had the Sony do a search for channels, I was able to tune 26 stations with no real problems except all of the digital channel have red vertical dotty pinstripes running through them. Other than that the picture looks very clear and sharp.
My antenna is about 8 years old. I bought it at Home Depot and have it in the attic. The house was wired for multi rooms and when I installed the antenna I found it necessary to get an amplified splitter to replace the one the builder provided. It worked fair on SD channels. I had upgraded to D* TV so I hadn't used it in a while.
Does any one have a clue as to what is causing the stripes?

Thanks

Steve

It's could be due to attenuation of your signal by having the antenna located in the attic. You should put an antenna outdoors for best reception. You might get more help from people in your area by locating your "Local HD Reception" thread for your area. Sometimes you can get away with an attic antenna if you aren't to far from the towers.

What's up guys,
Took the jump and bought my first big screen :D got the 42A10, with the Sony DVPns70. I wanted to know something I did a search but didn't really found what I was looking for so now I'm asking. What is a good Surround sound system to get for this tv set up I really don't want to spend more than 300 bucks and I don't need a dvd so what do you guys have? Thanks Man I got a big screen!!!! :D :D


Any help will due!!!!!

I just received my 42" set yesterday and it has a problem. The top left corner of the screen has a blue tint to it about the size of my hand. Its there on every input and resolution its only really noticeable on a black background but annoying none the less. Anybody know what may cause this?? Thanks. Well now after doing some reading on other sites it seems this is a common problem lately. Peolple have stated since mid november this blue cloud in the upper left corner issue is happening on many tvs and sony doesnt know why. Guess i might have to look at another model. Its a shame too because i really like this set.

Mike


Picked up my replacement set today and it has the same problem and even worse there is also green in the top right corner. I cant believe it. Im not willing to live with these problems. I dont know where to go from here because i dont like pq on dlps but dont have the money for 42" hd plasma. Guess ill have to lok at 42" ed plasma. Oh well.

Mike

Any help will due!!!!!

For $300 you could get a HTIB. I'd recommend either an Onkyo or Yamaha one. Sound quality of the speakers isn't great but not bad for the price.

go with 720p since that's the native res of the A10


can you explain this a little? if it's set at 1080i, then does it do more work or something?

can you explain this a little? if it's set at 1080i, then does it do more work or something?

I personally cannot, I am just learning this HDTV stuff. That's why I come here for all the experts :)

I saw NBA Live '06 in the Kiosks at the store and the players faces during cut scenes (going back to the bench etc.. looked REAL).

Well, when I had my 360 set to 720p, Live still looked great, but on the citscenes, the players faces didn't look as real. They almost looked robotiic for lack of a better ter,

So... I switched the 360 to use 1080i and tried again. Boom! Perfect, just like the store, faces looked real again.

So my 360 has been at 1080i setting since.

Maybe one of the real experts can make a guess as to why.

UDFlyer

I just received my 2nd 50 inch A10 over the weekend. The first one I had to send back due to dead pixel issues. Well on this set when watching movies in the 2.335, you know you get the black bars top and bottem.

well the bottem seems fine but on the top side the left side is slighty lower than the right side. Like maybe 1/8 of an inch or so basically when sitting on the couch like 11 ft away its easier to see that it's not a staright line. Is this normal? I would be bummed to send this set in for another one again. Thanks in advance for your advice


My 50" A10 seems to have the same thing you are talking about it is slightly lower on on left side as well with the black bars on the top. Just like you the bottom is fine. I would also like to know if this is normal.

The formula was posted here awhile ago. It is something like 1Watt = .6VA,
so a 500VA UPS can supply 300Watts. Look in your user manual to see how many watts the TV, and everything else you are going to plug into the UPS, needs.

The KDF-E50A10 shows power consumption of 210 watts in use (17 watts standby) with power requirements of 120V 60 Hz. I am not an eletronic engineer, but, based on these specs, I assumed the 500VA (350 watts) UPS is needed over the 350VA (200 watts). Plus, the 500VA is only $10 more than the 350VA.

For $300 you could get a HTIB. I'd recommend either an Onkyo or Yamaha one. Sound quality of the speakers isn't great but not bad for the price.


Those are excellent choices and I would also add to get a thicker gauge speaker wire instead of using the cheap wire that is packed with the system, it will help the sound quality quite a bit.

can you explain this a little? if it's set at 1080i, then does it do more work or something?

The A10 has a native resolution of 720. So if the source is 720p, then no conversion is done by the TV.

For all other resolutions, the TV must convert to 720p. Therefore, if the signal is 1080i, the TV will convert it to 720p. Or likewise, if your DVD player is 480i, the TV must convert it to 720p.

People who by an upconverting DVD player, simple use the DVD players converter to get the signal to 720p (so the player converts the signal instead of the TV converting it).

I personally cannot, I am just learning this HDTV stuff. That's why I come here for all the experts :)

I saw NBA Live '06 in the Kiosks at the store and the players faces during cut scenes (going back to the bench etc.. looked REAL).

