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| Sony Bravia KDL-46XBR |
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Company: Sony |
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Pros: Product design; Various connectivity ports; Customisable colour settings; Rich and vibrant colours
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Cons: It took us quite some time before we got used to the unit?s menu and remote control |
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"New Sony LCD TV Shines, Even With HD DVD"
By Mendelson Tiu | Published:31/10/2007
If there is one word to describe the new Sony Bravia, it would be the word ?better.? The new KDL-46XBR is one of those LCDs in the market that is well worth its asking price because of its new technology and picture quality. The TV shines with all formats - including HD DVDs. 
Click to enlarge |
The ability to display full HD is just one of the things that a consumer looks for when purchasing an LCD or plasma screen. In addition, users also look for a panel that will give them the best visual experience possible. Sony's Bravia KDL-46XBR comes new and improved, with the promise of great picture quality, a 10-bit panel with incorporated Motionflow 100Hz, and Full HD 1080 resolution. The new KDL-46XBR still sports a clear glass frame but now favours a brushed aluminium bezel. The fascia of the screen is bare as the control buttons for the unit (like Power, Program Buttons, Volume Control, Input Select, and Menu button) can be found on the right side panel. Several connectivity ports (Headphone jack, S-Video, Composite video input, RCA stereo audio input jack, USB port, and HDMI) can be found on the unit's left side, making it easy for users to hook up various equipments. Sony also made sure that users can connect various equipment like gaming consoles, home theatre systems, HD DVD/ Blu-ray players, and even PCs as the KDL-46XBR has an abundance of video and audio ports at its rear. Ports include two HDMI inputs (giving the unit a total of 3 HDMI ports), PC input (D-Sub), two sets of component video input, three sets of RCA stereo audio input jack, an S-video input, a Digital Out (Optical), and a pair of RCA output jack. The remote control is well-labelled but it may take users some time before being able to fully utilise it. Besides being able to control the screen, Sony claims that its remote control can be programmed to be used for various DVD players, Sony's Blu-ray player, as well as its DAV Home Theatre Systems. |
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By XBR buyer |
Great picture, but missing important features and poor usability
Pros: Picture is excellent. Sound better than expected.
Cons: No EPG at all, no subtitles, very slow channel changing
When watching a show, you will not be disappointed by the quality of the picture. Though it cannot produce very dark scenes as good as the best plasmas, you'll never be concerned. Even the sound from the built in speakers is very impressive. I only switch on my amp and speakers occasionally.
Unfortunately Sony decided that they could make the usability below standard and worse still, leave off features seen on most other flatscreen TVs. Maybe they were thinking the most people will see the TV in the store and be impressed by the way it looks, but won't use it.
There is a large button on the remote that is for the EPG. Sony decided that this wasn't required for the Australian market. So if you want to know what is on, you are better off checking the internet or look in the paper. I know that you can get this on a $50 STB, but pay $4000 and you don't get it.
Changing channels takes 6 seconds. That makes channel surfing totally unbearable and really makes the lack of an EPG even worse. When you press the button on the remote, the screen turns black and then you have to wait the full 6 seconds before you see the next channel. The best way around this is to switch to analogue mode and surf there. This of course means that you cannot check the new HD channels though.
Most TV's have one button to push to bring up your channel list. Sony must have thought that we needed more exercise because they make you push two.
If you occasionally like to have the subtitles on for those shows that are hard to understand or you are hard of hearing, then look elsewhere. Like the EPG, Sony didn't think its premium product needed this common feature. |
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Find the Sony Bravia KDL-46XBR on DigitalHome.com.au
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