Sharp LC42XL2E Test Conclusion

SUMMARY
Screen unevenness and red push tarnish the Sharp LC42XL2E that otherwise deserves praise for its detail, motion handling and video processing.

PROS
> Exceptional detail and resolution in [Dot by Dot] mode
> [100Hz] doubles motion resolution without significant artifacts
> Good to excellent video processing

CONS
> Uneven screen uniformity (may be specific to my review sample)
> Red push
> D65 calibration not possible from user menu

Pros

• Exceptional detail and resolution in [Dot by Dot] mode (which also allows for 1:1 pixel mapping and 0% overscan)
• [100Hz] doubles motion resolution without introducing significant artifacts
• Very good blacks and excellent shadow detail for an LCD
• One of the best SD performers for an LCD of this size due to good scaling and video deinterlacing
• Excellent film mode deinterlacing even in 1080i
• Handles 1080p/24 signal well therefore removing telecine judder
• Good connectivity with 3 HDMI ports and (at last) a dedicated component input
• Independent input memory settings, though [Movie Mode] (see Cons) affects all inputs
• Elegant "Slim-line" design with slim depth and thin bezel
• Gorgeously styled remote control (but could be better ergonomically; see Cons)
  
• Pin-sharp user menu and EPG rendered in high-definition pixels
• Can automatically recognise and label connected HDMI devices
  
• Table top stand swivels
  

Cons

• Uneven screen uniformity (horizontal and vertical "bands")
  
• Red push
• No user menu white balance control for greyscale calibration
• Limited viewing angle (less than 30° off-axis)
• Only [Movie Mode] gives the best gamma profile without obscuring shadow detail
  
• Slow user menu/ EPG navigation
• Some important functions on the remote hidden in the flip-away compartment
  
• Table top stand needs to be assembled then attached to TV

Conclusion

The new Sharp LC42XL2E does a lot of things right, ranging from its gorgeous styling and solid connectivity to its motion handling and video processing. Only the longstanding (for Aquos 1080p LCD televisions) problem of screen unevenness (a.k.a. "banding" which is not to be confused with posterization) and red push prevent it from outright recommendation.

In other words, if you are pretty sure you can get your hands on a band-free set, and you don't really care about adhering to D65 imaging standards, then the Sharp LC42XL2E definitely will not disappoint.

http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/Sharp-LC42XL2E/Conclusion

Sharp LC42XL2E Image Quality

HD (Blu-Ray)

While I've never seen high-def material look anything less than acceptable on a calibrated flat screen television due to the sheer resolution and lush colours, the adeptness of Sharp LC42XL2E at portraying fine detail surpassed my expectations. Confirming what I observed during our resolution benchmark test, Night At The Museum (Blu-ray) on the Sharp LC42XL2E in [Dot by Dot] mode was a visual feast in terms of delicate nuances.

Take, for example, the above hilarious scene in which Larry (Ben Stiller) was held down by miniature cowboys/ miners (33:31). One could effortlessly make out the individual stones forming a bed of ballast for the unfinished rail track, the criscrossing strands of tiny rope, each dimunitive figure, and even the veins popping on Larry's forehead.

Similarly, when Larry attempted to impress Attila The Hun with magic tricks (58:06), the level of detail on the Huns' costumes – from the fur helmets to the ornate metal pieces constituting the armour vests – was simply astounding to say the least:

But perhaps the sequence most telling of the Sharp LC42XL2E's exceptional detail extraction and presentation is when Larry was talking to President Theodore Roosevelt (39:22). I had no difficulty reading the "Museum Of Natural History" badge on Larry's right sleeve even though it was not exactly the item in focus:

Although eclipsed by the latest S-PVA panels found on the Sony W3000 and the Samsung F86, the black-level performance on Sharp LC42XL2E is still very good by LCD standards. The haunting silhouette shot of New York City skyline (38:32) never threatened to degrade into a fog of greyness so common on lesser LCD televisions.

And the good news is that shadow detail was not obfuscated by the impressive blacks (I used [Movie Mode] to obtain the best gamma profile). When retiring security guard Cecil (Dick Van Dyke) was showing Larry around the Temple of Pharaoh Ahkmenrah (16:22), the inscriptions on the pillars and the towering jackal-headed statues remained clearly visible.

