Super TV, Super deal! You will NOT be disappointed! A+++

Author's Rating:

Pros: Super picture quality and features, Exceptional price!

Cons: The expected weight and bulky size of tube Tvs. Nothing else!

The Bottom Line: 
If you're checking this review thoroughly, you must be interested in this particular tv, so BUY IT! Will not disappoint!

Author's Review
Sure, my review title does sound a little bit like an eBay feedback, but read on and you'll see why I chose this title for my review...

Picture Quality

At first, I had to measure the screen to make sure it really was 27" diagonal. There's an illusion with flat screens I guess that make them seem a little smaller than the traditional curved-screens. I had a 27" curved screen before, and I guess the curved screen gives the illusion of being somewhat bigger. An adjustment that takes a little getting used to. But rest assured, it IS 27" diagonal even if it seems a hair smaller. The pros of a flat screen outweigh the cons by far; less glare resulting in brighter crisper picture, viewable from extreme angles...etc.

This set features an amazing color picture. Among its many features: ClearEdge VM Wideband Velocity Modulation doubles the Velocity Modulation capacity, which allows you to select levels to create better separation between an object and its background for clearer edges, greater picture depth and improved overall picture quality. Or so it says...I have a 6 year old Panasonic tv that also has a very vibrant color screen, without boasting about ClearEdge VM technology...but hey...for the sake of this review, it's nice to know that Sony gives you a little extra! One drawback that I must agree w/ other reviews on is that when you first turn on this set, it does seem to take unusually long to show the picture. The sound comes on right away, but the picture takes probably 10 seconds...what seems unnaturally long. But, if you want it on sooner, turn it on sooner I guess!

You can even toggle between the picture styles 'Vivid', 'Movie', 'Pro' and 'Standard'. Different color and contrast settings for different media...and each setting is apparently customizable. Usually you'll get one setting that you can customize, called 'personal' or something similar, but this tv lets you tweak each one.

The KV-27FS120 also features the recently common Digital Comb Filter, and 16:9 Enhanced Mode (V-Compression). Sony boasts of "Dynamic Focus Circuitry", "Dynamic Picture Processor Circuitry", and "Magnetic Quadra Pole" to ensure it delivers incredible image accuracy, outstanding contrast and corner-to-corner detail. We will never know if these things are really in there, or if they really make a difference in the quality versus a JVC or Zenith model...or if all sets have this stuff inside, just with a different name! But again, Sony is a very reputable manufacturer, only recently being overtaken as the #1 in TV sales by Samsung (sales that is, not necessarily quality), so undoubtedly all of this terminology really does make a difference!

Sound

Easily adjustable sound styles are very handy with this set. You can choose between 'SRS' (3D stereo), 'Simulated' (3D surround) or 'Effect Off' (standard stereo). The 3D effects are very nice. They really sound good. I enjoy the 'Simulated' setting, it really makes the voices sound like they're right in front of you, whereas the 'SRS' makes things sound wider. But, of course they're limited in their surround performance due to the fact that they're NOT surround speakers. You can also tweak the Bass, Treble, and Balance like your car stereo. You can cancel the tv's speakers if you're running the set through a stereo or home theater amplifier too. And of course, you can switch between Stereo and Mono, if you use an antenna and have some poor reception...it helps to eliminate a little hiss when switched to Mono.

The speakers are only 10W each side, so 20W is all the power you'll get...very comparable to a nice boom box stereo. It does alright for tv speakers -nothing impressive. The Bass tends to just sound thick and muffle things when turned up too high, but if you want rumbling and thumping from your tv you'd probably already have a home theater system anyway. It sounds pretty good to me playing a cd (thru my dvd player obviously) through the tv speakers- but again, nothing impressive.

User-Friendliness

This set has a menu that is easy to use, easy to navigate, and a nice addition to all the other million features. A suggestion I have is that you use the menu feature from a blank screen, not a tv show. It seems to be kind of difficult to read with a bunch of commotion on the screen behind it...probably true of any TV set menu I'm sure. The on-screen channel display has green-colored digits in the upper right...again, kind of difficult to see against a busy background...but you get used to it, like anything.

