Customer Reviews
I love this TV!!!!!
I actually bought the XBR4 version, which I didn't really see much difference between the XBR4 and the XBR5 except for 0. I did all my research and shopped around for months. I finally had my choices down between the XBR4 and the Samsung 8 series. The XBR4 won out, just by the fact that it doesn't have a shiny screen and doesn't have glare all that much. The picture is phenomenal, it's great for playing my XBox 360 in high-def and it's got more inputs than I'm gonna use cause I got everything running through my stereo. No complaints here except that's it's pretty heavy. Hanging it would be a 2 person job, I barely got it up on my entertainment center. Other than that, this is the best TV out there,in my opinion.
Simply the Best!
I am a semi-professional photographer and I'm very sensitive about image quality. This TV replaced an existing wide screen tube TV that was working fine, so I was able to take my time and fully research a replacement. To cut to the chase, this TV represents the current state of the art in image quality. Period. No compromises.
First, as to screen size. Make sure you take the time to explore the various web sites that discuss the proper screen size for your viewing location. You'll probably be surprised at how large a screen is recommended. I was initially looking at screens in the mid-40" range, but after doing the math it was clear that the 52" was the answer. And they were right, this 52" is perfect for my viewing room -- you get immersed in the film.
Second, image quality. Sony has always been at the leading edge, but I carefully evaluated the competition. Samsung came close, and the Samsung TV was a bit cheaper, but the Sony had deeper blacks and more saturated colors; not by a lot, but it was noticeable. Now here's the important part. A lot of the TV's look great when displaying a Hi-Def picture, and that's what they have connected in the stores, but the proof of the pudding is how the sets present non-HD images. The Sony XBR wins this one hands down. It's not even close. Don't make the mistake of not evaluating the non-HD capabilities. You might be very disappointed once you get the set home.
My only complaint about this TV is that it does not have true picture-in-picture (PIP) because it only has one tuner. So the ability to split the screen and watch two channels at once isn't available. While I'd like to have that capability, it's a fair trade off for the spectacular image quality.
In summary, this TV simply has the best image quality available today. Connect it to any HD source, particularly Blu-Ray, and it will take your breath away. It's a bit more expensive than the competition, but saving a few hundred dollars would be a false economy. You're going to own this TV for years and it will only cost you a few cents more a day to own the best -- it is definitely worth the cost of admission.
A Quantum Leap!!!!!
After many months of careful product research and price comparisons I finally opted to go HD. Truthfully, I had second thoughts about getting rid of "ole faithful"-a 1999 36" Toshiba, which has not required one bit of maintenance nor experienced any downtime whatsoever since I've owned it. Nevertheless, the time came to jump ship from SD to HD, especially since I subscribe to most of the sports packages DirecTv has to offer.I chose correctly. The Sony 52" Bravia is a magnificant package-somewhat more pricey than their competitors-but certainly worth it. Outstanding picture quality and a very easy remote to navigate. Instead of mounting on the wall I chose instead to place "the monster" on a solid cherry finish console TV/components table manufactured by Hooker Co.It warmed the family room immeasurably and looks like it truly belongs. DirecTv quickly and accurately changed out the dish and receiver, and Firedog completed the install with my Sony surround system and combination VCR/DVD player.Trust me when I say you won't go wrong with the 52" Sony Bravia purchase.
Impressive
Pros: Easy to use and an excellent picture quality. Impressive look.
Cons: Above average in price but it is worth it if you enjoy viewing movies and HD programming.
I recommend the product without hesitation.
Best picture out there
With many choices in HDTV, the Sony is geared toward those who don't want to compromise. As the owner of two HDTVs, I put off replacing my primary TV until I could find one that would be good enough to last a while and would not be a compromise.
Sony has done an excellent job of producing a product that allows me to achieve that goal. But they met that goal in a limited fashion.
HDTVs took a while to mature. Standards changed, LCDs improved, and more choices in resolution became available. This is not my first 1080p, but it does give the best picture of any set I've used. The picture is clear and sharp, the TV does a good job of video processing and does not compromise the way other TVs do with many sources.
The problem I have is that a good picture alone is not enough. I wanted something that integrates well into my home, allows for good sound, and allows easy connections to other components. In that respect, Sony missed the mark.
