Sony announces its biggest Bravia: KD-70XBR3
By Richard Lawler 
posted January 7th 2007 8:45PM
posted January 7th 2007 8:45PM
Sony just announced its newest Bravia LCD, the KD-70XBR3. This 70-inch HDTV is one of the first to support the xvYCC, or x.v.Color as Sony has named it via HDMI 1.3. It's the largest Bravia announced and features 120Hz "Motionflow" technology to reduce blurring, like many of the new LCDs we've seen so far. The panel also features 10-bit video processing and Triluminos LED backlight. x.v.Color gives a color range of video that is 1.8 times greater than what was previously available, and is also supported by the four new Handycams Sony announced. The set features a 7,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio with DRC-MFv2.5, and is slated to ship this February for $33,000. If that price is acceptable to you, it's available for preorder now from Sony Style stores and several other retailers.
For anyone that's wondering, the price is $33,000.
Whoa, is that a reference to LED backlighting I spy? As in the tech thats supposed to bring LCD contrast ratios upto and past plasma/CRT standards? How come only Sony announced LED backlighting, what about Samsung (same panels)?
Alongside 120Hz (also announced by every other LCD manufacturer) to reduce smearing, this should finally put to bed the plasma vs lcd debate.
ehemm... samsung was the first to bring LED backlight to LCD panels, they are also about to release LED lit monitors anytime now (look for the XL20)
$33,000 for a 7k:1 ratio? blah.
Does anyone else see strange locations for some of these links? Like the "LED" link points to chrome://performancing/content/www.engadgethd.com/tag/led
Hopefully it's nothing, since google says nothing about chrome://...
chrome is what Firefox uses to display some elements. So it's probably a bug on your end, not sure, I haven't seen it for myself.
- Tony R.
All I have to say is if you are rich enough (jokes are made about PS3 being expensive, but you really have to have a large change-purse for this, btw congrads Sony on making the big 1mil... now you better hope people buy enough games and accessories to make up for the loss!) to buy this, you better give the UPS person that deliver this monster a damn good tip for their eventually required back surgery.
Although for 33k (plus tax and s/h), I would expect a team of 4 to hand deliver it, calibrate and hook everything up for you.
- Tony R.
Unless I can ride the thing to work, since $33,000 can get you one hell of a nice car, I'll pass.
Tausif, the glass for Sony & Samsung LCD panels all come from the same factory in South Korea, but that's all. After production of the base panel these are shipped off to seperate production plants for each comapny who then integrate them into their own TV products.
So, just because Sony is producing LCD panels with LED backlighting it doesn't mean Samsung will automatically do the same thing.
Let's hope they can build this screen so it doesn't have the "cloudy" defect that the 40",46" and 52" XBR2/3 have been exhibiting. Those sets and Sony's replies to their customer complaints have not been making any future customers for their expensive sets! Dark scenes on the defective sets are ruined by a cloudy, non uniform background and Sony's reply so far is it's normal! Check out the AVS forum thread on this subject and the current DIGG about the Cloudy Soony XBR2 defects.
do you have the link to that thread? and do you have any thoughts on Samsung's version to the XBR line (96D?)
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=748779&page=1&pp=30
I'm having trouble getting this reply published...forgive me if the other 3 attempts show up also. Samsung makes these panels and I believe there is a problem with their sets also Check the AVS forum for that.