Direct-View and PTV Televisions

The Sony Wega KV-34XBR910 came with all its picture adjustments cranked up to produce a glowing blue picture; switching the picture-format mode to Movie brought the control settings closer to the acceptable range. That done, the color-temperature readings were 1000–1500 kelvins above the NTSC standard. I still had to switch off the ClearEdge scan-velocity modulation. (ClearEdge is switched off automatically in the Sony's Pro mode.) As usual with Sony sets, Jamie Wilson of Overture Audio/Video was able to bring this one into near-perfect alignment with little time or trouble.

The KV-34XBR910's geometry and alignment were quite good: lines were straight, not crooked or bowed, and white dots did not show the red fringes that indicate the beams are out of alignment—except in the bottom right corner. There, gray images showed an easily visible rose tint.

The Sharpness control did not have to be turned all the way to "0" to rid the set of white fringing. Unlike almost every set I've seen, the Sony's Sharpness control could be held at almost the midway point without any fringing. Like most sets, the picture was visibly less sharp when Sharpness was turned all the way to "0."—JB