Sony Bravia XBR Series

Still going strong 2021 – After a panel replacement done under warranty a second panel was replaced at no cost by Sony. A free PlayStation 3 unexpectedly arrived at no cost after the second panel. A great 1080p Tv, sound stage is beyond today's offerings, no sound bar required. The connectivity covers all our old consoles making these units coveted by gamers with the full backlit screen. They do run warm due to quality hardware yet still going strong. Show details

Nearly 12 Years Later and It Still Reigns Supreme! – I recently purchased my dream TV after a long time of research and being an overall careful buyer around approximately February this year and so far it has been an absolute blast! Sure, there'll be some people who'll say it's a TV that deserves to be in a scrapyard, but when you think of TV's that are currently on the market, they can't touch… Read more

this. For one, you have 3 HDMI ports (how many people can say they have a TV with that many? Not much. Only a newer Bravia will overtake that with 4 of them), you have two speakers on either side that sound absolutely amazing and crystal clear too (you don't need a sound bar for this!) (I believe the sound system has a subwoofer built in), it has VGA input for your computer (not common to see on TV's), the picture quality is top notch (it displays at a maximum of 1080p, but when you think about it, you don't exactly need 4 or 8K) and the real charm this Bravia has is the illuminating Sony logo. It looks so cool at night time! You just can't go wrong with these TV's. After all these years, they just seem to keep going and you can't go wrong with the Japanese build quality. The only thing I wish is that Sony returned to the illuminating Sony logo and all the charm Sony TV's had in the 2000's. Overall, if you're looking for a TV with pure class, reliability (if you're careful enough) and great picture (and especially the price point), look no further than the Bravia XBR Series!

DISCLAIMER: the weight may put people off. I'm just being honest!

Things to take note before purchasing one:

- Make sure you at the display panel closely. If it bleeds colours everywhere, don't purchase it! (It's a common problem that plagued them. Still, it doesn't give these TV's a bad reputation as you see a lot still running. Take this into account) - Make sure every input works. If they don't, don't purchase it! - (In rare cases) If it doesn't come with the remote, take a look at certain retailers that sell universal remotes. Most of the time they'll work perfectly. - Last, but not least, check to see if the digital TV works. If it doesn't, you may need to open up the TV and repair the board that's reponsible for giving you signal to digital TV (in most cases, you just need to solder the fuse closed again and it'll be perfect. If electronic repair is not your thing, you can take the easy way out and buy a set top box.

I hope this helps everyone!

Pros: - The Japanese build quality. It's something you don't on many products anymore, especially ones that came out in the 2000's. These TV's are guaranteed not to fall apart, ever) - Has the amazing illuminating Sony logo (if you get tired of it, you can switch it off, but what's the fun in that?) - Absolutely amazing sound (it's almost like having a surround sound system all in one. You don't need a sound bar!) - Crystal clear picture (do you seriously need 4K?? 1080p looks like pure class on this) - The vast amount of ports on the back and side of it (4 HDMI ports; 1 on the side and 3 on the back, VGA, AV, et cetera) - The current price point (it's amazing, you can't go wrong for the price. Take a look for yourself, but make sure you're getting a good one and not one that is about to fail, it's either the LCD panel or the power supply, but in rare cases the fan can give out. Yes, they have a fan internally, mostly because of all of the hardware)

Cons: - Weight (did you really think I wouldn't say this one? They weigh an absolute mammoth. I'm not joking) - The LCD panel can fail at any given point (it's unavoidable, but if you do the right amount of preventative maintenance, you can keep things like this happening at bay. Things include dusting for example) - The digital TV receptor can fail at any given point (these can surge easily if bad weather occurs. This is what I heard from people allegedly having the problem). A way to remedy this problem (if you're an electronics repair or engineer) is if you solder the fuse of the board closed again. Simple! (Don't this at your own caution, I will not accept liability if anything goes wrong) It's a far better way than paying $100+ for a new board. - Sony had to discontinue these (it was a shame as they were just getting better after the Wega Series; the predecessor to the Bravia)

EDIT: I've seen some people on here mentioning "clouding issues" on their displays. I've owned mine for awhile and I can confirm that this does not occur. (well on mine at least)

DUD Product – Was recommended by Choice magazine in 2008 when purchased. Like other readers paid a premium for this tv. Was close to $3,000,. Luckily I purchased extended warranty (extra 4 years). In fifth year had issues with the panel (green lines and shadows), Panel replaced under warranty. Now about 2 years later same issue. Will never purchase Sony again.… Read more

TV had good picture but expected hassle free product with much longer life for the price. Will not pay premium price for TV again.

Faulty TV – We had our Sony KDL-46XBR LCD TV screen repaired approximately 8 months ago after having issues just under 5 years of having it. We paid $440 for the labor cost and Sony paid for the LCD screen. We are now disappointed that we paid the $440 because we are again having the same issue with the screen - we could have put that money towards a new TV.… Read more

We have taken the TV back to the Sony referred service department and they have confirmed it is the same issue as before with the faulty screen.

