1. HD (1280 x 720) Picture Resolution (LCD Chip)
2. 3 LCD Chips (R/G/B); 921,600 Pixels Each
3. Cinema Black Pro for excellent contrast ratio
4. 2 HDMI (Rear) and 3 Component Inputs (1 Side/2 Rear)
5. DRC MF-V1 (Digital Reality Creation MultiFunction V1) technology

Editorial Review :

3LCD Chips --- The 3LCD technology at the heart of Sony's Grand WEGA televisions provide a bright picture, with high detail and natural color. These three key benefits are immediately apparent when viewing a Grand WEGA TV. You can expect to see an incredibly detailed picture with eye-popping colors. Sony uses three tiny LCD chips (0.73) with a combined resolution of over 2.76 million pixels. The light from a high output UHP lamp shines into a filtering system that splits the beam into red, green, and blue light streams. Each color goes through its own LCD chip, which passes or blocks the light. The three beams are then instantaneously recombined and sent to the projection lens. WEGA Engine System --- The WEGA Engine¿ system is the core video processing system that was designed based on Sony's expertise and long heritage in bringing cutting-edge picture quality to TVs for consumers. Its fully digital signal-processing path includes video processing functions that have been designed and optimized using Sony's video experience to improve overall picture quality.

Customer Review :

Costly Repairs

I will agree with the other's comments about great picture. But I have had my Sony 55" for 3 years and have had to replace the bulb 3 times so far. Then I have pale purple and yellow spots in the upper middle of the screen. Thank goodness I bought the extended 4 year warrenty with it. those replacement lamps are not cheap, currently they run about 150 bucks. So this means that I will be buying a bulb every year for the life of the television. Dont think so.

Rating :

We Love Our SONY TV

We are more than pleased with this SONY 55inch proj TV. I shopped for an LCD and/or plasma TV.. but really got a lot more for my $$ with this TV. The picture is just great!.. even better than I had hoped for. The sound is ok for everyday TV watching,.. but to really enjoy movies and concert DVDs.. add a home theater system.

BEST OF ALL.. at Sears I got a super deal.. The TV was on sale for $1199.. plus I got another $250 off for using a SEARS card (paid it off the next week.. no interest). A few days later I found this TV on sale again for $989.. Called SEARS.. they gave me back $210.. so I ended up buying this TV for $739... what a deal!

Rating :

Really super TV, Great Value

I have been a Sony fan for years. Despite this, I let myself get talked out of buying a Sony HDTV in favor of a 50 inch Panssonic Plasma. Well the plasma picture was great but in short order it became obvious the unit was defective and I returned it. (see my review on the Panasonic)

So, when faced with the decision again on which TV to buy I went back to Sony. For some reason the sales rep at BB still did not like the Sony. She said if you get right up on top of the TV it has the appearence of looking through a "screen door". Well it's a 55 inch TV, I am never closer than 8 feet away, and can't see what in the world she is talking about. In the store the pic looked just as good as the 1080 TVs sitting next to it.

I bought the Sony, got it deliverd and WOW!!!!! Great picture, perfect viewing angles for all the seats in my family room, and it is just plug and play. No worries about burn in or image retention. This is the ultimate TV for watching sports. The picure is wonderful. The included speakers are also pretty darn good, but I do use my Sony Home Theater System now. Also hooked up my Sony Up-Convert DVD player, and Spiderman never looked better!

OK, why 4 stars???? DLP, and other projection styles TVs do not handle the shades of black as well as plasma, plain and simple. No a big deal for sports but a minor issue with movies. This unit does use the XL-2400 bulb, and I have found them online for @$150.

All in all, I love this TV. It was hundreds of dollars less than the 50 inch plasma and I love watching it. I a o glad I bought it!

Rating :

Good picture quality for the price you pay

This is the 3rd HDTV that I have owned in the past 3 years. The first 2 I've had were Panasonic's which did well for their time. I was blown away at the picture quality of this TV for the price I paid. It was on clearance when I purchased it and saved more then 30% off the street price.

The biggest improvement to this technology that I've seen has been the 3 LCD chips that allow the separation of the color bands. This provides more accurate color reproduction. Also with the auto iris technology that Sony employs in this TV, it vastly improves the contrast ratio of the set.

