Sony SXRD (aka "Took the HD Plunge v2")

[WickerBill]

My 12 year old, three-owner Mitsubishi 48" rear projection TV has decided it would prefer to go to the landfill than work any longer.

Football starts soon.

Add these two factors up, and I'm in the market for a large television. My favorite based on what I've read is the Sony KDS-55A2020 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000NK76VS/interactiveda648-20).

By reading old threads here, I know a few of you have SXRD TVs, and wondered if you would agree that they are good/great TVs with great/fantastic picture quality.

The TV will have an upconverting DVD player, a DirecTV HR20, and a Wii as her sources... if that matters. Eventually it will have an HD DVD player; whichever one wins, or when one that plays both formats comes down in price.

Or, if you have another unit that you feel I should be looking at, let me know. I'm currently playing FIFA07 on a 7" screen... so this purchase needs to happen soon.

[Insomniac]

I'm looking to go to an HDTV myself as well this year before football season.

I'm personally in the Plasma camp, but I do like the picture on the SXRD. The benefits I see are:

1. Price (RPTV seems to be the lowest price when you get to the bigger sizes, >50")
2. Compared to most DLP TVs, they don't have the color wheel.

If you like RPTV, take a look at the LED based DLP TVs by Samsung (they have a 56" one). They use LEDs instead of a halogen bulb. It gives you better color and lasts longer. (I'm unsure if they are, or need replacement though. I've heard 20k hours and also life of the set. May want to check into it if you are seriously considering it).

People find they can (and do) sit closer to 1080p sets, so you may want to keep that in mind. Also, at certain distances (based on the size of the display) your eyes can't tell the difference between 720p and 1080p (pointless for most bigger, and newer RPTVs now, they're all 1080p).

If you want to consider Plasma, Pioneer is the best, but most expensive. The next tier are Samsung and Panasonic. If you're interested, I can share what I've learned about the various 50 - 60" plasmas in my search (I've spent a lot of time, probably too much trying to decide).

I crossed LCD off my list pretty fast, but CNet (and others) really like the new Samsung LCDs.

Good luck!

Ohhh, and the best advice I can give you is to go look at them. While they are set up for a showroom (super bright) and will probably look better once you get it home, your eyes won't lie to you. People have different tastes and expectations for what they would like the picture to look like (also, I'm not saying the SXRD is a bad TV, but you'd probably have a hard time for an owner of almost any $2k+ TV to later say it's not so good.).

[KLang]

My preference is the Pioneer Plasma, but, the shiny screen makes them impractical if you have any windows and want to watch it during the day.

That said, my 6 year old 38" Loewe gave up a few weeks ago and I replaced it with the KDS-55A2020. I am very pleased withe HD and DVD picture. SD doesn't suck as bad as I feared. The 2020 model is due to be replaced by a 3000 series model any time now. I don't recall the details but the newer model didn't offer anything I thought important enough to wait for. Plus with the 3000 coming out you should be able to get a better price on the 2020. I got mine for $1900 at a home theater store. (paid 3x that for the Loewe in 2001 :cry: ).

I narrowed my choices to the Sony or the JVC D-ILA. I didn't want to take a chance on the wife or myself seeing DLP rainbows. BTW the initial reviews of the new LED Samsung's haven't been very good. That may have changed. Went with the Sony because that was what my favorite theater store carried.

[WickerBill]

Awesome!

Yes, that's exactly why I'm after the 55a2020 -- the a3000s are on their way and the 2020 is dropping like a stone. The only thing the 3000 offers that is somewhat interesting is 1080p over component instead of 1080i... but I doubt I'll care much; I'll be using HDMI for everything that needs that kind of resolution.

[KLang]

There is a ton of information at avsforum, almost too much, on tweaking the SXRD sets. Most people, myself included, started out with these (http://reviews.cnet.com/projection-tvs/sony-kds-60a2020/9603-6484_7-32331182.html?messageID=2506536&tag=tip-2506536) settings from a CNET review.

[Winston Wolfe]

WB - I was looking at the 50' version of that set-up, and after doing some more research, I decided on the Sony LCD due to the set-up and proximity of the room where it would be set up.
I went with the Sony KDL-46XBR2 which is 1080p, HD and all the good stuff. The picture is quite incredible, the viewing angle is 179 degrees and the picture is very impressive to say the least. I am very pleased with the purchase, and find only that the volume gets a little weak on some shows, but getting the digital HD cable box with DVR is one of the finest purchases I have made.
Cant wait to get the Blu-Ray player sometime later this year. :thumbup:

[WickerBill]

Re: avforums -- yeah, been on there; it's a bit overwhelming. There are threads for fanboys of almost every television.

WW: What about the surroundings made you choose LCD? I've strongly considered an LCD also because of it's non-reflective (at least compared to plasma) face. But is that why you chose it over a rear-projection?

[nrc]

The TV will have an upconverting DVD player, a DirecTV HR20, and a Wii as her sources... if that matters.

Booo sssssssssss. You're hereby kicked out of the TiVolution. :p

I can't add much on these fancy pants new sets but I can say that we've been very happy with our Sony KDF-E50A10 going on two years. We stared at a lot of sets in the show room and I just think the Sony RP sets are the best compromise between sharpness and a natural looking picture. The plasma and LCD sets have too much screen door effect for my taste.

My only complaint is that the menus are a bit clunky, but other than setting up and switching sources you won't use them much.

[KLang]

switching sources

If you use some sort of universal remote there are discrete codes available for the inputs. Don't know why Sony refuses to put keys on their remotes to directly switch to a source.

[WickerBill]

Booo sssssssssss. You're hereby kicked out of the TiVolution. :p


I still own two Tivos! But I want HD locals and all the new DirecTV HD channels, and they're all coming down from the new birds in MPEG4; my only option is the HR20 to record that.