We believe that this TV should have been recalled, as a number of other customers who bought the same TV have had the exact same issue. We spent a lot of money ($3500 + $440 on repair) on a TV that should have lasted a lot longer than what it has. We are very disappointment.

We would like Sony to acknowledge this problem and provide us with a solution to our issue. The look of the TV and the qualtity of picture when it was working Screen faulty, short lifespan for alot of money and Sony unwilling to take reponsibility for a faulty TV.

Fantastic tv – Great tv, perfect picture. Easy to use. Looks good on the wall with the glass frame & illuminated Sony at the bottom. It was expensive but well worth it. I'd definitely buy another Sony Tv without hesitation & recommend it to others. The sound surprises me as it sounds like surround sound most of the time. The look & quality Very heavy & looks dated now as not as thin as new TVs Show reply

Only 3 1/2 years old and 2 major incidents – Purchased our glass floating LCD Sony about 3 1/2 years ago. First problem occurred at the 3 year point, when a red line appeared through the screen. Thankfully, Sony replaced the panel. Now, here we are 6 months later, and the screen froze mid advert - bizarre. Waited 5 minutes, then changed channels after realising that it wasn't a problem… Read more

with the channel, to find that we now have no access to any TV channels. We've tried everything, including using a different cable to switching another LCD to the same location and using the same connections, to no avail. So, it is the TV. No wonder additional warranty is highly recommended. These things are definitely not built to last. Doubtful we'll have our LCDs as long as we had our old square box TVs. It does look attractive (when it works). 2 major repairs in just over 3 years doesn't seem good to me and, it was expensive in the first place.

Got its problems – Had this TV fixed twice now. Cost $3500. I would not buy a Sony again, i was told this was the Rolls Royce of TVs - this is inaccurate Very good picture Keeps breaking down

this is my third sony tv by far the best one great picture super sound for a flat sceen – i purchase it in jan 2008 it is perfect no problem with sound, picture, brilliant when watching in bluray, upscale from dvd great i have only one small problem were there are gray shades in the corners of the screen but its only when picture is totally black reliable, energy efficient, very stylish,

Bad – Paid over $4000 for 46xbr kdl-46x3100 2 years ago. Now it said no channel available please scan. After scanning, problem still exists. Repairer told me that it would cost about $600 to $1000 to replace tuner board or $110 just to look at it. According to this thread, http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/1116800.html, it seems… Read more

that this is a common problem for earlier xbr model. I was told at the time of purchase, this is a top of the range and should last around 10 years. Can't believe that it lasts just over 2 years. Can you believe that over $4000 tv for 3 years. I thought sony is a reliable brand and could not believe that by paying over $4000 for a tv that only lasts for just over 2 years. I guess no more sony as of today. Excellent picture and design Digital tuner stops working after 2 years, similar to that mentioned by Jeff, no tv guide, no subtitle

Excellent – I bought this TV almost 2 years ago and it has been the best purchase ever. Standard DVD and TV picture is great, and Blu Ray and Upscaled DVD through the PS3 are amazing. If your going to spend the money on this TV you MUST get a Blu Ray player to get the full benefit from it. The 1 issue I have had with this TV is the inbuild HD TV tuner. 6… Read more

months after I bought it it stopped working, infact when it decided to stop working. Sony sent out a repairman onsite within 1 week and he had to replace a board inside the TV. The issue has just started to reoccur again now but im not going to go to the effort of taking the TV in if they wont come out.

"Beclenk" mentions the TV being heavy as a CON but i dont imagine that's an issue as I have moved my tv only twice since I bought it.

Despite the abouve mentioned issue I would recommend this Sony TV to anyone. Awesome picture, great range of inputs, top quality inbuilt speakers, Some blacks seem slightly gray, issues with the inbuilt hd tv tuner

Excellent – Totally worth the money, though the 200htz screen that has just come out looks good to. Great with a full 7.1 sourround sound system. Excellent picture. Perfect for watching the car racing or fast moving programs. I can plug my sony camera/flash drive straight into it and look at my photo's. Heavy, but it is a very big screen. (need nearly 3 people to lift it)

Excellent – I absolutely love it, I just hope it doesn't die early as I declined the Extended Warranty. Also I should mention if you do a google search on "clouding issues" with this TV. Yes it has very, very minor clouding issues on a black screen only. Who the hell sits and watched a "black screen"? hahahahahahaha. Awesome Picture - Great Blacks. Looks… Read more

amazing when connected to a Media Centre (PC) via DVI->HDMI. Blue ray looks awesome - DVD's look awesome. And this TV looks damn impressive even when turned off (outside bezel). Apparently Sony have changed the look on the new XBR. Why? The old models were so sexy. Slow to change Channels (digital) - I can live with it though. Extended Warranty was expensive.