I'm only guessing here, but I think it depends on whether the show itself was shot in 16:9 (fills up entire screen) or 4:3 (black sidebars).

Just because a station is broadcasting in 720p or 1080i, does not mean that all the shows will be in 16:9.

Even during 16:9 shows, don't the commercials have black sidebars?

He's talking about convergence problems, not geometry.

The "Bow" at the top or bottom of the screen can be fixed with either VCEN or HCEN, I can't remember which. Try 'em both.

I'm talking about geometry, not convergence. The only horizontal adjustment is HPTZ. All it does is bow the middle up and down, it won't fix the corner slanting down. Like I said, I've had 3 of these TVs, they all did it. It's the way they are shipped from the factory. The only way it can be fixed is at the picture tube. HCEN is horizontal center and VCEN is vertical center.

I'm talking about geometry, not convergence. The only horizontal adjustment is HPTZ. All it does is bow the middle up and down, it won't fix the corner slanting down. Like I said, I've had 3 of these TVs, they all did it. It's the way they are shipped from the factory. The only way it can be fixed is at the picture tube. HCEN is horizontal center and VCEN is vertical center.VPOS is vertical position. There are a few adjustments that effect vertical linearity (straightness of horizontal lines).

The following adjustments are made in this order and with a crosshatch pattern.

VCEN is not vertical center, it is used to "Equalize the vertical bow at the top and bottom of the screen" and usage is to "Adjust to make the bowing of the top and bottom lines equal".

VPIN is used to "Adjust the vertical pin cushion" and usage is to "Adjust as necessary to make the horizontal lines as straight as possible".

HTPZ is used to "Adjust the picture keystone" and usage is to "Adjust as necessary to make the horizontal lines as parallel as possible".

Spacing of horizontal lines are adjusted with a few other service menu items.

I'm only guessing here, but I think it depends on whether the show itself was shot in 16:9 (fills up entire screen) or 4:3 (black sidebars).

Just because a station is broadcasting in 720p or 1080i, does not mean that all the shows will be in 16:9.

Even during 16:9 shows, don't the commercials have black sidebars?

I agree. Here is an analogy to help you understand: You have an engineer's grid pad with 100 x 100 squares. You take a black magic marker and color in one square. Now you take a page with 400 x 400 sqares and color in 4. The square is still the same size, even though the grid has a higher resolution. Same thing with broadcasts in HD. The picture may be sent in high resolution, but if the original show was shot in SD, it will look exactly as it did when filmed.

Following are my screen size settings I've found to work best on my XBR970. try them out...

Antenna/Cable

Screen Mode Full
Auto Wide Off
4:3 Default Normal

Video

S.M. Normal
A.W. On
4:3 Normal

On these settings, my 970 seems to judge perfectly between various input modes through TV signal and game systems and displays the correct screen size. Although my only video test has been my original Xbox console.

Send the money first...........

Glen, do you own a 970?

how do you feel about back-lighting?

Thank you all for your previous comments. I read them all. I got some ISF calibration questions.

I finally called a place that does home theater calibration and setup. They gave me the number of a subcontractor that does all their ISF calibrations. I spoke to him. Nice fella. He is certified, and has all the expensive equipment needed. He quoted me $275, with an extra $175 to do ALL the inputs (cutting me a deal.) Three things he said kinda put questions in my head. One, he said he hadn't messed with a CRT in a long time. Two, he doesn't do magnet work. Three, he will not go into the tv - that is he won't take off the back if needed. Is everything he said normal? Is magnet work not part of ISF calibration? Maybe I don't understand what ISF calibration is. I want someone to come to my house and tune up my tv to bring it to its fullest potential in all aspects. That's what ISF calibration is all about, right? Oh, and do they do anything with the tv's internal speakers? (no one's talked about that yet.)

I'm not mad (sorry if I'm sounding that way), but I'm just a bit confused. I'm one of those annoying guys who will not only look in a pool to check for water before he jumps, I will also test its temperature and have it analyzed for appropriate chlorine levels. :-D

I am in a unique position right now. Whereas most people not 100% satisfied with their new tv would bring their tv back within 30 days in exchange for another one (Circuit City policy), I actually bought the last 34XBR970 in town. If returned, they would try and sell me another tv. I don't want another tv. I'm thinking if I explain this to Sony, they'd send a techie out without question under warranty, or else they'd lose a sale and my money would go to Samsung. (A total bluff, of course.) And as for the Circuit City protection plan, they don't do calibrations if a customer is unsatisfied, do they? And if they do, I bet someone has some horror stories to share about the experience. :-)

Any thoughts, people? Thanks in advance.

he said he hadn't messed with a CRT in a long time.

that right there would be enough for me to find someone else

nice, $800 for 12 hours work

i think i'm gonna take that ISF seminar

no wonder you can afford to spend thousands of dollars on a big giant disposable tv

:p

nice, $800 for 12 hours work

i think i'm gonna take that ISF seminar

no wonder you can afford to spend thousands of dollars on a big giant disposable tv

:p

To what end (learn to be an ISF)? $66/hour is a reasonable/low charge for professional services. What planet do you work on?

i think i'm gonna take that ISF seminarDon't forget to buy the $12K of needed equipment, then there is the experience. The class is an insight to the goal of video calibration, not a how-to. Now, let's see, the local car dealership charges what, $70-$125/hour. What did you last pay a plumber to make a house call? I could afford to eat steaks if I had calibrations on a daily basis, but this isn't a perfect world.

fivestarav, all of my comments above are not directed at you they are generalities.

Understood. I agree with a lot of what you said, and I value your comments.

The basic ISF calibration covers adjusting the gray-scale and a few of the other SM/user settings to achieve the best possible, most accurate picture. Geometry and many other adjustments may or may-not be offered at additional cost.

This is good to know because my sole concern is geometry right now. I'm quite happy with my color and whatnot. ISF calibration may be overkill for what I need.

The 970, IMO, is not a high resolution HD display, you need to sit 8-10-feet away for decent viewing. Normal viewing for HD is considered 1.5 times the screen width. The 970 is just too small, at 1.5 times, about 45", the resolution is terrible. Again, my personal opinion, if you want perfect geometry, buy a plasma. Then there are those who bought the TV for the accurate colors, which can only be achieved with proper calibration equipment, and refuse to have it calibrated.

I got this tv mainly for gaming. According to my research, CRT was best - no gaming lag time, no "old-school" console issues, no regrets. Perfection (especially now that I know how much it costs) is not necessary. I just want the entire game to fit on my screen without vital info being cut off, and I'd like to keep my "health" bars from curving so much. :D Other than that I love this friggin' tv!

Yeah, full ISF calibration seems to be much more than I need. Thanks for the info!

What planet do you work on?

earth

do you own a 970?

Don't forget to buy the $12K of needed equipment, then there is the experience. The class is an insight to the goal of video calibration, not a how-to. Now, let's see, the local car dealership charges what, $70-$125/hour. What did you last pay a plumber to make a house call? I could afford to eat steaks if I had calibrations on a daily basis, but this isn't a perfect world.

well it's nice to hear your "overhead" is down to 12K, ISF techs used to cry about the $25,000 color analyzer they had to buy back in 1997

i'm curious, why do you post in this thread?

you don't own a 970, you don't plan on owning a 970. what draws you to this thread?

I don't understand why those who made the decision "not to buy" the 970 are still lingering here and commenting. Seems like they would just buy their "better" display and participate on their own "owners thread".

sound familiar?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11113359&&#post11113359

Maybe it's time to start an "XBR 970 Owners Only" thread. :)

well it's nice to hear your "overhead" is down to 12K, ISF techs used to cry about the $25,000 color analyzer they had to buy back in 1997

i'm curious, why do you post in this thread?

you don't own a 970, you don't plan on owning a 970. what draws you to this thread?

I don't understand why those who made the decision "not to buy" the 970 are still lingering here and commenting. Seems like they would just buy their "better" display and participate on their own "owners thread".

sound familiar?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11113359&&#post11113359I have extensive experience with the XBRs, I have helped many, if not to just steer them in the right direction. I truly have seen the blind leading the blind and if that is the way you prefer it, I will depart, letting some of the clueless owners give you direction.

you can do what you want, i'm not the spokesperson for this thread or a moderator but when i read what you wrote in post# 2008 it makes me wonder

people who own the 970 don't want to come to a 970 owners thread and read all about how their tv is too small and basically a piece of junk (you didn't use those words but you didn't have to)

i'm usually a very laid back kind of guy but i think it's kind of disrespectful to come into an "owners" thread as a non owner and put down the product like you did in post# 2008

i don't think it's "helpful" to try and make people feel bad about their purchase

read your post again from an owners perspective and tell me i'm over reacting and i'll be the first to extend the olive branch

"I will depart, letting some of the clueless owners give you direction."

I guess he means me. Oh well, I do my best, and if anyone want to correct me that's fine, I don't take offense.

But if I don't respond to people's questions, very often nobody else one will. My purpose is really just to get a discussion going, and not be an definitive and authoritative source for any and all technical information relating to the XBR970.

I apologize for any incorrect information I may have given.

What about the thousands of misleading praises, comments owners are making? My comments are factual, if you, as an owner, need comforting and praise for your purchase, start a support group. Owners should not be making false, misleading statements to those seeking information to make a purchase decision. You basically get what you pay for, in the grand scheme of things, $800 for a widescreen TV, is cheap, these days. Just because it accepts HD signals doesn't make it "High-resolution", it's more like the EDTV than a HDTV. It does have its strong points along with its weak points. If you don't want to learn what they are, know what they are or even become aware they exist, you are in the wrong place. The 960 can be considered HDTV, but the 970 does not have the fine pitch tube. That is a fact.

Basically they don't make CRT like they used to and bother to calibrate them prorperly as they used to..when buying a CRT your going to hav eto put up with convergance,geometry,focus,and linearity issues that may or may not be as bad depending on how the tv was built and or how it's been calibrated from the factory before it goes on that store shelf for sale..

It is what it is like "GlenC" so elegantly put it..

CRT is just a dying bread..i would say the last year where they actually made good CRT's was in 2004 with the Sony 34XBR960, 34XS955, and 34HS420... the 34XBR970 is basically a rebadged 34HS420 with some additional features like memory inputs, digital and HD tuners and a new menu layout and cosmetic color change...I personally don't think it's made as good though as it's predessor the 34HS420..

For some reason i actually think the 34HS420 looks better and is an all around better built tv set than the XBR970 my cousing just bought one and it doesn't look as good as mine even if i did help him with it to look better or similar to mine..i'm guessing they just don't make CRT tv's like they used to,everythings cheap now which would account for the somewhat PQ difference.

I personally think CRT is still great and is the best display for gaming at the moment..i was going to go with an LCD myself but the blacks are still not there and they smear with motion like crazy and i would be distracted by that at it takes me out of the gaming immersion of the game.

I would say as good as CRT is it has it's short comings...and i await it's successor which hopefully would be SED..and i would only upgrade to that display once it proves itself in the market and the price has to be withing a considerable budget.

earth

do you own a 970?

No - I own a 36kd955xs and an RCA MM36100 that is similar in resolution to the 970.

I get your gist and will unsubscribe to this thread. I see where even though I was trying to be impartial and helpful it is not always appreciated and can even be off target for some superior aspects of the set (I have heard that for moderate viewing distances the extra brightness (versus SFPs) makes this set a very good choice.

and if that is the way you prefer it, I will depart

that is now starting to look like a good idea

you are not hear to "help" anyone, you clearly have an agenda here

that is now starting to look like a good idea

you are not hear to "help" anyone, you clearly have an agenda hereAnd you don't, yea, right!

I will gladly remove this thread from my subscriptions, obviously it is considered a waste of my time to monitor it.

And you don't, yea, right!

I will gladly remove this thread from my subscriptions, obviously it is considered a waste of my time to monitor it.GlenC - You have provided the Direct View CRT Display forum with great support and advice for a long time. If you don't feel welcome in this thread, by all means steer clear. But I request that you still participate in this forum. We all still have much to learn and you obviously have much to share. :)

...I will depart, letting some of the clueless owners give you direction.

I take that personally, as I both own a 970 and am considered by friends and family to be clueless. :D

What about the thousands of misleading praises, comments owners are making? My comments are factual, if you, as an owner, need comforting and praise for your purchase, start a support group. Owners should not be making false, misleading statements to those seeking information to make a purchase decision. You basically get what you pay for, in the grand scheme of things, $800 for a widescreen TV, is cheap, these days. Just because it accepts HD signals doesn't make it "High-resolution", it's more like the EDTV than a HDTV. It does have its strong points along with its weak points. If you don't want to learn what they are, know what they are or even become aware they exist, you are in the wrong place. The 960 can be considered HDTV, but the 970 does not have the fine pitch tube. That is a fact.

Good grief, man, are you confused! Your personal opinions aren't factual. You seem to have plenty of them. You have this need to counter the opinion that the 970 is the "Holy Grail" with your own opinion that the PQ is just "decent." So your only recourse is to remind us its really not HD.

It has never been a question, for owners of the 970, of "high resolution" in the sense of fixed pixel type TVs. Why are you so stuck on that? Most owners of the 970 realize there are other factors that make the CRT an excellent display. You yourself mention its strong points. As you know, good contrast and color. And that is enough to make the 970 produce an excellent picture easily competitive with other technologies. If that is not your opinion, then fine. But it is the considered opinion of many others and not just those on this forum.

And even if I have praise for the used 960 I'm about to buy because of its fine pitch tube, still, at a distance of about 6 to 7 feet I don't notice a difference except that the 970 seems a little more vibrant and slightly less dark. But I still admire the 960 up close. Hence I'm going to buy it.

You see, Glen, not everything in the PQ depends on resolution in the sense of resolving detail. That's my opinion.

Well guys, long time since ive posted, and boy oh boy, i can tell u, pulling teeth has been less painful (and i know, ive had them done) then getting service on this tv.

Heres the long sad, story. I get this tv as a replacement for an LCD that had backlight leakage on me. Ok, for a few months, its fine. But i notice more and more often, the right corner bends inwaards, among many other things.

So, after months of fustration, i dig out the contract i got with circuit city, figure, ok, its covered, have a guy fix it, a weeks worth of wating, tops.

MY GOD was i wrong. Turns out, the idiots at circuit city put the wrong name and address on my contract. So, getting that fixed was a major pain in the ass! So, ok, got a copy of the updated contract, im all set for a calabration, right?

WRONG! My god, was i wrong. The tech service circuit city outsources to, NEVER SHOWS UP once on numerous ocasions. I mean, i give this guy a friggen month to come out and fix the dam thing, not once even calling to confirm the appointment. So, i call them up, say, look, clearly you people are unrealiable, so dont bother, ill find someone elese. In an entire months worth, you couldent, or wouldent do it? Im not being unreasonable here.

So, i call tech support, blah blah blah, they set me up with another guy to get the thing fixed. Finally, after almost 3 months of this bull, the end is in sight, right?

WRONG. The guy calls within 5 minunts, asks whats wrong with the set, obverousley feeling threaten that i know a few of the technical terms like overscan, and geometry issues, and hes like, um, im not going to fix it. Should have bought an LCD, bye!

WTF? Right? Who the hell is this guy. I know what happend, he's scared because im not an ignorant and dumb when it comes to electronics, and he knows he wont be able to pull over a fast one with me.

"oh your charts are off? " Really now, 4 diffrent charts, from 4 diffrent test patterns? Its you whos off jacko. "i dont know what ur problem is, as long as u can see the text on the news channel on the bottom ur fine" "Oh yea, what about the 3 other sides of the image? Give me a friggen break.


But, it only gets worse. I call up coustmer service, and get a lovely woman named rose, whos like, ok sir, if u dont hear from us or sony themselves by thursday at 4, call us back, and we'll go right into getting u all set up for a replacement.

Great, fine. Ive had it with this BS, so, get another unit. So, of course, no call from eather circuit city or Sony, so i call them back, and they completly change there friggen story. Oh sir, i think u misunderstood us, we'll send out AAA focus to calabrate it (the same aholes who told me i should have bought and LCD) so i tell the woman, hey look, i already spoke to them, they refused to touch it, "but sir they are telling me they will do it" and im like, OF COURSE THEY WILL, then will drop the case in 5 minunts. IVE WASTED 3 MONTHS OF MY FRIGGEN TIME trying to get this BS solved" (of course im not cursing), but shes like thats the only option i can give u, and im like, ok lissen, ill speak to the store manager, this stuff is beyond insane. goodbye.

