What if any are the negatives of the KD-34XBR970? What are the positive

[rnk21]

I am really looking into buying this set for the bedroom, and I have a few questions that I am hoping can be answered.

My first question is if there are any known issues with this set? Is there anything I should be looking out for that seems to be somewhat recurring?

Second question is about SD material. How do SDTV and DVD's look on this tv?

Final question is about gaming. How do PS2 and Xbox games look, as well as PS3 and X360?

Any help here would be great. I am very sorry if these have been asked several times before, and I do know that there is a thread on this set. Unfortunately I just don't have the time right now to sift through all of the posts.

Thanks again for the help!

[Reeltrooper]

I am really looking into buying this set for the bedroom, and I have a few questions that I am hoping can be answered.

My first question is if there are any known issues with this set? Is there anything I should be looking out for that seems to be somewhat recurring?

Second question is about SD material. How do SDTV and DVD's look on this tv?

Final question is about gaming. How do PS2 and Xbox games look, as well as PS3 and X360?

Any help here would be great. I am very sorry if these have been asked several times before, and I do know that there is a thread on this set. Unfortunately I just don't have the time right now to sift through all of the posts.

Thanks again for the help!

Hi,
I just purchased this set and am running SD until I get HD and am also running a PS3. SD looks very good but keep in mind that to use the entire screen width you'll need to use stretch/zoom modes which aren't for everyone but we like it.

The PS3 is truly amazing with game graphics. So far I've played 720p games and with the native 720p rate of the t.v. it's just seamless. We watched "Enemy of the State" on Blue-ray the other night and it was phenomenally crisp on this set. I haven't calibrated yet and it was still a great picture. Deep coal blacks and nice colors.

I hope this helps, I don't know of any bad issues with this set. I read the entire 970 forum and did not see anything troubling there. There were some who complained it's not as nice as the 960 but they don't make that anymore so...
Anyway, happy hunting!
B.

[HDTVFanAtic]

I am really looking into buying this set for the bedroom, and I have a few questions that I am hoping can be answered.

My first question is if there are any known issues with this set? Is there anything I should be looking out for that seems to be somewhat recurring?

Second question is about SD material. How do SDTV and DVD's look on this tv?

Final question is about gaming. How do PS2 and Xbox games look, as well as PS3 and X360?

Any help here would be great. I am very sorry if these have been asked several times before, and I do know that there is a thread on this set. Unfortunately I just don't have the time right now to sift through all of the posts.

Thanks again for the help!


http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9287442&highlight=sony#post9287442

[G-Bull]

I'd say it's not the right TV for everyone, but it's the right TV for me. I like mine a lot. I like CRTs, Sonys especially. Price was a big factor for me, and there's no other TV that I think looks this good for the price. The LCDs I looked at didn't have the real dark blacks that I wanted. Plus I didn't like the thought of replacing a light bulb in a LCD in a few years. Although the Sony isn't terribly expensive, it seems to be made from quality parts. Nothing seems "cheap" about it - I think it's going to last. And 34" is the right size for my living room.

BUT, it's a CRT, so it comes with CRT baggage. It weighs two hundred pounds, so you need a stand that can support it. Out-of-the-box, it doesn't look as good as it can. It's going to have geometry problems (that can be corrected by a qualified technician, or a DIY-er that's not afraid to get up close and personal with the technical internal service menu). And if you plan to use it for video games, you will almost certainly want to fix those problems. It's set up at the factory with a lot of overscan, and the edges of video games will be cut off. Again, this can be adjusted in the service menu by a qualified technician or bold DIY-er. The colors, color temperature, grayscale gamma, etc. are not completely accurate from the factory. But since it's a Sony CRT, the extensive service menu allows for lots of adjustment in this area - more so than just about any LCD or plasma, so the TV CAN look better than any other TV.

So it's not for everyone. It's good for someone who wants a very good looking TV for under a grand. And it's perfect for someone who has the time and patience to learn the necessary skills needed to set up a CRT right, and isn't afraid to get "intimate" with the inner-workings of his TV.

It's not for someone who can afford to spend a couple grand on a TV and can not afford to spend the necessary time and energy to set it up right. If that's you, spend twice as much and get a plasma or something that looks -almost- as good as the Sony.

[RWetmore]

It is an excellent TV, especially for the price. Its biggest negative is its relatively low resolution compared to LCD and other technologies.

[King-Reyes]

This TV is excellent on SD and HD. The only downside is when using SD content (mine is via HDMI cable) 960i is bad for the TV Guide or Channel Guide. It jitters up and down. Stay away from interlaced just use progressive or CineMotion. Don't set it on Vivid because text will look like shyt on SD.

The goods is black is DEAD BLACK, white is white, it compares to my 1080p Blu-Ray fed Sony SXRD. The sound is good also just not enough bass. Anything is good. It's just heavy.

