| Don't Know Which HDTV To Buy? Try Our HDTV Selector Tool |
Sony KDL40W2000 Set Up & Design
 |
 |
Outwardly, the Sony KDL40W2000
Buy this for £759.98 at Dixons
Use code '5TV' for £40.00 discount isn’t going to win any beauty contests. I guess it is priced to deliver value and function over aesthetics; for that you may need to look at the more expensive BRAVIA X-series. The non-reflective black bezel is a departure from the glossy frames of its closest competitors but that is not necessarily a bad thing. If you watch a lot of TV in daytime, you might enjoy the glare free session. The speaker grille covers the whole length of the bottom part of the TV below the lower bezel.
If you wish, you can mount the display on a solidly designed, non swivel base. We had some problems trying to do this despite puzzling over the `graphical’ instruction sheet for a few minutes beforehand. So, it is probably a good idea to get a third person to help align the TV with the insertion point on the stand.
 |
 |
Sony won't let you forget the features... |
Bravia Engine and WCG backlight |
Standard accessories are provided:
- Remote control + Batteries
- Manual and Registration Cards
- AC Cable
- Coaxial cable
- Cable holder
- Support belt and screws
The manual is well written and sufficient for the average user. It is well indexed and covers most of the main features of the TV, although you probably need to go to a Sony user forum to get a better grasp of its myriad of controls. More importantly, you may benefit from the knowledge of a dedicated group of users and pick up some important pointers on how to improve your picture quality. I was particularly amused at the use of cartoons at the safety information section, but I digress.
 |
 |
Back of the panel |
Control buttons (topside) |
 |
 |
Main connection panel |
Side connection panel |
Turning our attention to its connections, we find the usual suspects – 2 HDMI, 1 Component, 1 VGA, 2 SCART, 1 S-video and 1 Composite. The standard headphone jacks and analogue R/L audio outputs were there, but we missed a digital audio output. For HDMI, the Sony accepts up to 1080p signals but only 1080i in component and 1360x768 in VGA (PC input). It beggars belief that the latter two interfaces are being `crippled’ this way even when they can fully deliver the 1080p bandwidth. Maybe it’s the cost of processing involved, but some competitors have distanced themselves on this aspect. Samsung, for example has started offering full 1080p connectivity on its latest models and they are clearly popular.
There is also a lack of multimedia connectivity that can work against this model with certain consumers. You can already find USB and multicard readers installed on other companies’ models, allowing the TV to be much more than a video display set.
Thankfully, Sony redeems itself by including an onboard analogue and digital Freeview tuner with this set. Just in case you didn’t know, the UK digital switchover will be carried out in 2012 when the analogue broadcast transmission is terminated.
| Back To: KDL40W2000 Review | |