Sony’s high definition LCD televisions are marketed under the brand name BRAVIA which is an acronym for “Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture”. They are marketed with the slogan “Color like no other”. Their launch is memorable for the advertisement featuring 250,000 brightly colored rubber balls bouncing down a San Francisco street.

The Sony BRAVIA KDL-46S2010 high definition television has a 720p resolution (1366 x 768 pixels).

The KDL-46S2010 looks very stylish with a black finish. The twin speakers are bottom mounted.

There is a reasonable range of customization options with the BRAVIA XBR including; picture modes, wide modes, noise reduction, game mode and sound mode. In addition, there are numerous convenience features such as; picture freeze, favorite channel, parental control (V-Chip), power save mode, clock and sleep timer.

BRAVIA Engine

The KDL-46S2010 display is driven by Sony’s reputable and powerful digital video processor the BRAVIA Engine. Sony have recently added a picture quality enhancement circuit called Digital Reality Creation Multi-function v2.5. The DRC-MFv2.5 now has the added ability to process interlace and progressive video signals and as it has twice the processing power of previous generation DRC-MF circuits which were originally developed in 1997.

Sony’s unique “DRC” technology is different from the conventional interpolation technology that generates pixels based on the linear interpolation function. The DRC=MFv2.5 can convert all standard and high definition video sources to 720p. The DRC-MFv2.5 is user adjustable according to the video source.

The KDL-46S2010 has a respectable response time of 8ms which is the same as quoted for Samsung and Panasonic LCD displays. The Sharp AQUOS does however, lead the pack with a fast 4ms response time.

Contrast Ratio

While it does not have dynamic contrast controls, the KDL-46S2010 has an acceptable contrast ratio of 1300:1. Other models in the BRAVIA range have higher contrast ratios as do other LCD TV brands such as Samsung with a 6,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and Panasonic with 3000:1.

Sony use the more conservative ANSI test rather than the Full On/Full Off test which yields higher results. The ANSI test involves the display of 16 black and white rectangles with contrast ratio being the result of dividing the average light output of the white rectangles by the average light output of the black rectangles. It is commonly argued that the ANSI test is more indicative of contrast ratio due to its checkerboard pattern being closer to actual viewing conditions.

WCG-CCFL Backlight Technology

To achieve a wider color gamut for more natural colors, Sony use a WCG-CCFL ((Wide Color Gamut Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) backlight. As always, because they are backlit, black levels are a weakness for LCD displays. Sony provide a backlight brightness adjustment to help achieve the best black levels for the ambient lighting environment the set is in. If you want to review a television with impressive black levels have a look at Sony’s SXRD rear projection televisions.

Connections

The latest and most desired audio/video interface is HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) which is the first television industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface. The Sony KDL-46S2010 comes with a HDMI input. Conveniently, PC connectivity (HD-15-pin) has also been included. More supplied connection details are provided in the specification below.

KDL-46S2010 has an integrated ATSC high definition tuner.

Sound

As with the rest of the BRAVIA range, to provide an audio experience matching the visual one, the KDL-46V2500 has audio provided by SRS Lab’s patented SRS TruSurround XT surround sound technology. TruSurround XT is a multi-channel virtualization technology which aims to produce a surround sound effect using only two speakers. It will handle up to seven (6.1) audio channels.

TruSurround XT combines three patented sound processing techniques from SRS Labs:

• Dialog Clarity: Improves intelligibility of dialog
• TruSurround: TruSurround creates multichannel signals in a way that takes advantage of the human hearing system and create a surround sound field. It carries Dolby certification.
• TruBass: TruBass enhances bass performance utilizing proprietary psychoacoustic techniques. Perception of fundamental low frequency tones is restored by dynamically augmenting harmonics.

TruSurround will produce a two channel stereo output from mono, stereo, or multichannel input signals. It is compatible with signals that been decoded by a Dolby Pro Logic or Pro Logic II decoder and signals that have been encoded to stereo with a matrix encoder (e.g. SRS Circle Surround or Dolby Pro Logic).

For more information on the equipment supplied by SRS Labs can be found on their web site.

Warranty

The Sony BRAVIA KDL-46S2010 is backed by Sony with an 12 month warranty .

BRAVIA Internet Video Link Module

Sony Electronics has announced that it will soon introduce a BRAVIA Internet Video Link module. When attached to a compatible Sony television, the module will enable access to Internet video programming including high-definition content. Video will be available from internet sources without a PC. The BRAVIA Internet Link module is supported by the XBR, V and S series

Comparison Sony KDL-46S2010 vs

The Sony BRAVIA HD television range also includes the XBR model series of the Bravia HDTV range are what Sony market as their “highest performance, premium design LCD TV”. The Bravia S series is the “entry-level” and the Bravia V series is the “step-up”

The “S” series has two versions being the S2400 models and the S2010 models. The S2400 models have Sony’s dynamic backlighting system, ACE (Advanced Contrast Enhancement), whereas the S2010 models do not.

The “XBR” series has an enhanced set of features compared to the V series including:

• PRO (not standard) version of the Bravis video processing Engine
• A floating glass look
• Side mounted speakers
• Three HDMI inputs (not 2)

While the XBR3 has a glossy black bezel, the XBR2 models have a standard silver bezel which can be replaced by one of five different color bezels (red, white, blue, black, brown) for custom integration with your rooms décor. Other than the replaceable bezels there is no specification difference between the XBR3 and XBR2.

The entry level S series has a reduced set of features in comparison to the “V” series including:

• Lower resolution high definition (1366 x 768 pixels)
• Lower 1,300:1 contrast ratio
• Single HDMI input (not 2)

Further Reading

Presentation Technology Reviews recently reviewed the 46 inch Sony BRAVIA KDL-46XBR2 1080p LCD television and the 46 inch Sony BRAVIA KDL-46XBR3 1080p LCD TV.

Sony have a 46 inch 3LCD HD Rear Projection Television which is worth considering.

Sharp AQUOS has a strong reputation and a 42 inch Sharp AQUOS 1080p LCD TV Review worth comparing.

Presentation Technology Reviews recently looked at newcomer NuVision’s 47 inch 1080p LCD television.

User Reviews and Price Comparisons

Sony Bravia S-Series KDL-46S2010 46-Inch LCD HDTV

Sony Bravia KDL-46S2010 Specification