[Compass]

Hey King-Reyes, you have both the 970 and the SXRD? How does the SXRD stack up? I'm a long-time CRT fan thinking about defecting to SXRD land after extreme dissatisfaction with my new 36XS955.

[bencar]

Hey King-Reyes, you have both the 970 and the SXRD? How does the SXRD stack up? I'm a long-time CRT fan thinking about defecting to SXRD land after extreme dissatisfaction with my new 36XS955.


Really? I am very happy with my 36xs955. XBOX360 gaming is great on it. What are your issues with your set? Just wondering.

[Tkbalt]

Price - the 970 is a great set for the money. Circuit City has these for about 30% off retail right now and (if you are looking for a widescreen) they have a great picture. While they do not have the Picture tube and / or some of the features of the prior XBR's - they still have a great picture and are a very affordable HD setup.

[King-Reyes]

Hey King-Reyes, you have both the 970 and the SXRD? How does the SXRD stack up? I'm a long-time CRT fan thinking about defecting to SXRD land after extreme dissatisfaction with my new 36XS955.

Well SXRD is 10,000:1 contrast ratio so blacks are almost as good as the CRT. It's not like a DLP so that cons on that is gone. It's a fluid motion with no pixelation, no burn ins, no overscan, no convergence problem, no geometry problem, no screen door effect unless you are 1" close on the TV, no rainbow effect, no green blob issue on mine, no optical block issue. It's perfect as it can be. It's light too. You can get one for $2,000. The only downside is the projector bulb. If you want a picture thats good with excellent black levels then 970 is a good way to go. SFP or not you won't notice a thing unless you are professional trained.

[triumph66]

SFP or not you won't notice a thing unless you are professional trained.

As my man Chuck D once said "Dont Believe the Hype."

[King-Reyes]

As my man Chuck D once said "Dont Believe the Hype."
Get Out.

[triumph66]

If you continue to spread misinformation, the truth speaker will smack you down.

[BBS G35]

Hi,
I just purchased this set and am running SD until I get HD and am also running a PS3. SD looks very good but keep in mind that to use the entire screen width you'll need to use stretch/zoom modes which aren't for everyone but we like it.

The PS3 is truly amazing with game graphics. So far I've played 720p games and with the native 720p rate of the t.v. it's just seamless. We watched "Enemy of the State" on Blue-ray the other night and it was phenomenally crisp on this set. I haven't calibrated yet and it was still a great picture. Deep coal blacks and nice colors.

I hope this helps, I don't know of any bad issues with this set. I read the entire 970 forum and did not see anything troubling there. There were some who complained it's not as nice as the 960 but they don't make that anymore so...
Anyway, happy hunting!
B.

I just read the native resolution of this TV was 853x1080??

Can anyone confirm wether this TV will play Resistance Fall of Man in 1080i or 480p

[King-Reyes]

I just read the native resolution of this TV was 853x1080??

Can anyone confirm wether this TV will play Resistance Fall of Man in 1080i or 480p

This TV accepts 480p 720p or 1080i. Whatever resolution you set to it will either display a 1080i or 480p. But if you run it at 480i, the TV upconverts it to 480p or 960i.

[Compass]

I just read the native resolution of this TV was 853x1080??

Can anyone confirm wether this TV will play Resistance Fall of Man in 1080i or 480p

The PS3 will only downconvert games to 480p on sets that cannot accept 720p input. In other words, you're fine, the game should display in 1080i on this set.

Really? I am very happy with my 36xs955. XBOX360 gaming is great on it. What are your issues with your set? Just wondering.

I've made a couple threads about the problem.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=745843

Basically, I have some serious streak-like marks on the inside of the tube glass, even after changing tubes. I use the TV primarily for games where the problem is particularly evident. I've been told by some that ALL of the 36XS955 sets suffer from this affliction. Would you mind checking yours to see if it has it? Just play a game with a light-colored background and scroll the screen from left to right, back and forth (looking at the sky and panning the camera will work in most games). You'll immediately notice what appear to be long shadow-like streaks on the inside of the glass if you have the problem. Thanks.

[King-Reyes]

The PS3 will only downconvert games to 480p on sets that cannot accept 720p input. In other words, you're fine, the game should display in 1080i on this set.



I've made a couple threads about the problem.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=745843

Basically, I have some serious streak-like marks on the inside of the tube glass, even after changing tubes. I use the TV primarily for games where the problem is particularly evident. I've been told by some that ALL of the 36XS955 sets suffer from this affliction. Would you mind checking yours to see if it has it? Just play a game with a light-colored background and scroll the screen from left to right, back and forth (looking at the sky and panning the camera will work in most games). You'll immediately notice what appear to be long shadow-like streaks on the inside of the glass if you have the problem. Thanks.

If that really annoys the hell out of you, then if you got money either get SXRD or Samsung's DLP or just 970.

[Compass]

I may indeed end up doing just that. I'm still waiting for Sony to definitively assess the issue.