Sony KDL52V5100 52" HDTV LCD TV

The Sony Bravia KDL-52W5100 is the spring 2009 (official release date was 6/15/2009) replacement for the popular Sony Bravia KDL-52W4100 52" High Definition LCD television.  Sony advertises the KDL-52W5100 as an "entry level" set because it lacks a few of the advanced (but not necessary) features of their higher priced sets in the Bravia line.
 
LCD full high definition (1080p) television sets now represent a substantial majority of sets now on the market.  They are thin (my Sony is just under 4" deep), light (under 60 lbs without its fixed position stand), and energy efficient.  The Sony is not the thinnest or lightest 52" set on the market, but to get significantly more compact, you're talking LED TV and at least a 50% price jump.
 
The sweet spot for LCD HD TVs is currently the 52" screen size.  This size delivers a sizeable viewing area and prices have tumbled at the same time technology has progressed relative to where they were just over a year ago.  You can save anywhere from $400 - $700 dropping down to  a 46" or 40" model, if money is a major consideration.  If you will view your set from a distance of less than about 8 feet, that might be a reason to buy a TV smaller than 52". 

Keep in mind that older style televisions, the kind that have been around since about 1950, have a 4:3 screen aspect.  Because of the difference in screen aspects, a 52" diagonally measured screen delivers the equivalent viewing area (867 square inches) as an older style television screen that would measure 42 1/2 inchs with a 4:3 aspect television screen.  In other words you will not see as dramatic a difference in screen size as the diagonal screen measurement might suggest when comparing 16:9 and 4:3 aspect screens.  Also much of the contentavailable even in HD cuts off 4-5 inches on both sides of the screen (this shows up as black bands),  and some content cuts off about 3 inches off of both the bottom and top of the screen.


Some Technical Stuff


1080p Horizontal Scan

The 1080p screen is now considered "full high definition" versus the older standard 720p. The 1080 is the number of horizontal scan lines, sometimes referred to as vertical resolution.  The p stands for progressive scan. Progressive or non-interlaced scanning is a method for displaying images in which all the lines of each frame are drawn in sequence. This is in contrast to the Interlace used in older television systems where only the odd lines, then the even lines of each image are drawn alternately.  The term 1080 is now understood to refer to a wide screen aspect of 16:9, implying a horizontal resolution of 1920 pixels and a frame resolution of 1920 × 1080 or over 2 million pixels. 

Progressive scan systems are a more advanced technology that inherently delivers a smoother looking picture in action sequences, since interlaced systems can result in slightly jagged looking edges.


120Hz Refresh Rate

Another current standard in high definition LCD televisions is a 120Hz refresh rate; 120 frames a second.  A 120Hz LCD TV refreshes images at twice the speed of the older 60Hz models. An argument against LCD TVs, which doesn't apply to CRT (big old picture tube) or rear projection or plasma HDTVs, has been that their slower refresh rates can result in motion blur with fast motion content.  To combat this, LCD televisions are now mostly 120Hz.  "Bleeding edge" LCD TVs boast a 240Hz refresh rate, although when I viewed high action content (a recorded football game) on adjacent 120Hz and 240Hz set at Best Buy, I could perceive no difference.  The set with a 240Hz refresh rate cost several hundred dollars more.  Whether it is worth paying up for 240Hz to possibly make your TV more "future proof" (and have the bragging rights) is up to you.  Most on line reviewers report they see little difference in the picture quality of LCD sets with older 60Hz refresh rates and current standard 120Hz rates.  Since 60Hz sets are no longer on showroom floors, except possibly at Walmart, you probably can not do a side by side comparison.

Judder

Separate from refresh rate picture quality is an issue known as "juddering".  Most manufacturers are incorporating smoothing software that is designed to make film based content, which plays at 24 frames per second, look more natural.  This is technically referred to as judder.  Judder is part of what makes motion pictures look like motion pictures, so when judder is removed movies look more like videos.  Some viewers like the look of video and believe it looks more life-like.  Manufacturers have different marketing names for anti-judder software and Sony calls its version Motion Flow.  Anti-juddering software is a feature you can adjust depending on your personal preference.

Contrast Ratio

Contrast ratio is a measurement between full black and full white pixels.  I have seen advertised LCD contrast ratios of anywhere from 3000:1 to 150000:1.  These numbers mean very little since there is no industry standard. 


What about my personal experience?


The Picture

The Sony Bravia KDL-52W5100 produces an outstanding high definition (HD) picture from cable.  Non HD cable channels look very good also.  I'm sure HD satellite input would be excellent too.  I haven't tried Blu-Ray yet, but from what I've read, that should look even better than HD cable input.

I was concerned about how good the picture would look when viewed from an angle, based on reports that this has been a problem with LCD TVs.  I did not note a particular problem with picture quality when viewing from any watchable angle.

One drawback of having a big TV capable of such a fine HD picture is viewing content that is not HD.  Old content looks relatively weak, but really no worse than they would look on an older standard TV.  Since the picture on this monitor is bigger. the weakness of non HD content is more obvious.

Other Features

On the left side and back of the TV there are four HMDI inputs, a VGA input, 2 serial ports, and 2 sets of RCA cable video and audio ports.

Calibration of the set is fairly straight forward, and the average viewer would probably be satisfied with the standard picture.  If you're a viewer with a highly refined eye, you can tweek the picture to your heart's delight through the options menu accessed through the remote.  There are numerous suggestions for custom setting for this TV on the Internet.

Use HDMI (or the 3 round RCA) Cables (Duh!)