The sound quality is not bad. I didn't expect great sound from the built in speakers, and realistically, people who buy this are likely to have a home theater system anyway. But the built in sound is adequate as far as built in sound goes.
The problem is getting to to other equipment. Sony provides an optical out that sends Dolby Digital/PCM to your home theater system. But although it works great when sending sound from the tuner, it sends only the PCM component when the source is HDMI. Yes, there are ways around that, such as extra cables or different wiring, but for ,300 is it really asking for too much for this thing to work as many users expect? It's not as if I'm asking for a built in home theater system. I'm just asking for a jack that works in a useful way, as other manufacturers already provide.
I could get around the problem by using the digital out directly from my DVD player instead. My Sony DVD player from last year had two digital audio outputs. One was coax and the other was optical. Sony's DVP-NS77H DVD player now sells for .99, up converts to 1080p, and even it has two digital audio outputs. Why did they leave the coax output off the 00 HDTV? If they could afford it on this year's low end HDMI DVD player, it's not as if it would have been a bank breaker.
With a missing output on this TV, I can either get a new AV preamp, or run more cables. But should I have to do that with such an expensive TV? And if I did get a new AV preamp, would the Sony make good use of it?
Not Quite. The TV is also missing a video output. Many home theater systems can make use of one for monitoring, and it would also have allowed me to use my VCR to record, since the VCR has no digital tuner.
Was it left out because VCRs are supposedly obsolete, or was it left out because the TV is considered too low end to have the features expected by a high end AV preamp? Either way, the circuitry involved is a mere fraction of what's already on their cheapest DVD players: something to take a digital signal, and output it to HDMI, S-VHS, component video, and composite. I'd settle for even one of them if I hadn't already settled for less.
Sony still sells things such as PS2 video consoles. Indeed many game manufacturers sell things with composite-only video outputs. Yet this TV, while able to accept three HDMI inputs, can accept only one S-VHS input, and none on the side connector. If you use the rear S-VHS connector for a VCR, that leaves one composite input, plus one on the side. And if I want to use the S-VHS connector for my relatively recent vintage Sony camcorder, I'd have to get behind my wall mounted TV to unplug the VCR each time. And since Sony camcorders have a special connector, the cable can't be shared as an alternative.
My kids got a Wii recently. It's neither Sony nor obsolete equipment. But it does have composite outputs. I don't think it's asking for too much to be able to use things like that or my relatively new Sony camcorder without juggling wires. I think for something as expensive as this TV, it's not asking for too much for it to be able to handle basic connectivity with commonly used household AV equipment. It's not asking too much for it to have things that they are willing to put on even the cheapest DVD players.
With equipment that it was designed to work with, it does a great job. It's nice to be able to press "play" on my Sony DVD player, have it turn on, have it turn on the TV, switch its input to DVD, and just work. It's also nice that it will turn off my DVD player if I turn off the TV. And perhaps if I had an all Sony AV system, that would integrate well too. But it's arrogant to think that customers should use only Sony equipment.
The remote control is adequate, but they could have done a better job of allowing it to integrate with other components. Even with their own DVD player, the TV remote has ALMOST all the buttons I would need. And it requires pressing a button to let the remote know if I am intending the next button presses to be for the DVD or the TV. That's to be expected in some cases, but in situations where it's unambiguous, it should figure it out for me.
Prior to buying this, I came close to getting a Samsung. The Samsung has a very impressive picture quality and I probably would not have felt short changed. The Samsung has a glossy screen surface, which can be a problem in certain living conditions, and I've had that issue with an older Pioneer Elite. I would not have considered that last point to be a show stopper, and the Samsungs still give you more on a dollar for dollar basis. But I'd still give the edge to the Sony for picture quality.
The deciding factor for me, though, was Sony's manufacturing quality. If something goes wrong with this set, I feel comfortable that Sony will stand behind me. With the Samsung, if I were among the unfortunate few who have problems, I'd be cursing myself for buying it. I might have spent more for the Sony, and will have to spend even more for the overall system to do everything I want, but I did get a good HDTV. I just can't give it 5 stars given the features for the price.
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