Sony KDS-R60XBR2 60-Inch SXRD 1080p XBR Rear Projection HDTV
By: Sony
More Information
 On: 2008-05-01
I bought my 60 XBR2 last July and it never ceases to deliver beautiful pictures, especially with HD content. We have a PS3, Xbox elite, and a toshiba a35 connected to it, and all look wonderful. I was upset when I heard Sony would not be making any rear projection sets in the future. But, I am very glad I bought this when I had the chance to. We have direct tv with the HD dvr, and the 720p and 1080i looks great on it as well.
On: 2007-12-02
Excellent video and very good audio performance. This is the second SXRD we have had and both are excellent. No complaints and web price can be very good (about 40% off).
The audio from the built in speakers is very good, but could be supplimented by a home theater.
The twin view is good, but it should allow for two HD inputs (one must be standard). Hopefully this will be fixed on later versions.
On: 2007-11-22
I researched this Sony for almost 1/2 year. Price perfect with Amazon, and delivery etc was without any problems. The TV picture is very bright, detail perfect in HD and quite good is SD. Largest screen size for the money and this model includes extra lamp which is a nice add-on. Highly recommend for sports, movies etc.
On: 2007-10-23
I have been waiting to get a HD TV for a long time. Im glad I waited for this Sony XBR.
On: 2007-10-22
I got this set as a warranty exchange in a local dealer about 8 months ago. At that time the exchange was done at full price, around US$3.7K. This TV is one of the best images I have ever seen. I connected my Home Computer to one of the HDMI ports (yes, I avoided the VGA port) and I cannot say how good it is to have a PERFECT 1080p image out of the computer (good graph card required). The screen is PERFECT. It is also perfect with 1080i signals from the cable provider. SD picture is decent, as no one can expect perfect 60" picture from an analog source. All in all, with the current prices, this TV is the best buy in the market for its size.
On: 2007-09-24
I,ve researched for months, comparing various televisions (different brands, LCD, Plasma) at various local electronics stores and this was by far the best choice. As they say, when it comes down to it, picture quality depends on the individual, and my wife and I agreed on this SONY. It is remarkablely light for its size and was easy to hook up (it has all the connections needed for a true HD experience and then plenty more). The remote was easy to program to control all your audio/video equipment. Turned it on and we were blown away, right out of the box. Just a few minor adjustments and WOW!! Every detail is visible, pores, hairs, dimples, grass blades, etc... Just a gorgeous picture, and to think, were not using it to its fullest potential (we have DirecTV HD which is a 1080i format). We cant wait to buy a Blu-ray player (1080p) when the price comes down. Hard to believe this picture can be any more realistic. I look forward everyday to view this TV. Believe me, THIS TV WILL DEFINITELY NOT DISAPPOINT.
On: 2007-07-31
I just purchased this tv and cant wait to get it delivered. But I did view this tv at the local shop and I must say, it was amazing. This after reviewing other tvs for months. I plan to update on my review once I break in the tv.
 On: 2007-06-13
We spent about 3 months researching and looking at TVs that were at least 58", 1080P, and had a bright clear image quality and wide viewing angles. None of the LED TVs came close to meeting the size requirement so we nixed them. All the DLP and LED DLP rear projection TVs seemed very dim and could not be viewed at an angle, although the price was right. The ony plasma that was 1080P and 58" was way too expensive, although it did have awesome picture quality.
We were about to give up and wait for the price of the plasma TVs to drop, but then stumbled across this beauty. It had incredible picture quality, wide viewing angles, and pretty decent sound. The only negatives were that it had a lot of extra features that drove up the price (like PIP) that we did not care about and took up a huge amount of space (the speakers add over a foot to the length of the unit). Since we really liked this TV, we overlooked the negatives and bought it. While it did look big in the cavernous store, once it was delivered to our living room, it became a gargantuan dinosaur. It dwarfed our living room and we ended up visiting 5 furniture stores trying to find a stand that was big enough to fit it.
To make a long story short, the size and weight of this beast was too much and we decided to return it and wait for the plasma pricces to drop. While we made the trip back to the store, we stumbled across the Samsung HL-T6176S (which had just been released that very day). We were amazed that this 61" DLP TV had similar picture brightness and quality but was MUCH MORE compact (11" deep and 55" wide) and about $600 less. While the Sony did have some advantages (better remote, some extra features, slightly brighter picture) we felt that its 24" depth and 71" width made it a dinosaur that we did not want to be stuck with.
If you want a >60" tv that is 1080p, compact, and still has near plasma picture quality, then I suggest you pass on the Sony XBR2 and either wait for the plasma prices to fall or check out the Samsung 61" Samsung HL-T6176S.
On: 2007-06-12
We spent about 3 months researching and looking at TVs that were at least 58", 1080P, and had a bright clear image quality and wide viewing angles. None of the LED TVs came close to meeting the size requirement so we nixed them. All the DLP and LED DLP rear projection TVs seemed very dim and could not be viewed at an angle, although the price was right. The ony plasma that was 1080P and 58" was way too expensive, although it did have awesome picture quality.
We were about to give up and wait for the price of the plasma TVs to drop, but then stumbled across this beauty. It had incredible picture quality, wide viewing angles, and pretty decent sound. The only negatives were that it had a lot of extra features that drove up the price (like PIP) that we did not care about and took up a huge amount of space (the speakers add over a foot to the length of the unit). Since we really liked this TV, we overlooked the negatives and bought it. While it did look big in the cavernous store, once it was delivered to our living room, it became a gargantuan dinosaur. It dwarfed our living room and we ended up visiting 5 furniture stores trying to find a stand that was big enough to fit it.
To make a long story short, the size and weight of this beast was too much and we decided to return it and wait for the plasma pricces to drop. While we made the trip back to the store, we stumbled across the Samsung HL-T6176S (which had just been released that very day). We were amazed that this 61" DLP TV had similar picture brightness and quality but was MUCH MORE compact (11" deep and 55" wide) and about $600 less. While the Sony did have some advantages (better remote, some extra features, slightly brighter picture) we felt that its 24" depth and 71" width made it a dinosaur that we did not want to be stuck with.
If you want a >60" tv that is 1080p, compact, and still has near plasma picture quality, then I suggest you pass on the Sony XBR2 and either wait for the plasma prices to fall or check out the Samsung 61" Samsung HL-T6176S.
On: 2007-05-07
Purchased this TV from Amazon a couple of months ago. Decent price, not the lowest but cheaper than the local big box stores and I valued dealing with Amazon for the purchase. Shipped promptly, received in perfect shape. Have been very happy with the set, the picture is beautiful, I am still blown away watching baseball games -- the detail is just amazing. Cant wait for football season!
