Sony Bravia KDL-40W4000

This television is the 40 inch version of the 32 inch which we tested, the Bravia KDL-32W4000.

Its bigger diagonal enables it to better take advantage of the Full HD definition.  Moreover, you shouldn’t hesitate to make the move to other sizes (46 or 52 inches) if all of your sources are digital (HD, cable, etc.).

Also note that this version has a 10 bit panel, contrary to the 32 inch we tested which is only an 8 bit.  In practice, this may not change rendering too much because no source is really able to take advantage of this capability.  Otherwise, while these sources do exist, the human eye will have difficulty seeing the slight nuances.  In fact, we showed 12 bit images to members of our staff on 8, 10 and 12 bit panels and no one was able to tell the difference.

For the rest and to briefly sum up the KDL-32W4000’s test, it proved to be an excellent television. It was as perfect in SD (cable, Wii type game consoles, DVDs, etc.) as it was in HD.  The PC mode was also very pleasant.

Its record contraste (almost 3000:1) is the result of a very deep black which was up until now an exclusivity of plasma screens.  For more details, feel free to take a look at our article on the Bravia KDL-32W4000.

Characteristics, the panel and circuitry are identical and only brightness may vary slightly which minimally affects contrast. According to manufacturers (and our tests confirm), results from one diagonal size can easily be extrapolated to identical models of bigger or smaller sizes.