34" Widescreen XBR KD-34XBR960

34" Widescreen XBR® HDTV


My name is Rick and I would appreciate any help on my future TV purchase.

So let me outline my plan of action and see where anyone thinks I may be going wrong

The TV I will purchase is the KD-34XBR960
I will use the one and only HDMI input for my DVD player.(Also a future purchase)
DVD PlayerDVP-NS975V which has a HDMI output. I understand that will take my sound to the TV as well.
Here is where my confusion begins. I currently use optical input on my receiver for sound.
I believe thats the best sound you can have. Now I realize that the HDMI sound may be better but my receiver does not have that for an input. Also the DVD only has one HDMI cable, unless there is a cable to split one to TV and one to receiver.(That I own, onkyo)
I looked at the specifications of the DVD player at Sony's website. It has optical video but not under audio. Is that an error on their part, never heard of optical video. I am not committed to any DVD player and if there is one that may be better for the same money than please let me know. I read about the Samsung but have not had much experience with the Brand.
Also, the CABLECARD that comes with the TV says it receive sHD channels using the cable card. I plan on purchasing the off air antena for the local stuff but does it matter if I used my cable company's HD box, will that give me a better picture than the cablecard receiving HD directly from the signal. I am not sure how the HD signal will from the wall to my TV, than onto my screen with no other cables. I am planning this will work because if I have to use a box than I will have to swap out my one HDMI cable when viewing . So that should have me covered right?
TV HDMI input for DVD player to upscale.(is this the best PQ TV for this, it is a tube, forget about size)
Cablecard receives my cable and HD that I will pay for ex HBO HDNET etc
HD tuner will receive the free local HD channels.(I will buy that indoor antena a friend has used that works great at his home.)
If the sound will go to my receiver via optical to my receiver from the DVD I am all set I think?
I have more questions but I see I am writing a novel already so please help me out if you can.

Since you set has a good upconverter built in, you'll do just as well buying a cheap progressive scan (480p) DVD player & saving for real HD-DVD.

A CableCard rented from your cable company REPLACES the external STB, and has almost all the functionality... it's cheaper than the box & many say it gives a better image (it works like 'pass thru mode', so all received formats are upconverted by the Tv). Your standard cable supply coax is routed from the wall to the TV, and the CableCard is plugged into a slot on the TV. You have 2 RF inputs, so the cable goes in one & the antenna goes in the other... you'll switch between them with the input source menu...

As I understand it an HDMI connection has no advantage for CRT display sets - so why not just get a good progressive scan DVD player and use the component connections to the TV and the digital optical to your receiver. This frees up the TV HDMI for HD use if you need it - eg from a DVR.

You'll need to run that optical AUDIO out to your surround system to decode the DD 5.1 received using the internal tuner & CableCard.

There is such a thing as optical video, but it's strictly professional use...

Since you set has a good upconverter built in, you'll do just as well buying a cheap progressive scan (480p) DVD player & saving for real HD-DVD.
Are you saying I would not notice any difference in the new DVD player. I own a progressive scan 480p and I use composite to my sony rear projection HDTV. I can not test it on that TV because it has neither HDMI or DVI inputs. I saw the test on my friends grand wega XR rear projection and the difference was amazing but his was projection too. with DVI input. Is the notice not as much beacuse its a CRT.
A CableCard rented from your cable company REPLACES the external STB, and has almost all the functionality... it's cheaper than the box & many say it gives a better image (it works like 'pass thru mode', so all received formats are upconverted by the Tv). Your standard cable supply coax is routed from the wall to the TV, and the CableCard is plugged into a slot on the TV. You have 2 RF inputs, so the cable goes in one & the antenna goes in the other... you'll switch between them with the input source menu...
With the RF input for the off air free HD is what you are reffering too right? So what will I do with the build in HD tuner. I was under the assumption its like a Diretv HD receiver build in with only the back exposed. From what you are saying it will work from the 2nd rf input. My old 51 sony rear projection has one too. Would it work there as well for over the air. I would think not but had to ask

You'll need to run that optical AUDIO out to your surround system to decode the DD 5.1 received using the internal tuner & CableCard.

There is such a thing as optical video, but it's strictly professional use...


From the TV? Or from the DVD player? have you ever seen optical video or have I somewhere commercially?

As I understand it an HDMI connection has no advantage for CRT display sets - so why not just get a good progressive scan DVD player and use the component connections to the TV and the digital optical to your receiver. This frees up the TV HDMI for HD use if you need it - eg from a DVR.
Sounds like a good plan but are HDDVR not 700 , too rich for me. Any other ideas for its use?>

Sounds like a good plan but are HDDVR not 700 , too rich for me. Any other ideas for its use?>

Not sure what you're asking there, but I have this same television. Here's what I have going on:

I've got the KD34xbr960.
I've got an HD cable box / DVR from the cable company.
I've got a DVD player that does 480p.

Because my high definition cable box has a DVR built in, I want to do all of my viewing through that device, and not directly from the TV. However, if it didn't have DVR functionality, I definately would want to use some of the tuner features in the TV.

Depending on your cable company, you may be able to receive HDTV channels by simplying hooking your coax cable directly into the _cable in_ connection. Or your cable company may only make the local channels available unencrypted via that method (you're using the QAM tuner built into the TV... which is how you receive HDTV singals over cable). If you have encrypted channels that you subscribe to, you will need that cablecard in order to access the encrypted channels.

