Meh i had it Lol I like my new Plasma for it's size 42 inch but the black's arent there! ahhhhh! and it doesnt give me a 3d image like my old 970.My wife thinks im crazy she says she doesnt see the diference,meh im going back to my 970 :D

which plasma did you have ?

I have a Panasonic plasma viera 1024x768 it looks good but i just cant seem to watch tv on it or blu rays,im used to the 3d image and deeper blacks the 970 gives me.34 inch is small compared to 42,but the pq the 970 has beats it.Who said Plasma do not have motion blur?
How come i see blurness when i browse the internet? To me it's a big turn off.Crt is the best! :D

Every tv has some kind of blurring. Although CRT is the most natural since it occurs with bright lights/colours on a darker background, which happens in real life if you swing a flashlight or something in the dark.

I wouldn't think of going back to those convergence problems of CRT from my 50" plasma. Granted the blacks aren't quite as good but I can just settle in and watch TV now without those convergence problems driving me crazy. Half the time I watched the Sony that's all I could see. Add the geometry problems on to that and you can have the CRTs.

I wouldn't think of going back to those convergence problems of CRT from my 50" plasma. Granted the blacks aren't quite as good but I can just settle in and watch TV now without those convergence problems driving me crazy. Half the time I watched the Sony that's all I could see. Add the geometry problems on to that and you can have the CRTs.


I know what you mean about the geometry/convergence problems. It's the left side( when viewing from my point of view) of this set man! i don't know what the problem is, but thats where all my problems are. I hate when watching football and on top is the score ticker and i notice it slant down towards the top left. i always notice that, along with the red convergence errors on the bottom left. Thats the only two problems i can't fix on this set, and it annoys me that i can't.

I finally fixed my scroll problem with news tickers on the bottom panning across. Once it got to a certain point of the screen it would look all wobbly/distorted. I went and checked my linearity and made sure all my line were same distance apart by measuring them. They all were! but i still had distortion. I figured best thing would be to fix it by eye, so i put on CNN and raised SLIN in the service menu and got it fixed :) if any of you guys is also having that problem you should do the same .

Anything new going on?

Anything new going on?


Still loving my XBR970.

Still loving my XBR970.

Same here, warts and all I still love it 95% of the time. I believe that even now, a year and a half after purchase, I can't get a 32"+ TV with better PQ for $500.

Any of you have a Blu-Ray player? Just curious as to how good Blu-Ray would look on this TV.

Wondering if I need to get a Blu-Ray player that specifically offers 1080i output, or would any player work via HDMI?

thanks

Any of you have a Blu-Ray player? Just curious as to how good Blu-Ray would look on this TV.

No BR player here, I have streamed HD movies via Xbox360 marketplace and they look stunning.

Wondering if I need to get a Blu-Ray player that specifically offers 1080i output, or would any player work via HDMI?

thanks

I think any player would work via HDMI. I have a 1080p upconvert DVD player and it downgrades to 1080i for this TV.

I have a PS3 and can confirm that Blu-Ray looks stunning on the 970. Flat panels are getting close, but they still dont provide the richness of detail that I get with my 970 (mostly due to black level). Let me know when theres a flat panel that can compare in PQ with my 970 that costs less than 1000 bucks and I'll be interested. Until then, I'll whole heartedly defend my 200lb baby.

along with the red convergence errors on the bottom left.

That red on the bottom left can't be fixed and was what used to drive me nuts. I went through 3 of these TVs, they all had that problem. I tried playing around with the yoke after the service guy left my TV messed up, the only way to get rid of the red problem is to throw everything else way off.

I've got a Toshiba A30 HD-DVD player connected to mine. To me, it looks better if I output 720p rather than 1081i when viewing HD-DVD's. It is noticeably sharper at 720p.

Iron-Man on regular DVD looked pretty good as well. I won't be buying Blu-ray until the price of the content comes down.

I'm having a problem with my Sony Trinitron 970. Where you can change the "screen mode" from wide zoom, vert.expand, ext. On normal analog channels it lets me change it to normal and wide zoom but on the standard definiton channles it disallowes me from picking either. The reason why I care about this is because when the screen has the black bars on the side or whatever that isnt in hd and even some hd channels, well they stretch out a little more then they should and it would be nice to change it to normal to hopefully fix the problem. Also one more thing, it won't let me use 'vertical center" or "vertical size" eveerrr. How can I make it available?

I'm having a problem with my Sony Trinitron 970. Where you can change the "screen mode" from wide zoom, vert.expand, ext. On normal analog channels it lets me change it to normal and wide zoom but on the standard definiton channles it disallowes me from picking either. The reason why I care about this is because when the screen has the black bars on the side or whatever that isnt in hd and even some hd channels, well they stretch out a little more then they should and it would be nice to change it to normal to hopefully fix the problem. Also one more thing, it won't let me use 'vertical center" or "vertical size" eveerrr. How can I make it available?

What about pressing the "Screen" button on the remote?

If you feel the aspect ratio is disproportionately stretched, you may have to go into the service menu and do some geometrical adjustments. It's not the easiest thing to do right, though.

It's been awhile since I had this TV. I think you need to take the screen setting off auto in the menus.

Hey Everyone! This is my first post on the website. Although, I have viewed many of your posts and been humbled by your knowledge. My question is, I have a friend who owns this TV and recently has been experiencing the display becoming blurry and automatically zooming in. As this begins to happen, if he stomps on the floor the picture will "bounce" almost like a loose connection. The only way to get resolve the issue is to turn the TV off for at least five minutes. The only problem is that you only get a period performance equal to the turn off time. I.E. If it's off for five minutes, it will work for five minutes when you turn it back on. We've verified the problem is with the TV, not the cable. Any suggestions on what the problem could be? Anyone else experience this?

Are you using a cable box that's upconverting all of your channels to 1080i ? Most Comcast Motorolla boxes do this. You can't use "Wide Zoom" in this mode. I don't know why the other modes wouldn't be selectable though, any ideas?

Well if he has to stomp on the floor and that fixes the problem, then my guess is something is definitely loose inside the set. Maybe the yoke? I'm not really good with the insides of TV sets though, so maybe someone else would know better.

I also went back ( yet again) and tweaked with the mid2 settings cause for soem reason some of my new Hd channels i got were cut off pretty bad, even with overscan at 5%. All my other channels were fine. Mostly with like national geographic HD and discovery.

what i do though is keep 1080i at the defaults so if i ever want to go back i just set the box to 1080i. I tweak the 720p settings for gaming and now TV, since i really don't think it matters as it's all scaled to 1080i anyways, and i don't notice any difference with the scaling.

I also went back to and set my contrast to 30 since getting a new backlight.

That red on the bottom left can't be fixed and was what used to drive me nuts. I went through 3 of these TVs, they all had that problem. I tried playing around with the yoke after the service guy left my TV messed up, the only way to get rid of the red problem is to throw everything else way off.


You know what i wanted to try? moving the set to face a different direction to see how that affects these convergence errors. I wonder if placement cause of the earths magnetic pull affects which direction the set is facing. Then again i don't want to try it for fear of the set falling, plus i have my speakers set a certain distance, measured from my walls and from the set itsel,f and thats always a pain to set that back up.

You know what i wanted to try? moving the set to face a different direction to see how that affects these convergence errors. I wonder if placement cause of the earths magnetic pull affects which direction the set is facing. Then again i don't want to try it for fear of the set falling, plus i have my speakers set a certain distance, measured from my walls and from the set itsel,f and thats always a pain to set that back up.

I had the set facing north/south and east/west both, I didn't see any difference either way. There's no such thing as a CRT with perfect convergence, that's just the sacrifice that has to be made if you want a CRT. It took me 3 TVs to even get one watchable. The first TV had the left side curve in over an inch and the right side fine, the second had green lines at the edge of blacks so bad it was worse than the geometry problem of the first, the third still had the green lines but not near as bad as the second. The TV did have great PQ but it just wasn't worth all the CRT drawbacks. I was constantly in the SM, something I've never done on either of my plasmas, no need to.

I'm having a problem with the HDMI input on my 970. I just got Verizon FIOS and everything worked perfectly for a couple of weeks. Now, I get a couple of seconds of video via HDMI from the Verizon box, and then the video goes away, but I still have audio.
All the other inputs on the 970 are working fine.
I know it's the 970, because, temporarily, I have a 960 and another Verizon box set up right next to the 970, and switching the HDMI cable from one box to the other and one set to the other narrows it down to the HDMI input on the 970 as being the problem.
Anyone ever see anything like this??
thanks for any leads....

Anything new going on with our Sony TV's?

Anything new going on with our Sony TV's?

You're reminding me of Leslie Nielsen in Airplane.

Every ten minutes: "I just want to tell you both good luck, we're all counting on you."

:p

Well it's not like they're are any other internet threads out there on this TV.

What kind of setup do you guys have with your TV? Playstation 3? Blu-Ray/DVD? XBox 360? Wii? Surround Sound System?

OK I guess none of you have anything connected to it. :P

i have an oppo 970. it works real nice. i've had my tv two years now. still going strong and loving it as much as ever. watching the vikings/bears right now :)

i'm waiting to see what the new oppo blu-ray player looks like. i can see myself getting one of those in the next year.

