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Sony unveils XBR10 LCDs: Superslim, 'wireless'

Edge-lit LED backlighting has allowed LCDs to get thinner than ever, but at some point you run into physical limitation; you can't make a TV thinner than the actual inputs. That is, unless you move the inputs somewhere else, which is precisely what Sony has done with its new KDL-XBR10 line of LCDs. The XBR10 series uses a separate media receiver to handle inputs, and it transmits video wirelessly to the display, similar to the design of Panasonic's 1-inch-thick Z1 plasmas. The rest of the features are similar to what's available on other Sony LCDs; let's take a look.

Key features of the Sony KDL-XBR10 series:

1,920x1,080 ( 1080p) native resolution Four HDMI inputs Sony's Motionflow 240Hz processing Edge-lit LED backlighting Quoted contrast ratio of over 1,000,000:1 Bravia Internet Widgets, powered by the Yahoo Widget Engine DLNA-compliant; stream music, photos, and video from other DLNA servers USB input… Read more

Sony XBR9 streams Internet video, costs a mint

Sony has always reserved its XBR moniker for its most expensive HDTVs, and the 2009 KDL-XBR9 lineup is no exception. These sets cost a bundle, and while they deliver plenty of features, including a lot of built-in interactive add-ons, they can't match the video quality of the best plasma and LED-backlit LCDs on the market, nor the ultrathin style of Samsung's edge-lit LED models.

The Sony KDL-XBR9 series exhibited respectable enough performance, to be sure, and we're sure gadget freaks will find a lot to like about its streaming capabilities and its Yahoo Widgets, but if you … Read more

Amazon has the Sony Bravia XBR KDL-40XBR6 40-inch TV for $1,418 shipped

Looking for a last minute TV deal before the end of the year? Amazon is offering the Sony Bravia XBR KDL-40XBR6 40-incher just in time. It's equipped with all the latest and greatest goodies, such as 1080p resolution and 120Hz technology. At $1,418 shipped, that's almost a thousand bucks less than the retail asking price. With analog signals being phased out in 2009, there is no reason not to jump all over this..

Till next deal. -JT

Sony's 240Hz HDTV hurts your wallet

With CES fast approaching in January, and with it a look at all the new TV technology of 2009, we've heard inklings of the next big thing in HDTVs: 240Hz. Sony has beat the other big LCD TV players to the punch, however, with the first 240Hz TV, the KDL-52XBR7.

LCD TVs with a 120Hz refresh rate are common enough these days. They refresh the screen twice as quickly as typical HDTVs, allowing TV makers to add dejudder video processing that smoothes out the picture, reduces blurring in motion, and matches the frame rate of 1080p/24 sources like Blu-ray movies. Of course, dejudder can make film look like video and introduce artifacts, and the benefits of reduced blurring and 1080p/24 compatibility are difficult for average viewers to spot.

Judging from our review of the KDL-52XBR7, the benefits of 240Hz are equally difficult to discern. The set did score higher on motion resolution test patterns, but that didn't readily translate into an obvious difference with regular program material.

What's easy to discern is that the KDL-52XBR7 costs a bundle: about $4,100 list, or currently $1,100 more than its already expensive 120Hz counterpart, the KDL-52XBR6. The 240Hz XBR7 is an excellent-performing TV, it's just too expensive compared to the stiff competition.

Read the full review of the Sony KDL-52XBR7.… Read more

The 10 most cutting-edge products of 2008

This year still has several weeks left on the calendar, but it's not too early to look back at the past 10 months and evaluate how we've progressed on the consumer tech front. Rather than look at the best products of the year, however, I decided to focus on the ones that were the most cutting-edge. As such, I've looked back at everything we've covered this year, and I've done my best to winnow down the list and come up with 10 products I think are at the cusp of... something. They may not be fully baked, and they may be overpriced, but they're at the forefront of their respective categories. Of course, I've surely missed some worthy products, so feel free to agree or disagree and add your own selections in the comments section below. … Read more

High-end Sony LCD deepens the black levels

In the contest for "best LCD," the main combatants for the last couple of years have been Sony and Samsung. We reviewed Samsung's LN52A650 earlier this year and liked what we saw enough to award it our Editors' Choice. Sony's latest contender for that award is the subject of our latest HDTV review, the KDL-52XBR6.

First things first: this Sony ain't cheap. But its ability to produce a deep shade of black is unmatched in our experience by any non-LED-based LCD or non-Kuro plasma, and many other aspects of its performance, especially its video processing, were definitely impressive. On the other hand, for that much cash we expected better color accuracy and screen uniformity.

Those picture quality issues swayed our decision making enough to keep the EC award in Samsung's camp for this round, although both scored the same overall and the argument can definitely be made that the Sony has the better overall picture, price notwithstanding. If black levels are your bag and you don't want a plasma, you can't do better than the XBR6 without shelling out gobs more money for an LED model.

Read the full review of the Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR6.… Read more

Sony shows off some of its latest HDTV technology

Kevin Miller, a contributing editor for CNET, was recently invited to Japan by Sony for a weeklong trip to show off some of the company's new HDTV technology. Among the highlights were Sony's new 4K by 2K projector, the SRX-R220, its new line of Bravia, and the XBR flat panel LCD HDTVs, a new proprietary wireless HDMI technology, called Bravia Wireless Link, and some updates on its new OLED displays.

Sony demonstrated its new Bravia XBR8 series televisions, due stateside this fall, adjacent to Samsung's LN-T4681F and Pioneer's PDP-4280HD from 2007. Kevin said that "the … Read more

Down the line: 2008 Sony Bravia XBR LCD HDTVs

This spring Sony released its mainstream Bravia LCD models, namely the 15-odd HDTVs announced at CES, and we've already reviewed two of them: the 32-inch KDL-32M4000 and the 46-inch KDL-46W4100. Today the company follows up by announcing the bulk of its high-end XBR-branded sets, which will be more expensive and offer a few key step-up features when they hit stores this fall. The main addition of note is an LED backlight, which is finally trickling down from the company's 2005 Qualia model and the $30K KDL-70XBR3. Below you'll find information on all of the new XBR-branded Bravia sets, from least to most expensive, and before you ask, no, Sony hasn't announced pricing.… Read more

Your next best TV is here

Now that we know which teams are going to the Super Bowl XLI, those of you who have been waiting for a good reason to upgrade your TV will have a little less than two weeks to do so. These four models below all got good ratings from our editors, and our readers also rave about them. However, it might be easier to decide whether you will want to root for the Colts or the Bears than picking one of these four great TVs. >> Mitsubishi WD-65831 >> Pioneer PDP-5070HD >> Sony KDL-40XBR2 >> Samsung LN-S4096D