The times of pot bellied CRT TV screens with fuzzy picture and mono sound, are long gone by and the LCD and Plasma are new buzz words when it comes to TV screens.

But not only has the clarity of picture and sound improved, new gains in technology have also resulted in gain in average size of the TV screen. 40”, 50”, 60”, 70” screen sizes are no longer the topic of the sci-fi movie or dreams for the rich, they have found the way in the mainstream living rooms of an average consumer.

The dawn of the LCD and Plasma big screen TV has also seen the growth in number of manufacturers and brand names. From the famous and mainstream names to newcomers and no name brands, one certainly has lots to choose from when it comes to big screen TV. Price range has also widened with big screen TV units being priced well under thousand dollars.

However, the drop in price has also seen the drop in quality and especially with big screen TV the quality and crispness of the picture are a must. And, while newcomers and no name wannabes are trying to capture piece of the lucrative big screen market with the bargain prices, they cannot come even close to well known names when it comes to quality.

Sony Bravia has long been a synonym for quality, performance, prestige and beauty when it comes to big screen TV. And while they have lost some ground to Sharp and Samsung who also have their place amongst legends of the big screen TV, the Sony Bravia still sits high atop and is prized name and brand synonymous with the quality, performance and elegance that can be universally found across all Bravia lines of big screen TV.

The Sony KDL-46XBR4 46 inches wide screen LCD TV lives to its name when it comes to clarity of the picture, crispness of the sound as well as other features and the overall of performance of the unit.

46” 1080p, full HDTV compatible, 1920 x 1080 pixels, 8ms response time, this unit will impress you with sharpness and clarity of picture from the first time you take a look at it. I personally have found it to be close to one of the best LCD screens I ever seen with the exception of few details that were the cause of this unit coming short of the full five star award from people who really know their big screen TV.

At the quick glance, other notable features of the unit are:

BRAVIA Engine™ PRO Full Digital Video Processor, Motionflow™ 120 Hz with Full HD high frame rate capability, Live Color Creation™ System featuring WCG-CCFL, Advanced Contrast Enhancer (ACE) Function, Advanced Contrast Enhancer (ACE) Function, Xross Media BarŪ (XMB) interface, just a few to mention.

The partial list of technical specs and components:

• 46 inches measured diagonally
• 16:9 Aspect Ratio
• Closed Caption (CC)
• ATSC, Clear QAM Tuner
• Bravia Engine PRO Video Processing
• 120Hz MotionFlow
• Noise Reduction
• 3D Digital Comb Filter
• Game Mode
• Light Sensor
• 178 degrees wide viewing angle display panels
• Wide Color Gamut - CCFL Backlight
• Contrast Ratio 2000:1 (On-screen) / 16,000:1 dynamic-contrast Ratio
• DMeX Ready
• Parental Control (V-Chip)
• One-Button Home Theater Control ( HDMI-CEC ) Bravia Theatre Sync
• Power Consumption: 280W in Operation, Less than 0.4W in Standby
• VESA Hole Mount Compatibility for Mounting Applications
• Inputs and outputs: 5 (1 Side /4 Rear) Analog Audio Inputs, 1 Rear Audio Output (Variable/Fixed), 2 Rear Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr ) Inputs, 3 (1 Side /2 Rear) Composite Video Inputs, 1 Rear Digital Audio Output, 1 Rear S-Video Input, 1 Side Headphone Output, 1 Rear D-Sub 154 PC Video Input & 3 (1 Side/ 2 Rear) HDMI Connections
• Dimensions: 49.7x31.3x12.7 inches (1262x795x322mm) with pedestal / 49.7 x28.9 x4.8 inches (1262 x734x121mm) without pedestal
• Weight: 79.4 pounds (36.0 kg) with pedestal / 66.1 pounds (30.0 kg) without pedestal.

For those of you who do not understand what the above features mean and ask yourselves why it makes a difference, you can find additional explanation of above features as well as other advanced features this unit boasts, by visiting the product home page:

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665116636

Additional technical specifications and full list of options is also available from the product’s home page:

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665116636

For those of you who do not care about technical details and would rather have it summarized in three sentences rather than spending hours reading rave reviews about this unit, here is the quick summary.

Great picture, great sound, exceptional quality, full array of input and output connectors including three HDMI ports (two on the back one on the side for quick plug and play access), solid warranty options and name everyone knows and will know, you cannot go wrong when you select this unit and the extra money you will be paying over the similar size no-name product is a well spent investment.

Nonetheless, as mentioned earlier, for those of you who will be looking at this unit with the magnifying glass, there are few flaws I have noticed that I will mention. Moreover I am not sure if I would even call it a flaw or just the difference of opinion but whatever you call it, this is a collective feedback I have received about the unit.

The wide bezel and frame surrounding the LCD screen. Sure, it does look nice and sharp but I’d much have smaller footprint or larger LCD screen at the expense of the wide and fancy looking frame.

As such, the unit is a bit more bulkier and wider in footprint than other 46” screens, so if you are buying the unit as a replacement for another same size unit please be aware that you will have few inches less of real estate place around your new Sony compared to what you had around your old unit.

The unit has advanced motion control and picture smoothing and jitter buffering that is supposed to make movement and motion even more enhancing for the pleasure of the viewer. When I was first reviewing this unit I have read an editorial done by C-Net experts and one complaint is that while this technology is amazing for slow motion movies, it does glitch a bit for a high action fast paced motion screens where jitter and choppy motion has been incorporated for the reason to create an effect.

I was able to replicate the pretty much same results with both slow motion and fast action scenes and I do agree with good folks at C-Net, while this technology rocks when it comes to slow steady motion (The Planet Earth does look stunning, it was just as if I were there when I was watching it in Blu-ray BD version.

To conclude this review, this is really a masterpiece of equipment when it comes to LCD TV and asides from a few minor glitches and a bulky design, I can’t really say anything that would flaw this system. Definitely worth spending the extra money since this unit is in class by itself.


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 2899.99