picture, sound

power supply module

I have had this TV for about 1.5 years. It has great picture, sound, and features. However, this TV has a problem with power supply. I am glad that I purchased an extended warranty for 5 years, because I have this problem now. The TV is not turning on. I called for repair already. Its a shame that such an expensive TV would have this problem.

Picture, Controll

None

Well I''ve had this TV for 1.5 years and I loved it today as much as I loved it when I first purchased it. Hooked up to my Sony 9000ES DVD player, no other TV could match the picture quality. The Details were just outstanding. All this beauty lasted for the year and a half and then I come home from work, ran down stair to watch the morning new and the sound comes on but no picture. I''ve checked the reviews here and also on troubleshooting at the Sony site and no one else seem to have had this problem. Will update this site when I find out what happen to it. I cryed when they carried it out.

Similar Products Used:

None

generous no. of inputs, 16X9 anamorphic window, PIP feature, overall hi-tech style of cabinet, superior engineering for a mainstream product, AWESOME picture!

built-in audio is muddy (poor speaker positioning in cabinet, I would have liked horizontal placement on either side of the Sony logo in front, with a deeper bass chamber), weight, reflective glass on picture tube

I finally overcame the pre-emptive buyer's remorse and just went for it. Well, let me say the set is worth every penny. I have no regrets whatsoever. The picture seems to get better every day. DVDs are just truly incredible (better than a movie theatre!), and regular DirecTV looks great. Havent tried my VCR, and dont have cable, so I cant somment on those sources. But cable always looked bad on every tv Ive ever had. I cant say enough how great this set looks once you get used to the big picture and how detailed the picture is.

Concerning the negative comments posted by others here, my set was great looking straight out of the box. I think I can explain many of the flaws others have mentioned(even though my set is fine)- so keep reading.

Of course, the picture does seem a little dark overall at first, but adjusting the brightness, picture, and sharpness settings really bring out the sweet spots in the picture. One thing I have found is that you do have to adjust the settings for the different inputs, because the resolution and detail levels are very different between DVD and regular TV. But to me, its a small price to pay for a great picture. This set simply blows away any other direct view TV. As with any other high-end equipment, its natural to expect to have to tweak it a little to your taste. Your buying the wrong set if you hate tweaking at all. Its no problem for me, but thats a personal decision. The remote is easy to use for tweaking, so its no big deal.

The vivid, standard, movie, and pro modes only set the brightness and picture settings to different levels for you. IMO, the standard mode is best if you just adjust it for the different sources. You can get the same effect the other modes give by adjusting the settings yourself. They are just picture setting presets, if you will. You can use them if you dont like tweaking everything yourself, though.

Concerning the jaggies or artifacts other people mention, adjusting the velocity modulation lower or off and reducing the sharpness will get rid of most of them. I actually like leaving the VM on in many cases, the picture is more sharp that way. The artifacts are not really as noticeable on DVD, but definitely more obvious with DirecTV. However, I am fully convinced it is not the set producing the jaggies, but the DirecTV receiver is. IMHO, it can be attributed to not enough bandwidth (even at good antenna strength level) and the chip that actually renders the picture in the receiver. You have to understand the picture is being rendered from a variable bitstream. i.e., the picture strength is continually varying due to environmental conditions. Its the nature of the beast with a small-dish satellite receiver. It looked exactly the same on my old set- so its the source, not the TV. (of course the picture is better on the wega). DVDs are similar, they still use similar circuitry to render the picture, but since the bitrate is better and more constant with a DVD (better quality source), the jaggies are less noticeable. Its the player, not the tv, as far as I can tell.

Dont think its the TVs fault. As others have mentioned, since this is such a big picture and is so finely detailed, the set will magnify ANY flaws in the source signal. And dont think that the $20K plasma flat-panel HDTV displays will get rid of the artifacts, either. I looked very closely at a very nice plasma display in the same store and noticed the exact same artifacts, even with a true HDTV source, just slightly less noticeable, but still there for sure. Its just the way digital pictures look now with the current engineering available. As the digital product lines mature, expect the engineers to figure out a way to get rid of them. Once they do, the same TV will look even better with better source devices!

