Scobleizer - Latest Comments in New Sony, Old Sony

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Andre M — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 01:47:46 -0000

Sorry I should have proof read my comment first. I think you get the idea of what I meant.

Again thanks,

Andre

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Andre M — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 01:46:16 -0000

I just bought the KDS-R50XBR1 and I love it. I bought last it for $2500 canadian with a stand. I was the floor model and I knew the owner of the store. I have one question. They say that the xbox 360 will display 1080P if you use the VGA cable. My tv has RGB. Is that the same thing? If I buy the cable can I plug it in? Sorry if it's a stupid question.

Thanks
Andre

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Mark Reinhold — Sat, 06 May 2006 15:55:11 -0000

Alexander, Thanks. T did not know they were even out there. I found a four port about 300 (i think 280). I just got to convince the Spousal unit that we need one, or the world will end. With the new Computer, and the new TV this could be hard.

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Alexander Scoble — Fri, 05 May 2006 17:34:02 -0000

Yup, or get an HDMI switching receiver or preamp, although most only switch between 2 inputs to 1 output.

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Mark Reinhold — Fri, 05 May 2006 14:52:15 -0000

I just bought a JVC HD-56G786 and am loving it. I am bummed that it only 1 HDMI input for it; so I either hook up my satelite or the DVD players. I need a AB switch.

I guess theat is one of the problems being on the edge last this, I used to always get stuff when tech was two years old.

This being on the edge is frustrating, and give head aches at night trying to hack things to work

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Alexander Scoble — Wed, 03 May 2006 13:11:58 -0000

I feel the same way about the rootkit debacle, Michael.

Unfortunately, I had to eat crow on that one after blogging that I would be boycotting Sony because of the rootkit mess.

Problem is there just aren't a lot of other brands to choose from right now when it comes to HDTVs with 1920x1080 resolution. At the 50" size it's Sony or JVC and the JVC is, at least from everything I've read, an inferior product.

Sorry, but for me getting the best product for the money trumps some idiotic move that another Sony company did.

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Michiel — Wed, 03 May 2006 05:24:06 -0000

Ever since the Sony rootkit debacle I've been boycotting them. No monies for Sony (though it is a nice screen, but there are plenty of other brands out there).

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Robert Scoble — Tue, 02 May 2006 17:27:10 -0000

Brian, sadly, I'm having some problems. My set was a refurbished one. I should have spent the additional money for a new set. Sigh.

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Ian Reandeau — Tue, 02 May 2006 15:52:19 -0000

Congrats Robert! And just a few short weeks ago you were thinking you'd have to give up your xbox. ;)

Every time I end up playing a 360 on a SDTV it makes sad that the owner is missing out on so much.

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Frank Barnako — Tue, 02 May 2006 07:31:40 -0000

Whew! I am so happy ... coincidentally, I bought the same set Sunday :) Glad our research agreed.

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Brian Turner — Tue, 02 May 2006 07:27:40 -0000

The trouble with huge TVs is that sometimes - they are just *too* huge.

Flatscreen TVs can also have serious quality problems, especially solarisation and poor image quality, that the sellers often will pretend they aren;t aware of until after the sale - then claim so long as it's to manufacturer specifications, then just shut up.

Had a bad experience with that last year:
http://www.platinax.co.uk/b...

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Scott — Tue, 02 May 2006 00:54:12 -0000

Alexander,

Thanks for the clarification - check out this thread on the AVSForum - this is the best forum for HDTV gear !!

http://www.avsforum.com/avs...

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Alexander Scoble — Mon, 01 May 2006 19:17:02 -0000

According to the user manual you are limited to a resolution of 1280x1024 when sending a signal from video card using VGA cable to the SXRD units.

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Alexander Scoble — Mon, 01 May 2006 19:10:32 -0000

The Sony SXRD sets include support for HDCP.

Why would anyone want to buy a Sony? Because, currently, they make the best big screen TV on the market for the price, period.

If that wasn't the case, then I would not have bought one as I am fairly anti-Sony after the Sony BMG DRM rootkit kerfluffle...but I wanted an HDTV now that I was going to be happy with NOW and the Sony sets were the only ones that I saw that justified purchasing.

In two years, I'll probably change to a Toshiba SED display, or I might not. Have to see how good SED displays really are when they come out.

But if you are looking for a big screen HDTV TODAY and hanging it on the wall isn't part of your requirements, than the SXRD sets are where your best money is at. By comparison all of the DLP sets, quite frankly, just suck. As I said, there are no plasma sets of comparable quality anywhere near the same price.

So that leaves you with few options at this point, of which the Sonys are the best, in my opinion.

As my brother said, this opinion is based on at least two months of research if not more.

If your requirements aren't to get the best big screen HDTV for the money, then don't buy the Sonys, but if that is your biggest requirement, then you will be dissappointed with pretty much anything else.

I should note that I am ONLY talking about the Sony 50" and 60" SXRD units here. If your requirements are for a smaller set, then most likely you will want to take a look at a directview LCD display that will do 1080p native like the Westinghouse LCD displays or others.

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Scott — Mon, 01 May 2006 19:03:44 -0000

Alexander,

This is a copy/paste from Son'y web site with the link theat Robert posted

"Specifications • General Features

• Channel Fix

• ID1 Detection

• Video

• Native Resolution: 1920 x 1080

• Aspect Ratio: 16:9"

So ... please explain ... if I have a 1920 x 1080p signal via the PC input from my Windows Media center 2005, will the KDS-R50XBR1 display only 720p ?