Well, when I had my 360 set to 720p, Live still looked great, but on the citscenes, the players faces didn't look as real. They almost looked robotiic for lack of a better ter,

So... I switched the 360 to use 1080i and tried again. Boom! Perfect, just like the store, faces looked real again.

So my 360 has been at 1080i setting since.

Maybe one of the real experts can make a guess as to why.

UDFlyer


From what I've gathered at teamxbox.com, it is best to output at 720p for our tv. This is because the games are rendered at 720p (for now) and since the A10's native resolution is 720p it will be a more direct presentation of the image- meaning that the xbox sends the info at 720p, which the A10 prefers and presents it with minimal work.

If the 1080i output is used, then you have the XBOX scaling it up and then the A10 also downscaling it to 720p anyways, thus forcing out lines of resolution and creating more steps than necessary.

The only game I've played on the A10 is Kameo and I can't see a difference between the two settings since there's so much going on in the picture. Both look absolutely amazing, and even my gamecube looks damn good.

Does any of this make sense to those who are more knowledgeable in this whole "native resolution/scaling" realm?

Picked up my replacement set today and it has the same problem and even worse there is also green in the top right corner. I cant believe it. Im not willing to live with these problems. I dont know where to go from here because i dont like pq on dlps but dont have the money for 42" hd plasma. Guess ill have to lok at 42" ed plasma. Oh well.

Mike

I have a similiar issue on my 50". There is green in the top right corner and in the top middle area.

I have been waiting to hear back from my "Sony Authorized Repair Shop" :rolleyes: for a week and half about the problem. Aparently they don't know what is causing it.

Has anyone had this problem fixed? If so, what was causing the issue?

Franly I get better results from Dish box by sending 1080I to TV rather than native 720p.

I also do not upconvert DVD. The TV seems to a terrific job of converting.

I have a similiar issue on my 50". There is green in the top right corner and in the top middle area.

I have been waiting to hear back from my "Sony Authorized Repair Shop" :rolleyes: for a week and half about the problem. Aparently they don't know what is causing it.

Has anyone had this problem fixed? If so, what was causing the issue?


I have a dark blue wash in the top right corner. I think someone a few pages back ended up getting the light engine replaced as a fix.

I have a similiar issue on my 50". There is green in the top right corner and in the top middle area.

I have been waiting to hear back from my "Sony Authorized Repair Shop" :rolleyes: for a week and half about the problem. Aparently they don't know what is causing it.

Has anyone had this problem fixed? If so, what was causing the issue?

This issue has been discussed several times. It's either the color uniformity problem and/or dust inside the light engine. If it's a color uniformity issue then there's nothing that can be done to fix it. If it's a dust problem then Sony will either clean it or just replace the light engine.

Hey Dark Rain, I take it you havent experienced any of these issues with your 42? Just curious.

Toggleswitch, I have a few issues with my 42A10. The color uniformity problem is one of them. I have a faint blue blotch near the top right of the screen and a faint red/pink blotch in the lower left part of the screen. But this problem appears to exist with all LCD RPTVs to some degree. But the only time this problem shows up is on B&W movies or TV shows.

Another problem on my A10 is misconvergence. At 7.5-8 feet away it can be seen but isn't so distracting that I can't stand it. One thing that I've noticed is that after the TV is on for awhile it seems to get better. The slight color fringing around white text and objects seem to disappear. This is odd. You can check your convergence by viewing something with white text. Get right up next to the screen and see if there's any solid colored pixels just outside the text. This issue exists to some extent with all 3-chip TVs, including the more expensive Sony SXRD series. From a normal viewing distance it seems to not be an issue.

I also have a stuck pixel in the upper right corner of the screen. This is normal and I can't see it at all from beyond 5 feet.

I believe those with green spots or blotches have the "dust" problem. Luckily this CAN be fixed. Don't hesitate to call Sony and get it taken care of.

Originally Posted by Troub
I just received my 2nd 50 inch A10 over the weekend. The first one I had to send back due to dead pixel issues. Well on this set when watching movies in the 2.335, you know you get the black bars top and bottem.

well the bottem seems fine but on the top side the left side is slighty lower than the right side. Like maybe 1/8 of an inch or so basically when sitting on the couch like 11 ft away its easier to see that it's not a staright line. Is this normal? I would be bummed to send this set in for another one again. Thanks in advance for your advice



Originally Posted by TorturEd
My 50" A10 seems to have the same thing you are talking about it is slightly lower on on left side as well with the black bars on the top. Just like you the bottom is fine. I would also like to know if this is normal.


Can someone please answer this.

I just got my TV a few days ago, everything works but when I hook up my VCR with a composite connection and play a movie the screen has white wavy lines all over it. Has anyone seen this on theirs? it is an old hitachi vcr but it worked fine on my 27 inch hitachi with the same connection. Please advise.
Thanks
Jdmac29

Franly I get better results from Dish box by sending 1080I to TV rather than native 720p.

