Buying Guide:
Product Review: Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4 LCD TV
Introduction
Note: This product review specifically covers the Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4. However, this review also encompasses the Sony Bravia KDL-46XBR4 since the only difference is the size of the screen, in addition to the fact that I have experience with both models.After a long process of reading countless reviews, weighing the pros and cons of Plasma versus LCD, and waiting for the right deal to drop in my lap, I recently purchased Sony's flagship LCD model: the Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4. I had been waiting to see how the introduction of Sony's new line of XBR's (aside from the XBR5, which is essentially the same model but with some cosmetic changes) as well as the downward pressure of prices in the coming months (such as the struggling retail environment in the U.S. market, upcoming holiday season, in addition to other competitive forces) would affect the price of the XBR4, but a deal came along that I felt would insulate me in relation to any bargain that would come up over the next several months, at a minumum. So I pulled the trigger...
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It's funny, because a good friend of mine was able to get in on a deal for the 46" version of the XBR4 that I just narrowly missed. My heart was always set on the 52", however, so I guess it wasn't meant to be. Within a couple of weeks, a comparable deal had presented itself and I ended up getting the bigger screen for only a little more above and beyond what he had paid for his. So, I have the fortunate benefit of being able to experience both the 46" and the 52" models -- and my review will cover them both. Since they are identical other than size, there isn't really a need to review them independently anyways.
What's In the Box: Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4
- TV (but of course!)
- Remote Control
- Batteries (type AA x2)
- AC Power Cord
- Operating Instructions (Manual)
- Quick Setup Guide
- Warranty Card
- Table Top Stand (already attached -- no assembly required)
- Harness Strap (to keep the unit from tipping over)
Manufacturer's Product Specifications: Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4
| General Features | |
| Television Type: | Flat Panel LCD HDTV |
| Tuner (Cable): | Clear QAM6 |
| Tuner (Terrestrial): | ATSC |
| Aspect Ratio: | 16:9 |
| Closed Captions (CC): | Yes |
| On-Screen Display: | XMB® |
| Weights and Measurements | |
| Depth: | 15.12" (384mm) with pedestal 4.92" (125mm) without pedestal |
| Height: | 35.04" (890mm) with pedestal 32.56" (827mm) without pedestal |
| Width: | 55.71" (1415mm) with pedestal 55.71" (1415mm) without pedestal |
| Weight: | 108lbs (49kg) with pedestal 93lbs (42kg) without pedestal |
| Audio Features | |
| Digital Amplifier: | Yes |
| Dolby®: | Dolby® Digital (ATSC/QAM only) |
| MTS Stereo Decoder: | Yes (with SAP) |
| Sony Original Surround: | S-Force® Front |
| Sound Booster: | Yes |
| SteadySound® Automatic Volume Control: | Yes |
| Voice Zoom: | Yes |
| Audio Power Output: | 22W (11W x2) |
| Sound Enhancer: | Dynamic, Standard, Custom |
| Video Features | |
| 10-bit Display Panel: | Yes |
| 10-bit Video Processing: | Yes |
| 3D Comb Filter: | Yes |
| BRAVIA® Theatre Sync™: | Yes (One-Button Home Theater Control (HDMI-CEC)) |
| DRC® MultiFunction Circuitry: | Yes (DRC MF V2.5) |
| Deep Color: | Yes |
| Display Technology: | LCD (178° wide viewing angle LCD display panels) |
| Game Mode: | On/Off |
| High Definition: | Yes (Full HD 1080) |
| Live Color Creation™ Technology: | Yes |
| Motionflow™ 120Hz: | Yes |
| Noise Reduction: | Yes |
| PhotoTV HD: | Yes |
| Video Processing: | Yes (BRAVIA Engine™ PRO) |
| x.v.Color™ Technology: | Yes |
| Convenience Features | |
| BRAVIA® Theatre Sync™: | Yes (One-Button Home Theater Control (HDMI-CEC)) |
| Channel Surf: | Yes |
| Clock: | Yes |
| DMeX™ Ready: | Yes (Feature Expansion Capability) |
| Favorite Channel: | Yes |
| ID-1 Detection: | Yes |
| Input Skip: | Yes |
| Label Inputs: | Yes |
| LightSensor™ Technology: | Yes |
| On/Off Timer: | Yes |
| Optimized Theater Mode: | Yes |
| Parental Control: | Yes |
| Picture Freeze: | Yes |
| Power Save Mode: | Standard, Reduced, Picture Off |
| Programmable Timer: | Yes |
| Remote Control: | Yes (Backlit) |
| Show/Hide Channels: | Yes |
| Sleep Timer: | 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, Off |
| Power | |
| Power Consumption (in Operation): | 320W |
| Power Consumption (in Standby): | Less than 0.4W |
| Display | |
| Display Resolution: | 1920 x 1080 |
| Native Resolution: | 1080p |
| Dynamic Contrast Ratio: | 18,000:1 |
| On-Screen Contrast Ratio: | 2,000:1 |
| Backlight Type: | WCG-CCFL (Wide Color Gamut - CCFL) |
| Inputs and Outputs | |
