Sony KDL-46XBR9 46" LCD HDTV 46-inch 240Hz 1080p LCD HD Television

I've done my research and I've asked around to those who had the products I was looking at. In the end I chose the SONY Bravia XBR. My brother gave it great reviews and I liked what I saw on his. He has the 40 inch and I've purchased the 46inch. Hooking it up was fairly easy for a woman who lives alone. The picture quality for HD is great. I love it. However, the sound quality is not as I had hoped. Some shows come in loud and clear while others, you have to put the volume up all the way and sit closer just to hear it well. I've gotten the home theater hooked up to it, as well, and that helps when watching DVD's. All in all, it's not a bad tv and I would recommend it to others. If SONY can improve on the sound quality this will be one supurb buy!

CLOSE CAPTION PROBLEMS - this sony model will not show close caption on high definition channels or ANY channel if you use a HDMI CABLE. So if you use close caption, this is not the set for you.

I purchased this product about a month ago for an amazing price which was the main con from CNET. I have cable programming so the signal is usually good. Here are my thoughts;
Pros:
Looks great
Price (Better than any place I visited and all competitors)
HD programming is amazing, Sports are fantastic
Scene and angle selections are fun and allow you to customize quickly
Fast shipping, no damage anywhere
Plenty of input options
Regular sound is good
Wireless and computer features are fun

Cons:
Regular programming is not very good in most cases

Overall, I would recommend this TV to anybody but always do the research and know what you are getting. I had a get together soon after I bought it and the guys just sat around and starred at it for a few hours. Great purchase before football season.

After researching flat screen LCD's we decided on this one. There is a learning curve and it's worth it to take the time. Not just with sony but in general with HD's. We were sold on Amazon because of no sales tax and free shipping. Delivery was fast and efficient. The only dissatisfier to date is the mute button on the remote which is too small. Otherwise, we can use the Directv remote in combination. There are many nice features on the sony remote and I like the compatibility with my other sony devices.
The picture is so clear, we really love it.

I've had my Sony Bravia XBR9 for just a few days now, but I can pass my observations along about the LCD TV and also with how well Amazon's door to door service went.

Needless to say, shipping was pretty fast. In fact so fast that I had to get the delivery company to hold onto it for a couple of days until I was available. As for CEVA, the delivery company, it wasn't white glove service, but I don't have any complaints. They did call to schedule a delivery date and time and they did arrive when they said they were going to arrive. It was just one person delivering the TV though, and rather than having him handle my TV all alone, I gave him a hand to bring it in. He did help me remove it from the box and install it on the stand, then wanted to make sure it turned on, so I can't complain. The condition was flawless out of the box, so large, expensive, vulnerable items like LCD TV's that are being shipped can arrive without anything to worry about.

As for the TV itself; the picture is bright and I mean really bright. It's absolutely amazing when watching it using an HD channel. I watched the Yankees vs the Philly's Baseball game on Fox HD and the picture quality was faultless. If only all channels were in HD. The standard definition channels are still good, but Cox cable's compression brings out the flaws and I hope they bring HD to the forefront with all their channels in the near future. It's not the TV's fault, it's trying to make the best out of what it has to work with, but you really do get spoiled with HD content.

My only negative point, as it seems with all LCD TV's, is with the sound. Don't get me wrong, it's plenty loud and I'll probably be shopping around for a home theater setup pretty soon, but its still not on the same level compared to how good the picture quality is. There's a bunch of sound settings and a custom equalizer that I'll probably mess around with to improve things, but if I had to nitpick about one area that lets the whole package down, it would be the sound. In its defense, I don't think I've heard or read a review yet where an LCD TV has been judged with excellent sound on its own, so I'd put the Bravia XBR9 in the good range.

After owning it for just a few days, the bottom line is I'm highly praising the XBR9 for its magnificent picture, would say the built in speakers will get you by but suggest a home theater setup. Amazon's price for this TV is excellent and after e-mailing them because of a price drop, they also refunded me the difference. It's the reason I will continue to do business with them because of their prices and the great customer service.

This is my second Sony Bravia LCD television , previously I had purchased the 32" XBR6 so I had some kind of idea as what to expect.

The XBR9 series is internet ready which allowed me to connect to the internet (for video streaming) without the use of a PC (used with my XBR6). Netflix is coming on board as a streaming provider apparently in November and we are very much looking forward to that. I had to use a wireless ethernet bridge to connect to my broadband but that was easy as the TV's network setup supports wireless bridges. Connection to the broadband also allows media stored on other networked PCs to be played on the TV (the PCs use Windows Media Player to make themselves DLNA servers) so sharing vacation pictures and listening to MP3s remotely on the TV is now possible. Back to the video streaming and actual internet content (limited good stuff) - other than Netflix, which is coming, there are movies available from Amazon.com - did this have something to do with the great price of the set from Amazon?

