A Wonderful, Dependable Alternative To Plasma Televisions

Author's Rating:

Pros: Plasma Quality Picture, HDTV Ready, Tons of Ports, Light-Weight, Very Dependable

Cons: Price

The Bottom Line: 
The Sony BRAVIA KDL®-V40XBR1 40 in. HDTV LCD Television is a high quality, more dependable alternative to similar plasma sets.

Author's Review
Introduction

The Sony 40" BRAVIA™ XBR® LCD Flat Panel HDTV is an excellent new alternative to today’s 42 " plasma televisions. The 40" BRAVIA™ XBR® LCD Flat Panel HDTV has the same brightness, contrast, thinness, weight, and screen resolution of a Plasma television with the time-tested quality of LCD (liquid crystal display) technology.

Plasma vs. LCD - The Advantages of LCD

Though LCD televisions were always traditionally smaller than plasma televisions, the 40" BRAVIA™ XBR® LCD Flat Panel HDTV gets very close to the traditional 42" plasma size - a feat that wasn't very possible just a few years back. One advantage of LCD technology is that it operates using electrified liquid crystals vs. Plasma’s charged gasses (plasma’s technology) - which means that LCD televisions do not emit any radiation, use less power, and are also brighter than plasma televisions. Finally, the biggest advantage of LCD television is life span. LCD televisions last 60,000 viewing hours (which is about 8 hours of viewing for 18 years) versus plasma televisions which only last 30,000 viewing hours - half as long.

The Picture

The Sony 40" BRAVIA™ XBR® LCD Flat Panel HDTV is a widescreen (16x9 aspect ratio) television that can easily stretch traditional normal screen (4:3) signals automatically or with the press of a button – allowing the set to be quite versatile for all types of content - whether DVD, Standard definition TV, or High Definition TV. When tested with HDTV, the 40" BRAVIA™ XBR® LCD Flat Panel HDTV produces vivid colors and dark deep blacks without any ghosting (trails left behind by quickly moving images). HDTV looks smooth and clear with very little notice of pixelization as the set runs in 720p native resolution (it is also capable of 1080i resolution.) It also features 3:2 pulldown, which smoothes DVD playback when used in conjunction with component inputs and a progressive scan DVD player. Also, this TV doesn’t have a shiny outer coating like many plasma sets do allowing the TV to reflect less light (such as open windows or lamps) in a room, allowing a more pleasing, unhindered viewing experience.

Sound

The 40" BRAVIA™ XBR® LCD Flat Panel HDTV features 4 speakers that produce surprisingly good sound for their size. Bass and Treble can be adjusted to the users liking and simulated surround sound (SRS® TruSurround® XT Audio Effect) can be turned on at the press of a button. I assume the majority of users will be connecting a surround sound system to this television to complete a theater-quality experience, but the clear, crisp sound of the built in speakers certainly hold their own.

Connections and Inputs

The 40" BRAVIA™ XBR® LCD Flat Panel HDTV is HDTV ready and features an ATSC NTSC tuner for over-the-air high definition channels. The television is also cable-card compatible, which means that your cable or satellite provider can code a cable card which can be directly inserted into the television to control your viewing content (channels, etc.) which eliminates the need for an additional set-top box. The television features a plethora of ports for nearly any type of input, including component and composite inputs as well an HDMI input for high definition components, a PC input for a computer input, and a USB input for connecting a digital camera and displaying photos.

Design

The Sony 40" BRAVIA™ XBR® LCD Flat Panel HDTV is significantly lighter than a tube or projection television of the same size and weighs in at only 75 lbs. with the included stand. The BRAVIA features a very clean, elegant, modern design that is primarily black with silver accents - which should look nice in nearly any home. The included stand allows the TV to swivel from side to side to allow viewing from different angles, and the TV is (of course) wall mountable with an optional mounting bracket.

Final Thoughts

With many advantages on its side, the 40" BRAVIA™ XBR® LCD Flat Panel HDTV has very few flaws – with the main flaw being cost. This TV retails for $3,499 – which is about a thousand more than similarly featured plasma televisions. I would recommend that buyers compare this television to a plasma in person, keeping in mind that the Sony LCD television will last twice as long. If you are satisfied with the Sony’s picture quality and design, then it is well worth every extra penny.