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Robert Scoble — Mon, 01 May 2006 18:57:20 -0000

John: I make less than $100,000 per year in salary every year. I'm far from "filty rich."

I wish you decided my salary level! :-)

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Dmad — Mon, 01 May 2006 18:56:06 -0000

Alexander has great advice. Now, what I don't understand is why anyone would buy a Sony. But then again, people buy Chevy's

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Marius — Mon, 01 May 2006 18:38:58 -0000

What, no HDCP support?

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

johnkoetsier — Mon, 01 May 2006 17:39:42 -0000

That looks so awesome and yummy I can almost forget that I - don't - actually - watch - much - TV ... and don't want to watch as much as I already do watch.

On another topic: why are you not filthy rich, Robert? You are one of the most important people at Microsoft, whether or not they realize it, and should obviously be paying you more.

(Or should I chalk up your occasional can't-afford-this-or-that comments to the astronomical prices of Seattle real estate?)

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Alexander Scoble — Mon, 01 May 2006 16:57:39 -0000

None of the other Sony RPTVs mentioned are 1080 capable. In other words, they don't have a native resolution capable of displaying 1080 lines natively.

So while a lot of TVs accept 1080i signals, they downsample that signal to 720P.

Be very careful when purchasing an HD TV right now as very few sets are capable of natively displaying 1080i signals. All older style CRT based TVs and RPTVs can do it, but they typically cannot do 720P natively.

There are a few directview LCD panels that can do it (some from Westinghouse that can even accept 1080P signals), VERY FEW plasmas that can do it and they are about $10k, and the LCoS based systems from Sony, JVC and others, although I have read that Sony's resolution is a bit sharper than the D-ILA (JVC's version of LCoS) systems from JVC.

Also please note that NONE, I repeat NONE, of the current DLP rear projection systems are true 1080P sets. The single DLP element in them is a 12xx by 7xx resolution element and then they use something called "wobulation" to make it approximate 1080P, but you can totally tell when it's side by side with a true 1080P unit that it just doesn't come close.

If you are buying an HD TV system now, make sure it's a native 1080 unit. If you can't afford a 1080 unit, wait until you can as 720p sets are soon to be as extinct as the dodo...and whatever you do...

Please, please, please stay away from the EDTV Plasmas that sell for over $1000 but are only 480P sets...complete utter crap.

Oh and if you want a set that accepts a 1080P signal (not that it matters as you won't see 1080P material for a while, perhaps never through cable or broadcast) wait till the next generation of Sony SXRD units comes out in the fall.

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Robert Scoble — Mon, 01 May 2006 15:33:36 -0000

Ahh, Dave, understood.

Here's my ROI. If I take Maryam and Patrick (or a friend like Buzz) to the movies, we'll spend $27. And that's before you buy Cokes, Popcorn, and a hotdog. If you do that you can easily get up to above $40.

This screen, assuming I only keep it for five years, will run me about $100 a month in payments.

So, go to the movies twice a month with your family? Well, stay home on a screen like this. :-)

But, seriously, it's something I've been wanting to buy for four years. My alimony payments end in July, so I can afford a toy or two. Especially since I don't have to pay for another year.

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Dave — Mon, 01 May 2006 14:24:35 -0000

Robert, you misunderstood me.

(I own four PCs, all bought within the last 2 years. All Macs BTW. Before that I owned about 5 Windows boxes bought from 1997-2003.)

Where we agree is using the word "value". For me, that words means spending either $400 for my 31" analog TV in the living room, or spending $800 - just 2 weeks ago - for the 27" flat panel HD for the bedroom.

Between the average lifetime of a TV (which has not improved one bit), coupled with the time I spend NOT using it, coupled with the fact I'm just not a game player (as in video games)... I meant exactly/only what I said - I simply cannot justify to myself spending $3000 on a TV. Yet somehow I can justify owning four PCs! :-)

But never did I mean to say I wouldn't buy a $3000 TV because I'm waiting for someting better to come out tomorrow.

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

markr — Mon, 01 May 2006 13:50:40 -0000

Shoot, I just bought I jvc 56" and I love it, but I only got 1 HDMI port into the tv, and you got two. No fair. I have sattilite and a dvd player that want the HDMI port.

SO when are we going to get a multi port for HDMI.

Finally I am on the leading edge of some technology, and get to have these problems.

The hell with it, I will just go back to my Sony Beta tape machine.

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Scott — Mon, 01 May 2006 13:38:05 -0000

Kevin,what do you mean it won't accept native 1080p input since it says in the specs that native resolution is 1920 x 1080 - do you mean not thru RGB or not even through DVI/HDMI?

Re: New Sony, Old Sony

Robert Scoble — Mon, 01 May 2006 13:24:43 -0000

Dave: do you use a 1995 computer still too?

This is a stunning TV. Life is too short to worry that something better will come out tomorrow. Will I get $3,000 worth of enjoyment out of this? Yes. Or, look another way, that's $100 a month if you go on the payment plan.

I just quit drinking coffee. What was my monthly coffee bill? About $100. So I just gave up coffee for HDTV.

Paul: I'm never home, but now I have incentive to turn down speaking invitations!