So, i call up the store manager, brian, who has by far, been the only guy who has helped me out through this entire mess, and i tell him, hey boss, look, ive had it with this dam thing, i dont even wana see it in my site. The comany is playing F around games, telling me one thing, then another, and hes like, ok, im going to do everything i can to get this fixed, because this is insane for you, and no way to run a buisness. " so im going to drop on by tomarow, talk to him, tell him send ya men down, pick the dam thing up, i dont want it no more, i just want my money back ive had it with this entire company, i want this to end.

so, thats wear i stand right now. Insane isnt it? 3 months for a simple adjustment? my god.

I don't mind hearing about the limitations of my 970. I want know everything about it. Fact *or* opinion. All comments are welcomed.

Anyone know of a good stand alternative to the original one that is made for this TV?

I just picked one up for $400!

This is the one I use:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2432285

Lots of room underneath to hold all the stuff that goes with the TV.

Thank man, anyone else? I like options!

Well guys, long time since ive posted, and boy oh boy, i can tell u, pulling teeth has been less painful (and i know, ive had them done) then getting service on this tv.

Heres the long sad, story. I get this tv as a replacement for an LCD that had backlight leakage on me. Ok, for a few months, its fine. But i notice more and more often, the right corner bends inwaards, among many other things.

So, after months of fustration, i dig out the contract i got with circuit city, figure, ok, its covered, have a guy fix it, a weeks worth of wating, tops.

MY GOD was i wrong. Turns out, the idiots at circuit city put the wrong name and address on my contract. So, getting that fixed was a major pain in the ass! So, ok, got a copy of the updated contract, im all set for a calabration, right?

WRONG! My god, was i wrong. The tech service circuit city outsources to, NEVER SHOWS UP once on numerous ocasions. I mean, i give this guy a friggen month to come out and fix the dam thing, not once even calling to confirm the appointment. So, i call them up, say, look, clearly you people are unrealiable, so dont bother, ill find someone elese. In an entire months worth, you couldent, or wouldent do it? Im not being unreasonable here.

So, i call tech support, blah blah blah, they set me up with another guy to get the thing fixed. Finally, after almost 3 months of this bull, the end is in sight, right?

WRONG. The guy calls within 5 minunts, asks whats wrong with the set, obverousley feeling threaten that i know a few of the technical terms like overscan, and geometry issues, and hes like, um, im not going to fix it. Should have bought an LCD, bye!

WTF? Right? Who the hell is this guy. I know what happend, he's scared because im not an ignorant and dumb when it comes to electronics, and he knows he wont be able to pull over a fast one with me.

"oh your charts are off? " Really now, 4 diffrent charts, from 4 diffrent test patterns? Its you whos off jacko. "i dont know what ur problem is, as long as u can see the text on the news channel on the bottom ur fine" "Oh yea, what about the 3 other sides of the image? Give me a friggen break.


But, it only gets worse. I call up coustmer service, and get a lovely woman named rose, whos like, ok sir, if u dont hear from us or sony themselves by thursday at 4, call us back, and we'll go right into getting u all set up for a replacement.

Great, fine. Ive had it with this BS, so, get another unit. So, of course, no call from eather circuit city or Sony, so i call them back, and they completly change there friggen story. Oh sir, i think u misunderstood us, we'll send out AAA focus to calabrate it (the same aholes who told me i should have bought and LCD) so i tell the woman, hey look, i already spoke to them, they refused to touch it, "but sir they are telling me they will do it" and im like, OF COURSE THEY WILL, then will drop the case in 5 minunts. IVE WASTED 3 MONTHS OF MY FRIGGEN TIME trying to get this BS solved" (of course im not cursing), but shes like thats the only option i can give u, and im like, ok lissen, ill speak to the store manager, this stuff is beyond insane. goodbye.

So, i call up the store manager, brian, who has by far, been the only guy who has helped me out through this entire mess, and i tell him, hey boss, look, ive had it with this dam thing, i dont even wana see it in my site. The comany is playing F around games, telling me one thing, then another, and hes like, ok, im going to do everything i can to get this fixed, because this is insane for you, and no way to run a buisness. " so im going to drop on by tomarow, talk to him, tell him send ya men down, pick the dam thing up, i dont want it no more, i just want my money back ive had it with this entire company, i want this to end.

so, thats wear i stand right now. Insane isnt it? 3 months for a simple adjustment? my god.

Good God man!... that was horrible!! :eek:

I hope i never have to go through any of that someday..but then again by the time my tv dies CRT will be totally fased out so i'll have no choice but to upgrade to a different display technology.

Well guys, long time since ive posted, and boy oh boy, i can tell u, pulling teeth has been less painful (and i know, ive had them done) then getting service on this tv.

Heres the long sad, story. I get this tv as a replacement for an LCD that had backlight leakage on me. Ok, for a few months, its fine. But i notice more and more often, the right corner bends inwaards, among many other things.

So, after months of fustration, i dig out the contract i got with circuit city, figure, ok, its covered, have a guy fix it, a weeks worth of wating, tops.

MY GOD was i wrong. Turns out, the idiots at circuit city put the wrong name and address on my contract. So, getting that fixed was a major pain in the ass! So, ok, got a copy of the updated contract, im all set for a calabration, right?

WRONG! My god, was i wrong. The tech service circuit city outsources to, NEVER SHOWS UP once on numerous ocasions. I mean, i give this guy a friggen month to come out and fix the dam thing, not once even calling to confirm the appointment. So, i call them up, say, look, clearly you people are unrealiable, so dont bother, ill find someone elese. In an entire months worth, you couldent, or wouldent do it? Im not being unreasonable here.

So, i call tech support, blah blah blah, they set me up with another guy to get the thing fixed. Finally, after almost 3 months of this bull, the end is in sight, right?

WRONG. The guy calls within 5 minunts, asks whats wrong with the set, obverousley feeling threaten that i know a few of the technical terms like overscan, and geometry issues, and hes like, um, im not going to fix it. Should have bought an LCD, bye!

WTF? Right? Who the hell is this guy. I know what happend, he's scared because im not an ignorant and dumb when it comes to electronics, and he knows he wont be able to pull over a fast one with me.

"oh your charts are off? " Really now, 4 diffrent charts, from 4 diffrent test patterns? Its you whos off jacko. "i dont know what ur problem is, as long as u can see the text on the news channel on the bottom ur fine" "Oh yea, what about the 3 other sides of the image? Give me a friggen break.


But, it only gets worse. I call up coustmer service, and get a lovely woman named rose, whos like, ok sir, if u dont hear from us or sony themselves by thursday at 4, call us back, and we'll go right into getting u all set up for a replacement.

Great, fine. Ive had it with this BS, so, get another unit. So, of course, no call from eather circuit city or Sony, so i call them back, and they completly change there friggen story. Oh sir, i think u misunderstood us, we'll send out AAA focus to calabrate it (the same aholes who told me i should have bought and LCD) so i tell the woman, hey look, i already spoke to them, they refused to touch it, "but sir they are telling me they will do it" and im like, OF COURSE THEY WILL, then will drop the case in 5 minunts. IVE WASTED 3 MONTHS OF MY FRIGGEN TIME trying to get this BS solved" (of course im not cursing), but shes like thats the only option i can give u, and im like, ok lissen, ill speak to the store manager, this stuff is beyond insane. goodbye.

So, i call up the store manager, brian, who has by far, been the only guy who has helped me out through this entire mess, and i tell him, hey boss, look, ive had it with this dam thing, i dont even wana see it in my site. The comany is playing F around games, telling me one thing, then another, and hes like, ok, im going to do everything i can to get this fixed, because this is insane for you, and no way to run a buisness. " so im going to drop on by tomarow, talk to him, tell him send ya men down, pick the dam thing up, i dont want it no more, i just want my money back ive had it with this entire company, i want this to end.

so, thats wear i stand right now. Insane isnt it? 3 months for a simple adjustment? my god.

This is not good to hear. Where this tv is concerned, I'm questioning what the whole point is in having a Circuit City protection plan. I mean, their schtick is that if your tv breaks they'll replace it with another. Well, there are no more XBR970s left, so they'd try and give me a replacement. I don't want a replacement, I want a fully functioning XBR970. I'm still within my 30 days of purchase, and I was just debating on who to call with my geometry issues - Sony or Circuit City. I think you just answered my question. But I will let you know what happens to *my* service call. Gotta leave town for a few days, but I'll be calling somebody on Monday.

Reading the Samsung Slim-Fit forum, you see stories of people returning their sets for another Slim-Fit at the slightest geometry problem withing their 30 days. Circuit City seems to think nothing of it. Wouldn't Circuit City rather fix a tv then keep accepting several returns??!!! Because there are no more 970s left, this may work to my advantage on getting it corrected, as I will refuse another tv in exchange.

I'm sorry you're not happy with your 970. Many of us picked this tv on purpose. Seems like you grabbed yours as a 2nd choice. Hold onto your dreams, man, and get the tv you really want. It's like picking a puppy out of a shelter line up. Get the one that you have a connection with. Don't get the Cocker Spaniel just because it's on sale. :D

Uh...what the hell were we talking about again? ;)

Well guys, long time since ive posted, and boy oh boy, i can tell u, pulling teeth has been less painful (and i know, ive had them done) then getting service on this tv.

Heres the long sad, story. I get this tv as a replacement for an LCD that had backlight leakage on me. Ok, for a few months, its fine. But i notice more and more often, the right corner bends inwaards, among many other things.

So, after months of fustration, i dig out the contract i got with circuit city, figure, ok, its covered, have a guy fix it, a weeks worth of wating, tops.

MY GOD was i wrong. Turns out, the idiots at circuit city put the wrong name and address on my contract. So, getting that fixed was a major pain in the ass! So, ok, got a copy of the updated contract, im all set for a calabration, right?

WRONG! My god, was i wrong. The tech service circuit city outsources to, NEVER SHOWS UP once on numerous ocasions. I mean, i give this guy a friggen month to come out and fix the dam thing, not once even calling to confirm the appointment. So, i call them up, say, look, clearly you people are unrealiable, so dont bother, ill find someone elese. In an entire months worth, you couldent, or wouldent do it? Im not being unreasonable here.

So, i call tech support, blah blah blah, they set me up with another guy to get the thing fixed. Finally, after almost 3 months of this bull, the end is in sight, right?

WRONG. The guy calls within 5 minunts, asks whats wrong with the set, obverousley feeling threaten that i know a few of the technical terms like overscan, and geometry issues, and hes like, um, im not going to fix it. Should have bought an LCD, bye!

WTF? Right? Who the hell is this guy. I know what happend, he's scared because im not an ignorant and dumb when it comes to electronics, and he knows he wont be able to pull over a fast one with me.

"oh your charts are off? " Really now, 4 diffrent charts, from 4 diffrent test patterns? Its you whos off jacko. "i dont know what ur problem is, as long as u can see the text on the news channel on the bottom ur fine" "Oh yea, what about the 3 other sides of the image? Give me a friggen break.


But, it only gets worse. I call up coustmer service, and get a lovely woman named rose, whos like, ok sir, if u dont hear from us or sony themselves by thursday at 4, call us back, and we'll go right into getting u all set up for a replacement.

Great, fine. Ive had it with this BS, so, get another unit. So, of course, no call from eather circuit city or Sony, so i call them back, and they completly change there friggen story. Oh sir, i think u misunderstood us, we'll send out AAA focus to calabrate it (the same aholes who told me i should have bought and LCD) so i tell the woman, hey look, i already spoke to them, they refused to touch it, "but sir they are telling me they will do it" and im like, OF COURSE THEY WILL, then will drop the case in 5 minunts. IVE WASTED 3 MONTHS OF MY FRIGGEN TIME trying to get this BS solved" (of course im not cursing), but shes like thats the only option i can give u, and im like, ok lissen, ill speak to the store manager, this stuff is beyond insane. goodbye.

So, i call up the store manager, brian, who has by far, been the only guy who has helped me out through this entire mess, and i tell him, hey boss, look, ive had it with this dam thing, i dont even wana see it in my site. The comany is playing F around games, telling me one thing, then another, and hes like, ok, im going to do everything i can to get this fixed, because this is insane for you, and no way to run a buisness. " so im going to drop on by tomarow, talk to him, tell him send ya men down, pick the dam thing up, i dont want it no more, i just want my money back ive had it with this entire company, i want this to end.

so, thats wear i stand right now. Insane isnt it? 3 months for a simple adjustment? my god.

Wow, that's disturbing. That gives me serious second thoughts about buying a KV-34HS420 online if I can't find a 970 as a last ditch effort to go CRT, if such a simple problem is impossible to get fixed when buying locally I don't want to imagine the BS I'll have to go through if I buy online and buy a Sony extended warranty on it and something goes wrong.

Thank man, anyone else? I like options!

If you have more time and patience than money, check your local thrift stores. In one day I was able to find a nice sturdy 40" by 25" table for $15. I painted it black and it looks and works great. It may have been used as a tv stand originally, I'm not sure.

I have also seen many used Sony-made TV stands at thrift stores, but they don't last long. Bring a measuring tape with you (an XBR 970 is 39 1/2" x 27" IIRC)

Also check Big Lots, they have lots of cheap TV stands there, plus $12 HDMI cables.

Anyone know of a good stand alternative to the original one that is made for this TV?

I just picked one up for $400!

If you have a Big Lots in your town, check them out. Their furniture section should have a few heavy duty (200+ lb) TV stands for reasonable money.

I mean, this whole dam thing is a crying shame. for 219 dollars, you cant even get my god dam name right on the contract? Then i got to go though all this BS and no one will service it? Its amazingly how messed up, theving Son's of ...The store is.

Its a slight friggen geometry issue and some overscan, and no one will fix it. Ive had it. I told the guy brian, the store manager, yesterday, look chief, i just want it gone! Enough is enough, ya know. 3 months of this endless crap and nothing has been done and you guys keep giving me the run around! Right now i want a full replacement, or a full refund!

Have you tried fixing it yourself? With the time spent trying to get someone else to do it, you could have adjusted it yourself by now.

If you go into the SM and play around with the the geometry settings (there are about a dozen of them) you'll quickly see what is and isn't possible to fix.

There are some good SM printouts on this site for Sony CRT XBR's you can download that will give you a great road map of the settings and tell you what each setting does. It's not that hard, but it does take some time and patience. The 970 has display patterns built in to the SM, so there is no need to buy a calibration DVD just for geometry adjustments.

As others have said, perfect geometry is not really possible with a CRT, there will always be SOME bending of lines. But they don't spend much time adjusting these things at the factory, so you can nearly always make some improvement of your TV's geometry.

As far as the service contract goes, try to get you money back, and if they won't do that, definitely file a small claims court action, and let CC know that's what you are doing. I bet CC would gladly pay you back the price of the service contract just to stay out of court.

oh, ive tried numerous times to fix this myself. And it wont go. Ever since i got the tv ive been carefully tweaking it intill i hit a point were i simply just said "f" it and let a trained tech do it, and thats when the whole problem started with circuit city. Oh, sure, they push there god dam contract down your throat (you think they would simply transfer the old contract over since this is a replacement tv) but, apparently the laws of logic dont apply for circuit city.

If i have to go to small clames court, then ill go to small clames court. Its just, mind numbingly aggervating, that such a simple, almost rutine process, has to be beyond complex and fustrating, and yet, 3 months of giving them chances to fix this issue, apparently isnt enough time. I know they got other coustmers, and i understand and respect that, but u mean to tell me, a company that sells computers and tvs, cant find 5 minunts out of a month, to correct a simple error on a service contract, or for the price i paid for the contract, 219 dollars, you think for that amount of money, i would hope you could get my name and address correct! Yes, stupid me for not checking right after i got the tv to see if the contract info was correct, but you would think, how hard is it for them to get my name and address off my id. I would assume, even the most dumbest of employees would be able to handle that simple task, right?

But apparently not. SO, we finally after a month of endless phone calls, and being on hold so many times i know there hold music by heart, we get that corrected (which that itself took intervention and pushing from brian, the store manager) and im all set for repair, then there moron, and yes, i mean moron outsource tech guys, refuse to touch it. What am i suppost to do? Its beyond insane. Oh, but they think, they still got my money, right?

Ask the CC manager nicely to refund the money you paid for the service agreement after you calmly explain that the person who came to work on your TV refused to do anything.

If they say no, at that point in the conversation, casually mention that you plan to file a small claims court action to recover the amount you paid for the service contract. No need to get mad or anything, it won't help. In fact it will only make the CC people think you are trying to scam them, so they will be less likely to try to work with you.

oh i know about that. Ive never lost my cool once. Thats a sure fire way to loose any case.

No CRT TV will ever have perfect geometry. Even if it did, geometry on a CRT changes some dependent on what's on the screen at the time. If geometry is that important, you need a flat panel TV. Even those have bowing sometimes. The source was shot with a camera with a curved lens, there are imperfections in the source too.

