Sony KP-57XBR10W 57 in. TV

If you're seriously ready to take the plunge into the high-definition digital television future, you will want a widescreen H/DTV-ready TV. Unfortunately, although Sony's KP-57XBR10W is definitely in the widescreen H/DTV-ready category, and has many bells and whistles, it is also quite expensive and, in some of its particulars, falls well short of the competition.


Widescreen Aspect Ratio

One of the biggest points in the 57XBR's favor is its 16:9 screen size. The 16:9 size is the aspect ratio of the screen, the relationship of its width to its height. Many anamorphic DVD's and high-definition video signals employ the 16:9, widescreen aspect ratio. The downside is that 4:3 video images (you will be familiar with the almost-square 4:3 aspect ratio as this is the size that has been used since the 1950's for regular, NTSC-standard analog color broadcasts) must be adapted, either through windowboxing (the addition of black bands on the left and right-hand edges of the video image) or through various amounts of stretching and/or snipping the image.

Expressed digitally, 16:9 is 1.78:1. One of the most common movie aspect ratios, which you will encounter on many DVD's, is the 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Although this is a bit narrower (less image height) than 1.78:1 or 16:9, most sets with this screen size have enough overscan to fill in the difference. The other common widescreen aspect ratio you will find on anamorphic DVD's is the even narrower (vertically thinner) 2.35:1 aspect ratio. With 2.35:1 material, the set will have to employ horizontal black letterbox bands above and below the image area or reshape the image.


Digital-Ready but Not Digital

Like all of the H/DTV-ready sets, the 57XBR requires an auxiliary tuner, usually called a set-top box (STB), to receive digital over-the-air (OTA) signals from regular, terrestrial broadcasting stations or digital satellite broadcasts. The set-top box receives the digital signal and outputs video in one of the analog resolutions the 57XBR can accept and/or display (480i, 480p, and 1080i).


The Perils of DRC

The biggest problem with this set concerns what Sony calls Digital Reality Creation (DRC), which is Sony marketing-speak for the manner in which the 57XBR handles NTSC-standard sources, such as broadcast TV, cable TV, VHS VCR output, standard-definition satellite TV output, and interlaced scan (standard) DVD player output.

To understand DRC, it will help for you to know the difference between interlaced and progressive scanning [skip this paragraph if you already understand interlaced/progressive scanning]. With an interlaced-scan signal, such as the 480-interlaced (480i) output from a standard DVD player, each 1/30th-of-a-second video frame is divided into two 1/60th-of-a-second fields, with the first field containing the 240 odd-numbered horizontal lines of the image and the second field containing the 240 even-numbered horizontal lines of the field. With a progressive-scan signal, such as the 480-progressive (480p) output from a progressive-scan DVD player, a full 480-line frame is projected each 1/60th of a second.

All of the NTSC-standard sources mentioned above use interlaced scanning, whatever their resolution (240i for VHS VCR, 330i for broadcast TV and cable TV, 480i for standard DVD). Most H/DTV-ready TV's use line-doubling, meaning they will bump a 480i input up to an effective resolution of 480p. The 57XBR10W uses what Sony calls Digital Reality Creation (DRC), meaning that they bring the 480i input up to 960i. Unfortunately, while this is a fairly high resolution, the real-world results are not that great.

By keeping the image in interlaced form, the inherent problems with any interlaced image, such as flicker, are also preserved. Although Sony claims that they also increase the vertical resolution of the signal, boosting the number of pixels in each horizontal line, the DRC just does not work very well compared to the line-doubling in other H/DTV-ready sets. The picture is especially bad with imperfect sources, such as poorly-received broadcast or cable signals.

By the way, Stereophile Guide to Home Theater says DRC "works very well." Before making any purchase decision on this TV, make sure you see for yourself how it works with interlaced-scan input, such as broadcast TV, cable TV, VHS VCR, S-VHS VCR, and regular DVD player input and decide whether or not you agree with the magazine's assessment. [You have to wonder about not only the editorial integrity of this publication, but their technical acumen. They also state that the comb filter "makes the most of S-Video and composite sources." The comb filter isn't used on S-Video sources. Hey, one out of two ain't bad.]


