Sony KV32LS35

I'm afraid that I can only accept the stereotype that is bound to be handed down following this opinion...

I am not the heaviest TV user in our household, my wife and daughter win that one with soap-operas, and Bob the Builder respectively, but for many many years I have wanted to watch TV on a screen that is too big to fit into the front room.

At last I have achieved that aim!

*** The telly...

OK, firstly its a Sony. That means that there is a little silver badge on the front with the word "SONY" on it... This, it would seem is worth about £400... I beg to differ, but, as with the majority of lemming-like consumers out there, I found this strangely attractive. It SHOULD mean quality and long-life. Only time will tell of course.

*** The picture...

Then the part number "KV32LS35U" - I've managed to establish that the 32 relates to the screen size of 32"... That was easy :-)

So we have a rather large 32" wide-screen, that really is flat... I remember many years ago that claiming a flat screen was actually stretching the truth a bit. Not any more!

The picture quality on this whole range of Sony sets (I've seen the 24" up to the 36" demonstrated) is absolutely crystal clear - Until you switch from a standard set, you cannot appreciate the difference. Nor will you truly see the change until it is in your own front room in conditions that you are used to. If you add to this the clarity of a DVD picture being piped straight into the set, the results are fantastic!

*** The sound...

The "LS" in the part number seems to refer to the fact that it has "3D Virtual Dolby Surround Sound" - This allows you in theory to have 3- or 4-speaker surround sound without adding any extra speakers or equipment to the television. It may sound grand, but is actually a "poor-man's" option - Sony put this cheaper circuit into the set in place of the real Dolby equipment to bring the price down. Having said that, the results are MIGHTY impressive considering that it uses only 2 built-in speakers to achieve results similar to true Dolby surround.

You can still plug this model into a Dolby capable stereo system, in fact it has 3 audio inputs and 3 outputs, so you will have little trouble wiring it up however you want!

*** The price...

I picked it up about £200 cheaper than the normal high-street price, and with a cabinet and 3-year warranty thrown in (Total paid £1,000) I don't think I did too badly at-all. This does require a Costco membership to be achieved, but I'm sure that shopping around can get a deal close to this one.

*** Other features...

AV inputs/outputs: I have a digital cable box, a DVD player, a video player, and a cable for a Camcorder all connected to this television - The diagram in the manual was one of the few that I actually could agree with :) - Oh, and there is a pop-out unit at the side with another set of inputs/outputs and controls in case the remote fails.

The remote is quite long, but slim and stylish, and can control the TV, one DVD player and a video if they are a know brand.

The usual auto-sense of the screensize is available, allowing the TV to re-size a picture for the best fit to the screen.

Auto-tuning, teletext, fast-text etc... The usual that you would expect from a Sony television are all there too.

*** Overall...

If you've got the room, the inclination, and £1,000 to spare, I really can recommend this set. There are better models to be had if you have between £100 and £500 extra to spend, but they are only for the mad audio freak... The picture is pretty much the same anyway.

© 2001 Steve Davies