Sony XBR5 series full high definition (1080p – 1920 x 1080 pixels) Bravia XBR5 40, 46 and 52 inch models have over 2 million pixels and are able to display the highest resolution high definition video sources available today such as is available on Blu-ray discs. All lesser resolutions are scaled to fit the displays available pixels.

Realizing that a television’s external appearance can have an unusually large influence on purchasing decisions, Sony supply a range of changeable designer color bezels (optional) for the Sony XBR5 series.

From a technical viewpoint, notable features of the Sony XBR5 series include Motionflow for LCD blur reduction with fast action sport or movies, Deep Color for a greater color gamut and an excellent contrast ratio of 18,000:1 (dynamic) and 2,000:1 (on-screen). For smoother more natural looking images, Sony have included 24p input capability to capture movies and other video sources filmed or encoded at 24 fps (frames per second). The XBR5 models have picture-in-picture (PIP) and a side by side option (P&P). P&P is excludes dual HDMI feeds and for PIP the smaller image must be sources from the antenna/cable input. Other convenience features are freeze image and a favorite channel list.

Contrast Ratio

Sony’s XBR5 models all have an excellent contrast ratio of 18,000:1 (dynamic) and 2,000:1 (on-screen). Sony use the more conservative ANSI test rather than the Full On/Full Off test which yields higher results. The ANSI test involves the display of 16 black and white rectangles with contrast ratio being the result of dividing the average light output of the white rectangles by the average light output of the black rectangles. It is commonly argued that the ANSI test is more indicative of contrast ratio due to its checkerboard pattern being closer to actual viewing conditions.

Sony’s Advanced Contrast Enhancer (ACE) achieves the Dynamic Contrast Ratio of up to 18,000:1 through real-time image processing adjustments to the contrast along with the optimization of backlight levels. Backlight intensity adjustment is in response to the automatic sensing of the APL (Average Picture Level) of the video signal.

Deep Color – x.v.Color technology

With their Bravia XBR5 full HD LCDs Sony has adopted the new xvYCC color standard (IEC 61966-2-4 color standard called xvYCC (short for Extended YCC Colorimetry for Video Applications). Sony have simplified the terminology by referring to it as x.v.Color. This new color standard provides an extended gamut (color space) supporting some 1.8 times as many colors as the commonplace sRGB color space. The extended gamut naturally allows for a more accurate reproduction of the source video.

Unfortunately, there are no xvYCC video sources available at the moment so this feature is best looked at a future proofing one.

Live Color Creation – a Wider Color Gamut

The seemingly infinite diversity of colors of the real world, particularly deep reds, greens and clear blues are have not been fully represented with conventional display technologies. Standard CCFL backlit LCD TVs have a color gamut of approximately 72% of NTSC (broadcast TV standard).

For more “true to life” color images, Sony and other manufacturers are incorporating WCG-CCFL ((Wide Color Gamut Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) backlighting of their LCD displays. A wide gamut CCFL can have a color gamut of approximately 90% NTSC. This increase in the number of reproducible colors results in more lifelike or natural colors – particularly in the reds and greens.

Interestingly, Genoa Color Technologies have announced a CCFL backlight capable of achieving an even greater 110% NTSC. Possibly this innovation incorporated into LCD displays soon for even more realistic color images.

Sony’s Live Color Creation for “clear blues, natural greens and an overall vibrant color” is a term for their technology combining WCG-CCFL backlighting and advanced chroma signal processing algorithms.

LCD Motion Blur Reduction

LCD display technology is inherently prone to motion blur primarily due to LCD pixels remaining lit between frames unlike the rise and fall of pixel lighting with other display technologies. LCD manufacturers have moved to combat motion blur through a doubling of the refresh rate to 120Hz. To produce the faster refresh rates the video processor interpolates a frame between each existing frame. The faster frame rate makes motion appear smoother to the viewer. Bravia XBR5 models have Sony’s version of the technology, Motionflow, while Mitsubishi has Smooth120Hz, Toshiba – ClearFrame, LG – TruMotion Drive and JVC call it Clear Motion Drive II.

For film sourced 24fps encoded content Motionflow eliminates the need for 3:2 pulldown producing a smooth, judder free video output as with the original film. Judder is something that may be observed during on film based video in scenes that include slow camera pans.

