So Now the Question Becomes...Used SXRD or Newer Flat Panel?

[Hillside Trece]

If we decide to go with a 70" screen rather than a 65", should we be looking, perhaps, at finding a 70" SXRD for sale somewhere being that we've had good performance from our 50A2020 (save for the size), or going new with a current flat panel of some kind? What would make sense?

The TV will not be hung on the wall, BTW.

[hometheatergeek]

Are you unaware that the SXRDs ended up in a class action lawsuit? I had to get rid of mine....the 2000 series... because of the crappy optical block and you are thinking of buying a used one? I would not recommend it.

[Hillside Trece]

Originally Posted by hometheatergeek

Are you unaware that the SXRDs ended up in a class action lawsuit? I had to get rid of mine....the 2000 series... because of the crappy optical block and you are thinking of buying a used one? I would not recommend it.

Al,

Thank you for your response. I am indeed aware of the optical block problems these sets exhibited; my A2020 doesn't seem to have been plagued by any problems like this thus far (keeping fingers crossed)...

I only asked because if it wasn't for the size issue, we love the build quality and "next best thing to front projection" characteristics our SXRD exhibits; to us, there's no comparison to the solidity these sets display compared to today's flat panel sets, which seem like, if you don't wall mount them, will just wobble and fall over on their pedestals with only a hint of pressure put to them. In contrast, the SXRD's seem like solidly built, heavy-cabinet pieces (of course, this is rear projection versus flat panel we're talking about, but I'm just expressing how I feel about it) and we are constantly saying when we sit in front of it how we wish we could just "stretch" our 50" magically to become a 70" SXRD...

I thought maybe for our needs, a 70" SXRD on the gently used market would make more sense than looking for a new flat panel of 70 inches; but perhaps we will take your sentiment of not going with a used SXRD to heart.

Anyone else with any insight here, or any other members in agreement with Al?

[Hillside Trece]

Originally Posted by hometheatergeek

Are you unaware that the SXRDs ended up in a class action lawsuit? I had to get rid of mine....the 2000 series... because of the crappy optical block and you are thinking of buying a used one? I would not recommend it.

BTW,

Love your avatar! Can't wait for May to see The Avengers!

Also -- I checked out your gallery; how do you like the Sharp 70" LCD? We're thinking of going with that screen...do you like it? How do you like it compared to your SXRD?

[Hillside Trece]

Anyone else? Should I be looking at a used 70" SXRD?

[hometheatergeek]

Originally Posted by Hillside Trece

BTW,

Love your avatar! Can't wait for May to see The Avengers!

Also -- I checked out your gallery; how do you like the Sharp 70" LCD? We're thinking of going with that screen...do you like it? How do you like it compared to your SXRD?

Sorry for the late response. I know of no SXRD that has lasted longer then 10,000 hours before the OB starts to go bad. You wrote:

my A2020 doesn't seem to have been plagued by any problems like this thus far

So do you know how many total hours you have on your 2020? I averaged 2000hrs per year and right after I had owned the set for 5 years 1 month it went bad. So if you don't use the set much your best bet is to hold on to it as long as you can then start shopping for something else.

I do like the Sharp a lot. Blacks are a lot better then the SXRD and so is the contrast levels. It is easy watching a dark movie during the day time now where the SXRD had trouble with dark movies. However the screen on the 70 is more reflective then the SXRD so that can cause an issue in some rooms with direct sunlight.

[Captain Kirk]

My SXRD had four bad optical blocks, a bad fan, and a dead HDMI port - all in the span of four years. Due to all the bad things with the TV, Sony ended up letting me buy a Bravia at a discount. I have never had it wobble or anything on its pedestal. If you tightly mount it in the pedestal it should only be able to shift after you push it. My panel can go side to side, but has never moved without force.

If you like the SXRD build and look, I would look into a Mitsubishi 73 inch DLP instead. The body is similar, the build quality is better, and it has a comparable picture quality.

[Hillside Trece]

Originally Posted by hometheatergeek

Sorry for the late response. I know of no SXRD that has lasted longer then 10,000 hours before the OB starts to go bad. You wrote: So do you know how many total hours you have on your 2020? I averaged 2000hrs per year and right after I had owned the set for 5 years 1 month it went bad. So if you don't use the set much your best bet is to hold on to it as long as you can then start shopping for something else.

The set doesn't really get used all that much, save for the evening film watching and my wife watching her daytime soaps; the reason why we want to replace it is only because of its size -- we want something much bigger, but otherwise, we would keep the SXRD...

