Sony KDF-E42A10 42-Inch LCD Rear Projection Television
By: Sony Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 50
More Information
 On: 2008-04-21
THE VERTICAL COLORED LINES OF DEAD (CLOD)
This TV has a fantastic image, and a good sound quality. BUT it always maked some kind of weird clicking sounds from time to time. Until last week it worked just fine, but last Sunday it took over 3 minutes to turn on, and when it did no image can be seen, only vertical colored lines were displayed all over the screen. I have no response from the buttons in front of the TV, and neither the ones in the remote. Only S-video source can be barely seen behind the Colored Lines of Dead (CLOD).
Sony support page has a statement from year 2006, saying that all the series of TV models KDF-EXXAXX had some software issue that causes a turning on delay, the clicking sounds, etc. You can check yours entering your model and serial number at Sony Support. Mine its one of those "blessed" TVs. Thank you very much SONY.
My local technical service has no idea of whats happening to my TV. They are checking with Sony Panama, and no response has been received yet.
I know that Im not the only one with this problem (aka: The CLOD). I checked recently in [...], and we are 3 by now, but apparently the problem just started to haunt Sony KDF owners.
STAY AWAY FROM THIS PRODUCT. THE VERTICAL "COLORES LINES OF DEAD" WILL HAUNT YOU SOONER OR LATER
On: 2007-10-29
NOT RELIABLE SONY PRODUCT AND HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE, PLEASE STAY AWAY AND SAVE YOURSELF A HEADACHE!
 On: 2007-06-18
I purchased this set at CC in November of 2005 for about $1800. Seems like allot in todays money. But Ive been extremely happy with this set and never regretted my purchase.
I have multiple HD sources(blu-ray and cable HD) both look great. Just one tip, make sure your cable box is set to "pass-through"...so that your TV does the signaling(720P, 1080i) and not the cable box. Some cable boxes will take totally over and just feed your set a 1080i signal. Some people think this is fine, being a videonut, no thanks.
Once the picture is calibrated, it is pretty spectacular and looks amazing. 42" was the right size for the room, not too big and not too small. I sit about 9 feet away. And the viewing angles are great on this set.
My last set was a Sony and I got a good 13 years from it. It still working great. You cant deny, Sony still builds quality products. Im still on the original bulb.
On: 2007-03-09
I have always been somewhat prejudiced against rear-projection TVs. Mostly because I judge them based purely on the way they used to be in the 1990s; Huge and heavy that never showed a clear picture or sound...the kind where you could not see a thing on the screen unless you were sitting dead-on in front of it.
This Sony WEGA LCD Rear-Projection TV has changed my outlook towards its brethren completely. I honestly never thought in my wildest dreams that a rear-projection TV can looks this good and sound this amazing. Honestly, it has the best sound system I have ever heard in a TV by far, from loud booming bass to directional sound...yes, I said directional. The TV makes it sound like surround sound straight from its somewhat hidden speakers. I dont know how it does it, but it does.
Moving onto the display, it is bright, crisp, and comes with a plethora of options and customizations to suit your viewing taste. HD Channels come to life in the clearest and crispest picture I have ever seen. And you have a variety of options for viewing non-HD channels.
Since the TV takes input up to 1080i I have all my devices (Xbox 360, Digital Cable, DVD player) hooked up to it with nothing less than component cables. The devices that can natively transmit in HD, such as the Xbox 360, flourish on this TV. I have never been so immersed in the sights and sounds of video games before!
Viewing angles: there are close to none! You can see this TV from an INCREDIBLY wide range! We have one of those TV stands where the top swivels, but we never have to even move it regardless of where we are sitting in the living room...the picture is just as crisp and clear no matter which side and however large of an angle you view it from.
The only angle you have to watch out for is vertical/height. I did notice a bit of difference in the picture if you are standing up or sitting down (depending on the height of the TV compared to yours). But even that is only if you are standing within 4-feet of the TV.
Lastly, the one factor that basically sealed the deal for me with this TV is the fact that you can replace the lamp yourself. The lamp has a life of 1.5 to 2 years (depending on how much you watch the TV) and spare ones can be bought straight from Sony or from a variety of places online for under $200. To replace it, you just open a hatch on the side of the TV (no screws), take out the old lamp cartridge, put in the new one. Yes, thats it! Additionally the TV itself actually tells you when it is time to replace the lamp...there is a light that comes on when the TV notices that your lamp is approaching the end of its life. Our TV still has its original lamp in it and it is close to 2 years old. I bought a spare lamp online just in case, but I havent had to use it yet; the picture is still crisp and clear as it was the very first day.
On: 2006-12-29
I purchased my Sony 42" TV in early Dec. 2006, and received my item from Amazon in 7 days. Strangely though, Amazon projected my item to take almost 3 weeks to arrive?
I have been very impressed with picture quality on HD channels. Additionally, the quality of non-HD channels is far superior to any DLP projection TVs. If you are comparing the 2 technologies, go to a local retailer and have them turn off the HD signal and switch to analog, you will be amazed at the difference between Sonys 3LCD technology and any other set with DLP. Just do it, I promise youll be shocked.
Also, Im tired of reading complaints about the cycling through of the video inputs, and how many people havent found the "SKIP" setting Sony has provided so you only have to cycle through the video settings that you use on a regular basis. I have my DVD Player on setting 1, my Video game on setting 2, and my HDTV cable box on setting 7. Those are the only 3 video inputs I see because I have the other 4 set to "SKIP".
[...]
 On: 2006-12-20
I bought my TV in July of 2005. Its now late December 2006. Ive been very happy with the TV. I did have Sony update my firmware. I also bought a UPS so that when the electricity goes out, the fan will continue to cool the bulb so that its life is not shortened. Ive not had to replace the bulb yet.
Im very happy with the HD picture quality. The SD picture quality isnt that great, but Im not sure it could be better on a TV of this size. I dont use the speaker on the TV- I opt instead to route the audio through my receiver to speakers.
I know at this point the 42A10 has been replaced with a newer generation, but Ive been happy with this set and have had no regrets.
