>>> The Official Sony Grand Wega V (A20 series) Thread <<<

CFoote · 07-22-05, 09:32 PM

With these sets now hitting warehouses, I think its time to converge into one thread. Hopefully we can all learn from one another.

Sony is currently releasing new LCD sets for 2005/2006. More info will be added as it becomes available.

Please post initial sightings, owner reviews, tweaks/calibration settings, issues/problems and tips 'n tricks with these new sets.

Do not talk street pricing, MSRP only.

Availability:

A20 Series (55" and 60" models): Mid/Late July (should be shipping now)

A20 Series Inputs:

• Input(s): RF 75-ohm F-type

• Input(s): Cable 75-ohm F-type

• Input(s): POD PCMCIA-type

• Composite Video Input(s): 3 (F:1/R:2)

• S-Video Input(s): 3 (F:1 R:2)

• Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr ) Input(s): 2 (F:0 R:2)

• Input(s): Total Audio Input (LR, RCA-pin) excluding HDMI 5 (F:1/R:4)

• Digital Audio Output(s): (Optical) 1 (F:0/R:1)

• Headphone Output(s): 1 (F:1/R:0)

• Input(s): Incorporates HDMI™ technology. HDMI + Audio L&R

Sony KDF-E55A20 55" Rear Projection LCD Display

MSRP: $2999 as of 7/22/05

• Dimensions

• 57 3/8" x 37 1/4" x 19 3/8" (1456 x 943 x 491mm)

Sony Link To KDF-E55A20

Sony KDF-E60A20 60" Rear Projection LCD Display

MSRP: $3499 as of 7/22/05

• Dimensions (WxHxD)

• 62" x 39 5/8" x 20 1/2" (1574 x 1055 x 518mm)

Sony Link to KDF-E60A20

What we know so far: It appears the A20 series (55" and 60" models) are a WF chassis with new WEGA Engine video processing tweaks and a new cabinet.

Owners Manuals:

Sony KDF-XXA20 Manual

CFoote · 07-22-05, 10:04 PM

Has anyone seen an A20 (55"/60") in their area yet?

jaybuc · 07-22-05, 10:21 PM

Cfoote
I have seen the A20 here in Tampa, FL.....It looks great! I was really impressed with the PQ from this set. For some reason the blacks looked much "blacker" to me. I know this set doesn't have the new Iris that the A10 does, but still very nice looking. I am waiting for the A10s to show up here shortly. How about you?

CFoote · 07-22-05, 10:42 PM

Maybe I'll have to venture to CC and Best Buy tomorrow to see if the A20 has hit the shelves up here in the Northeast.

lipcrkr · 07-23-05, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CFoote

Has anyone seen an A20 (55"/60") in their area yet?

The A20 has been in the L.A. area for about 3 weeks. I made a post about my first impressions.

lipcrkr · 07-23-05, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CFoote

With these sets now hitting warehouses, I think its time to converge into one thread. Hopefully we can all learn from one another.

Sony is currently releasing new LCD sets for 2005/2006. More info will be added as it becomes available.

Please post initial sightings, owner reviews, tweaks/calibration settings, issues/problems and tips 'n tricks with these new sets.

Do not talk street pricing, MSRP only.

Availability:

A10 Series (42" and 50" models): Late July/Early August (as of 7/22, should be shipping any day)

A20 Series (55" and 60" models): Mid/Late July (should be shipping now)

A10 Series Inputs:

• Input(s): PC Input (D-sub 15) + Audio Input (Stereo Mini) 1 (1 Front 1 / 0 Rear)

• Input(s): HDMI™ + Audio L&R 1 ( 1 Rear) connector

• Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr ) Input(s): 3 (1 Front / 2 Rear)

• S-Video Input(s): 1 (1 Rear)

• Composite Video Input(s): 3 (1 Front / 2 Rear)

• Input(s): RF 75-ohm F-type 1 (1 Rear)

• Input(s): Cable 75-ohm F-type (1 (1 Rear)

• Input(s): CableCARD™ PCMCIA-type 1 (1 Rear) slot

• Input(s): Total Audio Input (LR, RCA-pin) excluding HDMI 5 (1 Front / 4 Rear)

• Digital Audio Output(s): (Optical) 1 (0 Front / 1 Rear)

• Headphone Output(s): 1 (1 Front / 0 Rear)

