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Sony Bravia KDL-40WE5 info and resources

100Hz Motion

One of the specs you'll come across time and time again with televisions such as the Sony Bravia KDL-40WE5 is 100Hz motion. This feature improves how fast action scenes appear on flat panel TVs. One problem with flat displays in the past has been the loss of detail, or the appearance of 'motion blur' (a form of picture distortion) during sports and action scenes. 100Hz technology aims to smooth out flaws in fast scenes by increasing the number of frames that are shown. Different manufacturers have slightly different named 100Hz technologies, but they all tackle the problem in a similar way - by adding in extra frames that improve the appearance of the motion being shown on screen.

1920 x 1080

1920 x 1080 is the highest resolution available on a television. Often shortened to 1080p, it refers to the number of pixels a screen can display and the level of detail it can show.

4 x HDMI

The 40WE5 has 4 x HDMI inputs. HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface and is a standard used for audio / visual equipment. Like the older scart, HDMI is a port that allows you to connect things like Blu-ray players and games consoles to your television. Unlike scart, they're very easy to plug in - and take up a fraction of the space scart leads do. HDMI allows for HD devices to send high resolution information to the television. HDMI is an uncompressed digital signal, as opposed to previous analog interfaces such as S-Video, component video and composite video. In short, HDMI is the best way to connect your AV equipment and is going to be with us a good way into the future. There's a really good blog post over at Hi-Def hardware if you'd like to find out more.

Applicast

Bravia Engine 3

Bravia Engine 3 is the image processing technology found in the Sony Bravia KDL-40WE5 and other modern Sony televisions. It displays full HD images that are crisp and blur-free. The third version of the Bravia Engine, it builds on the tried and tested previous technology with a new chipset and processing software.

What does Bravia Engine 3 do?

• Expands tone range - a wide range of tones that make images look natural and smooth.
• Enhances contrast - rich blacks and subtle layers of gradation.
• Colour matching - Natural colours matching exactly what was filmed.
• 3D colour filtration reduces colour leakage in fast moving scenes
• Smooths the motion - preventing jagged edges and motion blur
• Deepens greens and blues - traditionally difficult colours are an area of focus.
• Reduces interference / cleans the image - each pixel is 'cleaned' for greater detail.
• Strengthens blacks - black pixels are deepened individually.

Major improvements in Bravia Engine 3

• Increased / improved contrast. Greater depth, clarity and a new light control technology.
• Better colours: A new technology has been used to analyse every frame and makes literally millions of improvements to it.
• Increased detail. Using an advanced noise-reduction system the Bravia Engine 3 TVs offer the highest level of HD detail yet.

See Sony's page on the Bravia Engine 3 for more information.

Bravia Sync

Bravia Sync is a Sony technology that works through HDMI and allws you to control all of your home entertainment products easily from one remote. With a single push of a button you can get a number of different devices to work together. For example if you press play on a Blu-ray player, it will turn on your TV, swtich the input to the correct setting and you can then watch the movie. And when you press power off, it will shut down your TV, home theatre and blu-ray.

Bravia Sync can work with a number of devices including TVs, blu-ray players, home theatre, camcorders and photo frames.

See this video for more information on how Bravia Sync works.

And for more information on how to setup and use Bravia Sync, Sony's Your.Start video has some good information.

Energy Saving Features

One of the big selling points with modern TVs is how energy efficient they are. The Sony Bravia KDL-40WE5 has a range of built in energy saving features designed to cut down on your energy bills and help do your bit for the environment.

Freeview

Enjoy free access to digital television stations without the need for a set top box. Like pretty much every television available today, the Sony Bravia KDL-40WE5 features freeview - the UK's standard for access to free TV stations such as ITV, BBC, E4 and an ever-changing and expanding list. Unlike say Sky, there's no subscription charges and no need for a dish. With the 40WE5 you get full access to these stations through a standard television ariel. Built in Freeview does not effect the TVs ability to work with any other TV provider, such as sky, cable or an external freeview box. The official Freeview website is here.

Light Sensor

Although this feature comes in slightly different flavours, depending on the manufacturer, the technology works in the same way. A light sensor detects the current lighting conditions in the room and alters the brightness and contrast accordingly. The aim is to produce the perfect conditions for the current brightness of your room. This feature can normally be turned off it needs be. The 40WE5 has a built in light sensor.

PC Input

You can connect your PC to the 40WE5 via it's built in PC port. Using your HDTV as a monitor means you can connect a desktop or laptop computer to your TV and play games, do your work or relax watching a movie.

USB Connection