In my mind, it makes me feel better that the set (the wega, not the plasma display) is so good that it will display any flaws in the source. I expect the same from high-end audio equipment. With these components, you get all the possible sound and all the possible picture available from the source. Thats what you are paying the big $$$ for anyway.

As others have mentioned, you MUST use the best connectors and cables you can find. Otherwise, you may get a poor picture. This was obvious, as I had a cheaper s-video connector initially, and the picture was very muddy and grainy. I switched to a better cable (monster), and the picture came to life and looked just great. I am looking forward to trying a canare cable to see if it even gets better. As far as DVDs go- component video cables are the way to go, if you have that option. s-video cannot give you the same color richness and purity that component cables can. This was very obvious after watching Apocalypse Now with component video. During the big helicopter battle scene, there were smoke flares in different greens and yellows on the ground, and the color of the flares was incredibly rich. Watching the same DVD on my old tv with a standard RCA patch cord made all the smoke flares appear mostly white or grey. I was amazed I never noticed these colors before. Its simply stunning with component video.

As far as the bowing effect mentioned by some at the top of the picture, I am convinced its an optical illusion, due to some flexing of the plastic bezel that sits directly above the picture tube. Since the bezel is uneven, it makes the picture appear to bow **very slightly** at the very top. To satisfy my curiosity, I took the flat edge of a book and placed it over the tube itself, near the top of the picture. When using this flat surface as a reference, I could see no actual bowing of the picture-it was perfectly straight. Look at the plastic from underneath, and you can see it bows out(at least it does on my set, no big deal to me).

I dont have any apparent waves in the glass of the tube, nor do I see any uneveness of the brightness or colors in the overall picture. I am convinced these problems may occur due to rough handling during shipment and/or delivery, even though I dont have the problems. That is the reason why I paid a bit more(still not retail) and got the set directly from a local store, a preferred Sony retailer. I tranported it myself and took the utmost care in moving it, and thankfully I havent had a single problem. I did need two friends to help move it, though.

You might be able to get it for $2100 from a dot-com, but be aware the reason why it may be so cheap is that the set may be one a customer may have returned because of these problems. Even if it was ok to begin with, dont be so sure that the set will be ok after being roughly handled by careless shipping and delivery people. Its a very sensitive tv because the actual glass tube is so huge. Its only normal to expect it to produce flaws if roughly handled. Stresses on the glass of the tube if its tipped over or put on the wrong side can break or mar the glass. So to all those cheapskates that tried to get it for the absolute lowest price: you get what you pay for. A cheap discount outlet will accept a flawed product, and will probably not take the greatest of care in handling the unit. No big surprise- use your common sense people.

As far as uneveness in the color levels (i dont have this problem at all), this might be produced by magnetic interference from a speaker or maybe an electric fan, or any other device that emits a strong magentic field (even a power transformer outside your window!). Since the picture tube is so sensitive, any interference from another device will produce some color distortion. Dont believe me? Take a small magnet and put it near, not directly on, the tube of an old cheap tv you have and dont care for (DONT try this with a set you care for!! especially the wega!!) and you will see how easily the colors distort. Degaussing will remove the distortion. (you may have to pay to remove it if you try the magnet trick, so dont hold me liable- I warned you!)

So again, its probably not the tv, but interference from another source. There is a FAQ on the net from a Philips video engineer that confirms that even something as simple as having the set aligned in a certain way in relation to magnetic north may cause the same distortion. Its a proven fact. Moving the set can actually make the distortion go away. Of course, if you move the set while it is powered on, it may produce the same distorton. I tried this with my old set and it proved to be true.

That is why the degauss feature is there. That is that loud sound you hear when the set turns on, its degaussing the tube to remove any uneveness in the magentic field the tube produces. This is normal and you should be glad its there!

