Sony LCD Projection TV Review

Model: Sony KDF-55XS955 LCD Projection TV
Description: 55" Rear Projection HDTV; 16:9 Widescreen Aspect Ratio
Resolution: 1366 x 769

Includes: Remote control, integrated NTSC and ATSC HDTV Tuner
CableCARD slot, Memory Stick slot, Built-in speakers (30W total output)

Color: Silver

Reviewer: Charles La Rosa
Date: 05-18-05

Introduction

Sony's rear-projection LCD televisions are priced and featured to compete with DLP televisions from Samsung, Toshiba, Mitsubishi and the like. I find the image quality on rear-projection LCDs (from Sony) much better in some ways than their DLP rivals. Sony's rear-projection LCDs, which project white light onto LCD screens that block unwanted color, manage to provide many of the benefits of DLP with fewer drawbacks.

With Sony leaving the plasma market, users wanting a large-format display carrying the Sony badge will soon have no option but rear-projection LCD and CRT. Not to worry, Sony's Grand Wega line of rear-projection LCDs are great televisions at excellent prices. We tested the KDF-55XS955, which is similar in functionality and design to the larger 60-inch KDF-60XS955. The two televisions are improvements on the KDF-55WF655 and KDF-60WF655, respectively. The new models have an additional HDMI jack, improved controls, and a freshened look. The new KDF-XS955 series have attractive black screens surrounded by speakers that are slightly removed from the screen.

Sony included every feature you could ever want in this rear projection HDTV.

Picture: 91/100

I feel Sony's rear-projection LCD technology, though it exhibits some of the artificial image texture and distortion visible on DLPs, has evolved to exceed the quality of many current DLP TVs. In fairness to the Sony, my observations about texturing stem from the fact that we tested this huge TV at a 12 foot viewing distance - the closest you'll want to sit to a display this size. The 55-inch flat screen TV would be easily visible at twice that distance and fit nicely in a master bedroom or home-theater basement viewing room.

The Sony rear projection LCD technology triumphs over DLP TVs when it comes to displaying fast-action scenes. Car chase scenes displayed on the Sony KDF-55XS955 from The Fast and the Furious exhibited none of the edge deterioration we've seen on low end DLP Televisions. With no published response-time available for the 55XS955, and just my eyes to test with, I would rate it among most adept handlers of fast-motion I've seen. The inbuilt 3D-Digital comb filter impressed me with its ability to display fast cars on the sunny strip or during the dark of night with great, accurate color and no distortion - a tall order for the best of TVs.

Sony's rear projection LCD 55XS955 isn't able to maintain brightness at the extreme viewing angles that pure-LCD and plasma technology TVs can, but center viewing is excellent. Although the image is visible throughout a 170-degree viewing area, the best seats in the house will be in the 0 to 90-degree area, and no more than 30 degrees above or below eyelevel. Outside of this range brightness is severely diminished and, at the outer edges of this viewing area, glare crops up. Glare is nonexistent inside the optimal viewing radius and thus renders this unit an excellent choice for brightly lit rooms. The Sony Wega KDF-55XS955 can reproduce deep blacks, but like any LCD, grays turn into blacks much less elegantly than on a plasma display.

The KDF-55XS955 has three video presets. Vivid provides cartoon-like color with super enhanced sharp edges. At the opposite extreme is pro, providing natural color and edges. Standard lies somewhere in-between. We found starting with the pro settings and modifying the brightness to 35 helped us maintain detail during dark scenes. Of cool, warm, and neutral, the latter was our preferred color-temperature setting. There is also a mild mode setting that can smooth the image independent of the sharpness setting. Sony has an optional power saving mode that allows the T.V. to operate darker with "reduced power consumption." We suspect if you've shelled out for this TV, a few dollars a month on the electric bill won't be too much of a concern, but since the setting prolongs the bulb's life you might want to activate it. It is an easy consideration for darker rooms or nighttime viewing. Don't fret if you like your image bright - the bulb is user serviceable and accessible via a removable panel on the front of the display. Bulbs are reported to run for about 8,000 hours, which will get you three hours of use every day for about 7 years. Replacements cost approximately $300-$400.