If you're a D65/ Rec. 709 junkie, the Sharp LC42XL2E's uneven greyscale and cyanish green might take some getting used to, but generally speaking I found its colour rendition relatively realistic. My biggest gripe would be the set's tendency to exaggerate reds (i.e. red push). For example, as Rebecca was crossing the street with Larry outside the museum (48:32), to my eyes her red coat stood out too much against other colours in the scene.

While red push is strictly speaking a colour decoding error (I have the luxury of filters, light measuring instruments, calibration experience, and side-by-side comparison with other panels to tell me so), some viewers may actually like the vividness of red generated by Sharp LC42XL2E. This – of course – is a matter of preference, as long as you realise that there exist other screens with accurate decoding which can deliver a more balanced picture colour-wise.

The Sharp LC42XL2E accepted 1080p/24 signal from the Sony PS3 without any fuss. The panning camera shot away from a scale model of Mayan pyramid (14:26) did not reveal any telltale sign of telecine judder, nor did the scrolling credits at the end of the film.

Unfortunately while I was scrutinising camera pans for judder, I observed some "bands" in the sky as the camera tilted downwards (05:56 and 1:38:54). Otherwise these "bands" did not rear their heads again throughout the entire movie.

When fed with a 1080p/24 signal, the [100Hz] and [Film Mode] controls were greyed out on the Sharp LC42XL2E, making it impossible to gauge the effects of these video processing – if any – on such material.

SD (Freeview Digital TV)

Provided that the programme/ channel bit-rate was decent and a sensible viewing distance was adopted, good scaling and deinterlacing capabilities meant that the Sharp LC42XL2E delivered some of the most outstanding Freeview pictures I have seen so far for this class size in the LCD realm. Blacks was deep, shadow detail was excellent, and colours were more than acceptable though reds could still look a touch too angry.

Keen to check out the motion benefits that [100Hz] confers, I tuned in to watch Tottenham Hotspur's European odyssey in the UEFA Cup:

Engaging [100Hz] certainly produced a visible improvement to the typical drop in motion resolution that affects most LCD televisions, without introducing any major interpolation artifacts such as picture tearing. As the camera moved sideways to follow the football action, individual figures in the crowd and the words on the pitch-side advertisements were less blurry compared to when [100Hz] was switched off.

Unfortunately, live football also fulfills two of the conditions which make any screen uniformity issues much more noticeable: lots of camera panning, and a largely uniform background (football field). In the case of the Sharp LC42XL2E, a few vertical bands of uneven brightness cropped up time and again whenever the camera panned horizontally, which may annoy the more discerning viewers.

PS3 Console Gaming

Until the day arrives when I receive confirmation that a video game is authored strictly to D65 standard (which may not be too far in the distant future given that more and more games are incorporating cinematic experience into gameplay, e.g. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune), I usually refrain from applying my own calibration settings for console gaming. Instead, more often than not I find myself resorting to the [Game Mode] if it's available on the television.

On the Sharp LC42XL2E, the result was vibrant and bright, yet there was still sufficient dynamic range to render the compelling shadow and lighting effects in an incredibly detailed environment:

Set PS3's [RGB Full Range (HDMI)] to "Limited" to avoid crushing shadow detail

I turned on [100Hz] for its motion resolution advantage, and did not witness any significant ill effects. There were the occasional screen tearing when playing Uncharted, but as they persisted regardless of whether [100Hz] was on or off, and also on other HDTVs I had at hand, I attributed the tearing to the game engine itself.

http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/Sharp-LC42XL2E/Picture-Quality

LC42XL2E Calibration & Benchmark

Greyscale

Like previous Aquos LCD TVs we've reviewed before, the Sharp LC42XL2E does not offer white balance control in its user menu for fine greyscale calibration, so you'll have to make do with one of the five [Colour Temp] presets. Predictably, [Colour Temp] "Low" came closest to the D65 imaging standard:

[Colour Temp] "Low" CCT	[Colour Temp] "Low" RGB Tracking

The picture would look cooler/ bluer in darker areas, but warmer/ redder as the luminance increased. Because the latter tends to amplify the red push colour decoding error (I shall explain this in the "Colour" section) on the Sharp LC42XL2E, you may find the overall image more pleasing if you set [Colour Temp] to "Mid-Low" which serves to counteract the red push although at the expense of even further deviation from D65:

[Colour Temp] "Mid-Low" CCT	"Mid-Low" RGB Tracking

A word on calibrating in [User] mode vs [Movie] mode. Have a look at the following graphs depicting the displayed gamma against luminance in 10% increments:

[User Mode] gamma tracking	[Movie Mode] gamma tracking

On the whole, gamma tracking for the [Movie Mode] was smoother and flatter across the luminance range – giving the most natural and realistic-looking rise from dark to light – without straying too far from the desirable 2.22 level. On the other hand, there seemed to be some sort of crude low-end gamma adjustment hard-coded within the [User Mode], resulting in an alarming dip in gamma below 30% stimulus, which would inevitably obscure shadow detail.

Colour

When plotted on a CIE chart, the red and blue colour points on the Sharp LC42XL2E were bang on the HD Rec. 709 reference, but green was deviated towards cyan. Because this LCD television lacks any sort of colour management system in the user menu, the best I could do was to attempt to match 2 out of the 3 secondary colour points by adjusting the [Colour] and [Tint] controls:

Pre (left) and post-calibration (right) CIE chart with reference to Rec. 709

What these CIE charts does not show you is the amount of colour decoding error on a display device. In the case of the Sharp LC42XL2E, there was noticeable red push which could be attenuated somewhat but not corrected completely by toning [Colour] down.

What is red push? A colour decoding error that makes red more intense than it should be. Why does it happen? To attract buyers on the sales floor, manufacturers like to make their TVs brighter by pushing up the colour temperature (i.e. the picture is tinted blue), which causes skin tone to look unnatural. To make the skin look realistic again, manufacturers introduce red push to neutralise the blue tint. Unfortunately while red push corrects the colour of the skin, it also exaggerates the red in everything else, which is worsened when the hyper-blue greyscale is restored to D65. How do I tell if my television has red push? Through filters + colour bar test pattern, colour intensity measurements and/ or real-life programme material. How can I eliminate red push on my TV? Generally you can't, unless your TV offers colour decoder control (which very few TVs do, and even then it's usually buried in the service menu). An R-Y attenuator may work for external component video device. Your best bet is to hope that your TV's colour decoding is correct in the first place. Can I correct red push by adjusting R-Cut or R-Gain? No. R-Cut and R-Gain are used to adjust the total amount of red that makes up grey... greyscale is a separate matter from colour decoding.

Benchmark Testing

Stuck pixels	0
Screen uniformity	Horizontal and vertical "bands"
Overscanning on HDMI	0% in [Dot by Dot] mode
Blacker than black	Passed
Black level	Very good for an LCD TV
Black level retention	Stable if [OPC] & [Active Contrast] off
Colour chromaticities	Green primary deviated towards cyan
Colour decoding	Red push
Scaling	Good
Video mode deinterlacing	Good
Film mode deinterlacing	Excellent
Viewing angle	60°
Motion resolution	600 with [100Hz] on; 300 when off
Digital noise reduction	Effective, with minimal loss of fine detail
Sharpness	Defeatable edge enhancement
1080p/24 capability (PS3)	Accepts 1080p/24 signal from PS3 – no telecine judder
1:1 pixel mapping	Yes, in [Dot by Dot] mode for 1080 source

Screen Uniformity

Previous large-sized Sharp Aquos LCD televisions had been known to suffer from screen uniformity issues manifesting as "bands" of irregular luminance, and unfortunately the Sharp LC42XL2E I reviewed was no different. In our benchmark tests, these horizontal and vertical bands were most obvious when a relatively dark (between 20% to 40% stimulus) full-field grey pattern was put up:

Thankfully in real-life programme material the "bands" were a lot less visible, only cropping up when there's slow camera movement across a lightly-saturated background such as blue sky. Even then anecdotal reports suggest that there may be some band-free units out there due to set-to-set variation.

Black Level

After calibration, the blacks on Sharp LC42XL2E was lighter than that on the Samsung LE40F86BD and Sony KDL40W3000, but still qualifies as very good for an LCD TV. No black level fluctuation took place as long as [OPC] – which automatically adjusts the backlight depending on the amount of ambient light sensed – was not engaged.

