Amazing picture quality, number of component and s-video hook ups, reverse 3:2 pull down technology.

Weight

I'm commenting on the new XBR450 model here.

This is a really nice television, easily the nicest I have ever seen! The picture quality through DVD via the component inputs is stunning and once you apply the CineMotion to it, it's amazing. OTA via cable looks pretty good as well, some stations looks really clear and some look prety grainy, even in the Movie mode with VM turned off and Color Temp set to Warm.

I haven't really used the on board audio since I have a HT setup in my apt, but it sounds okay for a tv.

I have a couple of questions regarding tuning this thing, I tried using Video Essentials but I just don't think it made the picture any better, so I'm asking all those out there who have tuned this bad boy to give me a hand with this. Is there anyway you could provide me with the settings you use, ie, Picture is at 25 bars from left or something like that?

Anyway thanks for everyone's help in making my decision to get a 36" Wega over an RPTV. I'm more than satisfied with my purchase.

Now where's the thread for the XBR450 series...?

Similar Products Used:

Panasonic 27" GAOO Superflat CT-27SF23, JVC 32" D201, 43" Sony RPTV

HI DOUG, YOU NOW BUDDY IF YOU STOP SMOKING THAT WEED AND JERKING OFF TO THAT BETA PORN ONE DAY YOU MIGHT BEABLE TO GET A WEGA XBR 450 OR EVEN 700 IF YOU SAVE THOSE WELLFARE CHECKS AND ONCE LAST THING BRO GIVE BACK THAT FATASS WIFE OF YOURS THOSE FOOD STAMPS, I MEAN THE PRICE OF CRAKE HAS CAME DOWN LOW, BUT NOT THAT LOW.....

LOL

Picture clarity is amazing

Like everyone, is heavy as a truck. Needs three people to move.

Have been using the XBR 450(where's the thread for this one)for less than a month but it puts a smile on my face every time I look at it. Picture quality is unlike anything I've ever used or seen for that matter. Just stunning. I even have a crappy Samsung DVD player but this TV makes it shine. Audio quality from the speakers is weak for this price but I would assume(as did Sony, probably)that most people buying this set has a A/V system to bypass them anyway. Yes the damn thing is heavy so find a place for it and leave it. Retail places will bargain on this set. I didn't even try hard and got $200 off MSRP. If you have the means(even if you don't)go out and get this TV.
Has anyone hooked the XBR 450 or the 400 to a Phillips video recorder with TIVO? Was wondering about the picture quality through the DVR. Feedback would be appreciated.

Great picture quality and nice style.

Heavy. Speaker grills look the same as the XBR400

This is actually a review of the 32" XBR450.

The picture quality is pretty amazing, on both DTV and DVD sources. I needed to tweak the picture a bit to get it to look right. I also like the sound.

The TV is very heavy. Was originally intended for upstairs but after trying to carry it with another person, decided to keep it in the living room!

Picture quality is different than the Tau...the Tau is a bit more red-ish...the Sony has a nicer, passive picture. The styling is better, very hi-tech looking.

More expensive than the Tau. I got the Tau for maybe $400 less.

There's not a noticeable geometry problem...maybe a very slight curve, unlike the Tau which is all screwed up when it comes to geometry.

Overall, I would recommend this...just don't buy it from Crazy Eddie. The price was right, but everything else, they are absolutely horrible at. They took forever to ship it to me (they never did tell me when it was going to arrive, they gave me the number to the trucking company and I had to take 2 days off from work), after lying to me about having them in stock just to get my business. All they cared about was getting my credit card number. After that, you might as well not exist in there mindf. In fact I called up the trucking company and they also complained about how they conduct business! On top of that, I purchased a 4 year extended warrantybut they never included the card. They said that it would be in the mail. It's been 3 weeks...nothing. NEVER BUY ANYTHING FROM CRAZY EDDIE. They alreay went out of business years ago...now they are back...but if they keep this up they'll be gone again!!! Bunch of dead-beats from Jersey...

