Design and aesthetics have always been Sonys forte, and it manages to keep its reputation with the Bravia V series. The KLV-V32A10 has a distinctive stealth-like appearance with its jet-black finish lined with an all-round matt-silver trim. A roll of cloth-grilled speakers occupy the bottom-front real estate while easy access connectivity and control buttons flank the sides.

Features:



Worldwide NTSC/PAL/SECAM Color System







Worldwide NTSC, PAL BG, PAL I, Secam BG, DK/ PAL DK TV tuners







World-wide Dual Voltage 110-240 volts 50-60 hertz







The silver/grey remote has a unique ribbed shell which provides an enhanced grab, while its buttons are well-organised and have an overall nice tactile feel. We were particularly fond of the five-way navigation button which has a look and feel rivaling those found on gaming console controllers. How about some games for the Bravia, Sony







Catering to the needs of both newbies and experienced consumers is a comprehensive user menu with its variety of pre-configured and customisable A/V configurations, plus a suite of advanced video settings. While the menu is well-structured, we felt that it could be better organised for easier usage. For example, options related to video tweaking are found in three sub-menus instead of being consolidated under the picture sub-menu.







The Bravia is a high-definition-ready out-of-the-box offering with a 1,366 x 768-pixel resolution and the ability to accept both 720p and 1080i HD signals. At the heart of the unit is a 7th-generation LCD panel which beats the competition with its high 1300:1 contrast ratio coupled with a more down-to-earth 500cd/m2 brightness. The panel also sports a fast 8ms response time which eliminates ghosting problems as apparent in our testing.







Integrating a smart video optimisation engine is the in thing nowadays, and the Sony Bravia is no exception. Dubbed the Light Sensor, Sony's claims it will intelligently adjust the screen's brightness according to the actual room lighting conditions. However, in numerous tests performed in our Lab, we were unable to observe distinguishable differences in brightness between a fully lit and a dim Lab.







Sony has also introduced an interesting user interface by the name of WEGA Gate. This feature provides graphical menus which include listings of TV channels and A/V inputs, a browser for photo files and a shortcut to the setting menu. The idea behind the WEGA Gate concept is to allow users to conveniently control the TV using the onscreen display instead of relying on a variety of remote control button presses.







Performance







Video calibration was a breeze with the Bravia as it came with a well-configured Standard setting requiring only minor adjustment for the colour and hue. We started our evaluation by scrutinising a series of Avia test patterns yielding a set of interesting results. While it managed to achieve accurate colour reproduction, perfect geometry and convergence, we encountered difficulties differentiating the deepest shades of black in our greyscale test pattern.







The minor black-level issue did not stop the Sony from putting up an excellent show with our reference movie titles. Displayed images were unusually sharp with rich and vibrant colours on the whole. The colosseum showdown between Maximus and Commodus in Gladiator came alive with deep red roses, true-to-live skin tones and good shadow details. We could even make out the perspiration on Russell Crowe's battered face during one of the many close-up shots in the highly charged clip.







Black bars on an otherwise outstanding picture from a laptop.







Since the Bravia is also equipped with a PC input, we test drove the unit with a laptop running a 1,024 x 768-pixel video output and was greeted with crisp text and punchy colours. For unknown reasons, the TV did not automatically fill up the entire screen, and while there is a maximisation option, text turned out softer than the original.







Like most of its peers, audio dished out by the built-in speakers was thin-sounding to our ears. This is despite the fact that Sony has thrown in a digital amplifier to improve the sonic quality. Perhaps as a consolation, the audio does offer pristine-clear presentation with little sign of harshness even when driven loud.







Side component-video input perfect for the upcoming PS3 and Xbox 360.







An onboard USB port allows users to view and edit photos stored in Sony digicams and DV format camcorders. To fully capitalise on this feature, there is also a customisable slideshow function allowing users to display selective photos and to adjust the speed of the presentation. Though there is no documentation on the compatibility with other USB devices, we were able to display photos taken using non-Sony cameras off a thumbdrive with limited success.







The Bravia broke the record for featuring the most flexible connectivity options. Decked on the side and rear of the unit are three sets of component-video inputs, a concealed PC input and an all-digital A/V HDMI input. Legacy inputs includes three sets of composite A/V and an S-Video input, plus composite A/V output. A skip function allows users to configure the TV to bypass any unused input to minimise the time required to scroll in between.



















Additional Information



DISPLAY



Display Type LCD



Screen Size ( Inches ) 22



3D No



PICTURE



Resolution WXGA (1366 x 768)



Viewing Angle Degree 176°



Screen Format TV: Full / Normal / Wide Zoom, PC: Normal / Full



VIDEO



Full HD No



Video Processing BRAVIA Engine™ 3



Aspect Ratio No



Picture Mode Vivid / Standard / Custor Standard / Game-Origin



AUDIO / SOUND



Audio Output 10W (5W x 2)



Surround Mode Cinema / Music / Sports



Sound Mode Dynamic / Standard / Cl



Woofer No



Smart Volume Leveler No



Dolby Digital Decoder No



FEATURES



HD Ready Yes



Bluetooth Yes



AV Input Navigation No



Invisible Speaker No



BRAVIA Sync Yes



Clock Yes



FM Radio Yes



PAP (Picture And Picture) Yes (1 tuner)



PIP (Picture In Picture) Yes (PC Input)



Teletext Yes (1000 pages)



Sleep Timer Yes



On/Off Timer Yes



OSD Languages English, Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Persian, Vietnamese, Thai, French, Russian



INTERFACE



AV In Yes



RF In No



Component in (Y,Pb,Pr) + Audio No



HDMI Input Yes



HDMI Ports 2



HDCP Input No



USB Input Yes



USB 2.0 Specs. 1 (Side) : Photo (JPEG), Music (MP3), Video (MPEG1, MPEG2 TS & PS)



Ethernet (LAN) No



WiFi Ready No



POWER



Voltage, Hz AC 110-240V, 50/60Hz



Consumption (Typical) 50W (In operation)



Consumption (Standby) Less than 0.3W



DIMENSION



Dimension with Stand Approx. 575 x 398 x 215 mm



Dimension without Stand Approx. 575 x 361 x 88 mm



Weight with Stand Approx. 6.6kg



Weight without Stand Approx. 6.0kg



Note 1: WSS1905 Antenna Connector required connecting US style antenna/cable to VCR - sold on our site for $4.00



Note 2: WMF7 plug adapter required to plug this VCR into a US style power socket - sold on our site for $0.85