Sony BRAVIA KDL55HX800 55-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D-Ready LED HDTV, Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First off, I'm not a biased reviewer. Everything I review, I do it for the sake of truthness.
By the way, I own the 40 inch of this model.
I have owned and do own SEVERAL TVs, ranging from brands and types. I am a HUGE audio/video phile, and I always have been since the introduction of high definiton teleivision. I'm going to break this review down into a few parts.
SETUP + BUILD QUALITY
- Pretty straight forward. Easy to assemble, but the back semi circular black piece doesn't like to stay in place and doesn't feel super high quality. The stand however feels sturdy especially once the TV is screwed into it. This is an easy part, it's four screws which is nothing difficult. Now, onto the TV. Compared to other Sony models I've owned or do own (S5100, XBR4, SXRD XBR2, Trinitron 34 inch CRT, EX 46 inch), this TV feels VERY high quality. The bezel feels very well made and produced, unlike a few Sonys I've seen before. The screen also feels very high quality, and is not super reflective, unless there's a lot of light. Then, it gets interesting. The remote is set up decently, but may be a little confusing to some. Again, straightforward. Upon turning on the TV you'll enter a setup screen etc, you know the rundown. You will be prompted to set up an internet connection, and when you do you'll have tons of interesting aps to keep you busy for a while. Netflix and the Golf channel are to name a few. The menu system is also similar to that of the Playstation 3, and is VERY easy to navigate. Good rating here Sony.
FEATURES + INPUTS
Pretty short category. FOUR HDMI ports! That's pretty decent. You'll have standard Component, Composite, Tuner, and PC inputs. All put very well on the back or side of the TV. 3D TV, and it can simulate 3D for ANY video, so it isn't just 3D capable, it's 3D ready. In addition it also has the internet aps I briefly spoke about and has all the basic features and inputs you want from a TV. Menu is very easy to use.
PICTURE QUALITY
Okay, the big category now! Before I begin speaking about this, I ALWAYS let my TVs burn in for 80+ hours of use, and then I have them professionaly calibrated, NOT BY BEST BUY. Best Buy calibration is total garbage - I speak from experience. I pay a seasoned professional who does a fantastic job with all the latest ISF gadgetry. Out of the box, SD picture is decent. It's not as good as say a top CRT, but the SD is comparable to other TVs in this category of Edge Lit LED. It's good, but not fantastic. Some channels look better than others. Out of the box the HD picture is where this set shines. It gives some very deep blacks and showcases a vast array of detail. It's sharp, and there is VERY little motion blur. The CineMotion setting I set to off. Detail is equally impressive in light/dark scenes, and all HD sources look very, very good. I use the Playstation 3 as a Blu Ray player and I play all sorts of console games such as God of War 3, Mass Effect 2 (360), Call of Duty, etc. I also watch a massive amount of blu rays from comedies to action, and the picture never fails. I compared this to a LX9 XBR (Brand new), and I thought the picture quality was VERY similar. I forced the guys at the Sony Style store to move these two sts side by side with the exact same inputs. The XBR 9 only had VERY SLIGHTLY better detail in darker scenes (splitting hairs), but that may have been due to other reasons. Overall, quality is wonderful. Again, motion blur even in dark scenes is not evident. I like to test a certain scene in the game "Resistance 2", to showcase any motion blur, and even when only 120Hz is turned on there is very little or no blur. By testing the Bravia 3 engine, my calibrator found the engine was powerful and moving images where showcased very well. We were suprised, because most of my Sony sets in the past failed during this test.
However, I DO NOT like an out of the box picture, personally. It's over bright, the colors are torqued up and are innacurate, and these other features such as "advanced contrast control" or "LED control" are garbage. Turn them off completely. Get this TV calibrated - and even then, it isn't 100% perfect. My calibrator worked hours to get the gray scale as accurate as possible. He came very very close, and the TV calibrated very nicely. We have it on the "Custom setting", which Warm 2 as the color option, and brightness set to 51, Picture to 75, and color to 52. We have ALL SETTING OFF except Live Color set to low. Back light is on 6, because I like it a tiny bit brighter. Sharpness needs to be set to 0, it ruins a picture. If I get enough likes on this review I will post my gray scale calibrations.
This all may be true, but the picture is NOT without flaw. Due to being edge lit, you do have a little bit of cloudiness. I have both the 40 inch and the 55 inch model, and it's MUCH lower on the 40 inch. It's only seen slightly at the edges in very dark scenes, but still there. The 55 inch was worse, but still not very evident unless in a dark scene. And even then these sets aren't as bad as others. It's not noticable really on the 40 inch. This however, is the only flaw I see. I am very, very picky when it comes to my TVs and this one delivered.
The 3D is very nice - especially on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and also Dispicable Me. I also like Deep Sea 3D, but at a few scenes it gets blurry. Overall I really like 3D and at first was not a believer. I tested the LG LED and the Samsung as well, and the Sony was my favorite. I also LOVE Samsungs because of it's 10 point gray scale adjustability, but this TV had better picture quality.
Overall, in this catgeory it gets a 9.5.SOUND
Ugh. The sound on these speakers are very tinny. They don't produce bass well at all, and to me are garbage. I use a Samsung 3D receiever with two Pioneer towers up front with a Polk Center channel and Polk rears with a 10 inch 250 watt Polk Sub. I refuse to listen to a TV's speaker, as they sound horrific. I noticed even with HDMI voices tend to sound muffled.Overall, a wonderful set. The only problem is the fact that the backlight at very dark scenes can get annoyingly cloudy, but that's edge lit LED. Picture quality is very detailed, and the gray scale gets 95% accurate when calibrated. Out of the box decent SD settings, but wonerful HD settings. The 3D capabilities on this set are done nicely, and Sony's 3D glasses are among my favorite or comfort. Sound is terrible though - but that was expected.
Enough "helpful" buttons pressed, and I'll post my full calibration settings. (Wont look 100% on your set because each TV is different, but will be closer).
Happy holidays!


Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony BRAVIA KDL55HX800 55-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D-Ready LED HDTV, Black

Experience premium picture quality with the Sony BRAVIA HX800 Series LCD HDTV with 3D. Enjoy amazing contrast with the Dynamic Edge LED backlight plus sharp, vibrant images and crisp, fluid motion plus connect to the internet and stream the widest variety of online entertainment. Add the Sony Sync Transmitter and enjoy 3D movies, sports and video games in Full HD 1080p picture quality or convert your 2D personal content to 3D with the push of a button on your remote control.

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Sony BRAVIA KDL60NX810 60-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D-Ready LED HDTV, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)We have been without HD, as our old Pioneer Elite (purchased about 1995) died some years ago and then we used a hand-me-up Sony from one of our sons until making a deliberate move into current technology. WOW, this TV is unbelievable. The picture is stunning: bright, high contrast, true-to-color. It really stood above all the other TVs at the highish end store. We used the self supporting stand that the set comes with for our installation. This TV comes equipped with internal WiFi so I have it synced with our home WiFi net (AirPort). We can now stream NetFlix and it is flawless. We now know what we have been missing. There was some small issue in "conditioning" our Comcast modem (2 online sessions with the Comcast help line resolved the issues). This Bravia comes with a very useable internal menu that is better than what we have been used to. When I bought the TV, I really thought I'd need to buy surround system eventually, but after using it for the past month, I don't think that will be necessary. Sound is fine: we had the old Pioneer connected to gigantic subwoofer plus 5 external speakers. The internal speakers on the KDL 60 NX810 are fine for our needs (they even convey some 'stereo'). We view the screen from about 9-10 ft. I would not want a smaller set. So far, we have not tried the 3D capabilities, but obviously it's not a high priority. Just cannot say enough -- the picture quality is a crusher!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony BRAVIA KDL60NX810 60-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D-Ready LED HDTV, Black


Designed to deliver dazzling Full HD 1080p resolution, this 60-inch BRAVIA NX810 Series HDTV (model KDL60NX810) features advanced dynamic LED backlighting technology for incredibly high contrast levels, deep blacks and bright whites. And get ready for a three-dimensional revolution in your living room with the NX810's 3D capabilities. Just add the optional Sony sync transmitter and active glasses to experience movies and video games in 3D like never before Full HD 1080p, or convert 2D to 3D with a push of a button on your remote.

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Sony HT-SS370 Surround Sound Home Theater System, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)Just wanted to share a few points about this product that weren't clear to me before I purchased it.
1.) The receiver does not decode Dolby True HD or Master DTS HD. HOWEVER, the receiver accepts LPCM signals. So, if your Blu-Ray player can send an LPCM signal and it has onboard decoders for those codes (and I believe they all do), then you can still experience everything Dolby True HD and Master DTS HD has to offer. If you're lost at this point, I'll put it this way. If you have a PS3 and this sound system, you're getting the full "HD" sound offered by Blu-Ray discs. Just make sure your PS3 is set to send Blu-Ray audio via LPCM, not Bitsreaming. Also, you need to connect your PS3 with HDMI to make this happen.
2.) The sound from this system is excellent. 1000 watts is plenty of power for your typical home theater. In fact, it's more watts than most home theater systems on the market currently offer. In my experience, a good rule of thumb is "more watts the better". This is true even you don't plan on cranking up the volume.
3.) The rear speakers on this system are not automatically wireless. That is, this system is CAPABLE of wirelessly transmitting to the rear speakers, but in order to do this, you need to purchase a transmitter to plug into the back of the receiver and an amplifier for the rear speakers. Sony calls this system AIR. So, in case it isn't clear, this system is only "wireless ready". I haven't purchased the transmitter and the amp needed, but installation looks like it would be very simple. It's nice to have that option in the future.
The only downside to this system, as I see it, is that the remote is overly complicated. Lots of buttons and I only seem to use about 8 of them. If my home theater had more Sony BRAVIA compenents, then maybe all of the extra buttons would be of more use. Overall, however, the bad remote is definitely not a dealbraker. The positives of this system greatly outweigh this one minor negative.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony HT-SS370 Surround Sound Home Theater System, Black

Complete your entertainment experience with 5.1 channels of high-quality surround sound and 1000 watts of power with the HT-SS370 surround sound system. Connect multiple HD devices using a single HDMI cable per device and turn this great system into your entertainment hub, plus operate all your compatible BRAVIA Sync devices using one remote control. Add optional S-AIR accessories and enjoy the convenience of wireless rear speakers or multi-room streaming.

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Sony BRAVIA KDL46NX810 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D-Ready LED HDTV, Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have had my Sony KDL46NX810 for about a month. I have the 3D accessories, a Sony PlayStation 3 and a computer hooked to the TV. Most of the content I watch is on the internet over the computer, streaming Netflix, and Amazon Video on Demand. The 3D effect is a novelty. Once the new wears off I will put the 3D glasses in a draw and forget about them. I wish I purchased a less expensive TV that does not have 3D. Other than my disappointment with 3D, I am quite happy with the TV.

