Sony Bravia W4100 Series - LCD TV

The W-series by Sony is part of their high end lineup of LCD televisions. Last year's W-series offerings came under the W3000 label, with 2008's following the W4100 naming convention. These TVs come below the premium level Z-series and feature most of the same standard high-end display technology such as 1080p native resolution and 120Hz frequency, but lack the advanced connectivity options in their more expensive siblings. Just below the W-series is the V-series which removes the 120Hz mode for smooth display of fast motion.

Pros & Cons
Pros:

•Handles 60p content through both HDMI and component inputs
•4 HDMI inputs
•Small bezel/frame

Cons:

•No DLNA support

More information

Specs

- 1080p native resolution
- 120Hz mode
- USB port for accessing digital content
- thin bezel, and "ultra-thin" cabinet depth
- Inputs: 4xHDMI 1.3, 2xComponent, Composite

Z-Series and W-Series features

120Hz - to handle fast motion found in action movies, video games and sports the television's refresh rate is doubled from the usual 60Hz to 120Hz. This results in smoother motion and reduces the image artifacting known as judder.

24p True Cinema - movie's are filmed at 24 frames per second, traditional televisions display their images at 60Hz meaning the movie information needs to be converted. With the 120Hz mode, which is a direct multiple of 24, no conversion is necessary meaning you get the source exactly as it was filmed. 24p content comes primarily from Blu-Ray video.

Z-Series, W-Series, and V-Series features

60p and 24p support - these sets can accept Blu-Ray content that is delivered at 24 frames per second with a progressive picture. They also accept a progressive signal that is delivered at 60 frames per second, this is most common in video games. Both the HDMI and Component video inputs can handle these signals.

Bravia Sync - control the other components in your home theater system, such as your A/V receiver and DVD player, directly from the TV. The other components must be Bravia sync compatible.

USB port - view pictures and audio stored on a USB mass storage device.

Features found on all 2008 Sony LCD TVs

Digital Media Extender - this is a proprietary port that acts as a central gateway for future add-ons to be installe to expand the functionality of the TV. The first add-on available is the Bravia Internet Link module that lets you view video content from the Internet. Sony claims future add-ons will be available with more features.

LCD TV Best Buys

Samsung LN-T5265F ( Around USD 2800)

Best 52-inch LCD HDTV. According to reviewers, the Samsung LN-T5265F is the best blend of screen size, performance and price among LCD TVs. Colors are said to be accurate, and a full range of picture controls allow owners to tweak further. Critics also say that the image is crisp, blacks are impressively deep and shadow detail is good. Even better, the Samsung is inexpensive for a top performing, 52-inch LCD TV, and it costs less than many plasma TVs of this size. Unlike most LCD TVs, the LN-T5265F has a glossy screen coating that's liked by some reviewers, but called too reflective by others. The Samsung LV-T5265F has the highest HDTV resolution of 1080p


Sony BRAVIA KDL-46XBR4 ( Around USD 3180)

Best 46-inch LCD HDTV. Although more expensive than other LCD TVs, this Sony set delivers cinematic black levels only slightly lighter than those of the best plasma TVs. Shadow detail and color performance are described in reviews as excellent. Because the picture on the Sony KDL-46XBR4 looks better than most LCD TVs when viewed off center, it's a great choice for a family room. The great-looking TV has an elegant floating glass frame but the main reason for the high price is its 120 Hz processing to reduce motion blur. Reviewer opinion differs on how well this works, but all agree that the Sony is a great looking and performing LCD TV.

Westinghouse Digital TX-47F430S ( Around USD 1300)

Top-rated budget 47-inch LCD HDTV. While it doesn't match the color rendition and black levels achieved by top-rated Sony and Samsung LCD TVs, critics say the Westinghouse TX-47F430S comes close, and is a great value for non-picky viewers. Detail and color are good, though shadow detail and black levels fall short. Despite the budget price, this is a 1080p display that can display every bit of an HD broadcast. For the screen size, it's an even better value than most plasma TVs

Syntax-Brillian Olevia 537H ( Around USD 775)

Best budget 37-inch LCD HDTV. While this Syntax-Brillian Olevia LCD TV does not offer the highest 1080p resolution, reviews say that doesn't matter very much for TVs smaller than 40 inches. And, critics say the Olevia 537H outperforms most other LCD TVs in its size and price class when it comes to image quality. Black levels are better than with many LCD TVs, though not as good as LCD TVs from Sony or Samsung. Some say the menu system is confusing to use, and the TV is otherwise feature-light. But reviews say those shortcomings are more than offset by the TV's value.

