Sony BRAVIA KDL-46XBR9 46" LCD TV

A Wow Item - Just Terrific, June 30, 2009

Just received this last week. Of course, Amazon beat any other pricing by a wide margin - by at least $500 for the cheapest store bought price (on sale) and I even checked some stores on a walk in and they were charging $1,000 above the Amazon price or more. Delivery was free and could not wait to get this set out of the box. I researched a...read full review Just received this last week. Of course, Amazon beat any other pricing by a wide margin - by at least $500 for the cheapest store bought price (on sale) and I even checked some stores on a walk in and they were charging $1,000 above the Amazon price or more. Delivery was free and could not wait to get this set out of the box. I researched a great many LCD's before picking this one. I wanted the very latest technology to ward off obsolesence, at the best price I could find, and am not disappointed one bit by this set. Easy set up, and just with the building's digital antenna, the picture is absolutely outstanding. There are many presets, but with a bit of tweaking, as it appears with most LCDs, you get a terrific picture. You can customize each preset if you wish. Setting adjustments are intuitive and the screen navigation is very easy. Sound is pretty decent as well, although I already have it hooked into my AV. I have already watched sports, television and DVDs and all have been as crisp, vibrant, without drag or latency, as I have ever seen on an LCD this size. The contrast ratio is just unreal and my eyes are still getting used to it. Plenty of input/output options including plenty of HDMI and even ethernet and PC connections. Having Fios HD installed this week and can't wait to see how it looks. So far, am very satisfied and would definitely recommend at the price. Thanks Amazon! minimize

Amazing picture, July 7, 2009

I bought this TV because of Sony's legendary reputation in beautiful pictures and previous experience with the XBR line. As expected, the picture is absolutely great. If you want amazing HDTV, then this set is for you. The TV has a very simple and understated front, which I like a lot. The Amazon delivery was great! Two men brought it into...read full review I bought this TV because of Sony's legendary reputation in beautiful pictures and previous experience with the XBR line. As expected, the picture is absolutely great. If you want amazing HDTV, then this set is for you. The TV has a very simple and understated front, which I like a lot. The Amazon delivery was great! Two men brought it into the house, put it where we wanted it, connected it, turned it on and checked the remote for operation. The deliveryman was familiar with the TV and went above and beyond by doing the initial setup, which admittedly was simple, but not something he was required to do. There are only two drawbacks so far. The stand is flimsy feeling and wobbles like a weeble if you bump the set. My XBR4 had a rock solid stand. I just attached a cable to the wall for piece of mind (didn't want it falling on the grand kids). The second thing is a lack of PIP or P&P, both of which were on my KDL40XBR4. Bottom line--love it so far. minimize

Excellent TV but still wondering if I should have opted for LED or Plasma..., July 20, 2009

I got this TV two weeks ago. As an admitted unapologetic Sony "fanboy" I had high expectations. The display is beautiful especially when viewing blu-ray's or HD sources. However in an extremely dark scene it is evident that LCD's still have a ways to go when it comes to contrasting blacks. I have played around with settings and even adjusted...read full review I got this TV two weeks ago. As an admitted unapologetic Sony "fanboy" I had high expectations. The display is beautiful especially when viewing blu-ray's or HD sources. However in an extremely dark scene it is evident that LCD's still have a ways to go when it comes to contrasting blacks. I have played around with settings and even adjusted the custom setting to those recommended in CNet's review of the TV but it still leaves much to be desired.

Pros:

Excellent response time and display when viewing HD sources.

A lot of options for customizing to fit your personal taste.

A ton of extras (mostly accessed if/when you hook your TV up to your home internet network). The widgets and video on demand are fun features but likely not something that will be for the average user.

Cons: Black contrasts still aren't near the level displayed in Plasmas and the LED technology also looks to be a major improvement in this area.

Display of SD (standard definition/non HD) content leaves much to be desired. Going from an old Sony 36" CRT HDTV (HS510) standard definition played extremely well on that model and HD sources looked great also. On this model (like with most LCD's) the SD sources look worse than they normally do on non HD tubes.

One area that I have yet to decide if it is a pro or a con is the input jacks. The back only has one HDMI input where as the side has 3. I really think Sony should have put two on the back and two on the side but at least the ones on the side are recessed enough to where the wires aren't visible unless you are standing near the side of the tv.

I have already gotten compliments on the glass bezel that surrounds the screen and this tv definitely passes the "eye test" as far as attractiveness. The SONY logo at the bottom can be dimmed or turned off if you find it distracting (I thought this was a nice touch).

I am happy with the purchase but all-in-all if I had to do it over I might wait for a 240Hz LED model by Sony or opt for a Plasma from a competitor. minimize

Wonderful TV, September 11, 2009

Tried the LG 47 inch LH40 and then the Samsung 46 inch LED B6000. Had both for about two weeks before returning them. The Sony not only has more features but has a much better and consistent picture than the previous two. The LG has a major lip synch problem and the Samsung had a great picture as long as you were in front of it. Anything...read full review Tried the LG 47 inch LH40 and then the Samsung 46 inch LED B6000. Had both for about two weeks before returning them. The Sony not only has more features but has a much better and consistent picture than the previous two. The LG has a major lip synch problem and the Samsung had a great picture as long as you were in front of it. Anything slightly to the side and the picture was unwatchable. The sound on this Tv is great as well. Definately a wonderful TV and I strongly recommend it. minimize

sony kdl-46xbr9, August 17, 2009

i have owned sony televisions for more than 25 years and was very happy with my recent purchase. the picture is beautiful. a nice feature is if you are switching between ps3 players and other attachments the tv indicates which input jacks are active so you dont waste a lot of time. i still haven't figured out a simple way to set the sleep...read full review i have owned sony televisions for more than 25 years and was very happy with my recent purchase. the picture is beautiful. a nice feature is if you are switching between ps3 players and other attachments the tv indicates which input jacks are active so you dont waste a lot of time. i still haven't figured out a simple way to set the sleep timer. the old sony's had a button on the remote for that function. if you have an old sony, the remote will work with this set. i'm sure that if i had more time to read the owner's manual i could figure it out quickly. i would recommend this television to friends and family. minimize