Sony KDS-50A3000

Manufacturer: Sony Part number: KDS-50A3000

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Bottom Line:: CNET did not review the Sony KDS-50A3000, but we did review a larger model in the series.

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CNET editors' review

By David Katzmaier, 06/07/07

Sony has a total of three series of SXRD-based rear-projection televisions for 2007, which works out to eight total models. We can't review all of those sets, but we can give you an idea of how they stack up against one another, and the differences between the baseline versus the step-up models. This info only covers the company's SXRD-based rear-projection HDTVs; Sony also produces a less-expensive line of LCD-based RPTVs, detailed here. For more info on rear-projection technologies, including how SXRD and LCD stack up against DLP, check out our guide.

Sony KDS-A2020 series

(Credit: Sony)

This is Sony's entry-level SXRD series. It's actually a holdover from the company's 2006 line, with black cabinets replacing silver as the only change. Check out the KDS-60A2020 review for more information.

Models (all prices are estimated selling prices)

Entry-level features

1,920x1,080 (1080p) native resolution
Two HDMI inputs
VGA-style PC input
Bottom-mounted speakers

Sony KDS-A3000 series

(Credit: Sony)

Sony used to be satisfied with just two series of SXRD HDTVs, but this year it's added a third--the A3000 series--to fit between the entry-level A2020's and the high-end XBRs. These three rear-projection sets are priced higher than many brands' top-of-the-line models, and Sony tries to justify the cost with a few enhancements over the A2020 sets, which themselves cost about $1000 less.

That extra investment nets HDMI 1.3 connections, which in this case don't count for much. The only "extra" HDMI 1.3 provides these TVs is compatibility with a wider color space (Sony's xvYCC, or "x.v. Color"), which is said to provide a more realistic range of color that comes closer to what the human eye can perceive. That sounds great, but in practice you'll need an xvYCC source -- of which there are currently none, aside from a couple of Sony camcorders -- to take advantage of it. These sets also include Sony's Motionflow 120Hz technology, which is said to double the frame rate for smoother, more realistic motion. We're skeptical of its benefits, especially in SXRD TVs that haven't had any problems with blurring or other motion issues as far as we've seen, but we'll know more when we can test this feature. In addition, Sony claims these sets have better standard-def video processing ("Sony's BRAVIA Engine EX full digital video processing system with Digital Reality Creation-Multifunction v1.0", if you're keeping track) and the company includes an easy-access Theater mode to make optimizing the picture for nighttime viewing a one-button affair.

In case those dubious picture quality improvements don't seem worth stepping up for, Sony offers design-based incentives including slimmer cabinets -- the company claims "20% slimmer than last year's sets," which works out to depth of 14.1, 15.2, and 16.2 inches, respectively, on the 50-, 55- and 60-inch models. These models also have the unique ability to replace the black speaker grilles with grilles of a different color (red, silver, black or brown; $50 each). Sony also throws in its newly designed menu system as well as compatibility with the Bravia Internet Link.

Models

Sony KDS-50A3000 (August, $3,000)
Sony KDS-55A3000 (August, $3,300)
Sony KDS-60A3000 (August, $3,500)

Step-up features

120Hz refresh rate
x.v. Color
Theater Mode
Improved video processing
Slimmer cabinets
Interchangeable speaker grills
Bravia Internet Link compatibility

Sony KDS-Z60XBR5 series

Sony KDS-ZXBR5 series

(Credit: Sony)

Much like last year's XBR line--more on that in our full review of the 2006 KDS-R60XBR2--Sony's 2007 XBR models don't offer massive improvements over the step-down series. In fact, aside from the glossy black, noninterchangeable styling, a pedestal stand (pictured; component shelf not included), and an extra-large screen size option, there's only one substantial difference as far as we know: a further-improved version of Sony's video processing, entitled "BRAVIA Engine Pro circuitry with Digital Reality Creation-MultiFunction v2.5." No matter how much further of an improvement it represents, we don't expect too many discerning shoppers to choose the 60-inch XBR, which will initially sell for a full $1500 over its A3000 counterpart.

Models

Sony KDS-Z60XBR5 (October, $5,000)
Sony KDS-Z70XBR5 (October, $6,000)

Step-up feature

Further-improved video processing

We'll update this information if and when we find out more, including when we can actually review the new models.

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Product brief

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User reviews

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Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 7 reviews

Showing opinion 1 to 7 out of 7

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9 stars

Great HD rendition.

by kasiecav on September 3, 2007

Pros: Color rendering not as saturated as previous Sony models. Adequate HDMI connections. Great looking.

Cons: Takes a good 20 to 30 seconds to warm up & obtain full picture clarity.

Summary: I bought this TV to replace my 2 year old Sony KDL-40XBR1 which I moved to another room in the house. Since I am very pleased with my current HDTV ...

