 |
Reviewing the latest Sony LCD Projection TV sets The 'KDF' Grand WEGA Range of Sony Wide Screen Projection TVsThe latest Grand WEGA Sony LCD projection TV sets are taking home entertainment to the next level. Picture quality is superb, come with an integrated HDTV tuner, and they are stylish and slim. Price-wise, they compete well with similar products from other brands. We review some of the top-selling products in the range of LCD rear projection TVs from Sony to see what's on offer for the home theater. Introducing the Sony Grand WEGA 'KDF' Range of LCD Rear Projection HDTV Sets All products in the 'KDF' range of Sony rear projection TV sets share similar features and specifications. The real major differences between the various models are different product dimensions and weight - which vary according to the product screen size. The smallest in the Sony's line of Grand WEGA LCD RPTV's is the Sony KDF-42WE655 - a 42-inch wide screen rear projection HDTV.
The other extreme in terms of
screen size - not only within the Sony range but also within the
full range of available rear projection TVs from other major manufacturers - is
the 70-inch wide screen
SONY KDF-70XBR950 Other popular products in the range of Sony Grand WEGA LCD rear projection TVs include:
All sets include an integrated HDTV tuner that is capable of receiving over-the-air broadcasts, as well as digital cable TV. There is also a cable card slot, a memory slot to view your digital camera pictures, and 2:3 pull-down. In addition, all models except for the KDF-70XBR950 come with a HDMI™ interface as standard. Thanks to the use of Sony proprietary WEGA light engine and the latest LCD ('Liquid Crystal Display') micro-display projection technology, these Sony rear projection TV sets are capable of delivering exceptional picture detail and vivid bright colors across the full screen surface. In addition, though not as slim as a wall hanging Plasma TV, yet these Sony LCD projection TV sets are stylish, relatively lightweight, and slim - requiring no more than 15 to 20 inches in depth - depending on the screen size. The only except is the 70" Sony LCD rear projection TV with its 25.5" depth - yet it is still compact in comparison to what would be required for a CRT RPTV.
Surely, Sony are the undisputable leaders in the field of home entertainment and video technology - their products have always been synonymous with quality and reliability. However the real seller for these great feature rich Sony LCD projection TV sets is not the Sony brand name but the price. They do not come cheap - maybe a bit more expensive, but still compete well with similar products from other brands. In fact, the smallest in this range of Sony LCD rear projection TVs - the Sony 42" KDF-42WE655 is selling online at around $1,900. If one were to take into account the slight difference in screen size, this would fall in line with the slightly bigger 46-inch Toshiba 46HM94 DLP HDTV. Similarly, the Sony 50-inch and the 55-inch models are within the same price bracket of the Toshiba 52HM94 52" DLP HDTV. Sony LCD projection TVs only start to get somewhat more expensive than the average with the larger 60-inch and 70-inch wide-screen models, with the 60-inch model selling on amazon at $3,300. Even so, these prices for the Grand WEGA range of Sony LCD projection TVs still contrast heavily with the prices of plasma TV sets, which at $5,000 for a new 50-inch HDTV plasma model, renders plasma a relatively expensive big screen option. An interesting list of specifications, features, and enhancements. Sony LCD Projection TVs: A Detailed Technical Analysis As indicated earlier on, these products in the 'KDF' ranges of Sony rear projection TVs share very similar specifications and features - with the real significant difference being a different screen size. All sets feature a wide 16:9 aspect ratio screen and offer compatibility with standard-definition 480i, enhanced-definition 480p, and high-definition 720p and 1080i signals. Integrated HDTV Tuner: These Sony LCD projection TVs come with a built-in HDTV tuner which can receive both over-the-air broadcasts as well as digital cable broadcasts (ATSC and QAM). This means that there is no need to spend a few hundred dollars in an external HDTV decoder to feed in high definition signals. The tuner supports picture-in-picture through Sony's TwinView PIP, a feature that lets you view any 2 sources simultaneously - side by side, even at different image resolutions, These Sony LCD projection TV sets are also capable of making a good show out of a standard-definition video signal through Sony proprietary Digital Reality Creation MultiFunction Circuitry. This raises standard definition signals to HD quality to display clear, stable images from any video source. MID-X Multi Image Driver Circuitry scales all incoming standard and high definition signals to the configuration of the panel without degrading signal quality. Sony WEGA LCD Light Engine: Sony rear projection TVs utilize LCD technology in their light engine. Sony make use of 3 different 1,366 x 788 wide-XGA format, high-resolution LCD panels, one for each of the RGB color component (resulting in a total of 3.28 million dots of resolution). This calls for a more