Sony Grand WEGA KDF-E42A10 42 in. HDTV LCD TV

Pros: Amazing HD and DVD picture. Nice small cabinet for a 42 inch screen.
Cons: No picture in picture. Huge remote. Takes time to perfect PQ.

I had the previous model of this set, the KDF 42WE655, and that was an awesome set! It broke, so I had to get it replaced with the new 42 model, the A10. At first, I was disappointed, because the previous model had higher resolution (1366x768) as ...

Pros: Very adjustable picture settings, rich color, compact size, cheap for what you get, light weight.
Cons: Off-axis picture fade, long start-up time, lamp will need replacement in 2-3 years.

After at least four years of deliberation and procrastination, I recently decided to retire my excellent but undersized decade-old 27" Panasonic TV. I had no immediate plans to upgrade my DirecTV to HDTV, but I saw no point in investing in another ...

Pros: Decent HD and DVD picture. Extremely light weight allows for moving to play with hookups.
Cons: Crappy SD picture. Not overly impressed with SONY online support so far

I bought this unit after doing some research and figured that LCD was the way to go. I also bought ALL the extras Monster Cables component, HDMI, S-VIDEO. I got a new HD box from the cable company. Played with all the settings until I got familiar with ...

Pros: very light, compact design, excellent picture quality, easy menu navigation, CHEAP! BUT AWESOME QUALITY!
Cons: pic sucks out of the box, needs play around with the picture setting

This is my first flatsreen lcd tv and not for one second I ever regret buying this. I bought it only for $1700 already including 5 year deal and 1 year bulb replacement, for this product, the bulb is not as expensive as other tvs, for the 42inch, its ...

Pros: Awesome picture, Price, Name Brand
Cons: Regular TV is fuzzy, Needs more HD inputs.

I went shopping for a dlp television. The electronics store salesman sat me down in front of 6 similar HDTVs using the same HD Satellite signal I would be using.. (very helpful). Being at eye level to this and other Flat Screen TV's is very important (I ...

Pros: Many inputs, good audio, easy to use.
Cons: Won't meet the demands of a high-end user. Only one HDMI input.

I was new to the whole plasma/LCD/projection TV thing so I spent a while researching the different types and seeing if I could get the best bang for my buck. Well, I finally settled on this puppy and I love it! It's easy to setup and use and the picture ...

Pros: very nice picture
Cons: not reliable/need to change bulb.

We bought the KDF-e42a10 model in Nov. 2005 and all of a sudden we are experiencing problems. The TV won't turn on and then after about 5 minutes the whole screen fills up with multiple vertical bars (multi-colored). Sounds like other people are ...

Pros: Remote with (.) for digital cable, Wega Gate, stunning color even with [advanced]iris on/off
Cons: NONE

I didn't want a Plasma TV becuase of the burn in issue and having to buy another TV in 3 years doesn't cut it for me. I wanted to buy a television that was going to last a long time, included all of the new HD technology and include all of the new ...

Pros: Great Picture,wonderful features,doesn’t have the same problems with burn issues or heat as plasmas.
Cons: I can't think of any except the bulb is around $250 to replace.

Great TV and the price is right too. Yes, it may need to have a bulb replaced every now and then, but if you by through Circuit City you can get them under warranty. Great Picture, wonderful features, only 70 lbs so you can move it around without any ...

Pros: Sharp picture, good sound
Cons: None really

I purchased this TV about two weeks ago after spending a good amount of time researching HDTVs on the web and in stores. I have a rather small apartment, so a normal projection TV wasn't feasible. On the other hand, I planned on putting the TV on a ...

Pros: I really loved the HD picture quality when it was working.
Cons: Bad long term performance. Warranty should be longer for known failures.

Purchased this TV just over 12 months ago. And wouldn't you know it, 2 weeks past the warranty and it fails. Not just a little, but a lot. It will cost more than the original purchase price to fix it. I'm presently waiting on Sony to make a decision as to whether they pay for the fix or I drag the unit around town with a sign on it. I have read quite a bit online that these units are subject to fail with numerous battles with Sony to get them fixed. I had the Samsung and Sony units side by side when I purchased and I now wish I made a different choice.