What kind of setup do you guys have with your TV? Playstation 3? Blu-Ray/DVD? XBox 360? Wii? Surround Sound System?

Ok, I am a proud owner of an XBR970 from someone who upgraded to a Kuro.

I will be getting a Samsung BD-P2500 next week, and will be doing some viewing comparisons with streaming media (non-HD and hopefully HD) via laptop and the standalone player(Netflix stream capable).

I do have some questions about the XBR970, if anyone can help out. Well, there are a 100 pages of this threaded discussion to read, but I am hopeful someone will help while I try and read some of the 100's of pages.

Questions:
1) What is the max resolution output via component video by this HDTV?

2) Is there a thread that describes typical picture settings for this HDTV?

3) Is there a step-by-step guide to do a self calibration via the service port?

4) Can someone help send me a Service Manual for this? The reference link in Page 68(?) or close to it is a a dead link. I tried to click it and it doesn't get me to the Service Manuals.

5) Are there any reference/useful weblinks or AVS thread links that I should keep handy? 100pages is way too much to sift through for some "sticky" pages that I need to keep close.

6) I know someone posted a link to an extended warranty website, but in my case, since I am a second owner, can I still get an extended warranty from somewhere?

Many thanks!

Well to answer question #1, I believe this TV goes up to 1080i with component.


Ok, I am a proud owner of an XBR970 from someone who upgraded to a Kuro.

I will be getting a Samsung BD-P2500 next week, and will be doing some viewing comparisons with streaming media (non-HD and hopefully HD) via laptop and the standalone player(Netflix stream capable).

I do have some questions about the XBR970, if anyone can help out. Well, there are a 100 pages of this threaded discussion to read, but I am hopeful someone will help while I try and read some of the 100's of pages.

Questions:
1) What is the max resolution output via component video by this HDTV?

2) Is there a thread that describes typical picture settings for this HDTV?

3) Is there a step-by-step guide to do a self calibration via the service port?

4) Can someone help send me a Service Manual for this? The reference link in Page 68(?) or close to it is a a dead link. I tried to click it and it doesn't get me to the Service Manuals.

5) Are there any reference/useful weblinks or AVS thread links that I should keep handy? 100pages is way too much to sift through for some "sticky" pages that I need to keep close.

6) I know someone posted a link to an extended warranty website, but in my case, since I am a second owner, can I still get an extended warranty from somewhere?

Many thanks!

Thanks ck100. If 1080i is available via component video, it would now depend if I have a DVD player that can output 1080i on component video correct? Is it true that not many DVD players have this as a feature since HDMI is now widely the standard?

OK I guess none of you have anything connected to it. :P
hahaha! :D

I've had mine for over a year now, and I still love it! Would like a bigger screen, but like others, not willing to give up on this magnifico PQ!!! Right now I have a Sony 350 Blu-Ray, Motorola HD DVR cable box, Onkyo 701 6 disc dvd changer for video stuff, all looks great... Audio stuff is a Onkyo 701 receiver, Parasound HCA 1200 power amp, PSB center & Towers, DCM surrounds & 12" Sub, and Advent Tower rear surrounds.


And I think Blu-Ray looks really good on this beast. Watched the 6 minute Dark Knight footage from the Begins Blu-ray disc, and was impressed! I also clap at spinning tires too...so. ;)

I do have some questions about the XBR970
This is the link to the most exhausting list and explanation of adjustments of the Sony service mode for the 960 and 970 on this forum. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=531494) There really is no step by step procedure in calibrating this TV. There are however adjustments that should be made before others. Some picture adjustments are global to where they effect every input and every resolution, and some adjustments that effect only one input type, and others that effect one resolution of one input type and screen mode. You have to treat the service mode with kid gloves because you can jack up your TV pretty badly if you don't. My advice is to write down the value of any setting you are about to change as a reference before you change it. One saving grace that you'll have is that none of the changes that you make will stick unless you save them. If you think you accidentally bumped something while sifting through the adjustments, turn the TV off and back on and the TV will be back as it was.

I wouldn't waste my time with an extended warranty. The 970 is just about worthless and no service department has enough knowledge to work on tube TVs anymore. Technicians hate them and the customers that have them. Trust me, I know. I had my TV serviced a few times BEFORE all tube TVs were out of production from authorized techs and none of them knew even half the adjustments I knew about. I gave up and learned how to adjust everything myself. I only paid 600 bucks for mine about a 1&1/2 years ago. If this thing dies out of warranty, bye bye Sony.

The max resolution is 1080i through component or HDMI. All DVD players require the use of the HDMI input for upconversion to 1080i. However game systems can use component to display up to 1080i.

I've been fortunate to find a copy of the service manual for this TV. Here is the link for it. It's a PDF file so be sure you have a program like Adobe Acrobat so you can read it.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PI5YQPUI

I've had my XBR970 for about 18 months, and since I'm running out of inputs, I decided to get a HDMI cable for my HD cable box (Motorola DCH3200).

After I hooked everything up, and turned everything on, I got about 2-3 seconds of picture via the HDMI cable, and then a message with a pink background overlaid itself over the picture.

I didn't get a chance to write down the message, and I can't get it to come up anymore, but it said something about some sort of HDMI test had failed and that I should use my component cable. (The message specifically mentioned the Y, Pb, Pr inputs.)

I called Cox and asked about this message, and they had never heard of it. So I'm thinking the message came from the TV.

Anybody know what this message is and how to fix it?

I went through the cable box diagnostics with Cox, and now I can't get ANY picture via the HDMI (not even 2-3 seconds as before). They are willing to swap the box out, but at this point it could be:
-the cable box (which works fine on the component connection)
-the HDMI cable
-the XBR970

Unfortunately, I don't have any other HDMI devices around to help me troubleshoot whether it's the cable box, HDMI cable or TV.

Has anyone seen the message I described above? Any suggestions?

(I'm planning on bringing the cable to work to see if someone can test it out on their HDMI TV.)

@ Mr Audio: Thanks for your guidance and the info for a new owner of the 970. I am just starting to learn more about this set.

The Sony codes link is excellent! It's bookmarked on my browser now.

I've had my XBR970 for about 18 months, and since I'm running out of inputs, I decided to get a HDMI cable for my HD cable box (Motorola DCH3200).

After I hooked everything up, and turned everything on, I got about 2-3 seconds of picture via the HDMI cable, and then a message with a pink background overlaid itself over the picture.

I didn't get a chance to write down the message, and I can't get it to come up anymore, but it said something about some sort of HDMI test had failed and that I should use my component cable. (The message specifically mentioned the Y, Pb, Pr inputs.)

I called Cox and asked about this message, and they had never heard of it. So I'm thinking the message came from the TV.

Anybody know what this message is and how to fix it?

I went through the cable box diagnostics with Cox, and now I can't get ANY picture via the HDMI (not even 2-3 seconds as before). They are willing to swap the box out, but at this point it could be:
-the cable box (which works fine on the component connection)
-the HDMI cable
-the XBR970

Unfortunately, I don't have any other HDMI devices around to help me troubleshoot whether it's the cable box, HDMI cable or TV.

Has anyone seen the message I described above? Any suggestions?

(I'm planning on bringing the cable to work to see if someone can test it out on their HDMI TV.)

It sounds like an HDCP problem. Basically, the cable box and the tv have to handshake and agree on the DRM keys required for HDMI. If they don't agree then DRM protected content can't be transferred via HDMI and you get a black screen or an error message. I would guess a cable box problem since everyone I know can use HDMI with their KD-34x. There is no handshake required to transfer DRM protected content via component.

You can test in a couple of different ways. Here is how Rogers cable tells you to do it:

To determine if you have a cable problem or an HDCP handshake problem:

1. With power on standby for the SA8300HD [cable box], connect the HDMI cable and select the HDMI input at your TV

2. Power on the SA8300HD.

* If you have Video images your problem was caused by having the SA8300HD ON before the TV thus prohibiting a proper HDCP handshake. [In other words, turn the cable box off before making the HDMI connection and always turn the tv on first.]

* If you have no Video image, press Guide to see if your IPG comes across. If so, your HDMI cable is good but the HDCP is not completing the required handshake.

* If you have no image and cannot access any data from the SA8300HD, that is Guide, Settings, Diagnostic pages, then your cable is the problem. You need to change the HDMI cable or you must insert the HDMI connectors fully in the output/input ports.

HDCP: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDCP

DRM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management

HDMI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hdmi

i have an oppo 970. it works real nice. i've had my tv two years now. still going strong and loving it as much as ever. watching the vikings/bears right now :)

i'm waiting to see what the new oppo blu-ray player looks like. i can see myself getting one of those in the next year.

I also have a oppo 970 attached to my set via HDMI.

My latest set up=

xbox360 ( component inout)

scientific atlanta 4200 HD cable box ( i hate theses boxes with a passion,UGLIEST menus i have ever seen. but it's the only ones my cable company leases, they used to use sony set top boxes , but sony stopped repairing them and wanted a ton more money ( or something like that the cable guy explained to me) than Scientific atlanta.

also have a pioneer 5.1 receiver, and boston acoustic speakers with a SVS pb-10 sub, but thats not hooked up to my TV at all. I run the digital audio out from my cable box and xbox360 to the receiver

It sounds like an HDCP problem. Basically, the cable box and the tv have to handshake and agree on the DRM keys required for HDMI. If they don't agree then DRM protected content can't be transferred via HDMI and you get a black screen or an error message. I would guess a cable box problem since everyone I know can use HDMI with their KD-34x. There is no handshake required to transfer DRM protected content via component.
<snip>


Bob,

Thanks for the info. It's amazing what you find out when you actually try and implement a new technology. I had (erroneously) thought that HDMI was simply a way to get higher resolution and better audio all in one convenient cable (instead of 5 - a la component). I had no idea there was all this HDCP/DRM protection in there.