I've had the set for almost 2 years and have not had to have a bulb replacement (knock on wood). Although buying the 4 year warranty will save me the day the bulb does burn out.

Some people have complained about fan noise with these TVs although the noise level is not louder than a fridge or a computer in low power mode. It does not take away from the viewing experience in my opinion.

The only complaint I have is the lack of a 3rd HDMI input, but most sets these days I notice do not have more than 2. It'd be nice to be able to plug in my Dish Network receiver, Xbox 360 and my upconverting DVD player.

I didn't give this 5 stars because I do not feel it is the perfect TV, it is however a GREAT value. On the green side of things it takes less energy than a 40-inch flat-panel LCD.

Rating :

great tv for the price

Yes, if you are in the store comparing them side by side, the newest 1080p units for $800.00 plus or more do look a little better, but not that much. Got it home plugged it in, let it search for channels, in Dallas area we have a dozen or more, it found them all and they all come in perfect. Plugged in my sat rec, dvd player, great picture!! It is really a bargain too, I found it at my local Fry's for $1299.00. If you have to have the latest spend more. If you want a good all round TV this will do the trick!

Rating :

1. 16:9 Full HD 1080p Resolution Panel (1920x1080)
2. TRILUMINOS RGB Dynamic LED Backlight Display
3. BRAVIA Engine 2 PRO fully digital video processor
4. Motionflow 120Hz PRO technology
5. DMex capable

Editorial Review :

The Sony BRAVIA XBR8-Series HDTVs represent the next step forward for Sony HDTV technology. Underpinning this advance is the TRILUMINOS RGB Dynamic LED backlight, which utilizes clusters of red, green, and blue LEDs to produce accurate colors and an amazingly realistic image, and employs local dimming to dynamically adjust the brightness of LED clusters, allowing the XBR8 to display deep blacks alongside bright whites for enhanced image depth and exceptional shadow detail. Motionflow 120Hz PRO technology creates new frames to double the frame rate, then uses sequential scanning to enhance motion and deliver a smoother and clearer picture, and 24p True Cinema lets you experience a cinema-like experience. BRAVIA XBR8-Series HDTVs also feature the powerful BRAVIA Engine 2 PRO fully digital video processor, which creates sharp, crystal-clear images at any resolution, as well as advanced color reproduction technologies including 10-bit processing and a 10-bit panel, Live Color Creation, and x.v.Color capability. DMex functionality lets you expand the capabilities of the BRAVIA XBR8-Series with optional BRAVIA Link modules, including the BRAVIA Internet Video Link, BRAVIA Wireless Link, BRAVIA DVD Link, and BRAVIA Input Link (all sold separately). In addition, the exclusive Xross Media Bar (XMB) user interface, integrated TV Guide Interactive Program Guide, and BRAVIA Sync one-touch component control make the BRAVIA XBR8-Series HDTVs easy to use, and the large number of inputs offer you a wide range of connectivity options. BRAVIA XBR8-Series HDTVs also feature an RS-232C connection for integration into home automation systems. You can even customize the timeless design of the BRAVIA XBR8-Series by adding optional speaker grilles available in a selection of designer colors (sold separately).

Customer Review :

Great TV

I bought this tv a few months ago. It has a beautiful picture and I love the look of the tv itself. I currently own a 46 inch xbr2 lcd. I was disappointed that the bezel was scratched right out of the box. After reading some other reviews on the tv I found out it has a plastic covering on the bezel. When that was removed it looked perfect. Two minor areas of concern, the screen is more reflective than the xbr 2 which I don't like. Not sure why they did that. As some others have mentioned I do notice some motion judder that I did not see on the xbr 2. I primarily see it on the scrolling info line at the bottom of the screen on ESPN. Never saw that on the xbr 2 and this is supposed to have advanced motionflow. Tried the different motion options in the menu and nothing helped. I don't see any problems when watching program material on satellite or on blu ray however.

Rating :

Best Picture

Pros
The best picture quality available in LCD TV
Good sound
Non glare screen, great in bright rooms.
Full range of picture adjustments to fine tune.
Sony quality.
Cons
Weight of TV.