I also do not upconvert DVD. The TV seems to a terrific job of converting.
That's a different issue. Most HD programming is 1080i (besides ABC, ESPN and FOX). Hence if you send a 1080i signal you leave the converting to the TV, which actually does a better conversion job than most STBs. But you shoud use 720P for the above mentioned channels, since there's no conversion needed in that case.

Take the trailer. It wouldn't fit in the back of my Ford Escape. The guys at Costco had to uncrate it, which made me mighty nervous.

Actually all tv broadcasts are sent out at 720p....not 1080i. Nothing is broadcast 1080i yet. And we really shouldnt expect anything to be broadcast at 1080i for at least another couple years.

Actually all tv broadcasts are sent out at 720p....not 1080i. Nothing is broadcast 1080i yet. And we really shouldnt expect anything to be broadcast at 1080i for at least another couple years.
You may want to do some research.
Don't mix 1080i with 1080p. The majority of stations today broadcasts in 1080i, with the exception of the mentioned 3.

Actually all tv broadcasts are sent out at 720p....not 1080i. Nothing is broadcast 1080i yet. And we really shouldnt expect anything to be broadcast at 1080i for at least another couple years.

You're wrong.

Those are excellent choices and I would also add to get a thicker gauge speaker wire instead of using the cheap wire that is packed with the system, it will help the sound quality quite a bit.
Thanks for your help Wisart and Darkrain
I bought the Yamaha tonight, with the thicker wire.
Next couple of questions.
First do you have to buy the optical cables to hook up the Surround sound if so is Monster the best brand or should I wait and look around for another brand.
Second my wife keeps asking me if this TV can be mounted to the wall? I really feel more comfortable with the TV on the stand but do any of you have the 42A10 wall mounted?

Thanks again guys. :D

May I suggest checking out HDTVexpert site, which is written by Pete Putman. He has several excellent articles on 1080I vs 1080P. Due to bandwidth limitations, it may be some time before we see any 1080P content coming from OTA broadcast, satellite or cable. Converting from MPEG-2 video compression to MPEG-4 will help, but it still will come down to economics.

The cable and satellite companies use video compression to squeeze more channels down the 'pipeline' and rob bandwidth to do so. That's why a good OTA HD feed can look much better than any HD cable or satellite feed. Pete Putman writes extensively about this and offers a wealth of knowledge about OTA reception, antennas and so forth.

With regard to the questions about 1080i vs 720p settings from set top boxes. The quality of scaling and video processing is the issue here. I've been performing calibrations for nearly three years and have seen any number of video displays that look better when the STB is set to 1080i rather than 720p. It is entirely a matter of which device has better overall video processing. For a very good discussion of video processing I would suggest that you visit the Silicon Optix site and go to the technology part of their HQV section.

Best regards,

Pete Nelsen

Attuned Audio and Video Services

My bad....it was just so quiet...it was running.

UDFlyer

My fan can only be heard when everyone has gone to bed, I've turned
everything off and you have to be within 2-3 feet of the set.

i've been lurking on this board for several months now and have never posted but i have picked up loads of great information. i finally decided on the a10 50 inch over the sxrd or a plasma. mainly i was going to use the tv for some regular sd viewing but a lot of gaming (my 10 year old) and dvd's. i went out multiple times and looked at panny plasma, the sxrd, and a10 and even had a couple stores where the a10 was right next to the sxrd and finally decided that the sxrd was not worth the extra $$$ especially with some of the color issues some others who have posted here have mentioned. while the a10 has issues as does the other tv's i was looking at, this tv seemed to give the most bang for the buck, plus iwas ordering it online. i thought it would not arrive until after xmas but yesterday the shipping company called and delivered. i hooked it up right out of the box and boy was the picture stunning. my son for college hooked his pc up, and was playing "world of warcraft" online and again simply stunning. no lag issues. have not fully tested the xbox or gamecube but plan on doing so. for the price i paid, i think i got a great tv. just wanted to thank all the posters for their helpful information. i'm going to continue to check here for tweaking the settings. thanks again and merry christmas.

Hope this comes out, it's my first attempt with a new digital camera.
My music, sports, and movie room are complete. This is in the basement of my home. I was able to put it together for a little under $7k including the tv.
50a10
yamaha rx-v995 receiver
toshiba cinema series dvd
Focal Jm Lab speakers main, center and surround + Definitive tech sub
plus assorted other gear in rack.

Is no one willing to respond to my contrast ratio question? I was told that AVS forums was the place to go to get answers but I have posted this question twice and not a single response. I must assume then that then A10s do have low contrast ratios and are not much better then my off-brand 32" flat panel LCD (600:1 C/R). Oh well the 50A10 is off my list ... on to the DLPs
The above reply to my own post was intentionally a little cheeky to illicit some response regarding the A10s contrast ratio. I seemed to work ….

