Posts Tagged ‘Limited 1’
Sony BRAVIA VE5 Series KDL 52VE5 52 Inch 1080p 120Hz Eco friendly LCD HDTV
Sony BRAVIA VE5 Series KDL 52VE5 52 Inch 1080p 120Hz Eco friendly LCD HDTV
Go green without sacrificing picture quality. Combining energy-saving features with quality picture performance, BRAVIA VE5 Eco Series HDTVs make other televisions green with envy. The 52″ Class VE5 boasts a high-efficiency HCFL backlight which provides outstanding image quality while exceeding ENERGY STAR 3.0 requirements by over 65% in Home Mode. An integrated Presence Sensor detects if you’ve stepped away from your TV for a while and shuts the picture off. A built-in LightSensor(TM) automatically adjusts to your room’s ambient light and lowers the brightness of the TV’s backlight to conserve energy. Plus, enjoy Full HD 1080p picture quality and smooth motion with Motionflow 120Hz refresh rate technology. Dynamic Backlight Control feature adjusts the brightness of the backlight both to optimize image quality and to reduce power consumption BRAVIA Engine 2 fully digital video processor HD input x 7; Four HDMI inputs Connect your camera, USB-enabled MP3 player, or USB storage device directly to your HDTV’s USB input 24p True Cinema mode provides a direct connection to 24p video sources, avoiding conversions and allowing you to enjoy films at their intended 24 fps (frames per second) cinematic picture quality when using a 24p True Cinema capable output device ATSC/NTSC tuner with QAM VESA compatible hole spacing Power Consumption (in Operation) max. – 180 W Max Power Requirements (voltage) – AC 120V Dolby Digital Audio Power Output – 20 W (10 W X 2) VESA Hole Pitch – 300X300 M6/12-16MM In the box – Remote Control RM-YD028 Batteries (Type AA x2) AC Power Cord (attached) Screws (4) for pedestal Operating Instructions Quick Setup Guide Warranty Card Table Top Stand (separate, pre-assembled) Unit Dimensions – 49 3/4 x 34 3/8 x 14 3/8 inches (with pedestal); Weight – 76.3 lbs. (with pedestal) Manufacturer’s limited 1-year labor & parts warranty
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Great Picture and Features, plus it’s eco-friendly
This is an excellent TV.
Picture Quality:
The picture quality of this set is superb. In the setup menu, I set the picture to “vivid” mode and the HD quality is simply life-like. The color and contrast are excellent. It also uses something that Sony calls MotionFlow which helps to smooth out the image when you are watching fast-action pictures.
Backlight Technology:
It is an LCD set, but uses a hot cathode fluorescent lamp for its backlighting. This technology allows it to be much more energy efficient and close to par with the energy usage of LED backlit LCD TVs. Most LCDs use cold cathode fluorescent lamps. The 40″ model uses a maximum of 140 watts, the 46″ uses a max of 160 watts, and the 52″ uses a max of 180 watts.
Eco-Friendly:
It has a sensor called a presence sensor that does two things. First it senses the ambient (room) light and if the room gets darker, it will automatically dim the picture of the TV. This works well if you are watching TV in the bedroom at night and you want less light output. The second thing that the sensor does is senses the room for motion and body heat. If you leave the room for a preset amount of time (5 min, 30 min, …) and the TV doesn’t sense anyone around, it will turn off the picture. If you walk back in the room, it senses you and turns the screen back on. The sound stays on for another 30 minutes or so, then the whole set will go into stand-by mode if it does not sense you. Both of these features can be turned off via the setup menu and help to conserve energy.
Features (just a few of them):
The TV is loaded with features. It will automatically sense if you have something connected to an input (for example HDMI2). This is great when you want to hit the input button on the remote because it will not select items that aren’t currently sending out a signal. This means you don’t have to scroll through 10 items if you only have two components connected to the TV. In the setup menu, you can set each input for always on, always off, or auto. I used the always on setting for the PC input because the cable I used to connect the PC did not send a power signal so the TV did not sense it. By setting it to always on, the PC input will always be available when I scan through the inputs.