No CRT TV will ever have perfect geometry. Even if it did, geometry on a CRT changes some dependent on what's on the screen at the time. If geometry is that important, you need a flat panel TV. Even those have bowing sometimes. The source was shot with a camera with a curved lens, there are imperfections in the source too.

Yes, you're right about the curved camera lenses. I see this all the time when I take pictures with my digital camera. Edges that are supposed to be straight are curved, especially if you take a picture up close with the macro setting.

As an owner of a 34XBR970, and previous other Sony 25" and 27" Profeel/XBR model Sony CRT's, I find GlennC's post #(see note *1*) to be dead on. GlennC was just sizing things up from a larger perspective and I don't feel that there is anything wrong with a somewhat critical commentary posted inside a users thread, provided it is factual and he's not just posting to be habitually negative with the intent to cast a negative shadow on 34XBR970 ownership. In fact, I would rather read and interact with his commentary than to read, what amounts to *blogging crap* by others at this web site. I haven't been following this thread all that closely, I have no 970 owner in particular in mind when using the term "blogging crap" but sadly, it is a problem in other sections of this web site, in my not-so-humble opinion.

That being said, when given a choice, I have always preferred the picture quality of an aperture grill over the shadow mask, despite an additional imperfection or two beyond that of traditional shadow mask, CRT technology. My first television purchase, beginning in 1983, was a 25" Sony Profeel monitor. Then, in the early 90's it was replaced with a Sony 27" XBR and now, just a few months ago, I purchased the 34XBR970.

The 970 is a great set but as pointed out by GlennC, it has its limitations (a relatively small size for a large living room, being the most glaring one that I can see), which force some people to purchase other types of display technologies.

However, there are imperfections with all display technologies. Some imperfections are unique to CRTs in general, some are unique to an aperture grill while other types of imperfections are inherent to flat panel technology. When size isn't the issue, considering flat panel technology, whether Plasma or LCD, I, like many others in this thread, feel that those technologies just aren't there yet and, at this point in time, I still prefer bright, colorful, and sharp enough, direct-view CRT technology.


nx211


note *1*
Referenced post in question has since been deleted.

So for those attempting to read and follow this thread in the future, it will no longer be possible to read the post(s) that sparked the reaction it did, from this threads participants.

As an owner of a 34XBR970, and previous other Sony 25" and 27" Profeel/XBR model Sony CRT's, I find GlennC's post #2008 to be dead on. GlennC was just sizing things up from a larger perspective and I don't feel that there is anything wrong with a somewhat critical commentary posted inside a users thread, provided it is factual and he's not just posting to be habitually negative with the intent to cast a negative shadow on 34XBR970 ownership. In fact, I would rather read and interact with his commentary than to read, what amounts to *blogging crap* by others at this web site. I haven't been following this thread all that closely, I have no 970 owner in particular in mind when using the term "blogging crap" but sadly, it is a problem in other sections of this web site, in my not-so-humble opinion.

That being said, when given a choice, I have always preferred the picture quality of an aperture grill over the shadow mask, despite an additional imperfection or two beyond that of traditional shadow mask, CRT technology. My first television purchase, beginning in 1983, was a 25" Sony Profeel monitor. Then, in the early 90's it was replaced with a Sony 27" XBR and now, just a few months ago, I purchased the 34XBR970.

The 970 is a great set but as pointed out by GlennC, it has its limitations (a relatively small size for a large living room, being the most glaring one that I can see), which force some people to purchase other types of display technologies.

However, there are imperfections with all display technologies. Some imperfections are unique to CRTs in general, some are unique to an aperture grill while other types of imperfections are inherent to flat panel technology. When size isn't the issue, considering flat panel technology, whether Plasma or LCD, I, like many others in this thread, feel that those technologies just aren't there yet and, at this point in time, I still prefer bright, colorful, and sharp enough, direct-view CRT technology.


nx211

what do you make of this post by glen?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11113359&&#post11113359

ok i picked my 970 up a few days ago, so far everything is sweet. i fisrt hooked it up to sd cable, it picked up quite a few digital chanels hbo some movie chanels but there all in 480i, i cant get any hd chanels, but sd kinda looks like poo. i was expecting that though but maybee not that bad. the real magic happened when i hooked up my ps3 through componet cables. i ran a test and the ps3 reconized 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i, so i put in rainbow six vegas which outputs at 720p and 1080i. and i had picked 1080i to out put it at and it looked bad, i couldnt figure out why, i was almost mad cuz i just bought this tv, then i put in resistance fall of man which only outputs at 720p and it looked sweet, so i took of 1080i and played rainbow again and it looked sweet, then i put in talladega nights and it seems a little better in 1080i, so i guess the point of this rant is what are u guys sending to the tv with the best results, could it just be that rainbow looks like crap in 1080 its the only 1080 game i have but then blu rays seem to look a lillte better in 1080, but for waht i paid 599 im realy happy this tv rocks, it just about broke my back though

Well on the surface otk, it would appear that he's clearly contradicting himself, posting some negative things inside an owner's thread after chiding somebody else for doing the same thing in another thread. Clearly, you've caught his hand in the cookie jar - so to speak.

But, if I'm understanding him correctly, I believe, in that quoted thread, he was chiding that other member for posting negative comments inside another owner/users thread after, the decision to purchase a different display was made by that individual.

That's not exactly the same thing in that GlennC appears to be addressing that user's potential remorse and possible insecurity of his purchasing decision and subsequent justification of that purchasing decision - by posting negative things about the other display he didn't buy.

In looking briefly at some of GlennC's other comments that he made on the previous two pages, I have to call a spade a spade and concede again that, he is dead on about everything he said about the shortcomings of the 970. Now I can't say this with 100% certainty, but he does appear genuine about the reasons why he was making those comments about the 970. It's not a be-all and end-all HD display. Far from it. In fact, I very much understand the direction he is coming from because I once too questioned the use of the 970 as a computer display by a member here not all that long ago.

Again, the 34XBR970 is a tremendous display. GlennC's critical commentary should be understood for what it is. However great the 970 is perceived to be by people here, it does have its imperfections. I see no problem with mentioning those shortcomings here and they shouldn't be taken the wrong way.

Every 970 owner should be more than delighted about their purchase, especially if you were lucky enough to pick one up at those clearance prices.


nx211


update:
For those reading this thread in the future. Several posts by the individual in discussion have now been deleted. The comment that currently follows this post was originally in response to that individuals attempt at justification, and now, subsequently deleted post.

*yawn*

ok. went down to the store today, talked to both managers, we together spent 3 hours on the phone trying to get this solved. Turns out, right now, my only optoion i got now is to let the guy who i called for service, and he refused service, to come on down and take a look at it. I even showed the store managers the picture of the problem i posted up on photobucket, and all of them agree that it is a PREFORMENCE ISSUE, which is covered by circuit city, but not under the manufacturing warentee, so, there in lies one of the many problems.

So, i guess i gota let the guy come on down, even though i dont want him to cause hes just going to say the same thing he allready told me on the phone, (they all got that if i fix it ill just goof up somthing elese, should have bought an lcd) so, its a complete waste of time (as if 3 months of trying in vain to get this fix wasnt enough time wasted), and then i guess ill just tell him, give circuit city the word u cant fix it, and ill be inline for a replacement.

Guess thats the last and only option i can give them before i go to small clames court with this BS. Who knows, maby the guy will be able to fix it! I doubt it, since he made it clear to both me, AND the store managers over the phone that he doesnt want to do this! So, i guess, when he calls to arrange an appointment, ill take it from there.

This dam situation keeps getting worse and worse and worse.

By the way, since its a possability im going to be getting a replacement, (50 50 chance) whats a good 1080I 34 inch (around that size) LCD tv thats good for gaming and has even black issues and no geometry issues

One last departing comment, ...BLAHBLAHBLAHBLAHBLAH... just as there should have been no reason for me to write this....

Really there wasn't.

*yawn*
Really there wasn't.
Geez, how old are you guys?

GlenC is a well respected ISF Professional Calibrator. He takes the time to share his knowledge and expertise in this thread and he gets treated with contempt by a few closed minded individuals.

How sad. :o

Geez, how old are you guys?

GlenC is a well respected ISF Professional Calibrator. He takes the time to share his knowledge and expertise in this thread and he gets treated with contempt by a few closed minded individuals.

How sad. :o

How is that contemptuous or closed minded? While he had some valid analysis of the 970 earlier, Glen's last post was nothing but a pity party.

Geez, how old are you guys?

GlenC is a well respected ISF Professional Calibrator. He takes the time to share his knowledge and expertise in this thread and he gets treated with contempt by a few closed minded individuals.

How sad. :o

So what is an appropriate response to a post like that?

And thanks for calling me contemptuous and closed-minded, I appreciate the feedback.

Well, concerning geomerty, i get if the image itself is curved, due to how its filmed, but, when no matter the source of the image, the lower right hand corner of the screen tends to bow inwards, its distracting at the very least

Well, concerning geomerty, i get if the image itself is curved, due to how its filmed, but, when no matter the source of the image, the lower right hand corner of the screen tends to bow inwards, its distracting at the very least

How far does it bend? Can you take a picture? This site will allow you to post a JPEG of 500k or less, so if you could do that, that would help.

You also said you tried to fix it yourself, is there any chance you wrote down the original settings or are these still the original settings?

If the bow is on one side only, it will be hard to impossible to do in the SM. Any adjustment to fix one side affects the other side too. I had to return my first TV because the left side bowed in about an inch or so while the right side was straight. I've only had someone else mess with my TVs a couple of times, both times it ended up worse than it was before they touched it. All this hassle to get someone to fix it may backfire on you.

Hello to all - my first post...

I have access to purchase any of these three models. Two are very lightly used floor models (955 and 36" 955). The 970 is new in box and the last one available. I have seen a friends 970 quite a bit before and love its picture.

Prices:
970 $799
955 $799
36" 955 $849.

From what I have read in several places, the no brainer answer is to buy one of the 955's. I would have a tough time deciding between the two formats.

The things I like:
the QAM tuners on all
the optical audio output on the 955's (970 doesnt have this?)
Cable Card slots on the 955's

Do the 955's have the "Auto program" that the 970 has, and does this fit programming to the screen as the 970 does?

Any other key features that I should consider?

My instinct is to buy one of the 955's but wanted to check here with the "experts" ; ) I guess the real question also relates to how much difference would there be between a 970 and a 955..

Ideas? Thanks

Ive posted a few pics a while back, and theres deffentley a problem. If the service guy says he can fix it but only make it worse, then acording to the terms of my contract, i have to receve a replacement of EQUAL size and value!

If you paid $600-700 for the Sony and they replace it with an LCD in the same price range, then it's a bottom of the line TV. I wouldn't call that a good trade myself. Maybe you like LCDs. I looked al LCDs that cost twice what I paid for the Sony, there was no comparison in PQ to me, the Sony blew the LCDs away. I guess I'm just a CRT person. I could live with that little bit of geometry before I could live with an LCD. One thing you might want to check out before they replace the TV, with most extended warranties if they buy you out or replace the TV the warranty is over. They might let you slide since it's only been a few months, but you might want to make sure it will carry over to the new TV first.

yea i know

they probley wont let it slide over...but u never know

I've recently started noticing a greenish-blue tint blob a few square inches in the lower left and right corner and moves around a little bit. Sometimes it'll disappear after a little while, sometimes not. Sometimes power cycling the TV will make it go away, sometimes not. I had one of those metal pin-things (where you can create a shape of something with its hundreds of nail type things, a little bigger than a hand) sitting next to the back of the TV for a few days, but had since moved it away a long time ago. There's nothing too close to it anymore, my speakers are about 2 feet or more away.

Most of the time I don't see it because I mainly use the TV with SD 4x3. But when I view a DVD in full screen or zoom a letterbox program to full screen I can see it. It's really annoying and distracting. I've read others have had this problem too, so it's not just me. Has anyone found a solution to this issue yet?

One thing that pissed me off about the 970 at first was the lack of a direct video change. Like if you were viewing Video 2 and would like to go directly to Video 5, the remote lacked the button to go directly there with one button press. Instead you have to press the video button 3 times to go from 2 to 5.

But I had since purchased a Logitech Harmony remote and programmed all my system components into it. What's cool is once I entered my TV model (xbr970) it automatically added direct video mode commands. So now I just press Video 2 or Video 5 to go directly to the input. Unless there was something I missed with the supplied remote, it sucks. I'm guessing any Sony remote with video commands will do. So if you have a learning remote and another Sony remote somewhere (or can borrow one), then program it for direct video input change.

I've recently started noticing a greenish-blue tint blob a few square inches in the lower left and right corner and moves around a little bit. Sometimes it'll disappear after a little while, sometimes not. Sometimes power cycling the TV will make it go away, sometimes not. I had one of those metal pin-things (where you can create a shape of something with its hundreds of nail type things, a little bigger than a hand) sitting next to the back of the TV for a few days, but had since moved it away a long time ago. There's nothing too close to it anymore, my speakers are about 2 feet or more away.Unless the pin impression toy was magnetized, it shouldn't have caused any problem. Are your speakers shielded? Large unshielded magnets can sometimes still cause a problem at 2 feet.

Most of the time I don't see it because I mainly use the TV with SD 4x3. But when I view a DVD in full screen or zoom a letterbox program to full screen I can see it. It's really annoying and distracting. I've read others have had this problem too, so it's not just me. Has anyone found a solution to this issue yet?If your sure that there are no magnetic fields near the set and power cycling doesn't resolve the color impurity, then the LANDING service menu adjustments may help. Left Top (LT), Left Bottom (LB), Right Top (RT) and Right Bottom (RB).

Unless the pin impression toy was magnetized, it shouldn't have caused any problem. Are your speakers shielded? Large unshielded magnets can sometimes still cause a problem at 2 feet.

If your sure that there are no magnetic fields near the set and power cycling doesn't resolve the color impurity, then the LANDING service menu adjustments may help. Left Top (LT), Left Bottom (LB), Right Top (RT) and Right Bottom (RB).

this is so true. i had to move one of my tower speakers out the other day and came within 2-3 feet and got the weird colors at the top right of my screen. i was even trying to keep myself between the tv and the speaker and it still effected it

a simple turning it off and on fixed it

Hey guys,

I'm looking to do a modest audio upgrade for my 970. The stock speakers just aren't cutting it for me anymore.

As I'm trying to decide on what to get, one of the problems I'm running into is I have no room for a center channel. Here is a picture showing what I have to work with. As you can see, I have very little room to spare.

http://enjoysoy.shackspace.com/Posted/Television.jpg


As you can see, there's absolutely no room on the top of the stand. And all three horizontal shelves will be occupied by consoles and a soon-to-be receiver. I suppose I could put a speaker in one of the side shelves, but then it would be off-center (as well as look stupid).

As you all know, the top of the television is curved, making it near impossible to put a speaker up there as is. But does anyone know of a way to modify the top of the television to make a center channel mountable? Or, is there a company that makes a pre-designed speaker mount? Something that matches the set nicely...

If I'm unable to find a way to fit a center channel in, I'll probably just go with a nice 2.1 setup.

Thanks for any input.

...... is there a company that makes a pre-designed speaker mount? Something that matches the set nicely...
.....A quick search found the Omnimount (http://www.omnimount.com/consumer/product.aspx?ProductId=ad90ae4a-a012-47db-9bdb-1c3318a4fdf9&CurrentId=5.4.1) available at CC and Sanus Product (http://www.sanus.com/us/en/products/ProductDetails/line/Adapters/pcat/TvTopShelves/modelCode/TVS/layout/layout/) available at Crutchfield.

A quick search found the Omnimount (http://www.omnimount.com/consumer/product.aspx?ProductId=ad90ae4a-a012-47db-9bdb-1c3318a4fdf9&CurrentId=5.4.1) available at CC and Sanus Product (http://www.sanus.com/us/en/products/ProductDetails/line/Adapters/pcat/TvTopShelves/modelCode/TVS/layout/layout/) available at Crutchfield.

I have the Sanus Product (http://www.sanus.com/us/en/products/ProductDetails/line/Adapters/pcat/TvTopShelves/modelCode/TVS/layout/layout/) on top of my XRB970 and highly recommend it.

I've got my center speaker on top of the TV. It wasn't very hard to rig, some styrofoam packing material is all it took. The front of the speaker is at the crack where the front and back of the TV meet, that holds it from sliding forward, and the styrofoam is underneath. I have something going back to the wall to keep the foam from sliding back, but you could use velcro.

