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-40S2400 television has a high definition resolution of 720p (1366 x 768 pixels).

As with many other models in the Sony BRAVIA range, the KDL-40S2400 has a stylish black finish. Its twin speakers are mounted below the screen.

There is a wide 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.

A useful function available with this LCD television is Freeze Function which allows the viewer to temporarily freeze the picture in a separate screen while the programming continues to display. It’s intended to give you time to copy information shown only briefly on the screen such as a price, web address or phone number.

BRAVIA Engine

The KDL-40S2400 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-40S2400 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

The KDL-40S2400 has a dynamic contrast ratio of 5000:1 and a static contrast ratio of 1300:1. To improve contrast Sony uses a dynamic backlighting system called ACE (Advanced Contrast Enhancement) on BRAVIA TVs. Automatically sensing the APL (Average Picture Level) of the video signal it adjusts the intensity of the backlight for improved contrast.

The 5000:1 dynamic contrast ratio compares well with other LCD displays. Samsung is actually the closest with a 6,000:1 dynamic contrast ratios with Panasonic and JVC having 3000:1 and 1,000:1 ratios respectively.

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.

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-40S2400 comes with a single HDMI input. This could be a problem if you have more than one HDMI source to connect – which is becoming more likely. Conveniently, PC connectivity (HD-15-pin) has also been included. More supplied connection details are provided in the specification below.

The Sony 40S2400 has an integrated ATSC high definition tuner so you do not need a separate box.

Sound

As with the rest of the BRAVIA range, to provide an audio experience matching the visual one, the 40S2400 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-40S2400 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-40S2400 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 S series including:

• higher 1080p resolution
• PRO (not standard) version of the Bravis video processing Engine
• A floating glass look
• Side mounted speakers
• Three HDMI inputs (not 1)

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 step-up V series has superior features in comparison to the “S” series including:

• Higher 1080p resolution
• Higher 5,000:1 contrast ratio
• Twin HDMI inputs

Further Reading

Presentation Technology Reviews recently reviewed the Sony 32 inch BRAVIA S Series KDL-32S2400 – 720p LCD HDTV and the 40 inch KDL-40S2010 – 720p LCD HDTV which doesn’t have Sony’s dynamic backlighting system, ACE (Advanced Contrast Enhancement).

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 42LCM1 42 inch 1080p LCD Display.

User Reviews and Price Comparisons

Sony Bravia S-Series KDL-40S2400 40-Inch Digital LCD HDTV

Sony Bravia KDL-40S2400 Specification