Customer Reviews

Sony Bravia XBR KDL-40XBR7 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This is my third LCD set. 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 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 "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 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. It 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. 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, it looks like the main subject(s) on the screen are slightly popping out from the rest of the scene. It's 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 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 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 it 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.

I've held off on buying a 1080P set until I could get what I wanted, and not just get what was just within my generally limited price range. My spouse set the size limit at 40" because of the room size (I would have pushed for a 46" but in marriage you have to choose your battles...) When I've gone to Costco or Best Buy the Sony Bravia XBR series has always stood out. Since my television sets generally last me 15-20 years, I wanted the most up-to-date version of the best I could get.

The color and definition of what I have seen on the set so far are wonderful. Razor-sharp imagery has always been important to me, both in my years as a film exhibitor and as a photographer. One of the first things I checked out on the new set is one of the "Planet Earth" Blu-Ray discs -- dependably gorgeous and detailed. Next, a Blu-Ray disc of 1938 "The Adventures of Robin Hood". The definition holds in the action scenes when men and horses are streaming across the screen, while the sense of dimensionality is frequently beyond what would have been technically possible with the best film printing and exhibition at the time the film was made. Then I looked at a standard definition disc of an early 1940s comedy (Criterion's edition of "Heaven Can Wait"); the upscaled presentation on this television set is beautiful. I grew up on nitrate prints from the UCLA film archive; for the first time since then I feel like I can see film imagery with a comparable (or better) sharpness and luster. As great as this set will be for HBO High Definition broadcasts and Blu-Ray discs, this is also a cinephile's dream television set for something like the new Fox release of Murneau and Borzage silent films due out next week.

I'm thrilled. This was worth the wait.

Everyone seem to start a review with " i don't usually write reviews" but honestly i don't.
I am an IT guy and i love electronics. Music and tv are my passion and this is why i decided to write about this tv, because i care.
Now as far as the 40-xbr7
Looks: Wow the most gorgeous, slickest TV i have ever seen.
Sound: Great sound even though i am planning to get a high end surround system later on this year.
Picture quality: I am very happy with the deep levels of black on this set. I like the work that 120hz does with the 3 different types of settings it has ( even though you can't chose a 120Hz ON or OFF option per say)I have ATT U-Verse which i absolutely despise and i think offers the worst quality of picture to day and i can't wait to change it. Having that said, the xbr7 has a ten times better quality then the 37" Visio that i have right next to it.
Overall positives: Great deep black levels, unbelievably warm colors, tons of options to adjust the quality of the picture, excellent gui etc etc.
Negatives: there is white "halo" on both top corners of the TV when changing channels and the screen is all black. This got me worried in the beginning and i hope it will not get worst in the future but for now it is just a minor detail. ( i don't know if the warranty will cover it or not"
Would i recommend it to a friend?
Yes i would.
Would i recommend it to a family member?
Of course i would.

Conclusion: Overall a great TV that does a very good job with regular channels and a superb job with HD channels. For the amount of $ that i purchased the TV it is well worth it. Ah and one more time: if you learn anything from this review besides the fact that this TV is just as good as it looks, Learn from my mistake and don't get ATT U-verse because you will definitely regret it.

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Update:
I have had the TV for few months now and it has surpassed my expectations. My primary objective was to find a tv that will do a good job at non HD channels and boy did i find one. I changed the Cable provider and now i have Cox. What can i say i still keep on smiling when i look at every channel wether it is HD or not because the quality is just superb.
Even the "Halos" "Clouds" they just disappeared and i have not seen them for over a month now. I would definitely give it a 5 star without any hesitation.
I love this TV and i would not hesitate to buy it again in a heartbeat and i am glad i stuck with Sony brand.

