Official Sony 40",46" XBR2, XBR3 - Owner's Thread - Page 6

here's a great pdf of the tv's dimensions
http://www.docs.sony.com/release/KDL..._cutsheets.pdf

Has any one experienced problems with the XBR2 HDMI inputs. I have a cable box (Scientific Atlanta 8300HD) hooked up using one of the 3 HDMI inputs, however when browsing the channels I loose signal. Picture turns nothing but snowy static. This happens when the source goes from a 480i to a 720p or 1080i signal. The picture will be loss also when changing the inputs say from input 6(xbox) to input 3(hdmi cable-box). I do not experience these problems when the cable box is connected through the HD Component cables. The cable box is being supplied by Time Warner. Is the Display defective or the HDMI output on the cable box flawed? Has anyone else experienced this problem?

No, I'm definitely getting the HR10-250 Tivo Powered HD DVR from DirecTV... The new DVR hasn't been released nation wide yet. Thanks for your concern though.

E* (DishN) has a HD DVR Reciever - VIP 622.... I would also love to here if anyone has hooked this up through there XBR2 and what settings are they using - are they setting it at 1080i or lower - letting the XBR do the up conversion? Thanks!

OK.. I should have said "full HD Tivo powered DVR"... the HR10 does not support MPEG4... so if your locals are MPEG4 (which all but 2 towns are) you will not be able to Tivo them or view them with the HR10. But you probably already knew that and are getting the HR10 for MPEG2 only, right?

Just got off with Directv. They told me they are coming out with the new HD DVR within the next 2 months, nationwide.

She told me the new one uses better technology and will be better than the 10-250. She didnt know much more about it, so I asked to have someone call me with more info.

Whats the deal with MPEG4? Whats the difference between that and MPEG2?

Should I wait for the MPEG4 to be released? What will be the advantages?

Yeah, I'll be getting HD locals OTA... (the HR10-250 records OTA too) For the time being, I should have more or less parallel service as what I'd get via Mpeg 4- What I don't get I can live without for now...
Going without Tivo for any period of time is like going without hot water-- I'd live, but I'd be shivering constantly.

I've been using SD tivo for a long time now, and even though I'm gonna have to move to the Mpeg 4 DVR eventually, I'd rather have the Tivo interface while I wait for all those new HD channels that are going to be launching over the next year or so.
Once HD content via Mpeg 4 really out weighs the Mpeg 2, I'll switch over.

Yup.. I envy you... I am in exactly the same situation except that I am too far to reliably get OTA HD. So I am forced to wait for the Series 3 and swicth to Comcast if I want Tivo and HD.

King Dirk,
If you aren't already a Tivo user, I'd wait for the new Mpeg 4 box... D* is moving away from Tivo in favor of their own box, which is an Mpeg 4 system-- Mpeg 4 "should" give better PQ for the same bitrate of compression, but I'm neither an expert on that nor have I ever laid eyes on D*'s implementation of it. The main thing is that over the next couple of years D* is adding a lot of HD programming as they make their transition to Mpeg 4, so like I say, If you haven't already gotten used to Tivo and you plan on using D* you might as well save yourself the headache of moving from one interface to the other... Honestly, I made my HR10 order before they began their roll out or I might have waited too, but I got the thing for free (thanks to the delays) so I figure I have nothing to lose.

There's tons of info over at dbstalk.com

Bummer.
I'm 5 miles from all but one of the Towers and 10 miles from the other, so I guess I am lucky in that respect-- But, my only other option for service is Brighthouse in this part of town and as far as I can tell, they're all but completely missing the boat on HD around here. So for me it's D* or nothing for now.

I guess I've gotten us off topic, Sorry about that-- I don't want this to start looking like the "other" thread.

Hi. I need some cable help. I'm trying to decide what kind of component cables to hook up my HD terminal and Progressive DVD player to this set. I'm at the monoprice site and I think I will get one of the 5 plug components, since I don't have a receiver yet anyways to use optical audio.

Anyways, what's the difference between the premium component cables and the regular component cables?

A few questions for you owners: Can this display get 1:1 pixel mapping when sending a 1920x1080 picture to the HDMI input? Are the full range of picture controls (backlight etc)available when that resolution is sent?

The reason I ask is because to get 1:1 pixel matching on the XBR1 series you had to send via analog VGA and that had far fewer picture controls available to it then the other inputs have.