On: 2006-11-25
I first saw this TV at bestbuy and honestly wasnt very impressed with it; then I went to a Magnolia Hi-Fi store and saw the exact same TV and I was just amazed at how much clearer the picture is, apparently the program they were playing at Best Buy wasnt being played at full 1080(i). So we decided to purchase it. The TV itself was really light too so it was a lot easier geting this thing in the house than getting our incredibly ancient Sony CRT out. Before we got this TV, I hardly even ever watch TV (because mainly my dad watches his programs), but I always find myself watching Discovery HD now (which I highly recommend anyone who has a HDTV preferably with 1080 support getting)(VRY NAICE! AH LHAIKE!).
By the way, the TV goes up to 1080i; a reminder for people who are looking to buy this to play their new Sony Playstation 3s with. PS3s support 1080p, and if your TV does not support this, it will play at 480 (booo). On the other hand Xbox360 and Nintendo Wii owners, this TV would be a great buy!
Overall: No problems since the time we bought it (Couple of months now), Superb picture quality, Good price...GREAT VALUE!
On: 2006-11-21
Im very happy with the set. Although not listed in the specs, it must have a QAM tuner, because I am able to watch unscrambled digital broadcasts through my cable service even though all I have is basic cable. I was thrilled when I made this discovery. Watching football games in HD, without paying for digital cable, almost made me weep with happiness.
The picture quality for analog channels is only so-so. I really wish the remote was illuminated. Also, Amazon took much longer to deliver the TV than was promised. Other than these negatives, Im very happy.
On: 2006-11-06
We bought this TV 3 months ago and dont regret it one bit. It was delivered right to our door in a timely manner and in perfect condition. We do not have satellite or cable (only reg. antenna) and were very pleased to find that we get so many more channels now and much much clearer reception now that we are picking up the "digital" signals. Again, we love it and would reccomend it to anyone wanting to move up to HD.
On: 2006-11-05
I searched far and wide and compared many tvs. It came down to the Panasonic Plasma TV vs. the Sony KDFE42A10. I went with the Sony due to price; but Im glad I did. I cant see putting [...]in a TV. I am really pleased with the Sony; particularly the price I paid. It was so much cheaper here at Amazon.com than at the big box retail stores.
On: 2006-10-02
I purchased this television at a bricks-and-mortar store, on sale, for less money than the 32" LCD screen that I was considering. I was planning to place the TV on a stand, not the wall, and I do not need the incredible viewing angle of plasma, so there was no reason to spend the extra money for the truly-flat TV.
For comparison, I am moving from a 26" CRT HDTV to this unit. The size difference is amazing, but that is to be expected by gaining more screen real estate. What surprised me is that even on 480i or 480p broadcasts, the picture is markedly better on this set than on my previous CRT. Im honestly not sure if its because of the size difference again (larger = more detail shows?), or because of the TV itself, but its great.
My only real complaint is that I cannot access an on-screen guide using the TV, as the CableCARD technology is only one-way at this point. However, I will not penalize the TVs rating because the CableCARD technology is immature; thats not this TVs fault.
I, for one, actually like the thought of changing a bulb every 12-24 months in my TV. Remember: the phosphor in CRTs and plasmas will lose the ability to glow over the years, and that cant be replaced. The backlight in standard LCD screens will lose brightness and go out over time, and that can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to replace. However, this TV only has one component for which failure is expected: the bulb, which I can replace myself in five minutes for ~$200.
My last "pro" is the TVs weight. I moved my old CRT off of the TV stand, and almost killed my back doing so. I was able to lift this TV into place with almost no effort. The entire unit weighs about 60-65 pounds, and the weight is in all the right places. Even though its light enough to lift with ease, Sony included one final touch that I am thankful for: rubber feet. I can scoot this TV on my stand without scratching the wood surface, and when trying to center a TV which is nearly 40" wide across the front, thats a good thing.
On: 2006-09-22
My new TV finally arrived and I am very pleased with it. I picked this one based primarily on all of the reviews I could find online, the vast majority of which were very positive (cNet has lots of reviews as well). Also, I have two friends who are cable guys and they see all kinds of TVs, all day every day, and both of them bought this exact set for themselves.
My cable provider does not offer many High Def stations yet so the image quality of Standard Def video was the primary criterion for me. Most reviews were very positive in this regard but there were some that were the exact opposite. My first impression had me rather worried. I have since come to believe that poor quality Standard Def video is just a matter of garbage in = garbage out. I began to suspect this when I noticed that some stations looked much better than others. In fact, some shows and commercials on any given station looked much better than those which preceded or followed them. I became convinced as I watched a cable news show where the host and two contributors were each on different cameras being displayed at the same time. The video of the host looked OK, the video of one contributor was poor, and the video of the other contributor looked great. The video quality of the various individuals remained consistent when they were occasionally displayed individually on the entire screen. The set certainly has the ability of displaying fantastic Standard Def video. I expect that I just never noticed the variability of video quality on lesser TVs.
The quality of the Hi Def Video is breath taking.
Set-up was simple and I have not even bothered yet to read the manual. Of course the display can be adjusted in many ways, but it looks good to me with the factory presets and I do not intend to adjust the display anytime soon. Flipping through the on screen menu, I stumbled across the altitude setting which was a nice surprise since I live at 10,000 ft. above sea level.
I was a little disappointed with the delivery situation. I thought I had ordered the TV in time to have it by opening day kick-off. Instead it arrived just in time for the third weekend of the football season, and I was told that it could easily have been another week beyond that. I blame the shipper (Eagle USA) for this, not Amazon. I say this because I could track the package enough to know that Amazon had the TV picked up right away. But then Eagle USA kept it sitting in Dallas for almost 2 weeks, and then in Denver for another week, before finally calling me to arrange for delivery. I believe that if I had not called and emailed Amazon to complain about the delay, it would have taken longer. Eagle USA told Amazon that they had tried to call me sooner but I know that this is not true for two reasons: 1) I had called Eagle USA the same day they told Amazon this and Eagle USA told me that they had no intention of calling me until a day or so prior to delivery, and 2) my livelihood depends on people being able to reach me at all times and I have a very good message and caller ID tracking system in place.
All in all, a great set at a great price, I just wish I had ordered and started pushing the issue sooner.
