Sony KDL-32EX403

TV's are a funny thing to buy. You buy cheap and you buy a low quality TV, for a high quality TV you have to pay through the nose, it would be good to have a Tv that was affordable but has good performance. The new Sony range achieves just that.

I decided to buy myself a new TV as my 19'' was too small for movies and the PS3. As a student I didnt want to spend too much, but yet I wanted something decent. I eventually settled for the kdl32-ex403 as at currys it had £100 off and had a £50 trade in, so it came to £399 altogether. At a TV this price, you don't usually get the features with this, such as Internet Video and Freeview HD.

Looks & build

Looks and buildwise, the ex403 is nothing amazing. The tv is glossy black with a transparent grey trim to the bottom. The whole look is sombre but good looking. Build quality is ok at this price, its sturdy enough. Set up is quite straightforward although there is more assembly needed than others.

Interface and remote

The remote is very stylish, but comfortable to hold and easy to navigate. The overall interface is based on Sonys X-cross which is familiar to you if you own a PSP or PS3. It takes some getting used to but is easy and straightforward to navigate through.

Picture quality

Picture quality is brilliant for a value TV. Being 1080p you get the best picture possible. Colours and brightness are actually quite natural as soon as you take it out of the box, mainly due to Sony's bravia engine 3. The tv includes ambient sensor which dims the screen depending on the ambient brightness, however the picture can look dull, so its best turning this off. Sharpness is very good, and surprisingly, there are lots of options you can actually change, including the advanced gamma controls. Black levels are good and whites are bright, colour is vivid but not ridiculously saturated. The TV is only 50hz, but watching the world cup is fine on here, the motion blur is hardly noticeable. Freeview HD looks very good on this TV as does anything recorded and upscaled. Blurays, dvds, downloaded movies and the ps3 looks great, give it anything and you will be rewarded. The tv has a automatic scene setting, and sometimes this works well, but most cases you should change it yourself.

Sound quality

Sound quality is rather good for a lcd tv. The sound is deep, loud and clear. There are plenty if options to choose from, and one of these is S force, Sony's idea to fake surround sound. It works rather well, and the bass is rather punchy. All in all, a good effort.

Other features

The ex403 includes internet video so you can access video online. Unlike other brands, you cant access things like twitter, picassa or facebook which is a shame. You can access Lovefilm, 5 on demand and youtube however, sony are adding services all the time, hopefully itv player, 4od and iplayer soon. Connection to the internet is via ethernet but sony can sell you a wireless adaptor. Setup of the internet is rather easy and quick to do.

Overall, this is a very good TV and is very well looking at, especially over similar priced rivals such as samsung and lg.