Why did Sony stop making rear projection?

[bryster]

Is it just me or is there anyone else who's disappointed Sony stopped making Rear
projection HDTV. I've has my KDS-55A2000 for over a year now and I haven't
found anything since I've bought it (TV wise where the price is not ridiculous
i.e. Over £5-6,000) that comes near it in terms of picture quality. Personally I
think the major reason for production stopping was that the customer wanted a
thinner more aesthetically pleasing set. But just before they stopped Sony had
produced a set that was so thin it could be placed on the wall and reviewers
had said the picture was astonishing

I'm just got mine before they stopped and if you can get one it'll be
the best screen you buy for a long while

 

[northantsbloke34]

Have you not seen the latest pani's or sony kuro's???

 

[bryster]

Yes. More importantly did you get chance to see the sony Rear Projection HDTVs?

 

[northantsbloke34]

yes i did. I can never get use to having to sit directly in front of a rear projection just to watch it. Seemed alot of money to pay out for a tv with only one viewing angle

 

[bigblue235]

northantsbloke34:yes i did. I can never get use to having to sit directly in front of a rear projection just to watch it. Seemed alot of money to pay out for a tv with only one viewing angle

Ok, then you've probably not seen the one in question

You can sit at fairly extreme angles with no problem, the only slight viewing angle issue comes if you're above eye level with the screen, if you're playing the Wii for example.

The only other real problem with it is the RP 'silk-screen' effect, which I realise would be a deal breaker for some, but not for me as I don't seem particularly sensitive to it. I only ever notice it on large, bright white areas of screen, which don't occur very often (it did with March of the Penguins, but I digress...

). Oh, and it has a big booty, so it has to go in a corner!

I also (as you may have guessed) have the SXRD rear-pro, and it's the finest display, bar none, I've clapped eyes on. I recently had a demo of some speakers, and in the demo room was a calibrated Kuro 50". It left me very disappointed. It had rather a lot of banding, the movement wasn't as smooth as my set, the colours didn't seem as accurate, and it was twice the price and obviously smaller than my current set. I'd have put it down to being poorly set-up if I hadn't known it was calibrated.

We're moving to a small-ish flat, so the rear-pro is going in a room, to avoid messing up my girlfriends interior design plans! Therefore I've been looking for a panel, and had hoped that I'd be able to convince her we needed to splash out on a Kuro. After that demo neither of us wants one, and we'll likely just buy a cheaper LCD or plasma, resigned to the fact that we won't get the same performance as we're used to for sensible money. Think we'll probably just go for the Sony V4000.

I accept that it may be the case that I've got used to the RP, and I appreciate some people may prefer plasma or LCD images, but not me.

 

[bryster]

BRAVO BIG BLUE!!!!ÿLike I said I've seen the screens available now and luckily me and big blue have seen what a really good screen can look like. No screen is perfect butÿfrom what I've seen there's nothing that comes close to the SXRD sets.ÿToughÿbreak though bluey on the new flatÿ

 

[bigblue235]

Thanks bryster! I'm glad you're enjoying your set too. It's an awesome piece of kit, eh?

I think people were guilty of dismissing RP technology too quickly based on it's bulk. I know many folk simply can't give the space needed, or don't want to put it in a corner, and that's fair enough. I also realise that for some, how the set looks switched off is just as important as how it looks switched on, and I can't argue with that either.

But for me, image quality matters more than aesthetic appeal. With this set there's no LCD blurring, no risk of (relevant at time of purchase) Plasma screen burn, no real concessions to be made as far as the image goes. And when the set ages? Pop a new bulb in, to bring it back to it's brilliant best.

The missus is slowly coming round to the idea of having it in the living room at our new place, at least for the winter. And anyway, hopefully it won't see too much use in summer, as the new pad is only a few hundred yards from the beach. So it's not all bad news

 

[bryster]

Well blue fortunately I dont suffer from a lack of space...Not to rub it in but take a look

ÿ

http://bryster.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album08

ÿ

I'll put some more up for the rest of the roomÿ

 

[Anonymous]

Nice set up bryster!

How are you finding the integration of the HTM7 and the Mission's?

I think RP wise no matter how good a product is the mass market will dictate what Sony produce. Unfortunately RP has become less desirable than flat screen, and so it seems Sony have dropped the technology.ÿ

 

[bryster]

For the money I paid for the missions they're fantastic. The movie experience is now better than the cinema... The only thing I'm really looking for is a decent blu ray player and I think the Pioneer BDP-LX71 is gonna do the trick. However there are Denon 3800 blu ray players from the U.S for £780....Oh so tempting!! Like I said I'll get the pics of the rest of the room up later

 

[bryster]

Pics are up...enjoy