• Audio Output: Audio Output (Variable/Fixed) 1 (1 Rear)

Sony KDF-E42A10 42" Rear Projection LCD Display

MSRP $1999 as of 7/22/05

• Dimensions (WxHxD)

• 39 3/8"×28 1/2"×14 1/8" (999×722×357mm)

Sony Link To KDF-E42A10

Sony KDF-E50A10 50" Rear Projection LCD Display

MSRP $2499 as of 7/22/05

• Dimensions (WxHxD)

• 46 5/8"×32 5/8"×16 1/8" (1184×827×408mm)

Sony Link To KDF-E50A10

What we know so far: The A10 series has an Advanced Iris which is supposed to improve contrast/black level. To what degree we do not know, but the only Sony front projector (VPL-HS51) with this feature has received very good reviews on contrast/black level.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A20 Series Inputs:

• Input(s): RF 75-ohm F-type

• Input(s): Cable 75-ohm F-type

• Input(s): POD PCMCIA-type

• Composite Video Input(s): 3 (F:1/R:2)

• S-Video Input(s): 3 (F:1 R:2)

• Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr ) Input(s): 2 (F:0 R:2)

• Input(s): Total Audio Input (LR, RCA-pin) excluding HDMI 5 (F:1/R:4)

• Digital Audio Output(s): (Optical) 1 (F:0/R:1)

• Headphone Output(s): 1 (F:1/R:0)

• Input(s): Incorporates HDMI™ technology. HDMI + Audio L&R

Sony KDF-E55A20 55" Rear Projection LCD Display

MSRP: $2999 as of 7/22/05

• Dimensions

• 57 3/8" x 37 1/4" x 19 3/8" (1456 x 943 x 491mm)

Sony Link To KDF-E55A20

Sony KDF-E60A20 60" Rear Projection LCD Display

MSRP: $3499 as of 7/22/05

• Dimensions (WxHxD)

• 62" x 39 5/8" x 20 1/2" (1574 x 1055 x 518mm)

Sony Link to KDF-E60A20

What we know so far: It appears the A20 series (55" and 60" models) are a WF chassis with new WEGA Engine video processing tweaks and a new cabinet.

Owners Manuals:

Sony KDF-XXA10 Manual

Sony KDF-XXA20 Manual

Let's get this thread started!

I'm not sure it's a good idea to merge the A10's and A20's in one thread. These are two different animals. Different technology (the A10's have a different chassis). And as an example, most of us are considering the A10's only. An A20 post wouldn't be relevant to the A10 people and vice versa. I would suggest a seperate thread for the A10's and the A20's. Just a thought and really do appreciate all the help from this great forum.

Mach1Man · 07-23-05, 12:44 AM

I agree. Let'ss keep the A10 chassis separate.

drewba · 07-23-05, 01:17 AM

cfoote, I appreciate the effort, but I'm going to have to agree with lipcrkr. I think the A10 and A20 are different enough that they should have their own threads.

CFoote · 07-23-05, 09:02 AM

OK I'll split it off., the A10 thead is here

I am in the midst of having the moderators change the subject title.

lovswr · 07-23-05, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CFoote

OK I'll split it off., the A10 thead is here

I am in the midst of having the moderators change the subject title.

Will we have to "resubscribe" to the new thread if the title is changed? I'm really only interested in the A10.

Tecumseh · 07-23-05, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CFoote

OK I'll split it off., the A10 thead is here

I am in the midst of having the moderators change the subject title.

Thanks for starting the thread dude and thanks for separating the two creatures as I agree the A10 should have its own thread.
take care
Tec

lander215 · 07-23-05, 09:07 PM

Wow...nothing like watching a good butt kissing!

JasonColeman · 07-24-05, 02:27 AM

Can you feel the love?

Agree that the A10 and A20 each deserve their own thread, but "props" for the intitiative and gusto to start a well-intentioned comprehensive thread.

