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Sony KDL-32D3000 Review |
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Reviewed: 08 June 2007
Design
No one does understated elegance quite as well as Sony, and the KDL-32D3000 is no exception. While the glossy black finish so prevalent on many of its rivals has its appeal, the chic matte black appearance of the Sony is sure to maintain and add to its following.
Features
Look under the hood of the Sony KDL-32D3000 and you will be very pleased to find 3 HDMI inputs (1.3) along with 2 Scarts, Component and Composite video inputs, S-video input and PC input.
Screen: 32in 16:9 Tuner: Digital Sound System: Nicam Resolution: 1366 x 768 Contrast Ratio: 8,000:1 (dynamic) Brightness: 450cd/m2 Other Features: Motionflow +100Hz, Bravia Picture Processing Engine, Live Colour Creation, 24p True Cinema. Sockets: 3 HDMI, 2 SCART, Component Video, Composite Video, PC input.
The Sony KDL32D3000 is equipped with '24p True Cinema' which enables the panel to display films at their intended 24fps (frames per second) rather than the standard (for tv) of 25fps.
With 24p True Cinema technology on board the KDL32D3000 does not need to speed up the film to reach 25fps. Alongside 24p True Cinema is Sony's 'Theatre Mode' technology which adjusts colour, contrast and brightness settings to makes movies look as authentic as the original.
The KDL-32D3000 also sports 'Motionflow +100Hz' technology which doubles the number of frames shown on previous Sony LCD TV's from 50 to 100 by interpolating an extra frame in between each source frame. The technology has been designed to remove the stuttering effect that is visible with fast action sequences as the frame rate struggles to keep up. The feature can be turned off if desired.
With a 10-bit panel offering 1024 shades of gradation, colour reproduction on the KDL32D3000 has been considerably enhanced.
Theatre Sync, which is Sony's name for CEC (Consumer Electronic Control), is a control standard that functions over HDMI 1.3. The technology facilitates one-touch control over compatible devices and in practice means that if you fire up your compatible DVD player, the all connected devices such as your LCD TV will also spring into life.
Sonically, the KDL-32D3000 comes equipped with Sony's S-Force Front Surround which is their latest virtual surround sound technology.
Performance
Illustrating just how much dynamism there is in the LCD TV arena at the moment, Sony has raised the bar for 32in LCD flat panel performance with the introduction of the KDL-32D3000. This comes only months after Panasonic had done the same with their LXD70/700 range.
Despite the presence of some high profile picture processing wizardry we feel the Sony KDL-32D3000 has taken its greatest strides forward in the area of black level performance and greyscale gradation. Shadow detailing now takes on a subtlety which is a match for any 32in LCD out there, and while black levels are not the best, they are an improvement on previous Sony models.
Standard Definition (SD) performance is a revelation, with an almost complete absence of video noise. Of course, a 32in screen is small enough to hide some of the inconsistencies that creep into a picture as a result of the conversion of a 576p source to an HD ready screen configuration, but it is nevertheless extremely impressive. It will be interesting to see if we are as impressed with the SD performance of the KDL-32D3000's older brother the KDL-40D3000.
As you would expect, High Definition performance is near faultless with a sharpness, level of detail and depth of colour to match any medium sized LCD TV.
Motionflow +100Hz is certainly doing its job by significantly reducing motion blur on fast action sequences. We did actually prefer Panasonic's implementation of 100Hz processing which we felt gave slightly crisper and cleaner motion especially with faster material. However, with the optional 'Standard' and 'High' settings and the ability to turn 100Hz processing off completely (unlike 100Hz on the Panasonic) we are sure that the Sony will gain just as many supporters in this respect as its rival.
Finally, if there is a 32in LCD TV out there with a richer or more precise colour palette, we have yet to see it. The range, depth and subtlety of colour is simply outstanding. The most intricate of detailing such as skin tone is realised with class leading performance.
Conclusion
The Sony KDL-32D3000 joins an elite pack of 32in LCD TV's that that are nipping at the heels of CRT with their standard definition performance. Add absolutely stunning HD pictures to the mix and you have an extremely accomplished flat screen.