It also has a lot of inputs. There are 4 HDMI inputs. If you have a DVI port on your PC, then you can connect it through HDMI port 1 which also has an analog audio input. There is one dedicated composite (with S-video) and one dedicated component input, but there is another switchable composite/component input that you can use if you have two composites and one component, or vice versa. There is a PC input to connect via VGA connection. The audio outputs are one optical digital out and one analog out.
Dislikes:
1. All of the Inputs and Output are on the left side (when looking at the front of the TV) of the TV. This is unfortunate for me since my A/V cabinet is on the right side of the TV. It is a minor inconvenience, but something that I did not think about until I got the set home. I would say about half of the inputs are one the left side and the other half are on the back, next to the side inputs.
2. The presence sensor is right where I have my center audio speaker. I will have to raise up the TV to still have that speaker front and center.
Overall, this is not a cheap TV, but I think this is a case where you get what you pay for. It is a really great set.
5 Stars My first Sony product and I have to say that I am impressed.
I had been apprehensive about pulling the trigger on an LCD TV for months now waiting for all these promised LED LCD TVs to become available from various manufacturers. With Samsung hitting the market first and disappointing most of us with their outrageous prices and availability with gloss screens only, they were quickly removed from my list of potential purchases. LG then hit the market with their model, which is very impressive, but with a $2400+ price tag, it was still a bit too much for my budget. Then there was Vizio which still hasn’t been able to apparently get the bugs out of their LED LCD TVs that were promised in June, then September, and now October. So needless to say they were removed from my list.
This model of Sony hit the shelves roughly around the same time as the Samsung LED TVs. Its specifications were pretty good, and the promise of low wattage similar to the LED LCDs was very attractive. What I wasn’t happy with was the fact that this is an 8-bit LCD panel as opposed to the 10-bit panels that the other manufacturer’s models used. A local retailer finally had the Sony in their show room, so I could see if the 8 bit panel made a difference, and after spending over an hour comparing its picture detail and clarity to the Samsung and LG models, I could not see anything negative about the Sony. In fact, to my eyes even the contrast differences between the LED models and this ECO series was negligible, and definitely not worth the extra price tag for the LED models. The color was also more natural on the Sony than the Samsung and LG models that were next to it. One of the most noticeable segments they had running was a cooking channel scene where the cook was making some broccoli dish. The broccoli on the other sets was almost fluorescent, but on the Sony it was a perfect medium dark green. I was sold.
Now with the KDL-52VE5 dropping from $2100 to what it is now, I decided I had waited long enough. Since my local retailer could not come close to Amazon’s price, I purchased it from Amazon. The set arrived within a week with the free shipping, and I have to say that the shipping company (Pilot) that delivered the set was great. The delivery man was very friendly and helpful. He quickly unpacked the new set, helped me take down my old (325 lb) 36 inch tube TV from its stand, placed the new TV up on the stand, and powered it up to verify that it was working. Great delivery service.
Now that I have the TV at home, I am 100% happy with the purchase so far. I was worried that I would be disappointed with the contrast ratio once I played a movie at night, but I couldn’t be happier. A 100,000 to 1 contrast ratio is just fine. I am very picky about how well a television handles black (as well as color), and this set produces blacks even better than the HD CRT set that it is replacing. The color is amazing. Playing any Pixar film with this set in vivid mode will blow your mind (or at least your kid’s minds). I haven’t had the time to tweak each of the picture settings, but I have to say that right out of the box this thing is amazing. I have simply been switching between standard and vivid depending on what we are watching and I couldn’t be happier with just these factory setups.
The sound from this is fine for watching anything that you don’t feel like firing up your surround sound receiver for. It is very clear, and has very good range for TV speakers.
I then had to test the power consumption with my kill-a-watt plug in meter. With the set in vivid mode, with the light sensor on in a daylight lit room, the set averages just 145 watts. In a dark room it uses even less, since the sensor automatically turns down the backlight level. Only 145 watts for a 52 inch television with 120 Hz motion correction. I’m impressed!