The set takes about 30-45 seconds to warm up, really the only minor annoyance (along with not being able to take off the side speakers). I havent had the set professionally adjusted yet but will do so this summer. The signals to the set come from Verizon FIOS TV (HDMI) and X-Box 360 HD-DVD drive (component). HD-DVD is simply stunning. Need more quality content to feed this wonderful beast! I cant believe they issued "Beer Fest" in HD-DVD? Why dont they issue movies like "The Godfather" or "Jaws"? What kind of cultural wasteland are we becoming? (BTW, get the letterbox version so you dont miss any of the big bouncy brea -- I mean, cinematography.)
On: 2007-02-24
Owned the t.v almost a year the picture quality is the same as it was the day we opened the box. HD is great with my comcast digital cable. It has a good design is easy to use and the sxrd chip provides stunning clarity unsurpassed by any t.v in its class. Highly recommended for anybody looking for a t.v that makes your friends,family, and neighbors say "wow"!!!!
On: 2007-02-23
I bought this TV from Amazon about one month ago and have used it for watching a variety of programming (both HD and SD) and gaming.
I did a fairly substantial amount of research on HDTVs and basically learned that, until OLED or SED become commercial, theres not a "perfect" solution. Each technology has its own inherent advantages and disadvantages, and each company has its own ideas about implementation of those technologies and differentiating features.
To my eye, I found that this TV had the best overall "picture quality" of any that I examined - although picture quality is a subjective measure, and different people are put-off by different components. Im annoyed by the muddiness of DLPs (introduced by wobulation - not sure if theres a "true" 1080 / non-wobulated DLP out there - TI didnt feature one on their website, as far as I could find, although technology evolves), the visible pixels on plasma, which I see at even reasonable viewing distances, and the various LCD issues. This TV has vivid colors that need to be toned down from the stock settings, excellent contrast, superior sharpness, and pixels that arent easily visible (you can see them from 2 - 3" away but thats a little close for normal viewing).
However, there are trade-offs: some DLPs allegedly can reproduce "reference standard" color, as can some plasma, and both plasma and LCD have a far more elegant form factor. I found the JVC SXRD-equivalent (HD-ILA) to be inferior to my eye, appearing not as sharp displaying the same material, although whether inherent in the display or due to poorer video processing from inferior source material I dont know. There is a minor "silk-screen" effect, inherent in all rear-projectors, but it doesnt bother me - I prefer it to the grid on plasma, for example.
I have found the Sony video processing to be excellent - of course, the quality of the source material is exposed because the TV cant "make up" missing information - but so far, I havent found an upconverting DVD player to be necessary (might be nice, of course). SD and some DVD material on TVs with inferior video processing looks REALLY bad, so this is something thats worth evaluating carefully. If you are using a standard-def console for gaming, game mode is necessary - there is a lag from the processing that is noticeable, despite what CNET said.
The feature set is rich, with many inputs, all of which are easy to access. Each input carries its own settings, too, so you can optimize one for cable, one for gaming, one for DVD, one for HDDVD/BluRay etc. The VGA input seems to work fine with my video card, but your mileage here may vary. Ive read different reports. The only issue with the inputs is a lack of random access; you have to cycle through, and there are 9 of them.
If you can tolerate 20" of depth (about the same as a 27" old-school CRT) - and if extreme-angle viewing, particularly vertical, isnt an issue, I would recommend this unit without reservation. One other caveat is that, because this is a rear-projector, there is a warm-up cycle - it doesnt just flick on, it takes a few seconds to turn on and a few minutes to warm up. Ive heard that the guys who optimize these things wait at least 30 minutes for the set to warm before jimmying with the settings, but Ive found it viewable after 2 or 3 minutes.
Oh yeah - the Amazon ordering process was easy, and the price was right. Stay away from big-box retail unless theyre running a special; specialty retail might have some value in terms of educated sales force etc., but big-box is both useless and expensive.
cdg
On: 2007-02-22
I have owned this product for almost a year now and have been completely happy with it. The picture is amazing. Friends and family who have plasma or other rear-projection tvs are wowed by the picture. I have digital cable and even the non-HD picture looks good, about as good as you would see on a regular rear projection set. I have not had any issues with the green tint some owners have had. I researched long and hard before buying this set and Im glad I did. When spending this much for a tv, you may want to pick up the extended waranty.
 On: 2007-02-13
My first R60XBR2 had a green uniformity problem, and Sony said it was a known issue and that they would have to work on it. Instead of that, I returned it to amazon, and they sent out a replacement. Upon receiving the replacement, it was clearly another return or a refurbished TV. This one also had a green uniformity problem. I contaced amazon again to return the TV, and they said that it is a widespead problem. It would be a great TV if it didnt have these green issues.
On: 2007-02-11
puchased this and it was delivered within eight days with great service. the picture is outstanding and has all kinds of adjustments for each video input which is awesome. regular prog scan dvd player picture is great on this tv thru component cables. will get upscaling dvd player soon. watched all the bcs bowls and super bowl on this tv and it blew away all my friends and relatives with the awesome hd picture. i have had no problems and it looks great in my basement with my surround sound setup i have no need to ever go to the theater again. twelve months no interest was also nice and amazon still beats all the local stores around louisville with the price on this hdtv. i am very happy with this tv and i expect this sucker will be my last tv purchase for some time. its simply amazing.
On: 2007-02-04
The Tv was spectacular for 28 days! Only 28 days. Then on Dec.29 the TV went balnk... no picture, no sound. My gosh, the football bowl games were going on!!! I contacted Sony customer (mal)support and their recommended technician. On Jan. 10 he finally shows up (yes, I missed all the bowl games). He has NO CLUE what is wrong with the TV. The technician comes back on Jan. 25 and exchanges nearly every internal part of the TV!!! Still, no picture, no sound. I asked them for a new TV under warranty. HELL NO!!! Sony is NOT reasonable.... warranty is NOT worth the paper it is written on. I will not have a TV for the Super Bowl. I will NEVER buy another Sony product for as long as I live.
 On: 2007-02-02
There should be enough information in the other reviews to convince you - if you arent already - that this is just about the best 1080p TV you can buy for the money. As far as I know, that is the truth. I would like to give it 5 stars, but I do have just a couple of complaints about it, after living with it for just a month:
1. Standard definition reception is not good. Its worse, in fact, than the 41" Sony rear-projection model I just sold on craigslist to make room for this one. The HD channels are amazing, but theres a real drop in stardard def. Unfortunately, a lot of the channels I like arent broadcast in HD yet.
2. The speaker ears are a drag. I wish they were removable like on the 70" model. But they arent. You have to live with the extra 8" or so that they add to the total width of the TV (making it 65" wide rather than 57").
