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Sony KDS-R50XBR1

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Full user review

  • 32 out of 47 people found this review helpful

    3.5 stars

    "no true 1080p"

    by lanion on September 11, 2005

    Pros: I'm sure its got an awesome picture

    Cons: specs are a little deceptive

    Summary: After reading through the manual online I realized that this TV cannot display any 1080p signals. The TV upconverts everything to 1080p, but cannot recieve a 1080p signal from any source. This is only any issue for computer users and playstation 3 owners-to be, but I think it is important.

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  • 30 replies to this review
  • reply by: rsbruner on July 31, 2006

    I had researched HDTV for several months and debated buying this TV and a Samsung. CircuitCity had a big price break before Memorial Day so I purchased the Sony KDS-R50XBR1. Home Theater Magazine had it feature on their website in December and included a special "Battle of the 1080p" YV's in their February article. So after doing all of this research and with confirmation of the Sony website, naturally I assumed this TV was 1080p.

    Turns out it is not and I have not "future-proofed" myself. If you check the Sony website today, this model has been discontinued and in it's place is a 1080p HDTV for the same price. I feel completely duped.

    Official statement from Sony - Thank you for contacting Sony Online Support.

    "We're sorry for the confusion with the signal formats that the Sony
    KDS-R50XBR1 TV can receive. The Sony KDS-R50XBR1 TV does not support the
    input of 1080p signals.
    Thank you for the opportunity to be of assistance."

    It's a beautiful TV and picture, but I feel all of the research I did don't mean anything.

  • reply by: jimithng23 on February 8, 2006

    I sell all the 1080p models on the market with the exception of the 50" HP. Only "2" can actually "accept" 1080p through pc connections only! Another poster referred that the Samsung is capable of this as well, which I am unaware and have not researched. It is tough because these sets are much more expensive than others and there is not a huge difference. Although I will say that I have not seen a better HDTV than this SXRD model and I have been selling HDTV's for five years. Sony has done something right and next year, when the sets can actually accept 1080p from sources other than PC's we are gonna be in for a treat! Oh ya, Mits' 62927/73927 Diamond Series can accept 1080p from a PC. These are gorgeous sets as well but you need a second mortgage to purchase one!

  • reply by: patterson on January 19, 2006

    Check out the new Sony 55" SXRD just announced at the CES. Could be well worth the wait, and a nice size compromise between the 50" and 60" currently offered. Thinner, 1080p, and improved light source, yada yada.

  • reply by: patterson on January 19, 2006

    Check out the new Sony 55" SXRD just announced at the CES. Could be well worth the wait, and a nice size compromise between the 50" and 60" currently offered. Thinner, 1080p, and improved light source, yada yada.

  • reply by: patterson on January 19, 2006

    Check out the new Sony 55" SXRD just announced at the CES. Could be well worth the wait, and a nice size compromise between the 50" and 60" currently offered. Thinner, 1080p, and improved light source, yada yada.

  • reply by: patterson on January 19, 2006

    Check out the new Sony 55" SXRD just announced at the CES. Could be well worth the wait, and a nice size compromise between the 50" and 60" currently offered. Thinner, 1080p, and improved light source, yada yada.

  • reply by: ufmo on December 17, 2005

    No wouldn't just buy this TV for just playing XBOX but i do plan on using this TV for everything including my laptop. Will burn in occur when using the xbox or the computer. At least i have heard the DLPs will not burn images but this is a LCD and FLAT panels are known for burned in images including plasmas. What are the limitations of this TV and is it better then the Mitsubishi 628 series or the Toshiba 52hmx95? After all it almost costs 1000 dollars more.

  • reply by: ufmo on December 17, 2005

    No wouldn't just buy this TV for just playing XBOX but i do plan on using this TV for everything including my laptop. Will burn in occur when using the xbox or the computer. At least i have heard the DLPs will not burn images but this is a LCD and FLAT panels are known for burned in images including plasmas. What are the limitations of this TV and is it better then the Mitsubishi 628 series or the Toshiba 52hmx95? After all it almost costs 1000 dollars more.

