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- Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 33 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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6 out of 9 people found this review helpful
2.5 stars
"The clarity of the standard defintion channels is not clear"
Pros: The clarity of the HD channels is awesome
Cons: The clarity of the Standard Def channels is fuzzy
Summary: I was looking so forward to the purchase of my new HD TV. I set up my new Sony TV, I upgraded my cable service to HD digital, I even added the Sony surround sound to the equation, so I was ready for the best of the best! I had ready all the specs and even comments here on cnet and thought certainly that I had made the right choice. Unfortunately there are very few HD channels and I still watch many programs on that Standard Defintion. The picture is what I would call grainy or smeared, definately not the crystal clear picture that Sony describes in their specs about their DRC-MF feature that increases the processing power and provides a sharp, crystal clear image with both 480i and 480p standard defintion. (exact quote). I absolutely did not expect these results, so I had thrown the boxes away so now I am "stuck" with this tv and it's poor picture on Standard Def. I sure wish someone would have had this review out that I am writing. Hopefully I am saving someone out there from making such a purchase. Also I know it is not the cable service because I even had a tech come out to check my lines and the signal is perfect. If there is anyone out there that did not have this problem please respond. Maybe there is hope for me yet.
- 2 replies to this review
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I have the 46 inch XBR4 and mine shows SD channels just fine. There are several filters and settings you can turn on or off that may make a difference in the "fuzz" and "grain" you speak of. Of course, buying a $4,000 52" Top-of-the-line LCD HDTV to watch SD channels is overkill. It's like killing roaches with a .50 Cal Desert Eagle. Sure, you could but it was designed for other things in which it would be very good at doing.
Our DirectTV service has well over 40 HD channels (they offer over 70) so you might want to rethink your package. -
One thing that everyone should take into consideration is HD availability. It's smart to showroom shop any tv looking at a SD program source. Not all buyers have access to OTA digital, let alone HD. Same holds true for satellite. I shopped the showroom stores that did have cable and satellite. The sales person showed me their choices and the KDL-52XBR4 was head and sholders better in all accounts, looking at satellite and cable. OTA digital showed an even better SD picture on the XBR. I'm extremely satisfied with the SD and HD performance. Most flatscreens perform well with HD sources. But don't forget SD....
Where to buy
Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4:
$2,049.99
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$2,049.99 | Yes |
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