HomeElectronicsAudio & VideoHome Theater SystemsSony Bravia S-Series KDL-40S3000 40-Inch 720p LCD HDTV |
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86 of 91 found the following review helpful:
 CAN'T GO WRONG WITH SONY! LOOK NO FURTHER - BUY IT! Oct 07, 2007
By A. Witkowski
"Tony37x"
I have had my Sony KDL-40S3000 set up for about a week now and could not be happier! Amazon.com had by far the best price around considering that you get free shipping and pay no tax, and trust me I surfed every online site and retail store for over a month before making my purchase.
I was about to go plasma with Samsung, until I saw it in store and hated the reflective black display and case as well as reading several poor customer reviews. This Sony set has a sexy matte black finish and the screen is clear and reflection free in any lighting! Sony TV's in my book are across the board the best blend of top technology, proven durability and quality as well as sleek cool looks. My family has always owned Sony TV's and have never had even one of them serviced, some still running are over 20 years old!
But back to my new KDL-40S3000..... It's a sure crowd pleaser in any home! As of now, there are no HD broadcast channels in the 1080p format, only 1080i which this TV with the native resolution of 720p displays vividly, so I would advise you to think about this if you are looking at some of Sony's 1080p models that cost a lot more. Along with the fact that because the majority of broadcast channels besides HD channels (1080i) on Digital cable and I believe even Satellite are still in the 480p format, a TV such as this one with 720p resolution will display a cleaner and sharper image than that of a 1080p model. Bottom line... unless you have a Blu-Ray or HD DVD player and want a barely noticeable sharper picture, Go With 720p, you will save money and not be sacrificing anything trust me!
As for features and sound quality, you will be overwhelmed with what Sony brings to the plate. The menu options and settings are extensive but yet fun with Sony's graphical onscreen display, but the picture right of the box is just as impressive. I am a big fan of surround sound systems, but so far I am completely satisfied with the KDL-40S3000's clear and projecting sound quality, and I seriously question the poor remarks from other reviews about this set being deficient in sound. The audio/video inputs and outputs of this set are numerous and the 2 HDMI hook-ups will meet the needs of most home users considering there are also 2 component connections and various other lower quality connections.
So in closing I would recommend the Sony KDL-40S3000 to any and everyone looking to get into the flat-panel market, hands-down!!! Yes, Sony may be a bit more money than comparable sized other brands, but you are paying for top notch quality, engineering, and styling and you will not regret a cent of it! Set your price range, determine the right size and viewing distance for your room and put Sony at the top of your list when shopping Amazon.com for the best price on your flat-panel TV! Good luck and I hope my review has helped. I know a flat-panel is a major purchase and it's worth the time and effort to write a review if you are truly impressed and satisfied to pass on a great experience to others!
55 of 57 found the following review helpful:
Great so far.... May 07, 2007
By T. Das
"visajet"
Have had this set for 4 days now, and am very satisfied.
Pros
- Great picture quality. Spend hours researching and comparing sets in the store. Could not find a better 720p picture. The 10-bit panel and Live color creation system (new in the S series for 2007) render natural colors.
- Xcross navigation system really a breeze to setup and modify various settings
- Finish and styling is of very high quality. Dimensions very compact. I especially like the matte finish, which does not reflect anything.
Cons
- Only 2 HDMi inputs. Maybe be insufficient for some people.
- Pretty expensive (I feel its worth it, though). For those with a smaler budget, last year's model (S2010) is worth considering for its Picture Quality.
Overall, very pleased with the purchase so far. Bought it fresh off the shelf from a local store and was a little apprehensive about buying such a new, untested model.
Note: The 2007 Samsungs also have great PQ for a lower price, but have a "tearing" issue that has been reported by many, many dissatisfied users.
29 of 31 found the following review helpful:
 Buy it at Amazon Sep 16, 2007
By R. Park
I bought it for 1279 with no tax or delivery charge which is about 200 cheaper than costco. Eagle delivery was very good. They called to set up the delivery and called 30 min. before coming. The delivery guy unpacked the box and helped me carry it upstairs. He waited for me to plug it in and turn it on before I signed for it. I expected the guy to just leave it downstairs so I was impressed.
I am glad I purchased this TV. I was concerned about SD picture quality because I only have basic analog cable. The review of S3000 series on Cnet was right on. It handles SD feeds pretty well especially 480P from dvds. The TV upscales to native 720P nicely. The QAM tuner works good. It picked up about 70 channels on the initial scan. I believe about half of it was digital but I am not sure. 720P and 1080i shows are nice. Use the wide zoom setting with auto zoom. This seems to work the best without making things too fat.
I only had this TV for a few days and so far I love it. I almost bought the 1080P set but those did not handle SD feeds well and 1080P is not necessary for 40 inches. If you have basic cable and watch mostly SD channels or regular dvds, get this TV. If you want a 50 inch or more TV and have HD service, get a 1080P set.
I saved about 500 from not buying a 1080P set and buying from Amazon.
I think I will use that to buy a PS3 or TivoHD. I am waiting for the DVD format war to be over. Oh and hey Tivo regarding your subscription fees? Bite me!
18 of 18 found the following review helpful:
720p is plenty of resolution for this screen size Jan 10, 2008
By Andrew Yamaguchi
"pauku"
After reading reviews and consumer comments re 1080p vs. 720p, I decided to save 300 bucks and get the 720p. At this screen size, the picture is fantastic. Crisp, clear, smooth ... hypnotic even. No discernable motion lag (great for football), wide viewing angle (even when lying on the floor) and non-glossy, glare-reducing matte screen. And of course, rich Sony color.
I'm not a serious home theater guy, I just wanted a very good TV to replace my broken 27" set. I don't have a home theater audio system, but the TV's speakers provide very good sound. ... Although this is Sony's "value" line of HDTVs, it far surpasses my expectations.
Also got a Sony upscaling DVD player and it definitely makes the picture clearer. For a 720p TV, make sure you tweak the DVD player's settings to output to 720p (the factory default is 1080p). ... Bought an HDMI cable on Amazon for $5.06, including shipping (my brother paid $50 at a national chain store).
23 of 25 found the following review helpful:
Very pleased with this one Sep 09, 2007
By S. Arora
I was thinking about buying a lower priced model like Olevia but on visiting the store realized that the higher priced brands like Sony and Sharp and Samsung were simply better; the blacks and the colors were richer. What tilted the decision towards Sony was its clean matte black look. I think the glossy black look of almost all other brands is kind of distracting and will tire me out in no time. I chose not to go with 1080p resolution of the higher-priced Sony model because everybody thinks that you won't see the difference in a 40" screen.
White-globe shipping from Amazon was great and on time. The Eagle guys unpacked the set, placed it on my TV bench and turned it on for me to check it for dead pixels etc. I think this delivery service is great compared to most other online retailers, which use UPS or Fedex. (What is more, once you accept the box from the shipper you cannot return it to the retailer if the set turns out to be defective; you have to contact the manufacturer's customer service. So Amazon's system gave me some peace of mind.)
The picture on this TV is fantastic after some adjustments (for which you can find online advice with some googling). I have only checked it with an older Sony DVD player (SD) and a new Oppo 971HD upconverting player. The quality is noticeably better with the Oppo.
VHS tapes look bad; but still better than on my old 27" CRT TV.
Sound quality of the built-in speakers is fair but using an external sound system adds more fun to the experience. But I think it is too much to expect hifi sound from TV speakers, so I won't take away a star from my rating.
See all 41 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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