Sony Bravia SXRD KDS-60A3000 60-Inch 1080p Rear Projection HDTV
See it at Amazon.com for $2,199.99Average Customer Rating
Amazon Customer Reviews
Most Helpful First | Newest FirstKDS60A3000-nitial impression- wow!
I find reviews helpful, so will share this. My KDS60A3000 was delivered yesterday.Like so many others who have posted reviews, I researched for months, read reviews, spent many hours in stores looking at displays. I was going to get something between 55 and 60 inches and it was going into a custom built area, not going to be hung on a wall(replacing a Pioneer Elite 510D-a sweet tv that did well for 7 years). The new slimmed down RPTs were perfect. Plasmsa and LCD with a screen of 55" were too wide for my setup. I preferred the plasma pix over the LCD. A 50" plasma would fit and be a great pic, but I wanted a larger screen. That is why I ended up with the KDS60A3000.
After one day:
-pic is stunning, unbelievable. Example, I watch Letterman on the Pioneer HD regularly. Last night on the Sony it was a different experience, as if you were on stage with them. More detail, texture, depth..on his desk I noticed blue trim which I didn't even know was there.
-as many others have said, the picture is more impressive at home. This would be true for any big screen, there is no distraction from other sets that you get in a showroom.
-I thought the picture was perfect right out of the box on default settings.
-many adjustments are possible, I'll probably experiment and then go back to the default.
I was hesitant to get a new tv , I thought it might be extravagant since my pioneer wasn't broken and gave a nice HD picture. I am glad I did upgrade, it is a greatly enhanced experience b/c of the stunning picture.If you are on the fence, I don't think you will regret for a minute making a similar move, it is that much of a difference.
I use a Time Warner Scientific Atl. HD DVR with HDMI connection, Oppo 951 with HDMI and an old Denon A/V.
The Best Hi-Def Pictue I've Ever Seen
Let me start off this review by saying Motion Enhancement is the coolest HDTV option EVER! I had researched new HDTVs for several months before settling on this one, and I am glad I did. I've always preferred projection HD, as I can detect the screendoor effect on LCDs, and DLP looks like a rainbow to me. Suffice it to say, this new set replaced my Toshiba projection HDTV from 7 years ago quite nicely. Gone are the days of manually adjusting convergence, and cursing the manufacturer for not making a perfect picture. The options available on this set are quite impressive, as is the trademark Sony XMedia Bar. So let me get to the Motion Enhancement, I'm using an Xbox 360 HD DVD drive to watch hi def content, and after a little experimentation, I discovered that turning the option to full produced a 3D effect on HD movies I'd never seen before at home. The graphics literally leap off the screen, especially if there are CG visual effects. So far the best examples of this I've found are Transformers and King Kong. It doesn't seem to be as evident on catalog titles, but I think that's just because the 1st gen of releases weren't optimized for the new format. Trying any recent release has produced this effect, which really makes it seem like you are watching an entirely diffrent experience. You really have to see it for yourself to believe it. This might be the pinnacle of 2D entertainment, as I can only think home video can move forward with a true 3D format for the next generation of digital home video.
Simply Excellent
I've had my 60a3000 TV for about a month now. There doesn't seem to be a day that goes by that I don't look forward to getting home (from work) to use my TV. The picture and quality is simply Excellent. I have a scientific atlanta HD-DVR and an XBOX 360 (with HD-DVD). The TV accepts the 1080p from the xbox 360. This was important to me...as only samsung was the TVs that were widely doing this. I don't have an HDMI port on my 360...so, I can honestly say...I don't need it. (which is cool). The TV has 3 HDMI ports...and 2 component inputs (accepting 1080p signals)
As with most (if not all) LCD/projection TVs, if the room is extremely bright - your picture quality will take a hit. Also, the TV stand that I purchased to put this TV on is kind of short. I notice that when I'm walking by the TV, the picture isn't "perfect". This is because I'm looking down at it.
However, I'm pretty pleased with the left and right viewing angles. The only time I noticed any problems when viewing the TV from the side, is when the sun is shining in a window opposite - and causing a somewhat distracting reflection.
Ofcourse, the best place to sit is about 8 feet from the center of the TV.
The blacks...also very impressive.
PC inputs are amazing. Setting my laptop resolution to 1920x1080 maximizes this TVs resolution - even tiny...tiny text is crystal clear.
I've visited NBC.com (chose watch video) and watched some free episodes of Heroes. DVD quality. Not HD - but still very impressive.
I have an HD-DVD add-on for my 360. Planet Earth looks really, REALLY good...but Happy Feet was simply amazing. The sound and video was absolutely perfect.
Obviously, I'd recommend buying this. I have no regrets...and would do it again. I'm a happy camper. :)
A winner!
Had this TV for 4 days now and I'm amazed at the picture quality with the out of the box picture settings. I was split between this model and the Samsung LED 6187. I went to a retailer that had both set up side by side and the Sony easily won. The Sony had a much brighter picture and when moving side to side the viewing angle was excellent for a projection set. The Samsung wasn't even close. I also looked at the build quality and the Samsung seemed cheap. I gave each one a shake and the Sony was rock solid while the Samsung felt like it was going to break and made popping/cracking noises. This Sony was the winner.
I was worried that I may be sitting too close to a 60" screen at around 8ft, but it's just fine. Sony lists a minimum of 7ft. Do not worry if you're sitting in that range. Get the bigger screen you will not be disappointed.
The digital tuner in the set picked up a few HD channels from the cable company without the HD box. The 1080i broadcast were just plain sick! Anything non HD is almost unwatchable. I have an older Sony high end DVD player CDP-S7700 and used the component video connections to the Sony and was really surprised how well the picture looked. It was as good as or better than the HD broadcasts. I can't wait to pick up a PS3 and see how a true 1080p signal looks.
The delivery was excellent. I live in southern CT and order the set on a Tuesday morning and had it on Friday. I had to call eagle a few times to get the delivery times squared away, but I would hope with a big ticket item like this everyone would do the same.
I hope this helps!
Stunning picture
I've had this TV for a couple of weeks now, and I'm extremely happy with the picture. I play 1080P HD-DVD sources like Planet Earth and Batman Begins, and the color, detail, and smoothness of motion on this TV are as good as anything I've seen. Black levels are good, and while not quite as deep as good CRTs and plasmas, is significantly better than LCD and not that far behind plasma.
The TV is very small for a rear projection screen (my 60" is a bit over 16" deep) and doesn't have a lot of framing around the screen, so it has a very clean look that I find very pleasing.
One recommendation I would make is to purchase a TV calibration DVD like Digital Video Essentials to calibrate your screen, or better yet, pay for a professional calibration (it should cost around $200). My TV came with a slightly greenish tint, which I was able to fix with calibration. Now the colors are extremely accurate.
If you simply must hang your TV on the wall, then Plasma or LCD are the way to go. If you don't care about hanging the TV, I would strongly consider the A3000 series as a less-expensive screen that gives a comparable picture.