Contrast Ratio specs are useless for comparison. It is generally regarded that these specs are not measured consistently between different brand names so you are not comparing apples to apples. …. Snip .
I agree that we must be leery of any performance spec that is stated by a manufacturer but at least most publish the spec. Sony publishes the C/R for their Bravia LCD flat panel series (1000:1 and 1300:1) but not the GrandWEGA series … Why?

I'll respond. If the tv looks good to you, buy it. Many have been happy with it, and I'm sure it is not what others are looking for.
Either way, it seems silly to rule out a tv because your question about an unpublished contrast ratio wasn't answered on a message board.

Not silly at all. I emailed the HTGuys (AVS Radio) on this subject and they replied:

“We couldn't find any info on the contrast ratio of the SONY either. When a manufacturer leaves a spec out like that its because its not very good.”

You know what they say about "assuming"...do you normally not get people to answer your questions? And why are all LCD's out, simply because you can't get an answer about a contrast ratio?


T
R
O
L
L
I don’t know quite what you mean by “do you normally not get people to answer your questions?” My original post was a simple polite question. I got no responses which means people either don’t know or don’t care. It wasn’t until I replied to my post with a cheeky post that I got some response.

Since my original post I have found 2 sources regarding A10 C/R
- Futureshop Spec Sheet for KFE50A10 700:1
- Sony Store Guy who seem very knowledgeable 2000:1 (no docs to back up however)

I thought that I could come to this forum to get a straight answer on what I thought was a simple question and after all this I still can’t get an answer from this forum. Instead I get:
- “Contrast Ratio specs are useless for comparison”
- “If the tv looks good to you, buy it”
- “it seems silly to rule out a tv because …”
- “do you normally not get people to answer your questions?”

But a least you guys replied … but I still don’t have an answer to my original question do I?

Is there anyway at all to get video out from this tv? I don't see any video out jacks, not even composite. I have the 50a10

Take the trailer. It wouldn't fit in the back of my Ford Escape. The guys at Costco had to uncrate it, which made me mighty nervous.

I have a trailer but I didn't dare put the 50A10 in it, not enough weight to hold down on
the road. It's a small lightweight 5x8 Haulin' brand but any trailer needs more weight in
it than this TV set to ride smooth. We laid our 50A10 on its back and put it in my wifes
Explorer, generally this is considered okay. We hauled it 45 miles from Costco on it's back.
Grateful11

Thanks for your help Wisart and Darkrain
I bought the Yamaha tonight, with the thicker wire.
Next couple of questions.
First do you have to buy the optical cables to hook up the Surround sound if so is Monster the best brand or should I wait and look around for another brand.
Second my wife keeps asking me if this TV can be mounted to the wall? I really feel more comfortable with the TV on the stand but do any of you have the 42A10 wall mounted?

Thanks again guys. :D

Anyone
Help please :confused:

Anyone
Help please :confused:
this tv is really not a wall mount tv. Happy holidays

i've been lurking on this board for several months now and have never posted but i have picked up loads of great information. i finally decided on the a10 50 inch over the sxrd or a plasma. mainly i was going to use the tv for some regular sd viewing but a lot of gaming (my 10 year old) and dvd's. i went out multiple times and looked at panny plasma, the sxrd, and a10 and even had a couple stores where the a10 was right next to the sxrd and finally decided that the sxrd was not worth the extra $$$ especially with some of the color issues some others who have posted here have mentioned. while the a10 has issues as does the other tv's i was looking at, this tv seemed to give the most bang for the buck, plus iwas ordering it online. i thought it would not arrive until after xmas but yesterday the shipping company called and delivered. i hooked it up right out of the box and boy was the picture stunning. my son for college hooked his pc up, and was playing "world of warcraft" online and again simply stunning. no lag issues. have not fully tested the xbox or gamecube but plan on doing so. for the price i paid, i think i got a great tv. just wanted to thank all the posters for their helpful information. i'm going to continue to check here for tweaking the settings. thanks again and merry christmas.

Your choices were nearly identical to mine. I had me son scan a long line 42" to 60"
sets at CC and told him to pick out the one with the best picture. He hadn't looked at
any of them before. He picked out the 50A10 and the 60" SXRD. He didn't even pay
attention to the name or anything he simply said those were the 2 best. I honestly
couldn't see $1200 to $1500 difference and I still can't. I was watching Discovery HD
this morning when a friend came over looked at it and said "I feel like I should be able
to reach out and touch people". People worry about contrast and if they're black enough but it
all boils down to if you look it and be satisfied. Right now it sounds like a war zone sons
and friend are playing "Medal of Honor 3"
Grateful11

A boxed 42A10 definitely fits in the back of a Ford Escape - standing in it's normal upright position. That's how I transported mine home in my Escape.

