Customer Reviews

Sony BRAVIA EX308-Series KDL-32EX308 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV, Black

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been using this TV for 2-3 weeks now and can review it simply: great performance, terrific value.

I do wish it was 1080p but that's only for the relatively remote possibility that I want to hook up a computer and have a lot of resolution; otherwise the picture @ 720p is clean, sharp, and crisp with vibrant colors regardless of the input. Needless to say, if your source is low quality, no TV will make it high quality.

The Internet and local network features work seamlessly and personally I love being able to watch streaming movies from Netflix and selected content from YouTube; the audio selections from Pandora and Slacker are good as well. Setting up a DLNA server on your PC to view photos, listen to your own song collection, etc is very easy with Windows Media Player but you might have to dig around a little bit for documentation if this is not familiar turf for you. So far I have not had any luck with viewing my own videos but have not explored solutions carefully since it doesn't matter much to me. Sony could enhance the media server interface a bit to provide better navigation in your personal media collection but what's there gets the job done.

The WiFi connectivity works (almost) perfectly; the single problem I have is streaming HD movies from Netflix, which will pause from time to time. However, this is not Sony's issue; if you live in a large home or one with other RF interference issues you might have some problems with content needing a ton of bandwidth. The best thing to do is run an Ethernet cable from your router directly into the TV; second best is to use some kind of signal booster, repeater, expander. Most people will not experience this problem if they have a strong broadband connection and live in a typically sized home.

The sound quality of the built-in speakers is ok but I recommend using externals like the Bose Companion II speakers for high-quality sound. Obviously there are a lot of options on this but for typical 32" placement I find the Bose speakers at $100 to be more than adequate for any source material.

Bottom line: if you want a 32" television with internet connectivity this one is hard to beat on price/performance and ease of setup and use. If you don't care about 'net connectivity or are going to go with Google TV or Apple TV AND 1080p really matters to you then you might want to look at another unit.

This is the sweet spot this year for Sony's 32" size. Bravia engine 3, wireless connectivity for Bravia video streaming (Netflix, amazon, etc) w/ included wireless dongle. All for sub $500. Some may not like that it is a 720p set, but unless you are using it as a computer monitor you'd NEVER notice the difference between that and 1080p.

The menu system and options have been flushed out nicely to avoid shortcomings from the past few years. The set can remove the overscan with the +1 Screen setting for both 1080i and 720p signals. Previous sets only did 1080i. A very nice feature.

Don't pay much attention to the above reviewer, they have some other problem. I have this set hooked up to Time Warner Cable with absolutely no issues. I have a whole house video system and it is hooked into a single TWC DVR box with no issues as well a single coaxial input dedicated to the bedroom (where this set is). It does a tremendous job of displaying decoded HD signals from the coaxial cable signal. The Bravia engine three seems to do a much better job than the BE2. I do not believe the BE3 was available in ANY 32" last year, even the 32XBR9.

I was replacing a KDL26M4000 and this set is heads and shoulders above in every aspect. You won't be disappointed.

I got one of these for my bedroom the other day, it has this new WI-FI feature that let's you use the new SONY interface to access a whole bunch of useful websites to download video and music and contents to watch on this TV..

I did my research, read reviews and I am IMPRESSED by this TV's performance from pretty much every aspect. At 32", the 720p vs. 1080p doesn't even matter! this 2010 model has the newest processor and newest technology added in...

Definitely a BUY! In fact, I might get one more for my parents' house.

I've had this TV for over a month now and mostly love it.

THE GOOD: The picture and sound are great, and the on-screen channel guide is nice since I don't have one otherwise. I chose this particular model for the Internet options. I use Netflix streaming and HuluPlus on it. I've watched hours on both services (and a few of the other options built into the TV), and used an HDMI cable to connect my laptop to the TV and watch things that way, too. WiFi works well. Remote is easy to use.

THE BAD: My only complaint...it's slow. If you're impatient, it will irritate you. When you turn on the TV, once the channel pops up (after the Sony logo screen), you can press buttons on your remote (like mute), but it's not going to do anything. When it's on for a while, it's still slow to switch between modes. When you press the Internet Options or TV Guide buttons, they're definitely not popping up right away. You'll hear the beep proving that you DID press it, but nothing's popping up for a bit. I haven't timed it, but it's probably a 5-8 second delay (which sounds tiny until you're sitting there waiting for it all the time).

