The OFFICIAL Sony KD-34XBR970 34" HDTV Thread... [Text View] - Page 3

Wickerman1972

10-27-06, 07:53 AM

My xbr970 got delivered yesterday afternoon. So far I am very, very pleased with it. The picture looks equal in quality to me to the Samsung TX-S3082WHX I had before. But it does seem to be better at handling fast motion than the Samsung was. The screen is only 4 inches larger but that 4 inches makes a world of difference. I've got my contrast and brightness settings a bit higher than I did on the Samsung to compensate for the anti-glare coating. I currently have them at 65 for the contrast and 55 for the brightness. There are some minor imperfections: My picture is tilted a bit to the right. I was able to correct it with the tilt adjustment but that made the geometry on the left side of the screen go out of whack a bit so I switched it back. As far as geometry goes it looks pretty good. There are some slight bows here and there that I can only see when I get right up to the screen and really look for them. That's a far cry from the Sammy's bows waving at me from across the room, lol. The problems are slight enough that I'm confident I'll be able to fix them in the service menu. I'm going to wait a week or so before doing that. This is my 3rd set in a little over a month and it looks like 3 times is a charm.:) Gets a thumb up from me. Now I'm hoping something doesn't suddenly explode in it, lol.

I have a question: I don't see much of difference between having the ClearEdge VM on or off, but there is a slight boost in PQ when I have it on I suppose. Does using this wear out the TV more? If it does than perhaps I'll turn if off but if it doesn't than I guess I'll go ahead and leave it on to get the sharpest picture possible. I've read some comments on this forum that say velocity scan enhancement causes some image problems and they always keep it off. Could you elaborate about that and tell me exactly what problem it causes?

Yet another edit: OK, I have noticed that sometimes when the image on screen totally changes quickly, like when switching from one scene to another, there will be some pixelation in the image for a second and then it clears up. Is that caused by the velocity scan modulation? Or is it caused by the program being bit-rated? I can't wait to get a HD-DVD player so I can see what a HD source looks like that isn't starving for bandwidth.

otk

10-27-06, 03:27 PM

the xbr 970 is on sale at sears for $899 till tomorrow oct 28th

justsc

10-27-06, 03:56 PM

...I have a question: I don't see much of difference between having the ClearEdge VM on or off, but there is a slight boost in PQ when I have it on I suppose. Does using this wear out the TV more? If it does than perhaps I'll turn if off but if it doesn't than I guess I'll go ahead and leave it on to get the sharpest picture possible. I've read some comments on this forum that say velocity scan enhancement causes some image problems and they always keep it off. Could you elaborate about that and tell me exactly what problem it causes?
Congrats on your new set! ;)

Many set ClearEdge to off. It's actually edge enhancement, and many feel that they don't want anything added to the signal. You should notice a difference between OFF and High, but otherwise it doesn't make that much of a difference. This setting has no effect on the longevity or quality of the tv. Actually, the setting to watch out for is Contrast (Sony calls it Picture). It's usually set real high out of the factory for bright showroom floors. You need to adjust that right away. Try setting it at no higher than say 65%. Your best bet is to get a calibration dvd and give you rset a proper calibration. You can do a search here for Avia, DVE and Home Theater Tuneup to see what folks think. Be sure to use the Pro or Standard picture setting. Vivid is off the wall and Movie can be too dark and soft.

Yet another edit: OK, I have noticed that sometimes when the image on screen totally changes quickly, like when switching from one scene to another, there will be some pixelation in the image for a second and then it clears up. Is that caused by the velocity scan modulation? Or is it caused by the program being bit-rated? I can't wait to get a HD-DVD player so I can see what a HD source looks like that isn't starving for bandwidth.
How do you get your signal? Cable or OTA, or satellite? This effect is usually caused by signal compression.

Wickerman1972

10-27-06, 04:25 PM

I get it from Time Warner Cable. Although really it is still Adelphia. It's called TWC but so far no changes have been made other than the name.

justsc

10-27-06, 05:51 PM

OK. That really does sound like compression artifacts. This happens most often on multiplexed SD material. You shouldn't see this so much with your HD service. There's really no settings you can change to affect this, other than keeping contrast at reasonable levels.

baller99

10-28-06, 07:50 PM

Circuit city's website has these for 850.

FordTech

10-28-06, 08:01 PM

Circuit city's website has these for 850.

Could you provide a link, as mine shows them for 999.99

lazerfan

10-29-06, 06:19 AM

I calibrated my 34HS420 in the Pro Mode. This mode automatically turns off ClearEdge VM. I have the Toshiba HD DVD player and compared freezeframes of a movie, across the spectrum of picture selections. After the set is calibrated with VE, you can see more shadow detail on the calibrated Pro Mode. When you switch to Factory Standard, you do seem to get more sharpness and detail, but it's due to the ClearEdge and sharpness control adding edge enhancement. It seems more detailed, as most people are used to CRT sets that have VM that cannot be turned off!
At first blush, the Pro picture seems a bit softer or blurrier than factory Standard or Vivid. But when you realize that this is a more natural, enhancement-free image, it doesn't take long to get used to it. Basically, you are getting a smooth, film-like image when you watch HD dvd's.
I recently picked up V for Vendetta(HD DVD) and watching it in the calibrated Pro mode was the next best thing to being in the cinema. Smooth as silk.

avguy333

10-29-06, 08:33 AM

Hi Guys,

Firts-time poster. I recently bought a 34" 970. The picture looks great so far with 1 exception. My cable gets 5 local channels in HD. The picture coming through the HD tuner looks great, except that it occasionally freezes & gets the square pixel blocks. Since it is all 5 channels I'm guessing it is a problem with the HD tuner that I'd want to get fixed under warranty, but I'd like to know if any of you have seen this and if so, what did it take to get it fixed.

Love all the tips on tuning the picture, so keep 'em coming. Thanks.

G

(First-time responder) My brother had a similar (intermittent) problem with his 34HS420. I told him likely the problem was his RF HDTV signal TO the set was too low, not his set itself. Cableguy came out, measured signal output from outside box (the outside distribution box on telephone pole), said it was low, replaced outside box and went away. Set worked ok then (remember, problem was intermittent), but later in the day... more breakup. I then told my brother to have cableguy measure signal strength AT THE SET’S RF INPUT to see if the fault was with the settop box, the coax feed from the settop box to the internal distribution box (in the garage), the internal box itself, or the feed from the internal box to the external box. (I had replaced the 3-foot coax cable from settop box to set earlier with no improvement.) Turns out the internal box output was a tad low on signal strength, and cableguy replaced internal box: problem solved. Why cableguy didn't check the entire run in the beginning, I don't know... Another example of the "weakest link" theory. (Not the cableguy, the components of the signal chain.)

papi34

10-29-06, 11:53 AM

add to cart to see sale price (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sony-34-WEGA-Flat-Screen-HDTV-KD34XBR970/sem/rpsm/oid/147206/catOid/-12868/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do) (currently at $879.99)

Could you provide a link, as mine shows them for 999.99

kagai

10-30-06, 11:29 AM

Could some wonderful person post some pics of this set playing the Xbox 360? I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks.

dwemett

10-30-06, 03:00 PM

Had looked at the Sony unit about 1 year ago - TOO MUCH $$ - Sony looked absolutely great tho. Bought a Walmart Sanyo 28 widescreen - pretty nice.

Circuit City advertised the 34xbr970 for 764.95 online - one day sale OCT 27. Tried to get one in the store on Sat- 28 and no sale. Went to Best Buy - showed the print out from the circuit city online site and they said they would match it. Fetched it home and went to search up some neighbors to carry it in. The 6' 5" neighbor said we could do it ourselves so we did - ( I am 150 lbs. )

Set up unit on the floor temporarily - stand needs to be reinforced. Unit came up, but was immediately aware of 'softer' resolution. I had the Sanyo running same HD channel as the Sony - over the air.

Mine is a Mexico unit?? The height was set to tall and with info on this site brought it down correctly and saved it. Geometry was quite good - if not perfect.

The image is what is so bad. This is on PRO setting with edge off and sharpness min.
Hair looks like hair on the Sanyo distinct fine strands - Hair looks like it is a smooth mold on the Sony. A real tight close up reveals some of the detail.
A BricK wall was nice distinct blocks with the Sanyo - Sony's was smeared.
A close of a face was so distinct on the Sanyo every pore was there, but the Sony presented quite a smooth image - lady's would kill for this appearance.

A NFL football game - great signal - would pixelate on the Sony when a fast graphic was overlayed on the field scene. Sanyo did not show any of this. The Sanyo does show some pixelization on the PBS channel when they show a waterfall or blazing fire - Of course the sony was far worse. ( Sanyo only does this pixelization on this one PBS station.)

The sony excelled at character presentation - even the names on the uniforms were very distinct.

The sony would not pick up channels 8 and 13 which are relatively strong channels 75 - 85 on my Sanyo. The sony did pick up 3 channels that were 55 - 65 on the Sanyo - Sanyo did too. Scanned several times with the add channels - would not find them. What is this 50 min scan time warning????

Overall tho, the Sony has just a poor quality image - relative to the $500 Sanyo.

NOW comes the kicker - what if I got a lemon and just need to return this one and get a replacement. Me being 150 pounds and it being 200 pounds - NO WAY.

I love CRT tvs and would love to have gotten the 960 or 955 or whatever the ones with the super fine tube, but this one did not make it. Even for $765 this is not a keeper. So back to Best Buy - 200 pounds!!!!!!! I thought I had really looked the floor unit over - 15 minutes of careful observation.

oryan_dunn

10-30-06, 04:57 PM

It almost sounds like the focus knobs on the flyback need a fine tune adjustment, but unless you're qualified or know what your doing, stay away from the inside of your set.

FordTech

10-30-06, 09:08 PM

You definitely got a Lemon as mine doesnt look anything like you describe.

E.C.

10-30-06, 10:09 PM

Err, crap. I knew CRTs were dying but I expected that to make purchases a little easier.

Is there any possibility that the new CRTs that Sony will be rolling next year are going to be better than the existing 970s? Should I try to get a 970 on sale soon (I think I can get one for less than $800 right now) or wait 'til February?

And why exactly did SFP die? The 960s seemed great, but I've heard that they weren't all that reliable. Maybe that was why Sony moved away from that tech?

With SED and Laser already saying that they'll be competing with Plasma, I am SO not looking forward to buying an LCD for my gaming needs, even if, miraculously, I can find one for the same price and size as a CRT by next fall.

papi34

10-31-06, 07:37 PM

Err, crap. I knew CRTs were dying but I expected that to make purchases a little easier.

Should I try to get a 970 on sale soon (I think I can get one for less than $800 right now) or wait 'til February?

I had the same thoughts back in early September. I thought that maybe I should wait until Black Friday or Christmas to get the best price. I'm glad I did not!

Since that time, Crutchfield discontinued carrying CRTs. Many B&M's are following this trend. Luckily, I was able to get one of the last couple dozen 970's Crutchfield sold with free white-glove delivery service and no sales tax :D

My advice: Pull the trigger now...you don't know what tomorrow will bring, let alone February!

lastxbr960

11-01-06, 01:43 PM

Dewannet: Try switching antenna on the Sony and Sanyo, also try a DVD player as a source and of couse get the Avia dvd and Calibrate or the free THX calibration in movie dvd's like the incredibles and Ice age.

desertmichael

11-01-06, 03:09 PM

I was curious if it is possible to order second shelf for TV stand makes for the 34XBR970 since the shelves hieght is adjustable and components are so narrow now...it would be nice to have a second shelf.

Anyone have any good suggestions of other quality TV stands for this TV?

Thanks-Michael

Wickerman1972

11-01-06, 03:31 PM

Xaroe

11-01-06, 05:34 PM

OMG iv been all over looking for the answer to this question. Iv even cal;led sony and they dont know lol. What is the max refresh rate for the native resolution on this tv. please somone know this :)?

justsc

11-01-06, 06:57 PM

60Hz

papi34

11-01-06, 08:09 PM

Does that stand have wheels? I was thinking about getting it since it is made for the TV but considering how heavy the TV is it would be nice if the stand had wheels. Judging by the picture it doesn't appear to. That's goofy if it doesn't considering that it is made to hold a 200 pound TV!

Sony SU-34XBR4 Matching TV stand for Sony KD-34XBR970 does not have wheels/casters. Most people pick up some super sliders or magic sliders to put underneath the stand so they can easily move it across hard wood floors. I bought a package of 4 (100mm round size) for $20 at Home Depot.