Here's the list (everything below the line is MPEG4):

Available Now:

70 HBO East
71 SHO East
72 ESPN2
73 ESPN
74 UHD
75 TNT
76 Discovery HD Theater
78 HD Net Movies
79 HD Net

98 National Geographic Channel Sneak Peek (Times vary)
332 MHD Sneek Peek (Times vary)

99 HD Pay-Per-View

____________________
Depending on service area and equipment:

ABC
CBS
NBC
FOX
CW
MY Network TV

Local Regional Sports Network


Coming in September:

A&E
Animal Planet
Big Ten Network
CineMax East
CineMax West
CNN
Discovery Channel (simulcast)
Food Network
HBO West
HGTV
History Channel
MHD (MTV)
NFL Network (Full-Time)
Science Channel
Showtime West
Starz! East
Starz! West
Starz! Edge
Starz! Comedy
Starz Kids & Family
The Movie Channel
The National Geographic Channel
TBS
TLC
The Weather Channel
Versus/Golf


Fall 2007:

Bravo
Cartoon
Chiller
CNBC
FX
HBO2 East
HBO2 West
HBO Family East
HBO Family West
HBO Latino East
HBO Signature East
MoreMax East
Sci-Fi
Sleuth
Speed
USA

21 Regional Sports Networks:

Blackout Rules still apply!

Altitude
Comcast SportsNet Chicago
Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic
FSN Arizona
FSN Bay Area
FSN Detroit
FSN Florida
FSN New England
FSN North
FSN Northwest
FSN Ohio
FSN Prime Ticket
FSN Rocky Mountain
FSN South
FSN Southwest
FSN West
New England Sports Network
SportsNet New York
SportsSouth
Sun Sports
YES

December 2007:

The Tennis Channel

Spring 2008

Disney Channel
Toon Disney
ABC Family
ESPN News
MGM

[Insomniac]

Booo sssssssssss. You're hereby kicked out of the TiVolution. :p

Going to be in the same boat. Have to give up my DirecTiVo for a HR-20. But, there is a possibility that after the DTV sale later this year, they may consider TiVo again.

Are you going to pick up a TiVo HD?

[Insomniac]

The plasma and LCD sets have too much screen door effect for my taste.

At what distance (and size of the TV) did you see the SDE?

[Sean Malone]

I'm a bit late to add anything other than we love our 50" SXRD. I bought the Sony stand (which is way over priced) but I like the way the TV integrate with it (front panel locks over TV base with rear strap). My wife doesn't like the look of the stand though.

Be careful if you move it. We lost the projector in our move to FL. I had it packed up by the UPS store and felt good that it would travel safe. $1200 part + labor. We bought the accidental from Best Buy. Glad I did.

[nrc]

If you use some sort of universal remote there are discrete codes available for the inputs. Don't know why Sony refuses to put keys on their remotes to directly switch to a source.

That's another thing. Sony remotes are mostly horrible. It wasn't always the case, our original Sony DTV receiver had a great remote.

In our case we use the TiVo remote and a theres a button for source switching.

[WickerBill]

Did you have the Sony SAT-T60? That remote was one of the best I've ever used.

Our entry into the DirecTV receivers was sped by the demise of that SAT-T60 though -- when it died my offer from D* was an R15 for nothing. It was pretty buggy, but I have to give them credit for pounding at it. After a recent software upgrade (7/13/07 I think), all of the bugs I noticed are now gone. My biggest beef is not having two buffers... I hope they fix that soon on all their DVRs.

[Insomniac]

That makes swapping between the tuners somewhat useless. It's nice to be able to rewind what you missed on the other tuner. I'm really going to miss that during football season.

[nrc]

I still own two Tivos! But I want HD locals and all the new DirecTV HD channels, and they're all coming down from the new birds in MPEG4; my only option is the HR20 to record that.

When I go through the list and pick out stuff I care about there are about ten channels, and most of their programming will probably be window boxed or zoomed SD for some time to come.

I've lost faith in DirecTV since so many of their channels have melted into blurvision. I don't trust that once all that hot new bandwidth starts filling up we won't see downrezzed HD to make room for more locals, shopping channels, and other crap I don't care about. Did you try to watch any of the game replays on the NFL network last season? The picture was virtually unwatchable. It's become cable from the sky.

Add to that the loss of TiVo and the trees that are starting to block our view of the sats and we're reaching a decision point. :\


Going to be in the same boat. Have to give up my DirecTiVo for a HR-20. But, there is a possibility that after the DTV sale later this year, they may consider TiVo again.

Are you going to pick up a TiVo HD?
I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for an MPEG4 Tivo. I just don't see anything in the financials from DTV at this point to compel such a move, at least for the time being.

We'll try cable with a TiVo S3 or HD starting in September. Our DTV comittment isn't up until December but I don't want to deal with our reception issues during the fall.

[nrc]

At what distance (and size of the TV) did you see the SDE?

Two years ago when we were looking it was obvious to me on any LCD larger than 32" at normal viewing distance (4-5 picture hieghts). Plasma was only obvious on 42" and larger and probably to be not at normal viewing distance.

[oddlycalm]

We'll try cable with a TiVo S3 or HD starting in September. I've been following the TiVo S3 on the TiVo forums and seems like most of the cable card frustrations are in the past, and least from the larger cable providers. That's what I've been waiting for. Oh, and the aftermarket 750GB drive kits.

Haven't decided between Comcast and Verizon's fiber optic service yet. Verizon is new enough that finding knowledgeable people to comment on the service quality is tough.


oc

[extramundane]

Haven't decided between Comcast and Verizon's fiber optic service yet. Verizon is new enough that finding knowledgeable people to comment on the service quality is tough.