Jason

HDLCD · 07-25-05, 10:53 PM

I just bought a 60" A20 after returning a Mitsubishi 62" DLP (had the annoying rainbow effect). The A20 set was the only 60" LCD set Tweeter had and I felt obligated to buy from them since they delivered, and exchanged the sets for no additional charge. Seeing the posts regarding the A10 I was curious about the differences (A10 vs A20) even though it appears the A10 only go to 55". I would appreciate a rundown of the differences :-) Lastly, I saw a KDF60xs955 in a retail store and it appeared that the XS set had a sharper, clearer, smoother picture - simply put a better picture. Not being able to compare my current A20 set next to the KDF60XS955 set I was wondering if the XS set is a superior set to the A20? I would certainly take the A20 back to Tweeter, and go buy the XS if the differences were that great in picture quality. Any facts/opinions are greatly appreciated.

Hoyt · 07-26-05, 11:41 AM

I believe the 60wf655, 60xs955, and e60a20 should all have identical displays... conenctivity, menus, and speaker options are the only difference... That being said, when I looked at all 3 side by side, the XS did seem slightly better... I am guessing it was due to the set-up though and certainly not worth returning a TV for.

lander215 · 07-26-05, 12:42 PM

The A10's only go up to 50" (right now). I believe all three models have the same display properties aside from the A10's iris.

jmw1137 · 07-26-05, 03:33 PM

Does anyone own an A20 yet? I am very interested in getting one (bought a 60" Panasonic and it's a little too big for my viewing distance and I really did like the Sony's I saw better anyways...just couldn't afford the 60"). I'm going to head to Fry's after work and hopefully they'll have one there.

rogue9607 · 07-26-05, 05:09 PM

I just got the 55A20 over the weekend and am impressed so far. Don't have too many specific comments so far since I'm still getting it set up and this is my first RP tv, but I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions soon.

jmw1137 · 07-26-05, 05:43 PM

Do you have a video game system? If so which one and how does it look? What do you think of SD TV? Any impressions would be great!

CFoote · 07-26-05, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogue9607

I just got the 55A20 over the weekend and am impressed so far. Don't have too many specific comments so far since I'm still getting it set up and this is my first RP tv, but I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions soon.

Take some pictures man

Cliff Watson · 07-26-05, 07:36 PM

” I too am very interested in your review of the A20. Everyone is talking about how much better the A10's will be but I really want a 55" so I would prefer to get the A20.”

I’m not much of a wordsmith when it comes to writing a produce review, so lets just say I’m very, very happy with my Sony E55A20 that I’ve owned for a little over two weeks.

My previous HDTV was 50” Samsung HLM 507W DLP TV and I never was completely happy with it on many levels, including crushed blacks and whites, banding, and bad colors. Never could get rid of the slightly green hue without over pushing the red drive. After owning the DLP for 2 ½ years it lost its digital mind (banding lines became bright orange and/or blue) and would need a board replaced for around $600 to $800, so I decided I would buy a new HDTV instead. Add the board replacement cost to the cost of 4 replacement lamps and the cost of ownership of the Samsung was just too high for the picture quality.

I did check out the newer Samsung DLP HDTV in local stores as I was searching for the best replacement for me. At each store the Sony LCD was a stand out compared to any and all newer DLPs on display. What finally pushed me over to Sony was the LCD TV connected to a cable box and tuned to INHD2. Compared to my DLP the picture was simple awesome and the cost was cheaper than a DLP.

I was not that happy with my new A20 the first couple of days it was in my room, until I found the “advanced” setup menu and was able to adjust the TV to my liking. It also helped that three days after getting the Sony A20 I picked up my new glasses that corrected my vision to 20/20.

Out of the box the TV had crushed blacks that was easy to correct by increasing the brightness setting 10%, setting the advanced black level correction to “low” and increasing the “gamma” setting. I have a computer connected to the HDMI input that I use to play HDTV Transport Stream test patterns for calibrating the TV. After adjusted with the test patterns I made minor adjustments to the internal “over the air” HDTV tuner and the cable tuner. The settings for the tuners were very close to the HDMI input settings. I used AVIA test and setup DVD for adjusting the component inputs. The TV remembers different settings on all inputs.

In a nutshell the A20 has excellent black and white details, outstanding color across the color gradient, absolutely no banding or contouring, excellent contrast with image depth, smooth film like motion, no mesquite noise and is a delight to watch. Did I mention that at 55” (with side speakers) this TV is BIG, but due to the base design still fits on the same stand used for the Samsung 50” DLP.

Well that is my story and I’m sticking to it.

