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The Sony Bravia XBR 55HX929 is a highly regarded front runner in the LED based LCD market. It has the unique quality of being a local-dimming model, where the LEDs located behind the television screen can be made brighter or dimmer, based on the lightness or darkness of the picture. This provides a higher level of contrast that cannot be matched by televisions without local-dimming.

The Positives – The 3D images shown on this unit have minimal crosstalk. It has an attractive exterior frame with a thin profile. The internet suite includes all the major streaming programs, and has built in wifi. It also includes many niche video services including Sports Illustrated, Style.com, and Howcast.com. The level of black that is able to be produced by the Sony Bravia XBR 55HX929 is much deeper than any of its competitors, be it LCD or plasma television. CNet describes it as “one of the best performing LED based LCDs we have ever tested”. The television is covered by a single pane of glass and has the appearance of a single black slab when the unit is powered down. The wifi for the Sony Bravia XBR 55HX929 is built in, saving the purchase of a dongle or other connectivity equipment.

The Negatives – Since the number of local-dimming units on the market is quite small, the cost of the Sony Bravia XBR 55HX929 falls into the laws of supply and demand, and garners a rather high suggested retail price of just under $3,000. The unit does not include any 3D glasses, which can be purchased separately for $70.  When viewing the picture from an off-angle, there is some deterioration of the picture displayed. The internet suite design is not all that impressive, and lacks the Vudu program, along with subscription services such as Napster and Rhapsody. The interface for the video service programs is difficult to see, due to the fact that the thumbnails for the programs are quite small. The search features do not cover the mainstream services on the Sony Bravia XBR 55HX929.

As one of the highest priced televisions on the market, the Sony Bravia XBR 55HX929 certainly delivers value for money in the image quality department. As one of Sony’s highest selling TVs, is it a firm competitor in the LED television market. When making the decision between this and other models in the same price range, this one should certainly be considered.