I'm currently dog-sitting for someone who has Verizon FIOS TV running through a 42" Sharp Aquos. From the limited viewing I've done the last couple days, I like it a lot better than Comcast's HD offering. A couple of coworkers also have FIOS and have raved about it. One was running it and Comcast HD side by side for a month and said it was no contest, in favor of Verizon.

[Insomniac]

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for an MPEG4 Tivo. I just don't see anything in the financials from DTV at this point to compel such a move, at least for the time being.

We'll try cable with a TiVo S3 or HD starting in September. Our DTV comittment isn't up until December but I don't want to deal with our reception issues during the fall.

I'm definitely not. I just know it's possible now since before, there was zero chance News Corp. would abandon their in-house DVRs (and revenue). With Liberty Media, they'll be free to continue that or see what TiVo can do. It's definitely a winning situation for TiVo to get that partnership back if they can. I imagine an MPEG4 TiVo wouldn't be all that difficult for them.

[Insomniac]

When I go through the list and pick out stuff I care about there are about ten channels, and most of their programming will probably be window boxed or zoomed SD for some time to come.

I've lost faith in DirecTV since so many of their channels have melted into blurvision. I don't trust that once all that hot new bandwidth starts filling up we won't see downrezzed HD to make room for more locals, shopping channels, and other crap I don't care about. Did you try to watch any of the game replays on the NFL network last season? The picture was virtually unwatchable. It's become cable from the sky.

Add to that the loss of TiVo and the trees that are starting to block our view of the sats and we're reaching a decision point. :\

There aren't all that many channels for me to care about. I'd love an a la carte package, but they succeeded in destroying that idea. (On a side note, did any of you see that Sirius/XM will be offering a la carte programming?)

I doubt even with the extra bandwidth they'll improve the quality. I expect the same HD Lite (1440x1080i instead of 1920x1080i) as they've been sending.

If cable wasn't a giant rip-off here I might actually have to weigh NFLST vs. Cable. Cox makes the decision easy.

[Insomniac]

Two years ago when we were looking it was obvious to me on any LCD larger than 32" at normal viewing distance (4-5 picture hieghts). Plasma was only obvious on 42" and larger and probably to be not at normal viewing distance.

Ohhh, ok. I know exactly what you mean. Have you seen them recently? Do you think the SDE has improved greatly? I feel like it has.

[nrc]

I doubt even with the extra bandwidth they'll improve the quality. I expect the same HD Lite (1440x1080i instead of 1920x1080i) as they've been sending.

If cable wasn't a giant rip-off here I might actually have to weigh NFLST vs. Cable. Cox makes the decision easy.
Early reviews of the MPEG4 HD locals are very positive. But it's early and there are a lot of channels to be added, which is what killed their SD quality.

We're fortunate to have WOW as an option. Pretty decent channel lineup and when you consider the combined cost of internet and TV it's no more expensive than DTV and cable separately. Of course some folks would give up their DVR entirely before they'd give up Sunday Ticket. :)

[nrc]

Did you have the Sony SAT-T60? That remote was one of the best I've ever used.I was addicted to the TiVo peanut remote by the time the Sony TiVo came out. I still use smaller peanut remote that came with our original Series 1 Tivo. I know a lot of folks swore by the Sony remote, though.

Sorry for hi-jacking your thread. :) Ok, not really.

For all Sony's problems I still find their TV picture hard to beat. When DLP arrived it looked like they were going to be dead in the water there too. But side-by-side I prefer the Sony to any DLP I've seen on the showroom floor. I've heard that's because the DLPs need adjusted but what are you going to do? Buy the set and see if you like it once it's adjusted?

[WickerBill]

Well I know a guy who spent 45 minutes with the remote and some sheets of paper from the 'net, tuning a TV at Circuit City to those settings before he'd buy it. While 45 minutes doesn't sound like much, it has to be an eternity when you're on a showroom floor.

Plus, tuning it correctly under all of those fluorescent lights is probably a bit like trying to photograph a starry sky from between streetlights.

[KLang]

Ohhh, ok. I know exactly what you mean. Have you seen them recently? Do you think the SDE has improved greatly? I feel like it has.

I really like the Sharp 1080p LCD's out now. I couldn't justify the extra money when I don't need the 'hang on the wall' capability.

[Insomniac]

Early reviews of the MPEG4 HD locals are very positive. But it's early and there are a lot of channels to be added, which is what killed their SD quality.

We're fortunate to have WOW as an option. Pretty decent channel lineup and when you consider the combined cost of internet and TV it's no more expensive than DTV and cable separately. Of course some folks would give up their DVR entirely before they'd give up Sunday Ticket. :)

I think the locals will be fine since that's a spot beam satellite. I haven't really noticed a degradation on the SD quality though. I thought you were just talking about HD. I know they are starved for bandwidth and have one satellite coming on soon and another by years end. I wonder if they're going to move some of the HD over to those. I believe they already take down a channel or 2 on Sundays to get the HD NFLST going.

I don't know if I'd give up my DVR. I'd have to send my brother my slingbox to watch the probably 8 or so Patriots games I'd miss. Of4 course, with DTV, the DVR fee is so low, it makes any other option that much more expensive. $6 for as many DVRs as you want (well, I'm sure there's some limit) vs. a per DVR monthly fee that is higher (even when pre-paid) for TiVo or the cable co. DVRs.

Too bad NFLST isn't available a la carte anymore. Before the NFL required DTV to offer only that to subscribers if they wanted it. I'd consider dumping it all, getting a TiVo HD and sticking with an antenna and NetFlix.

[Insomniac]

Well I know a guy who spent 45 minutes with the remote and some sheets of paper from the 'net, tuning a TV at Circuit City to those settings before he'd buy it. While 45 minutes doesn't sound like much, it has to be an eternity when you're on a showroom floor.

Plus, tuning it correctly under all of those fluorescent lights is probably a bit like trying to photograph a starry sky from between streetlights.