P.S., Forgot to mention that a week after receiving the A20 Comcast installed a CableCard and a day later after correcting a code error in my account I have some great HD channels in addition to the OTA network programs.

P.P.S. Also forgot to mention the black level on the A20. The black level is slightly better than my Samsung DLP and is not really noticable unless viewed in a totally dark room. I've learned from the DLP TV to use front (indirect) lighting which greatly improves the black level from digital panel TV.

jmw1137 · 07-27-05, 12:40 AM

**I know this post is for the A20 series and I included some info on that unit in my post that I also made in a Mitsu thread. Thought the people reading this post might be interested in this**

I had a chance to check out this TV (52527) and the Sony 55” A20 tonight at Best Buy. It was perfect because those were the 2 TVs I’ve narrowed my choices down to and they were right next to each other.

Overall, out of all the TVs in the room, they did look like the best two (compared to all the DLPs & LCDs). The colors were deep & rich and the blacks looked pretty good too. They had on the trailer for that new ‘Stealth’ movie and the scenes were going pretty fast so it was hard to look back & forth and see the same scene to see how they compared. However, at the end it had the ‘Coming to theaters…’ and the text/white coloring of the text looked much cleaner/crisper on the Mitsu.

About the only thing I noticed that made me hesitant to pick the Mitsu was there was some times when all the other TVs had something that was orange and on the Mitsu it looked red. It also happened with yellow and made it look orange. However, my guess it’s because they were factory settings and hadn’t been adjusted (at least that’s what I’m hoping).

I’m exchanging a 60”Panasonic DLP and based on my viewing tonight we’re going to get the Mitsu. There are a few reasons…2 HDMI (Sony only has 1), look of the TV and the look of the picture (looked slightly better than the Sony). I really wanted a 55-56” TV but I am content with the 52”. If someone were comparing these two models it’s really a tough decision, at least IMO.

I’m not very knowledgeable about a lot of TV stuff (still learning about DLPs/LCDs and all they have to offer) but any questions I can answer just let me know. I wasn’t able to get this tonight (long story) but will be going tomorrow for it. They said they can deliver Friday so I can post some pics/reviews then.

jmw1137 · 07-27-05, 12:51 AM

That's funny because my wife almost thought the Mitsu was too bright as compared to the Sony. However, her comment was it's probably better that it's too bright 'cause we can lower if needed but we don't know how bright the Sony gets.

We just moved into a new house where the living room gets a lot of light from about 10am-4pm so I wanted something brighter (especially until we work on darkening the room a bit). With my current 60" Panasonic this morning when the picture got even a little dark I couldn't see anything.

JasonColeman · 07-29-05, 12:51 AM

Where's the pics of the A20s you slackers! Quit enjoying your damn TV and get back to work!

Jason

JackLT · 07-29-05, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliff Watson

[b]...

I’m not much of a wordsmith when it comes to writing a produce review, so lets just say I’m very, very happy with my Sony E55A20 that I’ve owned for a little over two weeks....

Are you able to get 1:1 pixel mapping with the A20 and a PC, if so at what resolution ?

rogue9607 · 07-29-05, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackLT

Are you able to get 1:1 pixel mapping with the A20 and a PC, if so at what resolution ?

I'm interested in this answer as well. I'll be taking a crack at it this weekend (I hope) and will post my results. I didn't have too much free time during my initial setup, so when I found a standard resolution that worked pretty well for me, I stopped.

jmw1137 · 07-29-05, 01:11 PM

Can anyone with an A20 please post their settings? I have mine at home waiting for me when I get home from work and would appreciate some help on what settings work well.

jmw1137 · 07-30-05, 01:35 PM

What does everyone with this set think of the SDTV? It looks terrible on mine. Some channels look better than others but overall I'm not really happy with it.

Cliff Watson · 07-30-05, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmw1137

What does everyone with this set think of the SDTV? It looks terrible on mine. Some channels look better than others but overall I'm not really happy with it.

Did you find the DRC menu that allows you to adjust the settings for SDTV?

reincarnate · 07-30-05, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliff Watson

[b]
My previous HDTV was 50” Samsung HLM 507W DLP TV and I never was completely happy with it on many levels, including crushed blacks and whites, banding, and bad colors. Never could get rid of the slightly green hue without over pushing the red drive. After owning the DLP for 2 ½ years it lost its digital mind (banding lines became bright orange and/or blue) and would need a board replaced for around $600 to $800, so I decided I would buy a new HDTV instead. Add the board replacement cost to the cost of 4 replacement lamps and the cost of ownership of the Samsung was just too high for the picture quality.

