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Sony XBR-65X900F LCD Ultra HDTV Review
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jul 19, 2018

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $2,300

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent shadow detail
Superb color and resolution
Punchy HDR
Minus
Mediocre off-axis performance
Some blooming

THE VERDICT
The new Sony XBR-65X900F is no OLED-killer, but it offers OLED-like benefits at a reasonable price.

OLED ULTRA HDTVS grab most of today’s headlines. And although prices for OLED sets have dropped dramatically over the last year, they still command a high premium. Even flagship LCD sets— Sony’s Z9D line, for example—remain beyond the price reach of many consumers. Sony’s new X900F LCD TVs, which are available in screen sizes all the way up to 85 inches, provide a more reasonable alternative. Choose the 65-inch X900F under review here and you’ll leave the store with a far smaller dent on your credit line than you would when buying an OLED or a flagship LCD.

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Throwback Thursday
Flashback 1999: World’s Biggest TV!
SV Staff  |  Jul 19, 2018
Nineteen years ago this month, Sound & Vision had just published its fifth issue. The cover featured the “world’s biggest TV” — an 80-inch Mitsubishi rear-projection TV that was positively huge by today’s skinny-TV standards.
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Ask S&V
How Do I Diagnose Phase Problems in My System?
Al Griffin  |  Jul 19, 2018
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I can’t seem to get clear dialogue when playing some movies and TV shows and am forced to used closed captioning. I believe my problem is caused by improper phase. My home theater setup consists of five speakers plus dual subwoofers that have a polarity switch and phase knob. I’ve heard that the proper way to adjust phase is to play a sine wave at 80 Hz (same as my crossover setting) and then turn off all speakers except the left or right speaker and its adjacent sub. The next step: adjust polarity and phase until you measure the highest SPL level at the main listening position. Am I going about things right? Any other suggestions to improve dialogue intelligibility in my system? —AMIT ALCALAY

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
AudioQuest ‘Optical HDMI’ Cable Good for 100 Feet
SV Staff  |  Jul 19, 2018
AudioQuest has announced a hybrid optical/HDMI cable that uses an electro-optical conversion module and four glass-fiber optical conductors to carry 18Gbps of data — including HDR-enabled 4K video — up to 100 feet.
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Audio Video News
DTS Adds New Features to Play-Fi Streaming App
SV Staff  |  Jul 19, 2018
DTS has announced a software update for its DTS Play-Fi streaming app that integrates features from the recently introduced Play-Fi Headphones app and adds several other capabilities, including a previous-sessions memory.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Revolv Introduces ‘Archival Quality’ Record Cleaner
SV Staff  |  Jul 18, 2018
Here’s a product you don’t come across every day. Vana, the Lake George, NY-based distributor of audio products and accessories, today introduced a solution designed specifically for cleaning vinyl records.
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Projector SetupProjector Tech
How to Find the Sweet Spot with ALR Projection Screens
SV  |  Jul 18, 2018
Ambient-light-rejecting (ALR) projection screens that picture contrast in spaces that can’t be completely darkened continue to grow in popularity thanks to recent advances in performance and declining prices.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Philips Ships First HDR1000-Certified Video Monitor
SV Staff  |  Jul 18, 2018
EPI, licensee of Philips-brand video monitors in North America, has announced that the DisplayHDR1000-certified monitor introduced in April is now available at Best Buy and Amazon for $1,000.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Yamaha’s New Slimline AVR Boasts Voice Control and Wireless Surround
SV Staff  |  Jul 17, 2018
Yamaha today unveiled a 5.1-channel AV receiver offering Alexa voice control and wireless surround capability in a space-saving “slimline” design.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Roku to Deliver Wireless TV Speakers this Fall
SV Staff  |  Jul 17, 2018
Roku has announced its entry into the wildly overcrowded TV speaker market — but not with a soundbar.
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