Sony Bravia KDL32W5500U 32-inch Widescreen Full HD 1080p LCD TV with Freeview, 100Hz Motionflow and 3-Year Warranty
Posted by Notcot on Apr 3, 2010 in Home Cinema & Video |
5 CommentsReply |
MenuLatest GadetsRecent Reviews
Archives
|
Very good piece of kit and strongly recommend ordering this through Amazon.
First things first, delivery: was a bit nervous about mixed reviews and though I’ve used Amazon for years no, this is the first time I’ve ordered a large item through them. I ordered the set three weeks ago and it shipped very shortly afterwards and arrived via CityLink about 2hrs ahead of the stated delivery deadline. Was also able to track the order on CityLink’s on-line tracking system which was useful. Arrived in pristine condition. So absolutely no complaints on Amazon’s delivery. Well done.
The set itself is amazing. Always been a fan of Sonys and they’re clearly keeping up the good work. Assembly was very straightforward, and I thought the instructions were clear enough for my use. Build quality of the television is excellent: good solid construction and plenty of sockets for connectivity. The set itself looks stunning with its glossy black finish and reflective strip. 32inch meets our needs perfectly (I think you honestly need to decide when size picture suits the room, and not just assume that “bigger is better”).
We’re replacing a little 20inch Sony that’s been in the family for about a decade, and decided it’s about time to get a new one, besides which we saw a similar one in a 1990’s exhibit of a local museum (so it truly is “a museum piece”!). This brand new Sony Bravia is clearly a step up and it shows.
The picture is beautiful. Nice screen with some nifty smart features to widen the picture proportionately, producing near cinematic imagery for the likes of EastEnders. We use FreeView and I got a bit concerned by expert reviews talking about blockiness but the W5500 seems to have sorted that problem. Also read about clouding and ghosting, especially on darker images. Tested it out by watching DVDs of the series “24” and the night-time shots return no such problem. As regards the 100hz Motionflow, I did notice the difference especially in 32inches. We’re shortly replacing our ramshackled old DVD player with a new one that upscales to 1080 so I’m sure that will work brilliantly.
In terms of sound, this TV also beats the pants off most of the competition. Went into a store and listened to the Sony compared to the rest. Having the speaker panel on a strip below the screen facing forward makes all the difference. Others brands have the speakers below facing downward or rearward resulting in a noticeable “tinny” sound. The only rival perhaps was the Panasonic, but then the Panasonic didn’t have the same features. I also quite like the way the TV comes with pre-set modes for both sound and picture: general, cinema, concerts, etc.
Energy saving features are quite useful as well. However this is the one area where the Bravia falls slightly. We normally like switching the TV completely off at the mains when not in use for zero consumption. However we’ve discovered that you have to leave it on stand-by every now and then so that the GuidePlus Programme Guide can update itself. Otherwise you get imcomplete information and a warning message. Not a huge problem, and the TV consumes only about 0.15W on stand-by (or about 0.12% of normal switched on consumption), and half as much as say the most modern Panasonic.
All in all, I’m happy to say that after a lot of research, we seem to have selected a winner. Good value for money. Speaking of money, I couldn’t believe the price differences on the market. Thought there was supposed to be a recession on? With the help of Amazon, we got brand new equipment (the TV itself rolled off the assembly line only a month ago), and leading edge technology, for about a third off the high street prices.
Rating: 5 / 5
Our CRT had served us well for the last 13 years, but I’d resisted the urge to upgrade to a HD screen until I had too. The good news is the CRT died last week after giving out a few warning signs.
I’ve spent many an hour scouring sites & forums looking at who, what, when, how, why. etc!
The Sony won me over in the end – I didn’t mind spending a few quid more for the 100 Hz after seeing a V & a W side by side showing some fluttering flags, the W was clearly smoother.
I was concerned by the reports of ghosting/clouding on these panels, but I’m please to say that my screen exhibits no issues. Not sure if the 32″ screen has these issues or if I’m just a lucky one.
Out of the box the settings look excellent, a touch bright, but all in all a vast improvement over the crt as you’d expect.
I’ve hooked up my BT Vision box, which upscales to 1080i & the freeview picture is stunning. Almost 3D!
Overall I’m really impressed with the screen & happy with the purchase – I felt sick pressing the “BUY” button, but I feel I certainly have done the right thing.
Rating: 5 / 5
I’m not a tecchy when it comes to appraising the relative merits of televisions. I am not a gamer, geek or gadget freak. I just want a good quality, reliable TV with a decent warranty and a good picture.
I will admit that I have been seduced by all the oohaa(sp) about HDTV and decided to take the plunge and replace my not HD ready CRT television.
And so last week I took delivery of a Sony Bravia KDL32W5500U. It was delivered 16 hours after I ordered it! Well done Amazon and your couriers. Putting it together and setting it up was a doddle (although I detest `mind of their own’ scart cables which are a devil to route neatly). Then came the big moment of switch on.
I sat down in my usual chair in the lounge and watched. I have to say I was underwhelmed. The signal is received through a Sky+ box. It was working perfectly but I was unconvinced by the clarity and quality of the picture. Our old (6 years)TV is also a Sony (Trinitron CRT 26″ widescreen). I decided to set this up on a Freeview box and run it side by side. Let there be no doubt here. The quality of the picture on the old TV was far superior to that on the new one. Crisper, clearer, more distinctive colours. Whilst the Bravia picture was ok, that was all it was. Just ok.
