Sony 34" XBR HD Widescreen----best overall TV?

[BoostedA4]

My current home theater setup is quite pathetic, although probably typical for any college student. I have a JVC 32" tube tv and an XBOX connected via component video (which doubles as my DVD player) and no sound setup or any sort.

I'm looking to start making my home theater better by gettin a nicer tv and a surround sound setup. I hadn't really considered getting a new tv since they are quite costly, but my local classifieds had something that caught my eye. It is a recently purchased Sony XBR 34" HDTV Widescreen for just under $1G with a DVD player included (haven't asked which model).

Now I started doing some research on this TV and many places say it is one of the best pictures available (even compared to some of the nicer plasmas, etc..). I'm wondering if moving up to this TV is really a huge step from where I am. Sure, it is HD, Widescreen, and probably a nicer picture, but it's only 2" larger. Would this be a foolish buy, or is it a great purchase to enter the digital realm?

Just wondering what everyone thought of this TV (remember, I would pay $1000 max with an included DVD player, and maybe talk them down some) and whether it's a worthy upgrade. Any personal experiences with this Sony would be great, thanks

[woodman]

My current home theater setup is quite pathetic, although probably typical for any college student. I have a JVC 32" tube tv and an XBOX connected via component video (which doubles as my DVD player) and no sound setup or any sort.

I'm looking to start making my home theater better by gettin a nicer tv and a surround sound setup. I hadn't really considered getting a new tv since they are quite costly, but my local classifieds had something that caught my eye. It is a recently purchased Sony XBR 34" HDTV Widescreen for just under $1G with a DVD player included (haven't asked which model).

Now I started doing some research on this TV and many places say it is one of the best pictures available (even compared to some of the nicer plasmas, etc..). I'm wondering if moving up to this TV is really a huge step from where I am. Sure, it is HD, Widescreen, and probably a nicer picture, but it's only 2" larger. Would this be a foolish buy, or is it a great purchase to enter the digital realm?

Just wondering what everyone thought of this TV (remember, I would pay $1000 max with an included DVD player, and maybe talk them down some) and whether it's a worthy upgrade. Any personal experiences with this Sony would be great, thanks

To start with, you need a surround sound system FAR more than a TV upgrade at this point in time. It would do far more for your enjoyment than the Sony you're contemplating would. As far as image size goes, you would not be gaining anything in that department at all - in fact, you'd be losing 1 sq. in. of picture area. The picture size given is a diagonal measurement, which would make it appear that the 34" set is 2" bigger than the 32" you have now. But, the fact is that the 34" Sony is a widescreen 16:9 ratio image which has 496 sq. in. of picture area. Your present 32" JVC is a standard 4:3 ratio screen which has 497 sq. in. of screen area!

To answer your question directly about the TV set ... I would NOT risk my hard-earned on it (or any other direct-view widescreen set either). The cost of the CRT is prohibitive and should it fail, the set becomes just an expensive doorstop!

Hope this helps you to alter your direction somewhat

woodman

I plan to live forever ..... so far, so good!
Steven Wright

[BoostedA4]

Yeah, the whole TV vs sound setup question is still runnin through my mind. A nice surround sound setup will set me just over 1G, the one I want at least, and so will this TV. I had been leaning towards the sound for the longest time, but getting this tv with a DVD player for like 900 seemed like a great deal.

But on to the CRT... for the price and picture quality, I just don't think I can go wrong...besides, how often do these things really fail? I don't see it being a significant issue since CRT tv's have been around for a while and the technology seems pretty fail-proof....or is there something wrong with this thinking?

[Woochifer]

Well, when I was a college student, I didn't even bring a TV with me, so I don't know how typical this is considering how crowded some college dorm rooms can get, so 32" is already a pretty good sized TV. (Even in an apartment, my roommates never had anything larger than a 20") As woodman mentioned, CRT-based TVs are on their way out, and can be expensive to repair compared to a RPTV if the tube fails. CRT-based TVs have an inherent advantage with their picture clarity and especially the black levels compared to RPTVs and plasmas, but that gap has bee narrowing. Of course, the tradeoff is that the largest 16:9 HD CRT is the 34" size.

