TEST BENCH FOR WEB FULL LAB RESULTS:

Unless otherwise indicated, all tests were conducted with 1080i-format signals via the TV's HDMI input. Color temperature (Low color temperature and Theater Pro mode before/after calibration) Low window (20-IRE): 6,586/6,535 K High window (80-IRE): 6,629/6,549 K Brightness (100-IRE window before/after calibration): 76.2/36.8 ftL

My Sony KDS-R60XBR1 60-inch SXRD HDTV review sample's initial grayscale tracking came extremely close to the ideal of 6,500 K at the Theater Pro mode/Warm color-temperature setting, varying by an average of only 71 degrees Kelvin through the HDMI input (although 480p component was less accurate, with 193 degrees K average variation). After adjustment via the user-menu white-balance controls, it was nearly dead-on, at 45 degrees average variation from the 6,500-K standard. (Calibration needs to be performed by a qualified technician, so discuss it with your dealer before purchase, or contact the Imaging Science Foundation at imagingscience.com or 561-997-9073.)

I got the deepest black level with an Iris setting of zero - and determined that the separate Auto Iris setting of High actually allowed the set to get an even deeper black than the Off setting, so I used High for home theater viewing. With those settings and peak brightness limited to 16 footlamberts - fine for a completely dark theater - the Sony KDS-R60XBR1 achieved the deepest average black level I've seen yet at 0.06 ftL measured with the Sencore VP403's checkerboard pattern (201 contrast ratio). With peak brightness set to 36.8 ftL, more suitable for viewing in the presence of some ambient light, average black level was still excellent at 0.13 and a contrast ratio of 231. The KDS-R60XBR1 couldn't maintain a constant black level in the most extreme situations, but it was stable for most viewing material.

The Sony KDS-R60XBR1 displayed every line of 1080i multiburst resolution patterns via HDMI - but unlike some 1080p sets I've tested, it couldn't resolve every line of a 1080i pattern via component-video. Other resolutions were excellent. Edge enhancement was visible until I engaged the Direct Mode, which eliminated all signs of this. With the Detail Enhancer set to Off, the image became somewhat soft, so I left it at the default Medium. I left all other picture tweaks set to Off. The KDS-R60XBR1 displayed the Sencore's ramp pattern very smoothly.

Uniformity wasn't as good as for most sets I've tested that use the competing DLP technology; the corners became darker on flat gray fields, especially dim ones, and the top had a faint purplish tinge. I also noticed the image tending toward purplish when viewed from extremely off-angle, especially from the left side. Geometry was good for a big rear-projector, with only a slight bowing along the top edge, and convergence was as good as I've seen for a 3-chip display, with only the most minor fringing visible toward the corners. Corner-to-corner focus was very good. Overscan was minimal via HDMI at an average of about 3% and just slightly greater via component-video at about 5%. Color decoding was nearly perfect for both high-def and standard-def sources.

If you liked this article, you might enjoy the following: Special Report: DLP vs. LCoS Sony KDS-R50XBR1 50-inch SXRD HDTV HDTV Resource Center HDTV Buyer's Guide

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