Sony KDL-46HX729 46" LED HX729 Internet TV

I'm a hardcore gamer and I love movies. The 3D effect is great. You can literally make anything 3D with it's 2D to 3D conversion setting. I recommend only using the 3D for things that were intended for it like 3D Blu-ray movies or stereoscopic 3D games. You'll get the best results that way I promise. And also the TV can use a little picture adjustment. Change the picture settings to Vivid for best results. And never make the 3D effect stronger in the settings. It was intended to be 3D with the default settings. Making it stronger will only cause ghosting. Now the audio is okay, but it doesn't pack a punch. When I was playing a video games with alot of explosions and strong bass, the audio in my TV started making a static/cracking noise like it couldn't handle it. RED FLAG. Buy a 5.1 Surround Sound System. End of story. For what it's worth, this is an excellent TV. The graphics on Blu-ray movies are so sharp it looks 3D even though it isn't. It's so sharp that it almost looks like your watching it live. Like it almost loses that cinematic glare if you know what I mean. So I give this product a solid 4 stars.

WHY THIS MODEL: I bought this TV through Amazon last week and it arrived a few days ago. I've had a good amount of time to play with all its capabilities. The out of the box settings are not that good, so the settings do need some adjustment. This TV is an unbelievable deal coming from SONY as it has the EXACT same specifications as the more expensive HX820. The only difference is that the HX820 has monolithic gorilla glass design. I've compared this TV with both the EX720 and the HX820 and this TV delivers a picture almost identical to the HX820 for a much cheaper price than the HX820. The original listing price for the 46HX820 is $2,600 while my 46HX729 was originally listed for $1,900. Trust me, $700 more just for just the monolithic gorilla glass on the HX729 is not worth it. Don't by into the opti-contrast gimmick that Sony says monolithic gorilla glass provides, the HX729 creates black as black as the black frame. I was originally looking to buy the EX720, but after finding out that the panel frequency on that model is actually only 120hz, I settled on this model which is the cheapest SONY 3D TV with 240hz panel frequency. (The EX720 is motion-flow 240, however its actually frequency is only 120hz.) Specification wise, this TV is much better than the EX720 in multiple categories such that the Hz is twice as fast, it has X-reality PRO*(2 processing chips instead of 1), dynamic LED, local dimming, etc. It also the cheapest model to have wifi and the 3d transmitter built it. Surprisingly, it has a glossy display. I thought that this display was the same as the EX720 which is semi-matte but this TV definitely looks more glossy than semi-matte (That's a plus to me because matte can distort the sharpness a little bit) As far as LCD TV's I couldn't find any other LCD with 240hz panel frequency for this price that looked this good. I would say that this is the best quality/price ratio you will find. 2D PICTURE: The 2d non-HD picture is actually pretty good on this TV. The problem with buying decently sized HD televisions is that they seem to stretch out and distort an SD(standard definition) signal. Surprisingly, the X-Reality Pro engine does a nice job tuning up an SD input. Of course, it doesn't make the picture look HD but makes it look better than many other HD TVs will make the SD picture look. As far as HD picture, my girlfriend and I cannot stop saying how incredible and real the picture looks. So far, I have tested BBC's Life series on here in 1080p and he scenes look unbelievably crystal clear with the most vivid colors on a TV I have ever seen. It literally gives a 3D effect without 3D. It looks so clear that it seems like we are actually there watching something through our binoculars. There is absolutely no ghosting effect or distortion whatsoever. The only bad thing I can say is that the picture is so clear that you can sometimes tell when the filmer did not have the camera completely in focus. As far as the motion flow 480, I watched one of the NBA finals game last night and there is no jitter, it is completely smooth. The only downside to using 480 Motionflow is that the back-light is dimmed. I find using the 240hz panel frequency know as the "clear" setting as opposed to "clear pro" setting is the best. I also was able to test out streaming HD content through Netflix. Although the picture was not as good as it was through the blu-ray player it was still pretty clear. But trust me, content through the blu-ray player doesn't even look like you're looking at a TV. The last thing I really like about this TV is how many settings there are for the picture, there must be at least 50 different settings categorized into about 15 groups. As far as the things I don't like(but don't really care about), is that I notice a very tiny amount of light on the bottom corners of the screen when the screen is black. When I say tiny amount I mean about a cm^2 of noticeably brighter back-light. It's no big deal though as when watching Life I only saw it every 2 hours or so for a split second. The other thing I didn't don't like is that the back light is a litter bit dim without adjustment. I turned up the white levels and turned on some setting when I got it and it looks fine now. 3D PICTURE: After ordering a defective pair of glasses and replacing them, I finally got a chance to test out the 3d. Even the simulated 3d is amazing. The simulated (2d to 3d conversion) doesn't pop out at you dramatically, but it adds so much depth to the picture. It looks as if you where looking into a window and watching what was going on inside. The real 3d content is identical to the experience you would have in a theater. The 480hz motion flow and the panel frequency of 240hz makes the 3d nearly flawless. Very rarely you will see a double image but that can be fixed by turning down the glasses brightness setting. GAMING: I used to play video games a lot when I was younger but slowly stopped playing as I got older. Nonetheless, when I got this TV i decided to whip out the xbox. Ever since, I've been playing a few hours a week. This TV is amazing for gaming. It has a game mode that you can put it on, by doing so you can select if you want quality or speed. The speed setting greatly reduces input lag to a point where it seems like there is none. The quality setting helps with motion blur. Content: This TV is loaded with content. Amazon and Netflix have content in HD. The only downside is that this TV does not have VUDU. However, you can always buy a blu-ray player that comes with Vudu. Design: I was having second thoughts after I had ordered this 46 inch TV. I was honestly thinking 46 inches would be too small. However, I found out that a 46 inch TV looks remarkably smaller in a store than it will in your home. While unpacking this TV I thought they had sent me the 55inch TV by accident. This 46inch TV in you're home will look like a 55inch TV looks in a store. Unless you're watching your TV from 20 feet away, you really don't need a 55 inch TV. A 55 inch TV will look tacky and overpowering if you don't have the room. I also really like the thinness and small frame size, it's very compact. The screen finish is very nice as well. When I had ordered this TV I was having second thought about getting a semi-matte or matte screen since it can distort the sharpness of the picture. However, this TV didn't turn out to be matte or semi-matte at all. Maybe I don't know what semi-matte is, but I can definitely see clear undistorted reflections of my room and myself when the TV is off. This TV just looks expensive. Sound: The sound is not the best. It's not bad but it's just average. You can hear everything very clearly with no distortion, however, it won't provide the sound dimensions that external speakers will. Overall: As I stated, this TV is the best quality/price LCD you will probably find. It is the cheapest Sony TV that provides the panel frequency of 240Hz and X-Reality Pro engine that the flagship HX929 provides. It is also the exact same spec-wise as the HX820 but for a price closer to the lower end models; NX, EX, etc. Disregarding the great specifications, this TV will bring an amazingly real picture to your living room.