I bought this TV on March 2nd and it was delivered on March 9. Ceva did a good job, but the guy told me that he wasn't supposed to help me to mount the TV on my stand. Whatever the TV picture is spectacular; there are no words to describe exactly the picture quality, I live in a condominium where the TV signal from Comcast is free, the picture quality is great but note that you get 3 different kinds of signal when you have cable; analog, digital 480 and HD 1080i and the analog and digital makes a big difference, I repeat a big difference, now HD channels are awesome, completely breathtaking incredible....and Then I connect my indoor HD amplified Terk antenna and that's almost another word the image is perfect , incredible perfect. But the day after I received my TV I found on the hallway one of the cable company techs and I asked him about the signal quality from his company and we started talking about their service, the guy was very nice telling me ...never order cable service if you have a HD TV only use Satellite company , because the quality it's so obvious , he told me that the cable signal lose quality thru the cable instead of satellite everything is thru the air and the signal is 100% digital and 100 % HD. That's why I'm ordering direct TV. But I do recommend this TV to anyone looking for the best TV and the best quality TV, why I put it this way? Because I started doing my research to buy a TV like 6 months ago and I found that the best picture quality is with Samsung series 600,700 and 800. BUT there is so many complaining about quality, like features that doesn't work as promised, the frame peeling off etc etc and Sony Bravia processors make the image looks so great in standard signal or HD. BECAUSE when you are shopping around for a HD TV in your local stores note that almost all TVs looks great, almost every single one have great picture , WHY? Because those are connect to a HD air antenna, Satellite or Blu ray (which those 3 are HD signals) but when you take it home, the history is 100 % different because in the real world we don't have all the channels in HD the majority are standard digital signal. That's why a good TV and a good TV processor are extremely important, the capacity of the TV to make those standard definition channels look like HD channels, most of the HD TVs now, the picture looks excellent in HD signal, but when you watch standard channels on a HD TV is the biggest test your TV will pass or not and believe me most of the TV out there look terrible in Standard definition, because the processor of the TV doesn't have the capability to upscale the signal near to 1080i. Tell the salesman to connect the TV you are interest in to an standard definition signal and you will see that he will tell you that they don't have standard definition signal in that store. And be realistic.... You can find out there a 40'' TV for 649.00 but also there some TVs that's cost $6,716.23 or like the Sony XBR7 40 that the price list is 2,100.00 but you can get it here in Amazon for 1,400.00, Why there is such price difference in TVs ? Because technology cost, you get what you pay , if you want quality you have to pay for it, if you don't believe me , look right now for the cheapest TV here in Amazon . Recapping...you want the best picture? , well my best advised for you is to go for Sony but also get ready with your wallet because their best ones are expensive. Also I bought this TV because the price was the same that the XBR6 40. And the XBR7 have even a better processor and a woofer not a sub woofer. I hope this review help you to decide..Sony Bravia XBR KDL-40XBR7 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV

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This is an update from my previuos review and my pictures that I upload recently. Im so happy with this TV. that I have already for like 2 months. Im 100 % satisfied. two of the best features I like is that I can see my baby pictures from the USB memory stick or also my TV connected to my computer and then I can surf my diferent folders in my Pictures folder from the pc, its incredible that if my pc is off my TV will turn on my pc, I love this tv , the pictures in HD look awesome , like real life... Buy this TV , you will never regreat

Buying this TV is asking for trouble.
Here is my story. Started by doing a lot of research on a 40'' LCD within the $1000-$1500 price range. It basically came down to the Samsung LN40A750 versus this one. The sammy's got raving reviews from both customers and experts and it has more features (eg it's able to play movies off Ethernet and USB), and I think their LCD panels are a newer generation, but it's got one major drawback in the glossy screen. I'm a computer programmer and know how to appreciate a matte screen. With glossy monitors, even when you don't think about it, the glare is still there drilling into your brain. You may only notice how bothering it's been for your eyes and brain when you switch to matte. My HP glossy lapto drives me crazy sometimes.
Thus I was left with this Sony as the only choice.
Got it from Amazon for around $1380. Shipped within a week with CEVA (ok shipper, called before delivery). Opened the box, the frame looked like it'd been really roughly handled. Scratches and marks all over. I didn't even turn it on and asked the courier to take it back, which he did. Amazon promptly apologized and sent a replacement which arrived in another week. Looking shiny and new. After an hour or so, knowing what to look for, I see the flashlighting/clouding in both upper corners. This is a known problem that's been plaguing Sony TVs for a long time and especially the XBR line. Go google 'XBR flashhlight' if you haven't heard of it by now.
I talk to Amazon about it and they say I can either get a refund or talk to Sony and if Sony confirms there's a problem I can get another exchange. I call Sony and they confirm the defect (without saying too much; the rep seem well aware and immediately understood what I was talking about). They offer to send a replacement themselves. I ask Amazon if I'd still be entitled to a refund should this third replacement have the same problem. They in turn call Sony with my case number and come back with a yes answer.
Sony sends the third TV quite fast (arrived in 2 days or so) and ask me to send the previous set within 3 days or I'd be charged. So I got to have both tvs for those 3 days. The tv arrived by UPS and as you know these guys NEVER call and they ALWAYS leave packages at the front door, which is what they did with this TV while I was at work. Good thing I live in a relatively safe appartment building. The third TV has some of the plastic film on the frame peeled off at the corners. Apart from that, looks alright. This third one is made on October 2008, while the previous one was February 2009.
I turn the third set on for a while and it exhibits the flashlighting effect just as the previous one. Only on a somewhat smaller area, but seemingly with a little higher intensity (patches are even lightlier colored).
Btw, don't get fooled by people who claim this is only visible when looking at a blank screen (eg when switching tv inputs). I've played movies that had dark scenes in different parts of the screen just to check and the patches are there when the scene is black at the corner(s).
Also the third tv has got two pixels stuck to blue. The previous one had 2 blue and one white.
I send the previous back and keep the sony replacement for about a week, to see if the situation improves with break-in. It doesn't. I call Sony again to ask if there's any chance I get a replacement that's tested for flashlighting before being shipped.
They say that since it's been more than 30 days since I purchased the first TV (the one with the scratches), they can only send me a refurbished replacement and that would be indeed tested). I am apalled as I thought the 30 days period is restarted once a replacement is received. I ask if the one I have right now is a refurbished one too (as opposed to new) and he says that if it's been sent directly by Sony (which it was), it most probably is. My jaw drops and I'm losfer words. I could have gotten a new one from Amazon. Feeling like I got fooled with a dirty trick by Sony.