As far as longevity goes, only time will tell, but since this basically a standard Sony LCD with just a more efficient backlight setup, it should be fine. If things do go wrong in the future, I will make sure to update this review.
Anyway, if you are on a sub $2000 budget and want a great 52-inch TV that won’t jack up your electric bill, then this is the one to get (unless you want to wait yet another year).
5 Stars Excellent Big Screen HDTV
I’ve been holding off on buying a big screen TV for 4 years and finally pulled the trigger on this one. Originally I was going to get a projection DLP set and I’m so glad that I held off. The LCD technology has gotten so much better than 4 years ago. I’ve had this TV for almost a week and can’t imagine picking anything else. The picture quality is perfect in Vivid picture mode with an 80% color setting. There is no motion blur with the standard setting for Motionflow. What takes getting used to is utilizing the Cinemotion setting for film based movies and Game Mode for the PS3. It doesn’t explain these functions very well in the product manual so I had to go to Sony’s website to learn about these. CGI movies like the Pixar and Shrek films have choppy video if you have the Cinemotion enabled because they’re not film based so you have to turn the Cinemotion off. When I was on Sony’s website I also learned that they already have a software update for this TV. I had to format my USB drive for FAT32 and download it but it was no problem installing it via the service port on the back of the set. The things I don’t really care for are the ECO settings. I thought these would be helpful but they really aren’t in my setup. The Presence Sensor only detects out to 9.8′ from the screen but I sit 12′ away so it shuts the TV off even when I’m in the room. Also, the Light Sensor reduces the brightness of the screen at night, but like I said, I’m sitting 12′ away and have to have it bright so I don’t need to squint to see the picture. But, you can turn these features off in the menu which is good. The sound quality is a little mute on the factory default so I tweaked it to Max on the Bass setting and Dynamic with Trusurround. For movies it also helps to have an external speaker system for more effect. I am very happy with this TV and got a great price with free shipping. If your looking for an HDTV that has lower power consumption with excellent picture quality this is the one.
1 Star Greatly Dissapointed
I just bought a Sony Bravia VE5 52 inch LCD TV last week, and I must say I am greatly disapointed by the product.
Yes, the picture quality is great but there is this delay of 2-5 seconds every time I change a channel. When I try to change the channel the screen goes blank for 2-5 secs before the next channel comes on. I called Sony customer service and they said that this delay is normal both with basic cable or with a HD receiver box connected to the TV and said I have to live with it. I am astounded as to how in this day and age with all this advancement in technology and Sony says it is normal to experience a delay while flipping channels. If I have 100-200 channels and if I want to browse/checkout few of them I must spend a heck of a lot of time in changing channels and waiting patiently for the channel to show up on my expensive 120Hz LCD TV. It’s like spending approx $2000 on an advanced computer and saying it’s ok if it’s slow to turn on and it;s ok if it has a delay every time I go on the internet even if I have a high speed connection….would you live with that?. Also, the remote is poorly designed. The buttons that are most frequently used such as vol, channel up-down etc are placed in difficult to use positions. I mean you cannot easly hold the remote and glide you thumb to go to these buttons. Besides, the remote is roughly 12 inches long and after holding it for a while you can feel it uncomfortable. Below is my sincere recommendation:
1. Try to avoid buying a Sony….
2. If you really want to buy a Sony then make sure you’ve checked it out in a store or somewhere first thouroughly
I wish someone had warned me so I could have avoided this disapointment…but I guess you at least can.
FYI…I’ve always been a Sony fan…all my other electronics …video and digital cameras etc… are sony.
5 Stars bravia 52ve5
that tv is just incredible!!! now i am ruining myself only buying Blurays because the motionflow and movieflow on that tv makes it so realistic!!!
