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Sony XBR-HX950 Owners' Thread (XBR-55HX950 and XBR-65HX950)

516K views 5K replies 432 participants last post by  bplewis24 
#1 ·
SONY XBR-HX950

FULL-ARRAY LOCAL DIMMING LED-LCD



Just delivered...!




... and mounted.






Press Release
SONY OPENS THE WINDOW ON LIFELIKE PICTURE WITH NEWEST BRAVIA TV

Marketing Specifications
http://www.docs.sony.com/release/specs/XBR55HX950_mksp.pdf
http://www.docs.sony.com/release/specs/XBR65HX950_mksp.pdf

i-Manual
http://esupport.sony.com/docs/imanual/NA/2012/hx950/uc_EN/index.html

Dimensions Diagrams
http://www.docs.sony.com/release/XBR55HX950_cutsheet.pdf
http://www.docs.sony.com/release/XBR65HX950_cutsheet.pdf

Picture Settings (XBR-55HX950)
  • Enable 1:1 pixel mapping:

    Home > Settings > Picture & Display > Screen > Auto Display Area = “Off” and Display Area = “Full Pixel.”
  • Disable the ambient light sensor:

    Home > Settings > Preferences > Eco > Light Sensor = "Off."
  • Backlight is typically set near "Min" for a dim viewing environment and higher, as needed, for a bright viewing environment.
  • Picture adjusts the contrast and is typically set at or near "Max."
  • A Color Temperature of "Warm 2" is near the 6500 Kelvin standard.
  • Motionflow is typically set to "Off" to preserve natural 24p film cadence (with its native judder). The other options apply varying degrees of frame interpolation / backlight scanning / black frame insertion.
  • CineMotion enables an inverse telecine circuit on interlaced content. "Auto 2" reverses 3:2 pulldown to reconstruct the orginal 24 fps (film) cadence. "Auto 1" reverses 3:2 pulldown with mild smoothing (interpolated frames).
  • Gamma is typically set between -1 and 0, depending on the brightness of the viewing environment.
  • LED Dynamic Control is typically set to "Standard" to fully enable backlight dimming.
  • Remaining controls (brightness/color/hue/sharpness) are typically left at their midrange default setting.
 
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#11 ·
The 55" HX950 isn't perfect, but I think I can be very happy with it for several years. I've only had a little bit of time to play with the settings, assisted with the Disney WOW disc, and have a rough first pass dialed in.


This set is much better than the Panny VT50 plasma that I had initially bought to replace my (R.I.P.) XBR8. I should say "thank you" to BestBuy for their friendly return policy on the Panny.


The screen is more glossy than I'd prefer; I'll have to get better window treatments to keep things darker during the day. The stand is a very reflective shiny / chrome color; I'll probably have to do something about that, but need to test drive it through some nighttime movies to see how bad the reflections are.


The HX950 set is much lighter than previous sets I've had, but still fairly heavy. It wasn't too big of a deal to lift it up and put it in place. Earlier today, I was cursing like a sailor as I moved my old 52" XBR4 back into the bedroom.


I use the TV as the monitor for my HTPC. The one annoying thing I see so far is when I have this webpage full screen with a white background, there are 2 areas I can see where the brightness isn't uniform. I assume it is the backlighting array; it doesn't look like it is a fixed grid, but more of a checkerboard arrangement. I can notice it slightly more or less depending on my elevation and angle to the TV. So far, I only really notice it in very bright scenes and in bright HTPC Windows. Maybe I'm optimistic or hopeful that it will smooth out as I get some more hours on the set, or I can tweak some settings to reduce it.


Fade to black scenes are an awesome shade of pitch black just like I'm used to from the XBR8. Big bold white text on a black background, like those between the video clips on the Disney WOW disc, looks good. There is some degree of blooming as I expected, but it is well within my tolerances. Brightness and contrast is very good. The image is very crisp and clear; the text on this webpage looks very nice.


My 3D glasses won't arrive until tomorrow, so I don't have anything to report on that front yet.


The front "SONY" logo is illuminated by default, but there is a setting to turn it off. Near the lower left, there is a small green dot when powered on, and it is red when powered off.


The frameless design is very nice, IMHO. I never was too happy about the frame around my XBR4 & XBR8; I was always mildly annoyed by TV light reflections in their frames, but with frameless, it doesn't have a frame edge to reflect.
 
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#13 ·





The power cord is fixed in the TV set, and just barely stretches across to where my surge protector / power strip is. Previous XBR sets had a removable power cord similar to old desktop PCs.


Putting together the stand is relatively easy. 7 screws with a philips screwdriver: 3 in the base to the neck, 1 at the top of the neck, slide it into place on the back of the TV, and 3 on the back of the set.


I should mention that I chose expedited shipping from FedEx for a few bucks more. It was not white glove delivery, but he did bring it into my living room with me. He was long gone by the time I unboxed it, put on the stand, and turned it on.
 
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#14 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by gorthocar  /t/1430346/sony-xbr-hx950-owners-thread-xbr-55hx9-50-and-xbr-65hx95-0#post_22420581


The 55" HX950 isn't perfect, but I think I can be very happy with it for several years. I've only had a little bit of time to play with the settings, assisted with the Disney WOW disc, and have a rough first pass dialed in.

