HDTV Reviews

I deduct one star only for Sony pricing. Others such as JVC seem to be better priced. However, I bit the bullet and bought Sony because I did not see anything with a better picture in the stores. The built-in speakers deliver a surprising top quality sound and the A/V connections are plentiful and easy to access. This unit really shines when playing a progressive scan DVD. Purchased my TV from Crutchfield, but I don't recommend them just because they used a delivery service that did not do a good job and they did not seem to be aware of our problem until I complained. My complaints to Crutchfield were eventually addressed and the delivery took 13 days from the day it was ordered. Also it was a good thing I was here to help. They were supposed to deliver with a two man crew, but only the driver showed up. No way can one man set up this TV, it weights about 200 lbs.

The KV-36HS500 is a joy to watch on a daily basis. If it matches your requirements for a new TV, I don't think you can go wrong with it.

Getting to the point of choosing it wasn't easy, though. Here's why:

If you are looking to buy a new TV these days, the vast array of technological choices is overwhelming. CRT, RPTV, FPTV, Plasma, LCD, DLP... each with their own unique pros and cons that makes them difficult to compare to each other. And these TVs are so expensive that you feel compelled to understand their value to ensure your choice will hold up over time.

After spending hours poring over minutiae and managing to scrape the surface of understanding, I had to just decide to decide. So I did. The KV-36HS500 became my new HDTV because it offered the best mix of features and compromises given the rapidly advancing state of television technology.

Here is what I learned along the way, in case this helps you make your decision:

0. Style
Unlike the more expensive XBR series, the HS series has a muted matte grey face. The current crop of XBRs has a shiny black border around the screen that I found distracting.

1. Aspect ratio
Widescreen (16:9) or regular (4:3)? That's one of the major questions these days when choosing a TV. The KV-36HS500 is not widescreen, which means it will show a widescreen program (usually a DVD movie or HDTV programming) with bars on the top and bottom. Since most TV content is not yet widescreen, I decided it was preferable to see it at its natural size, and to see the black bars only when watching widescreen DVDs or HDTV. Purists will explain that "widescreen is the future" and that most content will be produced in widescreen... and therefore a widescreen set is the best experience. Well, until that's true, we're in the early part of the transition. I will probably be able to afford a widescreen TV by the time most content is produce in 16:9 high definition format.

2. HDTV
HDTV sets look better than non-HDTV sets, even for non-HDTV content. Unless you feed the TV a terrible signal, such as poorly spliced analog cable, the result just looks sharper. Perhaps it's the TV, perhaps it's the processing -- my comparisons led me to believe that HDTV had better picture quality in all cases.

If you can receive HDTV signals over the air or via DirecTV, apparently the picture is amazing. I haven't seen this yet, but the KV-36HS500 is ready - it has a DVI-HDCP port waiting for the right HDTV set-top box. In the meantime, DVDs look fantastic, even with a DVD player that doesn't have Progressive Scan.

3. Flatness and thinness
Most TVs these days have flat screens, and I find the KV-36HS500's flat screen dramatically reduces glare from ambient lighting. Flat and thin are two different areas though. This TV is not at all "thin" like a plasma or LCD. If you want "thin" so you can hang your TV on the wall, you need either a plasma or LCD, not a CRT.

4. Size and weight
If you want a lightweight TV you can move yourself, run away! The KV-36HS500 is 225 lbs, it takes 2-3 strong able-bodied men just to get it into position. On the plus side, no one is ever going to steal it. Plasmas and LCDs are not only thin, they're light. RPTVs are also light, but they have a limited viewing angle.

On this note, make sure to buy this TV from someone who not only has a delivery service, but will happily pick up your return or pick up and deliver an exchange or repair. If you find a problem, you don't want to be stuck trying to move this TV.

5. Summary
If you watch mostly 4:3 programming (standard TV), enjoy good picture quality, need a fairly large screen, and want to be prepared for HDTV in the next year or two, this TV is for you. If you don't mind a shiny black border around the screen, you might opt for the 36" or 40" XBR version of this TV. On the other hand, if you watch mostly widescreen DVDs or HDTV, you should consider a widescreen CRT (there are very few!) or a plasma, both of which will cost more.

