Subscores
The CX520 is now the only Sony television to use fluorescent tubes for backlighting instead of LEDs. It's not designed as a successor to the EX503, but rather the EX402. That's why it's missing features like a 100 Hz interpolation filter, but it does have the latest version of Sony's X-Reality image engine and a revised XrossMediaBar interface. Let's take a closer look at what else it has to offer ...
In the past year, Sony has seriously revised the hardware that it includes on its entry-level TVs. As well as offering the sort of connectivity we'd expect from TVs further up the range (including four HDMI ports, composite and component video, SCART, VGA and Ethernet), these new TVs also include the manufacturer's online services.
Apart from Motionflow and support for 3D, there's not much missing on the CX520. It supports DLNA 1.5 and offers online content from websites and video and music on demand services. Users also get the Standard version of the new X-Ready technology, an updated version of the XrossMediaBar interface and support for 720p Skype with an optional Sony webcam.
The feature list may have been thoroughly updated, but the external design is much the same as it always was, and the family resemblance with last year's models is all too obvious. There's still a glossy black plastic frame and a matte finish on the display, with the most immediately obvious change being the slightly-rounded corners.
The matte display doesn't suffer from reflections
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Inputs and outputs
There are two USB ports on the side, meaning you can plug in an external storage device. One is designed to record TV programmes while the other allows you to provide your own content and play it using the built-in media player. Unfortunately, though, it's not really worth it: you can't open MKV files, which substantially limits the interest.
If you leave the CX520 in Standard mode you definitely won't make the most of it, but switch to Custom mode and you'll enjoy one of the few TVs capable of offering accurate colour reproduction. Just last week, the LG 47LW650S set a new record by reaching a deltaE of just 1.7. Today, though, Sony has gone one better with a deltaE of 1.5! Even the most demanding viewers won't have anything to complain about with a score like that ...
As well as this almost perfect colour reproduction, the PVA panel (model LTY 460HN01) produces very deep blacks. With brightness of 200 cd/m², we measured blacks of 0.06 cd/m² in the centre of the frame, which produces a contrast ratio of over 3364:1, way beyond our average figure for last year of around 2500:1.
With HD content, the picture is a pleasure to watch and very natural. The only visible problem is occasional judder produced by the absence of motion interpolation. Despite the new X-Reality system, upscaling SD content still isn't very accurate, and another device (like a DVD or Blu-ray player or a games console) will do a better job.
Unlike the majority of TVs we've tested recently, which use Edge LED backlighting, the CX520 doesn't have any problems with clouding whatsoever.
Although the CX520 isn't designed as a replacement for the EX503, it's still managed to get the same audio quality as its ancestor. The fact that the speakers are tilted slightly towards the listener makes for more accurate treble. They're still no rival for a real Home Cinema kit or a sound bar, but you can certainly enjoy a film without too much trouble.
On standby, the CX520 only uses the bare minimum of power: 0.1 W, and it's just as impressive when you switch it on, climbing to 94 W for this 46'' version.
Build Quality and Design
In the past year, Sony has seriously revised the hardware that it includes on its entry-level TVs. As well as offering the sort of connectivity we'd expect from TVs further up the range (including four HDMI ports, composite and component video, SCART, VGA and Ethernet), these new TVs also include the manufacturer's online services.Apart from Motionflow and support for 3D, there's not much missing on the CX520. It supports DLNA 1.5 and offers online content from websites and video and music on demand services. Users also get the Standard version of the new X-Ready technology, an updated version of the XrossMediaBar interface and support for 720p Skype with an optional Sony webcam.
The feature list may have been thoroughly updated, but the external design is much the same as it always was, and the family resemblance with last year's models is all too obvious. There's still a glossy black plastic frame and a matte finish on the display, with the most immediately obvious change being the slightly-rounded corners.
The matte display doesn't suffer from reflections
ProfileMenu
Inputs and outputs
There are two USB ports on the side, meaning you can plug in an external storage device. One is designed to record TV programmes while the other allows you to provide your own content and play it using the built-in media player. Unfortunately, though, it's not really worth it: you can't open MKV files, which substantially limits the interest.
Ghosting and Input Lag
Sony doesn't really seem to have done much work on the input lag either, and we weren't surprised when we measured a delay of 66 ms compared to a CRT monitor, or four whole frames of input lag. Sony's televisions are still generally more responsive than they used to be, and the CX520 has a ghosting time of under 15 ms, compared to the 20 ms we measured on the EX603 last year. Although there's been an improvement, these figures are still above our average of 12 ms.
Image Quality
If you leave the CX520 in Standard mode you definitely won't make the most of it, but switch to Custom mode and you'll enjoy one of the few TVs capable of offering accurate colour reproduction. Just last week, the LG 47LW650S set a new record by reaching a deltaE of just 1.7. Today, though, Sony has gone one better with a deltaE of 1.5! Even the most demanding viewers won't have anything to complain about with a score like that ...Excellent colour reproduction in Custom mode: average deltaE: 1.5
As well as this almost perfect colour reproduction, the PVA panel (model LTY 460HN01) produces very deep blacks. With brightness of 200 cd/m², we measured blacks of 0.06 cd/m² in the centre of the frame, which produces a contrast ratio of over 3364:1, way beyond our average figure for last year of around 2500:1.
Average contrast ratio in Custom mode: 3364:1
With HD content, the picture is a pleasure to watch and very natural. The only visible problem is occasional judder produced by the absence of motion interpolation. Despite the new X-Reality system, upscaling SD content still isn't very accurate, and another device (like a DVD or Blu-ray player or a games console) will do a better job.
No visible clouding
Unlike the majority of TVs we've tested recently, which use Edge LED backlighting, the CX520 doesn't have any problems with clouding whatsoever.
Audio Quality
Although the CX520 isn't designed as a replacement for the EX503, it's still managed to get the same audio quality as its ancestor. The fact that the speakers are tilted slightly towards the listener makes for more accurate treble. They're still no rival for a real Home Cinema kit or a sound bar, but you can certainly enjoy a film without too much trouble.
Energy Consumption
On standby, the CX520 only uses the bare minimum of power: 0.1 W, and it's just as impressive when you switch it on, climbing to 94 W for this 46'' version.Pros
- Excellent contrast and very deep blacks: 3364:1 and 0.06 cd/m²
- Accurate colours: average deltaE of 1.5
- Matte finish doesn't suffer from reflections
- No clouding on the version we tested
- Low energy consumption: 94 W
Cons
- No motion interpolation
- Viewing angles too narrow
- Media player doesn't support enough video formats
- Panel responsiveness below average
Conclusion
The Sony Bravia CX520 is an entry-level TV with great picture quality and no problems with clouding. All that's missing is support for 3D and motion interpolation.
OUR SCORE
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