The grayscale calibration is shown in the accompanying figure. While it appears that the before calibration measurements (taken in the Warm 2 setting) were nearly as good as the After results, the actual x/y coordinates of each white point were closer to the D6500 standard after calibration. Warm 2 was off by a maximum of 0.008 in either coordinate from 30IRE to 100IRE before calibration—closer than any other set I have tested. After calibration, the maximum error was 0.003 over the same range.

As noted in the main review, the color points weren't particularly accurate, with red and green the most oversaturated and wide of the mark. The Live Color feature does not change the actual color points. Its only visible effect is to make the red "pop" more. Red was just fine (apart from its inaccurate position) without it.

The Sony will respond to signals above white and below black with both component and HDMI signals.

I measured the peak contrast of the Sony in several ways. The maximum value I obtained was with the Picture control at Max and the iris set to Auto 2: 13,102:1 (91.72fL peak white/0.007fL video black). With the Picture control still on Max and the iris at its fixed, Max position, the peak contrast measured 5,199:1 (93.59fL peak white, 0.018fL video black).

When I dropped the Picture control down to 50 to get a more comfortable light output for my dark room viewing, I measured a peak contrast ratio of 4,306:1 (30.14fL peak white, 0.007fL video black). While this isn't nearly as impressive as the contrast ratio with the Picture control at 100, note that the video black result, in Auto 2, is the same for both settings. The image was plenty bright and punchy, for movie watching in a dim or darkened environment, in the lower setting. I would reserve higher settings of the Picture control for daytime viewing in a brightly lit room.

For those who insist on avoiding the auto iris, I set the iris to Minimum and the Picture control to 50 and measured a peak contrast of 2,380:1 (21.42fL/0.009fL). With the Picture at 100, iris at Minimum, the Peak Contrast measured 6,579:1 (59.21fL/0.009fL).

I mentioned issues with the set's resolution at 480i and 480p in the main review. I should also note that the R70 adds a large dollop of fixed edge enhancement (EE) to the image at these resolutions, which remains even when all sharpness enhancements are disengaged and the Sharpness control at minimum. At 1080i with HDMI and component, and the Sharpness control turned down all the way down, the black and white resolution bursts still showed good response at the maximum burst of 37.1MHz. There was no set-generated EE at 1080i HDMI with all enhancements turned off or all the way down, and just a trace of it with 1080i component.

But I did find one oddity. With a 720p HDMI input there was no response at all at the maximum test pattern burst frequency of 37.1MHz with DRC Off. But with DRC in Mode 1 there was strong—actually somewhat emphasized- response at this maximum frequency.

The color response actually held up just a bit better at the maximum test frequencies in component than in HDMI, but this had no visible effect with real program material.

The Sony's Overscan averaged about 4% at 480i/p, but went as high as 6% at certain points, which is excessive. It averaged a satisfactory but not ideal 3% in 720p and 1080i. The convergence of the three color panels was spot on in the center and off by less than a pixel at the edges—more likely a result of a small amount of chromatic aberration than of panel misalignment. The geometry was off by a hair, with the bottom of the image tilted down slightly. This was too small to be visible with normal program material.