As far as randomly turning on or off, I dont have much of an explanation there. I havent had that problem. But, since most Sony products use the same remote codes, it is very feasible that your neighbor with another sony may be accidentally turning your unit on or off. Its a stretch, but possible! I was really worried because I had both of my Sony sets near each other at first. When I tried to turn on the WEGA the first time with the remote, my old tv turned off (it was on), and the WEGA only flickered on for a second and turned back off. I thoght the WEGA was broken at first! Unplugging my old Sony resolved the problem, there were two sets receiving the same remote command, and only one of them accepted the signal! Weird....

The only thing I can really complain about is that the flat glass of the tube is very reflective, so if you put it in an area where a window may shine light on the front of the set, it will reflect that light alot. Sony probably tried to coat it with an anti-reflective agent, but found that it probably made the picture look worse so they left it out. Thats my guess, anyway. Besides, the coatings can actually be removed off the tube if you use a strong cleaner to clean the front of the tube. So, I am fine with it not being there to begin with. But, if you take that into consideration before you buy the tv, you wont be disappointed. My set is in an area where the light reflections are minimal, and I dont really notice them at all unless you look for it. Its flat glass. Its to be expected. Curved glass on old sets arent as directly reflective.

Also, the speakers arent the best, and the vertical placement of them on the edge of the tube could have been though out better. But I am confident the engineers will figure this out and make it better with the next series. Besides, I mainly use my A/V receiver for sound anyway. Its the only way to go for true home theater, IMO. The sound is just fine for normal viewing. Its not that bad, but I am picky. The tru-surround is an ok compromise for those without good audio equipment, but I dont like it much.

If your worried about slight imperfections in the geometry of the picture- your taking yourself way too seriously. Even if they were there, (i haven noticed any, but I havent run the DVD essentials yet), the average user wont notice them. Buy one of those top-end, five-figure TVs if your that picky, and quit complaining about the WEGA.

I also suggest buying the matching stand. Its made well, and has room enough for 3-4 components in the bottom. My only complaint about the stand is there isnt enough room to place any CDs, DVDs, or videotapes in the stand for storage, so you will probably need a separate media stand or box to store all your media. Its a shame because there is plenty of room in the stand, but the potential storage area is cut off by support struts to strenghten the cabinet. (are you listening, Sony?)

I do plan on trying to get the set ISF calibrated, but many say that is a waste of money on a direct-view tv. But many of the older xbr250 model owners say calibration made their sets better, so I feel its true for the xbr400s as well. I guess thats just a gamble. Just be aware it may have to be re-calibrated if you move, so dont spend the money if you plan to move anytime soon.

Last note, watching fast moving sports such as hockey does produce some jaggies during quick motion, but I think that is mostly due to the velocity modulation circuitry. Dont expect it to totally go away with vm off, but it is definitely better. You have to get used to it, and I did very easily. Again, no big deal. Reducing the picture setting, and reducing the sharpness level definitely helps. Also, play with the DRC from interlaced to porgressive. Some sources seem to look better one way, other look better the other way. So just experiment a little.

If you dont want to fool with all of this, buy a projection tv. but just be aware the picture is nowhere near as sharp or detailed on a projection unit. In my own opinion, I would have nothing but a direct-view tv. Projection units suck. Maybe a next-gen flat-panel plasma or LCD unit will be better. But, not yet! The WEGA XBR is the best, period. My hats off to Sony for doing a great job of providing the best of both worlds between 4X3 and 16X9 units, and between projection and direct-view. Its a great compromise and a stunning picture. Best I've seen. Cant wait to eventually hook up an HDTV tuner to the set! An external line-doubler will make it even better, if thats possible. So, the set will be viable for at least 2-3 years from now. Dont waste money on first-gen 16X9 sets yet! Buy the WEGA XBR!

Similar Products Used:

Sony Trinitron 27" (1991)

Picture, HDTV capability, remote, style.

Weight - I had to rent a mule, pay the extra for in-home delivery
Manual - it is worthless
Sound

This is the best TV I have ever owned. I have read the reviews on this site, I agree that it is the best picture I have seen on a TV in this price range. I haven't had any of the problems that I have read about...TV shuting off, bow in the picture, bad color, etc.

