ON TEST / 32IN LCD TV

Verdict Approx price 800

Sony KDL-32W4000

A full HD wonder with a big resolution and powerful speakers
BSharpness; onscreen menus; colour; sound quality EFreeview picture quality; some judder; price
WITH THE KDL-32W4000, Sony is following attempts by Panasonic and Sharp to kick-start an era of full HD resolution 32in panels. The idea of using a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel screen instead of a basic HD Ready resolution might smack of gimmick, but having seen similarly-specied rivals, we know thats not the case. A full HD screen displays a two megapixel resolution, while a regular HD Ready set shows more like one megapixel. Theres still a way to go yet before your eyes cant tell the difference. Sonys KDL-32W4000 is eyecatching though, with its bold Bravia bezel featuring underslung speakers that cling to the TVs sides complete with a transparent glass panel in the mid-section.

Features

The screens main attraction is that massive resolution, which will tempt gamers and Blu-rayers alike. This is impressively backed up by three HDMI inputs. Better still, one of them is situated on the TVs side, which will make occasional hook up of games consoles a cinch, whether on a desktop stand or wall-mounted. For once, its actually worth considering the latter because, as

The rivals

/ Sharps LC-32X20E
A good all-rounder, this full HD 32-incher struggles to reproduce black levels as realistically as the Sony. Reviewed: Issue 334

/ Panasonic TX-32LZD85

Not only is this Panasonics best LCD yet, its one of the best 32in LCDs ever. Reviewed: Issue 334
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well as offering a USB input for watching digital photos on the screen, the KDL-32W4000 stores a bunch of arty screensavers in its memory. Van Goghs Wheateld with Cypresses, for instance, can be displayed pixel-for-pixel, while your own digital photos can be added to the gallery from a USB stick and scaled down to t the screen. This Picture Frame Mode is a low-power function, but its the wrong side of eco-friendly for our tastes. The biggest improvement on earlier incarnations of Sonys Bravia LCDs is the all-new Bravia Engine 2 picture processing, which builds in an Advanced Contrast Enhancer to boost black level response, promising an extra dose of realism to movies.
Theres a really wide range of tones on show, most of which look likeably natural///
Other features are Blu-rayorientated and are becoming standard on big brand HD Ready TVs. Bravia Sync allows the remote to control the basic functions of a Blu-ray player while 24p True Cinema ensures youre watching hidef discs at exactly the same speed as old-fashioned lm. Audio hasnt been forgotten, with Sonys speakers able to use both Virtual Dolby Surround and BBE ViVA sound technology.
noise on view. Given the sets huge pixel count, its no surprise that it exposes the weaknesses inherent in digital broadcasts, but weve seen much better on rival sets. The results are the exact opposite with HD. Utilising the 24fps mode, the TV displays a Blu-ray disc of Earth with smoothness, although the odd judder is still apparent on brooding camera pans. This model thrives on colour as Live Colour Creation allows a dizzying palette to shine through. A sequence of polar bears emerging from the ice demonstrates pure peak whites and tremendously wellsaturated areas of colour that enjoy terric gradation. Its hard to better this TV on colour. Underwater shots do lack detail in dark areas and in a blackout the screens backlight prevents ne detail in inky areas. As impressive as detail generally is, the KDL-32W4000 could benet from a 100Hz feature to assist during fast moving footage. Its probably only then that full HD will truly blow us away at this small size, and its an omission that the current three full HD 32in LCD TVs share in common.

Fact le

/ 1,920 x 1,080 pixels / Freeview tuner / 7-day EPG / USB 2.0 port / Digital optical audio output
/ Time in Lab: 11 days / Serial No: 4500022 794mm 99mm
Playback Test Colour temperature Contrast ratio Luminance Colour Frequency response
Rating 8791K 7,323:1 107.9 fL
Power consumption: Standby: 1W In use: 131W Lab notes: Calibration delivered a much improved contrast ratio of an incredible 55,355:1

Sound

As for sound, its left to the speakers BBE Viva mode to dazzle. Dialogue is brought to the front of a wide soundstage with some power, while nely detailed background sound is delicately handled. Dolby Virtual mode is also impressive, though we wouldnt recommend it for all movies because the dialogue is lost in an even wider sound eld, though theres a pinch more power overall. Both modes offer just enough bass to deter you from adding a separate sound system.

Spec check

Type: LCD TV Panel shape: 32in, 16:9 Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 HD Ready: Yes Quoted contrast ratio: 33,000:1 Quoted brightness: N/a Supported video formats: 480i/p; 525i/p; 720p; 1080i; 1080p Dimensions: 794(w) x 540(h) x 99(d)mm Weight: 15kg / Other features: Picture Frame (power saving) mode; AVC-HD tuner; BRAVIA ENGINE 2; draw the LINE design; USB Photoviewer; 10-bit signal processing; 10-bit LCD panel; Wide Colour Gamut; Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp; xvYCC/Deep Colour; AVC-HD decoder; DVB-T digital tuner; 24p True Cinema / Sockets: 3 HDMI inputs; 2 RGB Scarts; component video input; PC input; PC audio input; 3 stereo audio inputs; optical digital audio output; composite video input; USB 2.0; headphone jack / Contact: 999 www.sony.co.uk

Ease of use

Called XrossMediaBar, its onscreen menus are intuitive and take mere minutes to master. Giving access to everything from whats currently showing on Freeview to locating radio stations and tweaking the picture settings, its most impressive facet is its dependence on highresolution graphics. Digital TV channels are tuned-in super fast and the seven-day EPG is available as an alternative to XrossMediaBar, though all digital and analogue channels are also available to browse on the latter, so youre spoiled for choice.

Value

Its weakness with Freeview does suggest that this new era of full HD at every size of TV is going to further widen the gap between the hi-def haves and have-nots. Its huge resolution makes this an industry rst (well, almost), so teething problems are to be expected. The KDL-32W4000s fabulous user interface and performance with colour and high-denition in general is enough to make this a decent value and attractive option if youre after a specialist HD screen Z

Picture

Freeview, proves itself to be the KDL-32W4000s main problem, and the only reason it scores four rather than ve stars here. Theres too much MPEG blocking and picture
Avoid Freeview and stick to HD sources and you cant fail to be blown away by this impressive full HD set
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