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Dec

Best LCD TV Models - Buying Advice

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The battle about who has “the best LCD TV” is a constant theme among the TV vendors.

As with many other aspects of the LCD TV market, what’s “best” is constantly changing and depends on what it is you’re looking for from a TV.

Screen size
Picture quality, especially say with sport
Connectivity/flexibility
Aesthetic factors i.e. does it blend in with your decor
Whether you have a preferred brand
And of course price.

There is an ongoing game of claim and counter claim by the various TV manufacturers that they have the “best panel” and a superior picture processing technology that delivers images to a screen that are “more natural”, “brighter”, “clearer”, “faster” etc than their competitors.

Are there differences between LCD TVs? Yes for sure.
Do these differences change over time? Also Yes for sure, so Brand A might be the leader right now but won’t necessarily still be the leader 3 or 6 months from now.
Do product reviews turn up different results? Yes (i.e. the same products are not always preferred by different reviewers).

So by all means read TV reviews, but our recommendation has always been and still remains, make sure you look at and listen to several different LCD TV models, ideally spread across your budget range.

Take your time and keep a DVD with you so you can use the same picture source for each comparison. Typically the shops will be using a special DVD that makes the TV look extra good. To find the best LCD TV for yourself you need to answer questions such as:

Does the picture look natural? Bright and vivid pictures look good at first glance but can be tiring and unnatural for extended viewing.
Are the TVs settings on ‘normal’?
Is the fine detail clear?
What is the picture like with broadcast TV signals vs DVD replay?

If you find an LCD TV in your budget that you think is clearly better than the others to your own taste, then your job is to get the best deal for that particular model.

Remember also local warranty and support with set up and/or installation if you want that are also worth real money.

Some low cost, online retailers have poor track records, so if somebody you don’t recognise is offering the best price it’s worth researching their customer service history on the internet at review sites. In the broader scheme of things, it’s usually worth paying a little more for local service.

Good shopping.

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Dec

Sony LCD TV Reviews 2008 Models

Filed Under Sony LCD TV, Sony LCD TV Review | Leave a Comment

Like most TV manufacturers, there is a large range of Sony LCD TVs with a variety of size and feature combinations.

When evaluating any LCD TV, remember to focus on picture quality, especially with motion, such as sports, and sound quality rather than esoteric features that you will probably rarely use.

Sony has generally been positioned in the mid to high end of the market and its TVs usually perform well in comparisons.

It has also made a noticeable effort to be much more price competitive in recent times, so you can often get a Sony LCD TV for about the same price as one of the historically, lower priced brands.

The main product ranges are:

Bravia XBR4 series
Bravia XBR5 Series
Bravia XBR6 Series
Bravia XBR7 Series
Bravia XBR8 Series
Bravia V4100/W4100 Series
Bravia M4000 Series

Understanding Sony’s Model Numbering System

As an example, if you take the LCD TV model Sony KDL-40XBR4 the last 4 digits refer to the range and the number refers to the screen sixe in inches. So 40XBR4 means a 40 inch TV in the XBR4 range.

Bravia XBR4 LCD TVs

The models in the XBR4 range include:

Sony KDL-32XBR4
Sony KDL-40XBR4
Sony KDL-46XBR4
Sony KDL-52XBR4

Bravia XBR5 LCD TVs

The XBR6 series are Sony’s entry tier models for 2008. As the model numbers indicate they come in 5 sizes from 32 up to 52 inches (note the 32 and 37 inch LCD TVs have different styling to the larger models and do not feature the 120Hz MotionFlow technology present on the larger XBR6 TVs).

The 3 larger sized models: KDL-40XBR6, KDL-46XBR6, and KDL-52XBR6 feature Sony’s MotionFlow 120Hz refresh rate. They house a USB port for easy playback of music and photo gallery.

The models in the XBR5 range include:

Sony KDL-40XBR5
Sony KDL-46XBR5
Sony KDL-52XBR5

Bravia XBR6 LCD TVs

The models in the XBR6 range include:

Sony KDL-32XBR6
Sony KDL-37XBR6
Sony KDL-40XBR6
Sony KDL-46XBR6
Sony KDL-52XBR6

Bravia XBR7 LCD TVs

The models in the XBR7 range include:

Sony KDL-40XBR7
Sony KDL-70XBR7

Bravia XBR8 LCD TVs

The XBR* range is Sony’s high end line offering for 2008. The main differentiating feature with the KDL-46XBR8 and 55XBR8 TVs is the local dimming feature. This claims to improve contrast in “localized” areas of the screen, achieved partly through use of the new LED backlight (siliar to Philips ambilight).

The models in the XBR8 range include:

Sony KDL-46XBR8
Sony KDL-55XBR8

Bravia V4100/W4100 Series LCD TVs

This series features a 120Hz refresh rate and a 1080p panel and uses the BRAVIA Engine 2™ for realistic images. The models also contain features such as the XMB (Xross Media Bar®) with 3D graphics, DMex capability and picture quality enhancement technologies such as ACE (Advanced Contrast Enhancer).

The models in the V4100/W4100 range include:

Sony KDL-40V4100 / Sony KDL-40W4100
Sony KDL-46V4100 / Sony KDL-46W4100
Sony KDL-52V4100 / Sony KDL-52W4100

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LCD TV Center

Best LCD TV Models - Buying Advice

Sony LCD TV Reviews 2008 Models