Hi Jeremy, just saw this…was a little distracted by computer antics today! (and I’ve behind on many things at the moment).

“how vital service mode calibration” yes I can see myself getting into this eventuly …curisioty killed the cat …so to speak…but I will be careful study hard, (buy a manual) and the cardnial rule..WRITE DOWN SETTINGS…I’m debating with myself do…I want to wait till the display is older (due to warrenty issues) before I ‘play’ and use a professional in the meantime. (and watch and learn more)…I do not even have the test pattrens down in the self help discs.

Regarding alignment…I don’t really think so..but wondered and wanted it verified correct. I’m seeing a ‘soft focus’ effect sometimes on a large med shot closeup of a face, …a few oddball moments like that, I’ve wondered if the decoder is inferior in the Sony II (or if all critical parts are the same…do I have a malfuntioning something?)

I tweaked (a little) again and by just setting the proper retrace on the set for the RCA RGB to component converter cleaned up the pic to a degree, right now its running closer to the GWI. (I am not as disatisifed as I was). However its intreasting to me that I never discovered the retrace should be reset on the Sony I and its pic was better without that adjustment being applied.

No banding or color sep. or rainbow, much more of a ‘fussy focas’ on occasion, (I do not recall with GWI) and my largest grip…not my imagination, is Sony touted “Contrast improved 25%” on the GWII. Which between that sales pitch and 1K drop in price caused a lot to jump on the bandwagon.. I’ve had the rare opportunity of a lot of hours on both units to compare and I lost some things with the two version.

Either Sony screwed something up in true contrast and detail in dark scences (net affect - a great loss of detail in dark portions), or somethings not up to par with this unit. The two units match capiblites on a bright DVD like “Ice Age”.
(of course the tech who came that day thought my pic was ‘great’)
I have to say…even with the II’s unfavorable preformance as compared to my I. I would buy it again over other choices currently on the market.

But it SHOULD be as good as the I in detail in dark scenes and it is not.

For example a scene where a man is hiding/coming out of the shadows in the corner of a room, I would have seen the hint of checkbone, the line of his jacket lapel even though one side is flimed in deep shadow, with the (II) what I see is just the outline of the face. The checkbone contour has faded into black. So it appears with I lost something in black level, even though Sony advertises the better contrast.

M-memeyer: Thanks for link to Texas! If I break down and order looks like it will have to be him. Greg L (who I’d like to use) does not appear to ever make it this far South into my metroplex. (I think he must be one of those (shudder)‘Yankee's’ )

(...forgive the typo's, It tells me 'spell ck completed'...don't think so! But I've argued with the comp. today to much..we are both tired)

[This message has been edited by Smart Little Lena (edited January 23, 2003).]