Geometry, Linearity, Abundant Inputs, High Definition Capability

Peeling Speaker Grilles

I've owned the unit for about a month. I will be posting a more thorough review after 90 days of ownership. I just wanted to respond with regards to the multitude of prior reviews I've read and have opinions on.

1. This set is High Def capable and as such will reveal all flaw in the original program source as well as the method of transmission, i.e. pixelation is a manifestation of digital compression which can travel via cable, satellite and DVD.
Indeed the Sony DSP/DRC function can add to this but critics should be careful not to point the finger at Sony without full understanding of MPEG/Digital Processing fundamentals.
Bottom line - this set will reveal much of what other sets hide.

From a personal perspective, I source DishNetwork (S-video),
Comcast cable (RF), ReplayTV (S-video) and I have a Sony 7700 DVD player /non-progressive/ (AudioQuest Component).

Using Video Essentials I dialed in my set and I am quite surprised at the outstanding picture quality regardless of source. Sure, certain DiskNetwork channel look better than others. This is due to bandwidth allocation and original source quality. Cable demonstrates pixelation but so what.
If you view clean cable on a non-DSP high quality and you pay close attention you will see pixelation "in the source".

I have been displeased with Sony for many years but in my opinion they have come roaring back with their new XBRs.

Additionally, as reported by others, until you see this set while displaying a true HDTV feed, well, you haven't lived.
16X9 component DVD feeds (from well mastered discs) are as good as the HDTV - honest.

Similar Products Used:

Mitsubishi CK-35702

David what the heck are you talking about? Sony has a prog scan dvd player. It's the DVP-9000ES.

Maybe you should touch up on your product info before you make your statements.

EXCELLENT PICTURE

None

This is a follow up to my previous review. I got the new set delivered much more professionally this time, and it works beutifully. I have left it on for over 24 hours with no problems. And yes it does have a slight, and I mean so slight I gotta strain to see it, bowing in the center. The only time I notice it is when I look VERY closely at the bottom of 16:9 DVD's and it deffinitely does not take away from the viewing pleasure. The picture is so crisp that I could see reflections in drops of water on the cab in Se7en. And dust flying through the air when meteors hit the ground in Armageddon. This has got to be the cleaarest picture I have EVER seen!

Similar Products Used:

KV-36FS10

DRC, twin-view, user options, color, clarity, EVERTHING but the weeknesses listed below.

Remote not backlit. Reset button on remote. No numerical readout on settings such as brightness etc. Only room for 20 chanel labels.

First off I must say I purchased the Sony KV-36XBR400 in Canada where the price is currently 3999.99 CAD everywhere I've seen it. I paid 3789.00 (close to 2564.00 USD) which included the chrome & glass Sony XBR-250 stand (499 CAD here). Canada is pricey!

Originally I purchased a Toshiba CN36X81. The CN36X81 had many things that annoyed me.

1)BAD Geometry

2)Tuner had approximately 1.5 to 2 second delay switching channels or inputs. This may not sound like much but try scanning channels with that kind of lag. Even better, try changing from TV to input 5 or 6 (component). Just to go from cable to DVD took 10 seconds! There is no direct way to choose a certain input or bypass unused ones.

3)Only 1 user definable memory for settings. We all know how each source can end up needing separate levels set. With only one memory you were stuck calibrating your favorite source and that's it.

4)No way for an average user to disable VSM. VSM made the picture look terrible and was only disabled in theater mode on the X81. It could however be turned off (?) by changing several entries in the service and designer menu's. Not a trip that just anyone wants to take.

5)Horrible looking cable. People looked washed out as if pancake batter had been applied to their faces.

6)No anamorphic squeeze for an average user. This can however be done again through the service menu. What a pain tho I would think switching back and forth!

7)You can not pip a component input. I believe there are several other limitations and inputs that can not be pip'd as well. Pip was also complex to use.

8)Weak color.

9)Miss'd clicks on the remote. The IR sensor seems touchy at best on the 36X81.

10) Line doubler sucked big time. My cable was as I said washed out. video games looked washed. Imagine a textured white wall. On this TV the wall looked smooth instead of stucco.

As you can see I wasn't very happy. The only thing I liked about this TV was how good DVD looked on it. I had resigned myself that it would be used for only that.

