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Sony KDL-46W4100 Review

The Sony KDL-46W4100

The Sony Bravia line continues to be at the forefront of producing cutting-edge LCDs that are top-notch in both design and technology. For this year, the middle-range W4100 series – which includes the stylish KDL-46W4100 – succeeds last year’s highly popular W3000 series, and sports new enhancements that were only recently exclusive only to the high-end Bravias.

Design

The elegant design of the KDL-46W4100 consists of a uniformly thick glossy black frame surrounding the screen, highlighted by a see-through window below the bottom frame, just above the silver perforated grille that hides the speakers. The clear and attractive window affords a view of the black and silver pedestal and whatever else is at the back of the TV, making it blend perfectly well in home interiors.

The revamped remote for the KDL-46W4100 has a nice feel. It lacks backlighting, but with the buttons neatly arranged, one can easily select keys even by touch. It also doesn’t have the capability to control other devices attached to the TV, but generally, we believe it’s a good clicker. We’ve continuously griped about the XMB menu system copied from the PS3 and even the changes implemented in the menu of the KDL-46W4100 aren’t enough to stop our ranting. We welcome the grouping of picture controls under one heading, but generally, we remain adamant that the option-filled Cross Media Bar menu is quite cumbersome.

Screen/picture clarity

The KDL-W4100 delivers inky blacks that are just a tad lighter than those found in the high-end plasmas. The deep blacks made shadows more detailed and colours much more vivid. The KDL-W4100 also gives accurate primary colours, with just the secondary cyan colour found to be less than accurate. Decoding of red is also a bit off, but a little tweaking would make the images seem more natural. However, the backlight appears to fluctuate specially when the screen turns in a bright-dark-bright sequence – the subtle changes in the blacks and shadows even without changes in the picture are unnatural and quite distracting.

Sony’s 120hz, MotionFlow processing in the KDL-W4100 is better than last year’s version, resulting in less noticeable smoothing that in turn makes movies more realistic.  
We noted uneven screen brightness, with some areas noticeably brighter than the rest of the screen. On off-angle viewing, the uneven brightness as well as colour washout is too remarkable to be ignored.

Features

The 1080p full HD resolution KDL-46W4100 offers four independently-adjustable picture presets; white balance controls; four aspect ratios; and a Game mode that removes video processing during games. Other convenient features include the electronic TV Guide; limited picture-in-picture, and two-step power saving mode. Connectivity of this set is rich: four HDMI inputs, VGA-style PC input, and a slew of component audio/video input/output at the back and side panels.

Sony continues to widen its reach in the HDTV market by offering premium features in lower-priced LCDs such as the KDL-46W4100. For buyers who are after excellent performance without breaking the bank, this may just be the TV that will fit the tab.

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Pioneer KURO PDP-5020FD Review

Pioneer KURO PDP-5020FD - A great HDTV!

A member of the distinguished Kuro line from Pioneer, the PDP-5020FD is an extra-ordinary HDTV that delivers top-notch and unrivaled performance. Pioneer proves that it reigns supreme when it comes to the large plasmas, though high-quality does come with a hefty tag. The PDP-5020FD is in fact the cheapest in the Kuro series for this year, yet it still costs much more than competing brands.

Design

Pioneer maintained the unadorned look of its plasmas in the PDP-5020FD - a shiny black frame surrounding the screen with a removable speaker at the panel’s bottom. The clean sheer look is perfect, though the screen is not flushed with the frame, leaving a thin strip that reflects bright lights that may become distracting. Moreover, this set comes with a solid-looking, non-swiveling stand that limits viewing to only one position.

Pioneer re-designed its remote for this year and some of the changes aren’t quite welcome. The new remote ditched the different shapes for secondary functions and replaced these with tiny, uniformly-sized keys, added more buttons and arranged these in a neat grid that lends itself to frequent remote-pressing mistakes. The direct access to the TV’s inputs and glow-in-the-dark buttons are nice touches, though. The menu system was also overhauled, and gratefully, the changes implemented here are well-thought of and are quite welcome.

