Wonderfil Pix, Got a Great Deal

Weight

Since posting my original review of my new Sony Wega XBR 400
36" TV set, I have received many personal E Mails regarding the price of this set and the dealer from whom I purchased the set. Let me just say that I do not work for Sony Corporation nor do I work or represent the dealer in any way. I also do not care to provide free advertising for the dealer here on the internet, especially in this forum.

Here is the breakdown of the price paid for the XBR 400 36", brand new set, factory fresh out of the carton:

Sony XBR 400 36" Wega $2000.00
Sony XBR 400 Stand 200.00
Assemble Stand Charge 25.00
Extend Sony Warr to 5 years 200.00
Delivery Charge and Set Up Free

+ 8.25% Sales Tax

The dealer who I purchased this set from is a small appliance dealer here on Long Island. They maintain a web site and I am not sure if they do internet sales. Feel free to E mail me for web site info. This set is just wonderful and cannot say more about it.

Eddie B from Long Island, NY
E Mail: uncleed@optonline.net

Similar Products Used:

Sony 20" Wega

Sexey look. Great picture so far. H.D. ready!

Internal line doubler (fast onscreen action looks grainy)

Well I decided to give this set a try after the great number of problems I had with my xbr200 2yrs ago. I can say that so far this set destroys my old 200 in every way. The pic is great with a high quality feed. Color jumps off the screen, and everything has a cool 3d look to it. I love having 2 sets of component video jacks on the back of this set because I use my tv as a computer monitor as well. Initially, out of the box I was happy with the picture quality, but not really blown away by it if you get my drift. I took the advice of so many of you who reccomend the canare component video cables for dvd playback and orderded a set for myself. The cables are excellent and I highly reccomend them. I also learned from Mike at custom A/V that I could use my XBR as a computer monitor with the use of a VGA to component video transcoder. It sure is great to have a 36" pc monitor to surf the web and play games on. I was aldo informed by Mike that the set looks alot better with the use of an external line doubler like the DVDO I-scan. I haven't recieved my DVDO yet so I can't really comment on that yet. I love the fact that sony woke up and allowed the defeating of the velocity scan modulation circuit through the menu this time around (I had to cut a wire in my old 200 to defeat VSM in it). Many people who are having excessive motion artifacts and grain to the picture can benifit from turning your VSM off and turning your sharpness down. My only problem is that fast action onscreen still produces to many artifacts for my taste. I hope the DVDO helps in that regard.(I'll give another review after I get my I-scan) Bottom line, this is really a great set and can even get better with a little tweaking. P.S. If anyone is interested in learning more about tweaking this set, I highly reccomend giving Mike at custom A/V a call, he seems to really know his stuff, not to mention the great canare cables they have to offer.

Similar Products Used:

XBR 200

Phenomenal Picture; Accepts Enhanced Widescreen DVD input, built in line doubler, Great Menus, Great remote, I could go on and on.

I think it weighs as much as a Yugo.

After five minutes with this TV, I was crying — a happy cry, not a sad one.
After reading a lot about this TV, I was excited about seeing my DVDs look great, but was concerned that my cable would not look so good.
Well, after setting it to Pro mode (my favorite setting) and tweaking the picture a bit, I find that everything looks good. Even on my regular analog cable I find an immediacy with the video; it's almost like a window. I was in love.
One funny thing is that I played around a lot with the TV and got things set the way I wanted it and was playing excerpts from my favorite DVDs (T2 ultimate edition, The Matrix, Saving Private Ryan). I was just drooling over the picture. Then I realized something.... I forgot to change my DVD output to the enhanced 16:9 output. BAMM!!!! What looked like a fantastic picture before got even richer.
This TV is fantastic and well worth the $$$. Also, yes, I bought this at Crazy Eddie's and they did a good job, delivered it on time, and the guys brought it (in the box) right into my basement where I wanted it. I almost bought the Panasonic Tau 34" widescreen direct view, but decided that this was a better value and was more appropriate considering that HDTV is still a ways off (and the Sony is ready for it).
Buy this TV; it's got everything you need for the next 5 to 10 years of technology.

