warranty. It seems others have had this problem, and Sony has not fixed it!

I purchased two Sonys. A KV-32XBR400 and a KV-36XBR400. The 32" has given me trouble after about 6 months. The set will turn off and not go one at any time with no resaon, then turn on again at some future time. ie: one hour to two weeks.

Since I was out of warranty I had the set repaired? by a authorized Sony repair shop to the tune of 600.00. It was returned and failed again. The repair shop picked it up and got it working again. Three months later, the same thing. I brought the set to another Sony repair shop whosuggested I call Sony, which I did. Sony replaced the mother board and paid for the repair.

Now, it's happening all over again

Overall picture quality. HD capability. Side by side PIP

power crack in mother board

Just an update for those that may have similar problems. I had my TV for 3 months with no problem. Then one day it decided to turn off by itself. The next day I could not even turn it on. I would push power and it would click on and then off almost instantaneously. Luckily I had a good Sony service guy pick it up and took it to his shop. He had a great relationship with his Sony Rep, who sent him a new Mother Board and power supply board or something. Anyway, I got an updated version of the "Power supply board", which the repair guy said benefited me, and my TV was returned within a week and is good as new.

I have read where others are having this problem, but it is fixable, and a fix that actually upgrades the TV. I was worried at first but I was taken care of incredibly. Can you believe it only took 1 week for the entire turnaround. I am breathing a big sigh of relief, and my new TV still rocks!!
I will give a 5 star rating for value since I got it so low on the internet, but the overall rating has dropped to 4 stars. If you have similar problems with your power, let me know.

DRC, 2-HD(1080i) coponent inputs and 3 S-video inputs. Better functions & design than its predecessors

Fuzzy picture from analogue cable or antena then its predecessors

I was able to see Sony showed improvement on this new XBR set. For example its picture is more defined by its DRC multi function. Its predecessors (XBR 200 and XBR 250) had geometry problem and color purity problem and caused many XBR buyers to be frustrated. For example, the picture tends to be fuzzier far left and right side and corner to corner of the screen. In worst case, letter become almost not readable due to the distortion created by geometry problem. I looked for the same problem in XBR400 but I was not able to. Actually, the letters in the screen looked pretty sharp and clear with vivid color evens in the most corner spot. And the concave effect that the previous models had was not found so far. However, I found that most of the pictures from major broadcasting company look fuzzier than XBR 200 or 250. Again thanks to DRC. Due to increased density of the picture, I was able to see all the noise coming from cable and antenna. Well, the cable is not digital yet and causing that effect. It actually gave me a weird feeling since I see very blurry picture of news anchors but sharp and clear information letters on the bottom of the screen. I did not get chance to use a DVD player or digital cable yet. But I was able to play a 2D Dreamcast game using S-video connection and it blew me away. I never had seen a picture that crisp clear with vivid color on 32" screen. It gave me a feeling that I am looking at a decent 19" computer monitor in VGA format. Its predecessors could not follow that image. Upper corner on both sides, game character's names tend to look fuzzy and blurr due to the distortion. But this set had almost none. It was pure eye candy. Well I tried 3D as well, it was beautiful. I know this TV set is a HD ready TV and that's why I get blurry picture on regular broadcasting channels. I am glad that this TV set has 2 S-video in back and one in front. Addition to that 2 HD component inputs. I guess many improved factors raised its retail price by $300. In my opinion, This set is a very good set for digital sources like DVD player using component output (progressive would be better) or HD cable box. [also 2D games :)] but blur on today's major broadcasting channels even I used a decent S-video VCR and have it connected to the TV using S-video cable. This time, compare to the crappy front S-video door on XBR250, XBR400 has a very nice opening door for front S-video input port. One discrepancy I found in its manual, the manual states its energy consumption in use is 245 Watts. Well, according to the Sony's official WEB site, it stated 140 Watts. I am a bit confused on that. Other then that confusion, this set is THE good TV set without major problems or distortions and answer from SONY corporation after struggling with couple prototypes(?) (XBR200 and 250) that brought SONY Corp loss of its profit margin due to numerous repairs & replacements.