DVD's are Awesome! I have a Toshiba DVD with the new HDTV Component Monster Cables. I have a question though...Is it better to use the S-Video cable or the three individual cables for the best picture?? I must admit, I am not very familar with high-end audio/video components.

Can anyone suggest some set-up suggestions for my situation? Which input should I use for my cable. I tried to use the PIP, and I couldn't get a different second picture? I thought the TV had dual tuner. The manual is worthless.
What is the best setup for the DVD player?

I have ATT Digital Cable. It uses a General Instruments cable box. It also has video inputs on it. Can I get a better picture using the video inputs on my cable box then I can get using coaxel cable?

I am planning on using a Bose system with a high-end JVC reciever for the sound system.

Like I said, this is all kind of new to me and I am trying to learn. Any info anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Tim Brend
tbrend@excite.com

fantastic picture quality

None except a little orangish tint on the reds

I really have enjoyed my previous XBRs, but this new one is the best ever. After going through the Video Essentials, it makes me giddy looking at DVDs and digital cable TV (AT&T). With the HDTV situation so uncertain, this TV gives you all the flexibility for today's viewing choices as well as the ability to view HDTV when it finally arrives (even though it's not full HDTV resolution, it's hard to tell the difference).
Can't wait for my progressive scan DVD now.....

Similar Products Used:

32XBR48, 25"XBR

Poor quality with any not-perfect signal, weight, peeling speaker grills, lame built-in audio, hard to correct tilt.

Agree with many of the other reviews here. I LOVED my 27" Trinitron, it's 9 years old and still looks great. I thought this would be just top of the line for direct view. Was very disappointed in general, just expected better picture quality. I realize bigger means more defects in picture, but the color, contrast, brightness and black-level just don't seem to come together no matter how I adjust. I am returning this and going for 40" 16:9 rear projection, which is MUCH better for DVD's anyway.

Similar Products Used:

27" Trinitron, 13" Trinitron

Great picture from DVD or HDTV feeds only.

Blurriness/pixilization/artifacts on motion/details from satellite (ExpressVU and DishNetwork) or VCR feeds

Have set up with VE, tried VSM off/low/medium/high, sharpness off/low/medium/high, all to no avail. When watching hockey, basketball, NASCAR, football, etc there is extensive blurriness & pixilization. Makes me nausious to watch any sports. Is a bit better to watch slower movement and/or less detail shows such as sitcoms, movies. Even on SDTV diagonal football field lines are jagged like a crooked fax machine printout of lines although the rest of the picture is very sharp.
Fantastic picture from DVD or HDTV, but with a price tag of $4000 you'd think that normal TV from satellite at least would be as clear as the 36XBR200! Extremely disappointed with Sony. Interesting to see how they explain this away.

Similar Products Used:

36XBR200

Great picture, sounds, and easy hook-up(VCR, DVD, and Video camera).

Heavy, heavy!!!!!!

I just bought the new Sony KV 36XBR400 and I must say it was the worth to wait. I got a great deal on the TV and the stand($3,000 CDN) from a guy who works for Sony Canada. The TV is heavy, probably due to thick glass and bif 'gun'. The TV works fine. I got a chance to watch both Football and Basketball games on the set, it looks marvelous. I have yet to try viewing it with DVD so that is something I would like to do this weekend. Even though I got it for cheap, but hind site, I would buy it even if it would cost me $4,000.

Anamorphic DVD Picture
Plethora of Inputs
Line Doubler

Heavy and Expensive

After almost a year of trying to decide, I chose this as my TV upgrade. Going from an 8 year old Mistubishi 35" tube to a Sony 36" tube may not seem like much of an upgrade but believe me it was! I've been watching 2-3 DVD movies per week for about the last year. I've been captivated by Dolby Digital and DTS sound, but I've never really understood all the praises for DVD's picture until now. I wanted a 16:9 tube TV but they're still very expensive and don't deal with 4:3 well. This TV is the perfect compromise, since it handles 4:3 well and has the 16:9 enhanced mode.