BTW, it is possible to order second shelf for TV stand. However, the height it not really adjustable...there are two choices for height.

mpete69

11-01-06, 09:05 PM

desertmichael

11-01-06, 09:34 PM

Sony SU-34XBR4 Matching TV stand for Sony KD-34XBR970 does not have wheels/casters. Most people pick up some super sliders or magic sliders to put underneath the stand so they can easily move it across hard wood floors. I bought a package of 4 (100mm round size) for $20 at Home Depot.

BTW, it is possible to order second shelf for TV stand. However, the height it not really adjustable...there are two choices for height.

Papi34,

I take it a second shelf has to be ordered from SonyStyle? Do you know if both choices are used for two shelves, how much vertical space each shelf has?

Magic sliders for bottom of stand are a great idea. I have read elsewhere of people attaching casters...I would be afraid of doing that....even though, I gree, the stand should have been built with casters in the first place.

-Michael

papi34

11-01-06, 09:47 PM

Papi34,

I take it a second shelf has to be ordered from SonyStyle? Do you know if both choices are used for two shelves, how much vertical space each shelf has?
-Michael

I just pulled my owner's manual for the stand. With both shelves installed, the spacing is as follows:

6 1/32" above top shelf
6 5/16" above the bottom shelf
3 5/16" below the bottom shelf

Glass shelf is part no. G0380
call 877-779-9929 for Sony customer service.

desertmichael

11-01-06, 10:03 PM

I just pulled my owner's manual for the stand. With both shelves installed, the spacing is as follows:

6 1/32" above top shelf
6 5/16" above the bottom shelf
3 5/16" below the bottom shelf

Glass shelf is part no. G0380
call 877-779-9929 for Sony customer service.

Papi34,

Thank you so much for the information, that was very kind of you to check your owners manual. The spacing would work out for me.

-Michael

papi34

11-01-06, 10:15 PM

I have just read through all 19 pages of this thread. I've been shopping for a new TV for months, and I'm down to making a final choice between the 970 and a Vizio 37" LCD. Both TVs MSRP for $999, which is my budget, but I'm leaning towards the 970.

My question for the owners of the 970 is how are the TV's speakers? The only device I'm going to connect to this TV is a Comcast DVR, via HDMI. I am interested in what kind of sound the speakers produce. I read in earlier posts that Sony had eliminated the subwoofer on this model. How much difference does that make? Just curious - I realize TV speakers are not usually known for great sound, but I'm hoping that's it's at least adequate. Can anyone give me their thoughts? Thanks.

I do not have any additional speakers hooked up to my set, and I find the audio to be more than adequate. Play one of those THX DVDs (e.g. Finding Nemo) thru the set and you won't believe the surround sound the built-in stereo speakers (10 watts x 2) produces. There is also Tone Control: Treble and Bass

Audio Effects: To enhance the sound, you can select one of three effects, or Audio Effects can be turned off:

TruSurround: adds a three-dimensional surround sound to stereo programs

WOW: provides a dramatic presence with full, deep bass, BBE is also activated to further enhance audio performance

Simulated: adds a surround-like effect to mono programs

Steady Sound: This feature equalizes the volume levels so there is consistent output between programs and commercials.

Note: Steady sound cannot be activated when audio effects are in use.

Xaroe

11-01-06, 10:18 PM

Isnt that kinda low compaired to other HDTV tubes? Or is 60Hz the norm?

Xaroe

11-01-06, 10:40 PM

ohh ok i see. They are mostly either 50, 60Hz, or double making it 100, or 120Hz with the double pass feature. Is there a TV like this one that is 100 or 120 Hz? (flicker-free)? and if so what is the price diffrence. Is it worth the upgrade.

Xaroe

11-02-06, 02:09 AM

justsc

11-02-06, 02:36 PM

I just got this tv and im really enjoying it reguardless of it being 60hz. One other question I have is does anyone know if this tv gets that Trinitron line across the center? and if so how long (generaly) will the tv run before showing it. Maybe dumb question but Im curious.. never owned a trinitron. btw thanx for answering my last question :)
I really don't think that the 60Hz refresh rate will bother you. I'm very picky and it hasn't annoyed me yet after 2+ years.

There are either 2 or 3 of those wires (lines) across the tube. You should be able to notice them now if you can put up a white picture. They seem to divide the tube into thirds. Under normal viewing conditions you shouldn't notice them.

No dumb questions yet. ;)

Wickerman1972

11-02-06, 04:51 PM

I really don't think that the 60Hz refresh rate will bother you. I'm very picky and it hasn't annoyed me yet after 2+ years.

There are either 2 or 3 of those wires (lines) across the tube. You should be able to notice them now if you can put up a white picture. They seem to divide the tube into thirds. Under normal viewing conditions you shouldn't notice them.

No dumb questions yet. ;)

When I first saw one of those hair-thin lines going across the screen of my xbr970 I thought there was something wrong with it, lol. But then I looked closer and saw there was more than one of them and that they were evenly spaced so I figured it must be part of the hardware. Freaked me out at first though.:)

Xaroe

11-02-06, 05:15 PM

do they become more noticable as time goes by?

hokiewolf

11-03-06, 06:57 AM

The width of the Sony is approx 39" and the depth is approx 24". My question pertains to the surface area of the base of the unit. I have a brand new entertainment center that is 35" wide and 21" deep and I would like to know if a 2" overhang on each side and a 1" overhang on the front and 2" inch overhang on the back would still allow for the Sony's feet to be seated properly. The entertainment center can support 240 lbs, so that's not a problem, but I was just curious about the spacing of the feet...front to back and side to side. Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.

Danny

FordTech

11-03-06, 07:29 AM

There arent any real feet on this unit. The entire bottom has full contact front to rear. The rear of the unit narrows from the front in a wedge shape. Front is about 38 3/4 and the unit is about 25 inches wide at the rear. In order to fit a 35 inch opening it would have to overhang 11 inches at the point where the unit narrows to that width! :( This unit has plenty of base support for a few inches overhang but is way too front heavy for that much. I wouldnt allow more than 3 inches overhang at the most to the front. Mine overhangs about 2 inches on front and six inches off the rear. It is "just stable" there. My entertainment center is 3 freestanding sections which allows me to move the center TV stand independently or I would have had to buy a new center or at least a center stand section. And naturally I have to have a substantial gap from the wall to allow for the huge TV. It is definitely a compromise.

oryan_dunn

11-03-06, 04:38 PM

It would probably be best to have zero overhang on the front, since that is where all the weight is. Overhang in the back wouldn't be a problem.

justsc

11-03-06, 05:51 PM

do they become more noticable as time goes by?
Only if your sight improves (dramatically) over time ;)

Xaroe

11-04-06, 01:25 AM

lol thanx

lamptern

11-04-06, 02:26 AM

After study this 19 page post and half of a year wait, I decided to
get this beauty home. Since I live in Vancouver, I want to make sure
it works fine before I get out the door of BB or CC. Will they show me a test run if
I buy it during crazy thanksgiving days? Thanks in advance for your kind reply.

Manny805

11-04-06, 03:10 AM

Hi to all,i just bought this tv i love the size and all,but when i hook up my 360 the games look like sharpy like all around stuff like players body,gun & stuff i was wondering if this how it looks ? i sthere settings to play with ?? Also is this good for gaming i will be using it for gaming few movies too.any help is great.

Thanks in advance.

Wickerman1972

11-04-06, 07:28 AM

Which picture setting are you on? There is a lot of image enhancement software running on some of them. If you aren't already try playing on the pro setting.

Manny805

11-04-06, 09:47 AM

any other settings ?

Wickerman1972

11-04-06, 10:11 AM

lol, whatever looks best to you. I find it odd that you are complaining about the graphics being sharp, lol.

Manny805

11-04-06, 10:13 AM

why is that odd ? my old samdung witch was slimtube had nor problem like this ,thats why i ask.

Wickerman1972

11-04-06, 10:45 AM

Because sharp graphics are the whole point of buying a HDTV. I think the main problem you are having is that you are playing on modes that have artificial picture enhancement. Put it on Pro. Put the color temp to neutral. Then go to the advanced settings and put the color axis on monitor.

My settings are like this:

Picture - 65

Brightness - 50

Color - 50

Hue - 0

Sharpness - 65

You can try turning the Clearedge VM on or off and see how it looks to you. I have mine on but personally I really can't see any difference when it is off. The main thing to me is that I don't like having the TV on Vivid or Standard picture settings because they make the picture look artificial as hell because there is some kind of sharpness enhancement being used in those modes that is way more dramatic than the Clearedge VM. The pro setting is a softer picture than vivid or standard, but it is more natural and smooth. I haven't used a calibration disc or anything to get these settings. It's just the way I've set it up by eyeballing it. You may not like these settings, I don't know.

Also, I set my 360 to output in 1080i. Why anyone sets it to output in 720p on a 1080i HDTV is beyond me.

elrechazao

11-04-06, 01:26 PM

I just picked up at 970 last night at CC for 780 open box. This was after returning my 82 samsung slimfit 30 incher.

With the 970, should I just give it a week or two of use and identify whatever issues (hopefully few) that I want to change, or should i start fooling with settings right away if I see something I want to adjust?

I'm a complete noob to hdtv and higher end crt.

Xaroe

11-04-06, 05:23 PM

When I got mine home i played with the settings right away. Movie mode looked nicest when it came to movies.. go figure. I played NFS on it from my computer but it has no wide screen resolution support so i just streched the screen wider to get rid og black on the right and left. it was a streched screen but it still looked good. too bad i find need for speed boring. the only other games i play atm are rts wich dont work well on the hdtv because of game play style.

desertmichael

11-04-06, 05:27 PM

How are most using the HDMI connection?..for cable box or DVR, or for a DVD player, or other?

Penarin

11-04-06, 05:28 PM

Heh, I just bought one of these beasts. It's my first ever HDTV. Should be here in one week.

Wickerman1972

11-04-06, 06:55 PM

desertmichael

11-04-06, 07:18 PM

Wickerman1972..you got HD-digital cable, or just regular cable?

Wickerman1972

11-04-06, 07:55 PM

It's HD-Cable. It looks a lot better than regular cable but not nearly as good as the HD video I download off of Xbox Live.

sivartk

11-04-06, 08:40 PM

My advice: Pull the trigger now...you don't know what tomorrow will bring, let alone February!

I just bought a 32" LCD in June and after watching Digital SD programming on the LCD and watching Digital SD on a $75 20" tube TV, the Celera tube TV blows the LCD away. I'm thinking about getting one of these Sony's, but want to wait. Don't get me wrong, HD programming looks great on my LCD, but SD programming is lacking...so I guess I want the best of both worlds :)

I'm hoping to catch one on clearance for about 1/2 price...if I miss them all I guess I can always hope the Sony outlet store will have a few (a 50 mile drive from my house).

oman66

11-04-06, 08:59 PM

I purchased this t.v. 2 weeks ago and love it. Today I also picked up the Motorola 3416 from comcast. I have it attached using HDMI. After trying to have it activated several times I'm told by Comcast that it should be working. However all I'm seeing after several hours is the "One Moment Plsease The channel should be available shortly" message! Comcast says I should return the box and get another. I'm hoping there is something I'm just forgetting to set on the t.v. or something? Any help please?

Wickerman1972

11-04-06, 09:00 PM

Don't get me wrong though, my HD channels look very good. When people see em' running they comment about how good it looks. But when I put on video I got off of Xbox Live that drops jaws. I imagine that when I get a HD-DVD player that will do the same thing.

Manny805

11-04-06, 09:07 PM

thanks for those settings,but i still see the sharpy edges and stuff on the objects and bodys,text.any other solutions ?

Wickerman1972

11-04-06, 10:01 PM

I don't even know what you mean about "sharpy" edges. Xbox 360 looks fantastic for me. Do you want the edges to be blurry? Try taking sharpness to 0. I really must say that your complaint is totally unique to me. If taking the sharpness to 0 doesn't do it for you the only suggestion I have left is to return the xbr970 and get a SDTV. You won't have to worry about a sharp image then.:) But really man, someone saying there is something wrong with their HDTV because the image is too sharp is a new one for me.

Manny805

11-05-06, 12:06 AM

ill take pic tomorow bro so u can see what i mean.

