Sony KD-36XS955 36-Inch FD Trinitron WEGA Hi-Scan TV with Integrated HDTV Tuner
Misinformation
I'm actually considering the XBR960N, not the 955, but both are similar in tube quality and features; the 960N being the widescreen sibling with a few more features and a better warranty. Both sets are the last of a dying breed of CRT TV to be sure and I think that the misinformation expressed here needs to be addressed. <br /> <br />\\"Burn-in\\" is certainly a real problem on CRT's and especially on Plasmas, but burn-in takes months, if not years, of static (!) intense images being displayed before it will become noticeable. As long as one turns down the contrast and brightness settings to reasonable levels once the TV is put into the home, there is rarely a problem with burn-in.  <br /> <br />The lion's share of station logo \\"bugs\\" in the corner of the screen are NOT intense enough to cause burn-in unless the TV is used for years on that one channel. I knew a large-screen Sony owner who once had a penchant for leaving the channel display on. It took about 7 years to notice the channel was becoming burned into the corner of the screen. <br /> <br />I am also a proponent of not stretching normal 4:3 images to fit a wide screen and vice-versa. On the other hand, watching ONLY 16:9 widescreen video on a 4:3 TV will eventually burn a line into the tube. However, as I've mentioned, it's going to take years to even notice. And gaming on a CRT or Plasma is not inherently going to cause a problem. Most games do have static readouts or scores and playing one game for a few years at factory settings may actually show a faint ghost image on the tube. But again, don't leave the TV at factory settings. Or better yet, have it ISF calibrated for proper output. Watching 2 movies or playing a few games a week on a CRT isn't going to ruin the tube until the TV will be old enough to replace anyway, and likely for other reasons. <br /> <br />The factory settings and SVM (or Scan Velocity Modulation) are primarily designed to produce a picture that competes with other TV's on poorly-lit showroom floors. Once you get it home, CHANGE those settings to match your room lighting. In most cases, setting brightness/contrast to 50% to 75% lower than factory settings will still look excellent and increase the life of the picture significantly (and use less energy). <br /> <br />Do the research and be skeptical (even of me).