Sony BRAVIA XBR KDL 32XBR9 32 Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV
Sony BRAVIA XBR KDL 32XBR9 32 Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV
Experience the beauty of Full HD 1080p with the 32″ Class XBR9 HDTV. Perfect for your bedroom, office or kitchen, this flat panel has a 40,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, which produces deep blacks in darker scenes. Motionflow 120Hz refresh rate technology delivers crisp, clear images while gaming or watching sports and fast-action movies. Additionally, you can connect your camera or USB-enabled MP3 player and view photos or listen to your favorite MP3s. The 32″ Class XBR9 incorporates advanced power saving features and comes with 7 HD inputs (4 HDMI, 2 component and 1 PC) so you can take full advantage of all your HD components. USB – connect your camera, USB-enabled MP3 player, or USB storage device directly to your HDTV’s USB input to view photos on the big screen or listen to your MP3’s BRAVIA Link compatibility expands your HDTV’s capabilities by letting you connect optional BRAVIA Link modules, including the BRAVIA DVD Link, BRAVIA Wireless Link, and BRAVIA Input Link (not included) BRAVIA Sync capability combines the one-touch access and control functionality of BRAVIA Theatre Sync with the ability to control CEC-enabled Sony Handycam(R) camcorders and Cyber-shot(R) digital still cameras using the TV’s remote and an on-screen display 24p True Cinema mode provides a direct connection to 24p video sources, avoiding conversions and allowing you to enjoy films at their intended 24 fps (frames per second) cinematic picture quality In the box – Remote Control Batteries (Type AA x2) AC Power Cord 4 Screws Operating Instructions Quick Setup Guide Warranty Card (limited 1-year parts & labor, Manufacturer) Table Top Stand (separate, pre-assembled) Tuner (Terrestrial) – ATSC Tuner, NTSC Tuner VESA Hole Pitch – 200X200 M6/12-16MM Speakers – 20W (10W X 2) Unit Dimensions – 31 1/2 x 23 x 9 in (798 x 584 x 227mm), 31 1/2 x 21 1/4 x 3 5/8 in (798 x 537 x 89mm) without pedestal
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars very good with caveats
TV has some brightness issues which Sony resolved by way of call-in customer support. Now works great. Beautiful and very satisfied!
5 Stars Beautiful and High Quality
I love this TV. I’m sure I would feel differently had I not updated the firmware before I even tried to use it, but since I did — I LOVE THIS TV! I am going to try to put the link for the update at the bottom of this review, but Amazon may have a policy to delete links in reviews. If this happens, then go to [...] and follow the links for this model. You’ll eventually find the update. Download it to a jump drive and plug it into the service port (the only one that’ll take USB) with the TV off, then turn the TV on and things will take care of themselves.
[...]
UPDATE
Okay, so Amazon did delete everything. That’s okay — you know Sony has a website.
5 Stars Finally Got it…Love it!
So I finally got this TV for a multi reason based using. I just replaced my G5 with a Mac Pro and got a PS3 slim for the bed room as well while the older PS3 is hooked up to our 60″ Sony SXRD. I needed a larger monitor for my Mac Pro, but also wanted a TV for the room and we were originally going to go with the 24″ Cinema display from Apple. Amazing unit but is only for the computer and that is it. With that said, I turned to Sony.
The XBR9 does a great job with blacks and colors so when my Mac is running and im in Final Cut or iPhoto, the picture quality is great (I went DVI to HDMI) and when I switch the input over to the PS3 (HDMI), everything continues to look fantastic. So Games/Blu-ray and TV are great.
Again, I have to stress though like other reviewers, the XBR9 does not look as good as the XBR8 because its lower in the series! I mean look at the price difference for the love of god. So please, dont think that somehow Sony has gone back in their mindset. Just 2 different series.
5 Stars sony lcd tv
Great product, I really love hd. Spend the extra money for top of the line you won’t be disapointed. Works perfect with my over the air antenna, if not better than direct tv. Save 30% from retail. Shipping was to my door, open box and plug in for free, beat that. I will trade with them again.
5 Stars Great LCD TV!
I recently upgraded from my old CRT TV and have been completely satisfied with my purchase. We did compare LCD TVs in a showroom and the Sony Bravia clearly had the best picture. It had sharp detail and the best blacks of all the brands. The only weakness is the sound because of the small speakers but there is an output so I can use my stereo system and it sounds great. If you have home theatre system that will work as well.