Excellent post as your observations are all too true.
I too owned the 507 but for less than half the time you did. What a lemon.
Man you've been through hell. A Sammy dealer told me today that getting service or parts from Samsung is still difficult.
Congratulations on the new Sony...

07-22-05, 09:32 PM	#1 \| Link	<a href='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adclick.php?n=a4ac4393' target='_blank'><img src='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adview.php?what=zone:30&n=a4ac4393' border='0' alt=''></a>
CFoote Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Connecticut Posts: 390	>>> The Official Sony Grand Wega V (A20 series) Thread <<< With these sets now hitting warehouses, I think its time to converge into one thread. Hopefully we can all learn from one another. Sony is currently releasing new LCD sets for 2005/2006. More info will be added as it becomes available. Please post initial sightings, owner reviews, tweaks/calibration settings, issues/problems and tips 'n tricks with these new sets. Do not talk street pricing, MSRP only. Availability: A20 Series (55" and 60" models): Mid/Late July (should be shipping now) A20 Series Inputs: • Input(s): RF 75-ohm F-type • Input(s): Cable 75-ohm F-type • Input(s): POD PCMCIA-type • Composite Video Input(s): 3 (F:1/R:2) • S-Video Input(s): 3 (F:1 R:2) • Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr ) Input(s): 2 (F:0 R:2) • Input(s): Total Audio Input (LR, RCA-pin) excluding HDMI 5 (F:1/R:4) • Digital Audio Output(s): (Optical) 1 (F:0/R:1) • Headphone Output(s): 1 (F:1/R:0) • Input(s): Incorporates HDMI™ technology. HDMI + Audio L&R Sony KDF-E55A20 55" Rear Projection LCD Display MSRP: $2999 as of 7/22/05 • Dimensions • 57 3/8" x 37 1/4" x 19 3/8" (1456 x 943 x 491mm) Sony Link To KDF-E55A20 Sony KDF-E60A20 60" Rear Projection LCD Display MSRP: $3499 as of 7/22/05 • Dimensions (WxHxD) • 62" x 39 5/8" x 20 1/2" (1574 x 1055 x 518mm) Sony Link to KDF-E60A20 What we know so far: It appears the A20 series (55" and 60" models) are a WF chassis with new WEGA Engine video processing tweaks and a new cabinet. Owners Manuals: Sony KDF-XXA20 Manual Last edited by CFoote; 07-23-05 at 09:06 AM..

07-22-05, 10:42 PM	#4 \| Link
CFoote Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Connecticut Posts: 390	Maybe I'll have to venture to CC and Best Buy tomorrow to see if the A20 has hit the shelves up here in the Northeast. Last edited by CFoote; 07-23-05 at 09:13 AM..

07-23-05, 09:02 AM	#9 \| Link
CFoote Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Connecticut Posts: 390	OK I'll split it off., the A10 thead is here I am in the midst of having the moderators change the subject title. Last edited by CFoote; 07-23-05 at 12:58 PM..

07-24-05, 02:27 AM	#13 \| Link
JasonColeman The Viking Dwarf AVS CLUB MEMBER Join Date: May 2003 Location: In Stereo Posts: 3,206 Classified Rating: 100% (20)	Can you feel the love? Agree that the A10 and A20 each deserve their own thread, but "props" for the intitiative and gusto to start a well-intentioned comprehensive thread. Jason __________________ Custom Built For The Win!

07-26-05, 11:41 AM	#15 \| Link	<a href='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adclick.php?n=a591f81a' target='_blank'><img src='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adview.php?what=zone:36&n=a591f81a' border='0' alt=''></a>
Hoyt Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 27	I believe the 60wf655, 60xs955, and e60a20 should all have identical displays... conenctivity, menus, and speaker options are the only difference... That being said, when I looked at all 3 side by side, the XS did seem slightly better... I am guessing it was due to the set-up though and certainly not worth returning a TV for.

07-22-05, 10:04 PM	#2 \| Link
CFoote Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Connecticut Posts: 390	Has anyone seen an A20 (55"/60") in their area yet?