Static Resolution

In [Dot by Dot] mode, the Sharp LC42XL2E successfully resolved all the horizontal (1080) and vertical (1920) single-pixel lines over HDMI and component (slightly more noise and interference), as one would expect from a true HD LCD television sold by a major brand.

Motion Resolution

I used Chapter 31 of the "FPD Benchmark Software" to test motion resolution. If [100Hz] was disabled, the Sharp LC42XL2E would perform around the level of LCD TVs not equipped with motion compensation frame interpolation (MCFI), achieving a motion resolution of 300.

Once [100Hz] was engaged, motion resolution on the Sharp LC42XL2E doubled to 600, which is the highest I've recorded on an LCD television to date. Another good news is that the MCFI implementation on Sharp LC42XL2E did not evince as many artifacts as those found on rival LCDs such as the Samsung F86.

Video Processing

The Sharp LC42XL2E fared extremely well in this department: certainly its scaling and video mode deinterlacing were among the best I have seen on an LCD TV.

Film mode deinterlacing was equally impressive. With [Film Mode] set to either "Standard" or "Advanced", the Sharp LC42XL2E without fail detected and processed both 3:2 and 2:2 cadence speedily over 480i, 576i and even 1080i (which very few flat panel sets can do). [Film Mode] "Advanced" however would add a dash of frame interpolation to the picture... I generally recommend against this unless you dig the amateur video feel that it entails.

Mixed edits were handled competently – no combing of scrolling text overlaid upon film content was witnessed. The LC42XL2E's digital noise reduction control can be very effective especially for noisy analogue source, but because I'm a purist who cannot bear the thought of even the slightest loss of fine detail, I left [DNR] off for critical viewing.

http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/Sharp-LC42XL2E/Calibration

Operating Sharp LC42XL2E

On-Screen User Menu

Just like that on its predecessor LC42XD1E, the user menu on the Sharp LC42XL2E is beautifully sharp and generally well laid-out, but I found it somewhat frustrating to navigate due to its inbuilt response time delay: even if you try to hop around the menu quickly by clicking your remote furiously, the selection cursor on screen will only respond in 0.5 to 1-second intervals.

Enough lamenting... let's take a peek at the controls available in the submenus.

[Picture] submenu	[Picture] > [Advanced] submenu

8 picture and audio presets – dubbed [AV Mode] – are available on the Sharp LC42XL2E: [Dynamic (Fixed)], [Dynamic], [Standard], [Movie], [Game], [PC], [xvYCC] and [User]. You can only switch between presets by pressing a button on the remote control, which is not helped by the fact that the button in question is stowed in the flip-away compartment.

Apart from the [Dynamic (Fixed)] mode, the setting values can be adjusted for each preset, although only [User] is independent per input. The [PC] mode is only available through the HDMI and VGA inputs; and [xvYCC] only when accepting an xvYCC signal over HDMI.

Under the [Picture] > [Advanced] submenu, you can toggle [100Hz] motion on and off. [Film Mode], another important option, deinterlaces film-based material in the following manner:

• Advanced: 3:2/ 2:2 pulldown with frame interpolation (amateur video feel)
• Standard: classic 3:2/ 2:2 pulldown
• Off: no film deinterlacing applied

[Audio] submenu	[Option] submenu

In the [Audio] submenu, engaging the [Surround] option would result in a wider soundstage and more bass extension though at the slight expense of midrange clarity. Curiously, the [DNR] noise reduction control is placed under the [Option] rather than [Picture] submenu.

Input Source	[Setup] submenu

A neat trick the Sharp LC42XL2E has up its sleeve is the ability to automatically recognise and name connected HDMI devices. You can also name each source to your liking by using the [Input Label] feature under the [Setup] submenu.

Changing input source can prove challenging: linger a moment too long when scrolling the [Input Source] submenu and you may accidentally switch to another input even if it's blank. This is where the [Input Skip] control in the [Setup] submenu can come in handy.

EPG (Electronic Programme Guide)

I cannot make up my mind whether the EPG on Sharp LC42XL2E constitutes an upgrade or downgrade compared to that found on its predecessor LC42XD1E. Yes, the interface is now prettier thanks to pin-sharp high-definition font rendering, but I sorely miss the live preview window and programme summary that used to grace the main EPG screen.