Good to know that the problem is (probably) not with the TV.

I still don't know what the problem is, but I hope to test the cable and cable box today.

Thanks again.

Something i been meaning to ask and wondering if anyone can help me. My HD cable box has 3 options to set the scan output. This is what it says in info on my cable box under picture format;

"This feature allows you to select how your Exoplorer settop displays HDTV content

Pass through and auto DVI- The incoming scanrate is outputted

Upconvert1 and Upconvert 2- upconverts the incoming scanrate to a supported scanrate on your televsion.

Now a while back the cable people told me to leave it on Pass-through. Thats what i want to keep it on, right? Is that the setting that uses the XBR970s TV built in scaler? Or would upconvert be the better option? whats weird is when i set the box to upconvert 2 it switchs to 720p on HD channels that are normally broadcast in 1080i.

Something i been meaning to ask and wondering if anyone can help me. My HD cable box has 3 options to set the scan output. This is what it says in info on my cable box under picture format;

"This feature allows you to select how your Exoplorer settop displays HDTV content

Pass through and auto DVI- The incoming scanrate is outputted

Upconvert1 and Upconvert 2- upconverts the incoming scanrate to a supported scanrate on your televsion.

Now a while back the cable people told me to leave it on Pass-through. Thats what i want to keep it on, right? Is that the setting that uses the XBR970s TV built in scaler? Or would upconvert be the better option? whats weird is when i set the box to upconvert 2 it switchs to 720p on HD channels that are normally broadcast in 1080i.

Pass through means the cable box passes the native resolution straight through to the tv, then the tv handles everything. Upconverting fixes a specific resolution at the cable box level and the tv simply accepts it.

My preference is to let the tv handle all resolutions. That's because various channels use different resolutions. For example, Fox and ESPN are always 720p while NBC/ABC is typically 1080i. If you upconvert they would all be locked at one resolution or the other.

Thanks for the explanation Bob.

One a side note what do you guys have your picture/brightness setting at ?

I have mode memory on, so i can set each input and calibrate them. Put with HD cable box it's pretty impossible to get contrast/brightness right, sinc ei have no way to calibrate my HD box.

Across the board though highest i have my Picture setting is 37, and even that seems bright for me, well compared to when i had it at 30. I just raised it a bit cause my picture was kind of dull looking, and raising that and lowering the brightness a bit really brought out the depth more. So for HD cable viewing through component inputs i have Picture=37, brightness=52.

I still don't know what the problem is, but I hope to test the cable and cable box today.



Surprisingly, the problem turned out to be the cable box (Motorola DCH3200). Swapped in a new box and the HDMI input fired right up.

I was betting on the cable, and hoping it wasn't the TV.

I just use a DVD with the THX Optimizer on it to calibrate my picture.

Thanks for the explanation Bob.

One a side note what do you guys have your picture/brightness setting at ?

I have mode memory on, so i can set each input and calibrate them. Put with HD cable box it's pretty impossible to get contrast/brightness right, sinc ei have no way to calibrate my HD box.

Across the board though highest i have my Picture setting is 37, and even that seems bright for me, well compared to when i had it at 30. I just raised it a bit cause my picture was kind of dull looking, and raising that and lowering the brightness a bit really brought out the depth more. So for HD cable viewing through component inputs i have Picture=37, brightness=52.

Any of you get any HD channels on this TV despite having no cable box attached to it?

For some reason, I can actually pick up HD stations on my TV without a cable box attached to it.

I mean I do have a cable TV cable attached, but no HD box. I think this is because of the built-in HD tuner.

Anyway, the HD channels do look nice.

Any of you get any HD channels on this TV despite having no cable box attached to it?

For some reason, I can actually pick up HD stations on my TV without a cable box attached to it.

I mean I do have a cable TV cable attached, but no HD box. I think this is because of the built-in HD tuner.

Anyway, the HD channels do look nice.

Yep, same here. Works great. There is web you can check out for more digital channels (includes HD as well, I think) by area, but I haven't looked in a while so I am not sure if the data is up-to-date.

http://www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun/channels

:)

Any of you get any HD channels on this TV despite having no cable box attached to it?

For some reason, I can actually pick up HD stations on my TV without a cable box attached to it.

I mean I do have a cable TV cable attached, but no HD box. I think this is because of the built-in HD tuner.

Anyway, the HD channels do look nice.

ck100,

The KD-34XBR970 is a HDTV. With it you can receive HD signals from OTA for free, w/ a simple antenna (http://hthut.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!2243ABF263B6C3B5!209.entry) like the one I built. No cable box is needed :D.

hyghwayman

Any of you get any HD channels on this TV despite having no cable box attached to it?

For some reason, I can actually pick up HD stations on my TV without a cable box attached to it.

I mean I do have a cable TV cable attached, but no HD box. I think this is because of the built-in HD tuner.

Anyway, the HD channels do look nice.

ck100,

The KD-34XBR970 is a HDTV. With it you can receive HD signals from OTA for free, ..... No cable box is needed :D.

hyghwaymanck100 is evidently receiving unencrypted, aka clear QAM, HD channels provided by his cableco. He is receiving these with the QAM tuner built into his tv.

OTA HD/Digital channels are received with an ATSC tuner.

ck100 is evidently receiving unencrypted, aka clear QAM, HD channels provided by his cableco. He is receiving these with the QAM tuner built into his tv.

OTA HD/Digital channels are received with an ATSC tuner.

It seems the response is quite esoteric. As far as I can tell, the XBR970 have both a digital tuner and the analog. The user manual states this clearly, however, is there a difference in the HD content presented i.e. HD content on clear QAM vs ATSC?

It seems the response is quite esoteric. As far as I can tell, the XBR970 have both a digital tuner and the analog. The user manual states this clearly, however, is there a difference in the HD content presented i.e. HD content on clear QAM vs ATSC?


The Qam tuner can resolve cable signals which tend to be more compressed than the free OTA signals via ATSC tuner, from what I've read. Less compression = better PQ? I have no cable so I have no idea.

What kind of setup do you guys have with your TV? Playstation 3? Blu-Ray/DVD? XBox 360? Wii? Surround Sound System?


My hook ups are ;
OTA antenna to Awesome TV via Coaxial
Xbox 360 to TV via HDMI
Xbox 360 (audio) to A/V via digital optical
7.1 SS A/V receiver to TV via component
TV (audio) to A/V receiver via Digital coax 5.1 SS from OTA(CSI, Letterman, Heros)
:):):):):):):D:D:D:D:D:):):):):):)

You guys plan on getting anything for this TV for Christmas?

You guys plan on getting anything for this TV for Christmas?

Blu-ray! ;) Got a Samsung BD-P2500 and also watching lots of Netflix streaming (both SD and HD).

1080i is acceptable for a TV screen this size. Some flicker is noticeable, but no biggie.

I was channel flipping and came across an HD setup chart on HDNet. There was a test pattern that had vertical and horizontal lines. On the vertical black lines, there is a yellow or green shadow (I am color blind so I do not know if it is yellow or green). I have downloaded the service manual but do not know where to start.

First, is this yellow shadow a problem? The only place I really notice it is in the test pattern--maybe once in a while in an actual program. Otherwise the set looks great.

If this is a problem, what's causing it and how is it fixed?

Thanks very much.

I was channel flipping and came across an HD setup chart on HDNet. There was a test pattern that had vertical and horizontal lines. On the vertical black lines, there is a yellow or green shadow (I am color blind so I do not know if it is yellow or green). I have downloaded the service manual but do not know where to start.

First, is this yellow shadow a problem? The only place I really notice it is in the test pattern--maybe once in a while in an actual program. Otherwise the set looks great.

If this is a problem, what's causing it and how is it fixed?

Thanks very much.

Probably a red or blue convergence issue, it could be very difficult to fix if you're not familiar with CRT adjustments. If it doesn't bother you while watching TV I wouldn't mess with it.

Thanks for the advice. Leave it alone is a good option.

Here is another question. I have comcast cable. I have set the tv remote to operate the cable box. Most of the cable box functions work from the remote, but not all. Particularly, accessing the cable box program guide. Pressing the guide button on the remote only activates the TV's guide, not the cable box.

Is there a way to program the tv remote to operate the cable box guide? I have tried all the Scientific Atlantic remote set up codes that came with the tv instruction manual.

Thanks.

You guys plan on getting anything for this TV for Christmas?


I got Fable 2 for my B-day and it looks stunning on the 970', the sound however is unreal:D I mean the developers of the game did a marvelous job with the sound/surround effects:cool:.

All the best,
hyghwayman

I just have a quick question for anyone. Whenever a scene takes place at night or is fairly dark and someone or something moves quickly there is like a white flashing that trails whatever is moving and its pretty distracting. are my picture settings off or what? does anyone know how to make this go away or reduce it to some degree? anyone help would be appreciated greatly. thanks

CRT TV sets all do this. If you have a CRT computer monitor, move your (white arrow) mouse cursor over a black background, it will trail also. If your contrast is high, the trail will be worse.

