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Sony KV-34XBR800 FAQ

91K views 621 replies 109 participants last post by  ADU 
#1 ·
Hi all


Sony has nothing on their website (EDIT: on 12Sep2002 I saw http://www.sonystyle.com/home/item.j...ps=null&type=s ) about a TV that several of us own of many are interested in. Here is an early press release http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/2021 or one can easily find threads by doing a search with "34xbr800" in the title like: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=157865


This might be ambitious but with the help of Hoppy, Magic123, Brad Hood, MSmith and others we might help establish a FAQ (or something like that :D). How about if I start off with some obvious things and we all chip in. Much of the below is straight from the manual and some is opinions. Thanks.


1. What is the Sony KV-34XBR800?


This is Sony's 34" widescreen flatscreen (16:9) Trinitron Wega Hi Definition TV released ~ August 2002. It features an adjustable line doubler (DRC Multifunction V1), Twin View, Memory Stick Picture Viewer, Component Video Inputs (a total of 7 inputs including DVI), and the usual 3-2 pulldown. The 34xbr800 has no OTA HD tuner but here is a link to what do I need to get OTA HDTV on the 34xbr800? .


2. How big is it?


The manual says 39 1/8" X 24 1/2" X 23 1/4" at 201 lbs.


3. How much does it cost?


MSRP around $2500 or about the same as new Toshibas and Pannys. Street price may be 10% lower depending on features such as home set-up, packaged with warranty & stand, etc.


4. How is the Picture Quality?


This varies on the source. A good land cable signal will look good. DVDs are awesome. There is reported on another thread some "soft edge focus" by machine measurement. See: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...readid=158391. There have been no visual complaints registered by users when using only eyes unless one gets closer than about 6'. See: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=160745


5. How are the speakers?


Much better than average.


6. What about stretch?


With programs not in 720p or 1080i there 4 "wide mode" choices.


From the manual . . . "Wide Zoom enlarges the 4:3 picture, while the upper and lower parts of the picture are condensed to fit the 16:9 screen. Normal returns the 4:3 picture to the original size. Full Mode stretches the 4:3 picture to fill the 16:9 screen. Zoom Mode enlarges the 4:3 picture horizontally and vertically to an equal aspect ratio that fills the 16:9 screen. Useful for watching Letterbox movies."


From MSmith . . . "Here's what the stretch modes mean:

Normal - 4:3 (or sometimes auto-16:9)

Full - 16:9, stretched horizontally if necessary

Zoom - zoom in so that 4:3 horizontally fills the screen, cutting off top and bottom

Wide Zoom - Like Full, but the stretch is more extreme at the edges of the screen and the center is mostly left alone. Supposed to make people look human while filling the screen."


I have used stretch for NTSC 4:3 but not yet on a DVD quality 4:3. Stretch definitely worsens picture quality (grainy) and distorts images (widens 4:3 images) so everyone has to decide what is most pleasing to his/her eyes.


7. If I don't use stretch will I get a burn-in?


Burn-in is unlikely with direct view especially if it is not left on with a 4:3 image for long periods (like overnight) and if it is calibrated to be less vivid.


8. How do I calibrate?


The 34xbr800 is amazingly well calibrated at the factory - better than older Sony's for sure. The "View Mode" includes Vivid (which must be for factory showroom floors because it is WAY too vivid = distortion), Standard (less vivid), Movie (less vivid) and Pro ("to display a picture with minimum enhancements" quoting from the manual but put those enhancements like SVM (scan velocity modulation) in quotes because it may be sacrificing picture quality. Out of the box, I used Pro Mode. On AVIA I only needed to drop Picture/Whiteness by 1/4 or 3 notches and do the same for Sharpness. I did not have to change Brightness/Blackness, Color, or Hue. Some like the picture straight out of the box so setting up the 34xbr800 to look nice is easy.


