First Sony X5500 details

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Sony’s X series is by many regarded as the best LCD-TV on the market. At the present Sony X4500 is the top model but X5500 is expected to be exhibited at this year's IFA 2009 consumer electronics fair in Berlin in September 2009. FlatpanelsHD have the first details here.

The X series has a traditional life cycle of 1 year. Sony X5500 is set to launch September or October and is expected to be exhibited for the first time on the big consumer electronics fair IFA 2009 in Berlin this September.

X5500 will contain new functionality but at the same time stay faithful to the X series as we know it. Thus, X5500 will use a newly developed Sony 200 Hz system in an expanded Pro version just like the current X4500 incorporates Motion Flow 100Hz Pro.

Sony X4500

Unlike Sony's traditional 100 Hz and 200 Hz system (in Z4500 and Z5500), the Pro version incorporates a principle known as Black Frame Insertion (BFI). BFI utilizes the basic principle that the human eye needs to be “reset” regularly. The human eye does not forget a picture right away because it stays on the cornea for a short period of time. You might recognize this from a very quick light flash that “hangs” for a while on your cornea. But by inserting very short black frames between the original frames, Sony can constantly reset the eye, so you perceive the image on the TV as smoother and without motion trailing.

X5500 will also feature a LED backlight with local dimming, which means that LEDs are located behind the LCD panel and can be controlled in a number of zones, just like on the Philips LED Lux model.

Unlike the X4500 series, the so-called RGB LEDs in different colours will be replaced with white LEDs on X5500. It can save production costs, and given the fact that X4500 do not take advantage of the full potential in RGB LEDs, it seems a sensible disposition.

Sony X4500

X5500 will have DLNA incorporated. DLNA in X5500 works with video, music and photos. In addition, Sony has a new and updated version of their AppliCast internet system ready for the X5500. We looked at the AppliCast system in our W5500 review. The new extended AppliCast has new widgets as well as better RSS support.

Finally, the X5500 will be slimmer than the current X4500 series and incorporate Bravia Engine 3 (BE3). X5500 has integrated digital tuners with mpeg4 support as well.

Sony X5500 will be available in 40, 46 and 55-inches with the respective model names KDL-40X5500, KDL-46X5500 and KDL-55X5500. Insiders speculate about a 65-inch version but it’s has not yet been confirmed by Sony.

According to FlatpanelsHD’s sources Sony X5500 will be exhibited on IFA 2009 in early September and is expected on the shelves in September / October 2009. Sony has not released official prices yet but they indicate that the 40-inch model, KDL-40X5500, will have a price tag of around 1.999 Euro.

No official pictures yet. All pictures in this article show X4500.