May 9th, 2007
Just a quick update. Because we were just a couple weeks over the warranty, Sony states they will cover the repairs.

I'm feeling a little better about this situation, but most likely only because I'm getting a fix. If not, I'd still be mad as a wet hen.

May 24th, 2007
Repaired on 5/17 at Sony's expense. Still not happy that it failed and not sure what the future holds for it. But the HD picture quality does look good.

Fingers crossed..:):)

Pros: Price, HD picture quality.
Cons: Viewing Angle

I purchased this TV in October 2005 on sale at Circuit City.


Analog picture quality is fair to good when view from more than 7 feet.

HD picture quality is excellent. I am very satisfied with the performance.

The one weakness (of this and all other projection TV's) is the view angle, both horizontal and vertical. We have the TV in the corner, so most parts of the room have a good image at eye level while sitting. But if you stand up or sit off center the brightness drops and the picture looks washed out.

I also have a Mac Mini hooked up to the VGA input. MacOS looks cool on a 42 inch screen, I just wish I have more than 1024x768 resolution!

Sony technical support is fine. They needed to do a firmware update and a technician from Dell came to my house at an after hours time of my choice and applied the update.

In the 18 months I have owned it I have had no technical issues.

Pros: Price, 42" HDTV for less than $2000, DVD playback, footprint.
Cons: Poor viewing angle, lamp needs replacement, SD quality is poor.

Since this is a projection LCD television, the viewing angle both horizontal and vertical is pretty poor. Viewing SD on an HDTV monitor such as this one is pretty bad, even though the signal is digital. Come on broadcasters, get with the HD! The 1080i looks much better although more video-like than 720p.

The digital HD tuned picture is brilliant. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for digital SD picture. I currently have SD DirecTV and even though I am feeding the television analog component, the picture is terrible. Having such high quality cables probably accentuates the artifacts in a typical DirecTV broadcast.

Since this is an projection LCD, you have to replace the lamp every few years. Sony's MSRP for the lamp is $200. There is some audible fan noise as well which is bothersome during quite passages on some movies.

DVD playback is very good, although I don't think it compares to DVD playback on a CRT SD television. For the most part, DVD playback is a joy to watch although occasionally you get a familiar 1980s projection television look. Overblown colors, contrast problems, and general edginess.

Pros: Excellent picture and sound quality, compact design
Cons: Known technical issues (buy extended warranty!); only one HDMI connection port requires switching between devices

For the price, this is an impressive DLP television that way outperforms others in its class in terms of picture quality. Only drawback, there is a known problem with this model that many consumers have reported with no picture, a blinking Power/Standby light and clicking sounds. Well, after LESS THAN A WEEK out of the box, it happened to me. Sony claims they have no knowledge of this problem, fortunately the repairs are under warranty, but after 1-year this scenario will be costly. I am considering returning the tv to ABT electronics if the repairs cannot be completed in-home on the service date.

Pros: Good picture
Cons: Poor quality, no service

My Sony is just two years old and the picture went out completely. I took it to a Sony authorized repair facility and they cannot fix it. They have tried replacing numerous parts but no luck. I have been in constant contact with Sony customer service, but no action from them.

When it was working, loved it. But $1900 TV should last more than two years.

Pros: Great picture until it goes out.
Cons: Major problems with set

This tv has a great picture but beware. Major problems with this brand/model! 3 months after warranty was up, my tv started cycling on/off for no reason. Ended up being a block circuit board - repair cost $1048.53. This was not an isolated case. Do an internet search on Sony LCD projection tv problems and you will see what I am talking about. Few people are having luck resolving their issues with Sony. Make sure you buy the extended warranty...you will need it!

Pros: 42 inch LCD T.V. for under $2,000.00, with excellent picture resolution.
Cons: Doesn't have all the extended hook-ups like some of the more expensive units.

This is the T.V. for you. If your like me and want LCD quality viewing but just can't afford all the extra's. This LCD T.V. has great revolution, large enough to enjoy what's playing but small enough that it will fit in a modest livingroom. Great investment for your money.

Pros: Nice picture when it works
Cons: Unreliable and expensive to fix.