9. What is DRC?


Digital Reality Creation is the Sony name for their line doubler. It comes in 3 flavors: As per the manual, Interlaced is "recommended for moving pictures", Progressive for "still images and text", and CineMotion "provides an optimized display by automatically detecting film content and applying a reverse 3/2 pulldown process. Moving pictures will appear clearer and more natural-looking".


Confused yet? I just leave mine on CineMotion and cannot tell a difference flipping through the 3 modes.


10. Do you like it and would you buy it if you had the same choices again?


I love the TV at 24 hours. The 34xbr800 picture looks great with regular cable and is mind-blowing with DVD, has a bunch of connections so I won't run out of upgrade add-on connections, and is the best TV with the most options I have seen or owned. It was hard to wait for the 34xbr800 to land in the local stores but it was worth the wait.


OK everyone please correct and add to this thread and it will make an easy place for 34xbr800 owners and potential buyers to give & get the inside viewpoints they will never get from the owner's manual or from Sony. Hope someone does this for my next purchase. :D Hooray for avsforum!!! Thanks and happy viewing. :)


Rick


PS at edit, I add links to update the FAQ such as . . .
What TV stand for 34xbr800? and 34xbr800 service mode and 34xbr800 adjustments and 32hv600 geometry and Tweaking the 34xbr800 and 34xbr800 owner's manual and Sony service manual and vertical bars when viewing 1080i and what do stretch modes look like on a widescreen monitor? and choosing a calibration DVD and anyone got a HTPC hooked up to a 34xbr800? and do the DVI inputs on current TV sets accept a signal from the DVI outputs on a computer video card? .
 
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#2 ·
It sounds extremely similar to the "Sony Trinitron WEGA" KD-34XBR2 , which IS on the website, and is listed at $4000. What's the difference, other than one being cheaper and not mentioned on the website?


And when you say lots of connections, you mean it has multiple audio & video signal input jacks?
 
#5 ·
34XBR800


I had begun a thread like this short time ago..but..let us stay with this one..seems good to me. Bought my 34WS..2 days ago..less than $2000..at local Sony Service Station..The XBR800 has a 2 year warranty..parts and labor..a covered slot on front for insertion of Sony's memory stick..You can get up to Hi Def pics ..depending on your Digital camera. I have component and S-Video cables from Mit. STB..In HD mode.."full" is your only screen choice. In S-Video (standard video)..you have 4 choices. HD can be passed thru S-Video..looking about DVD quality to my eyes..on HDNET>

Watching Tiger BB game tonite. I know the stadium so that is much better to set up your video settings than any dvd..my opinion of course. Actually, if all your settings are at 'center'..(close to 'movie' and 'standard' settings..think you will find things looking just fine..As has been stated, speaker system is actaully fair to good on this set..I only use it for cable and use cable only for local Weather Channel and one or 2 other cjhannels.

HDTV is just lovely. You can look at it one foot away and see only a few flaws. At 4 feet these all disappear. The screen ..to human eye..ihas the same sharpness side to side..on the best material..HDTV ..again. Anything you see that does not look right on this set is with the source..or transmission of the source. Everything looks great on HDTV..channel 199..Directv. My main viewing choice are DirectV and DVD's..OTA to be installed very soon ..will be receiving all the networks..from 18 to 38 miles from my house.,,More to follow..Bottom line..so far..new 34XBR800..,,on a scale..9 out of 10..compared to what is possible today in direct tv sets..
 
#8 ·
Delvo


I think the 34xbr800 uses the same tube as the 34xbr2 but has different electronics, no tuner, memory stick option, and is $1500 less expensive. For an official, albeit dated, Sony press release see: http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/2021


The 34xbr800 has 7 video inputs that include 1 DVI HDTV, 2 component, 3 S video, and 1 composite only. There is a coax cable attenena in plus an aux and a "to converter" coax. There is a monitor out and separate stereo out.


