Sony KV 36FV15 - 36" WEGA CRT TV - metallic gray
The NAME FITS: WEGA
Flat Screen TV. You've noticed it when you walked into your favorite electronic stores Audio/Video section. It seems that everything points to the flat screen TV. Why is that?<br />BACKGROUND:<br />If you look at each of the television screens in an electronics stores' showroom you will notice quite a difference between the flat screen television and the typical 'bubble' tube that has existed up until the advent of the flat screen (tube) and LCD displays. The two biggest factors that influence your viewing are glare and perceived clarity or definition of the picture.<br />Look at the brands of larger screen TV's and you'll notice a definitive difference in the curvature of the screen. You will notice that those brands with less curvature or 'bubble' exhibit a much clearer picture. As the screen gets flatter the glare is reduced, but more importantly the distortion effect around the exterior edges of the viewing screen are reduced, and in the case of the flat screen-eliminated. So, what this tells you is shop for the television that is as flat as you can get, but at the same time in your price range. (Forget about projection TV's-they don't come close to beating the tube-unless you are willing to spend the money, and it will be Thousands extra-with a capital T)<br />SPECIFICS:<br />I've owned my Sony 36&quot; flat screen for about a year now and I love it. It is a must for someone looking for the best picture quality, but not willing to shell out the extra few Thousands of dollars for HDTV or an LCD hang-on-the-wall TV. <br />Picture<br />Again the picture quality is great, and the menus are easy to navigate and fairly intuitive. Keep in mind also that this TV does support the 16:9 Ratio Letterbox Format-translation: you will actually be able to see what everyone else saw in the theatre (the all important edges of the picture that the sometimes need to 'pan' the picture to the side so that you can see it on a conventional screen). Basically quite a large piece of real estate for your home viewing pleasure.<br />Component vs. S-Video<br />The television has a Component Video Input that is superior even to S-Video (which it also has). Why Component Video? Component Video Inputs separate the colors three primary colors. The major advantage to doing this is that the image is less 'blurry' resulting in a crisper image. Of course, you don't need this unless your DVD player or satellite system has Component Video Output, or you are planning on purchasing one in the near future. That is not to say that you need it to enjoy this TV-because S-Video is just as good, but component video gives you a little bit more.<br />The TV has plenty of S-Video, Video and Audio ports to accommodate even the savviest audiophile (one even in front of the TV for easy Camcorder hookup). Also, the speaker system is quite adequate, the auto-volume feature is also a must have for those who hate to re-adjust the volume when they change from one channel to another. <br />Remote<br />The remote is compact and easy to use as well-although you may wish to get a touch-the-screen remote if you have more than 3 or 4 components that you are plugging into the TV(the room seems to get cluttered with remotes after a while! Which one is which?)<br />MODELS:<br />The difference between the FV15 and the XBR Model is basically the filter and the letterbox-viewing format. Essentially what this translates to is that you will get a larger letterbox picture on the XBR model. Whether you require the additional inch or so of height is up to you, but it does slightly eliminate the 'smushing' effect that can be observed when the picture is shown in letterbox (a circle becomes slightly 'elliptical' when transferred to the letterbox format-heads appear to be 'smushed' if you Really pay close attention). It may be worth the additional hundred or so up front for this feature.<br />SUMMARY:<br />If you want a great TV that isn't quite HDTV and you are willing to lug around a 210lb tube if you move, this is the Television for You! The price is right and the picture quality is superior to any comparable projection screen or 'bubble' tube. Plus-it's a SONY-so you know that you are getting a quality piece of electronics that will last you your entire lifetime if you treat