Another hit season is going to end and we’re not just talking about the spectacular NBA Finals. It is also going to be a great season in which a classic sequel will make it, again, to the big screen. Likewise, here at HardwareZone, we kept our eyes keen on the sequels of some hero products that we had previously met last year. One of them is the new member of the Sony BRAVIA W Series, the KLV-46W550A which is the follow-up of the award-winning KLV-32W400A model.

 

 

 

As most Japanese full HD LCD TV models are not as flirtatious as their blushed Korean counterparts, the KLV-46W550A follows a modest convention, personifying dignified and discreet beauty. Bordering around its huge display is a lustrous, black frame underlined with a mirror-like lining and a built-in soundbar below.

 

 

 

Apart from its 178-degree viewing angle, its panel can be tilted horizontally as well.

 

 

 

In addition to its analog and digital connectors at the back, it also has two HDMI inputs, component input, headphone output, and a USB 2.0 port on the left side.

 

 

 

When external storage is attached to the USB interface, the KLV-46W550A detects stored photos…

 

 

 

... songs...

 

 

 

… and videos automatically. Through a user interface which looks analogous to that of the PSP and PS3 console, these files can be viewed or played using either the supplied remote control or the buttons found on the right side of the TV. Nonetheless, we advise you that access time is dependent to the file size and the data transfer rate of the connected storage device.

 

 

 

The supplied remote control.

 

 

 

The controls on the right side of the TV.

 

 

 

Using the aforesaid user interface, the overall settings of the KLV-46W550A can be fine-tuned as well.

 

 

 

Adjusting the TV’s picture quality with DisplayMate, all degrees of black were discernible, in our case, once the brightness level was put around 70...

 

 

 

... while almost all levels of white were visible when the brightness level was nearly zero.

 

 

With that said, the KLV-46W550A is very capable of rendering a wide spectrum of colors at varying intensities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The KLV-46W550A has eight scene modes: Auto, General, Graphics, Game, Music, Photo, Cinema and Sports. Testing each one of them, we observed that under Cinema mode, the overall brightness of the screen was reduced, resulting to softer colors but a greater amount of darkness that masked some minute subject details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the other hand, Auto and Graphics modes share the same impact on the picture quality, making the subject, particularly the human skin, appear either reddish or yellowish.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Meanwhile, the videos under other scene presets were all adequate, though they looked a bit similar to one another.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nevertheless, the best picture quality we achieved was when we set the KLV-46W550A at Sports mode, in which Sony-exclusive technologies such as BRAVIA Engine 3, Live Colour and Motionflow 100Hz were seemingly maximized. Hence, under this mode, the videos that we watched were rendered with well-defined colors, contrast and details without any hint of blurriness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For sure, many of us are already looking forward to the next star season. Whether you’re planning to watch the next big sports match or the upcoming epic sequel on full HD, the Sony BRAVIA KLV-46W550A LCD TV is just right for such viewing intentions.

 

  

Sony BRAVIA KLV-46W550A’s Specifications
Panel	46-inch Full HD LCD (1920 x 1080p)
Backlight Module	CCFL
Scene Modes	Auto, General, Graphics, Game, Music, Photo, Cinema, and Sports
Dimensions / Weight With TV Stand	1,123 x 772 x 330mm / 25.9Kg
SRP	PhP 169,999.00