16:9 Enhanced Mode, Flat Display, Color Depth/Richness

Limited inputs, 16:9 mode is not automatic, Weak Remote

I just got the Wega a couple of days ago, and it is truely a fine piece of craftsmanship. First, I will address some issues from the reviews below:

1. "TV Signals Look Bad": If you are using cable, then this is probably true. I have DirecTV, and the picture is crystal clear, with the exception of some older broadcasts. I am wondering, if someone has a Wega, *why* do they have analog cable? Time to upgrade!

2. "Horizontal scrolling produces a flag-like effect": This was one of the first things I wanted to check out. Maybe there were some problems with older models, but I never saw even the slightest hint of distortion when watching scrolling sports scores, or ticker tape on CNN. From corner to corner, the image was true.

3. "When having S-Video connected *and* viewing DVD through Compontent Video, there is a vertically scrolling bar on the screen" Unfortunately, I haven't recieved my cables from Bettercables.com yet, so if this turns out to be a major issue, I will post an updated review.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with the overall quality of the Wega. I would have preferred the XBR model, but the price difference was too much, considering I plan to upgrade to HDTV within the next 5 years.

If you are into DVD, then the 16:9 Enhanced Mode is truely something to behold; and it quenches my desire for HDTV-quality images. In this mode, the TV focuses all the lines of resolution into the letterboxed area, and the result is a stunningly clear picture. Scanlines virtually dissapear, and you can see a clear improvement over the already impressive color richness.

Additionally, I have hooked up a Dreamcast to the Wega, with impressive results. Someone had wrote below that the TV greatly distorts videogames, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Unless you are playing games on a regular Playstation of course, since those games all look distorted on *any* TV, lol.

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Sony Trinitron 36", Mitsubishi 27", Sony FD-Trinitron 19" Monitor

Vivid picture with no distortion, new pricing

Limited warranty in comparison to JVC and Toshiba. The remote seems difficult to operate.

After Fry's advertised this model and confirmed the price of $999 by phone, Sears matched their price, and because of the short Sony warranty, I got the Sears extended warranty for a year. So I have not had the set long enough for performance evaluations or comparisons. Right now I have analog cable through a box and will use my son's Sharp DVD to start setting up and checking out the set. I wanted to pass along the pricing info because Tuesday may be the last day for the Fry's deal.

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My previous set was a top line 35 inch Mitsubishi bought in 1992. It had an excellent picture and features but began to roll on start up -- then later would not come on at all.

Exceptional color, clarity, sharpness and features.

Although many reviews say the remote is a weekness, I found it to be fine. After spending this much on a television you have to expect to spend a little time educating yourself on how the features work...etc. Some channels on my cable reception are a bit grainy. I don't think this is the fault of the tv, rather the quality of the cable signal

Although a bit pricey, the quality of picture and the features of this set is the best I've wittnessed among direct view televisions. The extra few hundred dollars is well worth the value in the long run.

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Toshiba 27 inch

Everything

None that I know of yet.

I just got the t.v on saturday and it is great. I'm a big dvd watcher, so I was kind of scared of this whole white bar scrolling thing while watching a movie. I don't have the component cables yet, but when I do, I will hook them up and just keep the regular coax connected from my direct t.v to the t.v it's that simple. Don't use the S-video, it looks good without it. Problem solved. If you have cable and live in a house, I suggest you get a dish. If you have no choice, go out and get a Monster Power Center it makes a difference I have one along with the dish. Can't get any better. Oh by the way the 16:9 feature on the t.v is awsome.

Overall good viewing experience. Reasonable discount prices. Good color and sharpness in main viewing area.

1. A big one for me is the light and dark 3-4" vertical bands at the left and right sides.
2. Scrolling vertical band problem was recently noticed.
3. 16:9 Scan feature has to be selected/deselected manually.
4. Edge to edge geometry is not very good.

I just discovered this site. What a wealth of information for Audio/Video enthusiasts!

First impressions after getting it set up at home were very positive. Good color and central screen sharpness. Plenty of features. I like the ability to put the station's ID on screen.

HOWEVER, within a day I discovered the stationary left & right vertical banding. VERY annoying in dark scenes and all letterbox viewing! I took the set back for exchange (ugh!), but the new unit had the same problem! The only other person who mentioned this problem was DALE from San Jose back in July 2000. Didn't anyone else notice this? Is there a fix for it?

