HDTV-Reviews.co.uk

Tuesday, 18 July, 2006

Sony introduces first 1080p BRAIVA HDTVs to UK

Sony BRAVIA LCD televisions have enabled UK residents to watch the exciting array of summer sporting events broadcast in high definition this summer and Sony is pleased to announce the introduction of the Sony KDL-46X2000U, the first model from the new Sony X Series range capable of displaying high definition on a (1,920 x 1,080) LCD Panel.

The KDL-46X2000U delivers a definitive viewing experience; precision colour reproduction and the very highest screen resolution combine to create a picture that seems almost alive. Features include Live Colour Creation, which uses a wide spectrum backlight (WCG-CCFL) and the newly developed BRAVIA ENGINE EX, Sony’s unique intelligent picture enhancement technology.

Capable of receiving 1080p signals, the BRAVIA X Series twin HDMI inputs ensure compatibility with the expanding HD environment and can reproduce 1080 picture exactly as it was transmitted. This power is utilised to the full even when playing standard definition (SD) TV. The BRAVIA ENGINE EX actually increases the resolution by a factor of up to four, doubling the number of vertical lines and horizontal pixels. The result is an unprecedented degree of detail and clarity, which raises SDTV to a completely new level. Sony calls this process “Digital Reality Creation”.

As well as delivering more detail the Sony X Series gives more colour too. Using decades of Trinitron know-how, Sony has redesigned the panel backlight using improved light-emitting phosphors to boost the range of red and green in the spectrum. Precision-matched RGB filters in the screen make sure the increased colour range has the maximum impact on picture quality. The effect literally brings the image to life, infusing the image with the complexity and depth of the real world.

Live Colour Creation also relies in part on the remarkable power of the BRAVIA ENGINE EX to enhance the signal before it actually appears on the screen. The intensive real-time frame-by-frame digital processing carried out by the BRAVIA ENGINE EX visibly enhances colour and contrast and cleans up noise in the signal, which could result in imperfections in the picture.

The screen itself is equally special. Each one is produced by the very latest 7th generation manufacturing process and features S-PVA (Super Vertical Pattern Alignment) molecular control for a wider viewing angle and colour that doesn’t fade as you move to the side. S-PVA also delivers a contrast ratio of 1300:1 – from dead black to pure white and everything in between. The result is detail, clarity and depth to do justice to the finest cinematography.

“The X Series embodies exactly what the new wave of Sony TVs are all about,” says Jonathan White, General Manager, TV Marketing. “Technology-driven, certainly, but completely focused on only one thing: the best possible HD experience for the viewer. That’s really all that matters.”

The KDL-46X2000U sounds as good as it looks. Powerful integrated speakers and Dolby Pro Logic? II Virtual Surround digital signal processing fill the room with a convincing simulation of multi-channel audio. What you hear is further enhanced by BBE Digital? technology, which brings extra definition and clarity both to dialogue and the ambient soundtrack. All this is underpinned by all-digital amplification, which keeps signal noise – and therefore hiss – to a minimum.

The integrated Digital TV (DVB) tuner means the TV can receive free-to-air digital broadcasts and the wide range of connections allow input for external HDTV and other AV sources. The addition of two HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) inputs, provide an input route for a 1080p signal. There are also three Scart and two Component interfaces offering unparalled flexibility. Hooking up to a PC is a simple matter too, thanks to an HD15 PC graphics input and the ergonomically refined remote commander, with enlarged frequent-use keys for ease of use.