Sony 36" Flat Screen HDTV Monitor (kv-36hs500)

Rating:
Summary: Super Video
Review: I deduct one star only for Sony pricing. Others such as JVC seem to be better priced. However, I bit the bullet and bought Sony because I did not see anything with a better picture in the stores. The built-in speakers deliver a surprising top quality sound and the A/V connections are plentiful and easy to access. This unit really shines when playing a progressive scan DVD. Purchased my TV from Crutchfield, but I don't recommend them just because they used a delivery service that did not do a good job and they did not seem to be aware of our problem until I complained. My complaints to Crutchfield were eventually addressed and the delivery took 13 days from the day it was ordered. Also it was a good thing I was here to help. They were supposed to deliver with a two man crew, but only the driver showed up. No way can one man set up this TV, it weights about 200 lbs.

Rating:
Summary: Super Video
Review: I deduct one star only for Sony pricing. Others such as JVC seem to be better priced. However, I bit the bullet and bought Sony because I did not see anything with a better picture in the stores. The built-in speakers deliver a surprising top quality sound and the A/V connections are plentiful and easy to access. This unit really shines when playing a progressive scan DVD. Purchased my TV from Crutchfield, but I don't recommend them just because they used a delivery service that did not do a good job and they did not seem to be aware of our problem until I complained. My complaints to Crutchfield were eventually addressed and the delivery took 13 days from the day it was ordered. Also it was a good thing I was here to help. They were supposed to deliver with a two man crew, but only the driver showed up. No way can one man set up this TV, it weights about 200 lbs.

Rating:
Summary: The best compromise on the market today?
Review: The KV-36HS500 is a joy to watch on a daily basis. If it matches your requirements for a new TV, I don't think you can go wrong with it.

Getting to the point of choosing it wasn't easy, though. Here's why:

If you are looking to buy a new TV these days, the vast array of technological choices is overwhelming. CRT, RPTV, FPTV, Plasma, LCD, DLP... each with their own unique pros and cons that makes them difficult to compare to each other. And these TVs are so expensive that you feel compelled to understand their value to ensure your choice will hold up over time.

After spending hours poring over minutiae and managing to scrape the surface of understanding, I had to just decide to decide. So I did. The KV-36HS500 became my new HDTV because it offered the best mix of features and compromises given the rapidly advancing state of television technology.

Here is what I learned along the way, in case this helps you make your decision:

0. Style
Unlike the more expensive XBR series, the HS series has a muted matte grey face. The current crop of XBRs has a shiny black border around the screen that I found distracting.

1. Aspect ratio
Widescreen (16:9) or regular (4:3)? That's one of the major questions these days when choosing a TV. The KV-36HS500 is not widescreen, which means it will show a widescreen program (usually a DVD movie or HDTV programming) with bars on the top and bottom. Since most TV content is not yet widescreen, I decided it was preferable to see it at its natural size, and to see the black bars only when watching widescreen DVDs or HDTV. Purists will explain that "widescreen is the future" and that most content will be produced in widescreen... and therefore a widescreen set is the best experience. Well, until that's true, we're in the early part of the transition. I will probably be able to afford a widescreen TV by the time most content is produce in 16:9 high definition format.

2. HDTV
HDTV sets look better than non-HDTV sets, even for non-HDTV content. Unless you feed the TV a terrible signal, such as poorly spliced analog cable, the result just looks sharper. Perhaps it's the TV, perhaps it's the processing -- my comparisons led me to believe that HDTV had better picture quality in all cases.

If you can receive HDTV signals over the air or via DirecTV, apparently the picture is amazing. I haven't seen this yet, but the KV-36HS500 is ready - it has a DVI-HDCP port waiting for the right HDTV set-top box. In the meantime, DVDs look fantastic, even with a DVD player that doesn't have Progressive Scan.

3. Flatness and thinness
Most TVs these days have flat screens, and I find the KV-36HS500's flat screen dramatically reduces glare from ambient lighting. Flat and thin are two different areas though. This TV is not at all "thin" like a plasma or LCD. If you want "thin" so you can hang your TV on the wall, you need either a plasma or LCD, not a CRT.

4. Size and weight
If you want a lightweight TV you can move yourself, run away! The KV-36HS500 is 225 lbs, it takes 2-3 strong able-bodied men just to get it into position. On the plus side, no one is ever going to steal it. Plasmas and LCDs are not only thin, they're light. RPTVs are also light, but they have a limited viewing angle.

On this note, make sure to buy this TV from someone who not only has a delivery service, but will happily pick up your return or pick up and deliver an exchange or repair. If you find a problem, you don't want to be stuck trying to move this TV.

