Sony KP-65WV700 65 in. HDTV CRT TV

This is a great TV! For those who do not know, the WV replaced the XBR designation in the Sony projection TV's. This means that this set has all the bells and whistles that Sony can offer. PLEASE NOTE, this set does not include an HDTV tuner (it must be purchased seperately). I am using a Sony SAT-HD200 Directv Tuner ($799), this receiver includes a true HDTV tuner for over the air broadcasts (local channels in High Def if available) as well as DirecTV in HD. Please note that a true HD signal is digital and must be broadcast seperately from a local or satellite signal. So for instance, if say your local channel 7 is broadcasting in digital or High Definition then you would tune to the digital simulcast channel and not the actual channel 7 (you must obtain the simulcast channel from the actual station). Also note that even your local stattion is broadcasting in digital it does not mean that available shows are broadcast in high-definition. Do not expect programing in High Definition if you receive local channels over satellite. Also, the only DirecTV channels in High Definition are HDNet, Shotwime HD and HBO HD, ALL OTHER CHANNELS WILL LOOK EXACTLY THE SAME AS THEY DID ON YOUR OLD TV. The only way to receive your local broadcast channels in HD for now is using a roof top antenae. It will probably remain that way for some time. Sorry about the long explenation of High Definition but you should really know this stuff rather than taking this TV home and being dissapointed when the picture looks the same as your old set or maybe just a little bigger. And remember, you need a Digital High Definition receiver or tuner to view any High Definition content.

Here's a brief overview of my experiences with the set so far:

HDTV

It is very frustrating but their are only three channels available to me in High Definition. Those being HDNET, HBO and SHOWTIME. I have viewed high definition signals on other sets and the picture on this set ranks among the best. It is really a better picture than Plasma or LCD projection. You dont see any Pixles, I think that projection TV's have a way of smoothing out a sometimes too accurate digital picture. The only true High Definition content I have viewed so far is on HDNet through DirecTV. This channel features a variety of programs from Sporting events to Documentaries. High Definition hockey is truley amazing!!! Even though HBO and Showtime have HD channels they are still not true High Definition, but they do look a lot better than the regular channels. This TV does an awesome job of diplaying all the HD and 1080i content. Color recreation is accurate. Picture is very detailed.

NON HDTV

If you are considering buying this set for anything other than High Definition do not bother. The standard channels whether Cable, Broadcast or Sattelite will not look any different than a standard projection monitor. Many people are mislead into beleiving that because this set is 1080i it will make a standard 480i or 480p picture look better, this is not true. Because of the large screen size you will notice every imperfection in a standard signal. This set makes standard DirecTV look almost like cable. A feature which would enable this monitor to smooth out non-high def signals would have been nice. I was also a bit dissapointed with the 480p signal from DVD. Again the screen size is just too big to expect a perfect picture.

Features

As stated before this monitor includes all the bells and whistles such as 1080i High Scan, Digital Reality Creation, anti-reflective screen and a decent sound system. There a total of 7 video inputs including one DVI input for highdefinition and a 2 sets of component video inputs. Also a input on the bottom front of the set with S-Video.
Similated Surround sound which actually sounds pretty golod if you are not using a seperate sound system. Plenty of customizable picture modes. Various zoom functions. Good looking and well made.

Summary

Sorry for my long explenation about HDTV, you really need to know this stuff before buying though. If I wrote about how great this TV is and didn't differentiate between High Def and Low Def you could be in for a costly let down when you get this set home. And above all, do not rely on the advice of your sales person. I found that two days investigating about HDTV on the internet made me a virtual High Definition genious compared to most sales people I spoke to. If you are not already educated about HDTV do some research on the internet first. Just go to any search engine and type HDTV in the search field. You will find pleanty of articles. Oh yeah, and about the TV, well you will not be disapointed. They could charge considerably more and you would still be happy compared to other models available.