07-22-05, 10:21 PM	#3 \| Link
jaybuc Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 26	Cfoote I have seen the A20 here in Tampa, FL.....It looks great! I was really impressed with the PQ from this set. For some reason the blacks looked much "blacker" to me. I know this set doesn't have the new Iris that the A10 does, but still very nice looking. I am waiting for the A10s to show up here shortly. How about you?

07-23-05, 12:44 AM	#7 \| Link
Mach1Man Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 485	I agree. Let'ss keep the A10 chassis separate.

07-23-05, 01:17 AM	#8 \| Link
drewba Advanced Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Renton, WA Posts: 822	cfoote, I appreciate the effort, but I'm going to have to agree with lipcrkr. I think the A10 and A20 are different enough that they should have their own threads.

07-23-05, 09:07 PM	#12 \| Link
lander215 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 250	Wow...nothing like watching a good butt kissing!

07-25-05, 10:53 PM	#14 \| Link
HDLCD New Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 4	I just bought a 60" A20 after returning a Mitsubishi 62" DLP (had the annoying rainbow effect). The A20 set was the only 60" LCD set Tweeter had and I felt obligated to buy from them since they delivered, and exchanged the sets for no additional charge. Seeing the posts regarding the A10 I was curious about the differences (A10 vs A20) even though it appears the A10 only go to 55". I would appreciate a rundown of the differences :-) Lastly, I saw a KDF60xs955 in a retail store and it appeared that the XS set had a sharper, clearer, smoother picture - simply put a better picture. Not being able to compare my current A20 set next to the KDF60XS955 set I was wondering if the XS set is a superior set to the A20? I would certainly take the A20 back to Tweeter, and go buy the XS if the differences were that great in picture quality. Any facts/opinions are greatly appreciated.

07-26-05, 12:42 PM	#16 \| Link
lander215 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 250	The A10's only go up to 50" (right now). I believe all three models have the same display properties aside from the A10's iris.

07-26-05, 03:33 PM	#17 \| Link
jmw1137 Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 73	Does anyone own an A20 yet? I am very interested in getting one (bought a 60" Panasonic and it's a little too big for my viewing distance and I really did like the Sony's I saw better anyways...just couldn't afford the 60"). I'm going to head to Fry's after work and hopefully they'll have one there.

07-26-05, 05:09 PM	#18 \| Link
rogue9607 Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Alexandria, VA Posts: 23	I just got the 55A20 over the weekend and am impressed so far. Don't have too many specific comments so far since I'm still getting it set up and this is my first RP tv, but I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions soon.

07-26-05, 05:43 PM	#19 \| Link
jmw1137 Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 73	Do you have a video game system? If so which one and how does it look? What do you think of SD TV? Any impressions would be great!

07-26-05, 07:36 PM	#21 \| Link
Cliff Watson AVS Special Member Join Date: Mar 1999 Location: Augusta, GA (for real) Posts: 14,159	” I too am very interested in your review of the A20. Everyone is talking about how much better the A10's will be but I really want a 55" so I would prefer to get the A20.” I’m not much of a wordsmith when it comes to writing a produce review, so lets just say I’m very, very happy with my Sony E55A20 that I’ve owned for a little over two weeks. My previous HDTV was 50” Samsung HLM 507W DLP TV and I never was completely happy with it on many levels, including crushed blacks and whites, banding, and bad colors. Never could get rid of the slightly green hue without over pushing the red drive. After owning the DLP for 2 ½ years it lost its digital mind (banding lines became bright orange and/or blue) and would need a board replaced for around $600 to $800, so I decided I would buy a new HDTV instead. Add the board replacement cost to the cost of 4 replacement lamps and the cost of ownership of the Samsung was just too high for the picture quality. I did check out the newer Samsung DLP HDTV in local stores as I was searching for the best replacement for me. At each store the Sony LCD was a stand out compared to any and all newer DLPs on display. What finally pushed me over to Sony was the LCD TV connected to a cable box and tuned to INHD2. Compared to my DLP the picture was simple awesome and the cost was cheaper than a DLP. I was not that happy with my new A20 the first couple of days it was in my room, until I found the “advanced” setup menu and was able to adjust the TV to my liking. It also helped that three days after getting the Sony A20 I picked up my new glasses that corrected my vision to 20/20. Out of the box the TV had crushed blacks that was easy to correct by increasing the brightness setting 10%, setting the advanced black level correction to “low” and increasing the “gamma” setting. I have a computer connected to the HDMI input that I use to play HDTV Transport Stream test patterns for calibrating the TV. After adjusted with the test patterns I made minor adjustments to the internal “over the air” HDTV tuner and the cable tuner. The settings for the tuners were very close to the HDMI input settings. I used AVIA test and setup DVD for adjusting the component inputs. The TV remembers different settings on all inputs. In a nutshell the A20 has excellent black and white details, outstanding color across the color gradient, absolutely no banding or contouring, excellent contrast with image depth, smooth film like motion, no mesquite noise and is a delight to watch. Did I mention that at 55” (with side speakers) this TV is BIG, but due to the base design still fits on the same stand used for the Samsung 50” DLP. Well that is my story and I’m sticking to it. P.S., Forgot to mention that a week after receiving the A20 Comcast installed a CableCard and a day later after correcting a code error in my account I have some great HD channels in addition to the OTA network programs. P.P.S. Also forgot to mention the black level on the A20. The black level is slightly better than my Samsung DLP and is not really noticable unless viewed in a totally dark room. I've learned from the DLP TV to use front (indirect) lighting which greatly improves the black level from digital panel TV. Last edited by Cliff Watson; 07-26-05 at 07:51 PM..