As for the amount of hours we have on the set, I'm not really positive -- we have had the set a good five or so years, and have only replaced the lamp once (first one since the factory bulb).

I do like the Sharp a lot. Blacks are a lot better then the SXRD and so is the contrast levels. It is easy watching a dark movie during the day time now where the SXRD had trouble with dark movies. However the screen on the 70 is more reflective then the SXRD so that can cause an issue in some rooms with direct sunlight.

Thanks for the input; do Blu-rays look good on the Sharp? Do they have a detailed, three-dimensional-like appearance? What picture mode do you run in?

[Hillside Trece]

Originally Posted by Serendipity

My SXRD had four bad optical blocks, a bad fan, and a dead HDMI port - all in the span of four years. Due to all the bad things with the TV, Sony ended up letting me buy a Bravia at a discount. I have never had it wobble or anything on its pedestal. If you tightly mount it in the pedestal it should only be able to shift after you push it. My panel can go side to side, but has never moved without force.

If you like the SXRD build and look, I would look into a Mitsubishi 73 inch DLP instead. The body is similar, the build quality is better, and it has a comparable picture quality.

Thanks, 'Dipity!

Wow -- you had a lot of issues with your SXRD. In the five years of owning mine, I haven't experienced one of those things...the only thing we've done is replace the lamp once.

As for your Bravia, I am only going by what I saw at my local Best Buy -- of course, they may not have had the thing screwed together properly for their display models, but the ones I did see wobbled horribly like they were made out of cardboard. I'm not exaggerating. I also read in an issue of Home Theater in which they reviewed a new Bravia LCD, and the writer mentioned that his sample wobbled horribly as well...

How do you like your Bravia vs. the SXRD? Do you have any pics to share of the new set?

Thanks for your input regarding the Mitsubishi -- indeed, we're aware that if we want the "build quality" that a rear pro offers versus the flat panels, the Mitsubishi DLPs are the only way to go. The thing is, I don't think we can do a 73", and I am uncertain of the picture quality of these sets -- we've seen a couple of really bad examples in stores we have been to. I wasn't impressed.

Do you really believe the Mitsubishis offer a better build quality than the Sony SXRDs?

[Hillside Trece]

Here's another question: At a 12 foot seating distance, what size set should we be looking for (within reason)? Will a 70" be large enough? (Please take front projection OUT OF THE EQUATION for this query.)

[Captain Kirk]

Originally Posted by Hillside Trece

Thanks, 'Dipity!

Wow -- you had a lot of issues with your SXRD. In the five years of owning mine, I haven't experienced one of those things...the only thing we've done is replace the lamp once.

As for your Bravia, I am only going by what I saw at my local Best Buy -- of course, they may not have had the thing screwed together properly for their display models, but the ones I did see wobbled horribly like they were made out of cardboard. I'm not exaggerating. I also read in an issue of Home Theater in which they reviewed a new Bravia LCD, and the writer mentioned that his sample wobbled horribly as well...

How do you like your Bravia vs. the SXRD? Do you have any pics to share of the new set?

Thanks for your input regarding the Mitsubishi -- indeed, we're aware that if we want the "build quality" that a rear pro offers versus the flat panels, the Mitsubishi DLPs are the only way to go. The thing is, I don't think we can do a 73", and I am uncertain of the picture quality of these sets -- we've seen a couple of really bad examples in stores we have been to. I wasn't impressed.

Do you really believe the Mitsubishis offer a better build quality than the Sony SXRDs?

I would take the Bravia over the SXRD. I have the HX729 and I think it's a stunning television. I did take about an hour to get the picture just the way I wanted as I found it looks too video game like right out of the box, but with some minor tweaking it looks amazing. I think it has deeper colors, better blacks, etc. I have some mild light bleed on the bottom left corner, but after its on for a few minutes it fades considerably. I'm the only one who notices it, but I am known to check out every inch of a TV.

With proper calibration, the DLP will look just as good as the SXRD. I have the 73 inch as my living room TV and it took about an hour, maybe two, to get it to where I thought it should be. It does take some significant changes since everything is cranked to the max out of the box, but you should find a happy place with a little effort. If you like the look of the SXRD, this set is the only way to go. Some people don't like the looks of LCD/LED and I understand why. It took me years to finally see one that I liked. Some of the pictures look odd and have a PS3 game appearance to the material, which I hate. I know a lot of that is improper calibrations, but some TVs and their motion technology are horrible. DLPs and SXRDs had/have the best soft, natural pictures on the market.