This set is much better than the Panny VT50 plasma that I had initially bought to replace my (R.I.P.) XBR8. I should say "thank you" to BestBuy for their friendly return policy on the Panny.

The screen is more glossy than I'd prefer; I'll have to get better window treatments to keep things darker during the day. The stand is a very reflective shiny / chrome color; I'll probably have to do something about that, but need to test drive it through some nighttime movies to see how bad the reflections are.

The HX950 set is much lighter than previous sets I've had, but still fairly heavy. It wasn't too big of a deal to lift it up and put it in place. Earlier today, I was cursing like a sailor as I moved my old 52" XBR4 back into the bedroom.

I use the TV as the monitor for my HTPC. The one annoying thing I see so far is when I have this webpage full screen with a white background, there are 2 areas I can see where the brightness isn't uniform. I assume it is the backlighting array; it doesn't look like it is a fixed grid, but more of a checkerboard arrangement. I can notice it slightly more or less depending on my elevation and angle to the TV. So far, I only really notice it in very bright scenes and in bright HTPC Windows. Maybe I'm optimistic or hopeful that it will smooth out as I get some more hours on the set, or I can tweak some settings to reduce it.

Fade to black scenes are an awesome shade of pitch black just like I'm used to from the XBR8. Big bold white text on a black background, like those between the video clips on the Disney WOW disc, looks good. There is some degree of blooming as I expected, but it is well within my tolerances. Brightness and contrast is very good. The image is very crisp and clear; the text on this webpage looks very nice.

My 3D glasses won't arrive until tomorrow, so I don't have anything to report on that front yet.

The front "SONY" logo is illuminated by default, but there is a setting to turn it off. Near the lower left, there is a small green dot when powered on, and it is red when powered off.

The frameless design is very nice, IMHO. I never was too happy about the frame around my XBR4 & XBR8; I was always mildly annoyed by TV light reflections in their frames, but with frameless, it doesn't have a frame edge to reflect.

Nice! What Do you like about it over the Vt50 you had? How does it compare to your xbr 8? I'm looking at the 950, but I'd like to see some reviews before I take the plunge. I'm still rocking my kuro krp 500m so I'm in no hurry,but if it turns out to be a show stopper it may be at the top of my list. Looking forward to more impressions as you get more time with it.
 
#15 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by JTT23  /t/1430346/sony-xbr-hx950-owners-thread-xbr-55hx9-50-and-xbr-65hx95-0#post_22420610


^ Did you notice any clouding or backlight Bleeding ??
I don't notice any clouding yet. Setting the background on my HTPC to all black, I can definitely see some blooming around the icons and mouse cursor.
 
#18 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by gorthocar  /t/1430346/sony-xbr-hx950-owners-thread-xbr-55hx9-50-and-xbr-65hx95-0#post_22420656


I don't notice any clouding yet. Setting the background on my HTPC to all black, I can definitely see some blooming around the icons and mouse cursor.

Let me know how the edges look if there any bleeding THANKS
 
#19 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sonyboy  /t/1430346/sony-xbr-hx950-owners-thread-xbr-55hx9-50-and-xbr-65hx95-0#post_22420632


Nice! What Do you like about it over the Vt50 you had? How does it compare to your xbr 8? I'm looking at the 950, but I'd like to see some reviews before I take the plunge. I'm still rocking my kuro krp 500m so I'm in no hurry,but if it turns out to be a show stopper it may be at the top of my list. Looking forward to more impressions as you get more time with it.
So far, this set is very comparable to the XBR8 with fabulous 2D quality, brightness, and contrast. I can definitely see a difference in the number of backlighting zones when using it as a PC monitor. Move the mouse cursor around on an all black background with the backlight on max, you can see the smaller zones lighting up. Yes, max backlighting is too much for normal use, IMHO, and reducing the backlighting helps.


Then compared to the Panny VT50 plasma, the HX950 kills it in nearly every category.

The VT50 has loud fans; the HX950 is silent.

The VT50 has pixel noise / plasma dithering and can never hold a steady picture; it is like it has an extra level of film grain. Try the Zone Plate test on the WOW disc to see what I mean. The HX950 is solid and locked on.

The VT50 flickers like crazy, even when playing 24 fps movies at 96 Hz. The HX950 is completely flicker free, and even a lot better than my XBR8 was.

The VT50 had some kind of horizontal bleeding / discoloration depending on what was being displayed. Visiting some webpages really highlighted this.

The VT50 has a big image retention / burn-in problem, which was only made worse if you cranked up the brightness so the whites would look white.

I couldn't quite put my finger on what caused it, but in some movement on the VT50, especially around flesh tones & contrast, you might could see an unnatural red or green shadow with the movement.

Blacks levels are better on the HX950, and fade to black scenes are totally pitch black vs only a dark gray on the VT50.

