I had thought that TVs weren't much different from one to the next, primarily because of the reviews on Amazon. Everybody seems to think just about every flat screen is awesome. But this TV convinced me there are significant differences.
I hear constant arguments about what makes a difference to the viewer. You can read the forum debates until you are blue in the face. But what it comes down to is how the product performs for you, and this product truly shocked me.
The only thing I didn't appreciate is that ads imply it is wireless, and it is only wireless if you buy a wireless adapter. Sony does this with some of their stereo setups as well, saying they are wireless, but after you buy them you find out you have to buy an expensive addition to make them wireless.
Now, for the review, which is rather simplistic. Honestly. like most people, I bought a TV to watch, and I want to feel as though it is a great TV because I have to live with it for years to come.
I bought a Sharp 46" first after I read some great comments on it and there was a door buster deal at Walmart on the TV. I got it for $698. We used it for about two weeks, and I was constantly disappointed with it. Certain aspects of the picture were distracting. A graininess in the background, a blurriness when overlays occurred (like when they flash the station's logo on the screen), and an inability to deal with panning effectively, resulting in a jumpy image.
I would have kept the Sharp, but I got a deal on this TV at Amazon that was quite good. So I bought it, thinking if I didn't like it as much as the Sharp, I could find someone that wanted it. I was blown away. The design is way more beautiful than the Sharp and the picture is shockingly brilliant. Side by side, there is just no comparison. The graininess is only present in large black areas, something inherent to LCD, but there is no blurriness, and panning is perfect. Perhaps that is the quality of the display, perhaps the 240 Hz refresh rate or possibly Sony's algorithm to smooth the picture. All I know is the effect is vastly more pleasant to watch.
The remote is large and plays well with other Sony products. If you have other Sony components, the TV recognizes them which is kind of cool. It is internet capable, providing Netflix and other internet TV features that make it a cut above most other TVs.
The menus are nicely designed and intuitive. Setup is simple, except perhaps finding some well hidden connectors on the side of the TV. It also has an integrated TV Guide. That is also way cool for TV viewing directly from an HDTV Antenna.
My only complaint so far, and I am hoping I find a good solution, is that when it is hooked up to my computer, some stray colors appear. For example, black text can have red mixed in or sometimes blue. This only seems to happen with blacks and was not noticeable at all on the Sharp. I am hoping this is just a driver issue in Windows, because it is using the generic monitor driver.
But honestly, I knew we were hooked on this TV when we realized we were just staring at the commercials rather than fast forwarding past them. The picture is absolutely hypnotic.
This is a brilliant TV and if it is in your price range, you will never regret buying it, at least based on what I have observed. The Sharp was sold off to a friend and I don't miss it a bit.Get more detail about Sony BRAVIA Z Series KDL-46Z5100 46-Inch 1080p 240Hz LCD HDTV.
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