sony 46 inch xbr-6 or xbr-9 I'm considering buying one of these. In round numbers both cost the same. Typically view movies, sports and general TV. Living room location, catty-corner next to picture window one side/fire place on other (not too close!), moderately bridght in day time, only TV in house, room size 13" x 16', don't intend on utilizing the "connectivity" aspects much, just looking for a great picture trouble free picture and good/reasonable sound. Have viewed both in stores, but not back-to-back. Store viewing is optimum and typically unrealistic. Help please in decision! Cnet reviews are not sparkling for a $2K tv - most reviews like the xbr8, which is pusheing $3K, tooo much. What do you think about the need for an extended warranty, maybe the 2 yr past manufacturer's on a $2K purchase? Help, thanks. sony 46 inch xbr-6 or xbr-9 I'm considering buying one of these. In round numbers both cost the same. Typically view movies, sports and general TV. Living room location, catty-corner next to... » Read More sony 46 inch xbr-6 or xbr-9 I'm considering buying one of these. In round numbers both cost the same. Typically view movies, sports and general TV. Living room location, catty-corner next to picture window one side/fire place on other (not too close!), moderately bridght in day time, only TV in house, room size 13" x 16', don't intend on utilizing the "connectivity" aspects much, just looking for a great picture trouble free picture and good/reasonable sound. Have viewed both in stores, but not back-to-back. Store viewing is optimum and typically unrealistic. Help please in decision! Cnet reviews are not sparkling for a $2K tv - most reviews like the xbr8, which is pusheing $3K, tooo much. What do you think about the need for an extended warranty, maybe the 2 yr past manufacturer's on a $2K purchase? Help, thanks. « Show Less
1672367
On the cable question, Monster prices are completely ridiculous. You'll be more than fine with the Amazon cable or better yet get one where I've gotten all of my cables (of any kind): www.monoprice.com
1672368
Sure, 1.3a is fine and suggest you check out the "28AWG HDMI 1.3a Category 2 Certified Male to Male Cables" section (assuming you're not going "in-wall") and don't short yourself - if you think you need 4' get 6' or perhaps more to allow you to move things without stressing the cable or connectors. And how many you need totally depends on your setup but if it's just cable box to tv then one will do. But as you said, easy enough at those prices to get some for the future and help ease the shipping cost.
875994
I bought this TV on November 6 during what seems like a great deal. The TV, 46XBR9 was $1,387 and included for free the wireless Sony blu ray player AND a Sony sound bar system. All this for $1,387. Today (Nov. 10) the price on the TV is $1,960. These dramatic price changes are incomprehensible to me.
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Thank you C., have settled on the xbr 9 set, same price as xbr 6 with a few more features and more compact size. Assume price will rise on Monday after the 4th. Only hang up now is to buy something this expensive thru Amazon or locally thru Best Buy and pay tax. Also will probably buy extended warranty. Have read the Best Buy "terms and conditions" and seems complete for $300. Amazon has the less expensive (and one year less coverage) Square Trade now at $100, but cannot find specific language regarding HDTV. Have read a lot of glowing stories about Square Trade service, but no one who actually replaced a set? Any thoughts here?! Thanks Thank you C., have settled on the xbr 9 set, same price as xbr 6 with a few more features and more compact size. Assume price will rise on Monday after the 4th. Only hang up now is to buy something this expensive thru Amazon or locally thru Best Buy and pay tax. Also will probably buy extended warranty. Have read the Best Buy "terms and conditions" and seems complete for $300. Amazon has the less expensive (and one year less coverage) Square Trade now at $100, but cannot find specific language regarding HDTV. Have read a lot of glowing stories about Square Trade service, but no... » Read More Thank you C., have settled on the xbr 9 set, same price as xbr 6 with a few more features and more compact size. Assume price will rise on Monday after the 4th. Only hang up now is to buy something this expensive thru Amazon or locally thru Best Buy and pay tax. Also will probably buy extended warranty. Have read the Best Buy "terms and conditions" and seems complete for $300. Amazon has the less expensive (and one year less coverage) Square Trade now at $100, but cannot find specific language regarding HDTV. Have read a lot of glowing stories about Square Trade service, but no one who actually replaced a set? Any thoughts here?! Thanks « Show Less
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C.. what no parade today? You're a lot of help!? Just kidding. Are you thinking about an extended warranty w/your set? $300 isn't casual money, but I assume an electronic problem would be a financial disaster. Still we're only talking about 4 years in a set life hopefully a good deal longer for the price. Do you already have a blue-ray? thanks dn
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CThanks, went to your mono... site, tooo many choices, assume will need 4' cable from cable box to set, will not have a blue ray initially, but if cables are that inexpensive should get two - HDMI 1.3a????. What am I looking for - pls.dn
218564
The 62 series are terrible. They are older models which have poor picture quality and often suffer from horizontal banding issues. Go with the 64 series for sure. I own the 46" 64U series btw.