For the price & the options, I can deal with it. I absolutely love it, otherwise!

It is taking some time to get the internet set up, so far I've gotten a wifi connection, but no luck linking my accounts, it keeps "timing out". The instructions that direct you to certain menus is inaccurate and the manual that came with the TV is useless for using any of the features of this TV. Starting to get very frustrated.

EDIT: Sure enough I had to update the software (firmware?) on my TV by downloading the update from Sony's website and use a USB drive. NOW the TV works exactly as I expected it to! The only thing I have not tried yet is the Amazon VOD - the movies show up but I haven't purchased one yet. I've changed my rating to five stars even though it's caused a LOT of frustration and was not "out of the box ready".

I received the Bravia KDL-32EX308 as advertised. [...] Nice. After following the simple initial set up directions and making a few connections to existing components, I was able to watch and enjoy the great HD picture quality. It took a few days before I was able to figure out all of the features, including the Internet content feature. I had to let the TV automatically update its "firmware" before I could watch Netflix Instant movies, but after that resolved itself, I have been able to watch Netflix Instant with no problem, streaming directly to the TV. I also discovered that I have many more Comcast channels than I ever knew about. So much TV since I got this new set that I have had almost no time to read. Must read more, watch less.

I wanted a new TV for my kitchen. Having recently signed up for HD cable, I wanted a good HDTV with streaming capability. This TV delivers.

CONNECTIVITY
It has all the standard RCA hookups plus four HDMI inputs as well as VGA and sound for a computer. To hook up to the internet, it has both Ethernet and comes with a Wi-Fi antenna. It streams Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Video on Demand, Pandora, half a dozen other services, and my favorite - Slacker radio.

VISUAL
The picture is clear and vivid. The new BRAVIA engine does an excellent job. I don't notice any lag in high speed movements. It's fun to watch the news in HD and admire all the freckles and wrinkles of the anchors.

SOUND
One beef I've always had with flat screen TVs is the poor sound. This problem is compounded by it being in the kitchen with hardwood floors. The sound on this unit is very good. I no longer have trouble understanding what people on TV are saying. The highs are clear and distinguishable. That said, there is no bass and you shouldn't expect it out of something so small.

If you want a 32" TV that has it all, you won't be sorry with this unit.

I got this as a bedroom set to replace an old Hitachi 20" CRT. The picture is very good -- not always as good as my Samsung LN40C650 but it also required a lot less tweaking than the Samsung did. It has the usual problems you would expect from any LCD -- including off-center viewing problems, backlight bleedthrough and flashlighting, and fast motion pixelization. But for just 329 (+ tax from Sony direct) I can't complain. The wireless internet access is the key feature that sold me, and it works fine.

PROS: Wireless internet works well w/Netflix, Pandora, Youtube, etc. and was easy to set up (using a wireless-G router two rooms away and no problems); very diverse selection of online content (more than Samsung); 720p is no problem; sound is very good; doesn't get hot; energy efficient; no dead or stuck pixels; no noise or buzz; very good HD and SD picture quality which did not require a ton of calibration out of the box -- just set it to Theater mode and it works.

CONS: Usual LCD problems (as mentioned above) but not worse than any other LCD; base doesn't swivel; remote is kind of clunky to use and doesn't light up; only one USB port and that's occupied by the wireless internet device; not a lot of picture controls compared to the Samsung; not great when there's lots of motion on screen (only having a 60hz refresh rate doesn't help); the black plastic frame around the screen is very soft and scratches easily.

Overall I'm satisfied. It does what I need it to do and for not a lot of money, and some channels look better than my Samsung that cost more than twice as much. Those people complaining that it's slow to start up have to remember that any device using wi-fi takes a few seconds to start up and connect to the network.

We bought this television last July, when our dinosaur Sony CRT television (which was still doing just fine, thank you) suddenly went belly up in the middle of my partner's obsessive watching of World Cup soccer. I'm not a big fan of TV, so I was extremely unhappy with my options: pay a considerable amount to repair the clunker, not knowing how much more it had in it, or cough up even more to upgrade to flat screen HD. We decided to upgrade (not a little grudgingly on my part), and purchased this model online, direct from Sony, which had the best price at the time, plus free two-day shipping and no sales tax to our state. I have to admit, I have not only never regretted it, but I am thrilled that we did.