On: 2006-08-28
I got mine locally for $1100 dollars. The going rate was 1399-1599. I saw it at a competitor for $1198. So I went to another competitor and they gave it to me for the same price and took another $100 off the price for HDTV installation. What a picture. I started to get turned off by sony because I had 2 32 inch CRTs with tilted yoke making widescreen movies bend at the corners. But I remained loyal and Im glad I did. I was iniitally wanting a DLP by Samsung but thise one next to in the store blew it away. I didnt go for the $500 dollar service contract because thats half of the price of the television. Ill take my chances on this one. Hopefully bulbs will come down too. Youll love the picture with or without HDTV. I love all the features and theyre pretty intuitive. There probably wont be too many left. I think theyre phasing the model out. Not sure about amazon but the sony purchase is worth it. Sorry about the other bad reviews here.
On: 2006-08-06
I bought this TV in March of this year (2006) and it has worked perfectly until the Sony Techs came out and "updated" my firmware. I was not having any problems with the TV but thought that it should be updated or possibly affect the warranty. As soon as the tech left and I turned on the TV, the fan is running on "high" and is loud. This did not happen until the software was updated. I went into the functions and tried to use the High Alt function to turn the fan to low (off) but that would work. The good news is I bought the extended warranty and will get it fixed, or replaced......... Word of caution, you may consider not updating the firmware if the TV is working, and buy the extended warranty. I paid $300 for 4 years and figure Ill get at least one $250 bulb out of the deal (yes, it is covered). Otherwise, the TV is perfect.
On: 2006-07-19
I purchased my tv in Dec 2004. I did not purchase the extended warranty. These sets are have all kinds of video problems. Myself and other LCD owners have called for in home service. The service company is QUALXSERV in home service. They want $350.00 to come to your home if you do not have the extended warranty, and can not guarantee a fix. Take it from me buy some other Brand
On: 2006-07-16
Well, I cant give an honest review of this product because I havent yet received it. I ordered it on June 15, and it was promised, by Amazon direct, not another seller via Amazon, between June 21 and June 23. So Im sitting here on July 15 with no TV.......
It really isnt Amazons fault, its the shipper, Eagle. But whatever, Im less than satisfied with this Amazon.com transaction. I have seen the TV in stores and it looks good though...................
On: 2006-07-15
Well, I cant give an honest review of this product because I havent yet received it. I ordered it on June 15, and it was promised, by Amazon direct, not another seller via Amazon, between June 21 and June 23. So Im sitting here on July 15 with no TV.......
It really isnt Amazons fault, its the shipper, Eagle. But whatever, Im less than satisfied with this Amazon.com transaction. I have seen the TV in stores and it looks good though...................
On: 2006-07-07
Brilliant images. Highest quality. You simply cannot beat this system for the price. Also, this particular projection TV handles the non-HDTV channels very well - not all HDTV models do this. The fact is that most channels are not available in HDTV yet, so its nice to have a high quality TV that can deliver non-HDTV channels to you in a high quality rendering. This TV does that very well. Yes its nothing like HDTV, but all the same they do a fine job with this model.
 On: 2006-06-27
I bought this TV about a month ago. I had no problems setting it up. I even had no problems getting local HD chanels over-air FREE. I was so happy. However, once I got cable...my mood changed. I reliazed that if the signal coming in is not High Def. then the picture can be "grainy" (little boxes around images) when there is a fast movement on the screen. Fast movements such as those in basketball games, soccer games, or simply person speaking.
This is due to the signal coming in not being HIGH enough so it is streched over the screen. Here is explanation from SONY website:
"Inferior picture quality may occur on a High-Definition Television (HDTV) with a screen size over 36 inches when viewing a standard-definition signal. This is because the lines of resolution provided by a standard-definition signal are enlarged in order to properly fill the screen. Enlarging the lines of resolution not only increases the size of the video image, but will also make it easier to see video noise in the picture that causes distortion. For this reason, the picture quality on a HDTV is best when viewing a high-definition signal."
I do have HD programing, and those are great, but there are very few chanels at this time, what do I do with other 200 standard digital chanels? If the signal coming in is not HD, then it should just give regular picture. But it does not, its all grainy and anoying.
END RESULT: I was happy with the purchase until I realized that the regular standard digital cable chanels will always be grainy and not "normal". HD chanels are perfect, but there are very few HD chanells out there.
On: 2006-06-16
Ive had this television for about a week now and so far Im pleased with the purchase. I bought it at a local brick and mortar and was able to get it home in the back of my car (sans the packaging and with some mighty careful driving). It was light enough for me to carry from the car to my apartment (I did have to make a second trip for the remote and batteries). The initial set up didnt take too long, although I could probably play with the color controls for days and still end up with the guys on Entourage looking like Oompa Loompas (there is a home theater calibration DVD you can buy - do a search on Amazon for "calibration DVD" and research them from there - I havent tried any of them, but fyi). I didnt have a HD cable box when I first installed the TV, so I started by watching DVDs and regular cable... The results were okay, but now that I have the HD box, I dont want to watch anything but - the image quality has me watching WAY too much television. Consider this before you buy a HD television - ask yourself, "Do I really want to come home from work and sit and watch television for the rest of the night every day?" because thats whats going to happen. Youll find yourself sitting there, glued to a documentary on the Burmese Brown Mountain Tortoise simply because its on (and itll be getting more exercise than you). I have an apartment and there is some audible fan noise when the television is used at low volumes, but its completely washed out at a volume level of about six which is still pretty low. The fan noise is much better than the sound of my neighbor banging on the wall (although that does add sort of a surround effect if they time it right). My DVD collection looks okay (trust me, everything will look "just okay" after you have HDTV), but Im considering getting an up-scaling DVD player for about $100 as Ive read the difference is worth it - plus, itll tide me over until Im comfortable the Blu-Ray vs. HD battle is settled. I bought a Beta VCR back in the day and Ive been bitter ever since. This TV only has one HDMI input which is worth noting as your HD cable box will probably use it - Amazon lists a HDMI splitter for about $50, so yourre not totally out of luck if you decide to add another device (like an up-scaling DVD player. See: Sony DVPNS75H Single Disc DVD Player). Its not a plasma or any other sort of super-flat television, so it wont be as impressive when you tell your friends, but youll be feeling great two years down the road when youre selling it to your buddy for $150 so you can go and pick up your new 90" plasma screen for $395. Seriously, its a good television. I did what youre doing and read and read and read, but then I got it home and I was like, "Whew. Good purchase." Oh, and dont go spending $129 on your HDMI cables.... You should be able to find them for around $30 online... slightly more at your local Radio Shack or Sears... Hope this helps. Now, go and get the TV! Youll be happy you did.
