“Very, very good – but there are better choices”
Reviewed By ‘Busy Executive’
Sony Bravia KDL46XBR5 Review from Amazon.com
In the past six months, I’ve been fortunate enough to purchase two flat-screen TVs for different parts of my home, and one is the Sony XBR5 LCD TV. I find the picture and sound quality very good, especially on HD sources such as 1080p Blu-Ray. The HDMI and other connections work flawlessly. The controls are well done with easy-to-navigate menus, and all the technology Sony describes adds up to a really good product. Side by side against Samsung or other LCD competitors, I think Sony clearly has the best product.
I would leave it at that, however, the truth is that as good as the Sony is, it doesn’t hold a candle to the other TV I recently bought – a 50″ Pioneer 1080p plasma. While plasma may seem to be yesterday’s technology, I had a tight space that the Pioneer 5010HD fit perfectly, and so I went with it. Now, after several months of watching the plasma versus the Sony, I can honestly say that the LCD technology in the Sony has a long way to go before it catches the Pioneer’s picture quality. Indeed, after watching the plasma for any length of time, going back to the LCD is a bit of a let-down…by comparison, the Sony is harsh and grainy, with much poorer black levels and much less of a “film like” experience.
Yes, I give the Sony high marks for what it is – but I’d encourage anyone reading this review to take a long hard look at a similar sized high-end plasma unit before committing to the Sony.
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