kdl-52xbr4 lcd panel replacement free sample

When Veronica and I were doing our addition, I researched the heck out finding a large screen LCD TV. I have always been a fan of Sony and found that, at the time, the KDL-52XBR4 was getting rave reviews for picture quality. I searched around for the best price and I pulled the trigger. The reviews were correct, the picture quality is incredible. I wish that all was well two years and a few months later (out of warranty, of course).

Every person that I saw on the forums that were out of warranty basically got the bum’s rush. It sure is making me rethink my feelings about Sony. Those that were able to get a response from Sony usually got one that said that they would need to have a technician come to the house (at a charge) and diagnose the problem. Sony considers the UB1 and the FB1 as an integral part of the LCD panel and will not replace them (or sell them) separately.  When the technicians came and assessed the problem, the clients were told that they needed new panels to the tune of $2000 or more.

Before I start, I want to state, “IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE DOING THIS KIND OF WORK, HIRE A PROFESSIONAL.” I did the work and I didn’t have many problems but this is a piece of electrical equipment and you can get hurt. My tutorial in no way encourages anyone to do this replacement. DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!

Remove the TV from the wall or stand and place it screen side down on a surface that won’t scratch the screen. I used our bed. There are screws (19) around the outer perimeter of the back side of the screen. Remove them all but remember this – some of the holes have two screws in them. One is larger than the other. Only remove the larger screws. There is no reason to remove the smaller ones. There  are also two screws on the panels that cover the inputs and two additional screws that are the same size as those around the perimeter. Make sure that you take those out. Be gentle pulling the back off and you know when you have missed a screw. Just go slow. One thing that I ran into cost me some time and that was my wall mount bracket that was secured to the TV with security screws. They take a special star tool with a hole in the center. I couldn’t find mine and had to buy one so that I could remove the bracket.

The UB1 is located under the panel that has the square black plate in the middle where the heat shield was but it can’t be removed just yet. Here is where I had trouble. I needed to remove the silver plate (UB1 secondary cover) below the heat shield and I couldn’t figure out how to do it.

They are very small Phillips head screws so you will need a small screwdriver for this. Now you can see the reason to remove the panel above the UB1. There are two connectors to the other board. They will have be be disconnected later. After the four screws are removed, gently hinge the panel up and towards the front of the TV. It is connected to the frame by a conductive tape but there is no reason to remove it. Just be careful!

This photo shows the connector on the left flipped up and the one on the right flipped down. You are looking at them upside down from the photo above this one. It was the easiest angle to get the shot. There are also two connectors on the other side of the UB1 that have to be pinched together from the outside of each connector and lifted up. There are two small screws on each side of the connector. Squeeze them together and lift up. Remove the one screw that holds the UB1 and remove the panel. Put the new panel in place and reverse the process.

I would like to warn you one more time, “IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE DOING THIS KIND OF WORK, HIRE A PROFESSIONAL.” I did it and I didn’t have many problems but this is a piece of electrical equipment and you can get hurt. My tutorial in no way encourages anyone to do this replacement. DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!

Well, if it didn’t work, why did I post this? I wanted this to be easier for anyone that undertakes the replacement than it was for me. I am also not afraid to talk about things that don’t work out as I am about the ones that do.

Sony has gone LCD in a big way. The company dropped its rear-projection sets last fall, and it’s been years since a plasma display sported a Sony badge. At its 2008 line show in February, the company announced 17 new sets. When they’re all in stores this fall, the Sony LCD model count will be 50-strong.

The BRAVIA KDL-52XBR4 is currently one step down from the top of Sony’s pecking order in sets 40 inches or larger, topped only by the XBR5 designs, which appear to be technically identical, and a

falling into a price range that gives most of us sticker shock. Is it worth it? As we’ll see, some competing sets can outscore it in one or two areas, but Sony’s current, near-flagship model can hold its own in an increasingly dog-eat-dog, flat-panel market.

The KDL-52XBR4’s frame is unusually wide, surrounded by transparent glass, creating an illusion that the screen is floating in air. The speakers for the adequate but unremarkable onboard audio system fire through perforations in the frame. The wide frame does, however, make for a large set in a market that is rapidly moving toward designs that take up less space.

