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9 out of 9 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"Competes with Plasma"
Pros: Crisp clear picture out of the box; hdmi 1.3; large viewing angle; good blacks; awesome menu system; lots of connectivity
Cons: only 1 S-Video connection; no video (monitor out); no coax audio out; controls on top
Summary: I just picked this up two days ago and couldn't be happier. My old CRT TV died so I was forced into buying a new TV (everyone say Awwww! too bad!) Yes, sympathy for my awesome TV is great. It has a clear picture and the ability to tune almost anything in. It sports a good, intuitive menu system that reduces the need to read the owner's manual. The black levels are near-plasma like and out of the box calibration is good (although I think the reds are too red, but I have no calibration tools to check this.) High-definition content is simply awesome and motion-blur (given that this is a 60Hz set) is hardly noticeable on most sources. Note you can set to 1080P/24 to sync with blu ray and it operates with Sony connected blu ray players (BPS300) with one touch button connectivity (i.e. press play on the player and it turns the TV on and switches to the correct input mode for viewing - a godsend with small children)
Standard definition TV doesn't look so hot, but I haven't tweaked all the controls yet, and possibly have some cabling issues (cheap cables)
It would have been nice for Sony to include a video-out (monitor) and a coax audio out for those of us with really old home theater in a box systems.
My only other nit-pick is that the controls are on the top of the unit. I've mounted this above my fireplace 5 feet up. I can't reach the top controls without a step ladder. Wall mounters may have similar issues. Don't lose that remote.
One last nit-pick, I can't seem to get the audio levels calibrated. I really have to turn my separate a/v receiver up to get sound levels to a decent level. Also, the built in speakers are somewhat boomy. Tweaking the settings may help, plus I'm sitting the TV on a wide ledge so its possible that the speakers are reflecting off the shelf. Putting something soft on the shelf below the TV may reduce the reflections somewhat. If the speakers were on the sides of the unit, I wouldn't have this problem.
I looked at (literally) hundreds of TV's. Plasma's, LCDs, even a few lowly CRTs. I almost bought a Panasonic Plasma (1080p) but for the price, the Sony was a better deal, had comparable performance, and made me eligible for a reduced price on a blu-ray player. How could I refuse. Sony has outstanding reputation for quality and reliability. I know I will be happy with this TV over the next 10 years (that it will take me to pay off my credit card). Do yourself a favor and audition one of these units today.