| 1080/24p Input Capable: | Yes (via HDMI™) |
| Analog Audio Input(s) (Total): | 5 (4 Rear/1 Side) |
| Audio Out: | 1 (Rear) |
| Component Video Input(s): | 2 (Rear) |
| Composite Video Input(s): | 3 (2 Rear/1 Side) |
| Digital Audio Output(s): | 1 (Rear) |
| HDMI™ Connection(s) (Total): | 3 (2 Rear/1 Side) |
| HDMI™ Connection(s) (w/ Analog Audio In): | 3 (2 Rear/1 Side) |
| Headphone Output(s): | 1 (Side) |
| PC Audio Input(s): | 1 (Rear) |
| PC Video Input(s): | 1 (Rear) |
| S-Video Input(s): | 1 (Rear) |
| Regulation and Standard Compliance | |
| Energy Star® compliant: | Yes |
| VESA® Hole Spacing Compatible: | Yes |
| Service and Warranty Information | |
| Limited Warranty: | 1 Year Parts / 1 Year Labor |
Instruction Manual: Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4
The manual for the Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4 is 52 pages in length and is presented in black-and-white color. The supplied manual is only in English and I'm not sure if you can obtain the manual in other languages. Like most Sony manuals I've seen covering a wide range of products, this manual is user-friendly and laid out quite well. Several graphics and images are included to help support the user's understanding of the material. The setup guide is fairly standard. The explanation of the remote buttons is pretty extensive and well done. The discussion of the unit's configurable elements, while detailed, doesn't help the fact that the menu is still difficult to navigate.Design/Aesthetics: Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4
I personally love the look of the Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4 from an aesthetic standpoint. The floating frame look is very appealing to me and I think gives it a unique, modern touch that's falls outside of the norm. I really like how the Sony logo is illuminated and "suspended" within the glass along with the other illuminated displays (please note that you can turn this off if you're not as impressed as I am).If you want to further the custom look of your Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4, Sony offers an assortment of bezels (the plastic housing encasing the television unit) in several colors. The problem is that they're quite expensive -- running around $350 directly from Sony. At this price, these don't interest me that much so I don't know if they can be had elsewhere for cheaper. You can view the bezel options by clicking here. I've also read where some people have had some difficulty interchanging the bezels and even some cases where they've experienced problems with the operation of their TV. This might be another reason not to invest in these, but it could simply be attributed to user error.
On the back towards the base of the unit, basic cable management accessory is supplied that you can use to bundle your cables together to help keep your wiring neat and tidy.
The supplied harness for securing the television is a nice addition, one that I'm not sure is supplied with all larger LCD's. It's essentially a strap that can be connected to the table stand and secured via a screw at the other end of the strap to the TV stand.
As is typical, the table stand can be removed from the unit for wall mounting.
Remote and TV Controls: Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4
The Sony KDL-52XBR4 is supplied with a remote control that is capable of controlling three separate components. You're also able to operate the TV using the buttons located on the side of the unit. The long, slender remote comes preset to be able to operate any Sony Blu Ray Disc Player, DVD Player, and/or Satellite Receiver. The buttons are backlit after pressing a button on the remote, but also has a separate "Light" button at the top of the remote to initiate the backlighting, as well.Features: Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4
The Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4 obviously comes with a wide assortment of features, most of which are fairly standard to televisions today. I'll take a few moments to highlight those that are somewhat unique to this model rather than tell you about all of the stuff that makes you want to yawn. A nice feature that I like about the Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4 is that you can program the unit to power on and off along with your receiver. This comes in handy if you don't own an advanced remote control capable of running macros.A friend of mine owns the Sony Bravia KDL-46XBR4 model but doesn't yet own a traditional home theater system. As such, he uses the internal speakers for his audio. I have to say that I was really impressed by the quailty of sound produced by the internal speakers when I first heard them. We recently engaged in some gaming and the sound was very dynamic, crisp, and filling.