More and more LCD HDTVs are designed to operate at 120 hertz. When done correctly, 120-Hz operation can minimize motion blur, an ongoing issue with LCD (but, in my opinion, not a deal breaker on most recent designs).

The KDL-52XBR4 also includes Sony’s Digital Media Extender, or DMex, Sony’s proprietary digital port. This may be used with the company’s BRAVIA Internet Video Link, which can stream Internet video content for viewing on the set without the need for a computer. The DMex can also perform as a service port (XBR sets have no RS-232, Ethernet, or USB connections). Sony has announced other Link modules, including the HDMI Wireless Link, HDMI Extender Link, and DVD Link.

If one thing instantly defines the KDL-52XBR4’s picture, it’s detail. Images from HD sources on this Sony are as sharp—and at the same time natural looking—as those from any flat-panel display I’ve seen to date. But use restraint with the sharpness control. Most settings between 10 and 40 will work fine with 1080i/p, but settings below 20 were best with other resolutions. If you don’t like to fiddle, just set it to 15 or so for everything unless you feel a need to change it on some sources—and it’s unlikely that you will.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age (HD DVD) may not be a great film (its prequel, Elizabeth, was far better) or even a great transfer overall. It’s plagued by uneven and often elevated black levels and some overblown whites. But it’s loaded with exceptional detail. I seriously doubt that the real historical characters dressed this well—or lived in such ornate surroundings, but after you watch this disc on the KDL-52XBR4, you’re sure to be humming from the scenery and costumes as you watch the end credits—even if you find the historically suspect plot strictly thrift-shop.

The Sony also provided good viewing over a wide seating area. While it looked best at seating positions near the center, it was watchable up to about 45 degrees off axis. It can’t equal the consistency of a plasma set at different viewing angles, but it’s far better in this respect than most LCDs.

The Achilles heel of nearly all LCD displays is black level. Deep, rich blacks form the foundation of every image, light or dark, giving it depth and a compelling sense of looking-out-the-window realism. Apart from LCDs with LED backlighting and local dimming—currently a very rare breed but sure to multiply before the year is out—no LCD flat panel I’ve yet seen can do this as well as the best plasma displays and video projectors.

That limitation applies to the KDL-52XBR4 as well. I spent a lot of time tweaking the various picture adjustments that affect blacks and shadow detail—Brightness, Picture (contrast), Backlight, Black Corrector, Advanced C.E., and Gamma—to get a picture with a reasonably believable balance on both dark and bright scenes. In the end, the Sony’s blacks were satisfactory on all but the very darkest scenes, though little more, and its shadow detail was never better than middle of the road. If these qualities are at the top of your priority list, you’ll have to look elsewhere and, for now at least, bring more money.

Despite a few weaknesses it shares with most sets on the market, the KDL-52XBR4 has plenty of pop to recommend it. You won’t find a set with better subjective color and detail, at least on high-definition sources. Its video processing has some limitations (see the measurements), but they rarely distracted me on real program material—and not at all if I used a good outboard upconverting source, as needed, to feed the set 1080p over HDMI. The KDL-52XBR4 also has more than a few controls to fiddle with that are definitely useful in getting the best out of the set.

With all of its 21st Century technology, this 46" LCD HDTV is undoubtedly a videophile"s dream. But after living with this Sony for a couple of weeks, I can definitely discern the lineage of an old fashioned TV. And that"s not a bad thing.

[Editor"s note: Sony also makes a 40" model, the KDL-40XBR4, and a 52" KDL-52XBR4. Since they have the same specifications as this 46", the review can be applied to all three.]

To complete the effect, the kit comes with a matching color stand. Considering the blandness of most other cookie cutter LCDs, I like the prominent statement made by the wide (almost four inches on the sides) textured bezel.

The connection panel on the back provides two HDMI 1.3 compatible inputs, (one has matching stereo Audio Ins), two Component (YPbPr) with matching stereo Audio Ins, two Composite (with Audio), one VGA (15 pin D-Sub) with a stereo Audio In mini-plug, and an S-Video. In addition, an SPDIF (optical) digital Audio Out is provided next to L/R Stereo Outs.

Easily accessible on the back left edge of the TV is a smaller connection panel containing another HDMI Input, a set of Composite Inputs, and a headphone mini-jack.