Excellent Picture Quality and 1080i Resolution. Feature packed AND lower priced than comparable LCDs/Plasmas.
Written: Apr 18 '05 (Updated Apr 25 '05)
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Pros: PREMIUM high definition picture quality, feature packed, 2 year warranty, extensive service menu options.
Cons: Calibration recommended for top image quality, excessive features, low quality images look poor. Picture size.
The Bottom Line: Superior HDTV image quality. 34" screen a bit limiting. Very large feature set. Excellent value for the top quality picture available at that size.
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| jmccorm's Full Review: Sony KD-34XBR960 34 inch TV |
Choices: CRT Direct-View Technology
There are a lot of choices when it comes to purchasing an HDTV. This particular set won't be perfect for everybody, but see what it has to offer. It might be right for you.
The most fundamental description of this television is that it is tube (CRT direct view) based. This single design aspect makes up most of the characteristics of the set. Before we talk about the television itself, lets talk about CRT technology.
CRT technology is very mature. That is, it is a time tested and reliable technology that has had decades of research and improvement put into it. In the past, Plasma and LCD technologies have been quite a ways away from the picture quality that CRT delivers. Today, your very top end Plasma and LCD screens are starting to equal what can be done with a CRT. Lots of money is being poured into Plasma and LCD display research these days.
But if CRT is so good now, why don't they spend the money to make it even better? It is because CRTs have a fundamental problem when it comes to HDTV: size. Too big? Too heavy? Sure, that plays into it, but the problem is completely different. It is the diagonal size of the picture tube.
CRT Problem: Diagonal Picture Size and HDTV
You see, with regular television, the recommended viewing distance is so far away because the picture is so low quality. To make it look good, you need to sit back a ways. (Aside from the whole 'you're going to go blind' and 'you're going to be filled with radiation' thing your parents told you when you were a child.)
With HDTV, the viewing distances are much closer for two reasons. First, for a more theater like experience, they want more of the picture to fill your vision. Second, you need to be close enough to the display in order to make out the details that you would get in a 1080i picture.
But at the same time, you don't want to be too close to your set. And you certainly don't want to be close enough that your eyes are able to make out details in the television screen technology itself that are not part of the picture.
So how far away do you want to sit from the television, or how big of a television would be ideal? A general rule of thumb is that you want to sit two and a half times the diagonal size of the monitor. For a 34" screen, that is seven feet away.
If you want to sit further away from the television, you're either going to need to give up some resolution (because your human eyes will no longer be able to make out all the dots of light in the image) or you're going to have to increase the size of the picture screen. But tube based HDTV televisions don't get much bigger than 36". And that's the real problem with CRT technology.
You see, it is easy to create a tube based monitor that is high resolution (such as a computer screen). And it isn't too hard to create a large television... up to a point. Then you start to run into problems in correctly painting the edges and corners of the screen (these problems generally fit under categories known as geometry and convergence). And when you try to make a CRT that is both high resolution and big screen, these problems become harder and harder to deal with.
This is why manufacturers have been pursuing other technologies such as LCD and Plasma. It isn't because CRTs don't produce a good image. They produce the best. Rather, they can't get CRTs in the sizes that they need to produce. The fact that these new technologies are lighter and thinner are a side benefit to manufacturers, retailers, and customers.
So, if you're looking for a TV that is within the range of what they produce in picture tubes, then definitely give the direct view CRT a shot. ("Direct view" means a regular television screen that you look at. As opposed to a projection television, which has some of its own benefits and drawbacks.)
If you need a larger television, the only reasons to go back down to a 34" CRT would be for a better image quality for the money, or a higher resolution for the money. Generally, it comes down to money. You would have spend a lot more money to get a larger picture that will be just as good quality, and with just as high resolution. If you limit yourself in size, you can get a good bang for your buck. That's what makes CRT monitors (and this one in particular) a good value. The KD-34XBR960 isn't cheap, but it offers a sweet spot in resolution, image quality, picture size, and cost.
Other CRT Disadvantages
Aside from size, are the any other disadvantages to the CRT? Yes. As mentioned, there can be issues with geometry (the straightness of lines) and convergence (how well the red, green, and blue colors hit the same spot) towards the sides and more towards the corners. All large tube televisions have some degree of convergence or geometry issues, right out of the box. (In fact, it is almost a freak accident to find one that does not.) The degree to which it can be off can vary.
If it is far enough out of spec, it will be covered by your television warranty. If the effects are minor and you require something close to perfection, you'll need to have your television calibrated. If you are technical and have a good eye, you could do it yourself via the service menu. Or you could have a home theater professional calibrate your home entertainment system for you (estimated price: $300 for a home theater calibration).
Most people won't hone in on these issues. But if you bring up a menu and notice, for example, that the left hand side of the menu box (towards the edge of the screen) could be straighter, then calibrating your television would be of benefit to you. This can also be noticed on the edges of a 4:3 standard definition image on a widescreen television, although to a lesser degree.
