1080p sets

[Mark Strube]

Simply amazing picture. I read up on some of the tweaks for this set at AVS forum but it was mostly for people getting strange color anomolies on their particular sets... if you disable all the auto color correction, black level correction, white level correction & etc settings, there's barely any red push, if any. Most of the factory settings in "Pro" picture mode are correct when checked with a THX dvd... reduced sharpness to the half point, contrast appears right on the money... factory brightness was correct for DVD if it was in 480i mode... had to go down 1 notch for 480p. Color temperature was changed to Warm, of course. Surprisingly, I get slightly better picture quality if I just let the tv do the progressive scan from a 480i DVD, instead of having my player in 480p mode. I'm assuming this tv must have some kickass upscaler built-in since it's a 1080p set.

The black levels on this set are amazing. As far as I can see, when there's nothing being input, the set can display close to 100% black... just awesome. I'm sure technically it's around 95-99% but to my eye it looks perfect. I left the iris on the default setting of 2. Any lower is a bit too dark, probably good for nighttime television viewing, and anything above that is a little too bright and kind of kills the nice black levels.

I've got my HD-DVR set to record INHD's tune-up program to make sure all the settings for the HDMI input are correct (all video inputs have independent video settings), but for now the settings I carried over from using the THX config dvd look great. I have the DVR set to pass thru 480p, 720p, and 1080i signals. The DVR box still does a better job upscaling 480i to 480p for some reason. With my last HDTV, I'd only get a sharp picture from 720p channels by having the DVR upscale it to 1080i... with this one 720p passed thru looks great. Makes sense... since the upscaler in this set is great, and the native format is 1080p... no reason to do 720p -> 1080i -> 1080p which would add extra interlacing to a nice progressive signal.

I'll get some pics up. Watching CSI: Miami right now... un-freaking-believable. I've never seen such a beautiful, high-detail picture. Wow. :rock:

[Mark Strube]

Obviously it's kinda hard to take a photo showing off the good picture... but oh well, here's my new set.

[gparris]

Thank you for the results, picture and configurations.

I am certain I will search your remarks whenever I am fortunate to get an SXRD for myself...good job.

May I suggest getting a black fabric cloth and using velcro, hide those cords behind the set as I did with my LCD RPTV set on its stand...inexpensive and easy to do and oh-what a difference in appearance...just like the LCD to the SXRD in setup...just a suggestion.

[Mark Strube]

Well, keep in mind this is just my bedroom, which is a jumble of random crap & wires anyways.  But I do hate that hideous wallpaper. That's one of the reasons my walls are covered in posters.

Something else I've noticed with this set... on HD video, 1080i especially, clips where I'd usually see some artifacting on my other set... like one of those fast-paced DiscoveryHD logos for example... it's just not there on this hdtv. I think the adaptive progressive scanning of the 1080i material takes away some artifacting in the process. Also, whenever there were white flashes in CSI, I'd notice a bit of artifacting thanks to the local CBS's multicasting and lowering their bitrate... gone with this set. Very, very nice. I must stress - the detail on this set is stunning, and the upconversion to 1080p gives HD material, 1080i especially, this wonderful smooth, film-like appearance. It's breathtaking. I found myself simply mesmorized by things as simple as people moving their heads, just because of how clear & smooth this set makes everything.

Also, a note about DVD's... I've found the way to get the best results when having the hdtv do the progressive scan... go into the DRC setting, and put the dot in the absolte lower left corner, so both settings are at 1... assuming your main sharpness setting is around the midpoint. Otherwise it'll add needless processing to your 480i source causing more grain, compression artifacts, and edge enhancement.

Also, never, ever EVER use the noise reduction on this set. It actually ADDS compression artifacts, even to analog channels. It doesn't really need it anyways.

[murdoc]

Wow that set looks AMAZING!  Congradulations on making yet another member on this board jealous.  :p

[Mark Strube]

If anyone here is planning on getting this model of SXRD, I found a post in the AVS Forum's tweaks thread for my tv, telling the exact settings a professional calibrator found for this hdtv. What's very strange is the calibrator decided to start out with color temp at Neutral, however with the adjustments made in the White Balance settings, it adjusts for that.

EDIT: Scratch that. These settings looked good at first but then I realized it was adding a strange blue hue to certain shades of black. No good. Either their set is quite different or that calibrator didn't know what he's doing. I'll refer you back to my original tweaking findings.

[StarvingForHDTV]

:bow:

That sounds great...... :drool:

[MoreTorque99]

Glad it worked out for ya!

[Paul S.]

Sony KDS-R60XBR1 Bought ours tonight after drinking too much at our union Christmas party (oddly enough, thats how we bought our current one 2-3 years ago). Got it for 4550.00 w/free delivery.

If anyuone has a 10% off coupon for Best Buy and would like to give it to me, I'll put you on my 'protection' list. I'm serious!


Mark, could you PM whatever links you have for calibrating this bad boy?



I can't get mine until Monday, then I can't hook it up until my Ebay HDMI cable comes in the mail. I just ordered it

[Mark Strube]

Congratulations, dude!! I'm still working on some additional tweaks to solve the small "blue hue" problem this tv has... although every set is a bit different... I'll be updating the tweaks thread soon!

[gparris]

Sony KDS-R60XBR1 Bought ours tonight after drinking too much at our union Christmas party (oddly enough, thats how we bought our current one 2-3 years ago). Got it for 4550.00 w/free delivery.
I can't get mine until Monday, then I can't hook it up until my Ebay HDMI cable comes in the mail. I just ordered it

Paul: It took you to get some drinks in you to buy this baby?
It would take nothing for me except my spouse to let me have it (not yet )
The stores I visit during holiday shopping have to pry me away the SXRDs
after some time to wipe away the drool on the sales floor!

[Bebop]

If anyone interested the BB 10% coupon, PM me.

Paul S. has the first shot.

[Paul S.]

If anyone interested the BB 10% coupon, PM me.

Paul S. has the first shot.

Consider it gone!

[Paul S.]

Paul: It took you to get some drinks in you to buy this baby?
It would take nothing for me except my spouse to let me have it (not yet )
The stores I visit during holiday shopping have to pry me away the SXRDs
after some time to wipe away the drool on the sales floor!

We're impulse buyers when we drink lol The catcxh is that we can't even afford it- the 0% financing for 2 years makes it a lil more possible, and the coupon from Mr. Bebop will help out a lot, especially if I have another slow winter AGAIN (but lets hope not!).

[sarusk]

Was looking at the Mits 52628. The salesman said I could 'control'  my Sony DVD recorder, RDR-HX900 , via the firewaire connection and the built-in menu's on the TV. Does anyone have experience doing this, even with another recording device.

I'm thinking on selling my 55807 to buy this set and want to weigh the benefits, since I am very satisfied with the 55807.