Sony KP-57WS520 57-Inch Hi-Scan 1080i HD-Ready Projection TV

by Sony

Product Details

Product Manual [2.51mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 226 pounds
• Shipping: This item can only be shipped to the 48 contiguous states. We regret it cannot be shipped to APO/FPO, Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico.
• ASIN: B0002S9FHE
• Item model number: KP57WS520
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,276 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Broad, vivid, rear-projection images can be yours with Sony's 57-inch Hi-Scan KP-57WS520. The set uses Sony's HD Microfocus CRT and lens system, featuring smaller phosphor particles, thinner phosphor layers, and other improvements that give the set a beam spot 28-percent smaller than Sony's standard CRTs. And that means sharper focus, higher contrast, and brighter images. The screen features a wide, 16:9 aspect ratio that matches the dimension of most movies and HDTV broadcasts, and the KP-57WS520 is compatible with standard-definition 480i, enhanced-definition 480p, and high-definition 720p and 1080i sources.

The set's HD Detailer wideband video amplifier provides high detail from high-res images to give you the best possible image from high-bandwidth sources. Auto 16:9 enhanced mode with auto ID1 detection automatically renders anamorphic DVD content in letterboxed widescreen, using all available display lines for the image and wasting none on the black bars that frame the image when a program's widescreen aspect ratio differs slightly from the set's.

Digital Reality Creation (DRC) circuitry ensures high picture resolution, while proprietary Direct Digital Circuitry increases a video signal's signal-to-noise ratio before it reaches the DRC circuit, ensuring rich, natural-looking images from any source. TwinView 2-tuner PIP (picture-in-picture) lets you view any 2 sources simultaneously--even 2 TV stations. Sony's MID-X (Multi Image Driver) maintains the integrity of a digital signal by minimizing image loss in the scaling process.

Sony's CineMotion 3:2 pulldown detection and reversal is a handy feature for watching progressive-scan movie programs in their native 24-frame format. Digital video mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture.

The set offers 2 different digital video interfaces: a Digital Visual Interface (DVI-HDTV) and an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), each of which permits a direct digital connection with a compatible DTV set-top box. Other connections include 2 component-video inputs, 4 composite-video inputs, 3 S-video inputs (with 1 each composite-/S-video on the front panel for ready connection to a camcorder or gaming console), and 2 RF coaxial inputs and 1 coaxial output for hookup with an older VCR, cable box, or antenna.

What's in the Box
TV, remote control, remote batteries (2 AA), a user's manual, and warranty information.

Product Description

Sony KP-57WS520 57-Inch Hi-Scan 1080i HD-Ready Projection TV

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Power Supply issues hurt picture quality, July 14, 2005

By 

Ruined (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Sony KP-57WS520 57-Inch Hi-Scan 1080i HD-Ready Projection TV (Electronics)

It seems the power supplies on these units fluctuate in quality. While some have reported no problems, myself and some other in the HT forums have found that these sets have power supplies that fluctuate in quality and/or are simply very vulnerable to RFI interference.

I took delivery on a 57WS520 and right away I noticed the picture had "snow" in it on dark backgrounds, even when the set was not hooked up to any source and even when the set was hooked up to a double conversion UPS (meaning it was running off a battery to ensure clean power on my end)! However, no matter what I tried, this snow did not go away. It was on DVDs, cable, anything that I hooked up. In addition to the snow, it had fast moving light colored interference bars that moved in different directions around the screen, varying in size and intensity. Since there was nothing hooked up to the set and the set was hooked up to a clean power supply, I had to conclude either my set was defective or the set in general had problems like this. When I found another person on a home theater forum having the exact same problem with the exact same model and every possible offending component in his TV repaired with little success, I leaned towards the latter, that it was a design problem with this set. I am debating whether to bother trying another or just return it for a refund. It's one of those problems that you may or may not have depending where you live, but it is very annoying if you do have it.

UPDATE: I have taken delivery on a second 57WS520. This set has issues similar to the first, however they are not as severe and they occur less frequently than the first set. I have decided to keep the set because aside from this problem it looks great, and all of these sets seem to have at least one quirk with picture quality. While it is likely Sony could have avoided this problem by using a better power supply, it seems they wanted to cut costs here.

If you can live with this minor problem, this is a fantastic set, especially for the price.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Blinking on switch with dead TV are Common, June 26, 2006

By 

Fred Smith (DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony KP-57WS520 57-Inch Hi-Scan 1080i HD-Ready Projection TV (Electronics)

Same story as other reviewer. 14 months after purchase the TV dies and the on switch blinks 9 times pauses and blinks 9 times as a repeat pattern. 500$ to 600$ is the apparent cost to fix. They say it is probably a "deflector card" which they said is related to a power supply is probable because it makes no start-up sounds.

Sony refused to tell me what the 9 blink code pattern means and the repair service sounds like they are guessing at the cause and probability of fix. ("I'm 90 % sure"). But my service at least gaurantees either a fix or the cost of only a single service call (100$ for 5 minutes of taking the screws off the back).

If you buy this TV make sure to get the extended-&-re extended warranty (and factor it into costs of camparisons with TV's w/o the warranty.

I too have the (power supply?)interference referred to by another user and now understand why this TV never has been to quality expectations.

As long you get a lawyer who will cover "all" the costs of the class action suit (in other words don't poor any good money after the bad), I think you may have a winner.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Price, Very Good TV., July 29, 2005

By 

Shaun Cummings (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony KP-57WS520 57-Inch Hi-Scan 1080i HD-Ready Projection TV (Electronics)

I mostly use my television for watching movies. Others in the household watch standard television (DirecTV with no HD programming, yet). The television has a beautiful picture for DVDs. The size makes standard television a little less than graceful, but its still worthwhile.

This television is a solid value for the price. No problems with it, at all.