Similar Products Used:

SONY XBR200 & XBR250

Attractive looks, HDTV capable, many inputs

Manual, you give the TV crap, and it'll give you back more crap.

After seven hernias getting this sucker into the house, I hooked it up and was ready to go. I used a Sony DVD player, but without component plugs ( I only have S-video cables right now). The picture was impressive, but not really what I was looking for. The cable picture is good not at all. One should be able to turn off the DRC feature. Do you think I would notice a lot of difference in using component inputs rather than S Video??

Similar Products Used:

Sony KV32FV15

nice picture

terrible build quality; right side of picture is bright when viewing dark/black images

If this tv were britney spears it would say, 'ooops, I did it again...' yes, after having difficulties w/ the set shutting off automatically last year (and subsequently getting it fixed under warranty), it has recently started pulling the same stunt come this august. from what i have read in other reviews, it is a power quality issue relating to the motherboard but i did not know it first time around, now i am certain. is this what i get for living in new york city? maybe con ed will cut me a check to get this fixed? not. i cannot make a stronger plea to anyone interested in purchasing the WEGA XBR400: DO NOT BUY THIS SET UNLESS YOU FEELING LIKE TOSSING AWAY A HARD-EARNED $1,800!! aside from the shut-off problem, the speaker grill coverings are peeling, there is a bright spot on the right side of the picture when viewing dark/black sources (in letterbox) and the thing weighs a ton. other than that, the picture is great on dvd's when i can watch them...please, learn from where i got burned...

Flat screen
Good cable signal equals topnotch picture.
DVDs, fullscreen and widescreen is extraordinary!
Handsome set, but with one annoying design flaw.

Widescreen Mode is tilted at "0" setting, I have to max. it out at +7 to get it level.
Speaker grille is coming unglued!

Get a good cable signal and the picture quality is the best out there, but if the signal comes in fair or bad the XBR400 reflects that and gives you a corresponding picture.Just like any other TV will do. Some channels look Fantastic,the best, most are so,so and the rest yuck with my cable. So I really think you can't blame the XBR400 it's the cable signal.
I also purchased the Sony DVP-S7700 DVD player and with the 32XBR400 the images are astonishing,the clearest,sharpest and most realistic picture I've seen in this television size and price range, definitely scores an(A++)in my book.That is both in the full screen and widescreen mode , but to tell you the truth I don't like watching in widescreen. there's too much wasted screen.Why don't they give you the Full Screen option on all the DVD movies? I know it's the new way of the future, just like the way the Movie Studios made it to be seen. But give me a choice though.
I've have't seen it in HD and probably won't if it only is going to be in Widescreen. I'd buy a Widescreen HDTV then so I wouldn't have to look at all that wasted monitor space
at the top and bottom of the monitor while watching in Widescreen.
The speaker grills bug the hell out of me.They're coming unglued and curling at the top,bottom,side edges. I can imagine them in a couple years how they're going to look.
The thing that puzzles me is that I've read all the reviews on the larger 36XBR400 and not one has mentioned it and they are basicly identical except for size, they both use the same glued on mesh speaker grill. I have gone to several stores and checked both the 32XBR400 and the 36XBR400 and they all are starting to unglue, but it is not mentioned at all in the 36XBR400 reviews while it is mentioned on the 32XBR400's reviews 3 different times, 4 including this time.
Go figure???
Well, I was going to replace it and get the Panasonic WideScreen DTV/HDTV Tau CT-34WX50 which cost $1500 dollars
more and has a better looking cabinet in my opinion, but I did a side by side of them at the store and the Sony has got the better picture by a definite margin, so why am I going to spend more and get a less quality picture. I did have my mind set I was going to exchange it and get the $3600 Panasonic 34" Tau, but after looking at the picture quality of both of them, the Sony 32XBR400 had a much more clearer and detailed picture and I'm pretty picky too. Note, that the Tau CT-34WX50 might have a magical setting that I did not try to make it look better but they were both using the same feeds at the store and the sales person couldn't improve the Tau image. The 32XBR400 will be hard to beat.
I'm going to one more store to see if the Tau looks any better there, but I have doubts it will.
In the mean time, Sony and Sound Advice said they are going to replace the speaker grille and tune the Yoke to level out the screen for widescreen viewing.They said the screen is crooked because the Earth's magnetic field is different here than where the sets are manufactured and that it was an easy adjustment to fix it.
Well I know I've made a big deal of that unglueing speaker grill, but if it wasn't for that, I would be a totally satisfied customer. I would have given it 5 Stars if it were not for the "UNGLUEING" speaker grilles it makes the set appear cheap, for which it is not it is quite expensive.

