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  • Tour & Design

  • Performance Features

  • Connectivity & Media

  • Controls, Menu & Remote

  • Conclusion

  • Tour & Design
  • Performance Features
  • Connectivity & Media
  • Controls, Menu & Remote
  • Conclusion

Tour & Design

The front of the KDL-52VE5 is fairly spare, with only the Sony logo in the center of the bevel's bottom edge, the Bravia insignia in the top left corner, and the LED status lights along the bottom edge just above the speaker grill. The bevel is a glossy black, though it's not so glossy as to be distracting.

The front of the KDL-52VE5

**Back**

The KDL-52VE5 display unit we viewed was mounted on a wall and could not be swiveled out, so we were unable to view the back of the unit.

**Sides**

The left side of the KDL-52VE5 has easy-access ports for USB, PC, HDMI, S-video, and composite video and audio in. The right side features the control buttons for power, channel up/down, volume up/down, input, menu, and the energy saving switch to put the TV into zero-wattage consumption mode.

The left and right sides of the KDL-52VE5

**Stand/Mount**

The KDL-52VE5 unit on display was mounted on a wall and did not include the stand with which it normally comes. The wall mount anchor points appear to be VESA compatible.

**Aesthetics**

The Sony flat screen TV line-up all feature clean lines and relatively understated looks. The bezel is a not-too-glossy black that will complement any decor regardless of its color theme and should never cause any desire to practice defenestration.

Performance Features

Display Size & Technology

The KDL-52VE5 has a 52'LCD screen backlit by an HCFL, Hot Cathode Fluorescent Lamp, as opposed to a CCFL, Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp. Sony claims that the HCFL backlight provides an almost 40% reduction in power consumption.

The KDL-52VE5's display

Format & Resolution

The KDL-52VE5 supports 1080p format with a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080. The aspect ratio has not yet been released.

Brightness, Blacks & Contrast Ratio

The brightness, blacks, and contrast ratio specs for the KDL-52VE5 are not yet available. To the naked eye, the video shown on the display video presented exceptionally deep blacks, although these display videos are often engineered to maximize the visual appeal of a TV and usually don't represent the typical content that will be viewed on the TV by the average consumer.

Refresh Rate & Motion

The refresh rate of the KDL-52VE5 is 120Hz, using Sony's Motionflow compensation technology. The display videos shown on the floor unit did not contain fast movement that would be typical in an action movie scene. With the slow movement that was shown in the display unit, no problems were evident. We're anxious to get this unit into our lab to put it through its paces in this area fully.

Viewing Angle

The official viewing angle for the KDL-52VE5 is not yet available, though if our our observation on the show floor is any indication, it will yield an impressive result in our tests. The image on the KDL-52VE5 was viewable from even very oblique angles, with virtually no color or clarity degradation.

Color

The KDL-52VE5's color specs are not yet available. Looking at the unit on the show floor, colors were rich and vibrant throughout the color range and did not shift greatly when the viewing angle became more extreme. Again, however, the video shown on display units is usually calibrated to flatter the TVs capabilities, and we'd need to test its abilities in our lab to see how it really performs.

Connectivity & Media

Audio & Video Ports

The placard next to the display unit claimed a total of 7 HD inputs on the KDL-52VE5 in the form of 4 HDMI ports, 2 component ports, and 1 PC port. Looking at the number of ports available on the left side, this means that only 1 of the HDMI ports and both of the component ports reside on the back of the unit. You'll also see a VGA, computer audio in, S-Videa, analog video and analog audio ports below. There is no mention of  antenna, or headphone ports.

The ports on the left side of the KDL-52VE5

Media & Other Connectivity

The KDL-52VE5 is capable of playing back photos and music. The USB port allows the connection of other devices for alternative media playback. Unlike other Sony TV lines, the KDL-52VE5 does not have built-in ethernet capability to allow direct playback of video content on the web. No other information on the KDL-52VE5 media connectivity is available yet.

Placement

The ports on the KDL-52VE5's left side are quite easy to get to and are clearly labeled though a flashlight will probably still be needed unless you tend to ensure the sides of your TV are well-lit. The ports on the rear of the unit are not really accessible while it's mounted on a wall, though should be fine to get to if the unit is on the stand with which it comes provided you have sufficient clearance to reach behind it or swivel it toward you.

Audio

The audio specs of the KDL-52VE5 are not yet available.

Controls, Menu & Remote

Remote

The remote of the KDL-52VE5 on display was not available.

Controls

The KDL-52VE5's controls are on the right side and provide easy access to turn the unit on and off, adjust the volume, change the channel or input, go to the menu, and turn energy savings on or off.

The controls on the right side of the KDL-52VE5

Menu

We were unable to view the KDL-52VE5's menu interface.

 

Conclusion

The KDL-52VE5 presents a nice alternative among flat screen LCD HDTVs for those who are energy conscious with its HCFL backlight and other energy saving features. To our naked eye, it displayed vibrant colors, deep blacks, and bright whites, though we'll need to test it in our lab to come to a conclusion based on actual performance using objective testing methods. Without a published price for this unit, we can't define its value relative to other comparable offerings, but given Sony's general price points, we do expect it to be on the high end of offerings in this display size range. We are looking forward to getting this unit into our lab!

Meet the tester

Marianne Schultz

Marianne Schultz

Editor

Marianne Schultz is a valued contributor to the Reviewed.com family of sites.

See all of Marianne Schultz's reviews

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