Similar Products Used:

Panasonic CT-32HX40 32" Tau.

lots of a/v inptu

bad cable picture

well it's been about a month that i've been toying with this new tv 36" xbr450

and i'm not as happy as when i first got this on my initial review.

let me first comment on the remote...it's a nice silver remote with a good ergonomic design, i like the fact that i can control the DRC (PROGRESSIVE, INTERLACED & CINEMOTION)
with just a push of a button, i can also control my dvd player, my laserdisk player, vcr. However it was not able to control my cable converter box which is a motorola, but i can leave without it.


when i watch my movies on dvd and laserdisk, this set truly complement this format, it has an almost 3d effect and the colors really jumps out of the screen.

the downside is when i try to watch my t.v. programs on cable....some channels are okay , but most of them are just pixelated, the picture looks like it was digitally zoomed.
but when i put it on the picture in picture (PIP) mode
the quality improves by 300%. since it reduces the size of the screen.

so now i always watch my cable tv shows in PIP mode, it takes awhile to get used to watching 2 channels at the same time, but this kinda defeats the purpose of owning a 36" tube.

i just noticed last night that there was like a dirt inside the tube, but when i looked closer... it was a dead pixel....
so now it annoys the hell out of me every time i watch my new tv....

i've also noticed that everytime i get the 16:9
squeeze there is about an inch of blue line on the upper right corner and another inch of red line on the left corner. this is on any widescreen dvd movie.

i know i'm getting a bit anal here but after spending $2000
on a top of the line model you would expect nothing less than a perfect tube!

Similar Products Used:

36" xbr450

Good looks, lots of features, beautiful picture, plenty of inputs/outputs

Extremely Heavy!

This review is actually for the new KV-36XBR450, which I finally purchased last week. I tried to get a 400 model but most places have already sold out. I purchased the tv from OneCall.com for $2170.00, which included shipping. I've purchased other audio equipment from them like my Onkyo TX-DS989 receiver. The customer service has always been great, the prices are good, and if you're a repeat customer, they give you even better deals. Since I've only had the tv for a week, I haven't tested out all the numerous features, but so far I'm very impressed. The manual is easy to read, the remote is pretty decent, and you don't need to be an engineer to understand how to use the on-screen menus. I've hooked up my DVD player, laserdisc player, and S-VHS VCR. The picture is simply beautiful, especially when using the DVD. I might just transform into a couch potato after all. When using cable, the picture isn't so great, but I blame that on the cable reception and not the TV. It simply shows just how much cable sucks! The only negative thing I have to say about this tv is that its extremely heavy (235lbs) and living in a second floor apartment made things worse. I did have 3 guys helping though and we still got a good workout. Overall, if you want a great tv with lots of features, a great picture, and plenty of inputs/outputs, this is the one. I would also recommend that you buy a DVD player with progressive scan outputs. Sony has done it again!

Similar Products Used:

Older Sony model

HD ready, 16:9 enhance mode,

Default configurations appear soft and reddish

I really think that this is one of the best TV made in some time. It really shines when displaying a digital signal (i.e. DVD via component HD cables). The television does have that known Sony reddish tint, but this is taken care of by a running through video essentials reference setup. If you are lucky enough to get HD broadcasting (local or Direct TV) you will not believe your eyes. Those that complain that the picture looks bad with a crappie cable connection should be ignored. If you display a picture from a bad source, then any TV will look bad. It's like buying a $2000 radio and being upset that AM sounds bad. The 16:9 enhanced mode is a blessing. HD content is breathtaking. Plus you still get full screen for 4:3 content. The size of the TV helps when viewing in 16:9. To get the best picture possible pick up video essentials and configure the picture properly. Here is my setup


Sony KV-36XBR400 (WEGA)
Onkyo TX-787DS
Mitsubishi HD DirecTV receiver
Sony DVD 560SD
Infinity IL 25C (center channel)
Infinity IL 40 (front channels)
Infinity IL 10 (rear channels)
Infinity IL 120 (12 in powered subwoofer)
Monster HD component cables
Monster 3000 power station





.