Best of luck finding your new TV!

The Sony 36'' Flat Screen HDTV Monitor (KV-36HS500) is an outstanding TV. The picture is absolutely remarkable!! It has a multitude of video inputs that allow me to connect my digital cable box, dvd player, vcr, and sony playstation 2!! It is so easy to use - so much so that my 11 year old daughter is an expert at using it.

This is a great LCD TV. The price is great too. DVDs and HDTV show an exceptional picture. The only problems I see are poor manual documentation and Westinghousedigital email support is slow and sometimes will not answer your email questions.

It is wonderful with Progressive Scan DVD player, well, not try HDTV yet since need an external HDTV tuner. Just ok with regular Cable TV. It is amazing when connect with my notebook computer. The color and brightness is far much better than my 18" LCD monitor. I need to sale my 18" LCD monitor.

Sound is great with DVD player. Very easy hook-up. It is 30" only, quite fit into a small living room. Pictures are smooth due to 16ms response time. It weighs so less, easily for me to move around. It looks much better when mounted on the wall than stood on it own.
The 15:9 makes black bar on top and bottom when watch in wide screen, I like it since the caption or any text just drop into the bottom bar.
Remote controller is great in simple and good at layout except the PIP function.

Wall mount is LCFL V200 made by Peerless that is too expensive for this very reasonable priced LCD. The PIP function in that remote controller is not as good as my old Sony 32" 's.

I just got this TV yesterday and hooked it up to a Pioneer digital cable HD receiver. This TV produces a fantastic picture when driven by a 720P or 1080i signal. I use it in 720P mode. You need a real HD signal to realize the potential of this TV. Discovery HD or HDnet provides suitable content for this TV. HBO and Showtime HD also provide true HD broadcasts several hours a day. Regular NTSC broadcast signals do not look good on this set as with ALL LCD TVs. The only complaint I have is that it only has 1 component input that is capable of handling progressive scan output. The other component input handles 480i only.

Being a first time buyer of a big screen TV, I did some major research. And the Hitachi 53" HDTV-ready 53SDX89B was by far the best.
What sold me most was the available viewing angles. I have seen many projection sets where you have to be almost directly in front of the tv, and level with it to view it with any clarity. With this TV, you can be way off on either side, lying on the floor, or standing tall - it doesn't matter, the picture will look crisp and bright.
The menu is easy to use and the tint, color, brightness, etc adjustments are incredibly precise.
This is a HDTV well worth the money.

Fantastic picture quality when connected via component video to DVD player. HDTV ready when set-top box ships. Great value compared to other HDTV-ready projection TV's.

I recently graduated from a 14" TV to this 27" one. I wanted something that was both bigger and compatible with DVD, Video, and a home theater system.
I am very pleased with it. Especially with the DVD. The picture is so clear and lifelike it is like being there when I view my favorite Musical DVD's by Bill Gaither and His Homecoming friends.(Also sold on Amazon.com} It's great to have an TV like this that makes in-home concerts possible. I compared the price with a place a man I work with claims always has a low price. This price was far better than where he recommeded.

True, the price is slightly less at walmart BUT, when I bought it from Amazon it ended up being cheaper anyway. I had gotten a 10.00 off coupon from the Amazon mailing list. Besides that the above person forgot tax. If I was to buy the TV at walmart I would need to pay tax. I didn't have to pay tax on Amazon...so people please keep that in mind.

Now for the TV, for the price I think it is great. We have had it since Xmas, and it works fine, the picture is great. But keep in mind this is a really big TV. I had a 27 inch in my house already, but with the side speakers and everything, it ended up being bigger. All in all I think it is a great TV, and the price is good since there is no tax.

