Sony Bravia XBR-Series KDL-40XBR4 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

very good product from sony, easy to set and connect to other component.high quality picturs

Happy Camper! Did a lot of research and waited for the right blend of features vs price. Narrowed the options down to XBR3-5 or a Kuro. Liked the bezel (and value) on the XBR4 (compared to the XBR3 & XBR5), and the glare on the Kuro's screen was too distracting (if not the for reflections, the Kuro's plasma picture is probably slightly better than the Sony). Looked closely at several Panasonic models, at significantly less cost, but the picture quality just isn't nearly as good.

Ordered the XBR4 directly from Amazon and have been very pleased with the entire experience. The TV was delivered earlier than promised and taken directly to my bedroom. Once mounted (which I thankfully hired a local guy to do), the XBR4 image quality is great. Worth ensuring you select the right wall mount, which will cost an additional $150-250 for this TV (my installer recommended against flush mounts since they make future adjustment & re-wiring very difficult).

Features, controls, build quality, etc. all seem to be tops - after one month of use, no issues. Picture settings will need some tweaking, but do it once and enjoy forever. Don't wait as long as I did to buy, start enjoying in a few days...

LCDs are weak on producing a deep black, esp. compared to plasmas. Sony's LCDs have the richest black of all the LCDs, which mostly explains their superior picture. This Sony has the best blacks and colors yet. I also appreciate the uplevel connections, esp the vga computer connection and the internet possibility.

After watching the display at the store, I expected great things out of the 120hz. But it actually produces some very weird viewing glitches. First, I suspect this review will only be useful to those like myself who do not pay extra for HD cable. My connection is just the simple RF cable plugged into the TV. It carries both standard digital and analog signals to my Sony. The Sony tells you on the screen if the channel you've selected is "analog" or "digital." It labels the digital channels as standard def or HD (even though I don't have HD it upconverts the HD defined channles to 1080). It produces exactly what I hoped when upconverting to HD - an amazingly crisp and crystal clear picture. But when there is some fast movement from the subject on the screen, the HD picture becomes bizzare - jerky and gittering as if the processor cannot handle both the upconverting and fast movements at the same time. I doubt those who pay extra for HD cable boxes will have this issue, although I did read some professional reviews before buying the set that strongly criticized the 120hz for creating an unnatural looking movie pictures. I don't know what's worse - watching the programs in a less high quality and more grainy definition on my old Sharp Aquos, or putting up with this weird jitter on my screen whenever fast action occurs. The jury is out, and hopefully I can find some remedy to this so I'll be happy all the time watching my new Sony.

Still, I have no regrets. The picture on the screen is simply jaw dropping when it's not handling HD conversions and fast movements at the same time.

i viewed other tvs and finally settled on the sony even though i could
have afforded a bigger screen in another brand for the same price as the
bravia 40inch. the picture quality is excellent and the sound is good
even without added speakers

Picture perfection but if you're "noise-sensitive", the fans will drive you crazy at low volume or when there are silent scenes. Had the fans replaced by Sony service - no difference. Am hoping yet-to-be purchased 5.1 sound system will "hide" the buzz. Otherwise - spectacular, unrivaled images