Sony XBR-52HX900 3D TV

LCD TV Buying Guide Commentary

HX Series: This series contains local Dimming LED backlighting and is the premium picture TV for Sony for 2010. It will be the heir to the XBR10 (and XBR8) series with superb blacks. It was on display next to the 5100 at CES 2010 for comparison and we can attest to an obvious difference in the depth of blacks, the crisp color, contrast, and even side angle viewing. It will not be inexpensive and it will not have all the bells and whistles of the LX series but promises the best picture that Sony can produce. The TVs in this series will have 240Hz capability and another enhancement picture quality technology will allow the HX series to interpolate every pixel and therefore display 1080p in 3D as opposed to the 800 lines of resolution one will witness in 3D from a normal 240Hz LCD. We'll be interested to see whether the LX (picture quality focus) or NX (bells and whistles focus) is priced higher.

The full Bravia suite of features is included with Bravia Engine 3 picture processing, Bravia Internet Video that provides streaming video from 25 providers including Netflix, Youtube, Sony Pictures and more. Bravia Internet Widgets gives instant access to the latest news sports scores and weather. Both of these can be accessed wireless with the optional wireless LAN adapter or with the built-in ethernet port. USB and DLNA compatible device playback is also availabe and Bravia Sync communicates with similarly equipped devices.

The ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the color and brightness to deliver an optimized picture for the room environment and Sony's new "Monolitihic Design" has the XBR-52HX900 looking good whether it is on or off.

-Robert Wiley

Bravia Engine 3

Sony's BRAVIA Engine 3 digital video processor enhances picture quality with reduced visual noise, enhanced color and overall image detail even on 1080p sources.

Motionflow 240Hz

This TV uses Sony's MotionFlow (What's This) 240Hz technology to combat motion blur. Regular LCD televisions can experience blurring on fast moving picture and TruMotion's high speed refresh rate will cut down blurring for a clearer picture.

3D Capable

Nothing is hotter for TVs this year than 3D. This Bravia TV is ready for your 3D content reight out of the box.

Monolithic Design

LED Edge Lighting allows for the extremely thin construction of this Sony Bravia TV and the Monolithic Design will have you wondering whether the TV looks better on or off.

Internet Connectivity

Built in ethernet and WiFi connections provide access to content ranging from YouTube videos to photos on Flickr and also includes on demnad video services from VUDU, Netflix, Amazon and Sony Pictures.