HDTV Reviews Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Playstation 3’

Sony BRAVIA V Series KDL 52V5100 52 Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV Black

Keep pace with fast-action movies, sports and game play. Equipped with Full HD 1080p and Motionflow 120Hz refresh rate technology, the KDL-52V5100 52-inch BRAVIA V series LCD flat panel HDTV provides a more fluid, natural and realistic viewing experience while enjoying fast-paced entertainment. Additionally, every scene will be sharp, vibrant and life-like thanks to BRAVIA Engine 2 fully digital video processor. Plus, a 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio yields deep blacks in darker scenes. The V series also includes 7 HD inputs to ensure you get impressive image quality from all your HD components such as PlayStation 3, Blu-ray Disc player and your PC.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Very good for a “Introduction To HD” TV
I’ve had this TV since the middle of June 2009(reaching the 6 month period). Before this TV, I’d never had an HDTV or a TV anywhere near this size either. I am pretty tech savvy but HDTVs were not my specialty. With that being stated, I will give you my experience with this particular HDTV.

Since the beginning of 2009, I’d been looking at TVs off and on with the help of “CNET”, just google it, and I’d heard that Sony had an impressive line of entry HDTVs. But I put off the thought of buying one until the middle of June. I was fumbling around on BestBuy’s website (sorry Amazon, at the time, I found a better price. BTW, its just a product review.) and in the “weekly specials” I found this TV on sale for $1499.99, down from its original price of $1999.99. It was the HDTV that I had favored the most from CNET’s reviews, so I made some calls around and none of the stores close had it. I managed to find a store about an hour away that had 2 left, 1 in stock and 1 on display. Drove an hour to check it out and loved it. I added the 3 or 4 year “bring it back no matter what” warranty and after taxes came out to just under $2250, which I paid on the spot in cash, I had not-so-great credit.

Brought it home and set it up and it was a beauty. It took about 30-45 minutes for the TV to recognize (it did something to find all the available cable channels) the channels and our first DVD experience was through our Xbox 360 and it was the Dane Cook’s HBO comedy special. The show wasn’t that greatest thing I’d ever seen BUT the freaking picture was. BTW, the HD cable, Xbox 360, and our Wii look superb on it as well. (Now if I can just get my hands on some Blu-Ray material.)

***PROBLEMS***

I guess every rose has its thorns (haha, cheesy), well this one has (2) of them, and they aren’t really thorns.

1st – MOTION FLOW: To my knowledge(I could be wrong), the MotionFlow feature is the HDTV’s way of enabling the 120Hz refresh rate, which is AWESOME, BUT you can’t just quickly toggle between the 3 options they have for the MotionFlow,(Off, Standard, Full) I mean, you can preview them on the MotionFlow screen, but no quick adjustment feature/button. You have to go into the picture settings every time and slowly make your way to the advanced settings at the bottom of the screen.

2nd – When you have the MotionFlow on “Full” there are still parts during whatever you’re watching that don’t continuously show in that “smooth frame experience”. I’m thinking that the 240Hz HDTVs are probably more dedicated to the continuous MotionFlow. It’s nothing to cry about.

Other than that, the TV is great. The sound is great, it ranges from 0 to 100 and at 60 its good enough for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’d go with a home theater system, but for now its nice. The remote is easy to understand and navigate. I would recommend it to anyone else who was in the same shoes that I was in. To say the least…(haha since I wrote a bibles worth of information) I am satisfied.

Feel free to ask any questions.

5 Stars great tv; great cost
amazon was great. terrific product at a very competitive price. also, easy delivery and installation

5 Stars Totally Happy
Have had the TV now for about 3 weeks and couldn’t be happier. Picture resolution in awesome. Sound is actually really good because Sony has a speaker bar type speakers across the bottom of the TV so the sound actually comes out at you instead of being aimed down and bouncing off the stand like some other brands.

The 120hz motion takes some getting used to after upgrading from 60hz. Otherwise I highly recommend this TV even if it is considered an entry level TV, you’ll never even know otherwise.

