Discontinued Sony Rear Proj TVs in stock at (some) Sears

[travisj]

Links to product pages on Sears.com:
55 incher
60 incher

Unfortunately they don't deliver beyond the ares of stores than have them. They are not available in all zip codes, but are available in Stockton CA, Salinas CA, and Madison WI. Unavailable any closer to Bay Area than Salinas/Stockton. YMMV elsewhere.

Also can combine with this (pdf) deal for no interest for 24 months or 10% cash back if you use a Sears card. Probably not many people have one of those though . . .

Here is link to cnet review/specs site. Basically, these are the best RPTVs ever. 1080p/24 compatible, accurate colors, good black level, etc.

They are also very hard to find (oos on amazon, etc. etc.) because Sony discontinued them and all other RPTVs.

Be careful, they put the older and not as good kds-50a2200 right next to these. They do not have the 50 incher of the "good" a3000 line.

If you're curious I ordered one from Salinas and am planning a trip down highway 1 to pick it up ;-)

 

[kki000]

Yup, the op's comment is not hyperbole.
These are the finest rptvs ever made.

There are some caveats.
The screen has a problem with off axis viewing. Even more so than most rptvs. The off axis performance was worse on this set than my first gen 1080p dlp set.

The absolute black is not as black as a top flight plasma or lcd. The shadow detail though is outstanding and can outperform the flat panels.

The price is outstanding, this was the price that crutchfield had it at and they sold out in less than a week.

 

[bigsnyder]

I have the 55". I HIGHLY recommend this set. Even with the energy saver feature on, it is plenty bright. I am using my HTPC through the d-sub @ 1920x1080. The picture is quite sharp. The HDMI might be better, but I am pleased with the d-sub performance so far. One other consideration: 480p sources look fantastic, much better than 480i (at least the case with my PS2), so something to investigate if you use a lot of 480i sources.

 

[fastcuda]

Thanks OP, in for the 60". This is my first big screen so I can't wait! I have a htpc I will be running it with, hopefully the 3870 OC I just ordered will be ok on this. Wondering if I should get a warranty, I was reading on AVS forums about a mack or sony one, not going thru sears for that. Will be about 10 feet from set, biggest before this was a 36 inch tube, and my westy 37 inch which is my monitor now

Says they will call within 24hrs, does that mean local store had one?

 

[travisj]

Originally posted by: kki000
There are some caveats.
The screen has a problem with off axis viewing. Even more so than most rptvs. The off axis performance was worse on this set than my first gen 1080p dlp set.

Yea I'm a little worried about that. Avsforums thread has people that say it isn't bad and others that say it is. Guess its a matter of taste, your seating arrangement, etc.

Good thing about getting from Sears is its easy to return, though it looks like theres a 15% retocking fee (grrr) so it would have to be extreme for me to do that.

Added a financing deal available til 6/14 using sears card.

 

[erwos]

I bought the KDS-55A3000 for $1100 from Sears last Tuesday. It is one heck of a TV for any price, never mind how cheap it is now. The off-axis viewing thing is definitely true, so don't get this one if you've got a marginal home theater seating arrangement. Fortunately, my couch is right in front of it. From what I've heard, the blacks on these sets are better than anything except the Kuros.

The Sony extended service plan doesn't cover bulbs, so I'd get the TapeWorks one, even if it costs more. If you got a floor model, you _will_ need a new lamp at some point.

Finally, there's a firmware update (on a USB stick) that you can request that will fix some issues with the TV, so definitely grab it.