It shouldn't be a "flash" per se, but an image that fades. It's called CRT "ghosting," and to a degree is normal. Lowering the contrast helps, as mentioned. If you just bought the set, make sure the picture settings aren't on "vivid", most people prefer "standard" or "monitor".

Hey, I only just starting searching for ways of calibrating my xbr970 today even though I've had it for a few years now. Anyways, I've been reading about ways to fix certain problems using the service menu and have a few questions.

1) I know it's important to write down the default settings so you can undo any changes you make but is it possible to change something so badly that you can't fix it, i.e. you changed an aspect of the picture and now can't see anything on the screen?

2) I realize this has probably already been answered many times but this thread is so long and I'm a complete noob to this, but can anyone tell me an exact setting to fix the overscan?

3) Again, I'm sure this has already been answered as well but I have noticed bowing around the edges of my screen and am looking for specific setting adjustment to straighten those out.

4) I have noticed a small greenish blob on the right side of my screen which has been there since I got the set. I've read some posts on this and it seems like this might be unfixable but just wanted a conformation on that or advice on ways to fix it.

Thanks for any help you guys can provide!

the 970 doesn't indicate Super Fine Pitch tube on it anywhere, if it was a replacement (which I highly doubt) that would be a huge downgrade.

XBR960's were in still production at the time, but Sony thought they didn't sell as well as they thought because of the outrageous, yet worth every pixel price. By cutting down things we don't normally use, it became cheaper. But by removing the super fine pitch tube from an XBR is just like removing Wega design from a trinitron. bad mistake. If it had the same tube, it would have sold like crazzzzy!

I was channel flipping and came across an HD setup chart on HDNet. There was a test pattern that had vertical and horizontal lines. On the vertical black lines, there is a yellow or green shadow (I am color blind so I do not know if it is yellow or green). I have downloaded the service manual but do not know where to start.

First, is this yellow shadow a problem? The only place I really notice it is in the test pattern--maybe once in a while in an actual program. Otherwise the set looks great.

If this is a problem, what's causing it and how is it fixed?

Thanks very much.
F.Y.I. You will find that this is not a convergence issue. I had the same problem with my 970. Very noticeable on internal test patterns and black and white material. I had a great technician that made 3 trips to my home to troubleshoot this problem. After much trial and error he replaced part #'s A1087818A PCB B and A1.72 630A PCB M. Problem gone!
Hope this helps

hi. im just wondering if people are getting the local hd channels on there set ie, 2.1, 7.1 and 9.1, i get the higher # hd movie channels, but not the local stuff i think this set has a qam tuner. im picking the channels on another tv a sharp http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8849268&type=product&id=1209165527449, so i know that the broadcast is there, im trying to re-program or search the channels now( anyone know how) will that work, thanks for any help

NICE just reprogramed the channels and bam soome HD playoff action

Hey, I only just starting searching for ways of calibrating my xbr970 today even though I've had it for a few years now. Anyways, I've been reading about ways to fix certain problems using the service menu and have a few questions.

1) I know it's important to write down the default settings so you can undo any changes you make but is it possible to change something so badly that you can't fix it, i.e. you changed an aspect of the picture and now can't see anything on the screen?

2) I realize this has probably already been answered many times but this thread is so long and I'm a complete noob to this, but can anyone tell me an exact setting to fix the overscan?

3) Again, I'm sure this has already been answered as well but I have noticed bowing around the edges of my screen and am looking for specific setting adjustment to straighten those out.

4) I have noticed a small greenish blob on the right side of my screen which has been there since I got the set. I've read some posts on this and it seems like this might be unfixable but just wanted a conformation on that or advice on ways to fix it.

Thanks for any help you guys can provide!
You wanna be very careful with doing too much service menu adjusting. There are better folks than I (claypigeon) at that kind of stuff. I was ecstatic when I corrected the color decoder thru the service menu and wish I had just stopped there instead of trying to fix the geometry problems. I ended up driving myself crazy.

That green blob may be from a magnetic effect on the tv from a nearby speaker...at least that's what they said about the green blob on my first XBR970. Oddly enough, the replacement didn't have that problem.

I wish you luck on correcting the issues though...just be careful.

Anything new going on?

Anything new going on?

We're fine, doctor. Please just tend to the passengers.

I had the pleasure of playing with a friend's 970 last week... wow! The HD image is impressive and it still has that good SD image too. I'm still using my early 1990s 27" CRTs because I just don't watch enough HD material yet, and I have a ton of concerts, plays, home videos, and other SD material on SVHS and Hi8 tapes that look great on my 27" CRTs but look like crapola on even the newest LCD TVs with fancy intergrated scalers. After playing with the 970 I really wish I had picked one up when they were still available new. Anyone know where they can still be found for purchase, or perhaps can recommend another new TV that does a good job with modern HD yet still scale SD (pillarboxed of course) in a way that's not quite so ugly? I wish these modern LCDs had a "CRT look" mode for SD material.

Best bet is Craigslist. I've seen 970's a few times, and even, rarely, 960 and XS955 which are even better! Also Ebay, although shipping is costly or not offered.

Yeah Craigslist is great for finding these TVs cheap. Try looking at the Craigslist for the closest metro area too -- you can usually find a lot more of these in bigger cities.

I really like the 970 -- even more then my 910 with the SFP tube that I bought used recently. The 970 has a much brighter picture out of the box then the 910 and is a lot easier to see in a brightly lit room. At any more then 3-4 feet of viewing distance, the resolution difference is negligible.

I am hooking up my 970 with components from my cablebox and a DVD player. When switching between the inputs (cablebox and DVD), the cable input (attena input) is always sanwiched in there. Can I just skip the cable input by settings in the remote ?

I am hooking up my 970 with components from my cablebox and a DVD player. When switching between the inputs (cablebox and DVD), the cable input (attena input) is always sanwiched in there. Can I just skip the cable input by settings in the remote ?

you can go into menu settings and remove the ones you are not using

I am trying to enter the service menu of my KD-34XBR970 in order to correct some major overscan / geometry issues. The code posted elsewhere in this forum is POWER OFF, DISPLAY, 5, VOLUME UP, POWER ON. I have tried the code about 400 times, and I am not going to the service menu. I am getting a red light indicator on the remote as I push each of the buttons, so I know there is adequate battery power in the remote. Is there something I am missing, or is there another sequence I can try? I purchased my set in November 2006 at Circuit City.

Display 5 Vol+ Power is right. Makes sure you start the sequence with the set off already. Also, the button presses should be deliberate, brief pause between, not quick.

I have a question about the service mode on these sets. When trying to adjust the geometry the other day, after setting the VPOS to where I wanted it and then pressing the mute enter to save it, it automatically switched to 1080i (from 720p) and threw a test pattern up. I was in 2170-D by the way.

I got it fixed thanks to another thread here, and now the tv is back to the way it was before I started fiddling, but my question is, is that normal? Does the set auto switch to a test pattern when trying to fix geometry, and should I just ignore it and keep going (now that I know how to get it off the test pattern)? Because I actually had the geometry looking pretty good before I attempted to save the settings.

I've a question on these CRT's as a KV34XBR910 owner (still really happy with this set) I'm wondering if anyone knows of a comparison for "Moving picture resolution" as quoted for flat panel devices.
Just interested to know how our sets stack up, probably pretty good I'm guessing?

When I went shopping for a flat-panel TV a couple of years ago, I settled on a CRT because it blew away the picture quality on the plasma and LCD sets. On those, I noticed a blocky pixelation around the edges of objects (especially high-contrast objects), and I asked the sales person about it. He told me he'd never noticed it before, but he could see it, now that I had pointed it out. I asked him why LCD's and plasmas had the problem, but the CRT didn't. He couldn't tell me.

I'm sure there is a name for this phenomenon, but I just call it "ghosting."

Anyway, my CRT NEVER EVER has the problem. If it did, it would drive me nuts. I do graphic design, and the effect is very similar to what happens when someone tries to edit an indexed image file (GIF) without converting it to RGB or something first. In other words, it looks like crap. ;)

They have one of these on ebay for just over $100...is this an incredible deal?

They have one of these on ebay for just over $100...is this an incredible deal?

If it works right, yeah. But is it local?

If it works right, yeah. But is it local?

Sometimes they are, sometimes they aren't.

I am trying to enter the service menu of my KD-34XBR970 in order to correct some major overscan / geometry issues. The code posted elsewhere in this forum is POWER OFF, DISPLAY, 5, VOLUME UP, POWER ON. I have tried the code about 400 times, and I am not going to the service menu. I am getting a red light indicator on the remote as I push each of the buttons, so I know there is adequate battery power in the remote. Is there something I am missing, or is there another sequence I can try? I purchased my set in November 2006 at Circuit City.

It's "SYSTEM OFF" button, not POWER OFF.

Always start with the TV in OFF.

"SYSTEM OFF" button, DISPLAY button, 5 button, VOLUME UP button, POWER ON button.

Anyone have one of these hooked up to a computer? I was thinking about getting a DVI to HDMI cable so I could bypass the Xbox and watch content on the set directly from the computer.