07-27-05, 12:40 AM	#22 \| Link
jmw1137 Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 73	I know this post is for the A20 series and I included some info on that unit in my post that I also made in a Mitsu thread. Thought the people reading this post might be interested in this I had a chance to check out this TV (52527) and the Sony 55” A20 tonight at Best Buy. It was perfect because those were the 2 TVs I’ve narrowed my choices down to and they were right next to each other. Overall, out of all the TVs in the room, they did look like the best two (compared to all the DLPs & LCDs). The colors were deep & rich and the blacks looked pretty good too. They had on the trailer for that new ‘Stealth’ movie and the scenes were going pretty fast so it was hard to look back & forth and see the same scene to see how they compared. However, at the end it had the ‘Coming to theaters…’ and the text/white coloring of the text looked much cleaner/crisper on the Mitsu. About the only thing I noticed that made me hesitant to pick the Mitsu was there was some times when all the other TVs had something that was orange and on the Mitsu it looked red. It also happened with yellow and made it look orange. However, my guess it’s because they were factory settings and hadn’t been adjusted (at least that’s what I’m hoping). I’m exchanging a 60”Panasonic DLP and based on my viewing tonight we’re going to get the Mitsu. There are a few reasons…2 HDMI (Sony only has 1), look of the TV and the look of the picture (looked slightly better than the Sony). I really wanted a 55-56” TV but I am content with the 52”. If someone were comparing these two models it’s really a tough decision, at least IMO. I’m not very knowledgeable about a lot of TV stuff (still learning about DLPs/LCDs and all they have to offer) but any questions I can answer just let me know. I wasn’t able to get this tonight (long story) but will be going tomorrow for it. They said they can deliver Friday so I can post some pics/reviews then.

07-27-05, 12:51 AM	#23 \| Link
jmw1137 Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 73	That's funny because my wife almost thought the Mitsu was too bright as compared to the Sony. However, her comment was it's probably better that it's too bright 'cause we can lower if needed but we don't know how bright the Sony gets. We just moved into a new house where the living room gets a lot of light from about 10am-4pm so I wanted something brighter (especially until we work on darkening the room a bit). With my current 60" Panasonic this morning when the picture got even a little dark I couldn't see anything.

07-29-05, 12:51 AM	#24 \| Link
JasonColeman The Viking Dwarf AVS CLUB MEMBER Join Date: May 2003 Location: In Stereo Posts: 3,206 Classified Rating: 100% (20)	Where's the pics of the A20s you slackers! Quit enjoying your damn TV and get back to work! Jason __________________ Custom Built For The Win!

07-29-05, 01:11 PM	#27 \| Link
jmw1137 Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 73	Can anyone with an A20 please post their settings? I have mine at home waiting for me when I get home from work and would appreciate some help on what settings work well.

07-30-05, 01:35 PM	#28 \| Link
jmw1137 Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 73	What does everyone with this set think of the SDTV? It looks terrible on mine. Some channels look better than others but overall I'm not really happy with it.