Huge Direct View Screen, Picture Quality

Very poor magnetic shielding, weak remote.

I bought this TV in July of 1999. It has a very good picture, as long as it is working properly. A couple months ago, I started to notice discolored splotches in the upper corners of the tube. Apparantly, this was caused by my speakers, located more than 2 feet away from the television; which one would think is ample space between the TV and speakers.

To sum it up, I would recommend this TV to you only if you can get an EXTENDED WARRANTY on it. I paid $99.00 for a 4-year parts/labor warranty from Best Buy, and boy am I glad I did. After 3 repairs, Best Buy will allow you to have your defective item REPLACED instead of repaired. When I returned the TV, I opted to pay an extra $400 and get the 36" Sony Wega. It will be delivered this Saturday, so look for a review from me then!

Similar Products Used:

Mitsubishi 27", FD Trinitron 19" SVGA

Picture quality/Screen Flatness for the price

no component video inputs

I did alot of research to get this television, which I purchased in June 2000. While shopping I had the mind set that I will be waiting at least 2 years to buy an HDTV, when the prices drop, so I didn't want to spend over $1000. I compared this mostly to the Toshiba lines (including the Cinema Series) and found that to compare to this unit I would need to spend about $1100 on a Toshiba 36" Cinema Series. This is strictly based on picture quality and picture related options though. I never use the sound on my television. All sound is output to my HT system. And I also don't use picture and picture, so that wasn't considered, and isn't an option on the Sony. So if you're interested in those options, you may want to look into the Toshibas. The only thing I didn't get with this tv, that I wanted was Component level inputs. But for a $900 set that's this great, I can't complain. Another thing to note is that Sony makes a matching stand that costs about $150. They look great together, much better than toshiba's matching stands!

Price, two year warranty (On Site Service), Trinitron technology. Unbeatable picture in her class.

No SteadySound auto volume feature (to counter the bloody commericals who's volume is twice that of the programme you are watching). Only found in FD Trinitron WEGA models and higher.

I was so pleased with my KV-27S20 27" Trinitron that I decided to upgrade to the 35" model for my home theatre. I could not find a comparable TV (other brand) which matches the focus, clarity, colour or sharpness of this tube. That is, anything in it's class. If you look to the latest flat screen televisions, take Sony for instance, you will find a better picture, such as in the FD Trinitron WEGA or XBR models, but they have an accompanying price tag.

The reason I upgraded to a larger Trinitron is because of the "wide screen" format that almost every DVD movie is released in. My 27" turned into a cute little 13" when watching DVD movies, which grew tiresome. The whole idea of releasing movies in "wide screen" is ludicrous due to the fact that unless you have a 16:9 (or compatible) television you are not getting the whole "wide screen" image anyway. It is far from standard for end users to own 16:9 television sets to date.

Having said that, I am once again able to enjoy watching movies on a relatively large screen. The image between the black bars on the screen is, in my opinion, a pleasing size. The 35" was the only solution for me. I was not willing to fork out the $2999 that the 36" WEGA XBR model cost. Plasma TV's are dropping in price and it won't be long before they are affordable for the average bloke. Until I can hang my TV from a nail in the wall, I will continue to enjoy the image quality that this TV has to offer.

Unlike Raged Abbassi (below), I have never had any trouble with my Sony Products. I also own the STR-DE945 Home Theatre receiver and the DVP-S330 DVD Player. Also, my TV is backed by Sony's standard On Site Service for two years should it require servicing. Although I am sympathetic with their case, I believe that a rating of 1 and 1 stars is unjust. I have to wonder, prior to the unit malfunction, were they not pleased with the picture quality? What made this person purchase it to begin with? It's hard to be unbiased when you are the unfortunate owner of a defective or malfunctioned product, I understand, and so I don't want to be taken as being belittling or insulting to them. I am simply trying to point out that there must have been a good reason that they shelled out the money for the TV in the first place.

Having said that, to those of you looking for an honest opinion about whether or not to purchase this product, I think it is money well spent. Have a look at the ratings and opinions expressed by others in this thread, and similar Sony Trinitron products in the "TVs 32" and above" category. You'll see that Sony that there are many proud owners who praise Sony picture tubes.

If you are looking for other home theatre products advice/opinions, I also submitted a review of the Bose 301's at: http://www.audioreview.com/reviews/Speaker/product_6937.shtml

Similar Products Used:

Sony KV-27S20 27" Trinitron (Bedroom), MAG Innovision 770T 17" Trinitron computer monitor.

Picture

price, sony service, unrepairable after one year

had this TV a little over a year when it broke down, been going crazy for two months trying to get it fixed but Sony doesn't have the parts so they are charging me $25 as diagnostics eventhough they can't fix it.

A good product is one that has the company that makes it stands behind it.

Don't buy a Sony and if you do good luck if it ever breaks down

Similar Products Used:

JVC

Picture quality is hard to beat for an analog TV. Trinitron flatness minimizes vertical glare.

Only 1 S-video input, though anyone with multiple high-quality video sources should not be without an A/V receiver. Remote is nothing to write home about. Weighs more than I do, and I'm 6 feet tall.

Bought this from Best Buy early this year as a returned and refurbished item. With the security of Best Buy's $99 3-year in-home Performance Plan, I was more than willing to take the risk of buying it as-is and save $500 in the process. I can't be happier with this purchase, though I completely agree that the steep retail price is hard to justify the three extra diagonal inches (20% more area) over the considerably less expensive 32" model. Coincidentally, I talked my price-conscious parents into buying the KV-32S42 last week after lightning fried most of their home electronics.

I purposely looked at the Sony KV-##S42 model series because my interests lied solely in getting the best picture quality possible without paying for all the other bells and whistles like PIP, two-tuners, and front A/V jacks. Buy a different model if you want those extra features. With a cable box tuner and home theater audio, the picture tube is all that matters in my system.

DVD picture quality is absolutely stunning when fed through S-video. The 3 picture presets are a good start, but a little tweaking from the factory presets can yield a significantly crisper picture. Compared to other brands, Sony's 500 lines of horizontal resolution seems low, but even on a tube this big, you won't be counting pixels.

Details aside, I'm a broadcast TV fanatic, and I must say that there's no going back after experiencing a picture this large and this crisp, vibrant, and focused. Sony Trinitrons are worth the extra cost when you watch as much TV as I do.

Similar Products Used:

Upgraded from '93 25" Zenith.