  • reply by: krulman on December 12, 2005

    Most 1080p tvs on the market currently upscale their video to 1080p. Only some HP tvs and some others currently accept TRUE hdtv signal.

  • reply by: da_alman on December 7, 2005

    It sounds like you just read the manual and the specs, but dont actually own the tv.
    If so, why even submit a review for this???

  • reply by: da_alman on December 7, 2005

    It sounds like you just read the manual and the specs, but dont actually own the tv.
    If so, why even submit a review for this???

  • reply by: da_alman on December 7, 2005

    It sounds like you just read the manual and the specs, but dont actually own the tv.
    If so, why even submit a review for this???

  • reply by: Tjax on November 14, 2005

    It Upconverts the signal because nothing now can output a true 1080p signal. (not Yet)
    It's resolution is 1920 x 1080.

  • reply by: mayimombo on November 10, 2005

    1080p what? 30P? 60P? No one is broadcasting 1080P anything anyway. The best you can hope for is 1080 60i.

  • reply by: coolq on October 29, 2005

    the other day i was at circuit city watching the sony kds-r50xbr1 on display. it was playing a dvd of independence day. i have to say in all honesty it looked like crap. maybe i'm missing something here but if this tv upscales all video sources to 1080p why was the display so lousey? anyone have any opinions?

  • reply by: tommyhaka on October 28, 2005

    I have been doing some research, talking with techs from sony(2nd level), and they say that this hdtv repeats and "entire" screen 60 times/sec, which is, if I am not mistaken 1080p. I also have in possesion legitimate "Sony" literature indicating that this tv has a "native resolution" of, again, 1080p. It may not directly accept a true 1080p signal, but it will upconvert whatever signal to it's native resolution 1920x1080 , or as these sony specs describe, 1080p. I realize the user's handbook that comes with the set does not indicate a 1080p acceptance, but this tv does upconvert to the previously described "native resolution".
    Tommy Haka

  • reply by: on October 28, 2005

    We can all speculate over the data format from HD DVDs, but it is most likely that the players will be switchable between interlaced and progressive scan, as are most of the current SD DVD players. Since the video processing in the Sony will consist only of deinterlacing the 1080i input and not scaling, there will be no perceived difference in the displayed image if the Sony were able to handle a 1080p input. This is just a "tempest in a teapot."

  • reply by: sjbfire on October 27, 2005

    Is this true for all the new 1080 sets that just came out or are they (Mits, Sammy, Toshiba) just ahead of Sony

  • reply by: coolq on October 17, 2005

    are there any experts who can please tell me, given the fact that this tv does not accept a 1080p will it display blue ray and or hd-dvd with the same quality as a tv which does accept 1080p? I know it is a long way off for networks to air 1080p but i am looking foward to the blue ray and hd-dvd down the road. The other thing that i can't figure out is why would sony who is the manufacturer of blue ray not provide a 1080p input on there latest and greatest tv? Thanks, coolq

  • reply by: tommyhaka on October 14, 2005

    I'm not real quick when comparing the
    technolgy of 1080i vs 1080p signals. I was on the phone discussing the issue with a
    sony tech, and a sony style sales person. Each agreed: 1)this is the best picture out there (full color image that is displayed onto the screen via an energy-efficient high output lamp (RGB Image 1920 x 1080),upscaled to 1080p). 2)at the present time, there is really not much out there being broadcast in 1080p. 3) cable networks, satilite transmissions are not capable of transmitting 1080p signals with the current formats and hardware that they now possess,there would have to be a reconstruction of cable company networks. Even professional movie cameras do not shoot at 1080p 4) the internal upscaler in the sony is great in quality. 5) the human eye, I am told, cannot distinguish a high resolution then 1920x1080. 6) this is just a humorous toss-in, but, who would buy a $4000 tv to play video games???????????
    7) I think the sony xbr1 technology will compare to the best for years to come. There is always gonna be something bigger, better, faster, lighter, and you name what else. That is the bane of the "age of knowledge".........
    The Prince, "TommyHaka

