Twice the Price, Twice the Quality!
Written: Nov 04 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great picture, Great Features, Great looks, Easy to use, Easy to hook up.......
Cons: High Price
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| kam61799's Full Review: Sony KV-27FV16 TV |
In being limited to a 27inch TV because of space consideration in my apartment I was initially weary of the task of actually finding one that I would be happy with. Yet, after coming across this great model from Sony all my feelings were changed. Sure the TV cost about twice as much as other 27inches, but the justification for every extra penny spent is made clear each time you turn this set on.
I picked up the unit at my local Circuit City store for $699, plus tax, and my first realization after getting home: boy is this thing heavy. Coming in at a little over 100lbs. The Sony Trinitron Wega is a good deal heavier than other tvs of similar size, so make sure that you have a stable surface to place the set on (incidently, Sony markets a good selection of handsome stands that compliment the unconventional style of the Wega). After the workout of getting the set hoisted into position in my entertainment center I could not help but to stand back and enjoy the beauty of design incorporated in this tv. The silver color may scare some off - considering most A/V equipment in black the fear of colors clashing is one that I myself faced - but once the unit has taken its place in your house the integration of its edgy stying is not only seamless, but ultimately pleasing. The flat screen gives the tv a hi-tech look, the side speakers increase the width of the unit creating the illusion of a wide screen (16:9 ratio) digital tv, and the interesting placement of the on-unit buttons up top add to the overall feeling of elegance that permeates from this tv.
In aesthetics alone this tv is a winner, but function does exceed form in this product. Picture quality is excellent, glare for light sources is minimal even during the brightest hours of the day, sound quality is good and special features create a rich, deep sound that mimics traditional surround sound, features are abundant and function, menu operation is intuitive and quick, and overall the viewing experience is made more pleasurable when you are lucky enough to be watching this tv.
Picture quality is sharp and crisp. Color reproduction is realistic and gives you a clear image that is not visibly flawed or extended in any way. Setting allow you to customize four different viewing modes (standard, sport, movie, and vivid which do work well when left at the factory default settings) and change values such as picture sharpness, color, warmth, and signal noise reduction. I have the unit hooked up to our local cable system and enjoy a level of quality that in some ways is too much. In viewing such a low quality analog video source many of the flaws in our cable service are made more apparent. I was able to solve this problem by lowing the sharpness of the picture when viewing cable television. When watching dvds, however, the quality is breathtaking in its quality. I have my dvd player hooked up to one of the units two S-Video inputs (one in back, and one hidden cleverly up front under a fold done panel), and enjoy a picture quality that surpasses that of any TV I have ever owned.
The Wega has four video inputs (whose name you can change from Video 1, Video 2,... to more appropriate titles, dvd, etc.) and three aux inputs and enough A/V plugs in back and up front for your vcr's, satellite systems, digital recorders, dvd players, and camcorders.
Sound quality of the KV-27FV16 is better than the other 27 inch Trinitron Wegas and for this feature this model is priced about a hundred dollars more than the KV-27FS16 (which looks very similar to this model but has smaller speaker positioned near the bottom of the set instead of on the sides). I spent the extra money and got the KV-27FV16 (speakers on the side) for aesthetic reasons. I feel that the wider look makes the unit more appealing as a whole. For sound output I have the tv hooked up to a DTS/dolby digital 5.1 home theater system.
This model has two tuner picture in picture with a variable second picture size and many common features like "freeze" and "swap". This tv also lets you choose audio for the main picture or the second picture which comes in handy in many situations.
The remote control for the unit is thin and long (about 7 inches long and two inches wide) and while the glow in the dark buttons are a little small they are easy to learn and get used to. The remote control can be programmed to work with many vcrs, dvd players, and satellite systems and so can function as you entire system remote.
In summing up I do have to conceed the fact that the price for this tv, at around $700, is about twice the amount of other 27inch TVs. But the extra money with worth it; you truly get what you pay for. Are you getting twice the tv? Yes. Is picture quality that good? Yes.
Hands down this is the best non-digital tv on the market and in the 27 inch class this is by far the best,best tv that can be bought for any money.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
kam61799
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Reviews written: 27
Trusted by: 4 members
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