Sony BRAVIA VE5 Series KDL 40VE5 40 Inch 1080p 120Hz Eco friendly LCD HDTV
Sony BRAVIA VE5 Series KDL 40VE5 40 Inch 1080p 120Hz Eco friendly LCD HDTV
Go green without sacrificing picture quality. Combining energy-saving features with quality picture performance, BRAVIA VE5 Eco Series HDTVs make other televisions green with envy. The 40″ Class VE5 boasts a high-efficiency HCFL backlight which provides outstanding image quality while exceeding ENERGY STAR 3.0 requirements by over 50% in Home Mode. An integrated Presence Sensor detects if you’ve stepped away from your TV for a while and shuts the picture off. A built-in Light Sensor automatically adjusts to your room’s ambient light and lowers the brightness of the TV’s backlight to conserve energy. Plus, enjoy Full HD 1080p picture quality and smooth motion with Motionflow 120Hz refresh rate technology. Dynamic Backlight Control feature adjusts the brightness of the backlight both to optimize image quality and to reduce power consumption BRAVIA Engine 2 fully digital video processor HD input x 7; Four HDMI inputs Connect your camera, USB-enabled MP3 player, or USB storage device directly to your HDTV’s USB input 24p True Cinema mode provides a direct connection to 24p video sources, avoiding conversions and allowing you to enjoy films at their intended 24 fps (frames per second) cinematic picture quality when using a 24p True Cinema capable output device ATSC/NTSC tuner with QAM VESA compatible hole spacing Dolby Digital Power Consumption (in Operation) max. – 140 W Max Power Requirements (voltage) – AC 120V Audio Power Output – 20 W (10 W X 2) VESA Hole Pitch – 300X300 M6/12-16MM In the box – Remote Control RM-YD028 Batteries (Type AA x2) AC Power Cord (attached) Screws (4) for pedestal Operating Instructions Quick Setup Guide Warranty Card Table Top Stand (separate, pre-assembled) Unit Dimensions – 38 7/8 x 27 x 10 3/4 inches (with pedestal); Weight – 42.6 lbs. (with pedestal) Manufacturer’s limited 1-year labor & parts warranty
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars I love it !
This TV is awesome! the picture is great and the sound is prety good.
5 Stars Great Picture. TV is finally off in the morning!
Auto-off feature is really nice. I’m not as green as I should be, but this set has solved my teenager falling asleep with the TV on all night. Picture is great, menu/settings are very user friendly, and only ports with an item plugged in are in the “input” rotation on the remote. Highly recommend.
One weird thing about the White Glove delivery from Amazon. They showed up on time, and even phoned ahead…very nice, plus set the TV up and took the garbage. However during the setup the TV searches for channels automatically. When this seemed to be going slow, the delivery guy says “this can take awhile the first time it runs”, and my wife let them leave. After performing a “search” for about 30 minutes I discovered that they had used input cables from a DVD player that was not hooked up to the satellite system. I simply plugged an HDMI cable from the dish to the TV…and whammo…200+ channels almost instantly.
Everything else was great. I would make a similar purchase again with Amazon without hesitation.
5 Stars Great Picture and Features, plus it’s eco-friendly
This is an excellent TV.
Picture Quality:
The picture quality of this set is superb. In the setup menu, I set the picture to “vivid” mode and the HD quality is simply life-like. The color and contrast are excellent. It also uses something that Sony calls MotionFlow which helps to smooth out the image when you are watching fast-action pictures.
Backlight Technology:
It is an LCD set, but uses a hot cathode fluorescent lamp for its backlighting. This technology allows it to be much more energy efficient and close to par with the energy usage of LED backlit LCD TVs. Most LCDs use cold cathode fluorescent lamps. The 40″ model uses a maximum of 140 watts, the 46″ uses a max of 160 watts, and the 52″ uses a max of 180 watts.