Some Best Buy's "calibrate" their TVs and mark that on the price tag. But in the showroom, brightness is king.

It's hard for me. It's a lot of money to spend, and I feel like I have no idea what to get. I recently got a new LCD display (20" Dell Ultra Sharp) and now use it next to my old 17" Dell (4 years old, analog) and the whites are so much better on the new display. In my IDE, there is some line highlighting (white and a very light yellow) that you can barely make out on the old display. Now I go to the store and see an LCD and say, wow, that is much whiter than a Plasma. Is it too white? Is that how they get high contrast ratios while having worse (comparable to Plasma) black levels? Then you see the ocean/fish feed on a wall of LCDs/Plasmas and wonder which blue is right.

It all has me convinced that unless I had the set ISF calibrated and the guy told me this is what the color is supposed to be, I'd never know. Just using a simple $20 DVD is good enough for me. It will be in the right ball park. Now I just look for real flaws in the TVs.

[Insomniac]

I really like the Sharp 1080p LCD's out now. I couldn't justify the extra money when I don't need the 'hang on the wall' capability.

I have a lot of reasons to not go with LCDs at this time. Black level, clouding, ghosting and price. To get rid of all those problems, it's going to cost a lot more than a Plasma in my size range (50").

For you SXRD owners. One reason I'm leaning heavily toward plasma (beside the picture) is the bulb replacement. How long do you estimate you go before a bulb needs to be replaced? I figure at around 3,000 hours, that's 8.5 hours a day over a year. While I don't watch that much TV, collectively for my family, I'd say it may be near that.

I know every HDTV technology has its advantages and disadvantages, just wondering your thoughts since you actually own one.

[Insomniac]

WB: Do you already have a stand? Will you need to buy one? I have buying A/V furniture. Hard to find what you want and it's expensive!

[KLang]

For you SXRD owners. One reason I'm leaning heavily toward plasma (beside the picture) is the bulb replacement. How long do you estimate you go before a bulb needs to be replaced? I figure at around 3,000 hours, that's 8.5 hours a day over a year. While I don't watch that much TV, collectively for my family, I'd say it may be near that.

I know every HDTV technology has its advantages and disadvantages, just wondering your thoughts since you actually own one.

No idea what to expect for bulb life. I'm going to buy a spare to keep on hand. I don't normally but I did buy an extended warranty for this set. $300 for an additional four years and covers two bulbs.

As mentioned previously, the Pioneer plasmas are my favorite picture but the reflections off the screen just don't work for my application. The family room in our current and new house have too many windows.

[WickerBill]

Furniture: uggghhhh. The stand that is made for the Sony is hideous. I'd prefer a nice wood stand:

http://www.standoutdesigns.com/images/augustcool.jpg


...but I don't want to spend $1200 on a stand. I'll likely end up with some build-it-yourself garbage.



Bulb life: The non-hyperventilating people on avforums seem to think 4000-5000 hours is reasonable for SXRD. They are $250 to replace.

[WickerBill]

No idea what to expect for bulb life. I'm going to buy a spare to keep on hand. I don't normally but I did buy an extended warranty for this set. $300 for an additional four years and covers two bulbs.


Do share... Sony warranty? Mack? Or in-store?

[KLang]

Do share... Sony warranty? Mack? Or in-store?

In-store. Well sorta. It's actually through some other company that hasn't been disclosed to me yet. (it's in the mail, really it is.....) But the warranty work is done by my dealer so it amounts to the same thing.

[Insomniac]

Do share... Sony warranty? Mack? Or in-store?

I think the Mack one also has 2 bulb replacements, and at $250 for a bulb, it pays for itself easily.

[KLang]

non-hyperventilating people on avforums

Isn't that place a trip? :D Tons of great info there but can take forever to root it out of threads that stretch for hundreds of pages.

One of the ISF guys posting there is located nearby. I'm going to give him a try after I get some more hours on my set.

[Insomniac]

Furniture: uggghhhh. The stand that is made for the Sony is hideous. I'd prefer a nice wood stand:

...but I don't want to spend $1200 on a stand. I'll likely end up with some build-it-yourself garbage.

That's a nice stand. Reminds me of the Salamander ones which are equally expensive. I've come across these stands made by Azura that are wood and more in a price range I like $200-$300).

Doors are kind of pointless in my opinion since it seems like everything runs hot nowadays. You'd have to open the door whenever you were using anything.

Ideally, I'd like a 3x2 shelf design with a single drawer to put remotes and game controllers in. May need to buy the Azura Brooklyn stand and have a drawer made for it.

[JLMannin]

I have a Sony 50" SXRD that I purchased last fall.

I guess I'm a dweeb, as I have not tweaked the set yet. I went from a 17 year old 27" tube TV to the SXRD, so I was easilt impressed by the brightness and image quality. When I compared the SXRD to the Samsung DLP sets in the stores, I felt the Sony won hands down. I thought the SXRD was brighter and clearer than the LCD's I look at (including Sony). Plasma was off the table for me personally due to cost and durability (I have three kids). Eliminating the filter-wheel eliminated the blur effects or blue streaks following fast moving objects. Most of the Mitsubishi's I looked at had very pixelated screens.

The great room the TV sits in has seven windows, with a bank of three on the opposite (west) wall of the space. I have light filtering cellular shades on the windows, so during the day, much diffuse light comes in. Glare on the screen form the outside light is not bad when watching TV programming due to the diffuse coating on the screen. Some of my PS2 video games have dark screens and seeing them clearly when the sun shines is a bit difficult. This problem is not major enough to make me want to rip down the window treatments and replace them with light-blocking shades. and the games are still playable - but it is an effect I can easily notice.

I have Concast HD, and having nothing to compare it to, it just blows me away. I see why some news anchors are adding contract clauses trying to limit the close crops on their faces - if they have any blemishes or wrinkles, I will see them on HD.