Rating :

Sony XBR8 55": TV can't be beat for picture quality

The 55-inch Sony XBR8 has a fantastic picture quality right out of the box. It looks great on the wall although not as slim as the new LED TVs. But remember that the XBR8 has a back-lit system which makes the TV somewhat thicker. But I will chose the back-lit picture quality over a slimmer look any day.

We then got the Harmony 900 remote to control the TV, the DVD player, the Yamaha soundbar, and the cable box. I would highly recommend the Harmony 900 remote to go with the Sony XBR.

Rating :

Kdl-55xbr8 doesn't compare to new breed LED LCD's

I got a chance to see this TV at the Sony store. It was isolated by itself, maybe because it is last years model, or maybe because if they placed it directly next to other screens, it's faults become clear, or rather... blurry.

When watching fairly static images, the color depth and richness seems to be sharp (pictures of flowers and whales, looked good as long as they were static images). I heard of motion blur problems and asked to see something with quicker moving images. After thinking I was seeing blur, but not sure if it was the TV, or the source media, we found something with scrolling text and the blur became evident. The Sony sales rep played with the menus and various settings/modes for what seemed to be forever, but the results never changed. The blur was always present with quicker moving images.

Unfortunately, it seems Sony has thrown in the towel after experimenting on this first generation LED LCD TV, and gone back to CCFL for backlighting. I got to see the LG 55LH90 in action, and it looked sharper then the KDL-55XBR8, and saw no motion blur. NOTE: I did not see the two side by side.

Compare the price of the LG 55LH90 to the KDL-55XBR8, (even if the price was $2,500), the KDL-55XBR8 would still cost more, and offer poorer picture quality.


Rating :

One of the best TVs money can buy

I've had this TV for about a year now. It isn't without some minor faults, but the picture quality is unparalleled. No TV is perfect, but until someone comes out with a 55" OLED or 1:1 LED backlight, this one will remain on top.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. 38 15/16" x 26 15/16" x 10 5/8" (989 x 684 x 270 mm) with stand; 38 15/16" x 25 3/4" x 5" (989 x 653 x 127 mm) without stand(WxHxD)
2. Requires cable or satellite set-top box to receive HDTV; wide color gamut produces deeper reds, more vivid greens, and cleaner blues
3. 1366 x 768-pixel resolution, super-fast 8ms response time, 1300:1 contrast ratio
4. Connections: 3 composite A/V (1 side), 2 S-Video (1 side), 2 component (Y/Pb/Pr), 1 HDMI, 1 RF
5. Two stereo speakers, 10 watts apiece (20 watts total); Dolby Digital decoding and SRS TruSurround XT virtual surround

Customer Review :

Great Picture and High Def. Too!

I bought this LCD screen a while back and it is in excellent condition. The one I bought is this same exact model. The remote is simple and the features are easy to use. It is very basic and great for everything. It's a good screen and I love mine. It's a good one if you're looking!

Rating :

How to fix your dead KLV-40U100M

I recently acquired one of these TV's from a friend who didn't want to pay for repairs. I was a technician with Sony for many years and while I have not repaired this product specifically, I decided to tackle the problem. This unit was dead, just like many others have reported. To begin, check the 5v line at pin 8 of CN19. If it is present, check for 3.3v at SW1 (the reset switch, which was not installed on these units). There will be foil traces on the board where the switch would have been located, just place your meter probes across these points. If the 3.3v is not present, then the cause is most likely the U24 Microprocessor Reset IC. This is a small three leg device (two legs on one side, one on the other), it is fairly close to the large Genesis CPU on the board. On my set, this Reset IC had a crack in it that was hard to see without a magnifying glass. As this part begins to fail, it causes an intemittent power on/off problem until the TV finally just stops working when the IC completely shorts out.

Since I didn't have the part available, I just removed the part from the board and the set came back to life. You can fix the TV by just removing the part, however, it may come on sometime in a random mode due to the lack of a reset pulse to the CPU. So far, mine has worked perfectly without this IC. I've done a little research and found out that Sony does not sell this part, they want to sell you the entire board for a small component failure! People on Ebay are selling "repaired" boards, most likely they are also just removing the IC and charging $75 - $100 to do it. This part, ASM810JEURF, is not available in small quantities anywhere that I've been able to find.

