Sony SXRD: A2000/A2020 series (& XBR) Sorry, threads merged by mistake

[markhfx]

So you are saying it is essentially the same pic as last years?

[humbaba]

J&R Music was offering free shipping on the new 50" SXRD (offer seems expired now), and no sales tax if shipping outside NY state. Plus the price is several hundred less than list.

I live close to the border and have a US mail service.

Total price was about $2650CAN. However, they will not have any stock to ship for at least another week.

[Al58]

Originally Posted by markhfx

So you are saying it is essentially the same pic as last years?

Yeah, I had nothing to compare against, but it basically looked the same as last year only no side speakers and $1000 less in price.

AVS forum in the US has some guys comparing it and saying last years picture looks marginally better. cnet supposedly got one this week and will probably post a review of it next week.

If I can get a 60" 1080P Lcos for around $4K, I'm all over that. Would like to see what JVC suggested retail expects to be on theirs.

Still looks like a good tv for the price, but if you like the side speakers then go with last years.

[markhfx]

Actually I really did not like the side speakers so my main concern is the picture and the fact that it has 1080p now, would be a shame if the pic is not as good as last years because I had pretty much made up my mind on this one whenever it gets to halifax

[Al58]

Originally Posted by markhfx

Actually I really did not like the side speakers so my main concern is the picture and the fact that it has 1080p now, would be a shame if the pic is not as good as last years because I had pretty much made up my mind on this one whenever it gets to halifax

To say the picture is not as good as last year is kind of like saying to an olympic bronze medal sprinter "you had a bad race and ran a 9.88 100metre race when the winner ran a 9.86"

One technician ran some tests and said its not as good as last years, but others are still stunned by the picture. I think if you wanted the same as last years TV, but without the side speakers and $1000 cheaper....you will think this is great.

Keep an eye out here as the review should be up in the next week or 2, but some owners already give it good reviews.
http://reviews.cnet.com/Sony_KDS_60A...2.html?tag=nav

[Al58]

Looks like Sony is presenting the A2000 as more of a consumer SXRD and the XBR2 will probably be a higher spec. The following comments are from a guy that did some ISF calibration on one in the US.

I did work on an A2000 this afternoon. It does do inverse telecine on 1080i material, but not of very high quality. The display also has less than 720p/1080i resolution on component and HDMI inputs unless you do some service mode tweaks. The gray scale also did not track as well below 10 percent as the XBR1 model. All in all I would prefer the XBR1 to the A2000 from a picture quality standpoint without calibration on either. With calibration the A2000 is much closer, but still not as good as the XBR1. It is also pretty clear the A2000 is using lower quality processing than the XBR1 which enhances noise.

Originally Posted by TulaneDoc
So, I take it that the A2000 owners here are either returning their sets as we speak or ******** their pants...



That is not necessarily the case. When I finished working on this one the people who saw it were very impressed. They were also happy before hand.

[eightninesuited]

Originally Posted by Dazog

No you do not need HDMI 1.3 for HD-DVD or Blueray

Yes you do if you want the best audio performance. You'd have to use the analog inputs to listen to the audio in the best possible way. Current HDMI 1.1 or 1.2 does not pass Dolby HD which all HDDVD and Bluray discs contain; it gets downgraded to 5 channel dolby Prologic 2.

[markhfx]

Wow this is not starting to sound as good as I thought

[Al58]

Originally Posted by markhfx

Wow this is not starting to sound as good as I thought

I saw one and its a great picture, but I am no expert videophile.

I think if you consider the A2000 SXRD as a consumer model that is less expensive and the XBR series SXRD as Sony's top of the line display(which will be more expensive), then Sony has done a smart job of marketing.

They offer one great display for the average consumer and one superior display at a premium price for the more discerning consumer.

[dko1971]

Looks like the MSRP are dropping again at Sonystyle.ca:

60A2000 $4,500 (unchanged)
55A2000 $3,699 (from $3,999)
50A2000 $3,299 (from $3,499)

[markhfx]

and may the prices continue to drop

[Al58]

Here is the review. They still prefer the XBR1, but this TV gets pretty good marks nonetheless.
http://reviews.cnet.com/Sony_KDS_60A...5.html?tag=toc

[Bdub]

The A2000 replaces the E2000 from last year (the tier between the A10s and the XBRs). This is great for me, because I basically want an A10 without the screen door effect.

The CNET review suggests picking up a 2005 XBR if it's cheaper than an A2000, which they currently are in the States. I can drive to a Cicuit City and get one, but the warranty is an issue. I called my Sony Store to see if they'd cover an American set, and as expected, the answer was no. I won't buy an XBR1 without a warranty after the green blob issues seen by so many owners.

Interestingly, the dude at the Sony Store quoted me $2900 on the 50" a2000 because I want to buy the 5 year service plan for $400.

[markhfx]

If anything the cnet review seems to muddy the waters a bit, not to mention that it was a preproduction unit so now I am still left wondering what to do

[Covak]

Originally Posted by markhfx

If anything the cnet review seems to muddy the waters a bit, not to mention that it was a preproduction unit so now I am still left wondering what to do

How does it muddy the waters? I thought they made it sound great, overall. Especially considering what the 50" seems to be going for...

If a lot of production models actually shipped with the bad filter settings at least it's something that'll be easy to fix. I'm sure the service menu tweaks to correct the problem will become known soon enough.

Personally, I can't wait until I can get my hands on a 50" A2000...