The ability not to switch directly to a desired input is a slight nuciance, as you have to cycle through them.

[WickerBill]

JLMannin -

Thanks very much for the information.

Have you noticed any brightness decrease since it was new?

[JLMannin]

JLMannin -

Thanks very much for the information.

Have you noticed any brightness decrease since it was new?

Not that I have noticed. I will ask the next set of grandparents that come to visit, as they do not watch it every day and would notice a reduction in brightness vs. a visit months ago.

[oddlycalm]

I like it a lot better than Comcast's HD offering. A couple of coworkers also have FIOS and have raved about it. One was running it and Comcast HD side by side for a month and said it was no contest, in favor of Verizon. Thanks for the comments. Pretty much what I expected given the bandwidth of the fiber.

oc

[nrc]

JLMannin -

Thanks very much for the information.

Have you noticed any brightness decrease since it was new?

None that I've noticed either. Just don't panic when you first turn it on. At least with ours it takes about 3 minutes to reach full brightness.

[Insomniac]

JLMannin -

Thanks very much for the information.

Have you noticed any brightness decrease since it was new?

Just from a technical standpoint there should be some since at some point the filament does fail, which means it is evaporating over time. But, I doubt you'd have to worry much about it. It's doubtful you'd have your TV running at full brightness to start out and it would be so gradual, the only time you may notice is when you change the bulb and notice it's brighter than before.

[JoeBob]

I have Concast HD, and having nothing to compare it to, it just blows me away. I see why some news anchors are adding contract clauses trying to limit the close crops on their faces - if they have any blemishes or wrinkles, I will see them on HD.

Not long ago, I did the NBC Studios tour in New York. They commented that the Dateline studio was the last one in the building not ready for HD. They have a lot of set rebuilding to do before they can go HD. In SD, the silver stripes on many of the set pieces look good. In HD, it would be clear that they're nothing more than duct tape.

They also said that news anchor makup is now being airbrushed on. The "old way" was making it way, way too obvious, and didn't look good at all in HD.

[KLang]

None that I've noticed either. Just don't panic when you first turn it on. At least with ours it takes about 3 minutes to reach full brightness.

My wife just about had a stroke the first time she turned it on, thinking she had somehow broke the thing. :laugh:

[Gnam]

Did you try to watch any of the game replays on the NFL network last season? The picture was virtually unwatchable. It's become cable from the sky.

Add to that the loss of TiVo and the trees that are starting to block our view of the sats and we're reaching a decision point. :\
My DirecTV Tivo started having reception issues with the second satellite input, which I thought were caused by trees or a failing box. But, there was a tip on the avsforums to unplug the second component output or the S-video output. For some reason the second output was interfereing with the Sat 2 input. Works good now. :thumbup:

I wonder if the pron industry is as worried about HD as NBC. Some things should stay in SD. ;)

[Insomniac]

My DirecTV Tivo started having reception issues with the second satellite input, which I thought were caused by trees or a failing box. But, there was a tip on the avsforums to unplug the second component output or the S-video output. For some reason the second output was interfereing with the Sat 2 input. Works good now. :thumbup:

I wonder if the pron industry is as worried about HD as NBC. Some things should stay in SD. ;)

Good thing you didn't call DTV. They told me that my DirecTiVo was "wearing down" and I could get a free R10 (I think that's their latest in-house DVR) to replace it.

Why did I call you ask? The TiVo was crying about the daily call and I called to tell them the number was disconnected and they needed to update their database. I told him my other one did it too, and he offered to replace that one as well. 2 weeks later, there was a new number. :)

[G.]

I went with the Sharp Aquos LCD direct (not projection) mainly for field of view (179 degrees) and no burn-in. My TV is on WAY too much. Didn't really want to get the Noggin logo burned into the set.

I love it.

Better picture than any projection (IMO) and no plasma issues.

[WickerBill]

If I could justify the extra grand to buy the Aquos, I would.

[SteveH]

I went with the Sharp Aquos LCD direct (not projection) mainly for field of view (179 degrees) and no burn-in. My TV is on WAY too much. Didn't really want to get the Noggin logo burned into the set.

I love it.

Better picture than any projection (IMO) and no plasma issues.

My son bought a 47 inch Aquos a few months ago. Fantastic picture. Nearly unbelievable. He DVRed the Indy 500 to show me what it looked like. You could count each individual empty seat, that's how clear it was. :D

[Sean Malone]

Repair man is here putting a new projector in our SXRD. He did a computer diagnosis via a laptop into the TV. He said Sony is the only maker to have that feature. It took all of 30 seconds to have the TV tell him what was wrong with it. Pretty cool.

[KLang]

Repair man is here putting a new projector in our SXRD. He did a computer diagnosis via a laptop into the TV. He said Sony is the only maker to have that feature. It took all of 30 seconds to have the TV tell him what was wrong with it. Pretty cool.

How long have you had the set?

[Sean Malone]

How long have you had the set?

Purchased Jan '06 when they first debuted. We just moved 1000miles and it didn't like it. Warrenty rox.

[KLang]

Purchased Jan '06 when they first debuted. We just moved 1000miles and it didn't like it. Warrenty rox.

Warranty:thumbup:
We're moving the end of this month. :eek: Only about a mile though.

[nrc]

Repair man is here putting a new projector in our SXRD. He did a computer diagnosis via a laptop into the TV. He said Sony is the only maker to have that feature. It took all of 30 seconds to have the TV tell him what was wrong with it. Pretty cool.
Not sure about your Sony model, but mine and many of them run Linux. They have a GPL notice among the papers.

We had a problem with ours where the TV would not shut off. I had gotten a free repair notice for it but never bothered with it since it hadn't been a problem. The repair was basically booting the TV from a thumbdrive that reflashed the OS.

