Customer Reviews

Sony Bravia S-Series KDL-40S5100 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV, Black

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

This is a great TV. I purchased this television from Best Buy, and was happy with it until I noticed the auto-dimming feature. After reading about it online, I've noticed tons of people having the same issue. Fortunately it can be fixed (relatively) easily. All you need is a compatible flash drive (you can check the Sony Support website for a list of compatible flash drives - I used 4 GB Sony Micro Vault), and a PC. From there you simply go to the Sony Support website and download the update/patch for the TV which completely eliminates the auto-dim feature. I got the link by accessing the chat service on the Sony Support site. The PC part is important; If you have an Apple computer, you won't be able to successfully install the update. I implore anyone who has issues with the auto-dim feature to download the update - it gets rid of the problem.

Pros: Great value; contrast ratio; 1080p; 40 inch screen.
Cons: Without the update/patch there is the auto-dim feature; only 60hz
Overall: I loved the TV at first, then hated it when I noticed the auto-dim, now love it again now that I downloaded the update. I would recommend this TV for anyone looking to upgrade to HD.

I bought this TV knowing about the brightness issue and the fix that Sony provides. I installed the software update and I love the quality of the picture I get in TV, DVD, and gaming modes.

Yes, the software update can be downloaded to a compatible USB storage device (flash drive), but if you don't have a compatible flash drive on hand there is no need to go out and buy one for a one time use.

Call Sony at 1-800-222-7669 to request the update be mailed to you free of charge. They will send the update to you on a USB storage device, along with instructions on how to perform the update.

If you have a USB flash drive on hand, but you're not sure if it's a compatible storage device, the following link will provide a list.
[...]

I hope this info helps.
Enjoy your Sony Bravia!

I purchased this tv after carefully weighing the pros and cons with what little information I could find. Overall I am not disappointed. Being a relatively newer model reviews were hard to come by and the one review I found was here on Amazon and it was a bad review. It mentioned the Auto contrast feature included on the Bravia models and complained that during some movies it would darken too much and make the flick unwatchable. I have watched quite a few movies at this point and have not noticed it to be a problem except for maybe during opening credits.

I also Game alot on this tv, My 360 and PS3 look amazing through the HDMI and even my Wii looks pretty good(as good as a Wii can look). This is a great tv and the only thing I would change is the Auto Contrast. It has an option to turn it off, but switching it to off doesnt turn it of.. WTG Sony. :D Still a great tv

I've had this Sony Tv now for a month and feel I can give an adequate review. This series of Sony HDTV is the "S" series which is Sony's lower end model (they have a "V" and "W" also). For the price-point (under six fifty) the pic quality is not bad. The sound using HDMI is also fine as far as volume goes. Granted, the tone quality (richness) is not very good but none of the speakers on these HDTV's are. Contrary to other reviews, I found the speakers to be above average.

However, I really can't recommend this tv because the update (fix) did not fix anything for me. The color shifting remains after the update and I have tried 2 of these tvs now. Sony support has been fairly good but in the end they haven't fixed anything yet. If you are considering this tv, please read online for complaints for the S and V series. People mention the color shift and noise poping even after the updates so while the update may work for some people, clearly it is is not for others. I really have spent much too much time on this. I really wish I had just purchased a different TV even if it meant doing so at a higher cost. If you do decide to get this tv, make sure you get a really good price on it!!

Finally, the picture on this tv is pretty good and I don't doubt that the software fix work for some people. If it had worked for me I would have given this tv 4 stars. The fact that I've had this problem with 2 Sony's now just makes me question this model (also, I didn't mention that I have tried different hdmi cable as well as swapped out my cable box thinking these might be the cause).

All I am saying is do your research and "buyer be informed."

One last thing I will mention, because I haven't seen it mentioned in any of the other reviews is about the Sony recommended memory cards for the update. Even if you don't have a card on their list try the one you have BUT MAKE SURE you format it first as suggested in their instructions (FAT32). I only had a 128mb card (not on their list) and it didn't work. I noticed the Fat32 instructions and tried that and the update ran perfectly.

I hope this has been helpful.

*********UPDATE**********
I agreed to let Sony send me a 3rd tv. I had doubts that a 3rd would be much diff. than the first 2 but I didn't have many options. A new tv was sent to me by Sony in a decent time with all the return info I needed so I could send the bad unit back (at no charge to me). Sony's return service and support has been good. However, that is all I can say that is good.