There is some blooming around the local dimming zones in the HX950 around high contrast areas, so I might give the edge to the VT50 in that one category, but compared with everything else, a local dimming zone LED LCD is the best compromise on price, performance, and features for me. It is not perfect, and I'm not sure if there ever will be one that is perfect within my budget, but I'm very happy with the initial experience.


And now for some movie time!
 
#21 ·
Hi congrats ...


Looks very nice. When you are up and running perhaps you can speak more about how it compares to the XBR8. A couple of comments seem to state it is on par with your former XBR8 if I'm reading between the lines correctly. Would like to hear more when you can but take your time and enjoy your new display.


I only ask as I still have the 55XBR8 moved to bedroom duty replace by 70 Elite. I feel they are not on the same level as good as the XBR8 is. I have nothing else to compare to. Just curious to see how you think the two Sony's compare. The XBR8 was/is a nice display.


Have fun with your new display. Looks really nice in typical Sony fashion.


Rick
 
#22 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.SoftDome  /t/1430346/sony-xbr-hx950-owners-thread-xbr-55hx9-50-and-xbr-65hx95-0#post_22420908


Hi congrats ...

Looks very nice. When you are up and running perhaps you can speak more about how it compares to the XBR8. A couple of comments seem to state it is on par with your former XBR8 if I'm reading between the lines correctly. ...
Yes, it is on par with the XBR8. I could have been quite happy to live with the XBR8 for a few more years, so that may color my expectations. I'm actually quite amazed at how smooth and flicker free the HX950 is. The XBR8 was no slouch in this area, but at 24Hz, I could still see some flicker in it, but none at all with the HX950. Colors, brightness, contrast, and general 2D quality seem to be at least as good, but I can see some difference in the backlighting and zones and the blending/blooming. I do wish it had an anti-glare coating.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TitusTroy  /t/1430346/sony-xbr-hx950-owners-thread-xbr-55hx9-50-and-xbr-65hx95-0#post_22420703


how are the viewing angles?
It is roughly comparable to other Sony LCDs. It is definitely best directly front and center. Off angle, the blooming is more apparent, and the blacks have more of a bluish glow to them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1080D  /t/1430346/sony-xbr-hx950-owners-thread-xbr-55hx9-50-and-xbr-65hx95-0#post_22420803


Can you tease us with some pictures .........Please !!
What do you want pictures of? I just have a mediocre cellphone camera which I know isn't capable of accurately capturing good screen shots.
 
#23 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by gorthocar  /t/1430346/sony-xbr-hx950-owners-thread-xbr-55hx9-50-and-xbr-65hx95-0#post_22420974


Yes, it is on par with the XBR8. I could have been quite happy to live with the XBR8 for a few more years, so that may color my expectations. I'm actually quite amazed at how smooth and flicker free the HX950 is. The XBR8 was no slouch in this area, but at 24Hz, I could still see some flicker in it, but none at all with the HX950. Colors, brightness, contrast, and general 2D quality seem to be at least as good, but I can see some difference in the backlighting and zones and the blending/blooming. I do wish it had an anti-glare coating.

It is roughly comparable to other Sony LCDs. It is definitely best directly front and center. Off angle, the blooming is more apparent, and the blacks have more of a bluish glow to them.

What do you want pictures of? I just have a mediocre cellphone camera which I know isn't capable of accurately capturing good screen shots.
Was hoping something that would show the detail and contrast-black level of this set. A Blu Ray or HD feed of some nature scenes or most say that the Dark Night is a good one.
 
#24 ·


Here is a picture of the remote. I still have my Harmony One programmed with the codes from my other Sony TV, and they work OK for power on/off and switching the input.


And the same manual is for the 55" and 65" HX950, plus the KDL-55HX850 and KDL-46HX850, but I'm not sure if the 850s have hit the street yet.
 
#25 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by gorthocar  /t/1430346/sony-xbr-hx950-owners-thread-xbr-55hx9-50-and-xbr-65hx95-0#post_22420656


I don't notice any clouding yet. Setting the background on my HTPC to all black, I can definitely see some blooming around the icons and mouse cursor.

Have you seen the blooming in the HX929? If so, how would you compare it with the blooming in the 950? Is it only slightly improved? or is there a very noticable improvment? Given that there is supposed to be almost double the zones I would like to know how much difference it really makes.
 
#26 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by 1080D  /t/1430346/sony-xbr-hx950-owners-thread-xbr-55hx9-50-and-xbr-65hx95-0#post_22420982


Was hoping something that would show the detail and contrast-black level of this set. A Blu Ray or HD feed of some nature scenes or most say that the Dark Night is a good one.
I just jumped to a fabulous scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey with a bright white spaceship & pod against black space with a few scattered stars. I took a screen pic, and my cellphone camera sucks too bad to post that picture; it doesn't come close to doing it justice. I put TMT5 in windowed mode and brought up the cellphone picture beside it, and it doesn't come close to showing what I see. Here is a picture just to show how badly my cellphone camera sucks: picture of picture it took to the left, and picture of TMT5 to the right.


Please do not judge this TV with how horrible my cellphone camera is. The TV looks a lot better than than my cellphone camera can capture. This only proves that my cellphone camera sucks a lot.
 
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