I looked extensively for a projection television. By extensively, I mean for over a year! This was a major purchase for my family and I didn't want to make the wrong choice. I learned a lot things. The biggest thing that I have learned is do not listen to salesmen. They all seem to push certain brands depending upon what day you enter the store. Panasonic was literally put down my most salesmen. Mitsubishi and Sony are pushed pretty hard. I have had excellent luck with RCA, but they talked RCA down. I decided I was on my own. This particular TV had two things that I was looking for. First of all I didn't want the cloth speaker covers. These will look terrible after 6 months with a dog and two kids. Second, I wanted built in storage space. The picture quality is excellent as well. The only complaint I have (and this may be the case with any rear projection television) is that on fades in and out where the screen is black... you tend to see a small line rolling up the screen. But that's only when the screen is pitch black and that is rare. I also purchased the Panasonic SCHT900 700W 5-Disc DVD Home Theater System to go along with this television. Both are excellent and I couldn't be happier. Keep in mind I've only had these 2 weeks so I will update if there is a problem. Toshiba, Hitachi, Mitsubishi and Sony are good televisions, but don't let them scare you away from Pansonic or RCA. I've been using them for years problem free!

I purchased this set after doing extensive research,I have not been disapointed with any of its features.The sound quality is incredible and it blew me away with the first movie I watched on it. Picture quality is great and only gets better with DVD's. Set up is very easy and controls are user friendly. This set has hard covers over the speakers and most other sets have cheap fabric that tears easy.I would definetly recommend this set for a first purchase,you will not be disappointed.

In spite of some delivery problems, we have really enjoyed this excellent television, soon to be superceded (and replaced at our house) by the new CT36HX42. We're told it will be the same basic set with some incremental improvements.
Before choosing it, we did side by side comparisons with the Sony XBR and a few others. The Panasonic unit was slightly but consistently brighter and clearer. The clincher for us was that the Panasonic has a slightly narrower footprint. With the Sony XBR we would have been limited to a 32 inch screen in our 40 inch-wide space.
My only critism is that the universal remote has an inadequate memory, and can only be programmed for certaim components of other brands. In our case it cannot be programmed to control our non-Panasonic receiver---which pretty much defeats the purpose of a universal remote. But having to use a second remote is a minor annoyance at worst. We really enjoy the great picture, outstanding sound, (even without a home theater setup), and the easy-to-use menus for setup and adjustments. We think it's a great buy---but wait for the CT36HX42---it'll be along in July, and should be even better!!

My wife and I have been nursing along a 21-year old, 19-inch GTE/Sylvania color TV, that she had purchased as a Freshman in college. Single speaker, retractable rabbit antenna . . .
the unit is probably coal-burning.

Enter the world of "INVAR Shadow Masks", "Anamorphic DVD Detection", and "3D Y/C Digital Comb Filter". Hey, these sound like instruments of a CIA field agent . . and we just wanted a great picture. Not wanting to look like total imbeciles, we researched the Net, including the Amazon site.

After going to numerous stores to compare 36-inch sets, we can say without qualification - the picture clarity on the Panasonic CT36HX41 literally spanks the pants off anything else we looked at . . with the possible exception of the SONY XBR250 - the set we originally considered.

The problem with the SONY XBR250 was that at 40-inches across, it was impossible to find a well-made entertainment center large enough to hold this digital mausoleum. The only alternative was to have a cabinet-maker do a custom-build . . or order a Contemporary glass/chrome TV pedestal/settee . . . providing all the interior warmth and atmosphere of the restrooms at the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

We have hooked up the Panasonic set to a SONY DVPNS700P DVD player/ w progressive scan, and so far, the the picture has been astonishing. For those who don't want to invest in the whole home-theatre/ video receiver/AC3 experience, the Pansonic provides a very nice 3D surround sound built right-into the set.

Do yourself a huge favor and pay for home delivery. At 242 lbs., this Pansonic is not a set to put on the roof of your car.
Enlist the support of all the muscle you can find for this puppy.

with out it alot of your HDTV componets will not hook up because the industry standard is not close enough to be compatible with all brands

Several years ago I bought a RCA DCT 100 Hi Def. receiver in anticapation of my future upgrade to a Hi Res TV. I just purchased a Sony 32in. Hi Res TV. I hooked up the adapter and WOW HDTV in all its glory.