Sony also gives you an incredible 4 inputs, most rivals only offer 3, anymore and you'd have to use your VCR's hookups. No more unplugging the DVD when you want to hook up the video game. It even features one of those 4 in the front, behind a 'hidden' flip-up access panel beside the front power button. I love this for hooking up my digital camera and viewing the vids and pics, and then removing it all, without excess wires dangling from the rear.

The back of the TV is very oriented and organized. All the inputs and outputs are clearly categorized, and with the further aid of the EXCELLENT user manual, nearly impossible to get confused hooking anything up. But, everyone is different, maybe I have a knack for that sort of thing. But I doubt that though.

You're given Component Video ins- (Y,PB,PR) for supposedly the best possible color picture from dvds; and Composite, or sometimes called RCA hookups (the yellow, red, and white plugs), an S-video in, and the obvious VHF/UHF (coax) in for your cable or antenna.

The remote includes batteries, taped to the user manual. The remote has every button you'd need, even quick convenient ones like switching between all the video ins, the picture styles, sound styles, or channel favorites, and 'jump' which lets you toggle back and forth between that last viewed channel- I find this very handy...I can switch back to John Ratzenburger's Made in America, while my wife's favorite show 'House' is on a commercial, with one button. Hey, it's there, use it! The remote is a little smaller than I was used to. But almost anything you buy nowadays comes with a smaller-than-you'd-expect remote. Feels lightweight, kind of weird. But it fits in your hand nice and has all the buttons you need.

This TV, like all in the size group, is heavy. 99.6 lbs to be exact. But unlike another review I read, I disagree that it takes TWO large men to handle it. Sure, if you're a child or an average-sized woman, you might not want to try to tackle it yourself. It does NOT, however have nice built-in 'handles' like my older Panasonic set of the same size. This one requires you to be very careful when lifting once it out of the box. But most any decently built man can handle this set by himself. *Sniff sniff, grunt grunt!* It's a little awkward, but can be done. If it's in the box, it's MUCH easier, the box has little built-in handles. So I'd recommend getting it right where you need it before removing it from the box.

The shape of the tv is different than I was used to also. It doesn't have much of a flat area on top, like say to set a surround sound speakeror a knick-knack. And it is a little deeper (almost 20") than my other set, so it sits out farther in the entertainment center. No biggy, just takes a little getting used to.

By the way, this tv uses 180W when running. So, in case you've always wanted to know exactly how much it costs to run a tv all day & all night...use this formula to compute anything:

W x 24 /1000= kWh. (Wattage times 24 hours divided by 1000) Assuming you want to know the kiloWatthours any appliance or light fixture uses in '24' hours. Then multiply the kWh x whatever your local electric company charges you per kWh which is usually around 9 cents (found somewhere on your bill). So this tv uses about $.40/day to operate nonstop...or $12/month. Nonstop that is.

All in All...

Buy this TV if you're considering this flat screen. This has an exceptional array of features and high quality for a VERY competitive price. And you should know that Sony is a name to be trusted.

As always, I encourage you to SHOP AROUND. ABC Warehouse has this for $350, Sony's website $350, Best Buy $372, and Amazon $285!. Sure, with internet orders you pay an arm and a leg for shipping. But I lucked out, I printed Amazon's price and took it to ABC Warehouse (they claim they match ANY competitor's price) and demanded a price match. The sales rep was very apprehensive to comply with that request, since Amazon, according to him, is not a LOCAL competitor. I had to remind him they advertise ANY competitor. He argued about shipping prices being tacked on to Amazon's price. I argued that if I ordered from ABC via the internet I'd have to pay shipping too, but I'm not, I'm there in person to pick it up, so a competitor's shipping charge shouldn't matter.

It was a funny scenario. Reminded me of buying a car. Salesman sweating in his shoes. Long story short, he checked Amazon's price right in front of me to see their shipping rates, but couldn't get it to work right. So he gave up and sold it to me for $285. If you don't mind the negotiation process, I'd encourage you do the same thing I did...for any product. Find the lowest deal anywhere on the net, print it and take it to a place that claims they match or beat ANY competitor. Make em live up to their claims!

I got a little side-tracked there...hope this review lives up to the A+++ that I give the TV itself!

Happy reviewing!