Manny805

11-05-06, 12:44 AM

i think people call it Jaggies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaggies) .

Wickerman1972

11-05-06, 09:54 AM

Oh, jaggies! OK, that's something totally different and it makes sense that you'd be complaining about that if you have them.:) Hmmm, are you using a component cable? On the 360's cable that it comes with the component is the blue, green, and red ones. The component inputs on the xbr970 are video 4 and video 5. And did you the switch on the 360 setting to HD? Remember, you have to do more than just set it to 1080i on the dashboard, you also have to hit that switch on the 360 itself. For me the 360 looks excellent on this TV. So the only thing I can figure is that you have something hooked up wrong. So recheck these steps: Are you hooked up via component rather than composite, are you on video 4 or 5, do you have your HD settings in the 360 set to 1080i, and did you hit the switch on the back of the 360 to HD?

vid33nyc1

11-05-06, 01:52 PM

Wickerman1972

11-05-06, 02:06 PM

I don't care what I "should" do. I have it set to what looks good to me. And how you can tolerate that atrocious vivid mode with its crappy artificial sharpness enhancement is beyond me. I'm not talking about the Clearedge VM either. The Vivid and Standard picture settings have some other sharpness enhancement software running on them that makes the picture look like ass. So even though my sharpness is set to 65 I actually have my sharpness set to a wayyyyy more natural level than you do because of the mode I'm on. Also, it seems to me that a 65 brightness is going to wash out detail. And why would you set your 360 to output in 720p when your TV is 1080i? Do you really believe that your TV can scale the signal better than the 360's triple cored 3.2 ghz processor?:)

glitterbug

11-05-06, 03:24 PM

how would 480p look on this set? I'm getting a wii and want to upgrade :)

Also, are the sidebars black or grey when viewing sd content?

Wickerman1972

11-05-06, 03:39 PM

It would look ok I guess but a good SDTV is always going to be better for displaying SD content than a HDTV is.

glitterbug

11-05-06, 03:46 PM

sdtv cant display 480p. So my choices are edtv or hdtv. edtv is really hard to find and i want to future proof the setup.

Has anyone used this set for 480p and 16:9 games (ps2, gamecube, etc)?

Wickerman1972

11-05-06, 03:58 PM

The 970 does a good job with the low resolutions, as good as any other HDTV I've seen. Just don't expect it to look as good at that resolution as SDTVs or EDTVs do. For the life of me I can't understand the Wii's design or why anyone wants it. It has the same processor as the GC but is simply overclocked. Hell, it doesn't even support 5.1 surround sound via the hardware from what I've heard. In this day and age that seems ridiculous to me. No way I'd spend $250 for something that should have been released 5 years ago. But to each his own I guess.

glitterbug

11-05-06, 04:20 PM

the wii is about playing not power. Lack of HD is a problem, but only for people who have an HD set. I'm about to go crazy trying to figure out which set to buy (as will many people). From what I can gather, buying an HDTV is a crapshoot at best unless you want to spend 3 grand.

Wickerman1972

11-05-06, 04:27 PM

I'm sure Nintendo is pleased you feel that way. If this strategy catches on I may release a calculator as a gaming console and ask $500 for it.:)

glitterbug

11-05-06, 04:40 PM

elrechazao

11-05-06, 08:35 PM

got mine finally today....wow. I keep trying to find something wrong with the picture...so far TV - 100 - Nitpicking about picture - 0

desertmichael

11-05-06, 08:45 PM

got mine finally today....wow. I keep trying to find something wrong with the picture...so far TV - 100 - Nitpicking about picture - 0

Congratulations...good to hear you are happy with your choice.

How is your tv hooked up, standard cable, digital cable, or satellite?

glitterbug

11-05-06, 08:46 PM

so sd content looks ok? Have you tried any game systems?

Soshnick93

11-05-06, 09:02 PM

ok i ordered this HDTV. it looks really nice compared to lcds. i dont care if the 960 has sfp i still think that the 970 kicks a s s. does anyone have anygood seting that i should use for my 970. if u give me ur settings will my tv look like urs or should i just use dve to calibrate it? thanks for the help. Cant wait for this new set to come. also is this set better then most lcds?

elrechazao

11-05-06, 10:31 PM

I'm doing over air HDTV via a new antenna I just bought. Been watching football mostly today. I've also had my xbox 360 hooked up, playing in 720 so far, I'll fool with 1080i later. It looks too incredible to touch right now. 360 hooked up through component obviously.

Still overjoyed at how incredible OTA HD looks on fox, cbs, pbs, etc.

Manny805

11-05-06, 11:47 PM

Wickerman1972

11-06-06, 07:38 AM

Yeah i got the component hooked up and set to hdtv on the switch.its set on 4 on back on the tv.I've set it on 720p and 1080i on the xbox on the dashboard.is there another switch on the 360? if so where ?

Hmmm, beats me man. 360 looks absolutely fantastic for me. By the way, what game are you playing on it? Maybe the game just sucks.

Manny805

11-06-06, 12:54 PM

i tryed nba 2k7,call of dutty 2,need for speed,fifa 06

justsc

11-06-06, 02:57 PM

Hmmm, beats me man. 360 looks absolutely fantastic for me. By the way, what game are you playing on it? Maybe the game just sucks.
Is there by chance a FSAA (full screen anti aliasing) setting on the Xbox 360?

Manny805

11-06-06, 03:13 PM

Is there by chance a FSAA (full screen anti aliasing) setting on the Xbox 360?
whats that ??

justsc

11-06-06, 03:14 PM

please see ds vs psp sales. more tech <> better. I will gladly pay 250 for a console that
is 2 or 3 times more powerful than the gamecube. Also note that the ps2 was less powerful than the gamecube (ps2 won last round). Back on topic:

can anyone else comment on 480p/i content on this set?
480i/p content should look wonderful on this set. In fact, there's no reason why SD shouldn't look good on any HD set. It's all a matter of doing one's homework and properly calibrating their HD set.

I actually own a Samsung EDTV crt set. 480p is its native resolution. It makes 480i/p look outstanding. My Sony 34" set makes 480i/p look just as good.

No worries. ;)

justsc

11-06-06, 03:18 PM

whats that ??
One of the most critical operations performed by video processors for simulators and gaming systems is anti-aliasing. Essentially, it's how they get rid of the jaggies.

Full Screen Antialiasing is being performed by the video processors in the Xbox. But since I'm not an owner or a user I was just asking if there's a setting somewhere in software or hardware on the Xbox for enabling FSAA. You'd think it gets invoked by default, but you never know...

I was just trying to think of anything to help.

justsc

11-06-06, 03:24 PM

How are most using the HDMI connection?..for cable box or DVR, or for a DVD player, or other?
I'm using an HDMI cable for my Oppo DVD player. I use component cables for my Comcast HD-DVR box.

Are you wondering where to get the biggest bang for the buck with HDMI?

It's not as critical with crt sets as it is with fixed-pixel displays (e.g. LCD, DLP). As a matter of fact, with crt sets, often times the picture quality will look better with component cables than with HDMI.

I use HDMI with my dvd player because the video processors are on the same card as the digital output and it requires use of the HDMI to get the benefit.

Manny805

11-06-06, 03:35 PM

oh i wouldnt know lol... this sucks i like the tv but i cant find out ot fix the jaggies.

justsc

11-06-06, 03:39 PM

I wonder if that other guy got his 360 looking to his satisfaction on it. I just downloaded and watched a Gears of War trailer from Live a little bit ago and it looked absolutely stunning. Everyone in the room was watching it in total awe. When I see that sort of thing it is exhilerating and pisses me off at the same time. I love that it looks so fantastic but am angry that my HD cable channels look nowhere even close to as good as that...and they freaking should! Really, the difference is like night and day, like I'm watching my Xbox 360 on some super TV and my cable on just a decent TV. It would be nice if these cable and satellite companies would stop rate shaping the living hell out of these channels!
This has got to be totally annoying.

I'm wondering. I believe you indicated that you have Comcast digital cable? Are you aware of the set-top-box's (STB) internal menu by which you can set the output of the box? It get's activated by powering off the STB and fairly quickly hitting the Menu button on the Comcast remote (it's at the center on the right). Once this screen comes up you can see the settings for Widescreen vs 4:3, at what resolution the box is outputting to your tv, etc. Look to see what the output resolution is. If it's anything other than 1080i, use the directional buttons on the remote to toggle through the available options and select 1080i. Then hit the menu botton on the Remote again and it'll turn off this menu and then hit Power to turn the STB back on.

If you've already done this then I'd seriously consider returning your STB for another. If that doesn't fix it then Comcast should come out and look at your set-up. There could easily be a problem with your signal from the street or head-end. I had that once where I could get SD but HD was poor to useless.

Manny805

11-06-06, 04:39 PM

Can this fix my problem ??? if so how can i set this on my tv ?
In response to a friend i helped out today, here are the best tweaks for the 34HS420 to get the best PQ for XBOX360 and other sources:

Make sure your in PRO mode at first and have everything in their default values since we are doing this all in the service menu.

Here are the codes..

SBRT: 29
UBOF: 0
VMLV: 0
VMCR: 0
VMLM: 0
VMFO: 0
VMDL: 0
SHOF: 0
VM: 0
VMH: 0
VMM: 0
VML: 0
RYR: 14
RYB: 14
GYR: 6
GYB: 4
Under MID5 settings MHLY-SVCE all at 0

And there you have it!

Keep in mind that some of these settings are global while others you will have to carry over from each input and resolution.

Your xbox360 games should deffinately be better looking and sharper, and eliminate most of the jaggies present.!

vid33nyc1

11-06-06, 05:12 PM

desertmichael

11-06-06, 09:03 PM

I'm using an HDMI cable for my Oppo DVD player. I use component cables for my Comcast HD-DVR box.

Are you wondering where to get the biggest bang for the buck with HDMI?

It's not as critical with crt sets as it is with fixed-pixel displays (e.g. LCD, DLP). As a matter of fact, with crt sets, often times the picture quality will look better with component cables than with HDMI.

I use HDMI with my dvd player because the video processors are on the same card as the digital output and it requires use of the HDMI to get the benefit.

Yeah, I was wondering where to get most bang for the buck when using HDMI. What about when connecting an upconverting DVD player? Is is best to connect using component cables or HDMI?

sivartk

11-06-06, 10:29 PM

Yeah, I was wondering where to get most bang for the buck when using HDMI. What about when connecting an upconverting DVD player? Is is best to connect using component cables or HDMI?

Most newer players will only upconvert over HDMI. You can find some older players that will upconvert over component for non-protected sources (I.e. Home movies)

Xaroe

11-06-06, 10:51 PM

sivartk

11-06-06, 11:06 PM

Is it posable to get channels in HD just by hooking up an antenna? Is so how do I know if il get any in my area, and how is the quality, also what kind do i need? I live in central florida.

Yes, this is the only way I watch TV...no money out of my pocket (beside the $60 antenna in my attic). Check this link (http://www.nab.org/AM/ASPCode/DTVStations/DTVStations.asp) for a listing of stations. Should be plenty in your area by now.

The quality rivals that (if not exceeds) that of Cable/Satellite. You either get a 100% quality image, or a macro blocking / image that doesn't hold it signal (I.e. drop outs, etc.) ...or no image at all.

elrechazao

11-06-06, 11:14 PM

cable and sat compress the images. OTA broadcast is actually the most "true HD" signal out there right now.

http://antennaweb.org/aw/Welcome.aspx

for all your HD needs.

justsc

11-07-06, 11:39 AM

Is it posable to get channels in HD just by hooking up an antenna? Is so how do I know if il get any in my area, and how is the quality, also what kind do i need? I live in central florida. Im also looking for a good 1080i sample to download from the net. Does anyone know a good sorce?
As mentioned above by elrechazao, go to antennaweb.com and enter your zip code and it'll tell you which digital stations you can expect to receive and what kind of antenna you'll need to get the job done.

You can also get local HD channels if you have basic cable service and your tv has a QAM (digital cable) tuner. All you have to do is plug in the coax cable to the antenna-in port and have the tv scan for channels. Most cable services provide the local HD channels encryption-free.

justsc

11-07-06, 11:44 AM

Yeah, I was wondering where to get most bang for the buck when using HDMI. What about when connecting an upconverting DVD player? Is is best to connect using component cables or HDMI?
My Oppo upconverting player requires the use of (DVI to) HDMI to take advantage of the upscaling and the majority of the cool video processing features. This is true of most of the players being made today.