[WickerBill]

I found a AAA discount to Circuit City for 10% off of nearly anything -- the only things excepted are game consoles, some speaker systems, and Sony XBR tvs -- so I'm going there in about 10 minutes to pick up:

Sony KDS-55A2020
tv stand
upconverting DVD
cables
cheapie antenna

Once home, I'll get online and buy this:

http://tapeworkstexas.com/mack_warranty_combo.html

Everyone, you have a few hours to talk me out of that extended warranty. I won't buy one at CC so my other option is a SonyStyle extended warranty (cheaper but doesn't cover bulbs).

[gpflepsen]

I found a AAA discount to Circuit City for 10% off of nearly anything -- the only things excepted are game consoles, some speaker systems, and Sony XBR tvs -- so I'm going there in about 10 minutes to pick up:

Sony KDS-55A2020
tv stand
upconverting DVD
cables
cheapie antenna

Once home, I'll get online and buy this:

http://tapeworkstexas.com/mack_warranty_combo.html

Everyone, you have a few hours to talk me out of that extended warranty. I won't buy one at CC so my other option is a SonyStyle extended warranty (cheaper but doesn't cover bulbs).

Forget buying an upconverting DVD player. Get a Toshiba HD DVD player. It may run you $100 more, but it will play HD DVDs and also your old collection of DVD's.

Don't get your cables from the store. I'd buy any cables (HDMI) from ebay. Why pay $50-$100 for a cable when a $8 cable will do just as well? Don't forget the SPDIF optical cable for audio.

I bought my warranty (A-RMT31500 5yr) from http://www.electronicsoutfitter.com/store/products/A/19



Granted it doesn't cover the bulb, but those policies are expensive.

http://www.electronicsoutfitter.com/store/321060/armlmp3.html

You should be able to get a bulb for $200-$250

[Brickman]

On the eighth day God created this:

http://images.bestbuy.com/BestBuy_US/images/products/8054/8054758_sa.jpg

70" KDS-R70XBR2

They even include an extra bulb.

Best Buy Magnolia Home Theatre took $1,000 off.

[nrc]

Forget buying an upconverting DVD player. Get a Toshiba HD DVD player. It may run you $100 more, but it will play HD DVDs and also your old collection of DVD'sHmmm. Is it time to take a side in the format wars? We haven't even replaced all our laser discs yet. :\

Seriously, I won't invest in an HD player until they have affordable recorders and I'm confident I won' t be left in the cold on the format.

[chop456]

What sucks about this (http://www.abtelectronics.com/scripts/site/site_product.php3?source=guidester&id=24947&GSID=14916349&GSESID=3xeams45bedt2avgfdl1zf45&GSCID=2) TV that makes it so "cheap"? LCD rear projection? I know nothing about this crap.

[Sean O'Gorman]

You don't want that TV. You need a genuine Magnetbox television.

[Methanolandbrats]

You don't want that TV. You need a genuine Magnetbox television. A Maggotbox? Those are junk. :yuck:

[gpflepsen]

Hmmm. Is it time to take a side in the format wars? We haven't even replaced all our laser discs yet. :\

Seriously, I won't invest in an HD player until they have affordable recorders and I'm confident I won' t be left in the cold on the format.

I'm suggesting if someone needs a DVD player and wishes for an upconverting DVD, think about an HD DVD player. For just a bit more in expenditure, you can join the HD recorded programming world. I wouldn't say this about Blu Ray, because it is not backwards compatible. If you have a digital display (LCD, DLP, LCoS...) concentrate first on having digital outputs on the DVD player. The TV will do the upconverting.



What sucks about this (http://www.abtelectronics.com/scripts/site/site_product.php3?source=guidester&id=24947&GSID=14916349&GSESID=3xeams45bedt2avgfdl1zf45&GSCID=2) TV that makes it so "cheap"? LCD rear projection? I know nothing about this crap.

This TV is a good choice if you are at the maximum for what you can spend. The 3LCD sets are 1280x720, which is being made obsolete by the newer 1080p displays. But, for another $500, you can get a 1080p display. One good thing about this set is that it uses 3 LCD chips and no color wheel. Less moving parts = more reliability.

[WickerBill]

I only have antenna reception at the moment. But it is unreal. One of our news anchors is disturbingly ugly in HD.

My upconverting DVD player is DOA. Won't even power on. So it is back to Circuit City.


Looking forward to prime time...

[nrc]

I only have antenna reception at the moment. But it is unreal. One of our news anchors is disturbingly ugly in HD

Wait until you see football in HD. Three dimensional players and every blade of fake grass. Awesome. Well, with broadcast anyway. Last season ESPNHD was disappointing. Maybe that will improve with MPEG4.

Show us your TV stand. :)

[WickerBill]

http://www.circuitcity.com/IMAGE/product/enlarged/thc/PC.THC.SWP60.CN.JPG

[Insomniac]

I found a AAA discount to Circuit City for 10% off of nearly anything -- the only things excepted are game consoles, some speaker systems, and Sony XBR tvs -- so I'm going there in about 10 minutes to pick up:

Sony KDS-55A2020
tv stand
upconverting DVD
cables
cheapie antenna

Once home, I'll get online and buy this:

http://tapeworkstexas.com/mack_warranty_combo.html

Everyone, you have a few hours to talk me out of that extended warranty. I won't buy one at CC so my other option is a SonyStyle extended warranty (cheaper but doesn't cover bulbs).

That warranty will pay for itself in the 2 bulb replacements. They've been in business a long time. You have 30 days, wait to make sure all is fine since you also have 30 days to return/exchange it.

Also, get your cables from www.monoprice.com.

[Insomniac]

Hmmm. Is it time to take a side in the format wars? We haven't even replaced all our laser discs yet. :\

Seriously, I won't invest in an HD player until they have affordable recorders and I'm confident I won' t be left in the cold on the format.

