KDL-52XBR3
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The 2006 Engadget Awards: Vote for HDTV of the Year
Now's your chance to cast your ballot for the 2006 HDTV of the Year! Our Engadget Awards nominees are listed below, and you've got until 11.59PM EST on Sunday, April 15th to file your vote. You can only vote once, so make it count, and may the best tech win! The nominees: Panasonic TH-103PZ600U (103-inch), Pioneer FHD1, Samsung HL-S7178W, Sharp Aquos 52D62U, Sony KDL-52XBR3, and Sony Pearl VW50. %Poll-298%
Sony introduces 52-inch XBR 1080p Bravias, new 720p models
Sony has unveiled four new Bravia LCDs, two of which are the largest LCDs in the Bravia range so far, with the 52-inch KDL-52XBR2 and KDL-52XBR3 models both running at 1080p resolution via the three HDMI ports or the VGA and component inputs. Both models come with a built-in ATSC tuner, a "floating glass" panel design, and Sony's Advanced Contrast Enhancer which will supposedly improve the display's 1,300:1 contrast ratio. The only difference between the two models appears to be the color of the bezel, with the XBR3 getting a glossy piano black surround (pictured), and the XBR2 settling for a less glamorous silver bezel. You'll pay $300 for the priviledge of owning the Bravia that matches your piano, as the KDL-52XBR2 and KDL-52XBR3 will be available in November at around $6,500 and $6,800 respectively. Sony also took some time to introduce a couple of new mid-range Bravia LCDs with the 40- and 32-inch 720p KDL-40S2400 and KDL-32S2400 models bringing the total number of Bravia LCDs to sixteen. Shipping next month for $1,700 and $2,600 depending on the screen size, you can expect to get the standard set of inputs (HDMI, VGA, component, S-Video, composite) along with an ATSC tuner, a black bezel, and hidden SRS speakers in return for prying open your ever loving wallet.
Sony @ CEDIA - 52-inch 1080p, 40- & 32-inch 720p BRAVIA LCDs
Remember the 52-inch 1080p and 720p 40- and 32-inch BRAVIA LCDs Sony announced in Japan recently? They have officially announced their US availability prior to CEDIA 2006. First the the big guys, the 1080p 52-incher comes in two flavors, the KDL-52XBR2 and KDL-52XBR3. The XBR3 has the high-gloss piano black bezel we know you love so much while the XBR2 has a silver finish. Both include BRAVIA Engine Pro image processing built around Sony's DRC-MFv2.5 for upconverting lower-res signals, and WCG-CCFL backlighting for better color contrast. They feature a 1,300:1 on-screen contrast ratio (7,000:1 dynamic), 8ms refresh time, with three HDMI and component inputs. Both will ship in November, with MSRPs of $6,800 for the XBR3 and $6,500 for the XBR2. At the lower end Sony has added two S-series LCDs also shown previously in Japan, the 40-inch KDL-40S2400 and 32-inch KDL-32S2400, both featuring a 1366x768 (720p) resolution. They have the same Advanced Contrast Enhancer (ACE) as the 52-inch models, with 1,300:1 contrast ratio (5,000:1 dynamic), plus "invisible" bottom-mounted speakers and will retail for $2,600 (40-inch) and $1,700 (32-inch) when they begin shipping in October. The 52-inch XBRs will have a fight on their hands with the similarly-spec'd Samsung and Sharp models hitting this fall.Update: Added images of KDL-32S2400 & KDL-52XBR2 after the break.
