17 month update:
This TV surprisingly went dark just 17 months after purchasing. In the middle of a Netflix binge, the picture froze. I turned the TV off, assuming it was Netflix issue. When I turned it back on, instead of a comforting green LED power light, a scary red LED that I had never seen before was blinking twice...pausing...blinking twice.
The user guide, Sony's online support forums and other web discussion areas all yielded the same answer: an internal hardware issue that was not going to be resolved by any user adjustments.
I NEVER purchase extended warranties, and this failure took place five months after the 1-year warranty period. Having nothing to lose, I called Sony's North American support line. We did some troubleshooting (from a script) to confirm the failure. Because I was out of warranty, they invited me to take the 60" TV to my nearest Sony service center. In my case this over 100 miles from home. I pointed this out, and asked the rhetorical question: even if I do that, why would I ever want to purchase another Sony product when it fails in such a short time...whether still under warranty or not.
With that question, I was transferred to an "escalation" representative. This resulted in transfer to two other folks in the escalation process. Each conversation was brief, and hold periods were short. Eventually, as a "one-time goodwill gesture", they agreed to send a technician to my house to make the repair. The provider, from a from a 3rd party service provider contacted me the next day and said a tech would schedule the repair visit as soon as the part (a main board connected to the I/O panel) arrived.
A week after the failure, the TV was working again. Sony totally rocked this response.
My two take-aways that resulted:
(1) I'll buy more stuff from Sony
(2) Yeah, I'm going to start considering the extended warranty for pricier items so I don't have to rely on goodwill:-)
Original review text follows:
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In my experience (dating to Sony's "a Sony of my owney" ; campaign and Trinitron" models): Sony has consistently delivered the best performance in televisions.
Television technology has advanced rapidly since those days, and even more so in the fourteen years since I purchased my first high-definition, flat-screen television. After paying the early adopter premium on a
Sony Grand WEGA
, and a later upgrade to an early
Sony BRAVIA smart TV
I'm happy to report that both are still running strong and neither has had a single problem, even with heavy use. The increasing affordability of these televisions drove this upgrade; consumers enjoy amazing return on their flat screen dollars today.
For this television, easy basic operations are supplemented with a range of Internet-enabled functions that expand its overall entertainment value (or time-wasting opportunities, depending on your point of view).
Set-up was relatively easy. Assembly consisted of attaching the television to a two-post stand and securing them together with four screws.This can be done by one person, but you'll be happier with a helper. When I applied power for the first time, the television went through a brief self-test, followed by a menu-driven set-up routine consisting of on-screen menu items that you select with the remote. Because my programming is direct via HDMI a cable set-top box, I didn't have to wait for it to scan and set channels via an antenna or coax cable.
The television's integrated WiFi immediately recognized and connected to the router (it will also connect via Ethernet, which I did not try).
This television is outstanding in what matters most: picture quality and ease of operation. HD programming is as vivid as you would expect it to be, and SD programming is also crisp. Sound quality won't be confused with anything coming from high-end speakers, but is perfectly acceptable within the limitations speakers have when constrained by a TV cabinet. The controls on the remote are intuitive and nicely labeled.
Most of the default settings for sound and picture were perfectly acceptable, and should require minimal adjustments for all but the most obsessive tweakers.
Among the Internet-enabled features are single-button access to Netflix and YouTube. Additional menus via the remote provide access to other streaming services (including Pandora, Amazon Video, Hulu and some others I was exposed to for the first time when they appeared on the menu). If you have a smart phone, you can install Sony's media remote application (as long as your phone and television are connected to the same network). While its usefulness as a remote control is basic, its best feature allows use of your phone's keyboard while doing searches (such as program titles) for online content: far easier than navigating through the OEM remote's point-select of an alphanumeric menu.
Video/audio quality in the applications I use (Netflix, Pandora, Amazon video) were fine. Obviously the network carrying these services will have a large influence on their quality and responsiveness.
This television also immediately recognized and was able to access local media available via DLNA media server (enabled in a Buffalo Technology NAS device. However, this television's DLNA capability limits access to 1000 audio tracks, and I have no idea how it decides which of these to choose. It might get you through a party, but it's not going to offer access to an entire extensive music collection. (Note: perhaps this issue is a matter of the DLNA implementation on my NAS; I have no way to test this).
Finally, if you are using this television with other late model Sony components connected with HDMI cables: the components integrate well with each other. This unit receives inputs from a now somewhat dated
Sony AV receiver
Sony AV receiver and a Sony Blu-ray player. The receiver power and input functions are automatically synchronized with the television options for programming source and sound (TV or external speakers). Very nice.
I had the chance to test out Sony's phone support upon set-up, when I was unable to play any of the streaming content through external speakers. It turns out that only one of the three HDMI ports includes audio return channel (ARC). The ARC port is --surprisingly-- NOT the one set off by itself in the center of the cabinet. ARC is provided through HDMI port #3, which is grouped on the left side of the rear cabinet with other input ports. While he was clearly working from a script, the tech I worked with was patient, appeared to understand my challenge, and eventually got me to a solution (change the HDMI input the ARC-capable HDMI port #3...which is labeled with its ARC capability).
While nobody can tell how long a piece of electronics will last, it's always a good sign when they work well out of the box, and this television has done just that. Exercising its advanced network/Internet-enabled functions, will require some comfort with LAN configurations and media server set-up (if you are doing local streaming).
| Brand Name | Sony |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 69.9 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 32.9 x 53.5 x 12.2 inches |
| Item model number | KD60X690E |
| Batteries | 2 AA batteries required. (included) |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Color Name | Black |
| Special Features | Flat |
| Item Weight | 69.93 Pounds |
| Standing screen display size | 60 Inches |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Voltage | 120 Volts |
| Wattage | 162 watts |