I did my research before purchasing a new LED-LCD and found this one had some of the best things said for the price. Even in the forums people seemed to be pretty happy with it save one issue: backlight bleeding or "flashilighting". Many of them suggested different calibration settings to lessen it, but that didn't even come close to eliminating it. I tweeked it to every spec I could find and the issue remained. Not until I got my blu-ray hooked up did I notice just how awful it was. Popped in a movie with superb black-levels and there it was plain as day. Bottom left and right corners were bright as can be and in many scenes it would actually beam-up through half the screen. It's true that the settings can lessen the effect a lot, but once you see it you never stop seeing it. Minus also being plagued with crosstalk issues in 3D, this television had great features. The dejuddering: Wonderful; The black-levels (minus the flashlighting): Amazing, especially for an LED-LCD. --Note: Most 3D televisions have some crosstalk issues and shouldn't be the main factor for the decision. But when it comes down to it, the backlight bleeding is just too much for a television of this price and caliber. I returned mine after attempting to work with it for 3 weeks and am now getting an equivalent plasma model. Unless you want to pay over $3K for a phenomenal LED-LCD I recommend you just bite the bullet and go plasma. The Panasonic TC-P50ST50 has the same and better dejuddering, higher overall refresh rate, also a 3D model, slightly better black-levels and absolutely NO backlight bleeding at around $50 more. **Remember: when purchasing a new HDTV the LAST thing to consider are the built-in speakers. If you pay this much for a television you need to have a sound system, even if it's a cheap one. It makes a world of difference in your movie watching experience.**

This is NOT compatible with any of the well known WIRELESS KEYBOARDS (like Logitech).It sucks to key-in the text with the remote of the TV set. And it does not support the ADOBE FLASH PLAYER and troublesome watching a good bunch of video content available on the web :-(