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I've seen the W3000 side by side with XBR. I don't like the XBR. It makes movies look like stage shows. Very disconcerting if you like movies. The "3D" effect they talk about makes movies look like video -- if you know the distinction. (If you watch sports more than movies, you will probably like the XBR more.) I almost bought an XBR because "MotionFlow" sounded good... I was stunned when I saw them side by side. Also happy, because I'll save almost a grand by buying a 52W3000 rather than XBR! Do yourself a favor and find them in a store so you can look. Some people like the XBR 3D effect. I really don't. I've seen the W3000 side by side with XBR. I don't like the XBR. It makes movies look like stage shows. Very disconcerting if you like movies. The "3D" effect they talk about makes movies look like video -- if you know the distinction. (If you watch sports more than movies, you will probably like the XBR more.) I almost bought an XBR because "MotionFlow" sounded good... I was stunned when I saw them side by side. Also happy, because I'll save almost a grand by buying a 52W3000 rather than XBR! Do yourself a favor and find them in a store so you can look. Some people like... » Read More I've seen the W3000 side by side with XBR. I don't like the XBR. It makes movies look like stage shows. Very disconcerting if you like movies. The "3D" effect they talk about makes movies look like video -- if you know the distinction. (If you watch sports more than movies, you will probably like the XBR more.) I almost bought an XBR because "MotionFlow" sounded good... I was stunned when I saw them side by side. Also happy, because I'll save almost a grand by buying a 52W3000 rather than XBR! Do yourself a favor and find them in a store so you can look. Some people like the XBR 3D effect. I really don't. « Show Less
1514948
hi, i have a similar size room, tried 26, 32 , and 37 inch. 32 is best. one thing not talked about often is, there's also a minimum viewing distance for these tvs, esp. 720p. any closer, you see the pixels, any noise in the image, etc. with a hq tv like samsung, sony, sharp, my experiments indicate for a 32" around 5 feet is about as close as i'd want to go. anything else, i'd have to go to 1080p (the sharp 32" aquos 1080p model is great up to 3 feet, but more $$). btw, right now you can pick up a samsung LN-T3242H at circuit city for $720 if you're a AAA member (you need to go to www.aaa.com/circuitcity to get a coupon code). this model is a level down from the 3253H but i picked one up yesterday and so far it seems pretty good to me. you can read about both models on amazon. good luck.
2039845
Can't make up my mind between Sony KDL-32L4000 for $474.53 or Sony KDL-40S4100 for $858.83 out the door. Will be for master bed room or for "fitness" room (incentive...). Any recommendations? Which one is a better deal?-This depends upon how far your equipment is from the television. 8 more inches for $400 seems like a big jump. There has to be better values if you want a bigger television. However, the price for the 32" is a great deal.
354926
I just looked at both of these tvs (I too, don't know which one to buy) at Fry's. Side by side, same type of cable and both hooked to same bluray. I and my husband couldn't tell any difference except the 55" is bigger. At Best Buy they didn't have them side by side on the wall and it didn't look as if the 55" was that much bigger. But when both are at same level on a stand you could really tell the difference. The picture quality was the same to both of us. I asked the salesman and he said unless watching sports you would not be able to tell.