The "scrolling bar" problem real, but less annoying to me. But thanks to JASON from Portland, we have a solution to this one.

There were several mentions of the Panasonic brand as an alternative. It seems to be a secret that they make superb televisions, often better that Sony's best, but usually not discounted as heavily. Too bad.

This is an interim TV until the HDTV prices and programming match up to each other! I hope it lasts as long as the previous two Hitachi TVs I had. The 19" went 20 years before I sold it, and the 27" made it though the 1994 LA earthquake, and is still working after 10 years. I should be so lucky with the Sony!

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Our previous TV was highly rated Hitachi 27"

Flat screen, awesome picture, component video

Heavy

After first seeing the WEGAs on display, I fell in love, but the price kept me away. I actually had decided on a JVC 36" ($999) and was in the store (Circuit City) to buy it when the salesman showed me an open box 36" WEGA! $1199, with a free stand, which I did not need. So they credited my another $50 and I was out the door for $1149! And I've been a happy camper ever since! I like the multiple viewing modes, but I found that with a little tweaking the VIVID mode is the best. It was a little too flat in color with the factory settings, so I played with it and now it is awesome. Crisp picture with great, lifelike color. I don't even use the other settings anymore. Also, The flat screen allows extreme viewing angles with no distortion and minimal glare.

DVDs are great on it, a whole new way to watch movies! I'm not sure what the 16:9 mode does, as when I put in a DVD it seems to automatically play in 16:9 mode (letterbox), and if I activate the TV's 16:9 mode, it "squishes" the picture. I'm probably missing something. Between the new TV, DVD player, home theater and my good, old, trusty VCR, I'm spinning with all the features, and overloaded with remotes!

I feel lucky to have scored the deal on an awesome TV. Not sure it is worth the average $1500 they seem to go for, but for $150 more than a regular TV on an open box special, it was definitely worth it!

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JVC 27"

Picture is awsome! 16:9 mode for dvd's makes it look like HDTV.

A little grainy on my cable reception, may need to buy better cable.

My girlfriend an I have been looking for a 36" tv for quite a while now. We went into best buy and saw this tv as an open box special for $1199. I was planning on spending about $700 on a 36" Toshiba but just couldn't take my eyes off this tv. I haven't played with every setup option but I did put the matrix in and changed my Toshiba SD2200 dvd player to 16:9 then set this tv to 16:9 and I was amazed at the picture quality. I'm not real big on projection tv's just because you have to sit right in front of the screen to get a good bright picture so I went for this flat-screen and I would recommend this tv to anyone. E-mail with any questions please.

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GREAT blacks, sharp picture, flat screen good sound at high volumes.

text is a bit blurry, has trintron gray line across, but you have to look VERY hard to notice it. No Progressive Scan in this model. And no programming guide?

I am happy with this television, the darks are so rich and crisp. I also love the special VVega stand, it complements the tv perfectly. The text is a bit fuzzy, but that is due to the trintron tube. Also it doesn't have any type of on screen programming guide, something you can get in a much cheaper RCA even. DVD's looks wonderful with my Monster Z-series S-Video cable. I'm not too big on the remote, but it does it's job. This is one killer TV, but I'm not too sure if it's really worth the price. Proscan has a similar tv with onscreen tv guide for cheaper. Overall I am very pleased with my decision. Would recommend the XBR if you have the extra cash, Progressive Scan with a PS DVD player you will be in heaven!

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View the view I wrote below.

I wrote a review which is below. But I want to write regarding the grainy cable which seems to be a huge problem. Which after all, most of us spend watching rather than dvd movies. My cable on my Wega is very grainy on some channels and decent to good on some other channels. I have had alot of emails regarding grainy cable and whether direct tv or digital cable will help. After a some research. I have notice that digital cable or direct tv makes a great improvement over normal cable. Email me, if you have digital cable or direct tv and tell me about your experience also if you have normal cable. Thanks. my email is claudiomeira@hotmail.com

Great picutre, modes, and features. Great family TV with four videos and a S-Video connections

the shear weight of the TV (150 or so pounds)

I have owned the VVega for about six months now and have not had a bad thing to say about it yet (except for the extreme weight of the thing). The extra features are great and the quality of the picture is amazing. Going from a regular 21" TV to the 36" VVega is night and day. DVD's, Dreamcast, even VHS looks great. Would recommend the VVega to anyone that wants a flat screen TV, but doesn't want to dish out the money for a plasma.

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