The picture is simply breath taking. 46" is big enough. I do observe that the picture does have a little bit of a problem with subjects that have bright light reflecting off them - like a baseball player's white uniform with the sun shining directly on it - a little saturated I think. TV sound has plently of volume and sounds good...however there appears to be a Yamaha sound bar and sub woofer in piano black that looks like it was made to go with this set...

Delivery was through Pilot Air - if they don't call you to schedule delivery then you need to call them (1-800-HI-PILOT). Setup was fast and easy.

I just wish Dad could see this.

For months I could not decide between Samsung and Sony. After reading many review and doing some work I went along with Sony. It works seamlessly with my PS3 and Linkstation Pro. After moving up from a 32" RCA tube tele to a 46" Bravia ...... HELLO WORLD. I recommend this product to anyone. Picture, sound, service, bells and whistle are all great. The only thing it's missing is picture in picture.

Very good picture quality. Best. But sound is okay. If you buy this TV make sure you get surround sound and blu ray to appreciate the quality.

I upgraded from a Sony Wega XBR 32" (No HD) to the Sony Bravia XBR 46" (1080p HD) and I'm thankful everytime I turn on a sporting event.

Simply said, this television is unbelievable.

The picture quality is the best I've ever seen and I was even more blown away when I hooked up my PS3 for the first time and watched Planet Earth in Blu Ray.

The internal speakers are good and having the ability to "sync" all your Sony products cuts down on the remotes needed to run everything.

I've had the TV for almost a month and couldn't be happier. The matte finish on the screen is what attracted me to the TV in the first place. The room where the TV sits is very bright and this really cuts down and almost eliminates glare on the screen. I looked at Samsung LED TVs and the screen was shiny and there was a lot of glare, I could actually see clear reflections of objects in the room on the screen. The ambient light sensor on the TV is a great feature. It adjusts the brightness to compensate for the ambient room lighting. In the evening the picture is not a bright as during the day. The picture quality is excellent. Guests have said it feels like you are actually part of what you are watching.

Sony has done it again with the Bravia XBR. I would highly recommend this product. In addition the price on Amazon was unbelievable!

Love this Sony! Just sorry that PIP was deleted from the XBR9. No other complaints. Glad to see the piano gloss frame of T.V. has clear lucite (plastic) over it which slightly lessens the glare. Can't stand full piano gloss frames that reflect every light source in a room. Hopefully Sony will consider totally non-glare frames and screens in the near future. Not happy that Amazon's price dropped nearly $100 a few days after I purchased the T.V.! Delivery service was great & T.V. was delivered two days after order placed, which was a real plus. Would highly recommend purchasing a T.V. from Amazon and would really appreciate a credit to my account for the price drop, which would be done by any reputable dealer!!

This, my 4th HDTV, replaced a 2yo 40-inch SONY, which itself was fantastic. Got it from AMAZON at a ridiculuously low $1575! While I have calibration tools, I didn't need them after minimizing the lamp and fiddling with the other video options. Unlike a few who saw no significant effect, I am impressed with the 240hz performance, and with other adjustments which do not significantly interplay, requiring endless back and forth tweaking. The XBR9 delivers totally accurate skin tones from chalk white to ebony black. The sound is OK for viewing local newscasts, etc., but not for entertainment programming, which I play through a Marantz A/V and a bi-amped Klipsch front (I am a dedicated 5.1 fan). The results (via COMCAST) approach theater-quality, and awesome when viewing Blurays through my OPPO BDP-83. The standard definition channels, which vary between broadcasters, are noticeably better than my 40-inch SONY delivered. I notice that the price has shot way up since I got my set, so if I was still in the market, I would hold off until SONY dropped the wholesale again, which is what apparently led to my October bargain.

Ordered from Amazon, best price by far at the time of ordering. Free delivery, box arrived in pristine condition, it looked like it had just been pulled off the packaging line, no dents, tears or even scratches in the cardboard. So far so good... The delivery guys unpacked it, put the stand on and plugged it in. I was trying not to salivate.

It was a breeze to set up. Coax cable to HDD recorder, HDMI to TV. 2nd HDMI from Sony Blu-ray to TV. Done! I turned on the tv, autoscan picked up the analog and digital stations (took about 30 minutes) and I was watching the news in high def. Wow, the picture was stunning, right out of the box.

I have watched 4 movies, the blu-ray is stunning. At first I noticed a mild "flashlight" effect in the lower left corner in dark scenes while watching Bladerunner in a dark room. I watched it again 4 days later (again in a dark room) and it was gone, so maybe it was my imagination. The blacks are good, not as good as LED or plasma, but really good. If the room lights are on, the blacks are black. For $1,000 less than a comparable 240hz led backlit model it is a no-brainer in my opinion. The PQ is just amazing. Some of the explosions on the Bond flick I was watching appeared as if pieces were flying out of the screen. I was expecting some 3D effect, but this was ridiculous! I was so entranced that at times I forgot to follow the plot. Planet earth blu-ray also spectacular. The 3D effect is again breathtaking. It feels like you are on the plane/helicopter with the film crew!