863610
No problem! I've noticed the TV "seems" bigger (or smaller) depending on where people prefer to sit in a movie theater AND how tall they are. We have the TV mounted on a wall, so this makes it feel like you're watching a moving painting. My wife is 5' tall and sits 12 feet away, directly facing the TV, she thinks it's perfect for watching her favorite shows, like Ugly Betty. She is 8 feet away when she uses the Nintendo Wii (and Fit for exercise) and thinks it's great. She prefers to sit no closer than the middle of the movie theater from the big screen. Sometimes I complain we're too far away... I'm 5'10", and sit 6-8 feet away, from a side viewing angle to watch TV shows. I think 50" is just right from this distance, but I also like to sit no farther away than the middle of the movie theater. When I use the Wii from 8 feet away, I wonder how a 58" would look. Some of my taller male friends think we should have gone with the 58", however, they sit so close in the movie theater, and prefer XBOX games, perhaps video games need to be closer? No matter who I've asked, nobody has commented that the TV is too big. Feel free to ask questions. We spent many days researching (in 2006 and again this time) and many hours planning the TV's placement, so we're happy to help. Enjoy your new TV!
1371392
Honestly, these comparisons depend on the taste of each one of us. A few years ago I had plasma TV from Sony, after it came time to buy the new Sony's xbr and now I'm preferring the new more expensive models from Samsung.
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Michael...Thank you very much for your input - this helps. I know there are xbr4's out there with no fan noise from reading countless reviews. Maybe the third one will be the charm(?) Can I ask where & when you purchased yours? I'm wondering if the ones with later production dates have better fans. Is the Panasonic you're referring to a Plasma? Our living room is pretty bright, especially in the summer months.Also thanks for your comments regarding the Samsung models. We were hesitant on the 71 because of the glossy screen & I've read a few other comments regarding "shadow effect". Thanks again!!! Michael...Thank you very much for your input - this helps. I know there are xbr4's out there with no fan noise from reading countless reviews. Maybe the third one will be the charm(?) Can I ask where & when you purchased yours? I'm wondering if the ones with later production dates have better fans. Is the Panasonic you're referring to a Plasma? Our living room is pretty bright, especially in the summer months.Also thanks for your comments regarding the Samsung models. We were hesitant on the 71 because of the glossy screen & I've read a few other comments regarding "shadow... » Read More Michael...Thank you very much for your input - this helps. I know there are xbr4's out there with no fan noise from reading countless reviews. Maybe the third one will be the charm(?) Can I ask where & when you purchased yours? I'm wondering if the ones with later production dates have better fans. Is the Panasonic you're referring to a Plasma? Our living room is pretty bright, especially in the summer months.Also thanks for your comments regarding the Samsung models. We were hesitant on the 71 because of the glossy screen & I've read a few other comments regarding "shadow effect". Thanks again!!! « Show Less
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Have had the XBR 9 46 for two weeks, set up kitty-corner next to a south facing picture window. The window has half curtains and in the summer (now) I have an awning. No problem watching during the day, the mat finish on the Sony is also evident. It's like the mat finish (flat) on a wood floor as opposed to gloss (Samaung). I prefer the mat, I also prefer the less punchy and more natural colors of the Sony vs Samsung. If you have a glare problem with the Sony, there's nothing left to do but buy curtains - not a bad option, the half curtains look kinda nice.
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We have always purchased the XBR, a little more expensive, but well worth the it as the quality of the picture is perfect. We get so many comments and probably have sold a ton of TVs from people viewing ours. We have a 60" LCD XBR that is about 4 years old, we love it, although the newer ones are coming out with a much flatter screen.
