Sony KD-34XBR960 Television

A truly great set!

By Yahoo! Shopping User  Dec 14, 2005 | 2 out of 2 found this Sony KD-34XBR960 Television review helpful

Pros: Wonderful picture quality

Cons: Lack of DTV video out

I am a professional video engineer, responsible for the on-air quality of the TV station I work for. As a result, I am extremely picky about picture quality. I had looked at this particular set before, noting it's superior picture quality. Therefore, when there was a good sale on it, I bought one.

One of the important features of this set is it's off-air digital TV tuner. Since digital TV is the future of TV, this was a necessary feature. In fact, I hardly watch the analog channels anymore because their picture quality simply does not measure up. One of the really nice features of this set is that it shows in it's diagnostic screens the actual RF channel the digital station is on, as well as the digital signal-noise ratio. It is this S/N ratio that ultimately determines how good your digital signal really is. This Sony model is the only set I have ever seen that displays this information.

The picture quality? Stunning. It holds it's own with the $10,000 monitors I work with at work, and in some ways it is better. It is as important to me to see what's not good with a television image as it is to see what is good, and this monitor delivers. About the only flaw I can find is that the corner convergence is very slightly out. This is not noticeable at normal viewing distances.

The wide array of different kinds of video inputs is quite useful. I have a lot of different video gear to connect to this set, and it accomodates all of it. One particularly nice feature is the I-link (IEEE1394 or firewire) connection. This allows the monitor to work with D-VHS machines for both record and playback. It will also work with DV camcorders.

The numerous features in this set take a while to learn, and virtually everything can be custom configured. There is even a 'professional video monitor' mode, which is great where you want to do critical viewing and don't need a really bright picture. (It also lengthens the life of the picture tube.)

About the only thing I don't like about this set is that it won't output video from it's 'monitor video' jacks while receiving a digital TV signal, or with HDMI in. Other than that, I can't say enough good about this set. And not only does it look great, but it's priced right for the value-conscious viewer!

By Yahoo! Shopping User  Oct 9, 2005

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By Yahoo! Shopping User  Apr 13, 2005 | 0 out of 4 found this Sony KD-34XBR960 Television review helpful

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Cons: bn

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By Yahoo! Shopping User  Mar 21, 2005

KD-34XBR960 "WOW"

By Yahoo! Shopping User  Mar 20, 2005 | 5 out of 5 found this Sony KD-34XBR960 Television review helpful

Pros: Picture Quality, inputs and ease of use.

Cons: Still looking

I purchased this HDTV in Jan 2005, with the matching stand,the SU-34XBR3, that I highly recommend. It provides a seamless integration with the 34XBR960 .The stand comes with one glass shelf for components, another one can be ordered ,if needed ,for $40.00. I have read many reviews saying the stand does not have room for enough components. I only learned of the 2nd glass shelf after purchasing the SU-34XBR3, and was pleasantly surprised.

The 34XBR960 is perfect if you are going to place it in a corner of your room. The 960 and stand are wide in front but taper off in the rear and fit snugly into a corner , where I have mine. I first ordered the stand, put it together and placed furniture sliders under the it. I can now move the 960 and stand easily if I want to.
The 960 is a very attractive unit and is loaded with everything you might need in a HDTV. The internal HD tuner found all my OTA (over the air)HD and analog channels in about 5 min., so I was watching HDTV in no time. I was impressed with the quality of the picture, really sharp and clear. I watched the Patriots vs. Colts last night and was really blown away with an absolute perfect picture that looked like you could reach in and pick up the players.
The remote is very easy to use and the top flips up to reveal buttons for DVD operation. I watched two DVD's and could not believe how much clearer and sharper they were compared to my old TV. The menu for this unit is the easiest to navigate and watch TV at the same time.
I am very happy I picked this HDTV, there are cheaper units out there but none will beat the PQ (picture quality) of this set

By Yahoo! Shopping User  Mar 1, 2005

By Yahoo! Shopping User  Feb 11, 2005

LOOKS GREAT WITH THE RIGHT CONNECTION

By Yahoo! Shopping User  Oct 3, 2004 | 11 out of 12 found this Sony KD-34XBR960 Television review helpful

Pros: Great picture with the right interface

Cons: Lousy picture with standard Digital Cable

Love the set but you will want to get Direct TV or Dish Network to get the picture this TV is capable of. Standard cable will give this set a very fuzzy look to it in any size format. The options the TV has are awesome. You can hook almost anything to it from Playstation to digital camera. Great pictures. Understand however that with a normal cable connection (including digital cable with box) this picture will look ok at best. The built in HD tuner should save you money if you decide to go to Satellite TV and want to recieve HD Programming.

Watching this set with a progressive scan DVD you will be blown away. One of the best pictures I have ever seen on a direct view tv. With all the right cables and a good home theater system you will be in front of this set for a long time with a smile on your face.

Twin view is great and if you are smart you can hook up your home theater system so you can recieve sound on both pictures.

Only true downfall to this set is that it is H-E-A-V-Y!!!
When purchasing one be sure to have two people to help move it and plan to purchase a good stand to put it on.

You will love this set!

Love It!

By Yahoo! Shopping User  Jul 29, 2004 | 12 out of 12 found this Sony KD-34XBR960 Television review helpful

Pros: Great Picture - both analog and digital

Cons: Bought early from Sonystyle - Long voice wait times

This TV is excellent. Its a complex hulk of a beast but exactly what you need to move into the world of HDTV.

Had to use a Monster cable to convert from DVI interface on my Comcast HD DVR to the HDMI interface on the TV so I lost the HD Audio provided by a pure HDMI-HDMI interface and ran separate audio from the DVR to the XBR960.

Still the sound is good and the picture exceptional. Even the straight analog channels look brillant.

The HD content is crisp and the formats supported are without want.

The picture tube blew on the first one after 6 hours and had a bit of difficulty swapping out with Sony Style but its back and we are loving it!

If size doesn't matter to you (we don't sit 20' back) then this generation is a great starting point for your HD enjoyment.

Comcast Digital HD with DVR or Direct TV with the new Tivo HD are essential to exploring the digital frontier.

The best of all worlds - Tube/HD/Cost.

Built-in HDTV tuner creates great picture!

By Yahoo! Shopping User  Jul 15, 2004 | 41 out of 42 found this Sony KD-34XBR960 Television review helpful

Pros: HDTV tuner built in & eliminates cable box

Cons: Weighs 195 lbs.

This set is a replacement for last year's superior reviewed set, the 910 for $300 less.

This year an HD tuner is included as well as electronics to eliminate that pesky cable box. Just plug in the set for the first time and let the set do the auto channel programming and you've instantly got a great HDTV picture without the need for an HDTV tuner (or terrestrial antenna) as in previous models.

Needless to say, the image is flawless.

Only downside is that the set is extremely heavy (195 lbs) making it difficult to move even for two people.