tw40x81 AND sony hd200? (1 Viewer)

[mitchell]

does anyone have this setup, and care to comment?
after many agonizing months of research and back/forth self-debating, i've decided not to replace my 40x81 with a plasma - and instead decided to employ the calibration services of the great Gregg Loewen.
but my next big contemplation is whether to replace my current sat receiver with the sony SAT-T60 (sat w/tivo) or upgrade to the HD-200.
if you have this setup, or a similar one, could you please share some thoughts/advice - i.e...
- is the limited HD programming worth the (high) extra $$
- is PQ on a RPTV like mine worth the investment
- anyone in the Brooklyn/NYC area have any OTA reception issues they'd like to share?
moving into our new place next month...and i gotta have all this planned out!

 

[Bill Slack]

Yes, it's defiantley worth it.

I don't have the HD-200, but it's supposed to be much better than the E86 that I do have... at least for regular SD programming. (And I do have a 40X81.)

The 'limited' HD content for me consists for ten channels and most of primetime. Hopefully you can get HD networks via cable where you are.

 

[mitchell]

bill, thanks for your feedback.
just ordered the hd200 for 729...not bad.
plus, directv is upgrading me to the oval dish for free when i move!
and just now i signed on for Gregg Loewen to calibrate my tv in Feb/Mar.
looks like everything's a go! now all i need to do is figure out the OTA antenna

 

[Johann]

I bought the HD200 today and it's going back tomorrow... :-( I never even hooked it up. It has no VCR control! Guess I'll look into the Samsung ...160 STB. My TV requires the 15 pin RGB, so choices are limited.

 

[Mary M S]

I’ve been cruising AVS forum for info on the Sony HD200 which my husband just purchased. We have had it on line for about 48hrs with a Sony GWII.

Pros: Improved picture over my RCA DTC100, which was itself a dramatic improvement over the run of the mill original ‘Direct’ receiver that it replaced. Like the ‘look’ of the menu. Like having the OTA locals menu integrated into the STB menus.

Cons: On the forums there are several who have run into some audio dropouts, and many more who are having ‘reboot’ issues. When the 200 reboots it interrupts whatever programming you are watching while it channel scans for approx 2 min and wipes all the hard work you put into your ‘favorites’ lists.
(a major grip for purchasers who declare other various STB’s or DVD’s have enough memory when power is interrupted even for weeks to retain customized settings, Sony dropped the ball on that one) One consumer who lost his extensive favorites lists due to frequent power interruptions in his area has added a cheap 25 dollar UPS to keep this from occurring. Commen Sense tells me this probably does not retain ‘favorites’ however when the unit ‘reboots’.

Regarding pros for me. We were/are still using the round dish with both HD receivers (100 & 200) . I purchased the DTC100 to get digital audio capabilities when I purchased my 950. Then I purchased an HD capable display Sony GWI. With out having the proper dual dish for HD the DTC100 cleaned up all signals for SD satellite dramatically on this 60” screen. (I would compare the improvement in picture equal to that seen when you add a progressive scan DVD player to a large screen display which begs for the P cleanup) As stated above an even further improvement in PQ is noticeable on upgrade to the new HD200 although we still don’t have the dual dish. So yes I’d say it’s worth the upgrade to increase Q of P.

Cons: We have not had any audio dropouts exhibit yet. We have already had a reboot. I’m going to surf heavily the next days to see what the consensus on this unit is and what is causing this ‘issue’. Some have already expressed having heavy reboots and ordering a new replacement unit. Some have traced the reboots to the bitstream signal from specific stations around the country. Some e-mails are flying between Sony, Consumers, Station managers to clean up and deal with this issue. Are all reboots caused by bitstream from stations? I am getting a feeling they are not. ‘Something is sensitive in the Sony’ and MAYBE worse in some units than others.

Another ISSUE for me currently and I’m still trying to wrap my brain around it. Contrary to purists, (I have my own opinions and preferences) I want to see ALL my 4.3 programming in 16.9 AR.

I waited years for a RP display (GWI) to exhibit acceptable zoom capability function where the pic was actually ‘viewable’ to me. It’s no where nears perfect, but was the first I would tolerate. Because the ‘shape’ of 16.9 viewing is SO pleasing to me I am very willing to trade off scan lines to see 4:3 in 16.9 AR.
The GWI locked to full screen on a progressive feed. Acceptable 99% of the time. I am trying to sort out why the Sony HD200 locks SOME progressive feeds (usually when the screen displays ant/digital) into a 4:3 cropped box on my GW but not others…locking you out of ANY aspect ratio control through the STB itself or the Display. This is unacceptable to me as I bought a 16.9 to watch everything in 16.9 / 16.9 letterboxed. The ONLY time I have every used the 4.3 cropped on this screen is when the Q of a VHS is so grainy it was intolerable.
I’ve found one workaround on one channel I was just playing with the HD demo channel on Direct, use the front panel button (not on the remote- another minus in my book) to change my ratio to (I believe 480p did it) of course then I lost resolution dramatically. On the DTC100 I was ‘locked’ into the higher resolution and 'locked' into full 16.9 screen.
Again, having purchsed 16.9 for 16.9 if they have to lock out choices one from the other the only acceptable tradeoff in this mess is to lock the 16.9 in 16.9. I did not buy it to watch pictures 'in the square' in other words they forced me 'back in the box'

The picture Q improvement is worth the demo, if PQ factors large Vs price to you. (I think I paid 750 for mine)
Stay away from the current (and lower priced) Zenith model #? If you want to demo the competition. It is the same platform, - Zenith makes the HD200.

Bottom line, if returns don’t bother you…demo it.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

Mary,
regarding you're inability to zoom some 4/3 material:

When a station broadcasts upgraded 480i material on it's HD feed, it is broadcast as a 4/3 picture with black bars on the side. The picture and black bars are all part of a 16/9 picture. If this is passed to the tv natively by your stb, the tv cannot zoom it--nobody makes a widescreen tv that will zoom incoming HD signals. The box likewise cannot zoom an incoming HD feed--it "sees" the picture as 16/9.

If you set the box to output this incoming HD feed at 480p, the box still can't zoom it since it is still "seeing" an incoming 16/9 picture, but your set is no longer seeing an HD scanrate, only 480p, so the set CAN zoom it, just as it can zoom a 480p picture from a progressive scan dvd player.

I know this is kinda confusing, but it boils down to the fact that boxes and sets can't zoom anything that arrives in an HD scanrate (720p or 1080i) but they can zoom incoming 480i or 480p (except for a few sets that won't even zoom 480p).

 

[Mary M S]

Thank you Steve for that explanation. Every time I bring in a new piece it might have more extensive capabilities which can affect how things are done, in interactio with a prior owned unit. When I spot something I have not counted on ...the 4:3 lock, I try to exclude culprits. I had thought the only change was the HD200 the broadcast sat service is the same etc. Therefore somethings causing this by adding the HD200.

Not so. My husband and I were discussing the possibilities this AM before I read your post and he reminded me, (I had forgotten) we turned on OTA analog/digital for the first time when we activated the HD200. This behavior is occurring on those previously unreceived channels to date. I told him I'd ask today if it is possible for the AR to be 'locked' by the broadcaster. Then I read your post. Thanks so much!...question answered.
Sincerely, M.