3. One bug I noticed just recently. The Wide Mode settings for standard def TV dont seem to save correctly from session to session. No matter how many times I change them they are wrong when I turn on the TV. They are in Normal mode, which is really Scrunched mode because the picture is compressed. I have to fix the mode manually. This bugs me.
So, its the best TV you can buy for the money. But its not perfect. Just to manage your expectations a little bit..
On: 2007-01-20
I, like every other individual writing reviews on HDTVs has spent countless hours researching them online, in stores and conversation at your nearest testosterone hotspot. Initially I had set my sights on the 50 SXRD simply because 60 was to big for my home and the price difference at the time was optimal. I ended up in a best buy store in which they had this TV for sale at 2100, out of the box. Luckily for me they had another one in the box, at the same price. Once I got it home and set up with an xbox 360 and HDMI upgrading DVD player Ive easily spent 3-4 hours a day sitting in front of it. However, you will want at least 10 feet from the screen(its so big and more distance results in better picture). Id recommend this one or the lesser 50 version. GO TO A STORE AND SEE THEM IN PERSON.
On: 2007-01-04
I just purchased the Sony KDS-R60XBR2.
Im extremely pleased and want to share my observations along with a few tough lessons with other buyers.
I had several criteria and did months of research and shopping.
When all was said and done, heres what it came down to:
1) no hotspot issue, which was critical for a rear screen TV (see below)
2) excellent picture quality from a variety of viewing angles,
3) large enough screen size(s) available.
4) plenty of inputs, I knew I would need at least 3 HDMI for the future
5) 3 separate DLP chips for each of the red-green-blue colors.
From watching demos in stores and talking with other users,
other manufacturers that use a color wheel would not be acceptable.
6) True 1080p display and input capability.
7) looked good enough that it wouldnt overwhelm the living room.
Now that I have it, the only words that come to mind are:
"This is way, WAY better than I ever expected."
and "Maybe I should have bought the 70 inch model..."
Several factors led me to purchase the Sony.
-- Larger display for standard TV signals:
I wanted a large TV, big enough so that a standard TV signal would be at least as big if not larger than my current 36" regular (NTSC) TV.
In case youre wondering, one of the trade-offs with the new widescreen TVs is that standard TV has to fit into the middle of the bigger screen. So even if the screen is 46", you might find that the image for regular TV signals is about the same or possibly smaller even though the screen size is technically bigger.
With that in mind, and several trips to stores with a measuring tape, I determined that I needed at least 55" for a widescreen to show standard TV signals larger than my current 36" TV. Something around 60-70" would be best.
-- NO HOT SPOT!
The other ABSOLUTELY key factor in choosing the Sony over every other manufacturer deals with the never discussed "hotspot" on the screens, a consistent and huge problem which appears in all other rear projection TVs Ive seen.
Even the salespersons I spoke to admit its not solved by anyone but Sony.
I dont know why this is such a TABOO subject because its so obvious and annoying.
If youre not familiar with the "hotspot" (which some people also call "lensing"), go find a rear projection TV and walk up close, say about 3 feet away. Then move your head up and down 1-2 feet, and you will see a very discernible bright band that moves along with your head. You might look like a bird moving your head up and down several feet, but as soon as you try this you will be instantly educated on this problem.
Since this is dealing with brightness, try this out with a TV with a bright scene. Its not going to show up on a dark shot. I found bright TV commercials and similar brightly lit scenes to be the best test material. I also found some store personnel who purposely ran "dark" movies so the hotspot issue wasnt so visible.
Fortunately, the further you are away from the screen, the less obvious this problem becomes, but its still unacceptable from all the other manufacturers.
Every other rear screen projection TV that I saw had this problem, and it was a "deal killer" for me. I would never purchase a TV that had this kind of "hotspot" because its like looking into a car headlight every time you watch the TV.
On the other hand, the Sony had essentially done away with the hotspot.
After getting back about five feet, only the Sony models had the hotspot disappear.
Plus, the side-to-side picture quality also was the best compared to all other manufacturers, meaning people could sit at a variety of positions and still have a good, bright picture.
I dont know why the other companies cant figure this out, but Sony has them beat hands down. If you dont want a Sony, youre only option to avoid the "hotspot" issue is to get a true flat screen like a plasma, LED, etc. or else you will have this headlight in your face as long as you own the TV.
-- Other Lesson and Info:
A couple of important points and lessons I learned are that nothing
I saw in any stores has anything to do with the actual picture I see
now that its in my house.
As far as I can tell, all the stores are in cahoots with companies like DirecTV, which has terrible signal quality. Everywhere I went, the images shown in stores were abysmal and completely misleading. Plus the store lighting and glare on the screens makes comparisons impossible.
-- Dont use the factory video settings, especially DRC!
The second most important factor is to make sure the TV has the correct video settings.
For reasons Ill never understand, none of the manufacturers ship their TVs with any TV settings even remotely close to "right". Ive helped several neighbors and family members, and this has been a consistent problem regardless of who makes the TV.
In fact, theres a whole industry of people who come to your house for $300+ just to set the TV to the correct settings!
Unfortunately, Sony is no exception. My new Sony had 3 key controls set to the absolute
worst possible settings on delivery. Once I turned them off, the picture quality literally doubled or quadrupled in resolution and other factors.
In case youre wondering, the biggest problem is the DRC setting, or as Sony inappropriately calls it "Digital Reality Creation".
What a piece of junk. They should just make the TV without this circuit since its completely useless and actually degrades the signal. By the way, Home Theater Magazine had an article which also confirmed this should be "off" among other settings.
Assuming you purchase a Sony, set every video input to "custom".
Turn DRC completely OFF. Set your color to "warm 2", Gamma should be something like "medium" or "low"; and sharpness should be set to zero.
Just about all the controls that are supposed to fix problems like "noise reduction" should be set to "low" or completely "off". Dont ask me what the Sony engineers are thinking, but every time I turned these controls to higher settings, the picture either didnt change much, or more often got noticeably worse.
-- Separate video input memory, a great feature!
One of the great things about the Sony is that every video input has its own separate "video settings memory". This is a huge plus when getting signals off the air, from satellite, DVD, and a variety of other sources since you will want to have them set up differently.
Its really important to read the manuals information on the settings to get your TV to look its best.
If you are unfamiliar with these controls, find a friend who can help you puzzle this out and get one of the good calibration DVDs. There are a LOT of controls on the Sony, and you will need to change almost all the factory defaults to get the best picture. When in doubt, set them to off or low.
