Sony Bravia XBR Series KDL-52XBR7 52-Inch 240Hz 1080p LCD HDTV

Picture: I have been comparing TV's now for almost a year to get the best set that would keep me happy for years to come. I can't say enough good things about the picture quality; it's just the best out there. After making some minor adjustments to the picture settings, in the custom mode, skin tones and colors are amazing. The only big screen sets I have seen that appear to be better are the LED XBR8's, but not by much, or the new Samsung UN55B7000 and these sets come at a substantial premium.TV is easy to set up and sound quality through its own speakers is even good, but I have mine connected through my audio system for true 5.1 sound. If you have a room with a lot of windows, the matte finish glass has a much lower reflection quality than say the gloss finish on the Samsung's, which was impossible to see in my family room.Delivery: I was really worried about purchasing a big screen TV and having it delivered by a freight company. The company that delivered the TV was great. The box looked as though I had just picked it up local store, they unpacked the unit and placed on the stand for me. Very nice people. And did I say the delivery only took 7 days from when I ordered it.Price: I got a great deal from Amazon.com, the price was about $600 less than Best Buy for a lesser Sony Model TV.

I purchased this tv on the 5th and still has not shipped yet. They have it in stock so there is no reason for this. They sent me an e-mail a day after I purchased it giving me the option of upgrading to a xbr9 for the same price, it sounds fishy to me. I can't rate what I don't have.

OK, so if your reading this, you've been doing your research. If it's offered at somethng you can afford, just order it and be done. It's a great TV, it's everything your looking for. I would highly reccomend it, just be prepared to get the HD TV that's offered from your cable provider, and some type of stand. You don't need the extra cables, or the receiver, or the speakers...Not unless you really feel you need all that. I ordered it from Amazon and they even carried it in, and set it up!

I bought this television 22 months ago and have loved it. The picture is great (especially when compared to our former television) the sound is good, the colors are rich and true, etc. However, a few months ago, several buttons on the remote started acting up. Now, I have several buttons that don't work unless you mercilessly mash the things into the remote.Today I finally got around to sending Sony an email about the problem I had with the remote and the fact that the thing worked properly for less than two years. Sony's response?Great news! We have located the product(s) you were looking for.148061613 REMOTE COMMANDER (RM-YD024) ZZ $52.74(Shipping charges and local taxes are additional)So, THAT'S their great news? That I should shell out another $53 (plus shipping and taxes) to replace the remote that is less than 2 years old?? As I pointed out to them in my scathing response, that would mean I will be paying over $30 a year for the 'privilege' of remotely changing the channels on a rather expensive television.I didn't expect the remote to last forever but I had hoped it lasted a couple of years, at least! I don't consider a $53+ part 'disposable' and I have no intention of replacing it every 22 months. (With my luck, the replacement probably wouldn't even last that long.)So, the television is great. The remote should, apparently, be considered disposable AND quite expensive to replace, but -- much more importantly -- Sony's attitude is seriously lacking in commitment to customer satisfaction.I had always been a fan of Sony products but, then again, I haven't owned a whole lot of them. Experience has now taught me that maybe sometimes a company gets so big and successful, they don't have to give a lot of thought to keeping customers happy. I wasn't even looking for a freebie or anything because I know the remote is outside the warranty but... Ugh! They have no clue whatsoever.I guess I'll need to find another manufacturer for the Blu-ray player I wanted to buy and that eliminates my desire to own a Sony Playstation (which could have taken care of my Blu-ray needs but, nope, not now.) Jeez, if I wanted electronics that only last a little while, I'd go to blasted Wal-Mart and buy their crap! <shudders> Just the thought of that makes me need to go take a shower to scrub the 'stink' off.

There is no other LCD HDTV out there that features the 240Hz frame rate. At least, not yet. Most others are 120Hz, and are touting that as an amazing improvement over the rest (which are at 60Hz). The high frame rate makes a noticeable difference (positive one). If/when you get the TV, I suggest to reset all setting-options (picture/sound, etc.) and use the STANDARD settings. Excellent picture! Excellent value! Some folks have mentioned "clouding." I have some of it on the edges, and it is barely noticeable in the STANDARD mode of operation. Quoting from the Safety and Regulatory Booklet that came with the TV: "The LCD screen is made with high-precision technology and to achieve a high level of performance and picture quality, this TV's backlight setting is set to maximize the brightnews of the TV. However, uneven brightness may be observed when the LCD TV is viewed in a dark ambient without an input source or with a blank screen. This condition is normal and not a malfunction of the TV. Changing the Picture mode, Backlight setting, enabling the Light Sensor, or turning on the Power Management will improve this condition." Hope this helps folks who are concerned about all the talk about "clouding."Still exploring: The CC (close captions) don't seem to work for HD channels (Comcast Cable). No idea why that is...