I tried swapping them round and ran the Bravia through Freeview. I also tried adjusting picture settings. Same result.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with the Bravia. It is just that the picture is not as good as the Trinitron. That is very disappointing.
Two other points worthy of note.
1. Depending on where I am sat in the room, the LCD screen reflects light from lamps in the room. Whenever a dark image is on the screen that reflection is very noticeable and further diminishes the clarity of the picture. I daresay it will eventually drive me round the twist so I will need to reposition the lamps – and that will not please `er indoors. That was never a problem with the Trinitron located in the same position.
2. During daylight hours, the piano black polished screen surround reflects light from the window and is a significant distraction from what is being shown on the screen. Irritating. My advice, look for a TV with a matt finish.
So overall, having been anticipating a viewing revolution I am afraid I have to say I am not convinced by these new fangled tellys. Emperor’s new clothes spring to mind.
Rating: 3 / 5
Sony Bravia KDL32W5500U 32-inch Widescreen Full HD LCD TV with Freeview and Motionflow 100Hz: I’ve had this TV for a few days now, and I’ve got to grips with all its various functions. So far I’m absolutely delighted with its performance.
Though it doesn’t affect my rating, Amazon deserves praise for prompt delivery (ordered on the Thursday night, delivered at 10.15am on the Saturday morning).
On unpacking, the solid, robust stand must be screwed into the main TV body. This is straightforward and the screws are supplied. You should have a Phillips screwdriver handy. Once attached, the TV can swivel 40 degrees from the centre horizontally both left and right.
Aesthetically, first impressions are very good. The TV, whilst not ‘beautiful’, is very impressive, not as glamorous as some of its rivals perhaps, but with an understated and purposeful nobility all of its own. The sturdy plastic body is in fingerprint attracting gloss black, so regular dusting will be a must to keep this TV looking at its best.
Once plugged in, it’s moment of truth time. At the end of the day, no matter how nice a TV looks if performance isn’t up to snuff then it’s wasting space in your house. I am delighted to report that this TV has so far exceeded all of my expectations. On first switching on, onboard software takes you through a simple set up process and finds the available channels, and, if you so desire populates a ‘Guide Plus+’ EPG. This was the longest part of the setup process and took about 15 minutes while it did its thing. It’s optional though, you can revert to the standard Sony EPG if you desire. After this the TV was ready to use. I expected to be disappointed by Freeview’s standard definition performance and was prepared to do a lot of calibration however, the factory settings were already very well set up for my home’s lighting conditions and so far have only switched Motionflow to high, set Colour Temperature to Neutral and toned down the red gain via Picture – Advanced Settings – White Balance. I now have a picture that I’m delighted with and which I don’t think can be improved upon. From my normal viewing distance (2.5 meters) there’s very little visible noise and compression artefacts on even the poorest channels are well within my acceptable standards. There is no ghosting at all (watched the Malaysian Grand Prix to be sure), and there is no sign of the clouding or backlight bleed problems which are a constant source of ire on forums with regards to the W5500 model. Oh, and not a single dead or stuck pixel either.
I don’t yet have an HD source (a PS3 is my next purchase) so am making do with a PS2 through a Scart connection for the time being. Again, I wasn’t expecting much but I am delighted that the picture on DVDs is more than acceptable. It’s lacking sharpness and any perception of depth but I really can’t complain. Lord of the Rings ‘The Two Towers’ is on as I type, and given the limitations of the PS2 the picture is quite remarkable. Games on the other hand really don’t look so good – a component cable might improve matters but I’m not so big a gamer that it matters all that much, however, that said, the PS3 is an essential purchase, and my appetite is nicely whetted for a true 1080p Blu-Ray picture.
Regarding the other functions: Applicast is still at its embryonic stages and really not worth the hassle; none of the widgets are of much use to me at the moment. The USB functionality is nicely implemented though: the ability to plug in a USB stick directly and watch a JPG slideshow and MPG movies is going to prove very handy for me, though I understand the MPG only limitation might be useless for some. One can listen to MP3 by this method too, but this won’t find much action in my home – a very expensive hi-fi system takes care of my music.
Speaking of sound, I have no complaints about the speakers on this TV – bass is plentiful considering their size and volume is definitely not lacking. I have no room for surround sound but until I purchase a soundbar, the onboard sound will more than suffice.
In summing up, if this TV were flawed, I would have absolutely no hesitation in advising you save your money but I can’t and I’m really, really struggling to find a single thing to criticise. Off centre viewing affects deep blacks, but not to the extent viewing pleasure is diminished. Channel changes are a little sluggish (sometimes taking 3 seconds between pressing the button on the RC and the picture appearing) but that’s about it. There’s no deal breakers here and nothing I’m grumbling about. If you’re buying a 32 inch TV you really should be auditioning the 32W5500, simple as that.
Rating: 5 / 5
Am now the proud owner of both the 40 and 32 inch model of this television. Absolutely superb quality of standard definition broadcasts. Sport looks brilliant and Blu-Ray fantastic. Would recommend to anybody, particularly people like me who did not originally want to subscribe to H.D but will be amazed and really pleased that they took the plunge as I have. Buy one!
Rating: 5 / 5