I'm running a PowerMac G5 with a video card powerful enough to power a 30" computer monitor, so I'm thinking if I just set the resolution to 1920x1200 I should be fine, right?

Anyone have one of these hooked up to a computer? I was thinking about getting a DVI to HDMI cable so I could bypass the Xbox and watch content on the set directly from the computer.

I'm running a PowerMac G5 with a video card powerful enough to power a 30" computer monitor, so I'm thinking if I just set the resolution to 1920x1200 I should be fine, right?

Yes, but the clarity isn't very good. Reading text is impossible at anything over 720p input. I have my gaming PC set to 720 x 1280 and it's great for games and acceptable for web surfing.

It has been a while since I've posted here and I just wanted to let everyone know that my XBR970 HDTV is still AWESOME.
I'm soooooo glad I decided to buy the last Sony CRT TV instead of LCD's or Plasma TV's. I wish all of you that still have your 970's and those of you who have moved on the very best.

hyghwayman

http://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1pyDTXCw47wymMtQxDSAbyv5_sDiJl1_jJf52zQYrMvJDEP0wH33k6BLPy7 1x8sFSOTUwWAcPSrbc

It has been a while since I've posted here and I just wanted to let everyone know that my XBR970 HDTV is still AWESOME.
I'm soooooo glad I decided to buy the last Sony CRT TV instead of LCD's or Plasma TV's. I wish all of you that still have your 970's and those of you who have moved on the very best.

hyghwayman

http://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1pyDTXCw47wymMtQxDSAbyv5_sDiJl1_jJf52zQYrMvJDEP0wH33k6BLPy7 1x8sFSOTUwWAcPSrbc


Nice setup. No problems with the TV or anything?

Nice setup. No problems with the TV or anything?

Thanks, I did have a Sony tech come out to the house to look at my over/under scan and geomentry issue over a year ago. He moved around in the service menu like a true pro and did make both better. It was not a real big problem to begin with but since I had the 2yr factory warranty I thought what the heck.

To answer your question, nope no problems with TV to this date. Un-like some posters here, I'm still very pleased with my choice. The 2 TV's that this one replaced are also still going strong; 1991 26" JVC and 2006 27" JVC. I just hope this Sony and newer JVC TV can last as long as my 91 JVC.

hyghwayman

Thanks, I did have a Sony tech come out to the house to look at my over/under scan and geomentry issue over a year ago. He moved around in the service menu like a true pro and did make both better. It was not a real big problem to begin with but since I had the 2yr factory warranty I thought what the heck.

To answer your question, nope no problems with TV to this date. Un-like some posters here, I'm still very pleased with my choice. The 2 TV's that this one replaced are also still going strong; 1991 26" JVC and 2006 27" JVC. I just hope this Sony and newer JVC TV can last as long as my 91 JVC.

hyghwayman

I have calibrated my 34XBR970 in both the user menu settings and the service menu but I am just curious to know what your basic picture settings are in the user menu and also if you made any changes to the service menu outside of over/underscan adjustments just for comparison sake considering you use yours with the XBOX 360 as I do. So if you have the time I would appreciate if you could list your settings. Thanks.

Thanks, I did have a Sony tech come out to the house to look at my over/under scan and geomentry issue over a year ago. He moved around in the service menu like a true pro and did make both better. It was not a real big problem to begin with but since I had the 2yr factory warranty I thought what the heck.

To answer your question, nope no problems with TV to this date. Un-like some posters here, I'm still very pleased with my choice. The 2 TV's that this one replaced are also still going strong; 1991 26" JVC and 2006 27" JVC. I just hope this Sony and newer JVC TV can last as long as my 91 JVC.

hyghwayman


Got any tips to fix these kinds of problems? Any advice would be helpful for all of us.

I have calibrated my 34XBR970 in both the user menu settings and the service menu but I am just curious to know what your basic picture settings are in the user menu and also if you made any changes to the service menu outside of over/underscan adjustments just for comparison sake considering you use yours with the XBOX 360 as I do. So if you have the time I would appreciate if you could list your settings. Thanks.
The setting I use for everthing is Pro, after getting Halo 3 I used the Audio/Video Calibration tool (http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?link=h3Filter)that came with Halo 3's Limited and Legendary Editions. I had to buy the blue filter from the Bungie.net store, which is now closed.
http://bfngrg.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pH2PmUavY9tiwj5FyF56EEOYqkTxomBF9ss-c0qjIHu76mYbfSTs0C8OUg-6BksvqJfSefRIaBDA/TV%20Settings.JPGhttp://l8ryqa.bay.livefilestore.com/y1ps-HolK36pAxhZiDvhLehIrxh8hpYGB8XpY2VpkdWz4qJbz1Fd9OORV9g5sPQSM cf6C52UgPsFD4URGqWg59iiA/bungie_av_calibratorA.JPGhttp://www.bungiestore.com/home_image1top.jpg
(please note all of our TV's have diff. factory setting, so what looks great on my TV may not on yours. Plus my eyes are old and worn:(.) I have also adjusted my sharpness setting to from 15 to 30.

Got any tips to fix these kinds of problems? Any advice would be helpful for all of us.
Like so many before me have said, if you go into the Service Menu write down every setting before you make any changes. Here is the link to
THE SONY SERVICE CODES (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=531494)- Articles, Comments, Discoveries, please read before doing anything within your TV's service menu.
Sorry I don't have any magic answer for everyone. here is a link from the same service codes thread; http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15549852#post15549852

hyghwayman

I usually use the THX Optimizer to calibrate the TV. You can find it on any DVD that has the THX log on it (Star Wars, Indiana Jones)

The setting I use for everthing is Pro, after getting Halo 3 I used the Audio/Video Calibration tool (http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?link=h3Filter)that came with Halo 3's Limited and Legendary Editions. I had to buy the blue filter from the Bungie.net store, which is now closed.

(please note all of our TV's have diff. factory setting, so what looks great on my TV may not on yours. Plus my eyes are old and worn:(.) I have also adjusted my sharpness setting to from 15 to 30.


Like so many before me have said, if you go into the Service Menu write down every setting before you make any changes. Here is the link to
THE SONY SERVICE CODES (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=531494)- Articles, Comments, Discoveries, please read before doing anything within your TV's service menu.
Sorry I don't have any magic answer for everyone. here is a link from the same service codes thread; http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15549852#post15549852

hyghwayman

Thanks hyghwayman, I just wanted to see if we were in the same ballpark and from the looks of it we are except for I prefer the warm color temp and your brightness setting is higher than mine. I set mine at the default pro value of 50 and calibrated the brightness in the service menu using the SBRT and UBOF settings. I am not saying your setting is wrong or anything, I just went about calibrating it differently. The picture and color settings are very similar though. Sharpness is something I have been fighting for a while now and I tend to change the value of it from time to time. It is a fine TV.

I also own the 34XBR960 but the anti-glare coating started coming off and I could not get it 100% completely removed so I bought the 34XBR970 to ease my pain and I still have the 960 but a small fraction of the screen has a "sparkling effect" that really is not noticeable unless I point it out but it really bothers me.

Your very welcome amazin,
I do agree these are fine TV's however I wish I had know about the 960"s before they were discontenued. I almost bought on of the Samsung SlimFit TV's instead of the 970 but after reading through the Slimfit thread I'm glad I chose the Sony.

All the best,
hyghwayman

just curious, is anyone here running their contrast level higher than their brightness level ?

every time someone posts a pic of their settings, i always see the contrast lower than the brightness but on all my tv's i find that i end up with the opposite

just curious, is anyone here running their contrast level higher than their brightness level ?

every time someone posts a pic of their settings, i always see the contrast lower than the brightness but on all my tv's i find that i end up with the opposite

Yes me too. If my contrast is lower than brightness I get a washed-out look with grey blacks. It's funny because if you look at CRT monitor manufacturer specs, more often than not they want the contrast maxed out. I think I keep it around 55 on my XBR970.

Yes me too. If my contrast is lower than brightness I get a washed-out look with grey blacks. It's funny because if you look at CRT monitor manufacturer specs, more often than not they want the contrast maxed out. I think I keep it around 55 on my XBR970.

i keep the brightness at 50

contrast is between 55-75 depending on day or night or what i'm watching

just curious, is anyone here running their contrast level higher than their brightness level ?

every time someone posts a pic of their settings, i always see the contrast lower than the brightness but on all my tv's i find that i end up with the opposite

Yes me too. If my contrast is lower than brightness I get a washed-out look with grey blacks. It's funny because if you look at CRT monitor manufacturer specs, more often than not they want the contrast maxed out. I think I keep it around 55 on my XBR970.

i keep the brightness at 50

contrast is between 55-75 depending on day or night or what i'm watching


The following is from CNet Picture perfect: HDTV tune-up tips (http://www.cnet.com/1990-7874_1-5108543-1.html?tag=hdtv;hdtvfd_l)

"http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/ba/tv/shot_brightness.gif

Brightness

What it is: Also called black level, brightness actually adjusts how dark the black sections of the picture appear.

What it does: Excessive brightness can result in a two-dimensional, washed-out look with reduced color saturation. Images with brightness set too low lose detail in shadows, and distinctions between dark areas disappear in pools of black.

