The holidays have come and gone, and while a break from work is always a welcome proposition for most people, this particular reviewer was in a lamentable situation, as a long break meant a long separation from the gadgets and gear that never fails to stimulate the geeky adrenaline glands. It was thus a relief to find out that said reviewer has been assigned three items to take home and “review” – an LG mini component system, a triple-SLI rig in an Antec Skeleton casing, and the crown jewel of the three, a Sony Bravia 40” LCD TV with the newest 200Hz Motionflow technology.

While more than able to get the geeky juices flowing just from its sleek looks, the 450A has much, much more up its sleeves, from the Motionflow technology to the Bravia 2 Engine, cutting-edge specifications such as an 80000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, a 10-bit panel, 1920 x 1080 full-HD resolution, to a comprehensive lineup of connectivity options. All of these mean much more than simple marketing names, as they combine to give a noticeably superior picture when compared to our long-suffering flat screen at home.

                                             Motionflow is a doozy of a technology, more than tripling a regular LCD's screen output.

Examined by themselves, Sony’s marketed feature list doesn’t seem to particularly mean much more than the usual marketing fluff, but taken together, each feature’s advantages and benefits surface to mesh perfectly with each other and give a picture that once compared to that of a regular LCD makes the viewer unable to tolerate the obviously less dynamic pictures shown by lesser LCDs.

                                             While Sony's LCD naming convention is as cinfusing as convoluted as ever, there's no denying this LCD's design chops.

Case in point: the much talked about Motionflow technology in the 450A is the product of years of improvements over many Bravia models, moving up from 100Hz to the current 200Hz found in this particular model. This technology uses a Sony-developed algorithm that analyzes video frames and inserts additional frames in between the existing ones to smooth out fast-moving scenes and to improve overall image quality. By itself, this simple-sounding high frame-rate technology would have resulted in artificial-looking pictures far removed from the original, but fortunately Sony designed the technology to take into account specific video frames and apply the correct amount of enhancement to achieve a sharper picture and smoother movement.

                                             The number of technologies packed into this Z-Series Bravia probably prevents Sony from slimming down this model too much. The bottom picture shows the top-mounted power button.

This technology wouldn’t mean much at all if all of the frames shows up as a washed-out mess, so the Bravia series employs some high-end features like a 10-bit panel that is able to display 1024 levels of gradation in color, and pairs this feature up with a built in image processor called the Bravia Engine 2. The Engine takes a video signal and applies video-processing algorithms to it, also taking into account the extra frames inserted by the Motionflow technology and the color-reproduction capability of the 10-bit panel, resulting in a well-integrated picture that’s convincingly excellent, much more so than can be attributed to a single feature or technology.

                                            Swivel action is the most that can be expected of an LCD of this size.

Other features also add to the melting pot of sheer ability that this 40” Bravia LCD displays – 24p True Cinema technology takes advantage of the fact that most TV programs and movies are recorded at 24 frames per second, and the 24p technology outputs the signal directly without tampering with the frames (which is unneeded anyway) – and combines them with the Motionflow technology to deliver very smooth, and very natural motion in the video signal. Sony’s Live Colour Creation also plays a part in the picture enhancing process – further enhancing color reproduction after careful consideration and application of another Sony-developed algorithm to make sure that the technology does not overwhelm the picture and that the resulting video signal remains as natural as possible, while still giving a much improved look to the final output.

                                             Rear panel connectivity is, in a word, comprehensive.

After all of these technological marvels couched in almost-marketing like terms, it is best to segue to the actual experience of the LCD as compared to a regular projection-type, non-HD TV. Simply stated, the pictures when compared to each other are as far apart as the sun and the moon – this is said based on both this reviewer’s own subjective musings and the reactions of relatives and friends to the picture produced by the 40” Sony. When set up to run a DVD, which we all know only runs 480 x 360 resolution, the picture on the 450A was so much better than our poor home TV that I immediately set about on trying to find out if I had inadvertently loosened a connection at the rear of our TV. The Sony did not need setting up to any particular extent other than selecting an input source using the neatly laid-out remote control. Action scenes on the DVD was quite literally buttery-smooth, and it was inevitable that we started noticing a multitude of small “errors” on the DVD when played back using our TV, that were not present on the Bravia.

                                             A supplementary panel of connections can be found at the left side of the LCD.

What else can be said of the 450A, well, as anyone with more than a DVD player for media entertainment can attest, a large suite of connectivity options is a godsend. At the end of the testing period, a Wii, PS2, Xbox360, a DVD player, a personal computer, and a mini component system had been connected to the Bravia, all within a period of 4 days. There was no need to remove or replace any of the connections, as the 450A has 3 HDMI connectors, 3 sets of composite inputs, 2 sets of component inputs, a VGA input and corresponding audio input, plus multiple output options.

                                             Features and technologies complement each other in the Bravia series.

There is also the looks department, and in this aspect the Bravia can hardly disappoint – a clever clear section separates a silvery sound bar found at the bottom of the unit from the main glossy face of the Bravia, and although the 450A wasn’t designed to be as slim as some models, it is quite slim enough to present a most alluring silhouette, with just the right amount of curves at all places. It also bears mentioning that the 450A also carries with it a multitude of other Sony technological additions, like DLNA for easy connectivity between other compatible devices, an S-Force – enhanced sound system, Intelligent picture that enhances RF signal output, and MPEG noise reduction.

                                              The clear panel underneath the main screen is a central design element. Also note the blue sparkle in the glossy finish.

Some small nitpicks include the lack of analog audio support through any of the HDMI connectors – a feature found on the X-series Bravia 40 incher. It also lacks the X-series’ Ethernet connection, although this is not something that will be missed in light of the Z-series’ obvious performance. Its price is also a serious drawback – a suggested retail price of nearly P230k puts it well above the reach of most regular consumers, and whether this unit’s Motionflow technology and admittedly excellent picture quality is worth the large premium remains up in the air.

In the end, the most disappointing thing is that I have to return this after the holidays once my excuse of it being too large to easily carry it back to the car and back to the office has run its course (which won’t be long ; I didn’t have much trouble getting it home in the first place after all). While the price is prohibitive, the number of technologies present in the unit, and the resulting great picture it produces will certainly endear it to many of those who can appreciate quality and good performance.