Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR9 LCD HDTV.

Features

Type: LCD
Screen Size (diagonal, inches): 52
Native Resolution: 1920 by 1080
HD Tuner(s): OTA
Backlight: CCFL
Rated Half Life: N/A
Wall Mount or Stand Included?: Stand
Dimensions (W x H x D, inches): 49 x 29.4 x 3.4 (without stand); 49 x 32.4 x 14.1 (with stand)
Weight (pounds): 57.1 (without stand); 65.9 (with stand)

Price: $3,400     Go to Shop for Special Price. 

Connections

Inputs: Video: HDMI 1.3 (4), component video (2), S-video (1), composite video (2), PC VGA (D-sub)
Audio: Stereo analog (3)
Outputs: Audio: Stereo analog, digital (optical), headphone
Additional: Ethernet (1), USB (2)


Introduction

Now for the good things. The Sony BRAVIA XBR KDL-52XBR9 LCD TV series features the famous Sony technology "Motionflow”. For a 240Hz refresh rate, The display picture and movement on the screen is quite surreal, especially on Blu-Ray 1080p. The color of this TV is well on the average, and the TV produces elegant fluidity of movement without losing the details of moving images which appear real to the eye. The black levels are very dark, the whites are extremely light, and the relationship between the contrast levels are in the extreme. This leads to uniformity excellent screen, and a complete amazing picture. Also internet connectivity, the KDL-XBR9 broadband offering, which has built BRAVIA Internet Video capability. This allows you be able to select the demand for movie, shows, music and more. It can also create your own unique experience in selecting and choosing the widgets you can use that contain the latest news, weather, sports and more still all on your TV screen. The  XBR KDL-52XBR9 LCD TV offers many interactive features. As mentioned previously, these TVs have Yahoo Widgets - Internet content powered by information modules that can be downloaded and activated right on your TV screen. Unfortunately, our review sample did not always active widgets, we can not comment on how they played - especially if they were more sensitive than what we have lived with UN46B7000 equipped Samsung Widgets. We update this review when widgets are allowed, but in the meantime you can read our full review of Yahoo Widgets review for more information.



In addition to the widget, the  XBR KDL-52XBR9 offers virtually all the features of the Bravia Internet video link included - no need to buy the box now: $ 199. The most interesting feature has access to Amazon Video On Demand, including videos in high definition. Amazon VOD has worked well in our tests, we have already waited 20 seconds for the store to load (more than once, the loading screen actually gave us a "time out" message before finally forthcoming) even though we lost to be able to see excerpts - the service on television and Panasonic VieraCast and Roku allows extracts, while the BIVL and TiVo, for example, is not the case. Videophiles love the eseem that the image settings can be modified for online video content from Sony, as for other inputs. On the other hand, we have collected more than a few bugs with the system, as when a screen of images failed to load.
The free,non- Amazon content includes YouTube (where almost all functionality is provided), Sports Illustrated (not sports highlights - any movie clip swimsuit model, when we checked), and many online video sources less convincing, there including Minisode Network, blip.tv, style.com, howcast.com, and many video podcasts. In most cases, the video quality is generally worse, especially on the big screen - has been designed for the web, after all. The plus side is free, and in many cases, it is always better than what is actually on television.
Free videos from CBS generally offer better video quality in most cases, but despite Watch free full episodes  slogan next to the CBS logo in the menu, do not expect anything close to TV.com, The official portal of the Network Web for full TV episodes. Instead it is a perplexing hodgepodge of clips and rare full episode as the last "CSI: NY" - but not before. The worst experience was when we chosen "Harper's Island" and found 23 separate clips of 2 minutes, which together may have been the whole episode - but we did not have the patience to discover that, like every clip ends with a promo CBS. We wish there was a possibility to order the entire episode, but the system seems designed to thwart this kind of satisfaction. For more information, see the complete overhaul of the BRAVIA Internet Video Link. It mainly reflects the experience we had with XBR9, even if the TV has been less lazy and not via the My Yahoo BIVL described in the notice - probably to avoid overlap with the widgets. (Note: CNET is a division of CBS Interactive .)

Real-World Performance

Another great test of frame interpolation occurs near the beginning of cars on Blu-ray, when Lightning McQueen is profiled during the race. For a few seconds, McQueen is facing a series of bright blue lights in a PiP display, and the lights may seem splotch if frame interpolation is involved. The KDL-52XBR9, it was clean as a whistle with Motionflow set to standard or high. Each setting detailed sharpened motion sequences certainly the race. In fact, I saw no difference between these two setting for all my tests.
The Stargate: Continuum Blu-ray has supreme test of black level and great shadow detail. The black level of space in the opening title sequence looked deep enough, and does not last long enough to cause the decline of black level I' ve seen before. Shadow detail in Chapter 3 that the Achilles steam across the Atlantic was adequate but not stellar. Otherwise, details and brilliant color.



Then it was The Patriot Blu-ray. The fields of green wheat and yellow, Golden Sun late afternoon, the red British uniforms and skintones were rich and vibrant, perhaps a bit "too busy, so I lowered the color saturation in a few clicks . particular herb, the texture of wood and stone buildings, and freckles and pores of the face has been suspended, and shadow detail in the scene that night scens British search the plantation has been very good.
Then I turned to DVDs and watched some of Moulin Rouge. This title has riot of color, especially girl’s costumes dance-hall, which were  natural skintones. Similarly, particularly in the plans of flying to Paris was as good as the DVD itself, and shadow detail in the squalid apartment Christian had nothing to sneeze at. In addition to Blu-ray and DVD, I watched a bit of online content. I connected the TV ‘s Ethernet jack to the studio’s broadband connection, which provides download speeds of 6 megabits per second. The first time I tried to access that content, the TV displays a message that requires an firmware update, which took about 15 minutes. After that, it took a few minutes to fill out the short video on the Internet with pointers to the content available.

Conclusion
Reference : hometheatermag.com


The KDL-52XBR9 HDTV has an LCD screen Nice. Its black level is lower than most conventional LCD backlight, shadow detail is very good in general and overall details and colors are excellent. And its 240 Hz frame interpolation does a great job of sharpening motion blur. The calibration drift should not be a problem with all of the total production.
Not even a fan of the XMB menu system, if Sony has slightly improved in this generation. And I am absolutely a fan of online content that I have seen so far. Finally, the apparent change in dynamic that I saw after I upgraded the firmware the second was a bit concerned. But in all other respects, this is a competitor worthy of your flat- panel dollars.