How to set it: After connecting your DVD player using the highest-quality input available (http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5108580-5.html), insert a DVD that has letterbox bars above and below the image, and find a scene that has a roughly equal amount of light and dark material. Turn up the control all the way, then decrease until the letterbox bars begin to appear black, as opposed to dark gray. If you notice a loss of shadow detail--for example, when people's eyes disappear into the depths under their brows--then you've set brightness too low. Some plasma (http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5108443-2.html), LCD, DLP, and LCoS (http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5108443-1.html) TVs won't ever look black, so you'll need a setup disc (http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5108543-2.html) to properly configure their brightness.


http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/ba/tv/shot_contrast.gif
Contrast

What it is: Also called picture or white level, contrast controls the intensity of the white parts of the image and determines the overall light output of the display.

What it does: Contrast is usually set extremely high by default because it makes images look brighter in the store. High contrast can obscure details and distort lines in the image, cause eyestrain in dim rooms, and shorten the lifespan of tubes (http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5108443-1.html) and plasma elements (http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5108443-2.html). Setting contrast too low robs the image of impact.

How to set it: Display a still image from DVD of a white object with some visible details--such as someone wearing a white button-up shirt or a shot of a glacier from the Ice Age DVD. Adjust the control up all the way, then reduce it until you can make out all the details in the white (such as buttons on a shirt or cracks in the ice). In general, TVs look best when contrast is set between 30 and 50 percent. "


Hope this helps,
hyghwayman

thank you for that info. i've been reading up on ISF calibrating and have had a copy of the first version of video essentials since 1997 (i even rented the 1996 laserdisc version once) :D

i can even remember when if you bought the flag ship runco projector (the $100,000 light amp 9000 i believe) that Joe Kane himself would come to your home and calibrate it for you (this was back around 1998 i think)

so i'm well aware of what it all means :)

i'm just saying that i always end up with the contrast higher than the brightness on all my tv's but i noticed that a lot of people end up with the opposite

When I had this TV in the living room, I usually had to jack up my contrast pretty high (75 - 80) for it to look good. There are tons of windows and lots of light in there though and once I moved it into my bedroom I rarely turn the contrast up beyond about 40.

When I had this TV in the living room, I usually had to jack up my contrast pretty high (75 - 80) for it to look good. There are tons of windows and lots of light in there though and once I moved it into my bedroom I rarely turn the contrast up beyond about 40.

i have gone as high as 80 but no higher and that was with a lot of daylight and the dvd i rented seemed on the dark side

brightness is always around 50

thank you for that info.

No problem,

I used CNet Picture perfect: HDTV tune-up tips (http://www.cnet.com/1990-7874_1-5108543-1.html?tag=hdtv;hdtvfd_l) as my 1st calibration tool for my XBR970:o. Then checked my settings with the calibration disc that came with the Legendary version of Halo 3. To my surprise, my settings were very close to where they should of been:D.

Now I'm going to recheck them again:confused:, it's been about a 1 1/2 years since I last calibrated my TV:eek:. I might check/adjust settings for daytime veiwing this afternoon via movie mode and tonight via pro mode. I'll post my findings tomorrow or Wednesday.

hyghwayman

thank you for that info. i've been reading up on ISF calibrating


if you can have someone do it, these sets look absolutely amazing after ISF calibration. I found a local guy that specialized in CRT sets, and he spent about 4 hours in the service menu and it's really like having a whole new tv.


my settings after the calibration are just the factory defaults (the guy restored them before calibrating) with two adjustments, brightness is at 52 and sharpness is at 25. this is under pro mode by the way.

So, any new developments? Everyone's TV working?

Mine is still running great.


Every time i look at buying a bigger size I just cant justify it. The picture on this is too friggin good.

Until I get blown away by quality and price combined. My 970 isn't going anywhere.

Same here. Can't stand watching the LCD flat panels that friends have. Image quality is absolutely terrible.

just curious, is anyone here running their contrast level higher than their brightness level ?

every time someone posts a pic of their settings, i always see the contrast lower than the brightness but on all my tv's i find that i end up with the opposite


I've always set the contrast higher than brightness on all my Sony CRT's - both with my Sony computer displays and the living room TV's. I prefer this look, to the reverse. I prefer the more intense and color saturated image (although, less accurate), that this relationship gives you. I've been setting my Sony CRT's this way since my very first one back in the early '80s - a Sony 25" ProFeel monitor.

And I believe your correct about the settings for the majority of people. Those that use "official" test discs to establish their settings will tend to have the reverse relationship between brightness and contrast.

But I tend to swim against the current with respect to video image preferences. I've always preferred the aperture grill over the shadow mask, and I prefer video at 30Fps over 24fps any day of the week. I just loathe the classic "film look" that most videophiles seemingly aspire to.


nx211

too bad sony didn't make a 1080p CRT before they pulled the plug

too bad sony didn't make a 1080p CRT before they pulled the plug

Would have been big bucks, probably 125-150% of the original MSRP of the XBR960.

Would have been big bucks, probably 125-150% of the original MSRP of the XBR960.

at first but if they stuck with it, it would have come down

now that would have been a reference monitor

just curious, is anyone here running their contrast level higher than their brightness level ?

every time someone posts a pic of their settings, i always see the contrast lower than the brightness but on all my tv's i find that i end up with the opposite

I think I set up my TV this way. I just use the TXH Optimizer on certain DVDs to help calibrate.

I need to fix the overscan and pincushion on my XBR970, when I enter the service menu I see the following, could someone please point me in the right direction regarding the next step? TIA

VERSION 0 0 SERVICE
VER HD Full ATSC
F/A: 11111111 11111111
CBA: 11111111 01000001

Looks like I killed this thread, huh? Maybe they should ship me to Afghanistan...

I know this has been discussed. I have a XBR970 and the 2 year Sony Warranty is about to expire, so I had the Sony tech from Qualex come over to fix the bowing and the top left of the sceen and the bottom left dropping down. He made some adjustments in the service menu which the first time I had another Sony service tech out last year they only played with the magnets which did nothing. This time he added mini magnet strips and made some adjustments in the service menu but it actually is worse now. I wish I had just left it alone. The right side is fine, just the left, especially when sports are on and there is a score at the top of the screen.

Should I try another Sony tech or ???

Alrey: Do you have the service manual? If not go here: Schematics (http://www.schematicsforfree.com/archive/dir/Sony/Video)get 34XBR960 so you can have the general procedure. Then proceed with caution, practice scrolling through it till you can navigate. Which adjustments do you need?

jdre, thanks so much for that. I need to reduce overscan and push in the lower left corner towards the center, it flares out to the side when viewing 4:3 content.

Looking at the 34XBR960 manual, page 48, the menu looks similar but is missing 'VERSION' and doesn't have all the 0/1 values. Also, it says to use RM-Y199 or RM-Y201 remotes, but I have RM-YD007.

The fact you sent me to the manual seems to say I can use the manual/remote the same as with the 960, but the starting menu isn't the same. How do I proceed? TIA.

Is it just me or do the far sides of the image during a widescreen movie look a little blurry when watching a DVD on this TV? Also, any tips to prevent TV problems like ghosting and hum bars from appearing on this TV?

So, any new developments? Everyone's TV working?

Yes, my KD-34XBR970 is still working and a Awesome TV:D!
Also re-checked my settings in pro-mode and they were spot on, movie-mode needed a little tweeking from factory values. I think I like the Movie mode better than Pro:confused: ?

hyghwayman

My KD-34XBR970 is also working, it gets used about 16 hours a day everyday (and im not the one using it!) The PQ on it still looks the same from when we bought it, I cant say that for the brightness as that process happens very slowly, but the TV hasn't gotten any blurrier! I just need to adjust the geometry and overscan on it (planned on doing that when I got it over 3 years ago). All that it gets used for is TV, I have my vpl-aw15 projector for movies and games :D

How do you fix any blurriness in the picture? I'm sure the simple answer is to go into the service menu, but where in the service menu is it and how do you fix it?

I put my LCD kd-32LM400 next to my WEGA 36HS500 and it's amazing how crap the Lcd looks next to it.

How do you fix any blurriness in the picture? I'm sure the simple answer is to go into the service menu, but where in the service menu is it and how do you fix it?

Where on the picture is the blurriness? Corners? Whole screen?

Where on the picture is the blurriness? Corners? Whole screen?

The left side of the screen.

Is there color fringing there? (Red and green edges)

Is there color fringing there? (Red and green edges)

No. It's more like a ghosting effect. It's apparent if I'm watching a DVD and I can see it on menu text.

Just got one of these in town for $250, from a guy replaced with a 52xbr6. Along with my sony 32" kds hdtv 4:3, trinitron 36", lcd 32xbr6. Just want to know how I can make the best use of this set compared to the others I own? I told myself I was done buying more until I saw this one on craigslist. Its a set I always wanted.

... Just want to know how I can make the best use of this set ...

I would suggest turning it on and watching it, from time to time.

And, a better position for viewing the screen would be somewhere in front of it.

:p

Just got one of these in town for $250, from a guy replaced with a 52xbr6. Along with my sony 32" kds hdtv 4:3, trinitron 36", lcd 32xbr6. Just want to know how I can make the best use of this set compared to the others I own? I told myself I was done buying more until I saw this one on craigslist. Its a set I always wanted.

I don't understand the question?

