Finally……A Sony

    Now I don’t know about you folks, but ever since the days of the old Sony Trinitron I have lusted after a Sony. Year after year went by, but I never really could afford one. I’m not going to knock the others that had to play surrogate for my Sony Fantasy. Seriously, my old giant Philips was still working when the Sony Bravia showed up. Even so, we were in the midst of a  little freshening up of the furniture and paint scheme of ye olde bungalow, and it was time to replace the giant behemoth of a Philips, replete with gargantuan TV/Stereo Cabinet from an era gone by, with a more compact unit for viewing as well as an up on the wall mounting that allowed for the space sucking cabinet to be replaced by a comfy sofa. This Sony Bravia, even in its more compact 32” format (31.5” Diagonally according to the manual), has proven to be an amazing find for the price. Here’s the lowdown where we separate consumer wheat from retailing chaff.

Retailers say:

Experience the realism of high definition on this advanced HDTV. The tuner can receive conventional analog channels (NTSC) and the new digital channels (ATSC), including over-the-air HDTV broadcasts where available, and unscrambled digital cable channels. Two HDMI inputs and a variety of other inputs make it simple to connect DVD players, camcorders, game consoles, surround-sound systems and even a computer.
Note:You must have a source of HD programming in order to take full advantage of the Sony Bravia 32" LCD HDTV. Contact your local cable or satellite TV provider for details on how to upgrade.

The realism is truly there. Anyone who knows me knows I watch a ton of Golf. I need a TV that can pick up serious HD—because I’m taping some of my favourite swings for both analysis and practice. Take my word—if you’re a middle aged guy with a moderate swing speed—do like I do—copy Steve Stricker’s Swing—not Tiger’s. Us old guys don’t have the strength or flexibility. Unlike what the retailer’s would have you believe—32” is enough if you mount the TV in the correct focal point of your living room. Believe me, we may eventually upgrade to some mega-tank 45” model someday, and relegate this pup to the bedroom, but our bungalow is an open concept home where the front hallway, living room, and kitchen/dining area all come together. This TV is more than simply “adequate” when doing the job we bought her for.

Basically that does help substantiate the manufacturer’s claim that:
Sony® BRAVIA® L-Series LCD HDTVs deliver legendary Sony quality and performance and a great value. The widescreen High Definition display includes two HDMI™ connections1 for the ultimate in easy connectivity, while fast panel response and wide viewing angles provide a bright, colorful image for viewers no matter where they’re sitting.

Now I didn’t mention the easy connectivity earlier, because I figured “If a guy with two left thumbs such as me could get this hooked up from the manual—anyone can.”  Speaking of which, the manual is well written, and not one of those bad literally translated jobs that results in nonsensical phrases such as “all your TV Base are belong to us.” Regardless—I’ll mention the specs such as the 2000:1 Contrast ratio and the resolution of 720P for those who have to get technical—but for all of us nudniks out there—suffice it to say that the picture on this TV  is more than simply reminiscent of its Trinitron Heritage. It’s incredible sharp and rich, with a lot of depth to it.

The manufacturer also claims that:

Sony® BRAVIA® L-Series LCD HDTVs deliver legendary Sony quality and performance and a great value. The widescreen display provides detailed, vibrant images for movies, sports, and prime-time High Definition television broadcasts. Two HDMI™ connections (up to 1080/60p input capable) 1 let you easily connect to the latest HDMI-enabled sources and transmit uncompressed digital video and multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. With fast panel response and wide viewing angles, viewers can enjoy a crisp image and minimal loss of brightness, color or contrast, no matter where the HDTV is placed.

I realize that may be a slight rehash of what I said, but it does throw in a couple of details that the Televideophiles amongst you might find important—such as the single cable connection and lack of necessary/unnecessary compression of the signal can have an effect on choices made by the purists amongst us.
Of  course most of you who read my reviews regularly, be they golf, music, or electronics reviews, know that if you look up the word “Cheapskate” in the dictionary, you’ll see a synonym “Berniez40” listed as an alternate definition, as well as my picture right next to it. So what would possess a well known penny pincher such as me to cough up just under $500 for a 32” TV? Well besides the picture quality listed, as well as the legendary Sony name----this little beastie comes with more than just a remote control.  They include the following:

RM-YD025 Remote ControlBatteries (Type AA x 2)AC Power CordOperating InstructionsWarranty CardOn-line Registration CardRegistration CardCable ClamperOpen-source software flyerQuick Setup GuidePedestal (Pre-assembled)

Some of you might also find a manufacturer’s list of detailed features a lot more helpful than me just plopping down an ingredients list. I’m not sure how all of it works technically, but I can attest to the fact that the picture is no lest than astounding from any angle in our three room living/dining area so here’s what Sony has to say.

