Best LED LCD TV
Expert Review:
The Bravia XBR-55HX929 sits comfortably at the top of Sony’s lineup of HDTVs, and boasts numerous technologies and features that make this one of the best-performing TVs of 2011. The design of the set itself stands out as one of the sleeker appearances amongst the current crop of TVs. While it doesn’t have the nearly bezel-less look of Samsung’s offerings, the HX929 features a single pane of Corning Gorilla Glass that stretches from edge to edge. The all-black surface gives way to the picture when the set is turned on, but the glossy Gorilla Glass is prone to glare in brightly-lit rooms. Like the Samsung UND8000 series, the Sony Bravia XBR-HX929 looks great in any living room, whether on or off.
Design alone doesn’t make a great TV, however. Most buyers are concerned with picture quality, especially when considering a set like the HX929. As such, this is one of the few LED-backlit LCD TVs to utilize a full-array setup, with the LEDs situated directly behind the panel. This is a surprising feature given how thin the HX929 is; in fact, the 1.5-inch thickness is about the norm for an edge-lit LED LCD TV. This is then combined with local dimming to improve black levels when needed while retaining vivid contrast and ‘pop’. The results are obvious – the HX929 exhibits excellent color accuracy, and the black levels are dark enough to give the infamous Pioneer Kuro a run for its money. Picture quality is easily at the top of the class, and is directly comparable to the best plasma TVs such as the Panasonic Viera VT30 and the Samsung PND7000. For an LCD TV, this is no mean feat.
The full-array backlight of the HX929 has its benefits as well as its drawbacks. One common issue with this setup is excessive ‘blooming’ during high-contrast scenes – the backlight has a tendency to bleed past the bright object, illuminating the dark areas. While this is largely controlled on the HX929, there are some instances where this phenomenon is noticeable. Off-angle viewing is better than most LCD TVs, but still cannot compare to what plasma TVs offer. Unfortunately, the HX929 stumbles slightly when it comes to 3D picture quality – while it is by no means bad, the 3D effect is watchable only from the ‘sweet spot’. Any other location causes the 3D effect to become diluted or disappear entirely, so it’s important to keep your head straight and level with the TV. This makes it somewhat of a chore to watch 3D content, which detracts from the experience. If you never watch movies in 3D, though, this becomes irrelevant.
As you would expect from a flagship model, the HX929 comes with a long list of standard features. Some of the features seem like largely unnecessary frills while others are downright useful. There is a sensor and a camera embedded within the TV that can determine where the viewers are located, and adjust the picture settings accordingly. If no viewers are detected, the HX929 can automatically power itself off. While these are neat features to demonstrate to friends and family, it’s difficult to say how useful they will remain once the novelty wears off. On the other hand, the built-in Wi-Fi adapter allows the HX929 to access online content from various sources, including Netflix, Amazon Instant, Hulu Plus, CinemaNow, and Sony’s own Qriocity. Service from Vudu is not offered, but this issue can be sidestepped by using a Blu-ray player or a dedicated online streaming player which supports Vudu. The HX929 also boasts a decent amount of connectivity, with 4 HDMI ports, 1 set of component and composite video inputs each, 2 USB ports, an Ethernet port, and a VGA input for connecting a home theater PC. A serial port (RS-232) is included as a nod to custom installations, but the conspicuous protrusion which houses this port makes you wonder why Sony didn’t make this an option instead.
One of the biggest drawbacks of the HX929 is its exorbitant price. The 55-inch model carries an MSRP of $3800, which makes the Panasonic VT30 seem like a bargain in comparison. Worse still, the HX929 inexplicably does not come with 3D glasses even with the high price, forcing owners to purchase them separately to watch 3D content. While the active shutter glasses are cheaper (at $70 each) than the competition, Sony’s choice to not include even a single pair with the TV is a strange one. This is definitely not a TV aimed at value shoppers – instead, only the most dedicated LED LCD TV fans will be able to justify shelling out the extra dough since direct competitors like the Panasonic Viera TC-P55VT30 and the Samsung PN59D7000 offers similar performance at a much lower price.