5 Stars Quality Television Set
This is a quality television set. The picture looks crisp, football is what I use the tv for mostly..that and xbox 360. This tv is awesome for both of those things. Also, blu rays are fantastic on it….this tv is the total package pretty much.

5 Stars Great TV
I did a lot of research before purchasing this TV. It’s one of the best one out there for the price. The picture is great and has a lot of features. It’s 120 HZ which good for watching sports. The sound quality is JUST OKAY -I recommend attaching a sound system to the tv or (just a couple of mini BOSS speakers which u can get for less than $100.)

Buy/More Info

ADVANCED HIGH SPEED DIGITAL 10 FT HDMI 24k GOLD SEALED CONNECTOR CABLE One of few cables certified to support future upgrades to your HDTV devices Supports 1440p 1080p 1080i 720p 480p HDMI Category 2 v1 3a Certified Xbox 360 Playstation 3 Blu Ray HD DVD and ultimate 5 1 7 1 surround sound and 10 2 Gbps maximum bandwidth

HDMI is a data superhighway for digital video and audio. For the best high definition experience, use an HDMI cable that delivers all the picture and sound data your HD components require. This cable is optimized for the next generation performance of HDTVs and game consoles that will require 1080p resolution with Deep Color technology. Advanced High Speed HDMI cable with a bandwidth at a mazimum of 10.2 Gbps. Specially designed for home theater enthusiasts who also want the best in HD viewing and/or gaming. Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HDTM Lossles surround sound provices Greater cable bandwidth for support of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD lossless surround sound, available on Blu-ray DiscTM and HD DVDTM movies.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Excellent cable! never buy monster you’re just buying the name!!!
great cable! It replaced a failed ($20) ge cable and I will never buy anyting but these from now on! My mom is ordering one today!

5 Stars Works great with my upconverting DVD player
TV: Sony Bravia

DVD: Pioneer DV 420

Works great, cheap, high quality.

5 Stars High quality, great value
This cable makes great sense for the $. Well constructed, performed as advertised. Very pleased, highly recommended.

5 Stars great picture!
it came in good timing and as well i hook it up and this is more then less better as a monster HDMI cable but for less the price and this is a excellent cable i would recommend this to anyone thanks …

3 Stars 10ft HDMI cable
Arrived in described condition and works good, but I went with the cheapest shipping and it didn’t show up at my house for two weeks, usually even when I get the cheapest shipping I get it faster than that.

Buy/More Info

ADVANCED HIGH SPEED DIGITAL 6 FT HDMI 24k GOLD w PROTECTIVE FERRITE CORES One of few cables certified to support future upgrades to your HDTV devices Supports 1440p 1080p 1080i 720p 480p HDMI Category 2 v1 3a Certified Xbox 360 PS3 PS4 Playstation 3 Blu Ray HD DVD

This HDMI cable is your link to pulse-pounding HD gaming on your high definition home theater. Whether you’re in the center of the action or watching a 1080p DVD on your gaming console, our cable boosts the bandwidth for ultra-accurate digital signal transfer. That means you’re not just playing, you’re in the game. Graphics are sharper and more detailed, colors are richer and more lifelike, and sounds are bigger and bolder. Bring the experience to life with our highest quality HDMI Cable! Comparable to the Monster Cable brand MC800hd. This cable meets their exact requirements for data and digital sound/video but does not have the fancy coloring or cable end it also have Ferrite Cores to Better protect against High Frequencys. Performance is performance and we don’t like to overcharge $100 or more for “looks.” This cable comes sealed in the manufacturer’s sealed plastic bag, no fancy packaging necessary to charge you more for. Also available in a 3ft & 10ft edition.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Cables work fine
Installed them and they work as advertised. Got good a good price, good delivery time and a product that works. I will buy from these guys again.

5 Stars Great quality! Great Price!
Definitely don’t go for the expensive wires! The affordable ones that you find here work just as good as those expensive ones. I bought this one to use with my laptop and my HD LCD TV and it works great!