The king of the CRT sets: The KD-34XBR960
Now, onto this set, the KD-34XBR960 in particular. As far as tube television goes, this one is widely acknowledged as the king. You may have read other reviews where they mention that CNET selected this as the reference screen for all direct view televisions. It is true. http://reviews.cnet.com/Sony_KD_34XBR960/4505-6481_7-30787600.html
The television is honed for top notch picture quality when viewing high definition material. Display quality of standard definition television isn't as great and depends greatly on the source material. Analog channels won't look as good as on a regular television. Digital channels will look pretty good.
It'll display all of the standard and high definition television modes. The exception is that a 720p video source will be internally converted and displayed in 1080i mode. I have not read any complaints about this, but if you feel it may be an issue, test out a 720p input for yourself.
This set supports an incredible number of inputs. Exposed in the front is a Sony Memory Stick card slot, used to display high resolution digital camera images on the television, MPEG1 video clips, and MP3 music files. Hidden under a panel on the front are the firewire (i.LINK), s-video, and composite video/audio inputs.
The back of the television has a coax UHF/VHF connector, a coax cable connector, two s-video inputs, three composite video inputs, two component video inputs, an HDMI input, a firewire (i.LINK) input, and a CableCARD slot. An ATSC receiver (high definition signals via an antenna) and a QAM receiver (high definition signals over cable without a converter box) are built in. It also has a composite video output, left/right audio output, and optical digital audio output. NOTE: Optical digital audio is only active for digital signals.
There are a total of seven different discrete video inputs, and they can be individually labeled from the built-in menu. Each input has its own setting memory, so if you need your game console image more sharp, and your DVD image more bright, it'll remember the settings for each component, rather than you having to tune the settings each time you use a different component. Also of value, you can remove unused inputs using the menu, so that you do not have to flip through inputs that you do not use. For more information, see the bottom of this review for a link to the product manual.
The standard screen zooming features and image settings that you expect are available. There are also a few other surprises such as a freeze button, which will freeze the current image on the screen (for example, to copy down a telephone number). It has picture _and_ picture (Twin View), where you can have two pictures side-by-side. It also has a Scrolling Index, which will show you a snapshot of what is on a number of different channels at the same time.
A number of those added features are quite nice, but if you are using a digital video recorder, ultimately, they will go unused.
I have not taken any real effort to review the sound built into this television. It is adequate. Ultimately, if you are concerned about sound quality, you would have purchased a home theater sound system. The sound built into a high definition television is often irrelevant.
Image Tuning and Set Calibration
As far as basic tuning of the image, I would recommend the Video Essentials DVD to help you set the proper brightness, color, etc. With or without it, I would recommend the following ballpark settings as a starting point. This will set your television close to how a studio monitor is configured.
MODE: Pro (important)
PICTURE: 38
BRIGHTNESS: 38
COLOR: 40
HUE: Neutral
SHARPNESS: 20
COLOR TEMP: Neutral or Warm
CLEAREDGE VM: Off
ADVANCED VIDEO - COLOR AXIS: Monitor
I know that you're tempted to put the TV into Vivid mode, but resist that temptation. It is the default setting that is made for stores who are selling televisions, and it is purpose is to make the television stand out on a wall that is crowded with other television sets. It is not ideal for home use. Vivid will also completely black out the dark areas of some scenes so where you cannot see anything.
A more advanced user can get into the secret service menus, which has a VERY LARGE number of options that can be adjusted. Horizontal convergence adjustments are also available in the service menu. But a warning: Be sure to spend the time to copy down ALL the codes before making adjustments.
Additional Information
As of the date of this review, Sony has the manual online at:
http://www.docs.sony.com/release/KD34XBR960.pdf
If it is no longer there, go to http://esupport.sony.com and locate the television from there.
If you like this television, but want to save some money, Sony offers a slightly lesser version in the KD-34XS955. It doesn't have the firewire, Twin View, and Scrolling Index. (Which you may not use anyway.) And it doesn't have the two year warranty. But it has the same excellent picture tube as this model.
Finally, a word about in-store demos. Be careful when comparing this television to others inside of a retail store. Often times, even major electronic stores will hook their tube based high definition televisions up to a low quality standard definition signal. It'll be displaying the same channel as the other high definition Plasma and LCD televisions, and it might also be widescreen. Just it'll look much worse.
Make sure you're comparing apples to apples. Spin around (or have them spin around) the TV and make sure it is being fed a high definition signal, and not composite video or coax. (Even then, with a high definition signal, I've seen some strange and very unnerving flicker due to their poor 1080i video distribution system.) If it screen looks funny, ask them why.
Also, make sure that the menu settings seem okay on this set, and all the sets you compare. If it isn't a rigged demo, at its worst, this television should be neck-and-neck with other sets on display.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1598
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Epinions.com ID:
jmccorm
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Member: Josh McCormick
Reviews written: 16
Trusted by: 5 members
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