I would try to find a store with a properly step DLP. Every set I have ever seen at Best Buy makes them look like trash when they aren't.

To answer your other question, I have my DLP at a distance of 11 feet and it's quite large from that distance. I am thinking about upgrading to the 80 inch Sharp when I have time to redecorate the room, but that's just my desire for the panel that I think is just stunning. It's the best looking TV I have seen in some time and I don't think it will look odd or take over the room to where it overwhelms. I saw the other poster mentioned it and I would support this TV as well. It is a beauty and the price tag to prove it...

[hometheatergeek]

Originally Posted by Hillside Trece

The set doesn't really get used all that much, save for the evening film watching and my wife watching her daytime soaps; the reason why we want to replace it is only because of its size -- we want something much bigger, but otherwise, we would keep the SXRD...

As for the amount of hours we have on the set, I'm not really positive -- we have had the set a good five or so years, and have only replaced the lamp once (first one since the factory bulb).



Thanks for the input; do Blu-rays look good on the Sharp? Do they have a detailed, three-dimensional-like appearance? What picture mode do you run in?

That is were the Sharp is the best looking. The TV is real picky on the source. It will show flaws and look really bad on certain TV shows (the SXRD was more forgiving in that aspect) but once it is feed a pristine picture from a blu-ray player that is when the Sharp looks the best.

[Hillside Trece]

Thanks for all your replies in this thread thus far, fellas; I'm going to need some more time to respond to your statements individually...we're still trying to figure out how big we want to go, whether a 70" or even a 65" will seem significantly larger than our current 50 or what kind of screen we even want to go with...

[spawn33]

Here is my 2 cents....
I have had my 50" KDS-A2000 SXRD since November of 2006. The only thing I have ever done is replace one of my bulbs (although the 2nd one is going according to the message I get every time I start it up so I should probably order one soon). The only thing I do to it is vacuum the bulb compartment and back of the tv about every month and a half. It has been a excellent tv and it's typically on for at least 12 hours a day as we have it on even when we aren't really paying attention to it. So, IMO if you can get one at the right price, and see no issues in the picture when you test it, and don't care about having a flat screen, I'd go for it.....

[Hillside Trece]

Originally Posted by spawn33

Here is my 2 cents....
I have had my 50" KDS-A2000 SXRD since November of 2006. The only thing I have ever done is replace one of my bulbs (although the 2nd one is going according to the message I get every time I start it up so I should probably order one soon). The only thing I do to it is vacuum the bulb compartment and back of the tv about every month and a half. It has been a excellent tv and it's typically on for at least 12 hours a day as we have it on even when we aren't really paying attention to it. So, IMO if you can get one at the right price, and see no issues in the picture when you test it, and don't care about having a flat screen, I'd go for it.....

Wow Spawn,

You seem to be the only one suggesting I CAN consider a used SXRD...I too like my current 50" A2020; we just want something bigger. That Sharp 70" looks real sexy and tempting...

[hometheatergeek]

Originally Posted by Hillside Trece

Wow Spawn,

You seem to be the only one suggesting I CAN consider a used SXRD...I too like my current 50" A2020; we just want something bigger. That Sharp 70" looks real sexy and tempting...

Hi again. Have you ever read this?

[Hillside Trece]

Originally Posted by hometheatergeek

Hi again. Have you ever read this?

Hey Again, 'Geek,

I believe I have actually seen that page -- I am going to re-read it in its entirety again though. Thanks.

Are you suggesting I should stay away, essentially, from a used SXRD definitely?

[Hillside Trece]

Hello Again, 'Dipity...

Just getting a chance to get back to everyone individually in this thread.

Originally Posted by Serendipity

I would take the Bravia over the SXRD. I have the HX729 and I think it's a stunning television.

Thank you for the input here. Can you give me a bit more insight with regard to why you like the Bravia over the SXRD? Does the SXRD -- as I suspect -- simply look "flat" compared to the overhyped/amped look of Sony's LCD?

I did take about an hour to get the picture just the way I wanted as I found it looks too video game like right out of the box, but with some minor tweaking it looks amazing.

Is the "right out of the box" picture mode setting on VIVID for every input?

Indeed, many LCDs have that "cartoonish"/video game look to them, even taken out of Vivid/Dynamic mode...some people (I'm guilty here) actually happen to like that look compared to the softer, more film-like delivery (like an SXRD)...so perhaps LCD IS the right technology for me, especially taking into consideration what you're saying here.

