Sony KP-53HS30 53 in. HDTV-Ready CRT TV
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- Digital TV Standard: HDTV-Ready
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 16:9 Enhanced
- Weight: 168 lb.
- Projector Technology: CRT
- Built-in Tuner: NTSC
- Screen Size: 53 inch
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This HDTV is fantastic!
Pros
Awesome picture, progressive scan (of any signal), features, overall value.
Cons
Reflection in a bright room
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
You will not find a better set than this one for under $3,500. Only the XBRs are better, and they cost big $$$$
I am a very demanding consumer when it comes to audio and video equipment. I shopped for 6 months, researched all the brands, looked at a lot of HDTVs in the showroom, and even bought two (that I subsequently returned). When shopping for a HDTV, be careful. They can look really good in the showroom, where the lights are dim, the signal is great (often high-definition) and the store controls the experience. When you get your purchase home is when you find out how good it is for you.
In my area, the broadcase signal choices are standard cable or DirecTV. I have resisted DirecTV because I have so many TVs in the house. What I found with other HDTVs is that cable TV is REALLY BAD. It looked horrible on the Sharp and Panasonic HDTVs, enough so that I almost gave up on big screen altogether. Then I tried the Sony.
While it looked pretty comparable to other units in the showroom, at least as good as anything else with the exception of the Pioneer Elites, it really impressed me when I got it home. Even with a cable signal (about the worst around), it interpolates the signal and cleans it up, so that it actually looks quite good. The addition of progressive scan to any signal also helps a lot to clean up jagged edges and reduce flicker.
Connect a DVD to this system, and you will be blown away. The picture is crystal clear and the sound is very good (not outstanding, you'll need to spend a $1000 more for an XBR for that!) This set also has a 3:2 pulldown feature (very rare, especially in projection sets), which matches the frame display rate for DVD movies back to what it was mastered at, rather than leaving out partial frames to match television display rates, like other HDTVs and conventional TVs do.
The features include a channel scan which displays the channel you're watching in the middle (27" picture) surrounded by 10 other channels "scanning". You can switch to one of the other channels with a touch of the remote. It also provides a variable size PIP, which is great for watching two football games simultaneously. You can have both pictures same size, or make one or the other bigger depending on your preferences.
In my area, the broadcase signal choices are standard cable or DirecTV. I have resisted DirecTV because I have so many TVs in the house. What I found with other HDTVs is that cable TV is REALLY BAD. It looked horrible on the Sharp and Panasonic HDTVs, enough so that I almost gave up on big screen altogether. Then I tried the Sony.
While it looked pretty comparable to other units in the showroom, at least as good as anything else with the exception of the Pioneer Elites, it really impressed me when I got it home. Even with a cable signal (about the worst around), it interpolates the signal and cleans it up, so that it actually looks quite good. The addition of progressive scan to any signal also helps a lot to clean up jagged edges and reduce flicker.
Connect a DVD to this system, and you will be blown away. The picture is crystal clear and the sound is very good (not outstanding, you'll need to spend a $1000 more for an XBR for that!) This set also has a 3:2 pulldown feature (very rare, especially in projection sets), which matches the frame display rate for DVD movies back to what it was mastered at, rather than leaving out partial frames to match television display rates, like other HDTVs and conventional TVs do.
The features include a channel scan which displays the channel you're watching in the middle (27" picture) surrounded by 10 other channels "scanning". You can switch to one of the other channels with a touch of the remote. It also provides a variable size PIP, which is great for watching two football games simultaneously. You can have both pictures same size, or make one or the other bigger depending on your preferences.
