Customer Reviews

Sony KDL32S3000 - 32'' Widescreen Bravia HD Ready LCD TV - With Freeview

5 star:		(98)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There simply is no other word for it!

Received mine about a week ago, took some time to get to know it, and I am pleased to say this TV is nothing short of superb!

Built in freeview and analogue tuners. Loads of connections (I mean loads!!!): 3 HDMI (yes 3!!!), 1 component HD, 1- composite, 2 scart, 1 s-video, 1 vga (for connecting an Xbox 360 or a pc for example).

Great user interface, lots and lots of options to fiddle with, to get that picture perfect hi def picture! Backlight control, colour tone and noise reduction level are amongst many.

This TV has a native resolution of 1366 x 768. (Please note that this TV will accept 1080i signals, NOT 1080p). Very bright and vivid display: booming colours, solid blacks.

A very fluid and easy to use GUI (menu, for non geeks; unlike me).

Speakers are fantastic as well. Each speakers puts out 10 watts of pure harmony! 4 different sound effect modes (Dolby virtual surround, BBE Viva, Dynamic and Standard). Adjustable Treble, Bass and Balance, perfect for all you hardcore audiophiles who want to tweak their settings until audiophilic perfection!

The freeview tuner, unlike other freeview tuners on other HDTV's, auto updates any new channels that become available. I used to have a set top box freeview tuner, and you had to do it manually.

In answer to another review, to get rid of the annoying channel number in the top left hand corner of the screen, press the button located on the top left hand corner of the Sony remote. Press the button again to enable it.

I've been using the TV with my Xbox 360 for a while now (through vga) and am quite annoyed that you can't do 50 Hz through a vga plug. So, those of you wishing to play your old Xbox games on this TV will have to be using either the component cables (which I don't recommend; poor picture quality compared to HDMI or vga) or be using an Xbox 360 elite (HDMI).

Many of my friends have asked me if the virtual surround sound actually works. I can tell you now it does! I recently watched Star Wars Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith upscaled dvd, and the fight scene at the end sounds breathtaking with Dolby Virtual turned on. Audiophiles may prefer BBE Viva, but I can't really tell the difference, they both sound fantastic!

As the reviewer above me has stated, TV is an absolute dodle to set up. 5 mins at maximum.

The looks of the TV too, perfect! Bezel design = very stylish and modern looking. Even on the supplied stand, the TV looks the part. Capable of being hung on a wall too, so it will look even better. Warning though, use Sony endorsed brackets, I had a third party bracket, big mistake. TV nearly fell off wall, spotted it before absolute disaster :)

HD content from blu-ray via PS3 looks, well, I can't put it into words. See for yourself. Upscaled DVDs look great too (I use a Philips DVP5960), but obviously not as good as blu-ray or hd-dvd (haven't had chance to see a hd-dvd yet). The scene at the end of 300 where the millions of arrows fall through the sky, aimed at Leonidas, is a perfect example of how detailed this TV is. You will be hard pressed to find a TV with the wealth of features, the yield of quality that this TV has.

The similar priced Toshiba model is good (my friend has 1 in his front room) but I just think that this TV is more detailed.

I am serious when I say that I CANNOT find a SINGLE fault with this TV at all. IT IS THAT GOOD! So, if you're a tech-head, or even just a newcomer to the HDTV scene, this TV is perfect! Simply stunning!

Probably the best thing about this TV though, is the price. A Sony 32", for under £500! Thats mad! Money well spent!

Despite industrial action, Amazon arranged delivery in quick time. Impressive.
This is my first widescreen TV and I dont know my HD from my HDD.
Thought about the Samsung, but settled for the Sony because my last tV was Sony.
The TV was a bit heavier than expected and looks bigger than expected. My 30 foot lounge accepts the size but I wouldnt like to put it in a room less than say 14 foot square.
The picture quality is very good indeed. The sound is good. I havent a clue what to do with the numerous options, inputs and settings. No doubt some fun to be had in the winter months, trying the fancy features.
Now to the really good news. Place set on TV cabinet. Plug in a simple ariel. Plug in to mains. Read easy part of manual (Choose language then chose automatic set up)Watch whilst the Sony sets itself up.
Thats it. Have analogue by pressing the button marked analogue. Have digital by pressing the button marked digital.
Wonderful.
All the freeview channels and all the terrestial channels are there. No fuss, no electronics degree needed. Even listened to Radio 2.

