http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/19/sony-du...-focus-on-lcds/

"It's unconfirmed at the moment, but we're hearing that Sony is planning to discontinue sales of all rear-projection HDTVs, including its 3LCD and SXRD lines, after current inventories are exhausted to focus on the hot-selling Bravia LCD line.

We've been tipped on it twice today and now This Week In Consumer Electronics is reporting that a Sony spokesperson has told them that "We are moving our resources more toward LCD TV, because that's what people really want." It looks like all backorders for the KDSZ70XBR5 are being canceled, as the unit will never be manufactured, and Sony's making a "no promises" effort to fill backorders for the KDF46E3000 and KDS60A3000.

The move isn't exactly unprecedented or even all that surprising -- Toshiba, Philips and Hitachi have all stopped producing rear-projection sets, but Sony's SXRDs were still extremely popular and it's strange to see them get dropped just like that."

In drsmith's house the SXRD is going to get some serious viewing tonight.

Good thing we got our SXRD’s while we could doc, could be quite a while before a flat panel competitor is available.

I wonder what this means for spare parts and re-sale values?

I thought Sony discontinued the SXRDs some time ago. The main problem in replacing a 70" SXRD with an LCD is that the latter is $70,000.

That's what projectors are for.

how bizarre. the new 70" sxrd looked great as well

bet there are some peeved engineers at sony

Spares are not a problem with so many units in use in the US.
Resale may be improved, since it will now cost $70k if you want a new 70”.

Projectors are a different thing entirely; they need total darkness and even then look two dimensional and washed out in comparison to a good rear projector.

I have often considered a high end projector myself, but only for use with a custom rear projection screen setup. A top range 100” rear projection screen costs over $15k. With installation and a good projector we are up to around $25k.
That’s cheap compared to a 100” Plasma.

Also a lot of peeved customers waiting for a 70" SXRD XBR5.

yeah i was reading some US forums and people are spitting chips, I would be too.

I'm glad I have my sxrd, even if it's not 'what people want' according to sony

Yeah, I've had over a years viewing on my SXRD now and wouldn't swap it for anything else I've seen on the market. Will be a pity if they are gone everywhere.

Quite ludicrous for anyone who has or seen one.

Just goes to show the power of mass marketing.

As I intimated in another thread, we'd best be snapping up globes while we can.

No need, there are literally hundreds of thousands of SXRD’s in service in the US, that should ensure lamp availability for many years.
You can still buy lamps for old front projectors that sold in tiny quantities compared to SXRD rear pro’s.

Ah yes........the SXRD club lives on!!

Glad to see that you do too.

Yeh! what people want, what a lot of crap I don't want to spend 60 + K on a new LCD that chews the meter box. What I as a customer wants to see is another 70 inch plus any technology ( 1920x1080) for less than $3500 that chews less than 150watts because my LG fits in that window. Just think I was asked If I wanted to buy another (Someones canceled order) for that price if not cheaper. Like Owen said the SXRD is a great set, the LG is a great set, it only fails in the backlight department at night and its half the price of an SXRD. I bet you if LG filled the shops today with these LCoS giants for under $3500 they wouldn't last long as most that have come to my place love my LG and have been very disappointed to scour the shops to find anything near as big and its 15 times the price. BRING BACK THE REAR PROS!! for people that want them

This is now official

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2239364,00.asp

"Prompted by the growing popularity of flat-panel TVs, Sony will exit the micro-display business in the U.S., effectively immediately, and focus its efforts on Bravia brand liquid-crystal display (LCD) sets, a company spokesman said Friday."

http://news.google.com.au/news?hl=en&t...tnG=Search+News

RPTV’s in general and the SXRD in particular have long since been discontinued here, so unless people where planing on importing a set from the US, what difference does this announcement make?

The announcement was made in the US to the US market, and it really shows that RPTV's have dropped off the future technology roadmap.