But, there are a number of these players that can be hacked to allow upconversion over component cables. If memory serves, the Oppo may be one of them. Go to the Standard Def DVD Player section here at AVS and search for hacks for upconversion to see which models allow upconversion over component cables.

Xaroe

11-09-06, 11:41 PM

Dammit I want to see some high bandwedth sweet content that will make this tv shine. Maybe some day Blue ray or HD-Dvd will release some. That is easy to get and reasonable. I cant find squat online.

elrechazao

11-09-06, 11:55 PM

playing gears of war on mine lately is incredible. INCREDIBLE :)

xbox79

11-10-06, 02:01 PM

thedrake6

11-10-06, 02:39 PM

ok, im about ready to go out and buy this tv.. (970). i have one major question.. ive read that regular tv only fills up like 27 inches.. can you not make it fill up whe whole tv? without it looking like total hell anyway? also, what about full screen dvds? will they fill the whole tv? thanks alot

Yes it is about 27" for images sent in 4:3 mode. BUT, you can automatically change how the TV interprets this so that it can be shown as a 4:3 image, or it can be stretched wide, which looks like crap, or it can just be zoomed in, which cuts way too much off the top and bottom, OR, you can do a "wide zoom", which stretches it alittle bit, and cuts off a little bit, but it looks pretty decent. Or you do like I do, and leave it 4:3 and use the remote to switch between modes when I want it to be like that.

dtmcfall

11-10-06, 02:58 PM

I leave mine in 4:3 for 4:3 content. There's no reason IMO to make the image "bigger" when it looks like crap stretched or zoomed. Wide screen content looks great.

desertmichael

11-10-06, 03:08 PM

When watching 4:3 setting for 4:3 content, how many inches are blank on each side?

Oliver Deplace

11-10-06, 07:49 PM

When watching 4:3 setting for 4:3 content, how many inches are blank on each side?

3.7

cwitt

11-10-06, 08:14 PM

Soshnick93

11-10-06, 08:43 PM

my xbr970 just came! looks amazing. i ned to calibrate it though. my dve dvd is coming prob tomorrow or monday. what settings do u guys use?

papi34

11-10-06, 09:57 PM

If you had to choose one, would you recomend:

Digital Video Essentials, or
AVIA GUIDE TO HOME THEATER

for DIY calibration?

deepdiscountdvd has a 20% off sale going on right now :D

justsc

11-11-06, 12:02 AM

my xbr970 just came! looks amazing. i ned to calibrate it though. my dve dvd is coming prob tomorrow or monday. what settings do u guys use?
Tell you what - you finish your initial calibration then share your resulting settings. Then I'll share mine.

This isn't just selfishness or laziness. You are entering into a whole new realm with calibrating. You don't want your judgment polluted with wondering how well your settings are comparing to anyone else's. Your settings are what appears correct to your eyes against the test patterns. "Right" is whatever looks correct to you. I would hate for you to abandon a seting just because it seems way off from someone else's.

Plus, this is really, really fun. The more you do it the better you get. It's as much art as it is science. Then, when you're done with your first calibration - then it's fun to compare to another's settings.

I hope you understand. The most important reason to avoid using someone else's settings for comparison purposes (if you are doing it to judge the correctness of your settings) is because every single crt set is unique and will for sure have different correct settings. It's the nature of analog devices. It would be pure coincidence if two sets had the same post-calibration settings.

Enjoy!

justsc

11-11-06, 12:06 AM

If you had to choose one, would you recomend:

Digital Video Essentials, or
AVIA GUIDE TO HOME THEATER

for DIY calibration?

deepdiscountdvd has a 20% off sale going on right now :D
I don't choose - I use them both. In areas where one is relatively weak I use the other.

papi34

11-11-06, 11:00 AM

I don't choose - I use them both. In areas where one is relatively weak I use the other.

Oh thx...in your opinion then, what are the weak areas of both DVDs?
Also, DVE is for 16:9 sets, but AVIA is not ? Does it really matter for the types of settings they walk you though?

One more question....Should I expect to have to get into entering Service Codes when using these calibration discs?

Wickerman1972

11-11-06, 03:18 PM

just bought the 970. AMAZING! the only thing is that im seeing tracers in the blacks when an object moves in the frame... anyone know anything about this or how i can stop it? im watching a dvd with the oppo 970 through the hdmi connection.

thanks!

Hmmm, that's the exact opposite of my experience with this TV. With the Samsung TX-3082WHX I would occasionally see some ghosting with white text on a black background and such but I've never noticed it on this Sony.

xbox79

11-11-06, 09:22 PM

guys help me out here.. ive been looking at stores and researching what hdtv i want. im leaning toward this sony, but then when i look at a lcd , they look brighter than this sony. also, when i know the sony is 34 inches, but 32 inch lcds somehow look bigger.. can you guys sell me on this tv hehe?i mean compared to a similar size lcd? i can get it for like 999 but do you think it will come on sale black friday? thanks

desertmichael

11-11-06, 09:26 PM

How many people have bought the Sony stand that goes with this TV? I wonder what they thought of it....good, bad, quality? I also wondered what peopel thought of the height of TV with the stand.

Thanks...

papi34

11-11-06, 09:33 PM

fallenlordz

11-11-06, 09:39 PM

Right now I have a 5% overscan - is there a way to get more picture in to the screen?

I dont know which of the settings to use in the service menu for this option.

I fixed the geometry problem - but i cant seem to fix the overscan problem.

I would like to get more picture into my screen, annoying to have the top and sides of my picture cut out. Really kills my movie experience knowing that something is missing, even as little as 5% :(

Soshnick93

11-11-06, 11:09 PM

how can i fix geometry problems with this pixar dvd it did this test and it was kinda off with geometry.

desertmichael

11-11-06, 11:25 PM

Stand is very nice, excellent quality. Height is perfect. I highly recommend it!
Thanks Pap34....it certainly seems to mke a tight fit amd look nice....the TV and the stand. Would you recommend ordferng an extra glass shelf for the stand? I apppreciate any imput and experience you might have..

Michael

Soshnick93

11-11-06, 11:31 PM

Tell you what - you finish your initial calibration then share your resulting settings. Then I'll share mine.

This isn't just selfishness or laziness. You are entering into a whole new realm with calibrating. You don't want your judgment polluted with wondering how well your settings are comparing to anyone else's. Your settings are what appears correct to your eyes against the test patterns. "Right" is whatever looks correct to you. I would hate for you to abandon a seting just because it seems way off from someone else's.

Plus, this is really, really fun. The more you do it the better you get. It's as much art as it is science. Then, when you're done with your first calibration - then it's fun to compare to another's settings.

I hope you understand. The most important reason to avoid using someone else's settings for comparison purposes (if you are doing it to judge the correctness of your settings) is because every single crt set is unique and will for sure have different correct settings. It's the nature of analog devices. It would be pure coincidence if two sets had the same post-calibration settings.

Enjoy!

cant you just let me know your settings so i can see how they look?

papi34

11-11-06, 11:39 PM

Thanks Pap34....it certainly seems to mke a tight fit amd look nice....the TV and the stand. Would you recommend ordferng an extra glass shelf for the stand? I apppreciate any imput and experience you might have..

Michael

Depends on how many components you plan to hook up to it. Personally, I like a clean uncluttered look. I only have one shelf, installed in the top position. On it, sits my Sony DVP-NS71HP DVD player with a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD set-top box. I'm considering hooking up a VCR tomorrow by placing it on the stand's base.

desertmichael

11-11-06, 11:53 PM

Depends on how many components you plan to hook up to it. Personally, I like a clean uncluttered look. I only have one shelf, installed in the top position. On it, sits my Sony DVP-NS71HP DVD player with a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD set-top box. I'm considering hooking up a VCR tomorrow by placing it on the stand's base.

I like a clean unclutterred look as well. I was sort of curious about the picture tube when using the Sony stand..and about it's height. Do you find they thought it all through and it is correct height for viewing? My initial thoughts was that is might be too low. The Sony stand and TV look great together, from what I have seen. Any input I greatly appreciate....Thanks.....Michael

desertmichael

11-12-06, 08:30 AM

Depends on how many components you plan to hook up to it. Personally, I like a clean uncluttered look. I only have one shelf, installed in the top position. On it, sits my Sony DVP-NS71HP DVD player with a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD set-top box. I'm considering hooking up a VCR tomorrow by placing it on the stand's base.

papi34....I plan on picking up that dvd player as well. I was surprised how small these players have gotten. Which of your components is utilizing your HDMI?...the set top box or the dvd player?

Thanks....

papi34

11-12-06, 10:04 AM

papi34....I plan on picking up that dvd player as well. I was surprised how small these players have gotten. Which of your components is utilizing your HDMI?...the set top box or the dvd player?

the DVD player

desertmichael

11-12-06, 10:15 AM

the DVD player

Thank you papi34...I figured that was what would have to be utilizing the HDMI. This is all new to me, obviously.

J.Brad

11-12-06, 06:43 PM

Hello and thanks for the mostly helpful remarks I have discovered on this forum. Especially those comments regarding calibration. Just purchased a 970 and I'm very impressed.

But can someone tell me if the four basic settings from vivid to pro default to an internal setting that starts out, in some uncontrollable way, differently for each setting? So that however I manually change brightness, color, etc., within one setting like pro I will not be able to come up with what I could create say within the movie setting?

In other words, are those four settings just helpful guides for viewing style and in the end can be reduced to one another by manipulating all the things we can manipulate like brightness, contrast, etc.?

Being a novice at this and just having started I get the feeling those four settings can't be replicated exactly within each other. But I may be wrong. It is too overwhelming to absorb in a short time.

I found the open box 970 with full two year coverage on everthing for 650 and consider myself lucky. Especially in light of a ten year old Zenith CRT I had been looking at all these years and paid a lot more for.

It is truly an enjoyable experience to see the colors and clarity of the picture in the DVDs I thought I had seen.

Thanks again, Jim

RyanHomsey

11-12-06, 07:07 PM

cant you just let me know your settings so i can see how they look?

The problem is that, even if you use my same settings, they wont look the same on your set. There is variation between each set... otherwise there would never need to be any post factory calibration.

But, nevertheless, here is what my last avia calibration yeilded:

75 picture (white level) - I was using around 60 prior... being gentle because the TV is new (break in period).

47 brightness (black level) - The corresponding black level had much more of a spread (versus the white level) in my last calibration. I'm guessing because of the break in period. I remember one calibration yeilded 68 white level and 58 black level... much less spread.

58 color - avia calibrated saturation to around 54 / 56 range. The red push test revealed that I could go even higher with saturation... I went to 64 with it. Skin tones ended up looking a little too red, so I bumped it down to what looked good to my eyes ... 58. Which is right inbetween the red push pattern results and the saturation results.

hue centered at 0... didnt need any alterations.

warm white balance - I did run this on neutral for a while. I found it to yeild somewhat of a cold/analytical feel. I may end up going back to neutral... but I'm very much liking warm right now.

advanced settings set to monitor

I've noticed some clear geometry issues with my set. Going to start researching the whole service menu world soon to see what steps I can take in that regard.

RyanHomsey

11-12-06, 07:12 PM

Hello and thanks for the mostly helpful remarks I have discovered on this forum. Especially those comments regarding calibration. Just purchased a 970 and I'm very impressed.

But can someone tell me if the four basic settings from vivid to pro default to an internal setting that starts out, in some uncontrollable way, differently for each setting? So that however I manually change brightness, color, etc., within one setting like pro I will not be able to come up with what I could create say within the movie setting?

In other words, are those four settings just helpful guides for viewing style and in the end can be reduced to one another by manipulating all the things we can manipulate like brightness, contrast, etc.?

Thanks again, Jim

To my knowledge, pro and standard do not have any internal "stuck" settings. I think vivid has some weird sharpening and other factors going on... not sure about the other one. I've only had my 970 a week now, since then I've done all my calibrations in "pro". What I will likely do, is calibrate standard for daytime viewing (somewhat higher white levels) and calibrate pro for nighttime viewing (lower white levels).

Soshnick93

11-12-06, 08:10 PM

The problem is that, even if you use my same settings, they wont look the same on your set. There is variation between each set... otherwise there would never need to be any post factory calibration.

But, nevertheless, here is what my last avia calibration yeilded:

75 picture (white level) - I was using around 60 prior... being gentle because the TV is new (break in period).