My main problem was the geometry issues. So I had a new TV shipped out. The second 36X81 was DOA and would not start. The light blinked several times and nothing.

So in came a 3rd 36X81. This one had worse geometry then the first working model. Instead of getting a new one, I put out a service call. A technician came out a week later to look at my issue and then said he would see what could be done and they would come back to do the actual fix later. They came back 6 weeks later! Installed two new vertical linearity chips which made the geometry problems much worse. Then as a final solution put 8 magnets on the yoke to bend the beams and straighten the picture. This of course ruined the color purity and left me with 8 cloudy areas on the TV.

I phone A & B and told them of all this. That I had waited 7 weeks for service on another defective TV. That the service had all but ruined the picture. They were very understanding and tried to get me another 36X81. After all, I liked the way DVD looked and really didn't consider another TV. None were available throughout all the A & B stores here in B.C. I was told by the manager that they were all being sent back to Toshiba for similar problems.

I needed a TV. At around the same price range I chose the Sony Wega KV-36FS12. It was really my only alternative as I had never seen an XBR400 in person so I couldn't justify the price of one being special ordered for me.

After owning the 36FS12 for a week or so I decided the scan lines were killing me and I HAD to see this legendary XBR 400 that everyone was raving about. A few phone calls and I found one at a Sony Store in the city. I drove out and put the store demo XBR400 through the paces with Video Essentials. I KNEW I MUST OWN THIS TV. It was that good.

A & B were again VERY understanding and special ordered me in the 36" XBR400. I guess they didn't mind considering I was about to pay almost 1700.00 in up charge. Two weeks later it arrived.

Now here I sit writing this review and tale of my experience in purchasing and owning a Sony KV-36XBR400. The reason I went into detail about the Toshiba 36X81 is because I know a lot of you are trying to decide between the two. I want you to understand the strengths of the XBR400. This machine is amazing in my humble opinion.

1)The geometry was excellent out of the box. Probably as close to perfect as you are going to see on a consumer model television. MUCH better then even Sony's own KV-36FS12 which I had previous to this. The FS12 was also better then the Toshiba but definitely suffered from the fun house effect and some lower right shoulder roll off. I have not seen this at all on the XBR400. Lines are VERY straight and even.

2)The tuners are FAST. You can switch channels or inputs as fast as you can push the button. You can even hold down the channel buttons for SPEED switching. The Sony allows you too mark unused video inputs to "skip" so you don't have to cycle through all unused inputs of the six available. You can also label the input to one of the preset names like "Game" or "DVD" instead of the default Video 1, 2 ,3 etc. Great for the wife!

3)4 user definable memories for settings! FOUR and you can select them with a click of the "Picture Setting" button on the remote. This is awesome and saves you going into the system menus to select your setting. All your sources can be calibrated so each look their best.

4)VSM is a menu item! It can be easily set to OFF, LOW, MEDIUM or HIGH.

5)Cable looks fantastic with a good solid signal. I have to agree also that cable can look a bit grainy. This is nothing however when you compare this picture to that of the Toshiba. I believe it a result of poor signal not the DRC.

6)Automatic anamorphic squeeze! The XBR400 will automatically sense incoming 16:9 material and preform a vertical squeeze. No fuss no muss. The switch is quick enough that you won't even notice it. Anamorphic material on this television is mind blowing!

7)Pip is actually called Twin View. You can view two sources without either overlapping each other as in traditional picture in picture. The two windows are displayed beside each other. Either can be selected to change source or channel etc. The active one can be sized down or up to decrease or increase smoothly the others size. This feature is something to see and very practical. I was never much of a PIP user b4 but now I can't see living without it. You can also twin view any source. Component and SVHS or whatever your taste. No limitations that I've found. Use is very intuitive. VERY simple. I was surprised when I caught the wife twin viewing a show on TV as my son played Dreamcast in the other window. It's that easy. Without instruction my wife was doing it.

8)The color on this TV out of the box is exceptional. Vibrant and natural. I haven't had a chance to have the TV ISF calibrated yet but I set mine in pro mode and turned down the brightness a touch. Looks PHENOMINAL!

