Sony KDS70XBR100 - when is it due?

[jazznsoccer]

The last I heard was this Sony KDS70XBR100 set was due in time for the Superbowl. But it seems like that date is slipping. Of course I can't get any information from dealers so I turn to our intrepid forum colleagues to get the latest news..

Anybody got the latest?

[jazznsoccer]

Gave up waiting

Decided to pass on the SXRD and got the LCD RP instead. Wanted a large screen without the hassle of setting up a projector system. And I didn't care much for th elast minute $3000 price bump as Sony went from XBR to Qualia branding.

Am happy (enough for now) with the 70XBR950. And with the money I "saved" will be looking at the new B&W sppeakers.

I think this is a good compromise as I wait for HD content to improve.

[mweston]

Clarification on KDS70XBR100 vs. Qualia

It seems like you have pretty current information, or at least more than I have been able to discover.

Has the KDS70XBR100 model designation been dropped and replaced by Qualia 006, or are those different?

When you refer to a $3000 price increase, are you talking about relative to the KDF70XBR950 (which is what you bought, right?), or has the KDS...100 (or Qualia 006) gone up from the announced "under $10,000" to $13K?

Thanks!

Mike

P.S. I'm still months away from purchase. At $10K it might be worth it, but if it's $13K, I'll likely go much cheaper (and not necessarily Sony) and plan to replace it in a couple of years.

[IMRNET]

Mike:

As far as I know, it will be less than $10k according to the lastest A/V publications. I went to shop for an RPTV yesterday and was deciding on getting the new 62" Mitsubishi DLP RPTV (WD-62825), but decided to wait a little longer to assess the new 1080p Sony instead.

Hopefully it will be out soon since my old Pioneer Elite RPTV is going bad.

Joe.

[jazznsoccer]

The latest is that the Marketing folks at Sony have decided to roll this unit out as a Qualia 006 for $13K. So you'll need to order it through the Qualia store.. The XBR version is not available and all I've heard is speculation on that model (hopefully) coming out sometime from a few months to mid next year (my guess is towards the later end of the spectrum). I think we'll know more after the February Sony show.

There's lots of wishful thinking about the price dropping, but nobody has had much luck yet with high yields in this technology - but sombody's got to be first. And quantities are limited now. So I think it will be quite some time before that happens - again just my guess (I don't have any secret sources (real or imaginary!).

I just didn't want to wait longer (there's always something better on the horizon). Plus with the price premium and concern about how robust this first instantiation of the new technology really caused me to reconsider. And then the question of just how much source material is really capable of using the full potential - well other than DVDs, the amount of HDover cable is limited. I may have to check into VOOM.

Maybe in a year or two when high definition DVD players work out format wars and are reasonable then I'll want to upgrade.

In the meantime I'm really enjoying the 70XBR950. Now if I can get the cable companies DVR HD box from having to reboot at every use... arrgh.

[jazznsoccer]

Just one other thing - I don't want to discourage any early adopters from trying the Qualia 006 out! Let me know how it goes.... :B

[IMRNET]

I hear ya. I am having a very difficult time deciding whether I should wait for the Qualia or not. I would be more inclined to wait, but my 60" Pioneer Elite is finally on its last leg. Additionally, my family room is only 13 x 18 and I'm afraid that the 70" Qualia will be too overwhelming (wife factor). I'm also considering going with the 70" XBR or perhaps the 60" XBR instead. However, I heard that these models suffer from poor black-level/contrast. Are you experiencing this and did you have to have your set professionally calibrated. I have heard mixed reviews about the merits of professional calibration. Thanks.

[KEN KAZ]

I just picked up the hitachi director series 60". Much better pix than the xbr.

I had to trade in my 62" mitz dlp because the rainbows were killing me.

[jazznsoccer]

I have been happy with the black levels so far, but just have done casual viewing since I've just had the set over the holidays with a lot of family in for visiting. I'll wait for a critical review until I have a better source (Denon 3910 on order).

I did do an Avia setup which is essential (much better picture than OOB).

This set has done well in reviews see:

http://www.hometheatermag.com/directviewandplasmatvs/204faceoff/index.html

I'll be happy with it (especially for the price difference) until the bugs ger worked out of the LCOS and competition and yield improvements bring lower prices.

[Shane Martin]

Jazz,
The SXRD is out right now. There is a long thread on it on AVS. List is indeed $13k. You get one free bulb in 3 years and after that they are $300. They are already posting pics of it.

Rumors are of a smaller sized version.

From what It looks like, the first ones started arriving around the 7th of Jan.

[jazznsoccer]

Hi Shane,

I've been tracking those posts and I've heard some really good reports. We'll need a little time for the in-home reliability to establish.

But I am really enjoying the 70" 720p/1080i right now for less than 1/2 the cost of the SXRD. This (and the new Denon 3910) will tide me over for a while so we can see how the next generation HD DVD battles play out. And hopefully by then the bugs and manufacturing challenges on LCOS will have worked out and the prices worked their way down.

But every now and then I'm tempted to go check out the new SXRDs....