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Summary: I bought this TV to replace my 2 year old Sony KDL-40XBR1 which I moved to another room in the house. Since I am very pleased with my current HDTV I wanted to stay with Sony, go to a larger screen size, get 1080P capability, & keep the cost under $3K. The 50A3000 meet all my criteria. I purchased online from Sony on Tuesday & it arrived on Friday of the same week. I found the out of the box settings to be more than adequate for most programming. I currently receive HD service from both Directv & Cox cable. I am also using a non HD OPPO DVD DV-981HD player. Though not a true HD DVD player it does up convert to 1080P which makes most DVDs look almost HD quality. I used the Monster calibration DVD to personalize the custom settings. Though I found the "standard" setting more pleasing to my eyes in most cases. It has enough settings to alter the picture for just about anyone. Though I wonder about the purpose of the preset "Cinema" mode which seems to give the picture an overall amber look. I'm not sure why anyone would want to use this setting. The blacks appear much deeper than the 40XBR1 & the overall color rendition seems more realistic to me. It is located in a brightly sun lit room & glare is minimal. Probaly due to the screen coating designed for this purpose. (The 40xBR1 is slightly more effective in this area). It has enough inputs/outputs to meet all my needs. The TV is less than 15" deep & weighs only 75LBS. So it fits very nicely in the same spot I had the 40xBR1. The SD rendition varies by channel and in most cases is very good. I would reccomend this unit to anyone looking for a great TV at a competitive price.

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8 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Amazing TV

by gemaz on September 21, 2007

Pros: Even the picture presets are great!

Cons: The outside frame is dark gray, not black

Summary: It is a very versatile. Check out the great statistics listed by Cnet. I owned the 50a2020 for a couple of weeks but took it back and got this one. ...

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Summary: It is a very versatile. Check out the great statistics listed by Cnet. I owned the 50a2020 for a couple of weeks but took it back and got this one. I have never looked back. It is so worth the extra money. I didn?t know a 1080P TV could look this much better than everything else on the market. I have left it in cinema mode for a couple of weeks now (I have a very dark room) and I still don?t have any great urge to calibrate it further.

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5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

WRITER KNOWS NOTHNG. SEE IT FIRST!

by kewball012 on September 19, 2007

Pros: Everything

Cons: NO NEGATIVE FEEDBACK

Summary: I love this set! I think that people who invest 1,000-2,000 more for an LCD are throwing away their money. I have seen this set, and MotionFlow looks ...

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Summary: I love this set! I think that people who invest 1,000-2,000 more for an LCD are throwing away their money. I have seen this set, and MotionFlow looks absolutely amazing. The benefits help DVD and Blu-Ray discs. It looks like I have never seen video before! I am not just promoting this television, I am saying that you should see it with your own eyes before making any pre-judgement.

The second thing is the thing looks sweet. It is just as slim as most flat panal television bases which make more sense for any buyer because unless your putting an LCD on the wall, why buy an lcd??? slower refresh rates, blacks are not that great, and colors lack depth. SXRD has no screen door effect, and it looks awesome. I would recommend this TV to everyone.

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6 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Amazing quality for the size and price

by Orbitalint on December 12, 2007

Pros: Great Input Selections, Picture, Price for Size and Features, HDMI 1.3

Cons: Warm Up Time

Summary: About a year and a half ago, I bought the Sony Sony KDF-E50A10. I recently moved and had to sell it but decided to get another Sony. This one stuck ...

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Summary: About a year and a half ago, I bought the Sony Sony KDF-E50A10. I recently moved and had to sell it but decided to get another Sony. This one stuck out to me. HDMI 1.3 connection and operating at 120 Hz will help it stay with the times for at least another 2 years. Picture is breathtaking with a PS3 game or blu-ray movie.

I would recommend this to anyone. Its the smaller of the 3 in this family, so it fit in my living room great. The only real drawback, if you want to call it that, is that it takes about 30 seconds to warm up to full brightness.

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2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
3 stars

Buyer beware

by zschu97 on April 24, 2008

Pros: Great HD Quality

Cons: Maintenance Pig

Summary: Buyer beware on the KDS models. Either buy the extended warranty or set a few hundred dollars aside for a new lamp in about a year and a half to ...

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Summary: Buyer beware on the KDS models. Either buy the extended warranty or set a few hundred dollars aside for a new lamp in about a year and a half to two years. I have had mine for 1.5 years with about 2K hours and already have to replace the lamp ($265)

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9 stars

Why spend more for perfection?

by deller6 on March 25, 2008

Pros: Endless adjustability, picture presets are automatically stored for each input, 120Hz Motionflow is very cool, the best HD gaming experience I've ever had, upscaling of SD channels looks great!

Cons: Viewing angle (expected with projection sets), warm-up time requires a little patience, Some artifacts when using 120Hz mode, I would like optical audio out to my receiver.

Summary: I saw this t.v. in the store next to a nice 42" Panasonic plasma. I immediately was drawn to the plasma because it was so bright and clear at ...