Thanks!

yes and yes

Some of the questions being asked here really belong on the other thread. This is starting to become a phantom thread.

the title should say owners only but these kind of questions will never stop from coming into this thread anyways

Hi,
Sorry if this has been mentioned already , but will the "PC-Input" work with a new "Mac-Mini" ?
Many thanks
Gary
O_BTW , I went to BB to have a look at the new "Regza" / Toshiba , and after , I noticed this new Sony and I was amazed !! Needless to say , the Toshy is off my list !!

I think there's an owner I've read about here doing that already. We're total Mac whores around our house (can't IMAGINE using anything else). We're planning on connecting a new MacMini via DVD-HDMI in the next week or so. Still loving our new XBR2. In the words of Ferris, "It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up."

Picture quality of the race yesterday's NASCAR Busch race on TNT HD was really excellent on my XBR2. No real noticeable motion blurr and the pixellation that I saw during last weekend's race on NBC HD was not there either. Either NBC was having technical difficulties last weekend or their equipment ( maybe too much compression?) is not up to the job. You would think that a "big" network like NBC would have only the best...TNT win hands down at least through my cable system here in CT ( Charter). NEXTEL Cup race today at 2PM and it's raining here..who could ask for anything more!

I've hooked up my Powerbook (VGA out) to the XBR2, it worked flawlessly. The TV works just like a monster monitor. I can't imagine newer Mac's not working. I suspect your video out is DVI rather than VGA but, if it's like recent iBooks, your mini most likely came with a DVI to VGA adaptor.

Do be warned: your mini may not have a graphics card with the horsepower to drive a 1080 monitor at full color. My 400MHz Powerbook (the first edition of G4's) outputs the full 1920 x 1080 resolution but only delivers "thousands of colors" rather than millions at that high a resolution. This is fine for many computer uses and probably for gaming but is somewhat disappointing for HD slide shows of digital photos.

Byrne

Yes!!

But why use an analog connection??? Just get a DVI-to-HDMI cable and connect the Mini digitally to the TV. (The DVI and HDMI signals are identical so all the cable has to do is provide different shaped connectors on each end.) FWIW, my Intel Core Duo Mini will output a full 1920x1080 HD signal to my Sony 34" HD CRT at full color depth. Don't forget to set the XBR's display area to 'full pixel' for 1:1 pixel mapping without overscan.

Cheers!

The MacMini will support up to 1920 x 1080 with 24 bit color (16.7 million colors), so no worries in that regard.

By the way, we've connected our MacBook Pros and the connection is flawless as well. FrontRow looks amazing at that size.

Any suggestions on good wall mounts. Most of the wall mounts I've seen don't allow me to access the inputs in back of the t.v. because of the large metal plate on the back of the mount. I'd prefer a mount that I can pull away from the wall. Any ideas??

I don't remember where or what you'd call it, but somewhere I've seen a wall mount that sort of telescoped out-- it would allow the set to be pretty close to the wall, but then would extend out sort of like one of those cartoon boxing gloves.

Oh, maybe this is what I was thinking of...

I took a look at the link you sent, but the page is blank. I think I may have found a mount that may work from bb's website. It's a Magnolia mount, so I guess I'll visit bb this afternoon to see what the thing looks like.

the above link is fixed...

Edit:

Oh, nevermind-- I see now that even though it pulls away from the wall, the plate would still block access to the connections...

This is the mount I will be using once my xbr46 is here.

http://www.vogels.com/

The model is EFW 6325 . According to the Sony store this is one of their "certified" mounts for the tv.

Hi Guy`s,
Many thanks for the help and support reguarding hooking up a "Mac-Mini"
So , if I`m reading this right , some hook up via HDMI & some via VGA or HD15 cable , is that right ?
I would rather use the "PC" input and the DVI-VGA adaptor that comes with the mini.
That way I would not have to use up an HDMI input that could be used for other stuff.
If they would work the same.
Anyway , right now I have niether , so I`m just trying to gather as much info as possible.
Thanks again for your help
Gary

Hi Gary-

Yes, they both work the 'same' in the fact that both will allow the Mini to display on the TV. With the HDMI you will be viewing a clean digital signal and with the VGA you will have the Mini converting its signal to analog and then the XBR converting back to digital. Fortunately, both units have very good A/D conversion but you will probably be able to tell a slightly worse picture with the VGA and a casual user might not even notice the difference. Of course, how many 'casual' users visit the AVS forums???

Elsewhere in this thread, or on the main XBR2/3 thread, an owner posted photos using the pc-input and his XBR showed very light 'ghosting' artifacts. Of course, he was using a pc running XP so I'm sure the mac will be better.

Hope this helps.

P.S. monoprice.com also offers inexpensive 2-port and 5-port HDMI switches if you are running out of HDMI inputs.