CES 2014

Of the three series of XBR Ultra HDTVs announced by Sony at CES, the X950B is the only one it’s calling a “reference standard.” (The one directly below it, the X900B Series, is merely a “statement in picture, sound and design.”) What makes an X950B Series set so good? For starters, it’s got a full-array LED backlight with Sony’s X-tended Dynamic Range Pro processing to dynamically deepen blacks and boost highlights. It also has the same Triluminos tech found in select Sony HDTVs and UHDTVs from 2013.

The X900B Series, meanwhile, also uses X-tended Dynamic Range Pro processing, but has an edge-lit LED backlight. It also has a new Wedge design with built-in front-facing Magnetic Fluid speakers—a feature that X950B Series sets omit.

The X950B Series will be available in 65- and 85-inch screen sizes and the X900B Series in 55-, 65-, and 79-inch screen sizes. A third UHDTV line, the X850 Series, consists of four models ranging from 49 to 70 inches. Sony says that all of its UHDTVs will ship in spring.