Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
 Beware the horrible green curse October 31, 2008
I own model 50A2000 SXRD since 12/06 and it recently was plagued by a greenish tint. Luckily, it was under warranty as the bulb & complete optical block had to be replaced. This is a great TV when it works properly. Bulb costs are crazy high though. Looking back I wish I went flat panel LCD instead.
 A Thing of Beauty December 26, 2007
A few years ago, I was telling everybody I knew that DVR would change your life! Now, I'm singing the same tune for HDTV. And specifically, the Sony rear projection LCOS technology! Sometimes, I just sit and stare at Planet Earth for hours. The picture is freakin' unbelieveable The set-up was easy as can be if you start off with the Cnet recommended settings (see previous reviewer's tip) and then adjust to your liking from there. And if you have a great room with a wide viewing area, this is the only way to go. The picture quality is the same no matter where you sit in coorelation with the screen. Also, I was really concerned about purchasing such a high dollar, fragile product via the internet, but I had no issues with the quality of the service, from both the vendor and the shipping company. I have had this TV since mid-Sep. and I have NO complaints.
Sony 50 inch SXRD KDS 50A2020 October 10, 2007
Delivery was within 7 days and there was no problem with set-up. The instruction manual is fairly straight forward; however, I recommend going on-line to download a copy prior to delivery. This allows sufficient time to familiarize yourself with the setup. Also recommend getting an after market set-up DVD to fine tune the advance settings on the television. The initial set-up will be fine for most people. Great color and an easy set to operate.
Nothing quite like it. September 11, 2007
This is one of the finest products I have ever owned. If you want to get into high definition, this is the best combination of quality and price that I have seen and I have looked at many. It is easy and intutive to set up. I did it myself just following the simple directions included.
The picture is amazing with Dish's Voom Networks. We also invested in a Toshiba HD-DVD player although the pictures from our regular DVD player are almost as good, the HD-DVDs knock one's socks off.
I know I will spend $ someday to replace the projecting bulb, but if they last 3-5 years as promised, I can replace several and still be $ ahead. The only small problem I see is a very rare green tone on some tan shades. It is hardly noticable and not a problem for me. I am quite perfectionistic also.
Best bang for your buck. Period. August 31, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
When you go to the movies, is the picture up on the screen really that sharp? Not really; you are seeing an image that started out the size of a 35mm frame of film enlarged many times. However, if you sit far enough back, the screen looks great. That why I bought a rear projection TV. Using projection technology, it gives a very film-like picture, at least from DVD material or better. And while there has been some criticism of the primary color reproduction on this set, what is far more important is the excellent black level reproduction. If you go Plasma or LCD (or even DLP), you will not get the black levels of this set. That will make those "more accurate" colors look washed out.
It is tempting to get the largest screen that you can. The KDS A2020 series comes in three sizes (50" 55" and 60"), but remember the movie screen? The farther back you sit, the better these televisions look. I sit about nine feet away from my 50" set. I know that is more than the "official" recommendation, but it looks great.
Finally, the price on these sets is low because this is basically last year's technology. The new 3000 series will have a few new features, most notably HDMI 1.3a. This will permit twice as much digital information to get to your television, a higher bit rate of color, all kinds of things that sound great. However, there is very little (I think maybe the Playstation 3) which has 1.3a. At least for now, HDMI 1.3a will not change the picture that you see. If you can compare these sets in the store, you will see no difference in the picture between this set and the 3000 series version.
Yes, I know, in the future everyone will have Blu-Ray, higher bit rates of color and all of the new lossless high definition sound. Every station will be high definition. Trying to future-proof equipment for products which do no yet exist is chasing the dragon. And think of what you will need to take advantage of all of this new stuff - a new receiver/amp to process the signals, and new DVD player, Blu-Ray or HD DVD, etc. Suddenly the extra $500 for the 3000 series starts to add up to much more. And, without any source material to look at today, you may find out that it doesn't make all that much difference to you when all of this stuff does come out. And by then, there may even be a new connection standard. (Remember DVI?)
I say don't play the upgrade game. (Although this set WILL work fine with a Blu-Ray player if you are ready to make that leap of faith) Get a great TV at a bargain price now.
And about calibration - it was a bit tricky with this set. There are a lot of options, and the picture looks terrible right out of the box. You might want to try some of the settings suggested by others here to start, but a calibration disc will help. And guess what? You probably already have one if you have any THX disc (Star Wars, Indiana Jones...) The color adjustments do require a color filter, but you can get a lot out of the brightness and contrast adjustments. With the brightness and contrast set properly, it will be easier to adjust the color to your taste.
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