I've never even seen one of these in person, and I worked for over 15 years for a Sony authorized shop in the 80s and 90s. This set is the first Digital Trinitron, and although there are a few KV-25DXRs out there, this KV-25VXR is the one with the built-in 8mm VTR! I wish I were closer... AND it has the foot pedal remote base accessory with it!

Link (NO affiliation) http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-1986-Pink-color-SONY-Trinitron-kv-25vxr-TV-with-rare-stand-manual-/140739009381?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c4b2db65

Charles

I don't think that's a factory color. They probably had connections with a body shop that just painted a pink Cadillac. :D

Don't know about how "rare" those are, maybe existing operable sets. I do recall seeing a few of those come through the shop. Always thought it was an odd color.

Did they come in any other colors?
Also, how does this set compare to the XBR series as far as picture quality and features.

Only one part number comes up for the cabinet 4-907-710-21 so that tells me only came in one cabinet color. My old boss at the shop still one at his home, with a failed 8mm tape mechanism. Asked me if I wanted to work on it. No thanks! I'm sure the pix quality was on par with other mid-'80s XBR sets, before the video started getting processed looking to me.

I have seen that color before. Was there a KV25XBR also in this color?

The XBRs (25", no tape deck) did come in that color... I have one. Also have one in the festive "taupe" with the pedestal. Just two of too many sets, though.

Chip... a new guy...

Welcome to Videokarma, Chip. "Too many sets"? You will fit right in with this group! :)

Did they come in any other colors?
Also, how does this set compare to the XBR series as far as picture quality and features.

They came in at least four that I know of; Pink, off-white, dark silver, and black granite.

The pink is a factory color. I think most Trinitrons were available in pink for a few years in the mid 80s; and so were the Watchman B&W portables.

I really can't comment on performance, but they're a holy nightmare to troubleshoot. The KV-25DXR used to show up with weird control problems that analog sets didn't have.

Charles

kx250rider,
I almost got this set in Black Granite. What Year did XBR start 86 ?

My First Sony was a 17 inch Trinitron in 78. My Bro still has it. The Chassis was well built rugged design almost like Sony TV monitor.
My Friend an Engineer in Television ran Out & got a 19 inch. They sent the schematic with My set & We noticed it had the first Blacker than Black Circuit in it. Sony said if they send Blacker than Black You got it. Zenith & RCA had it 2 Years later.

I got a Zenith that time. I had a Friend that worked at the Missouri Assembly & Quality control Plant.

Ended. No bids. What a surprise...

Wow

The XBR line was a favorite of the local video production geeks. The only thing keeping it from being the "perfect" analog TV was the lack of built-in CC decoder. Got mine from the now-defunct Sun TV chain, where it was a demo model... I'm not really sure they were even official Sony dealers. I'm thinkin' that if the pink one fires up nicely, it's going to be 'on the market' soon.

Chip

kx250rider,
I almost got this set in Black Granite. What Year did XBR start 86 ?



I'd say '85, maybe as an '86 model year? They immediately followed the Profeel series (KX-2501, et al) . The first ones were the KV-25XBR and KV-25DXR (no suffix number). In '88ish, they came out with the 27XBR and 32XBR series (KV-27/32XBR10/15/25), and the wood console version of the 32" whose suffix I forget.

Charles

I had a 25XBR-EXCELLENT picture, crummy outrigger speakers, but it started "Goin' South" around 1990-91-The screen would go almost totally DARK, except for some red-it was like the blue & green just died, & the red almost so. Then it would light back up, as nothin' had happened. I bought it offa some catalog place, it was too big to try to lug to some Sony dealer & have to argue w/them, since I didn't BUY it from 'em... The speaks-they would quit working for no apparent reason, you'd jiggle the wires, spit on 'em & plug 'em back in & they'd "Gee & Haw" OK again for awhile.

I had a 25XBR-EXCELLENT picture, crummy outrigger speakers, but it started "Goin' South" around 1990-91-The screen would go almost totally DARK, except for some red-it was like the blue & green just died, & the red almost so. Then it would light back up, as nothin' had happened. I bought it offa some catalog place, it was too big to try to lug to some Sony dealer & have to argue w/them, since I didn't BUY it from 'em... The speaks-they would quit working for no apparent reason, you'd jiggle the wires, spit on 'em & plug 'em back in & they'd "Gee & Haw" OK again for awhile.

Classic problems with these, but easy fixes... Bad solder connections on the delay line, and on the CRT socket board were the usual causes of the video dropping out, and seeing only chroma (no luminance). The audio output pack (STK-xxx), would go bad with internal bad connections.

Wished I'd known THAT Back Then... This was Sony's Flagship TV then, looks like they'd been a LITTLE more careful in the construction/QC of the damthing...IIRC, this Bad Boi was $1500 or so then-a LOT of Munny for an effin' TV-Even the TOTL Sony at the time....

The XBR I had back in 1990 (kv27xbr10) Started blacking out every now and then after about two years of use. Smacking it on the side would fix it for a while but of course the ultimate fix was to take it apart and resolder it.

I was not happy about having to take apart what was a very expensive almost new set, however it continued to work for 15 years or so until it got replaced by a HD set.

It was still working when I gave it away a few years ago, the CRT was getting a bit soft but it still looked good if you kept the brightness reasonable.