Sony KLV-40ZX1M overview

Among all of the technologies that enable LCD to attempt to rival the picture quality of the best plasmas, LED backlighting is the most effective we've seen. LED-equipped models we've reviewed in the last couple of years have demonstrated superb black-level performance, mostly thanks to their local dimming circuits, which let the TVs dim or turn off the backlight in specific areas of the screen when it's not needed. But now a new twist has arrived in the form of "edge-lit" LED backlights, and the first such model we received to review is Sony's KLV-40ZX1M.

Edge-lit LED-powered displays such as this Sony and upcoming Samsung models announced at CES do not employ local dimming, so, as you might expect, their black-level performance can't match that of displays that do. On the other hand, edge-lit LED backlights allow the panels to be thinner than ever--the KLV-40ZX1M's panel, for example, measures just 1.1 inches thick. As a result, this TV looks stunningly thin and high-tech, especially when seen from the side, and its LED technology allows for improved energy-efficiency. Naturally, you'll pay a good deal more for the privilege of owning a first-generation technology.