Editor Rating
- Outstanding
- Sony Bravia KDL-32R403C HD Ready 32 Inch TV
- Reviewed by:
Review Summary:
If you are looking for good picture quality in the HD Ready range, then the Sony Bravia KDL32R403CBU is solid purchase. It may not have all of the latest features like Smart TV or 3D viewing, but it does come with all of the basic features that you need and a few extras. At 32-inches, this model is compact and it can be great for rooms that have a limited amount of space to fit the TV.
The Sony Bravia KDL32R403CBU 32-inch HD Ready LED TV may not have a ton of fancy features, but it does offer a great viewing experience for this class of television. This TV comes with many of the basic features that you would expect from a modern HDTV and it delivers good performance for a TV in the HD Ready range. It doesn’t look particularly flashy, but it is nice and compact and it comes with a good energy rating.
As the consumer should know, with a model that is listed as HD Ready, they are not purchasing a TV with the highest pixel count that is available. That being said, this TV does offer a lot of bang for model that only achieves 720p. The TV has LED edge backlighting for contrast that is at least as good as many of the other TVs in this range and it comes with an array of picture enhancement features that really help to boost the capabilities of the screen. It has a good processing speed and Sony’s Motionflow Enhancer for clear, smooth imaging that holds up well during scenes of high action.
With the KDL32R403CBU, the buyer gets a good range of entertainment options right from the start. It comes with an integrated Freeview HD tuner, for all of the basic channels and even a little bit of HD content and it also has a built-in 7-day programme guide.
For connectivity, the consumer gets two HDMI ports, a spot for a USB drive, a composite video input, a component input, a SCART input and outputs for standard and digital audio. The HDMIs can be good for connecting things like a DVD payer, an internet TV device or a gaming system. With the different audio outputs, the user can connect to a sound bar or a home theatre system for improved audio.
The USB opens up a particularly nice range of features. Like with many TVs, you can use the USB to bring content from your PC to the larger screen of your television, but with this model, it also opens up the possibility of using the TV as a DVR. The KDL32R403CBU can record shows and movies to the DVR and you can even schedule it to record your favourite programmes when you are away from home.
As with many modern TVs, where this model comes up a little short is with the sound. It has all of the features that you need for it to deliver great sound through an external sound system, but the onboard speakers really don’t make the most of it. It has Clear Phase sound balancing technology and Dolby Digital, but with the two 5W speakers that it comes with, it just lacks the kick to make the most of it. For sports, movies and gaming, the user will be able to hear and enjoy the content, but don’t expect the most immersive experience unless you plan to use some form of external speakers.
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And finally, to summarise, the pros and cons of this model are
Pros
720p HD Ready Good processing speed and contrast Edge LED backlighting Integrated Freeview HD tuner 2 HDMI ports USB port for the media player and DVR features
Cons
The sound could stand to be a little better