Eco-Friendly:
It has a sensor called a presence sensor that does two things. First it senses the ambient (room) light and if the room gets darker, it will automatically dim the picture of the TV. This works well if you are watching TV in the bedroom at night and you want less light output. The second thing that the sensor does is senses the room for motion and body heat. If you leave the room for a preset amount of time (5 min, 30 min, …) and the TV doesn’t sense anyone around, it will turn off the picture. If you walk back in the room, it senses you and turns the screen back on. The sound stays on for another 30 minutes or so, then the whole set will go into stand-by mode if it does not sense you. Both of these features can be turned off via the setup menu and help to conserve energy.
Features (just a few of them):
The TV is loaded with features. It will automatically sense if you have something connected to an input (for example HDMI2). This is great when you want to hit the input button on the remote because it will not select items that aren’t currently sending out a signal. This means you don’t have to scroll through 10 items if you only have two components connected to the TV. In the setup menu, you can set each input for always on, always off, or auto. I used the always on setting for the PC input because the cable I used to connect the PC did not send a power signal so the TV did not sense it. By setting it to always on, the PC input will always be available when I scan through the inputs.
It also has a lot of inputs. There are 4 HDMI inputs. If you have a DVI port on your PC, then you can connect it through HDMI port 1 which also has an analog audio input. There is one dedicated composite (with S-video) and one dedicated component input, but there is another switchable composite/component input that you can use if you have two composites and one component, or vice versa. There is a PC input to connect via VGA connection. The audio outputs are one optical digital out and one analog out.
Dislikes:
1. All of the Inputs and Output are on the left side (when looking at the front of the TV) of the TV. This is unfortunate for me since my A/V cabinet is on the right side of the TV. It is a minor inconvenience, but something that I did not think about until I got the set home. I would say about half of the inputs are one the left side and the other half are on the back, next to the side inputs.
2. The presence sensor is right where I have my center audio speaker. I will have to raise up the TV to still have that speaker front and center.
Overall, this is not a cheap TV, but I think this is a case where you get what you pay for. It is a really great set.
Sony BRAVIA W Series KDL 40W5100 40 Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV
Sony BRAVIA W Series KDL 40W5100 40 Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV
Packed with innovative features, the 40″ BRAVIA W Series incorporates the latest in HDTV performance into a slim and stylish design. Personalize your entertainment experience and access the latest news, weather, stocks and sports information with BRAVIA Widgets. You can also stream on-demand entertainment including hit movies and TV shows with BRAVIA Internet Video. Additionally, the W Series comes with the newly developed BRAVIA Engine 3 for enhanced overall image detail and Motionflow 120Hz refresh rate technology for a crisp, more natural viewing experience while watching fast-paced scenes. Networked TV Guide Interactive Program Guide HD input x 7; Four HDMI inputs ATSC/NTSC tuner with QAM S-Force Surround Sound Dolby Digital Power Consumption (in Operation) max. – 205 W Power Requirements (voltage) – AC 120-240V 24p True Cinema Technology Audio Power Output – 20W (10W+10W) VESA Hole Pitch – 300×300 M6 In the box – Remote Control RM-YD027 Batteries (Type AA x2) AC Power Cord (separate) Screws (4) for Stand Operating Instructions Quick Setup Guide Warranty Card Table Top Stand (separate, assembly required) Unit Dimensions – 37 3/4 x 25 5/8 x 12 inches (with pedestal); Weight – 42.1 lbs (with pedestal) Manufacturer’s limited 1-year labor & parts warranty
Sony BRAVIA VE5 Series KDL 46VE5 46 Inch 1080p 120Hz Eco friendly LCD HDTV
Sony BRAVIA VE5 Series KDL 46VE5 46 Inch 1080p 120Hz Eco friendly LCD HDTV
