Sony XBR9 useful reviews

Amazing Picture for a great price., December 28, 2008
By Jeffrey Chang "Toyota Freak" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews


This is my third LCD set. XBR7 The first being a 32" Sharp Aquos 720p (touted to be the best at the time of that purchase). The second being a 40" Sony V2500 1080p unit. This third being the 40" XBR7. Oh my have things changed over the years.

In the comparison of apples to apples (V-series from 2 years back against the current XBR7), the difference in picture quality is amazing. The color contrast is better (without the need to be in 'torch mode'), and the "blurring" is almost gone.

If I am comparing the unit to another, please assume it's the Sony KDL-40V2500 unit unless otherwise specified.

Menus:
The XMB menu system is great. There is a bit of Sony lag when switching from category to category though. It's just in the animation. The function isn't hindered. The adjustments (that make everyone's heads spin) have some added comments to help you decide which setting is best. It's a nice added feature, but I would still use the best tool to adjust the set: your eyes. Many home theater "elites" will criticize all of the added Sony "picture enhancers" Sony has added. I would ignore their advice of "turn if all off" and simply adjust the set to what looks best to you. Of course, a simple calibration Sony baseline does do wonders: Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics [Blu-ray]

Source: DirecTV HR21 HD-DVR - Connected via HDMI to Receiver, then to TV
The HD content has a more crisp and clear look to it. The "MotionFlow" should be either set to Off or "Standard", as the "High" setting is a bit dizzying. sony xbr9 gives a smooth "flowing" visual effect which makes content look great OR horrible (depends on your eyes and personal preference). Many movies (HBO HD, 1080i broadcast, I think) look fantastic. It's almost as clear as having the actual BluRay. The SD content PQ has slightly improved, but nothing amazing.

Source: Playstation 3 (60 gb Launch model) - Connected via HDMI to Denon Receiver "Pure Mode" (bypasses any receiver processing), then to TV
Stunning. That is the word that best describes the quality. XBR7 The first thing I watched after setting up the TV was Batman: The Dark Knight. The detail in the dark scenes were quite impressive. Most LCDs will produce a very dark gray since it's near impossible to reproduce black. This unit get's VERY damn close in my opinion. Details can actually be seen in the dark scenes now (the V2500... couldn't distinguish much). Film content (24p) is best viewed with MotionFlow OFF. With the feature on, sony xbr9 looks like the main subject(s) on the screen are slightly popping out from the rest of the scene. It's Sony an interesting look, but it's not for me.

When gaming, there is no motion blur (1080p and 720p) that I noticed. The V2500 had some blur issues. The colors are crisp and vibrant. Details can be seen even in the darkest of rooms. This is definitely a noteworthy contender if gaming is the main function of this TV.

Source: Lenovo T500 Notebook via HD15 - Directly XBR7 connected to TV
Intel on-board graphics test... will test ATI Graphics at a later date
Everything looked fine. I was running the native resolution for the notebook's screen (1600 by 1050, or something in that ballpark). The text was easy to read. I haven't been able to do full resolution (1920x1080), but will try the next time I connect it.

Overall, this is a great unit. There were Sony very little gripes I had about the unit. It's near flawless. Some say the XBR6 quality is the same. I unfortunately didn't have the luxury of a XBR6 and XBR7 side by side for a true comparison. To save a few bucks, I'd recommend checking out the XBR6 also. The only difference that MIGHT exist is a 8bit (XBR6) versus 10bit (XBR7) panel... but Sony never indicates what the XBR6 actually has. Rumors have sony xbr9 that they both use 10bit panels and it's just hidden in the XBR6 documentation so the XBR7 will have a larger arsenal to market with. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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