On: 2006-06-13
This was a major investment, $1600.00 is enough to make me paranoid just to own it. The downside is that the bulb assembly is $275 from Sony and eventually the bulb WILL need to be replaced.
Havent noticed any issues anyone else had, but I bought mine in Feb. 06 and I see most of the purchases here where in 05 not long after the model was released. Now, onto the specifics.
I wanted the 50" but couldnt fit it in the space I had, so I settled on 42" but am still very happy. The TV is NOT out-of-the-box friendly, if you are not savvy have a tech set it up and set all your picture adjustments. It took me weeks and weeks and still six months later I am tweaking it out for best quality. Firstly, there are the basic controls, contrast, sharp, color, etc. but there is a Normal, Vivid and Custom settings on the main imputes (including HDMI)so listen close, go into custom and try all the settings with various images until you are happy, and read the manual!
Now, how does it look? Well the 1080i I get from comcast is great, mostly, but that comcast has sheeting issues (you see those damned little square digital images when the screen gets busy) best viewed 10 - 18 from TV and looks great. Dead blacks, good whites (never quite pure, but the winter snow in Narnia & LOTR looks great!) I also have a 480p DVD player (cant wait for HD!) which looks better than standard Cable, not as good as HDTV but again, from about 12 feet away its near flawless and Im happy.
The only thing is, when I have HDMI input from comcast I get no optical audio out to my receiver, but I believe this is a Comcast / Motorola (these boxes, suck) issue, not the TV.
Take advantage of the three component inputs for your DVD, PS(2) and GameCube! Both look awesome on here! There is a setting to stretch the 4:3 image to 16:9 with a bit of clipping on top and bottom and a bit of stretching that makes the picture look almost perfect even though it wasnt actually a widescreen image. I use wireless controllers and play from 12 away and the games look crystal clear.
Also, this is an LCD so interlaced and progressive scan look equally good. The TV doesnt have a flicker, it shows all lines at once by storing half in memory for 1/30 of a second and then showing all scan lines at once! It looks great.
The downside? Regular cable sucks! We must have all HD and now! Regular channels dont fill the screen (of course) and tend to have a lot of digital sheeting.
I love this TV but, get a spare light from Sony right away (its easily changeable) and stick it over you closet! It could be 2 or 5 or 10 years, but if it blows you have no TV until they can ship a new one! Mines worked perfectly since the moment I plugged it in, so you get no complaints here.
Also note, this TV has no burn in and no moving parts but for a cooling fan! Regular DLPs have a spinning wheel (or now three!!!) and can make a lot of noise or break down more easily.
This TV is also so light one person can lift, and it can be mounted on a wall.
 On: 2006-05-22
I agree with all the reveiws that this TV produces an excellent picture; when it works right. We purchased a Sony KDF42WE65, this is not the same as the KDFE42A10. However the repair shop said that all Sony rear projection LCDs use the same optical assembly. Our optical assembly went bad after 13 months. After over $1,100 in parts/repairs, it still does not produce a balanced color picture. Sony makes excellent products but no longer should get a "free pass" on quality. Evaluate other manufactures and consider purchasing an extended warranty. LCD rear projection technology produces a wonderful display, but is still a relatively new.
On: 2006-05-09
+ Cheap and small
+ 1280*720 true 720p resolution
+ HDMI input and other neccessary stuff
+ Good image (for the price)
+ Works very fine as a HTPC display
* Decent black level and ok grayscales (for the price and technology)
- The stuff Sony uses in display to expand viewing angles causes very noticeable, unmoving shimmering shroud on top of the image in some lightning conditions. One light source behind the viewer has been working fine with me.
- Not usable in totally dark room (its like watching a sun in your living room, and you really cant mess with the contrast/brightness that much if you want decent black level and grayscales)
- Fan noise is audible in silent passes
- Overscan, viewable image area is 12xx*67x (cant remember exactly)
- Doesnt work as a PC display (it isnt meant to be one anyways), internal processing chips mess up the image so badly.
To sum it up, Id buy this (or the 50" one if you have enough space) if you need a new television, unless you a) need still bigger image or b) have money for true 1920*1080 1080p INPUT&DISPLAY with HDCP projector/tv.
On: 2006-05-06
Before purchasing this item I purchased a samsung 42" dlp projection. I was very pleased with the picture at first, but quickly became overwhelmed by the number of rainbows I was seeing. Im very glad I purchased it from a local brick and mortar store because I was easily able to arrange a return. They came to my house, picked up my old set and set up my new sony, all for no charge.
After 5 months, Im still very pleased with my 2nd choice. When I go to my friends houses which have plasmas, I notice that although my set may not be as bright as theirs, the clarity and quality of the picture is much better on mine. Using the vga input to connect to my computer is fun, but the resolution isnt quite enough for me to play WOW. I hope this will change in a few years. I spend a lot of time playing console games and watching dvds on this set. If you spend most of your time watching cable tv, dont bother getting this set. Get a standard CRT. The huge picture makes low quality images look worse, not better. In fact, after I got this set I canceled cable tv because the picture made me want to cry. I will happily wait for my favorite shows(such as Battlestar Galactica) to come out on dvd so that I can see them in their full glory. I watch this tv from about 8.5 and it seems to be the perfect distance. My major complaints about this tv are not really about the tv at all, but the lack of high quality material to play on it. I find it really annoying when Im watching something in 3:4 format and a third of my screen isnt being used. Im looking forward to HD playstation games, HD DVDs and HD on all cable channels.