Excellent Performance with High-Def Sources

Once you get beyond NTSC-standard interlaced input and the set's DRC mode, things improve quite a bit. As with most H/DTV-ready sets, the 57XBR comes alive with high-def signals. The set can display both 480p and 1080i signals at their native resolutions (meaning it passes them directly to the display section and displays them at 480p and 1080i, respectively). With 480p input, such as a progressive-scan DVD player signal, or 1080i input, such as the signal from a set-top box HDTV over-the-air (OTA) digital broadcast tuner, the picture is quite good. Note that the set has no integral HDTV OTA tuner. As mentioned above, the 57XBR, like all H/DTV-ready sets, requires use of an auxiliary tuner for digital HDTV broadcast or satellite reception.


Only One Hi-Scan Input

Speaking of high-def input, the 57XBR's component-video input configuration brings up one of the other main shortcomings of this set. While the television has a pair of component-video inputs (Video 4 and Video 5), only Video 5 accepts input at a horizontal resolution greater than 480i. This proves false the notion some people assert, which is that you do not need to worry about inputs with pricey sets because any expensive TV will have an ample quantity of high-def component inputs.

The 57XBR's lack of an additional high-def component input could cause some inconvenience for you, further down the road, as you expand your home-theater setup. For example, if you want to use both a progressive-scan DVD player and an STB digital high-def tuner with the 57XBR, you will come up short an input.

You could circumvent this problem by purchasing a component-video switcher, though this would add cost, complexity, and inconvenience to an already-expensive television. A more likely solution to this dilemma would be the purchase of one of the newer A/V surround-sound receivers with integral component-video switching, such as the TX-DS696 and above models in Onkyo's 2001 line or the VR-509 and above models in Kenwood's 2001 line.

The problem with these solutions is that video switching, especially in some A/V receivers, can degrade the signal. Onkyo makes some claims about their 696 and above receivers having very little impact on the switched video signal. Ultimately, the best connection quality you'll get is with a set of good-quality component-video cables (RCA, Recoton, or Radio Shack, for example) -- the component connection calls for three or five separate cables to carry the video signal -- directly running your component-video signal from your source to your TV.


Versatility of Video 5 Input

One advantage of the 57XBR's Video 5 input is that it accepts component signals in both the Y-Pb-Pr and RGB+H/V formats. This versatile configuration increases the range of component-output high-def video gear you can connect to the 57XBR, including a wide range of progressive-scan DVD players, STB's, and high-def satellite tuners. This RGB+H/V capability will come in handy for STB's such as RCA's DCT100 which are limited to VGA-jack output only (you will have to use a VGA-to-five-RCA-plug adaptor cable). The TV's various picture-in-picture functions (the Sony marketing-speak calls these multi-image-driver, or MID) are not available when using the Video 5 input.


Other Video Features

The Video 4 input is of the standard, three-RCA-jack, Y-Pb-Pr configuration and will accept only 480i component output, such as the signal from a standard, interlaced-scan DVD player. The TV will accept NTSC-standard analog sources (interlaced-scan, 480-or-lower horizontal resolution). The DRC feature, as previously described, brings 480i input up to 960i. The set will also accept 480p and 1080i analog signals, displaying these at their native (480p, 1080i) resolutions. Also, the set will accept analog signals at the 720p resolution, but it converts these down to 480p. Since many STB's already convert 720p digital signals (such as those used by the ABC TV network's high-def digital broadcasts) to 480i, 480p, or 1080i output, the sets 720p signal acceptance capability is of limited utility.