complex optical setup but at the same time, it gets rid of the color wheel found in most DLP sets - often associated by some with the rainbow effect. The WEGA Engine system maximizes picture performance from any video source by minimizing the number of digital-to-analog conversion processes. The optical engine used in these Sony LCD projection TV sets also features a special 11-element lens system responsible for the lightweight, ultra-slim cabinet. The lens system bends the light path, creating an ultra-short focal point while maintaining high brightness. A 100W or 132W user-replaceable ultra-high-pressure lamp is used as the light source; lamp wattage varies according to model. This proprietary system delivers vivid images from the center of the screen all the way to the edges. This set-up frees the user from having to make any convergence adjustments. In addition, as with other micro-display projection technology, these Sony LCD projection TV sets do not suffer from burn-in; this is not the case with phosphor-based CRT and Plasma displays. When it comes to these Sony LCD projection TV sets image quality, our only minor complaint is their black-level performance, or rather their ability to accurately render black and very dark picture areas. Surely there has been a huge step-up from some previous models, something which brings Sony LCD rear projection TV sets on par with most competing DLP models - but still not as good as some CRT-based RPTV's. Sony's Digital Reality Creation (DRC) circuitry ensures high picture resolution, while proprietary Direct Digital Circuitry increases the video signal's signal-to-noise ratio before it reaches the DRC circuit, ensuring rich, natural-looking images from any source. 3:2 Pulldown: Sony's CineMotion 3:2 pulldown detection and reversal is a handy feature for watching progressive-scan movie programs in their native 24-frame format. Digital video mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture.
Other features include:
A few minor differences We have stated that these Sony rear projection TV sets share very similar specifications - with the real major difference being a different screen size. This doesn't mean that there aren't any differences in the supported features and enhancements between the various series. For example, the XS955 Series of Grand WEGA televisions offers additional features over other products in the 'KDF' range of Sony LCD projection TV sets, including advanced menu functions that are typically found only in service menus:
Product Dimensions and Weight: The table below lists the respective product dimensions and weight for each of the Sony LCD projection TV sets referred to in this review article:
What's in the Box All Sony LCD projection TV sets come with a remote control, remote batteries, a user's manual, product registration information, and a limited manufacture's warranty. Concluding Remarks
In addition, the use of three different LCD panels - one for each color component - in place of the typical color wheel used in some other rear projection TVs ensures that viewers will not suffer from any rainbow effect. Cons: These Sony LCD projection TV sets do not come with lamp brightness adjustment - a feature available on the Toshiba range of DLP rear projection TV sets. This may render a too bright a picture for viewing in a darkened room - in particular with the smaller screen size sets. Fan noise may be noticeable especially during passages of low volume sound. Our final complaint concerns channel labeling - no matter how much time it takes to label all your favorite channels, at the instant you perform a scan to update the channel programming on your Sony LCD projection TV, all your labeling work goes down the drain as the scan process seems to erase all channel labels! Our Best Advice Surely, these Sony wide screen rear projection TVs are among the best one can find on stores shelves, however, prior to any decision, we suggest that you take a look at what other customers had to say about these Sony LCD projection TV sets following their purchase. All you
have to do is to click on the following links to access the respective Sony
rear projection TV product page at amazon.com; then follow through the
'Customers Reviews' section on the same webpage:
A Word of Caution: Sony have managed to come up with some great really BIG screen LCD rear projection TVs - at truly affordable prices. However, do not be tempted to go for a bigger screen size simply because you can afford it unless your room size, and in particular the available viewing distance, can take it. For more details on TV viewing distance and screen placement, please refer to our TV Viewing Distance article under our Home Theater Design section.
...back to Rear Projection TV Reviews Index return from Sony LCD Projection TV Reviews Home Page |
LCD rear projection TV. Surely
not as slim and lightweight as the rest of the models, but at such a huge
display size, this is more than expected for a rear projection TV. 
: this succeeds the highly rated Sony KF-50WE610 and
is the 50-inch version of the KDF-42WE655 
: this is the 55-inch version of the KDF-42WE655
- an exceptional audio/video calibration and setup tool, suitable for both
the novice and the expert.
