# Sony KDL46XBR9 worth it? What controls available?



## glaufman (Nov 25, 2007)

So... the Sales VP at my company is in the market for a new TV... the basic constraints are:
Sony LCD, 46", under $2k... so I'm thinking KDL-46XBR9.
That being said, I'm questioning (because I know he's going to ask) what makes it worth the upgrade from the Z5100, or even the W5100...

Are there any things I should know about this set before recommending it, such as known, unfixed bugs or the like?

Does anyone know exactly what calibration controls are available to the user vs the service menus? (RGB Hi/Low, Gamma, CMS?)


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

What are you going to use it for? Is it his personal TV, or one for work? What does he have now? My personal opinion is the V series, with 1080p and 120HZ, is the sweet spot for value. Spend the rest on something that's going to give you a bigger bang for the buck like blu-ray or a sound system.


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## glaufman (Nov 25, 2007)

Hi Marshall-
It'll be his personal TV, replacing a DLP that he's no longer happy with.
IIRC, he had been considering the 52V5100, at which point in time I found it easy to convince him to go an extra $100 for the W, on account of the updated processing engine, but he's since decided he doesn't have room for that and needs the 46 instead, opening up a world of other possibilities in the budget...
I happen to agree with you on balancing the budget with sources and sound, but I may be hard pressed to get him to do that, in which case, might as well get the best set possible? 
I guess I am aware (read: I think but need someone to confirm) that much of the panel itself is the same, and the only differences are some of the processing and a lot of features most people don't use?


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## Jon Liu (May 21, 2007)

I had a Sony 55XBR5 and thought it was a great TV, but I will say this - Sony TVs, especially the XBR's area bit overpriced. Sure, I like the picture they put out better than the comparing TVs from other brands, but it's only marginally better. In my opinion it's not worth the extra cost.


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

The sony site gives you a nice side by side comparison. V to W gets you the Sony x-cross (or whatever it's called) menu system, Bravia Engine 3 over 2 (for what that's worth), deep color support, and a more sophisticated built in speaker system. But the biggest jump is the internet connected features of the W (which in my opinion are far inferior to anything you'd get in a $100-150 box, but if you don't want extra boxes, I guess it's a good alternative).

Jumping to the XBR gets you Wide Color Gamut backlighting for, theoretically, more natural colors.

The V is definitely the sweet spot.


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## glaufman (Nov 25, 2007)

I tend to agree at this point. That being said, it looks like he's going to get the Z as he wants the ethernet without a separate box. I had found that comparison on Sony's site last night, it's actually quite helpful once you remove everything that doesn't really matter, which of course is almost everything...
I got caught up in remember analog Sony's where I at least tricked myself into seeing a visible difference in the XBRs...
Also, doesn't the wide color gamut backlight only come into play with XVcolor? as in, only useful today with certian home camcorders?


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

I'd have to defer to a true expert on your last question, but I did think of one more item: XBR is rumored to be 3D compatible with a firmware upgrade, so there is that advantage.


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## glaufman (Nov 25, 2007)

Just when I thought I had it all figured out!:hissyfit:
That's interesting to say the least, although gimmicky IMO, to some it would be a big deal...
Could you point me towards the rumors?
One of this guy's motives is to outdo his brother...

As a side note unrelated to the 3D info, is the V series firmware upgradable via the USB?


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

All bravias should be able to firmware update via USB, the 3d rumor came from a big box retailer, so take it with a grain of salt.


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## glaufman (Nov 25, 2007)

K. Thanks for the guidance!


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