47 brightness (black level) - The corresponding black level had much more of a spread (versus the white level) in my last calibration. I'm guessing because of the break in period. I remember one calibration yeilded 68 white level and 58 black level... much less spread.

58 color - avia calibrated saturation to around 54 / 56 range. The red push test revealed that I could go even higher with saturation... I went to 64 with it. Skin tones ended up looking a little too red, so I bumped it down to what looked good to my eyes ... 58. Which is right inbetween the red push pattern results and the saturation results.

hue centered at 0... didnt need any alterations.

warm white balance - I did run this on neutral for a while. I found it to yeild somewhat of a cold/analytical feel. I may end up going back to neutral... but I'm very much liking warm right now.

advanced settings set to monitor

I've noticed some clear geometry issues with my set. Going to start researching the whole service menu world soon to see what steps I can take in that regard.

what do u mean service menu? isnt that where set brightness picture and sharpness and hue and stuff? my set has a little bit of geometry problems how can i fix them?

justsc

11-13-06, 05:07 PM

how can i fix geometry problems with this pixar dvd it did this test and it was kinda off with geometry.
You can't.

I try to avoid these because they are set-up to maximize the picture for just that movie. They are not intended to get you set consistent with NTSC standards.

justsc

11-13-06, 05:22 PM

what do u mean service menu? isnt that where set brightness picture and sharpness and hue and stuff? my set has a little bit of geometry problems how can i fix them?
Our tvs have both a user menu and a service menu.

The calibration dvds can be used to make adjustments in both menus. The basic calibration involves just the user menu and covers white level (contrast), blacklevel (brightness), hue/tint, color and sharpness. Making adjustments to geometry, greyscale, overscan and other areas involves the service menu, usually intended for technicians and such.

justsc

11-13-06, 05:24 PM

cant you just let me know your settings so i can see how they look?
For starters, use the suggestions from RyanHomsey in an earlier post. But please do perform your own calibration - that will give you the best settings for your particular set.

RyanHomsey

11-13-06, 05:43 PM

I also wanted to note that I am no longer using "warm" mode.

My "reference dvd", which ive watched probably 100+ times, is lord of the rings, fellowship of the ring. I was watching it last night ... when Frodo and Arwen were running from the crazy squeeling death dudes.. I noticed Frodo's eyes didnt look very blue, like I remembered in that scene. I figured it may be in the white balance, so I toggled between warm and neutral. I found that, while on warm, it washed out nearly half of the blue in his eyes. Putting it on neutral made the blue bright and poppy, like it should be.

The initial reason I decided to re-calibrate with the warm white balance setting was because, in the sony tv menu, it said under it's description "ntsc-standard". So I figured it would be the most neutral, even though there is a neutral setting. I know it adds far too much yellow/orange to the picture though... things that clearly should be white are more of an orangish white.

So why does it claim the warm setting to be "ntsc-standard", anyone know? I would think the standard would be as neutral as possible.

Wickerman1972

11-13-06, 06:05 PM

Yeah, I've got mine set to neutral as well. I've also got my color axis set to monitor. I don't like those cool and warm settings. They make everything look weird.

justsc

11-13-06, 06:15 PM

otk

11-15-06, 12:52 AM

do you pay tax for the 970 at sony style?

sbgobig

11-16-06, 12:59 AM

I found a refurbished 970 at a SONY outlet store for about $750. Any thoughs on the risks associated with a refurbished set from such a store?

I will be replacing a 10+ year old Mitsubishi 34" CRT so even if I get a new 960 I think I will be happy with the imporved picture quality.

Jerm357

11-16-06, 01:15 AM

Quick question, what is the settings range for the 970? Like my XS955 goes Min,1 to 62,Max. Just wondering.

Wickerman1972

11-16-06, 01:48 AM

Xaroe

11-16-06, 02:34 AM

Im in love with this tv.

justsc

11-16-06, 11:32 AM

Quick question, what is the settings range for the 970? Like my XS955 goes Min,1 to 62,Max. Just wondering.
I've been told the 970 goes from 1 - 100 tics on the "ticker." My 34HS420 only goes to 62 like yours.

sbgobig

11-16-06, 09:52 PM

I wouldn't pay that much for a refurbed xbr970. I got mine for $800 new.

The refurbishied model is the XBR 960. However I don't think I want to take the risk because it only comes with a 90 day warranty and I bet I'll be plenty happy with the 970.

Now I'm just waiting for the price to drop again.

Wickerman1972

11-16-06, 10:55 PM

The refurbishied model is the XBR 960. However I don't think I want to take the risk because it only comes with a 90 day warranty and I bet I'll be plenty happy with the 970.

Now I'm just waiting for the price to drop again.

Well, if it is the 960 than it is worth that much. The 960 has lots of features the 970 doesn't and has the SFPT. But like you that 90 day warranty would worry me. Personally I've always been unwilling to buy used items.

DropFrame

11-17-06, 04:17 AM

Hi all,

First, I'd like to express my gratitude for all the information posted in this forum. I've learned a great deal and appreciate the friendly nature of the tech-savvy folks here. :)

That being said, I have an issue that a forum search failed to resolve. I have a new (1 week old ) 34XBR970 sitting on a Techcraft SXB3497 stand which swivels. Aside from the typical geometry issues, the picture quality is superb. However, when I swivel the stand to the left, I get a green tint in the lower right of the screen. Swivel to the right, I get the green tint in the upper right. :confused:

There are no speakers near the TV. I have a Sony DVP-NS75H DVD player hooked up via HDMI and a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 3250HD STB hooked up via component cables. I get the green tints whether I'm viewing cable TV or DVD's.

Before I call for service, I thought I'd ask if anyone had any input on the issue.

TIA. :)

justsc

11-17-06, 11:30 AM

You may not believe this, but it (probably) comes down to the earth's magnetic field. It's amazing how many of our sets are prone to just this anomaly when we rotate them. Yes, interference from other devices, from power lines behind the wall, from generators close by can all cause this as well. I have a brother-in-law who's apartment complex had an equipment room with a number of high voltage lines running underground and within its walls, and my brother-in-law lived above this room. He could only place his set in one spot with it positioned one way to avoid these color blotches.

There's another AVS member who's written about the same problem but has no evidence of any such causes and troubleshooting has been narrowed down to the earth's magnetic field. I forget the gadgets he and others used to finally come to this conclusion.

Anyway, you may have to try other locations in your home rotating it until it's right. I believe there's other ways to shield sets from interference (even the earth's) but I haven't looked into it.

DropFrame

11-17-06, 04:10 PM

Well, I had begun thinking that perhaps it had something to do with the steel structure of the building I live in, so the earth's magnetic field isn't that much of a stretch.

I've done some rudimentary poking around and found some magnetic shielding foil, but the cost is prohibitive. I do have a "sweet spot" which eliminates the tint completely, but it's a tad skewed for convenient viewing. I suppose my best bet is to move the set to another area and see if I can achieve a clean picture and perhaps utilize the swivel feature of the stand.

I'll also try a search for that other AVS member's post to further dig into this issue.

Thanx very much for the reply. :)

Dufusyte

11-17-06, 04:31 PM

My "reference dvd" is lord of the rings, fellowship of the ring.
LOTR FOTR is not a very good reference for color, because the colors in the film are highly processed and digitally altered to achieve an artistic effect. It would be better to take some regular drama or a romantic comedy where the colors are more natural.

to each his own

sodaboy581

11-18-06, 01:58 PM

justsc

11-18-06, 02:07 PM

If the whole picture seems tilted uniformly, there is a tilt adjustment in the user menus. I don't recall which one but give it a try if you haven't already.

sodaboy581

11-18-06, 02:12 PM

Oh yeah, I forgot to include pictures of it.

http://www.vengefulsoda.com/970geo.jpg

and

http://www.vengefulsoda.com/970geo2.jpg

Tilt adjustment, hmm, I've tried some of the things in the HS420 geometry document to correct it, but can't seem to get it .. I can only move it more downward and not upward (the left side) ..

I'll look again. =\

EDIT: Well, I looked in the P and D menus, but still can't find a fix for my problem..

Do you think this type of thing is serviceable under warranty? Or is it not extreme enough? I got this TV in May (or was it June), so it's still under warranty.

desertmichael

11-18-06, 07:17 PM

I would definitely give Sony a call because I would think that would be a servicable problem. I believe the TV has a 24 month warranty.

Wickerman1972

11-18-06, 09:03 PM

Well, I just noticed the geometry on my 970 is pretty jacked up... I've been in the service menu trying to adjust stuff to fix it, but I just can't get it...

Basically, my whole picture is somewhat tilted. Looking at a pattern on the screen has the whole picture slanted going slightly up hill, you could say..

I didn't ever really notice it until recently, like text displays or horizontal lines slowly curve upward from the left to the right..

Anybody have any suggestions? I tried adjusting the HTPZ setting but it only makes it curve more. >_<

Yeah, mine is tilted too. I put the tilt correction to +4 and it looks OK now. The vertical was also too low so I moved that up. My horizontal is off to the right but that can't be fixed with the user menu, will have to go into the service menu to address that. I've got some slight geometry issues as well but nothing real major. I was gonna' start tweaking this weekend but I went out and bought a few more Xbox 360 games instead of a calibration disc so that is going to have to wait a bit longer.:)

sodaboy581

11-18-06, 09:50 PM

Wow, you know what's funny.. I just realized the "Tilt Correction" isn't in the service menu.. but in the normal user menu.

Found and fixed that problem. =)

Corrected some of the geometry as well now... still not the best but the best that *I* can do myself... it's a lot better.

elrechazao

11-19-06, 10:54 AM

Wickerman1972

11-19-06, 03:34 PM

I read a lot of these posts, and have to wonder if I've just got bad vision or something. Is it odd that I feel no need to calibrate my 970? I bought it open box and CC, and assumed I'd want to do some tweaking. I play my xbox360 on it, watch ota broadcast in HD, and I have to say, I've never thought to myself that anything needs changing.

I'm not knocking those who do calibrate, it's altogether possible I'm missing out on something, but my question is: If I can't tell and don't feel any need to, should I mess with anything?

If it looks good to you then why bother? Primarily what I want to do is tweak geometry, overscan, tilt, horizontal and vertical, etc. I think I can probably handle that stuff. I don't know if I'll even bother trying to adjust grayscale and things like that. It just sounds too complicated for me and from what I hear calibration discs don't really have any directions, just a bunch of test patterns. I suspect I'd end up doing more harm than good.

kigasman

11-19-06, 04:36 PM

J.Brad

11-19-06, 08:05 PM

Jedah Doma

11-20-06, 01:01 AM

How does analog material look on the Sony CRT HDTV? I have a 32" Bravia XBR2 and the analog picture sucks; it looks great with HD loop at best buy. but a bit fuzzy with non hd digital dish network signals and analog over antenna. I am very disappointed and unsure if its a LCD thing or a HD / analog signal issue. I have also been looking at a Samsung slimfit tx-s3080wh as the 34" sony is a bit wide overall for me; but that seems to have lots of geometery issues, how are the Sony 34" CRT?
Thanks,
Kevin

First of all a HUGE THANKS to all of the informed members here for giving some invaluable information to those of us less savvy in these sorts of areas.

Well, this post should serve as good reference and as an indirect answer to your questions. Like you, I've been looking for a set to give me good HD quality while also providing me with a nice non-HD picture.

I went down to my local Best Buy and Circuit City on a mission last week. I went there to find out how an old 480 signal would look on the newer HD TVs. I've always heard bad things, but I needed to see for myself. For reference I brought my Sega Saturn along, as it's my 2-D beast of choice. I brought along s-video cables (the best video you are going to push out of a Saturn) and two games. One is a 2-D fighter called "Vampire Savior" and the other is a 3-D action game called "Virtual On". I wanted to use both a 2-D and a 3-D game to make sure that I had a good idea what both types of games would look like.

Weeks before I had my eye on a 30" Samsung Slimfit at Sams. It was much cheaper then any other HD CRT I had seen on the market and it looked nice and had a pretty good HD picture. I came on these forums and heard some pretty decent things about it, but needed to see for myself. So, I went to Best Buy first. After an odd look from the front door security guy in the yellow shirt, I kindly asked if if I could use my Sega Saturn to try out the TVs. He said sure and I went on my merry way. My first stop was the Samsung I was just telling you about. I hooked it up and booted up Vampire Savior. My first impressions were decent at best. While the picture was very bright and colorful, it had some terrible upscanning issues. It looked like a mix of the 2-D pixels and an almost "pastel" like clump of colors. That and when I put the set back to 4:3 there was color bleeding on the side. Plus I noticed some warping issues on the top corner where "press start" appears. I know this can be fixed in service mode, but it was still annoying. I then started up Virtual On and had the same results.