9)The remote sensor is strong. Never seems to miss a click. The remote however I wish was back lit but I use a Marantz learning remote as my primary anyhow. This one just ended up in the drawer. I'm also not sure if I like the reset button on the remote as kids might get a hold of it.

10)The DRC (Digital Reality Creation) is excellent. DRC is Sony's version of a line doubler. Except, this doubles both horizontal and vertical resolution instead of just vertical. It up converts 480i material to either 960i or 480p. It's recommended for video you use the 960i mode and for still images (such as computer pass through or digital pictures) to use the 480p. I keep it set to 960i and haven't seen a scan line yet. Very solid picture. Pleasant as hell to watch. The name "Headache Machine" will never apply again to a Sony with DRC. In my opinion it does a much better job then the Toshiba 36X81 with cable signal.

One thing I thought was odd however was that the XBR400 only had memory enough to store 20 channel labels (like NBC, CBS etc that you can name to a channel). The KV-36FS12 allowed 40. Why would a lower end model allow more channel names labels?

I haven't had a chance to try progressive DVD or a high definition source on this TV yet. When I do I may add to this review. Also, I can't say much about the sound as I switched the speakers off immediately and hooked it up to my HT receiver.

I'm very pleased with the XBR400. I know that it's hard to justify the expense but it becomes easy after one night of viewing it. This machine is a direct view dream. I think cosmetically it is the nicest looking set on the market. It's very sheik.

I hope my comments have helped if you are trying to decide which TV to buy. After owning the Toshiba CN36X81, Sony KV-FS12, and the Sony KV-36XBR400 I can't recommend the XBR400 enough. It worth the price of admission.

To all you Toshiba CN36X81 lovers out there... This was my experience with the Toshiba and my opinion. I hope you take it as just that. Enjoy your TV as I know I will mine.

I would like to thank also all you people who have done reviews of the XBR400 on this site. You are the people that prompted me to call around and find one to look at. You're the people who made me decide not to settle and buy the XBR400. I'm very appreciative of your reviews and that is why I am writing this one.

Similar Products Used:

Toshiba CN36X81 & Sony KV-36FS12

HDTV-DVD

Antthing other than HDTV-DVD

I've owned the XBR250-36" for about a year now. I love it. Even with "real world sources", e.g.cable, the thing is better than good. With anamorphic dvd's it's just awesome. When I heard about the xbr400, I was looking forward to checking it out, though expecting to be disappointed that I didn't own it. I went to a couple of places and each time the sets were set up in vivid "hypervision", much the same as when I was looking for the xbr250. I guess the salespeople think “altra-vivid” sells TV’s. Anyway, after tweaking some of the picture modes things started to come together. HDTV was awesome. Dvd's looked a lot like the 250 - great… Everything else, however, was pretty disapointing. Iam not a big fan of cheap line doublers and this one sucks like all the rest. Any thing with motion displays artifacts galore. The Standard TV (cable, even DSS) picture is distorted and grainy. Why can't it be turned off like VSM? Since HD sources are so limited (and will be for some time) I’d rather wait it out with a high-end real world TV that does everything well and let the technology develop. It'll be a very different world (at least tv/video wise) in a couple of years. Unless you have access to lots of HD sources(who does?), save yourself some disappointment (and money) and go for the model below the xbr 400. It does the 169 squeeze, Dvd's look just as good on this TV. Other than HD, it's a better "real-world" TV("regular tv" looks better). I guess if I had just laid out $2500 for this TV I'd try to find a way to love it as so many others have on this board. As it stands I'm more than happy to hold out with my xbr250 and wait for HDTV to become more then a novelty.

Similar Products Used:

XBR250-36"

Superb picture quality and clarity, particularly with High Definition and DVD

Geometry

This is a fabulous set, alluded to by the fact that this is the 183rd post! The better the source, the better the picture: Hi-Def is unbelievable! But these service mode tweaks will definitely improve an already impressive picture: (uhhh, service mode changes may void the warranty, so beware)

Warm up 30 minutes before adjusting.
With set off, press DISPLAY, 5, VOL+, POWER.
Use 1 & 4 to navigate menu, 3 & 6 to adjust.
Hit 'mute' then 'enter' to save changes.