The downside, I have heard but not tested myself, is that if you use the ATSC (high definition over antenna) or QAM (high defintion over cable) tuners that are built into the set, the digital audio output is only active on the digital channels.

BTW, the set has different coax inputs. One for cable, one for antenna. So you can hook up both, if you need to for some reasons (like my local cable company doesn't carry all of the local HD broadcast channels).

There is not much reason to hook up your DVD player to your TV via HDMI, for the reasons others have mentioned.

One thing I like about this set is that aside from the HDMI input and multiple component inputs, it also has a firewire input (and passthrough). It is nice to know that you'll be compatible with some other devices down the road, like HD camcorders or other devices. Actually, today, my cable box puts out firewire, but it doesn't include the menu overlays. I want to play around with firewire output from the PC back to the TV.

A neat feature that you'll likely never use is the sony memory stick slot in the front. If you've got a Sony camera, or you can transfer your pictures to a sony memory stick via your computer, you can view your camera pictures on the high definition screen. Even stranger, if you put MPEG1 video onto the memory stick, the TV can display it, full screen. It is sexy to put a memory card into the TV and for it to start playing, say, an episode of South Park. But ultimately, it is more sexy than useful. And it doesn't have the bandwidth for high definition MPEG1 video.

The built in digital tuner is what receives your OTA or Cable HDTV, via RF over coax into the appropriate inputs. Digital audio from digital TV tuner is available as "digital audio out" to be connected to a Surround Sound system to decode DD 5.1.

Your digital tuner is not compatible with satellite.

That Firewire is also an OUTPUT for recording the shows received with your digital tuner. Most sets will also digitize SDTV for Firewire recording.

The built in digital tuner is what receives your OTA or Cable HDTV, via RF over coax into the appropriate inputs. Digital audio from digital TV tuner is available as "digital audio out" to be connected to a Surround Sound system to decode DD 5.1.

I can't tell if you are echoing what I said, or disagreeing. In any case, with this set, if you tune in an analog channel, the digital audio output is not active.

That Firewire is also an OUTPUT for recording the shows received with your digital tuner. Most sets will also digitize SDTV for Firewire recording.

I haven't been able to find any instructions on capturing the firewire output from the digital tuner on this Sony. It sounds plausable. Have any docs you can share?

Can you give examples of firewire sets that digitize SDTV into an MPEG2 transport stream?

Sony calls their version of Firewire "i.link"... the CHAPTER about using it starts on page 85 of your manual.

http://www.sonystyle.com/intershoproot/eCS/Store/en/documents/specifications/KD34XBR960.pdf

Sony calls their version of Firewire "i.link"... the CHAPTER about using it starts on page 85 of your manual.

Been there. Nothing of interest except for one funny solution. It seems that the TV is absolutely indistinguishable from having a black signal and being turned off. Sometimes when I (soft) powered down my DVR, the television would get missed and stay on. As it turns out, by turning on the iLink standby (iLink repeater mode when powered off), you can have a red light come on in front when the TV is off. Handy.

I can't tell if you are echoing what I said, or disagreeing. In any case, with this set, if you tune in an analog channel, the digital audio output is not active.

I haven't been able to find any instructions on capturing the firewire output from the digital tuner on this Sony. It sounds plausable. Have any docs you can share?

Can you give examples of firewire sets that digitize SDTV into an MPEG2 transport stream?

Digital channels have digital audio, analog channels have analog audio. Many sets will digitize the analog to the digital for you. My cable STB is like that, I only have a digital audio connection to my amp.

Your own manual tells you how to use i.link. You need to have a D-VHS or other HD recorder connected via Firewire (i.link)

The Mits sets allow Firewire recording of SDTV... probably others...

Digital channels have digital audio, analog channels have analog audio. Many sets will digitize the analog to the digital for you. My cable STB is like that, I only have a digital audio connection to my amp.

Right. I am talking about this set in particular, the KD-34XBR960, which is the subject of this thread. It does not digitize analog audio and pipe it over the digital audio output.

Your own manual tells you how to use i.link. You need to have a D-VHS or other HD recorder connected via Firewire (i.link)

A PC, for example. (I've already got the instrctions on how to capture firewire from the Motorola DVR.) The firewire section of the TV's manual gives no indication of what it is capable of outputing.

If your TV doesn't digitize analog audio for you, you'll need to run an analog stereo pair in parallel to the digital & let your amp choose the active connection.

Your digital tuner (ALL digital tuners) outputs for recording the STILL compressed MPEG2 stream in the format it was sent. Playback will have identical quality to viewing live. I don't know if you can drive a TV channel select from the recorder, the usual way it gets used is to command a 'start record' from the TV to the tapedeck.

Using a PC to imitate a D-VCR only kinda works, because PCs are completely INcompatible with the copy protection used with Firewire for TVs.

Your digital tuner (ALL digital tuners) outputs for recording the STILL compressed MPEG2 stream in the format it was sent.

Yup. Didn't I more or less say that?

Using a PC to imitate a D-VCR only kinda works, because PCs are completely INcompatible with the copy protection used with Firewire for TVs.

Are you saying that TVs apply copy protection to the transport stream when digitizing analog channels with MPEG2?

No, not when digitizing analog channels... but will with CP content from digital cable. What will happen with digital broadcast is uncertain, due to the recent court decision striking down the broadcast flag.