thinking of buying a HDTV but want your opinion

[sergey semak]

The Bravia V-series you linked (KDL-V26A12U) I didnt saw myself but from www.avforums.com the image quality is better, with deeper blacks.
But it still dont have HDMI connectivity to the PC and is more expensive.

the hdmi input i am talking about is to connect the tv with the ps3 ( the ps3 have 2 hdmi outputs, in case you have 2 hdtv's )..

being able to connect it with the pc is an extra to me, not that big deal.. i will check the models you pointed out, thanks..

the V model is a great system, i already saw one, 26" ( great image )

 

[London Geezer]

the hdmi input i am talking about is to connect the tv with the ps3 ( the ps3 have 2 hdmi outputs, in case you have 2 hdtv's )..

being able to connect it with the pc is an extra to me, not that big deal.. i will check the models you pointed out, thanks..

the V model is a great system, i already saw one, 26" ( great image )

Remember that Sony equipment almost always come at a higher price.

The V-Series Bravia don't have VGA input, so you might want to look elsewhere if u think u'll ever need that. Other than that, if you can afford it, definately go for it, it does have probably the best image quality on Standard Definition sources i've seen to this day.

I think the most important question is, What's your budget?

 

[sergey semak]

sorry if this question seems a little dumb but what will the VGA be needed for? i really don't have a clue

 

[London Geezer]

sorry if this question seems a little dumb but what will the VGA be needed for? i really don't have a clue

If you ever need to connect your PC to the TV. You still can do it through HDMI with a DVI-HDMI cable, but it requires a lot of tweaking to get the right resolution.

But from the sound of it, it doesn't seem you'll ever need to plug your PC to it, so you're safe.

One thing is, if you get an Xbox360, VGA is the best way to connect to a TV/Monitor. Though Component is quite close and pretty much the same to most people.

 

[pascal]

IIRC you cannot connect a PC with an european Sony V-series because:

- It doesnt have a vga input (IIRC US version has it).
- HDMI doesnt work with PC.

 

[London Geezer]

IIRC you cannot connect a PC with an european Sony V-series because:

- It doesnt have a vga input (IIRC US version has it).
- HDMI doesnt work with PC.

Yep that's what i was saying to him. You can still use the HDMI with a HDMI-DVI cable, but you won't get 1:1 pixel mapping, and finding the right resolution is a bitch - it's something like 1100x650 or something, because the HDMI can't take PC resolutions and will oversan the PC input through HDMI - therefore you have to feed it a smaller res image and let the set rescan it. As i said, a bitch.
There are explanations on how to do it on the AVforums, but i'd personally leave it.

 

[sergey semak]

thanks, you are helping me a lot..i just don't want to screw up my money on the first set you know?i think i can make a better decision right now

 

[London Geezer]

thanks, you are helping me a lot..i just don't want to screw up my money on the first set you know?i think i can make a better decision right now

No prob! If you give me (us) a list of sets you're interested in, i can give u a run down. :smile:

 

[sergey semak]

in general i prefer the sony bravia models.. i like the design and also they have the characteristics i want.. of course there are other models but i don't know the references.. i posted in another forum and asked some questions but i'm not getting any answers ( a forum entirely dedicated to HDTV's, it was suggested here) so i'll copy my post (maybe it might have some use to everyone else) and maybe you can give me the answers.. here it goes:

"....to start, i like the sony bravia models.. i am thinking of buying a 26" V series but there is something strange about the reference on these models.. i live in portugal and the 26" V model here is named http://www.sony.pt/view/ShowProduct...gory=TVP+LCD+TV and a 26" V model in england is named http://www.sony.co.uk/view/ShowProd...gory=TVP+LCD+TV

as you can see, they are both 26" models from V series and have different names.. KLV-V26A10E for portugal, KDL-V26A12U for UK!

here goes some questions, i will be extremelly appreciated to you guys if you give me some answers, i don't want to spend my money in the wrong set.. here it goes:

1-i noticed that the uk version have FREEVIEW, someone here knows what is this? the portugal version do not have that option.. anyway, what is FREEVIEW??

2-i am looking for an internet source that have the contrast ratio, response time, brightness, if the tv supports 50/60 HZ, all the technicall specs on hdtv models.. do you know any website that has this kind of info?? anyway, if you guys know, can you tell me these specs on the 26" and 32" V series from sony?? i heard they are a bit different..

3-i might wait a bit longer to buy my hdtv.. the idea is wait until 1080p models arrive, so i can buy one of the above tv's for less.. the question is when will these 1080p models hit europe?

4-i want this tv mainly to play ps2 and ps3 when it arrives.. do you think the V series is a good option?....."

again thanks, you are really helping me

 

[London Geezer]

Ooooh i see...

1-i noticed that the uk version have FREEVIEW, someone here knows what is this? the portugal version do not have that option.. anyway, what is FREEVIEW??

Basically in the UK we get digital TV for free through the aerial. Instead of the 5 analog channels, with Freeview we get some 30 or so channels, all for free, all digital. Mostly the quality is crap, but at least it's MORE crap...

The difference in model number is probably due to that, Freeview needs a different tuner (a digital tuner... d'oh...).

The UK Bravia's all have digital Freeview tuners. Not sure what you guys have in Portugal.

2-i am looking for an internet source that have the contrast ratio, response time, brightness, if the tv supports 50/60 HZ, all the technicall specs on hdtv models.. do you know any website that has this kind of info?? anyway, if you guys know, can you tell me these specs on the 26" and 32" V series from sony?? i heard they are a bit different..