1) Disable red push by setting AXIS to 1 for all inputs and signal types (480i, 480p, 1080i).
2) Disable dynamic color by setting UDCL to 0 for all picture modes.
3) Fix black level retention. Set UBLK and DCTR to 0 for all modes.
4) Set color temp to warm by setting UTMP to 0 for all modes.
5) To tone down Vivid and Standard mode, set UGAM to 0 for these modes.

After making changes, re-calibrate Picture, Bright, Color, Tint, Sharp with Avia or VE in Movie mode with SVM OFF.

To improve dark scenes, set DCT and ABLM to 0.
To reduce uneven brightness with gray backgrounds, set SBRT down 3 notches from standard, if above 6 or 7. If already 1 to 5, leave as is. This is a 'Sony fix' and you may already have it. If it doesn't eliminate it, you may have to replace a coil under warranty. Tell them you are aware of the problem from reading it on the Sony site.

Set OVERSCAN to around 5% on all sides with OVERSCAN pattern via:
VPOS, HPOS, HSIZ, VBOW, VANG, PAMP, TRAP, UCPN, LCPN, VSIZ, and VLIN.
These all interact so go through them several times.

Similar Products Used:

Toshiba CN36X81, Sony 32XBR250

Picture quality, flexibility, ease of set up and use, accepts native 480p signals, anamorphic squeeze function.

No built in HDTV tuner, extremely unforgiving of inferior quality signals (i.e., cable), weight and nondefeatable DRC.

This is a review of the KV36XBR450, which recently replaced the 400. The principle differences are (a) the addition of the "cinemotion" 3:2 pulldown feature (very little added value here), (b) a lighter, shinier appearance, and (c) an upgraded remote control.

Until I purchased the XBR450, I had seen every large direct view television available in the U.S. Some principals: (1) unless you have the funds and the space for a top of the line front projector or can afford the $10,000 plus Philips/Marantz rear projector, a direct view set provides the best available picture; (2) No one should buy a digital television that does not provide a native 480p display (essential for progressive scan DVD players or line-doubled signals); (3) No one should buy a 4:3 digital television that does not have an anamorphic squeeze function; and (4) if you watch a lot of 4:3 material (including old movies and nonanamorphic DVDs) a 16:9 television is not a good idea.

Applying these principals and wanting to purchase the largest direct-view set available, there are currently 4 good choices for 36 inch sets, Lowe (way too expensive for extremely marginal improvements over the Sony), RCA/Proscan (inferior picture and no native 480p), Panasonic (less user friendly and less flexible), and Sony. Of these choices, the 36XBR450 is, in my view, the best bet because, in addition to satisfying all of the principals, it is extremely flexible (defeatable VSM, almost true NTSC color temperature) and user friendly (automatic recognition of anamorphic DVDs). As others have noted, the Sony offers an outstanding picture with anamorphic and full-screen, 4:3, DVDs. The picture with HDTV and high quality satelite feeds is also stunning. Blacks are deep, white's crisp, colors vivid and Sony accurate. Fine details are clear and never blurred. The remote is full-service and easy to use. The consumer accessible menus allow for as much tweaking as I have ever seen outside of inaccessible service menus.

The set does, however, have faults, as alluded to above. Most problematic is the sets handling of less-than-perfect NTSC signals, such as cable and antenna feeds. These images are less than ideal, often muddied and, in my view, inferior to their presentation on other sets. My guess is that this problem stems from the set's nondefeatable DRC function, which upconverts all NTSC material to essentially 960i. This works fine with a perfect NTSC signal, but harms cable and antenna signals by exaggerating all of the deficiencies of the signal. I believe that if the DRC circuitry was switched off for these signals, they would appear better. Like a Ferrari, which glides on well-paved roads, but is a disaster with potholes, the Sony does not perform well without a high-test signal. As I bought my set primarily for DVD viewing, I don't care too much about its presentation of the network crapfests. The other significant problem (which relates solely to cost)is the absence of an HDTV tuner. After shelling out $2,500 for the set, a built in tuner would be nice, although an external tuner may ultimately be preferable once cable/digital compatibility issues are resolved. Weight is also a minor problem, but inevitable with a flat screen TV.

All in all, I probably am not going out much on a limb in saying that for the highest reproduction of DVD, HDTV and satelite material, the Sony KV36XBR450 is the best direct view 36-inch television (particularly if price is a factor), and one of the best televisions period, available today. Feed it any high-quality signal and you will not be disappointed.