Video Processing – BRAVIA Engine PRO Full Digital Video Processor

Video processor performance is having a progressively greater influence HDTV image quality. While the extra detail of HDTV produces more “life like” images, it also magnifies any image defects which may include noise and image artifacts caused by poor video processing. Image defects masked by lower resolution displays become evident on a HDTV. Artifacts and image noise can be introduced through the compression required to pack hundreds of channels within limited transmission bandwidth or during de-interlacing required to convert NTSC or PAL interlaced signals to progressive-scan for digital display.

Sony’s XBR5 LCD TVs offer 10 bit video processing which refers to the width of the stream of bits the video processor can handle. The outcome of using 10 bit video processing with a 10 bit display is more subtle color changes and more “life like” or natural images.

The BRAVIA Engine PRO Full Digital Video Processor features Sony’s latest generation of proprietary video processing technology: Digital Reality Creation – Multi Function (DRC-MFv2.5). The DRC=MFv2.5 can up-convert all lower resolution standard and high definition video sources to 1080p. Additionally, it features “1080p Direct Creation” for minimizing losses in interlace-to-progressive (IP) conversion by performing Digital Reality Creation and IP Creation algorithms simultaneously.

DMeX – Ready (Digital Media Extender)

Sony’s Digital Media Extender (DMeX) which can provide a digital connection to a BRAVIA Internet Video Link module (optional item) could be viewed as part of a trend by television manufacturers to lock in entertainment platforms with their hardware. When linked to a broadband connection, the DMeX allows users to view select Internet video (including HD) content from providers currently including AOL, Yahoo! and Grouper, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony BMG Music. Navigation of available content is by Sony’s Emmy award winning XMB user interface.

Xross Media Bar® (XMB) interface

The Sony BRAVIA LCD HDTVs come with the award-winning Xross Media Bar™ of a logical and fast to use set up menus, user controls, and more. Pushing the XMB menu button on the remote accesses the interface.

Image Fine Tuning Options

An extensive range of image customization options are available with the Sony Bravia XBR5 LCD HDTVs including:

• Contrast
• Color Temperature – four presets plus facility to adjust via the user-menu RGB controls
• Brightness
• Backlight Control – 10-steps adjustment of lighting intensity of the screen
• Noise reduction settings – two DRC modes and a DRC (Digital Reality Creation) palette control
• Black Corrector – four steps
• Advanced Contrast Enhancer
• Gamma Control – four steps
• Clear White Control – three steps for bluer whites
• Live Color – four steps
• Color Space – two-options
• Detail Enhancer – four-steps
• Edge Enhancer four-steps
• Motion Enhancer – adjusts refresh rate
• CineMotion – alters video processing of film-based (24fps) video
• Photo/Video – switching image optimization between still or moving images
• Photo Color Space – choose between sYCC, sRGB, and Adobe RGB

Presets can be independent per video source input.

BRAVIA Theatre Sync

Sony’s BRAVIA Theatre Sync is based on the Consumer Electronics Control (CEC or HDMI-CEC) optional feature of HDMI. It allows global control all CEC-enabled peripherals using a single remote. CEC will allow up to ten devices to discover and communicate with one another through HDMI cabled network. Although commonly linked with HDMI v1.3, CEC was actually first available in HDMI 1.2a.
Intended to simplify control of A/V equipment, CEC allows individual AV devices to control each other. As an example, closing the DVD tray can trigger the DVD player to switch the TV on, select the correct video source on the TV and set the appropriate video and audio modes for playback.

Some of the many names manufacturers have used to refer to CEC include; Regza Link – Toshiba, Simplink – LG, EZ-Sync – JVC and Aquos Link – Sharp. Generally, all units with CEC enabled should work together without any problems.

Connections

The Sony XBR5 models have a good range of connection options including 3 HDMI connectors (1 Side/ 2 Rear), 2 component video (Y/Pb/Pr ) inputs (Rear), a rear S-Video input and PC Video Input(s)

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Technorati Tags: XBR5, Motionflow, Deep Color, xvYCC, WCG-CCFL, LCD Motion Blur Reduction, Digital Video Processor, Digital Media Extender, DMeX, Theatre Sync