CONNECTIONS: My computer and PlayStation are both connected to the TV with 12' long inexpensive HDMI cables purchased from Harbor Freight (seller of cheap tools). The 3D starter pack I purchased came with a "High-speed HDMI cable..... (for the) transfer of both 3D video and audio signals". So far the inexpensive HDMI cable seems to work fine even with 3D content. The TV is also connected to the internet with a cat 5 cable. It has WiFi but I didn't need it (or try it). I have high speed internet access through the local cable provider. I have experienced no trouble streaming content.
ANTENNA: I get the same number of channels over the air as I did when I had a 7 year old generic HD TV. There is an onscreen program guide. During setup the TV asked if I wanted the programming guide from the internet or from over-the-air. I chose the internet option. On the TV guide channel I can see what will be on hours from now.

LOOK: The TV looks great. The Sony emblem lights up when you turn on the TV. You can turn that feature off if you want. I have the TV mounted on the wall. The monolithic design was great. I say was because the IR emitter that is required for 3D makes the TV not so monolithic any more. The emitter is the bunny-ears of the 3D television age. It should have been built in to the TV. It's not that bad but it does not add to the look and Sony is selling the "Monolithic Design".
ACCESSORIES : The remote control seems rather long and has many buttons. When I first got the TV I tried to learn the remote and how to get from thing to thing. After a day or two I navigated the options of the TV through the Home Menu. The Home Menu is easy to navigate and is very similar to the PS3 menu organization. Everything is easy to find and the TV is easy to navigate. The stations that I get over the aerial all have their own icon in the menu. There is also a description of what is on now. Everything the TV can do is available through the graphical menu.

The remote control also will navigate the PS3 menus and control video play back on the PS3. Play, Stop, Fast Forward, and Next all work as expected from the TV remote controlling the PS3. The cross button in the center of the remote is the same as the x button on the PS3 controller. The back button will move you back towards the main menu. I am very happy with the way the TV remote controls the PS3. I tried to use the TV remote as a controller for a game but there is no Start button so I could not start the game. There would be no advantage to the remote as a controller for PS3 games but I thought I would try anyway. I can't turn the PS3 on with the TV remote. I have the impression that the TV remote can turn on the PS3 but I have not figured that out yet.
DIGITAL VIDEO CONTENT: To make many of these features work it is helpful to have both a separate computer and the TV connected to the internet. When I first tried to register the TV, I was using the TV as the monitor to the computer. I could not register the computer until I was using a computer that did not need the TV as a monitor. Other then needing both the TV and the computer at the same time, the registering process was easy. There were a lot of steps. You register the TV with Sony then Netflix then Amazon Video on Demand, then what ever else.
Accessible through the TV are Qriocity video on demand, Amazon, Hulu +, Netfix, YouTube, Crackle, an RSS feed (Not a fully functional RSS feed) and a bunch of other stuff. Let's start with the bunch of other stuff. It is mostly internet shorts. I have a friend with a Roku and it is similar to the things that he watches on his Roku. Roku has much more content of the internet short variety. Someone will like some of these channels, I don't bother with them.
There is a RSS feed but you can't add anything to it or delete anything from it. It's an RSS feed that you don't have any control over. That said, it has episodes of Meet The Press an, the Nightly News and other things. I have not used it but on occasion I do like to watch Meet The Press. It's nice to know it's there.
Crackle is full of things that Sony owns. That you can watch at any time. There are 4 episodes of each of the following TV shows on Crackle ; Barney miller, Dilbert News radio, I dream of Jeannie, 10 items or less, the Jackie Chan Adventures, Vip and Bewitched in their TV episodes folder. There are also 8 movies. I have not watched any of this content. I don't know if this content changes over time. The list of shows available was from November 2010.
YouTube is surprisingly easy to use on the TV. If you want to search for anything you have to use an onscreen keyboard. That's laborious so I never do it. It does connect to my YouTube account. I can bring up my favorites or subscriptions very easily. I don't use this much because I have a computer connected to the TV but it's easy to use.

You need a Netflix account to use Netflix. I have not had any problems with streaming content through Netflix. I use this feature often. At the moment, you can only watch the content that is in your instant cue. Netflix on the PS3 has a much better interface. I imagine that there will be a software update that allows you to do more than just watch what is in your cue. That said it's easy enough to put things in your Netflix cue if you have a computer nearby.
I don't use Hulu+ because I have a computer connected to the TV. Regular Hulu through the computer and displayed on the TV works fine.
I have been very happy with Amazon Video on Demand. You can rent or purchases new and old movies and TV shows through this service and stream them to the TV. You can typically choose between HD and standard definition.I have used this service for years. I don't use cable so if there is a show I want to see that is not available on the internet I have to wait for it to come out on Netflix or purchase it episode by episode on Amazon.
I don't use Qriocity but it seems like a competitor to Amazon Video on demand. I haven't used this service. I looked at their pricing and it was the same as Amazon for everything I looked at.
DIGITAL AUDIO CONTENT: The TV has Slacker, Pandora, Berliner Philharmoniker, and NPR. The menu also has a Lollapalooza station but it is just a standard Slacker radio station. Slacker and Pandora are services that stream music. They have many built in stations. One can make a customized station simply by typing a name of a band or song and the service will build a radio station around that song or band. Slacker works well on the TV. You can turn the screen off while Slacker is playing or display album art. I have used Slacker for years. I was very pleased that it was on the TV at first but I don't use it because I have other speakers when I play it on my computer that are much better. I don't use Pandora but I imagine it works in roughly the same way on the TV.

The only thing I know about Berliner Philharmoniker is that you have to pay for the service. I don't even know exactly what the service is even though I tried to figure it out by registering on their website. Slacker has classical music and so does Pandora.
NPR on the TV was a big letdown. You have access to podcasts and program s on NPR through the TV. The interface was much easier to navigate and find things then the NPR website. I like to listen to the Planet Money Podcast and they have it. The disappointment came when I realized that all the content that I looked at was a couple months old. Perhaps at some point it will be updated regularly but as of Nov 2010 it is not.

