Stunning picture with HD and DVD, provided one does proper setup, good sound from TV speakers (we're not connected to a receiver and external speakers), stylish appearance.

Although the Sony is quite good with black levels, in general LCDs can not exhibit the greater black levels of plasmas or CRT televisions. Expensive

The Sony KDL-V40SBR1, connected to a HD cable box and to a Sony DVP-NS75H DVD player. We connected the HDMI output from the DVD player to the HDMI input of the TV to surpass the quality of the three-wire component for RBG and to combine with one HDMI cable the best video possible with stereo audio. As the first LCD flat panel we have ever owned, this TV has an outstanding HD picture, excelling that of other flat-panel LCD televisions that we looked at in the showroom. HD broadcasts are stunning, but even standard DVDs display unusual clarity, although certainly not at the superior resolution of HD. Users must use the Avia setup DVD or another test DVD for proper setup. We considered plasma which looks quite good but decided that the Sony KDL-V40SBR1, the best of the LCDs, avoids the plasma's potential burn-in problem, uses considerably less power than plasmas, generates less heat than plasmas, and weighs less than comparable plasmas. Most buyers would be very satisfied with this flat-panel television.

Similar Products Used:

Hitachi LCD rear projector.