Hopefully the remaining local sets will be put out to pasture in RSL clubs showing the harold park trots to drunken old codgers.

The US is only following the world trend, they where the first to embrace big rear projection TV’s and are the last to abandon them. There is some sort of symmetry in that.
Americans have always liked big TV’s and there is still strong demand for 70” plus displays. At the moment flat panels cant fill that market niche.



I have never seen a HD RPTV in a club, only ancient and horribly adjusted CRT based SD 4:3 models from the 1990’s. These days they seem to have all been replaced by smallish LCD’s or Plasma’s.

You walk into as typical shop today with a whopping sign saying Come in and View our LARGE TV's, I walk in and find a 50 inch set and I tell the sales person that's not large.

Oh boy, you clearly haven't seen a modern LCOS Rear Projection TV. That said, your perspective is no doubt shared by 99% of electronics consumers which is why Sony are making such a decision. DESIGN aesthetics over quality wins out every time.

Yes it’s a fact of life that most people are heavily influenced by style when purchasing many thinks not just TV’s, unfortunately quality and function take a back seat.

I remember standing in a special demo room set up like a real home viewing environment in a large retailer, a young couple wondered in and commented on the impressive picture being displayed on an SXRD (clearly the biggest and best in the whole store). After watching for a while the guy stuck his head behind the Sony and discovered it was not a flat panel. He immediately said to his lady “it’s a rear projection”, took her hand a led her away.

That about sums up the average consumer reaction to RPTV’s, the size and quality of the picture is not important; if it’s not flat they don’t want it.


Merry Xmas to all.

Unfortunately so. Many people are so uneducated in this matter they can not differentiate function over form. The latest generation of rear pros from Sony are so good, I would have bought one myself over the LCD have they still got it here.

I couldn't believe it when I view my brand new 52X3100 off axis sideways, the colour appears to be washed out. Which I don't experience with the 3LCD except at the extreme.

Engadget's write up has an interesting choice of words:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/27/sony-of...-tv-production/

"Remember how we told you that Sony, like so many others, is quitting the rear-projection TV business? Well, they finally decided to officially announce as much today, stating that come February its three RPTV plants would quit production of the sets and the company would focus its energy henceforth on LCD and OLED (huge surprise there). Don't let the door-of-obsolecense hit your ass on the way out, RPTV."

Yes very interesting choice.
Don’t know how something can be obsolete when there is nothing to take its place.

Thats what I told Retravision this morning.

Certainly true in terms of bloated size, low popularity, poor brightness uniformity and poor sales.

Offshore, the above posts are negative. It is hard to see what benefit they are intended to bring to this thread.

You are free to use a projector for large screen display, but many people prefer a standalone set and the convenience of not having to watch in near darkness.

The 50" screen size is becoming very popular, following falls in prices, and as people are beginning to appreciate the benefits of watching high definition video on larger displays. In these circumstances, it seems a bit unreasonable to describe a 70" SXRD screen as "bloated".

i distinctively remember recently when i ventured into an audio store looking at speakers and the sales person asked my what tv did i purchase recently and i said a Sony rear pro and he remarked "rear pro the picture quality isnt as good as the LCD / plasmas". i proceeded to point out "better picture than the Sharp haning on your wall". he repled "i doubt that" and i proceeded to asked him questions about speakers.

but i have to admit when the sales person at the Sony store advised me to look at the rearpro at first i was doubtful as my relos own a old Sony Rear pro and another a Panasonic rear pro which diddnt amaze me with the picture quality....

wrong as i were.... i still today havent seen picture as good my this tv of ours...... even all my relos think why rear pro until they come over to my place and see their expressions change "WOW how big and how clear is this tv".

Yes I have to agree, fd3s. Rearpros of old did not give a good picture and this has prejudiced many people, for life.

I have yet to see a standalone screen that gives colour as realistic to my eyes as a 60" or 70" SXRD, after the ultra high pressure lamp has passed through its 50 or so hours of being "run in".