About the sound. I was expecting it to be really bad, due to a few reviews I read. I am an audiophile with my music, but keep my sound system separate from the TV (different rooms). I was hoping to not need to buy a receiver/speakers but was skeptical that the sound would cut it for me. But it is not bad. I tweaked the settings to my liking and the dialogue is crystal clear. There is a little "surround" effect using the front surround setting. I was really impressed. Let's face it, most people will be using external speakers. Now, my room is small with 7' ceilings, which I am sure helps the sound work for me. I can see how this would not be powerful enough in a great room type setting, or a more open area in general.

At this time I only have one complaint. There is only 1 hdmi input in the rear panel, the other 3 are on the side. With my cables, there is no way to completely hide the one plugged into the side. Maybe there are cables with an "L" type connection that would keep the cable around the back. Eventually I will find a way to tie it back behind the TV with a zip tie. For now I am way too busy watching movies on this beautiful piece of HT equipment. My next order of business will be to connect to my high speed network with a wireless bridge to access Amazon and Netflix for streaming HD!

For the price.... FIVE STARS!!!

This is the one. The best of Tv's for its quality and picture. The guy that brought it says we bought the best of any other tv. We was very nice. He took it out of the package and may sure everything was okay. Even hooked it up. If you get HDTV, you won't want to go back to regular tv. We have other tv's in our house. They haven't been on since we got this one. Worth every penny!!!!

I bought the KDL46XBR9 along with HTCT100 sound module and BDP-S560 BlueRay player. I am very happy with the picture quality especially HD channels. Once you connect everything with HDMI cables Bravia Syns works very well. Without the sound bar sound quality is average.

Out of the box TV looks very simple and clean. We had some issues with the level of the TV once we place it on a stand. We contacted SONY and they sent a tech along with a new stand. Everything looked ok after that. I really enjoy online content "YouTube", Widgets and Amazon On Demand.

Amazon delivered the product within 5 days and delivery folks were very professional.

We wanted excellent picture and refresh rate and decent sound. This has met all our expectations. Love the hookup through our cable router to access my music, pictures and all the movie services like netflix My husband loves the golf lessons from one of the internet feeds.
Works seemlessly with our Sony blu-ray player.
Picture is exceptional and so easy to customize. A little tweaking made sound quality very acceptable til we get a home theater system installed. Must say I am in no big hurry as I'm enjoying it as is.

Big! Was best price anywhere local. Was free shipping,no sales tax, (huge) and got 24 mo. interest free to pay for it

Our TV is amazing but just thank goodness my husband understood the features of the TV. If you dont set it up correctly the picture is not as good. I recommend buying the connector between the cable box and TV for the best picture.

the tv is great! 5 stars.
however, the scratch is hard to live with. must have been the shipping company's fault.

i must say this looks really amazing the picture quality in HDTV and in the ps3, the sound is excellent, it has many hdmi ouputs, the xmb is abosolutely great if you want a very good tv Lcd you should buy this one you won't regret it.

Great Picture. Very good when watching football with the 240hz. I would use different sound since the built in sound is not very good. I would recommend this TV to anyone I know

This T.V. has changed our lives. We went from a 1973 console to this amazing screen. It is perfect.

Pros: If you can get this TV for less than $1,400 (like I did thru Amazon, including a sound bar with subwoofer and a Blue Ray player) you will be thrilled with this TV! If you base your buying decisions on expert reviews, get ready to spend like crazy!
Cons: Con number one from the experts, the "black level" debate - it's overrated...tell me something, will you stop watching a movie just because a certain scene is not displaying a "true black" level? And con two from the experts, you went all out to buy this TV, where should the sound from a Blu-ray movie come from? If you really want to hear and feel that jet flying over head, expect to spend at least 50% of what you pay for this TV in a quality surround system.
Bottom-line, if you want true black levels from a movie, go watch the movie at the theater, no TV can match that...none! If you're looking for those same black levels in a live program, buy the tickets to be there live. Otherwise, this TV will give you the next best thing to being there. If you're looking for a bargain, you really need to be patient and look at online deals practically every day. That's how I found the deal I got thru Amazon. I am not fanatical about any brand, but I did my homework...I went to a few brick and mortar stores and did side-by-side comparisons of different models, brands, prizes and sizes of HDTV's. I really liked the natural colors that the Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and Pioneer TV's reproduced, but, holy moly, the prices of the models that I really liked were, let me be honest, as if someone was cussing at me, I'm talking about fighting words, obscene ultimate-cage-fighting words. BUT, I wanted to stick to my plan - be patient, pick one or two TV models I would be really happy to own and wait...wait for the right (crazy-right!) prize. And the day came (and went really fast!) I saw this TV on sale and without hesitation whipped out the plastic and got it. I am extremely happy with this TV. But don't listen to me, I am not an expert, just an average user who got the best price on a high end TV. Do more research, read more expert advise, but in the end it's you (and your family) who are going to watch the movies and shows on this TV. The black levels are not perfect, the sound is not perfect. But like I mentioned earlier, for true blacks, go to the source (or a better reference you can afford to buy, like going to the movies.) And for the best sound? Do I need to repeat myself? Okay, no offense, but for everyday TV viewing, the sound on this TV (like any TV at any price range) is acceptable. But for watching a Blu-ray movie? Please! Let me say this, if you are going to complain that the sound on this TV is "bad" while you're watching a Blu-ray movie and you consider yourself an expert in this field...get off the crack! For the best picture this TV can offer, get the best sound system you can afford...and (surprise!) the sound from the speakers on this TV are not the answer! This TV has other features that many people will enjoy...movie rentals thru Amazon, internet widgets, streaming music, syncing with other components like the surround sound and Blue Ray player...blah, blah, blah...this TV is awesome, shop wisely!

