Impressive., May 21, 2009
This is a very impressive TV. It replaces a 34-inch Sony WEGA tube-based high-def television that I bought in 2003, and I have an XBR6 in another room.
Picture quality is very good. I'm not an expert and won't quibble about technical details. All I know is that I can see the makeup that doesn't completely cover the news anchor's face, ...read full review
This is a very impressive TV. It replaces a 34-inch Sony WEGA tube-based high-def television that I bought in 2003, and I have an XBR6 in another room.
Picture quality is very good. I'm not an expert and won't quibble about technical details. All I know is that I can see the makeup that doesn't completely cover the news anchor's face, and I can examine his dental work. That's probably more than I really need to see. :-) The picture seems to pop out into the room, and that effect is enhanced by the TV's narrow frame. There's a little bit of what I guess is called "mura" when there is no picture on the screen, but it's hardly noticeable and vanishes completely when a picture appears, even if the picture doesn't occupy the entire screen. Not an issue at all.
Sound quality is also very good. I use a separate speaker and amp system if I'm watching something where sound is especially important, but the built-in speakers here serve their purpose quite well and are amply adequate for routine use.
For me the most interesting thing is the ethernet connection, though this is not for browsing the 'net. Sony is still in the process of updating its internet presentation, but I have used the TV to download high-definition movies from Amazon, and it worked very well. Some competition in that space would be useful. Why no NetFlix access? (8/4/09: After an automatic software update last night there's a NetFlix logo and a message that NetFlix access will be available in the fall.)
With movies and TV programs available from Amazon and others, with the Bravia's expanding internet access, and with local broadcast stations offering multiple digital channels with different content, this TV could compete with cable and DirecTV. DirecTV's limited selection of pay per view movies just cannot compare to this. Also, the increasing capability for "a la carte" purchase of program episodes currently available only through DirecTV (or other cable or satellite providers) will reduce the value of my monthly subscription. Really has made me consider my DirecTV subscription.
The XBR9 can retrieve photographs (or music or movies) from my computer via my home ethernet network, or from a flash drive plugged into a USB port, so I'll be able to make lots of people view my photographs and slide shows! (Of course, seeing your photos on this screen in superb color and detail will necessitate another visit to Amazon to upgrade your collection of photography paraphernalia.)
One little quibble: there's a panel of switches located on the right side at exactly the position where I put my hand to move the TV on its mount (Amazon shows an image). Sure would have been thoughtful of Sony if they could have provided some kind of protective device to make it a little harder to accidentally flip one of those switches when I'm trying to adjust the position of the TV.
Finally, and this is important: I installed it using a Sanus wall mount Sanus Systems VMAA26B Universal Articulating Mount with Extended Reach for 30" to 50" Displays (Black). The TV has a lot of mass, and if the cables reach their limit while the TV is still moving, something has to give. So be careful to leave enough slack in the connecting cables to allow the TV to move freely throughout its range. That's especially important with the coaxial antenna cable that screws into its connection and can't merely be pulled out, but it seems possible that you could also damage other connectors, including the HDMI connections.
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I love this television, June 9, 2009
This is my first ever review and my first leap into the hdtv arena. I've been waiting for quite some time to purchase an "almost perfect" tv at a great price. Had my eye on the 55xbr8 which probably has a superior picture because of its LED backlighting. Also in the running was the super slim Samsung B8000. I ruled out the Samsung because of its...read full review
This is my first ever review and my first leap into the hdtv arena. I've been waiting for quite some time to purchase an "almost perfect" tv at a great price. Had my eye on the 55xbr8 which probably has a superior picture because of its LED backlighting. Also in the running was the super slim Samsung B8000. I ruled out the Samsung because of its limited connectivity and a review written by the owner of one which stated that the edge backlighting caused a halo effect around the tv in a darkened room. I decided to go with the 52xbr9 because of its moderate depth, hidden speakers, built-in internet video and widgets, and much more resonable price than the 55xbr8.
I've had this baby for 3 weeks and I'm still in the process of learning about how to get the best out of it. Out of the box, I was blown away by how great the picture looks. HD channels really come alive. SD channels are just ok. DVD's look great, with a little added help from my Oppo dvd player. Haven't purchased a blu-ray player yet. Built-in internet video quality ranges anywhere from outstanding to extremely poor. That all depends on the source content and your connection speed. Because of its florescent backlighting, this tv generates a lot of heat. The longer it's on, the warmer the room feels. The owners manual warns against enclosed installations and advises a free air space of 4 inches on boths sides and bottom and 11 7/8 at the top to prevent heat damage or possible fire. If you've been thinking about putting this tv in a tight spot, please don't.
I wall-mounted this tv in my bedroom above the dresser in place of the mirror. My bedroom is 12x12 and no, this tv is not too big. Keep in mind that probably half of all viewing on a widescreen tv will not fill the entire screen without distorting the picture, so the bigger the tv, the happier you'll be. My favorite thing of all is the pc input. I have it connected to a pc in the next room which has dual monitor display capabilities. The pc display quality is outstandingly sharp. I'm now able to lounge in bed and surf the net on the big screen using my Gyration wireless compact keyboard and air mouse ( all purchased from Amazon at a great price btw). I'm also able to stream all the Netflix movies I want via pc at no additional cost than my $8.99 monthly membership. Surprisingly, Netflix streaming video quality is usually very good.