Go green without sacrificing picture quality. Combining energy-saving features with quality picture performance, BRAVIA VE5 Eco Series HDTVs make other televisions green with envy. The 46″ Class VE5 boasts a high-efficiency HCFL backlight which provides outstanding image quality while exceeding ENERGY STAR 3.0 requirements by over 55% in Home Mode. An integrated Presence Sensor detects if you’ve stepped away from your TV for a while and shuts the picture off. A built-in LightSensor(TM) automatically adjusts to your room’s ambient light and lowers the brightness of the TV’s backlight to conserve energy. Plus, enjoy Full HD 1080p picture quality and smooth motion with Motionflow 120Hz refresh rate technology. Dynamic Backlight Control feature adjusts the brightness of the backlight both to optimize image quality and to reduce power consumption BRAVIA Engine 2 fully digital video processor HD input x 7; Four HDMI inputs Connect your camera, USB-enabled MP3 player, or USB storage device directly to your HDTV’s USB input 24p True Cinema mode provides a direct connection to 24p video sources, avoiding conversions and allowing you to enjoy films at their intended 24 fps (frames per second) cinematic picture quality when using a 24p True Cinema capable output device ATSC/NTSC tuner with QAM VESA compatible hole spacing Dolby Digital Power Consumption (in Operation) max. – 160 W Max Power Requirements (voltage) – AC 120V Audio Power Output – 20 W (10 W X 2) VESA Hole Pitch – 300X300 M6/12-16MM In the box – Remote Control RM-YD028 Batteries (Type AA x2) AC Power Cord (attached) Screws (4) for pedestal Operating Instructions Quick Setup Guide Warranty Card Table Top Stand (separate, pre-assembled) Unit Dimensions – 44 1/4 x 30 1/2 x 12 3/4 inches (with pedestal); Weight – 57.3 lbs. (with pedestal) Manufacturer’s limited 1-year labor & parts warranty
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Great Deal On A Great Television
I bought this television after doing some pretty extensive research. I had almost decided on a Samsung, but after going to the store and looking at some of them, I decided that the Samsungs were way too glossy for my taste. I saw the 40″ version of this television on display at a store, and it looked fantastic. Very sharp picture, not glossy. The power saving features and having seen how good it looks in person got me very close to a decision, and the final piece of the puzzle was that it would fit on the stand I already have. That might sound silly, but it’s another $200-$300 for a decent stand. My stand is 20″ wide, and has about an 3/4″ lip on the edge. The stand on the Sony is about 18″ wide, and lifts the TV up over the lip, so it worked out quite nicely.
The service from Amazon was great on this. The free scheduled delivery worked out great. The company that delivered it (CEVA, I beleive) showed up early, and carried it up the stairs to the third floor for me. They offered to unpack it, which I declined, wanting to do it myself to make sure I could save the box for moving purposes.
It took me about 30 minutes to get the TV unpacked, the stand attached, and the TV up and running. Keep in mind, I was doing this by myself…it would have been quicker with a helper.
The picture on this TV is simply awesome! I watched The Descent on Blu-ray as my first movie, mainly because it’s a very dark movie, and I wanted to see what the black levels were like. The Sony did not disappoint. Most of the movie is set in dark caves, and most of the time, I couldn’t even see the edge between the dark movie and the edge of the letterbox.
The only bit of weirdness I’ve had, was at the very beginning of the movie, there’s a white water rafting scene that looked very strange to me at first. It turns out it was because the director of the movie had been using camera movement for dramatic effect, and the MotionFlow technology was canceling it out! It was easily fixed just by turning off MotionFlow. I plan on leaving it off, as I have noticed no blurring issues even with it off.
The only thing a wee bit lacking on this TV is the sound, but it’s not horrible, and honestly, if you’re willing to shell out the cash for this TV, then you should be willing to shell out for a good sound system too. Overall, I highly recommend this TV.
5 Stars Great Picture and Features, plus it’s eco-friendly
This is an excellent TV.
Picture Quality:
The picture quality of this set is superb. In the setup menu, I set the picture to “vivid” mode and the HD quality is simply life-like. The color and contrast are excellent. It also uses something that Sony calls MotionFlow which helps to smooth out the image when you are watching fast-action pictures.
Backlight Technology:
It is an LCD set, but uses a hot cathode fluorescent lamp for its backlighting. This technology allows it to be much more energy efficient and close to par with the energy usage of LED backlit LCD TVs. Most LCDs use cold cathode fluorescent lamps. The 40″ model uses a maximum of 140 watts, the 46″ uses a max of 160 watts, and the 52″ uses a max of 180 watts.