We purchased this TV locally (not from Amazon) & it has an amazing picture & the sound is great too. The only complaint I have is that the On Screen TV guide will not set up. It fills in the channel labels but, no program description. I know it takes a few days to fill in but, it's been a week or more. Our XBR6 did all this (in about 3 days) without a problem.
We love the Guide! We find ourselves running to another room & checking out the Guide on our XBR6 so we can watch it on our XBR9!
Does anyone have a "fix" for this? We've re-checked our setup several times.

Bought this TV through the Amazon Warehouse deals. Said it had blemish on the housing. But found the TV in perfect condition. The box was resealed in original packing. Love this TV especially there is no blurred in fast action motion picture. The 240 hrz is something people should pay real attention to. The picture quality is phenominal. I have my bose system hooked on to the TV and it gives life like movie experience. This is a great TV!!!

This is the first LCD HDTV that I have purchased but I've had a lot of compliments on the picture and I'm extremely well satisfied.

I had owned a Sony 36" XBR WEGA TV for years and was very happy with its performance, but decided it was finally time to upgrade to a HD LCD. After researching them for a couple months, I had narrowed it down to Samsung and Sony in the $1,300-1,500 price range. I choose the Sony because the picture looked more natural. I have to agree with others that reviewed the Samsung that the colors were almost too bright and the off angle view was not as sharp. I couldn't have made a better choice. This TV is amazing. The picture is clear and the HD is great, especially with blu-ray and PS3 games. I can sit back at my dining room table and view the picture from a 35 degree angle with no dark spots or distortion. I only have to have the brightness at a 40 percent level. I've read some reviews that you have to really tweak the picture settings to get the picture right, but I thought it was just fine right out of the box. The pre-set picture modes are easy to toggle through for movies or regular TV, and the 240 hz refresh rate makes games, action movies, and sports flow smoothly without any blur. As for the sound, many people complain about LCD TVs in general, but I thought this one was good. I do have to have the level turned up to 30 and it lacks some bass, but it's much better than I had expected. Lastly, the inputs and outputs are plenty. Has a digital out so I could hook into my stereo. I'm looking forward to hooking up my ethernet cable to explore the video and wiget capabilities.

I purchased this product in early 11/09 as part of the "See Blu" promotion which included:
- Sony BRAVIA XBR Series KDL-46XBR9
- Sony BDP-S560 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player
- Sony HTCT100 Sound Bar with Subwoofer

I am thrilled and delighted with this package. Many have said this or something similar before, but the real reason that I wanted to write this review is to talk about pricing.

I read reviews and looked at various deals on HDTVs for 1 1/2 years since the middle of 2008. I looked at Samsung, Panasonic, and SONY. I almost purchased a Sony from Amazon just after Christmas of 2008 when they were running a great sale. However, I didn't because of the 24 fps judder problem. This new Sony HDTV solves that problem whereas many other HDTVs don't. The price bottomed for one day on Saturday, 11/7, when Sony was running the "See Blu" promotion and Amazon was providing 24 month interest-free financing on the Amazon Store Card for a total price of $1386. It was a phenomenal price on a wonderful package. I purchased it a few days before and actually saw it when the price made it's final jump down by $170 from Friday to Saturday.

I expect that similar deals might be available in the future (perhaps soon) and hope that this pricing history helps everyone in your search for a great product at a great price.

Technology doesn't get any better than this. Best Buy offered this unit with a Sony BluRay player and a Sony Amplifier with surround sound speakers for the low price of 1754.00 plus tax. We picked it up at the Store and had no trouble getting everything into the car.