I even showed the store managers the picture of the problem i posted up on photobucket, and all of them agree that it is a PREFORMENCE ISSUE, which is covered by circuit city, but not under the manufacturing warentee, so, there in lies one of the many problems.

I may be in a similar situation (Sony warranty vs. Circuit City protection plan.) I'm debating who to call first.

I bought this TV back in April and for the most part I'm really happy with it. The only thing is that this isn't a "true HD" set,the actual resolution is something like 853x1080,not 1920x1080. It's funny how they forget to mention that in the brochure, or correct me if I'm wrong?

I guess it doesn't matter now since they are phasing out CRT televisions anyway.

From what I've seen there are no CRT televisions large enough to display true 1080i.

If it was higher resolution, it would just make SD material look worse. I would call it a pretty good middle for HD and SD. HD looks incredible without making SD look like crap. Look at something SD on a 1920x1080 LCD, it's pretty pathetic compared to the Sony.

I may be in a similar situation (Sony warranty vs. Circuit City protection plan.) I'm debating who to call first.

well, with me, the store cant do anything intill the tech guy calls and looks at it, and hes avoiding me for some moronic reason. He allready told me he wasnt going to look at it, so, idk what i can do now

Hi I,ve been reading the posts here for a few months deciding if I wanted to shell out the $ for a KD-34XBR970 I,ve loved the tv since I first seen them at cc. well my hitachi blew so I decided to but my dream tv . called everywhere in the twin cities and found the very last one. it was a display model with a build date of april 07 .for 519 $ got it home and there are steady lines running across it for top to bottom about 1 inch apart at a slight angle that get just a little wider at the bottom. called sony and a tech is going to come look at it .Doesn't sound good he thinks its the tube. I dont believe I can get a replacement. hope hes wrong when he gets here. I have it hooked up to local hd by otc and the piture is good . if you get close you can still see the lines .. any ideas what may be causing this ?

If it was higher resolution, it would just make SD material look worse. I would call it a pretty good middle for HD and SD. HD looks incredible without making SD look like crap. Look at something SD on a 1920x1080 LCD, it's pretty pathetic compared to the Sony.

Agree completely w/what you say. After looking at the under $1000 LCD's at Best Buy this weekend, I'm VERY happy I picked this set.

I would really like to see one of the fine pitch 960's some day to see how they handle SD programs, which are still about 85% of what's on TV in my area. There must have been a reason why they stopped making the the SFP tubes a year before the "lower quality" 970's were finally phased out.

Since the production lines were all set up and running, why didn't they keep make SFP tubes for one more year and sell them for an extra $200 or $300? If they were THAT much better, you would thing there would be a market for such a TV, but Sony apparently thought otherwise.

Hi I,ve been reading the posts here for a few months deciding if I wanted to shell out the $ for a KD-34XBR970 I,ve loved the tv since I first seen them at cc. well my hitachi blew so I decided to but my dream tv . called everywhere in the twin cities and found the very last one. it was a display model with a build date of april 07 .for 519 $ got it home and there are steady lines running across it for top to bottom about 1 inch apart at a slight angle that get just a little wider at the bottom. called sony and a tech is going to come look at it .Doesn't sound good he thinks its the tube. I dont believe I can get a replacement. hope hes wrong when he gets here. I have it hooked up to local hd by otc and the piture is good . if you get close you can still see the lines .. any ideas what may be causing this ?

Did it exhibit the same problem on display in the store? I know it's hindsight, but it was a mistake to purchase it if you didnt examine it on display. Hopefully you can get it fixed or get out from under it, good luck.

I would really like to see one of the fine pitch 960's some day to see how they handle SD programs, which are still about 85% of what's on TV in my area. There must have been a reason why they stopped making the the SFP tubes a year before the "lower quality" 970's were finally phased out.

Since the production lines were all set up and running, why didn't they keep make SFP tubes for one more year and sell them for an extra $200 or $300? If they were THAT much better, you would thing there would be a market for such a TV, but Sony apparently thought otherwise.

I own both 970 and 960.

960 displays SD signal fine thanks to its DRC. As the matter of fact, DRC in 960 is more advanced than in 970 allowing for greater control over DRC and therefore, better overall PQ. Also, finer pitch of 960 gives smoother picture even for SD than 970.

I am guessing that xbr 960 cost of $2199 was a bit much considering screen size and technology that average consumer already consider outdated, so Sony introduced more budget friendly xbr 970 for $1199 while the company was shifting its focus away from CRT to more lucrative markets like LCDs.

I bought this TV back in April and for the most part I'm really happy with it. The only thing is that this isn't a "true HD" set,the actual resolution is something like 853x1080,not 1920x1080. It's funny how they forget to mention that in the brochure, or correct me if I'm wrong?

I guess it doesn't matter now since they are phasing out CRT televisions anyway.

From what I've seen there are no CRT televisions large enough to display true 1080i.

so you were happy with the tv till you heard it didn't have right numbers in the manual?

by the way, the starting price to get "true HD" on a sony LCD is $1800 and that's the bottom of the line sony 1920 x 1080 pixels

i was walking through circuit city today, rows and rows of LCD, what a blur fest

but look at all the space you save :eek:

so you were happy with the tv till you heard it didn't have right numbers in the manual?

by the way, the starting price to get "true HD" on a sony LCD is $1800 and that's the bottom of the line sony 1920 x 1080 pixels

i was walking through circuit city today, rows and rows of LCD, what a blur fest

but look at all the space you save :eek:

The only thing that utilizes "true" HD (1080p) is HD-movies. Cable programming nor gaming will ever be in 1080p, or not at least in the next decade. Although the new era of HD-gaming is slowly progressing, from what I've read it has a long way to go until it's in true 1080p format. So IMO, to pay the extra for a 1080p TV is worthless.

A buddy of mine just bought a new Samsung LCD and Tosh A2 HD player, and I will have to say, the HD movies look far better on my 970 than his Sammy.


Again, I still see NO reason to buy a "newer" TV in the next 5 years. I hope technology slows down a little bit, and this TV can serve me 7+ years. JMO..

"I am guessing that xbr 960 cost of $2199 was a bit much . . . "

OK then that explains why Sony quit making them. I did not realize 960's were nearly twice the price of a 970.

my point is that people get a hard on over the numbers

use your eyes. the 970 has mind blowing picture quality

if someone gave me a $5000 sony LCD for free, i would stick it in the family room, hook it up to a computer and run a photo slide show on it because that's all they are good for is freeze frame sharpness

"I am guessing that xbr 960 cost of $2199 was a bit much . . . "

OK then that explains why Sony quit making them. I did not realize 960's were nearly twice the price of a 970.


But the 960's came out 5 years before the 970.. or something like that. When $2,000 was the going rate for a high-end CRT. Now that all the "new" technologies (ie. LCD/plasma) have come out, it seems like that's a lot of money.

I can't remember where I read it, but I do believe $2,000 was priced "right" for a top of the line CRT when they were released, when ever that was. And at that time, I think 34" was pretty big as well. Although my knowledge on the 960 is very limited.

my point is that people get a hard on over the numbers

use your eyes. the 970 has mind blowing picture quality

if someone gave me a $5000 sony LCD for free, i would stick it in the family room, hook it up to a computer and run a photo slide show on it because that's all they are good for is freeze frame sharpness


Shoot, I'd accept it, and sell it. I'm not letting a $5,000 piece of electronic collect dust. SOMEONE will put it to good use; just not me. :D

My 970 is perfect for my 12x10 room..

I'm very satisfied as well with my 970. My only complaint is that my eyes get kind of dry and fatigued if I watch it for more than an hour or so at a time. But I'm looking into getting some back-lighting and hopefully that will help.

I watch my Sony in the dark for hours without it bothering my eyes. I never leave a TV on any factory settings though. The first thing I do when I buy a TV is set all picture settings to my liking. My TV is in a 11'x10' bedroom, I'd call it about perfect for that size room too.

But the 960's came out 5 years before the 970.. or something like that. When $2,000 was the going rate for a high-end CRT. Now that all the "new" technologies (ie. LCD/plasma) have come out, it seems like that's a lot of money.

I can't remember where I read it, but I do believe $2,000 was priced "right" for a top of the line CRT when they were released, when ever that was. And at that time, I think 34" was pretty big as well. Although my knowledge on the 960 is very limited.

xbr960 came out 2 years before xbr 970.
Sony briefly produced xbr960N for about four months before introducing xbr 970, but I could not find Sony MRSP for xbr960N though.

Guys, two questions:

1. Does the XBR970 have a VGA input?

2. Does anyone use their XBR970 with an Xbox 360? If so, would you recommend the Microsoft stock component cables or the Monster component cables(18 bucks)?


Thanks.....

well, with me, the store cant do anything intill the tech guy calls and looks at it, and hes avoiding me for some moronic reason. He allready told me he wasnt going to look at it, so, idk what i can do now

I finally called Sony and they agreed to in-home warranty service. Someone should be here Monday. I may have a special situation where they were much more likely to send someone out. Anyhow, they gave me a web address that I wanted you to be aware of.

www.sony.com/repair

Just type in your model number, purchase date, and zip code. You will get a list of Sony repair places in your area that are qualified to deal with 34XBR970 issues. On that list you may see some places listed as GOLD SES centers. That means they are the highest rated on that list from Sony customers.

I don't know what kind of "tech guy" you're dealing with, but it certainly sounds like you could do better. And as always, be savvy with how you talk to customer service people. I'm sure you know how they like to be treated and what not to say to them. Customer service reps are fragile creatures, and they often have us by the balls, so to speak. Play your cards right. And good luck! Keep us posted.

oh im very professional when im talking to them. I dont curse, i explane the situation, etc. and still they give me a hard time. I dont get it at all. Also i checked out your link (thanks alot) and the only guy that comes up is the same guy that refuses to take the case!

Guys, two questions:

1. Does the XBR970 have a VGA input?

2. Does anyone use their XBR970 with an Xbox 360? If so, would you recommend the Microsoft stock component cables or the Monster component cables(18 bucks)?


Thanks.....


No unfortuntley this tv does not have a VGA imput. As for the xbox 360, the stock cables work fine! I see no need to go out and buy the monster cables!

Does anybody know where i can buy a 970? (IN Iowa or clsoe by, maybe Chicago?)

Also, how is the lag or delay when playing xbox 360? I had bought a Sharp 32d43u, but there was a very slight delay. Would you say the 970 would be as responsive as a non hd tv? Or is there still the very slight delay like the LCDs?

There's no delay in video on CRT TVs. There is some audio sync problems with digital TVs when using a seperate receiver, I guess because of the digital processing. Most decent receivers have an adjustable audio delay these days to sync audio and video. There's no sync problems when using the TV speakers.

Alright, I just wish i could find a place to buy one!

OK, I like all the positive comments and size is not a problem but where to buy one of these discontinued models?? Anybody know of a mail-order or i-net source? Amazon has them for $1000 but any other places???
thanks!

OK, I like all the positive comments and size is not a problem but where to buy one of these discontinued models?? Anybody know of a mail-order or i-net source? Amazon has them for $1000 but any other places???
thanks!

First.. Welcome to the Forums!!



Second.. Check CC or BB. I would call all the stores within at least 50 miles. I went looking out 200 miles for the 960 but was unsuccessful.

They may/may-not have any more. I believe my local CC still has one or two left; at least they did two weeks ago.



-Nick

I joined the club yesterday. Walked out with a floor model from a nearby BB for $425 :eek:. I almost felt bad paying for it, LOL.

First.. Welcome to the Forums!!



Second.. Check CC or BB. I would call all the stores within at least 50 miles. I went looking out 200 miles for the 960 but was unsuccessful.

They may/may-not have any more. I believe my local CC still has one or two left; at least they did two weeks ago.



-Nick

I certainly hope not! I asked my local CC to check their nation-wide database for a new 34XBR970 on July 17th, 2007, and they said not a single CC shop in the US had any left. Just display models and busted ones being sent back to Sony. So I bought the display model. I'm happy with it, but I would have prefered new, of course. Did they lie to me? Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!! :mad:

OK, I like all the positive comments and size is not a problem but where to buy one of these discontinued models?? Anybody know of a mail-order or i-net source? Amazon has them for $1000 but any other places???
thanks!

If you are in CA, Fresno CC had a couple left last week, plus the floor model. Fresno is right in the center of the state, so w/in driving distance of either LA, SF Bay area or Sacramento.

I certainly hope not! I asked my local CC to check their nation-wide database for a new 34XBR970 on July 17th, 2007, and they said not a single CC shop in the US had any left. Just display models and busted ones being sent back to Sony. So I bought the display model. I'm happy with it, but I would have prefered new, of course. Did they lie to me? Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!! :mad:

You hope not what?

Depends if the person who helped you out actually did what they said. Plus, I had no idea you could check every single store in the U.S. If you call around and do your homework, you can/will/likely find one new locally..

I did..



-Nick

That line "We don't have any more in stock" if properly translated really means, "I don't feel like looking, so go away." It's probably the #1 most common response you'll get from any retail store employee, so never believe it when you hear it.

I was in the Fresno CA Circuit City store exactly one week ago and they still had two in stock. Call them up if you don't believe me.

Thanks for the "Welcome" to the board! I found a display at a Circuit City about 100 miles away from me they will sell for $540 so I guess I'll get it. They want $210 to deliver it so I guess it's road trip time!
Hope all my comments are positive after the purchase :D

Anybody have a copy of the word or excel file on what the service codes mean? I tried downloading the links in the Service Code thread but the links didn't work.

Can some of you post what calibrations you have in terms of the stuff on the service menu? I'm just curious as to what settings some of you have. Also any calibration tips would be nice to see.

Thanks for the "Welcome" to the board! I found a display at a Circuit City about 100 miles away from me they will sell for $540 so I guess I'll get it. They want $210 to deliver it so I guess it's road trip time!
Hope all my comments are positive after the purchase :D

I'd bite the guy's hand off for $540. The local CC was offering their display for $800 without remote. I tried talking them down - no luck.

Thanks for the "Welcome" to the board! I found a display at a Circuit City about 100 miles away from me they will sell for $540 so I guess I'll get it. They want $210 to deliver it so I guess it's road trip time!
Hope all my comments are positive after the purchase :D


The box is HUGE and heavy.. I have a luxury car, and there was no way the box was going to fit. I'd recommend getting a U-Haul pickup truck, or if you know anybody with a truck/suv or "wagon" type vehicle.

At the time of purchase, they had a special, nationwide that included free delivery. That's when I bought mine..

Can some of you post what calibrations you have in terms of the stuff on the service menu? I'm just curious as to what settings some of you have. Also any calibration tips would be nice to see.


This varies so much by the individual TV. I could tell you my settings, but they likely won't suit your needs. I've seen some "extreme" differences in settings. As in users who have settings at the bottom end of the spectrum, and users who have the settings at the top of the spectrum..

It all depends. The best advice I can give you is pick up a Avia calibration disk. I bought mine brand new off eBay for like $17 shipped.




-Nick

That line "We don't have any more in stock" if properly translated really means, "I don't feel like looking, so go away." It's probably the #1 most common response you'll get from any retail store employee, so never believe it when you hear it.

I was in the Fresno CA Circuit City store exactly one week ago and they still had two in stock. Call them up if you don't believe me.

I have no reason not to believe you. Why would you lie to me? :)

As for customer service these days, I realize it's in a horrible state. I am often shocked at how awful people are when it comes to helping others in the customer service industry. Communication is sooooo poor. People just don't listen...or just don't care. HOWEVER, I do like to give people the benefit of the doubt. You had to be there, but I truely believe the CC reps tried to help me. (I spoke to several people at different store locations in my city.) I rest easy knowing that even if they did tell me they found an unopened tv in Cali., they'd probably charge me a shipping fee to get it to my home town. Now as for that 3 year CC warranty I bought, I'm a bit skeptical. Sony seems to be treating me very well so far. I have 2 weeks left to get a refund on my extended CC warranty. I may very well do that.

And yes, I'm sure I could shop around and find an unopend XBR970 somewhere in my town, but I had to stick with Circuit City. I had a 24 months no interest promo thingy from them. It was an internet only offer, but I convinced the manager to let me use it in the store. See - they can be nice when they want to. :p I'm just happy I finally got this tv!

I have no reason not to believe you. Why would you lie to me? :)

As for customer service these days, I realize it's in a horrible state. I am often shocked at how awful people are when it comes to helping others in the customer service industry. Communication is sooooo poor. People just don't listen...or just don't care. HOWEVER, I do like to give people the benefit of the doubt. You had to be there, but I truely believe the CC reps tried to help me. (I spoke to several people at different store locations in my city.) I rest easy knowing that even if they did tell me they found an unopened tv in Cali., they'd probably charge me a shipping fee to get it to my home town. Now as for that 3 year CC warranty I bought, I'm a bit skeptical. Sony seems to be treating me very well so far. I have 2 weeks left to get a refund on my extended CC warranty. I may very well do that.

