Video Asylum: REVIEW: Sony KF-60XBR8000 Other -- Home Theater by jimmyjames

Model:	KF-60XBR8000
Category:	Other -- Home Theater
Suggested Retail Price:	$5000
Description:	Grand WEGA LCD Rear Projection TV
Manufacturer URL:	Sony
Model Picture:	View

Review by jimmyjames ( A ) on January 12, 2003 at 18:23:08
IP Address: 24.163.112.222

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Well it took 3 years to get total buy in by the wife and 24 months interest free financing by SONY(?) but I finally have a video display that is bigger than 32" and is not crt based. The new Sony KF60XBR800 Grand WEGA LCD RPTV is now in the middle of my listening room cum Home Theater. It is a big beautiful box of glass sitting on an integral pedestal which houses the projection lamp and LCD block along with optics. The whole thing including little flipper feet to keep it from tipping over is less than 22" deep. Another reason I got this box, it would make the tight turn at the top of my steps by going up and over the banister (helps that it weighs less than 150lbs).

The picture in (Time Warner Cable)HDTV broadcasts is incredible. I just finished watching the 1/12/03 Jets/Raiders play off game and it was the best of several HD broadcasts I have seen in the last 2 weeks. Also watched the best looking (HD)broadcast hockey game I have yet to see even though the Canes lost to the Avs in OT. Close ups and scenes with no fast action are the best HD has to offer. Fast motion of football and hockey at times reveal some artifacts. LCD is supposed to be bad about this. The artifacts are not consistently there so I suspect some problems are casued at the head end of the broadcast and are due to equipment problems and quality and whether the HDTV image is being originated(?) or up converted.

HBO and Showtime HDTV movies look very good and there is no hint of motion artifacts. I have played just a couple of DVD's via progressive scan from a Philips 962SA one of which was 5th ELEMENT and they look spectacular but not the best big screen video I have seen.

I won't bore you with specs. They can be seen on Sony's website. There are a few features and benefits to consider though. The set has 7 total video/audio inputs. Two complete sets accept component video cables for progressive scan dvd players and HDTV converter/receiver boxes. Video 7 input is for DVI interface but does not support computer DVI siganls. the other inputs support composite and S video and there is a threaded F connector for RF siganls via coax.

The HDTV/Progressive inputs display only what is being fed to them. They do up convert to a point but do not allow Wide or Full screen scretch or fill functions. True 16:9 HD is displayed full screen, no bars. The S-video inputs do allow the image to be stretched via the WIDE or FULL screen function as well as ZOOM and WIDE ZOOM. This DSP function does a good job of not making everybody on the screen look like no neck football players with shoulder pads as I have seen some RPTV sets do. Along with these DSP based functions, the set also has 5 preset picture functions that are based on different combinations of contrast, hue, brightness and sharpness values. You can also change any of these values to suit and save the settings in one or all of the presets.

The KF60XBR800 has a plethora of PIP functions including split screens and channel preview panes. I find PIP capability to be distracting like 20 TV's in a sports bar. I have hard enough time concentrating on one thing.

The audio is handled on board with "3 way 6 speaker system". The specs in the manual say 15 watts x 2 channels. There is a surround sound simulation mode that bounces some sound around the room rather convincingly sometimes. The sound system is adequate for listening to the evening news or watching sports. My stereo/multichannel audio system will be handling all other audio duties.

I saw a Samsung or SAMPO DLP 50" RPTV at the chain store I bought this set from. The 50"DLP RPTV looked better, sharper picture and more vivid colors. It cost the same as this 60" Sony. There was not a 60" DLP RPTV available at this writing and it would have been beyond my price point. I compared these sets to a 50" Pany plasma and a 42" Fujitsu plasma. The Plasmas look better but the 50" Pany costs around $9000 grand once you get it home and either mounted on the wall or table top. I also auditioned several LCD projectors including SANYO and EPSON. I also saw the Marantz unit that is around $12K and was the best of any projection unit I have seen in the $15K range.

If I have learned anything in my 43 years on this earth it is that everything is a compromise. If you are wealthy you just have to compromise less. The Sony KF60XBR800 is a compromise. I am giving up some picture quality for a simple if not elegant solution to the big screen HDTV problem. It's 60" diagonal measure, 16:9 HDTV ready, just plug in and play. No mus no fuss. I didn't have to hang it on the wall or cut a whole in my ceiling or buy a screen that flutters in the breeze. It's as good or better than the signal being fed to it. I doesn't look worth a damn without an HD or DVD signal being fed to it just like every other RPTV, plasma or projector I have seen. Although for some reason, the RPTV's look worse with an analog cable signal than any other big screen device. I got a 5 year warranty with in home service and lamp replacement free of charge and in 5 years, I will probably be pushing it to the curb for a friday morning garbage pick up after having taken delivery on a 100" plasma that will hang on wall and only set me back five grand.

Product Weakness: Remote buttons to small and no back light, not the last word in definition, speakers and audio power lacking, the same things wrong with every other RPTV I've seen
Product Strengths: Plug and play, light weight, dimensionally acceptable, no cheap 1/8" thick wood laminate cabinet, great picture in HD, plenty of input jacks, good DSP functions, High WAF, almost affordable. A good compromise between wanting big screen HDTV now, being able to afford it and it will get me through the next 5 years.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Levinson
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Levinson
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Philips
Speakers:	Aerial
Cables/Interconnects:	XLO, Kimber
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	JAzz
Room Size (LxWxH):	25 x 19 x 8
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	MIT Z centers
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	Remote buttons to small and no back light, not the last word in definition, speakers and audio power lacking, the same things wrong with every other RPTV I've seen
Product Strengths:	Plug and play, light weight, dimensionally acceptable, no cheap 1/8" thick wood laminate cabinet, great picture in HD, plenty of input jacks, good DSP functions, High WAF, almost affordable. A good compromise between wanting big screen HDTV now, being able to afford it and it will get me through the next 5 years.