Is Sony tops in rear projection TV?

For those with plenty of money to burn and those who like the newest technology toys, Sony has a new offering for you, with the largest displays boasting a whopping 1,920 x 1080 pixels (which at least one CDFreaks user has lamented not seeing available on the market yet).  In an article at the Electric New Paper, they mention that last week, Sony Singapore demonstrated its rear-projection television featuring their new SXRD or (Silicon X-tal Reflective Display) technology. Here are some of the advantages the new rear projection TV addition should have to its credit:

 

claims that the TV's response rate is 2.5 milliseconds, much lower than the 8 milliseconds of conventional LCD TVs. Even more impressive is that the 60- and 70-inch models are capable of the best resolution for a HDTV (1,920 by 1,080 pixels).

As of today, Googling for the KS-60R200A SXRD model, did not generate one hit for an independant review.  However, complete specs for the 60inch model can be read at this Sony New Zealand site.  According to the information posted there, the display features twin HDMI digital AV inputs, that are High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection
(HDCP) copy protection signal compliant. This will be increasingly important for certain copyright restrictions, such as the upcoming Image Constraint Token or (ICT) as well.  They also indicate on the same page, that this model is available online from SonyStyle.

Given the fact Sony exhibited this model just last week, it is uncertain how long it will be before this model is available for sale in stores.  It is also possible the price the article lists could come down slightly once it hits the retail market. From what we can gather so far, The 60-inch KS-60R200A, will
be priced at S$7,999 (US$5,089.97) and will be available in retail stores by end
September. The larger 70-inch KS-70R200A will be released by end October at
S$9,999 (US$6,361.50). 

If the article and CNet reviews showing Sony having 3 of the top 10 models in this same category are any indication, Sony appears to be concentrating its quality efforts on its television line.  Given the fact this is new, it would seem prudent to 'wait and see' if these promises are ones consumers also notice, so keep an eye peeled for online reviews or input here in our HD-TV forum. 

Source: Various