The 3rd unit has most of the same issues plus some sound issues. I have spent so much time dealing with this Tv. I really regret it. FORTUNATELY, I bought it from a place with a 90-day return policy. I took it back after just over 60 days. Good rid-dens. I STRONGLY recommend against this model in the "S" series (Sony's low end).

OK, now as u can see with all these reviews that ppl had with the automatic feature that it has were it darkens scenes that are already dark, well Sony just recently added a update for this, and let me tell u it improved it alot!! sound is awesome, even though i have 7.1 surround sound, picture is crisp, watching Blu-ray movies and playing my ps3 through HDMI has been the best experience. again, there were very minor including the feature where it darkens scenes that are dark already, Sony has fix that with an update u can find at Sony.com in their update and driver column, on HDTV once u add your TV model of course. so don't let the reviews fool you, there was a point were i was almost unsatisfied and hoped there would be a update to fix that, when last week i called Sony and they mentioned a update was along the way and should hit their site this week which it did. for those of u who want a good 1080p TV for a good price, this Sony Bravia will definitely make you a happy consumer. i also been a sony consumer as long as i remember, i hope this review helps, if u do need anymore info or help feel free to ask. i have this tv for almost 2 weeks now, and i have not yet regretted my purchase so far nor will i feel that way

Great TV. Couldnt be more pleased. The picture quality is great. I have not encountered the dimming issue with my tv. Unsure if Sony fixed the issue with recently shipped tvs or not but my tv is fine. The sound is amazing. It can go up to about an 80 setting for sound and its loud at 20.

The menu options are large and readable from far distances. I actually pick up more HD channels with this tv (OTA) so the tuner must be top notch.

I initially purchased a different brand which I will not name but brought it back 10 days later. This Sony is so far above the quality of the last one. The picture is amazing and I cant emphasize that enough.

Good buy.

This Sony 40 inch 1080p tv is amazingly beautiful. I had a Panasonic 52" 1080i rear projection lcd for years that I thought looked pretty good, until it died. I set a budget of $1000 to get a replacement, and came home with this Sony. The 1080p picture immedietly blew me away. Though slightly smaller than my old hd tv, the clarity and vibrant imagry more than make up the difference. I watched an hd feed of "Quantum of Solace" and was amazed at the detail and the crisp picture, no matter how fast the action on screen. No hint of the auto-dim feature from earlier models that bothered so many. I work in the movie industry and a fiend for detail and picture quality; this Sony Bravia has proven itself to be professional grade in every way.

First - I like the video. I installed the firmware upgrade and the auto-dimming problem is gone.

Second - the Sound out of the internal speakers is terrible at low volume levels (10 on the TV's scale). This TV is used in a bedroom - usually at low volume levels with its internal speakers. There is a lot of background noise so that at low volume settings the noise is louder than the programming audio level. My 15 year old NEC had better audio than this box.

Doesn't matter what programming source : DVD or QAM HD cable on the internal tuner.

A tech is coming over to look into it.

I have not tried this with a receiver yet.

If this is the way the Audio was designed, then don't buy it for standalone use.

Updated 9/9/09
Tech was here today to work on the TV. He replaced the main board with one that was overnighted from the factory. No change. It still has an annoying amount of static on the audio at low volume levels (10 and under).

Got this TV last month, as mentioned in other reviews this auto-dim feature was very annoying for watching programs with dark scenes, called Sony, they sent me an update on USB for free (within 2 days) and after installing it, its wonderful. Sound quality is much better than other TVs in same price range, in fact in store I can hardly hear anything from Samsung model at same volume level. Picture quality is great. My PS3, Wii look great, blue ray movies look amazing. Overall very happy with the purchase. Menu is easy to navigate, remote is excellent, easy to install on stand. Little slow to turn on but that's not an issue with me. Very satisfied with the purchase...highly recommended.

Don't listen to the complaints about the auto-dimming feature because it is no longer an issue. Sony released an update that allows you to choose low, medium, high, or NO auto-dimming. If the auto-dimming annoys you then you can go into the settings and turn it off. My TV came with this update already installed on it.

PROS:
Great bang for your buck.
The picture quality is absolutely stellar.
The features and inputs are plentiful.

CONS:
Speakers are horrible (This is actually a non-issue because anyone with a large TV should have a sweet sound system)
Glossy Black bezel and stand attract dust which triggers my OCD and makes me clean it every 5 minutes.