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Eyes-on: Sony's XBR10 LCD and its wireless video streaming box

by Richard Lawler posted Sep 9th 2009 at 7:23PM


We know, it's easy to be distracted by the sexy, slim BRAVIA LCD HDTV in front of you, but refocus your eyes for a moment on that unassuming box to the lower right. Given a distinct lack of (read: none) media inputs on the screen itself, that little devices is where all your HDMI, coax and other video sources will be going. With it's $5,000 pricetag the ability to hide DVR's, game consoles and whatever else well away from the television itself is a major selling point so feel free to peruse these pictures (no iPhone comparisons, we promise) and get familiar before this set hits shelves in October.

Gallery: Sony XBR10 wireless LCD HDTV eyes-on

Sony goes in a cheaper direction with wireless XBR10 BRAVIA LCDs

by Richard Lawler posted Sep 9th 2009 at 5:00PM


Proudly rocking the XBR10 nameplate, this is the latest Sony BRAVIA (peep the video from its Japanese launch), though the potential to be greatest is up for debate. These 52- and 42-inch models skip over the company's well received (but expensive) Triluminos LED technology for cheaper edge lit LEDs like Samsung. Sony is taking advantage of the tech's slim frames to include wireless HD streaming -- you'll be plugging set-top boxes, game consoles and other video sources into a separate media box, plugging in anything other than AC would ruin the style. Still, it's hard to see many people deciding that wireless HD, Internet powered TV Guide, BRAVIA Engine 3 processing, Motionflow 240Hz, video streaming from Amazon, YouTube and Netflix and Sony's version of Yahoo! Widgets is enough to overcome a serious case of sticker shock. The KDL-52XBR10 and KDL-46XBR10 arrive in October with $5,000 and $4,500 MSRPs, respectively; over a thousand bucks north of comparable, wireless-less Samsung models featuring the same backlighting tech. That Sony brand and experience worth the difference to you?

Continue reading Sony goes in a cheaper direction with wireless XBR10 BRAVIA LCDs

Upcoming Sony LCDs opt for cheaper motion, backlighting tech

by Richard Lawler posted Jul 27th 2009 at 3:17PM

Waiting on the next generation of Sony LED-backlit LCDs? FlatpanelsHD has some information on the next edition of Sony's BRAVIA sets, dubbed in the UK as the X5500. The key difference here is instead of the company's current Motionflow tech and Triluminos LED backlighting, these sets will opt for Black Frame Insertion technology to up the Hz rate, and while it's still a local dimming LED set, white LEDs will come inside instead of the previous three color setup, reducing cost, but also image quality. Of course, DLNA and AppliCast widget support will all be part of the package, so if you, like us, were looking for a cheaper alternative to Sony's high end sets you'll also be keeping an eye out for these to debut around IFA 2009 in September.

Sony explains its LEDs, doesn't lower the price

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 13th 2009 at 10:13PM


Sure the BRAVIA XBR8 series LCDs have been on the shelf for a few months now, but if glowing reviews of these good looking but pricey sets haven't convinced you, the magic of YouTube lets us experience the details of Triluminos technology without talking to someone on commission. Check out the videos, upped by Sony Canada, embedded after the break, but if you're having trouble picking the pricey BRAVIA over other LED, laser or plasma competition we're not sure if even Clarissa could help make up your mind.

[Via Sony Insider]

Continue reading Sony explains its LEDs, doesn't lower the price

Sony's 52-inch BRAVIA KDL-52XBR6 gets reviewed

by Darren Murph posted Oct 10th 2008 at 6:34AM


Sony's XBR6 series won over hearts long before they even went up for pre-order, but now that they've begun to filter out, you're probably wondering if the image quality is as stunning as the overall design. The lucky souls over at CNET were able to feast their retinas on this 52-incher for awhile, and when time came to pen the review, they had only a few negative things to say. The only knocks were the high price, intermittent color accuracy issues and below-average screen uniformity, but those downfalls were (generally) overshadowed by the accurate color temperature / decoding, bountiful array of ports and energy efficiency. Moreover, this HDTV produced the "deepest black levels of any non-LED LCD TV" it had ever tested, which is sure to thrill those who like it dark. Unfortunately, the bloated sticker ($3,699) and image quality niggles kept it from snagging a perfect review, but 4 out of 5 ain't bad.

Sony's BRAVIA XBR6 and XBR8 HDTV lines now up for pre-order

by Darren Murph posted Sep 13th 2008 at 7:47PM


It only takes one glance to see that Sony's new XBRs are mighty, might fine pieces of kit, and you've been holding off on a new HDTV purchase until it could be one of these, the green flag has finally been waved. Of note, the 52- and 70-inch XBR7 sets aren't quite ready to be ordered, but the XBR6 and XBR8 crews are ready for your love (and credit card number). Hop on over now if you're kosher with dropping $2,499.99 to $6,999.99.

