SONY KDL40W2000 - HDs good but how does it cope with SD?

[admin_exported]

I want a Sony KDL40W2000 and in the last 2 days I saw it in 2 different shops. The first was awsome - fed via components from a BLU RAY player it looked out of this world. But the 2nd shop had an awful picture; I can only assume it was SD and/or the shop had just plugged it in and not 'tweaked and improved' the picture.

Please could someone reassure me that SD is as good on this TV as most of my viewing will be from this (Sky +). What HIFI reviews always mention 'they are all rubbish out of the box and need setting up' - Please tell me the shop had just unpacked and plugged in - Or is the screen really that bad with SD?

 

[Andrew Everard]

SD quality is fine, subject to the quality of the transmission. Some Freeview stations run at quite a low bitrate, which can look blocky on bigger screens like this.

More likely than not the shop in which you saw the second one was running it and several (if not many) other sets from a communal aerial via an RF distribution system - hardly the best way to show a screen off.

 

[Anonymous]

hi im looking to buy a sony kdl40w2000 1080p, with full hd or the sony kdl40s3000 720p hdready lcd. Or i also read a review on the panasonic th42px70 plasma tv which has good reviews but not full hd. i am going to use the tv for watching normal tv and hd/bluray dvds and might invest in a ps3 in the new year. do i need full hd or is it a waste of money?

 

[Andy Clough]

As we've said before, you don't have to have Full HD as many of the newer HD-ready sets (including the Panasonic TH-42PX70 you mention) will happily accept a 1080p signal and downscale it to fit the screen.

The Panasonic does this admirably, and will also handle 24fps video on Blu-ray/HD DVD, so although you'll be missing out on some pixels compared with a Full HD set, the picture quality is still superb.

Personally I'd go for the Panasonic over the Sonys - that's why it is our 2007 Best Budget 40-42in TV.

 

[Andy Grange]

Just out of interest, what's the best way to connect a HD TV to a Sky+ box?

Is it me, or am I just limited to a good quality scart lead? It seems strange that I've never heard of a Sky box with at least component inputs, Sky HD aside.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Quite possibly because Sky want you to pay that extra £10 a month plus cost of HD box!

 

[Andy Grange]

Yeah, they've got customers over a barrel in that respect.

 

[Clare Newsome]

If you watch a lot of sport, movies and drama, HD's definitely worth the extra, though, You'll save the difference in money by a) rarely renting DVDs any more, because the HD movies look so good, and b) staying in to watch sport rather than going down the pub. Or is that just me?!

 

[Andy Grange]

It's not just you!

I see they're release a HD channel 4 too quite soon, which will be nice. I watch quite alot of channel 4.