Sony Bravia XBR-84X900 3D LCD Ultra HDTV

[NorthStar]

84" Diagonal Flat Panel | 4K (3840 x 2160) Ultra High Resolution | Best of the Best 3D | ...And only $25,000 (USA dollars)

=> http://www.hometheater.com/content/sony-bravia-xbr-84x900-3d-lcd-ultra-hdtv

 

[DaveyF]

Bob, I had the pleasure of viewing this TV a few weeks ago. It is VERY nice. The blacks looked to be almost on a par with my Pioneer Plasma! I would say that it is the best 70+" TV that I have seen, pity about the price

 

[NorthStar]

Yes, when I read that review from above, I thought to myself this is the new beginning. ...Prices will come down eventually, just like you can get a fantastic front projector nowadays for less than five grands. ...And a very nice 65" plasma HDTV, for less than three.

I love plasma panels myself, but some Sharp and Sony LCD (LED) models are pure high-end with blacks to kill for.
And of course their contrast and brightness and white peak level are at the very top of the flat panel echelon.
I'm also a pretty big fan of 3D, and that Sony must be awesome indeed, according to Tom (Norton), the reviewer.

Twenty years ago high-end videophiles were paying $50,000 and $100,000 for top quality pictures from their front projectors, with some video enhancers/deinterlacers/extrapolaters/purifiers (Faroudja).
Today, with 8K on the horizon (eventually 16K), some Ultra HDTVs (4K/50" flat panel) can be had for only $1,000/2,000.
And then you have that 84" Sony, for twenty-five grands. ...Somewhere between there is an Ultra HDTV for me. ...And it's not being built yet...

* Blacks (Pioneer Elite Kuro) = 0.0005 ft-Lambert. ...But no 3D here, and the max screen size is 60" I believe.
Kuros are just for 'Black level' and nothing else (no more, nowadays).

Now we have TVs that do Black at 0.001 ft-L (Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, Sharp, ...). ...But they also do much much much more.
...And size MATTERS!

That Sony Ultra HDTV is just an add, a publicity stunt; for $25,000, it's gotta be! ...It's an essay, a prototype, a testing waters device, a paper with numbers, a pretty picture with many small pixels, a teaser for the well healed video fanatics. ...One day .... :b

 

[NorthStar]

...And it's not even an OLED one.

 

[Elberoth]

Now we have TVs that do Black at 0.001 ft-L (Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, Sharp, ...). ...But they also do much much much more.
...And size MATTERS!

LCDs (Samsung, Sony, Sharp) can only get those numbers with local dimming, so those are not really 'real world' numbers.

The 84" Sony TV is really impressive though. Much better than the 84" LG that uses same LCD panel.

 

[NorthStar]

What do you mean exactly Elberoth by "not 'real world' numbers"?
...Because if there is even a totally black screen with a 'pause' logo indicator that number now ain't the same (by letting some light leak outside of that 'pause' logo)? ...Oh I see now, because if you turn the LED Dynamic Control off, then the black level increases (with that Sony here: to 0.043 ft-L).
- Simple; leave that LED Dynamic Control feature "On".

I should have been more specific: Panasonic and Samsung; I had plasma (Cell light) in mind.
...Sony and Sharp; LCD LED (with local dimming: edge-lit or/and full-array backlit).

* In real world program material (movies on Blu-ray), the black level from the best plasma and LCD LED flat panel HDTVs is less than 0.001 ft-L.
And on some front projectors, it approaches 0.0005 ft-L (Kuro territory).

And yes, that top gun Sony LCD LED 84" is very impressive indeed (edge-lit local dimming),
but also much more expensive than other brands in the same size range (Sharp, LG, JVC). ...But then, it is also a 4K (Ultra High Def) display.

P.S. Your avatar I like! ...Talk to the hand!

 

[Elberoth]

Ha ha - never thought about that. It is actually from the LOTR movie (as is my nickname, which is also from Tolkien).

Anyhow - yes, that is exactly what I mean. If you play a movie which has a midnight sky with stars (a lot of bright objects against black background), you will see what I'm talking about. Some of the stars will be missing (that is where the TV decided to switch on the local dimmin) and the others will have the white halo around. Once you noticed that once, it is hard to ignore and becomes irritating.

Better to get the Panasonic 65ST(VT/ZT)60 plasma, and do not have those kind of problems. The 84" TV, although impressive due to its sheer size, doesn't have the best image around, and is 30fps limited (by HDMI 1.4 standard). It is wise to wait at least till next year, when the second generation comes out, hopefully with HDMI 2.0 support (and 60fps).

 

[NorthStar]

Yes, we are at the new portal of HDMI version 2.0 for ultra high definition picture.

Gotcha on the 'light' from LCD LED flat panels. ...But Tom Norton, the reviewer of that particular review doesn't seem to be affected for one bit by it.
Like I said, you just leave the LED Dynamic Control always "On".
- That Sony Bravia (XBR-84X900) 3D LCD Ultra HDTV's black level measured the same as the Panasonic TC-P65VT60 3D Plasma HDTV (0.001 ft-L).
But the Sony has a much better Full-on/Full-off Contrast Ratio, and Peak White Level too. ...For 3D viewing the Sony beats the Panasonic with flying colors. ...It is also amazing how accurate and resolute the calibrated colors are in the Sony.

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* Yes, I am very familiar with LOTR and your avatar, and that scene where they are in the three boats and passed by those two gigantic statues (pillars) is totally awesome. ...This is the Argonath passage and the two gigantic pillars are the two Kings of Gondor: Elendil and Isildur.
-> It's like that they are both saying; 'beyond this point talk to the hand'.

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