Ah! Glad I found this thread. I bought my 970 a few years ago when they were phasing them out - picked up the the last boxed one at Best Buy near me for $850. Worked fine ever since.

I would love to make some adjustments to the geometry, so I'll have to go digging through this thread and the Sony service menu thread for some clues.

Been a while since people posted about this TV. Anything new?

My 970 is still kicking out an Awesome picture.

Also, I'm getting the DTVpal DVR for mine to compliment the free OTA programming I receive here in Ohio.

hyghwayman

Anything new going on?

Anything new going on?

Well, it's close to saying goodbye to the beast...

After looking at the latest 240Hz LED TVs, super thin & light weight ergonomics from Samsung and Sony, the beast is showing it's age....

Sadly... :(

Well, it's close to saying goodbye to the beast...

After looking at the latest 240Hz LED TVs, super thin & light weight ergonomics from Samsung and Sony, the beast is showing it's age....

Sadly... :(

Well the CRT has been obsolete for a few years now. Obviously it would be showing its age. Of course any new snazzy LED TV will be superior now.

Except for the black level!

Okay, three issues I'd like to bring up to see if anyone can help me out.

- any fine white lines appear yellow, such as zippers or white stitching on clothing, along with thin white text on black background during the credits.

- on the right edge of the screen, there is a small area that is affected when there is a red/orange background. This area turns pinkish only when the image is red/orange.

- the extreme left and right sides (where the 4:3 bars would be) seem to be blurry with slight color fringing. Most noticeable while watching HD content.


I'd appreciate the help, especially with the yellow problem!

So out of curiosity, what is the best course of action for degaussing this unit?

Too nice of a set to let the red and yellow ruin it...

So out of curiosity, what is the best course of action for degaussing this unit?...

The 970 has an integrated degaussing coil that is triggered at power up. Some color purity issues are induced by external magnetic fields from speakers or electronic components.

Service menu LANDING parameters can be used to resolve color purity problems that are not resolved with the automatic degausser or removal of offending external magnetic fields.

The 970 has an integrated degaussing coil that is triggered at power up. Some color purity issues are induced by external magnetic fields from speakers or electronic components.

Service menu LANDING parameters can be used to resolve color purity problems that are not resolved with the automatic degausser or removal of offending external magnetic fields.

If this were not to solve it, what would be the recommended course of action?

So out of curiosity, what is the best course of action for degaussing this unit?

Too nice of a set to let the red and yellow ruin it...

when you turn the tv on, that noise you hear is the set degaussing

try it a few times

there's a timer that wont let it degauss when turning the set off then on again right away. not sure how much time has to lapse for it to degauss again when powering up, maybe a few minutes

Got a question. I purchased this TV as a display from Circuit City a couple of years back, and I received two remotes with the unit, none of which is actually the correct remote. Neither of the remotes have the "reset" button, and I am wanting to reset the TV to the factory defaults (the tuner has been awfully buggy lately and I am wanting to see if this fixes it).....Does anyone have any other suggestions on how to reset the TV to the factory defaults without pressing the reset button on the remote?

I have a 970 that I want to sell. The TV was the last NIB unit at my local Circuit City and has lived in a guest room since with less than 30 total hours of use. I've had no luck establishing a realistic price for an AVS classified ad. There's no recent history for AVS, eBay, or Craigslist (except one @ $400) that I can use as a guideline for a realistic asking price.

If you're not looking for a 970 (duh!), and you'd ring in with your best guess then I'd be appreciative...

I have a 970 that I want to sell. The TV was the last NIB unit at my local Circuit City and has lived in a guest room since with less than 30 total hours of use. I've had no luck establishing a realistic price for an AVS classified ad. There's no recent history for AVS, eBay, or Craigslist (except one @ $400) that I can use as a guideline for a realistic asking price.

If you're not looking for a 970 (duh!), and you'd ring in with your best guess then I'd be appreciative...

If it's as nice as you describe, I would start at $300. I wouldn't take less than $200-$250.

I have a 970 that I want to sell. The TV was the last NIB unit at my local Circuit City and has lived in a guest room since with less than 30 total hours of use. I've had no luck establishing a realistic price for an AVS classified ad. There's no recent history for AVS, eBay, or Craigslist (except one @ $400) that I can use as a guideline for a realistic asking price.

If you're not looking for a 970 (duh!), and you'd ring in with your best guess then I'd be appreciative...

A Non-smoking home and low usage will help the resale value. Remember, this was the last of the great HD CRT's that Sony sold. With Black levels and PQ that rival some of the $$$ LCD's and Plasmas still selling today. (Video Gamers like the no Lag thing w/ CRT's:D)

If I had to replace mine today I might consider up to $500.oo, but no higher. (Yes I'm a Gamer:cool:)

Good luck,
hyghwayman

Except for the black level!

http://qfucza.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pGlv6aUxh6qpfu57mF1-c-UmY14k_PqnSmStLdk2gPvy9tDM77JN9gtHLhI6M-DbO8lPdqm2ZZNnu3RZNmXUYqxdcgQ85JCU2/firework13.gif

What state are you selling this TV in?

what state are you selling this tv in?


nh

Why do HD OTA Broadcasts have a 4:3 ratio why none HD and digital channels have 16:9 ratio? I can't seem to get the correct aspect ratio through the menu options. Happens for both 720p and 1080i broadcasts.

Why do HD OTA Broadcasts have a 4:3 ratio why none HD and digital channels have 16:9 ratio? I can't seem to get the correct aspect ratio through the menu options. Happens for both 720p and 1080i broadcasts.By definition, HD is 16:9, however, quite often, the HD frame is made up of an SD/4:3 frame with black pillars added and then upconverted to an HD resolution. The correct screen mode for the Sony crts for an HD signal is FULL.

If the program happens to be the aforementioned upconverted SD/4:3+pillars and you can't tolerate the pillars then Wide Zoom or Zoom could be used.

An important question. Is it a valid assumption that you're using the integrated ATSC(ota) tuner as opposed to an external CECB tuner?

How are your TV's holding up?

How are your TV's holding up?

I'm a bit more tha 2 years in and I've never had a single problem.

I'm getting tired of all the edge geometry and focus problems with mine. I can see myself being pretty sick of it in another year or two when 1080p LCD prices bottom out. The problem will be getting rid of it.

How are your TV's holding up?

I have a good stand supporting my XBR970, it has never fallen over!:rolleyes:

http://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1pyDTXCw47wymMtQxDSAbyv5_sDiJl1_jJf52zQYrMvJDEP0wH33k6BLPy7 1x8sFSOTUwWAcPSrbc

Mine is just over 2yrs. and still has a awesome picture.
If I do get the up-grade bug, my XBR970 will be used only for Gaming:D.

hyghwayman

I'm getting tired of all the edge geometry and focus problems with mine. I can see myself being pretty sick of it in another year or two when 1080p LCD prices bottom out. The problem will be getting rid of it.

Have you tried fixing it in the service menu?

I guess you didn't try fixing it.

Mine is working great after almost three years of use; the picture quality is still perfect.

But, I noticed something that is bothering me and I'm curious if anyone else is having the same problem: I have small "scratches" in the screen coating that is very noticeable and shows up during dark sequences.

These scratches are probably due to me cleaning the screen with a terry cloth, but I'm wondering if anyone else is experiencing this and if anything can be done to it?

And what do you use to clean your screen to avoid adding more?

Mine is working great after almost three years of use; the picture quality is still perfect.

But, I noticed something that is bothering me and I'm curious if anyone else is having the same problem: I have small "scratches" in the screen coating that is very noticeable and shows up during dark sequences.

These scratches are probably due to me cleaning the screen with a terry cloth, but I'm wondering if anyone else is experiencing this and if anything can be done to it?

And what do you use to clean your screen to avoid adding more?

The 34XBR970 does not have the anti-glare screen coating. The 34XBR960 did have the coating but then the coating was removed from the revised 34XBR960N.

If you have the 34XBR960 set then read through this thread if you decide you want to remove the coating...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1021659

...but again the 34XBR970 never had the coating applied.

I used Steel Wool Grade #0000 to remove the coating from my 34XBR960.

Thanks.

i've had my xbr970 for 2 1/2 years now and loving it as much as ever. i was curious if anyone is using the new oppo bd-83 player with their xbr970. i'm not ready to pull the trigger yet but probly will within a year or so.

I guess you didn't try fixing it.

I have, and that's part of the reason I'm tired of it.

The 34XBR970 does not have the anti-glare screen coating. The 34XBR960 did have the coating but then the coating was removed from the revised 34XBR960N.

If you have the 34XBR960 set then read through this thread if you decide you want to remove the coating...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1021659

...but again the 34XBR970 never had the coating applied.

I used Steel Wool Grade #0000 to remove the coating from my 34XBR960.

Pretty much all of these sets have a anti-glare screen coating. The 960/960N differed in the typed of coating. One was a bonded laminate, the other a thinner coating. The 960's anti-glare was more effective, but also made the set unnaturally dark. The 970 has the N's thinner coating, and is damaged with harsh chemicals. Just use handsoap and warm water to clean it, and a cotton cloth to dry.

In desperation, I decided to clean the screen with the small chamois that came with my IPhone (it's tiny) and whoa, it worked very, very good.