So I decided to check out a 40" Sony standard definition TV they had a few rows down. I plugged in the Saturn and booted up Vampire Savior agin. It was no surprise that it looked much better then the previous Samsung. Naturally Virtual On looked great too, but this presented a terrible dilemma. Either have a nice HD set with crappy non HD picture, or a standard definition TV with great non HD picture but only an HD tuner with no true HD picture, or buy both and be broke.

I then gazed upon the Sony KD-34XBR970 34". I had seen this set before, but it was around $1300 when I first saw it. It had gone down in price recently, so I thought what the hell, I'll try it out. I hook up my Saturn and started Vampire Savior. Wow, I was blown away. Even with the crappy store settings, it looked even better then the standard Sony set. Even with the small bit of tweaking I could do, it looked great. Pixels were sharp and defined with nice edge clarity. There was no color bleeding in 4:3 mode either. Needless to say I played it for a good while just screwing around with settings and also tried out Virtual On with just as amazing results. I also went to Circuit City to confirm what I had seen at Best Buy and had the same amazing results.

I have no idea what the 960 looked like and have no doubt there is some picture difference, but for my money and what I saw, I promptly forgot about the Samsung and am getting ever closer to buying the 970. For my two cents, it looked great whether it was non HD or an HD signal. I am in love. ;)

justsc

11-20-06, 12:18 PM

I read a lot of these posts, and have to wonder if I've just got bad vision or something. Is it odd that I feel no need to calibrate my 970? I bought it open box and CC, and assumed I'd want to do some tweaking. I play my xbox360 on it, watch ota broadcast in HD, and I have to say, I've never thought to myself that anything needs changing.

I'm not knocking those who do calibrate, it's altogether possible I'm missing out on something, but my question is: If I can't tell and don't feel any need to, should I mess with anything?
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. ;)

This is the best of all circumstances. My set was close to what you're seeing. I have very few items that needed attention.

Now there's a big difference between fixing problems and improving picture quality. The calibration DVDs are intended to help with both. All sets come from the factory set to look best on a bright showroom floor. For this reason many of the settings are set too high, like contrast (Sony calls it Picture).

What to do? Enjoy your new tv. Invest in a calibration DVD like Avia or DVE. Use the calibration portion that walks you through improving contrast, brightness, color, tint and sharpness. All user menu items and nothing hard. Many of us have found that just doing this simple procedure has improved the picture quality immensely.

justsc

11-20-06, 12:31 PM

Hello,

When my DVD player is set to output progressive I notice the advanced DRC settings on my XBR 970 are no longer avalaible.

What then does the set do with this 480p incoming video signal? Does it change it in some way? To what? I certainly cannot use the advanced DRC settings at that time.

When I set my DVD player to output interlaced, which I'm supposing is then 480i, I can then select among the three options of advanced DRC settings, the interlaced, progressive and cine-motion.

What exactly happens to that 480i video imput in each of the three settings? I see conflicting info about this.

If the incoming 480i is enhanced by say Cine-Motion, then is the result a 480p? Should we think the set does a better job than the DVD player with 480p video output?

Just a novice here and hope the questions are clear enough and aren't the result of confusion.

Thanks, JBrad
Excellent questions!

It all boils down to which device is doing the video processing, the tv or the dvd player? If you have a progressive scan (PS) player and set it to progressive, then the player is doing all the processing and the tv simply passes the signal along for display at 480p. If the player is set-up to output 480i, then the tv does the processing and that's why the DRC options are available.

I have tested this set and its video processing capabilities against a few modern PS players and found that the players tend to do a better job of processing video than the tv. For this reason I set my player(s) to 480p and that's basically it.

If you choose to have the player output 480i, then you have 3 options. Interlaced will line double the incoming signal and deliver 960i, which can look quite good. If you set it to Progressive then you get Progressive Scan. If you set it to CineMotion, you get Progressive Scan plus other features like reverse 3:2 pulldown, a needful de-interlacing feature.

Again, I find it's best to let the player handle things by setting it to PS (480p).

J.Brad

11-20-06, 04:35 PM

Excellent questions!

It all boils down to which device is doing the video processing, the tv or the dvd player? If you have a progressive scan (PS) player and set it to progressive, then the player is doing all the processing and the tv simply passes the signal along for display at 480p. If the player is set-up to output 480i, then the tv does the processing and that's why the DRC options are available.

I have tested this set and its video processing capabilities against a few modern PS players and found that the players tend to do a better job of processing video than the tv. For this reason I set my player(s) to 480p and that's basically it.

If you choose to have the player output 480i, then you have 3 options. Interlaced will line double the incoming signal and deliver 960i, which can look quite good. If you set it to Progressive then you get Progressive Scan. If you set it to CineMotion, you get Progressive Scan plus other features like reverse 3:2 pulldown, a needful de-interlacing feature.

Again, I find it's best to let the player handle things by setting it to PS (480p).

Thanks so much, Justsc, for your comments and clarification. I have little experience having just purchased the 970. But what you say fits with what I have seen so far. My main purpose with this wonderful tv is enjoying movies, mark time and see what falls out in the HD department.

I was able to borrow a couple of Denon DVD players and both of them, to my eyes at least, produced a better picture when set to 480p output than what the DRC adjustments could produce in any of the the three modes receiving the 480i signal. That is why I was puzzled and asked the questions. In fact, the DRC adjustments on the tv seem to make the picture curiously grainy and without depth. Although the CineMotion seemed at times to be good depending on the kind of film material.

I recognize that it takes some time to absorb the many differences.

Thanks again for your help. If you have a recommendation for a DVD player with fine 480p signal processing, I would appreciate it. JBrad

justsc

11-20-06, 07:07 PM

Thanks so much, Justsc, for your comments and clarification. I have little experience having just purchased the 970. But what you say fits with what I have seen so far. My main purpose with this wonderful tv is enjoying movies, mark time and see what falls out in the HD department.

I was able to borrow a couple of Denon DVD players and both of them, to my eyes at least, produced a better picture when set to 480p output than what the DRC adjustments could produce in any of the the three modes receiving the 480i signal. That is why I was puzzled and asked the questions. In fact, the DRC adjustments on the tv seem to make the picture curiously grainy and without depth. Although the CineMotion seemed at times to be good depending on the kind of film material.

I recognize that it takes some time to absorb the many differences.

Thanks again for your help. If you have a recommendation for a DVD player with fine 480p signal processing, I would appreciate it. JBrad
It makes sense that CineMotion was the best DRC mode as it's the only one doing film to video 3:2 pulldown.

Reccomendation? I'd say any brand name player employing progressive scan. Price ought to be around $100. Don't go with the $39 variety. I recommend Sony, Panasonic and Samsung. And a set of component cables.

Good Luck! ;)

oman66

11-20-06, 08:52 PM

raouliii

11-20-06, 09:06 PM

ok, I have a problem that just started yesterday. Flipping channels I got a blue message over the channel that said something about something being compromised and that I would have to use the ybbr (?) cable instead of the HDMI cable. I turned everything off. When turning it back on still with the HDMI everything was fine. Now, last evening I got a green screen covering everything but I could still hear the audio on the channel. Turned everything off and back on. All was fine. Today, green screen again with audio. I used the tv/dvd button to go through all 6 choices. When I got back to 6 (HDMI) everything was fine. Any ideas?

I have the Sony 970 along with the Comcast Dual DVR box.

ThanksIf the Comcast box, is the Moto 6xxx series, it appears Motorola fielded a firmware upgrade that essentially disabled the digital HDMI/DVI output. The ybbr? cable is the component output of the stb. A few posts have indicated months before a fix.

IMHO, this is a big blackeye for Moto. Do they bother testing these "upgrades"?

oman66

11-20-06, 09:11 PM

Thanks for such a quick reply. I have the Motorola DCT3416 box. Could this be the same problem though?

Thanks again.

raouliii

11-20-06, 09:37 PM

Thanks for such a quick reply. I have the Motorola DCT3416 box. Could this be the same problem though?

Thanks again.Very likely.

justsc

11-21-06, 12:46 PM

I have one of the 6412 boxes and one of the 3416 boxes. We haven't seen this problem on either box. These STBs are notoriously poor and it's possible to go through a number of them before finding one that works, for awhile. I'd take the box back and get another one.

kessomatt

11-22-06, 01:09 AM

papi34

11-22-06, 07:09 PM

Hi, first post here. I have a 970 on the way, and was wondering what you guys think of this tv stand(VS39536). I probably will have to leave the swivel base off. The max weight is 210.

The dimensions on the tv are:

H- 25-3/4
W- 38-1/8
D- 23-3/4

The dimensions of the stand are:

H- 20-1/2"
W- 47-1/4"
D- 23-3/8"

I'd spend the few extra bucks and get a SU34XB4 (http://www.crutchfield.com/S-t172NF8wK8y/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?search=KD34XBR970&i=158SU34XB4)

slikkrock

11-23-06, 01:21 PM

Ok everyone, bare with me. I'm trying to install digital channels on my grandparents television-during the holidays and while football is on. Oh and my grandfather is 95!

I don't know if this post belongs here, but here goes:

When I ran an autoscan for digital HD channels ota - instead of being placed at the usual: 2.1, 5.1, 7.1 and 32.1 here in chicago - they are being placed at 117.5 111.1 etc.

That's a big deal because: 1) Numbers this high aren't really sinking in with my grandparents; 2) Other than the national broadcasts - I can't figure out which station is which to "label" for them- antennaweb and the local ota forum here in chicago lists the channels the way they are at my house and everyone else I know/should be; i.e 2.1, 5.1, 7.1 etc.; 3) I think it would be easier for them to have the HD channels in an order that they are familiar with and simply scrolling up to an HD channel rather than a whole different stratosphere or the complicated menu/favorite channel/scroll/enter.

"Hiding" the other channels won't work because they have specific channel numbers that they frequent and have memorized for last 15+ years.

Any thoughts/suggestions? Any idea why the digital channels are being placed in the hundreds or where I can find some sort of station identification?

Happy Thanksgiving!

slikkrock

11-23-06, 03:32 PM

Oh and one more thing and something that I failed to mention. They have basic cable.

Also, what about digital channels that are accessible and viewable but don't have sound to them? There are digital channels that come in that looked "enhanced" (not really sure if they are true hd or some version of HDLITE like TBS, TNT, ESPN, that don't have sound?

justsc

11-23-06, 04:30 PM

I would love to be able to help you, especially with grandparents and Thanksgiving weekend.

But I don't have OTA and am unfamiliar with channel designations.

I have found our local PBS station to be of enormous help. They always answer email messages. I would fire-off an email message to them just like these posts and ask for their help. I bet they'll respond very positively, even with regard to other stations.

Happy Thanksgiving and Good Luck!

dontdropthesoap

11-25-06, 04:54 PM

cwitt

11-25-06, 06:12 PM

desertmichael

11-25-06, 06:13 PM

Hi... I got the XBR970 a few months ago. When I first got it, the HD was crystal clear. However, it is either that I am wrong and I just, got use to it, or the picture became less concise, a little blurry and fuzzy, the black lines(the grids?) are SLIGHTY more visible, and the picture is somewhat dark. Is this normal? Should I be worried? Any suggestions?

Thanks

Do you have cable? Regular cable or digital cable? Some days some of my channels don't seem to be as good as I know them to be...and I know it is the cable company.

-Michael

dontdropthesoap

11-25-06, 06:53 PM

desertmichael

11-25-06, 07:15 PM

Thanks for the reply Michael. I have IO digital Cable(w/ HD). Can it be from that? I maybe that would be is because my xbox 360 looks good. But it has been like this since like 3 weeks, wouldn;t the cable company fix it by now?

I think it could be possible it is your cable company...I would also check all your connections to make sure they are still tight.

