Sony unveils XBR10 LCDs: Superslim, 'wireless'
Sony has announced its new line of XBR10 LED backlit LCDs, which feature a wireless display that connects to a separate media receiver.
Edge-lit LED backlighting has allowed LCDs to get thinner than ever, but at some point you run into physical limitation; you can't make a TV thinner than the actual inputs. That is, unless you move the inputs somewhere else, which is precisely what Sony has done with its new KDL-XBR10 line of LCDs. The XBR10 series uses a separate media receiver to handle inputs, and it transmits video wirelessly to the display, similar to the design of Panasonic's 1-inch-thick Z1 plasmas. The rest of the features are similar to what's available on other Sony LCDs; let's take a look.
Key features of the Sony KDL-XBR10 series:
- 1,920x1,080 (1080p) native resolution
- Four HDMI inputs
- Sony's Motionflow 240Hz processing
- Edge-lit LED backlighting
- Quoted contrast ratio of over 1,000,000:1
- Bravia Internet Widgets, powered by the Yahoo Widget Engine
- DLNA-compliant; stream music, photos, and video from other DLNA servers
- USB input
- RS232C input
- 46-inch KDL-46XBR10 | $4,500 list price
- 52-inch KDL-52XBR10 | $5,000 list price
- Both models available in October
We won't deny that that combination of the wireless display (although it still needs power) and superslim panel is slick, but $5,000 for a 52-inch LCD is likely to put these out of reach for all but the wealthiest buyers. If you're looking for an incredibly thin TV you can actually afford, check out our recent roundup of ultrathin HDTVs.