110492
If I were you, I would buy the XBR9. Essentially, here's the difference between XBR7 and XBR9: XBR9 is newer, has higher contrast ratio (100k to 1 vs. 80k to 1) and has the latest video processor (Bravia Engine 3 vs. Bravia Engine 2). It's really not much of a comparison. Both are 240 Hz LCD TV's. Now your title mentions XBR8 as well. XBR8 is backlit using LED instead of CCFL in the XBR7 and XBR9. XBR8 also incorporates Local Dimming with LED getting the contrast ratio up to 1 million to 1. But honestly, if you want a nice LED backlit TV, go buy a Samsung B8000 or B8500 (includes local dimming) or if you want something cheaper, get the LG LH90. Sony is not known for their LED backlit LCD HDTV's just yet, so I wouldn't take a chance with this.
879224
I bought the sceptre X508BV 50 inch in january 2013,I have had no problem with the TV so far,it is just a normal TV with just the regular ports on the side,the picture is very good.It is not a high tech TV with a lot of featuers,So far with the price I paid of $478 like the TV.
1647950
I was wondering the same thing. Im gonna call sammy to find out. It seems like such a huge discrepancy to be in this many places. There is more than a small difference between 50,000:1 and 15:000:1. If you find out please let me know ***EDIT*** After calling Sammy's CS they informed me that it was infact a 15,000:1 ratio'd tv. Not bad, but nowhere near the 50,000:1 that has been advertised all over the net. Thanks **EDIT #2** This TV is great. I love it. I would go into detail about the performance and quality, but its one of those things that you really need to see in a display next to a lesser tv. I have this 32 incher right next to a Sharp Aquos 32gp1u and it out shines in almost every way except for the ease of adjusting the picture. Apart from the minor menu quibble this tv is as close to perfect as you are going to find in a 32 inch model. Hands down and without a doubt worth the money if you want a quality 32 flat panel tv with lots of inputs.
70354
I went today to look at HDtv's. I saw both the 46XBR4 and the 3000W and another 3000? Sony. All I can say is that by far the XBR4 was crisper and brighter, it looked more like reality. They had ESPN-HD feed on from Direct-TV. Is the difference worth the price, that's something you have to decide. Go look at them, I saw them at CC. I actually spent a good hour in a recliner they had setup and just watched the 46XBR4 comparing it to the sets around it. This is the one I'm getting, it was simply the best picture constantly, even better than models bigger in size with 1080p. It really stood out in the finer details when next to the other sets.
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I bit the bullet and went with the Sony. Mainly because Circuit City was offering it for $329. Also because it had a better fps and ISO capabilities, if I remember correctly. The 4 gigs of memory set me back $59 though and the case was another $20, so that put me at $415 after tax. I must say that this thing takes awesome pics. I got it mainly for my kids sports. The 2.2 fps and sports mode are nice. The image stabilization seems to do a good job to on other pics. I have not used the remote control yet, but plan on usnig it to try and get some close ups of birds or squirrels, etc on a day when I have nothing else to do. I bit the bullet and went with the Sony. Mainly because Circuit City was offering it for $329. Also because it had a better fps and ISO capabilities, if I remember correctly. The 4 gigs of memory set me back $59 though and the case was another $20, so that put me at $415 after tax. I must say that this thing takes awesome pics. I got it mainly for my kids sports. The 2.2 fps and sports mode are nice. The image stabilization seems to do a good job to on other pics. I have not used the remote control yet, but plan on usnig it to try and get some close ups of birds or squirrels, etc on a day... » Read More I bit the bullet and went with the Sony. Mainly because Circuit City was offering it for $329. Also because it had a better fps and ISO capabilities, if I remember correctly. The 4 gigs of memory set me back $59 though and the case was another $20, so that put me at $415 after tax. I must say that this thing takes awesome pics. I got it mainly for my kids sports. The 2.2 fps and sports mode are nice. The image stabilization seems to do a good job to on other pics. I have not used the remote control yet, but plan on usnig it to try and get some close ups of birds or squirrels, etc on a day when I have nothing else to do. « Show Less
1322560
M. Robel... Thanks for the reply. Seeing the tv in the store makes me agree with you. There are just so many posts out there on the internet that say it might be too big, and then you have the ones that give you such a huge range of size to distance ratio and it makes it difficult to decide when you are spending that much money. I appreciate your reply, and am definitely going to to with the 46".