I don't think it's time if yet, but if you're going to buy an upconverting player, an HD-DVD player can be had for $250. I'm not sure how much more it would be over the model WB bought, but you get the upconverting and the HD-DVD playback for an additional cost.

[nrc]

Stand looks good for "build it yourself garbage." :thumbup:

Here's ours. Weighs approximately 5000 pounds.
http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/accentfurnishings_1956_225063361

[chop456]

What sucks about this (http://www.abtelectronics.com/scripts/site/site_product.php3?source=guidester&id=24947&GSID=14916349&GSESID=3xeams45bedt2avgfdl1zf45&GSCID=2) TV that makes it so "cheap"? LCD rear projection? I know nothing about this crap.

Any more comments on this? It may be happening in the next two weeks. Other suggestions for around $1,000?

WB - that's one sexy TV stand. :thumbup:

[WickerBill]

chop, I realize this is a lot smaller than the one you are looking at, but it's an Aquos flat panel -- perhaps the best looking picture I've ever seen in any store anywhere.

http://www.amazon.com/Sharp-Aquos-LC32D62U-1080p-HDTV/dp/B000NEDYEC

[nrc]

Any more comments on this? It may be happening in the next two weeks. Other suggestions for around $1,000?

It's Sony's line that doesn't have the newer SXRD technology. Nothing wrong with it at all if you like the picture for the price. Go into a showroom where they have this model and compare it to other sets in that same price range. If it looks the best to you in a bright showroom then you will probably be happy with it.

It doesn't have 1080p but there won't be any 1080p broadcast sources any time soon.

[WickerBill]

nrc, on a related note, do I understand correctly that HDDVD is 1080i and Bluray is 1080p?

[Stu]

nrc, on a related note, do I understand correctly that HDDVD is 1080i and Bluray is 1080p?

no, both are 1080p, but can also be viewed at 1080i or 720p if your TV does not support 1080p

[Insomniac]

nrc, on a related note, do I understand correctly that HDDVD is 1080i and Bluray is 1080p?

They are both 1080p. The data for most films are stored as 1080p24.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_high_definition_optical_disc_formats

[Insomniac]

It's Sony's line that doesn't have the newer SXRD technology. Nothing wrong with it at all if you like the picture for the price. Go into a showroom where they have this model and compare it to other sets in that same price range. If it looks the best to you in a bright showroom then you will probably be happy with it.

It doesn't have 1080p but there won't be any 1080p broadcast sources any time soon.

Aren't there potential geometry issues with LCD RPTVs (just replacing CRT with LCD)?

[WickerBill]

One last problem and I'll let this thread die.

In my lovely town Indianapolis, every station except one broadcasts their HD signal on UHF. The one that does not is our CBS affiliate, channel 8.

Channel 8 is also the only local station NOT to have an agreement with DirecTV for rebroadcast rights.

Channel 8 also carries the vast majority of Colts games.


I, of course, can get every HD station over the air except Channel 8. I don't even get a blip -- simply says "no signal". All of the other HD channels have very good, strong signal.

Any ideas? I'm hoping I'm missing something obvious.

[cameraman]

WISH-HD is actually transmitted over TV channel 9

[WickerBill]

Right -- the "actual" is 9 (VHF) -- which is directed to 8.1. Likewise, the "actual" HD feed for WTHR (channel 13.1) is 46.

I don't get jack on 8.1 *or* 9.

What's weird is antennaweb.org tells me that WISH-HD is going to be one of the easiest ones for me to pick up.

[KLang]

WB, what sort of antenna are you using? When I had my big roof antenna installed I had to get one that worked for both UHF and VHF due to the Houston PBS station trasmitting on VHF.

[WickerBill]

It's very cheap, it's indoor, and it is VHF and UHF. I get a really strong signal for all of the HD channels except CBS (Ch.8).

[nissan gtp]

One last problem and I'll let this thread die.

In my lovely town Indianapolis, every station except one broadcasts their HD signal on UHF. The one that does not is our CBS affiliate, channel 8.

Channel 8 is also the only local station NOT to have an agreement with DirecTV for rebroadcast rights.

Channel 8 also carries the vast majority of Colts games.


I, of course, can get every HD station over the air except Channel 8. I don't even get a blip -- simply says "no signal". All of the other HD channels have very good, strong signal.

Any ideas? I'm hoping I'm missing something obvious.

season tickets ?

:p

[KLang]

It's very cheap, it's indoor, and it is VHF and UHF. I get a really strong signal for all of the HD channels except CBS (Ch.8).

Perhaps something wrong with the antenna? I don't see anything usefull in the manual but I haven't used the internal tuner yet. I'm using the one in the sat receiver.

[nrc]

Right -- the "actual" is 9 (VHF) -- which is directed to 8.1. Likewise, the "actual" HD feed for WTHR (channel 13.1) is 46.

I don't get jack on 8.1 *or* 9.

What's weird is antennaweb.org tells me that WISH-HD is going to be one of the easiest ones for me to pick up.

Is WISH the same direction from you as all the other channels?

Some antenna claim to be VHF/UHF and actually suck at VHF. Does it have a basic set of rabbit ears attached? A half wavelength for channel 9 would be 30".

We had a similar problem with just one HD channel on VHF. This Terk antenna mostly solved it. It's similar to the highly recommended Silver Sensor but with a dipole for VHF.

http://www.nulime.com/img/id168608/n/Terk-HDTV-Antenna.jpg

On a good day this works great. On windy days we have so much trouble with multipath that HD reception is hopeless.

[WickerBill]

30" didn't do anything. Not even a sniff. I suppose either a roof mounted (not gonna happen) or amplified antenna is my next option?