By the way, Sony is coming out with a 40 inch version this fall. If you want a larger picture, you may want to wait. I couldn't.

Excellent picture on HDTV & DVDs (buy progressive), Digital-reality creation, lots of inputs, 16:9 is great, widescreen DVDs are beautiful.

Weight, remote, speaker covering seems to peel back to a little bit (all models I've seen have this to some extent), the stand has no aesthetics IMO and low functionality, the standard picture settings are TERRIBLE! You must tweak them or return the television! I also don't like the sound that comes out of this television on music videos (too much bass then when you switch back to a normal setting it seems off (a small complaint, but I'am just trying to be holistic).

Okay, I have been in and out of stores for over two and a half months now looking for a new television. After too much deliberation I bought this Sony. I have had this tube now for 26 days and am biting my fingers about whether or not to take it back. I do have a list of cons about it and a list of pros. I don't think I would be so worried if there wasn't so much money at hand. I have looked at every tube available out there right now. I was originally thinking a Sony Projection 43" traditional for around $1500. Then when I saw a HD televion and realized that I could get one for not much more money and I got pulled in. I got this one for $1900 open box value, seemed like a steal. They said it wouldn't fit in the family's entertainment center and so thats why it was taking back. Why wouldn't they measure before they bought it? This always confuses me about htis claim, but I take there word since I haven't ntoiced anything per say.

Anyway, I went ahead and got it. I originally had to get used to the blacks of the darknesses especially in Progressive scan DVD. Most noticeable in 'shadows'. Maybe it is just because I have been watching a "greyer" picture for so long, but the blacks seemed really extreme when I first got this television. I also didn't like the settings at all on the television. My sharp 27" tube had better picture settings than this TV when I got it. I'am not exaggerating on this either. They drove me crazy. I got Video Essentials and setup the color more properly and it helped alot. I'am now used to the darkness of what I think is merely a sharper picture for I have seen it on almost all of the HD pro-jo's and tubes at all of the retail stores I visited.

I can see what people are talking about when they complain about the reds and greens on this tube, though they don't seem as extreme as many people have mentioned and it just is one of those things that doesn't really bother me and seems slight. It may just be my eye or it may vary from tube to tube occassionally. I really don't know enough about televisions to say. I have also seen a bluish/gray bar on 16:9 DVDs occassonally if the picture setting is moved past a certain point, right above the top of the 'picture' screen. This may be normal, I don't know. Still, its annoying, why is it there? The weight on this television is also a huge thing to consider. All I can say is if you are getting this television don't move around alot and have a permanent spot totally ready for it before it comes in because once it is in place there is no casually re-decorating. I already mentioned that the stand IMO is a wash. I do not like the way it looks, it also costs $300 which bothered me because at this point dollar wise, I could get a small HD Hitachi pro-jo. But that is just personnel preference. I also didn't want a projection because I don't have the room and the picture is superior on tubes IMO. The remote is a big weakness because I have to flip open the top everytime I want to do anything with my DVD or VHS which is incredible pain for me so I just keep the other remotes. It also is lacking in many other options if you are using it to control your DVD player.

To get off of the negatives, the picture as you know from the reviews here, is incredible on DVD, Widescreen and on high definition television which I have only observed at the stores (mine is not hooked up yet). But as much as I have been in there its probably a good 6 hours of viewing time. It just blows you away. Sometimes, its so good that I can't focus on the movie because I spend so much time thinking about how good it is!!! This is what I like about this tube. The picture is great, no doubt about it, with the exception of the neccessary tweaking it and for me since I haven't seen anyone else mention this, the darks took getting used to (but as I said, I think it is actaully a more beutiful pitcutre that I'am seeing and wa used to a greyer quality on my old tube). Video esentails (though I believe is not worth 50 bucks) helped the picture the best. In the end, I keep going back to the stores once every three days and surfing online, this tv has its downs, but doesn't everything? Also is there anything else out there that competes at this level? In my opinion there isn't. If you want a projection then that is another story. Do you have enough money for a plasma screen? I don't think you'd even be reading here if you did, so thats out of the question. Otherwise for tubes, this television is top-notch. The DRC function makes it far superior to the Panasonic 32 and the Samsung 32, because I was lucky enough to see them side by side, same HD feed and the Sony was much better from an objective standpoint (though I really was attracted to the Panansonic, which seemd to have a crisper quality to it and the Sony seemd soft). But the softer picture is much more real, and if I had a problem with the Sony's shadows I would really have trouble with the Panasonic which is much darker. This tv is the best Tube out there for this size without going to projection. The reason I didn't go to pro-jo is because I lack the space, plain and simple. And the picture on HD tubes is superior.