And yes, I'm sure I could shop around and find an unopend XBR970 somewhere in my town, but I had to stick with Circuit City. I had a 24 months no interest promo thingy from them. It was an internet only offer, but I convinced the manager to let me use it in the store. See - they can be nice when they want to. :p I'm just happy I finally got this tv!

I hope you know that the Sony TV comes with a 2 year warranty. So essentially you paid $170 for a one year warranty! :eek:

My CC company generally extends all electronics warranty usually a year anyways. I have nothing to worry about.. thankfully.

I hope you know that the Sony TV comes with a 2 year warranty. So essentially you paid $170 for a one year warranty! :eek:

My CC company generally extends all electronics warranty usually a year anyways. I have nothing to worry about.. thankfully.

Yeah, I'm fully aware of this. I paid about $100 for it. But it seemed to cover certain things that Sony didn't, like a power surge exploding my tv. The CC warranty seems more geared toward LCD, DLP, and Plasma owners however. I was also unsure how good Sony customer support would be, but so far I'm very pleased. I may get my $100 back. I can always extend my warranty through Sony after my 2 years are up.

Hi, Guys. I had a few questions:

1. Out of Vivid, Standard, Movie, and Pro, which one do you use for your TV and DVD viewing? Which is the best of the four in your opinion? I've been using Pro myself.

2. In terms of ClearEdge, should you have it on low, medium, or high? I have mine currently on Low.

3. Should you have the TV on Interlaced, Progressive, or CineMotion when watching DVD, HD, or standard definition on this TV? I have mine on CineMotion (3:2 pulldown) at the moment for TV, VCR, and DVD viewing.

4. What is this DRC-MF (Digital REality Creation Multifuntion Circuitry) and how does it work? From what I've seen about this TV it says this circuit in the TV can upgrade standard 480i signals to 480p or 960i for a near-high-definition-quality picture from standard video signals. How can I use this circuitry on the TV to upgrade picture signals for regular TV, VCR, and DVD?

5. Which color temperature is the best to use? Cool, Neutral, or Warm? I have mine on Neutral.

Hi, Guys. I had a few questions:

1. Out of Vivid, Standard, Movie, and Pro, which one do you use for your TV and DVD viewing? Which is the best of the four in your opinion? I've been using Pro myself.

2. In terms of ClearEdge, should you have it on low, medium, or high? I have mine currently on Low.

3. Should you have the TV on Interlaced, Progressive, or CineMotion when watching DVD, HD, or standard definition on this TV? I have mine on CineMotion (3:2 pulldown) at the moment for TV, VCR, and DVD viewing.

4. What is this DRC-MF (Digital REality Creation Multifuntion Circuitry) and how does it work? From what I've seen about this TV it says this circuit in the TV can upgrade standard 480i signals to 480p or 960i for a near-high-definition-quality picture from standard video signals. How can I use this circuitry on the TV to upgrade picture signals for regular TV, VCR, and DVD?

5. Which color temperature is the best to use? Cool, Neutral, or Warm? I have mine on Neutral.

I havent seen a radical difference between any of the DRC modes myself. Based on my experience, the quality and resolution of the input source will have a much greater effect on your picture than the DRC settings. As far as your other settings, the most honest answer is "whatever setting you prefer." Each person's set calibration and viewing environment (not to mention eyesight) is different.

Hi, Guys. I had a few questions:

1. Out of Vivid, Standard, Movie, and Pro, which one do you use for your TV and DVD viewing? Which is the best of the four in your opinion? I've been using Pro myself.

2. In terms of ClearEdge, should you have it on low, medium, or high? I have mine currently on Low.

3. Should you have the TV on Interlaced, Progressive, or CineMotion when watching DVD, HD, or standard definition on this TV? I have mine on CineMotion (3:2 pulldown) at the moment for TV, VCR, and DVD viewing.

4. What is this DRC-MF (Digital REality Creation Multifuntion Circuitry) and how does it work? From what I've seen about this TV it says this circuit in the TV can upgrade standard 480i signals to 480p or 960i for a near-high-definition-quality picture from standard video signals. How can I use this circuitry on the TV to upgrade picture signals for regular TV, VCR, and DVD?

5. Which color temperature is the best to use? Cool, Neutral, or Warm? I have mine on Neutral.


Again, this ALL depends on your individual TV.

1. Pro

2. Medium; I can tell a difference on ESPN-HD. The MAIN channel I watch. I can also tell a difference when using the Avia calibration disk. The difference between High, Medium and Low is significant. If I'm watching movies, or other HD programming I usually change it to Low.

3. Cinemotion, but I haven't tried the others.

4. No idea..

5. Neutral. I use Warm from time to time as well..

*6. Color Axis: Monitor

For my set I use Pro mode (vivid sucks) with the color and picture slightly below stock settings and the brightness slightly above. I also went into the service menu and worked on the geometry, overscan and convergence just a tad, trying leave things as is wherever possible. That's about it. Color decoder settings I messed with, but eventually went back to original settings.

I think I have done about all I can do at this point without making things worse. All in all I think they did a pretty good job of adjusting this set at the factory.

DRC does not seem to matter much, plus you can only use it on 480i signals (IIRC) so I pretty much ignore it.

I mostly use standard and cool, but I've tweaked all 4 picture modes to my liking, always do with any new TV. Pro is terrible at factory settings to me, too much brightness not enough contrast. I can't get pro to look good at any user settings. All 4 modes have preset settings in the service menus beyond the preset user adjustable settings, the TVs biggest flaw to me. I watch in the dark though, most people probably don't.
Unless you've got a real low budget DVD player, you should be using progressive, not DRC.

What ever you do, DONT BUY THIS TV FROM CIRCUIT CITY and get there "PROTECTION" plan, its completly worthless.

Get this, u guys know im fighting an uphill battle with them. The cable guy who was suppost to first come out, never showed up, and the 2th guy nows says i refused his service? WHAT THE F$@K?

whats the point of calling for service if i am only to refuse the service!? does that make any sense what so ever?

true story: i call and arrange an appointment for the cable guy to service my tv due to the gemoetry issues, and within 5 minunts AA FOCUS tv calls me, to set up the appointment, and i tell them the problem, and turns out, My test patterns MUST be wrong, and all tvs have that, live with it, and he wont service it!

SO, i tell circuit city, and they call him, and he says I REFUSED service! WHAT THE HELL? He refuses to do his job, then blames it on me? and i gota be out of any benifits of my contract?

give me a friggen break

What ever you do, DONT BUY THIS TV FROM CIRCUIT CITY and get there "PROTECTION" plan, its completly worthless.

Get this, u guys know im fighting an uphill battle with them. The cable guy who was suppost to first come out, never showed up, and the 2th guy nows says i refused his service? WHAT THE F$@K?

whats the point of calling for service if i am only to refuse the service!? does that make any sense what so ever?

true story: i call and arrange an appointment for the cable guy to service my tv due to the gemoetry issues, and within 5 minunts AA FOCUS tv calls me, to set up the appointment, and i tell them the problem, and turns out, My test patterns MUST be wrong, and all tvs have that, live with it, and he wont service it!

SO, i tell circuit city, and they call him, and he says I REFUSED service! WHAT THE HELL? He refuses to do his job, then blames it on me? and i gota be out of any benifits of my contract?

give me a friggen break

You called the cable guy to fix your TV? :confused:

no. thats not what i ment, i ment the tech guy. i just call him in my mind, the cable guy, ya know, as a force of habit

Try going through Sony. It'll probably be the same guy, but at least you can try to deal with another company.

no, sony wont even touch it. i allready called them. said that problem isnt covered under there warentee.

im on my second 970 .. i have the same defect (sagging on the left side of screen) i have the oppertunity to buy a new 960...should i return the 970 and go for hte 960(new but no warranty)..or get a tech to fix my 970(under warranty) also the 960 will be around half the price....

im on my second 970 .. i have the same defect (sagging on the left side of screen) i have the oppertunity to buy a new 960...should i return the 970 and go for hte 960(new but no warranty)..or get a tech to fix my 970(under warranty) also the 960 will be around half the price....


So the 960 is new, but no warranty?

How much are you getting the 960 for? What are you going to do with the 970 then?

i am still under the 1 month on the 970....(i couldnt fix the problem in sevice menu,must be magnetic)so i can get a full refund...Paid 700$ for the 970...can get the 960 for400 to 500

i am still under the 1 month on the 970....(i couldnt fix the problem in sevice menu,must be magnetic)so i can get a full refund...Paid 700$ for the 970...can get the 960 for400 to 500

You can get a NEW 960 for $400?

I was willing to pay upwards of $1,500 for a brand new one.. I've seen a store online have a few for $1,800ish..

With the low price, it may be used, and likely is. If not, you're one lucky person.. :)

do you want to buy my 970...lol

is the 960 a better tv...ive heard about some anti glare coating concearns

do you want to buy my 970...lol


No thanks. My 970 is fine..

Yes, the 960 is overall a better TV. It has a higher resolution, SFP, better sounding speakers & includes a sub (built in the TV) etc.

any idea how to get rid of the bowing on the leftside of screen...most noticeable while watching 2:35 movies letterbox...i would really like to keep it...being stuck with a 960 and a 970 isnt that bad for me

any idea how to get rid of the bowing on the leftside of screen...most noticeable while watching 2:35 movies letterbox...i would really like to keep it...being stuck with a 960 and a 970 isnt that bad for me

No idea.. I'm not one to tinker with my service menu, so I'll pay to have ISF calibration and get everything done at the same time..

Others will chime in and maybe they can help you out.

forget this crap, im going back to an LCD!

forget this crap, im going back to an LCD!


Good luck, and don't buy a Sony LCD!

I've gone through over half a dozen widescreen CRT TVs, every one of them sloped down a little on the upper left side. I think it's just the way they are.
Give me that little of sloping down over an LCD any day. LCDs don't look good at any price to me.

Sami...have all those CRT's been xbr970 or 960...and did you ever try to get them fixed..and if you did,was the problem fixed... ive had 2 970's both do it..you are right though...the picture is better than LCD...

If any of you are looking for an 34XBR970 and are looking for an alternative the 34HS420 is the same tv actually it's just the previous model but it's a lot more reliable than the XBR970's.

The only real difference is cosmetic color, (it's silver), Lacks individual input memory, and lacks HD and digital tuners, but if you have a cable box it really doesn't matter, and the menu layout is different.

I've had my sony 34HS420 for over 4 years now and never had i had a single issue..

Sami...have all those CRT's been xbr970 or 960...and did you ever try to get them fixed..and if you did,was the problem fixed... ive had 2 970's both do it..you are right though...the picture is better than LCD...

3 of them were the 970 and the others were the 30" Sanyo they used to sell at Walmart. The 970 I have now only slopes down slightly. There's no way I'd let someone else touch my TV over that little bit of sloping. Unless you get someone that really knows what they are doing, I don't think there's too many of those people out there, it could get far worse. I'm not willing to take that chance. I only see it on 2.35:1 movies if I look for it. I'm not like most people on here, I usually zoom 2.35:1 movies to full screen with my player anyway.

ya know, im all for getting it fixed, and i really would want it fixed, but, the crap ive had to go though just to get it fixed, makes me question if the whole dam thing is really worth it

ya know, im all for getting it fixed, and i really would want it fixed, but, the crap ive had to go though just to get it fixed, makes me question if the whole dam thing is really worth it

I'm not going to question whether or not you've called, but I've heard quite a few people here get their sets fixed by a Sony technician in-house and a few times, "Firedog" or a CC technician.

It seems you're the only one with a problem, and it seems you're giving up rather easy, but I may be wrong.


When I have a problem with anything, I call and call or visit and visit and set up appointments for fixing etc. until I am happy. Again, it "seems" you're giving in rather easy..


I'd ask to speak to someone else, a supervisor maybe, another technician, talk to CC etc. etc. I don't know what's all involved in fixing a TV, because either it was minor, and I went searching online how to fix it, or I called the company who manufactured the product. I've never had any problems..

Is there a Sony store near you? If so, I'd go give them a visit and see if you cannot get a different result. It's always easier to get things you want in person, not over the phone.


What's the problem you're dealing with?

ya know, im all for getting it fixed, and i really would want it fixed, but, the crap ive had to go though just to get it fixed, makes me question if the whole dam thing is really worth it


wow, you really do have bad luck with tv's

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9189589&&#post9189589

yea i know. Idk why. Im on my 3th xbox 360 too? there must be some strange maganatic field or somthing in my room,

Guys,

I've been reading about the PS3's new upscaling capability for DVDs and older games. Apparently it boots them up to 1080p with no way to change it. What's my XBR970 gonna do if it receives a 1080p signal? I'm confused.

That 1080p would only be through HDMI. You could always use components.

That 1080p would only be through HDMI. You could always use components.

May plan was to use the lonely HDMI port when I got a PS3. All my component inputs are taken up, and I don't wanna spend extra on a switcher right now.

Anyone use a PS3 for upscaling DVDs on this tv? Tell me about it please.

Guys,

I've been reading about the PS3's new upscaling capability for DVDs and older games. Apparently it boots them up to 1080p with no way to change it. What's my XBR970 gonna do if it receives a 1080p signal? I'm confused.


Yes there is. Download the new update(s) and you should be set.

Under display options, you can select 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p.


Select either 720p or 1080i. Although the PS3 does a better job at 720p than 1080i. FYI I run my PS3 on 720p even though the TV is 1080i.



P.S. Post 400 :D

May plan was to use the lonely HDMI port when I got a PS3. All my component inputs are taken up, and I don't wanna spend extra on a switcher right now.

Anyone use a PS3 for upscaling DVDs on this tv? Tell me about it please.


It's not to shabby believe it or not. I use BR disk for HD, but I have tried a few SD-DVD's and they didn't look bad. I wouldn't buy an up-scaling DVD player either. The PS3's upscaling features are good enough.


After seeing BR, I won't ever go back to SD-DVD's.. ;)



What are you waiting for!? Go out and grab one of those PS3's!

yea i know. Idk why. Im on my 3th xbox 360 too?

I'm pretty sure that's normal. :D

I run my Sony upscaling DVD player to my XBR970 over HDMI. The DVD player's resolution is set at 1080p.

I'm not saying my XBR970 is actually displaying 1080p (I'm not sure what it's actually displaying) but it does accept the signal, and it does look different than when I set the DVD player to display 1080i.

I run my Sony upscaling DVD player to my XBR970 over HDMI. The DVD player's resolution is set at 1080p.

I'm not saying my XBR970 is actually displaying 1080p (I'm not sure what it's actually displaying) but it does accept the signal, and it does look different than when I set the DVD player to display 1080i.


Hmm... that's odd.

When I tried 1080p on anything; Xbox 360, PS3, upscaling DVD player, I ALWAYS get a black screen, and then it switches over from that back to what it was originally set.

Our TV's aren't 1080p, so I'm kind of confused why you are seeing anything to begin with. :confused:

I run my Sony upscaling DVD player to my XBR970 over HDMI. The DVD player's resolution is set at 1080p.

I'm not saying my XBR970 is actually displaying 1080p (I'm not sure what it's actually displaying) but it does accept the signal, and it does look different than when I set the DVD player to display 1080i.

Hmmmm....

When you hit "display" on your tv remote, what is it telling you the tv is receiving?

And you're saying upscaled dvds on the PS3 look better when the PS3 is set to output 1080p rather than 1080i, yes? See, this is what's confusing me. I read something that makes me think the PS3 will only upscale to 1080p, so if you set the PS3 to output 1080i, you're not getting the upscaling.

Hell, I don't care how it's done, I just wanna make sure the PS3 will make my original dvds look kick-ass. The tv probably does a good job at dumbing down a 1080p signal. I want these two Sony products to play nicely together.

Hmmmm....

When you hit "display" on your tv remote, what is it telling you the tv is receiving?

It says 1080i.

It says 1080i.

So the XBR970 safely dumbs down a 1080p signal to 1080i. Cool. Crisis averted. Thanks!

So the XBR970 safely dumbs down a 1080p signal to 1080i. Cool. Crisis averted. Thanks!


I don't understand where you're getting this "down scaling 1080p" from..

You have the option to select 480i, 720p, 1080i or 1080p.


None of the games are created in 1080p, so everything is being up converted anyways.

au revior, that is truly strange. As far as I know, the TV can't even accept a 1080p signal over HDMI.

According to my user manual, under specifications, HDMI IN accepts 1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i.