Is there anyway at all to get video out from this tv? I don't see any video out jacks, not even composite. I have the 50a10
No the TV doesn't have any video outputs. I'm not sure though, if there is any way to get to a video signal inside the set. Though opening the set is not really recommended due to warranty reasons (unless you know what you're doing...).

I just got my 42a10 and on the regular ota channels the display says the aspect ration 16x9 or 4x3 but when I use any of the inputs and set my dvd and ps2 to 16x9 and put in a 16x9 dvd or game the display still shows 480i 4x3 (is this correct?) Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Jeff

hi. i recently purchased KDF-E50A10-- its amazing and im very happy.

i would like some opinions about what kind of dvd player to buy. i currently have a sont dvp-ns300-- it is not progessive scan-- but the picture is excellent.

should i buy a replacement? it is showing 480i-- can i buy something w/ better resolution? will i notice a difference?

the other related question-- is it worthwhile buying a dvd recorder? i would use it to copy dvds. i have heard most are copy protected-- so there might not be a way to do this.

thanks ! have a great holiday. peter

I'm pulling in the local (Houston area) OTA stations using a Zenith Silver Senser; some are HD and most are not.

Can anyone tell me why the HD (1080i, 16:9) pictures are smaller than the SD? For all but one of the HD stations, the picture is considerably smaller with black bands around all four sides. How can this be corrected?

Thanks and Merry Christmas.

jsthomps needs to learn how to ask a question with respect and manners or he won't get very far........so far he's failed to do that. Maybe people just don't know the answer to your question.....ever think of that? Not all of us work in the Sony manufacturing plant.

Just want to take a time out here and say Merry Christmas to all the A10 owners here, especially those that have helped me this year with my purchase and many questions.

Enjoy your A10 with your family/friends watching games, parades, etc. I watched the "Carols from Kings" (Carols from King's College, Cambridge) early today on DiscoveryHD, it was awesome pictures and sound.

Ya thanx to everyone for all the help. And may santa be good to you in the mornin ;) I'm pretty sure I spotted a few xbox 360 games under the tree myself =)

jsthomps needs to learn how to ask a question with respect and manners or he won't get very far........so far he's failed to do that. Maybe people just don't know the answer to your question.....ever think of that? Not all of us work in the Sony manufacturing plant.
Here is my original post:

"I hear the a10's have poor contrast ratios something like 700:1. This was hard to come by because Sony does not publish these spec anywhere. The 50A10 was recommended in Consumer Reports but the low C/R has me concerned. Any comments or feedback would be appreciated.
Scott"

Tell me how that post was disrespectful and without manners? It wasn't until I caused a minor controversy that anyone cared to respond and still I have no answer to the original post ... just defensive posturing

Here is my original post:

"I hear the a10's have poor contrast ratios something like 700:1. This was hard to come by because Sony does not publish these spec anywhere. The 50A10 was recommended in Consumer Reports but the low C/R has me concerned. Any comments or feedback would be appreciated.
Scott"

Tell me how that post was disrespectful and without manners? It wasn't until I caused a minor controversy that anyone cared to respond and still I have no answer to the original post ... just defensive posturing

It wasn't your original post. I even think it's a good question and I wouldn't mind knowing as well. It was the whining that no one would answer your question.....no one knows the answer! It's as simple as that! Also, what the other guys meant by contrast ratio not meaning everything is that you shouldn't base a TV purchase just on contrast ratio "specs". Manufacturers sometimes base their specs totally different than another company.....meaning it's not always accurate making direct comparisons. I can tell you one thing, I've owned the 42A10 since tuesday and it is one FINE TV! :D

It wasn't your original post. I even think it's a good question and I wouldn't mind knowing as well. It was the whining that no one would answer your question.....no one knows the answer! It's as simple as that! Also, what the other guys meant by contrast ratio not meaning everything is that you shouldn't base a TV purchase just on contrast ratio "specs". Manufacturers sometimes base their specs totally different than another company.....meaning it's not always accurate making direct comparisons. I can tell you one thing, I've owned the 42A10 since tuesday and it is one FINE TV! :D


Do you have any macrobloking with the panny?

I'm pairing the SA-8300HD with my KF-E50A10. I'd like to know if users are using the scaling & video processing for 720p/1080i of this STB or passing the signal on to the E50A10 for scaling & video processing?

If using the STB, are you setting it to upconvert everything to 720p, 1080i, or passthrough to the E50A10?

Just trying to achieve the "best" video quality.

If this is not the right thread for this kind of a question, please direct me to the appropriate forum.

Happy holidays to all.

It wasn't your original post. I even think it's a good question and I wouldn't mind knowing as well. It was the whining that no one would answer your question.....no one knows the answer! It's as simple as that! Also, what the other guys meant by contrast ratio not meaning everything is that you shouldn't base a TV purchase just on contrast ratio "specs". Manufacturers sometimes base their specs totally different than another company.....meaning it's not always accurate making direct comparisons. I can tell you one thing, I've owned the 42A10 since tuesday and it is one FINE TV! :D
Of course it was my original post see #5418 posted on 12-18-05, 12:12 PM http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6743082&&#post6743082
Now I have been called a liar and a whiner in one post ... who is lacking in manners now. Perhaps along with not knowing the C/R of your 42A10 you don't know how to search a forum either :D .