The unit was hooked up with two HDMI cables and one Optical Cable but I had to use Component Cables as well. Netgear makes for ease of use when connecting to the Internet, both for the TV and for the BluRay. In one day we were watching DVD's, listening to music in surround sound and hooked up our Netflix account and Video Streaming.

Not enough can be said about this system in full. Sony outdid themselves on this one and I am so glad to own the full system.

Buy it and you will never be sorry!

M.

What a great TV. I purchased the TV along with BluRay and home theater. With HD inputs (RF, HDMI, etc) the picture quality is stunning, absolutely stunning. The detail and color intensity blow me away on HDTV programming and especially DVDs and BluRays. The TV speaker audio quality is excellent also considering what little Sony has to play with here in terms of speaker placement and cabinet acoustics. The bottom firing speakers offer good sound quality with an extremly clean appearance to the panel. Despite this, the home theater system ( I got the HTSS360) is an amazing auditory leap from the TV alone, so put that in your cart also to take the next step.

My one wish is that analog picture quality (yes I'm a tightwad for some things, at least for now) was better. It is inferior to my 32" Sony that is 10 years old, even when compensating for picture size. (You'll likely get used to it after a bit, I did.) But I knew this going in. Analog and SD picture quality is a not too uncommon complaint on HDTV's, some manufacturers more than others. (Sony is actually not the best here if you believe Consumer Reports) Something in the analog to digital conversion (I've read various technical explanations) simply gets lost. After all, analog reception and display has been refined over 70 years. So be prepared to get an HD upgrade from your cable company or go satellite I suppose to avoid this. I imagine most people will be unlike myself and go HD on their programming when they get this TV.

Otherwise, fantastic unit. Love it.

You pay a little more but I have had many Sony TVs and this one also has a very good picture. I have no comparison set to see if 240hz makes much of a difference, but I am happy with it. I tried sitting at different angles and it makes no difference having 5 people at 10 feet in front of the set-all had a great picture to view. Having HD cable or blue-ray is needed to see the detail, but even my regular DVDs look much better. I was happy that nothing was broken during shipping and set up was simple. I would do it again. Other sets might be cheaper but I doubt they could be any better.

TV arrived very quickly and setup was very straightforward using a TV antenna. The picture quality is amazing and Blue-ray DVDs look great. I can't wait to try the Internet connectivity as well. A great buy at a good price.

First, I did not purchase this TV. It is what was given to me when my Sharp 42" LCD died after 2 and a half years (I am so glad I bought the "Keep It New" extended warranty for $79).

I have been using this TV for about 3 months now. I don't know if anyone else has experienced this or not but my Sony 46XBR9 needed a few hours of "break-in" before I was happy with the picture. I tried all the calibration settings from different sites and thought they all were not as good as the standard settings.

Picture: Very natural colors with excellent contrast and good black levels. The 240 Hz makes watching much more enjoyable compared to my old 60 Hz model. I use Dish Network with HD and an over the air antenna for local stations.

Sound: I think the sound is as good as I have heard from an LCD. I use my home theater 5.1 setup most of the time for a much better experience.

Internet: A TV at this price should have wireless. I have tried setting up a wireless access point with no success. I found that the only thing I used when I ran a LAN cable to the TV was the Netflix service. I often had hesitations from streaming movies due to buffering. I have a PS3 and use Netflix through its built in Wi-Fi and I dont get the hesitations from buffering.

Overall I am very happy with this TV. It is a vast improvement over my old Sharp.

There is a little leg when i play my games otherwise it woul be a perfect tv...
and by the way i'm a sony fans so.......

This is a great TV and the 240Hz does make the difference. The price is good for this type of model. We like it and our kids love it.

I owned this TV for three weeks and then decided to return back to Best Buy which had the best price on this particular model and screen size, even better than Amazon, which is very rare.

The TV's design is simply awesome, typical Sony attribute. Its bezel is non-glossy, very thin and non-bulky, making it occupy less space on stand than TVs in similar size and look really classy. Something Samsung should copy. Though not an LED, it is thin for a regular LCD TV. SONY logo on lower bezel slowly lights up when TV is turned on. Cool. SONY remote and menu system are second the none I must admit. Something else Samsung should copy. But that is up to where Samsung should copying from Sony.

This TV has, if not horrible, very very bad black level handling. Almost non-existent Dark areas screens are almost grayish, bluish pixalated. In some occasions, to watch a movie with night scenes were really annoying. Despite having near-excellent light scene performance, XBR9 failed miserably in black areas. I know this, because I own a 32" XBR3 which has excellent blacks. Despite all the calibration efforts with the help of many AVS sites I found with Google, nothing helped. Even the BestBuy Magnolia expert admitted the problems with blacks in Sony HDTVs.