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Summary: I saw this t.v. in the store next to a nice 42" Panasonic plasma. I immediately was drawn to the plasma because it was so bright and clear at every angle, so I bought . . . the plasma. Within two days I realized the mistake in had made in my hasty decision. The Pany had elementary-level picture controls and the whites were way too dull when watching bright scenes or surfing the web. At the full "picture" setting the whites were only a light gray.
I returned the Panasonic and bought the Sony after some more web drifting. When I got it home I was floored. Sitting in my comfy chair directly in front of this thing was the HD experience I had been dreaming of for years. SD channels are very watchable (unlike the Panasonic) and when I flipped to an HD channel it probably displayed more detail than I could discern with my eyes. I edit images for a living so I may even qualify as an expert "witness".
The 120Hz Motionflow setting is awesome for Blu-ray and HD-DVD movies. I was very surprised by the realism it added while playing games such as Skate, DiRT and Call of Duty 4. This t.v. simply rocks! Buy the Sony, not the pretty Panasonic.

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9 stars

Beautiful picture, HD is a joy on this tv

by BATCAT43 on February 1, 2008

Pros: brilliant colors, deep blacks, lots of settings

Cons: no close caption on hdmi, sometimes picture looks smeary

Summary: This is a fantastic tv, esp if you can get it at a bargain. I was able to work HH Gregg against Best Buy and ultimately got HH Gregg to ...

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Summary: This is a fantastic tv, esp if you can get it at a bargain. I was able to work HH Gregg against Best Buy and ultimately got HH Gregg to sell it to me for $1199. That was 25% off their listed price, and 33% off what Best Buy was selling it for.

The color on this tv is wonderful. It takes a few seconds to warm up and get bright, but once it does, you will not be disappointed. Plus, it has the 120Hz and 24fps features, which make it wonderful for watching fast motion programming (sports) and movies.

Different types of programming look better with different picture settings. If something looks a little bit off, you can just cycle through Standard, Vivid, and Cinema and 99 times out of 100, you'll find settings that work just great.

Every once in a while, esp on darker colors, there is a smeary look to the screen, that I liken to a little smudge on my glasses. That's a bit strange, but is a pretty minor problem, and my sensitivity to it comes and goes.

I also wish that I could use my tv's close captioning function on the HDMI inputs, but that is not possible...you can only do that through the A/V connections or component video. You can use close captioning from your source device on HDMI (ex. Directv HD box), but if your source device's cc sucks, then you're pretty much out of luck. I don't know if this problem is a universal one with HDMI or unique to this tv...close captioning is not usually something that's covered in reviews or sales pitches, and I'm probably one of very few people who care about it.

The A3000 won CNET's best projection tv for 2007, and at least from all the comparisons I did in the store, they are dead on correct. We went to the store thinking we were going to get the Samsung LED DLP rear projection, but it didn't hold a candle to the Sony.

I say haggle with them to get a bargain, arm yourself with online prices, and go to HH Gregg...they will work with you b/c they want your business more than either Best Buy or Circuit City.

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Showing opinion 1 to 7 out of 7

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Specifications

Manufacturer: Sony
Part number: KDS-50A3000

General
Product Type 50 in Rear projection TV
Series BRAVIA
Digital Television Certification HDTV
TV Tuner 1x digital, 1x analog
Video Interface HDMI, S-Video, Composite
Width 45.3 in
Depth 14.4 in
Height 33.5 in
Weight 75 lbs
Display
Diagonal Size 50 in - Widescreen
Technology Projection
Projection Display Technology SXRD
Resolution 1920 x 1080
Display Format 1080p (FullHD)
Image Aspect Ratio 16:9
Progressive Scan Progressive scanning (line doubling)
Widescreen Modes Wide
Pixel Response Time 2.5 ms
Comb Filter 3D digital
Color Temperature Control Yes (Warm/Neutral/Cool)
Picture Adjustment Vivid/Standard/Custom
Additional Features Silicon X-tal Reflective Display (SXRD) technology, 3:2 pull down compensation, Channel labeling, Game mode, Video noise reduction, Clock
TV Tuner
Analog TV Tuner NTSC
Secondary Audio Program (SAP) Yes
Digital TV Tuner
Digital TV Tuner QAM, ATSC
Video Features
HDTV Ready Yes
Input Video Formats 1080p
Teletext Yes
Freeze Memo Yes
Closed Caption Capability Yes
Remote Control
Remote Control Remote control - Infrared
Supported Devices TV

Audio System
Sound Output Mode Stereo
Surround Mode Yes
Sound Effects Virtual Dolby Digital
Audio Controls Treble, Bass, Balance
Connections
Connector Type 1 x HDMI ( 19 pin HDMI Type A ) - Side, 5 x Audio line-in ( RCA phono ) - Side, 1 x Audio line-out ( RCA phono ) - Side, 3 x Composite video input ( RCA phono ) - Side, 2 x Component video input ( RCA phono ) - Rear, 2 x HDMI ( 19 pin HDMI Type A ) - Rear, 1 x S-Video input ( 4 pin mini-DIN ) - Side, 1 x Digital audio output (coaxial) - Side
Power
Power Device Power supply - Internal
Power AC 120 V
Power Consumption Stand by / Sleep 0.1 Watt
Power Consumption Operational 240 Watt
Battery None
Manufacturer Warranty
Service & Support 1 year warranty
Service & Support Details Limited warranty - Parts and labor - 1 year
Dimensions & Weight (Shipping)
Width (Shipping) 59.8 in
Depth (Shipping) 24.7 in
Height (Shipping) 43.3 in

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Sony KDS-50A3000

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