Of course it was my original post see #5418 posted on 12-18-05, 12:12 PM http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6743082&&#post6743082
Now I have been called a liar and a whiner in one post ... who is lacking in manners now. Perhaps along with not knowing the C/R of your 42A10 you don't know how to search a forum either :D .

Merry Christmas :)

Do you have any macrobloking with the panny?

I did on my 26" Toshiba, but not on the Sony A10.

I'm pairing the SA-8300HD with my KF-E50A10. I'd like to know if users are using the scaling & video processing for 720p/1080i of this STB or passing the signal on to the E50A10 for scaling & video processing?

If using the STB, are you setting it to upconvert everything to 720p, 1080i, or passthrough to the E50A10?

Just trying to achieve the "best" video quality.

If this is not the right thread for this kind of a question, please direct me to the appropriate forum.

Happy holidays to all.

Happy holidays all.

Hey TotalDistinction, do you use the HDMI input for your HD box or your panny DVD player?

Merry Christmas :)
Merry Christmas to you and your family as well ... enjoy your Sony :)

I use the HDMI input on my A10 with the Panny DVD player. Some have said that the HDMI output on my STB doesn't work or is unpredictable. Rather than dealing with those potential issues, it just seemed more troublefree to use the HDMI input with the Panny and ensuring the best quality audio and video when playing my DVDs.

In the future though, I will be looking for a receiver with at least 2 HDMI inputs to support the Panny DVD player or STB and the other HDMI input for a future Blu-Ray device (Sony PS3?) or HD-DVD device. Of course, I figure such a receiver will also need at least 3 additional component inputs as well.

Just trying to keep in front of the 8 ball...

Merry Christmas.


[QUOTE=TotalDistinction]I'm pairing the SA-8300HD with my KF-E50A10. I'd like to know if users are using the scaling & video processing for 720p/1080i of this STB or passing the signal on to the E50A10 for scaling & video processing?

If using the STB, are you setting it to upconvert everything to 720p, 1080i, or passthrough to the E50A10?

Just trying to achieve the "best" video quality.

If this is not the right thread for this kind of a question, please direct me to the appropriate forum.

Happy holidays to all.[/QUOTE

Happy holidays all.

Hey TotalDistinction, do you use the HDMI input for your HD box or your panny DVD player?

Merry Christmas to you and your family as well ... enjoy your Sony :)


Ho Ho Ho, enjoy your B & W Quaser TV.

Ho Ho Ho, enjoy your B & W Quaser TV.
A lot you know ... I'm a proud owner of a 20" B & W Zenith (which has a better contrast ratio then your A10) :D

A lot you know ... I'm a proud owner of a 20" B & W Zenith (which has a better contrast ratio then your A10) :D

The best picture from a CRT-TV I ever had was a 19" B&W Zenith. LOL, except when I make a payment on my A10.

Originally Posted by Troub
I just received my 2nd 50 inch A10 over the weekend. The first one I had to send back due to dead pixel issues. Well on this set when watching movies in the 2.335, you know you get the black bars top and bottem.

well the bottem seems fine but on the top side the left side is slighty lower than the right side. Like maybe 1/8 of an inch or so basically when sitting on the couch like 11 ft away its easier to see that it's not a staright line. Is this normal? I would be bummed to send this set in for another one again. Thanks in advance for your advice



Originally Posted by TorturEd
My 50" A10 seems to have the same thing you are talking about it is slightly lower on on left side as well with the black bars on the top. Just like you the bottom is fine. I would also like to know if this is normal.


Can someone please answer this.


Does anyone else have this problem? Is it normal? Just would like to know if it is common or if I have to get it fixed or if it can be.

Thanks and Merry Christmas :D

hey ya'll

I want to know if you guys could list some settings I could try for my 50" A10 while playing xbox 360. I used darkrain's settings for HDTV and they have worked out pretty well. But for the 360 my image looks kinda crappy, It looks pretty dark and grainy. I have seen HDTV videos of the 360 and they look amazing, i'm sure there are some settings I have to play with to get it to look right. any help would be appreciated.

also...

I am a big S.J. Sharks hockey fan and with my new A10 i've watched some HD hockey lately, my issue is that the color(hue) of the ice keeps changing back and forth, i can explain this by saying that to me it seems like the ice changes or brightens up in color as de camera moves across the ice and the contrast of the picture changes. Is there a setting I have to change to keep the color of the ice set in one place and not get this constant back and forth thing that it's doing right now.

Thanks for your help.

J.C.

I'm pairing the SA-8300HD with my KF-E50A10. I'd like to know if users are using the scaling & video processing for 720p/1080i of this STB or passing the signal on to the E50A10 for scaling & video processing?

