CHEAP Sony BRAVIA VE5-Series KDL-52VE5 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz Eco-friendly LCD HDTV

I bought this after a 32″ Samsung stopped working with certain HDMI sources. I still love Samsung, but after that one mysteriously stopped working I decided I’d try something new. And I’m glad I did. The 52″ size is really perfect for my room. It’s definitely a large set, but not so large that images feel overly stretched across its surface.br /br /Initially I was very disappointed with the image quality. The issue is that when the light sensor is turned on, the backlight slider can be set to full power, but you’re only experiencing a fraction of this set’s incredible brightness. Although the brightness sensor seems like a great feature, I found that overall it was too aggressive in reducing brightness, so I have to recommend that it be turned off. Ironically, it works better in well-lit rooms than dark. Once you have full control over the backlighting, this set really shines. The contrast is excellent (my camera has a contrast ratio of 2000:1, and it couldn’t capture this TV’s image fully). So I can believe that it has the 5000:1 on-screen contrast that Sony claims.br /br /Personally, I don’t like my image tampered with. The low setting of motionflow is okay, but the high setting is really comical and only good if you crave that look of sped up footage. The contrast enhancer I also don’t find necessary, since the image has great contrast natively. However, I do like that you can create multiple image settings for each input. For example, I can quickly toggle between a game setting and a movie setting when using my PS3.br /br /Sound quality is fair. Nothing to write home about. I certainly don’t use TV speakers with an image this good, and don’t recommend anyone else does either.br /br /The energy saving features and setup of this set are really excellent. My surge protector monitors current, and this tv usually uses only 0.4 amps (~50 watts). It’s mainly dependent on the backlight brightness, but even so, this is one very efficient product. I was worried that the unique backlight would tinge the color, but as far as I can tell, it’s spot-on. The motion sensing really does work. I leave it set to 30 minutes and it hasn’t shut off on me yet, which is good. Sony doesn’t mention this much on their website, but it’s also heat-sensing, which could explain it’s sensitivity. I sit 13 feet away, and it detects my motion with little difficulty.br /br /The worst part about the TV is either the remote, or the fact that the inputs are on the side. If you end up swapping inputs a lot, I suppose it’s nice, but otherwise I feel it’s a poor design decision. Depending on the heft of your wires, and your seating angle, you could be looking at HDMI cables out the side of your otherwise beautiful tv set. The remote is very basic. Compared to the older V-series Bravias, this TV actually has the less fancy interface (the XMB went hand in hand with a nicer remote for the 4100 series). That said, I don’t feel affected by either. If the decision to drop a pointlessly shiny interface and fancier remote keeps the price down, I’m all for it. I use a Fios or universal remote almost exclusively, so I don’t miss it. And since I don’t use the TV to tune my programming, the XMB would be a waste. That said, this interface is fine, very logical and doesn’t hide settings too deep (except motion flow). No frills, but won’t disappoint either.br /br /I wish Sony had included a little more detail in their manual, but I doubt most people even read those anymore, so I’m just nit picking. The stand is pretty good, although Sony recommends you anchor down the TV to the wall, which might be a good idea. Shame the stand doesn’t swivel, as I have two common sitting positions in my room. Oh well. The important thing is that the image quality on this TV is superb, there are no oversights that ruin the usability or connectivity of the TV, it’s very energy efficient, and it looks good even when off. I fully recommend this TV if you like the V-series, and are interested in saving some energy.

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Sony BRAVIA VE5-Series KDL-52VE5 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz Eco-friendly LCD HDTV Feature

• A 52-inch, 16:9 Full HD 1080p Resolution Panel provides optimum resolution from any HDTV source that delivers 1080p content
• Features an HCFL backlight, which uses specialized components to provide outstanding image quality while exceeding requirements by over 50 percent
• Presence Sensor detects which helps you to conserve energy even if you forget to turn off your HDTV
• New Energy Saving Switch lets HDTV consume zero power when in standby mode; LightSensor technology gauges ambient light and adjusts the backlight
• Motionflow 120Hz technology reduces judder and sharpens fast-moving images for a crisp, more natural picture; Reduces visual noise

Sony BRAVIA VE5-Series KDL-52VE5 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz Eco-friendly LCD HDTV Overview