It took all smudges and years worth of buildup that didn't come off while cleaning it with hot water, soap and a terry cloth. That little chamois is an amazing thing.

The screen and picture brightened up quite noticeably and I've been religiously cleaning it since I had it.

That said, I'm still going to remove it and yes, I have the 960 (sorry, I originally posted in the wrong thread).

In desperation, I decided to clean the screen with the small chamois that came with my IPhone (it's tiny) and whoa, it worked very, very good.

It took all smudges and years worth of buildup that didn't come off while cleaning it with hot water, soap and a terry cloth. That little chamois is an amazing thing.

The screen and picture brightened up quite noticeably and I've been religiously cleaning it since I had it.

That said, I'm still going to remove it and yes, I have the 960 (sorry, I originally posted in the wrong thread).

is your tv in a smoke free home ?

Yes.

Has anyone used a DVI-D to HDMI cable to send a video signal to this (or any other Sony) TV set? I can get one cheap, and would like to use it for my gaming PC instead of component.

If anyone is interested, I am giving away a 34 XBR. The picture does not show but has sound. I am in Haddam Connecticut. I cannot bring it to the dump untill Sept and would like to see it put to good use other than get destroyed. If interested call 860-345-4807 and leave a message. I will call back. Thanks

Has anyone used a DVI-D to HDMI cable to send a video signal to this (or any other Sony) TV set? I can get one cheap, and would like to use it for my gaming PC instead of component.

I have and it works well except for filling the screen I had 1/4 inch black bars all around the screen and tried every possible setting on the tv and computer. I got my cable from ebay 19.00

I have and it works well except for filling the screen I had 1/4 inch black bars all around the screen and tried every possible setting on the tv and computer. I got my cable from ebay 19.00

OK, thanks!

jjb220:see my reply here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=928945&page=24) about fixing your set. If you can solder, you can do it.

Has anyone used a DVI-D to HDMI cable to send a video signal to this (or any other Sony) TV set? I can get one cheap, and would like to use it for my gaming PC instead of component.

It works great. I have run 1080i and 720p to it. 720p looks better. I surf the net and run flicks from hulu.com (720p content). There is no audio though. You need to route audio to your receiver.

The trick is to get the correct aspect ratio output by using the correct video drivers for your pc/laptop. Else, you'll either not have a picture or get the black bars.

How many things do you have attached to your TV? There are six video components if I'm not mistaken.

Has anyone used a DVI-D to HDMI cable to send a video signal to this (or any other Sony) TV set? I can get one cheap, and would like to use it for my gaming PC instead of component.

When this tv was my "main" tv, I used to do that with it. I think it had to be set to a somewhat custom resolution. I think it was somewhere in the 1200X800 neighborhood. It worked great and looked fantastic!

Hello all, long time reader first time poster. I actually used this thread 2 and a half years ago to purchase my 970. It has been a great set.

Keyword being has. I get home tonight and cut on my set and the screen goes light gray and then bright white and cuts off. I then go to turn it on again and the standby light blinks 6 times.

I had it plugged into a power strip for the last 2 1/2 years, but decided to move it to the outlet by it self. I left it unplugged for 60 seconds, plugged it into the wall and it cuts itself on without me hitting the power button.

The display then does the same thing again, goes light gray then white, then off and now the standby light blinks six time repeatedly.

Help, suggestions? I love my 200 lb beast, and dont want to give up on it, however my expertise is very low.

Okay, three issues I'd like to bring up to see if anyone can help me out.

- any fine white lines appear yellow, such as zippers or white stitching on clothing, along with thin white text on black background during the credits.

- on the right edge of the screen, there is a small area that is affected when there is a red/orange background. This area turns pinkish only when the image is red/orange.

- the extreme left and right sides (where the 4:3 bars would be) seem to be blurry with slight color fringing. Most noticeable while watching HD content.


I'd appreciate the help, especially with the yellow problem!

Anybody?

Hello all, long time reader first time poster. I actually used this thread 2 and a half years ago to purchase my 970. It has been a great set.

Keyword being has. I get home tonight and cut on my set and the screen goes light gray and then bright white and cuts off. I then go to turn it on again and the standby light blinks 6 times.

I had it plugged into a power strip for the last 2 1/2 years, but decided to move it to the outlet by it self. I left it unplugged for 60 seconds, plugged it into the wall and it cuts itself on without me hitting the power button.

The display then does the same thing again, goes light gray then white, then off and now the standby light blinks six time repeatedly.

Help, suggestions? I love my 200 lb beast, and dont want to give up on it, however my expertise is very low.

that happened to me when my set was just a few months old

you need a service call. the repair guy came to my house and removed the chassis from the rear. brought it back to his repair shop then back to my house. he didn't need to take the whole tv with him thank god LOL

Anybody?

Sounds like a convergence issue. Which would be noticeable exactly how you described. White lines on a black background. You can try fixing it in the service menu, but i think thats only for the vertical convergence? I don't really remember since it's been a while since i ventured back in there.

If it makes you feel any better my set has a ton of those problems. Only on mine i'll see red instead of yellow and other times i'll see green ( especially when something is against black background) My set is retarded when it comes to the left side of the screen with convergence issues, but on the right i have color blobs that looks like magnetic interference but it doesn't go away no matter what i do.

Sounds like a convergence issue. Which would be noticeable exactly how you described. White lines on a black background. You can try fixing it in the service menu, but i think thats only for the vertical convergence? I don't really remember since it's been a while since i ventured back in there.

If it makes you feel any better my set has a ton of those problems. Only on mine i'll see red instead of yellow and other times i'll see green ( especially when something is against black background) My set is retarded when it comes to the left side of the screen with convergence issues, but on the right i have color blobs that looks like magnetic interference but it doesn't go away no matter what i do.


Yeah...the TV has plenty of issues, but I just don't have the heart to give it up right now. Even with the problems...the picture is still better than the majority of next-gen televisions. The next 46" panny or sony LCD of my liking to go on sale though...the XBR gets basement duty:D

Hi there. I'm in NH and have a 970 listed in the AVS CRT classifieds. It's very lonely, with no other CRT's for company. I'm also pretty sure my Craigslist ad isn't targeting millions of niche 970 potential buyers. Does anyone know of other tech forums (fora!) with more CRT classified activity? TIA!

I have an XBR960. I'm in Pittsburgh. I'd love to sell it.

Any luck on that?

I need a stand for my XBR970. The Sony part is Sony SU-34XBR4. Cannot find one anywhere. Any ideas?

I need a stand for my XBR970. The Sony part is Sony SU-34XBR4. Cannot find one anywhere. Any ideas?

I got mine from Walmart. It can hold the weight and fits perfectly. Cost about $60.oo
http://iebh8q.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pGgbcB64dN9pNw8BU6WixYVzIWh-V_LcwaLApKbKxW20QmPHJEta3XThkU7q7kpKxLPImuc4Tr1CdvG95nQY9bw/My%20Sony%20XBR970%2C%20Xbox360%20Elite%2C%20Pioneer%20VSX-816%20and%20RCA%204%20Head%20VCR.JPG

Hey guys, brand new here and making my first post. I'm hopefully going to be purchasing a Sony KD-34XBR970 this weekend. I'm paying 250.00 for it with the stand, and the owner of the TV says the is about 3-4 years old but only has 30-40 hours of use on it as it has been in a guest room since it was purchased.

I am told the picture is great, however when you pull up a menu screen that is projected onto the TV they are distorted. Any ideas what would cause this? Is it an easy fix and something to do with the settings perhaps? I have not personally seen the TV yet so I cannot better describe the problem unfortunately. I am also not incredibly TV savvy yet, as this will be my first higher end TV purchase. I happened to come across this site and posting while googling reviews for the TV.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Josh

How are things going with everyone's TV?

How are things going with everyone's TV?
CK100,
Thanks for asking! My TV is still performing like a champ, awesome PQ I must say for the money I spent.

I am buying my 1st home and should be moving in about three weeks, I will move my TV with loving care and pray all is good afterwards (It's under 1/2 mile to new home). I'll post back after the move and let everyone know how it went.

If my beast doesn't make it, I will prob. buy a Plasma 1080p.

Best wish to all and happy holidays ahead,
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj33/imaginationsb/FU_HWY.png

Mine has been running about 16 hours a day since I bought it almost 2 1/2 years ago. I've never had a single problem and I'm still loving it.

CK100,
Thanks for asking! My TV is still performing like a champ, awesome PQ I must say for the money I spent.

same here :cool:

Mine has started exhibiting wavy grey lines that go across the screen (visible only in dark scenes). I've also started noticing while playing video games that white text seems to pulse slightly. When I get up close, I can see red and green outlines around the white text.

I am getting kind of depressed about it, because I thought the tv was going to last longer than three or four years.

Mine has started exhibiting wavy grey lines that go across the screen (visible only in dark scenes). I've also started noticing while playing video games that white text seems to pulse slightly. When I get up close, I can see red and green outlines around the white text.

I am getting kind of depressed about it, because I thought the tv was going to last longer than three or four years.

can you have it fixed ?

can you have it fixed ?

I live in a small town in Wyoming, so I am guessing not. I haven't looked into it though.

Anything new going on with our TV?

My awesome Sony KD-34XBR970 HDTV is still burning bright. I hope I can say the same thing after Saturday, we are moving a whole 1/2 mile down the road.