If using the STB, are you setting it to upconvert everything to 720p, 1080i, or passthrough to the E50A10?

Just trying to achieve the "best" video quality.

If this is not the right thread for this kind of a question, please direct me to the appropriate forum.

Happy holidays to all.

Been working with the SA-8300HD with the A10 for a couple months now.

If I read correctly in a second post, you questioned the HDMI compatibility of the SA-8300HD and the A10....alll I can say is that it's worked fine for me....no problems what-so-ever.

FYI, from some previous posts:

Question: (Originally Posted by philherz)

"I'd like to eliminate that delay with my SA8300HD when I switch
channels, but don't want to sacrifice PQ too much.

What are the pros & cons of setting the box to only 1080i --OR--
turning off the 1080i input???"


Answer: Keep the 8300 set to Fixed (it's in the second Settings menu) and
then choose either 720p or 1080i on the first Settings menu. This will
up/down-convert all signals to whatever format you choose, then it
pumps it out to the TV.

If you have the 8300 on pass-through it simply passes the signal
through to your TV and you get the black-screen delay/flicker when
moving between SD and HD.

As for quality, I prefer a Fixed setting at 720p as it looks much
smoother, and although 1080i is a higher resolution I tend to see the
picture flicker. As always, choose whatever looks best to you.

My wife surpised me with a new 50a10 last night, Awesome. First tweek...

I am on my way today to pick up my 50A10 from Sam's Club, I got a better price than the other places were offering by about 100 dollars and mine includes a stand.

Probably won't have HDTV for a couple days unless Insight Cable will let me pick up the box.

I am so excited, and thanks to everyone who has posted beforehand. My final decision came when I was at my mom's who has a 42" samsung DLP, and the SD just looked horrible. I have another friend who has a Sony, so I have seen the SD on it, and it was much better.

My wife surpised me with a new 50a10 last night, Awesome. First tweek...
Huh?... that's not an A10.

I am on my way today to pick up my 50A10 from Sam's Club, I got a better price than the other places were offering by about 100 dollars and mine includes a stand.

Probably won't have HDTV for a couple days unless Insight Cable will let me pick up the box.

I am so excited, and thanks to everyone who has posted beforehand. My final decision came when I was at my mom's who has a 42" samsung DLP, and the SD just looked horrible. I have another friend who has a Sony, so I have seen the SD on it, and it was much better.


Depending on what you want (if you want DVR etc, ) , my Insight offers just a cable card for $2 a month. This gets you all the free channells in HD (ABC, NBC, Fox, etc... plus music channels).

You can also get their HD Pak (ESPN, Discovery, HDNET, HD Movies etc) for $8/month.

It works awesome and no set top box!

UDFlyer

I am a big S.J. Sharks hockey fan and with my new A10 i've watched some HD hockey lately, my issue is that the color(hue) of the ice keeps changing back and forth, i can explain this by saying that to me it seems like the ice changes or brightens up in color as de camera moves across the ice and the contrast of the picture changes. Is there a setting I have to change to keep the color of the ice set in one place and not get this constant back and forth thing that it's doing right now.

Thanks for your help.

J.C.
Turn the automatic iris off. I think you can set it to 1, 2 or off.

Go Leafs !

Depending on what you want (if you want DVR etc, ) , my Insight offers just a cable card for $2 a month. This gets you all the free channells in HD (ABC, NBC, Fox, etc... plus music channels).

You can also get their HD Pak (ESPN, Discovery, HDNET, HD Movies etc) for $8/month.

It works awesome and no set top box!

UDFlyer


I have two replay TV's but, I thought I might try out the Insight DVR. I know so many people that have had problems with cable cards on tv's so was not sure if I wanted to mess with that.

Right now biggest problem is no one will answer their phones at insight, driving me nuts. I sat on hold for an hour today and then just used their contact form, I got tired of wiating an using my cell min

I've been eye'ing this TV for quite a while and still have yet to talk the wife into letting me replace my crappy (yet very cheap) Advent 32" hdtv. Since no one offers locals in HD, 90% of our viewing will be played back from my DVR522 from DishNetwork.

CC has a $200 IR on it this week, maybe I'll go over there and take a few more looks.

<going back to read the rest of this post>

My wife surpised me with a new 50a10 last night, Awesome. First tweek...


Guess I should have said "Stand" not tweek

for the 360 be sure to set the switch on the Component cables to HD. Also be sure to turn on HD and 720p in the 360 dash


My post was to jcacoasta (below) weird that mine went above his.

thanks GRIDER,

I actually tried turning off the automatic IRIS last night, it seems to help w/ that white color issue I've had in my HDTV hockey games. I'll get to try it for sure tonight when I watch OLN or the sharks broadcast.

also,

I was wondering if anyone could post settings that they use for their A10 and an xbox 360. I just got my 360 yesterday and was actually pretty unimpressed w/ the graphics quality on my 50" tv. It looked pretty dark and grainy. I am using darkrain's settings for hdtv and those work well, but for xbox 360 gaming I think I need something else.

any help would be appreciated.