AUDIO: The TV doses not sound great. My understanding is that there is not enough room for base speakers in flat screen TVs. The computer sounds particularly bad when played through the TV. The computer sounds fine with different speakers. I think there might be some equalizer settings that could make the computer sound better. The TV needs a base speaker. Sony does not sell a separate base speaker for this TV. It doses sell a stand with built in speakers and a couple of sound bars with sub-woofers. It needs something.

3D: You must buy a 3D sink transmitter and 3D glasses to make this TV into a 3D TV. There is no good place to put the 3D sink transmitter. It is the bunny-ears of 3D televisions. I purchased the Alice in Wonderland 3D starter kit. The sink transmitter has a cord that is a meter long or more and plugs into the back of the TV. I have never seen the kind of connector that is used for the sink transmitter any were else. If you wanted an extension for the 3D transmitter I suspect you would have a hard time finding one. That said it must be located near the TV. The instructions say either at the top or bottom of the TV.

My TV came with a "gift" for registering. This is separate from the registering the TV so it would function with the digital content. For filling out a second product registry form on the internet they are sending me through the mail the "Bolt" in 3D and "This is it" with 10 minutes of 3D content. I have not received these movies yet.
It also comes with a voucher code for four 3D...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony BRAVIA KDL46NX810 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D-Ready LED HDTV, Black


Designed to deliver dazzling Full HD 1080p resolution, this 46-inch BRAVIA NX810 Series HDTV (model KDL46NX810) features advanced dynamic LED backlighting technology for incredibly high contrast levels, deep blacks and bright whites. And get ready for a three-dimensional revolution in your living room with the NX810's 3D capabilities. Just add the optional Sony sync transmitter and active glasses to experience movies and video games in 3D like never before Full HD 1080p, or convert 2D to 3D with a push of a button on your remote.
Bravia Engine 3 (on right) produces a sharp, vibrant picture.

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Sony BRAVIA KDL55NX810 55-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D-Ready LED HDTV, Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Just received this new Sony and it is everything Sony claims it to be. Absolutely the best picture I have seen in a LCD TV and better than my 3 yr old 46XBR4 that had the fluorescent backlighting. This NX has a dynamic(local dimming) edge lit LED, and the contrast and blacks are excellent. The 3D is stunning with little ghosting, even with 3D set for max effect. I coupled this NX810 with Sony's new Blu-RAy S770, and the picture is stunning, as good or better than any theater, and better than my previous LCD TV combo. I have noticed that the NX810 could be brighter. I find myself using the 'vivid" picture setting during the day as the TV display was darker than desired when using standard or custom and lacked bright colors. As such, I can not use the cinema scene setting or theater mode during daylight and some DVDs with lots of 'dark scenes' do not show well with simulated 3D during daylight periods
My one complaint is that the sound is not what you would expect from a $3K new Sony. The sound is a cheap sound(tinny),and did not meet by expectations since it has 3 speakers built-in. I ended up adding on the $359 NX810 optional stand (Bushin)(SU-B550S) that includes a better 2.1 sound system to compensate. This one option proved to be worth every penny as the audio is now full and deep.
I am still playing with the video settings, but I have noticed that imperfections of the incoming signal are much easier to discern than my previous LCD. In fact on the same broadcast, a bad shimmer in the background, will go away and a brilliant fine detail picture comes on when they shift cameras like in a news broadcast
This NX has wired Ethernet and wireless connectivity, and the streamed HD video from Amazon is excellent. In order for you to stream Dolby 5.1 audio, you must select 'audio system' on speakers to output 5.1 to your surround sound amp or you will only get PCM. The NX has LED edge lighting but with local dimming and it results is great contrast. Not sure if the HX909 full LED array backlighting would result in a much better picture.
I also am very happy with the 3D effects. Playing a movie made for 3D, gives you great 3D depth effect, almost as good as the theater. Using simulated 3D on my Avatar Blu-Ray disk resulted in good 3D but the depth was not as good as the movie theater. Trying simulated 3D on sports also added depth to many scenes, especially the football if the camera angle was right.
You can buy this TV with a free bundle (various vendors offer the free bundle) that includes everything you need for 3D (transmitter + 2 glasses), plus the bundle gives you a 3D Alice + HDMI cable. So, with the bundle you get everything the LX900 has AND with better picture since the LX is only edge LED with no local dimming.
Overall very happy with this purchase. My only complaint is the "tinny" sound-probably because the speakers are on the backside of the TV and directed either backwards or down as compared to my old XBR4 which had great audio quality and had speakers on either side


Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony BRAVIA KDL55NX810 55-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D-Ready LED HDTV, Black


Designed to deliver dazzling Full HD 1080p resolution, this 55-inch BRAVIA NX810 Series HDTV (model KDL55NX810) features advanced dynamic LED backlighting technology for incredibly high contrast levels, deep blacks and bright whites. And get ready for a three-dimensional revolution in your living room with the NX810's 3D capabilities. Just add the optional Sony sync transmitter and active glasses to experience movies and video games in 3D like never before Full HD 1080p, or convert 2D to 3D with a push of a button on your remote.