Samsung LN-T3253H ( Around USD 870)

Best 32-inch LCD HDTV. If you need a smaller TV, reviews say this Samsung model is a standout in its 32-inch screen size. Black levels are said to be deep with great shadow details, good connectivity and attractive styling. Picture quality is said to be great out of the box, but a huge number of picture adjustments lets you tweak the picture to your liking. An adjustable backlight makes it easy to get the right brightness level for both well-lit and darkened viewing situations. The resolution of this TV is just 720p, but experts say that the benefits of higher 1080p resolution are lost in a screen of this size. Some reports say that sound quality could be better.

Syntax-Brillian Olevia 532H ( Around USD 500)

Budget 32-inch LCD HDTV. The Syntax-Brillian Olevia 532H is the 32-inch version of the larger 37-inch Olevia 537H (*est. $775), which also gets excellent reviews for value and picture quality. This Olevia LCD TV uses a lower 1366 x 768 resolution -- not the highest, but still high-def, and it's feature-light compared to the class leaders. But the Olevia 532H also costs half as much as some Sony or Samsung TVs in this size range, making it an excellent value.

Samsung LN-T2353H ( Around USD 570)

23-inch LCD HDTV. The 23-inch Samsung LN-T2353H is expensive for a small-screen LCD TV but the image quality is first rate, and the styling, featuring a piano-black bezel, fits comfortably into almost any decor. Like some of Samsung's larger-screen offerings, the TV has a startling array of picture controls that make it possible to tweak image quality to perfection. Reports say that sound quality is above average, which is especially important for a small TV that's unlikely to be hooked up to a home theater audio system

Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 - Digital Cameras

The Sony Alpha DSLR-A350, along with the DSLR-A300 are Sony's latest announced Digital SLR cameras. These models are essentially upgrades to the Alpha DSLR-A200 release in the fall of 2007. Both the 350 and 300 two distinct new features: 1) Live View mode for the LCD viewfinder, and 2) an articulating LCD screen. Also, the A350 offers a significant increase in its resolution, increasing to 14.2 megapixels, up from 10.2 megapixels in the A200. The A350 offers further penetration by Sony into the DSLR market, since the introduction of its first DSLR camera in the Alpha line, the Alpha DSLR-A100 release in the summer of 2006.


Pros & Cons

Pros:


•Features live view LCD viewfinder with dedicated sensor
•Competitively priced
•Extremely high resolution sensor @ 14.2 megapixels
•Unique articulating LCD screen

Cons:

Nothing at the Moment

More information

Features


- 14.2-megapixel Super HAD CCD
- new Live View mode with secondary image sensor for the LCD
- swiveling, articulating LCD screen
- continuous burst mode: 2 fps
- memory: compact flash media
- ISO Sensitivity: 100 to 3,200
- super SteadyShot in-camera image stabilization offers from 2.5 to 3.5 stops of compensation
- Bionz Image Processor
- Dynamic Range Optimizer: Normal DRO improves detail using standard gamma curves for fast shot-to-shot response time. Advanced DRO adjusts dynamic range area-by-area.
- Anti-Dust Technology
- Auto Pop-Up Flash
- Eye-Start Autofocus System
- 9-Point Center Cross AF Sensor
- 40-segment honeycomb metering system
- Scene Selection Modes: Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports, Sunset and Night - Portrait/Night View situations
- Creative Style Settings
- 2.7-inch Clear Photo LCD Screen
- Index and Slide Show Display
- High-Resolution Thumbnails for PhotoTV HD Viewing
- Function Guide Display

Live View

Sony's implementation of live view places a second, low-resolution, dedicated image sensor to be used by the LCD viewfinder. The rationale behind Live View is to improve the response time of the digital viewfinder, so that it mimics the behavior of an optical viewfinder. The low-resolution sensor introduces less lag between the actual image and the image rendered to the LCD by requiring less processing time by the camera's internal circuitry. There is a mirror inside the pentamirror arrangement that reflects the image to the secondary live view sensor.