Hi Everyone,

I recently purchased the 50 inch A10 and have a few questions about how to properly set the TV up. I have a lot of trouble with electronics so please bare with me if my questions are elementary.

First a little background. I live in Philadelphia and subscribe to Comcast cable using the silver HD DVR box. I sit approximately 8 feet from the tv. I use Monster Brand cables. I have a sony DVD player and use the Onkyo 780 Home Theater in a box system.

My first question/problem results in the fact that my coaxial cable cord needs to be connected in order for the HDMI cable to provide a signal. I am pretty sure that this should not be the case, but I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. Any ideas?

Also has anyone noticed that on some of the HD channels there is a white line at the top that sort of looks like snow, but it isnt? It only happens on some of the channels, usually the broadcast HD (ABC, CBS, etc) and sometimes goes away but always seems to come back. I spoke with someone at Comcast who said they are working on the problem and to keep checking back. I don't think the person I talked to really knew what he was talking about so I figured I would throw it out to you guys.

Also what video/sound settings do you use? I have been playing around with the settings both with my tv and the Home Theater system but wanted to get your guy's opinion on it. As I said before unfortunately I don't really know what I am doing and want to get the best picture I can out of my new investment.

thanks GRIDER,

I actually tried turning off the automatic IRIS last night, it seems to help w/ that white color issue I've had in my HDTV hockey games. I'll get to try it for sure tonight when I watch OLN or the sharks broadcast.

also,

I was wondering if anyone could post settings that they use for their A10 and an xbox 360. I just got my 360 yesterday and was actually pretty unimpressed w/ the graphics quality on my 50" tv. It looked pretty dark and grainy. I am using darkrain's settings for hdtv and those work well, but for xbox 360 gaming I think I need something else.

any help would be appreciated.


I use DarkRain's settings for regular HD broadcasts, but for my 360 I have Adv Iris set to Low, Gamma set to Medium, Picture set at Warm 1, Red Push set to 003(b or c - can't remember - whichever is OFF) and then the rest was calibrated using Avia.

If I am watching a DVD I have the regular Iris setting set at 0 or 1, but for Xbox I usually bump it up to around 3, as the darks are a bit much otherwise. I'm pretty pleased with the picture like this, but I'm still tweaking to get it just right.

If you have at least a THX certified DVD you should use the optimizer and see what results you can get on your own. DarkRain's settings are a great starting point, but I think everyone's set will vary as well as personal tastes.

The above reply to my own post was intentionally a little cheeky to illicit some response regarding the A10s contrast ratio. I seemed to work ….


I agree that we must be leery of any performance spec that is stated by a manufacturer but at least most publish the spec. Sony publishes the C/R for their Bravia LCD flat panel series (1000:1 and 1300:1) but not the GrandWEGA series … Why?


I don't know why, but maybe the concept of "the spec is meaningless, don't use it as a basis for comparison" can be expanded on here:

Ironically, from the DLP see it page (http://www.primediahometech.com/dlpseeit/805myths/)

and

This one is about PC monitors but the same issue applies (http://pcworld.about.com/magazine/2106p024id110483.htm)

Does anyone else have this problem? Is it normal? Just would like to know if it is common or if I have to get it fixed or if it can be.

Thanks and Merry Christmas :D

I ended up returning mine and the new one is straight what that is from is geometry is of. try running some test not sure if you have avia but that is what I used and it was not straight so I returned it. now I this new set I have blue patch in the top left corner of the tv. Iam about to give up as this will be by 3rd return to Circuit City. I called Sony and they said to return it the blue patch is not normal they had me reset the tv to factory settings to see if it would go away and it did not.

Well, I noticed a stuck pixel today. One stuck blue along the bottom close to the sony sign. No other problems have truned up "yet". Should I return or consider myself lucky? Well within my 30 days....

Well, I noticed a stuck pixel today. One stuck blue along the bottom close to the sony sign. No other problems have truned up "yet". Should I return or consider myself lucky? Well within my 30 days....

It's normal for LCDs. Unless you plan on sitting closer than 5 feet from the TV it won't be an issue.

hey UD flyer-- im guessing your from dayton area-- i was able to get my 50a10 for 1999.00 from Rex by Dayton Mall-- my best price after shopping around the area.

dvd help-- should i be getting better resolution than 480i with my dvd? my digital cable box registers 1080i. thanks peter

dvd help-- should i be getting better resolution than 480i with my dvd? my digital cable box registers 1080i. thanks peter

It depends on your player and settings. If you have a progressive scan player and are using component cables, you could change the output to 480p. If you have an upconverting player and are using HDMI (some may still allow to use component) you could set it for 720p/1080i. Depending on the quality of your player, you may be better off just keeping it at 480i and let the Sony do the conversion work (you can tweek with the DRC, if desired).