Sony KV-32HS500 32" Flat-Screen HDTV Monitor

The set's standard 4:3 aspect ratio, Hi-Scan 1080i display, and picture-improvement circuitry let you view a mix of source signals at higher resolutions, up to 1080i, more than a thousand horizontal lines. DRC--Digital Reality Creation MultiFunction circuitry--upconverts standard interlaced (480i) video sources to 960i or 480p, while inputs as high-quality as 720p (720 lines, progressively scanned) are upsampled to full 1080i.

Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p and 720p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts. Auto 16:9 enhanced mode detects anamorphically encoded widescreen program sources and offers full picture resolution on the video program, wasting no usable lines of resolution on the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. And MID X (Multi-Image Driver X) circuitry lets you watch NTSC television broadcasts and high-definition programming simultaneously, side-by-side, using Flexible Twin-View 2-tuner picture-and-picture. A special zoom mode lets you customize the size of each viewing window.

ClearEdge VM wideband velocity modulation improves the definition at picture edges, creating sharper images by slowing the CRT (cathode-ray tube) beam's horizontal scanning during demanding work--say, when rendering transitions from light to dark parts of an image--and speeding it up when scanning easily rendered sections, like broad dark areas. The set's 3-D digital comb filter further enhances resolution by removing blurred edges between colors and reducing dot crawl (tiny, moving dots of color along a sharp color separation in a vertical line, as in a depiction of a character's striped t-shirt).

The KV-32HS500 employs CineMotion Reverse 3-2 PullDown technology, a handy feature for watching progressive-scan movies in their native 24-frame format. Digital video mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture.

Two high-definition component-video inputs grant optimum connection with a DTV decoder and progressive-scan DVD player, while standard composite- and S-video inputs accommodate all DVD players. The set even has a DVI-HDTV interface to provide a digital connection between your DTV receiver and the KV-32HS500. You can choose between a set of rear AV inputs and a set of front AV inputs for extra convenience. A rear AV output offers both fixed and variable-level analog audio outputs for hookup with, for instance, both a VCR and a surround receiver. If you don't have Dolby Pro Logic processing or a surround speaker system, the TV's SRS TruSurround will simulate surround sound through any two speakers. The set provides stereo audio (with 7.5 watts per channel) as well a powered, 15-watt subwoofer to round out the low end. You can label the set's video inputs and channels for easy selection.

Other video technologies include auto white balance, Dynamic Focus circuitry, Dynamic Picture Processor circuitry, Magnetic Quadra Pole, tilt correction, Trinitone color temperature control, and vertical aperture compensation. An optional accessory for the set is the Sony audio/video cabinet SU-32HV1.

What's in the Box
TV, RM-Y186 remote control, batteries, user's manual, warranty information.

I started looking and after getting over the initial sticker shock, narrowed my choices down to a 32" flat screen, or 32" flat screen high-defition. I prefer the sharpness and brightness of direct-view, and stayed with the 4:3 aspect ratio, since most broadcasts are still full-screen and not widescreen. For DVDs, I figured a 32" TV would still give me lots of picture even with the letter-box black spaces on the top and bottom. Keep in mind that if you go with a widescreen TV, you'll have black spaces on the sides when you watch full-screen broadcasts. You can, of course, choose to have the 4:3 image fill the entire widescreen, but you are going to get some distortion.

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It's very heavy (about 180 pounds) but that's true of any large flat-screen TV. You'll need a sturdy stand or entertainment center, and it's a good idea to have it all set before the TV is delivered. Also have your other components ready to plug into the TV's inputs on the back, so that you won't have to move the TV once it's been put into position. If you need to move it, you will need someone else to help you. Once it's down, it does not just slide around.

This TV has plenty of inputs, including two sets of HD/DVD inputs, so you will be able to input your DVD's video signal directly into the TV, and later, add an HDTV converter box as well. There's a set of inputs on the front, too, for video games or camcorders.

The picture quality is amazing, even for non-digital sources such as cable and VHS tapes. The video menu allows you to adjust the color settings, as well as edge enhancement. There are 4 pre-set video modes (vivid, standard, movies, pro), but you can change any or all of the settings for each of them.

For widescreen DVDs, Sony has an enhanced 16:9 mode. To use this, you must set your DVD player to display at 16:9 aspect ratio. When selected, this allows the TV to detect a widescreen video image, and adjust the set accordingly. What it does is to use all of the TV's horizontal lines to display the picture, whereas most TVs use some of those lines to draw the black spaces above and below the picture. This increases the clarity and resolution of widescreen pictures.

The sound is quite good, certainly more than adequate for casual viewing, but not as good as the sound you will get through a good A/V receiver.

The case is silver, not black, and the front of the case is a gently curving arc. This helps make the TV look less obtrusive; instead of a big hulking black plastic box, the overall impression is of a sleek, streamlined TV. The arc helps to hide the sides of the cabinet from view.

The remote is needlessly complicated, though the main buttons are easy to find and use. The on-screen menus are intuitive and easy to use. The manual is fairly well-written, but not as comprehensive as it should be.