Click here for more information about Sony BRAVIA KDL55NX810 55-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D-Ready LED HDTV, Black

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Sony BRAVIA KDL40HX800 40-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D-Ready LED HDTV, Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)From the moment I opened the box, it was obvious I had made the right choice. This TV oozes quality in every single way.
The display is wonderful. It's not a matte display, but it has a relatively low reflection, not obnoxiously glossy like recent Apple products. The picture looks gorgeous, even off angle, and the unit and base have a high gloss black finish.
The features are well covered in the specs above (Netflix HD streaming capability, YouTube, a built in TV Guide using online data, DLNA support to play media off your PC over the network, 3D)
Looking for downsides, the use of the large 300x300 VESA mount is unfortunate, the display is lightweight and really doesn't need such a large mount. The built-in stand uses a separate mount that is much smaller, and you could make your own plate or L bracket for the display to slide onto.
The TV menus are in the style of a PS3 (XMB), but some of the animations are unacceptably slow. Perhaps this can be improved in a later firmware upgrade. Also, not all menu options are available until about 30 seconds after you turn on the display.
My display says it is "Made in Mexico".
Audio:
The built-in audio is acceptable, but I suspect most will want to use external audio with this display. There's a non-obvious setting to turn on "S-Force Front Surround" mode for the internal speakers which improves the perception of sound, and by default it doesn't try to reproduce low frequency bass.
Settings:
The display works well out of the box, but if you're feeling adventurous, there are many settings for both the display and audio (scene select, four motionflow settings, mpeg noise reduction, dynamic LED, low light recovery and bright light reduction, steady sound, audio clarity settings to emphasize the human voice)
3D:
At the moment I am not impressed after using the 3D mode. Technically it works as expected with Blu-Ray or a PC with NVIDIA 3DTV Play, but the display is so bright and gorgeous on its own that I prefer 3D off. Note that you must buy an optional Sony 3D sync transmitter and Sony 3D active shutter glasses to use the 3D mode.
Don't forget to buy an HDMI cable or two!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony BRAVIA KDL40HX800 40-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D-Ready LED HDTV, Black

Experience premium picture quality with the Sony BRAVIA HX800 Series LCD HDTV with 3D. Enjoy amazing contrast with the Dynamic Edge LED backlight plus sharp, vibrant images and crisp, fluid motion plus connect to the internet and stream the widest variety of online entertainment. Add the Sony Sync Transmitter and enjoy 3D movies, sports and video games in Full HD 1080p picture quality or convert your 2D personal content to 3D with the push of a button on your remote control.

Click here for more information about Sony BRAVIA KDL40HX800 40-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D-Ready LED HDTV, Black

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Sony TDG-BR100 Adult Size 3D Active Glasses, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)A parital reason I decided to go with Sony for my new HD3dTV was the performance of the the 3d shutter glasses and their comfort. Glasses are not really the correct terms as these are more like goggles that will fit over a pair of regular glasses. They are totaly enclosed and shut out most light from the tops and sides. They do dim the picture a bit but most 3dTV's compensate for this by getting much brighter in 3d mode. They work well with in the the range they are intended. If you tilt your head more than 10 degrees of so either left or right the 3d effect is lost. Opperation is simple with a single button to push on and off. They're semi adjustable for those with smaller heads but if you have small children like me then you will need to get the BR50's which are narrower lighter and more like a regular pair of glasses. Part of what I enjoyed was the fact that they do block most ambient light from all but in front. They are fairly hefty and you will start to feel their wieght right about the time the credits role in a two hour movie, but then I don't normally wear glasses and I start to feel that way after two hours in a pair of sunshades, YMMV. Unlike the Panasonics and Samsungs glasses I tried, you can still opperate a laptop or anything else with them on and not get a lot of flicker. The other brands tended to cause every other light source to flicker except for the TV's which only flickered when the glasses were out of sync. The Sony's sync very qucikly and don't reset during bright parts of the movie ala the Panasonics. They could be lighter but frankly they feel quite sturdy and not nearly as fragile FEELING as other brands I've tried. They are battery powered by a standard CR2032 watch battery and last for about 80 hours of viewing. If you watched a 2 hour 3d movie every night, plus a football game every week they'd last just over a month. That was a concern for me until I did the math. The Sony sell for about $100 vs the other brand reacharbles which go for $150. With batteries selling for about $8 for a pack of 10 it would take 4 years of watching at that rate to see any savings on the rechargables. Overall they work well though I wished they came with a hard case instead a velvet pouch.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony TDG-BR100 Adult Size 3D Active Glasses, Black


Enjoy an incredible, high-quality 3D entertainment experience when you combine this pair of adult-sized 3D Active Glasses in black with a compatible BRAVIA 3D HDTV and the separately available 3D Sync Transmitter.
3D Active Glasses--side view (above) and rear view (below).

Click here for more information about Sony TDG-BR100 Adult Size 3D Active Glasses, Black