You can read all the whizz kids mags if you want to know about mps, mhz and mpg, but if like me you are seriously dubious about the new TVs, be assured you can pay Amazon £550 and install your TV with ease.

If I was less than 60 then I would say WOW ! But as I am a boring old man I will say....EXCELLENT.
I can now go and watch Doc Martin, totally satisfied that I can switch the set on without calling for my sons help with disabling a digibox.
Incidentally, sons are trying hard not to be too impressed, after all us Dads cant be that cool can we.

The above was written in October 2007. Today, 13.6.2008 I would add:
I am still very very happy with my TV.
I have not used any of the fancy features.
At £560 it was a good value buy. At £429 it is a bargain. I have today added a Sony HDD recorder (hence these extra comments) and so I will now approach the fancy features and see how some of them work.
I still think it is a large TV but I must admit I would quite like an even bigger set. But I do have a big lounge.....

Purchased this LCD TV (Sony KDL-32S3000) on-line late Thursday evening (17/01/08) and it arrived by Parcel Post early Saturday morning - so no complaints there - the very opposite in fact. The menu is easy to access and follow, which meant a positive set-up experience, over in about 15 minutes. I have spent the whole weekend though `tweaking' the settings to personal preferences - which does require a lot of time and patience - but that is no fault of the receiver - especially when trying to match up an eight year old (Sony) VHS recorder, and a two year old (Sony) DVD recorder.

I am absolutely delighted with this model - wonderful picture quality both on Freeview and from a Virgin V+ cable-box - and I love its rectangular base and simple, straight-line design. It's all-black appearance looked a little obtrusive - especially in a smallish room - but I can live with that. Quality - for Standard Definition is a little superior on cable - presumably because it is being handled through the HDMI cable. High Definition (BBC) is just out of this world - superb. The handset is easy to use - little risk of accidently pressing two buttons at once. This receiver is a replacement for the smaller KDL-26U2000 which although qualitatively very good (it is after all a later model) its choices are somewhat limited and I found it too small for me, with a seating distance of between 9.5ft and 10.5ft. The 32 inch is less tiring with less strain. Age is beginning to slow down my sight/focus reaction to detail so I figured I needed a bigger screen and this particular model is brilliant. I have already recommended it to a friend. Although it may not be the best on the market it deserves 10 out of 10, considering technical results.

Ordered Monday afternoon arrived today Wednesday at 10 am.Working by 10.30am. Great tv, excellent picture and sound. Freeview seems to be working fine in an area that hasn't got a good reception yet.I bought the wall bracket as well but i have not fitted it yet, can't wait to see what it looks like hanging on the wall. Also what a great price, looked at the high street shops that sold this model and they couldn't come anywhere close. Also you have to buy the extra warranty on top .
Happy tv viewing Alan

First the bad news ~ ordered this on the Thursday and paid extra for express service to get a delivery on Saturday a.m. Tracked the parcel all the way to within 15 miles of home where it arrived at 0346 on the Saturday morning which is where it stopped until Monday because City Link dont deliver on Saturdays, as far as they are concerned next day delivery means next business day. So had to take time off work on Monday to take delivery. In fairness Amazon refunded the carriage charge without any argument, but that isn't the real answer, why promise delivery on a Saturday and then use a carrier that doesn't provide that service ?

Anyhow now for the good news ~ the TV is superb ~ easy to set up ~ connect the ariel, plug it in and it pretty much does everything else for you, picture quality is fantastic, sound very good, and the overall feel of the thing is up to Sony quality standards. Really good value for money and a three year guarantee !!!!

Purchased this TV about a month ago, chose the free delivery option so it took about 12 days, but hey! its free!

the tv is immense. looks very stylish, SUPERB connectivity.
I've got my XBOX 360 ELITE hooked up to it through one of the 3 HDMI ports, and beleive me it is absolutely fabulous!!!

PES 2007 has no ghosting which can occur on some cheaper makes, and Halo 3 is out of this world.

brilliant tv for a brilliant price. suberbly crisp picture.
Pay that little bit more and buy from Amazon, a trustworty retailer.

It's a Sony at the end of the day, unbeleivable quality.

I can only echo what the other reviewers have said about this (which influenced my decision to buy it in the first place): brilliant quality and stupidly easy to set up. It comes with an easy to understand instruction manual and we were watching it within ten minutes of plugging it in (after it had tuned itself in to all the channels - all we needed to do was press a couple of buttons on the remote and it practically did everything while we watched). I also love its minimalist look - I thought a TV this size would dominate our smallish living room but it doesn't.