Screen/picture clarity

As usual, the PDP-5020FD gives the deepest black in HDTVs. This is expected, as Pioneer made the contrast ratio five times more intense than the previous models, affording never-before-seen black levels that pave the way for breathtaking images, impressive shadow details, and vibrant colors. There are color accuracy issues, with red and green deviating slightly from HD standards, but generally, these are not deal-breaking ones. The anti-reflective screen is also among the best, giving exceptional picture clarity even with open windows and bright lights.

Equipped with a dejudder and 72hz. refresh rates, the PDP-5020FD smoothed images and played Blu-ray discs without apparent issues, though some artifacts may arise when the dejudder is engaged. The plasma also deinterlaced 1080i sources and resolved standard-def materials quite well. Even as PC monitor, the PDP-5020FD resolved every line of the 1,920×1,080-pixel PC signal, when connected as digital.

Features

The PDP-5020FD is a non-Elite model in the Kuro line, so its features are relatively fewer. Picture control settings are limited, and it doesn’t have color temperature presets; it has seven picture presets, including the Optimum mode which adjusts intelligently according to ambient conditions. The plasma has four HDMI ports, an Ethernet port that allows streaming over the home network, USB port and an assortment of connectivity options. Other features include side-by-side picture-in-picture viewing, anti-burn features, and power-saving modes.

The PDP-5020FD is undoubtedly an expensive HDTV, but for home theater enthusiasts, splurging on this TV may just be the right decision, as this TV surely rocks when it comes to picture quality. It also has advanced features that ensure pure entertainment, so you certainly wouldn’t go wrong with the PDP-5020FD.

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Pioneer KURO PDP-6020FD Review

Pioneer KURO PDP-6020FD - Unrivaled Plasma

If you are looking for great performance HDTV and ready to spend for it, you definitely have to take a look at the awesome Pioneer KURO PDP-6020FD.

Words surely are not enough to describe the breathtaking performance of this top-notch HDTV from the most respected name in plasma TVs. It’s no wonder it’s the favorite piece of serious videophiles who know a great piece of equipment when they see one.

Design

The improvements in this HDTV are obviously in the electronics, rather than aesthetics, as this ninth generation plasma in the Kuro line basically looks much like its predecessors - simple minimalist frame with glossy finish, removable speakers and non-swiveling stand - a very clean look which is probably preferred by those who dislike being distracted from their TV viewing. Pioneer reconfigured the menu system and the remote but it seems the changes made it difficult to access some menus - such as the Picture menu which now takes about four button pushes. Along with the smaller and closely-spaced buttons, we didn’t find the changes adding value to this product.

Screen/picture clarity

The Kuro series is known for its deep blacks and the Pioneer KURO PDP-6020FD surely doesn’t disappoint in this aspect. Truly exceptional blacks are rendered, making the screen come to life with deeper and richer colors. Even shadow details that are usually lost in ordinary HDTVs are observable in this TV set.

The Improved ASIC Video Processing and Scaling provides excellent video rendering and deinterlacing of different video sources. Even Blu-ray discs - often problematic in HDTVs due to the lower 24fps rate in which the discs are recorded - are scaled nicely in this TV and doesn’t present the usual jerky movements that are quite irritating. This set really delivers smooth, realistic pictures that are simply unparalleled in TV plasmas.

One of the things that can stand improvement is color accuracy - the tone is a little bit off in some cases which viewers may find distracting. Another negative thing is the limited tweaking options - something which dedicated videophiles would find annoying. Specialized controls for setting color temperature and sharpening images are almost de rigueur in this class of HDTVs, and Pioneer erred for not including these options.

Features

This Kuro is certainly packed with features, as can be expected from a high-end HDTV. One surely wouldn’t complain gripe about lack of connectivity with this HDTV, as it has four v1.3 HDMI ports, one USB port, one PC connector and an Ethernet port that can be used to link the TV to a home network. Burn-in problems are addressed by the Screen Protection system which allows you to control different features designed to prevent image burn-in. It also has SRS audio technology for sound reproduction that matches the clarity of the screen images.

For video and film enthusiasts who value the deepest black possible in HDTVs, this Kuro definitely delivers that and more, ultimately giving consumers new experiences in TV viewing. Of course, that depends if you have a lot of cash to burn in this pricey set.

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