Customer Reviews

Sony BRAVIA EX 400 Series 32-Inch LCD TV, Black

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Here's my simple review of this Sony TV.

General outline of features:
1080p resolution
Picture adjustments
Audio adjustments (synthetic surround sound, bass, treble)
USB device support
HDMI x4
ECO-friendly options (power save level I and II)
Ambient sensor

The picture quality is outstanding, there are numerous adjustments to make the picture look the way you want. Other adjustments include audio and settings for features. Full HD 1080p only makes it look even better. Sony advertises this TV with the "ambient" sensor that detects the lighting situation in your room so that it adjusts the backlight of the TV to compensate. I did some tests with the sensor on or off and it didn't make that much of a difference but the ambient sensor does work, it will decrease the backlight of the TV if you're in a dark room (or at night) and increase it if the room is lit up. Features also included with this TV is the ability to play music, photos and videos from a USB device which is great but I don't see myself using it. The thing that stands out with this TV set is its design. It looks like a piece of art once you remove the packaging materials. There are an influx of ports and connections on the rear and side. Component, composite, HDMI, Audio, VGA, you name it, it will have most likely have it.

My only two minor gripes about this TV is that the tuning is responsiveness of the TV's menu and tuning is fairly slow. It's not slow to the point where it bothers you but I'd say from the moment you push the channel up button on the remote until the time it actually displays the picture is around 2-3 seconds. It's not bad but its a minor gripe of mines. Another gripe I have about this TV is the price. It's certainly on the costly side for this class of TV but I believe it makes up for it in the design aspect. So if you're willing to spend a little more money to get a TV that actually looks great, this TV is a good choice.

Overall, this TV is great for the person who is willing to spend a little more money to get something that looks great without sacrificing picture quality.

PREFACE:
Fresh out of the box (before it breaks), this television appears to be a fine product. The picture is sharp, the features are plentiful and useful. But this review is really not about the TV, but rather, the warranty (or lack thereof). As a result, this review applies to ALL Sony products.

WHAT HAPPENNED:
After owning this set for 2 months, many of the features would not work; i.e.: set would not allow adjustment of wide formats (defaulting to a distorted wide image for 4:3 ratio programming with no way to change it, closed captioning does not come on when muted, etc.). A phone call to outsourced and read-from-the-script Sony support in India revealed the set required replacement or repair after being walked through some potential cures for the problems.

THE "WARRANTY":
Repair means driving it to a far off location and the loss of the unit during that time frame, or Sony will replace the unit "free of charge" ...except you will not get a new replacement TV. You will be sent a USED, BROKEN and REPAIRED substitute. This is termed "refurbished" ...but the fact remains, you are getting someone else's defective TV in exchange for yours. This "small print" is not indicated on Amazon or in stores, but rather, is in the box AFTER you have made the purchase, opened it, and the clock starts ticking on your gamble... a well-kept secret.

DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT:
Before you purchase this (or any Sony product), verify for yourself the above information I provided and ask (Sony.com) specifically what you will receive in exchange for a defective TV if the one you purchase is a defective unit. Also, read the other 1-star reviews, which support my negative experiences. To be fair, 1-30 days after purchase = new set replacement. However, 31-90 days after purchase = USED, BROKEN and REPAIRED. After 90 days: nothing at all. This is not to say other electronics companies do not practice in the same way; however and from experience, I can attest that Sony's so-called warranty is certainly awful. You can do the research yourself before you buy.

UPDATE:
Seems like consumers must accept their extended warranties as a surcharge because as it stands, the price listed for their products only buys you a roll of the dice. Without paying an additional 20% for an extended warranty, it is basically the same as buying the televsion "as-is" ...with what is in fact, a virtually worthless 30-day guarantee. Unfortuantely, many (as evidenced by the second comment of this review), not only accept, but also take the side of the corporations that rip consumers off with their hidden charges.

This TV is great. I have owned a Vizio and a Sharp HDTVs and both were blown away by this Sony. I bought it only for my Ps3. The picture is great(like any other HDTV), but what separates this TV from the rest are its wide range of colors. They make every game look stunning and vivid. A special look that not the average HDTV has.
So if you are going to use this for gaming, you don't need to spend an extra $200 for a 120Hz TV. It's great as it is and I'm hoping it'll last many years. I guess I really can say that it's in Sony's HDNA!!

EDIT:
Almost 1 Year 10 months later and I have used this TV almost everyday and still works perfect with no problems. Still recommend it to anyone looking for a quality TV.

Buyer Beware! We received this TV as a wedding gift in mid-July. (It was not purchased from Amazon.com) Within 3 weeks, it was broken and would not turn on. Sony would not replace the TV and our only option was to hire a repair service through Sony. It took 2 weeks to get the part we needed. The repair man fixed the TV and it broke again within 2 weeks, with the same problem - it would not turn on. It is November and we are still without a TV and waiting on another part needed to fix the problem. The part will not be available until December 15!!!! To say the least, Sony's customer service has been pathetic and unacceptable. We have spent many hours on the phone with their customer service dept only to become more frustrated with each call. I will not be purchasing any more Sony products in my lifetime as they do not stand behind their product should there be a defect.

The main reason I brought this TV is because I don't have to spent big dollars to buy a 32" monitor. This is the only 32" Sony available in US with PIP around this price. I can now work on my PC and watch the news at the same time. For gaming and Movies, I am using HDMI for the best quality. I don't care about the speakers because I have my 7.1 surround system. Many reviewers complain about the V and S series because they have weak speaker, but I really don't get what they expect from a 10-watt TV speaker.

