Last year my roommate and I decided to set up a home theater system. Since we had a small room and a relatively limited budget, we decided that a 20-27" TV would be best. Anything smaller than a 20" would have been too small, while at the other end of the spectrum we would have to sacrifice quality for size. Since the 24" Wega wasn't available at the time, we picked the KV-20KV10.

There are plenty of decent 20-24" TVs out there, so why the Wega? Well, the flat screen was incredibly appealing. We were looking for a high-quality screen that wouldn't detract from viewing DVDs. Having used virtually flat computer monitors and not-so-flat monitors, we were agreed that the flatter the screen, the better. There is no distortion, and the coolness factor is way up there.

To be honest, my roommate and I didn't do much comparison shopping. The 20" Wega was the only TV in its class, and we bought it. We paid around $400, although I'm sure you can find one cheaper if you look.

When we got the TV, the first thing we did was marvel over how flat the screen is. There are plenty of "nearly flat" screens out there, but the Wega has a flat screen. If you turn the TV on its back (not recommended) you could use it as a table. It's flat. This doesn't sound very exciting, but trust me - it is.

Next we plugged the TV into our cable system, and the picture quality was horrible. No surprise there - the cable feed itself was atrocious. Other reviewers have complained that the Wegas are no good with a bad input, and I have to agree with them. If you only want the Wega for television AND you have a bad antenna/bad cable reception, don't bother - get a less expensive TV and you won't notice the difference.

With medium- to high-quality inputs (good cable, VHS, DVD, etc) the Wega is in a class of its own. The evening news has never looked so good, and DVDs are absolutely unreal. For about 3 weeks, my roommate and I drooled every time we watched a DVD, watched a VHS tape, or even used our Playstation on the Wega. The sound is also excellent. While it can't compete with a dedicated amplifier + speakers, the sound from the Wega is much better than from most TVs this size. DVDs really need a dedicated receiver/decoder/amplifier for the sonic punch that the DVD format is known for, but the KV-20FV10 does quite well reproducing the quality and effects from DVDs.

There are plenty of inputs (including S-Video) for hookup up VCRs, DVD players, cable, etc. and the S-Link feature lets you control all of your Sony equipment with just one remote. The 20" Wega lacks component video inputs (the highest-quality output available on DVD players) but users who require component video probably won't be buying this TV anyway. I used the S-Video input for DVDs, and it looked just fine.

I really could go on for hours about this television....it's packed with features, has a gorgeous picture, and an easy-to-use menu system for complete customization. The flat screen garners comments even when the TV is turned off, and every single person who's watched the TV has commented on the picture quality. If you do get a new TV (Wega or not), take a few minutes to adjust it before you pass judgement on it. The Wega looks great right out of the box, but it's even better if you make some simple adjustments. First and foremost, bring down the brightness to about 1/2 of the maximum. This will make the picture look better and the tube will last longer. Next take a few minutes to adjust the color. Look especially at the flesh tones...getting these to look right can be tough, but it's worth it. When you're adjusting things, make sure you make note of what the settings were when you started. That way, if you goof up you can always go back to the beginning. :)

Now that I'm done raving about the KV-20FV10, I must admit that I no longer have mine. I recently sold it to a friend and bought the 27" Wega (which, again, is a fantastic piece of hardware). I highly recommend the KV-20FV10; it's perfect for dorm rooms, small dens, bedrooms, home offices, etc. You won't be disappointed.



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