I purchased this TV after reviewing all the big names, Sony, Hitachi, Pioneer, Toshiba, etc. After careful consideration and hours of sitting in Circuit City and Best Buy, my wife(she's awesome! She wanted this just as bad as I did!) and I narrowed it down to 3 65"Sony, 53"Hitachi and the 61"RCA.What I wanted was basically a great picture. I don't care what audio features they have because I run that through my reciever anyway. Well, We decided on the RCA because we found it to be the best deal. The HD,DirectTV reveiver came with it. It was larger than the Hitachi, The picture was excellent, It was a great deal and we are both very happy parents of "Monster".

This is my first big screen television and I must say that I couldn't be happier with my purchase. I researched several other models including Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic. In my opinion the RCA possesses the best picture and the lowest price. I found the television on display next to a similar Toshiba HDTV and the RCA's picture seemed noticeably better in my opinion, I even had the salesman surf through some local channels to compare the picture quality of both of these video behemoths.

The picture is clear and crisp as is the audio. The unit has plenty of input connections including composite video and s-video as well as standard RCA type audio outputs. The built-in DirecTV receiver is very nice and certainly necessary as there is no place for an external unit on top of the television. Unfortunately, I cannot record DirecTV programs utilizing my VCR because the built-in DirecTV receiver does not have an output for this purpose. The only other minor concern that I have is that the unit has a lot of depth, about 24.75 inches, something to consider if you have limited floor space. I would highly recommend this television to anyone.

TV is good. Have had mine for 2 years now. One problem as with all these types of TV's, I would put on gray bars to put it to 4:3 size when watching regular TV and the bars started burning into the screen. You must always view in widescreen to avoid this, also, have the service plan if you can and have someone come out a align the projections every year. Makes a difference. Picture is great as a whole and DVD movies are really nice via componet video with progressive scan. Getting a deal on it, then I would grab it.

I picked this unit up at [the store] because the picture was great on the floor, and it is at home to. If the absence of surround sound on this unit bothers you dont buy it, sound on board is good. I like it so far and is awesome with widescreen movies, sitting anywhere in the room is a pretty good viewing spot,but not to close. Remote is not super great in terms of sending signals. I had for 6 months and I love it so far.

Used primarly for video games, I've had it almost a year now & no problems. It has a rich & colorful picture that can be scene no matter where you are in the room. I just want it to be bigger.

Huge disappointment.

I have eight DSS receivers, dating back to the early days of DSS: Sony SAT-A1, Sony SAT-A2, Sony SAT-A3, Sony SAT-A65A, RCA DTC100, Mitsubishi SR-HD500, and now I just purchased two pieces of the latest greatest Sony SAT-HD200. The last three models are all HD compatible.

I was looking forward to the new Sony since I find the interface of both the Mitsubishi and RCA models cumbersome at best; my older Sony's had better features and functionality. So I assumed Sony would be adding HD functionality to that strong feature/ease of use heritage. However, the Sony SAT-HD200 is a bomb. After seeing continuous improvement in features over the past decade in Sony DSS receivers, this is a GIANT leap back. They omitted an event timer, which every DSS recevier I own (dating back to 1992) has had, and they also lack many convenience features of the SAT-A65A ... such as multiple favorite groupings, channel marks (the convenient screen with your 9 favorite channels), and descriptions of the channels when you are setting up favorites. As a feature set, it is vastly inferior to all my other Sony DSS units including the original SAT-A1 vintage 1991. What was Sony thinking?

Unless you desperately need the HD functionality (in which case you should buy a different brand), the Sony SAT-A65A is vastly superior in functionality at 25% of the price.

I wish I hadn't bought this. I assumed that timer functionality was included - after all I can't remember buying a VCR, DVD player, DSS, receiver that didn't include ALL the funcitonality of the model it was replacing. I even called Sony to ask if I was missing something in the manual, and after appealing it 3 levels up their hierarchy, they admitted that the timer feature was omitted.

Sony is in trouble if this is how they think they should compete.

