The Official Kd-34xbr960 Thread - Page 93

I too bought mine from Crutchfield last year. To the door delivery...albeit before this unit started getting 'discounted' like it is at present. I'll admit I havent read *every* post on the 960 here, so I will give you my 'problem.
I have a bowing on the upper RH and upper LH parts of the screen. Since I am pulling this from memory, I can't recall in which direct the 'bow' goes. If I watch a REAL 16 x 9 HD feed from CBS the picture fills(obviuosly) and that problem is less prevalent if evident at all. However, if I play a DVD, it's more noticable, or if something is playing at 1:85 : 1. (FOX)

Is this a problem correctable via the service menu, or do I require a service call ? Unfortunately, I am light years away from SONY service that they'd 'drop over the house' . The same goes for any ISF labs. :-(

Feel free to 'e' me at my listed addy, or to my gmail acct. Use the same moniker I use to post with.

Thankx loads.

In the event that a URL will give me the answer please ship it to me. Sry if this has been discussed as infinitum before.

Random post of the day:

Does anyone know if it's possible to buy an empty 960 box from anywhere? The reason I ask is that when my second one was delivered (the first one had a dead spot on the screen with no color), it happened to be raining that day. The delivery guys seemed to have put the bottom of the box on the ground for a few seconds.

When the box dried, it started warping in corners, and doesn't go on properly. I was thinking of trashing it, but hesitated, knowing this was the best way to transport the TV. I am hesitant to use it for transport though since the box is damaged.

So, is it possible to buy an empty, non-damaged box somewhere?

Many thanks to Dsperber and others discussing optimal viewing distance. I had to rearange the living room this weekend, and went from 10' down to just under 7'. It really is more enjoyable.

Also for those considering this set but concerned about weight/moving: I recommend the Sony stand. It must have some slider material on the bottom. I was able to move the set off an area rug> hardwood floors, and back, by myself. Don't get me wrong... it's a hefty job... but it certainly can be done by one person alone.

Hi guys...

Quick question.

I bought the XBR960 a week ago, but I noticed a chip in th side casing.

So I returned it to Best Buy for a new one.

Anyhoo, my old one was manufactured in July '05. My new one was manufactured in Febuary '05.

Were there any issues I need to know about on the older ones? Or are they both of same quality.

I thought I read once that older ones had some screen problems.

Please tell me I'm safe.....

I think most of the issues were from 04 models, had tuner issues that I recall.
My 960 is from June 05, no problems.

I just got my 960 last night.... we are getting to "know" each other.....If I want to get it professionally calibrated as many of you suggest...what is the first place to begin the search for a good technician? I live in the Seattle area. And about how much should I expect to pay?

Thanks.

My 960 was a year old on Dec. 1. I've never had it calibrated, and I'm always changing the hue to suit me. Usually on SD stuff it is too green, but HD stuff it is usually right on when I set hue to 0 and it seems lately I've had to set hue even more red to 6 or 7. Would a calibration help this? This is on the same input, Video 7 HDMI from my Directv HD DVR. I understand that each input has its own settings. Does anyone know of a professional calibrator in south central PA or northern MD. I live between Baltimore and York, PA

http://www.imagingscience.com/isf-trained.cfm

Minimum about $225, give or take.

Also check our display calibration forum here at AVS: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=139

^Can anyone comment, please? Thanks.

-Keith

Keithos,

The only difference with N is something to do with the glare coating on the screen. Nothing else is different.

The Sony Lcos sets are amazing. If you have the beans, and want the size, I think you'd be very happy with them. Home Theater Magazine rated those new SXRD's "the best RPTV's we've ever seen" with near-CRT black levels.

I've seen them for myself. If I were going to buy an RPTV, I'd probably buy one of those myself.

The XBR960 (n or otherwise) are considered professional, reference grade monitors, especially after an ISF calibration. It comes down to your budget, your viewing distance, and size considerations. ($1900 max rules out the LCOS sets.)

I know you'd be very happy with the XBR960, n or otherwise.

Q of BanditZ,

Thanks for the reply! How is this system with an Xbox 360 (the XBR 960)? Any issues of 1080i vs. 720 p and all of that jazz?

Keith, the 360 looks awesome on the XBR960.

Just set the system to 1080i in the dashboard.

1080i on this CRT looks better than 720p on an LCD. Trust me. You'll love it.

Thanks Super Freak. I trust you.

