Sony Bravia XBR-84X900 84-inch 4K Reviewed

Sony is not the first company to market with an ultra-high definition TV, but it will be the first to provide its owners with something to watch.

Samsung, Toshiba, Sony, LG and Sharp are all hoping that UHDTV will be the next big thing. Promising four times the resolution and detail of existing HDTVs, each of the companies is either currently working on or has already brought an 80-inch+ model to market. However, as with a number of emerging technologies (such as NFC payments via smartphones), there is very little support for them at the moment. With the exception of a YouTube channel, there is no suitably high-definition content available for all these UHD TVs (so called because they offer an 8.3 megapixel display of 3840×2160 pixels) although these TVs can convert existing HD content by multiplying the number of pixels by four to fill their gigantic screens.

Therefore, Sony’s Bravia XBR-84X900, already boasting an 84-inch screen, passive 3D and a number of apps including YouTube and Netflix, will also be the first to offer a UHD content delivery system pre-installed which, according to an unnamed company spokesperson who spoke to tech site the Verge, will include a number of full-length Hollywood films.

Like Samsung and LG, Sony’s first UHD TV is already available in selected retailers ahead of a global push as the holiday season continues. However, unlike its direct competitors, Sony also happens to be one of the world’s leading record labels and Hollywood film studios, giving it direct access to multimedia content that others can only dream of. Whether this will be enough of a differentiating factor for potential early adopters remains to be seen, as does Samsung’s and LG’s response.

The Sony Bravia XBR-84X900 is available now, priced at $25,000. The price includes free delivery and in-home set-up. Also, Sony provides in-home consultation prior to set-up to ensure personalized installation solution and personalized technical support.

Here’s reviews from the Internet:

“Of course, the downside of this new TV—apart from price—is that there is limited native 4K content that can take advantage of the TV’s higher resolution. Currently, Blu-ray doesn’t support 4K output, and neither does broadcast TV. For most of us, digital photos are probably the most widely available 4K content, although YouTube supports 4K video. Sony executives say they expect more 4K content to become available in the future.” – Consumer Reports

“The edge-lit panel wont’ be delivering full HD passive 3D entertainment to living rooms until later this fall, however. While orders can be placed less than 24 hours from now, shipments will have to wait until some undetermined day in November.” – from Engadget

“One hurdle for Sony to overcome: there’s barely any video available that’s shot in 4K, though there’s a 4K YouTube channel, some movies and movie theaters are making the shift, and Sony’s TV can upscale traditional 1,920×1080 HD video to 4K. Another hurdle: 4K resolution is too high to perceive unless you’re sitting very close to the screen, by some measurements. The XBR-84X900 is a passive 3D TV, meaning that watching 3D requires only polarized-light glasses that don’t require batteries or synchronization with the TV itself.” – from CNET

“We got a closer look at the TV at a small event in New York City, and there were definitely a few gasps when the first footage — of an orchestra, of all things — came on screen. We spent a few minutes watching the TV’s montage of 4K video, and nearly everything we saw looked fantastic (other than the weirdly low-res volume display, that is). It sounded good, too, thanks to a ten-speaker array on the TV.” – from The Verge

Press Release:

SONY ANNOUNCES PRICE AND AVAILABILITY OF THE XBR-84X900 – 4K TV

When: Pre-order – September 6, 2012
In stores – November 2012