- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 75 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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61 out of 77 people found this review helpful
2.5 stars
"Outstanding HD Picture, but a serious flaw"
Pros: Excellent picture with an HD Source
Cons: A serious flaw with Standard Definition
Summary: I was very much looking forward to this model from Sony, and planning to buy the KDL-46XBR3 variant.
I was at a local retailer this weekend, and was watching the 46XBR2 and 40XBR3, sitting side by side. Several of us were admiring the impressive picture (on both). However, as we were watching, the source (Cox Cable) switched to a SD picture, and the resulting picture (on both sets) immediately became dismal. There was extensive pixelization when any movement occurred in the scene, making it largely unviewable. I am sure it wasn't the LCD itself, with an 8 ms response time. Also, since this only occurred with an SD source, I can only assume it was a (serious) flaw in Sony's DRC Multi Function processing software. This phenonema was not occurring on any of the other (many) TV's in the store, so I do not believe it could be blamed on the cable TV input.
I would suggest the CNET reviewer(s) investigate this, and check with Sony on if there is a workaround, or fix in the works. If neither is the case, I would not suggest this product be recommended, since it is inevitable that any user would want to view Standard definition material, at least occasionally.
- 11 replies to this review
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You complaining about the SD. This is not what the tv is made for. Yeah, the signal on SD dont looks so on good on this high-end tv. This hdtv is made for HD signal, has a 3 hdmi connection for blu-ray, hd-dvd, and great for video games ps3 and xbox 360 elite. It's the of the best tv out there, even is overpriced. I notice the price been drop few hundred.
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there is one big thing you are forgetting. High def means 720 or 1080 screen resolution. SD is only 480. its like when you enlarge a still shot that is 640x480, if you enlarge it to 1280x960 it wont look as good and is lower quality, it is blown up and appears more noisy and grainy. the problem is easily solved if you just get HD service.
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I own this KDL-40XBR2. We have comcast digital cable and SD is not as this post described.
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Cox's video service has not been right ever!
Tiling as Cox calls it has been a problem for years here in Fairfax,Va.and all Cox gives you is lip service. Any channels over 100 mostly but sometimes below 100 there so called digital service suck here, you can be watching anything and it just becomes unwatchable it freezes and tiles all the time!!!!! -
It makes me sad that this gentleman posts a review with no idea about what he is talking about and his review makes the title page as an objection to not purchasing this television set.
Obviously SD cable feed isn't going to look as nice as HD, however using the Bravia Engine PRO that is inside this set it upconverts the SD signal to increase the digital resolution of the picture (one of the only flat pannel LCD's that have this support for SD cable). Newsflash here Randy....YOUR PICTURE WILL ONLY BE AS GOOD AS YOUR SOURCE.
I never post anything on these websites, but after seeing the XBR2 in Best Buy this weekend I can tell you the only thing stopping me from buying this TV was my bank account. Best picture and best style in the LCD market right now hands down. -
Comment on Randy728's user opinion
http://reviews.cnet.com/Sony_KDL_40XBR2/5264-3000_7-0.html?tag=cmmnt&nodeID=6482&messageID=2178277&assetID=31901205
SUBJECT: Perfect poor Standard Definition HD TVS!!! - Eg Sony KDL-40XBR2
I require the following information, and if I have time I shall check it with Sony UK, to know whether it was the fault of Sony KDL-40XBR2 (USA) equivalent to the Sony KDL-40X2000 (UK)
Sony KDL-40V2500 (USA) similar to Sony KDL-40W2000 (UK)
Sony KDL-40XBR3 (USA) similar to Sony KDL-40XBR2 (USA) & Sony KDL-40X2000 (UK):
1) What was the television?s (TV) set-up, to check that it was correctly set-up?
2) Who actually set-up the TV, was it an official Sony qualified engineer?
3) What did the person use to set-up the TV with?
4) When it was pointed out to the sales person did an engineer set-up the TV, and was he a Sony Authorised
engineer?
2) Was the TV connected to the same external TV aerial (antenna) cable as the other TVs or was it connected to
a different aerial?
3) Require the plan of how the TVs were connected?
4) What was the quality of the; connections and cables (with retail prices), which were used for all the
connected TVs (this is because despite stores making millions, majority of their set-ups are fiascos)?
4) Was the Sony KDL-40XBR2 TV the first or the last connected to the external Aerial (antenna) loop?
5) Did you go to an official Sony store, because their set-up is usually a higher standard to most stores, but it
appears that majority of firms are hiding the defects of TVs by supplying specialist HD DVDs source?