I think I saw this mentioned, I also wish you could turn off DRC. In the end, this tv is great. However, it worries me that it has such a large range of problems from user to user. For instance I think we could site over 100 different, idiosynchric cons of all the reviews here and about a list of 20 solid pros. This concerns me. I don't know if maybe its the new high defintion tubes still being so young and thus not as developed or if it is user preference or if the tv really has this many problems. Certainly the more technical the tube gets the more problems that are going to arise, especially with a tube, right? I don't know. I think I will end up keeping this one though I must say not without reservations. I'am also worried about returning it and then deciding I want it, and having to fork up $2200 or whatever the new 450 costs because though 3:2 pulldown is great at this level I don't see how it could change any of the con's that I have with this tube which is what concerns me the most. As for picture getting better well on the 450, I can live with the monster tear of the BIG BEAR of what I have seen so far of the 400! I frankly don't think people will be satisfied until there are holograms floating around the room. I watched the movie Big Blue on this cat last night and it was incredible. My review my be somewaht biased at times for I feel somewhat guilty about owning such an expensive television as well. All and all the picture is killer on this tube and 16:9 format on letterboxed DVDs is virtually a life saver. I finally fully understand how much better widescreen is. If you want a life like picture that you almost want to pause and hang on your wall then go here, but you'll have to live with the cons because it is not without its faults in my opinion. Did I say the remote sucks? It totally does, it really doesn't add up to the price of this television. I guess, the question is at a MSRP of what is it, $2499? Should a tube like this have any faults. To give an example, I bought a Plextor 12x internal cd burner whcih costs a good 200 bucks more than my old hewlett packard, but I was paying for a top notch single burner, and it has performed perfectly! It has zero cons and it has 10 pros at least to the HP. I guess TV shopping is more complicated especially with high defintition, but it makes me wonder.

other product highlyc considered: Toshiba 43" Pro-Jo HDTV $2000
Sony 43" Pro-jo Tradition $1500
Panasonic 32" HDTV

Similar Products Used:

none - switched from 27" Sharp

Hey Richard,

It is very hard to understand what you are saying. Did you use a French to English translation?

Great picture with a good source and when adjusted with the Avia and Video Essentials DVDs. "Video Compression" of anamorphic DVDs is great -- you get all of the resolution compared with 1/3 less resolution when the DVD player does the conversion. Given the price relative to other sets, this is a bargain.

Hair-thin horizontal lines about 1/4 from the top and bottom of the screen, where the edges of the black bars for widescreen DVDs appear. The set will show how bad a source is, but this really isn't a weakness of the set.

I have also noticed two hair-thin lines. They occur about 1/4 of the way from the top and bottom of the screen, where the borders of the bars for a widescreen picture would appear when playing a DVD. I notice this with my cable service, SVHS VCR, and with my HI8 camcorder outputs to the set. At first I thought it was from digital sources only because I read that the MPEG standard breaks a digital picture into blocks, so I thought I was seeing the block edges. Sony's new DVP-S9000ES DVD player has a "block reduction" feature to eliminate this problem with certain DVDs. But when the lines appeared in a light blue sky scene from my analog camcorder, and from my VCR, I knew it was not just digital sources that produce the lines. Could the problem be in Sony's Digital Reality Creation (DRC)? The lines are most often noticeable, but not always, with white, light blue, light grey, cream, or any light-colored background, such as the sky. So, I am puzzled what causes this. I checked a local dealer's floor model with "A Bug's Life" DVD playing, and the lines also appeared on his set. Check out the light blue sky scene at the beginning of " A Bug's Life" or the desert scene in "The Fifth Element". Please let me know if any of you have received a satisfactory solution.

Similar Products Used:

None