One of the nice things is that as you change the controls, the TV instantly updates the picture so you can see what the control is doing. Fortunately most of the basic controls like picture, brightness, color, are actually set to pretty reasonable settings and I found little need to adjust them.
One area where Sony could improve would be for direct access to video inputs. Maybe Im missing something since the set is new for me, but but with 9 possible video inputs it does take time to cycle through them to get to the one you want. The Sony does have a nice feature where you can set unused inputs to "skip". Maybe theres a way that I can directly go from "video 1" to "video 5", but I havent seen it yet. This is a minor nuisance, and they do have the ability to name each input with a variety of sensible names like "DVD" and "satellite" et cetera. So this is a mix of good and so-so features.
-- Viewing distance:
One other note: Ive seen various charts and advice saying that for a certain size TV you need to sit a certain distance away. Basically, by sitting far away you cant see flaws and problems that are otherwise apparent when sitting closer, which when you think about it isnt exactly high praise.
Now that I have the TV in my house, Ive found these guidelines to be inaccurate and overly cautious, at least for the Sony I purchased.
With the Sony, the picture quality is so good and clear that I can easily sit closer than recommended, or I could have purchased a larger set and not have any viewing problems. However, because other sets have the hotspot and other issues this only applies to the Sony.
-- Import delivery information!
I had a really important problem with shipping and damage. I almost got stuck with a completely destroyed TV set. Heres the story:
My original purchase was delivered in November. The delivery guys were helpful and everything seemed okay. After they took the TV out of the box and put it in my living room, they took the cardboard away and there were only two 8x11 yellow sheets of paper taped to the TV screen with information about extended warranties and lamp replacement. The delivery guys were in their truck about to drive away when I removed one of the yellow sheets of paper.
Guess what? A gigantic hole had been punched completely through the screen and tore through the projection screen behind it; all covered up behind the paper taped to the screen!
I literally ran out my door and caught them as they started to drive away.
Fortunately, they were nice guys, and returned to the house. They were just as astounded as I was, and they never doubted me because they had seen the paper taped over the area of the hole themselves.
They called their dispatch and described the problem, and fortunately they took the set back with them and I got a temporary refund until a new set arrived.
As the delivery men pointed out, something very strange was going on. There was absolutely no damage to the TV box, and the piece of paper over the gaping hole itself had not one single crinkle or twist, while the glass and screen behind was completely destroyed.
Plus, what are the chances that this piece of paper would be taped exactly over the hole, just by sheer coincidence on a giant 60" screen?
I dont know if this was something from Sony, something suspicious along the way from the factory, or what; but I sure learned a lesson, which was absolutely and thoroughly check the TV before letting the delivery guys go.
If I wasnt a fast runner, Id be stuck with a completely destroyed TV and held accountable for the hole in the screen.
Fortunately, when the second TV showed up it was in perfect condition, so in the end everything is okay.
Im delighted with the TV, and the damaged delivery is a bad memory.
-- Get a good upscaling DVD player, shop carefully.
One other issue of interest is that the TVs ability to accept external high-definition signals. Ive tested a few "upscaling" DVD players (sometimes called up-res players), and they produce far superior pictures compared to the TVs own internal process.
Im currently using the Oppo brand DVD player I got from Amazon.
It has some of the best upscaling circuitry, and at $220 its one of the biggest bargains in TV/electronics Ive seen. The picture from this DVD player (running standard DVDs) is so close to HD-DVD or Blu-Ray you wouldnt believe it.
I do have a couple of minor complaints about the Oppo, but in terms of picture quality on my Sony its almost beyond belief (good!).
Some up converting DVD players are obviously better than others, so be sure to shop carefully because it makes a huge difference on how the DVD appears on your TV.
Im tremendously satisfied with the Sony TV and heartily recommend it to anyone.
On: 2007-01-02
This review covers the Sony KDS-R60XBR2 and Sony KDS-60A2000.
I first heard rumors about Sonys new XBR2 and A2000 product lines in spring 2006, when considering the replacement of a 25 year old RCA 25" console TV. I decided to delay the purchase of a new TV until the Sony KDS-R60XBR2 was available locally, so that I could see first-hand how the TV compared to other models. In that time frame I looked at several different TV models with great interest, but always found one or two limitations that kept the TV from being ideal. The greatest limitations of the TVs were limited viewing angle and either no support to display 1080p or an inability to feed a 1080p signal to the TV.
Two months ago I had the opportunity to see a Sony KDS-60A2000 up close in a local store, and compared its picture with those of LCD, plasma, and DLP sets. From just about any angle, the KDS-60A2000 picture was brighter and easier to view than any other TV on display. Some of the other TVs suffered from screen door effect (I never understood why this was objectionable until I compared the picture to that displayed on the KDS-60A2000), slow screen refreshes, and "blocky" or blurry pictures. None of these problems were present in the KDS-60A2000 picture. Failing to find a KDS-R60XBR2 to compare, I visited another local store that advertised the KDS-R60XBR2 on their website. The KDS-R60XBR2 was in stock at the second store, even though it was currently unavailable for sale as of that time on Amazon. It only took one look at the picture quality of the KDS-R60XBR2, playing back a movie from a DVD, to be convinced that the TV was perfect, and that it would squeeze through the entry door with about 1/16" to spare.
On December 24, 2006 I placed an order with Amazon for a Sony KDS-60A2000, which was to be given as a late Christmas present to my parents. Much to my surprise, the TV arrived at one of the Eagle shipping companys hubs on December 29, which is located about 70 miles from its final destination, but by the shipping companys schedule, the TV would not have been delivered until January 2 (January 2 was still a week earlier than expected). Eagle permitted me to pick up the TV at their hub and take it to its final destination.
How do the KDS-R60XBR2 and the KDS-60A2000 compare?
Both TVs offer the same exceptional picture quality, and clearly highlight the need to transition to high definition digital broadcasts. The KDS-R60XBR2 was tested with over-the-air analog and digital broadcasts, as well as with a seven year old Sony DVD player. The KDS-60A2000 was tested with over-the-air analog and digital broadcasts, standard definition cable, and a new Sony DVD player. Both TVs display exceptional quality high definition 1080i and 720p as well as 480i digital broadcasts, even when the analog versions of those channels showed excessive ghosting to the point that the analog version was impossible to view (this was primarily a problem with analog stations located within 30 miles, and was a problem on the older TVs as well). The Sony DVD players were connected using component cables (three for video, two for sound). Even on fast action scenes, the picture quality was very good, although the lower resolution of the DVD playback, compared to the over the air 1080i and 720p digital signals, was very obvious. This may have to do with the sharpness of the picture, compared to other TVs that provide a slightly blurry image which covers up the limitations of the lower resolutions. Standard definition cable playback on the KDS-60A2000 looked OK, but not impressive - the same can be said for over-the-air analog broadcasts on both TVs. As far as I can tell, the picture quality of the two TVs is identical, and even the same image customization features are available on both TVs.