On: 2006-04-06
This TV has awesome HDTV picture. I have had it for almost two weeks now, and it is so hard to turn off this TV once you start watching it. The regular channels look OK as they would look on any other TV but the HDTV and DVD picture is awesome. There are many color options that you can set to your own taste. I had to adjust the red in the image initially so that the colors looked more natural. The only thing that I dont like about this TV is the bad viewing angle. The image gets dull once you move to the sides of the TV or stand up close to it...This is one advantage that plasmas have over this TV - but for the price and money you cant beat the deal! After all..Its a SONY!
On: 2006-04-04
We just purchased the Sony KDFE42A10 42" LCD Rear Projection Television two weeks ago and are glued to it! We almost purchased the Panasonic Plasma which costs more, but because of issues with burn-in on Plasma sets we decided to go with this set, especially since we are planning to plug in a video ipod to display album art while listening to music.
We have been extremely pleased with the picture in HD. The remote and settings are very easy to use.
The only negative, is the 3rd component video input which is placed on the left side of the television, meaning that hooking up a device to it permanently results in seeing thick component cables coming out of the side of the set.
I would highly recommend this unit. Its awesome for the price!
On: 2006-04-01
I was recently reading the reviews for the Sony KDFE42A10 HDTV when I came across the review sent in by Q. Hunt. I too was experiencing the same type of malfunction with my Sony TV. I must say that after reading the review Q. Hunt wrote I was spared the run around endured by writer of the review. I logged onto updatemytv.com and set up a service appointment in five minutes.
The malfunctions I experienced not withstanding, I have enjoyed the picture quality and rich sound that my Sony KDFE42A10 has delivered. I hope to have this problem cleared up soon. Thanks again Q. Hunt
On: 2006-04-01
Please note: I have not viewed this television with HD.
I just got the sony 42" rear project LCD wega tv.. This set is replacing a 46" Mitsubishi standard projection "HD ready" set bought in 2001.
Moving to a new home, we are in need of a set with a slimmer profile. We do have a little wiggle room, no need to look at a wall mount display. This set fits my size requirements perfectly.
Ive never been impressed with DLP or plasma, though lately some of the higher-end plasma sets seem to be improving. This set seemed to be the ideal price/size + features. And the amount of positive reviews of this set really pushed me in this direction.
PLEASE NOTE: I have not had this set professionally calibrated, which may improve the picture slightly.
For the money this set is a good value. If you want superb picture and price is not as much of an issue Id keep looking.
Update: By default the "Vivid" video setting is turned on. While shapening the picture it also introduced a number of artifacts, at least on my standard def input.
If I could revise my star rating Id probably bump it to 3, possibly 4 stars. 2 is definitely too low.
On: 2006-03-13
I compared it to the Samsung at the same price and one or two others and I think this has the best display. Unlike many of the DLPs out there, it is totally bright.
The many inputs make it easy also. We are considering just getting an amp / decoder instead of a traditional home stero receiver as the TV does a very nice of switching between the many inputs.
One minor point, when I hook up my PC to the TV there is a black rim around the outside of the image that I cant get rid of. But, that may be b/c of my video card, Im not quite sure.
On: 2006-03-09
So, the price was great; much cheaper than the local brick and mortar electronic stores at the time I was originally making the purchase.. TV is wonderful. Seeing this TV side by side the Samsung DLPs in the stores convinced me I made the better choice. The picture is fantastic, great features. I only wish it had PIP, but Ill survive. I work from home, and I also have set up my laptop to use the TV as a monitor... It is working out really well..
Now to Amazon, and some of the chaos I endured in taking shipment... Please dont make the same mistakes I made; this experience tainted my view of Amazon, and below I note some things that may prevent you from going through the same hell..
The delivery guys showed up on time on delivery day.. Upon climbing out of the truck, I was handed the paperwork and was asked to sign before they even pulled it out of the truck (<--Mistake 1). After the TV was brought up into my apartment, the delivery guys left. I immediately opened the TV to find it completely destroyed. I stopped the driver before he left, and told him to take the TV back; he told me to call Amazon and hed pickup the TV when he came to deliver me a new one, which Amazon would replace; they then drove off (<--Mistake 2). Upon calling Amazon, I was ultimately told that the TV is mine if I signed for it and if I didnt get it back on the delivery truck for return, because there is a no-return policy on large merchandise, which I understood. Regardless, AMAZON HAD NO INTEREST IN HELPING ME, THE CONSUMER, OUT. Reading through the shipping and no-return policy; I noted that the shipper was supposed to unpack the TV, let me inspect it, and then remove the packing material. Since they did none of the above, and noted this to Amazon, I felt as if they should have supported me. Instead, they took in my report, threw it to a team who never cared to personally call me, and then wrote me an email saying the case was closed, because they had information stating that I asked for the shippers to NOT unpack the TV. Which was a lie. Nobody from Amazon was willing to negotiate the issue in my behalf with the shipping company. There is no direct number to call Amazon, they call you from an unknown number so you cant call back. Amazon ran away from me.
I made a last ditch effort to call the shipping company, Eagle, who was EXTREMELY polite, understanding, and they negotiated with Amazon the pickup and replacement of my TV. Now THAT is a classy and moral corporation; only if those guys would go into business selling the products :D. After they accepted the blame, Amazon came through with an email apoloziging for the inconveniences I was caused, for simply not believing me. In the end, one month after ordering the TV, I finally took shipment of a working set, which was properly delivered. Take note, prices at the local stores in this timeframe dropped to a level where I could have bought it locally for only a few dollars more, with the security of a return policy, and someone you can interact with if the transaction doesnt go smoothly.
Seriously, would you think Im ordering anything ever again from such a fair-weathered company? May I suggest you think twice as well?
On: 2006-03-08
It was a good experience to purchase this big item on-line. Only thing could be improved is its order tracking. The tracking system of the third party delivery company was not updated very often like UPS or Fedex.
On: 2006-02-27
Purchased this for our large bedroom, as this is where watch most of our TV. I originally wanted the 50", but it would have been too big for our situation. We are about 9 - 10 ft. from the TV when watching it, and it seems to be the perfect distance.