[Thanks, Danny]

Sony gets official with XBR6 / XBR7 / XBR8 HDTV lineup

by Darren Murph posted Jun 5th 2008 at 5:24PM


Aw yeah, those svelte Sony XBRs that were leaked back in mid-April have just been confirmed by Sony, and it's going to be a long, sweaty summer waiting for the whole load to land this fall. Kicking things off is the XBR8 series, headed by the 55-inch KDL-55XBR8 and 46-inch KDL-46XBR8 models, which incorporate the outfit's TRILUMINOS three-color LED backlight technology, 10-bit processing, BRAVIA Engine 2, Motionflow 120Hz and Advanced Contrast Enhancer PRO. The 70-inch KDL-70XBR7 and 40-inch KDL-40XBR7 headline the XBR7 lineup, while the XBR6 features sets range from 32- to 52-inches in size. All the gritty details are waiting below -- if you feel like waiting 'til tomorrow for Sony's glacially slow servers to load, that is.

Sony's goal for '08: Outpace LCD market growth

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 18th 2008 at 6:44PM


Sony's got every other LCD manufacturer in its sights this year (we know, we've got the roadmap), taking the stage of Finetech Japan 2008 predicting sales of 108 million units globally, and, through investments and "technological differences", being in position to take the lion's share of them. Sure in the U.S. upstarts like Vizio have grabbed a chunk of the market, and things are just as cutthroat in Japan, but beyond its partnerships with Samsung and Sharp, Sony's focused on growing partnerships with Best Buy, Costco and Wal-Mart to reach 15-20 million LCDs this year. Other than lower costs as production increases, and advanced technology, 2009 plans call for a 32-inch HDTV that needs less than half the power of a current model, and even more super-slim OLEDs.

Sony BRAVIA XBR 2008 roadmap leaked

by Paul Miller posted Apr 14th 2008 at 11:47AM


Good news for the pixel-starved: Boy Genius got a hold of a Sony's 2008 BRAVIA roadmap, which includes word of new XBR6, XBR7 and XBR8 LCD displays. We caught wind of the new XBR6 line at CES, along with the KDL-40Z4100 and the KDL-46Z4100, but apparently things are going to get much more interesting in August when the KDL-46XBR8 drops. New features include "Triluminos" RGB LED backlight, Advanced Contrast Enhancer PRO and BRAVIA Engine 2 PRO 1080p video processor. The XBR7 panels measure as large as 70-inches, and will launch in October, but sport features more in line with the XBR6. Everything is naturally 1080p and 120Hz.

Update: We just got ourselves sent a UK version of this roadmap. It's after the break.

Continue reading Sony BRAVIA XBR 2008 roadmap leaked

Sony updates SXRD line with five new sets

by Nilay Patel posted Jun 6th 2007 at 8:46PM


Sony didn't limit its Bravia updates to LCDs today, as it also dropped five new SXRD rear-projection units. Like the other new Bravias, the three new A3000 and two new XBR SXR sets feature 1080p resolution, Motionflow 120Hz high-framerate technology, and the x.v.Color extended color gamut system. The SXRDs also get Sony's new PhotoTV HD feature, which Sony claims "brings the look of actual printed photography to the set." We're not sure what 70-inch prints of our vacation photos would look like, but sure. The new units, which are 40% thinner than the models they're replacing, are also compatible with Sony's Bravia Internet Video Link, for streaming HD video directly to the set, and feature the XMB crossbar interface that Sony hearts so much.

The $3,000 50-inch KDS-50A3000 (pictured), $3,300 55-inch KDS-55A3000, and $3,500 60-inch KDS-60A3000 units all run the Bravia Engine EX scaler (which only scales up to 1080i), and have interchangeable-color speaker grilles, while the $5,000 KDS-Z60XBR5 and $6,000 KDS-Z70XBR5 feature Sony's "floating glass" look and up the scaler to a 1080p-capable Bravia Engine Pro chip. The A3000s should drop in August, while the XBRs are due this fall. Peep the super mod KDS-Z70XBR5 after the break.

Continue reading Sony updates SXRD line with five new sets

Sony releases nine new Bravia LCDs with XMB and Internet Video Link

by Nilay Patel posted Jun 6th 2007 at 8:07PM Breaking News


We glimpsed the future of the Bravia XBR LCD line back in March when Sony showed off the Japanese-only X2550s, and now it looks like that premonition was dead-on, as the nine new Bravias introduced today feature Sony's x.v.Color wide color gamut system, 10-bit 1080p panels, Bravia Engine upscaler, the oh-so-popular XMB crossbar interface, and compatibility with Sony's Bravia Internet Video Link to stream HD video directly to your set over the 'net.

The $4,300 52-inch KDL-52W3000, $3,500 46-inch KDL-46W3000, and $2,700 40-inch KDL-40W3000 all come flossing a standard brushed-metal case, while the XBRs feature Sony's "floating glass" look, Motionflow 120Hz high-framerate technology, and Bravia Engine Pro.

The KDL-46XBR5 and KDL-40XBR5 will drop in August for $4,100 and $3,300, while the KDL-52XBR5 model (pictured) will come out in September for about $5,100. Those looking to burn a little less cash can pick up the XBR4 series with interchangeable bezels -- the 52-inch KDL-52XBR4 will set you back $4,800, while 46-inch KDL-46XBR4 and 40-inch KDL-40XBR4 are $4,800 and $3,800, respectively.

