Sony BRAVIA Z-series Flat-panel LCD HDTV Product Tour

by Michael Antonoff

Ever since flat panels replaced tubes, TV manufacturers have put in so many features that a spec sheet often reads like a Russian novel. On paper the four LCD TV sets that comprise Sony’s Bravia Z-series seem to have it all. The sets are identical except in screen size (40- or 46-inches) and finish (black or silver). They all display full HD (1920 x 1080 pixel resolution), contain four HDMI inputs, and are compatible with a wide variety of media devices including cable and satellite DVRs, computers, digital cameras, music players, and Sony’s proprietary Bravia Internet Video Link (BIVL). But reading a spec sheet is one thing. I wanted to see how the Z-series performed close-up using a variety of sources including HDTV channels, Internet video streams, and Blu-ray Discs. So, I recently arranged to spend a morning holed up at Sony’s premiere showroom in Manhattan.

Cosmetics

Stepping up to the 46-inch model, I was struck by the narrowness of the bezel. By keeping the frame thickness to an inch, the TV is only 42 ½ inches wide. The stereo speakers are beneath the screen, and the TV rests on a base (black only) that is 12-inches deep. The TV stands 29-inches tall. The base can be removed so that the TV, just 3-inches thick, can be mounted to the studs in a wall. Anyone living in an apartment will appreciate the svelte dimensions, and the 40-inch version occupies even less space. A centered Sony logo is illuminated below the screen, but you can turn off the light.

TV Channels

To get a sense of how well the TV performed, I tuned to the 1080i channel, Discovery HD Theater, as received from DirecTV. The program Sunrise Earth was showing kayaking in rapids, which gave me the opportunity to witness detail in motion. According to a Sony spokesman, the LCD response time for the Z-series is 8 milliseconds, which is good but a few other manufacturers already claim 6- or even 4 ms. (The lower the response time, the easier the display can keep up with fast moving images without producing artifacts.) What Sony emphasizes instead is its Motionflow 120Hz technology which doubles the number of existing frames. (Conventional displays operate at 60Hz or 60 frames per sec.) Besides inserting 60 new frames between the original 60 frames, Sony uses its Image Blur Reduction algorithm. Motionflow can be turned off, so I compared the rapids both ways. While mist rising from the water looked about the same, when Motionflow was active, you could definitely see the kayak more clearly as it spurted across the screen; also there was more texture to the currents in the water.

If you don’t have a set-top box, the Bravia’s internal tuner enables you to receive NTSC, ATSC, and Clear QAM channels from an antenna or cable TV. TV Guide On Screen is built into the TV, and its free interactive listings are especially useful if you’re not a cable or satellite subscriber.

Internet Video

I switched the TV’s source to the BIVL, a book-size receiver attached by USB cable to the back of the Series Z. The BIVL also accommodates an Ethernet cable to your router and broadband link, but there’s no built-in Wi-Fi. I found a variety of on-demand channels including YouTube, CBS, Showtime, Style.com, Sports Illustrated, and the Minisode Network. Sony calls the TV’s menu system the Xross Media Bar, an intuitive interface that is superimposed on the active picture. I chose YouTube and used the remote to enter “dogs” in the search field. Talking dogs led off the first group of more than 825,000 videos. I started playing a dog video in a window. While you can’t improve the low resolution of most amateur videos, you may not want to rub your face in them by doing what I did next: enlarging the window to fill the entire screen. I also watched portions of Late Night, The CBS Evening News, and a Bon Jovi music video. So far, using the BIVL is free (apart from the broadband subscription that you’re likely to already have for a computer). So it’s an amusing way to program your TV especially if you’re contemplating dumping cable to pay for gas. Sony does plan to charge for certain content in the future. In a big studio first, Sony Pictures’ Hancock starring Will Smith will be available to Bravia TV owners with a BIVL before the DVD version, but after the theatrical release.

Blu-ray Disc

If the video quality of most Internet programs that I watched streamed to the Bravia was less than expected, the opposite was true with the programs and movies played from an attached Blu-ray Disc (BD) player. The pictures were jaw-dropping. A demo disc showing fruits and vegetables in an outdoor market were so colorful and crisp that you could almost see the salmonella. I watched scenes from Spiderman 3. As the camera tracks Gwen Stacy falling from a skyscraper, the structure of the building’s windows behind her remains intact where you’d expect to see a blur. Spiderman looks sharp as he swoops in to save her. Unlike the highly-compressed channels received from cable or satellite — in 1080i at best — BD progressively delivers 1080 lines of resolution, which is a perfect match for this full HD TV. Another enhancement is the TV’s ability via its HDMI inputs to display movies at film’s native rate of 24 frames per second. Once you’ve seen Blu-ray in full HD, it’s tough to settle for anything less.

Convenience

Switching inputs couldn’t be easier. Since the active ports are highlighted on screen, you don’t have to cycle through them all serially just to get to a particular one. Also, settings such as Motionflow can be set for a specific input rather than globally. You can display two different video sources on the screen at once; a feature Sony terms Picture And Picture. PAP differs from PIP (picture in picture) since the two images initially appear equal, though you can resize them. On a widescreen TV, a PAP is a visually pleasing way to display email from a notebook attached to the VGA input while you also watch a game from a cable or satellite box hooked up to an HDMI input. You can hook up a digital camera to a USB input to look at photos at much higher resolution than you could using the camera’s composite video output. (Sorry, there’s no card slot.) With an accessory, you can plug an iPod into the TV. If you don’t want to reach around to the full jack pack on the back of the TV, a side panel contains single HDMI, composite video, stereo, and USB jacks.

Though you’ll definitely want to add a home theater sound system, the TV’s pair of 10-watt speakers with S-Force virtual surround sound is serviceable. If someone is sleeping, you can use the headphone jack.

Conclusion

Each of the Bravia Z-series models incorporates state-of-the-art video technology in a slim, attractive package. The picture on these sets looked great whether I sat on the floor gazing up at the screen or off axis from the side seats. The Z’s had no trouble keeping up with fast motion or displaying dark shadows. With a plethora of ports, these TV’s are built to accommodate all your source components as you expand your home theater.

Rear panel includes three HDMI and two component video inputs; more ports are on the side.