I haven't talked to Amazon yet but it seems the only choice at the moment is try and get a refund or live with the set I have right now.

Apart from all this the TV has indeed a beautiful image, very realistic colors and flawless details with both HDMI and RGB connections. Also the matte screen gives you no eyestrain or squinting eyes. Literally you can enjoy immersing yourself into it.

Anyone knows of a similar quality set with a matte screen, please? So that I know what to do with the refund in case I go for it?

I bought this TV in mid-March and was so happy with it that I bought a 2nd one recently when the price dropped. The high definition picture quality is fantastic and the standard definition is very good. I'm not an audiovisual engineer and I have not fiddled with the settings but it looks great to me. I did tons of research all over the web and at Consumer Reports and ended up here.

One caveat: it doesn't bother me, but I can notice a slight white tinge at the corners when the set is coming on with a black screen, or with a very dark scene showing. I believe this is called flashlighting and is common to all lcd's as I've looked around on the internet. It doesn't bother me and I never even noticed it until I was looking for it because of some of the other reviews. If you are much more picky than me this could be an issue, but from what I've read it sounds like it may be difficult to find an lcd that is free of this.

Pilot/Forward Air delivered and set both tv's up and I have no complaints. I'm done with Best Buy. I love this tv!

We have had our Sony for a couple of weeks now and have enjoyed it very much. This is our first flat screen TV and after a lot of Internet research and multiple visits to our local brick and mortar stores we chose the 40XBR7 as the TV that best fit our needs. We decided early on that we would rather spend more money on picture quality rather than a larger screen size. We do not have cable or dish, only broadcast TV and the quality of the picture is excellent. There is no jitter or jagged edges on fast action sports, skin tones and overall color is excellent on TV dramas. The sound quality is more than acceptable with DVD movies and broadcast TV.

If you want to have the largest screen size you can afford then a 40" TV is going to be too small... but if you need to have one of the best LCD pictures available, good sound quality and Sony reliability then the 40XBR7 is a tough TV to take your eyes off of.

I bought this to replace a KDL-26S2010. While the size is great and so is the picture, there are definitely a couple of issues with this TV. Maybe my expectations were a little too high, but this is supposed to be a top of the line TV.
1. The stand is small, little wobbly and seems flimsy. If I lived anywhere with earthquakes, I would definitely attach this to the wall or attach the base to something.
2. My old S2010 had the ability to enter a name for the inputs. This model only allows you to select the name from a list. If you have an XBox and a PS3, they both get labeled "game". Same issue with Cable/Satellite.
3. When I turned it on, I noticed immediately that there were "flashlighting" white patches in both upper corners. I'm amazed that this could get out of the factory with such an obvious defect. All they would have to do is turn it on to see this. I'm really disappointed with Sony for trying to pass this defect on to me, especially considering the price and supposed quality of this TV.

Everything about the TV is beautiful, the way it looks, sound quality, and especially the picture. This was the first time I purchased a major TV so naturally I did tons of research. There were several I was considering. Reading all the reviews was very helpful in my decision making process, which is why I am writing this review. I do not think I could have made a better choice. The picture quality is perfect. Everything was easily put together. I would recommend this TV to anyone who is looking.

I actually had no complaints with the TV...while it worked. However, 8 months after the 18 month warranty expired, the LCD panel began showing thin, approx. 6 inch horizontal lines of light. The lines got progressively worse and then two "boxes" of discoloration appeared. One in the lower right hand corner, the other essentially dead center. After doing some research, I discovered that this was a panel problem that was probably linked to solder coming undone. I also discovered that I was probably out of luck getting Sony to help defray replacement costs.

Sure enough, I contacted Sony and they did not offer, nor would they even discuss, paying (even partially) for a replacement/repair, instead recommending an authorized dealer come visit and diagnose the problem. Research had indicated that the cost for such replacement would essentially eclipse the price of a new TV.

While I realize this stuff happens, especially with tech items, one would think this was the exception, not the rule, with a traditionally quality company like Sony. Unfortunately, it appears that, based on the research I've done, their quality has gone down and they aren't willing to go the extra step with valued customers who are having the "exceptional" experience with their product. I will never buy another Sony product again.