  • reply by: acrawley on October 8, 2005

    1080p HDTV is the ultimate goal. But most current sets do not have an input for a true 1080p source. Not only bad for gamers, but worse is the uocomming new HD - DVDs and Bluelaser HDDVDs. They can output a true 1080p but this set won't read it in 1080p. The set can only manufacture a "fake" 1080p from a lower resoulution source. Next generation will have true 1080p inputs.

  • reply by: drdu on October 6, 2005

    I bought a Mitsubishi DLP with 1080P chip and returned it twice because the quality of HD stinks. Analog programs are even worse. I'm now looking at both the Sony LCos and the new Panasonic Plasma TH-50PX500U. Although the Panny only has 720p HDTV resolution, yet has picture quality similar to LCD. When comparing commercials during a ballgame, the picture quality from the Sony LCos was better than the Panasonic. As for DLP TV's with 1080p, don't bother. Too many bugs still and may take another 1-2 years before TV stations are all into HDTV.

  • reply by: bigbluu on October 5, 2005

    If you don't own this, don't review it!

  • reply by: mosspl21 on October 4, 2005

    A TV (P) Progressive signal is better than (I) Interlace TV signal as in 1080i vs. 1080P.
    Currently TV stations do not broadcast signals higher than 1080i.

    Therefore thru Sony?s up converting the TV signals from 1080I to 1080P it would appear that your overall resolution is higher which is the highest of all TV signals. 1080P.
    Sense 1080P is not produce, Sony is doing us a favor by giving you the next best thing and that?s too simulate (1080P) progressive signal.
    At least I hope this will give you a better understanding to what Sony?s trying to fulfill.

    Thanks,

    DR Doss TV TECH.

  • reply by: HiDefBob on September 28, 2005

    Which means you cannot use a high quality scaler with this television! You have no option but to use the internal scaler. The question then is how good is the internal scaler? There is no way of knowing if an external scaler would be better.

    And 1080p Blu-Ray is a possibility!

    So is this a deal breaker for me ... possibly.

  • reply by: idwk on September 27, 2005

    this TV, unfortunately is not capable of 1080p at all. It does not_cannot upconvert to 1080p.

    I think Sony miss-steped BIG on this one...if the native resolution is already 1920x1080, it doesn't cost much more to make it 1080p instead of 1080i.

    if you're looking for an hdtv, hold off if you can for a 1920 x 1080 with 1080p tv. 1080p will be the *standard* soon enough.

  • reply by: Keithster Mcgraw on September 22, 2005

    I have verified with SONY Technical Support that the KDS-R50XBR1 is only capable of 1080i input regardless of HDMI or Component input. What does that mean when Blue ray units and PS3 are available? Is the picture inferior to that of a true 1080p input. The TV upconverts the signal to 1080p. What advantage do you gain with 1080p input?

  • reply by: aarevalo on September 14, 2005

    A little misleading to say "no true 1080p" since there are no sources that can produce a 1080p signal. That is, unless I am mistaken. It is quite commendable that Sony bothers to convert to 1080p. They are just sandbagging till the sources catch up.

  • reply by: EKInc on September 12, 2005

    nobody today broadcasts in 1080p. It is either 1080i or 720p. So, you can't receive 1080p from anywhere. About computers, there are no games today which would play at 1080p level resolution either. The question people should be asking instead "Is the picture any better, because it is a lot more expensive..."

  • reply by: seankirkpatrick on September 12, 2005

    I've been reading up on the various new models from Sony/Samsung that boast 1080p support. It seems to me that it is possible to accept a 1080p signal over an HDMI connection...

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