The flagship of Sony's 2011 HDTV line, the Bravia XBR-46X929, will probably sail into the end-of-life sunset at the end of this year. That's actually a good thing, because you might be able to score one at a price that more accurately reflects its size and capabilities.
See, while this 46-inch LED-based LCD comes loaded for everything from 3-D to Netflix to, you know, television, it's priced considerably higher than competing models. Even a supposedly pricier plasma like Panasonic's TC-P55ST50 sells for $800 less, and it spans 55 inches.
Save for a few minor glitches, the 46HX929 is one seriously excellent TV.But, hey, are you gonna let your checkbook stand between you and one of the most eye-pleasing LCDs ever to adorn your living room? Save for a few minor glitches, the 46HX929 is one seriously excellent TV.
For starters, it's a looker, with a Gorilla Glass one-piece lending a sexy all-black façade to the front side. Skinny, too, measuring just 1.5 inches, except for an unfortunate wart that's home to a barely necessary RS-232 port.
Sony throws around a lot of made-up-sounding specs to describe some of its imaging technology, words like X-Reality Pro, Intelligent Peak LED, and Motionflow XR 960. Here's the real-world translation: ridiculously perfect color, spot-on local dimming (that is, area-specific automatic backlight adjusting), and super-smooth action scenes.
Note to Sony: If you need some marketing-speak for your ultra-deep black levels, which rival any I've seen on any TV ever, might I suggest: BlackTastic.
Less 'tastic, however: the dreaded soap-opera effect, which bathes images in a painfully 2-D-looking veneer. Thankfully, it's easily remedied by switching to Cinema mode or turning off the MotionFlow feature (one of many, many advanced video settings you'll need the manual to decipher).
The 46X929 also stumbles on the 3-D front. Sony supplies no glasses, though its $100 Titanium active-shutter specs are the least dorky-looking pair I've ever seen. They're almost stylish. Too pricey? Sony also sells a way dorkier all-black pair for $50. Either way, the TV's 3-D images look decent so long as you sit totally upright. Tilt your head and the picture degrades horribly.