Thanks to magic and all for contributing to the unofficial FAQ thread. I started this FAQ to have a FAQ exclusively for the 34xbr800 (not the 4:3 or different size models). I also think it is important to have 34xbr800 in the title of the first post to help with future searches. Thanks again. :)


Rick
 
#9 ·
..this might prove interesting..Have component and s-video carring video from Mit. STB to Sony tv. You can receive HD content over both..It is HD over component and still very nice over S-Video..probably about resolution of a dvd I would guess..If you have signal coming over component connection..screen is always in..FULL..while in S-Vid you have a choice of settings for screen. This also applies to other settings...The set is new to me, but as of now, that is the way I see it....If anyone knows more, please let us all know..more to follow..so far, everything is fine..set does please me...I really think it is a ..best buy..in todays' marketplace....
 
#12 ·
..have a question..IN HD mode the screen is always in FULL..so most controls do not operate. They only operate in total on my S-Video input..correct?..My problem is..heads are cut off somewhat at top of screen..in Hd mode..in FULL screen..any suggestions???..wishing the camermen would lower their cameras and not put people heads' at very top of viewing area...That is the real solution of course!
 
#13 ·
Hi all:


Watched a BBC miniseries called Traffik (~1989). It was the basis for the American film Traffic directed by Soderberg and was great. Anyway, the picture quality (PQ) on the DVD of the BBC TV miniseries was a little better than AT&T digital cable but not nearly as good as a film DVD (2001: A Space Odyssey is like WOW!!!). My DVD is connected by S video. How come one DVD is good and one is great? Might that be the "video" thing versus the "movie" thing? Might a good de-interlacer chip in a progressive scan DVD player improve the video (TV) PQ from the DVD or is that fanatasy? On the other hand are PQ of any DVDs too variable to answer that question? Thanks.


Rick

_____________


jcblack:


The monitor out is composite and is described in the manual to facilitate vhs video editing.


tpd002:


I don't know about supporting 480p natively or upconverting. Does anyone else know? You may want to e-mail Sony and let us know if you get an answer. Thanks.
 
#14 ·
A good progressive DVD player with the best de-interlacing chipsets connected via component inputs might improve a non-film video on DVD, but no better than the original source material. No certain way to answer exactly in advance. A progressive player will definitely improve FILM based movies on DVD to the best possible PQ from the 480p format, only HDTV will be better.
 
#15 ·
Since we're (sort of) on this subject, can any of you 34XBR800 owners/buyer comment on the set's performance playing non-anamorphic yet letterboxed DVDs? Unfortunately some of my favorite titles fall into this category and I'm internally fretting about if I will be satisfied watching them either in the Zoom mode or with the simultaneous letter- and windowboxing...


I know that 16x9 optimized discs will be stunning!


Thanks!
 
#16 ·
I watched 2001 from a non-anamorphic DVD. Normal mode was 4:3 letterboxed and windowboxed (imagine letterbox on a 4:3 taking up only the 4:3 part of the screen - very strange). Full was distorted. Zoom kept the height correct (it's 2.35:1, so there were still letterbox bars) and cut off a smidge on the sides. Wide Zoom was too distorted for me.


All of my anamorphic DVD's are amazing!
 
#17 ·
Hope some of you guys will look in on the thread "34XBR800 Shortcomings? A closer look." where I've found some irregularities with my 34XBR800. Set is still great, but with closer observation I'm finding some of the problems discussed in the "34XBR800 soft edge focus" thread, or, if not those *particular* problems, some problems with convergence and similar that I'd like to know if others can find on their sets as well.


Thanks--
 
#18 ·
..soft focus..


I, for one, can not find this soft focus being seen by others. Standing one foot from set today..had on HDNET..and HBO HD..was being critical and I saw objects from center move to outer edges and they did not get..softer..as they moved to edge of viewing area. Watched one carton on HBO..lots of movement over screen..center to edges..and edges toward center..and all looked find to my eyes..In upper left and right corners..there was a a small touch of red..at times..when lettering or a white cloud..etc..was there..but..at 6 feet this disappeared..and, at 12 feet, all looked great to me. Let us just enjoy viewing HD on this set..not go out of way seeking imperfections. Afterall, this cost less than$2000..is not a $10,000 monitor..For what it is, I still rate it a 9 out of 10...Do Enjoy!
 
