Sony Unveils New HD TVs

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Next up is the V Series, which sports a slimmer bezel and a slightly more stylish design than its S Series siblings. The V Series sports 26, 32 and 40in models, all with 1,366 x 768 resolution, and all with integrated digital tuners and an HD Ready logo. You get HDMI and component video input, along with three RGB SCART connectors.

You also get Sony’s High Resolution Image Processor thrown into the bargain. This box of tricks allows the TV to take a standard definition video image and up-scale it to an HD resolution, allegedly improving the quality of the image along the way. I say allegedly because I’ve never been a big fan of interpolation of any kind, but I’ll hold my final judgement until I actually get to test a screen myself.

Top of the tree is the W Series, where price comes a distant second to quality and features. Here you’ll only find two models, a 40in LCD and a 50in plasma, although the specs are pretty much the same. Both screens have a native resolution of 1,366 x 768 and both have integrated digital tuners and HD Ready certification. Input options comprise HDMI, component video and three RGB SCART sockets.

The High Resolution Image Processor is also present, but this time Sony has put some effort into the sound as well. Both screens ship with the S-Master 3D speaker system, complete with 100W subwoofer. Sony was keen to tell us that the sound from these televisions is superb, but I’m always slightly confused when a manufacturer goes to the effort of integrating high-end sound in a large screen TV. Maybe it’s just me, but I fully expect anyone buying one of these screens to have a proper surround sound setup, with amplifier, processor and a minimum of 5.1 speakers. That said, maybe you wouldn’t want to fire up your AC3 or DTS sound system to watch the news, or Eastenders.

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