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Introduction
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01.Tour & Design
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02.Blacks & Whites
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03.Color Accuracy
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04.Motion
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05.3D
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06.Viewing Effects
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07.Calibration
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08.Connectivity
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09.Remote Control
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10.Audio & Menus
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11.Multimedia & Internet
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12.Power Consumption
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13.Vs Sony KDL 46HX800
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14.Vs Samsung UN55C7000
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15.Vs Panasonic TC P50VT20
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16.Conclusion
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17.Series Comparison
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18.Photo Gallery
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19.Ratings & Specs
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20.Comments
Sony Bravia XBR-52LX900
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CalibrationViewing Effects
Lots of video processing features. Mediocre viewing angle.
Formats (10.00)
The Sony XBR-52LX900 has a native 1080p (1920 × 1080) resolution. It is fully capable, though, of playing all standard NTSC formats.
Viewing Angle (2.66)
The viewing angle on the Sony XBR-52LX900 is not great, but not terrible for an LCD display. In total, it had a viewing angle of 40 degrees (20 degrees from center on either side), before losing a significant portion of its viewing angle. The Sony HX800 was much worse, but the Samsung UN55C7000 was a slightly better. The Panasonic TC0P50VT20, a plasma display, handily topped the competition.
Reflectance (6.00)
The screen on the Sony XBR-52LX900 has some reflectivity issues, but no more so than most LCD screens. It has something to do with the materials used in the display panel, but LCD frequently act like dark mirrors. With any luck, the designers attempt to counteract some of the reflection. In this case, a light shining directly at the screen is reflected with a soft, diffuse halo that doesn’t spread too far out across the rest of the screen. It’s not nearly as bad as the Sony HX800.
Video Processing (6.00)
The Sony XBR-52LX900 has several processing features, many of which benefit picture quality. We recommend you try them all out and observe the various effects.
There’s also an entirely new set of features based on… are you ready for this… a hidden, built-in camera on the TV. Yes, Sony invokes one of the great paranoid delusions of the 20th century and includes a low resolution camera at the base of the facade. The sad irony is that Sony, the consumer electronics giant, makes little practical use out of the blending technologies. So far, there’s no telecommunication platforms at all, not even Skype (albeit, there’s no microphone). The video may not be stored or outputted, either. Instead, the TV has a series of novelty features that we can only hope will expand and improve in future versions.
| Setting | Claimed Function | Our Impression |
|---|---|---|
| Noise Reduction | Reduce repetitive random noise | As advertised. On it's highest setting, the difference is noticeable. |
| MPEG Noise Reduction | Reduce video compression noise | No discernible difference. |
| Motionflow | Refines moving images | Huge blur reduction when set to 'Standard.' Makes 24fps look unnaturally smooth. |
| CineMotion | Provides a more natural looking picture for film-based content | Reduces artifacting for 3:2 pulldown. |
| Black Corrector | Enhance the black in images for stronger contrast | Makes colors look slightly burned. |
| Adv. Contrast Enhancer | Automatically adjusts the contrast based on picture brightness | Makes lights slightly lighter and darks slightly darker. |
| Auto Light Limiter | Controls the backlight to reduces excessive brightness in bright scenes | As advertised, it dims the light. |
| Clear White | Emphasizes whiteness of picture | No discernible difference. |
| Live Color | Improve the vividness of colors | Boosts saturation. |
| Distance Alert | Notify when a child is watching too close to the screen. If a child approaches within 1m of the screen, the picture turns off with a warning message and warning sound. | It sounds cool, but we could not get it to trigger no matter how many times we tried. |
| Presence Sensor | Monitors viewer body movements and facial patterns and turns the picture off if no viewer is detected. | In addition to this claim, it also seems to dim the screen, first, if no one is 'sensed.' You can set the sensitivity if you don't plan on being a particularly active TV viewer. |
| Position Control | Detects the viewing position and adjusts the volume balance between left and right speakers as well as optimizing TV picture. | We had a hard time seeing any noticeable picture quality changes as we moved around the room, but our handy decibel meter did help us verify very small changes in the speakers' outputs. |
| Other Models in the XBR-xxLX900 Series |
|---|
| For more information on other models in this series, check our Series Comparison Page. |
 Sony Bravia XBR-60LX900 60 in. |
Shop for the Sony XBR-52LX900
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