I bought this TV in December of 2005. By the June 2007 I experienced major problems with the set. It goes in and out of scramble vision periodically. The cost of the repair was more expensive than a new set. I wrote into Sony and they responded quickly but I had to fight to get them to pick up the cost of the parts and some of the labor. I got the set back from one of their authorized dealers and it is still broken. The repair center has no clue what is wrong with it. For the money, buy something else. I get the feeling Sony knows this is a faulty product but they are hoping they don't have to replace them.

Pros: Inexpensive
Cons: You pay for what you get

I have had this TV for 3 years and after 8 months of having it the TV's computer went bad and I had it fixed under warranty. Many others have had this problem and yet Sony does not increase the 1 year warranty. The TV is great for the price as long as it doesn't die. Get a high quality surge protector because the tech that fixed mine told me cheap ones do not protect the computer well enough. I have an expensive surge protector now and have had no problems. I doubt the TV will make it another 5 years.

Pros: Easy to use. Excellent picture quality. Bright display. Light and easy to install.
Cons: None.

Bright, easy to navigate through the on-screen menus. Sony has done it again with this one! Gorgeous picture and EASY to setup...I love it! The price was GREAT!! I could have paid much more for a similar plasma tv and the pictures are hardly different.

Pros: Wega Gate menu. Footprint vs screen size. Intelligent and easy to use manual.
Cons: No PIP or PAP

Had ordered the WE655 42", but shortly after ordering found out about the KDF E42A10 coming out around 1 August, changed the order and received it a couple of days ago. The local dealer delivered and set up the TV including hooking up the DVD/VCR, this took about 30 min, he gave me a brief tutorial on the remote and TV. Took about 10 min each to auto fix the analog and digital stations on the cable hookup. The remote is logical and easy to use. WEGA Gate menu is great and covers all the capabilities of the TV. The manual is well done and took about 1 hour to go through along with the TV. The smaller footprint vs screen size is better than the WE655. Not PIP or PAP. Without having digital cable the set picked up several digital channels including a couple of HDTV channels (without the cable card), great picture. Getting cable card and digital next week, can't wait. General pointing of the remote toward the TV works great, don't have to point directly at a specific point.

Pros: Great TV, don't see any issues with picture quality.
Cons: Remote features not that intuitive, can't control DVR from Dish.

I got this TV after agonizing over LCD project, LCD flat panel or Plasma. Decided to go for it after checking out all the price / performance parameters, and the fact that I probably don't have the perfect wall for mounting a flat panel.

So far this decision has been great. TV pictures is just awesome. I took some old TV antenna that was lying around & straight away picked up CBS-HD. WOW ! The picture just jumped out at me, it was way cool.

I am still waiting for my HD upgrade from Dish.

Advise - please don't judge this TV as soon as you connect with your cable/satellite if you don't have HD. Pictures don't look great. Use a good progressive scan DVD player or HD, and then you will see the value.

Pros: Great design,superb picture quality
Cons: Cable Card has problems and there is no fix yet

I have enjoyed this TV since Labor Day weekend. It's my first Hi-Def set and I love it. The picture in High Definition is unbelievable.Anyone who comes over to watch a game needs a drool bucket.
I was just at a friends house with a much more expensive Panasonic plasma and my picture quality blows his away(same source-Comcast cable).
There is one major problem though,the cable card only works about 50% of the time.When it goes out you have to unplug the TV to reset it. It will then work for about a week and out it goes again.Fortunately I have a high-def cable box I can use if I don't feel like unplugging it everytime it goes out.
Sony says they are working on a fix but it's been over three months and still nothing.

Pros: Bright Colors and Quality. Price of the TV
Cons: Light Leakage, Size of remote and NO PIP.

