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Sony KDL-26T3000 Review |
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Reviewed: 08 December 2007
Design
If any TV deserves to take pride of place in a bedroom or small living room, the Sony KDL-26T3000 is it. Despite its small size, Sony have applied their almost legendary build quality and sense of understated style to the 26T3000.
Features
With 2 HDMI, 2 Scart sockets, Twin (analogue and digital) tuners, the Sony KDL-26T3000 is as well specked as any 26in LCD TV.
Screen: 26in 16:9 Tuner: Digital Sound System: Nicam Resolution: 1366 x 768 Contrast Ratio: 1500:1 Brightness: 450cd/m2 Other Features:Bravia picture processing engine, WCG-CCFL. Sockets: 2 HDMI, 2 SCART, Component Video, Composite Video, PC input.
LCD TV's below 32in are not as packed full of electronic wizardry as larger screens, but what the KDL-26T3000 does sport is Sony's tried and trusted Bravia picture processing technology.
As Sony's top of the range 26in LCD TV, the KDL-26T3000 also gains their latest Backlighting system, WCG-CCFL (Wide Colour Gamut - Cold Cathode Fluorescent Light).
WCG-CCFL technology allows the 26T3000 to achieve approximately 95% of the NTSC (National Television System Committee) video signal colour gamut – representing a 140% improvement on LCD TVs that feature traditional fluorescent backlights. WCG-CCFL incorporates a different type of luminescent material to produce more accurate and deeper reds and greens.
A little surprisingly, the 26T3000 only accepts resolutions of up to 720p and 1080i (remember Sony's own PS3 games console offers movies and games at the better quality 1080p).
Performance
In many respects, the 26T3000 is as capable a 26in LCD TV as any current alternative. The High Definition (HD) picture is superb, with pin sharp detail and wonderfully vivid and accurate colours.
The WCG-CCFl contributes to colours which are full of depth and subtle graduations regardless of whether the TV is displaying Standard or High Definition material.
Black levels are not quite class leading for an LCD, but they are at a level which enables the 26T3000 to put in a wholly convincing performance in this respect. Subtle graduations with darker scenes is something the Sony does very well with very little evidence of greyness on even the darkest scenes.
The Panasonic TX26LXD70 just shades the 26T3000 for motion handling capabilities, but the margins are slight with the Sony putting in an admirable performance. We have to point to the fact that unlike the 26T3000, the Panasonic can handle 1080p inputs, which may have an impact on those that are expecting to benefit from a 1080p input (PS3 owners perhaps).
Standard Definition (SD) performance on the 26T3000 is excellent (partly the effect of the perceived effect of a smaller screen) . There is a noticeable degradation when viewing Freeview, with slight motion smearing the main culprit, but the impact is minimal, and intrudes very little into the viewing experience. Move up in quality to a source such as SD Sky and it becomes apparent just how accomplished this screen is.
Conclusion
The Sony 26T3000 is a superb 26in LCD TV, and its all round performance places it almost level with the best in class (Panasonic 26-LXD70). You should be able to get it a little cheaper than the Panasonic, which would make the 26T3000 a very serious proposition.