Similar Products Used:

Proscan

Great Picture

Shuts off by itself..a very frustrating occurrence to go with a frustrating return policy with J&R

Its the weaknesses that appear to be difficult to list and elaborate on ..since there seem to be many! The strength is simple to write an opinion on..SIMPLY AMAZING PICTURE!

Within a few days of its purchase it shut off by itself..cursed the local power authority for an instable supply and then happened to read reviews on Audioreview.com..it wasn't just me or the power company but the model itself! SONY acknowledged it. But what's more frustrating to me is the store plocy that J&R has with regard to exchange..I need to get a service order first from an authorized SONY repair center and then wait for the replacement..(ofcourse I pay shipping)..and what guarantee is there that this beast will shut off in front of the technician? A truly frustrating experience..would not recommend this model but will highly recommend the next one the xbr450..i have my eyes set on that one once I have the service order in hand....

Similar Products Used:

None..upgraded from a 25" Sanyo

Picture in HD mode, enhanced 16x9 mode for DVD's, two component video inputs.

Standard definition video is poor, weight (no handles), poor quality control by Sony, color purity on left and right sides is bad, can't get a local technician to work on to fix.

The first set I got right out of the factory box had geometric problems (lower horizontal lines bowing upward using Avia video test patterns). It also has color purity problems along the left and right vertical sides from 4 inches inward. But on the right side (lower corner) the purity was so bad that when you are viewing program material the light blues, whites are tinted until it moves inward approx 4 inches. The local Sony dealer called out some Sony technicians and when they saw the picture said nothing can be done to get rid of tinted corner. Also didn't want to adjust the horizontal bowing because quote "When you straighten the bottom bowing the top will bow". The local dealer brought out another set in the factory box. This set had no geometric problems but the purity problem on the right side was worse. Light colors in the right upper and lower corners was tinted. The dealer took both televisions back and is giving me a refund. I think if you live in an area where you have highly qualified Sony technicians that know what they are doing can fix these problems. I think the purity problem has alot to do with magnetic fields are different all over the world and these sets are manufactured in just one or two locations. I want to mention that the standard definition signal from Dish Network and local cable looks worse than the cheaper Sony sets. Everything looks fuzzy, out of focus, degraded. The HD picture and enhanced DVD 16x9 picture looks awesome (except the problems listed above). Why in the world didn't Sony put handles on this set? Anything over 150 lbs. need handles. I have looked over my house and counted numerous Sony products (more so than the average home). Sony you just lost a future customer.

This is a great TV--Picture Quality in incredible--

Price/Itself--people expect alot of this TV due to its price in relation to other Direct View TV's

This is an update to my first review when I first got the set.
It's been just over a month now and I've calibrated the TV using Avia. My colors seem perfect and natural to me (although they looked incredible before I calibrated the TV).
I did begin to notice what others have been complaining about; a curvature in the picture when watching widescreen DVD's. The picture does seem to have a very slight curve in the bottom left corner of the screen. It is barely noticible to me and I dont think i will bother with a service call. I would never have noticed it if it wasn't pointed out to me by others in the listing. Other than this I don't have one bad thing to say about this TV (other than I wish it was bigger--but this was more a limitation on the size of my living room). I've heard Sony will be putting out a 40'' model by years end--i can't wait to see it!
After carefull consideration I have raised my Value Rating to 5 stars, up from 4. After looking at TV's that friends and relative's have bought for the same price or much more. Some of those TV's were rear projection so I can't expect them to look as good, but I now feel like I got a bargain on this TV for only $1950!
I'm still waiting to get my HD reciver so you guys will probably have to put up with one more posting from me on this TV.
If you can afford it (and lift it!) I still can't say enough great things about this TV. It has become my most prized possession.
If anyone is still undecided about buying this TV, try and get a demo of the movie Dinosaur from Disney to see what this TV is truely capable of. Even my wife, who usually doesnt care about picture or sound quality was awed by how good this TV looked and said that it may have been the best "picture" (referring to quality) that she has ever seen anywhere, not just on a TV.

Similar Products Used:

Picture looked far better than the 34'' Tau from Panasonic in the showroom--but I havent actually used the Tau