Ive had the TV for two weeks, and currently have it on basic analog cable and am thrilled with the picture quality. Im expecting it to get even better when I upgrade to digital cable and HDTV in a couple of weeks. DVDs look awesome (Finding Nemo was absolutely incredible!), and the tv is super easy to use. I basically got it home, hooked it up to the cable and DVD player, let it run through its automatic station set up, and havent done a thing since. CC provides a DVD to help adjust all the settings, but I have not used it yet. I have not had to make an adjustment and it looks great. I did buy the 4-year extended warranty that covers the replacement of the light - the light costs $200, and CC will give you at least one, even of the old one does not burn out in the warranty period. So far, couldnt be happier.
Update: 3/01/2006
I purchased the Terk Indoor HDTV Antenna (#TRK HDTVI) just for kicks to see if it could pick up any HD while I wait for another week for the cable company. I plugged it in, and ran the set up program on the tv for the antenna. Much to my shock, it picked up a bunch of stations in HD and looks fantastic. I live around 30 miles north of Chicago, and NBC, ABC, PBS, FOX, WGN all have fantastic over-ari HD reception. I am going to cancel the cable company visit and save the money!
On: 2006-02-19
I have all good things to say about my KDF-E42A10. I have been nothing but pleased with my purchase and HD Channels look like still images... just soooo crisp and clear... Thanx to my HD PVR box from Rogers (here in Canada), I can record my shows in HD and view at leisure...
One thing that I found somewhat bothersome with the TV was the way the HDMI input works. I have my HD PVR box hooked up with the TV directly using an HDMI cable. Also I have a digital coax cable connecting the digital audio out from the HD PVR to the A/V Receiver. Only problem though, even if the HD broadcast is in Dolby Digital 5.1, I get only 2 channel sound on the A/V Receiver. In order to get 5.1 Channel DD sound, I have to get into the Settings of my HD PVR Receiver, change the Audio to :Dolby Digital" from "HDMI" to get 5.1 channel DD sound. Thats a few extra steps that I dont really want to take if I dont have to. If I leave the "Dolby Digital" selected in the settings, I get no sound from the TV at all. So when Im done watching a show in 5.1 DD sound, I need to switch back to the "HDMI" audio mode so that the TV sound can funtion normally and everyone at home doesnt go nuts trying to get sound out of the TV. Anyone else experience this? Let me know. This behavior is however, not depicted if I use Component Video Cables... weird!
Everything else about the TV is great!
Peace!
Robin
On: 2006-02-18
This TV is neat, light-weighted and looks very nice with the matching stand. The quality of the picture is excellent. The picture is very clear and not over-exposed as in plasma TVs or in some other DLP TVs. The stereo audio produces very good sound.
If you decide to go for big screen TV, try 50" or 62". This 42" is a bit small for family room. In January 06, costco offered 50" + matching stand for $2400 + tax (of course) and I bought this 42" TV + shipping + matching stand for $2050. I wish I could have bought that 50" TV at costco.
Anyway, Im very pleased with this TV.
On: 2006-01-27
I picked one at Best Buy yesterday after waiting 4 days for it to come in. I plugged the projection TV and press power button. I saw the initial setup on the screen momentarily, then a clicking sound and then it shut down. Then the red light blinks 4 times repeatedly. I tried again several times, unplugging the tv completely, doing the factory reset as mentioned in the manual but still the same. I will return this TV today and get a new one, its too much of a hassle. I was dissapointed this happened to me after finally deciding to get this TV based on excellent reviews. I am now worried and doubtful if this TV will last for a long time after getting a DOA right out of the box. The TV was manufactured DEC. 2005 printed at the back.
On: 2006-01-25
The manual for this product is the same one you can find at amazon under kdfe50a10, the 50" model
On: 2006-01-24
This is a great TV! Provides great HD quality but at a price well below flat panel LCD or Plasma screens. The quality of picture, in HD or regular, is great, even in a room with lots of light. The whole unit is not very deep (see specs) so doesnt have to sit way out. The side bezel is amazingly small so no space wasted on each side by plastic filler or speakers. Check out the weight... it is light and can be moved MUCH easier than the traditional CRT TVs of past. It also will likely sit on your old TV stand since not much wider than the screen itself. Speakers are at bottom and, for TV speakers, are just fine. Unit is very clean looking so doesnt overpower the room yet looks up-to-date. It includes over-the-air tuner for traditional signals AND for high def signals. (Prior models did not have built-in HDTV tuner, an expensive option). If you put up an antenna you can get HD signals over the air at NO charge and picture is perfect (assuming antenna can reach station)...we have canceled cable and just use over-the-air HD broadcasts! Includes diagnostic signal meter for signal strenth. Sony also includes CableCard option for those with cable and unit includes all types of inputs & outputs so plenty of options. The prices on these keep dropping so watch. Only con I can think of is there is not a true picture-in-picture (two active stations at once)...at least I cant find it; and most TV stands are wider than this unit as they were designed before Sony made these so compact. And did I mention the picture quality? It is superb. Weve had unit some six months and are very pleased.
On: 2006-01-05
I bought this TV back in September 2005 for my bedroom,Nowhere had this TV back in September even big electronic stores!! Because was spanking NEW! Finally I found some where carry this model. And he had only 2 of them just arrive to his store anyway I jump in my car and bought it ...TV works great get all HD local channels instead use stupid off air antenna and pay pricey HD boxes or cable or dish to get HD channels, u would get it free with this TV...well works great and picture perfect till after 2 months I have this strange clicking sound comes inside the TV.Not all the times or minutes,Might every 10 minutes or bit more but still , Does only draw back for now. But I guess was lucky when I bought this TV I got 5 years warranty with it.So hope Ill call them, they can solve this problem,In my house. because Sony dont do nothing after 30 days,just some B.S you.With this LCD TVs these days make sure buy warranty with it. Because they very new and they are not there yet like CRT TVs are. So if u wants to buy this TV,Or any LCDTVs be careful.! 2004 model of this TV, light bull burnt after few months. This new model have clicking sound..God help us, what would be next,or next year model?!