The bottom line....This is a fantastic tv. Sound quality is very good for a flat panel, especially in surround mode. Speakers are on the bottom of tv (not the back) and are of decent size. Amazon had the best price and more importantly, they can be trusted. Black levels aren't quite as dark as with tvs with LED backlighting but the picture is still quite good. Shipping was fast. Amazon's customer service kept me well informed with the status of my shipment and Pilot delivery service was very easy to work with. If you've been playing the waiting game to purchase a great HD television as I have...you need not wait any longer.
UPDATE...August 1, 2009...Netflix will be coming this fall to Sony Bravia. They've already added the Netflix icon on the internet video menu of my tv. That's one more reason to buy this remarkable television.
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Good, Also Dissapointing, July 2, 2009
I bought the 52" XBR9 based on rave reviews (both consumer and professional) but I am sadly disappointed in it.
The picture quality is as good as you'd expect for an HDTV these days but the black level and backlighting are a let down. It gets pretty dark but not as black as I expected from a Sony XBR in this price range. The...read full review
I bought the 52" XBR9 based on rave reviews (both consumer and professional) but I am sadly disappointed in it.
The picture quality is as good as you'd expect for an HDTV these days but the black level and backlighting are a let down. It gets pretty dark but not as black as I expected from a Sony XBR in this price range. The back lighting is this TV's major flaw though. It is VERY noticeable. You can always see the backlights shining down from the top two corners in any dark scene of a Blu-Ray movie or in the letterbox bars. The backlight is also very non-uniform. In any dark scene or during a black transition you can see splotches of light scattered across the screen. It becomes quite noticeable when the camera pans across a dark room and you see the backlight splotches staying in place as the image on the screen moves around.
I don't want to sound too negative because I haven't compared this TV to anything else this size so I don't know if there is a better TV in this price range. And the XBR9 has a lot of cool features such as the internet widgets and the Digital TV Guide (which is great for people with basic cable like me because it is essentially like having a digital cable box with a guide and program information built in). The 240HZ MotionFlow produces incredibly smooth, life-like images that truly look real, though I prefer to leave it turned off and preserve the "film" look of movies.
The Sony XBR9 is a fine HDTV with nice features and good picture quality but I can't help feeling a little disappointed with the black level and backlight performance. minimize
52" Beauty, July 10, 2009
I replaced my 42" XBR Plasma Wega with this new model and believe me when I say that I LOVED my Plasma but it cannot hold a candle to the new XBR 9. The picture quality from any source just looks great. From cable shows to movies played on my PS3 the images just pop out of the screen. I did have my doubts about how well the XBR 9 would handle the...read full review
I replaced my 42" XBR Plasma Wega with this new model and believe me when I say that I LOVED my Plasma but it cannot hold a candle to the new XBR 9. The picture quality from any source just looks great. From cable shows to movies played on my PS3 the images just pop out of the screen. I did have my doubts about how well the XBR 9 would handle the fast action of sports or fast moving images but its just truly amazing how crisp the action looks with none of the 'smear' that I expected from a LCD TV. I read a previous review about how the Black was not Black enough, which I don't understand, with all the options on preset and custom settings I'm sure you can manipulate the picture to your hearts content. And I see none of the 'splotches' of lights in dark scenes or any other strange visual anomaly on my screen. Also this set has many input options, you'll be hard pressed to use all the inputs on the TV, 4 of them are HDMI. If you're looking to upgrade or get your first HD TV look no further - this is it. Well worth the price.
Just a quick note on the delivery -- I ordered the TV on a Sunday night and by early Wednesday morning I was watching it.
Edit--- After having the XBR9 for a couple of weeks I have noticed that there are some 'splotches' of light on the corners after a couple of hours of viewing, its very soft but it is there. It's only noticeable when the screen goes dark. It can be distracting to some but Im satisfied with the overall performance of the TV. minimize
I love it!, May 16, 2009
Internet TV works great! No more messing up with extra boxes, connecting PC to TV or any such stuff. This box just works! You can copy HD movie (.mp4 in h264 format) to a thumb drive (or usb hard drive), plug it straight into the TV (side usb2 port) and it plays it! No other TV can beat that. And with direct access to the internet, you can watch...read full review
Internet TV works great! No more messing up with extra boxes, connecting PC to TV or any such stuff. This box just works! You can copy HD movie (.mp4 in h264 format) to a thumb drive (or usb hard drive), plug it straight into the TV (side usb2 port) and it plays it! No other TV can beat that. And with direct access to the internet, you can watch so much stuff. Selection of for-pay movies in Amazon is very good, much more than on Comcast on-demand. Picture is awesome as well! minimize
(43 total reviews)