Sony officially quits rear-projection TV production
By Ryan Block 
posted Dec 27th 2007 3:07AM
posted Dec 27th 2007 3:07AM
posted Dec 27th 2007 3:07AM
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Patrick @ Dec 27th 2007 3:18AM - "Thank God. The picture on rear projection TV's sucks."
Uh,huh. Which would explain why most of the people who know wtf they're talking about (like, say, Tom Holman) still rate Sony's RP-DLPs as best overall picture (no, not best value - that's a no-brainer - but best picture).
And note that SXRD is not some fundementally different technology - it's just Sony's tweak on DLP, just like their VAIO is Windows w/ a tweaked desktop & controls.
And now that it's official, I'm looking forward to snapping up a 60" SXRD for less than half what it cost a year ago; and for $200 every several years, I'll have a perpetually bright image while you suckers are squinting to see your burnt-out LCD's & Plasmas. Such is the fate of obsessive Leading-Edge types (and to all you whiners who paid double for the i-phone the minute it hit the shelves - serves ya right).
I just bought a SONY sxrd KDS-50a2020 for 1099.00 +tax any store will price match and any store that has one in a box buy it this thing is great!!!HD x box360 dvd ...say what you want about rptv's This thing rocks buy an extra bulb for 250.00 put it away and wait for the plasma guys that payed $12,000 for a 50 inch when they first came out to quit crying as you install your ONE lightbulb for a brand new picture!!!
Umm, no -- SXRD is Sony's version of LCOS, which is entirely different from DLP. Doesn't take away from the fact that their picture quality (in the latest generations) is very, very nice.
so does this mean no DLP sonys? (not that it matters Samsung makes the best DLPs)
Sony doesn't make DLP televisions - they make SXRD, which is their brand name for LCOS based sets.
This is sad, because the SXRD models were very nice.
Thank God. The picture on rear projection TV's sucks.
is that why CNET rated sonys SXRD A3000 series as one of their top TV's only rivaling the pioneer plasma??? its just that so many people see these tvs as bulky and dim, even though in the store its so bright and nobodies home is that bright, same reason why people buy LCD's over plasma the brightness, but when its in a home setting all three can produce a great picture.
Ahhh, ignorance is bliss! I LOVE my Sony KDF-50E2000! HD and XBOX look AMAZING on it! Sure, it doesn't look as nice as my 42" plasma in the bedroom, but to say that it sucks is just ignorant. So STFU and speak when you know WTF you're talking about.....newb.
Obsolescence? You don't know what you're talking about. Rear projection TVs offer the best price/performance ratio. Enjoy your 42" 1080p that you're trying to watch from 9' away while I snicker at the price you're paying for something you can't even see from that distance.
Sorry--meant that as a general reply to the article.
Down boys, down boys. Okay, so the picture on RPTV's isn't that bad. Yes, they offer the best screen size for the price. But compared to plasmas, or even LCD's, the picture quality just doesn't measure up. This isn't even a debatable point.
Umm, ya Patrick, it's entirely debatable. The SXRDs produce fantastic black level, color accuracy, etc, that most LCDs can't touch. Not to mention that they don't have the annoying "motion blur feature" of LCD sets. The only area that these TVs suffer in is a slight reduction in viewing angle and not being as super bright as an LCD set. Another advantage of these TVs is that in 3-4 years when the bulb goes out you put in a new one and essentially have a new TV. When your LCD or Plasma burns down to 1/2 brightness you get to throw it in the trash and buy a new one.
Once 60" LCDs are $1600, then the door of obsolescence will have closed.
Until then, there would be a HUGE hole in the market where cheap, big screen RPTVs used to be.
My 60" A3000 RPTV looks absolutely amazing.
http://flickr.com/photos/15926686@N00/
Nice... I agree completely. Hopefully Samsung has enough sense to keep making DLPs.
That's just less competition for Samsung, the best RPTV's currently made.
Obsolescence? You don't know what you're talking about. Rear projection TVs offer the best price/performance ratio. Enjoy your 42" 1080p that you're trying to watch from 9' away while I snicker at the price you're paying for something you can't even see from that distance.
