Aspect ratio control is acceptable on the
40W2000,
but could definitely be better. Full screen is nice, and the unit was able
to detect and auto switch between 4:3 and 16:9 quite well (good for
European SD programming that supports it). The Smart mode, which deforms the
image slightly (every manufacturer calls this mode something else: arena,
smart, pillar mode, etc.) works fine and does not really give much
of a fisheye effect during the conversion from 4:3 to 16:9. I still found
myself wishing for more options on the aspect ratio button.
The
remote is a typical Sony remote. It looks OK, not the best manufacturing
quality, but has absolutely no discrete features whatsoever. Hey Sony, some of
your customers need automation, so just put 2-3 more buttons on the remote,
because it
certainly has the space for them.
As I mentioned, SD picture quality is pretty
good for a full HD panel. Most FHD (Full High Definition - 1,920 x 1,080) displays don't have much of a video
processor in them, but this one ranks pretty high in comparison with many
other displays. I found the image quality to be acceptable, but certainly
can be improved upon with a good upscaling DVD, or external scaler.
HD quality is a whole different ballgame. No
processor needed there. The image quality was flawless. I tested Narnia,
which has dark characters against very bright white snow. I could easily
make out the shades in the boy's hair as well as see the faulty makeup on
the Ice Queen's face.
The dark cave scene, which is usually very
two-dimensional on most LCD displays, did not come out as well as it did with
the Pioneer PDP5000EX FHD plasma, but it did produce reasonable results.
There was smearing and definite loss of detail, but the scene was
still watchable, and this turned out to be a rather rare moment where the
unit did not produce top notch PQ.
I really liked the sharpness of the image, and
it also
lacked the grain that such sharpness is typically accompanied with on
similar panels. The picture looked "correct", realistic, and lively, and
that's all I ever expect or want from any display.
Watching my 1080p home movies was a real
treat, as you can easily mistake such sources from real life. The image quality
is superb, especially coming from a Sony FHD camcorder. If you need a killer
combination of equipment, here they are.
Measuring gamma (window patterns fixate the
contrast stretching), the unit strangely has incorrect names for the
settings. Low turns out to be the highest gamma setting, measuring at 2.09
(reasonable for such a contrast ratio, although I would love the option of
having a 2.2 gamma setting). The High setting, on the other hand, measured
1.75.
Another interesting story was watching the new
Star Wars trilogy on this display. These movies have a certain "haze" to
them that makes them seem a bit like a dream or maybe a fairy tale. I don't
think I've ever seen this movie as sharp as I did on the KDL-40W2000. The
combination of full HD resolution (Sony calls this a 6 Megapixel
display, as they seem to count all subpixels too) on merely a 40" screen
area just produces a sharp very detailed image.
Conclusions
The Sony Bravia KDL-40W2000 40" Flat Panel
LCD HDTV should be watched from a close
distance. It is not a display for large living rooms, but is ideal for
people having good HDTV sources and sitting 6-10 ft from their system. I
strongly suggest using a dedicated sound system with this display and
leaving the internal audio for Saturday morning cartoons or if your other
half wants to watch the news without turning on the rest of the system.
Bottom Line: Great Product!
- Ofer LaOr -