Setup

Upon setting up the Sony 52LX900, I found myself overwhelmed by the TV’s wide array of auto-features. When I checked out Position Control, a setting to “optimize picture and sound by detecting the viewer’s position,” I was startled to see a window pop up with live video of myself sitting on my couch. (Gee, do I really want this thing connected to the Internet?) Another feature that makes use of the TV’s built-in video surveillance camera is Presence Sensor, which turns the set off if it fails to detect a vacantly gazing human face after a specified time period.

As usual, I chose to bypass all such features and headed straight to the Picture Adjustments menu. Along with Standard and Vivid picture presets, there’s a Custom setting with picture adjustments that can be tweaked independently for each input. (Sony also gives you the option to configure picture settings globally for all inputs.) An Advanced settings menu offers a gamma adjustment with six settings and a full-service white-balance control for professional calibration. There’s no color-management-system-type adjustment, although the TV’s measured color points were close enough to the SMPTE HDTV standard that I didn’t feel a strong need to make tweaks along those lines.

A number of 3D TV-specific setup options are also present in the Sony’s Picture Settings menu. Auto 3D kicks the set into 3D display mode without first asking your permission when a 3D input signal is detected, while 3D Signal Notification enables the TV to basically tell you: 3D detected. Go find your glasses. When you’re watching 3D content, a submenu can be called up via the Options menu that provides 3D Depth Adjustment and Glasses Brightness settings. With the set converting regular 2D content to 3D, this same submenu provides a Simulated 3D Effect adjustment with low, medium, and high settings.