You already got a TV, so your funds are indeed better spent on upgrading your audio (if that's a priority with you). To me, it's 5.1 surround sound that defines home theater. You have an Xbox, so you actually already have a DVD player and a digital audio output. $1k can get you some decent entry level receivers and speaker packages that also provide good upgradability and expansion options. $1k for a used TV and a DVD player is not much of a bargain considering that a brand new Sony 34" HDTV will run about $1,500, and new DVD players are less than $100.

With that said, I would be very careful about going with a Sony. Their picture quality is excellent, no question about that. But, you got a huge question on their reliability. If you're buying used, I would look into whether that unit was purchased with an extended warranty. Sony TVs (among several Sony product lines) have been notorious for their inconsistent product reliability over past few years.

[Woochifer]

Yeah, the whole TV vs sound setup question is still runnin through my mind. A nice surround sound setup will set me just over 1G, the one I want at least, and so will this TV. I had been leaning towards the sound for the longest time, but getting this tv with a DVD player for like 900 seemed like a great deal.

My most consistent advice has always been to avoid buying something just because you think it's a too big a bargain to pass up. If it meets an existing need, then it's worth exploring. But, if you got other priorities and it's more of an impulse buy, then back away. I mean, you're still going to get the audio system at some point, but upgrading the TV just means that you'll have to wait that much longer to get the surround sound functionality that you currently lack. You already have a TV, so buying an audio system does not mean that you'll have to wait a long time to have video capability.


But on to the CRT... for the price and picture quality, I just don't think I can go wrong...besides, how often do these things really fail? I don't see it being a significant issue since CRT tv's have been around for a while and the technology seems pretty fail-proof....or is there something wrong with this thinking?

Actually, quite the contrary! The ongoing trend right now in electronics is the increasing disposability of products. A lot of things really aren't built to last anymore. The technology's been evolving, but that also provides manufacturers with many more opportunities to cut corners. Don't know if these were tube failures, but at the AV store where my friend used to work, they've had periodic batches of Sony TVs where several of them would just fail out of the box or quit working within a week (over half of their early production Sony Wegas failed).

[yakkosmurf]

To start with, you need a surround sound system FAR more than a TV upgrade at this point in time. It would do far more for your enjoyment than the Sony you're contemplating would.
I happen to disagree. A good picture is far more important to me than good sound. That's just my preference. I also believe it is harder to find a great TV at a good price, than a receiver or speakers.

My recommendation would be to check the TV for function and make sure you can calibrate it, then buy it. One person may have problems with CRTs, but I've had bad luck with RPTVs. In my experience, and the experience of people I know, RPTVs have been far less reliable. I'd rather take my chances with a CRT (and get a better picture). Size of screen isn't everything. Clarity is a big deal too. While your current set may be about the same screen area as the new one, with so many more pixels packed in there, you're going to enjoy watching it so much more. Also, a large RPTV may look terrible if your room is small and you have to set closer to it. In that case, you're going to want the clarity of the CRT.

Check out the set and consider it.

[yakkosmurf]

Don't know if these were tube failures, but at the AV store where my friend used to work, they've had periodic batches of Sony TVs where several of them would just fail out of the box or quit working within a week (over half of their early production Sony Wegas failed).
There were some problems with the early models, but I don't remember seeing statistics that said over half. Anyway, the newere models have proven very reliable. Reading the reviews on this site is a good way to get a feel of how many people have been happy with that 34" inch model.

[recoveryone]

My current home theater setup is quite pathetic, although probably typical for any college student. I have a JVC 32" tube tv and an XBOX connected via component video (which doubles as my DVD player) and no sound setup or any sort.

I'm looking to start making my home theater better by gettin a nicer tv and a surround sound setup. I hadn't really considered getting a new tv since they are quite costly, but my local classifieds had something that caught my eye. It is a recently purchased Sony XBR 34" HDTV Widescreen for just under $1G with a DVD player included (haven't asked which model).