Eco-Friendly:
It has a sensor called a presence sensor that does two things. First it senses the ambient (room) light and if the room gets darker, it will automatically dim the picture of the TV. This works well if you are watching TV in the bedroom at night and you want less light output. The second thing that the sensor does is senses the room for motion and body heat. If you leave the room for a preset amount of time (5 min, 30 min, …) and the TV doesn’t sense anyone around, it will turn off the picture. If you walk back in the room, it senses you and turns the screen back on. The sound stays on for another 30 minutes or so, then the whole set will go into stand-by mode if it does not sense you. Both of these features can be turned off via the setup menu and help to conserve energy.
Features (just a few of them):
The TV is loaded with features. It will automatically sense if you have something connected to an input (for example HDMI2). This is great when you want to hit the input button on the remote because it will not select items that aren’t currently sending out a signal. This means you don’t have to scroll through 10 items if you only have two components connected to the TV. In the setup menu, you can set each input for always on, always off, or auto. I used the always on setting for the PC input because the cable I used to connect the PC did not send a power signal so the TV did not sense it. By setting it to always on, the PC input will always be available when I scan through the inputs.
It also has a lot of inputs. There are 4 HDMI inputs. If you have a DVI port on your PC, then you can connect it through HDMI port 1 which also has an analog audio input. There is one dedicated composite (with S-video) and one dedicated component input, but there is another switchable composite/component input that you can use if you have two composites and one component, or vice versa. There is a PC input to connect via VGA connection. The audio outputs are one optical digital out and one analog out.
Dislikes:
1. All of the Inputs and Output are on the left side (when looking at the front of the TV) of the TV. This is unfortunate for me since my A/V cabinet is on the right side of the TV. It is a minor inconvenience, but something that I did not think about until I got the set home. I would say about half of the inputs are one the left side and the other half are on the back, next to the side inputs.
2. The presence sensor is right where I have my center audio speaker. I will have to raise up the TV to still have that speaker front and center.
Overall, this is not a cheap TV, but I think this is a case where you get what you pay for. It is a really great set.
4 Stars So far, so good…
I just received this TV from Amazon 2 days ago, so my opinions are based on first impressions…
This actually the first Sony HDTV I’ve owned. I have a 32″ Sharp LCD from 2005 (which is still a great TV) and I owned a 40″ Samsung LCD from 2006 which recently died. This is my first 1080p television. As with most of these sets, you will need to make adjustments for a while to get things just the way you like. I spent a couple of hours fine tuning the picture settings on this set and wow! As far as television viewing, SD picture quality is so-so which i have come to expect. Combine that with my cable company’s poor signal compression level and there are just certain channels that make you turn your head away. HD channels are another story. This is where this TV shines. Channels like Discovery and HD Theater pop off the screem, almost Blu Ray quality. Audio quality is not the best, but as i believe someone else mentioned, if you’re investing in a set like this, chances are you’re going to have a 5.1 or 7.1 setup to go with it, which i do, so the onboard speakers arent an issue…
As far as Blu Ray viewing, I have only thrown in a couple of discs to see how this set handles them. I fed my PS3 “Baraka” and what i had intended to be a 5 minute PQ test ended up lasting about 40 minutes. It’s that amazing. Watching a particular scene in “Quantum of Solace” i was completely floored (The airplane chase sequence) With the motionflow and cinema settings fine tuned, the landscape in particular during this sequence almost looked 3-D!
One of the major marketing points for this set are it’s “Eco-friendly” tools, many of which i’ve disabled. The motion sensor that sits in the middle of the speaker grille is useless to me because my center channel speaker blocks it. I do like that fact that there’s a “kill switch” on the side of the set that cuts all power consumption. When my wife and I travel we usually unplug our appliances so having this should keep me from having to get behind the TV stand and unplug the set amongst other things.
Additionally as others have mentioned, I would have preferred that Sony placed more of the HDMI outputs on the back of the set as opposed to the side. This is a minor inconvenience that can be solved with right-angle HDMI cables or adapters…