Not sure about the contrast ratio but the response time is advertised as 8ms (very good). The TV supports all kinds of systems, 50Hz, 60Hz, 480i/p, 720p and 1080i. Sony's website should give you all the specs.
The model has 1 HDMI, component, a few SCARTs, probably S-Video and composite too.
What sets this TV apart from the rest is the Wega Engine, which is not present in the Bravia S-Series so be careful. The V-series are the black ones, the S-series are the silver ones.
The Wega Engine really makes a difference in SD (DVD, broadcasts etc) material, and personally it gives the best pic with those feeds. HD signals are HD and gorgeous by default. On HD the Wega Engine is disabled by the way.

3-i might wait a bit longer to buy my hdtv.. the idea is wait until 1080p models arrive, so i can buy one of the above tv's for less.. the question is when will these 1080p models hit europe?

The first sets will probably come out this year at ridiculously high prices, but for the first year or 2 they will only be 42" or more. Maybe 37", as there is already the Philips 37" 9830 which has 1920x1080 resolution, but can only take 1080i.
Any smaller set will stay at 720p for a long time.

4-i want this tv mainly to play ps2 and ps3 when it arrives.. do you think the V series is a good option?....."

Prepare yourself to see the crappy PS2 graphics in all their glory, because LCD TVs show every little flaw magnified, but in the end, of all LCD TVs, this one will make it look better than most other sets, simply because the Wega Engine is just one hell of a processing system that makes crappy signal look good - to a certain extent obviously, it doesn't do miracles obviously, but it's much better than most processing on competitors' sets.
At least 26" won't be as bad with PS2 as a 40" set.

 

[sergey semak]

i see... so the freeview is not a problem at all..

you said that 1080p models will arrive later this year.. but when? is it still undefined?

anyway, in sony website they don't have the specs i asked for ( contrast, response, etc ) and those are very important.. i am comparing the 26"and the 32" V models in sony website and the 32" model says that the Display Technology for 32" is LCD Si TFT Active Matrix, for 26" it says N/A.. i though that the only difference between these models were the sound system power and the screen size.. do you know if they are different? here is the comparison:

http://www.sony.co.uk/product/Compa...V26A12U&models=KDL-V32A12U&models=KDL-V26A12U

as for ps2 crappy graphics, i am already prepared for that lol

 

[pascal]

Yep that's what i was saying to him. You can still use the HDMI with a HDMI-DVI cable, but you won't get 1:1 pixel mapping, and finding the right resolution is a bitch - it's something like 1100x650 or something, because the HDMI can't take PC resolutions and will oversan the PC input through HDMI - therefore you have to feed it a smaller res image and let the set rescan it. As i said, a bitch.
There are explanations on how to do it on the AVforums, but i'd personally leave it.

That is it: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6509835&highlight=pc+hdmi+sony#post6509835

I could be wrong, but I don't think DVI 1.0 specifies the resolutions that *must* be supported, as opposed to suggested resolutions. Possibly they specify a minimum 640x480 for basic compatability, but for any less popular resolution like 1360x768, it is a manufacturer's decision..

As such, I'm of the impression that the HDMI port on Sony Bravias will only support the mandated HDMI resolutions (which does not include 1360x768), but does include 640x480, 720x480, 1280x720, and 1920x1080i.

If you configure your PC to output 720p over DVI-D to Sony Bravia HDMI, it should work, but there could be some overscan depending on how Sony has implemented the video processing of the HDMI port. You might be able to turn off the overscan or you could have no choice, I don't really know with the XBR unit. Also, all resolutions other than 640x480(VGA) have RGB colorspace that is limited to 16-235 by default. 640x480 has RGB colorspace of 0-255 which is what a PC expects. Unless Sony has added the ability to adjust the RGB colorspace to "Full" or "Limited" this could cause issues with colors not being quite right (or overly bright). I know Sharp Aquos 45" allows you to adjust the RGB colorspace on the HDMI port, but again this is gray area dependent on the manufacturer.

But in US you can use the VGA port with 1280x768 resolution. The 1-1 mapping requires a 1360x768, which has some issues. IIRC only nvidia cards can do that nativally.

 

[London Geezer]

That is it: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6509835&highlight=pc+hdmi+sony#post6509835


But in US you can use the VGA port with 1280x768 resolution. The 1-1 mapping requires a 1360x768, which has some issues. IIRC only nvidia cards can do that nativally.

Powerstrip solves that problem, but it's true, when i connected my PC to my HDTV, it set itself to 1360x768.

Now let's not get into a discussion on why the hell Sony left the VGA port out of their top of the range sets, while keeping it on their lower range (the S-series), cause it really doesn't make sense.

 

[kyleb]

1360x768 works fine on Radeons as well, even in the drivers by default.

Also, 1280x768 is 15:9 rather than 16:9, so you generally won't want to use that for a 16:9 display even if it is 1280x768 native.

 

[pascal]

The V-series have a better contrast (V-series 1300 , S-series 1000)
The V-series has wider color range because they have a WCGCCFL backlight.

 

[sergey semak]

but there are differences between the V series? check the link on my last post!

 

[pascal]

Now let's not get into a discussion on why the hell Sony left the VGA port out of their top of the range sets, while keeping it on their lower range (the S-series), cause it really doesn't make sense.

You are starting to read my mind

I would like an HDTV with the Sony panels and engine and the Philips connectivity (dvi, hdmi, usb, flash, etc..) and ambilight

 

[London Geezer]

but there are differences between the V series? check the link on my last post!

You mean between the 26" and the 32" V-series? Nope, your link also says there are no differences. Unless you need Romanian and Slovanian Menus!

 

[sergey semak]

lol! yeah, i don't know why but i read it all wrong...my mistake lol

anyway, i read somewhere that the 32" had a better response time than the 26"

 

[sergey semak]

i noticed a difference!!

Digital Comb Filter -PAL 3D Comb filter for the 32" and 3D Comb Filter for the 26"

don't know if that is very important.. do you know if there are differences in the response time?