Now I started doing some research on this TV and many places say it is one of the best pictures available (even compared to some of the nicer plasmas, etc..). I'm wondering if moving up to this TV is really a huge step from where I am. Sure, it is HD, Widescreen, and probably a nicer picture, but it's only 2" larger. Would this be a foolish buy, or is it a great purchase to enter the digital realm?

Just wondering what everyone thought of this TV (remember, I would pay $1000 max with an included DVD player, and maybe talk them down some) and whether it's a worthy upgrade. Any personal experiences with this Sony would be great, thanks

The one thing that keeps jumping up at me is "COLLEGE STUDENT"
with that in mind I can't help but wounder where is all this upgrade going and why? It's just college why not wait until you get a house. As for MHO I would go with a upgrade in sound and not some high dollar setup (remember its just college) go with a budget setup and save a few dollars. Most budget setups will rock any dorm/small apartment. and the honey's will be more willing to stay for the surround sound than a 2" difference in picture (Most dorms have a big screens in the common/rec rooms) so screen size would not make a big deal compared to 5.1 sound.

My oldest is in College.....I speak from first hand knowledge

[Woochifer]

There were some problems with the early models, but I don't remember seeing statistics that said over half. Anyway, the newere models have proven very reliable. Reading the reviews on this site is a good way to get a feel of how many people have been happy with that 34" inch model.

That 50%+ failure rate was just at the store where my friend worked. I would not expect that to be a norm. But, he's encountered other Sony production runs with failure rates almost as high, not necessarily just with the Wega line. My wife and I have had so many Sony product failures in recent years that we've basically quit buying their products, and my friend had so many lost sales with various Sony lines that he started to only demo their products if customers specifically asked about them.

[yakkosmurf]

The one thing that keeps jumping up at me is "COLLEGE STUDENT"
with that in mind I can't help but wounder where is all this upgrade going and why? It's just college why not wait until you get a house. As for MHO I would go with a upgrade in sound and not some high dollar setup (remember its just college) go with a budget setup and save a few dollars. Most budget setups will rock any dorm/small apartment. and the honey's will be more willing to stay for the surround sound than a 2" difference in picture (Most dorms have a big screens in the common/rec rooms) so screen size would not make a big deal compared to 5.1 sound.

My oldest is in College.....I speak from first hand knowledge
I've only been out of college for 3 years, and I say go for it. College is when I had all my money. ;)

I guess it's a little different depending on where you live. I lived in a 3 bedroom house during college, so I bought only a 32" TV, but went with a very nice DVD player and receiver. I also kept speaker sizes small. When I got out of college and got married, I bought a larger TV (put the other one in the bedroom) while in an apartment. Now that I have a nice size room in my new house, I'm looking to get the larger speaker set I wanted. I can buy that now and because of what I bought in college, I have an amplifier that will drive them and good source players as well.

Just a thought.

[yakkosmurf]

That 50%+ failure rate was just at the store where my friend worked. I would not expect that to be a norm. But, he's encountered other Sony production runs with failure rates almost as high, not necessarily just with the Wega line. My wife and I have had so many Sony product failures in recent years that we've basically quit buying their products, and my friend had so many lost sales with various Sony lines that he started to only demo their products if customers specifically asked about them.
There's no point in picking on any one brand. I've owned a lot of Sony products for a long time, and never had any problems with any of them. TVs, DVD players, CD decks, car stereos, and more all with no problems. I have a lot of friends and family in the same boat. Other brands have given us lots of problems though. Mitsubishi and Hitachi RPTVs have been terrible. Pioneer car decks, receivers, and CD players have also been terrible. Ironically, a number of JVC items and an RCA TV have been running forever trouble free. Go figure.

Point being, you can quote all the instances you want, but someone else's experience is going to be different. And when you look at the numbers of items sold, 150 that have catastrophic failures is a small number. It's like quoting those statistics that a child is abused every 10 seconds in the US. With 100 million children in the country, every 10 seconds is a small number. It's still a bad thing, but twisting statistics to blow something out of proportion is not a valid argument.