It's quite surprising that your TV can even accept a 1080p signal. Are you certain that your DVD player is outputting 1080p? If so, then I wonder if maybe Sony made a change to the XBR970 firmware or something, allowing it to accept 1080p over HDMI now. When was your 970 manufactured? I wonder if they could even do that with just the firmware...

Ummm, i'm experiencing some SERIOUS bowing right now, just wondering if horizontal hangover of 1 inch on each side of my stand could be the culprit....

Hey folks, this thread is super long and searches on Blu-Ray didn't lead to anything revealing. I am curious as to how Blu-Ray looks on this set compared to dvd. Is it a dramatic difference? I am interested in getting a BD player since the software is starting to look good. I would eventually put the player on my projector, but i actually do more viewing on this sony set.

Can you give particular title names and differences from Std dvd?

BD looks great on the big tvs, but I wondered what the difference was on 34"


Also,
I long ago calibrated my tv the best i could, But could never get rid of a red vertical shift in my lower left quadrant of the screen. Horizontal lens shift is covered in the service manual, but nothing about vertical shift. It makes my lower left corner not as sharp as the rest of the tv. I have contemplated calling Circuit City, but i have a feeling that would not lead very far. Anyone else battle this? Fixed it?

Hey folks, this thread is super long and searches on Blu-Ray didn't lead to anything revealing. I am curious as to how Blu-Ray looks on this set compared to dvd. Is it a dramatic difference? I am interested in getting a BD player since the software is starting to look good. I would eventually put the player on my projector, but i actually do more viewing on this sony set.

Can you give particular title names and differences from Std dvd?

BD looks great on the big tvs, but I wondered what the difference was on 34"


Also,
I long ago calibrated my tv the best i could, But could never get rid of a red vertical shift in my lower left quadrant of the screen. Horizontal lens shift is covered in the service manual, but nothing about vertical shift. It makes my lower left corner not as sharp as the rest of the tv. I have contemplated calling Circuit City, but i have a feeling that would not lead very far. Anyone else battle this? Fixed it?


BR on this set is just stunning. Nothing more..

I can just tell you that the video quality in unmatched and even the audio through the TV sounds a little better. (Working on a very nice HT)

The difference, IMO is worth everything. "I" can personally differentiate a SD-DVD to a BR disk in a heart beat. To me, it's like night and day, and I cannot believe I waited so long. :eek:


To help you on the next paragraph, I cannot. I am very sure someone will chime in and help you out. Or PM GlenC. He's a very helpful and informative member who has calibrated a few 970's..




-Nick

Oh, blue ray is simply amazing. Shame i only currently got one blue ray movie, stealth, which looks quite impressive, but, that will soon chance, as i got 300 on blue ray coming soon from amazon.com, and i cant wait to get that bad boy cranking!

Also, some more good news. I manage to get the cable guy to come out and adjust the tv, and he should be here this upcomming monday. Honestly if he can fix these geometry issues, ill be happy, if not, then i guess i got no choice but to replace it with the sharp 32 inch 1080p 10,000:1 contrast set! Eather way, i figure i win in the long run. And, my xbox should be returned to me from microsoft by next week, so, even that looks good

And i stand a decent shot at getting a job at my local library as a clerk, and durring the interview today, they were impressed that i had some tv and computer skills, so, hope things work out for the best! Plus, first paycheck or 2, i hope to have enough to purchase the HD add on for the xbox 360, that way the entire setup is complete. Maby within a year or so i might change out my entry level sony recever for one with more umph! But, at the moment, i dont see the need! Once i have everything all set up and going, (just need the xbox back, the HD add on, and the new ps3 camera and i should be set for atleast a few years) ill finally be happy!




Right now, i just feel, im so close to acheving goals ive set for myself, and its outa my hands at this point, here's hoping for the best, and bracing for the worst

au revior, that is truly strange. As far as I know, the TV can't even accept a 1080p signal over HDMI.

According to my user manual, under specifications, HDMI IN accepts 1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i.

It's quite surprising that your TV can even accept a 1080p signal. Are you certain that your DVD player is outputting 1080p? If so, then I wonder if maybe Sony made a change to the XBR970 firmware or something, allowing it to accept 1080p over HDMI now. When was your 970 manufactured? I wonder if they could even do that with just the firmware...

Upscaling DVD player is Sony DVP-NS77H. The setting I have it on is 1080p Auto, so it may be "automatically" switching to 1080i.

I'm not sure exactly what's going on, but there is a noticeable difference from 1080i, so I don't *think* it's just going to 1080i, but I have no idea what it really is doing, and would not even venture a guess, because someone here is sure to call me on it, and then I will get into a huge argument and I really don't feel like arguing today.

My XBR970 is from probably the last month they were made, April 2007.

Upscaling DVD player is Sony DVP-NS77H. The setting I have it on is 1080p Auto, so it may be "automatically" switching to 1080i.

I'm not sure exactly what's going on, but there is a noticeable difference from 1080i, so I don't *think* it's just going to 1080i, but I have no idea what it really is doing, and would not even venture a guess, because someone here is sure to call me on it, and then I will get into a huge argument and I really don't feel like arguing today.

My XBR970 is from probably the last month they were made, April 2007.

Well , when you pop in a DVD, hit the Display button on the TV remote..

What does it say?


I want to say they were last made in March of 07, but if your tag says so, you are of the few. I have not yet seen a 970 made in April.

If you could, could you snap a photo of the tag on the back?




Thanks,


-Nick

Still wondering if you guys think my bowing issue could be cause be the fact that my tv hangs over 1 inch horizontally on each side of my stand....

Still wondering if you guys think my bowing issue could be cause be the fact that my tv hangs over 1 inch horizontally on each side of my stand....


Nope, mine does as well. For the moment, at least.


Will be picking up this stand sometime in the following weeks.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3601507

Im thinking about buying the 970 from circuit city for 700. My other option would to spend alittle more and buy a decent lcd. I guess my biggest concern would be the screen size which is on the small size. Id be using it for gaming on a 360 and dvds mostly.

Envious ex-owner here...

had to go with a 42" Hitachi plasma after my 970 was defective and couldn't find another last spring. Miss the superior PQ. anyway, my 360 looked awesome on the set as did the HD DVD add on. these sets rock!

Envious ex-owner here...

had to go with a 42" Hitachi plasma after my 970 was defective and couldn't find another last spring. Miss the superior PQ. anyway, my 360 looked awesome on the set as did the HD DVD add on. these sets rock!

You guys are freaking me out here. In this day and age, how can this tv NOT be fixed if it's defective? Parts can be replaced, and magnets can be used to alter geometry if the service menu proves to be too limited, right? Is it a money/time issue where you'd rather exchange it with another tv brand/model instead? I'm confused. I only ask because I have a tech guy coming to see me on Monday, and the last thing I wanna hear him say is "there's nothing I can do."

You guys are freaking me out here. In this day and age, how can this tv NOT be fixed if it's defective? Parts can be replaced, and magnets can be used to alter geometry if the service menu proves to be too limited, right? Is it a money/time issue where you'd rather exchange it with another tv brand/model instead? I'm confused. I only ask because I have a tech guy coming to see me on Monday, and the last thing I wanna hear him say is "there's nothing I can do."

1. Parts are harder to come by because they discontinued CRT's.

2. There's less people who DO work on them, and even less who still know how.


Luckily, I have a very well known ISF calibrator in my area, who still works on CRT's, thankfully, and I can't wait for him to drop by and work on my 970.

1. Parts are harder to come by because they discontinued CRT's.

2. There's less people who DO work on them, and even less who still know how.


Luckily, I have a very well known ISF calibrator in my area, who still works on CRT's, thankfully, and I can't wait for him to drop by and work on my 970.

Ok.

And it's my understanding that magnet work and geometry adjustments are separate from ISF calibration work. Is this true? They are more experts with color, contrast, and convergence, yes?

Ok.

And it's my understanding that magnet work and geometry adjustments are separate from ISF calibration work. Is this true? They are more experts with color, contrast, and convergence, yes?

Can be. Some do magnet work, but 9 times out of 10 they do not.

I'll let GlenC chime in on this, because I'm not totally sure..

1. Parts are harder to come by because they discontinued CRT's.

Parts can surely still be found for a TV that was only discontinued a few months ago. I was talking to a Sony rep a couple of months ago about getting the 970 repaired if something went wrong, he said there are plenty of parts, he said they still have Beta parts.

Parts can surely still be found for a TV that was only discontinued a few months ago. I was talking to a Sony rep a couple of months ago about getting the 970 repaired if something went wrong, he said there are plenty of parts, he said they still have Beta parts.

They sure will be harder to get. It's not like this TV was produced in the hundreds.. I'm sure parts are available, but not readily available on hand anymore. Since there's only 3 technologies out, and CRT is finally done, none of the repair men will have CRT parts, since their chances of coming by a CRT are becoming slimmer and slimmer.

Just logical thinking, not sure if this is right, but sure makes sense to me. :)

You guys are freaking me out here. In this day and age, how can this tv NOT be fixed if it's defective? Parts can be replaced, and magnets can be used to alter geometry if the service menu proves to be too limited, right? Is it a money/time issue where you'd rather exchange it with another tv brand/model instead? I'm confused. I only ask because I have a tech guy coming to see me on Monday, and the last thing I wanna hear him say is "there's nothing I can do."

Well, in my case, the TV had sporadic purple corner syndrome and repair was giving me the runaround just prior to 30 day exchange window closing. So.....back it went *sigh*

They sure will be harder to get. It's not like this TV was produced in the hundreds.. I'm sure parts are available, but not readily available on hand anymore. Since there's only 3 technologies out, and CRT is finally done, none of the repair men will have CRT parts, since their chances of coming by a CRT are becoming slimmer and slimmer.

Just logical thinking, not sure if this is right, but sure makes sense to me. :)

Sooo...not sure if it's right, but you'll keep saying it anyway? " :) "

Sooo...not sure if it's right, but you'll keep saying it anyway? " :) "


Keep saying... what? " :rolleyes: "

I've worked on electronics for a long time. Parts for major brands can be found long after the model isn't produced anymore in most cases. I wouldn't worry much about it. Sony charges a lot for their parts, they will more than likely have parts for the 970 for a few years to come. If a repairman says he can't get parts, it probably translates to he doesn't want to fix a 200 pound TV. I just bought a new igniter for a 40 year old dryer that they quit making the part for 15 years ago.

I just bought a new igniter for a 40 year old dryer that they quit making the part for 15 years ago.

was it a maytag ? :eek:

was it a maytag ? :eek:

Whirlpool

if he says theres nothing i can do, hes full of it! so dont take that for an awnser. i to got a service guy coming this monday, and im going to tell him (he allready refused once just to look at it on the phone) "hey chief, one of two things are happing here today. Your fixing this thing up to MY specifications, or your singing off on a replacement, its that simple. eather way your getting paid!

I also got a legal paper from circuit city about a lawsuit agenst them, how they are failing to live up to there protection plan, and ill even show it, saying ill put in a clame agenst him (for refusing to look at the tv in the first place) and circuit city if i dont get what i want, and what i paid for.

HELP!!!!!!

i went into service mode....and the grid pattern wont go away when i turn my tv back on....picture is there for a few seconds then it goes back to grid....

Turn it off in PATN before you save your settings. You must have saved your settings with the grid still on.

thanx....this is my 3rd 970.....not perfect but better than the last two.....paid 699 for the last 1 ...full refund(30 day)...got this 1 for $430...good deal

thanx....this is my 3rd 970.....not perfect but better than the last two.....paid 699 for the last 1 ...full refund(30 day)...got this 1 for $430...good deal



VERY nice!! :)

$430, killer deal. If I could find one for that price I'd buy another one. It looks like the 970 will be the last decent TV made. SED is stuck in court battles for the foreseeable future and LCD and plasma just don't do it for me. There's some open box 970s at CC for $569, not that great a deal when I paid $599 with free shipping for the one I have. They are probably the 2 I returned with problems.

Well, tomarow the service guy is suppost to show up for repairs. I doubt he's going to do much of anything, but if he cant fix it, then he has to, via the terms of my contract, replace it

I missed the boat as far as getting this set as the XBR970 dosn't have "fine pitch" crt. Does anybody have a clue to where I can get one? I'll take one in any condition(as long as crt-ok), as brother in repair business. I've been searching the net but no luck. I live in the New England area.

As far as repairs go, my brother told me that these sets will be repairable for some length of time, as long as tech is qualified to do so-not easy sets to troubleshoot.

Thanks for any leads..........Willy

They still have some open box 970s at CC where I am in Utah. There must be others somewhere.

I am looking for the XBR960, which is probably a 2005 model. Are the XS955 series older? They use same CRT -less bells and whistles.

I guess its going to take some detective work to find one!

Willy368, you're not going to have any luck finding a 960/955 new-in-box. Best Buy and other retail chains may have either of these sets used ("open-box"), but I wouldn't waste your time checking them out. Generally, they have them priced way too high and the sets are in terrible condition (YMMV). I would suggest checking Craigslist for anyone selling one locally.

edit

update:
For those reading this thread in the future. Several posts by the individual in discussion have now been deleted. The comment that currently follows this post was originally in response to that individuals attempt at justification, and now, subsequently deleted post.

I'm a newcomer and would be interested in an objective opinion about the 970 - especially compared to the 960. I have an opportunity locally to purchase a 970 NIB at a good price, but being a budding videophile, I don't want to be dissatisfied with it (or myself) when a good deal on a well-cared-for 960 comes around. Would someone mind briefly summarizing those deleted remarks? I'd appreciate the input.

CPJ

What the heck happened here?

I have a question for all you "old school" gamers who own this tv.

Since the XBR970 is a widescreen tv, I've set all my gaming consoles (Xbox, Wii, PS2) to display in widescreen. Is that gonna mess up how my game looks if I choose to play a game in 4:3? In other words, if I know I prefer to play a certain game in 4:3, would it be best to set my game console to 4:3, or will the XBR970 handle all the geomety no matter what my console setting? I ask because I could swear that my 4:3 game characters look a bit too long and skinny when I play now - not like I remember them. I will experiment more when I get home, but I wanted to ask ya'llzez opinion.

I'm a newcomer and would be interested in an objective opinion about the 970 - especially compared to the 960. I have an opportunity locally to purchase a 970 NIB at a good price, but being a budding videophile, I don't want to be dissatisfied with it (or myself) when a good deal on a well-cared-for 960 comes around. Would someone mind briefly summarizing those deleted remarks? I'd appreciate the input.

CPJ


It's very, VERY unlikely you're even going to find a used 960. With that said, I'd easily recommend the 970. There's not a 1080p LCD that can touch the overall PQ the 970 produces.

It's very, VERY unlikely you're even going to find a used 960. With that said, I'd easily recommend the 970. There's not a 1080p LCD that can touch the overall PQ the 970 produces.

Thanks for your vote of confidence, but that doesn't answer the question... I'd like to know Glen said about it.

Additionally, it's not that hard for me. I'm now working in the industry and come across someone upgrading from a 960 to a different technology every once in a while.

Thanks for your vote of confidence, but that doesn't answer the question... I'd like to know Glen said about it.

Additionally, it's not that hard for me. I'm now working in the industry and come across someone upgrading from a 960 to a different technology every once in a while.

Whoa, now, re-read your own post...you didnt specifically say you only wanted to know Glen's opinion.

As best I remember, he praised the true 1080x1440 resolution of the set. But, as most higher-resolution CRTs, it tends to be darker than the 970. While it has more features (and inputs) it tends to suffer from more piddling problems like individual board failures. So, higher quality picture but lower average reliability than the 970.

I doubt anyone saved a cache of his deleted comments or remembers them verbatim, but you could try searching the 960 thread for more input.

I have a question for all you "old school" gamers who own this tv.

Since the XBR970 is a widescreen tv, I've set all my gaming consoles (Xbox, Wii, PS2) to display in widescreen. Is that gonna mess up how my game looks if I choose to play a game in 4:3? In other words, if I know I prefer to play a certain game in 4:3, would it be best to set my game console to 4:3, or will the XBR970 handle all the geomety no matter what my console setting? I ask because I could swear that my 4:3 game characters look a bit too long and skinny when I play now - not like I remember them. I will experiment more when I get home, but I wanted to ask ya'llzez opinion.

I can only answer for the Xbox, but I've done a LOT of experimenting with it. I have my screen size setting on the 970 at:

Full
On
Normal

Try this, coupled with your current Widescreen setting on your Xbox and see if the TV does a good job at displaying widescreen and 4:3 games correctly. I've discovered a bunch of Xbox games that are programmed in widescreen, even though they dont say so on the game cases.