5. Summary
If you watch mostly 4:3 programming (standard TV), enjoy good picture quality, need a fairly large screen, and want to be prepared for HDTV in the next year or two, this TV is for you. If you don't mind a shiny black border around the screen, you might opt for the 36" or 40" XBR version of this TV. On the other hand, if you watch mostly widescreen DVDs or HDTV, you should consider a widescreen CRT (there are very few!) or a plasma, both of which will cost more.

Best of luck finding your new TV!

Rating:
Summary: The best compromise on the market today?
Review: The KV-36HS500 is a joy to watch on a daily basis. If it matches your requirements for a new TV, I don't think you can go wrong with it.

Getting to the point of choosing it wasn't easy, though. Here's why:

If you are looking to buy a new TV these days, the vast array of technological choices is overwhelming. CRT, RPTV, FPTV, Plasma, LCD, DLP... each with their own unique pros and cons that makes them difficult to compare to each other. And these TVs are so expensive that you feel compelled to understand their value to ensure your choice will hold up over time.

After spending hours poring over minutiae and managing to scrape the surface of understanding, I had to just decide to decide. So I did. The KV-36HS500 became my new HDTV because it offered the best mix of features and compromises given the rapidly advancing state of television technology.

Here is what I learned along the way, in case this helps you make your decision:

0. Style
Unlike the more expensive XBR series, the HS series has a muted matte grey face. The current crop of XBRs has a shiny black border around the screen that I found distracting.

1. Aspect ratio
Widescreen (16:9) or regular (4:3)? That's one of the major questions these days when choosing a TV. The KV-36HS500 is not widescreen, which means it will show a widescreen program (usually a DVD movie or HDTV programming) with bars on the top and bottom. Since most TV content is not yet widescreen, I decided it was preferable to see it at its natural size, and to see the black bars only when watching widescreen DVDs or HDTV. Purists will explain that "widescreen is the future" and that most content will be produced in widescreen... and therefore a widescreen set is the best experience. Well, until that's true, we're in the early part of the transition. I will probably be able to afford a widescreen TV by the time most content is produce in 16:9 high definition format.

2. HDTV
HDTV sets look better than non-HDTV sets, even for non-HDTV content. Unless you feed the TV a terrible signal, such as poorly spliced analog cable, the result just looks sharper. Perhaps it's the TV, perhaps it's the processing -- my comparisons led me to believe that HDTV had better picture quality in all cases.

If you can receive HDTV signals over the air or via DirecTV, apparently the picture is amazing. I haven't seen this yet, but the KV-36HS500 is ready - it has a DVI-HDCP port waiting for the right HDTV set-top box. In the meantime, DVDs look fantastic, even with a DVD player that doesn't have Progressive Scan.

3. Flatness and thinness
Most TVs these days have flat screens, and I find the KV-36HS500's flat screen dramatically reduces glare from ambient lighting. Flat and thin are two different areas though. This TV is not at all "thin" like a plasma or LCD. If you want "thin" so you can hang your TV on the wall, you need either a plasma or LCD, not a CRT.

4. Size and weight
If you want a lightweight TV you can move yourself, run away! The KV-36HS500 is 225 lbs, it takes 2-3 strong able-bodied men just to get it into position. On the plus side, no one is ever going to steal it. Plasmas and LCDs are not only thin, they're light. RPTVs are also light, but they have a limited viewing angle.

On this note, make sure to buy this TV from someone who not only has a delivery service, but will happily pick up your return or pick up and deliver an exchange or repair. If you find a problem, you don't want to be stuck trying to move this TV.

5. Summary
If you watch mostly 4:3 programming (standard TV), enjoy good picture quality, need a fairly large screen, and want to be prepared for HDTV in the next year or two, this TV is for you. If you don't mind a shiny black border around the screen, you might opt for the 36" or 40" XBR version of this TV. On the other hand, if you watch mostly widescreen DVDs or HDTV, you should consider a widescreen CRT (there are very few!) or a plasma, both of which will cost more.

Best of luck finding your new TV!

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding TV
Review: The Sony 36'' Flat Screen HDTV Monitor (KV-36HS500) is an outstanding TV. The picture is absolutely remarkable!! It has a multitude of video inputs that allow me to connect my digital cable box, dvd player, vcr, and sony playstation 2!! It is so easy to use - so much so that my 11 year old daughter is an expert at using it.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding TV
Review: The Sony 36'' Flat Screen HDTV Monitor (KV-36HS500) is an outstanding TV. The picture is absolutely remarkable!! It has a multitude of video inputs that allow me to connect my digital cable box, dvd player, vcr, and sony playstation 2!! It is so easy to use - so much so that my 11 year old daughter is an expert at using it.