Please pardon my ignorance on the subject. I just recently got KD-34XBR960 from my friend and sure thing I had to figure out a way to view movies from a PC. S-video/composite is not the choice of cause ;-) and I don't have any laptop (I don't keep desktops at home) with DVI output.
I did go through the threads here and elsewhere and I understand that VGA(RGB) -> Component(YPbPr) is not "direct" ie linear transformation has to be applied to obtain proper color representation. But since XBR960 is heck a linux-box I thought that it might be at the end somehow remapped at either side. Unfortunately I could not find SM and links in the archive are not accessible to me with a fresh login.
I see 2 possible solutions for me and #1 sounds silly but 1 fact doesn't allow to rule it out completely

1. RGB -> Component. I got a simple cable VGA->Component which I guess just drives out RGB components out. It doesn't work out of box BUT in Windows if I set 1024x600 for external monitor (that laptop has intel mobile 915 card) and click "Identify" button - I do get laptop's screen on the TV for a second or two. It is obscured and in wrong colors but it gets there. But then it goes away. So somehow "Identify" switches to some other mode which has frequencies in the range native to the TV (at least I guess vertical sync freq).
I have played with PowerStrip but got nowhere yet. I wonder what are the native parameters (frequences) for 720p or 480p for the TV? The fact that I get screen appear on TV for a seconds doesn't let me drop this idea that somehow I could manage to get it connected via this dummy RGB->component cable. Just hit me hard so I abandon way #1.
2. iLink. I have read that people seems to be succesfull using VLC player to dump mpeg ts stream via firewire to their TVs. Whenever I attach laptop via iLink to the XBR I get windows detecting it but it doesnot figure out proper driver for it. What should it be? Also I am not sure how to direct VLC to output into firewire interface (I guess it might be more obvious after XBR gets a proper driver assigned). May be anyone could point me to some instructions online?

Thanks everyone in advance for the feedback

DVI to HDMI with powerstrip seems to be the easiest solution, but since you do not have it available, RGB to component is your next bet. To my knowledge, RGB to component method requires some kind of converter/adaptor(which is quite expensive or at least, it was at the time I researched the topic)

i.link connection is unfortunately convoluted when it comes to PCs(Macs seem to work fine). Sony never released drivers for PCs to make it work properly. You can record to the PC from the tv tuner, but again it is rather convoluted. Where was a third party software that allowed to output video from the PC to the tv via firewre, but its performance was rather spotty at best.

This (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=423652&page=3&pp=30&highlight=xbr960) thread might help

To my knowledge, RGB to component method requires some kind of converter/adaptor(which is quite expensive or at least, it was at the time I researched the topic)
yep -- that is the official right way to do VGA->Component ;-) But the fact that I get at least some picture doesn't let me sleep

Where was a third party software that allowed to output video from the PC to the tv via firewre, but its performance was rather spotty at best.

video2dv?
And thanks for the URL, it seems to have some relevant information if I decide to go with Windows PC -> Firewire (instead of Linux PC -> Firewire) way... So far none of the works for me

a dvd player with xvid codecs is the easiest way to transport video. $60 and easy to move files to TV. Burn a rewritable DVD or use a usb interface to view.

video2dv?


The software that I referred to should be mentioned in the thread that I linked.
There is also some info in the Official xbr 960 thread, but I do not think there is an easy/cheap way to get the tv connected to pc except going DVI to HDMI with powerstrip route(this is that sony recommends on their website also) Let us know if you find a solution.

good call!... indeed DVD (with divx) with USB would fit 99% of my needs. it is just that I have already 2 of DVD players and hesitant to get a 3rd one ;-)