As best I can surmise, there is some code in each game disc that tells the Xbox console what aspect ratios and resolutions are available for that game. With all resolutions plus Widescreen selected "on", the console then reads the disc code and selects the highest available option and outputs that to the TV.

Now a question for you...have you noticed Xbox games look AWFUL when outputted at 480p? For some reason they look horrible on my 970, with jagged lines and poor definition. If i turn 480p off, the same games look great in 480i. No amount of fiddling with the TV makes them nice in progressive for some reason. 720p games look awesome though.

Hmmm...

Thanks for the additional info. I'm not concerned about the whites - I care about the blacks (and resolution). Even a 20% reduction in total luminance isn't as large a difference when it comes to perceived brightness. The possible lack of reliability is notable - I'll have to thoroughly weigh both sides. I've heard mostly good thoughts from those of us who are users, but haven't seen a whole lot from the pros. I've been through most of this thread, but not with a fine-toothed comb yet. I'll keep looking.

Your opening comment shows that you like to start arguments by victimizing yourself to another individual's purported 'hostility.' I had just thanked the individual who responded to me, even though my question wasn't answered. If I'm thanking someone, there is no hostility. That's why I have already thanked you as well - to show that I'm not being hostile. Most people on BBs have the same problem - you read what others write about as well as you listen to what others speak. It really is a disappointing and bleak portrayal of the current state of intellectual affairs.

I started by quoting nx who mentioned a deleted post. I then asked if someone could 'repost' some of those original comments from the deleted item. The deleted item mentioned by nx was, in fact, written by GlenC. Thus, I was asking about GlenC's post which I have not had the opportunity to read. So, again, would someone be so kind as to summarily describe GlenC's deleted comments (without starting a fire)? Glen? nx? anyone?

Hmmm...

Thanks for the additional info. I'm not concerned about the whites - I care about the blacks (and resolution). Even a 20% reduction in total luminance isn't as large a difference when it comes to perceived brightness. The possible lack of reliability is notable - I'll have to thoroughly weigh both sides. I've heard mostly good thoughts from those of us who are users, but haven't seen a whole lot from the pros. I've been through most of this thread, but not with a fine-toothed comb yet. I'll keep looking.

Your opening comment shows that you like to start arguments by victimizing yourself to another individual's purported 'hostility.' I had just thanked the individual who responded to me, even though my question wasn't answered. If I'm thanking someone, there is no hostility. That's why I have already thanked you as well - to show that I'm not being hostile. Most people on BBs have the same problem - you read what others write about as well as you listen to what others speak. It really is a disappointing and bleak portrayal of the current state of intellectual affairs.

I started by quoting nx who mentioned a deleted post. I then asked if someone could 'repost' some of those original comments from the deleted item. The deleted item mentioned by nx was, in fact, written by GlenC. Thus, I was asking about GlenC's post which I have not had the opportunity to read. So, again, would someone be so kind as to summarily describe GlenC's deleted comments (without starting a fire)? Glen? nx? anyone?

Why not just contact Glen? Second, why not go do some searching on the 960 forum, and ask some questions over there.

There's a few users, who I don't recall of the top of my head who own BOTH the 960 and 970 who could further help you out.

Here's a suggestion, why don't you PM your questions directly to GlenC? You two seem to have a great deal in common, and should get along quite well. :)

EDIT: Oops, you beat me to the punch, UWisconsin97. Great minds think alike, eh? :cool:

Here's a suggestion, why don't you PM your questions directly to GlenC? You two seem to have a great deal in common, and should get along quite well. :)

EDIT: Oops, you beat me to the punch, UWisconsin97. Great minds think alike, eh? :cool:


ROFL! :D Too funny man..

Hmmm...

Thanks for the additional info. I'm not concerned about the whites - I care about the blacks (and resolution). Even a 20% reduction in total luminance isn't as large a difference when it comes to perceived brightness. The possible lack of reliability is notable - I'll have to thoroughly weigh both sides. I've heard mostly good thoughts from those of us who are users, but haven't seen a whole lot from the pros. I've been through most of this thread, but not with a fine-toothed comb yet. I'll keep looking.

Your opening comment shows that you like to start arguments by victimizing yourself to another individual's purported 'hostility.' I had just thanked the individual who responded to me, even though my question wasn't answered. If I'm thanking someone, there is no hostility. That's why I have already thanked you as well - to show that I'm not being hostile. Most people on BBs have the same problem - you read what others write about as well as you listen to what others speak. It really is a disappointing and bleak portrayal of the current state of intellectual affairs.

I started by quoting nx who mentioned a deleted post. I then asked if someone could 'repost' some of those original comments from the deleted item. The deleted item mentioned by nx was, in fact, written by GlenC. Thus, I was asking about GlenC's post which I have not had the opportunity to read. So, again, would someone be so kind as to summarily describe GlenC's deleted comments (without starting a fire)? Glen? nx? anyone?

"start arguments"..."victimizing yourself"..."state of intellectual affairs"...giggle giggle.

How about you search for your own answers? None of us Neanderthals can possibly satisfy your lofty expectations of "intellectual affairs."

Prick. (Now that's hostility).

I was wondering if anyone else experiences a "hum" coming from inside of their their 970's cabinet?

I first noticed it when listening through headphones. It sounded just like the kind of hum the old 1960's TV's used to make. So I unplugged the set for a half-hour. When I plugged it back in, the set powered on automatically, and the hum was gone. About a week later the sound came back again, but leaving the set unplugged worked to get rid of it.

I figured it might be static electricity coming from the roof antenna (I use the set for OTA broadcasts only). So I installed a ground block. After grounding the antenna cable, I plugged the TV back in, but it did not power up automatically. I don't know why, since it did before.

So anyway, the humming sound from the audio outputs has not come back so far (knocks on wood). However, now I notice a slight hum coming from the inside of the TV when it's powered on. So my question is:

Is this slight humming sound from inside the case normal for the set? It's pretty faint but I can hear it from anywhere in the room if the sound is turned down.

I've never heard any humming from my TV. I do hear what sounds like a relay click sometimes, when the set is off and on both. I was a little worried about the click at first, but it's been a couple of months of the TV doing it and it hasn't affected performance, so I guess it's no big deal.

Thanks! It's probably best not to worry too much about things like humming or clicking, as long as everything else works OK.

I also have a Panasonic CRT that used to make the most annoying high pitched "eeeeeeee" sound coming from inside the set. It eventually quit doing this on its own about a year ago, and nothing broke, and the sound has not come back. "Growing pains"? Evil spirits? Who knows? CRT's can behave quite strangely sometimes.

Sami,
That sounds like a component failure(cap)in set.Good news,set new to have that type of problem.Being intermittent possibility of bad connection in ckt-bang set(lightly)@rear and see if you can reproduce hum.Most likely poor connection w/cables-check and reseat any audio cables you have in system.

If you have any ckt probs, it will get worse(parts don't get better) and become solid. Don't worry as TV has 2yr warranty P+L.

Again, try tapping set around A/V board area and bottom(chassis area) and see if it comes and goes. Don't worry about hitting it too hard as these sets are solid. Good luck......Willy

I was wondering if anyone else experiences a "hum" coming from inside of their their 970's cabinet?

I first noticed it when listening through headphones. It sounded just like the kind of hum the old 1960's TV's used to make. So I unplugged the set for a half-hour. When I plugged it back in, the set powered on automatically, and the hum was gone. About a week later the sound came back again, but leaving the set unplugged worked to get rid of it.

I figured it might be static electricity coming from the roof antenna (I use the set for OTA broadcasts only). So I installed a ground block. After grounding the antenna cable, I plugged the TV back in, but it did not power up automatically. I don't know why, since it did before.

So anyway, the humming sound from the audio outputs has not come back so far (knocks on wood). However, now I notice a slight hum coming from the inside of the TV when it's powered on. So my question is:

Is this slight humming sound from inside the case normal for the set? It's pretty faint but I can hear it from anywhere in the room if the sound is turned down.

No, I only hear a little audio pop when changing channels, and the loud "gonk" from the degauss when powering on. It's funny, because my Mistubishi PC monitor started making a hum noise the other day too. I've learned to wait until things like that break before worrying about them.

Yeah I agree. The absolute worst thing I could do would be to freak out and call a service tech, get the run around, and then decide take the back of the TV off and start poking around in there myself.

I'm definitely leaving it alone.

Anybody have it on this TV where you're watching a DVD and the top black bar kind of droops slightly on the left? I also think my bottom bar kind or rises up in the middle slightly too. These aren't huge problems, but it would be nice to fix them and get them perfectly straight. Of course with a CRT that's practically impossible, but we can all dream, right? :p

Anybody have it on this TV where you're watching a DVD and the top black bar kind of droops slightly on the left? I also think my bottom bar kind or rises up in the middle slightly too. These aren't huge problems, but it would be nice to fix them and get them perfectly straight. Of course with a CRT that's practically impossible, but we can all dream, right? :p

I've noticed a touch of downward horizontal bowing on the upper ridge of both sides of my picture. I have browsed topics like this on the 970 board and read conflicting information about whether or not it can be fixed. The majority of what I hear is "vertical geometry: fixable, horizontal: not".

I'm so happy with so many other qualities of this set, that I'm going to live with it.

I've been through three 970s, they all sloped down a little on the upper left side. I went through three Sanyo widescreen HDTVs before the Sony, they all did it too. I'm thinking it's just widescreen CRT tVs.

The bend in the lower middle could probably be fixed. But it will require a trip to the service menu and quite a bit of time and patience, both from you as well as from the person explaining how to do it.

The bend in the corner is pretty typical though, and I know of no way to fix that. It might be made less noticeable, but probably not eliminated.

If you could post a picture that would be helpful.

(ack -- nevermind... where's the delete button?)

I've noticed a touch of downward horizontal bowing on the upper ridge of both sides of my picture. I have browsed topics like this on the 970 board and read conflicting information about whether or not it can be fixed. The majority of what I hear is "vertical geometry: fixable, horizontal: not".

I'm so happy with so many other qualities of this set, that I'm going to live with it.

Please don't be scared off by what you read here concerning horizontal bowing. My horizontal issue was similar to yours, and all a tech had to do was remove the back and adjust a certain part (the yoke, maybe?). The adhesive that holds the part in question expands and contracts as the tv is used, and "slippage" might eventually occur. When people say you're boned with horizontal issues, I think they mean that it can't be solved in the service menu. But a tech who knows his stuff can certainly help you out. Don't rest until you get the picture you want! ;)

The best thing that I do is monkey around with the service menu to get as close to straight as possible. It's not 100%, but it makes a difference. Look at it this way, better to have a bar be screwed up than to have the picture itself be screwed up.

I don't know if anyone still reads this thread...first, thanks for the calibration numbers...TV looks great!!

My problem is...I seem to have a green line that shows up around the edge of anything black...with the new settings it is not as pronounced but still there. Is there any thing I can do to fix it...I'm thinking in the service menu?

cheers

I've got the same thing on my TV. I returned one that was twice as bad as the one I have now. I've tried everything in the SM, the only things that help is turning the brightness up to an unacceptable level, adjusting the RDOF down, or the RCOF up, or both. Without any test patterns I haven't been able to find an acceptable place for the settings to be, so I've given into the fact that I'll just have to live with it.

Parts can surely still be found for a TV that was only discontinued a few months ago. I was talking to a Sony rep a couple of months ago about getting the 970 repaired if something went wrong, he said there are plenty of parts, he said they still have Beta parts.

I'm way behind on this conversation, but the tech who just visited me said that, by law, a company must provide tv parts for repairs up to 7 years form the manufacture date. That's good news. I plan to extend my warranty to total 7 years soon.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fellow XBR owners,
my XBR 970 often displays a large wave-like green distortion when very vivid red images appear on screen. Generally the image has to be moving although it has appeared with static backgrounds. This will at times cover the entire screen when background is entirely red. This does not occur all the time. Watching the animated movie Cars with red race car flashing by seemed to aggravate it a lot.
It never appears on more subtle pictures with less vivid color.
Help!

I'm way behind on this conversation, but the tech who just visited me said that, by law, a company must provide tv parts for repairs up to 7 years form the manufacture date. That's good news. I plan to extend my warranty to total 7 years soon.

I'm going to add an extra 5 years to mine soon too. For $85 it's well worth it. All the decent TVs are gone, so I want to keep this thing around as long as I can.

Hi, I plan to buy a house in hopefully six months. If the 970 gets calibrated now, when I move will I have to get it calibrated again? I do not like to waste money. The bumpy ride concerns me. Also, do any of you know anyone who can calibrate the 970 for me? I live in Cincinnati, Ohio.


Thank You

Hi, I plan to buy a house in hopefully six months. If the 970 gets calibrated now, when I move will I have to get it calibrated again? I do not like to waste money. The bumpy ride concerns me. Also, do any of you know anyone who can calibrate the 970 for me? I live in Cincinnati, Ohio.


Thank You

No, you won't need to recalibrate after the move. If you didn't save the box the 970 came in, you can use multiple blankets wrapped/tapped around the TV to help in the aid of the move. Bubble wrap and some shipping supplies will also help.

ISF calibration will last years, regardless of where you move it. ISF calibration starts at/around $225 depending on your location. Although I haven't found this to be true, I have seen places charge $275-$300 to calibrate CRT's. If you have a Magnolia HT in a local Best Buy, they do it for $300 if you cannot find someone to do it.

I don't know anyone in that area, but here's a link to help start your search.


http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=586330
(click the ISF links at the top of this link)

http://www.bestbuy.com/site//olspage.jsp?type=category&id=pcmcat96200050037




-Nick

Hoo boy...upon further review, Inputs 1-3 are all gone. That includes my S-video, so no Dreamcast fun until it's fixed. Video will flash for a split second upon startup, then dead. Looks like a fuse or transistor popped.

Based on my service manual, it appears something on the UZ board (the A/V input switch board) took a dump. Maybe IC1502. The whole board looks to run around $50, which might be the smart thing to do considering I don't solder. :rolleyes:

I'm shocked that you haven't mentioned calling Sony for in-house warranty service. Are your 2 years up?

Thanks for the response. It turns out a bad A/V cable blew out 2 of my Dreamcasts. At least the TV is fine. Good grief I feel dumb.

Ya'll,

I finally got a PS3 and hooked it up with an HDMI cable to input 6. Since the HDMI cable transfers video AND audio, I was wondering what the extra RCA inputs for L and R are for on this set.

Ya'll,

I finally got a PS3 and hooked it up with an HDMI cable to input 6. Since the HDMI cable transfers video AND audio, I was wondering what the extra RCA inputs for L and R are for on this set.If DVI (physically converted to HDMI video) is used as an input, L/R audio inputs would still be required.

Sorry folks its been a while since i used the service menu.
how do you save changes once you have made them to the service menu.
turning the tv off doesnt save them

thanks,

danny

Press muting then enter to save changes.

If DVI (physically converted to HDMI video) is used as an input, L/R audio inputs would still be required.

Gotcha. Thanks!

Well, I love....LOVE...my XBR970, but mine also has a couple of subtle geometrical bows. After much delay I've decided to call a tech to look at it this upcoming Monday. It's not a huge deal. But since I DID purchase the service plan, I may as well put it to use. If it can be adjusted a bit more straight, I'll be satisfied.

Well, I love....LOVE...my XBR970, but mine also has a couple of subtle geometrical bows. After much delay I've decided to call a tech to look at it this upcoming Monday. It's not a huge deal. But since I DID purchase the service plan, I may as well put it to use. If it can be adjusted a bit more straight, I'll be satisfied.

Good move! And what is it with Mondays and tech visits? They seem to go hand in hand on these forum posts. They DO work other days, right? ;)

It sounds like you're going through your service plan through the store you bought it from and not Sony directly. Is this true? If so, I'd like to know how it goes, so please give us (or just me) a full report on Tuesday. I trust Sony directly, but I didn't have much faith in Circuit City, so I returned my service plan within 30 days for a full refund. Who knows - CC might have called the same Sony-approved tech I've been using through Sony. Guess I'll never know now.

Good to hear from another happy XBR970 owner! :)

Good move! And what is it with Mondays and tech visits? They seem to go hand in hand on these forum posts. They DO work other days, right? ;)

It sounds like you're going through your service plan through the store you bought it from and not Sony directly. Is this true? If so, I'd like to know how it goes, so please give us (or just me) a full report on Tuesday. I trust Sony directly, but I didn't have much faith in Circuit City, so I returned my service plan within 30 days for a full refund. Who knows - CC might have called the same Sony-approved tech I've been using through Sony. Guess I'll never know now.

