-
"I'm very dissapointed, but at least I can take it back." on by David M.
Pros: A good price, easy menus, easy setup and attractive.
Cons: Heavy. It was a big job for two strong men.
Summary: After extensive research, I chose the 30HS420. I kept in mind what others were saying about quality issues, but when I compared this set to other manufacturers, Sony still came out ahead. I knew I was taking a risk.
I bought this TV from CC two weeks ago for $845. Last night the VIDEO indicator in the upper left corner of the screen would not go off. There are 7 video modes depending on what device I'm using and this display stays on in all modes. I've reset to factory defaults, disconnected all connections and unplugged the TV in hopes of clearing it. I've done everything possible to get rid of it. So now it needs repair.
This is not a Sony issue: To watch my favorite non-HD channels I had to force the screen to ZOOM (to get rid of the black bars on the left and right sides). Sony's manual warns of "burn-in" if this is done too much. This filled the screen but it chopped of the tops of folks heads and also chopped off the words and logos at the bottom of the screen. That's not the TVs fault, but I'm just not ready for that considering that TWs HD channels are few and a little uninteresting. BTW, HD is marvelous. Like others have said here, it is like looking through a window. It's was television should be. No complaints with HD on this set.
I am planning on taking this TV back because it is broken. From what others have said here, I am not even going to call Sony or any one else for help fixing it.Updated
I have no regrets about returning this item. I am going to hold out for an LCD or Plasma. The most memorable thing about the Sony 30" TV was its weight. -
"Pure Junk." on
Pros: It does have alot of options and features. Especially for picture and sound.
Cons: Poorly made and bulky. I bought this TV at the end of August. By the end of September it was in the repair shop because the picture started to scramble. After trouble shooting the problem, it was found to be a problem with the TV, not the signal. Since t
-
"Don't expect to watch normal 4:3--much too small" on by Peri Winkle
Pros: very clear picture vs. other similar size 16:9, good control over picture characteristics, reasonably easy remote control, lots of inputs/outputs
Cons: forget about watching 4:3 in normal 4:3 format; it's about the size of an old 19" set w/black bars above, below and on both sides
Summary: Very surprised to find that normal 4:3 format is 50% or less of the size of the screen. Also, actual screen height is 1/2" less than height of a 27" screen. Still a very good value.
-
"Stopped working after ONE HOUR!" on by madatSony
Pros: Beautiful picture
Cons: Spent $900 for a nice TV picture for an hour
Summary: I was watching this for about an hour after it was delivered and it went off and won't come back on. The little red light on front is flashing. Instruction manual says that if it won't turn on and the light is blinking it "may need service". I was going to have Circuit City replace it with another one but after reading on the internet about this happening to lots of folks with this set I am going to exchange it for a Panasonic. I love my sony mini-camcorder, but this set is junk right out of the box. It may stop working immedieatley aas mine did or three months down the road or seven months. But stop it will and you will be upset because it weighs 160 pounds and will probably need a new picture tube. I checked the number of times the little red light on front flashes, it is coded to falsh six times if the picture tube is bad and mine is flashing six times, stopping, six times, etc. I bad picture tube after an hour? Too bad, it was so nice while it worked.
-
"Very good quality for the price" on by rgauthier
Pros: Great widescreen picture
Cons: Ridiculously heavy
Summary: I have only had this TV for a couple weeks but am very happy so far. The picture on my HD channels is excellent, but since it is a wide screen you will have to live with the gray bars on the side with the non-HD channels. The zoom feature is useless since it distorts the picture far too much. Lots of options on the back, including the new HDMI connection. You won't want to move this TV around much at 150lbs though.
Write a Review
%20-%20CNET%20Reviews&srcUrl=http://reviews.cnet.com/direct-view-tvs-crt/sony-kv-30hs420/4852-6481_7-30895537.html&x_breadcrumb=6449:6475:6481&x_arw_bkts=MAD:high_wireless_switcher){kind=small}