Sony KDS-R60XBR1 SXRD Rear Projection HDTV Review

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[TheMoose]

I picked up the 50" version of this set in Oct of 05, I was very happy with it.
It was my first venture into HDTV & I did a lot of research before buying it.

I waited until I needed to replace my old SD TV (50" Hitachi Ultravision) before buying a HDTV, to say I was underwhelmed with the sets in the stores was an understatement, the Sony was the best in my eyes but not what I expected.
Then I got it home & put on a set of "Rabbit ears" & got a good clean strong HD signal, that's when the wow factor kicked in (I'm now getting my HD thru a DirecTV HR20 HD+DVR).

The stores running 50 TV's on one cable feed just don't do these sets justice!!

Well this year I decided that 50" wasn't big enough, I don't strech 4:3 SD shows so the pic was smaller than I was used to.

So the 50" XBR1 went to my parents house & I picked up a 70" XBR2.
My parents went from a 27" CRT set that was 10 years old to the XBR1 so needless to say they are loving it!
The XBR1's picture quality is just as good as my XBR2's but I'm lovin the extra 20"!

[AudioGuy2007]

Hey Moose, have you had the 70-inch set calibrated? I just got my JVC 61-inch HD-ILA calibrated by an ISF guy in Los Angeles and WOW, it is amazing.

I recommend it to everyone but sometimes my friends ask me if there is a good set that is larger than mine they they would recommend.

[TheMoose]

Originally Posted by AudioGuy2007

Hey Moose, have you had the 70-inch set calibrated? I just got my JVC 61-inch HD-ILA calibrated by an ISF guy in Los Angeles and WOW, it is amazing.

I recommend it to everyone but sometimes my friends ask me if there is a good set that is larger than mine they they would recommend.

No I haven't had it calibrated, but I am thinking about it!
Be honest now, just how much diffrence did you actually see?

I'm waiting until I upgrade my speakers & reciever & may have the audio & video done at the same time.

I wonder what the average price is for an A/V calibration?

[Kevin Miller]

Hi Moose and Audio guy,

The Sony SXRDs are definitely among the best RPTVs money can buy today. I was a big fan of the Samsung DLP sets, but the latest versions of their LED based sets have serious issues with calibration so I am back to the Sony for my number one recommendation.

Professioonal calibration on any display, if done by someone with the right equipment and knowledge, will make your set perform to its optimum capability. There is a lot to the SXRDs so when all is said and done the difference is pretty dramatic. If I were you I would go for it!

[JerryDelColliano]

Not to kiss Kevin's ass to much but if you can afford to fly him out - do it. I have recomended him to dealers in LA and to readers alike. His LA trips are more and more frequent as there are MILLIONS of people who need to get the most out of their flat HDTV investment.

If you can't get Kevin - you can get someone he and Joel Silver trianed from the ISF. They are REALLY good about recomending people.

Another consideration is when making a video investment is to look to added value companies like Meridian-Faroudja and Runco. They train their installers to get the most from their video gear based on proven video standards. They might not alway agree on the last detail (because they are all video geeks - and don't deny it guys) but the extra price is VERY WORTH IT when studying what HDTV to buy....