Sony Grand WEGA KDF-42WE655 42 in. HDTV LCD TV
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- Digital TV Standard: HDTV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 4:3 Enhanced 14:9
- Weight: 71.63 lb.
- Projector Technology: LCD
- Built-in Tuner: ATSC NTSC
- Screen Size: 42 inch
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Great HD, disappointing SD
Pros
Excellent HD image quality, ease of use and setup, form factor
Cons
Disappointing standard image quality, bright color glare and eye-strain
Recommended it?
No
The Bottom Line:
If you are only using this for HD, it is an excellent value. If you still use SD signals regularly, pause and consider before you toss that trinitron!
I picked up this TV a few weeks ago after deciding to upgrade to 16:9 and HDTV. My previous TV was a 32" Trinitron which was (especially in retrospect) a fantastic TV. The only drawbacks were that it was 4:3 standard def, it weighed about 120 pounds, and its footprint was a little too big (certainly I didn't want a TV that was bigger and heavier).
So I decided on the 42" Grand Wega to get HDTV and to also get a decent footprint (shallower and just as wide as the 32" Trinitron) and a better weight (~40 pounds). I had heard decent things about the rear projection LCDs and the price was right.
Most of what follows is a critique of the backlit LCD TV as compared to a standard tube Trinitron, which is what I was used to. If you are looking for comparisons to other LCDs, my apologies but you won't find that here.
The good news is the TV is user friendly and worked perfectly for everything we tried right away. It found over the air digital channels (some in HD) and all the inputs worked as advertised.
The bad news is the standard definition image quality is a big disappointment compared to the trinitron tube I was used to! Maybe this won't be a surprise to others but it was to me. Even watching digital channels and using s-video or component inputs, the image is evidently not scaling up very well. This maybe has to do with the native resolution of the display (1386 x 788) and the way the image is scaled up. I'm guessing that SD images don't align with the native pixels no matter what the TV circuitry does. The pixels bleed noticeably and text edges are doubled when they should be crisp.
Something else to get used to (really I can't decide if its worse or just different) is the 'glare' of this backlit set. The TV uses a bright lamp to back-light the LCD, and for images with light colors the glare can be hard on the eyes. This may be a matter of taste, but it is something to get used to.
The one bright spot of hope is the digital HD image quality. Once tuned to a real HD digital signal, the TV begins to really shine. Even without an HD signal you can see the potential in the on-screen menus. Suddenly there are no scaling artifacts, the pixels are crisp and clear, and even the brightness and colors are more even and less eye-tiring. I dread going back to a non HD signal.
So if you are upgrading step by step, be prepared for a new-found motivation to upgrade all available equipment to make sure you are in HD land as much as possible. Digital HD cable, DirectTV HD, and over the air digital HD are your friends. ReplayTV, DVDs, and standard channels will get more tiresome with this TV.
So I decided on the 42" Grand Wega to get HDTV and to also get a decent footprint (shallower and just as wide as the 32" Trinitron) and a better weight (~40 pounds). I had heard decent things about the rear projection LCDs and the price was right.
Most of what follows is a critique of the backlit LCD TV as compared to a standard tube Trinitron, which is what I was used to. If you are looking for comparisons to other LCDs, my apologies but you won't find that here.
The good news is the TV is user friendly and worked perfectly for everything we tried right away. It found over the air digital channels (some in HD) and all the inputs worked as advertised.
The bad news is the standard definition image quality is a big disappointment compared to the trinitron tube I was used to! Maybe this won't be a surprise to others but it was to me. Even watching digital channels and using s-video or component inputs, the image is evidently not scaling up very well. This maybe has to do with the native resolution of the display (1386 x 788) and the way the image is scaled up. I'm guessing that SD images don't align with the native pixels no matter what the TV circuitry does. The pixels bleed noticeably and text edges are doubled when they should be crisp.
Something else to get used to (really I can't decide if its worse or just different) is the 'glare' of this backlit set. The TV uses a bright lamp to back-light the LCD, and for images with light colors the glare can be hard on the eyes. This may be a matter of taste, but it is something to get used to.
The one bright spot of hope is the digital HD image quality. Once tuned to a real HD digital signal, the TV begins to really shine. Even without an HD signal you can see the potential in the on-screen menus. Suddenly there are no scaling artifacts, the pixels are crisp and clear, and even the brightness and colors are more even and less eye-tiring. I dread going back to a non HD signal.
So if you are upgrading step by step, be prepared for a new-found motivation to upgrade all available equipment to make sure you are in HD land as much as possible. Digital HD cable, DirectTV HD, and over the air digital HD are your friends. ReplayTV, DVDs, and standard channels will get more tiresome with this TV.
