Written by Did you know that the first ever LED TV was a Sony? It’s true the Sony Qualia hit the streets in 2004 a fact that surprised me as I thought LED was far more recent.
The reason all of the technology companies were racing to introduce LED technology was simply that the color brightness and density is around twice as good as the traditional Cathode Ray lighting of TV sets. Plus there is a power saving by using a LED lit TV.
Local Dimming has been sold as a marvel of LED TV, and to be fair it is very clever. This is a feature of RGB Dynamic TVs. In simple terms this is where the black areas of the screen actually turn off to give you the blackest blacks possible and consequently amazing contrast. Most sets these days are RGB Dynamic. You can also get Edge-Lit and Full-Array sets. These offer a very slight lessening in picture quality (it’s hardly noticeable in all honesty) and are slightly better on power consumption.
Nowadays, Sony use the Bravia brand to front up their HD TV offerings and it is a brand that has grown in stature and sales “clout” massively over the past couple of years. So, bearing this in mind I thought I would take a look at what makes the Bravia LED TVs so popular among HD TV enthusiasts. Most Sony models are Edge-Lit or RGB by the way.
The smallest Bravia I could find is the 32 inch KDL32EX600. The set comes with an impressive array of features that you would associate with all of the bigger Sony sets and full 1080p HD. This makes the picture really clear and bright although Sony do not quote a refresh rate for the TV. I’m guessing 60 or 120 Hz, but to be honest at 1080p you probably don’t need any more. What makes this TV so attractive is a price of just over $700. In my opinion that is very good for a LED TV in terms of price.
Perfect for smaller viewing areas and maybe the bedroom this is one of Sony’s top sellers.
You can get a LED screen of any size up to 60 inches in the Sony Bravia range, so 40, 42, 45, 50, 52 and 55 inches as well. If you want to go top end, then you should seriously consider the new Sony XBR60LX900 60″ 3D TV. I’ve not had the pleasure of watching this new HD “beast”, but all the reviews suggest it works very well, is easy to use and produces one of the best LED pictures around. With extensive features, functionality and connectivity it is a bit pricey compared to other brands at around $4,500, but is clearly a quality offering. One thing I did like is integrated wi-fi, something the other manufacturers will now have to follow suit on and so they should!
The most popular screen size for any LED TV purchases seems to be the 46-52 inch range. My brother-in-law has just upsized to a 55 inch screen and personally I think it’s a bit overbearing for the viewing room size. We have a similar sized room and I think our 46 inch is just right. However, as far as the Bravia range is concerned if you were to push me for my favorite model, I’d have to say, for price versus performance, it would be the Sony Bravia EX700 52 Inch. Now at around $1,700-1,800 it is an advanced TV at a very reasonable price.
And that’s a great price, and you can pick up other really good deals if you’re prepared to dip into the Sony models that are pre 3D. I believe this is for two reasons, obviously the new 240Hz full 3D models are now in the shops and I also think the stores are still keen to sell as much as they can as the economic situation is still not good…so prices are keen.
A Sony has to be one of the best HD TV buys available. As far as quality and reliability go they are up there with the best and the same is true of picture quality and features.
To sum up, if you decide to go for a new LED TV or 3D then you will probably have to pay a certain premium over brands such as LG or Panasonic. Price wise Sony are on a par with Samsung who also make quality LED TVs. LG are catching up fast but will surely have to forego their price advantage to draw level in terms of technology and functionality.
If you’re old enough to remember IBM in its hey-day there was a saying in those heady 1970s days… “No-one ever got fired for buying IBM”. Buying a Sony LED TV is the same, you just won’t go wrong. They are up there amongst the best in all facets of modern HD TV.
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