Both the HD Ready standard and 26'' screens have received a rather skeptical reaction from retailers and technology press alike.

All the models that we've tested that fall into either of these categories have clearly lagged behind more powerful models, which use bigger screens that support the Full HD resolution.

Sony's new Bravia V4500 line, though, includes a TV that is both HD Ready and 26''.

The new range also includes built-in digital tuners capable decoding the HD signals which are broadcast in an increasing number of territories around the world.

They're only held back from Full HD by the use of a smaller screen size, as they come in 26'', 32'' and 37'' versions.

When we tested the V4500 in its 32'' configuration, we were keen to see whether these new models are going to be able to cast off the poor reputation of TVs in this class …

Top Quality Images

The first thing to point out is that we were very pleasantly surprised by the image quality on offer.

Watching our test movies, we saw images with honest, natural colors, deep blacks and well-adjusted light levels that are definitely worthy of a more expensive model.

The slightly lower resolution of the HD Ready system means that Blu ray content looks a little less sharp than it does on Full HD systems, but if you sit a little further away from the screen the effects are less noticeable.

By contrast, it does mean that Standard Definition images look a little better than they do on a Full HD screen.

When it came to upscaling an SD source, the V4500 gave a sharp result, but still not as good as the treatment offered by the Sony PlayStation 3, the current market leader in this field.

In fact, in some tests, the V4500 was free from some of the artefacts that the PS3 has a tendancy to add when it upscales.

Upscaling Standard Definition signals is not quite as sharp on the V4500 (right) as it is on the PS3 (left)

These good results are almost certainly thanks to the V4500's use of a lot of technology handed down from more advanced Sony models.

In particular, the Bravia Engine 2 image correction system, which works so well here that we were almost convinced we had a miniature version of the W4000 in front of us.

The test scores from our labs backed up our own first impressions: a deltaE score of just 2.9 means that the discrepancy between the colors sent to the screen and those it actually shows is minimal.

Elsewhere, blacks that are only 0.06 cd/m² give an excellent contrast ratio of 2300:1.

We measured the color temperature to be exactly 6500 K, the result usually taken as standard, and the gamma curve was spot on too.

One system that is missing is the Motionflow image correction chip, which means that movement isn't as perfectly fluid as it is on high-end models, but motion sequences were far from jerky.

The sound quality was closer to what you might expect at this price point, but it was perfectly acceptable for such a small TV which is likely to be used in a smaller room without the need for powerful speakers.

It's far from adequate for Home Cinema buffs, and a surround sound system wouldn't be out of the question.

No scrimping on components

Elsewhere, everything else is exactly as you'd expect given this is a Bravia from Sony, right down to the easy-to-use and attractive XrossMediaBar interface first demonstrated on the PS3.

The remote control features the usual Theater button, allowing one-touch access to 'cinema' mode settings.

Pressing it again returns you to the standard configuration, which is more well-suited to a room lit by daylight.

And just because Sony have crammed this TV into a smaller case doesn't mean they've cut back on the number of connections at the back, with our only real gripe being the absence of an S-Video port.

As you can see from this photo, just about everything else is there.

All in all, we were won over by this simple TV which is available for a very reasonable price without cutting too many corners.

The two main things it's missing--Full HD and Motionflow--are something that a lot of people will be able to live without given the otherwise excellent specification that this TV brings.

And if you're looking for a second TV for a bedroom or elsewhere, you certainly won't get second-best if you go with this option.