My local Best Buy has a customer return 34XBR960 for $1200. It's got some scratches on the housing, but otherwise it's in good shape. I am bring my Avia DVD tomorrow to test it out, any suggestions on what to look for?

Assuming it is working right, is $1200 for a used 34XBR960 a good deal? The PSP (extended warranty) is $200, and I plan on buying that unless anyone has a better suggestion.

Thanks for the great thread BTW!

So I have had my 960 for 48 hours....it has grown on me. At first I was a little disappointed in the SD signal as well as the way had to do so much strectching oif the image to fill the screen to a decent size. I do have an OTA antenna and I must admit that watching a program yesterday in true HD gave me chills. It is fun to be able to see "showroom" quality in my little living room.

Sometimes one of the drawbacks to reading forums like this is that it is much more intense and "serious" than I would normally be about a TV. I have learned so much but it has also made me a little paranoid that I should be looking for something wrong in my set. I called a tech to come and calibrate the TV and he told me it was over kill.....since I was watching it in my living room and I had no idea what was "wrong" with it in the first place why go to that expense. He has a point.

I have adjusted the numbers according to some of the suggestions on this site. The screen is beautiful although a tad bit dark for my taste.....but I still don't know if I am geting that ultimate experience since I have no benchmark to judge it on.....

HI David,

Congratulations on your new 960. If you think it has grown on you now just wait a few more weeks! I also wondered if my set should be callibrated as suggested by others on this thread and appreciate you passing on what you were told by the technician. Don't worry, I get a little "paranoid" myself with these things.

As many will tell you, precise settings come down to individual preference. My brightness is in the mid-20 range for each of my inputs (HD, DVD, VHS and standard cable). I've noticed this lower setting enhances detail. I used the THX optomizer found on many DVD's (it has tests for contrast, brightness, sharpness and color) for my DVD input and as a guide for what picture quality should be like on HD and the others.

Write your settings down on paper and experiment raising or lowering each. You might want to leave extra room to record your second and third choices in order to go back and forth for comparision.

Hope these non-technical suggestions help. Let us know.

After weeks of agonizing research, and changing my mind at least a hundred times, I finally decided to pull the plug and go with the XBR960. I was very interested in the 50" SXRD, but also needed to spend a few $$ in other areas of the house...you know, the whole WAF issue!

I'd really like the size of the 50", but I'm pretty confident that the quality of image produced from the 960 will keep me happy for years to come. Once technology catches up a bit, and 1080p inputs and program material become commonplace, I can then upgrade and the 960 will make a great bedroom set.

My local high-end audio/video dealer here in Columbus has one 960 left, and they are giving me a great deal on it. They said that it arguably produces the very best PQ of anything they offer in the whole store, however the demand for the "coolness factor" of the plasmas have made them a tough sell...even with a better picture.

I won't be able to get it for at least a few days, then I have to wait for the cable company to install HD, but once that all happens...the party officially starts!

Thanks for all of the great information everybody provided on here.

You are correct about the SONY stand that is made specifically for thi s unit. I was lucky enough to get one made for the 960's precursor, the 910 model. The color is slightly different, but for the less than $100 I paid DELIVERED in 2 3 days, I have no complaints. I actually purchased the second shelf for some $35 from the original mfr. Well worth it and it increases the astetic value of the setup as well.

I'm finally getting a second opinion from a different Sony Authorized Service Center for my damn TV.

It has bowing on the left hand side of the screen. That in itself doesn't really bother me. No CRT has perfect geometry. What really irritates me is the waviness that occurs when an image on the screen pans from left to right or right to left. It's as if the image is being projected onto a hilly surface. It's absolutely unacceptable. I've never seen any TV do that in my lifetime.

If this guy doesn't know what the problem is I'm going to demand that Sony replace the television. Hopefully another unit might be better.

What is the geometry of the bowing if I might ask? Its only on *one* side ? Mine exists on the upper left and upper right. Mirror images of each other. Dunno if this is due to a mfg defective setting or possibly a shielding defect with the internal speakers ? I am curious what SONY has to say.
If I have a full 16:9 image on the screen, there is NO noticable bowing at all. It exist most notibly on the furthestmost top edges when I have a 1:85 : 1 image on the screen!

crosstuningforks - congrats,
not sure of your local cable TV setup, but in my town, basic cable carries all the network HD signals w/o a cable box. I just plugged into my 960 and hit the tuner search. ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBSHD are all receivable here. If you have cable tv and your provider doesn't block em, basic HD may already be accessible.

as far as size, not sure what size you're viewing now, I had a 32" 4:3 set before, so I went down to a 28" 4:3 view on this 34" 16:9, but HD and DVD make it worth it. I've already moved my sofa closer to the TV two times, I'm now about 6' away!