I recently upgraded our living room TV and was throughly confused with all the choices available. We had always been impressed with the picture quaility of our neighbors TV, a SONY. After much research, we bought the Sony KDL-46HX729. We wanted to stream Netflix to our TV and this one also had built-in wireless internet. We have a netgear N600 router in our basement about 20' from the upstairs TV and so far the signal strength has been good with no problems streaming video. You have to do a little setup and registering on Sonys website before streaming netflix but it wasn't to bad. The TV itself has a great picture, looks great and gets a lot of compliments. My only complaint is the sound. It lacks bass and low end, I have a feeling this true on all thin style TV's. My solution was to add a Zvox 325 single cabinet sound system. The self contained amplifer and speakers really add some depth to movies and television. I have it it plugged in thru the headphone minijack and it really makes a difference. Overall we are very pleased our new Sony TV but I think Sony has already replaced this model with the KDL-46HX820.

When we purchased it, this was the least expensive HX series TV. I was going to go with an EX series, but after a visit to the Sony store, it was clear (no pun intended) that the HX series was a much better looking choice. As stated by many already, you need to adjust the settings to your liking, as the picture doesn't look too impressive with factory settings, but once you've adjusted it...WOW. This set looks amazing. Yes, there is a tiny bit of backlight bleed, as is common in LED/LCD sets, but it's not really noticeable to me unless there is a completely black screen & you have the brightness turned all the way up. Tip: Be sure to turn off the "Energy Saver" mode. Doing so improves the picture greatly. Like most LCD televisions, the sound isn't great. But if you're buying a $1200+ dollar TV, you can at least certainly afford a $30 pair of computer speakers (or just get a nice surround sound system) to compliment the TV. I'll take the light weight/portability of the HX729 over a heavier/bulkier set any day. The 3D looks fantastic. We picked up the Harry Potter 3D Starter Pack (last 2 Harry Potter movies & 2 pair of active shutter glasses) and couldn't be happier. Instead of shelling out $30 for two tickets for the latest 3D film in theaters, we pay less to purchase the movie and enjoy multiple viewings in the comfort of our own home. We just picked up Prometheus in 3D and it looks breath taking. We had seen it in the theater and actually enjoy watching it at home much more. Highly recommended TV from Sony!

Bought this tv 19 months ago and in the 17 month and 2 weeks it just turned itself off. Sony repair man came out 5 days after my initial call and repaired what he called a power supply issue. Talked to a few friends and many recent Sony TV owners have told me their similar stories that their TV didn't make it to far before their first power supply replacement. Now in the 19th month screen freezes and only hear sound. Turned tv off and on and have nice vertical green lines no picture. Called Sony and after painstakingly long time on the phone to determine if my warranty still covered this issue. They informed me that the TV has an 18 month warranty and hopefully you have an extended warranty because we can not help you. I argued that it could have been the result of a bad repair only a few weeks ago by their repairman and they said they would consider my arguement. Upon calling the next day they informed that they will not honor the warranty on the TV. I stated that I did have an extended warranty and would work through those channels. I am still in disbelief that they did not stand by their product. The news only gets worse as the Local Sony repair guy asks me to bring the TV in since they only do house calls for Sony Warranty work and they take 2 days to reply that my TV has been totalled since I need a new LCD that will cost me almost twice what I paid for the TV. As I am getting this news I go to Target to see what new TV's are out there and they do not have any Sony's on display and I asked the salesman what happened to the Sony's and he stated we will no longer be selling Sony Tv's as of this year. I guess the writing is on the wall and I didn't read enough review before I bought this tv. Sony TV's are junk!

TV has an excellent picture. Flaws are so minor, the average viewer won't notice. I saw no difference between this display and the gorilla glass models. I would only recommend gorilla glass to those with children. There is no difference in the amount of glare between screens and the glass displays are quite a bit more expensive. I did not test 3D. The standard 2D picture looks very good to me. Without question, the most disappointing feature is the sound. It was beyond bad. Even listening to the news was irritating. My solution was a Sony 32" sound bar. Oilla! Now it sounds great. Unless you're serious about audio, the 32" bar works fine with sets up to 50" and will be quite acceptable for most viewers. Despite my TV being a 46", the 32" bar made Indiana Jones sound steller, including the music when the credits rolled. In my opinion, they should sell these newer slimline models without speakers at all. To sum it up, a great picture with horrible audio.