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Sony BRAVIA KDL40EX720 40-Inch 1080p 3D LED HDTV, Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)UPDATE 3/30/2011: Amazon has removed the 240hz tag from the product title but not the "whats in the box" section. As this 120hz product is no longer being incorrectly advertised as 240hz, I am re-adjusting the rating.
WARNING: Possible Deal breaker concerning this TV.
NOTICE: As of 3/24/2011, I noticed via the Sony Style website that they state the EX720 is now only 120hz, not this advertised 240hz. I hope this is a typo on Sony's end but if it is not, there is a serious case of false advertisement going on. I was specifically on the market to purchase a 240hz HDTV, as the price tag warrants it, and thus this may change the satisfaction level of this review. Before you purchase this product, make sure you know there may be a case of false information taking place regarding the refresh rate.
Update: It is confirmed that the this HDTV is NOT 240hz as advertised. It is only 120hz. The rating has been adjusted purely because it is false marketing and reveals little improvement over previous models which cost much less. One of the main reasons to get a 240hz HDTV for 3D is that you get 120hz per eye as the image flickers back and forth. If the refresh rate of the TV itself is only 120hz, this means you are only getting the 60hz experience when watching 3D. 60hz is what we are trying to get away from.
There is absolutely no excuse for false advertising, higher costs for features not present. If you are looking to get a 3D TV, make sure it is absolutely 240hz or else you are just wasting your money. If you want a TV but dont plan on using the 3D features, then this unit is ok but there are cheaper and better alternatives in that case.
***
Updated - Old Review:
The Sony Bravia 40EX720 is a decent 3D HDTV.
I was originally on the market for a HDTV in which to use as a computer monitor/gaming screen and after Sony revealed its 2011 lineup at CES 2011, I knew I had to get one.
The first thing I can tell you is that this TV is solid. I felt quite satisfied with the build quality (a bit of cheap plastic on the back, but I have yet to find a LED LCD HDTV that didnt have that feeling). Unlike the previous EX series HDTVs, the bevel on the bottom which looks grey in some pictures is actually a dark black. This was actually a downer for me as I kind of liked the grey strip on the bottom as seen in some EX7xx pictures. I love the menu system, it is a modified version of the 2010 menu system. The 2010 line of Bravia HDTVs made use of the Playstation 3 and PSP menu system to the point where they were practically identical. The EX720, and by my guess all the 2011 models, opted out of the PS3/PSP menu design in favor of a more streamlined version. It grows on you and generally I find it much more visually appealing and easy to navigate.
The remote is perhaps the best thing this tv has going for it. It has some handy buttons that work better than one would expect. The 3D button on the remote turns the tv into stereoscopic 3D mode, one more press and it turns it off. You can watch anything in 3D as the Bravia will emulate the 3D effect for non-3D content. Other remote buttons include a quick netflix toggle, internet video, Qriocity as well as a very handy HOME button.
The internet video works like a charm as well. I managed to watch youtube videos straight from the TV as well as browse online music libraries, though it was a tad sluggish (High Speed Cable).
Plugging in a USB drive with some short films on it worked as well. The TV will recognize the USB device and then you can go ahead and access what you wish to watch or listen to from it. There is no demo built into the tv for video, but there is one music track and a few pictures automatically installed on the TV.
No dead pixels. Lighting is even across the entire screen. Great black levels. Semi-Glossy screen (the mix between a glossy and matte). Color a bit faded, low bright levels. Certain colors seem washed out, and even at the most vivid settings, the color is a bit lack luster. This may have to do with the back lighting being minimal.
The EX720 may not be the best HDTV Sony has to offer for 2011, but for its features and capability... I would say its a competitor for sure.
Note: The North American EX720 was assembled in Mexico and the current LCD panels are the same Samsung uses. This may or may not be a problem for some TV buyers.
HDTV is NOT 240hz as advertised, but 120hz. In 3D, you will only get a 60hz experience (120hz divided by 2, 60hz per eye for stereoscopic).


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3D Technology Checklist
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LG AN-WL100W Wireless Media Kit Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased the LG 60pk750 a few weeks ago and love it. I have it wall mounted in a location which is VERY difficult to run wires to. Until now, I have had it temporarily hardwired to my DVR with exposed cable until I found a better way. Enter the "LG AN-WL100W Wireless Media Kit". I was skeptical about wireless HD, but decided to give it a try after reading the small amount of online reviews. Really not much info available about this product, but did find useful info at Crutchfield and home theater magazine. I hope that this review informs people about this product better.
Functionality:
Before I mounted my TV back on the wall, I decided to test the results through the AN-WL100W (smart, huh). I was actually very surprised... the picture was really good. I watched Discovery HD for a while, flipping between hardwired and wireless and saw NO difference. At times I thought I saw picture degradation, but I would flip back to the hardwired and realized that the source was the problem (broadcast HD is hit or miss). Don't have my Bluray yet, so this is the best reference I had. Sound was never a problem, though I was just using the TVs tiny speakers- I can say that it sounded just like the hardwired. For this test, the head unit was about 4 feet away, directly behind the TV, behind a wall in my garage(drywall-studs-plywood-drywall).
Later, I mounted my TV with the wireless dongle connected and in place, and put the headunit where I planned to keep it, in a AV closet approximately 10 feet from the center of the TV, to the right front of the TV. This time I could not get sufficient signal strength to get picture. I could not believe it! The total distance from the headunit to the dongle was about 12 feet- line-of-sight obstacles were a regular interior wall (drywall,studs,drywall), and the TV itself (since the dongle is mounted on the back). The screen would show that it saw the headunit and was tryng to establish picture, but signal strength was too low.
Form:
The product itself is really nice looking- no question. However, I have a huge issue with the dongle size and installation. The dongle is TOO BIG. The AN-WL100W was custom designed for these LG TVs, yet they still managed to allow the dongle to be the tallest protrusion on the back of the set! WTH?!? This is a problem if you are wall-mounting (why else would you buy this product if you were using a stand on a cabinet?). Similarly, the HDMI and control cables which plug into the back of the TV are not designed with 90 angles, so they get all bent and crimped up against the wall too. With so much design going into the electronics of the AN-WL100W, it simply blows my mind that they didn't make wall-mounting a slam-dunk by making the dongle just a bit thinner and supplying cables with 90 bends!
Summary:
I was hoping that going wireless (and paying $300) would simplify my location situation. I also liked the fact that it had nice IR repeaters and integrated switching controlled by the TV. The signal quality was good at very short ranges, but was useless at about 12 feet with a reasonable obstruction. I don't know how practical this is, because I think most people shelling out $300 for this are buying it because they might have an obstruction or distance situation. I would have kept fiddling with it if it hadn't been for the wall-mounting issues mentioned earlier. This sealed the deal for me to return it.