I can't even recall the number of the Sony I owned, but I have always been a Sony fan. As for this TV, there are some pros and cons, it all depends on your need of the TV. I would still recommend it for the price.

Pros:
-Picture quality is great as a TV. But as a monitor, average quality, not very clear even with a good performance video card. My old 23" Samsung is still better.
-Nice design, this design looks more like a monitor than a TV.

Cons:
-No clock, only a sleep timer.
-The cheapest SONY TV remote I have ever seem. I personally don't like the design at all, especially the "2 rounded circle" buttons for navigation, special features, and select enter... too packed in that area and other area of the remote is too plain.
-"Ambient sensor" is useless to me, I have to keep it off.
-Sony monitor auto off never works well with when using PC, have turn off TV manually.
-No direct PIP button on remote, have to go in Tool menu, then select..... At least button on the remote doesn't hurt.


PIP users -
If you use this monitor/TV with your PC, you might want to pay extra attention, because you cannot use HDMI with PIP to watch TV channels. Only in PC mode(or VGA) can be PIP with TV channels at the same time. But there is not much option out there anyway....

Well, I picked up this set from another retailer when it was on special for $494 + tax a couple of months back. It is a really really nice set if you are looking for a value 32" HDTV that has 1080p and plenty of HDMI ports. Those were the 2 main points that made me go with this set. This set has great picture quality, has tremendously good black levels for an LCD set, has tons of customization options.

2 negatives about this set that make me wish I could have picked up a different set for similar price are:

1. It has really really bad viewing angles compared to an older LG 32" 720p model I had. I mean this set really really needs you to be viewing it from center on or it loses a lot of it's brightness. Both the vertical and horizontal viewing angles are worse than my previous LG 32lh20 model.

2. I wish this set had a swivel base like my previous LG model had OR like the EX500 set has. I would have purchased the KDL-32EX500 if it wasn't an extra $120 or so. That model has a swivel base which is great, seeing how the 32EX400 has such terrible viewing angles.

I'm currently using the following settings on my Sony KDL-32EX400 while using HDMI for Cable HDTV (Optimum iO), Blu-Ray (Philips BDP3020), and DVI-HDMI HTPC (XFX 4890). The viewing environment is in a dark room (with a dim light at the back of the TV to reduce eyestrain) and a viewing distance of 4-6 feet (although these settings also work for daytime viewing for me). "Calibration" was done using the AVS HD 709 disc. I've been using Cinema settings which seem to provide a better picture overall. Only benefit to using Custom is if you want to play with the audio equalizer.

* Picture Settings
o Picture Mode : Cinema
o Backlight : 1 (can go higher on this if in a brighter room)
o Picture : 86
o Brightness : 50
o Color : 51
o Hue : R2
o Color Temperature : Warm 2
o Sharpness : 5
o Noise Reduction : Off
o MPEG Noise Reduction : Off
o CineMotion : Auto
o Ambient Sensor : Off

* Screen Settings
o Wide Mode : Full
o Auto Wide : Off
o Display Area : Full Pixel

o Sound Mode : Dynamic
o Treble : +7
o Bass : +5
o Balance : 0
o Surround : Cinema
o Volume Offset : 0
o Steady Sound : Off

-----------------------------------------

* Picture Settings
o Picture Mode : Custom
o Backlight : 1
o Picture : 90
o Brightness : 51
o Color : 50
o Hue : 0
o Color Temperature : Warm 2
o Sharpness : Min
o Noise Reduction : Off
o MPEG Noise Reduction : Off
o CineMotion : Auto
o Ambient Sensor : Off

* Advanced Settings
o Adv Contrast Enhancer : Off
o Black Corrector : Off
o Gamma : 0
o Clear White : Low
o Live Color : Off
o White Balance : Factory Default

* Screen Settings
o Wide Mode : Full
o Auto Wide : Off
o Display Area : Full Pixel

o Sound Mode : Dynamic
o Treble : +7
o Bass : +5
o Balance : 0
o Surround : On
o Volume Offset : 0
o Steady Sound : Off

This T.V. has performed well for the two days I have owned it. I do not use subscription TV services( cable,etc..). After trying this set in two rooms I have concluded that it has weak reception. I miss the on-screen program guide and signal strength display that was available from my digital TV converter box. I still use the converter on my remaining Analog set to find out what is scheduled on my local stations.
I watch my DVD collection more then broadcast programs and for that this set works fine.
When my last analog set dies I hope I can find a T.V. that is right for basic broadcast viewing.

I loved my bravia, easy to install, features easy to handle. Great voice and picture quality on VGA as well.
Remote is good too.

Great TV. There's not much I can say about it either than the fact that it is great for the money. When I got mine, it did not come with the stand and I contacted the seller (ABT). They were awfully quick about it and overnighted my stand to me. I'm very impressed with the service, and definitely impressed with the TV.

The only thing I can gripe about is not having an ethernet port and only one USB port. Yes, it's a TV not a computer monitor, but it wouldn't hurt. Also, the Ambient Sensor blows so I just leave it off...

I recommend this TV for anyone who has the budget and wants a great picture. Sony is the best, cut and dry.

I bought this TV for the kids room for them to watch TV or play video games. I have not heard any complaints from the kids, as a matter of fact I haven't heard anything from them at all since I put this TV in their room . . . I better check on them.