Differences: The KDS-R60XBR2 ships with a remote that has a brushed aluminum finish, while the remote for the other TV is a matte gray color. The remote for the KDS-R60XBR2 includes one additional button (twin view) and has another button labeled "TV Guide", while the corresponding button on the other remote is labeled "Guide" - theses differences hint at important differences in the two TVs. The twin view button allows an analog TV signal to appear in a window at the right of the screen, with either a digital or analog picture to appear in a window at the left of the screen - the size of the windows can be scaled larger or smaller. Twin view is not an option on the KDS-60A2000. Pressing the "TV Guide" button on the remote for the KDS-R60XBR2 displays a listing of scheduled programming for specifically defined TV channels for several days, as well as a small window that shows the picture for the current TV channel. The TV Guide can be used to search for specific program titles or program descriptions, and then set reminders on the TV to optionally display a message on the TV, tune it to the correct channel and/or turn on the TV just prior to the start of the show. Descriptions of each show appear in the TV Guide as a program is selected - this can make it slow to navigate through the TV Guide, as the TV tends to pause when long program descriptions appear on screen. Pressing the "Guide" button on the KDS-60A2000 does not display the same TV Guide screen as seen on the other TV. Instead a simple listing of all channel numbers is provided, along with a means of selecting alternate audio broadcasts; a long description of the current program and time remaining appears on screen when a channel is selected on the KDS-60A2000, while the other TV just shows the program title and time remaining.
The input capabilities of the two TVs differ slightly as well. The KDS-R60XBR2 offers one additional input. The front HDMI input on the KDS-R60XBR2 supports 1080p, while the same front input on the KDS-60A2000 supports 1080i. The VGA style video connector (used for computer connections) on the KDS-R60XBR2 supports up to 1280x1024 at 75Hz or 1920x1080 at 60Hz, while the KDS-60A2000 is limited to maximum video resolutions roughly equivalent to 720p. With the speakers at the side, the KDS-R60XBR2 appears to provide a more distinct stereo separation between left and right channels, than does the speaker configuration on the KDS-60A2000, which places the speakers below the picture. The speaker configuration on the KDS-R60XBR2 also gives the possibly unintentional illusion that the picture size is larger. The KDS-R60XBR2 includes a free replacement bulb, while the other TV does not. A cable card slot is present on the KDS-R60XBR2, while no such slot is available on the other TV.
Both TVs offer several highly desirable features, some of which are disabled by default. Automatic control of volume levels when switching from one channel to the next is very helpful. Both TVs can simulate surround sound, to some extent, using just the two stereo speakers. The menu system is easy to navigate, although it would be nice to have a button on the remote to quickly switch between antenna and cable input (two separate jacks are provided on the back, one for cable, and one for over-the-air broadcasts).
Not everything is perfect. It seems to take 30 to 60 seconds for the TV to turn on. Switching between the digital and analog tuners seems slow, when using the channel up/down button on the remote. The number of cascading menus needed to navigate to the digital channel discovery section (and diagnostics) seems excessive. Digital channels are sometimes discovered on their physical channel, rather than their mapped channel - this seems to be dependent on the direction of the antenna when the digital channel is discovered. For example, the digital versions of channel 8, which should appear on 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3 were discovered on 7.3, 7.4, and 7.5 and could not be discovered on their correctly mapped channels without completely re-running the analog and digital channel discovery process. If a digital channel is incorrectly added, there is no way to add specific channels, for example 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3, to the channel up/down selector on the remote. The software controlling the TV Guide on the KDS-R60XBR2 still needs a bit of work. The search feature sometimes fails to locate shows by partial program title - it might find a program on one PBS station, but miss the same show title on two or three other PBS stations. Long delays may be experienced when navigating through the program listings. Not all station call letters that can be received are included in the available call letters list, and there is no way to manually enter a stations call letters; manually specifying a different stations call letters assignment for a channel just as a place holder in TV Guide causes those call letters to incorrectly appear at the top right of the screen when the channel is tuned in using the remote, over-riding the correct call letters that had appeared on screen. Digital channels that could not be discovered on the correctly mapped channels can be added to TV Guide in the correctly mapped location.
Even with the minor imperfections, I am very impressed with both TVs. The KDS-60A2000 is perfect for people who just wish to watch TV, while the KDS-R60XBR2 throws in several extras to expand the potential TV experience.
On: 2007-01-01
This review covers the Sony KDS-R60XBR2 and Sony KDS-60A2000.
I first heard rumors about Sonys new XBR2 and A2000 product lines in spring 2006, when considering the replacement of a 25 year old RCA 25" console TV. I decided to delay the purchase of a new TV until the Sony KDS-R60XBR2 was available locally, so that I could see first-hand how the TV compared to other models. In that time frame I looked at several different TV models with great interest, but always found one or two limitations that kept the TV from being ideal. The greatest limitations of the TVs were limited viewing angle and either no support to display 1080p or an inability to feed a 1080p signal to the TV.
Two months ago I had the opportunity to see a Sony KDS-60A2000 up close in a local store, and compared its picture with those of LCD, plasma, and DLP sets. From just about any angle, the KDS-60A2000 picture was brighter and easier to view than any other TV on display. Some of the other TVs suffered from screen door effect (I never understood why this was objectionable until I compared the picture to that displayed on the KDS-60A2000), slow screen refreshes, and "blocky" or blurry pictures. None of these problems were present in the KDS-60A2000 picture. Failing to find a KDS-R60XBR2 to compare, I visited another local store that advertised the KDS-R60XBR2 on their website. The KDS-R60XBR2 was in stock at the second store, even though it was currently unavailable for sale as of that time on Amazon. It only took one look at the picture quality of the KDS-R60XBR2, playing back a movie from a DVD, to be convinced that the TV was perfect, and that it would squeeze through the entry door with about 1/16" to spare.
On December 24, 2006 I placed an order with Amazon for a Sony KDS-60A2000, which was to be given as a late Christmas present to my parents. Much to my surprise, the TV arrived at one of the Eagle shipping companys hubs on December 29, which is located about 70 miles from its final destination, but by the shipping companys schedule, the TV would not have been delivered until January 2 (January 2 was still a week earlier than expected). Eagle permitted me to pick up the TV at their hub and take it to its final destination.
How do the KDS-R60XBR2 and the KDS-60A2000 compare?
