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Sony 1080p TVs
Customers looking for 1080p will settle for nothing but the best. This choice of manufacturer is, therefore, dead right - Sony 1080p TVs are some of the best on the market, offering, among other features, 200-hertz technology, multimedia extras, and well-respected picture quality. With 1080p panels, they're able to reproduce the Full HD resolution of Blu-ray movies. Having begun trading in Tokyo shortly after World War II, Sony is now one of the world's leading consumer-electronics manufacturers, producing everything from MP3 players to the trailblazing PS3 games console.
Sony 1080p: Z series
Offering the same features as the V series (above) but adding 200-hertz technology, the Z series is Sony's flagship range of 1080p TVs. We've already published an extensive introduction to the current 40-inch (102-centimeter) Sony 1080p KDL-40 Z 5500 (1,700 GBP), along with a comparison of the TV with its most important rivals.
Other Z-series models:
Sony 1080p KDL-40 Z 4500, 40 inches (102 cm), 1,300 GBP
Sony 1080p KDL-46 Z 4500, 46 inches (117 cm), 1,500 GBP
Sony 1080p KDL-46 Z 5500, 46 inches (117 cm), 1,800 GBP
Sony 1080p KDL-52 Z 4500, 52 inches (132 cm), 2,100 GBP
Sony 1080p KDL-52 Z 5500, 52 inches (132 cm), 2,700 GBP
Sony 1080p: W series
We haven't yet produced reviews for the W series, which offers all of the features of the V series, but adds "100 hertz Motionflow" technology for more-precise motion.
The W-series models in comparison:
Sony 1080p KDL-32 W 5500, 32 inches (81.3 cm), 700 GBP
Sony 1080p KDL-37 W 5500, 37 inches (94 cm), 950 GBP
Sony 1080p KDL-40 W 5500, 40 inches (102 cm), 970 GBP
Sony 1080p KDL-46 W 5500, 46 inches (117 cm), 1,350 GBP
Sony 1080p KDL-52 W 5500, 52 inches (132 cm), 1,700 GBP
Sony 1080p: V series
The V-series 1080p TVs have built-in tuners for analog cable, DVB-T, and DVB-C - the digital tuners will also receive HDTV. With support for CI Plus, the TVs will also continue to receive encrypted channels when operators introduce the new access standard. An Ethernet connection also provides both streaming multimedia across a PC network and access to internet news tickers ("RSS feeds"). We've already tested the largest of these Sony 1080p models: Review of the Sony 1080p KDL-52 V 5500, 52 inches (132-centimeter), 1,530 GBP.
Furthermore, based on technical specifications and our experiences with the larger model, we've produced extensive analyses of the other models in the series as well as comparing these with TVs from other manufacturers:
Sony 1080p KDL-32 V 5500, 32 inches (81.3 cm), 600 GBP
Sony 1080p KDL-37 V 5500, 37 inches (94 cm), 750 GBP
Sony 1080p KDL-40 V 5500, 40 inches (102 cm), 900 GBP
Sony 1080p KDL-46 V 5500, 46 inches (117 cm), 1,000 GBP
Sony 1080p: EX series
The EX series is a distant relative of the E series, and adds wireless HDMI technology, meaning TVs themselves require just a single power cable. The antenna and video source-devices link up via a connections box that transmits video and audio to the screen wirelessly. The E series' network connection is missing on the EX models, but the technology is otherwise identical.
Be warned, however, that the wireless connection doesn't support 1080p. If you want to watch 1080p signals from a Blu-ray player or games console, you have to connect the device directly to the TV's HDMI input. We've already published a review of the 40-inch (102-centimeter) Sony 1080p KDL-40 EX 1 (1,350 GBP).
Other EX-series models:
Sony 1080p KDL-46 EX 1, 46 inches (117 cm), 1,600 GBP
Sony 1080p KDL-52 EX 1, 52 inches (132 cm), 1,950 GBP
Sony 1080p: S series
The S series is the entry-level range of Sony 1080p TVs. The tuners only receive analog cable TV and DVB-T, and, apart from a USB connection, there are no multimedia extras.
The S-series models in comparison:
Sony 1080p KDL-37 S 5500, 37 inches (94 cm), 850 GBP
Sony 1080p KDL-40 S 5500, 40 inches (102 cm), 750 GBP
Sony 1080p: WE series
Using hot-cathode fluorescent lamps (HCFLs) instead of the usual cold-cathode variety (CCFL), the WE series promises to use half as much power as the related W-series. The 1080p WE models also come in white.
The WE-series models in comparison:
Sony 1080p KDL-40 WE 5 W, 40 inches (102 cm), 1,100 GBP
Sony 1080p KDL-46 WE 5 W, 46 inches (117 cm), 1,485 GBP
Sony 1080p: E series
The technology in the E series is the same as that in the W series, but the design is more attractive. So, you still get 1080p support, network and internet access, reception of digital channels, and 100-hertz Motionflow (only in the KDL-32 E 5500 and the KDL-40 E 5500), but you can also choose between black, wood, and aluminum frames.
The E-series models in comparison:
Sony 1080p KDL-32 E 5500, 32 inches (81.3 cm), 900 GBP
Sony 1080p KDL-40 E 5500, 40 inches (102 cm), 1,080 GBP
Sony 1080p: ZX series
The sexy ZX 1 series uses LED technology to light up its screen - and, since the LEDs sit around the edge of the screen instead of behind it, the TV's casing is very slim. But this is one 1080p TV that you buy primarily for its looks.
There's 100-hertz technology, but although the digital tuner receives both terrestrial and cable signals, it lacks support for the new CI Plus encryption system. Multimedia is also limited to a USB photo viewer.
There is currently only one ZX 1-series 1080p TV:
Sony 1080p KDL-40 ZX 1, 40 inches (102 cm), 1,900 GBP
Sony 1080p: X series
Cruising at the very top of the price range for Sony's BRAVIA TV range, you'll find the 1080p X-series TVs. Although it has Local Dimming and an advanced "Pro" version of the manufacturer's 100-hertz technology, this 4500 model, released in 2008, lacks network access or CI Plus support.
The X-series models in comparison:
Sony 1080p KDL-46 X 4500, 46 inches (117 cm), 3,700 GBP
Sony 1080p KDL-55 X 4500, 55 inches (140 cm), 4,635 GBP
Sony's discontinued models
Just because a series is no longer brand-new, it doesn't mean it won't offer excellent picture quality and features - although it might not have all of the latest multimedia extras or digital tuners. The biggest benefit is, of course, that discontinued series are often available as clearance stock or second-hand, meaning you can enjoy 1080p pictures for less. Here is a list of 1080p Sony models we've reviewed in the past, and which you might still find on sale:
This was Sony's first series of the 200-hertz era. Our comprehensive review of this 40-inch (102-centimeter) model will tell you how good it actually is.
Also from Sony's first series with 200-hertz technology. Comprehensive review of the 46-inch (117-centimeter) model.
Review of a 100-hertz 1080p model, from Sony's upper mid-range.
Review of a high-end model from 2008.
Review of this 40-inch (102-centimeter) 1080p TV from 2007.
Review of another 40-inch (102-centimeter) 1080p model from 2007.
Review of a 46-inch (117-centimeter) model from Sony's upper mid-range for 2007.
The following were involved in producing this article on Sony 1080p TVs:
Author(s): Karl-Gerhard Haas
Editor in Chief: Florian Friedrich
Photos: Manufacturers and AV T.O.P. Messtechnik GmbH
Last updated: September 2009