The Sony BRAVIA KDL-52XBR9 TV is an LCD TV that delivers plenty of features, a decent number of built-in interactive options and a solid display performance.  This 52-inch LCD TV is Sony’s top of the line TV set for the XBR series.  Good deep black levels and contrast ratio performances packaged in a simple yet sleek panel.

This Sony TV’s dimensions are 48.8 x 3.3 x 29.3 inches (W x D x H), and it weighs about 57.1 lbs with the stand attached.  The TV’s facade is simple, black in color with four indicator lights located at the lower right corner of the panel.  The Sony logo located at the bottom center of the panel lights up to serve as the TV’s power light indicator.  Controls for the basic functions are located at the left side of the panel.  There are controls for power, channel, volume and menu.

A TFT Active Matrix screen with CCFL backlight technology powers this TV’s display.  The screen has a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio.  You can set widescreen modes to Full, Zoom, Normal, Stretch, Auto, Wide Zoom and Conventional 4:3 settings.

The TV offers an excellent deep black level.  Many LCD TVs have a below average deep black level but this TV is an exception.  The Sony KDL-52XBR9 has a deep black level of 0.06 cd/m².  The peak bright level is also above average at 400 cd/m².  This TV’s excellent performance in both deep black and peak brightness performances gives it an excellent contrast ratio performance.  This TV rates at 1000000:1 contrast ratio and actual contrast ratio is at 7000:1.  This performance is one of the best performances in any LCD and Plasma TVs in the market.  This performance provides the TV the ability to display sharp details in a wide range of images – from the darkest to the brightest.

The screen’s uniformity is also above average.  Pictures show evenly with no blotches to affect picture quality.  Smooth transition from dark to bright images provides a better viewing pleasure when watching your favorite High Definition (HD) movie.

The TV has a native resolution of 1080p that is suited for viewing HD movies from Blu-ray devices and the likes.  This TV also handles lower resolution signals with ease.  Viewing 480p, 720p or 1080i broadcasts renders the same smooth and sharp images as like HD movies.  Video formats supported are 480/60i, 480/60p, 720/60p, 1080/24p, 1080/60i, 1080/60p.

Color accuracy is also above average for this TV.  There is no oversaturation in any of the major colors, and there is smooth transition across the screen.  Sony’s Live Color Creation technology with a WCG-CCFL backlighting system produces vivid and life-like images with no noticeable errors.

The TV also features a 240 Hz refresh rate suitable for watching fast action films or playing your favorite gaming console.  The fast refresh rate provides seamless transition from one scene to another.  There are no judders or motion blurriness when watching fast movies.

The TV’s viewing angle rates at 88 degrees with an effective viewing angle performance of 40 degrees.  The narrow viewing angle of this TV is one of its major disadvantages.  Viewing images outside of this angle results to a significant drop in contrast and color performances.  A wide viewing angle is essential for large TVs like this 52-inch Sony set.  For applications that require a wide viewing angle TV, you may want to check on Plasma TVs like the LG INFINIA 60PK750.

There are ports on the side and rear of the panel.  At the side of the panel, you can access one Audio line-in, one Composite video input (RCA phono), one HDMI (19-pin HDMI Type A) and one USB 2.0 port.  At the rear of the device there are three Audio line-in, one Audio line-out (RCA phono x two), two Component video input (RCA phono x three), one Composite video input (RCA phono), one Digital audio output (optical – TOSLINK), one S-Video input (four-pin mini-DIN ), one VGA input (15-pin HD D-Sub, HD-15), three HDMI (19-pin HDMI Type A), one Network (RJ-45), one Audio line-in (Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm) and one USB port.  The USB ports support playback of audio, digital photo and videos.  This TV also offers a DLNA support for playing your favorite MP3, photo and video stored in DLNA devices.

Entertainment thru its online content is one of the best features of this Sony TV.  You can enjoy broadband connection right in your Sony TV display.  The growing list of providers includes Amazon Video, YouTube, Sports Illustrated, Sony Pictures, Sony Music, Epicurious.com, Slacker and more.  You can access the latest news, sports and stock updates, weather, and more with a simple touch of a button.  The TV’s Internet Widgets displayed on the screen can be positioned anywhere on the screen according to the user’s preference.

The package comes with a tabletop stand and an infrared remote control (Sony RM-YD029).  The stand, unfortunately, doesn’t swivel, which limits the access to the ports at the rear of the device.  The TV also has efficient power consumption with its ENERGY STAR qualified system.  The TV consumes approximately 240 Watts during operation and about 0.1 Watts in standby mode.

One of its main competitors in its category is the VIZIO VF550XVT LCD TV.  The Vizio TV offers a wider 55-inch screen with an identical 1080p native display format.  The Vizio TV offers a below average contrast and deep black level performances with 1000:1 and 0.30 cd/m² respectively.  Color accuracy is identical between the two TV’s as well as their motion performances.  The Vizio has a wider effective viewing angle, with 45 degrees compared to Sony’s 40 degrees.  The Vizio TV doesn’t offer any internet options and doesn’t have any USB port for thumb drive connections.

The Sony TV is one of the best TVs in the market, packed with plenty of features, connectivity options and above average performances that will provide an excellent viewing experience, whether playing your favorite HD movie or playing your favorite game.  Its deep black level, great contrast performance and excellent color reproduction abilities are the best in the TV market.  There is a wide variety of connectivity options to cater to most of consumer’s needs.  The Sony BRAVIA KDL-52XBR9 TV will cost a little extra compared to a competitor LCD TV of the same size.  Its top internet connectivity options and superior performance is definitely worth the extra investment.

Best Prices on the Web

Technical Specifications

Video

• Video Signal : 1080/60p (HDMI™ / COMPONENT), 1080/60i, 1080/24p (HDMI™ ONLY), 720/60p, 480/60p, 480/60i