Both TVs offer the same exceptional picture quality, and clearly highlight the need to transition to high definition digital broadcasts. The KDS-R60XBR2 was tested with over-the-air analog and digital broadcasts, as well as with a seven year old Sony DVD player. The KDS-60A2000 was tested with over-the-air analog and digital broadcasts, standard definition cable, and a new Sony DVD player. Both TVs display exceptional quality high definition 1080i and 720p as well as 480i digital broadcasts, even when the analog versions of those channels showed excessive ghosting to the point that the analog version was impossible to view (this was primarily a problem with analog stations located within 30 miles, and was a problem on the older TVs as well). The Sony DVD players were connected using component cables (three for video, two for sound). Even on fast action scenes, the picture quality was very good, although the lower resolution of the DVD playback, compared to the over the air 1080i and 720p digital signals, was very obvious. This may have to do with the sharpness of the picture, compared to other TVs that provide a slightly blurry image which covers up the limitations of the lower resolutions. Standard definition cable playback on the KDS-60A2000 looked OK, but not impressive - the same can be said for over-the-air analog broadcasts on both TVs. As far as I can tell, the picture quality of the two TVs is identical, and even the same image customization features are available on both TVs.
Differences: The KDS-R60XBR2 ships with a remote that has a brushed aluminum finish, while the remote for the other TV is a matte gray color. The remote for the KDS-R60XBR2 includes one additional button (twin view) and has another button labeled "TV Guide", while the corresponding button on the other remote is labeled "Guide" - theses differences hint at important differences in the two TVs. The twin view button allows an analog TV signal to appear in a window at the right of the screen, with either a digital or analog picture to appear in a window at the left of the screen - the size of the windows can be scaled larger or smaller. Twin view is not an option on the KDS-60A2000. Pressing the "TV Guide" button on the remote for the KDS-R60XBR2 displays a listing of scheduled programming for specifically defined TV channels for several days, as well as a small window that shows the picture for the current TV channel. The TV Guide can be used to search for specific program titles or program descriptions, and then set reminders on the TV to optionally display a message on the TV, tune it to the correct channel and/or turn on the TV just prior to the start of the show. Descriptions of each show appear in the TV Guide as a program is selected - this can make it slow to navigate through the TV Guide, as the TV tends to pause when long program descriptions appear on screen. Pressing the "Guide" button on the KDS-60A2000 does not display the same TV Guide screen as seen on the other TV. Instead a simple listing of all channel numbers is provided, along with a means of selecting alternate audio broadcasts; a long description of the current program and time remaining appears on screen when a channel is selected on the KDS-60A2000, while the other TV just shows the program title and time remaining.
The input capabilities of the two TVs differ slightly as well. The KDS-R60XBR2 offers one additional input. The front HDMI input on the KDS-R60XBR2 supports 1080p, while the same front input on the KDS-60A2000 supports 1080i. The VGA style video connector (used for computer connections) on the KDS-R60XBR2 supports up to 1280x1024 at 75Hz or 1920x1080 at 60Hz, while the KDS-60A2000 is limited to maximum video resolutions roughly equivalent to 720p. With the speakers at the side, the KDS-R60XBR2 appears to provide a more distinct stereo separation between left and right channels, than does the speaker configuration on the KDS-60A2000, which places the speakers below the picture. The speaker configuration on the KDS-R60XBR2 also gives the possibly unintentional illusion that the picture size is larger. The KDS-R60XBR2 includes a free replacement bulb, while the other TV does not. A cable card slot is present on the KDS-R60XBR2, while no such slot is available on the other TV.
Both TVs offer several highly desirable features, some of which are disabled by default. Automatic control of volume levels when switching from one channel to the next is very helpful. Both TVs can simulate surround sound, to some extent, using just the two stereo speakers. The menu system is easy to navigate, although it would be nice to have a button on the remote to quickly switch between antenna and cable input (two separate jacks are provided on the back, one for cable, and one for over-the-air broadcasts).
Not everything is perfect. It seems to take 30 to 60 seconds for the TV to turn on. Switching between the digital and analog tuners seems slow, when using the channel up/down button on the remote. The number of cascading menus needed to navigate to the digital channel discovery section (and diagnostics) seems excessive. Digital channels are sometimes discovered on their physical channel, rather than their mapped channel - this seems to be dependent on the direction of the antenna when the digital channel is discovered. For example, the digital versions of channel 8, which should appear on 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3 were discovered on 7.3, 7.4, and 7.5 and could not be discovered on their correctly mapped channels without completely re-running the analog and digital channel discovery process. If a digital channel is incorrectly added, there is no way to add specific channels, for example 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3, to the channel up/down selector on the remote. The software controlling the TV Guide on the KDS-R60XBR2 still needs a bit of work. The search feature sometimes fails to locate shows by partial program title - it might find a program on one PBS station, but miss the same show title on two or three other PBS stations. Long delays may be experienced when navigating through the program listings. Not all station call letters that can be received are included in the available call letters list, and there is no way to manually enter a stations call letters; manually specifying a different stations call letters assignment for a channel just as a place holder in TV Guide causes those call letters to incorrectly appear at the top right of the screen when the channel is tuned in using the remote, over-riding the correct call letters that had appeared on screen. Digital channels that could not be discovered on the correctly mapped channels can be added to TV Guide in the correctly mapped location.
Even with the minor imperfections, I am very impressed with both TVs. The KDS-60A2000 is perfect for people who just wish to watch TV, while the KDS-R60XBR2 throws in several extras to expand the potential TV experience.
On: 2006-12-27
We have purchased several Sony TVs for our use and for friends and family. The picture quality of the SXRD 1080p is fabulous. We have friends over and show them the difference between HDTV and non HDTV and they are amazed. Our Sony has an anti glare feature that we appreciate also. Make sure you buy high quality cable connections.
On: 2006-12-23
Evaluated all technologies and surprised to find that (a) rear projection even exists today and that (b) it can really deliver!
Read the other reviews; very, very nice set.
Dear Sony - Next model, improve the speakers and let us send signal to the surround system when the built-ins are running, please? ;}
FYI - Had to have this serviced ~3 months on; developed a strange green/yellow splotch. They sent the people, replaced the most expensive part and did it in < 1 week. (Thats a know mfg problem but very few people had it happen) So, kudos for very fine customer support, too!
Close ties were the Samsung and Hitachi in this technology; both good-looking and solid.
General tip: If you go into a store, have them show you fast-action high-contrast pics on EVERY unit you look over. In particular, get a scene with a BLACK background, then youll see how each unit handles digital noise/pixelation. Cause, they all look good with the right DVD running.
On: 2006-12-12
To begin with I would like to say that I agree with the other positive comments about the TV, so I will not repeat them.
One of the key selling points for me was the split screen capability. So far I have yet to see a flat panel set (plasma or LCD) with this feature.