Okay.... I just noticed that when the "display" is on the the "bowing" that others have been talking about is visable....a slight curving downwards in the upper left/right of the screen and a slight curving upwards on the lower left/right of the screen.

Is this normal or at least acceptable? Or is Is it time to call Sony and ask for a fix?

Thanks for your input.....

i'd say all the Sony 960s seem to exhibit some bowing on the horizontal plane.

I called Sony and they are going to send out a tech.... is this overkill or should I let them come out....I hate for them to show up and say " This is common....."

Hey all...i just bought a 960 a week ago. Got a deal on a used one originally purchased in Sept. 05, used for one month..sold to me for $1200. Well the moving and transport of 100 miles seems to have caused a couple things..that may or may not have been there before. One of which is the bowing everyone is talking about. Its most noticable on the Channel number in the corner and in sports tickers. In fact it seems that the whole picture slants downward from left to right. Is this something that can easily be adjusted by a tech?

The TV had not previously been registered...and i have a copy of the receipt so i should be good on the warranty. Sony even sold me a 4yr extended warranty thru SonyStyle. The Tv was originally purchased from Circuit City.

So far all i have to really compare is apparently poor quality basic analog cable (no box) and DVDs. The DVDs look good but the SD content is not very good PQ. The lines are not smooth and there is some shadowing on the TV and between dark and light colors especially. Ive adjusted all the settings to what seems to be the suggested average settings on this board. Im still somewhat disappointed as to what id seen on this monitor in the stores. Should i get a tech out to look at the set?

I have always noticed a slight bowing watching 4x3 signals in the wide-stretch mode. Bowing also appears when the 960 displays its own information (Video 1, Video 2, etc.) but to me that is not important.

There is no bowing on HD broadcasts, DVDs, normal 4x3 viewing or black bars on widescreen material different than 16x9. It's only apparent on wide stretch (not on plain stretch). Is some sort of bowing to be expected when using wide stretch?

It's not the bowing that bothers me. It's the waviness that occurs when the image pans from side to side. It's like the image is being projected onto a waving flag. I didn't pay almost 2 grand for that.

Absolutely.

Bowing, convergence, and other normal service menu adjustments for "out-of-the-box" problems are things the Sony factory tech can deal with. And it's free to you, so take advantage of it. Convergence adjustments may require magnets placed on the back of the picture tube and only a tech should do that.

If the tech's visit is unsatisfactory (e.g. he departs early, before you're satisfied, because he says "it's within factory spec" or "it's as close as I can get") and you can still see obvious defects and imperfections, call Sony a second time and prevail on them (you may need to be persistent) to either send you a second factory tech or authorize a free visit from a local authorized service tech from a list of 2 or 3 such providers near you. They will do that, and the local guy will hopefully be more qualified or motivated to deal with your remaining problems.

While the user menu controls are excellent (I'm sure you've already set the main ones to "PRO" and "MONITOR" to eliminate all pre-set factory biases and allow you to set/store/memorize individual values for each individual input source, as well as setting SHARPNESS=MIN for at least INPUT5-7 and reducing your sharpness for your SD INPUT1-3), it's not productive to get started with your long journey through the service menu and tweaks (until you're finally satisfied) until the set is in a basically acceptable starting condition. Sounds like you need [at least] this free factory service visit to get your set to look how it really should have out of the factory.

Note that this set is glorious in its HDTV rendition, but non-HD off-air local networks or non-digital analog cable sources cannot be improved much by any set if they are poor quality to begin with. Even DVD's are only 480p, which still will not demonstrate what you will eventually be able to see on this screen from true HD sources.

So please reserve judgement until you've gotten your set freely adjusted by a tech and also had a chance to witness off-air or cable/satellite-provided DTV/HDTV (and I mean true 16:9 HD content, not just anything transmitted on the digital channel) on this now properly adjusted XBR960.

Just a little patience required, but very great rewards promised. And hopefully you plan to sit somewhere between 5'-7' from the screen, better closer than further back being the agreed-upon sweet spot.

Can you describe this procedure in more detail? Have you or anyone you know had it done? Was there an improvement?

Also, SD content isn't going to look good on a HDTV set. Keep your old TV for that.

If it really bothers you, go ahead, but I have heard instances where some techs made it worse by screwing up convergence.