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Great telly at a bargain thanks
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
this Sony's Freeview pictures are dreadful. But don't run for the hills just yet. The KDL-32W4000 – Sony's first Full HD resolution 32-incher – still constitutes a massive leap forward for flat tellies. Brilliant menu system One reason is that we're suckers for a good menu. The iPod's clickwheel, the Xbox360's idiot-proof simplicity, or even the all-conquering iPhone, all pale into insignificance in comparison with Sony's exquisite new invention. Called the XrossMediaBar and operated using a familiar remote control, this gorgeous menu system has been designed with a cool blue theme and with immaculate high-resolution graphics. If you hover over the digital or analogue TV icons, a list of what's on now and next springs up, as well as the option to delve up to a week ahead into the schedules. Radio stations can be found just as easily – all on the same screen – while there are also some more novel options. Shove a memory stick crammed with photos into the TV's side and the XrossMediaBar immediately recognises it. It's a cinch to watch a slick slideshow, although it's disappointing that XrossMediaBar doesn't deal in MP3 music or video files. Our love for XrossMediaBar comes full circle when the remote reveals a 'heart' button. It's for adding your own pictures to a pre-installed gallery of the greats, a feature that's called Picture Frame mode. Full HD magic Our salivating over, it's on to the important question. Is Sony's debut Full HD 32-incher any good? The sad truth is that it's brilliant with hi-def and disappointing with everything else. Its 1,920 x 1,080 pixel screen and three HDMI inputs (one on the TV's side for occasional gamers or HD camcorder owners) make it primed for our Blu-ray test disc There Will Be Blood. Using the 24 frames-per-second mode, the KDL-32W4000 supplies smooth and eminently cinematic pictures that swim in dazzling colour and stunning levels of colour gradation and detail. Fast-moving footage does provide some problems with ghosting, which suggests that an anti-blur 100Hz version of the KDL-32W4000 might be worth the wait. Freeview fail Thanks to CEC connectivity, the TV's remote can also manipulate the basic functions of a Blu-ray player. So, is there anything it can't do? Yes: Freeview. A lot of MPEG blocking and picture noise mar digital broadcasts. This may not be helped by the huge number of pixels on show, but we've seen rival Full HD sets deal with this better. Thankfully, the speakers excel, with BBE Viva mode proving adept at bringing dialogue to the front of the soundstage while Dolby Virtual is also impressive if you want a bit more power and are less bothered about the dialogue. Mixed appeal TV Sony is between two stools with the KDL-32W4000. Freeview viewers will be disappointed. But, if you're over your Freeview phase and have embraced SkyHD you won't need to use the XrossMediaBar to its full extent. Ultimately, a superbly integrated performance with a Blu-ray player, fabulous hi-def pictures, and a transparent glass design is too much for us to ignore. Go on, wrestle the remote from usRead full review
Beautiful as new! I was shown it in working condition and it's amazing. My mother has this model and she's very happy with it in her room at the nursing home, this ne has had little use and is like new.
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