If you are looking for a TV with multiple tuners and video inputs you can not go wrong with this one. Besides the two tuners for the split screen there are two "F" connections for cable and UHF / VHF. Additionally there are combination of seven video inputs.
When I bought this TV I also purchased the Sony STRDG1000 Amp / Receiver. To this Ive added several Sony DVR (including one of their HD 500 units) along with other AV equipment. Now I am waiting for the Sony VGX-XL3 Media Center unit to come out in April. Can you picture watching a TV program on one screen and surfing the web on another. This is all possible with this TV.
I should note that when using the split screen feature you can only have one HD source at a time.
One thing I have noticed with Sony products lately is that it is a bit harder to understand and work your way through the menus. It would be nice if manufacturers of audio / video equipment could provide a menu flow diagram. In the past its been a "guy thing" where we tend not to rely on the instruction manuals. With todays products accept the fact you need to review the manuals.
Keep in mind when you look at large screen TVs in the store you may say to yourself once you get it home "It did not look that big in the store!"
If you have not watched HD network shows before be prepared to see a much better picture. You may see the over use of make up on the stars you like to watch.
In closing, watching the Super Bowl a few weeks ago was a real treat this year. Especially with the clarity and wide screen picture.
On: 2006-10-27
I originally had a Rear Projection Panasonic LCD 50" television. I had this TV for around 3 years, and was extremely happy with it, but decided I wanted a larger television and something capable of 1080p and that had HDMI inputs. When I first obtained the Panasonic television I didnt notice any ghosting or rainbow effects, but within a year of watching TV I noticed many of its flaws, which was another factor that made me decide to upgrade. So began my search of the "perfect TV" as of this writing (middle October 2006). Starting at the beginning of October I started reading any and every review I could find on televisions, Plasma, LCD, RPLCD, RPDLP, LCoS, and their variants. I didnt want/need a front projector, so that eliminated those sources of entertainment.
First I wanted to compare brightness, as my television is in my living room and in a fairly bright area during the day, but most of the light comes from behind the TV, and not directly on its face. The Panasonic held up well to the years of use, and the brightness was decent, but I preferred something a bit brighter. I also preferred something a bit smaller in depth, but this wasnt a key factor I wanted. Here are the key factors I wanted in a television:
1. 60" - I have been used to a 50" and wanted something just a bit larger. I sit the ideal distance for a 60" 7-10 feet from the TV, so this would be the best size.
2. 720/1080p - I preferred to get a TV with 1080p support since that is where the HD content is heading, and I wanted to be able to handle all new video inputs. This was absolute, but preferred it. If the best TV came down to 720p then I would still get that TV.
3. HDMI - My Panasonic didnt have HDMI, and I wanted the new TV to handle at least two HDMI inputs.
4. Built in HD Decoder for both Over the Air and Cable HD - I currently have Sat, but dont get HD with it, and I can get 6 HD channels over the air, and wanted a TV capable of decoding those signals.
5. Decent computer connection - I have a HTPC, and many people connect a PC with a DVI -> HDMI connection and dont realize that the computer usually generates overscan, causing the picture generated by the computer to be roughly 8-10% over the display of the TV. Most newer video cards and updated drivers can help adjust the picture to fit better, and some cards work better than others, but my ATI card does has the ability to adjust and it works very well with HD televisions and the simple adjustments found the in the computer drivers.
5. Price - I really wanted to stay below $4000, but was willing to spend $5000, namely because I was getting $1500 back for my old TV, and that helped with the "upgrade" cost. I of course would spend less, but this helped me dump the most expensive TVs, but also allowed me to pick almost every TV they had at the popular stores.
So other than that I wasnt picky, but wanted a good looking picture for both SD and HD, thus began the search. Now in looking I quickly eliminated MANY televisions from reviews, namely ones I was able to see the rainbow effect in person. I went to all the stores I could (Best Buy, Circuit City, Sears, HH Gregg, etc) to compare the pictures and not to determine a model, but to eliminate as many as I could and get a manageable list of televisions to narrow down a selection. The list eliminated almost every RP DLP televisions, except for one of the Samsung models, which I didnt notice the rainbow effect, but did notice the "screen door" on it. I kept a couple of the DLP models on the list to compare and at least read reviews so I then went to LCD televisions, and of course the shortcoming here was the size. Currently 46" was the largest with 50"ish coming soon from Sharp, but still it was around the same size at the one I currently had, and a 60" was what I wanted, but again took the top best looking models of LCD. Next Plasma, now the drawback here is the fact that 1080p isnt widely in the specifications of many of the TVs. In fact I only found one by Pioneer, one of their Pro models with 1080p, but cost was a major factor in not really wanting that TV, but again wrote down the models that looked best to me, and eliminated the ones that didnt look as good.
Now in the process of picking the TV, I asked many of the stores to make sure they had the same connection going to the TV, and I took my favorite DVDs with me to the stores (and it was like pulling teeth to get them to connect a DVD player to the TVs and almost ALL the stores, but I eventually got the manager to approve it and help me at most of the stores, since I was willing to spend up to $5000). This helped as MANY of the TVs looked different when hooking up the DVD player to the TV than it did with the signal they had going to the TV.
So, on to the reviews, I searched and searched and compared MANY of last years models reviews with this years models and reviews. I found none on the KDS-R60XBR2, but MANY on the XBR1. I was lucky that an HH Gregg had a XBR1 and XBR2 on the floor, and they were next to each other. Comparing the two I did notice that the XBR2 had a better picture, a bit brighter, and decent colors. I also took in to account that the XBR1 was probably there a bit longer than the XBR2, and that the bulb probably was a bit dimmer compared to the newer bulb of the XBR2, but did notice that the picture overall looked better.
Now everything I read online gives WONDERFUL marks for the XBR1, and many "choice" awards from the various magazines and online sights. So my next step was to compare the XBR2 with all the other models (Plasma, LCD, etc) that I could to determine the best picture. Now this is all in the eyes of the beholder, but the HD picture on the XBR2 was MUCH better than on DLP models, but a few did come close, but in my mind the XBR2 edged them out. Next I compared Plasma to it. The Plasmas did look a bit better, with a bright picture, but comparing the dark areas of the pictures; I could see the increased contrast ratio of the XBR2, and the better quality of the image over the brightness, so I moved this up the list. Next on to the LCD televisions. This was a hard decision. Size was smaller, and pictures were amazing on the LCD, bright, crisp and easy to see. The contrast compared well, and many of the LCD TVs had a better picture overall and great blacks, but I also took in to account the size of the screen. The 46" screen shows the 1080p image at a smaller size than the 60", so the pixels are overall smaller in size (same amount of pixels), and so the pixels were larger on the 60" model. I stepped back to my viewing distance and compared, and the 60" model seemed to have more detail.
