TV Reviews

According to the manual offered for download on this item on this page and on the RCA site, the true three cable component video output,( Y, Pr,Pb) system mentioned on this page and in one review provided, is NOT provided by this receiver.
The best quality provided by the 485rg according to the manual offered on both this and the RCA site, is S-video.
The true component video system IS provided by several later receivers, such as the DRD486RH, which unfortunately is not carried at present by Amazon.

This receiver is however, a good choice for users needing 5.1 channel digital Dolby audio via either coax or optical and not having a TV equipped with true component video inputs, if you can't find the newer (and less expensive) 486RH.

The RCA DirecTV DRD485RG receiver was purchased from Amazon as an additional DirecTV receiver and works great. It's loaded with features not found on others.

It's the audiophiles choice for DirecTV - six-channel surround sound Dolby Digital 5.1 with both coaxial and optical digital-audio connections (as well as two sets of standard RCA video/stereo-audio connections). Dolby Digital broadcasts are available with the pay-per-view and premium movie channels such as HBO, Encore, or Showtime.

It's also the videophiles choice for DirecTV - with both component(Y, Pr, Pb) and S-Video video connections for excellent picture quality (as well as two sets of standard RCA video/stereo-audio connections).

The RCA DRD485RG receiver allows for telephone caller-id information to be displayed on the screen as you watch your favorite program. And it's smart enough to disable the display when you are recording. If you decide you don't want it, it can be disabled.

The free 'interactive' service of this DirecTV receiver is super! With this interactive feature, I can now get LOCAL WEATHER instantly - a cableTV service that I had missed until I purchased this RCA receiver. Additional, I can even look up STOCK QUOTES while viewing the Bloomberg Financial channel. Many channels and specific programs are using the abilities of this 'interactive service.'

The receiver's self-updating feature has improved performace and reliablity. It's totally automatic.

It's comes with a great (and logical designed) "RF" long range remote universal control.

It's a great DirecTV receiver from RCA -- I recommend it.

If you do some searching you'll find that slow operation speed is an issue with the DRD485RG receiver. One feature of this unit is automatic software updgrades. Less than a week after purchasing the unit an upgrade fully corrected the slow operation (1 second per channel scroll)issue. Scrolling channels is now as fast as I can push the button. All other features work fine, picture and sound quality are excellent.

ITS SIMPLE LOVE THE TV CAN NOT FIND V PORT WIRE TO HOOK INTO V PORT SLOT ON TV

I do not own this TV, and since the previous reviews were of no help, I have to ask these questions to other people who own this TV:

Does the V Port provide a picture quality that is significantly better than a regular S-video plug ???

This TV seems like a great buy since it also has component plugs which are great for DVD movies. But it is not truly a HDTV. It is considered to be an "analog" TV. So should I buy this analog TV, or should I buy a true HDTV ???

Only 11 TVs support Microsoft X Box's new VPORT, this is one of them. I highly recommend this TV for the price.

I sent the TV, RCA T13072 13'' Kitchen TV/VCR COMBO White. My sister says that TV Channels 3 and 6 in Phila., Pa. - the reception is very poor. The Antenna appears defective.

Will you advise?

William J Steel
3410 Wooster Rd
Apt 606A
Rocky River, OH Tel. 440-356-3981

Sister in Phila.
Agnes M. Steel
3108 Unruh St.
Phila., Pa 19149
Tel. 215-333-8821

- Bill

The RCA kitchen TV/VCR with the swivel base has been a wonderful addition to our kitchen. The picture is very clear and the VCR easy to use. The remote control is also very user friendly. But the best part is the attached swivel base. The swivel base is not visible. And the TV turns very easily and safely. It doesn't slide on the counter top when my little son pushes on the TV's controls and I'm not worried about him pushing it off the counter top.

After doing a complete kitchen remodel, we shopped around for a small TV/VCR combo for the kitchen. We looked at some much more expensive models, with specs that looked better on paper. We are very fussy about picture quality and didn't want to suffer with an inferior image. However, the sealed membrane remote control sealed the deal for my wife, who is the primary user. That was a year ago, and this TV has been one of the more satisfying products of any type we've bought recently. The picture is much better than I had imagined once I got rid of the silly factory settings and calibrated it to a realistic level. It is on and off all day long as we are in and out of the kitchen. All the ergonomic features work perfect, from the swivel base, the grab handle behind the top surface to the membrane remote that can be picked up with wet hands without damaging it. The tape function work well, and my wife has been using her cooking tapes quite a bit. It is amusing to us now that we were prepared to pay three times as much to get a good picture. We have had a chance to look at those other sets since, and we now know that this set beats them all on ergonomics and kitchen specific functions, and holds it's own on image quality with the expensive sets. A win / win for us.

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.

While this radio is not a great radio, it is competent for the task at hand. I compared its AM/FM performance against a Sony analog Walkman, which has surprisingly good performance. As expected, this radio was better than the Walkman, but not a great deal better. I also checked the TV bands against the known local stations and all of the local stations came in fine. The weather band also worked fine. The downsides are that the radio is best used for voice, since its sole speaker is not great. I wish its AM performance were better than average, but it is just average. It has some difficulty with strong station rejection. You will find spots on the FM dial where two or more stations combine in places they do not belong. For the price, a worthwhile purchase. It is better than Radio Shack products.

If you are looking for an emergency radio or for something to listen to while out on the deck, this radio is a great option. It is small enough to throw in an overnight bag if you are going on a weekend trip. I have no problems with reception. The weather band is a great option. Sound is more than adequate for the price. Very happy with this product.

