Sony BRAVIA XBR Series KDL-52XBR9 52-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LCD HDTV, Black

by Sony

Product Features

• 16:9 Full HD 1080p Resolution Panel (1920x1080)
• BRAVIA Engine 3 fully digital video processor
• Motionflow 240Hz
• Live Color Creation technology w/ WCG-CCFL backlight
• USB to view photo/music/video

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Product Description

Review from Home Theater Magazine

Review from HomeTheaterMag.com: Sony KDL-52XBR9 LCD HDTV

I'm still not a fan of the XMB menu system, although Sony has improved it slightly in this generation. And I'm definitely not a fan of the online content I've seen so far. Finally, the overt dynamic darkening I saw after my second firmware update has me a bit concerned. But in every other respect, this is a worthy contender for your flat-panel dollars. Read the full review at HomeTheaterMag.com.

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Product Description

16:9 Full HD 1080p Resolution Panel (1920x1080)16:9 Full HD 1080p resolution panel (1920x1080) accepts any high definition video signal and renders it with optimum resolution, so you can take full advantage of Blu-ray Disc™ players and Sony® PLAYSTATION®3 entertainment systems that can deliver 1080p content Motionflow™ 240Hz technology Motionflow™ 240Hz technology is Sony’s highest level of motion detail and clarity so you enjoy exceptional motion detail in sports, movies and games. Motionflow 240Hz technology quadruples the frame rate, resulting in a crisp fluid motion and a natural, realistic viewing experience BRAVIA™ Internet Video With BRAVIA Internet Video4 you can enjoy one of the largest collections of premium and free on-demand entertainment directly to your HDTV. Use your in-home broadband connection and the BRAVIA HDTV remote control to access online video, music, and more content from over 20 providers including Amazon Instant Video, YouTube™, Sports Illustrated, Sony Pictures, Sony Music,Slacker. Color System : NTSC 3.58. Tuner (Terrestrial) : ATSC Tuner, NTSC Tuner.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

143 of 149 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive. May 20, 2009

By R. W. Patton

This is a very impressive TV. It replaces a 34-inch Sony WEGA tube-based high-def television that I bought in 2003, and I have an XBR6 in another room.

Picture quality is very good. I'm not an expert and won't quibble about technical details. All I know is that I can see the makeup that doesn't completely cover the news anchor's face, and I can examine his dental work. That's probably more than I really need to see. :-) The picture seems to pop out into the room, and that effect is enhanced by the TV's narrow frame. There's a little bit of what I guess is called "mura" when there is no picture on the screen, but it's hardly noticeable and vanishes completely when a picture appears, even if the picture doesn't occupy the entire screen. Not an issue at all.

Sound quality is also very good. I use a separate speaker and amp system if I'm watching something where sound is especially important, but the built-in speakers here serve their purpose quite well and are amply adequate for routine use.

For me the most interesting thing is the ethernet connection, though this is not for browsing the 'net. Sony is still in the process of updating its internet presentation, but I have used the TV to download high-definition movies from Amazon, and it worked very well. Some competition in that space would be useful. Why no NetFlix access? (8/4/09: After an automatic software update last night there's a NetFlix logo and a message that NetFlix access will be available in the fall.)

With movies and TV programs available from Amazon and others, with the Bravia's expanding internet access, and with local broadcast stations offering multiple digital channels with different content, this TV could compete with cable and DirecTV.... DirecTV's limited selection of pay per view movies just cannot compare to this. Also, the increasing capability for "a la carte" purchase of program episodes currently available only through DirecTV (or other cable or satellite providers) will reduce the value of my monthly subscription. Really has made me consider my DirecTV subscription.

The XBR9 can retrieve photographs (or music or movies) from my computer via my home ethernet network, or from a flash drive plugged into a USB port, so I'll be able to make lots of people view my photographs and slide shows! (Of course, seeing your photos on this screen in superb color and detail will necessitate another visit to Amazon to upgrade your collection of photography paraphernalia.)