Similar Products Used:

Other than owning 27" TV's, nothing comes close to this.

Phenomenal Picture; Accepts Enhanced Widescreen DVD input, built in line doubler, Great Menus, Great remote, I could go on and on.

I think it weighs as much as a Yugo.

After five minutes with this TV, I was crying — a happy cry, not a sad one.
After reading a lot about this TV, I was excited about seeing my DVDs look great, but was concerned that my cable would not look so good.
Well, after setting it to Pro mode (my favorite setting) and tweaking the picture a bit, I find that everything looks good. Even on my regular analog cable I find an immediacy with the video; it's almost like a window. I was in love.
One funny thing is that I played around a lot with the TV and got things set the way I wanted it and was playing excerpts from my favorite DVDs (T2 ultimate edition, The Matrix, Saving Private Ryan). I was just drooling over the picture. Then I realized something.... I forgot to change my DVD output to the enhanced 16:9 output. BAMM!!!! What looked like a fantastic picture before got even richer.
This TV is fantastic and well worth the $$$. Also, yes, I bought this at Crazy Eddie's and they did a good job, delivered it on time, and the guys brought it (in the box) right into my basement where I wanted it. I almost bought the Panasonic Tau 34" widescreen direct view, but decided that this was a better value and was more appropriate considering that HDTV is still a ways off (and the Sony is ready for it).
Buy this TV; it's got everything you need for the next 5 to 10 years of technology.

Similar Products Used:

Other than owning 27" TV's, nothing comes close to this.

Great for DVDs. Easy to configure.

Poor documentation on how dummies can connect components for best picture.

I bought the TV and I like it, but I am not WOW'd. I thought the pic would be better. I run satelite with an RCA receiver, not HD, and the picture seems grainy and blurry.

DVD's look great, even with a SVideo cable. I am trying to find the RBG cables but no-one seems to have them. I am not sure if that will improve the pic much though.

Can anyone tell me how to calibrate the system, or give me any pointers to get better sat reception? I checked my signal strength and it is at 92. Is that good enough, or should I climb on the roof and try for a better signal?

Any help or feedback would be great.

THanks

Does anyone have info. on the retailer crazy eddie he is selling this TV cheap like 2034.99 with shiping add 241.00. It seems people who have problems with the TV such as grills coming off etc. are buying it from retailers who are not authorized sony dealers. Seems no one has bought form Crutchfield at all.

DRC circuitry is awesome.
Lots of inputs!

Hard to move (Heavy!!). Factory settings SUCK!!!!

Wow, this is THE best picture I've ever seen on ANY tv.

It definately needed tuning with Video Essentials though. The factory settings really sucked!

I think even standard TV looks better on this thing than on any other TV. That DRC does it's job well. If you look real closely -- you will see the "pixelation" that many talk about. Step back a few feet, and I really can't tell.

It makes even some of my REALLY bad cable channels look a lot better. (I have the 32" Trinitron in the other room..) When I compare the two the XBR400 *ALWAYS* looks better -- even during poor signal quality.

Put on a DVD and it's simply amazing!

Awesome TV!

Similar Products Used:

32" Sony Trinitron. 50" Hitachi Ultravision

Looks great, I spent 3 hrs at the store

weight as all others say (I'm having it delivered and set up)

I saw "Bugs Life" at the store. Looked like I could reach into the picture. I've already ordered the 36 inch TBR for about 2400 bucks. I'm wondering about the 16:9 auto. Is that a setting on the tv? I set my dvd to that and it stretched the picture. Will my new 36 inch Digital Wega have a setting for 16:9 auto? I have several DVDs and some of them say 1.85:1, 2.45:1, etc.............

Similar Products Used:

ProScan 27"