As a result, as along term SONY fan I had to returned this and instead purchase a newer, 2010 model Sony LED Sony Bravia EX700 Series 46-Inch LED HDTV, Black ,only to find out it to be worse not only in black levels but also picture quality with terrible blooming effects. XBR9 at least had a good picture quality where the scenes was not dark. But, that is another review for EX700.

In conclusion, XBR9 would be an excellent TV, if it could handle blacks well. But it does not.

Should buy it ? I'd say no. after testing two Sony models in 3 weeks, I have concluded that SONY as a HDTV maker has lost its charm. By the way, I eventually ordered a Samsung UN46B8500 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LED HDTV. Lets see how it works. I doubt it will be worse than a Sony.

We got this TV about 7 weeks ago with a free Sony blu-ray player and so far have been very happy with it. It has a minimalist understated style that I think looks good in the room it's in. The picture quality is great and what we expected, I think the blacks look black, but I'm not at the tech level where I notice those fine details all that closely. I wish the jump and muting buttons were more prominent, like on our previous Sony, but that's a small item. This comes with 4 speakers, and the sound is still weak sometimes, noticed mostly on blu-ray movies. As thin as the TV is I never expected great sound, but I thought doubling the number of speakers as this set does would be acceptable, but not really. We just ordered a Sony AV receiver and speakers and that will take care of that problem (and we'll have surround sound - our slow shuffle into the 21st century).

BTW, we also ordered a 32" Panasonic LCD for the bedroom on an Amazon "Gold Box" sale for $379 a couple of weeks after we got the Sony, and the picture on that is fantastic also. I think the technology is so good now that most of the tv's out there are pretty awesome regardless of the brand - just my opinion, and just sayin'...

There are two reasons for this review. One is for the current seller Video and Audio Center. I left seller feedback and immediately received a call from them. The feedback was that the box was a shambles when the TV was delivered. I stated the TV was fine and was working great. I was not expecting a call from them and was shocked when I did. They offered to replace the television no questions asked or to offer an extended warranty for 3 additional years at no cost (because I had already stated in my feedback the TV was fine). There was nothing wrong with the TV (no scratches, picture issues, cracks, remote issues etc...) so I am not so anal as to demand they replace it and excepted the extended warranty so if anything does go wrong I am covered. This took place within probably one hour from me leaving feedback. Amazing customer service and I would recommend them highly as a seller to buy your home theater equipment from. Secondly, the TV is awesome. Up and running within 20 mins (approx.) and could not be happier. Pre-ordered Lord of the Rings (yep, do not care if it's not the extended versions cause I will buy them later) and look forward to watching them. 2012, The Blind Side, The Untouchables, and Star Trek all looked unbelievable and it was like watching them for the first time at the theater. Great TV, great company. Sony is the way to go.

I've had my 46" XBR9 now for two weeks and I have no regrets.

Let preface my opinions to come by saying that after much research this my first flat screen TV but as I said above I have no regrets.

The first thing that caught my eye, right out of the box, was the styling. This TV has very thin bezel with the clear accent covering an all black frame which will look nice in any room.

There should be no complaints about the sound from anyone. It's plenty loud enough for everyday viewing and you'll need a home theater system to get that 5.1 experience from any TV you buy. This TV will not output 5.1 sound via the optical out with an HDMI input but it will output 5.1 sound via the optical out from the over the air signal through the coax input and network content, such as Amazon Video On Demand, through the network input. If it's in 5.1, I usually use my Home Theater System but if just digital I'll usually just use the TV speakers.

I have an HDTV antenna mounted in my attic and the majority of my time in front of this TV is spent watching sports and prime time shows on the various networks from this over the air signal. Standard SD is decent compared to my old CRT but where this TV really shines in when watching 1080i and 720p content. I usually watch TV with a lamp on and the TV set to the Standard settings except I turn off all the processing features except Motionflow for sports. The picture is great and I do occasionally notice some blocking when the picture is panning but it's only distracting close up and not a problem from about 12 feet where I sit, so getting the correct screen size for your viewing area is important. I have found that not all 1080i is the same, may be the reason some don't like the SD content. What I mean is the content from my local network affiliates can't compare with the content shown from the networks such as prime time shows and sports and usually prime time is shown in 720p which is flawless.

I am a huge movie buff and I use a Sony Blue-Ray Player BDP-S360 via HDMI. I like to watch my movies with the lights out so I use the CNET settings because the standard settings in low light are blinding. Whether it's my standard DVD's unconverted or Blue-Ray the picture is outstanding. In my opinion the blacks are very good and I have seen some flashlighting when the screen is completely black but that rarely happens when watching anything and I must either be getting used to it or the TV is going the "break-in" process because I don't notice it much anymore. I probably could of gotten deeper blacks with plasma but my room as a lot of ambient lighting during the day and this TV has a nice matte screen with very little to no glare because I do watch TV during the day.