Good Luck on your purchase!

Excellent color, factory specs set perfectly, good sound quality, lots of connective inputs/outputs, easy to use remote

Too heavy, picture tube extension too great

My friend purchased the 36" XBR 400 and it was love at first site!. I went for the smaller set because the size of my living room.

I am very satisfied with the set, though I have only had it for two weeks. DVD picture is just fantastic! Sound quality is excellent.

Our excellent cable signal enhances the overall picture quality, however I may go for a satellie dish network in the future.

I highly recommend this set to all looking for quality and a great picture!

Similar Products Used:

31" Mitsubishi, 9 years old

Excellent color, factory specs set perfectly, good sound quality, lots of connective inputs/outputs, easy to use remote

Too heavy, picture tube extension too great

My friend purchased the 36" XBR 400 and it was love at first site!. I went for the smaller set because the size of my living room.

I am very satisfied with the set, though I have only had it for two weeks. DVD picture is just fantastic! Sound quality is excellent.

Our excellent cable signal enhances the overall picture quality, however I may go for a satellie dish network in the future.

I highly recommend this set to all looking for quality and a great picture!

Similar Products Used:

31" Mitsubishi, 9 years old

Top notch picture quality. Number of inputs. DRC circuit. Modern looking set.

Its heavy. Some minor glitches.

I had this set for less than a week,and I like what I have seen of it so far. The picture quality is excellent with good signal sources. The flat wega screen and the DRC circuitry give the picture a film like look. Webtv looks great when the DRC function is set to Progressive and the connection is with S-video. I have not tried a DVD player yet, which is where the set really excels. I waiting for the Sony ES9000 progressive DVD player to be released next month. Some minor quirks, one speaker grill is peeling slightly. I wish the power cord was longer. And the owners manual was not detailed enough about the features and picture adjustments. For example, it does not mention anything about the power button and the standby function, which can not be powered by the remote when standby is off. Overall this is definately a videophiles TV and it delivers most of what it says.

Similar Products Used:

Sony 27 trinitron (non wega)

High quality picture from DSS, DVD & LD sources. Off air NTSC programs with good signal strength result in highly acceptable picture. Plenty of adjustments via remote to fine tune the picture.

Lack of an RGB input restricts your choices for a decoder/sat receiver. Poor source material is amplified by a picture much worse than on an analog set. You just have to accept the fact that as you move into the digital world you cannot expect all your analog sources to be viewed as before. This is a small price to pay for the superior picture offered in the digital world. The set is too heavy and too wide because the speakers are not removable.

I highly recommend that you not try to adjust the picture for the first 72 hours after you get the set. Let it settle in first. I was less than impressed when they first delivered the set but after 10 days I am overwhelmed by the great picture on this set. I would have bought the 36" model but did not have room for it. I have owned Sony XBR's since my first 25XBR in the 1980's and have never been disappointed. I'm sure this set will become the reference TV for Home Theater Magazine as the Sony 32XBR2 did before it. I have read about the progressive DVD players and used them in my evaluation of the three sets. I have a Sony 7700 DVD player and would not trade it for any of the progressive DVD players I have seen. With the component output of the 7700 to the component input of the 32XBR400 using Monster M1000 cables the picture is breathtaking. I wouldn't trade it for both the Panasonic & Toshiba. I get a better picture, kept $2000 in my wallet and when the Sony decoder becomes available I can buy it and still have about $1000 left over.

Similar Products Used:

Sony XRB2. Compared this set to a Panasonic CT34WX50 and Toshiba CW34X92. The $2000 higher price on the Panasonic & Toshiba gets you a wide screen set but not as good a picture.