Like Prey521, I also own a Sony KDF-50E2000. While the contrast ratio isn't as good as a plasma or LCD, professionally calibrated, as mine is, produces a picture that's second to none as far as the level of detail is concerned.
The RPTV was a great bang for the buck, value-wise, and I'm sorry that Sony is no longer going to be manufacturing them.
Of course sony is getting out of the RPTV business, the profit margins are much lower than flat panels. They have to find a way to increase profits anywhere they can to stop the PS3/Blu-Ray bleeding.
That would really suck if the PS3 killed SXRD RPTVs. >:(
spot on mate... I still heart my ps3 :-D
It may have had a hand in the death of Sony RPTV's but I doubt it's the sole culprit.
What does this mean regarding the lamps?
Should I buy one and count on the fact that bulbs will be available in the future?
obsolescence? wtf.
Are you suggesting that everyone that wants/needs a 80" tv is switching to a 5k+ front projector set up?
Because despite what you might think front projectors are still expensive. 1-2k for a cheap, low end projector. 1-2k for a cheap, low end screen. Custom wiring and mounting. Oh, and don't forget having to black out the room to watch anything.
Yeah, everyone is switching to front projectors. Not.
A note of sympathy for Patrick who I hope has not been reduced to a bloody pulp... I was totally astonished not so long ago when I walked through a Costco and saw these totally awesome HD pictures on a... RPTV(!?) I had no idea.
I want a Sony KDS 60 A3000! Anybody want to sell :)
If you are thinking about buying one i think you should buy all the bulbs you are ever going to need now while you still can. then see if its such a great value.
I was really thinking about getting a rear projection for our basement considering the price for the size and since it won on CNet i am very tempted, but being at 1,800 is still some money, will they go down in the future as sony quits and stores want to get rid of them? Or should i not even consider it...?
RPTV's are not yet obsolete. They can produce astounding quality for a relativly low peice. I personally own a older set from 2000, havent needed a new bulb yet and is on the verge of HD. These TV's keep the cost low for the performance they offer. If you want to argue prices, actually look them up before you stat stuff. www.newegg.com has HD 50+ inches for less than 2 grand. I do agree, they have slightly lower view angle than the newer plasmas and LCD tv's. But as for a dark room, I can use mine with all the windows open, and lights at max and still get a pretty good picture. When using a component imput to the TV I get phenominal performance, great frames, beautiful colors and no shadowing/delay that some of the lower end plasmas and LCD's can get. Im not sure about some of you, but I think ill stay with DLP/RPTV's for awhile. And Pat, as of yet HD dosnt have the pixel density to gain a large lead in HD over these sets. The max is only 1280X1024 for square sets and 1280X800 for widescreens. These are currently the highest forms of Highdef that HD tv's of any type support, including DLP/RPTV, plasmas, and LCD. Overall, not a great quality considering that the larger the TV, the more the aspect stretches the picture so it dosnt look as good, hence why they dont really make to meny LCD and plasma sets over 47 inches(other than production problems). The advantage over LCD and plasmas that DLP/RPTV's have is that the light can disperse slightly to blur the individual pixels so that it dose not give a grainy picture on large size tv's. And lastly before I go, most people want LCD/Plamsas due to the fact they are hyped so much where as DLP/RPTV's are not even advertised on TV, and hardly in stores.
Dal.
RPTV's are certainly better, but haven't come around to where they can compete yet. I did a lot of research on tv's recently and went to a high-end electronics store where they keep their showroom dark. We stood about 15' from the SONY SXRD tv that we were considering. Nice. I moved left and right to see if the picture dimished. A little, but not real bad. Then I sad down on the floor and looked up at it, like how I would be to play a game, and I could hardly see anything. I walked to the other side of the store and fell in love with the plasma which I eventually bought (I would have told you before that I would NEVER buy a plasma, but I did). They just don't have the rptvs up to speed yet. Good bye rear projection, you will not be missed by me.
I guess I will love my 50 inch kdf50e3000 i got today for 800
where did you get a kdf50e3000 for 800, I've been looking at getting one of those. right now i have a a10, I love it but it's only 720p. But yeah it is a shame they are getting rid of the RPTV models.