I have also streamed movies from Amazon Video on Demand via a network cable on my Home Network and these movies are excellent as they are shown as high as 720p with 5.1 surround sound. It will detect your connection speed and send the highest quality possible so the faster your connection the better the quality. My speed is in 3.5 mb/sec range and the videos are smooth with outstanding PQ.

This TV is packed with features and the menus are easy to navigate. One great feature is that the TV saves your settings for each input which works great for me because I watch over the air through the coax input and movies through the HDMI input and the TV automatically changes the setting when I change inputs. Folks who use their Home theater system to output all their sources through one HDMI input may have to change their settings because it may not automatically change the settings for you but again the menus are fast and easy to navigate.

In conclusion I must say that I am very pleased with this purchase and do it all over again, especially since I got for around 1500 clams with shipping included.

We are very pleased with our new Sony Bravia XBR. I had two concerns before we purchased this TV. Would the picture look as good in my house as it had in the stores with their dedicated input lines, and, would it take forever to set up. After I placed my order with Amazon I had a third worry becuase the store it was coming from was on the other side of the country from where I live and I was concerned with shipping damage.

None of my fears were realized. The picture quality is awesome! We took the TV out of the box, plugged it into the power outlet and our cable, let it go through it's mostly automatic setup, and voila, we were good to go. AND the TV arrived in perfect shape, even after it's long journey.

Originally we weren't sure whether we should pay the extra for the XBR, but a friend said it made a real difference to the quaility of channels that aren't in HD, so we decided to get it. I have to say the quality of the non-HD channels and movies is also very good, so I'm glad we got the XBR.

We are also very pleased with the sound quality of this TV. So much so that we have decided not to hook it up to our surround sound system. This is not to say that movies would not be enhanced with the addition of surround sound, we just found that the speaker system is so good, we don't need it for most of the TV watching we do. (We live in a duplex so never could crank up the sound anyway.)

As always it was a pleasure doing business with Amazon.

Lets just start off by saying that im a Sony fanboy, almost every electronic I have is Sony, ( ps3, three tv's one rear projection, two lcd's the xbr9 and w3000, sony dream theater system, etc.) I was in the market for a long time to buy a new lcd or led tv. since I was dedicated to having only sony televisions I went to check those out first then I saw Samsung's LED. The day I noticed the LED I went back home and did tons of research and noticed Sony had an Led tv also, but it was only a 19 inch Organic led display which cost as much as the samsung 55 inch led. I was then discouraged for either brand and said forget it. After a while this 120 hz and 240 hz motionflow technology came around then I decided to look for a tv again. After some extensive research on many sets I decided to go with this set the xbr9, this is abosoluty the best set I have ever laid my eyes on, wathcing blu rays on this makes you feel like ur actually there with the actors, playing games on this set is bananas. I see things, in movies and games, that I never saw before. Now say what you want to say about price, but if your someone like me who likes a tv to last more than 5 years then what are you waiting for. Believe me I have a 2003 rear projection tv that has never been serviced and its working perfect. All in all you can never go wrong with Sony televisions. look if you dont have a blu ray player or ps3 you will never learn to appreciate a tv of this magnitude. Oh yeah and to all those people who complain about internet features not being responsive, call your internet provider to fix your problem its free, and to all those that have Hd programing, supposedly, how can you get digital HD if your still connecting your tv's through the cable. Remember people not everyone will tell you the same thing so do ur research and check out youtube on tv's which explain details in depth. Thank you for reading my review.

I am a TV salesman, and this has been my favorite TV for over a year! Because it was last years model they had it on clearance and I bought it for $699. This was a smoking deal! The picture quality is outstanding when watching in HD. The sound quality is ok when in SD and pretty good when in HD. The black levels on this TV are amazing. I personally don't like 240hz so I leave it on 120hz. The thin bezel and sharp design of this TV make it look that much better. I recommend this TV to anyone looking for a 46'' LCD.

I bought this television from Best Buy in December 26, 2009. It worked fine till about a month ago, and then while watching television the TV would start powering on and off almost like it was trying to reset itself. It would do this first for about three minutes and that gradually expanded to 10 minutes at a time then return to normal. I have an extended warranty through Best Buy and contacted them for service. They came out twice and eventually replaced a power supply. It worked fine for about three weeks and now has started do the same thing. It seems that they are keeping quiet about this defect so be warned and be sure to record or video tape the error for proof. I suspect I have a lemon, but no one wants to acknowledge it just yet. And by the way don't let them try to snow you with Surge protectors and all that crap. I tried everyone of those remedies and the result is my TV still cycles on and off.

