Sony Grand WEGA KDF-60XS955 60 in. HDTV LCD TV

UPDATE (1/20/2012):  (Wow, how time flies. I've had this TV for about 8 years now and it still works great.  I've only replaced the bulb once.  But perhaps I'm just lucky. I recently read that there was a class action lawsuit against Sony in which this class of TV was included.  It seems that the color block went out on a number of sets prematurely.  There was a deal that Sony offered to those affected, but that deal has expired. I understand that repairing the color block costs about $1000. So if you're thinking about buying one of these used, keep that in mind.  In my case, the TV looks as good today as it did when I purchased it in 2000... something. Oh, and my son is now 21 and still digs the TV.)

I started searching for an HDTV about seven-years ago while doing some work at CES in Las Vegas. I still remember the moment I spotted my first HD set there. It was a 60 inch Zenith showing a Dallas Cowboys football game. I stared at the box for about an hour with a small drop of drool hanging from my chin-- and I really dislike the Cowboys. After talking with the sales rep. I was sure I'd have a set within a year. Then the HD standards wars began, things got ugly and everything was put on hold.

Years passed. My son, who was 9-years old at the time, got older and I got grumpier.

With each new season, I would check out every new HDTV set. I looked at successive generations of plasmas, front projectors, DLPS, LCDs, rear-projection RGB sets and D-ILAs. Each time I thought, this year, this technology will be the one where cost, styling and picture quality converge to produce the winner. Each year I was disappointed, as was my son. Plasmas were way too expensive, and all the other technologies had artifacts that left me wanting.

Then last year I walked into a showroom and my heart fluttered for the first time since that day in Vegas. Sitting on a high-tech stand was a stunning Sony 60" Grand Vega XBR. It was a gorgeous package with an amazingly sharp picture. But after looking closer, I started seeing artifacts that made me reconsider: Fast motion sequences would break up. The "screen door effect" started bothering me, and the shiny glass font reflected everything that wasn"t black. What I thought at first blush was going to be a long-term relationship--and an important bonding experience with my son--became a 1-hour fling. My son didn't talk to me for a week.

Then this past October (2004), Sony released its KDF-60XS955. I read every review. I scanned all the specs. I waited for it to arrive somewhere, anywhere. . Then one day as I was walking through Frys, I spotted one on the showroom floor and immediately fell in love. In fact, I was stunned at how attractive the entire package was: great looks, great price, and a great picture. Something had to be wrong.

I didn't tip my hand immediately. I went home and came back a few days later to see if my memory of the set was as good as the actual thing. Amazingly, it was which had never happened before. Upon a second visit with other sets, I found that my memory of the picture was always better than the real thing. I came back to view the 60XS955 five more times, and each time the picture thrilled me. I was even more amazed when I learned that the 60XS955 I had been looking at was only connected to a set of rabbit ears, not cable, not satellite like all the other sets, just a $12 piece of metal sitting on top of the Sony. I went to other stores to see what the set looked like connected to satellite and I was even more impressed.

Needless to say, I finally bought one. When it arrived and I turned it on, it looked even better than in the showroom. It took a few days to figure out that, since I don't have 90 fluorescent tube lights installed in the ceiling of my living room, I don't have all that ambient light reflecting off the front of the screen. When my now 16-year-old son first saw the picture (during a Lakers/Rockets game that was being broadcast in HD) he hugged me and said those three words every father longs to hear, "So how much?" I told him it was about $700 below retail (Pacific Sales in L.A.) He then mumbled that he loved me and we all watched the game together.

If you're interested in all the specs, you can easily get them from Sony. But here are a few that were important to me. This set finally incorporates and standardizes a number of different technologies. For example, it has a CableCard input. I have cable, so by not having to rent a second $7 HD box from Time Warner, I save $5.50/mo. by renting the card instead. I believe the CableCard also produces a cleaner signal.

The set has a built-in HD turner if you want to pick up off-the-air broadcasts with your own set of $12 rabbit ears. The front screen has a matt finish so you won't see those nasty glass reflections that the XBR series produced. Possibly because of the matt finish and a smaller chipset, most of the "screen door effect" has been eliminated. The processors are faster so there's little to no pixelation in the background of fast-moving sequences, unlike the current crop of DLP sets. All of this produces an HD image--especially in sporting events--that almost looks 3-D. The NTSC tuner has been greatly improved so normal, non-digital or non-HD broadcasts are watchable. You immediately get spoiled with HD, so anything less is a letdown, but they're watchable.

This set sports the new HDMI connection standard that allows for uncompressed HD and non-HD DVDs to be viewed if the DVD player has an HDMI output. The remote is adequate. The Sony stand is a bit expensive but gorgeous, and a perfect match for this set. This year's stand also has 2 shelves; unlike the one shelve on last year's model. The sound is rich and full, with a respectable sub-woofer. All of that and the TV weighs only about 113 lbs.

A side note: I've read that some people have complained about visual noise or distortion. I believe much of this comes from cheap connectors. This set is very sensitive and very big. Small amounts of snow on a 27" set will look like a snowstorm on a 60" set. But with the right connectors the picture is crystal clear. So don't cheep out. Get the more expensive shielded, gold-plated connectors, like those from Monster, for example. Also, get an AC line filter and surge protector (About $79. Mine is also a Monster. It will clean up the picture, protect the sensitive electronics and extend the life of the bulb). With those added items, this TV should look like you're viewing reality.

So after a seven-year wait, I've finally found my HD set. My son has a new-found respect for my nerdy side, my wife now knows that there really wasn't "another woman" working at Frys, and the space I had reserved seven-years ago along the wall in my living room has finally been filled with a truly beautiful piece of technology.

TV Update (Sept 20, 2009): One of the things I was most worried about when buying this TV was the life of the bulb that illuminates the screen.  I was hoping for 2 years.  Well, it's been 3 and it's still working fine with an average usage of about 4-hrs/day. The picture quality still holds up very well against any of the newer TVs.  So no picture envy here, and I'm very picky.  And the picture is still perfect, as no pixels have burned out.  In fact, this TV has been one of the most trouble-free pieces of technology I've ever purchased. I partly attribute that to the high-quality surge protector and electric noise filter I purchased from Monster, though I have no direct proof of that. So if you see a used one for sale on Craigslist and need a great HD TV, I would definately recommend this model from Sony. BTW, mine is not for sale. - rk ) 

Richard Krzemien
www.TheWriterAtWork.com