6) The store could have deliberately set it to perform badly
(higher commission or profits by selling another HD TV).
7) Was the TV connected directly to the TV aerial, the first in the chain?
8) Did the store remove the cable from the TV, which was the first in the loop and connected it to the Sony
1080p TV instead?
9) What happened when only the TV was connected to the external TV aerial?
10) What did the engineer for the store say what the problem was?
11) Since, you knew that there was a problem it is obvious that the store knew that there was a problem also, so
either; why didn?t they contact an official Sony Engineer and what happened when they contacted Sony?
11) What did the store say Sony said what was the problem?
12) Which TV aerial firm fitted the aerial and what did they say what the problems were?
13) After I asked a number of questions to a sales person who ran out of excuses, he eventually stated that he
raised the matter with head office that refused to spend the money.
13) It is probably necessary to have one TV aerial for each TV to have an excellent picture, and with fifty to a
hundred or so TVs it appears that most stores don?t even try to provide excellent TV pictures for all their TVs.
14) This explains why especially Sony and Panasonic usually supply not only specialist DVDs but Japanese
DVD players, not available in the UK to buy (covered all over with Japanese writing and no English).
15) It makes me extremely suspicious because they could be using a resolution much higher than 1920x1080p
and achieving picture quality not available when customers get the TVs home.
16) There is a possibility that Sony could have cut corners by not properly processing Standard Definition TV
pictures.
17) You can contact an excellent aerial firm and ask them what external TV aerial system would be required to
obtain an excellent Standard Definition Picture, because an excellent TV aerial system should at least 99%
certainty solve the problem, together with good quality cables!
18) Most people don?t realize that TVs require more power from a TV aerial system and cables when:-
A) Changing from an analogue to a digital TV and
B) Moving to a larger TV
C) Using cheap or free cables - it is best to upgrade to at least a; best buy or editor?s choice value for money
Cables (I use Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision magazine in England ? objective ? If you require any advice
about cables let me know), which will substantially improve not only; picture but sound quality.
19) If Sony 1080p actually has a poor Standard Definition Picture it should be possible to easily solve the
problem by increasing the Sony 1080p TVs, poor Standard Definition ,Picture quality to match the best in
the 40?-42? range by having an excellent aerial and cable system.
20) BUT!!! Where as, if the Sony arguably has the best digital picture quality then it is virtually impossible to
improve any other TV to match its quality without redesigning the TV, because whatever improvement you
make to the other TV you can make to the Sony 1080p.
21) Before you ask wouldn?t the best Standard Definition Picture always be the best with a better aerial and
cables the simple answer is at least 99% certain NO!
22) Ask a competent TV aerial specialist company who uses a meter and ask some of the expensive Hi-Fi
stores, which should verify independently what I have told you!
23) For a company like Sony who have produce at least one of the best Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) for decades,
to suddenly produce dreadful Standard Definition TV is not only strange but interesting! -
Regular (non-digital) cable will look awful on any HD set. Was the SD source Cox 'digital' cable? That makes a BIG difference. I have heard that those with Dish Network where all channels are "digital' are up converted very nicely with the XBR engine.
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I own the first 40" XBR. The picture I get from Dish Network, in both HD and non-HD is very nice indeed. I found Sony's LCD to have the best picture standing on a showroom floor and comparing to over 20 different model. My eye picked out the best picture and every time that was on the Sony.
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Every single High end HD set display crappy SD signal.
With HD sets SD garbage in = SD garbage out.
With a Good HD signal this tv is uber of all LCDs
HD tvs display so much detail it picks up the noise from the crap signal that SD puts out. Thats how detailed HD tvs are
To get a better picture from SD signal on the XBR2/3 switch the picture mode to standard and tweek settings to your liking. -
Every single High end HD set display crappy SD signal.
With HD sets SD garbage in = SD garbage out.
With a Good HD signal this tv is uber of all LCDs
HD tvs display so much detail it picks up the noise from the crap signal that SD puts out. Thats how detailed HD tvs are
To get a better picture from SD signal on the XBR2/3 switch the picture mode to standard and tweek settings to your liking. -
I agree with you in saying that the standard definition signals are display horribly on this set, but it really isn't designed for standard def signals.
I think that this set was designed with one thing in mind... High Definition. It has 3 HDMI ports while most its competitors have only 2, it also supports 1080p over vga while most tvs only support 720p or 1080i.
The bottome line is I don't think this TV deserves 5 out of 10 because it doesn't handle a signal that its not primarily designed to handle well. 8 or 9 out of 10 is more on par in my opinion.
I bought this set and its increadible for what its designed for... HD.
