Sony Grand WEGA KDF-42WE655 42" LCD Projection TV

With SD (Standard Definition) broadcasts, the picture is quite good. Not quite as good as my old Hitachi 27" CRT, but very, very close. In "Full" mode it is very good, in any of the zoom or stretch modes, not quite as good. With a decent DVD and a progressive scan player, the picture quality is breathtaking. Finding Nemo is just amazing in it's color saturation and clarity. Switching over to my satellite HD input, a true HD broadcast is so sharp and realistic that you'll think you're looking through a glass window. It's very impressive! The only disadvantage to LCD technology is its difficulty in dealing with deep blacks in a scene. This is a fact, but one which has only minimal impact on the overall picture quality. The Sony can render deep blacks very well, but that comes at the cost of some loss of detail in very dark areas. This is most apparent in dim night scenes or areas of a picture with very high contrast. The compromise I use is to simply set my picture and brightness levels to a point where the blacks aren't quite as dark as they might be. This provides a pleasing picture and maintains much of the detail in dark areas that might otherwise be lost. A little tweaking will easily give you a picture that is excellent for almost any programming.

I find the sound quality to be well above average for a TV. The sound is full and well defined with reasonable bass response and clear mid and high range tones. It features normal, TruSurround, and simulated Surround modes, but its built in automatic volume control function will only work in normal mode. One nuisance is that you must disable the speakers through the on screen menu before the audio output can be used. This only takes a few seconds, but it means you have to use the TV's remote.

This set has seven video inputs, all of which can be labeled and/or bypassed through the menu system. The HDMI input is preset to use input seven. There is no DVI input on this Sony. The inputs are accessed by scrolling with the remote. The remote is fairly complex and not very intuitive. I prefer using the remote that came with my DISH satellite receiver and have it programmed to control the TV. I only use the Sony's remote when I have to access the menu system for the TV.

This set is not too heavy...about 68 pounds, and can easily be carried by two adults. It is 32" high and just over 14" deep, but it is nearly 48" wide. That's pretty wide for a 42" set and makes a TV stand the most practical way of setting this unit up. Entertainment units wide enough for this set may be difficult to find.

The fan is quiet and can only be heard at start up and at shut down. Bulb life is estimated to be in excess of 3,000 hours and replacements are about $200.

Viewing angles are limited in the vertical plane...about 60 degrees...but are generous in the horizontal plane. (Over 130 degrees). In practice, this presents no real problem since not too many people will be watching this set while standing up.

So, yes, I am very pleased with this purchase. It has picture quality that will compare with plasma or DLP, but at a sub $2000 price point. That plus its built in HD tuner, make this a very impressive buy for a big screen HD TV.

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