One little quibble: there's a panel of switches located on the right side at exactly the position where I put my hand to move the TV on its mount (Amazon shows an image). Sure would have been thoughtful of Sony if they could have provided some kind of protective device to make it a little harder to accidentally flip one of those switches when I'm trying to adjust the position of the TV.

Finally, and this is important: I installed it using a Sanus wall mount Sanus Systems VMAA26B Universal Articulating Mount with Extended Reach for 30" to 50" Displays (Black). The TV has a lot of mass, and if the cables reach their limit while the TV is still moving, something has to give. So be careful to leave enough slack in the connecting cables to allow the TV to move freely throughout its range. That's especially important with the coaxial antenna cable that screws into its connection and can't merely be pulled out, but it seems possible that you could also damage other connectors, including the HDMI connections. Read more ›

78 of 80 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Video Review: Incredible Image, Packed full of features! December 24, 2009

By D. Bowman

Length: 5:53 Mins

I hope you enjoy the review.

I wish I could show the TV's image quality better, it is amazing.

Please provide feedback, I'd love to hear from you if you liked
the video or wanted to see something I may have missed.

106 of 118 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, Also Dissapointing July 1, 2009

By J. Schmidt

I bought the 52" XBR9 based on rave reviews (both consumer and professional) but I am sadly disappointed in it.

The picture quality is as good as you'd expect for an HDTV these days but the black level and backlighting are a let down. It gets pretty dark but not as black as I expected from a Sony XBR in this price range. The back lighting is this TV's major flaw though. It is VERY noticeable. You can always see the backlights shining down from the top two corners in any dark scene of a Blu-Ray movie or in the letterbox bars. The backlight is also very non-uniform. In any dark scene or during a black transition you can see splotches of light scattered across the screen. It becomes quite noticeable when the camera pans across a dark room and you see the backlight splotches staying in place as the image on the screen moves around.

I don't want to sound too negative because I haven't compared this TV to anything else this size so I don't know if there is a better TV in this price range. And the XBR9 has a lot of cool features such as the internet widgets and the Digital TV Guide (which is great for people with basic cable like me because it is essentially like having a digital cable box with a guide and program information built in) NOTE: everthing about the image quality mentioned in this review was based off of viewing Blu-Rays or Xbox360 through HDMI input, not basic cable. The 240HZ MotionFlow produces incredibly smooth, life-like images that truly look real, though I prefer to leave it turned off and preserve the "film" look of movies.

The Sony XBR9 is a fine HDTV with nice features and good picture quality but I can't help feeling a little disappointed with the black level and backlight performance.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 52" Beauty July 10, 2009

By Luna

I replaced my 42" XBR Plasma Wega with this new model and believe me when I say that I LOVED my Plasma but it cannot hold a candle to the new XBR 9. The picture quality from any source just looks great. From cable shows to movies played on my PS3 the images just pop out of the screen. I did have my doubts about how well the XBR 9 would handle the fast action of sports or fast moving images but its just truly amazing how crisp the action looks with none of the 'smear' that I expected from a LCD TV. I read a previous review about how the Black was not Black enough, which I don't understand, with all the options on preset and custom settings I'm sure you can manipulate the picture to your hearts content. And I see none of the 'splotches' of lights in dark scenes or any other strange visual anomaly on my screen. Also this set has many input options, you'll be hard pressed to use all the inputs on the TV, 4 of them are HDMI. If you're looking to upgrade or get your first HD TV look no further - this is it. Well worth the price.

Just a quick note on the delivery -- I ordered the TV on a Sunday night and by early Wednesday morning I was watching it.

Edit--- After having the XBR9 for a couple of weeks I have noticed that there are some 'splotches' of light on the corners after a couple of hours of viewing, its very soft but it is there. It's only noticeable when the screen goes dark. It can be distracting to some but Im satisfied with the overall performance of the TV.