16:9 720p resolution
16:9 720p resolution panel (1366 x 768) provides crisp, detailed, and vibrant images for movies, sports, and prime-time HD television broadcasts.
2 HDMI™ connections
2 HDMI™ connections (up to 1080/60p input capable) 1 transmit both uncompressed digital video and multi-channel digital audio on a single cable.
2 Component inputs
2 Component YPbPr (1080/60i capable) inputs provide added HD capable connectivity, and a PC input (HD-15 pin) offers the added versatility to use your HDTV as a computer monitor.
VESA® compatible hole spacing
VESA® compatible hole spacing uses an industry-standard mounting hole pattern that can be used with VESA-compliant mounting brackets, taking the guesswork out of selecting the proper hardware for hanging your TV on the wall.
Built-in ATSC™/NTSC tuner
Built-in ATSC™/NTSC tuner with QAM delivers over-the-air digital TV and unencrypted HDTV broadcast signals, as well as traditional analog TV broadcasts.
Fast panel response
Fast panel response helps provide a crisp, clear image for sports programming and fast action scenes.
Wide viewing angles
Wide viewing angles allow even people sitting to the side of the TV to get a clear view with minimal loss of resolution or contrast, giving you greater flexibility for room placement.

Now as far as reliability goes, I am hoping for the legendary 20+ years of viewing pleasure that those Sony’s of old were known for.  In the meantime, I’ve had a year of incredibly good performance from a TV that I thought might very well leave me underwhelmed after all my years of lofty expectations. Once again, I don’t get all the technicalities of what makes it so great, I just understand that it is. For those of you who need all of the technical stuff—here goes---

Display
Image Aspect Ratio:
16:9
Widescreen Modes:
Full, Wide Zoom, Zoom, Normal
Display Menu Language:
English, French, Spanish
Comb Filter:
3D digital
Additional Features:
V-Chip, parental control, on-screen menu, 3:2 pull down compensation, channel labeling, progressive scan
Display Format:
720p
Resolution:
1366 x 768
V-Chip Control:
Yes
Picture Adjustment:
Vivid/Standard/Custom
Image Contrast Ratio:
2000:1
TV Tuner
Reception System:
NTSC-M
Stereo Reception System:
MTS
Secondary Audio Program (SAP):
Yes
Analog TV Tuner:
NTSC
Video Features
Input Video Formats:
480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p, 480i
Parental Channel Lock:
Yes
Remote Control
Type:
Remote control
Audio System
Sound Output Mode:
Stereo
Audio Controls:
Sound mode
Output Power / Total:
20 Watt
Additional Features:
Auto volume adjustment
Speaker(s):
2 x right/left channel speaker - built-in - 10 Watt
Connections
Connector Type:
4 x audio line-in ( RCA phono x 2 ) - rear ¦ 1 x audio line-in ( RCA phono x 2 ) - side ¦ 2 x component video input ( RCA phono x 3 ) - rear ¦ 1 x composite video input ( RCA phono ) - rear ¦ 1 x composite video input ( RCA phono ) - side ¦ 1 x digital audio output (optical) ( TOSLINK ) - rear ¦ 1 x S-Video input ( 4 pin mini-DIN ) - rear ¦ 1 x audio line-in ( mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm ) - rear ¦ 1 x VGA input ( 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15) ) - rear ¦ 2 x HDMI ( 19 pin HDMI Type A ) - rear ¦ 1 x audio line-out ( RCA phono x 2 ) - rear
Power
Power Device:
Power supply - internal
General
Product Type:
LCD TV
TV Tuner:
1x analog/digital combo
PC Interface:
VGA (HD-15)
Width:
31.8 in
Depth:
3.9 in
Height:
21.5 in
Weight:
29.8 lbs
Series:
BRAVIA
Enclosure Color:
Chrome, satin black
Manufacturer Warranty
Service & Support:
1 year warranty
Service & Support Details:
Limited warranty - parts and labor - 1 year
Dimensions & Weight Details
Dimensions & Weight Details:
Panel without stand - 31.8 in x 3.9 in x 21.5 in x 29.8 lbs ¦ Panel with stand - 31.8 in x 9.5 in x 23 in x 33.3 lbs
Digital TV Tuner
Digital TV Tuner:
ATSC, QAM
Additional Specifications
HDMI:
Y

Overall this is perhaps one of the better purchases I’ve made this past year. I have always wanted a Sony—Check.

I needed a TV that would fit into the bungalow with open living concept lifestyle—Check.

I needed something for under $500, because we spent most of the redo budget on carpet, paint, and furniture. –Check

I needed a TV that gave a great picture from numerous odd angles, that was easy to mount and operate—Check.

Lastly—I have always wanted a Sony, and I wanted something that would be as reliable as it is beautiful to watch.---Check.

Hey, for less than $500—this one is mighty hard to beat.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 450.00