Navigation is as sluggish as ever. While one could ease the pain somewhat on Samsung flat screen televisions by skipping up and down a page through a single press of a remote control button, unfortunately no such feature is available on the Sharp LC42XL2E.

The default EPG interface on the Sharp LC42XL2E is [Wide Angle] in which six 1-hour columns of programme are displayed, although more often than not the titles are truncated, making it difficult to glean the necessary info at a glance. Two other interfaces, namely [Zoom] and [Vertical Angle], are selectable in the [Digital Setup] > [EPG Setup] > [Display Range Setup] submenu. By holding down the [Ok] button on your remote control during normal TV viewing, you can also summon a [Channel List] which tabulates the current programmes on show:

EPG interface selection	Channel List

Returning to explore the different EPG interfaces, the [Zoom] mode displays 3 hours worth of programme titles, whereas [Vertical Angle] formats the time span vertically:

EPG Mode 2 (Zoom)	EPG Mode 3 (Vertical Angle)

Remote Control

Aesthetically speaking, the infrared remote control bundled with the Sharp LC42XL2E complements the panel perfectly. Its extra-skinny body unquestionably perpetuates the "Slim-line" theme. And while its glossy black surface with silver side trims may be hard to rid of fingerprints, it really is an extension of the two-tone styling found on the panel. Throw in an LED screen (that can be backlit) near the top, a diamond-shaped navigational pad, and a slightly textured handle, and I hope you understand why I was so inspired to set it up for a studio shot:

Functionally though certain aspects of the remote could have been designed better. The [AV Mode] button (which is required to switch between presets) and the [Aspect Ratio] button (which is needed to engage [Dot by Dot] for 1:1 pixel mapping) should never have been banished to the flip-away compartment which is infinitesimally more difficult to access. The individual keys are fairly resistant as well, demanding more force than usual to be clicked into the down position.

http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/Sharp-LC42XL2E/Operation

Sharp LC42XL2E/ LC42X20E

Sharp Electronics

Sharp Electronics seized the moment to unveil – in every literal sense – their super-thin LCD TV prototype that’s dubbed as “The Future Of LCD TV”. Boasting a contrast ratio of 100,000:1 and a thickness of only 29mm across the deepest part, these babies were simply the most stunning out of all the displays I’d seen at IFA Berlin 2007. It was a timely injection of excitement into a trade show surprisingly devoid of the eagerly anticipated OLED TVs.

One prototype was exhibited on a rotating stand, which presented me with the perfect opportunity to assess off-axis viewing from where I was sitting at the press conference. I hope the following video that I took can demonstrate to you how thin the profile and how amazing the viewing angle of the television was (it’s Toshiyuki Tajima, CEO of Sharp Electronics Europe, speaking in the background):

If there’s one HDTV that I’d like to smuggle home from Berlin, this would be it… I’m very intrigued by how Sharp managed to achieve such a high contrast ratio without employing LED technology (that’s what I gathered from a few Sharp personnel). Unfortunately at this moment availability and pricing details remain unknown.

Getting down to earth with television models that are more imminent, here are some pictures of the new Sharp LC42XL2E and LC42X20E which are positioned as full HD LCD TVs that are slimmer and more environmentally friendly than their competitors. Both will feature 24p support, although the former will offer the added advantages of 100Hz motion and 10-bit signal processing.

Sharp LC42XL2E: 3 x HDMI 1.3, 24p, 100Hz, 10-bit processing

Sharp LC42X20E: signature "yawning" bottom bezel with silver speaker strip

Over the next few days I’ll post my impressions, photos and videos of other HDTVs such as Sony’s W3000/ X3000/ X3500 series, Toshiba’s Z series, Samsung’s local dimming LED, Pioneer’s 1080p Kuro, Philips Aurea and many more, so stay tuned.

http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/2007/09/03/sharp-lc42xl2e-lc42x20e/

Sony Bravia 46" LCD-TV KDL-46D3500

46" Full HD D3500 LCD Sony BRAVIA TV features stunning 6.2 mega pixel resolution, BRAVIA Engine picture enhancement technology, 24p True Cinema to create a realistic cinema experience at home and 2 HDMI inputs for easy connectivity to High Definition sources such as Blu-Ray.