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Let LG's Wireless Media Kit set your TV free from connection clutter! The kit sends a full HD 1080p signal to a compatible LG TV from across the room.

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Sony BRAVIA KDL55EX720 55-Inch 1080p 3D LED HDTV, Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)*UPDATE* May 19, 2011
I've had this TV for over a month now, and just wanted to provide an update:
Picture: CUSTOM SETTINGS! Out-of-the-box, the picture isn't the best quality. There is some graininess, a noticeable soap opera effect and some blockiness with moving pictures. EVERY owner should calibrate the settings to their liking. Also, it's very important to turn off the ECO sensor -- your TV will be much, much brighter. I followed the custom settings on flatpanelshd.com, where the reviewer tweaked the settings for best picture output, down to advanced settings like B-Gain and R-Gain. From there I messed around with the other settings until I found a picture I'm very happy with.
Comparison: Two of my friends bought a 55-inch LG LW5600 and I've spent a good time watching their TVs. The LG uses passive 3D so the glasses are super cheap and comfortable -- I hate to say it, but the 3D on that TV probably looks better overall. They also brag about an 8 million to 1 contrast ratio whereas the Sony EX720 is 2 million to 1. What that means is the LG has a brighter range of vivid colors. BUT after tweaking my settings, I was able to get comparable color results AND the picture on the Sony is noticeably clearer -- you couldn't get a soap opera effect on the LG if you tried. The MotionFlow 240 actually seems to make a difference as I can see wrinkles on The Most Interesting Man in the World's face that I couldn't see on the LG. Plus the LG had a lot of choppiness when watching sports, it might have been the cable or the TV's 120hz processor.
Still a five-star rating for a clearer picture than the LG and enhanced picture with tweaked settings. Original review below.
*From April*
Picture: Very good. Granted I was watching a 37-inch LCD that was almost six years old, so even watching a crayon drawing on wax paper would be an upgrade. But I watched ESPN HD, Avatar HD in HBO and a bunch of other random things. There was no noticeable clouding (blobs of light on the screen) at all. I was pleasantly surprised that there really wasn't a soap opera effect on the movies and shows I watched.
More Picture: It's true that this isn't a "true" 240hz TV. It's marketed as a MotionFlow 240hz, which basically means that it's 120hz but has some sort of technology that Sony made up to "bring the frame rate up to 240hz." That being said, I probably wouldn't be able to notice the difference between 120 and 240hz anyway. I do wish the picture was a little bit brighter, but it's super easy to adjust the settings. Also, the black levels weren't as black as I'd like. When watching a show with a lot of black screen, it still looks a little gray compared to the black frame lining the TV.
Sound: GREAT. You know how sometimes you're watching a DVD or a TV show and the music and background noises are super loud and the voices and dialogue are super quiet, and then you have to turn up the volume to hear the dialogue, but then quickly turn it back down because some booming music scares the crap out of you? Not so with this TV. Apparently it's got some technology that detects dialog and will automatically soften the background sound and amplify the voices. Plus, when you change the sound setting to "S-Force Front Surround," there really is a noticeable difference in the quality, the sound does seem to echo more under this setting.
3D: Suh-weeeeet! Ok, there are definite cross-talk issues -- which is a term I learned by reading a bunch of reviews. You will see double images at certain points, but EVERY TV review I read suffers from this issue because it's a new technology. My DirecTV offered four 3D channels, one was a nature show channel that rotates shows about dinosaurs, ocean life, and space stuff. I spent four hours straight watching this channel and now know a bunch of random facts about dinosaurs, ocean life and space stuff. I invited three people over and the four of us watched this channel for hours. There were parts of the ocean documentary where schools of fish looked like they were a few feet out of the screen. And a freaking Brontosaurus totally peered into my living room -- I wanted to pet him. Even on large landscape pans, the depth perception was amazing.
Remote: Effin' BRILLIANT. I don't know why, but instantaneous response from the remote made me pretty damn happy. I had Time Warner Cable TV before, and it would do some crap where you'd be pressing the remote buttons and nothing would happen, and then like 15 seconds later everything you pushed would happen at once. DirecTV is better but would still lag sometimes. But this TV and it's default remote are like sweet lovers that orgasm at the same time. There is no lag time and the interface screen is ridiculously simple to use and navigate -- even for not-really-super-techy-guys.
Interface and Settings: Awesome. Navigating the settings is intuitive and simple -- it looks a lot like the PS3 interface. Everything's is laid out in Layman's terms and spelled out so clearly that even A GIRL would have no problems using it. There's even little features like naming the different display inputs AND ADDING AN ICON TO THEM?? So now when I change Display modes between DVD, DirecTV and Xbox, it very coolly displays those titles on the screen, AND HAS THE ICON I PICKED NEXT TO THEM! W00T! And changing the settings is cake. You can go directly into many of the main settings (like display, sound, etc) directly from the show you're watching instead of going into the menu.
Wireless and Internet Apps: This does NOT come in with built-in WiFi, but I plugged it directly into my router with a network cable. Done dada. I was getting good connection speeds with Youtube, Qriocity and Hulu. My only complaint is that it probably takes a little getting used to spell anything out -- kind of a weird alphanumeric style that you'd get when you spell something out using a numeric phone keypad.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony BRAVIA KDL55EX720 55-Inch 1080p 3D LED HDTV, Black


3D Technology Checklist
This product is 3D-related. To help you get a great 3D experience, use the checklist below to ensure you have everything you need. 3D viewing requires:

Click here for more information about Sony BRAVIA KDL55EX720 55-Inch 1080p 3D LED HDTV, Black

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Sony 3DBNDL/ALICE 3D Deluxe Starter Kit, Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This kit contains everything you need to make use of the 3D features of a Sony 3D-capable television.
Installation is dead simple: Turn off the TV. Plug the emitter cable into the special jack on the back of the television, attach the emitter itself someplace for maximum room coverage, and you're almost good to go. The manual suggested attaching the emitter in front of the set, attached to the TV base, for those not having the TV mounted on the wall, but we found we got better coverage with it on top of the set.
It's also recommended to use the HDMI cable included in the kit to connect your 3D-capable blu-ray player or PS3 to the television, because it's guaranteed to support 3D data transfer speeds.
One thing I did need to do, since we'd been using our firmware-upgraded Playstation 3 -before- adding the 3D accessories, was to go into the PS3 video settings and set it to recognize the new configuration. Once I did this, 3D options became available on several of the games already on the PS3, and the "Alice" 3D blu-ray was recognized as playable (1st attempt, the PS3 said we didn't have accessible 3D equipment, which was my clue to go check).
Turn on the glasses with the little button under the front right temple hinge, and enjoy.
The 3D experience was pretty awesome, the illusion of depth is undeniable and convincing, and it increases the immersive feel of movies, although it does take some getting used to. Also, for some reason, one of the sets of included shutter glasses fits me well, while the other doesn't. No clue as to why the difference.
Note: This kit only includes two pair of adult-sized glasses. If you have more family members and/or young kids or older youths, you may want to buy more pairs. Get Sonys or the Xpand universal shutter glasses, or they won't work (each manufacturer uses a slightly different standard, not unlike the way a remote control for one TV brand won't work for other brands).
Pros:
- The Sony glasses seemed sturdier and better made than other models (Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic were those I tested and compared at a local Costco), and were among the most comfortable
- Undeniably solid 3D effects with minimal ghosting, mostly caused by me shifting my head around too much because I was eating dinner while watching the movie
- 3D video games are quite amazing (Super Stardust HD was free along with several other downloadable 3D PS3 games as bonus gifts with our Sony Bravia TV -- and it's incredible)
- The simulated 3D was kind of neat, although I can't see using this feature much
Cons:
- The shutter glasses work by blocking your vision in alternating eyes with LCD lenses. Unavoidably, this causes your TV to look dimmer and darker. A way around this is to adjust the TV picture to Vivid, image and backlighting both to Max, Cinemotion OFF (reduces shutter-flicker, especially with the simulated 3D mode), color temperature to Cool. Setting Motion-Flow to Standard also seemed to improve the picture crispness and clarity, although we never use the feature outside of 3D because it looks too weird.
- Obviously if you have only one functioning eye (and thus no actual depth perception), this product is not for you.
- The glasses are a little heavy and can be tiring during a long film, and while they're designed to fit over normal prescription eyeglasses, some folks' eye-wear might be too large.
- There just aren't very many 3D films available yet, although with this year's major manufacturer push to make the home equipment available, this should go up and the prices come down. That said, the prices for the 3D versions of 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs' and 'Open Season' (both are animated films) are reasonable. We'll probably see lots of Pixar films released in 3D blu-ray before long, because the re-encoding isn't that difficult for the studios to do. Be careful when shopping for 3D movies, because quite a few of them are the old-style blue-and-red nausea-inducing kind, and not these new shutter-glasses films. Amazon helpfully lists all the genuine new 3D blu-rays on a special page...which, if you go look, is sadly short in length.
Important note: If you are buying this Sony 3D kit in the hope of picking up a copy of "Avatar" in 3D soon, forget it unless you have a lot of disposable income. Panasonic locked in exclusive rights (reportedly for a full year), and right now the only way to get Avatar 3D is to buy their 3D accessory kit or look for other people selling their copy on eBay (and as of Dec 2010, several hundred bucks a copy, which is even more ridiculous). If you do acquire a copy of the disc, it will play on the Sony equipment however, as will any other 3D blu-ray disc.
Another note: If you got this kit along with a new Sony Bravia 3D-ready TV, go through all the papers and inserts that came with it, along with any other new Sony equipment you may have purchased recently. With the new TV, I found the 3D Playstation 3 free games offer, and a bonus from Sony to receive two 3D blu-ray discs (Bolt (yay!) and Michael Jackson (meh)) just for registering the television on their website.
Would I recommend this product to others? Yes.
Why four stars instead of five? Two factors: The current extreme paucity of 3D blu-ray movies available, and the difficulty I've had in getting a really good, comfortable fit with the glasses, although I'm doubtful any of the other models are better.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony 3DBNDL/ALICE 3D Deluxe Starter Kit, Black


Enjoy an incredible, high-quality 3D entertainment experience when you combine this 3D deluxe starter kit with a compatible BRAVIA 3D HDTV. The starter kit includes two pairs of 3D active glasses, a 3D sync transmitter, Disney's Alice in Wonderland 3D Blu-ray Disc, and an HDMI cable.
3D Active Glasses.

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Sony TMR-BR100 3D Sync Transmitter for Sony's 3D Glasses, Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The picture on the Sony 3D TVs is incredible. Thanks to thanks to this transmitter, I can watch movies in 3D and even better, a lot of ps3 games are coming out in 3D which look great.

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Enjoy an incredible, high-quality 3D entertainment experience when you combine this 3D Sync Transmitter with a compatible BRAVIA 3D HDTV and a pair of 3D Active Glasses.The Transmitter delivers a strong 3D signal for wider viewing options and minimized interference.
3D Sync Transmitter.

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