Now, when you say "after some minor tweaking," can you give me some more insight here? What mode did you put your satellite/cable box and DVD/Blu-ray player inputs in? Did you switch to Custom or even Standard?

I think it has deeper colors, better blacks, etc. I have some mild light bleed on the bottom left corner, but after its on for a few minutes it fades considerably. I'm the only one who notices it, but I am known to check out every inch of a TV.

I'm the same way.

You mean you feel it has deeper colors and better blacks compared to the SXRD it replaced?

With proper calibration, the DLP will look just as good as the SXRD. I have the 73 inch as my living room TV and it took about an hour, maybe two, to get it to where I thought it should be.

Oh, okay -- so you're running the Bravia in a secondary room in which you don't watch films? With regard to the Mitsubishi, what mode did you put that bad boy in to begin calibration -- Natural or Bright?

It does take some significant changes since everything is cranked to the max out of the box, but you should find a happy place with a little effort.

Out of the box, do the Mitsubishis come set to Brilliant mode? And ALL parameters are cranked to max -- Color, Contrast, Brightness, etc?

If you like the look of the SXRD, this set is the only way to go. Some people don't like the looks of LCD/LED and I understand why.

Oddly, it's not that I LOVE or LIKE the look of the SXRD per se -- it's that we have come to accept its natural, filmlike, smooth image. Personally, I would rather have the LCD/LED look with its surreal, hyper-colored images, etc.

Is that what you're referring to when you mention that you understand why some people don't like the looks of them?

It took me years to finally see one that I liked. Some of the pictures look odd and have a PS3 game appearance to the material, which I hate. I know a lot of that is improper calibrations, but some TVs and their motion technology are horrible. DLPs and SXRDs had/have the best soft, natural pictures on the market.

And therein lies a lot of what I DIDN'T like about the rear projection technology -- the softness to the image on most material (although it was more than likely displaying images with a more true to life, filmlike appearance). I happen to be one of those oddballs in the hobby that like the look of the LCD frame interpolation effects and how it makes film look like video (the Soap Opera Effect).

In general, do Blu-rays look sharp, detailed and colorful on your Bravia? Do they have that sort of surreal, hyped look?

I would try to find a store with a properly step DLP. Every set I have ever seen at Best Buy makes them look like trash when they aren't.

I actually didn't see any Mitsubishi DLPs at any Best Buys; they were in different outlets including a Rent a Center (which had the 73" on display). At a local RC Willeys (a U.S. west coast chain), we saw the 92" version set up in a room all by itself and the screen was ridiculously big -- but they were running a football video game of some kind, not film material, so it was hard to judge; conversely, I see these sets being sold all the time on the home shopping channels like QVC and HSN, and the PQ from my TV's perspective doesn't impress me...colors and images seem "washed out" and flat. Of course, that's viewing a TV through ANOTHER TV, so it's almost impossible to judge but...

To answer your other question, I have my DLP at a distance of 11 feet and it's quite large from that distance. I am thinking about upgrading to the 80 inch Sharp when I have time to redecorate the room, but that's just my desire for the panel that I think is just stunning. It's the best looking TV I have seen in some time and I don't think it will look odd or take over the room to where it overwhelms. I saw the other poster mentioned it and I would support this TV as well. It is a beauty and the price tag to prove it...

Wow. 80 inches at 11 feet.

Do you think, ultimately, we would be okay with a 70" at 12 feet?

[Hillside Trece]

Originally Posted by hometheatergeek

That is were the Sharp is the best looking. The TV is real picky on the source. It will show flaws and look really bad on certain TV shows (the SXRD was more forgiving in that aspect) but once it is feed a pristine picture from a blu-ray player that is when the Sharp looks the best.

Thanks again 'Geek.

Can you give me an idea of how the set really shines on BD material? Are the images jaw dropping in detail? Color? Sharpness? Depth of Field? What mode do you keep the set in? Does it require advanced calibration?

[hometheatergeek]

Originally Posted by Hillside Trece

Thanks again 'Geek.

Can you give me an idea of how the set really shines on BD material? Are the images jaw dropping in detail? Color? Sharpness? Depth of Field? What mode do you keep the set in? Does it require advanced calibration?

Check out the screen shots in my gallery. I used the posted settings from the owners thread over on AVS then used a calibration disc to fine tune the set. For BD viewing I use the movie mode (which was calibrated). For sports I use the gaming mode...cuts down on broadcasts that can cause DSE. Nascar looks great. There is a couple of shots from a football game in my gallery. What you need to know is my 2011 model is selling out fast since it was a full array backlight and the 2012 model is an edgelit model.