After having measured the qualities of the excellent Bravia KDL-W3000, we were impatient to test the new version, the W4000.

What distinguishes the W4000 from the W3000? On paper, not too much: there is now a pivoting base and the image processing software changes from the Bravia Engine EX to the Bravia Engine 2.  The announced contrast goes to 33000:,1 but this involves dynamic contrast, which is still far from actual measurements.  The HD TNT tuner HD, which made the W3000 an enduring product, was of course kept.  A USB input enables connecting a key for directly looking at photos on the screen.

New menus derived from those of the PS3

After installing this TV, we noticed that menus were entirely reviewed.  They abandon the look that Sony has used for some years now and are now similar to those of the Playstation 3, which are much more modern, practical and enable getting a leg up on the competition in this domain.  We are far from the unstylish, austere and impractical menus of the past.

Option settings are identical to those of other Bravias.  The TV comes with factory presets that are supposed to make the image vivid, but it’s no where near the natural rendering and calibration that are desired for watching movies.  Moreover, one of the filters activated by default considerably limits the level of red making the image orange.  The best results were obtained by going into Cinema mode as well as by deactivating all the dynamic filters that modify blacks and contrast.


However, it was in terms of contrast that we were especially amazed.  With black measured at 0.1 cd/m² and white producing a generous 250 cd/m², we obtained an impressive ratio of 2491:1.  It was even possible to come close to 3000:1 by making a small concession in black (0.14 cd/m²).  This level of contrast is quite simply excellent for an LCD.


As good in SD as in HD!


Playing our DVD and Blu-ray movies was the nail in the coffin.  HD movies were perfect and the rescaling of SD sources (DVD, TV, and game consoles) was very good.  We found all of the great qualities that our measurements suggest.  On the other hand, the vertical viewing angle was a bit narrow.  Horizontally, it was a little bigger but it doesn’t attain the capabilities of plasmas.






Finally, sound is a bit inferior to image quality and cruelly lacks basses.  Either way, this is a constant on TVs and home cinema fans will have to opt for an additional audio system.

(Update 4/29/08)

Image improvement technologies...real advantage or hoax?

We can quickly note that the W4000 offers neither 100 Hz nor MotionFlow.  The first improves the stability of the image by limiting the flashing that we can sometimes see on bright images.  This has nothing to do with fluidity and its absence isn't catastrophic.

MotionFlow improves the fluidity of movement.  The other side of the coin is that it adds a rather "video-like" or "making of" aspect to movies.  It comes down to a question of taste (for example, in our offices it’s not too popular).

Either way, there is no problem here because the two technologies are absent.

The 32 inch panel tested is a "classic" 8 bit.  The bigger models (40 inches and more) are 10 bit.  This improvement, however, will not be visible on the screen.  In fact, no current source is able to fully take advantage of 8 bits not to even mention 10 bits and higher…
In addition, we have images that are as high as 12 bits that were shown to various discerning eyes on 8, 10 and 12 bit panels.  None could tell the difference.

Finally, Bravia Engine 2 processing includes two different filters including dynamic contrast, which we recommend deactivating for better colors.  After that, there is the Bravia Engine 2’s rescaling which seems equivalent to that of the Bravia Engine EX in the W3000.

Finally, note that power consumption in stand-by was less than 0.1 W and one of the current lowest.  Certain other TVs attain 0.7 W.

(Update 4/29/08)

In the end, the W4000 proved to be an excellent Full HD television.  This will be especially true for those that want their purchase to last as the HD digital tuner will open the door to this capability at the end of 2008.  For those that want to stick with SD, it’s better to look towards HD Ready models without the HD tuner in order not to have to pay for an unused resolution and this component.  However, the only thing is that the display qualities of this panel will be difficult to find on other models.  For the moment, the W4000 is without rival.