I first hooked up my new TV to my cable box using the single coax cable that had been provided by Cox Communications.  I ran the coax cable from the HD cable box directly to my TV.  This is the same cable as the cable that brings the picture into you home. The picture was decent, but a little disappointing.  Cox also provided me with a set of RCA cables coded green, bule and red. I did not realize the full potential of my TV until I ran the RCA  cables from the COX HD box to my TV.  It was then the Wow factor kicked in.  The sound quality was also  improved after I hooked up the white and red coded audio cables from the HD cable box to the TV.

I ordered 2 HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) cables for $3 each, which I thought would probably not provide better quality, but would at least contribute less to the spagetti jungle behind the TV.  When I switched the input on the TV to HDMI the picture quality seemed the same as when using the huge RCA cables, but of course with a lot less clutter.

Reliability

In general LCDs have proven to be very reliable, with a repair rate of about 3 percent according to Consumer Reports.  Because of the newness of the technology, Consumer Reports is not rating brands against each other.  In the past Sony has been the best, or almost the best in reliability.  I have always found Sony products to be very reliable, just based on personal experience and information from family and friends.

Why Sony?

A little background on my personal experience with Sony televisions.  In 1990 I bought a 27" Sony Trinitron that is still going strong in my daughter's basement. In 2004 I bought a 34" flat screen Sony Trinitron for about $2300.  That set had a great picture, excellent sound, and weighed a massive 175 pounds.

Admittedly I have a prejudice toward Sony, but noted that Consumer Reports (March 2009) favored the Samsung 52" LCD HDTVs.
 
I was torn between ordering Sony BRAVIA V-Series KDL-52V5100 52-Inch and a similar and the higher rated Samsung LN52A650.  I was leaning toward the Sony because the set was going in a room with several windows, so reflection was a consideration. The Sony screen has a satin non-reflective finish instead of the Samsung's high gloss. Several on-line reviewers had noted that the reflective surface of the Samsung was a problem. When I was ready to pull the trigger on this purchase I found the best Samsung price was $600 higher than the Sony.  That along with my other considerations made up my mind in favor of the Sony. 

The Cons

A shiny surface such as the one on the Samsung will inherently produce sharper images and blacker blacks than the satin finished screen on this Sony.  Again, there is the glare trade-off, so you have to decide if that is a factor where you plan to place your TV.

LCD TV's have relatively small speakers, so the quality of sound is decent but limited.  Many will chose to add a surround sound system or at least a couple of external speakers.  My choice was the Onkyo Onkyo HT-S5200.

Signal strength of some HD content is occasionally weaker than others for picture quality and sound.  The weaker signal results in what are called artifacts. Artifacts are undesirable visible problems with the picture, such as pixelization or hanging dots on the screen.  Sometimes the picture gets darker or lighter seemingly at random, particularly in darker scenes.  This goes away when you go down to the non-high definition broadcast of the program.  I don't believe problem with the Sony TV, since the commercials look and sound fine even when there is a problem with HD content.

Some commercial on line reviewers have stated this TV includes an Ethernet port and on screen "widgets". The Widgets enable the viewer to see Internet based data such as local weather or the stock market from the TV.

My TV does not have an Ethernet port or the Widget feature.  Sony originally announced that his was a new feature for the Bravia series.  Current listings do not mention this feature on the LDL52V5100.  Apparently  Sony dropped this feature, possibly to differentiate this "entry level" TV from its pricier brethen. 

I hooked up one of my networked computers directly to this TV's D-Sub input.  As would be expected, the TV acted just like a huge monitor and I was able to see my home network the Internet just like on any computer monitor.  I watched some Youtube content, and it looked horrible on that big screen. 

It was disappointing that the only computer video input on the TV was the old style D-Sub 15 pin input.  A TV this advanced would certainly produce a better picture with the newer DVI monitor interface and card.

The lack of widgets and an ethernet connection would be no deal killer for me, since I have 2 computers and when I watch TV I watch TV, and when I want to do computer stuff I use a computer.  Still this would have been a nice option to have available.  This is especially true since many back episodes of popular TV shows, such as The Office, are now available on line. 

Purchase and Delivery, etc.

I found the best price for the TV at Amazon.com, which included free set up and delivery and no sales tax.  Prices fluctuate day by day on this set, and sometimes local stores like Best Buy, Walmart, or Sears will have a special sale price.   Many consumers like the comfort factor they associate with dealing with a local retailer and having a local contact if there are any problems.  I've found that reputable on line resellers will usually go out of their way to make servicing or returns easy. 

If you buy at a store like Best Buy, be prepared for a hard sell on unnecessary grossly overpriced assessories such as Monster cables.  A local store might also include the initial calibration of your set, or maybe free wall mounting.  Warehouse Clubs like Costco and Sam's also carry Large LCD TVs, often with slightly different model numbers and features; i.e. 3 HMDI inputs instead of 4.  Of course he service provided at warehouse clubs is often limited to helping you load the box into a truck.

I suggest stalking any electronic item for as long as possible before buying, because of competitive price fluctuations.  A friend who bought the exact same TV three weeks before me paid $300 more.
  
I ordered the set from Amazon on Monday and it was delivered to my home on Friday morning.  The driver took the set out of the box and took all of the packing with him (earning a nice tip).  The set came right out of the box mounted (with 4 screws) on a small but heavy fixed black table top stand. 

I ordered a flat panel TV stand with an integrated mount when I order the TV. This raises the TV at least a couple of feet off of the floor and provides left and righ swivel  The stand I bought has 2 sturdy glass shelves for the cable box, blue Ray, speakers, etc.  These stand are available locally or on line for $200 - $300.