Good to hear from another happy XBR970 owner! :)
Actually I was the one who scheduled the tech to come on Monday...I have Sundays and Mondays off work. Sears was actually willing to come on Saturday! ;)

I'll definitely let you know how it goes. The customer service person asked me to describe the issue over-the-phone so hopefully they'll send a tech who is somewhat prepared. We shall see.

Well, I love....LOVE...my XBR970, but mine also has a couple of subtle geometrical bows. After much delay I've decided to call a tech to look at it this upcoming Monday. It's not a huge deal. But since I DID purchase the service plan, I may as well put it to use. If it can be adjusted a bit more straight, I'll be satisfied.


I also have subtle geometrical bows on my XBR970:(, which while not ultra distracting it is an annoyance. I noticed them the moment I turned the TV on but because it took a week for the dealer to locate and deliver my TV (last one in Ohio area), I told myself I could live with it. I still feel that way too. But, if this could be corrected w/ a service call that would be awesome. 2yr. Sony / 5yr. Store warranty w/ free in home service (due to size:D).
I've also noticed some over scan:eek:, can this also be corrected w/ a home service call ?

Voyeur, when you called in your request for a service visit did you have any other issues you wanted addressed? Please post the outcome of this service request.

Thank you,
hyghwayman

P.S. I love....LOVE...my XBR970 TOO:D
http://byfiles.storage.msn.com/y1p9mr44WwDyHkKpv_AJeBqqbrI6RWPqZOOL0Dlk4tWpXQ5oJEaF6UwmuhlP PKJZz_q
From this picture you can see some slight bowing in the top left corner.

Hi, I plan to buy a house in hopefully six months. If the 970 gets calibrated now, when I move will I have to get it calibrated again? I do not like to waste money. The bumpy ride concerns me. Also, do any of you know anyone who can calibrate the 970 for me? I live in Cincinnati, Ohio.


Thank You


Here is a link;
www.hdtvbychadb.com/ (http://www.hdtvbychadb.com/)

Chad is considered top notch in his field. Which means busy w/ a poss. backlog of request for his service. Well worth the wait IMO though!

hyghwayman

I also have subtle geometrical bows on my XBR970:(, which while not ultra distracting it is an annoyance. I noticed them the moment I turned the TV on but because it took a week for the dealer to locate and deliver my TV (last one in Ohio area), I told myself I could live with it. I still feel that way too. But, if this could be corrected w/ a service call that would be awesome. 2yr. Sony / 5yr. Store warranty w/ free in home service (due to size:D).
I've also noticed some over scan:eek:, can this also be corrected w/ a home service call ?

Voyeur, when you called in your request for a service visit did you have any other issues you wanted addressed? Please post the outcome of this service request.

Thank you,
hyghwayman

P.S. I love....LOVE...my XBR970 TOO:D
http://byfiles.storage.msn.com/y1p9mr44WwDyHkKpv_AJeBqqbrI6RWPqZOOL0Dlk4tWpXQ5oJEaF6UwmuhlP PKJZz_q
From this picture you can see some slight bowing in the top left corner.

So are all those other lines supposed to be straight? If so, the top left corner seems to be the least of your problems.

If not, then the slight bowing I see looks to be only 1/4 to 3/8th's of an inch off. Which is totally within spec for these sets. The top left corner is notorious for being bowed on Sony HD CRT's.

If you are a do-it-yourselfer with some time on your hands, I think you could fix this stuff yourself with the info from this site. However, a competent service tech should have no problem with adjusting any of the things you mentioned, except for the horizontal bowing. While my understanding of how it's fixed is a not first-hand, I do know it can't be completely eliminated in the service menu and requires taking off the back of the set and physical adjustments being made. I don't think most techs are qualified to do this, but you may find someone who is.

Thanks for posting the picture. It's a very under-used feature of this site. If you want I could post a grid pattern from my XBR 970 to show how straight the geometry on mine is. I have spent quite a few hours in the service menu fine tuning it. It's not perfect, but fortunately it was pretty good right out of the box.

Now a question for you...have you noticed Xbox games look AWFUL when outputted at 480p? For some reason they look horrible on my 970, with jagged lines and poor definition. If i turn 480p off, the same games look great in 480i. No amount of fiddling with the TV makes them nice in progressive for some reason. 720p games look awesome though.


Halo 2 @ 1080i via the Xbox 360 Elite w/ HDMI looks Awsome!
Most org. xbox games where made for HDTV @ 480p. What connection are you using?

hyghwayman

So are all those other lines supposed to be straight? If so, the top left corner seems to be the least of your problems.

If not, then the slight bowing I see looks to be only 1/4 to 3/8th's of an inch off. Which is totally within spec for these sets. The top left corner is notorious for being bowed on Sony HD CRT's.

Thanks for posting the picture. It's a very under-used feature of this site. If you want I could post a grid pattern from my XBR 970 to show how straight the geometry on mine is. I have spent quite a few hours in the service menu fine tuning it. It's not perfect, but fortunately it was pretty good right out of the box.

The H lines going to left of screen are the only ones that are suppost to be straight. The V line in the middle of the screen does/is bent that way via the xbox 360 dashboard.

Your welcome and NP w/ picture posting here:). I to wish more would/could do it too.

hyghwayman



http://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1pyDTXCw47wylrDAC1reQT9r5gGxc1j_uCohsqm0EOp0iDLZ1Tlv-B4uqPBA7XzrFwTZWOB4mtbm0

http://gallery.avsforum.com/data/507/My_1st_Antenna_a.JPG

I also have subtle geometrical bows on my XBR970:(, which while not ultra distracting it is an annoyance. I noticed them the moment I turned the TV on but because it took a week for the dealer to locate and deliver my TV (last one in Ohio area), I told myself I could live with it. I still feel that way too. But, if this could be corrected w/ a service call that would be awesome. 2yr. Sony / 5yr. Store warranty w/ free in home service (due to size:D).
I've also noticed some over scan:eek:, can this also be corrected w/ a home service call ?

Voyeur, when you called in your request for a service visit did you have any other issues you wanted addressed? Please post the outcome of this service request.

Thank you,
hyghwayman

P.S. I love....LOVE...my XBR970 TOO:D
No other issues...just that one. I DID have a previous XBR970 with several problems: Uneven sidebars, slightly green-ish tint from the picture and (worst of all) a green blob on the side of the screen. Well, Sears sent a tech...and he did fix the sidebars and the green-ish tint (from the service menu) but dismissed the green blob as being a magnetic effect from nearby speakers and said he couldn't fix it. Well, that's inexcusable because the effect never changed no matter where I put my speakers (I was skeptical anyway). I had Sears replace it with my current one. THIS Sony has perfectly even sidebars, just the right tint, NO GREEN BLOB!!!

So in describing this one and only problem, I'm hoping the tech will be prepared. I'll definitely post what happens...good or bad.

I also have subtle geometrical bows on my XBR970:(, which while not ultra distracting it is an annoyance. I noticed them the moment I turned the TV on but because it took a week for the dealer to locate and deliver my TV (last one in Ohio area), I told myself I could live with it. I still feel that way too. But, if this could be corrected w/ a service call that would be awesome. 2yr. Sony / 5yr. Store warranty w/ free in home service (due to size:D).
I've also noticed some over scan:eek:, can this also be corrected w/ a home service call ?

Voyeur, when you called in your request for a service visit did you have any other issues you wanted addressed? Please post the outcome of this service request.

Thank you,
hyghwayman

P.S. I love....LOVE...my XBR970 TOO:D
http://byfiles.storage.msn.com/y1p9mr44WwDyHkKpv_AJeBqqbrI6RWPqZOOL0Dlk4tWpXQ5oJEaF6UwmuhlP PKJZz_q
From this picture you can see some slight bowing in the top left corner.

Having no more XBR970s left in your area to exchange it with is in your favor when asking for warranty service from Sony. A subtle, polite hint that you may choose to return the tv and *ahem* possibly exchange it for another brand if the "defect" can't be fixed is a great motivator for Sony to authorize service in your home. At least it was for me. You have nothing to lose by making the call. I refuse to go into the service menu myself for several reasons...mostly because it voids my warranty, but it does sound like your problem isn't service menu related. He'll have to pop the back, methinks. And who better to pop the back and look at your XBR970 guts than a certified tech who knows your model number like the back of his hand. And as for the overscan, after the tech fixed my horizontal woes, he adjusted the overscan while he was in the service menu like it was the "polite" thing to do. I didn't even ask. I didn't realize how bad it was until he fixed it. Now the whole station logo can be seen in the bottom right corner during HDTV programming. Before it was cut off.

Make the call. ;)

So are all those other lines supposed to be straight? If so, the top left corner seems to be the least of your problems.

If not, then the slight bowing I see looks to be only 1/4 to 3/8th's of an inch off. Which is totally within spec for these sets. The top left corner is notorious for being bowed on Sony HD CRT's.

If you are a do-it-yourselfer with some time on your hands, I think you could fix this stuff yourself with the info from this site. However, a competent service tech should have no problem with adjusting any of the things you mentioned, except for the horizontal bowing. While my understanding of how it's fixed is a not first-hand, I do know it can't be completely eliminated in the service menu and requires taking off the back of the set and physical adjustments being made. I don't think most techs are qualified to do this, but you may find someone who is.

Thanks for posting the picture. It's a very under-used feature of this site. If you want I could post a grid pattern from my XBR 970 to show how straight the geometry on mine is. I have spent quite a few hours in the service menu fine tuning it. It's not perfect, but fortunately it was pretty good right out of the box.

Do you think you can post the calibrations you made in the service menu for us? I mean I know each of our TV's is different as well as the calibration, but it would be nice to have something for a reference.

Halo 2 @ 1080i via the Xbox 360 Elite w/ HDMI looks Awsome!
Most org. xbox games where made for HDTV @ 480p. What connection are you using?

hyghwayman

Component. I have tested a number of games, and apparently some display 480 progressive better than others. Fable is beautiful for example, with minimal jaggies. Others are not so good, even when designed for progressive. And the flag signal in each game is sometimes wrong. For example I have played a few games that would tell the XBOX to send a progressive signal even though the game didnt support it. Thise usually look the worst. And I have also played a few (Red Dead Revolver and Just Cause for example) that support widescreen though not specified on the box. These games will send a widescreen aspect from the system, but the 16:9 flag isn't sent to the TV. I have to manually select fullscreen, whereas other widescreen games (Simpsons Hit n Run for example) send the correct signal and the TV auto adjusts to 16:9. It's fun experimenting.

As I've said before, my tv kind of bows down in the top left corner and I think the bottom in the middle bows up slightly. It would be nice to get it fixed, but I can live with it being the way it is since I've messed around with the service menu to get the lines as straight as I can. We all have to look at it this way. Better to have the bars be screwed up than the picture itself.

Do you think you can post the calibrations you made in the service menu for us? I mean I know each of our TV's is different as well as the calibration, but it would be nice to have something for a reference.

I don't think I can remember every single thing I adjusted.And like you say, the setting numbers would be useless to use another TV.

Here's an idea though. If you could bring up the first grid pattern in the service menu (it's in one the last group of settings under "PATN") and post a picture, I could suggest what to adjust to fix it.

Wanted to let eveyone know that I saw 3 XBR970's (NIB) at the Sears in Mission Valley, San Deigo the other day. Price wasn't great, but they had them in stock. oh, and one display out on the floor.

The Sears at Dayton Mail, in Dayton, Ohio had a floor display model going for $880.94 the other day!

I will be there tomorrow and will post if it is still for sale;).

hyghwayman

Just curious on what settings you guys have for the vertical center, size, and tilt correction stuff.

What I have done is make the vertical size at the highest level (7 I think) while keeping the vertical center at zero. With this the images on the TV don't look so stretched out on wide zoom and basically this helps make the picture look like a normal picture would on a 4:3 TV. This is just a personal preference really and lets me make the wide zoom not feel like it but like how the picture would be on regular TV. People wouldn't look so stretched out or fat. As far as the tilt correction stuff, I adjusted it based on the position of the black bars for widescreen movies and to compensate for any geometry or bowing stuff. It's not prefect, but it looks as good as I can make it. My settings are 5 and 3 from the tilt correction and that other thing (forgot what it was called)

I've never messed with center/size adjustments. I'm not sure if you're talking about off-air, or DVD or game inputs here. But I've found happiness using the screen size adustments, and setting them properly for each input.

Mine bows like that too. No matter what i changed in service menu i couldn't get it straight. I even tried using a ruler to line it up as straight as possible, but the only way to fix that using either VPIN or VCEN in service menu, but messing with them too much makes something else messed up, so i just got it as straight as possible and learned to live with it. I'm pretty sure ALL xbr 970's come with that bowing on the top left, so i wouldn't be too worried about it.

I haven't been in the service menu in AGES though, but i'll check and see what i have my VCEN and VPIN at in a second. I'm going to need to go back in there as i just got a new oppo dvd player and finally get to use the HDMI input. But man i'm definetely not looking forward to calibrating the HDMI input :P

Ok, for VCEN i have 12, VPIN 18.

Now that i think about it i should just recalibrate the whole set using the oppo dvd player ( used the xbox 360 dvd player YIKES :P) Like first i'll plug it into the component inputs, calibrate it then once thats calibrated, plug it into the HDMI.

I'm waiting for my set to warm up a bit then i'll take a pic so you can see the bowing. I'm pretty sure almost ALL widescreen CRT have some slight bowing. Has anybody who had their set professionally calibrated get rid of the bowing 100%? or does it still bow slightly? I think they can only fix it by taking off the back of the set.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could just calibrate this TV once and never have to screw around with it again? :P

Just curious on what settings you guys have for the vertical center, size, and tilt correction stuff.

What I have done is make the vertical size at the highest level (7 I think) while keeping the vertical center at zero. With this the images on the TV don't look so stretched out on wide zoom and basically this helps make the picture look like a normal picture would on a 4:3 TV.

I went into the service menu and adjusted the horizontal so that there's a little over an inch of black bars on both sides in wide zoom, that way there's not that annoying stretching at the edges of the screen and everything looks right with minimal stretching either way.

So i calibrated my xbr970 all day today. It sucked. FIrst off i figured i'd take out the HDMI and calibrate my cable box input since it uses component cables using my dvd player right? Well after getting overscan just where i wanted it and doing numerous other tweaks, i unplug the dvd player and hook it back up to hdmi and get ready to recalibrate the hdmi. I spent hours going though all the screen resolutions, getting everything to my liking. So i plug my HD cable box back into the component input and guess what? overscan was way off! wtf? does every piece of equipment give different overscan readings or what? xbox 360 was different then the dvd player, even though i was using the same damn input. I also had NO settings on the dvd player set to anything cept default, no screen enhancements or anything.

Makes me wonder who else has false overscan readings? I ended up just putting on a hd channel and doing overscan that way for all the resolutions. Moved the picture until i saw the raster egdges, then backed off and evened everything out. Sooo much picture was being cut off on my HD cable, even though my dvd player was telling me otherwise using the overscan pattern. It was easily noticeable doing it this way. Only problem i ran into was doing overscan on the top for 480i/p sooo much noise on the top of the screen in that mode when watching TV so i had to go a little higher than i wanted to just to cover that up.

You can set overscan for each mode using the MID2 settings. They aren't input specific, but they are mode specific, 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i. Normal is seperate from full, zoom and wide zoom, which are all the same. Horizontal expand is seperate in both modes too, 720p, 1080i. I would guess vertical expand is seperate too, but I didn't mess with that one since I don't see any use for it. The horizontal expand was cutting 3-4 inches off both sides on my TV, I have no idea why.

Yea i know, thats what i use for my finishing touches (mid 2) once i already tweaked HPOS/VPOS etc. What i meant was i wonder how many other people calibrated overscan using there dvd player, then used the same settings they got for there cable thinking they are the same, cause as i've found out they are way off, well they were on my set. 3% overscan calibrated to my dvd player was like 5% when i switched back to the cable box using the same input and same component cables.

So there is no solution to this dilemma? I guess I have the same problem but I only have a DVD player over HDMI and the built in tuner to worry about. I say I guess, because I'm afraid to even look.

So am I correct in assuming that the only way to deal with this is to compromise between the various inputs?

Unless thats just what 3% overscan looks like on my HDcable box. Like i said though a LOT of the picture was missing, and then when i checked to see what the overscan looked like on my xbox 360 (instead of other dvd player) using the same input and component cables it was off on that too. So i went into service mode while watching cable ( i have a seperate set top box, i don't use the TV's built in tuner) I did the overscan while watching to get more picture. Point is i was getting 3 different overscan readings using the same component input but using different devices. So which one is right i wonder! Makes no sense to me. I have everything perfect right now though, but i was tweaking for hours.