On: 2006-01-02
Despues de tanto informarme de todos los diferentes modelos de Tv y sus tecnologÃas (DLP, LCD, PLASMA, etc), mi desición fue comprar este modelo, realmente estoy muy satisfecho con él, excelente calidad de imagen en alta definición, actualmente tengo conectado mi xbox 360 y no me quedo de absolutamente nada.... se vé excelente a partir de 2 metros de distancia. Recomendado al 100%
On: 2005-12-17
Amazing is not quite enough to describe this LCD RPT. Like so many other buyers I searched and researched for months for the best buy and the best set to replace my 17 year old 27" RCA console. In my opinion, todays technology in an affordable package is presented in this Sony LCD RPT. Im so happy I didnt go for the plasma because I know I saved big bucks and the picture is just as delightful as the plasma sets we looked at in the store.
It was a snap to set up. It took my husband longer to assemble our component stand than it did to unpack and hook up the set to our satellite receiver and dvd player. We are looking forward to enjoying this set for many years to come.
Amazing also can be used to describe the service I get when I shop on Amazon! We received this set a full week ahead of the estimated delivery date! I am a very happy customer!
On: 2005-12-16
I am very happy with the selection I made for the Sony 42" LCD TV. The picture quality is excellent. Since my husband and I are senior citizens, the weight and size of the television was a major factor in the purchase, and we were very happy with our ability to install it. Operation of the TV is easy enough; my husband was able to read and understand the manual without much frustration or complication and was able to easily teach me. The high definition was a factor in our purchase, but we honestly cant see any difference in the HD channels picture quality. We were a little concerned with the delivery process, but it arrived in a timely manner and was delivered by courteous professionals. In researching all the various televisions on the market, this one best fit our needs and we are totally satisfied with our purchase.
On: 2005-12-15
This an awsome TV for the price. I spent a long time researching the right TV to get. It came down to Sony and Samsung. For the price and quality, Sony won in the end. I love watching sporting events in HD and DVD. Its the perfect TV for the hard-core person looking a truely unique watching experience.
On: 2005-11-15
I had spent some time researching what kind of TV it was I wanted to blow my money on. You cant just buy any old TV anymore, you need to research so you can best suit your own needs. I personally watch a lot of DVDs and play a lot of video games. So, I needed something that was going to handle games well, and most of all make DVDs look stunning!
The televisions design is sleek and stunning. It only weights about 60-65 pounds so you can move it yourself with ease.
The display is very bright and vibrant. The TV when you recieve it, has its settings set to contrast and other settings that would make the TV look absolutely magnificent for store displays but will in the long run burn out your bulb faster, and fortunately, those settings arent the true correct settings you want anyway. Set the vibrant picture settings to standard, you may want to add your tint a few notches over to the right a little bit to get a more true red color, reduce your color a little bit, but in the end its all just minor adjustments you are going to need to make.
If you watch a lot of DVDs like I do, if you sit far back enough, they look magnificent watching them with progressive scan and component cables. But if you sit a little closer than youre supposed to like I do, youll notice all the imperfections that you would see due to the fact that DVDs are not as high in definition as a high definition TV, because DVDs were made to look perfect on standard TVs. You could see some boxes in some high movement, artifacts here and there, but this TV offers numerous ways to adjust the picture to your liking. Theres DVD players now that upconvert with technology a DVD thats got a 480i resolution, to 720p by adding lines and throwing out some of the noise on a DVD. But with this TV its not necessary with the Digital Reality Creation feature (DRC). This helps to upconvert the image to be somewhat closer to HD standards, by adding 4x the lines (twice as many horizontally and then twice as many vertically). This isnt going to give you a high definition image mind you, but you can use this function to adjust the clarity and reality of the image to smooth out imperfections and artifacts that are created by a lot of movement. Theres even a function on the TV that lets you adjust just how much noise you want filtered from a picture.
Now, all this could be a pain if you were to have to continually make these kinds of adjustments between different inputs on your set and your digital/HD cable, but this TV will save your presets for each input. It may take you some time to get the best possible picture that you want from each component, but the time is worth it because you only need to do it once for each function and it saves them forever.
Great set for a great price. Worth the cash.
On: 2005-11-15
Over the past few months I have been trying different types of HDTVs with the hope of replacing my old JVC 27 inch tv. I tried a 32" Westinghouse LCD, a 32" Samsung LCD and a 30" Sony widescreen CRT. The LCDs were sharp but blurred too often when playing DVDs... the CRT was very colorful and beautiful but the image was curved at the edges. I decided to try a Rear Projection TV and have found the best of both worlds. My Sony KDFE42A10 has the sharp undistorted picture of an LCD screen and the vibrant, but easy on the eyes, color of a HD CRT.
I find my rear projection tv to be a better value because it came with an HDTV off-air tuner and it is much larger than the other tvs I have tried. I paid the same price for this tv as I did the Samsung 32" LCD screen.
I am using an upscaling Sony DVD player with HDMI hookup and the picture is superb. Though this projection tv uses LCD technology it does not blur like your standard LCD tvs. Colors are bright and vivid and blacks are varied and do not wash out.
I use my PS2 with this tv and I must say that it plays standard definition video games in much better quality than any of the other tvs Ive tried. I have run Gran Turismo 4 on the TV in 1080i and I am very pleased with the picture. The only problem is that it shows in great detail the weakness of the PS2. PS3 is going to be awesome though. I love the LCD technology because it does not distort the picture with curves and bends. Thats something that drove me nuts about CRT TVs. Menus are perfectly represented with this tv... no bent lines!
I just recently purchased a Terk HDTVi antenna to give off-air HDTV programming a try. I must say that I am very impressed with the local channels I can tune in and I am now considering the cancellation of my cable. Its hard to go back to standard definition once youve seen Monday Night Football in HD.
Other pluses for the tv are its light weight, 61 pounds, and its 24 watt speakers. The speakers are hidden, which yeilds a sleek look to the monitor, and provide full robust sound.
The only negative I can think of thus far is the fact that Ill one day have to replace the projector bulb. I have looked this up online and it costs much less than I have been told by others... $190.
On: 2005-11-11
Breathtaking to say the very least! After reading tons of reviews we took the plunge. Frankly I was a bit intimidated by some of what I read regarding color calibration. My concerns dissipated quickly.
I suppose one can always find something negative to say about a product. We are so thrilled by the positive facets of this HDTV that we are blinded by anything negative. We just love it.