Product Description	Sony KDL-46D3500 - 46" LCD TV
Product Type	LCD TV
Diagonal Size	46" - widescreen
Dimensions (WxDxH)	111 cm x 11.5 cm x 73 cm - without stand
Weight	26.5 kg
Colour	Black
Digital Television Certification	HD ready 1080p
Resolution	1920 x 1080
Display Format	1080p (FullHD)
Input Video Formats	480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p, 576i, 576p
Video Interface	Component, composite, HDMI, S-Video, SCART
PC Interface	VGA (HD-15)
Technology	TFT active matrix
LCD Backlight Technology	Wide Color Gamut-CCFL
Progressive Scan	Yes
Image Aspect Ratio	16:9
TV Tuner	1x analogue/digital combo
Digital TV Tuner	DVB-T
Analogue TV Tuner	PAL, SECAM
Multi-channel Preview	Picture-and-picture (PAP), picture-in-picture (PIP)
Features	Video noise reduction, JPEG photo playback, Live Colour Creation, channel labeling
Sound Output Mode	Stereo
Speaker System	2 speakers
Sound Effects	S-FORCE Front Surround Sound
Stereo Reception System	NICAM
Remote Control	Remote control - infrared

http://www.komplett.co.uk/k/ki.aspx?sku=340494

Sony Bravia KDL-46D3500

KDL-46D3500

46" Full HD D3500 BRAVIA LCD TV features stunning 6.2 mega pixel resolution, BRAVIA Engine picture enhancement technology, 24p True Cinema to create a realistic cinema experience at home and 2 HDMI™ inputs for easy connectivity to High Definition sources such as Blu-ray Disc™

• 6.2 Mega Pixel resolution and BRAVIA Engine for enhanced picture clarity and definition
• Live Colour Creation producing vibrant and natural colours
• HD 1080p compatible to display High Definition signals in breathtaking quality, i.e. Playstation®3, Blu-ray Disc™, etc.
• 2 x HDMI™ inputs for easy connectivity
• 24p True Cinema to experience home cinema exactly as the director intended
• BRAVIA Theatre Sync enabling you to operate your TV and entire home cinema system by pushing one button
• Built-in Digital TV (MPEG 2) terrestrial tuner (also receives analogue)
• Photo TV HD technology for viewing high-resolution digital still photographs in optimal quality
• S Force Front Surround creating the effect of full surround sound from just 2 front speakers
• Audio Description compatible allowing for blind or partially sighted people to follow television programmes (available in selected countries)
• Can be wall-mounted using bracket SU-WL500 (optional)
• Available to buy from November 2007

http://www.sony.lv/view/ShowProduct.action?product=KDL-46D3500&site=odw_en_LV&imageType=Main&category=TVP+46-70+Sony+BRAVIA+TV

Sony KDL-46D3500 Review

Design

The KDL-46D3500 is the embodiment of Sony's design philosophy with a chic matte black understated presence that simply oozes class. Build quality is back to its very best with the Sony looking like it could have been sculpted from a solid block of metal.

Features

Unlike the KDL-40D3500, there is no corresponding 3000 model alongside the KDL-46D3500 in the UK. If you are familiar with the D3000 series from Sony it is worth noting that the 46D3500's spec sheet reads a little different than you would imagine.

	Screen: 46in 16:9 Tuner: Digital Sound System: Nicam Resolution: 1920 x 1080 Contrast Ratio: 1800:1 (16,000 dynamic) Brightness: 500cd/m2 Other Features: Bravia Picture Processing Engine, Live Colour Creation, 24p True Cinema. Sockets: 2 HDMI, 2 SCART, Component Video, Composite Video, PC input.

Sony currently offer a huge range of LCD TV's and the number of different models can seem quite bewildering to those of you who are looking to buy a new LCD TV. The D3500 sits between the slightly higher spec V3000 series and directly above the slightly lower spec T3500 line.

Essentially, the D3500 gains 'True Cinema' over the T3500 but comes equipped with a slightly less sophisticated version of Sony's 'Bravia' picture processing engine than the V3000.

The 46D3500 comes equipped a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution which can potentially give a marked improvement in the display of sources such as Sky Tv (1080i). The 1080 lines of resolution match the resolution of the screen negating the need for any picture scaling to fit. If you have a device which outputs pictures in the superior 1080p (e.g. Sony's PlayStation 3) the 3500 can accept those pictures in their full glory.

