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"PLEASE DO NOT BUY THIS TV" on by TangleWire
Pros: Nice design
Cons: Uneven and Cloudy Backlight, no solution from Sony
Summary: I will share my personal experience with this set. In any case, If you want to avoid a very annoying problem and be part of a worldwide issue (same as the laptop batteries). You better go for another option. I bought this high end TV and second day of using it I noticed sort of clouds on the corners, during dark scenes. I won't give all the details of the story. But the bottom line: the clouds were getting worse. I returned the item. I got a new one from the dealer and I got the same problem. Then I searched on the web and I found hundreds of people with the same issue with no answer from Sony. It seems to be that the problems are with sets manufactures on August 2006 and beyond. Please check this link to see how my fancy XBR looks like: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=748779
This is not acceptable for this type of high tech device. With all these PS3, batteries and now TV issues.. no more Sony to me. -
"Stupendous (did I spell that right?)" on by amatot
Pros: Color rendition; black level/contrast, input memories and super fast processing.
Cons: Lacks low end bass response but the surround still kicks A!
Summary: I bought one of these 2 weeks ago. The 40" is what caught my eye and had I not needed someting closer to a 50" in size, the 40" was a complete blow away! Remember, the 40" is 1080p as well which means the pixel elements are smaller thereby resulting in a more focused viewing experience at typical view distances. Same pixel element
count between both the 40" and the 46" - means smaller is better on the 40.
No disrespect to the 46" though, I mean I bought one didn't I - it blows away the Samsung units - hands down - mainly for the fact that the processing circuitry is far
superior and faster. Plus this set has picture setting memories for each individual input - an absolute must! HD looks spectacular, Well mastered DVDs look damn close and composite feeds are cleaned up 10 times better than anything in it's class - including Pioneer Elite
plasma sets which are totally over-rated. Sony states everything is up-converted to 1080p rez and it certainly appears to be the
case. No burn, very minimal blur (on SD feeds), gobbs of user adjustable settings and stupendous blacks/contrast. There's plenty of margin in this set so work the salesperson; 10% off list is an
easy achievement. Also, blow off any attempt to sell you an extended
warranty; you can get one directly from Sony after the fact. Just over $300 for 5 years, coverage is good and in-home service is part of the deal. Why pay upwards of $900.00 from someone else; spend
the money saved on other stuff... -
"Unbelievable LCD 1080p - It's the Future!!" on by davector64
Pros: Crystal Clear images from gray/blacks to vivid colors. Plenty of inputs & adjustment menus for the 'tweeker's' out there! A Stylish design to boot!
Cons: The price might be too high for some. Some midwest stores will lower the price - talk'em down, They'll work with you!
Summary: Where should I begin? I initially looked at larger screens (40" or larger) back in January 06, I wanted something thin and wall mountable. I talked with several salesman and friends in the Video Industry. I purchased the Panasonic TH50PX60U 50" Plasma (Consumer Report's best buy), watched it for about a week and took it back. Just a side note: I was informed the Plasma's degrade over time and LCD's do not. The Panasonic looked great but it only had one RF input for cable OR TV antenna. I needed two RFs; one for cable TV and one for the HiDef antenna I had on the roof (for free Over-The-Air HDTV). OTA HDTV is the cleanest signal for HiDef because it's not compressed for broadcasting like satellite or cable distribution. Anyway, back to the Sony. I first saw the KDL-40XBR2 40" Sony at a retail store with a Blu-Ray hooked to it, so it was getting a full 1080p signal. I just couldn't stop looking at the clarity that it produced. I recommend that if you are considering this TV, have the salesman hookup the highest quality signal available; preferably a 1080p, 1080i at the very least. Any other signal does not do it justice! I eventually found the 46" Sony and was able to negotiate a price approximately 15% lower then the initial sticker price (Aug 06). My biggest reason for going with this particular TV was the 1080p and the fact that it's a Sony, not to mention the image quality and stylish design. The 1080p technology is where the industry is going, so why buy something less.
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"This review needs to be updated to reflect a recent large scale manufacturing defect with the LCD" on by Chris Perry
Pros: Perhaps the best 46 inch LCD on the market today
Cons: Almost 2/3 of recent buyers of this LCD TV report problems with "Clouding" (Mura Defect)
Summary: Buyers considering purchasing this LCD TV from Sony would do well to review the information on the AVS forum (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=748779&page=1&pp=30).
This forum reports that buyers of this TV since the October time frame have been almost univerally expierencing "Clouding" problems. To date Sony has not acknowleded this problem, despite the numerous complaints.
Since this probelm has surfaced after the latest update to the CNET review, Kevin Miller needs to add the issue in an update and should factor in this new issue into a revised overall rating (as has been done with the "banding" problems with the Sharp LCD TVs).
I believe the 8.3 out of 10 rating is no longer valid and is misleading to consumers looking for complete and accurate information upon which to base their purchases. -
"No hope once the 'clouds' appear" on by the_second_one
Pros: Stunning HD picture
Cons: Made worthless when dark scenes exhibit white clouds
Summary: Cnet really knows how to stress how important black level peformance is on a TV and rightfully so. This is a great TV if you were someone who purchased it in the first two months of release (certainly one of the samples Cnet reviewed). I however have a November model that was made in Mexico and exhibits the very common 'cloud' effect. It's heartbreaking to think Sony considers this issue as 'normal' and all of us consumers are stuck with a defect just because Sony wanted to skip QC for bulk manufacturing. The TV has a great HD picture, one of the best. But such goes to waste when you want to watch any dark material (try out Miami Vice) and you see white areas on a dark background. Sony needs to straighten their act and fix the issue before even more consumers are burdened with the issue.
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