As I said, I am not a big TV watcher, but I do enjoy movies and old TV shows, as well as special programs and the occasional miniseries on PBS. We have a cozy living room and selected this size so it would fit in our entertainment unit, which it does very nicely. It can also be wall-mounted. Set up was very straightforward, even for a neophyte like me, as was connecting to the DVD player. I'm told that, unless the television is much larger and the source material of excellent quality, the difference between 720p and 1080p is not noticeable. (Let me tell you, the difference in price is.) The picture, is of course, worlds beyond the old TV--even commercials were amazing for the first week--but more to the point, after comparing this and similar TV's side by side at my local big box store, I'm more pleased with this one. The picture is fantastic, rich and sharp. The sound is typical of Sony, which is to say quite good, but certainly a Bose or similar external system would improve on it further. There is a built-in TV guide that goes a couple of days out, which is good for me also, since I only get basic cable without this perk (did I mention I don't watch TV much?). The on-screen navigation menu includes "Recently Viewed" and "Recommendations" options. There are preset settings for movies, sports, etc., which change the picture, volume, and other settings in one go, and plenty of other customization options.

Really the biggest plus for me, however, is the connectivity to the Internet for streaming. The TV can connect either over Ethernet cable or wirelessly (the thingie is included), and Sony Bravia provides an interface that is continually expanding, allowing direct connection to such options as Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, Pandora, YouTube, Hulu Plus, and NPR, among many others. Once you register the TV and link your online accounts to it (a very simple process), you are ready to go. If you select Netflix, for example, your Instant Watching queue pops up and you just scroll through it and click your selection to watch. The on-screen navigation menu allows you to keep the services you use most often in a "Favorites" section for easy access. You can also connect the TV wirelessly to computers on the same network to display pictures or videos, and there is a USB thingie to connect a camera or other equipment to display items. The TV does take some time to power up from scratch, because of the green power options, but you can override the settings, not just overall, but for specified chunks of the day, so the television comes on quickly when you are most likely to use it and does not draw power unnecessarily when you are not. It truly has changed the way I use television, much for the better, and I simply could not be more pleased.

My bad. Mistake in judgment. I purchased this television because I wanted a larger screen, ability to mount on wall, built in wi-fi to stream Netflix. After reading reviews on a variety of manufacturers I decided to purchase this Sony. I moved my 22" flat screen and Roku box into a spare room and I am certainly missing their ease of use now that I have this devil mounted on my wall.

The reviewers commenting on the slow interface to perform any function, I thought you were whiners. Whose sorry now? Me.

Totally arduous.

Slow to respond would really be nothing if the Netflix streaming worked correctly.

It doesn't.

It totally glitches and jerks, drops and reloads. In reading the Sony support forums it seems clear to me the problem is with Sony, not Netflix, not the speed of my connection.

I purchased in December, very little dropping at first, now with every "automatic" update, this particular feature worsens. I can stream Hulu+ and Netflix with no problem on my laptop from anywhere in my house. I can view Hulu+ and Netflix on the 22" with the Roku box, no problem. The problem is with the Sony.

Additionally, the Netflix queue on Sony is antiquated, unlike on my Roku. The Sony can only view onscreen selections in your existing queue, no search feature. Bah!

I am now considering connecting the Sony to the Roku to stream via Roku as Sony sucks. This totally defeats the purpose of built in internet capability.

Purchase a less expensive television without wi-fi and buy a Roku, a playstation, or any other device.

Update 04/13/2011 Hulu still won't work without glitching (just on this set), but, Netflix is working good on a consistent basis, fingers crossed, Also, Netflix update that included this Bravia and now I can view my queue, recently viewed, and suggested movies, nice improvement.

Update Sept. 2011. Between Sony and Netflix updates previous issues resolved months ago. It is still slow to start, but, not a big deal when everything else works correctly. Amazing that updates via internet could improve the product this much. This is the quality I was expecting from a Sony product.