1 Star never got them
I never recv’d these cables, the USPS claims they were delivered because of signature confirmation (of one of their postman) but I never saw them. The company has been less than helpful about replacing or reordering. First bad experience I’ve had through Amazon, fortunately they weren’t anything very expensive.

5 Stars TESTED THESE CABLES and the PASSED
I recently had the opportunity to test these HDMI cables with equipment

running at 1080p 60Hz with HDCP 148.5MHz The results were very positive.

Please note that success at 1080p depends on a lot of factors including quality

of TMDS transmitters, receivers, and anything you might have connected to the

cables like HDMI switches, repeaters, HDMI>DVD adapters, etc., therefore these

test results should be taken as a data point and not as a guarantee the cables

will be problem free @ 1080p with your specific equipment.

For example, during initial testing I had discovered through process of elimination

that one of the HDMI>DVI adapters I was using could not reliably pass 1080p. At

first I thought the cables were the issue, but after switching out the adapters, the

cables worked great.

Also please note, even though some of these cables are listed as only 1080i certified,

they did nevertheless pass 1080p without issues for the equipment combination I used.

See this post for what was tested at the factory:

http://www.avsforum.com/avsvb/show…4&&#post6953664

The process of listing a cable as passing visual inspection involved looking at black

screen for 30 seconds to detect sparkles, then watching video for 1 minute to detect

additional artifacts.

Sharp LC45GX6U is a 1920×1080 LCD display which accepts 1080p and 1080p/hdcp when

devices are connected directly to the panel, bypassing the external video processor.

Hope you find this information useful.

====

Test cables FC=FerriteCore N=Netjacket:

0 02029 HDMI>DVI FM converter

1 02526 HDMI MM 28AWG FC 3ft

2 02412 HDMI MM 28AWG FC 6ft

3 02504 HDMI MM 28AWG FC 10ft

4 02529 HDMI MM 28AWG FC 15ft

5 02283 HDMI MM 24AWG FC/N 3ft

6 02219 HDMI MM 24AWG FC/N 6ft

7 02281 HDMI MM 24AWG FC/N 10ft

8 02282 HDMI MM 24AWG FC/N 15ft

9 02109 HDMI MM 24AWG 25ft

10 02742 HDMI MM 24AWG 33ft actual 35ft

11 02110 HDMI MM 24AWG FC 50ft

12 02678 HDMI MM 22AWG 50ft

====

Scenario 1

Sharp AVC 1080p/HDCP == DVI>HDMI == Monoprice HDMI cable == HDMI>DVI == Sharp LC45GX6U Panel

all tests performed using 2 x HDMI>DVI adapter and listed HDMI cable

this test is for 1080p/HDCP only, not 720p, not 1080i, not 1080p/sansHDCP

1 3ft 28AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

2 6ft 28AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

3 10ft 28AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

4 15ft 28AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

5 3ft 24AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

6 6ft 24AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

7 10ft 24AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

8 15ft 24AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

9 25ft 24AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

10 35ft 24AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

11 50ft 24AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

12 50ft 22AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

====

Scenario 2

PNY Verto 6600GT 1080p == DVI>HDMI == Monoprice HDMI cable == HDMI>DVI == Sharp LC45GX6U Panel

all tests performed using 2 x HDMI>DVI adapter and listed HDMI cable

this test is for 1080p only, not 720p, not 1080i, not 1080p/hdcp

1 3ft 28AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

2 6ft 28AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

3 10ft 28AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

4 15ft 28AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

5 3ft 24AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

6 6ft 24AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

7 10ft 24AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

8 15ft 24AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

9 25ft 24AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

10 35ft 24AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

11 50ft 24AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

12 50ft 22AWG no sparkle, passed visual picture inspection

Note:

nVidia driver 82.12

Testing using bottom DVI port

5 Stars Cheap but Ultra High Quality Cable from Monster-Cable-N-More
These are well made cables and at a CHEAP price. I dont know how they can sell such quality made cables at such a low price but somehow they do, and Im glad. With Fast shipping, I got the 3 cables I ordered quickly and as Advertised.

