Beautiful, but narrow minded

Author's Rating:

Pros: Looks, Image, DTV (HDTV) tuner, Separate Media Receiver Unit

Cons: Price, Only one DVI, Remote, Lack of support for computer

The Bottom Line: 
If you have the money, go for it.

Author's Review
Overall, I'm very happy with KDL. SONY should be proud to have made such a beautiful TV. I'm no techy, so it will be out of my bound to say anything about the sound or video, except that I love watching HDTV on it. I do have problems with the price, lack of DVI input (only one), lack of functions on the remote control, and SONY's refusal to acknowledge that some of us want to connect a computer to the unit.

I'm going to focus on things that are hard to find elsewhere. Hopefully it will help you make a better buying decision and enjoy the unit more. Much of this should apply to any SONY TV that uses MBD-XBR950L Media Receiver Unit, including KDL32XBR950. If you are considering KDL42, then you should also look at Sharp's latest 45" LCD unit. Unfortunately I didn't have that choice. Sharp's unit supposedly has an RGB input and true 1080 resolution, as opposed to KDL's 768 (which oddly is more like a computer monitor resolution then an HDTV). Whether that means easier and better connection with a computer or better screen image, I do not know.


REMOTE CONTROL

The remote (RM-Y1000) lacks On/Off button and Input Selector. It only has a power button, which may turn the unit on or off, depending on whether it's off or on. It's nice to have that ability when setting up a macro command on a universal remote (I'm using Universal Remote Control's URC-200). The remote also lacks input selector. It only has a TV/Video button, which allows you to scroll through all the inputs (six of them). It's a waste of time, and it's impossible to select a particular input without knowing the current input, which is critical if you want to program a universal remote to automatically select a particular input.

KDL has that ability. It's just not available on the remote that comes with it. The best way to get those commands is to get a hold of SONY'S universal remotes, RM-AV2500 and RM-AV3000. I remember using both of them because one had certain commands and the other one had other commands, and it may not have had anything to do with KDL. I can't recall the detail. I think I had better luck with RM-AV2500. There you will find commands for turning the unit On and Off and commands for directly selecting TV/Video 1-6 input. The manual for the remote refers to them as "seldom used features". Funny, I use them almost every time I turn the unit on. By the way, these remotes are bulky and have Touch-Key LCD input. I prefer the old fashion buttons on my remote, especially when operating them in the dark.


COMPUTER

Of all the companies, you would think that SONY would be most qualified to integrate computers with HDTV. After all, it's the only company that makes them both. Unfortunately, not withstanding the awkward 768 vertical resolution, SONY's manual warns you that KDL is not "intended to be used as a computer monitor", and SONY will not help you in this area.

My general advice is avoid transcoders and PowerStrip (a small utility program for transcoders) if possible. They are old news. Current computer video cards are aware of HDTV's requirements, and come with weird resolutions, like 720 and 1080. Those are not for your computer monitor, but for HDTV. Second, use DVI if possible. It doesn't make sense to convert digital (computer) to analog (RGB and Y-Pb-Pr signals) and back to digital (KDL).

I have ATI 9600XT, which comes with DVI output. I installed the latest driver from ATI. Setting it up required a regular computer monitor, and a couple of tricks.

The first trick is to lie to the video card about the kind of monitor install on the computer. Most people select SONY GDM-W900 monitor because it can display a wide range of image, including 720 and 1080. It comes with Windows XP. Make sure you uncheck "Show compatible hardware" to see it. From there on, do not restart the computer with the regular computer monitor attached, or else Windows will detect the monitor and install it.

Next, you have to "force" 720/1080 mode under the Advance Monitor Setting->Troubleshooting window. Then you should be able see the computer desktop on KDL. I use 720 because the image doesn't flicker (it's progressive as oppose to 1080 which is interlaced) and the characters are easier to read, though it's still a stretch.

To be thorough, I should specify that I have selected (checked) "Disable quick resolution feature", "Reduce DVI frequency on high-resolution displays", and "Alternate DVI operational mode" features. Whether they are critical, I don't recall. I also selected sRGB Color Space Profile (it comes with Windows XP) and adjusted the gamma to 1.8.

For other models/manufacturers, 720/1080 resolution may be hidden under Advanced Timing Options.

I should warn you that KDL is not going to come close to a computer monitor. Don't even think of using it for work. It's okay for surfing the web, and a delight for watching TV and movies using the computer and playing computer games.

Good luck!