This is the best radio of its type on the market. Absolutely a superb design. Great sound quality for its size also. This is the radio you want for general talk radio use and for staying informed. It takes C size batteries that will last a very long time. Just what you need if the power goes out. This radio is not digital, which is what you want in a radio like this. Digital radios really drain batteries fast so a pure analog radio is best when you want long battery life. Tuning is no problem on this radio.

This set is adequate among the big screens, a good value for the price on an HDTV system. It still requires that the room be darkened for the best picture. The viewing angle is 120 (60 off center each way) not really any more.

I bought it for the HDTV features and most of the time it plays back a progressive scan DVD player. That's good because the HDTV tuner failed before the cable company could upgrade my cable. My family has waited now over two months for a replacement tuner from RCA. They sent the wrong one after we waited the first few weeks for a repairman.

This poor service may be a local situation, but I'd be cautious that RCA is having a problem with these tuners since it's taking a while to get a replacement.

As you may or may not know, Rca (Thompson electronics) has put alot of money in the development of HDTV products, and it is starting to show. I have the MM52110 with the DTC100 stb and progressive scan dvd player...with sattelite as my "over the air " viewing source...Wow!! What a picture !! I went to ...several... stores to get an comparison....and to my surprise the RCA had the clearest, fullest looking picture of them all...I was surprised that the colors,clarity, etc...were better than the Sony, Toshiba, etc.....this was based on seeing in Hi-Def. In regular 480i (line doubled) they all had their pluses and minuses. But over all the RCA looked best...I was surprised. Place after place my wife and son....with out being bias....chose the RCA each time. Every person that comes over our house is amazed by the picture, etc. But most importantly, I am pleased with the picture. Now for the quick review: With the DTC100 stb I get full, vibrant, beatiful HD and the box also acts as an line doubler (up-converting from 480i to 540p) which is an odd scan rate and may cause some "artifacts" during viewinf of certain channels of "poor" feeds. This is my only complaint about this system. I view everything either line doubled or in HD...thus eliminating ugly scan lines. I woul reccommend getting an progessive scan dvd player with true 3:2 pulldown...will make a big difference...Sony and Toshiba or any dvd player with dvdo chip is also a good choice. All NTSC signals (480i) standard viewing is good...but as with any large tv you will have ugly scan lines...but overall the picture is good. The tv runs very close to the 6500k...the digital focus is accurate and good. Auto convergence is also a good feature. 7" crts put out a solid picture....but once again I would strongly reccommend a line doubler either by I-scan (DVDO) or buy the DTC100 box to get HD and line doubling and directv in one package....also, if you can get sattellite, do it . The picture clrity is far superior to cable.(at least in our area) Over all, I am very pleased with this tv...But don't take it from me. Research and compare side by side, and don't follow the crowd, buy what is in your budget and looks good to you.

This TV-set gives you enjoy possibility shocking scene, which only can give DVD Format. Progressive-scan (newest technology!!), HDTV-Ready Multimedia Projection TV RCA MM52110 52"(Biggest size screen!!!) will give you to the ful to feel itself in the centre occurring. And all this on the price below ...,- plus RCA progressive-scan DVD-video player such as RC6000P or RC6001P (hurry - acts before July 8!!!).

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.

This is a good TV with just a few blimishes. While this TV is a good buy and has a good quality picture, the closed caption option still has some bugs in it. I have a deaf friend who likes to watch movies and TV with me alot. We found out when I got this TV that the closed caption option would work on some channels and not others, all movies but not all 'tapes'. I found that this TV can be tempermental and unreliable for the closed captioning. This happens to be a very important feature for me, but for some people it is never even used. The only other complaint I have is for the remote. The cover for the battery compartment didn't last a week with my 3 year old, who likes to fiddle with and mouth the remote while he is watching the TV. The backing soon had to be taped into place so the batteries would not keep constantly falling out.

The quality of this TV is just great considering the cost. So good of a ratio I went back and bought a second. The only thing about the TV that could be better is slightly less Curvature to the Picture Tube. But If you want that, be prepared to pay quite a bit more !

I've owned many televisions. This t.v. has excellent video qualityand is an exceptional value for the price. Buy this product w/ohesitation...it is sincerely worth the money. A great value.

I have owned a 13-inch Sony Trintron for more than five years and have been very pleased with its performance. My television has never had any maintenance or performance problems and it works as well as a new one. I noticed that this 13-inch TV is significantly more expensive than several other 13-inch brands featured, but I'd say it is worth it since it will last for years.

A good basic TV with unmatched Trinitron picture quality. It replaced an 11 year old Sony -- the fit and finish of the older model was somewhat better. The old Sony was made in Japan while this unit is made in Mexico. I guess its like anything today. Still, if you are looking for the second TV for the bedroom, kitchen or dorm, this is a great choice. It has an excellent picture with all the basic features you need. As an added bonus, the amazon.com price was 25% less than the local high-pressure sleazy electronics stores.

I'm purchasing this 13" Trinitron to replace my old one, which just died after 15+ years of solid use. I used it all through college (doubling as my computer monitor!), it was my only TV in my first apartment, my mom took it and used it in her study for several years, and I've been using it daily for the last year. The color is outstanding, the picture quality is outstanding, and when you see it against other brands in the store you can easily tell why this set is worth paying a little more. It was because I liked this set so much that I bought another Trinitron when I was looking for a bigger TV, and bought a Trinitron for my parents last Christmas.