During Dark scenes/Widescreen mode I can see Blue/Green Clouds on the corners (Light Leakage). Called Sony & they said this was the first time they heard the problem & I returned the set to retailer got a new set to find the exact problem called Sony & they said it might be a certain batch of TV. I returned it & bought a new one from a different retailer & same problem. I will say I am not Satisfied after returning the set over & over again. I Know it is SONY but if you want no Clouds on corners please do your research & then make a decision.If you like watching Full screen you may not see or notice the problem but only in dark scenes.
TV works great with HDTV but regular channel may seem a little stretched. It has good Picture & colors & reds can sometime be little Dark & need adjustment. The size of the remote is long & ugly. Flipping to Video Outputs is easy enough. You can select 3 color modes that is Vivid, Standard & Pro. To be honest if I didn't have the Cloud issue, It's a good TV

Pros: Great 1080i picture and good sound when it works.
Cons: You'd think if you paid $1700 for something, it'd work more than two years.

I purchased this TV in May 2006. Just over two years later the bulb went out. I expected that, but a week later it developed a large blue stain in the center quarter of the screen. The serviceman diagnosed this as a failure of the "optical block," a $1,200 repair! I purchased an extended warranty through Philips Priority Service. They denied the repair and it is still unclear what the resolution will be. I just reported the problem to Sony, who said they had no reports of problems with this model, even though they extended the warranty on the 2004 model. I guess I get to be the first.

Pros: Awesome Analog
Cons: Non so far

I work for the local cable company and have seen my fair share of crappy looking TV's. When i seen the Sony KDF-E42A10 I was blown away not only by the High Definition channels but the analog channels were just as nice.

Pros: Great Picture out of the box Decent Price per HD inch
Cons: Slow changing of input controls Not so dynamic built-in speakers

I believe that this tv is a secret weapon on HDTV! What a tremendous picture! Great inky blacks and brilliant colors! It also looks good on local standard def channels. I think that Sony hit the ball out of the park on this one! If you want to save some cash and not pay the big bucks for the new Sony Brevia flat LCD Tv's then this lightweight(64lbs.) will really impress you! It is only 16" deep and fit perfectly into my large armoire in my bedroom with only centimeters to spare. It is awesome having a 42" television in the same space that a 32"-34" tube tv would normally fit! I LOVE THIS BABY! Shop well and you can get this thing at the Big Box stores for a song($1300-1400)and it's worth every penny!

Pros: Worked well for 26 months.
Cons: Pre-existing defect with optic equipment.  Not worth the money.

Do not waste your money on this TV.  I bought this product two and a half years ago because of the great picture and sound.  I also though Sony had a reputation for quality.  One month after the extended warranty we purchased (at a premium) expired, the yellow stain problem developed.  There is a yellow hue that covers 75% of the entire television screen.  After further research I learned that this was the result of a pre-existing defect in the optical block; this was known by Sony;  but they will not honor a recall or replacement at their expense.  There is currently a class action lawsuit.  I will never buy a Sony again.  I attempted to speak with a representative today.  The representative had a heavy foreign accent and wanted my personal information.  I sent in the warranty card when we bought the television.  I said, "No, Thank YOU!" and hung up the phone.

Pros: Great tv for 2 years
Cons: Buy an extended warranty you'll it.  Repair fees on the Optical Block are astronomical.

Bought the Wega KDF E42A10 for $2000.00 and loved it for the first two years.  2 1/2 years into it we started noticing a blue blob.  Called customer service.  Had one of their Authorized Repair Centers out (our cost $105.00) and it was diagnosed with a faulty optical block.  Cost to repair $1100.00.  $350.00 for labor and $650.00 for the new Optical Block plus tax.  Sony will not pay for any of the repair costs.  They only offered us a discount on a new tv.  Their offer was $679.00 for a new tv and $400.00 for an extended warranty.  No thanks Sony.  Will not give you another cent and will never buy another tv from your company.  

Pros: Watching HD channels is an experience! Awesome picture.
Cons: Fan noise. I sit about 10 ft away and I hear it while watching.

I just bought it about a week ago. I sit about 10 ft back. Picture quality watching regular channels is fair. My old Sony 27" had a much better picture. Occasionally, some channels will look very orange for some reason. Then the next show comes on the same channel and everything is back to normal. Watching HD channels is just awesome! Crystal clear. I really think that this is what this TV is made for. Wish we had more HD channels here! The fan makes a real high pitched whine, audible more after the set has been on for around 30 minutes or so. It is pretty distracting. If I had it to do over again I'd save a little more money and go HD Plasma. I may end up returning this. I have 30 days.