The Sony Bravia KDL-52V5100 is a 52-inch LCD HDTV. The HDTV is simply styled with a glossy black bezel, giving it a classic look that will fit into any décor. Available for a list price of $2,299 this isn’t an inexpensive television, although you do get full 1080p quality.
The KDL-52V5100 features a good selection of connectivity options, including 4 HDMI ports, optical audio out for surround sound systems and a USB port. You can play back photos and music stored on a connected USB device, although the interface for media playback is not very good. There are also plenty of additional analog and digital ports available and they are well placed for easy access.
The Sony Bravia KDL-52V5100’s remote control is easy to hold and well balanced, but the buttons could be better laid out. The menu system is simple and easy to use, but the documentation that came with the television doesn’t explain some of the more advanced functions. We were very pleased with the audio quality from the KDL-52V5100’s built-in speakers.
Performance (Read the full lab performance results at Televisioninfo.com)
We were quite pleased with the Sony Bravia KDL-52V5100’s black level. This contributed to a very good contrast ratio, so you should be able to see clear distinctions between dark and light on the display. Color accuracy was about average, with a few small problems. For example we noticed a lack of detail in bright blues and the television didn’t quite match up with the international standard for color gamut, which controls exactly how colors are displayed on the screen.
Motion performance was a bit disappointing, especially for an HDTV that sports 120Hz refresh rate, which manufacturers tout as significantly improving motion performance. Although we noticed a little bit of blurring the real problem was artifacting. Artifacts are things that appear on the display that shouldn’t be there, for example a shutter effect on some patterns. We noticed several of these with the KDL-52V5100.
Another potential problem with the KDL-52V5100 is the limited viewing angle. This isn’t a television you’ll want to put into a room with seats at an oblique angle to the screen. Speaking of the screen it’s very reflective, so be careful about where you place your lighting fixtures in the room.
Conclusion & Comparisons (Read more in-depth comparisons at Televisioninfo.com)
Although we did find a few problems with the Sony Bravia KDL-52V5100’s performance it wasn’t a poor performer. The problem arises from the $2,300 price. Although not outrageous for a 52-inch HDTV you can find alternatives at a lower price that provide you similar screen real estate and better overall performance. For example the 50-inch Samsung PN50A760. If you have your heart set on the KDL-52V5100 you likely won't be dissapointed but we recommend waiting a couple of months for the price to come down a bit.
For a more in-depth review, visit the Sony Bravia KDL-52V5100 Review at our partner TelevisionInfo.com