Strengths:
HDTV compatible; best signal sensitivity of all my receivers

Weaknesses:
Woefully lacking in BASIC features that are in models costing 25% as much; also lacks Firewire (IEEE 1394), which is the only connector that links to a DVHS tape deck

Similar Products Used:
Sony SAT-A1, Sony SAT-A2, Sony SAT-A3, Sony SAT-A65A, RCA DTC100, Mitsubishi SR-HD500

I just purchased the Sony HD200 receiver and have been very satisfied so far. Hooked it up to my Mitsubishi 65411 TV and Onkyo A/V receiver with no problems and I'm now enjoying the incredible HDTV over-the-air reception and the digital 5.1 sound. I also really like the Advanced Program Guide for DirecTV that has so much more functionality that my 'regular' DirecTV box. The other great thing is that this box integrates the local channels coming through the antenna in the menu with the other satellite channels. I figured that I'd have to switch inputs back and forth on the TV so was happily surprised by that functionality.

A tip for those wondering whether they should buy the HDTV-ready TV with the integrated tuner...don't do it. You'll pay an extra $600-800 and will be able to get HD for over-the-air local channels using an antenna. But you'll still have to buy a set-top box like this to get HD through your satellite or cable. Buy this receiver and get both for about the same price!

By the way, the price appears to be set to drop on this item from its lofty eight hundred dollar retail price. I got mine for less than six hundred fifty. Check pricegrabber.com for the lowest prices out there.

As of the beginning of 2003, this is pretty much the HD satellite receiver to get. Unfortunately, because of its popularity, it's very difficult to find one right now. I ordered one in late 2002 and am still waiting for my order to be fulfilled. Nevertheless, I got to demo one at my local retailer and it was the receiver that finally convinced me it was the right time to upgrade to HD. My retailer, a high-end shop, offers several competing HD receiver models for sale but 95% of their customers have ordered the Sony. I've had a Sony DirecTV receiver for several years and like the interface, though to be honest I don't use it often now because I run the signal through a TIVO. TIVO claims to be coming out with a PVR which will be able to record and output HD signals later this year; this Sony would be the perfect companion to something like that.

You'll need to get an HD-capable satellite dish to go along with this receiver. Here are some specs from Sony's site:

• High Definition Digital TV Receiver
• Dolby Digital™ Passthrough
• Advanced Program Guide From DirecTV® Service
• Keyword Search
• 20 Event Reminder
• Wide Mode Aspect Ratio Control
• Quick Access to Signal Strength Meter
• Freeze Function
• Cool Quiet Operation
• Front Panel Display Window
• V Chip Parental Control
• Universal Remote Commander® Remote Control
• Favorite Channel List
• Inputs and Outputs:
• DVI-HDTV Interface
• Component Video Output Y/Pb/Pr
• RGB Output
• A/V Output x 2
• S-Video Ouput
• RF Output And Passthrough
• Digital Audio: Optical (Selectable Dolby® Digital or PCM Output)
• 2 Fixed Analog Audio Outputs
• Television System: NTSC, Analog American Standard (480i), ATSC DTV (480i,480p,720p,1080i),DirecTV
• Channel coverage: DTV 1-69,VHF 2-13,UHF14-69,CATV 1-125,DirecTV variable
• ATSC/NTSC RF Inputs: Antenna(1),CTV(1), (ATSC-8VSB over CATV or Terrestrial
• RF Output: Out to TV (1) Selectable Channel 3 or 4
• DirecTV RF Input Satellite In (1)
• DVI-HDTV Output: DVI HDTV Out (1) DVI-D Single Link Connector 480p,720p,1080i
• RGB Output: 15 Pin Connector (1) 1080i, 720p, 480p
• Component Video Output: (1) Y,Pb,Pr 1080i, 720p, 480p
• S-Video Output: (1) 480i
• Composite Video Output: (2) 480i
• Digital Audio: Optical (Selectable Dolby Digital or PCM Output)
• Audio Output: (2) Analog Fixed Output Level
• Access Card: Smart Card Slot in Back
• Authorized Service Port: 9-pin Serial Port (1)
• Remote Control: RM-Y815
• Supplied Accessories: DVI Cable,Component Cable,S Video Cable,A/V Cable,RF Cable(2),Telephone Cable, Instruction Manual, AA Batteries
• Dimensions: (W x H x D) 16.9 x 3.01 x 12.8" (430x76.5x326mm)
• Weight: 8.5lbs (3.84kg)