[nrc]

30" didn't do anything. Not even a sniff. I suppose either a roof mounted (not gonna happen) or amplified antenna is my next option?

How far does antennaweb say you are from the tower? What color category of antenna does it recommend? I can't imagine that you have any big hills blocking you there in Indy so if you're within 15 miles an inside antenna should be fine.

I've heard mixed reviews on amplified antennas. Generally they're more useful for getting the signal across a long feed to the TV than pulling in weak signals.

[WickerBill]

AW says I'm yellow -- the closest.

However, the problem is now solved... sigh. I *knew* I was missing something.

I would tune to 8.1 and get nothing. So I'd tell my new TV to scan for new digital channels, and it would find the same 12 over and over.... never the one I wanted.

So I decide, for no apparent reason, to do a complete re-setup of the set, which includes a scan for all analog and all digital channels.

Bingo... the TV doesn't scan on the VHF freqs when you tell it to look for digital channels, only UHF. This time it found 10 analog channels and 24 (!) digital channels, including CBS.

This thread may officially die now...

[nrc]

Bingo... the TV doesn't scan on the VHF freqs when you tell it to look for digital channels, only UHF.
How stupid is that? I wouldn't know if ours does the same I've never scanned for channels, the OTA tuners could be broken for all I know. :)

[G.]

This thread may officially die now...
Not so fast, Chop is asking for some help.


Any more comments on this? It may be happening in the next two weeks. Other suggestions for around $1,000?


Sorry C., I'm not much help. I went LCD direct-view, cuz I don't like the projections.

I was SOLD on DLP, until I saw the field of view. But the pic is NICE.

Anyone? Got a fave $1000.00 set?

[Brickman]

Vizio (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11190355&whse=BC&Ne=5000001+4000000&eCat=BC|79|2341|3316&N=4001382%204294919901&Mo=2&pos=1&No=1&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC10605-Cat2341&topnav=)

The one and only... Sony (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11225948&whse=BC&Ne=5000001+4000000&eCat=BC|79|2341|3316&N=4001382%204294967225&Mo=1&pos=1&No=1&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC10605-Cat2341&topnav=)

[Insomniac]

chop456: Do you have a screen size you want?

[chop456]

At least 42". I'm replacing a 60" SD Mitsubishi.

[extramundane]

Vizio (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11190355&whse=BC&Ne=5000001+4000000&eCat=BC|79|2341|3316&N=4001382%204294919901&Mo=2&pos=1&No=1&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC10605-Cat2341&topnav=)


You're kidding, right? I was at the in-laws (they of the "If it's good enough for Wal-Mart to sell, it's good enough for us to buy!" variety) Friday and they were showing off their new 32" Vizio. The damned thing looked like a Lite-Brite.

God knows my 37" Aquos ain't the fanciest TeeVee out there, but at least it's got a nice picture. That Vizio had more pockmarks than Edward James Olmos.

[Brickman]

You're kidding, right? I was at the in-laws (they of the "If it's good enough for Wal-Mart to sell, it's good enough for us to buy!" variety) Friday and they were showing off their new 32" Vizio. The damned thing looked like a Lite-Brite.

God knows my 37" Aquos ain't the fanciest TeeVee out there, but at least it's got a nice picture. That Vizio had more pockmarks than Edward James Olmos.

It's better on HD.

No it by no means is a favorite, Sonyland here, I have a 26" Sony Bravia used for computer/Xbox360 a 32" Sony Bravia in quilt room, a 42" Sony Bravia in daughter's bedroom/game room and the 70" (mentioned above) in livingroom. Invest in the best and no plasma IMHO.

[WickerBill]

Hey all you HD people, why does my set sometimes say an HD signal is in 16:9, but shows it in 4:3? Then other times, it says it's 16:9 and shows it in 16:9. For instance, yesterday, ABC had the X Games, my TV said it was 16:9, but was showing up with the black bars. CBS had golf, my TV said it was 16:9, and it was 16:9 on my screen.

Then in primetime, every show was 16:9. I'm assuming here it's the broadcaster, not some setting on my TV, right? I know I can stretch/zoom, that's not what I'm after.

[nrc]

Then in primetime, every show was 16:9. I'm assuming here it's the broadcaster, not some setting on my TV, right? I know I can stretch/zoom, that's not what I'm after.I think this is your local station not sending from the HD source. Someone must have to throw a switch or something because sometimes you'll see a program start out with sidebars and then go to full screen.

[Insomniac]

At least 42". I'm replacing a 60" SD Mitsubishi.

At $1k, there are a couple 42" Plasmas. I think there may be a couple 40-42" LCDs as well. In the SXRD/DLP/D-ILA models, I think only a DLP will be at $1k.

I would think you would have to wait for Christmas time to get more selection at that size for $1k. Prices aren't quite that low yet for the majority of the manufacturers.

Your best bet will be to go take a look at them in person. Also, some closeouts on last years models could bring the price under $1k as well. Those will depend on what your local store still has.

[Insomniac]

Hey all you HD people, why does my set sometimes say an HD signal is in 16:9, but shows it in 4:3? Then other times, it says it's 16:9 and shows it in 16:9. For instance, yesterday, ABC had the X Games, my TV said it was 16:9, but was showing up with the black bars. CBS had golf, my TV said it was 16:9, and it was 16:9 on my screen.

Then in primetime, every show was 16:9. I'm assuming here it's the broadcaster, not some setting on my TV, right? I know I can stretch/zoom, that's not what I'm after.

The signal is in 16:9, but the source isn't. The station added in the black bars so it would be in the proper aspect ratio. You should watch the SD channel in that case if you don't want the black bars (unless your TV has a mode to zoom out those black bars in 16:9).

[chop456]

I just realized that the Sony I'm looking at is 720p. I know the "go to the store and see which one you like" drill, but what's the conventional wisdom? Is 1080i "better"?