Faulty KDL55HX923

Im very, very disappointed, thats the biggest pile of ballyhoo i've ever heard in my life!!,

a company as big as Sony using THAT for an excuse to get out of putting the issue right, surely the What Hi Fi team can see through that, its no wonder people will be hanging on for the new Nano from LG!, if only they could sort their motion problems out with it i'd go for that.

funny you mention the LG as I was just thinking I'm definitely going to audition it when released.

i've no experience of LG sets, do you know for a fact the new LG 980 has motion issues or is that just based on their previous offerings?

We're still trying to work out how it can be part of a specification for something to be 'un-uniform'....

Needless to say that Sony's official confirmation of inconsistencies means that - despite our review sample being flawless - we can't wholeheartedly endorse this set/series.

i suppose we have to give Sony some credit. We all know other so called flagship sets (samsung d8000/7000 and Panasonic VT's) also have pages of owner reported issues on the web with little or no response from the manufacturer so in a way its quite refreshing to see a brand come out and basically say "Here's our new flagship range, please part wth a lot of money in these austere times and yes the picture is un-uniform, what do you want for £3000? jam on it?" 

SouthernS,

i know of no motion problems with the new model only with the LX9900 that i had, it was a bit of a put off really as you could see the smearing on the faces of people badly, and not to mention the terrible backlight issue i had which is now sorted with the new ones i believe

they could always mask it with black plastic tape so you cant see it!!

Clare - Given the response from Sony - will What Hi Fi be amending the grade down to 4 stars?

In discussion at the moment, alongside reviews of additional HX923 models. In the meantime, readers of the review can be left in no doubt as to the potential issues should they purchase. We've also included an update in the next issue of the magazine, on sale later this month.

I personally don't think the 5* rating is justified now.

I've bought many products over the years mostly on the back of a what hifi 5* rating (yes I know I should make my own mind up...but it helps narrow down searching for "good products") so on that basis alone 4* is more like it especially at this price point.

i think the un-uniform statement from Sony is a reflection of Sony PR doing this ->

can you imagine "What Car?" giving something like a new BMW a 5* rating if BMW came out and said "on some models the paint will be un-uniform down one or both sides but hey, you sit inside the car so won't see it and it'll still drive ok"

.....I would definitely LOVE to see the magazine do a feature with this title:

"Looking for a High End TV? Got £2500 or more to spend...is there anything out there actually worth it?"

the number of issues with ALL tv's in this price bracket is ridiculous I'm really starting to think the money i've got set aside for my next TV is better of being spent elsewhere and i may as well just go buy a mid-range model, then if it has minor issues i can probably live with them if i've only spent £1500 or less.

i'd love to see What Hifi group the so called high end TV's together and not just review them but also include for each a realistic review of owner feedback, return rates etc etc at the moment i'm now considering (after discounting the HX923 after two faulty sets, discounting the D8000 due to horrendous banding and clouding and discounting the VT30 due to the masses of owner reports talking about flicker and buzzing...)...the following...all of which are still to be released:

- LG 980

- Philips 9000 series

- Loewe Compose Individual (means pushing the boat out a bit more...)

is there anything else??? are any of these actually quality high end sets with excellent build and picture quality? the famous brands so far seem to be letting us down and thinking if the TV looks sexy (switched off) and has a feature list as long as your arm then that qualifies a high price regardless of can it do simple things like produce a consistent high quality 2D image.

All good feedback - thanks

OK, now we've finished getting the next issue of the magazine safely to the printers (one way or another it was a pretty manic day yesterday...), we've had time to sit down and discuss the issue in more detail.

We'd already agreed that the HX923 sets would be ineligible for any TV Award this year, but in light of Sony's confirmation yesterday afternoon that this could potentially affect any set in the range, we've downgraded our review to four stars, and added a clear note at the head of the online review, in addition to the note already existing at the end of the review, and the previously amended review-summary text.

Doubtless there are flawless and near-flawless HX923 sets out there that some TV buyers may be willing to hunt down - it remains a set capable of stunning performance - but as previously stated, we can't wholeheartedly back a product with such confirmed potential for problems.

...i think this is a fair reflection of the current situation with this model range. As a long standing Sony customer i don't like to see the review downgraded but based on my own HX923 adventure i totally agree. Ironic thing is i'll still try and track down a good one soon as the next batch arrive but now I'm also going to consider the LG 980, Philips 9606 and possibly the Loewe 55" Compose if I can convice myself its worth the money.

any chance of getting the Loewe model tested in your dream kit (cannot recall exact feature name as I'm at work and magazine is at home) feature you have in the magazine each month???

Hi,

has anyone actually informed Sony of this decision to downgrade and to remove from any award this year?, What Hi Fi really need to e mail them at the very least as they should be made very aware of this..

Sony's lack of commitment to its customers is disappointing to say the very least.