The more I read about this is simple. Once you move to a certain distance from the TV, you start to loose some of the detail. This is why if you sit far enough back from a TV 1080p and 720p dont really look much different. Now when comparing a TV 46" and 60" you have to look at your distance. Since I sit around 8 feet on average (depending on the chair), a 60" model with 1080p would give me that detail bonus over a 720p, as well as the size difference between a 46" and 60".
So after comparing EVERYTHING, reviews online, product samples at stores, and just plain seeing too many TVs with my own eyes, I narrowed it down to the XBR2.
So I guess enough about my 3 week process, now the TV. It arrived, and especially with Sonys $500 price reduction it makes the price $3799, instead of the $4299, so price matching made it even better. I put it in the old location and turned it on, and was presented with the setup menu, and completed it without a problem and was presented with snow, as I didnt have any sources connected. Next I connected my HD over the air antenna (30 miles from the HD sources) and this was done with a DB4 model antenna. I then connected to my TV, and did the auto setup, and I received 13 channels digitally, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS, and sub channels for each (namely 6 PBS channels). The pictures were AMAZING. Just as good as in the store.
The XBR2 no longer has a memory card slot, but no big deal, as I have a Home Theater PC and can view all the pictures I want on the TV with it. The color was a bit off from the factory and the image was "bright", especially on the red side. I took my DVD adjustment disc and tweaked on the colors for about an hour and with the wonderful MANY adjustments this TV has I got the "best" color for me and my viewing experience. The color reproduction was great, especially after I tweaked it. I pulled the red in a lot, but it was still on the "bright" side, but very acceptable.
I have a XBOX 360 and the HD content with it is amazing as well, extremely clear and no screen door or rainbow effects. The TV is a bit large in size, but it still fits very well on the same table I used for my 50". The Twin View (PiP) works well, BUT you can only have one HD content on the screen, so you can pick ANY HD signal to display on the left, and SD signal on the right. You switch audio just by pressing left or right and a green box surrounds that picture and lets the audio go to the audio output. Now since I have my receiver, I do the audio switching with it, but it works very well with audio inputs going to it from the TV. The other nice thing about Twin View is the fact you can re-size an input. You just select that input and then press up or down, and it resizes both inputs opposite of each other.
Inputs are abundant, with 3 full 1080p HDMI inputs. This is unique as most other TVs have only 1080i HDMI inputs, and then upscale to 1080p. Now I know of no available devices that output in 1080p, as they decode from 1080p to 1080i and then the TV upscales to 1080p, this detail isnt noticeable, but I wanted to have the ability for 1080p when HD DVD and Blu-Ray was available with 1080p outputs to have that little bit of greater detail.
The audio output includes both analog (composite/Red&White) and Optical. The optical is great for HD output and the sound output is great. Although I dont use the speakers on the side of the TV, I do test them out before disabling them and sound was good for speakers attached to a TV. The "reproduction" 3D sound was decent, but no match for a surround system. The main problem is the 60" doesnt allow the speakers to be removed, so you have to put up with a wider TV than what you would with no speakers on the side, or with speakers on the bottom. "Sony Style" as they call it, doesnt make this look bad, but it makes the TV larger than as a whole than it would without them, or if they were removable.
Now the Sony A2000 TV is built on the same engine, but this is a better model, and I have done side by side comparison of the models. The A2000 has the speakers under the screen, so that is nice, but the A2000 doesnt have Twin View (PiP), which is one reason I went with the more expensive model, and the picture was noticeably better.
The XBR2 is a bit heavier in weight than most at around 115 pounds, but its still lighter than most CRT TVs. The tuners on the back of the TV are nice, as they can have cable AND over the air signals brought in with two cables, so you can pull in over the air HD and still have cable connected and pull in signals from it. It has a CableCard input, so when/if the FCC mandate continues; you can still get the CableCard from your cable company and not have a setup box.
The remote is decent and the layout is easy to use, and took me around 2 days to get used to before I could hit many of the buttons without looking.
Changing channels on HD is fast, and is actually faster than most televisions I tested, and switching between SD and HD is faster than most, and if you have seen the delay many of the TVs have, you will be thankful for the speed in which this changes. Its not like watching SD on your old CRT, but its fast when comparing it to other HD TVs.
The design, it just looks good. It has a polished black bezel around the screen and the TV just looks nice sitting there. Many TVs just look ugly, but this looks nice.
As far as drawbacks, as with all HD TVs, SD signals arent as nice as they are on your CRT TV, but they with the special chip that Sony has in the TV, the SD signal on the XBR2 looks better than on my old 50" Panasonic and I dont mind watching SD on it, but HD looks amazing.
Personally if you are looking for a TV that produces great images, and has all the features that you could want in this generation TV. The only drawback many people will have is that its not a "flat" TV, where an LCD or Plasma would work for them, this TV has one of the best pictures out of the MANY that I compared and researched.
On: 2006-10-24
I disagree with the review below , I was waiting for this TV since it was announced and bought it as soon as it went on sale , The picture is amazing , had 10 friends over for Monday night football , all agreed it was the best HD picture they have seen , Xbox 360 looks stunning , Reg digi cable looks Ok .. But we all know how that goes ... 3 HDMI full 108P inputs, PC input, TV looks sexy , side speakers not used but do not look bad at all. This has to be the finest HDTV out today with non of the drawbacks of DLP or LCD .. It is very bright out of the box, so please use a calibrating DVD to get the perfect picture , comes with a Spare Bulb for free also .. I cant wait to swatch Blu Ray and HD-DVDs on this thing
 On: 2006-10-17
I waited for this new Sony SXRD XBR Rear Projection HDTV for months but was disappointed after seeing it. I spent hours at a retail store to compare this Sony TV with Rear Projection HDTVs from other makers. While Sony is using SXRD technologies and other makers are using DLP and LCD technologies, the picture quality of KDS-R60XBR2 is not much better than those DLP and LCD rear projector TVs. Sonys SXRD technology might be advanced two or three years ago but not any more. The pictures of some DLP HDTVS even look more clear. The price of KDS-R60XBR2 is about twice as much as the similar size 1080p TVs from other makers. I think people can consider to buy this TV if the price was reasonable.
Sony also cut some corners on this TV comparing with the previous model. For example, the memory stick slot, a feature people like for conveniently loading photos and videos, was removed. You can find memory slots (compactflash, memory stick, SD, etc.) features on TVs from other makers.
Also, the screen size will be smaller than the real size if you connect this TV to a computer when using 1080p resolution. I dont understand why sony has to do this.
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