Jedah Doma

11-26-06, 03:13 AM

Well, just picked one up from Circuit City today, well technically yesterday. Used a %10 off coupon to get a pretty good deal on it. Sad thing was is that there was no way that thing was fitting in my Grand Prix. So, I had to leave it there and borrow my friend's Explorer to come get tomorrow. Ot scuked having to leave it there, but it will make it all the more sweeter tomorrow. I'll post more impressions once I get it all hooked up. :D

justsc

11-26-06, 02:23 PM

i dunno if this has been covered, but im having an issue with vertical roll bars on my 970 when my dvd player is upconverting at 60hz.
not sure what this is... i have my oppo dvd player running on auto under the pal or ntsc settings and using an hdmi cable to the tv obviously.
anyone heard of this?
thanks!
I've got the 971 and have not noticed this. I recommend emailing Oppo, even on a Sunday. I've emailed them on a Sunday and received a helpful reply in 10 minutes. IMHO, Oppo has the best customer service and support in the industry, maybe any industry.

Cheers! ;)

Jedah Doma

11-26-06, 09:11 PM

Well, so far I'm loving the TV. I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the settings and gizmos and such. It's a lot to absord when you upgrade to such a nice set. I'm going to mess around with the settings and have been already looking at threads for the best color setup. Man this thing is one sexy beast.

dietcokefiend

11-26-06, 11:54 PM

Could someone with this TV let me know if it has the trinitron style scan lines at about 1/3 and 2/3 up the screen?

andreej

11-27-06, 02:38 AM

jpl3447

11-27-06, 03:21 AM

I just picked up the 970 today over much debating between it and the 42e2000 rear projection. Anyway I got it all set up and realized I have a problem - the only digital audio output on this set is the coaxial connection. My receiver only has optical digital inputs.. I only receive OTA so I have no other tuner or box to get the digital audio from.... Anyone have any ideas short of buying a new receiver? I'd hate to have to return the tv over an issue like this but I really like having surround sound when watching tv. (my dvd player outputs optically so that is not an issue)..

Thanks!

Maybe this converter will do the job? I think it will... I recall someone else having a similar problem over at the Amps and Receiver sub forums.

Link (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10423&cs_id=1042302&p_id=2947&seq=1&format=2&style=)

coclint

11-27-06, 04:17 AM

Wickerman1972

11-27-06, 07:50 AM

Has anyone heard anything more about the two new tubes Sony is supposedly releasing early next year?...because I want to get the XBR970, but can't decide whether or no I should wait. Any info is appreciated.

I didn't know they were releasing new CRTs next year. If they release something like the sfpt I'm gonna' be pissed since I already got the xbr970.

Wickerman1972

11-27-06, 07:52 AM

Could someone with this TV let me know if it has the trinitron style scan lines at about 1/3 and 2/3 up the screen?

You mean the two little hair-thin lines that go across the screen left to right? Yes, they are there but I don't notice them unless I'm close to the screen.

dietcokefiend

11-27-06, 12:11 PM

Has anyone heard anything more about the two new tubes Sony is supposedly releasing early next year?...because I want to get the XBR970, but can't decide whether or no I should wait. Any info is appreciated.

Get one now as they might not be around next year anymore.

For those of you with this TV already, how would you rate it overall? Is it overly loud with its "high pitched tv sound"? Does it have that big white bar problem eariler models were having with slightly off-timed refresh rates? I am going to check this model out tonight hopefully at bestbuy, and see if they have any setup to compare things on.

sivartk

11-27-06, 12:18 PM

desertmichael

11-27-06, 05:56 PM

Has anyone heard anything more about the two new tubes Sony is supposedly releasing early next year?...because I want to get the XBR970, but can't decide whether or no I should wait. Any info is appreciated.

I have read somewhere a couple weeks ago, and I forget where, that Sony was just going to have two CRT TV's next year and they would both be 16:9 widescreens...and there was not yet information about what sizes they would be. Personally, I feel the would be nuts not to make the 34 inch anymore. We will see!

lastxbr960

11-28-06, 09:38 AM

If they release a superfine pitch 34" next year I will buy two, I have a xbr960 and I love this thing.
Unfortunately I think they closed all of thier plants capable of that, and they may just outsource to some cheap china plant and slap their logo on ot as they have basically sunk all of thier money into LCDS, PS3, and a little into lcos sxrd.
I will be suprised if they even announce any new models next year. :(

tmanker

11-29-06, 02:22 PM

Well, I just picked up one of three 970's left at the local best buy. After I went through the plasma vs lcd vs dlp vs rptv scenario I ended back where I started...with a crt television. It seemed to fit the bill (no pun intended) the best. I hope that the picture looks good once calibrated. I'm anxious to get it hooked up to the dish (hopefully sd tv looks decent) and to the 360 as well.

desertmichael

11-30-06, 06:52 AM

Can someone post the H X W measurements of the 34XBR970 screen? Thanks....

justsc

11-30-06, 11:11 AM

Does anyone have any experience with the refurbished version of this TV. I can pick one up well south of $600, but it is a refurb. I just bought a 32" LCD TV back in June that I'm not real happy with (black level and SD Material). Thinking this might be worth looking into, but I've never bought a refurbished TV...although I have had several Sony's.
The usual warnings apply.

If you get a new-tv warranty and the reseller has a decent return/exchange policy (in writing) then it might be worth the risk. Although, I have read where one poster did this, with a new tv warranty, and Sony would not honor it.

For me, I wouldn't take the risk unless I knew the history of the set intimately.

sivartk

11-30-06, 12:10 PM

Well the "reseller" is Sony...the Sony Outlet Store and they do offer an extended warranty...I think $35 for 2 years and $50 for 3 years...so I might look into that. Don't see why Sony wouldn't honor the standard one year/two year?? warranty that it receives as a refurbished unit since I'm buying it from them.

justsc

11-30-06, 02:24 PM

So long as they don't put any restrictions on returns of refurbed units then I see no reason no to try it. Sounds kinda good.

tmanker

12-01-06, 09:35 AM

Can someone post the H X W measurements of the 34XBR970 screen? Thanks....

Well, if my math is correct the screen is 29.632" wide and 16.67" tall. If you do the pythagorean theorem you get 33.999999" diagonal.

desertmichael

12-01-06, 10:07 AM

Well, if my math is correct the screen is 29.632" wide and 16.67" tall. If you do the pythagorean theorem you get 33.999999" diagonal.

Thank you! Obviously you are a very detail oriented person....I can relate :cool:

Jedah Doma

12-02-06, 01:53 AM

Garvey

12-02-06, 12:41 PM

justsc

12-02-06, 01:28 PM

Alright, I've about had it with all of these calibration problems I've been having. I've been reading up like crazy on these boards but still have some issues.

I bought a Sound and Vison calibration DVD (from what I've been told is pretty decent) and calibrated my 970. While I know there's much more extensive things I cant do in the service menu, I didn't try that just yet. So I set the picture mode to pro. Most folks on the board have been saying this is the best picture mode as is has no pre-set enhancements. So I set everything to match the tests and pop in a few DVDs. While the picture looks good, it just didn't looked amazing. It looked WAY too dark. Even when I was watching HD programming, it looked bad like the bulb was burned out.

So, I posted something about this in the calibration section and was told I'm used to oversaturated and bright pictures. Mind you I'm no expert but I've been around TVs all my life and have been a tweaker with settings so I think I at least know what looks just right and what looks over bright, but I take his advice and try to get used to it. So I watch more and more DVDs, but it just looks too dark. Even my wife, who is no expert on picture, said the picture was way too dark.

So I went back in and tried to calibrate my set again, but this time I calibrated it on Standard picture mode. I set everything the way the test told me to, and the standard setting looked cleaner, crisper, and overall better while the pro looked dark, too soft, and almost haze like. Then I set things the way that looks good to me and it looks much better, and it looked good, but there was one problem with all of those settings. I come across a problem as I'm test watching Gladiator. I'm getting "ghosting". When a bright image moves across a dark background it looks ghosty.

So these are just a few of my problems and I've been fiddling with this all for the past week and it's driving me crazy. What is technically correct looks like crap, and what looks good to me is "too bright". I just am at my wits end setting this TV up. I'm this close to calling a Sony tech out and sheling out the dough to have him calibrate it.
I got my 34HS420 (precursor to the 970) about 2-3 years ago. I had cut my calibration teeth on a Samsung 27" ED/HD set from '02. I was amazed with the improvement in PQ after calibrating the Sammy - watched all my dvds again because it felt like a new tv. It was only natural that after getting the 34" Sony I would also calibrate it. I was very active here at AVS and another forum and knew all about using the "Pro" or custom modes. Because of my prior experience I had actually committed to suffering through the "getting used to it" (darker but more accurate settings) exercise and decided it was OK, but I did adjust brightness a bit higher.

After about 6 months into my 34" Sony I decided to re-calibrate and I chose to give Standard a try. What a difference! This mode seemed to have all the "goodness" of Pro but my viewing was much more enjoyable. I alslo found myself to be a rebel when it came to edge enhancement (EE - Sony calls it ClearEdge). While it seemed all the more experienced forum members considered ClearEdge at "OFF" the only acceptable setting, I found that I enjoyed it at "LOW," or maybe even "Medium." So now I felt guilty for watching in unacceptable modes. So I studied alot and read through the entire Sony Service Codes thread. I even PMed some of the major players in that thread. Incredibly, I learned that I was not alone, and that one of the most respected posters enjoyed both Standard mode and ClearEdge on at a "LOW" setting. Well, I felt exonerated. I studied more, and learned loads about the differences between these picture modes (Pro, Standard, etc), especially their SM values.

Lesson Learned? "To each his own." It's your tv and you get to set it however you like. And whatever you set it at is "right." (so long as you don't shorten tube life with contrast set too high). What you learned in the Display Calibration section is pretty much correct - that we are all used to oversaturated, overly bright pictures. So settings more compliant with NTSC standards will seem way to dark. One can get used to viewing that way but that doesn't necessarily translate to an enjoyable viewing experience. Thankfully Sony has offered loads of options and modes to suit each of our various preferences.

NOTE: You may already know this, but the 970 has a whole different scale to its user menu settings than the other sets. On my 34HS420 and most other Sonys before the 970, the tic mark bar that you see when turning say contrast or brightness up or down only goes to 62 tics, while your 970 goes to 100 tics. I've seen folks with 970s who have copied other's settings going nuts trying to watch their sets with contrast at 35 or brightness at 44. Obviously, with 100 tics, your settings will be much higher.

Ghosting - I believe you indicated that the shift to "Standard" is what brought on the ghosting? So you're going to have to do some work within Standard to mitigate the ghosting while retaining the enjoyment of viewing in this picture mode. There are many, many SM settings that might be helpful to you in mitigating the ghosting. Some level of persistence (I believe that's what it's called when the lit phosphors retain their presence for a bit) is normal with crts, especially an interlaced tube. On darker scenes with bright portions and movement going on, there's going to be some level of "ghosting" apparent. Excessive ghosting is another matter. In your shift to Standard you have brought in more EE (edge enhancement from within the SM) than when in Pro. You don't need to go in and turn it all off, but you may need to modify EE. This new picture mode also includes added color saturation and higher contrast. From my experience, ghosting can be somewhat reduced by lowering edge enhancement in the various places it's found in the SM, as well as the user menu. I don't mean turning it off, just making adjustments. It's also needful to get contrast (Picture) just right, actually called "white level," and brightness, which is "black level," as I'm sure you know from your calibration disc. You can do a search for whilte level or contrast in the Sony Service Codes thread to really dig into it and learn where those settings are in the SM. I found one particularly interesting setting called SYSM, which adjusts overall sharpness (a form of edge enhancement). The values range from 0-3, with 3 being the softest. Modifying this setting to 2 gave me an acceptable level of EE w/o over doing it - and this might have some effect on ghosting. Also study white and black level, and then go into some trial and error adjusting in your user menu. You may also have to try adjustments to color saturation. There are SM settings for how hard Red, Green and Blue are "driven." The Sony Service Codes thread can help here too. Finally, there's greyscale (actually the Sony Service Codes thread will tell you to work that real early in the process). I have not attempted to adjust greyscale but KenTech offers some ideas that don't seem too hard, and this may also help with ghosting.

Of course, a good calibrator can do all of this for you for about $350 for one input and around $100 for each additional input. When I get the funds I will get this done, but that may take awhile. Be sure to do your homework regarding locating a good calibrator. You can go to the ISF web site and enter your zip code to locate ISF trained calibrators in your area. You can slo get good "word of mouth" recommendations here in the Display Calibration section of AVS.