I posted this fix on another website, Agoraquest, for others to benefit from, but I thought I'd share it here since I know many people look at Amazon first for information. If you want more details, go to that website and read more. I am researching a replacement for this IC and will post back when I find one. I recently received a production test sample part that I will install in my set when I get a chance and report the part number here if it works. I hope this information helps someone to fix their dead set without having to spend money on it. This is a very nice set when it works!

Rating :

Great tv

I have had this tv for a couple of weeks and it has performed very well so far. HD picture quality is incredible. SD picture quality is pretty good. For now that's the trade off. I was pleasantly surprised by the sound quality of the speakers too.

I had trouble figuring out how to take off the stand as well. Curiously it's not even mentioned in the manual. Over the phone customer support was completely useless. I found out how to remove the stand after some digging on the Sony website. You DO NOT have to remove the entire back panel to take off the stand as stated by another reviewer. That is what Sony told me over the phone and I didn't buy it. There are 10 screws on the back of the tv near the center at the bottom. The 8 screws closest to the bottom center of the tv have to be removed and then the stand can be pulled off.

Rating :

WOW - Great TV, Great Price

Works and looks great, have it for a 2 weeks, so far its the best tv I've ever had

Rating :

Beware of problems with the "U" series Bravia LCD tvs

I've owned a Sony Bravia KLV40U100M 40 inch LCD tunerless tv for about 4 months. The TV was great when I first got it set up and I had no problems with it for about 2 months. Suddenly, the TV started turning itself off and then turning back on by itself. It would do this once or twice a day while on. At first, it didn't worry me too much, but after a month the problem started occuring more frequently. After calling Sony and troubleshooting, I was told that it would need repair. I did some research online and found a lot of other owners complaining of the same problem. The TV will eventually die. Apparently, it's a well-known issue with the "U" series tvs and it requires replacing the board, which is usually expensive and on back-order. Many people who receivd replacement tvs had the same thing happen with the new one! The TV has a great picture, but I would never had purchased it if I had known about this issue. Sony acts like they don't even know about problem! Think twice before purchasing this TV!

Rating :

More reviews...

1. Vivid, high-definition, slim-chassis LCD projection television with 55-inch screen and ATSC (HDTV) tuner; 62 x 37.5 x 19 inches (W x H x D)
2. Lightweight design with bright, high-contrast screen; CableCARD compatibility removes the need for a separate digital cable box
3. 3.28 million dots resolution for stunning detail and clarity; fixed-pixel display and constant light prevent image flicker
4. Live Color emphasizes blues and greens without affecting reds for a more natural, vivid picture
5. 5 watts per channel x 2 stereo sound and built-in 20-watt subwoofer for rich, lifelike sound; Dolby Virtual Surround simulates surround sound

Customer Review :

blue blob and stars

bought this tv in 2007
8 months ago started seeing a very small blue blob in bottom right of screen. THis has now grown to cover 25% of screen .ALso there are thousands of blue dots on screen. after sony wsa sued with a class action suit (i wasnt party to this) they extended the warranty until last year. I contacted them and they told me there was nothing they can do. Its a optical block defect.
DONT BUY IT

Rating :

Very good HDTV

I've had this TV for about 2 months now. I've connected an HDTV cable box via HDMI, progressive DVD player via component input and TIVO through S-video. So far the TV has performed extremely well, no problems to report. I've also been very impressed with the sound this TV produces. It's so good that I don't normally bother to run normal TV through my AV receiver.

Standard definition looks better than I expected for both straight cable broadcasts and through the TIVO recorded on medium quality. DVD look very good, but the true HDTV sources really shine with this TV - the Olympics were amazing!

The display is bright enough that I actually watch it with the bulb in "reduced" mode (even in the day) to extend the bulb life.

I've had no problems, and as suggested for anything projection systems I've got the TV hooked up to a UPS in case of power failure, and I did spring for an extended warrantee with bulb replacement.

