Sony introduces the new exquisite BRAVIA S-Series LCD TV

Sony’s new 2006 BRAVIA S-Series LCD television was launched in New Zealand on Friday 11 August 2006. It features Sony’s next generation S-PVA LCD panel technology and every model incorporates a 1 million pixel panel (1366 x 768). Here are some great features of the new S-Series:

• HD - The new S-Series is fully compatible with 720p and 1080i HD (High Definition) signals. The HD will be around three times more detail and clarity than current signals - but we don’t have many HD sources around us yet.
• HDMI - The new S-Series is equipped with a HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) input. HDMI will be useful for other HD sources, such as Blu-ray players, next-generation game consoles and HD Handycam cameras.
• 178 degree Ultra-Wide Viewing Angle
• BRAVIA Engine: Intense Colour
• SRS TruSurround XT: Astounding Sound – The new S-Series comes with TruSurround XT technology delivering a virtual surround-sound experience from the front - with no additional speakers required. However, I still recommend you buy a 5.1 home theatre system to go with it.
• Distinguished Style – It looks good even before you switch it on! I believe Sony has great designs all the time.
• 8-millisecond Response Time – Faster response time means that fast-moving images such as sports or action sequences remain clear, without any motion blur.
• 1300:1 High Contrast - Although this contrast ratio is better than the old S-Series and most LCD TVs in the market, it’s not very “incredible” as Sony has stated. As far as I know, Samsung has a LCD TV with contrast ratio of 4000:1.

You may want to know what the price of the new S-Series is - actually it’s not too bad and cheaper than the old S-Series. Here are the prices:

• 46-inch - NZ$5999.95
• 40-inch - NZ$3999.95
• 32-inch – NZ$2699.95
• 26-inch – NZ$2199.95

Now - you may want to know what the differences are between the S-Series and the V-Series. I’ve been to the Sony showroom and have asked this question for you. Let’s share the conversation between the Sony staff and me.

• Question – what are the differences between the new S-Series and the old V-Series?
• Answer – They have the same contrast ratio, same resolution, same viewing angle and same sound but the V-Series still has the better colour re-production. The V-Series does look better but of course, it’s more expensive. Plus the V-Series has the USB High Speed input facility. It enables the image playback from digital cameras. (Do you need it? I don’t.)
• Question – will there be a new V-Series?
• Answer – Nothing confirmed yet from the company.

In my option, the new S-Series is worth the money. For example, for a 32” LCD TV, the new S-Series is $800 cheaper than the V-Series - unless you want better colours. We may not be able to notice the difference if we don’t compare them one on one.

Sony products are always a little bit more expensive than other brands, but over to you to decide if they’re worth the little bit extra cost.

Click the link for other LCD TVs.