The aspect ratio settings on the Wega KDF-55XS955 are normal, full, zoom, and wide zoom. Zoom, which should be the most accurate way to enlarge a letterbox movie played from a 4:3 source, looked overly enlarged on the mammoth KDF-55XS955. Wide zoom provides a variable scaling that keeps image distortion in the center portion of the picture to a minimum. Full applies a pure unfiltered option that shows HDTV programming in all its glory. A spilt screen function allows viewers to display two television channels or video sources on the screen simultaneously, with one source displayed about twice as large as the other. The TV's built-in ASTC tuner is excellent. Tuning into the best digital channels allowed us to fully appreciate the HDTV resolution. Programming information and station information, where broadcasted, are cleanly displayed on-screen. Picture quality conversion of the Sony's WEGA engine when displaying broadcast material was excellent.

This is the first TV we've reviewed with dual HDMI inputs.

Other Features: 98/100

Sony included every feature you could ever want and implemented each one well. The input selection, sound, menu, manual, and remote are all top-notch and a step above the competition. I would've liked to see Sony include camera card slots accepting non-Sony media, a DVI connector, and a muti-channel preview option on the Wega KDF-55XS955. Beyond those few absent features I could find nothing missing from this rear-projection LCD TV.

The menu on the Sony Wega 55XX955 is the best I've seen on a television to date. Sony allocated almost 50-percent of the screen real estate to the menu, which allowed for easy to read text. The menu's icons, which are simple line art images, embody the ideals of effective graphic design. While some manufacturers have been using glitzy, animated icons that are distracting and wear on the eye, Sony opted for simple, meaningful images that tell the user just what they need to know. An attractive and functional remote rounds the all-around-excellent user experience. The 128-page instruction manual is detailed and well organized.

Inputs abound. This is the first TV we've reviewed with dual HDMI inputs. The decision to include two HDMI jacks and no DVI jack probably stems from the fact that Sony is a founding member of the HDMI consortium. Users who want to connect a DVI source can use a DVI-HDMI cable. We didn't have any luck connecting our laptop via HDMI, but it could've stemmed from an incompatibility between the video card and the television's 1386x768 resolution. In addition to the digital inputs, this TV includes three sets of rear-mounted composite jacks supporting S-video and RCA-type connectors, two sets of component jacks, two coaxial jacks for antennae and cable, and a front-mounted set of composite jacks. A rear CableCARD slot will allow some users to scrap their cable-box. For those users with surround sound systems or external speakers, sound out is provided via RCA and optical connectors.

It would've been nice to see Sony include slots for some of the more standard digital camera memory options, like SD and MM, in addition to its own format. Just like it pushes HDMI on consumers, Sony forces users into using its own Memory Stick card, which coincidentally is used almost exclusively on Sony-brand digital cameras.

The television's internal sound system is excellent. The left and right channel each gets a modest five watts of power, but, combined with the built-in 20-watt woofer, overall sound is exceptional for a television. The Steady Sound option normalizes sound across programs and commercials and three additional sound modes allow surround sound simulation using the display's built-in speakers.

Heat exhausts primarily out of a metal vent about half-a-square foot in size. Even after the television has been on for several hours it vents warm air, not hot. When the TV is initially turned on the fan roars for a couple seconds before subsiding to a quiet hum. Even low-volume scenes easily overpower the fan noise. The fan is most noticeable when it continues to run after the television is turned off. The cool-off period after three hours of viewing was only a few minutes. 245 watts is the maximum power consumption, which is very low for a television this size.

The television is assembled domestically in the USA and weighs approximately 105 lbs. It is 62 inches wide, 19 inches deep, and 37.5 inches tall.

Value: 96/100

The Sony Wega KDF-55XS955 rear-projection LCD gives customers exceptional value. Street price is around $3000 dollars. Customers willing to settle for an extra foot of depth with this rear-projection LCD TV will save a few thousand dollars off the price of a comparable plasma display. Sony engineers make using this TV enjoyable and not frustrating. This is a great TV and worth every penny.


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Sony LCD Projection TV Review

Introduction

Picture: 91/100

Other Features: 98/100

Value: 96/100

Overall Rating: 94 (picture double weighted)