The 57XBR employs the velocity modulation scanning (VMS) feature, which is designed to increase the sharpness of objects in the video image. Unfortunately, this can also cause ringing around these objects, though the ringing phenomenon is not likely to be noticed by non-videophiles. Unfortunately, the VMS feature cannot be defeated, unless you are one of those maniacs who is willing to get inside your TV with a soldering iron (or pay a technician a few hundred bucks to do so for you).


V-Chip

The V-Chip feature lets you limit your children's access to salacious programming. Once this feature is activated, only holders of the four-digit password will have complete access to all programming. If you forget the password, there's a master password of 4357 which will once again give you complete access. It wouldn't be surprising to find 4357 crayoned on restroom walls of elementary schools all over America.


Convergence Control

Rear-projection TV's (RPTV's) such as the 57XBR depend on properly aiming all three of the cathode-ray tubes (CRT's) at a single point on the plastic screen. With any RPTV, you have to keep the CRT's properly aligned and Sony calls this feature "Flash Focus All Digital Alignment." You press a button, sit back and watch, and for the next 30 seconds the TV does its own digital alignment thing, getting its CRT's together.


Tuning Features

The 57XBR has the usual plethora of Sony tuning tricks. When you first get the TV, you can activate the Auto Setup feature which will find every channel on air and program these into the set's memory. Other tuning features include channel skip (passes over a channel programmed in with Auto Setup), channel caption (displays call letters for up to 32 stations -- max of four characters per station), favorite channel (up to eight), and channel fix (to set TV permanently to channel 3 or 4 for cable input).


Comb Filter

For RF (broadcast, cable) and composite-video input, the TV has the highest-quality type of comb filter available -- 3D. As mentioned above, the comb filter, while it acts to improve image quality with RF and composite-input video, does not act upon S-Video and component-video signals.


Picture-in-Picture

The TV has a number of picture-in-picture features (not available with the Video 5 input). It can effectively divide the screen in half, showing two equal-size images. Alternately, one picture can be made larger while the other is made smaller and the audio can be switched between the two sources. Another possibility is the simultaneous display of 12 channels in small windows around the screen. If you really love picture-in-picture features, this aspect of the set should keep you amused for quite a while.


Pre-Set Video Modes

Like most of the Sony TV's, the 57XBR has a number of pre-set modes. On this particular set, they include Vivid, Standard, Movie, Game and Pro. Each of these modes has the picture settings at certain fixed levels. The Vivid mode, for example, has high brightness and contrast and appears designed for running the TV under bright fluorescent lighting at a box-mover consumer electronics store such as Circuit City or Sears. However, you can adjust the picture parameters for each of the modes, allowing you to have quick, universal settings for various situations such as DVD viewing or using the TV with subdued room lighting.


Audio/Video Setup and Control Menus

The TV has an extensive set of setup menus for video and audio features. The Wide Screen Mode menu allows you to set the TV to handle either 16:9 or 4:3 sources. To adjust the 4:3 sources to the TV's 16:9 screen shape, the options include Normal, Wide Zoom, Zoom, and Full. A Timer menu lets you set the TV's clock, adjust it for Daylight Savings Time, and set the TV to turn off automatically as much as six hours in advance. The Audio menu lets you adjust bass, treble, and balance. Also, the Audio menu lets you activate various modes such as Dolby Pro Logic.


Dolby Pro Logic Audio System

The 57XBR has one of the best integral audio systems of any RPTV on the market. The TV has a Dolby Pro Logic sound system and, although it does not come with rear surround speakers, it does have spring-clip connectors on the rear panel allowing you to connect a pair of surround speakers. The set's audio amplifier puts out 20 watts per channel to five channels. The front-left and front-right speakers each include a 6-3/8 inch woofer and a four-inch full-range driver. The center channel speaker consists of a pair of four-inch full-range drivers. With the Audio Menu, you can choose to have all speakers on, left/right off, all off, or "center in." The "center in" setting lets you run the center-channel output of an A/V receiver into the TV, using the set's center-channel speakers as the center speakers in a surround-sound setup. However, many sources advise against doing this as using different speakers for the L/R channels and the center channel in a surround array will cause timbre shifts as an audio event pans across the front of the soundstage.