Bias Lighting - I have found it invaluable to add bias lighting to my home theater. This is a light, guaged to the proper "temperature" that illuminates the wall behind the tv. It is especially useful for viewing in darkened conditions. Our eyes strain hard watching a bright object iin dark conditions. Illuminating the wall behind the tv with a properly calibrated bias light takes all that strain off and allows us to relax while viewing. It makes colors jump out at you and it really helps viewing a set consistent with NTSC standards, which otherwise seems too dark. Take a look at the cinemaquestinc.com website to learn about bias lighting. Those here at AVS that have employed bias lighting have sung the praises of the Ideal-Lume backlighting.

I bet you can get your ghosting under control with your level of experience, but time is money and it may be less expensive in the long run to pay someone to do it.

The usual warning - Please record all SM values of those settings you intend to adjust, before you make adjustments. Even if you are just playing around. Make one change at a time so you know which one(s) did the trick. It's a slow process. I love it.

Best of Luck! ;)

justsc

12-02-06, 02:39 PM

Jedah Doma

12-03-06, 01:03 AM

Jedah,

Your post is a little confusing. For example, Pro and Standard are just starting points, so if you really calibrate them according to the dvd, wouldn't they essentially wind up the same? Once you move from the factory defaults, the names of each mode are rendered moot, a fancy way of calling them A, B, C, etc.

Can you post the numbers and other settings here? All of them.

Personally, I haven't had good luck with the blooming tests and such. Does your calibration DVD offer gradients (e.g., "you should see 7 shades of gray here...turn down your contrast until you do..." etc.)?

Folks are right when they say it takes some getting used to. Did you calibrate with the normal ambient light you use for watching TV?

Overall, sounds like you enjoy torch mode. It's a matter of taste. Someone else can address the ghosting, but my two cents is this: set the TV to where you like it, not what some DVD says you're supposed to like.

Garvey

Oddly enough, I set everything the exact same way for both Pro and Standard modes. The only variable might be the picture as There is no real concrete manner in which to set it. I seems like the standard naturally has a brighter picture/contrast from the get go.

As far as the settings go, they are pretty much the same

Pro:
--------
Picture - 58
Brightness - 44
Color - 36
Hue - 0
Sharpness - 27
Color Temp - Neutral (been testing out warm at times)
Monitor setting

Standard:
------------
Picture - 58
Brightness - 45
Color - 34
Hue - 0
Sharpness - 23
Color Temp - Neutral (been testing out warm at times)
Monitor setting

As you can see, besides a few minor alterations, the settings are pretty much the same. This is what led to some confusion on my part. I think it's something I will need to mess around with over time.

Yes the DVD does offer a 7 grey bar test and I'm trying to get a happy medium with that test.

As far as the ambient lighting, I try to test it at night when the sun isn't out, as the TV is upstairs and even with the shades closed it's not perfect for viewing settings.

I have been getting gradually more used to darker modes, but it will take some time. I don't think I like torch mode, but I do enjoy a bright and poppy picture. Thanks for the insight, I'll try and put it into practice.

I got my 34HS420 (precursor to the 970) about 2-3 years ago. I had cut my calibration teeth on a Samsung 27" ED/HD set from '02. I was amazed with the improvement in PQ after calibrating the Sammy - watched all my dvds again because it felt like a new tv. It was only natural that after getting the 34" Sony I would also calibrate it. I was very active here at AVS and another forum and knew all about using the "Pro" or custom modes. Because of my prior experience I had actually committed to suffering through the "getting used to it" (darker but more accurate settings) exercise and decided it was OK, but I did adjust brightness a bit higher.

After about 6 months into my 34" Sony I decided to re-calibrate and I chose to give Standard a try. What a difference! This mode seemed to have all the "goodness" of Pro but my viewing was much more enjoyable. I alslo found myself to be a rebel when it came to edge enhancement (EE - Sony calls it ClearEdge). While it seemed all the more experienced forum members considered ClearEdge at "OFF" the only acceptable setting, I found that I enjoyed it at "LOW," or maybe even "Medium." So now I felt guilty for watching in unacceptable modes. So I studied alot and read through the entire Sony Service Codes thread. I even PMed some of the major players in that thread. Incredibly, I learned that I was not alone, and that one of the most respected posters enjoyed both Standard mode and ClearEdge on at a "LOW" setting. Well, I felt exonerated. I studied more, and learned loads about the differences between these picture modes (Pro, Standard, etc), especially their SM values.

Lesson Learned? "To each his own." It's your tv and you get to set it however you like. And whatever you set it at is "right." (so long as you don't shorten tube life with contrast set too high). What you learned in the Display Calibration section is pretty much correct - that we are all used to oversaturated, overly bright pictures. So settings more compliant with NTSC standards will seem way to dark. One can get used to viewing that way but that doesn't necessarily translate to an enjoyable viewing experience. Thankfully Sony has offered loads of options and modes to suit each of our various preferences.

NOTE: You may already know this, but the 970 has a whole different scale to its user menu settings than the other sets. On my 34HS420 and most other Sonys before the 970, the tic mark bar that you see when turning say contrast or brightness up or down only goes to 62 tics, while your 970 goes to 100 tics. I've seen folks with 970s who have copied other's settings going nuts trying to watch their sets with contrast at 35 or brightness at 44. Obviously, with 100 tics, your settings will be much higher.

Ghosting - I believe you indicated that the shift to "Standard" is what brought on the ghosting? So you're going to have to do some work within Standard to mitigate the ghosting while retaining the enjoyment of viewing in this picture mode. There are many, many SM settings that might be helpful to you in mitigating the ghosting. Some level of persistence (I believe that's what it's called when the lit phosphors retain their presence for a bit) is normal with crts, especially an interlaced tube. On darker scenes with bright portions and movement going on, there's going to be some level of "ghosting" apparent. Excessive ghosting is another matter. In your shift to Standard you have brought in more EE (edge enhancement from within the SM) than when in Pro. You don't need to go in and turn it all off, but you may need to modify EE. This new picture mode also includes added color saturation and higher contrast. From my experience, ghosting can be somewhat reduced by lowering edge enhancement in the various places it's found in the SM, as well as the user menu. I don't mean turning it off, just making adjustments. It's also needful to get contrast (Picture) just right, actually called "white level," and brightness, which is "black level," as I'm sure you know from your calibration disc. You can do a search for whilte level or contrast in the Sony Service Codes thread to really dig into it and learn where those settings are in the SM. I found one particularly interesting setting called SYSM, which adjusts overall sharpness (a form of edge enhancement). The values range from 0-3, with 3 being the softest. Modifying this setting to 2 gave me an acceptable level of EE w/o over doing it - and this might have some effect on ghosting. Also study white and black level, and then go into some trial and error adjusting in your user menu. You may also have to try adjustments to color saturation. There are SM settings for how hard Red, Green and Blue are "driven." The Sony Service Codes thread can help here too. Finally, there's greyscale (actually the Sony Service Codes thread will tell you to work that real early in the process). I have not attempted to adjust greyscale but KenTech offers some ideas that don't seem too hard, and this may also help with ghosting.

Of course, a good calibrator can do all of this for you for about $350 for one input and around $100 for each additional input. When I get the funds I will get this done, but that may take awhile. Be sure to do your homework regarding locating a good calibrator. You can go to the ISF web site and enter your zip code to locate ISF trained calibrators in your area. You can slo get good "word of mouth" recommendations here in the Display Calibration section of AVS.

Bias Lighting - I have found it invaluable to add bias lighting to my home theater. This is a light, guaged to the proper "temperature" that illuminates the wall behind the tv. It is especially useful for viewing in darkened conditions. Our eyes strain hard watching a bright object iin dark conditions. Illuminating the wall behind the tv with a properly calibrated bias light takes all that strain off and allows us to relax while viewing. It makes colors jump out at you and it really helps viewing a set consistent with NTSC standards, which otherwise seems too dark. Take a look at the cinemaquestinc.com website to learn about bias lighting. Those here at AVS that have employed bias lighting have sung the praises of the Ideal-Lume backlighting.

I bet you can get your ghosting under control with your level of experience, but time is money and it may be less expensive in the long run to pay someone to do it.

The usual warning - Please record all SM values of those settings you intend to adjust, before you make adjustments. Even if you are just playing around. Make one change at a time so you know which one(s) did the trick. It's a slow process. I love it.

Best of Luck! ;)

Wow, thanks for the input. It's these kind of observations that are invaluable to an intermediate tweaker like myself. I've been looking through the Sony service code thread you mentioned above and actually printed off around 40 pages of information from the first few pages and use them as good bathroom/office reading. I really want to study up on the service menu and have a somewhat good idea of what I'm doing.

As I was going through the thread, I noticed there was not much mention of the newer 970. While I imagine the service menu is generally the same, I can imagine some small variations from older sets. Any info on your service menu tinkering would be much appreciated. For starters the given button sequence to access the service menu (volume +, display, 5, power) does not work with my TV. I've tried to press the buttons at the same time, delayed, and every other which way, but I cannot access the menu. I realize this is getting into a specific conversation about the service menu, so if you would like to discuss this over PM or in the calibration forum, that's totally understandable.

I'm going to do some reading up on the service mode and try to get any geometry and various other problems taken care of first so that once calibrate the picture with the DVD, I can know I have taken the appropriate step beforehand to give myself the best picture. This might take awhile, but small and steady actions should give me a great final result. Thanks again for your help, and I'm more then happy to hear anything you have to say on the matter.

dietcokefiend

12-03-06, 06:17 AM

Through the service menu, how well can one correct the gun alignment, then bent edges, and the warped 4:3 bars? Do you have access to all the standard settings (with full range of scale) like you might find on a computer crt to really hone it in? While the overall picture is very nice in store, the color separation along with severely tilted sides 2-3" in really make me want to step back before making the purchase.

Now if the service menu can bring all of these items in alignment, I would feel much better about it. If it is really limited with a very narrow adjustment scale, I would want to find this out before I made the purchase :)

cvasquez311

12-03-06, 08:14 PM

My XBR970 has a slight problem the top corner image is bowed downard slightly and the bottom corners are bowed up slightly. I know about the Sony Service Menu, which settings is supposed to correct this? I tried using the VCEN and VPIN settings and they bow the center of the image, I want to try and bow just the top and bottom corners. Thanks! :)

justsc

12-04-06, 01:00 PM

...Wow, thanks for the input. It's these kind of observations that are invaluable to an intermediate tweaker like myself. I've been looking through the Sony service code thread you mentioned above and actually printed off around 40 pages of information from the first few pages and use them as good bathroom/office reading. I really want to study up on the service menu and have a somewhat good idea of what I'm doing.
You're very welcome. ;)

I find the Sony Service Codes thread good reading also, but I have to be in the right mood to dig into it. I'll have to try it in the can.

As I was going through the thread, I noticed there was not much mention of the newer 970. While I imagine the service menu is generally the same, I can imagine some small variations from older sets. Any info on your service menu tinkering would be much appreciated. For starters the given button sequence to access the service menu (volume +, display, 5, power) does not work with my TV. I've tried to press the buttons at the same time, delayed, and every other which way, but I cannot access the menu. I realize this is getting into a specific conversation about the service menu, so if you would like to discuss this over PM or in the calibration forum, that's totally understandable.
The access code you've indicated is not what I have. I hit keys on the remote in this order to access the SM (with the tv off):

1) Display
2) 5
3) Vol+
4) Power On

This works for me. You need to press these keys in order and within one second of the last key. Give it a try. First, please go back to my last post and re-read the warnings.

I'm going to do some reading up on the service mode and try to get any geometry and various other problems taken care of first so that once calibrate the picture with the DVD, I can know I have taken the appropriate step beforehand to give myself the best picture. This might take awhile, but small and steady actions should give me a great final result. Thanks again for your help, and I'm more then happy to hear anything you have to say on the matter.
Service Menu Adjustments - It's good to start slowly. I started with adjusting overscan, red push, pincusion (when in SD mode with the pillarboxes on the sides, the vertical lines for the pillarboxes were bowed outward slightly, which is actually a barrel effect but is fixed with the pincushion adjustments) and Sharpness in the user menu and the SM.

Make a short list of items you'd like to work in the SM and then send me a PM and we can get started. I'll also need to know your current settings. I know you use the Standard picture mode, but I need the rest (e.g. Picture, Brightness, etc) including Color Temp, ClearEdge, DRC, etc. Sorry is you've posted these already.

Cheers!