My only gripe is that today Amazon reduced the price by £10!

The first sony bravia we received was a DONKEY!!! The picture quality was not good but we thought it was our untrained eye....we couldn't tune any digital channels but we thought it was our aerial and the remote control wouldn't work unless you were standing 3 feet from it...and then it would only work now and again....so we sent it back. Got a new one and all the issues have been resolved!!! Excellent picture and the remote now works even if you point it away from the tv and we now have loads of digital channels. We just cannot believe the difference between the two televisions. Like others have said it only took 5 mins to set up. Full marks to amazon customer service - 48hrs from reporting fault we had a new set and the old one had been picked up. We got the new one delivered on the saturday 3 days before Christmas. I have given it 4 stars just because of all the problems with the initial set and I was surprised as it was Sony. I would give the replacement set 5 stars.

I have owned this TV for just under 2 weeks and have written a basic review of the main features. This is not a technical review; you may need to look further if need detailed information. However, as a piece of general advice - it is worth taking the time to understand the various technical jargon and features before deciding - don't just go for the one that looks posh. Sorry if that is patronising, but so many people do it.

PRICE
I paid £509.99 which I felt was a fair price. There are cheaper alternatives available from other brands; I considered a Phillips which was about £40 cheaper, and Evesham is very competetive on price. It depends what your buying interests are -price, brand reputation, features, customer reviews. These TV are coming down in price fairly quickly as new technology is developed, much like computers. Decide what specification you need - paying a high price for features you will not use is a waste of money.

DELIVERY
I ordered the TV from Amazon on friday evening and selected FREE SuperSaver Delivery. The TV was delivered on the following Monday morning.

SET-UP
Within 10 minutes of receiving the TV I was watching digital freeview on it.

PICTURE QUALITY
The acid test - very impressive. Be aware that it depends on what you watch; for example, if you watch UK Gold, which broadcasts older TV shows, you will only get the quality that the shows were filmed in at the time - the TV can't magically upgrade them! However if you watch, for example, Star Wars III, the difference is astounding. The blacks are deep and rich, the colours vibrant, and the detail is sharp and clear. The contrast is suberb and the one touch 'Theatre' button is a fantastic feature. Overall - superb picture quality.

SOUND QUALITY
I have not fully explored this yet as there are several setting choices, but so far the sound quality is very good. There are plenty of connectivity options for speakers, sub-woofers etc...

MENUS
The TV menu system is logical and user-friendly and I have found it very easy to navigate.

DESIGN
The TV looks great and has a sturdy base and simple control interface. Strangely, Sony have included a fabric strap which can be attached to the back of the TV stand at one end, and then screwed to you own tv stand (presuming its wooden) at the other - this is to stop the tv from toppling over. I must say I was somewhat bemused at the inclusion of this feature - I have found that the TV maintains its balance perfectly well without the need to strap it down!

REMOTE CONTROL
Simple, logical design which is very easy to use. It has several handy shortcut buttons, allowing you to quickly change the picture size, change from analouge to digital, and access the TV programme guide.

I am delighted with this product and have no hesitation in recommending it.

I was pretty content with my old widescreen Sony Trinitron, but made the jump to the 32" Bravia LCD when the price fell to my liking. You can always get it for a few quid cheaper elsewhere (I looked around using all the price comparison sites), but I like knowing who I'm buying from, and when it arrived two working days after placing my order with Amazon, I knew I'd done the right thing.

This TV is great. Everything everyone else says is true - clean picture, simple to get it going, easy to adjust colours, easy on screen nav etc. What I would add is:
1. It has a nice, clear remote control with everything in the right place.
2. I had no problems pairing it up with my V+ box and DVD player using an HDMI cable (although you will need to adjust your box settings to tell it to push out a 720 high def signal)
3. If you have an Xbox, PS3, or are buying a very big screen, consider the Sony KDL32D3000
4. Everyone seems to be talking about the 'well known supermarket' deal, but this buys you a Sony KDL32U3000, which has a lower spec.

My only criticisms of all LCD tv's - and the Bravia is no exception - is that the colour does get considerably weaker if you view it from an acute angle, and because the screen isn't glass, it's more vulnerable to attack from small children. Nevertheless, this is a super tv that you won't regret buying.