I ordered this TV for almost half the price which really was got me interested. I like sony and i wanted a sony HDTV so the offer got me like a fly on a spiderweb. The TV came exactly right on time, i first opened all excited but i kinda knew something was up with it to cost so little. It had a little scratch on the top left side of the TV and the tv edges were a bit dirty/scraped under the glass framing thing. This kind of upsetted me but then again its not a new hdtv and once i hooked everything up and turned it on, the tv worked perfectly fine. Really bright clear and colorful feeds. And the blacks in this tv are good the best i seen so far but then again i dont go HDTV comparing. And yes of course you can fix its settings to your liking with the options menu.

The sound is pretty good. I never really owned a theater speaker system unit but the TV can get pretty loud, and my old hdtv couldnt do that. Its pretty crisp but i will still buy a speaker unit later on. Blu ray movies look awesome in it with its motionflow making the experience even better. And there are more options to enhance your movie viewing experience. The regular HD channels look almost as awesome as bluray movies. I havent used those online widgets yet but i probably wont anyways, i havent checked them all to be honest. Plus I got a PS3 so its probably almost the same thing. The whole setting up of the TV on my tvstand was pretty easy. The tvs menu options and everything else is easy to navigate and you have many sorts of options to play with. So you really cant complain you wasted money on something you might not consider worthy of a purchase. But this TV is good and worth the money.

Oh and about the scrape you can barely notice it since the TV is black all around so it basically disappears. And the little scratch isnt noticeable unless you put your eye on it. But with a screen so big you wont ever notice it especially with the nice quality picture it delivers on 46''.

PROS- Great TV nothing really bad about it. Unless your some experienced HDTV expert you may dislike this over other HDTVs.. but im oversatisfied with my SONY XBR9 HDTV.

CONS- If youre getting it used, beware, there might be slight scratches scrapes discoloring dents or w/e on the hdtvs but it probably wont be anything serious. And if anything just return it and get your money back :)

This is my first HDTV. Saw it at a relative's house last winter and wanted one. Got a great price. Easy to install although I did purchase an a/v switch because of the number of devices hooked to the TV. Excellent quality of picture, sound and looks.

I'll be perfectly honest; I was VERY happy with my Sony Bravia until it the picture started to "die" less than two years after I purchased it. We now have to wait 45 minutes after turning it on for the picture to clear up.

I'll also admit that I was not smart enough to buy the extended warranty, which you MUST do if you by a Sony because I was very disappointed (and confused) when Sony did not offer to help me more than they did. For the cost of what it will cost to fix it, I could now buy two new 46" Bravias.

Again, it's a great product, but Sony's committment to the their customers is ridiculous. Why pay the higher price when you're not getting better service? Vizio here I come.

GREAT television! Picture and sound are perfect. Easy to set up (one DMI cable and plug in the power). I have owned several Sony televisions and have found them most reliable. I have an old one (20+ years) and it has never required repair. I trust this one will be as reliable.

Based on Sony's reputation and the reviews of this TV, I decided to purchase this TV unseen. I couldn't find this one at the local Best Buy or H.H. Gregg stores.

What I like:

The picture is absoultely stunning. You won't be dissappointed. Though the remote is not very ergonomical, it's easy to use. Setup was also a breeze too. I like the way it will auto recognize the different input sources when selecting a source. My other Sony TV did not do this and sometimes it was a guessing game depending on my memory.

What could be better:

Like all the other flat-panel TVs on the market, the sound has a lot to be desired. I had to purchase a soundbar to get adequate sound. There is almost no bass from the TV even though I had set it to the max level. And as a couple of other reviewers had mentioned, the stand is very flimsy. If this was out in an open space, it would concern me.

All in all, an excellent TV. I would purchase again.

After my XBR4 conked out on me (currently trying to take advantage of Sony extended warranty on that item) I chose to give Sony another chance and I am glad I did. This television looks great with standard hi-def cable and even better with bluray and ps3 games. I just hope this one doesn't have any 18-month bugs like the XBR4 seemed to have for many others. For the money, it's hard to find a better television with this many features.

Have had the Sony Bravia operational for 3 weeks now. Picture quality is excellent. Took several weeks before my cable supplier got me HD becasue they had to boost the signal before their HD box could get a stable signal. Meanwhile the Sony Bravia could pick up the unencrypted QAM channels with no problem. It's a great buy and I got it from amazon at a great price.

One of the lowest prices I have ever seen for his product. Received timely and in excellent condition. Picture quality and sound are excellent. I have not hooked to the internet yet.

This product is everything the Manufacturer said it was. Great picture clarity, especially on HD. BluRay is even better. Very easy setup, only took about 30 minutes and the set was programed and playing. My only concern was the box it was packaged in. From where ever it came from, the packaging tape was starting to come off and the cardboard was worn away on parts of the bottom of the box affect the integrity of the cardboard container. If the packaging was in great shape when it left the warehouse, then there are some serious deficiencies in the shipping companies. If not, then maybe there are issues with the retailer. Overall though, it's a great set for what I wanted it for and a good price (at least I thought so).