Sony announces BRAVIA X2550 series, now with x.v.Color

by Richard Lawler posted Mar 28th 2007 at 10:55AM Breaking News

Sony was still rolling out new BRAVIA's this morning, with three new models in its Japanese X2550 line that should give a preview of the successors to the current XBR models we'll see here. The piano black finished LCDs all feature 1080p resolution, wide color gamut backlighting, BRAVIA Engine and Sony's new x.v.Color technology, and we assume, dual HDMI 1.3-compatible inputs to deliver all that many-hued madness. No mention of new 120Hz technology for these LCDs, but the expanded color space should match up well with other upcoming Sony products. All should start shipping April 25th the 52-inch KDL-52X2550 for 720,000 yen ($6,098 U.S.), 46-inch KDL-46X2550 for 490,000 yen ($4150 U.S.), and 40-inch KDL-40X2550 for 420,000 yen ($3,557 U.S.). Check after the break for another pic of that glossy finish head-on (apply directly to forehead).

Continue reading Sony announces BRAVIA X2550 series, now with x.v.Color

Sony's new BRAVIA LCD models, with IVL support

by Erik Hanson posted Feb 27th 2007 at 1:40PM

Sony's Bravia KDL-46S3000 LCD
In addition to new micro-displays and the Internet Video Link streaming device, Sony also announced seven BRAVIA LCD sets today. There are two 1080p-capable displays in 40- and 46-inch sizes (KDL-46V3000 and KDL-40V3000), three 720p sets in 26, 40, and 46 inches (KDL-26S3000, KDL-40S3000, and KDL-46S3000), and a pair of 32-inch models (KDL-32S3000 and KDL-32XBR4). The V-series 1080p sets can accept 1080/60p and 24p signals via their HDMI or component inputs, and have the advanced Bravia EX engine for higher-quality upconversion. The 32-inch XBR model has three of the 1080/60p/24p HDMI inputs, and uses Sony's Motionflow 120Hz motion compensation, which creates unique frames to help eliminate blurring and motion artifacts. All the sets have 10-bit color for more capable color gradients, Bravia's video processing engine, and Theatre Sync for control connection between compatible devices. The displays also utilize Sony's XMB Xross Media Bar interface. The XBR and S-series models will be available this spring, while the other sets will come out in the summer -- pricing has not been announced for any of these models.

Sony announces its biggest Bravia: KD-70XBR3

by Richard Lawler posted Jan 7th 2007 at 8:45PM Breaking News

Sony just announced its newest Bravia LCD, the KD-70XBR3. This 70-inch HDTV is one of the first to support the xvYCC, or x.v.Color as Sony has named it via HDMI 1.3. It's the largest Bravia announced and features 120Hz "Motionflow" technology to reduce blurring, like many of the new LCDs we've seen so far. The panel also features 10-bit video processing and Triluminos LED backlight. x.v.Color gives a color range of video that is 1.8 times greater than what was previously available, and is also supported by the four new Handycams Sony announced. The set features a 7,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio with DRC-MFv2.5, and is slated to ship this February for $33,000. If that price is acceptable to you, it's available for preorder now from Sony Style stores and several other retailers.

Sony @ CEDIA - 52-inch 1080p, 40- & 32-inch 720p BRAVIA LCDs

by Richard Lawler posted Sep 13th 2006 at 8:58PM

Remember the 52-inch 1080p and 720p 40- and 32-inch BRAVIA LCDs Sony announced in Japan recently? They have officially announced their US availability prior to CEDIA 2006. First the the big guys, the 1080p 52-incher comes in two flavors, the KDL-52XBR2 and KDL-52XBR3. The XBR3 has the high-gloss piano black bezel we know you love so much while the XBR2 has a silver finish. Both include BRAVIA Engine Pro image processing built around Sony's DRC-MFv2.5 for upconverting lower-res signals, and WCG-CCFL backlighting for better color contrast. They feature a 1,300:1 on-screen contrast ratio (7,000:1 dynamic), 8ms refresh time, with three HDMI and component inputs. Both will ship in November, with MSRPs of $6,800 for the XBR3 and $6,500 for the XBR2. At the lower end Sony has added two S-series LCDs also shown previously in Japan, the 40-inch KDL-40S2400 and 32-inch KDL-32S2400, both featuring a 1366x768 (720p) resolution. They have the same Advanced Contrast Enhancer (ACE) as the 52-inch models, with 1,300:1 contrast ratio (5,000:1 dynamic), plus "invisible" bottom-mounted speakers and will retail for $2,600 (40-inch) and $1,700 (32-inch) when they begin shipping in October. The 52-inch XBRs will have a fight on their hands with the similarly-spec'd Samsung and Sharp models hitting this fall.

Update: Added images of KDL-32S2400 & KDL-52XBR2 after the break.

Continue reading Sony @ CEDIA - 52-inch 1080p, 40- & 32-inch 720p BRAVIA LCDs





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