Very good picture, solidly built

Sound quality is not very impressive. Bass is very flat.

Sony really got to enhance the speaker on this TV. Picture modes are not benefitial.

Similar Products Used:

None.

Excellent picture.

Super heavy. The flap on the remote.

No doubt this has the best picture I've ever seen, however, there is one problem that I'm experiencing that no one has previously mentioned. When I use the component video hookups with my Sony DVD player (500D), I see faint wavy lines on the screen. I originally thought that component video cables were bad, so I exchanged them for Monster Video ($100) cables. That, to my dismay, did not solve the problem. The S-Video hoodups seem to work great with my DVD player. Regardless, I'm having the DVD player checked out. But If anyone has a solution, let me know.

Sharp picture, bright colors, "flat" screen.

Color uniformity problem and vertical "pinkish" band.

For those who have already bought a 250XBR:

My unit was made in July '99. I've read about the reviews before buying it and hoped that my set wouldn't have the (1) color uniformity and (2) banding problems, but it did. There's enough reviews here to describe what I'm talking about. The geometry and scan lines are another story. For me (in regards to all the problems reviewed), I can deal with it don't really notice it, unless I look hard for it.

I waited until Sony came out with a fix until I wrote this review. I had a Sony serviceman look at my set last November and he forwarded my problems to Sony. It took about 6 months from the day I first complained about the problem to when Sony came out with the "fix". Good news and bad news; the "fix" was some kind of "shielded coil". The serviceman replaced the old coil with the new one. This "fix" got rid of the vertical "pink" band found on the right side of the screen. I was really happy. It was my biggest complaint.

However, it did not resolve the color uniformity problem; looking at the screen from the left to the right, the "black" on the left is darker than the right. The serviceman took note of it again and we'll just have to wait until Sony comes up with a "fix" for this issue. As always, Sony will only look into it seriously if enough people, like us, complain about it. They did a good job of resolving the vertical band. I'm thinking a few more months for this (color uniformity) fix. On the other hand, there might already be a fix for it during the design of the XBR400. Some person in the review of the 36XBR mentioned about changing the "Y-DC TO ZERO FROM ONE" in the service menu. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me.

Briefly, overall the picture is sharper and brighter than any other brand out there, in any input mode. The "flat" screen makes the screen look bigger. I'm very satisfied.

The geometry and scan lines is something you all can adjust to your desire (though not to perfection), so that's not an issue to worry about.

If anyone is wondering what video component I have hooked-up to my Wega:
1. CinemaQuest YIQ1 Component cable. I wonder if Canare is better. Does anyone know? I assume Canare.
2. Sony S7700 DVD

Similar Products Used:

I haven't used anything considered as "similar".

Colors, screen

Uneven brightness in dark colors. Expensive

Just to say that I too have the brightness problem mentionned here and at:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/uub/Forum14/HTML/003705.html

It's annoying, and I had another delivered in exchange. Same thing (seemed actually a bit worse, so I kept the first one).

It's pretty sad because that's the only real downside for a set that stands on its own between regular TVs and HDTV.