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Sony XEL-1: Review

Posted to Televisions 2009-05-13

If you are in the market for a new TV and you just have to have the newest technology, regardless of the cost, then you may want to check out the Sony XEL-1. The XEL-1 is one of the first TV's on the market with the up and coming OLED or Organic Light Emitting Diode technology. While smaller than your average HDTV, the XEL-1 offers true black levels that may almost be unheard of on its much larger HD counterparts.

The XEL-1 is an 11 inch OLED TV that offers a resolution of 960 x 540 which equates a ¼ of the resolution of a standard 1080p screen. Excluding its built in stand, the screen measures about 0.2 inches thick, making it the thinnest TV on the market despite its small stature. It also offers users a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1 which is sure to provide a decent picture every time you use it. Due to its smaller stature, the XEL-1 is somewhat limited when it comes to ports. It comes complete with 2 HDMI ports, a headphone jack, a RF connection input and a Memory Stick Media Slot. The XEL-1 also comes complete with the NTSC, ATSC and QAM tuner allowing this unique device the ability to pick up digital cable channels without the need for a cable box.

Rating:

3.2 out of 5

Features

The XEL-1 comes equipped with a variety of picture adjustment modes. The TV allow you the option to adjust mode, reset, picture, brightness, color, hue/color, temperature, sharpness, noise reduction, and MPEG noise reduction. It also comes equipped some advanced settings that are Black corrector, gamma, clear white, color space, and live color, allowing you to tweak the TV's settings to your viewing preferences. The biggest feature of the XEL-1 may be what it doesn't contain. Unlike LCD TV's, this TV does not require the use of a backlight to create images. It instead contains self illuminating pixels which turn off and on only when needed. This feature allows the TV to deliver some of the deepest, darkest blacks on the market.

Performance

Given its small stature, the XEL-1 provides users with blacks that are so dark, that they are nearly superior to the black level on higher end Plasma screens. Color performance does quite well but performance needs to be a little more accurate, even on a screen of this side. While colors are vibrant levels are at times off the charts with some colors, green in particular, being much brighter than it should be. This tends to have an effect on picture performance looking anything but natural. Viewing range on the XEL-1 does quite well especially when compared other flat screens on the market. Off angle viewing performs well, providing bright vivid images free of washout regardless of where you sit. Motion is also handled quite well with very little blurring or smearing that can be common on some of the LCD's on the market.

Summary

In conclusion, the XEL-1 performs quite well given the new technology it contains. While some kinks may need to be worked out, this technology could make for some serious competition with the LCD's and Plasmas that are currently on the market. If you just have to have the newest technology to hit the market, and don't mind sacrificing some screen size to get it then the Sony XEL-1 may be the one for you.

Pros

OLED technology
960 x 540 resolution
Darkest blacks
Neon like colors

Cons

No backlight