Why you should or should not get this TV
Written: Dec 10 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Crisp Picture, Good Sound
Cons: Price, Heavy
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| PlayHosea's Full Review: Sony KV-36XBR200 36 inch TV |
Sony's 36 inch XBR Wega TV provides the good quality most have come to expect with the Sony name. A quick tour through any electronics store and you'll be able to safely say that this TV provides a crisp picture, one better than most sets. Alongside that better picture though, is a heftier price tag. This TV has an MSRP of $2499. If your lucky, you might find it for a few hundred dollars less, like I did. For the most part however, Sony TVs are rarely discounted from the suggested retail.
The picture quality is excellent, if you properly adjust the video settings. As others have said, the factory default settings are absolutely terrible. For those who don't like tinkering with picture options, Sony has included a "Picture Mode" button. This allows you to change between four factory installed picture settings, Vivid, Standard, Movie, and Pro; a nice easy-to-use feature. The Tru-Surround sound settings are good, but are of course, not nearly as nice as installing your own surround sound system. I anticipate most people willing to shell out $2500 for this TV will, at one time or another, choose to add their own speaker system.
The on-screen menu controls are strictly average by today's standards. You can control the basic video (picture, sharpness, hue, color, brightness) and audio (treble, bass) features. Nothing too advanced here, which is somewhat of a disappointment from a luxury TV. It is important to note, the small joystick on the remote (which does most of the controlling) is a bit too small and can be annoying at times.
--------------Who should buy this TV?------------
This is perhaps the most important question. This is a good, if not great TV, but that doesn't mean it is for everyone. If you are not going to take full advantage of this screen, you might be better off by saving $600-$800 and buying the regular 36 inch Wega version of this TV. Make no mistake, you are paying dearly for the XBR technology. What do I mean buy 'take full advantage of the screen'? Well, this TV can and should be the base of your home theater system if you are paying this much. I mean setting up a quality dvd player, maybe switching to digital cable, and getting an adequate stereo system. If you choose to use your old VCR and muddy broadcast reception, you will never see the potential of this TV or the reason (I believe) it is worth the extra $$$.
If you buy this TV, try and buy the companion stand or one of equivalent strength. This TV is very heavy. The average stand will either sag or may even break.
*Bottom Line*
Take a good look at this TV and see if you need everything it has to offer. If your needs match with its features, go ahead and purchase it. You won't be disappointed.
Recommended:
Yes
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PlayHosea
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Location: Illinois
Reviews written: 22
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