I was a little concered about how this TV would handle our medium-quality cable TV signals, but I'm satisfied. The bad channels looks worse, but the good channels look even better. Don't even think about using the built-in picture modes - the TV picture definitely needs to be calibrated. I'm using a low end Toshiba DVD player with high-end Monster component video cables into Video 5 input on the TV and the picture on anamorphic titles is absolutely gorgeous. I'm not a picture expert, but it's a remarkable improvement to my eyes.

After reading all the reivews below, I have some information for potential buyers:

The loud noise when the TV is turned on is normal degaussing. The FAQ from Sony explains:

http://www.sel.sony.com/SEL/service/television.shtml

The remote is highly propietary and probably not 100% compatible with most universal remotes. The good news is you can order additional remotes from Sony for only $15:

http://servicesales.sel.sony.com/

I can't wait to see some HD signals on this TV. There are also a lot of little things that seem very well thought out:
The channels change very quickly
The menus are completely intuitive
Twin Picture (POP) can be used to view any two non-HD inputs at once (watch a DVD and play a viedo game)
The TV has an amazing array of input and outputs.

About the only negative things I can think of to say so far is that it's increidbly heavy (238lbs) and that it was quite a chunk of change ($2300 + tax + delivery + 5-year in-house warranty = $2700).

Similar Products Used:

none

Picture quality.

Weird behavior with progressive input.

Well finally I got my Toshiba SD5109 progressive player. So now I can let any of you who've been wondering know what benefits, if any, you get by using a progressive player with this TV.
The benefits are quite minimal. I noticed maybe a 10-20% smoother picture, kinda the effect that "movie" mode has, but not that much , and now you get the smoother picture in all modes, going to movie mode actually makes it way too soft. Black levels got better, and saturation jumped up a lot. I had to turn up brightness to compensate for the extended black level, turn down saturation to compensate for the increased saturation, and also had to turn up sharpness A LOT to compensate for an initially blurry/soft image. But once I got those settings right, the image was definitely a little bit better. Better in the eyes of a very discerning viewer though. My friend who was there with me could not see any diff whatsoever, except that the black were a bit deeper. Flicker introduced by movement of dense line patterns is at least alleviated with progressive scan, but I really see flicker anyways. So based just upon picture improvement, I wouldn't reccomend any of you go out & buy a progressive player for this set, the marginal benefits just don't justify shelling out for a progressive player.
But not only is the improvement marginal, but the implementation of the 16:9 vertical compression feature gets incredibly annoying when faced with progressive scan. The option to have 16:9 always "on" or on "auto" changes when the set detects it's a progressive signal it's getting. The only option you have is "on" or "off". And you also no longer can set the DRC to "interlaced" or "progressive". But the MOST annoying thing is that it will always default to off!! If you are watching a DVD, then switch to TV real fast, when you swtich back to DVD, the 16:9 will be off, even though you just had it on. The picture will then distort & grow too tall. And you have to go back in the menu & turn 16:9 back on AGAIN. Anytime you change to a different source, the 16:9 will turn off again. This is insanely annoying. Maybe someone can figure a way around this, but I have not. The only other option is just to tell the SD5109 your screen size is 4:3. Then pictures won't distort, but you can't use vertical compression either.
I, probably along with many of you, have read raving reviews about progressive DVD players. How the diff was incredible and "it's the way to go". I now realize why for those people it made such a difference, but for the XBR400 it doesn't. Because those people were all using projection TVs. Picture detail, fidelity, and smoothness on a RPTV is still a step behind that of an XBR Wega. So for them progressive scan probably helped. But the XBR400 is direct view & seemingly doesn't benefit that much from progressive. So my reccomendation would be that interlaced players are just fine with this set, and picture quality is phenomenal. Going to progressive increases picture quality minimally at best, and introduces very annoying vertical compression behavior. There's no need to buy a progressive player for this set.

Similar Products Used:

XBR250