Customer Reviews
Solution to problem mentioned
I retired my 12 year-old Panasonic CRT set when Freeview HD became available. Only Sony had a 32" set on the market.
The only problem I had with the set-up was that,initially,I couldn't get the batteries into the remote! The case wouldn't slide open until I also pressed the Power/Standby button on its back. Thereafter, the automatic set-up was fine.
The printed 'Operating Instructions' is a leaflet which directs one to the 'Instructions Manual' built into the set, which results in a lot of tiresome, jumping back and forth. The Manual is a general one, and refers to some features that are not on this set. The 'Options' button enables the user to make a wide range of adjustments to both vision and sound. Vision quality is excellent, whilst sound is average(being half-deaf, I found the 'Clear Voice' option merely shrill). Some of the buttons on the remote are too small.
My only major criticism is one that I suspect is applicable to all Widescreen TVs(this is my first) - screen format. The default setting is Widescreen, and there are four other settings(Smart, which is a misnomer):4:3:Zoom:14:9: - If you change channels, or make an adjustment, the set switches back to Widescreen, regardless of the previous setting!
A minor viewing criticism concerns the very glossy screen surround which creates distracting reflections - Matt would have been much more sensible.
Viewing Freeview HD channels can be stunning, although very few programmes at present are genuinely HD.
I won't realise the full potential of this TV until I get a Broadband router, and a HD PVR(none available at present).
All in all, I'm very pleased with the set.
PS I later resolved the above criticism by pressing Home - Settings - Picture - Screen - (Auto Format on) - changing 4:3 Default from Smart to 4:3
Lovely set
Having last year changed my TV downstairs for a 40" Sony set, I was reluctant to spend more money changing the old 21" CRT upstairs in my study. However, Sony ran a deal during the World Cup to trade in old sets and I managed to get £100 off the price of the KDL32EX403U so I went for it.
The build of the set is not quite as sexy as a Samsung, but feels somehow more 'grown up', while still looking very nice in the living room. The stand is a non-swivel model, which is annoying, but does hold the TV firmly and took only 5 minutes to put together. Without this, the TV can be wall mounted as well.
Picture quality on HD is as sharp as you'd imagine with Sony. Colour is well represented and I was very impressed with the blacks from this non-LED set. On my Xbox 360 the quality was perfect for games like Gears of War 2 and Modern Warfare 2, where detail is very important. On SD the picture was less impressive until I found that turning the extra settings for picture quality off. I'm assuming these are used for HD and not SD pictures as the SD picture improved greatly. The Sony set seems to smooth out rough pixels fairly well and the SD picture is watchable, if not the best. It doesn't have the benefit of 100HZ either so on fast moving pictures some ghosting can occur. With a Humax Freesat HD box, however, picture quality on SD was greatly improved due to the box upscaling the picture.
One feature on all new Sony sets is the ability to read USB sticks or Hard Drives. I added my portable 130GB Hard Drive to the side of the TV and it read it immediately. MP4 and DIVX video worked fine, a few lesser known formats didn't run though. Pictures and Music also worked well from the Hard Drive. The TV also allows you to stream from a computer, which I've tried and it works if you can fiddle around and set windows up.
Youtube, 5 on Demand, Lovefilm and several European internet channels are also built in if you plug in an Ethernet cable. Youtube worked well but I found that the search was a bit fiddly on the remote. It's a shame that there is no BBC iPlayer as with other sets.
One last feature which impressed me was the Picture Frame mode. It uses a very low amount of power but produces a lovely quality picture (several supplied, but you can use your own) which actually looks like you have a picture frame. I can imagine this would be perfect if you had the TV on the wall in your sitting room.
Sound is fairly good, the bass felt solid and voices were clear, though it's never going to replace a separate set of speakers. The surround effects are actually pretty good too, supporting Dolby formats and changing 5.1 and DD to a more simple surround method but giving a good result from the two speakers at the base of the unit.
Overall, then, this is a great little set at a good price. Those using it for 360 or PS3 will find that it delivers well. People with just an SD signal may not get the most out of the TV though until Freeview HD comes to their area.
Brilliant!
Can't fault it. SD Freeview and Hd work a treat for me. The network functionality of this TV is fantastic, and I would recommend hooking it up to your PC via HDMI to use BBC iPlayer and whatnot, as the built in Bravia Internet Video feature is still a little limited, though developing well.
 | Sony Bravia KDL32EX403U 32-inch Widescreen Full HD 1080p LCD Internet TV with Freeview HD |
| Price: | £369.07 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Delivery. Details |
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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