#19 ·
hi hoppy


To keep most links in the first post, I edited the initial post and added a link to your thread "34XBR800 Shortcomings? A closer look" under the picture quality section. If you can think of other links I should have, please let me know. Thanks for continuing to sleuth this out.


I did my AVIA from my viewing distance at 8' so I have never gone up and studied the picture quality (PQ) at

BTW Hoppy, on another post you were wondering about ISF calibrations. Have you tried the ISF trained dealer search at http://www.imagingscience.com/isf-trained.cfm ? When I put in Mississippi they found 3 ISF trained dealers (Brandon, Biloxi, & Starkville). Hope this helps.


Have you or anyone been able to find out more about the DRC modes (interlaced, progressive, & cinemotion)? Has anyone seen picture quality differences and in what types of sources? Thanks.


Rick
 
#20 ·
Quote:
Originally posted by ricbayer
I did my AVIA from my viewing distance at 8' so I have never gone up and studied the picture quality (PQ) at

Have you or anyone been able to find out more about the DRC modes (interlaced, progressive, & cinemotion)? Has anyone seen picture quality differences and in what types of sources? Thanks.


Rick
rick--


apropos the adjustments, when you say you cut picture and sharpness by three notches or 1/4 off factory settings, well, I'm not clear on what that means.


I believe in main menu there are like 32 bars for each item (64 bars in the underlying submenu where the adjustments are actually made). Center point on main menu is 16 (32 on submenu). With these numbers could you restate your settings?


For example, if talking about PRO MODE, factory setting is 16 (centered), then 1/4 off would be 12 bars in main menu or 24 in submenu (measured from full left)?


Also, I wish you would take a close up look in 4:3 NORMAL mode to see if you can find any sliver of red or blue on either edge of the picture.


And, if you want to step through the AVIA test screens, I'd also like to know if your picture is perfectly centered (the L-Shaped corner marks visible on all 4 corners with the "crosshatch" screen up.


Finally, you're a genius! So used to living in Behind-the-times-ville it never occurred to me to even look for ISF trained person in MS. Astonishing! Thanks *very* much. Made my day. I already wrote a long note to the guy in Biloxi (closest to me).
 
#21 ·
Quote:
Originally posted by magic123
Pricing ..


Bought Sony34XBR800 for less than$2000 from a local small store..a Sony Service Station. They will take care of service on the set if needed. Bought set in Lansing, Mi...
Magic123,


Could you please tell me where in Lansing? Circuit City is the only place I've found so far and they won't discount. Thanks.


Scott
 
#22 ·
In answer to a question above..

..Purchased 34XBR800 in Lansing..at Sony Store (just sell Sony equipment)

..on Saginaw Street..West Lansing. Set will be serviced by a Sony Service Station in Lansing. 3 year warranty is a poor buy as Sony tv has a 2 year warranty..parts and labor. The store will deliver and set up as Sony has controls set from factory. Settings were 95 percent 'right on'...to my eyes, at least.
 
#23 ·
Quote:
Originally posted by magic123
In answer to a question above..

..Purchased 34XBR800 in Lansing..at Sony Store (just sell Sony equipment)

..on Saginaw Street..West Lansing.
Magic123,


Thank you. You've now at least narrowed my search down to West Saginaw.


Scott
 
#24 ·
..more on pricing..


CC will discount..Their policy is to meet any price and give you 10 percent of the difference. Policy is on the wall..behind service counter..example..if they price a tv at $2500..and you can purchase it for $1800 at another store..difference being $700..they will charge you $1730..the difference of $700..plus $70..10 percent of the difference..They do need prove of price from other store, of course..
 
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