Remote Control, Control Panel, Control-S

The RM-Y907 will control not just the 57XBR, but also a wide range of VCR's, DVD players, DBS boxes, cable boxes, and laserdisc players from a number of manufacturers. The remote is not backlit, but some of its buttons are glow-in-the-dark. The TV has a cool flip-out control panel, located in the center-front area of the TV, below the screen. When you pull this unit forward, it hinges out, giving you access to a set of basic controls and A/V input jacks. When you're finished with it, you push it back in and the entire unit slides in flush with the front panel. This TV has one of Sony's Control-S jacks. When connected to other Sony Control-S gear, this allows coordinated operation of one or more pieces of A/V equipment. For example, pressing play on your Sony VCR will automatically select the VCR input on the TV.


Inputs/Outputs

The flip-out front control unit features a set of A/V inputs (Video 2), including L/R audio, composite-video, and S-Video. This would be handy for connecting a camcorder, video game, or any other device you wish to quickly and temporarily feed into the TV. The rear-panel video inputs include Video 1 (L/R audio, composite-video, S-Video), Video 3 (L/R audio, composite-video, S-Video), Video 4 (L/R audio, composite-video, S-Video, and Y-Pb-Pr, but at 480i only), Video 5 (L/R audio, plus five RCA jacks which can be used as Y-Pb-Pr (leaving two unused) or RGB+H/V). There are spring-clip connectors for the L/R surround speakers and spring-clip connectors for center-channel speaker input. For monitor output, there are L/R audio jacks and a composite-video jack. There are two RF inputs. Oddly enough for a TV of this cost and complexity, there is no RF output (this would allow you to loop through a cable box). Two minijacks handle input/output for the aforementioned Control-S feature. Audio outputs include a fixed L/R pair and a variable-level L/R pair, allowing you to connect the TV audio to an A/V surround-sound receiver in a home-theater configuration.


Misc.

The set is covered by a one-year parts and labor warranty with two-year coverage on the CRT's. The TV is Energy-Star compliant and tips the scales at 278 pounds. There's no question that you will want professional delivery for this set, unless you have three or four friends and a set of rollers to get the TV into your home. Sony includes what they call "Sony at Your Service" customer support with the 57XBR. This may include in-home visits by a service tech which would be handy, as the services of an ISF calibrationist generally cost around $300 per visit. Most high-quality RPTV's, such as the 57XBR, require professional calibration to truly take advantage of their image-quality potential.


Conclusion

The 57XBR is a well-designed TV that provides excellent image quality with high-def 480p and 1080i sources. Unfortunately, where most H/DTV-ready sets used line-doubling to boost the picture quality of 480i (NTSC-standard) sources, the 57XBR uses Sony's proprietary DRC, which bumps the signal up to 960i. The results are decidedly mixed when DRC is applied to NTSC-standard sources.

The question with the 57XBR10W is whether you are willing to sink $4,000 into a set that will give you substandard performance with regular broadcast TV, cable TV, VHS tapes, and the output from your interlaced-scan DVD player. There are other, similar H/DTV-ready sets which employ line-doubling for NTSC-standard input and will give you better image quality with those sources. For example, Toshiba's 56H80, which you can easily find selling for $2,500, is an H/DTV-ready set which has almost the same screen size as the 57XBR10W and uses line-doubling for NTSC-standard sources, providing much better image quality with these signals.

If you would be willing to go with a Year-2000 model, the quite similar predecessor to the Toshiba 56H80, the TW56X81, is available at the OneCall Web site for $2,300. Another Toshiba Year-2000 model, the 40-inch 16:9 widescreen H/DTV-ready TW40X81, is on sale for $1,600. That's an excellent price for this type of TV. There's more information on the TW40X81 at the following URL:

http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-3EE4-3BC4B74B-3A1F413F-prod6/tk_~CB003.1.334