Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I bought this new Sony earlier this week and it is amazing.Of course, the grain-of-salt part of this review should be stated - this is my first HDTV and I am still in awe of the images.Truly remarkable.I was looking for a 34-inch direct-view tube TV (CRT) mostly because of the price.But, what I've found out since (even finding this out AFTER my purchase), is that direct-view tube TVs have better image quality, especially blacks and contrast, than plasma or LCD!I couldn't believe that at first, because I truly thought I was making a compromise by opting for a CRT display.Not so.
I also must admit my slight embarrassment when I found out that I bought the biggest direct-view widescreen tube TV that there is.This was also an accident, as I thought there must be bigger.In the store, of course, this TV looks much smaller than many of the others that surround it.But in my decent-sized living room, it's big!Oh, and so crystal clear.I'm not usually a documentary buff, but I'll watch ANYTHING in HDTV at this point... the Olympics will be awesome in HDTV.
One last thing - I feel like I received two presents in one because the widescreen display now makes all of my DVD collection look brand-new again.It's truly awseome!Oh, and by the way, I insisted on the salesman at circuit city showing me a better model for my money (limiting to approx. 34-inches and only widescreen considered) and he couldn't do it.The only better model I was considering was the XBR version of this TV (which comes with a built-in tuner, but with cable or satellie, you won't need a tuner).But, it was $600-$700 more!No way!
In summary, I don't usually consider myself a top-of-the-line A/V guy ("good enough" has always been my and my wallet's motto), but this new Sony makes me feel like a big spender!Enjoy!
October Update:It's been almost 3 months of sheer joy with this TV - the price hasn't gone down yet either, and that makes me think I got a good deal ($1350 on sale at Circuit City pre-olympics).The sleek, uncluttered look combined with the bragging rights of Sony quality and reliability make me the envied early adopter in my neighborhood.The HD channels that I get through Time Warner are adequate, but I always want more.Discovery channel in HD is your best bet for showing off to visitors.One last thing - I've talked with a number of people and done some more reading and it's pretty clear that the CRT (tube) version of HDTV is a safe bet now - it's cheap, but also tried-and-true technology that has been perfected over a 50-year period.Forget expensive warranties.This Sony is at the top of its game! :-)
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Product Description:
Bring the theater home with Sony's panoramic, high-definition-ready KV-34HS420 FD (flat display) Trinitron WEGA television. The 34-inch set offers analog and digital high-definition inputs, great audio features, and a suite of picture-enhancing technologies. Whether you're watching VHS tapes, DVDs, or high-definition (480p, 720p, 1080i) broadcasts, your programs will look breathtakingly good.
The set's widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, Hi-Scan 1080i display, and picture-improvement circuitry let you view a mix of sources at high resolutions, up to 1080i. DRC--Digital Reality Creation MultiFunction circuitry--upconverts standard interlaced (480i) video sources to 960i or progressive-scan 480p, while inputs as high-quality as 720p (720 lines, progressively scanned) are upsampled to full 1080i. Because DRC processes video signals in real time, it creates an image with 4 times the density of the original signal. Sony's MID-X (Multi Image Driver) maintains the integrity of a converted signal by minimizing image loss in the scaling process.
Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p and 720p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts. The set's auto 16:9 enhanced mode detects anamorphically encoded widescreen program sources and offers full picture resolution on the video program, wasting none of its usable lines of resolution on the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen.
The KV-34HS420's high-voltage regulator maintains consistent image size, despite variations in brightness during scene changes and channel changes, while magnetic quadra-pole technology reduces "beam spot" distortion and improves corner-to-corner focus and picture sharpness.
ClearEdge VM wideband velocity modulation improves the definition at picture edges, creating sharper images by slowing the CRT (cathode-ray tube) beam's horizontal scanning during demanding work--say, when rendering transitions from light to dark parts of an image--and speeding it up when scanning easily rendered sections, like broad dark areas. The set's 3D digital comb filter compares each horizontal scanning line with the lines above and below it, as well as with the corresponding lines on previous and subsequent video frames. This results in higher horizontal resolution, higher vertical resolution, and reduced video noise.
The KV-34HS420 also employs CineMotion Reverse 3-2 PullDown technology (often called 3:2 pulldown), a handy feature for watching progressive-scan movies in their native 24-frame format. Digital video mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture.
Finally, Dynamic Focus circuitry automatically adjusts the picture during each scanning line for consistent corner-to-corner sharpness.
Two high-definition component-video inputs grant optimum connection with a DTV decoder and progressive-scan DVD player, while standard composite- and S-video inputs accommodate all DVD players. The set's HDMI interface provides a digital connection with your DTV receiver. HDMI supports standard-definition (SD), enhanced definition (ED), or high-definition (HD) video, plus multi-channel digital audio--all using a single cable.
Choose between rear AV inputs and a set of front AV inputs for extra convenience. A rear AV output offers a switchable fixed- and variable-level analog audio output for hookup with a surround receiver or integrated amplifier.
The set features stereo speakers (with 15 watts per channel) and BBE sound enhancement. You can label the set's video inputs and channels for easy selection. If you don't have Dolby Pro Logic processing or a surround speaker system, the TV's SRS TruSurround will simulate surround sound through any 2 speakers.
Other video technologies include auto white balance, Dynamic Picture Processor circuitry, Trinitone color temperature control, and vertical aperture compensation. An optional accessory for the set is the Sony audio/video cabinet SU-34HX1.
What's in the Box
TV, remote control (RM-Y188), 2 AA batteries, a user's manual, warranty information.
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