Sony finally confirms 2006 SXRD details
Sony finally confirms 2006 SXRD details
- Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.
This year's SXRDs will come in two flavors: the entry-level KDS-A2000 line and the step-up KDS-RXBR2 line, which Sony is calling SXRD XBR (forgive me, but that's an Rx for confusion if I ever saw one). The main difference between the two TVs is in their speaker arrangements: the entry-level models will have speakers on the bottom, while the step-up XBRs will sport side-mounted speakers, similar to last year's models. In the 70-inch version only, you can also remove the side speakers if you want a slimmer look (unlike I indicated previously, the 60-inch model's side speakers are fixed). Although Sony showed a slim SXRD at CES in January, the new models' depths aren't any shallower than usual; the 55-incher, for example, measures 19 inches deep, hardly wall-hangable.
The XBR sets also feature an extra front-mounted HDMI port for a total of three (unlike last year, all HDMI inputs on the 2006 SXRDs can handle 1080p); a CableCard slot with a TV Guide EPG; and a supposedly superior version of Sony's video processing, known as DRC-MFV2.5. The non-XBR sets have an extra component-video input on the front panel, for a total of three. We expect the two lines to offer nearly identical performance, which, if last year's models are any indication, should be pretty darn good.
July 7th, 2006 update: I'd originally complained about the relatively high prices of the A2000 series, but Sony has since lowered the expected street prices on those models by about $700, and instituted earlier shipping dates (see below). At its new price of $2,800 the 50-inch SXRD, for example, compares favorably with Samsung's entry-level 50-inch 1080p DLP, the HL-S5087W. Pricing on the step-up XBR2 series has not changed as far as we know. Of course we'll reserve final judgment on all of these TVs until we've had a chance to test them in person. There's no substitute for a real review, but in the meantime, we can give you a real chart.
| KDS-50A2000 | KDS-55A2000 | KDS-60A2000 | KDS-R60XBR2 | KDS-R70XBR2 | |
| Screen size | 50 inches | 55 inches | 60 inches | 60 inches | 70 inches |
| Street price | $2,800 | $3,300 | $3,700 | $5,300 | $7,800 |
| Available | August | August | August | Early fall | Early fall |
| Native resolution | 1,920x1,080 (1080p) | 1,920x1,080 (1080p) | 1,920x1,080 (1080p) | 1,920x1,080 (1080p) | 1,920x1,080 (1080p) |
| Display technology | SXRD (LCoS) | SXRD (LCoS) | SXRD (LCoS) | SXRD (LCoS) | SXRD (LCoS) |
| HDMI inputs | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 1080p via HDMI? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Component-video inputs | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| CableCard w/TVG EPG | N | N | N | Y | Y |
| DRC 2.5 | N | N | N | Y | Y |
| Detachable speakers | N | N | N | N | Y |
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