Really, you would have to be a complete Idiot to throw a Hundred Plus on some Way overpriced Monster Cable Garbage that uses lots of False advertising to get suckers to fall for it. Guess what, these cables are also Lifetime Warranty, not like youll ever need to worry about it. Stores like to display Side By Side Test Displays, and show one with Monster Cable in use and the other with a Generic cable, and of course the one using Monster is BETTER. What most people dont notice is that the picture on the Generic Cable Display and been purposely screwed up to look bad, or whats even better, they use a Composite connection on the Generic HDTV Display, (which means its not even showing a HD Picture) and a HDMI connection on the Monster setup. Most people arent going to try and see the cables and the hookups that are behind out of sight.

You could buy one of these new cables every year, for YEARS before you ever caught up to the price of buying a single Monster (Rip-Off) cable. HDMI is also a DIGITAL signal, as in 1s and 0s being passed though the cable, or as in On/Off, Power, No power. You either get a picture or you dont. Its not like a Analog single were the picture can get worse and worse.

Buy/More Info

Sony Bravia S Series KDL 40S5100 40 Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Black

Step up to Full HD 1080p resolution and stunning contrast without breaking the bank. The KDL-40S5100 40-inch BRAVIA S series LCD flat panel HDTV features Advanced Contrast Enhancer (ACE) for an impressive dynamic contrast ratio of 30,000:1 and BRAVIA Engine 2 digital video processor for superior resolution. Plus, 6 HD inputs are provided to connect all of your HD devices including PlayStation 3, Blu-ray Disc player and laptop or desktop.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars I love this HDTV
This TV is the best I have ever owned. The 2nd best was my old Sony trinitron with picture/picture. Sony is the best.

1 Star Poor Sournd Quality at low volume levels from internal speakers
First – I like the video. I installed the firmware upgrade and the auto-dimming problem is gone.

Second – the Sound out of the internal speakers is terrible at low volume levels (10 on the TV’s scale). This TV is used in a bedroom – usually at low volume levels with its internal speakers. There is a lot of background noise so that at low volume settings the noise is louder than the programming audio level. My 15 year old NEC had better audio than this box.

Doesn’t matter what programming source : DVD or QAM HD cable on the internal tuner.

A tech is coming over to look into it.

I have not tried this with a receiver yet.

If this is the way the Audio was designed, then don’t buy it for standalone use.

Updated 9/9/09

Tech was here today to work on the TV. He replaced the main board with one that was overnighted from the factory. No change. It still has an annoying amount of static on the audio at low volume levels (10 and under).

2 Stars Is it a Sony?
Is this really a Sony product? I’ve had some excellent TVs over the years from Sony, including a 42″ LCD that I purchased in 2008 with great results. However, this set has had issues from the beginning that were not resolved by the patch and numerous calls to Sony’s tech help service. The problem with the auto dimming feature only bothers me some of the time but what is perhaps the most irritating is the terrible internal speakers with this unit. It really gets mushy sound performace and I will eventually have to connect it to an outside receiver to get past this issue. After the patch did nothing to correct the problems I had this in a Sony repair facility for two weeks to replace parts and make things right with the picture and the sound. Upon return, it was simply more of the same. I’ve noticed that Amazon is no longer selling this model. Maybe they’ve recognized the issues. For those that are getting good performance, you’re the lucky ones. This will be the last time that I buy a TV on reputation alone, sight unseen. I really wonder if the apparent lack of quality in this model comes from Sony simply slapping their label on some low-end manufactuers work?

5 Stars new era of watching
The new Sony we purchased fulfills or exceeds all our expectations. We have looked at a lot of different LCD-TVs and we found this to have the overall best picture in all different environmental situations. The picture is warm and bright and shows no weaknesses even with fast moving pictures. You can get less expensive LCDs but we find this Sony to be worth its price. I used to have a Samsung LCD back in Europe. This one rocks.

