Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
 sonys inbuilt freeview January 4, 2009
D. Daymond (Sunderland, England.)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Having a lot of sony gadgets,including a high end X-series tv,I found the 32W4000 inbuilt freeview not that good,I had a new digital aerial installed and found that the picture irritatingly pixalates every so often,my area is a very good signal area and on looking at the reception signal on the tv, is exellent.Everything else about this tv is 1st class to sonys usual standards,picture quality,sound,ease of use as well as a good looking tv.My advice to sony is to rectify this problem..I think I'll stick to my sky+.
Stunning but needs some calibration December 29, 2008
Christian Ward (Oxfordshire, England)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
I opted for this TV instead of cheaper, bigger models simply because of the quality of it and reviews I'd read. Build quality is high, it looks expensive and feels well made - no cheap plastic in sight!
The reason for dropping a star is because if you use it with default settings then you're really missing out. The picture is headache-inducingly bright even on 'standard' and the sound is rather flat. If you're prepared to spend a few minutes tweaking the brightness / contrast / backlight with the aid of something like the THX optimiser then you'll be treated to one of the finest picture's to be had from a 32" TV. Also the BBE sound is much better than the 'dynamic' option which is the default.
I was sceptical about how useful all the features like 'Live Colour' and 'Advanced Contrast' were, and they have mixed results. Live Colour seems to only affect peoples' faces and tends to make them look a bit red, but the Advanced Contrast Enhancer is really worth it. It manages to really enhance dull scenes while not making already well lit scenes look too contrasty. The 'Reduced Power' option is good for the conscience, although all it seems to do is dim the screen a bit. The 'Light Sensor' is a bit hit-and-miss too, it seems to reduce brightness and contrast thus undoing all your good work in calibrating it. The 'Sony' logo is lit up by default, thereby wasting power and distracting your attention from the screen. Thankfully you can turn it off. Also, be aware of the power usage in stand-by mode. It tells you something like 0.19W but with the default settings it's something like 0.66W for 3 hours after you turn it off, then it drops to 0.19W. If you disable the 'quick start' then it's 0.19W all the while, but you can turn it off properly at the TV itself, then it's 0W anyway.
All in all this is an absolutely awesome TV, but it needs a lot of tweaking to get the best from it. Many of the default settings are pants and are designed more for shop floors than living rooms. If you don't like the idea of sitting down with the manual and going through all the settings seeing what each one does and how it effects the image, then you're better off with a cheapo TV since out-of-the-box, this one is nothing special.
 SONY KDL32W4000 - FABULOUS December 28, 2008
Mrs. K. A. Peake (UK)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
We purchased from Amazon early in December and are delighted with the picture and sound quality.
We are not technically minded or knowledgeable. This t.v. was virtually plug in and go, automatically selecting the appropriate channels during setup. This is our first LCD t.v. and we think it is absolutely fantastic, as do our teenage children.
I am writing this to give confidence to others like us (none technically aware) as we found these reviews useful.
Price and delivery excellent.
Sony kdl32w4000 December 26, 2008
D. A. Turner (North Wales)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Ordered this TV as a present and the following day, on time, it turned up !! Our son opened it up on Christmas morning and his face said it all !! We mounted it on its swivel bracket and switched ON; within minutes ,it was set up with all channels and his PS3. Absolutely brilliant picture and absolutely brilliant service and price from Amazon. Well done !!! Five Star !!!
 I want to highlight the problems... December 19, 2008
Ken Mathers (United States of Europe)
14 out of 24 found this review helpful
Overall this is a good TV, it's my first flat screen TV and in general I like it.
However instead of going through all of the plus points, I want to point out the issues I have had with it:
1. The integrated digital tuner. I'm in a good reception area, one in every 2 times when I switch off and come back to it later or the next day, some or all of the channels are unavailable. I then do the re-tune (within the menu) and all of the channels come back, and aren't blocky.
2. The remote isn't that well designed, some of the buttons you naturally need are in awkward positions, in time you'll get used to it. In general it's a good solid slim controller, and if you have Bravia surround sound you can control it using this control which must be handy. I don't though and so being near the top these buttons just get in the way really.
3. I paid 200 or 300 to get 1080p when I couldve paid less for a V. Maybe I should have. I cant complain about the pic, but I'm not using HD very often yet and not sure if its really worth it. (Since I bought it) I've read that unless your TV is 40" or more, it doesnt make much of a difference if you have 1080 or not, and so is it really worth it? Apart from the peace of mind of having it.
4. The channel info (showing you options and details of the current program) appears in the top third of the screen, this is annoying, it should be on the bottom third.
5. I have a smallish living room, but (hmm not sure if I'm right about this) but in hindsight wouldnt have minded paying 100 more and getting a 37 or 40, just because the increase in price is not much considering the 650 or so I paid for this.
I've given it 2 stars because I thought people would like to read an honest appraisal of the issues. Really it's maybe worth 3.5 (or 4 if I didnt have to retune every other time I want to watch integrated digital).
If you're considering buying one of these, but have questions, feel free to leave comments and I'll try and reply.
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