There is no 'Motionflow +100Hz' technology on the 46D3500 (featured on the 40D3000) which doubles the number of frames shown from 50 to 100 by interpolating an extra frame in between each source frame.

The KDL-46D3500 is equipped with '24p True Cinema' which enables the panel to display films at their intended 24fps (frames per second).

Alongside 24p True Cinema is Sony's 'Theatre Mode' technology which adjusts colour, contrast and brightness settings to makes movies look as authentic as the original.

It is worth mentioning that the 24p mode comes into its own with High Definition (Blu-ray or HD DVD) players which allow you to play movies at their original speed. The original 'cine' film is generally recorded at 24 frames per second, which in the absence of '24p True Cinema' is speeded up to 25 (standard for most TV's) frames per second with an accompanying increase in audio pitch.

Colour reproduction on the KDL-46D3500 should offer smoother transitions than previous Sony LCD's with a new 10-bit panel offering 1024 shades of gradation.

Theatre Sync, which is Sony's name for CEC (Consumer Electronic Control), is a control standard that functions over HDMI 1.3. The technology facilitates one-touch control over compatible devices and in practice means that if you fire up your compatible DVD player, the all connected devices such as your LCD TV will also spring into life.

Sonically, the KDL-46D3500 comes equipped with Sony's S-Force Front Surround which is their latest virtual surround sound technology.

Performance

High Definition (HD) is where the Sony KDL-46D3500 excels. Hook up a 1080p capable source and you will be treated with absolutely pristine pictures. The KDL-46D3500 displays a clarity and sharpness that make you want to reach out and touch objects or people as they glide across the screen. Colours are wonderfully vibrant and reach a level of authentic realism to match any LCD.

Although black levels are still behind the best that plasma can offer, the KDL-46D3500 has made great strides in this area from previous Sony's. Shadow detailing now takes on a subtlety which is a match for any 46in LCD currently out there.

Standard Definition (SD) performance suffers to a degree from some of the inconsistencies that creep into a picture as a result of the conversion of a 576p source to an HD ready screen configuration, especially with such a large screen. SD performance is nevertheless very good, and quite an accomplishment for a 46in LCD.

The SD performance can be a little 'grainy' at times with some noticeable degradation in picture quality with faster motion sequences. Simply as a result of the extra size, the KDL-46D3500 can't quite live up to the performance of its smaller 40D3500 brother, but was better than we expected.

Finally, if there is a 46in LCD TV out there with a richer or more precise colour palette, we have yet to see it. The range, depth and subtlety in this respect is simply outstanding. The most intricate of detailing such as skin tone is realised with class leading performance.

Conclusion

The Sony KDL-46D3500 is a another highly accomplished performer when it comes to High Definition material. However, if SD viewing is just as important there are better performers out there.

http://www.hdtvorg.co.uk/reviews/lcd/sony_kdl-46d3500.htm

Sony Bravia KDL-40U3000

KDL-40U3000

40" HD Ready U3000 BRAVIA LCD TV features BRAVIA Theatre Sync for one-click control over your home entertainment system, ultra-wide viewing angle and 2 HDMI™ inputs to easily connect to High Definition sources such as Blu-ray Disc™

• BRAVIA Theatre Sync enabling you to operate your TV and entire home cinema system by pushing one single button
• HD Ready for the display of High Definition signals, i.e. Playstation®3, Blu-ray Disc™, etc.
• 2 x HDMI™ inputs for easy connectivity
• Built-in Digital TV (MPEG 2) terrestrial tuner (also receives analogue)
• Ultra-wide 178° viewing angle for clear images from wherever you are looking
• BBE ViVA high quality sound and built-in Virtual Dolby® creating the effect of full surround sound from just 2 front speakers
• Audio Description compatible allowing for blind or partially sighted people to follow television programmes (available in selected countries)
• Can be wall-mounted using bracket SU-WL500 (optional)
• Available to buy from October 2007

http://www.sony.co.uk/view/ShowProduct.action?product=KDL-40U3000&site=odw_en_GB&imageType=Main&category=TVP+32-40+Sony+BRAVIA+TV