The picture quality is breathtaking. I realize I am repeating myself but my enthusiasm provokes it. The manual was not very difficult to follow. It was suggested by a friend that we use the THX option on a DVD to do a video calibration. Of which we did and it just seemed to all fall right in to place, not to say their were any radical changes from the default. Just some minor tweaking for our tastes and eyes.
We put on the new Star Wars DVD Revenge of the Seth. We feel that a movie theater will never do for us again. It was like we were there. As if one could stick out their hand and feel the shape on a cruiser flying by and the field depth was just astounding.
This was a investment that we know will bring our family endless hours of enjoyment, but also to a new peak of entrainment that was way beyond our comprehension. We are just so happy about this purchase!
On: 2005-10-25
I just recently bought this TV and had a similar experience to the reviewer that said they had "Strange clicking noise and blank screen". For me, my digital/HD channels no longer came in when this happened. After doing a "reset to factory settings" as described in the manual, the TV went back to normal. My guess is that TVs software/firmware has got a bug. I did an online chat with the tech support from Sony but that had no clue. I can only hope that our complants will get them to find a fix for the problem. Ive got a call into the local Sony repair folks, maybe that can fix it as Im happy the reset cleared the problem but I dont want to be going this on a regular basis. On a lighter note, other than this problem I do really like the TV and am happy with it.
On: 2005-09-23
For the price, this is an impressive DLP television that way outperforms others in its class in terms of picture quality. Only drawback, there is a known problem with this model that many consumers have reported with no picture, a blinking Power/Standby light and clicking sounds. Well, after LESS THAN A WEEK out of the box, it happened to me. Sony claims they have no knowledge of this problem, fortunately the repairs are under warranty, but after 1-year this scenario will be costly. I am considering returning the tv to ABT electronics if the repairs cannot be completed in-home on the service date.
On: 2005-09-18
How long will the bulb last? And does 3 or 4 bulb replacements (about $300 each) in about 10 years justify buying this TV??
On: 2005-09-16
Bought it at Ciruit City Santa Barbara for $1600 + $249(2 year warranty) + tax (no interest until jan 2007).
Go and buy one today. Need to subscribe to HDTV signal from cox (Currently just 6 channels available)
On: 2005-09-10
Well, after wayyy too much research and hemming and hawing, I finally decided on this 3LCD RPT by Sony. What finally swayed me was the sweet combination of picture quality (PQ) and price. In side by side comparisons I just couldnt detect enough (with my eyes at least) PQ difference between this RPT and the plasma tvs to justify spending twice the money. While standard definition signals are only mediocre, the HD and DVD signals are simply awesome. I use component cables and a Motorola set top box (stb) provided by Adelphia. The side to side viewing angle is greatly improved over previous generations of projection tvs (as is the brightness and crispness), but beware; the vertical viewing angle is quite narrow. My built-in media niche is elevated a bit, which puts the tv above my head when seated on the couch. There is a very slight dimming from this angle. However, its nothing that I havent been able to compensate for with some picture adjustments (or a subtle shim ;-)). The remote has a "Wega Gate" feature that works kind of like the "Start" button in MS Windows. I think its pretty user friendly, but I dont use it much since I mostly just use the remote from the Adelphia stb. As an engineer, I also appreciate the other features this LCD RPT technology offers over plasma. It uses less energy, generates less heat (a factor when building it into a wall unit with tight clearances), its light enough for one person to move around (the salesperson in the store carried this 42" tv singlehanded!), the plastic screen has less glare than glass, and the single bulb is user serviceable. Best of all; no burn-in issue to worry about! Just plug it in and start watching tv, use it as a computer monitor (I havent tried this yet), or just run a static image all week. Who cares! Sony offers this tv in a 50" version, but because our viewing distance is 8-10, I didnt want to go any bigger. If you get too close to these screens you will see some screen door effect. After having this tv for several weeks now, I can honestly say that I am very pleased with my purchase.
On: 2005-09-02
I had considered the Samsung 4667 46" DLP HDTV and was all set to buy it when the Sony 42A10 showed up. I was at the store and I had a chance to compare the picture quality of both. I am one of the population who is susceptible to the rainbow effect of DLPs as I found out when looking at the Samsung. The 42A10 is part of the newest generation of LCD rear projection tvs from Sony and the picture quality shows it...the colors are bright and crisp. The improvement in picture quality is noticeable in comparison even to last years Sony models. I bought the Sin City DVD specifically to flex the 42A10s muscles with my progressive scan dvd player...I was not disappointed and my friend who borrowed the dvd to play in his Sony 50A10 concurred with such adjectives as amazing.
The only downside is sometimes during rapid image movement there is noticeable pixelation (artifacts) but I am confident this is due to the Adelphia HDTV Motorola set top cable box which is something I am stuck with rather than chosen. I also wish there were 2 HDMI i/o slots (having only 1 slot is not unique just to the Sony models) instead of one as I am using the sole port for an HDMI-to-DVI cable to my HD cablebox which prevents me from using an HDMI-to-HDMI tv to dvd player connection. LG will supposedly be introducing 2 HDMI slots in their next gen models and LG uses a newer generation of Texas Instruments DLP technology over Samsung from what I have learned. Stay with HDMI or component cables...the composite, s-video and coaxial cables result in a noticeable reduction in picture quality. On a separate note, the footlong remote control not only looks ungainly but is really useless for cable viewing unless you use the CableCard technology...probably a sly way of convincing people to pay $300 for the glitzy bells and whistles Sony universal remote.
Regardless, in my visit to the store to do some direct in-person comparisons I could honestly not find a brighter clearer picture among rear projection HDTVs than the new Sonys. The Sonys are second only to true LCD and Plasma tvs which have their price and screen burn-in issues but the quality of the Sonys have closed the gap.
I havent watched so much PBS (which is broadcast separately in a 24hr HD channel) since my childhood watching Sesame Street. I have a hard time going back to watch regular digital cable channels because now they just look like garbage especially in the normal 4:3 aspect ratio. I love my tv...when driving home from work, I wonder whats going to be on for me to gaze at while I kick my heels up...when was the last time you felt that on your way home from a long day at work? Get a Sony LCD rear projection and find out what youre missing in HDTV.
|
|