Rating :

Display Problem

My Sony LCD large screen TV is just over one year old. It has yellow splotch about mid upper screen. A close inspection of the screen reveals a circuit board trace like pattern that is yellow. The set has not been abused or exposed to temperature extremes. A UPS should be used with these units to keep the lamp cooling fan powered in case of a power failure. The lamps are at least $250.00 I would definitely recomend the extended warranty. Is the technology not proven on these large screens? Is the screen going to fail after 3 years when the extended warranty is expired? Sony will not stand behind their product after the warrany is expired. (mine is two weeks out) Other than the display problem the unit has performed flawless. It's a lot of money for a TV that doesn't last more than a year!!!!

Rating :

1. 16:9 Full HD 1080p Resolution (1920x1080p) LCD Panel
2. DMex compatible; allows seamless feature upgrades
3. BRAVIA Sync (Enhanced HDMI-CEC)
4. BRAVIA Engine fully digital video processor
5. Advanced Contrast Enhancer circuit (ACE)

Editorial Review :

Looking for XBR performance and design in a small screen TV --- Experience Sony unique features like an enhanced Xross Media Bar with 3D graphics and integrated TV Guide program information, DMex functionality that allows you to add capabilities to your TV, and BRAVIA Engine 2 for an even better picture. Add to that the sophisticated design you've come to expect from the XBR line and 1080p capability, and you can see why we say that the KDL-40XBR6 packs a lot of punch.

Customer Review :

Sony Bravia loving it!

I did a lot of research and then a lot of shopping for this product and am very satisfied with the picture and ease of use.

As a non-techno guy I was a bit concerned about how I would be able to hook it up with my dvd, cable box and sound system but the instructions made this easy.

No regrets on this big purchase.

Rating :

I LOVE my Sony, but also was expremely impressed with service.

I cannot say enough about this company. The model I originally ordered was out of stock, so they Up-graded me to the newest model! They called me and explained the situation and asked if I would mind. I was extremely impressed with this and would recommend them to all. The TV came on time and works great!
Paying extra for a Bravia XBR was well worth it. I thought the 40" might be too big for my bedroom (couldn't see the old one from my bed), but it's perfect.!

Rating :

Warning!

I purchased this t.v. in December '08. It worked great for just shy of one year and then it simply went dead: no picture, no sound, only turns on and off. If the t.v. still worked I'd have no major complaints, perhaps the greens and reds are a little off but I was able to mostly correct this with some customizing. And the sound is excellent, especially when compared to Samsung.
Update: I'm now trying to get Sony to replace the t.v. It was repaired and delivered yesterday. After watching it for about 5 minutes, the same problem happened.... No picture, no sound. Needless to say, the only thing that will satisfy me now is receiving a new t.v.
--------

Here's the problem. I contacted Sony 8 weeks ago to explain the difficulty we were having, spent about 2 hours trying to fix it over the phone to no avail. I suggested they give me approval to get it serviced, but they insisted I wait for a USB software update in the mail.... 6 weeks later after 3 incorrect address delivery attempts and more customer service incompetence than you can possibly imagine, I finally received the software update (I had them overnight it). And of course, it didn't work.

Next we move onto the service phase where I am now in a holding pattern. I needed to get a repair breakdown and service estimate from the technician, but he wouldn't give me one as he had no idea what was wrong with the t.v.: "No picture. No sound. Huh? Only turn on/off...." Now I am waiting to talk to his manager to get some document I can fax back to Sony along with all the receipts in order for them to approve repair service.

In summary, our t.v. has not worked for well over a month, I have wasted well over five hours talking to incompetent Sony representatives over the phone, and I have little hope of having a working t.v. anytime soon. Thankfully it is still under warranty (by only one week!). I am hoping I have no problems with my other Sony equipment in the future. In any case, this will be my last Sony purchase.
Comment

Rating :

Absolutely no complaints

I've had this TV for about a year now and I have been nothing by thrilled with this purchase. Absolutely no problems with it whatsoever. Because of the very then bezel outlining the screen, it was the largest screen that could fit in my cabinet, and it fits perfectly. It looks great and watching bluerays and TV is fantastic, even using my "rabbit ears." The PS3 has never looked better.

Rating :

Excellent

Excellent product. Quality video and audio. Cable,DVD,PC inputs work well along with outputs to an old stero system for theater effect. Being able to show family slide shows and videos from PC on a high quality screen is priceless.

One item to remember is that no matter how high the quality of your TV it does not improve the quality or content of the product sent by the cable company.

Rating :

More reviews...