5 Stars Amazing television…
This Sony 40 inch 1080p tv is amazingly beautiful. I had a Panasonic 52″ 1080i rear projection lcd for years that I thought looked pretty good, until it died. I set a budget of $1000 to get a replacement, and came home with this Sony. The 1080p picture immedietly blew me away. Though slightly smaller than my old hd tv, the clarity and vibrant imagry more than make up the difference. I watched an hd feed of “Quantum of Solace” and was amazed at the detail and the crisp picture, no matter how fast the action on screen. No hint of the auto-dim feature from earlier models that bothered so many. I work in the movie industry and a fiend for detail and picture quality; this Sony Bravia has proven itself to be professional grade in every way.

Buy/More Info

Sony BRAVIA V Series KDL 40V5100 40 Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV

Keep pace with fast-action movies, sports and game play. Equipped with Full HD 1080p and Motionflow 120Hz refresh rate technology, the KDL-40V5100 40-inch BRAVIA V series LCD flat panel HDTV provides a more fluid, natural and realistic viewing experience while enjoying fast-paced entertainment. Additionally, every scene will be sharp, vibrant and life-like thanks to BRAVIA Engine 2 fully digital video processor. Plus, a 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio yields deep blacks in darker scenes. The V series also includes 7 HD inputs to ensure you get impressive image quality from all your HD components such as PlayStation 3, Blu-ray Disc player and your PC.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars it is okay.
For while ,it is a good price for the item. but now it is not the good deal.

4 Stars Great TV for the Money, but still has problems.
I purchased this TV about two months ago. I waited until now to write the review. I have this v5100, a PS3 Slim, and Xbox 360 elite. First and foremost, the picture is exceptional, I already have a 65′ Mitsubishi DLP, this is a welcome addition to the home. First off, the picture on this LCD unit is amazing, it may be the 120 HZ refresh, I’m not sure. Blu-Ray looks good enough that I am in the process of updating my DVD library with as many as I can find.

Cons, I bought this TV, a PS3 Slim, and Sony Sound Bar for the Bravia Sync. Bravia Sync is about 50% effective, I can control the Sound Bar with my television and cable box remote which makes it bearable. The bravia sync feature seems limitied, to the point where it doesn’t work half the time. I’m constantly having to rescan the unit, not to mention that the PS3 won’t even recognize the television as a Sony Product and limits Blu-ray capability until you find the 1080p Blu-ray option in the settings and disable.

I wrote this review because I purchased this TV to watch blu-ray, and I purchased the v5100 to sync w/ the PS3 slim, and it doesn’t even work properly. The TV it self is great, the problem is that it is not as advertised.

5 Stars I couldn’t be more pleased
The picture is awesome and the menu is easy to use. I just can’t find anything to complain about this product. I have only owned it for a month.

5 Stars really happy
I love the picture – it’s absolutely beautiful (too beautiful, I’m watching too much tv now!) And the user controls are quite easy, the inputs a snap and the overall usage quite nice. Attractive tv. And the price was quite good!

BTW, I am using an HD antenna and am happily surprised with the quality – it’s great!

5 Stars Best TV In The Price Range
This TV requires two things:

1) Install the firmware update. Details on how to do this can be found at the manufacturer’s website by typing in the model number (KDL-40V5100) and following the support instructions.

2) Calibrate the settings for optimal performance. It will vary a bit based on your room environment, but this should be pretty darn close (settings found in the “Picture” menu):

* Picture Modes

o Picture Mode : Standard

o Color Temperature : Warm

o Aspect Ratio : Full

* Picture Settings

o Backlight : 3

o Picture (Contrast) : 85

o Brightness : 54

o Color : 40

o Hue : R6

o Color Temperature : Warm

o Sharpness : Min

o Noise Reduction : Off

o Adv. Contrast Enhancer : Off

o Gamma : Low

o Clear White : Off

o Live Color : Off

* Advanced Settings

o Cinemotion : Auto 1

o Game : Off

o MotionFlow : Off

o White Balance : Factory Default

You now have one of the best pictures you can get for under a grand, and not too far away from even the most high-end of models. The TV has a few flaws (like only 1 HDMI input on the back of the TV, making wire control a bit of a hassle and having a bit clunkier design than some models), but the picture itself is great. Highly recommended.

Buy/More Info