Picture: Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4
I see people swinging on both sides of the fence when they talk about the Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4 in terms of picture quality, especially in relationship to price. Some argue that this model is overrated and that they feel some Samsung models get as good or better picture for a lesser price. Others think you're paying too high of a price because of the Sony name. In my opinion, this is where this model puts itself head and shoulders above the rest in the competitive LCD TV space.Personally, I haven't seen a sharper image on an LCD to date -- and that includes the newer models that have been releasing. When I watch video content in high definition, whether through my service provider or on Blu Ray, I simply want to salivate. I absolutely love it -- the picture is absolutley outstanding.
Sure, LCD's still aren't quite up to snuff with their Plasma counterparts in terms of overall picture quality, but I feel this model closes the gap nearly shut. But all in all, I still think this is a better purchase decision over a comparable Plasma as I still have concerns about the shelf-life of Plasmas in addition to burn-in.
I think the black levels for this model are excellent. They are very deep and enrich all other colors portrayed on the screen. I do agree with the reviews of others that this LCD still lags Plasmas in this regard.
Even though the Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4 has a refresh rate of 120 hz, don't expect fast moving action sequences to be fully devoid of the trailing pixel effect. This model is far superior to any model that I've seen so far, but my basis of comparison is not as extensive as I would like to be -- so take that with a grain of salt. Regardless, you really have to be looking out for this issue to notice anything at all, which I deem to be insignificant.
Connectivity: Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4
For convenience, I do like that the connection terminals were included on both the back and side panels. This is a fairly common feature among flat panels, so it's nothing to jump up and down about. The picture to the left a snapshot that I took of the side panel showing the inputs that are conveniently available.
Calibration: Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4
This aspect of the Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4 is one that can (and does) overwhelm many enthusiasts. Putting it mildly, you're going to find that you have an endless combination of possibilities for how you can calibrate the picture settings the TV. Depending on how retentive you are about picture quality and a true-to-form color spectrum, you may want to consider enlisting the services of a calibration specialist or using some third-party DVD software available to help you configure your TV.Fortunately, there is a 145 page thread (and counting) on the Internet that is dedicated to this topic. Sorry, but I couldn't avoid the sarcasm. At any rate, you can read through this thread by clicking here.
Even though it's a large thread, it does have a ton of good information covering many different perspectives of Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4 owners. If you want to skip to the heart of the thread, I found an excellent resource that essentially is a summary of what is discussed throughout the thread. It's a matrix (in Microsoft Excel format) that lists all of the picture settings recommended by various participants in the forum. Many of these were the direct result of a calibration technician's efforts, so you're essentially getting your system calibrated by a specialist for free. My understanding is the the first set of setting in the spreadsheet are the most popular within the forum, so I ended up choosing them for my TV. And I am extremely pleased with the results. To view this calibration resource, please click here.
Sony presents its calibration setting through a new proprietary menu feature called the Xross Media Bar (XMB for short). I will compliment the menu feature in that it contrasts well with the background colors when it's activated and incorporates soft colors and a smooth, large font, which makes it easy to read. Beyond that, I can't say that this is at the top of the list of my favorite features for this TV. The categorization I think can make it difficult for the average user to locate items of interest. For example, items related to viewing of the video source are covered in three categories called "Picture", "Screen", and "Video Options". Furthermore, sound features are segregated into two categories called "Sound" and "Audio Options". I think there might be some opportunity to consolidate these categories to make finding things a little easier.
You'll find that many calibration options are nested fairly deep within the menu. You make have to select 3-4 menu options before you can get to the point of physically changing a setting.
It could be that Sony's menu feature simply breaks the mold in terms of traditional menu arrangements and that in and of itself is what has fostered frustration on the part of the owners of this TV (and the PS3 for that matter). Overall, I thought this was simply 'OK' and could benefit from some consolidation. Besides, unless you're a retentive videophile, how often are you playing around with the menu and tweaking the settings?
Conclusion
Arguably, the Sony KDL-52XBR4 is one of the best LCD TV's on the market, even with newer generation models hitting the market each day. It boasts all of the features you would expect in a high end television set released during the same time period and then some. This model does have some minor shortcomings in its menu system and does exhibit some minor pixelation during fast moving action sequences, but overall it's hard to the draw out the flaws. For the most part, you invest in a television for its picture quality, balanced with your budget -- pure and simple. And in my case, I have felt that this TV has met and exceeded my expectations. I have seen how this TV is capable of performing -- and I have to say I fail to cease to be amazed at high definition content and the vividness and clarity it brings to my source material. I won't become a critic -- it's like pure perfection in my mind.Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4 → Your Home Theater Design Product Reviews
