Sony KDL 20S3000 LCD TV Review
Sony has for a long time been the brand that is associated with the best in electrical products, and their televisions are consistently the market leaders in terms of picture quality, functionality and future proofing. This is true today as it ever has been and the Sony KDL-20S3000 LCD TV is no exception.
If you are looking for a small LCD TV then you can’t really go wrong with this Sony, but if you’re a little bit baffled by the pretty unhelpful product labelling system employed by Sony then it’s probably worth talking a little bit about the KDL-20S3000′s technical specifications and what kind of things it’s capable of, as well as what kind of environment would best suit it’s use.
Sony KDL 20S3000 Technical Specifications
First of all, the size of this screen is 20 inches across the diagonal and the picture is displayed in the now standard widescreen format that is used across digital media today, from digital TV to DVD and high-def Blu-Ray content. This means that you’ll get the most from the viewing area provided. Because of the relatively small size of the screen – I would recommend a 28 inch television as a minimum for the average sized living room – this particular Sony LCD TV is best suited either as a second television for use in a kitchen, bedroom or small sitting room, or alternatively as a very high quality PC Monitor.
This is where the Sony’s second party piece comes into play as it is simply stuffed with connectivity that is impressive for such a small TV. As I mentioned it has PC connectivity via the D-SUB standard which makes it compatible with pretty much every PC and laptop with a graphics card. It also features an audio input for the PC mode meaning it can be used as a fully functioning desktop monitor whilst simultaneously acting as a television and HD viewing source, which makes it ideal for gadget fans who want to view all of their various technology through one simple medium.
Sony KDL 20S3000 Features
The KDL-20S3000 also features 1 HDMI port which is essential for connecting your Blu-Ray HD player or current generation games console, and the TV also features a component input for older HD sources which don’t use HDMI.
What this means is that the TV is compatible with most HD devices on the market and will be for the foreseeable future whilst HDMI and component connections are industry standard. And as people who remember the Betamax versus VHS format war remember, whichever format is favoured by Sony is usually the one that endures because of the quality and consistency of the brand and its market saturation.
Along with the HD inputs the KDL-20S3000 also features 2 Scart sockets, RF input for your aerial and S-Video support. All this adds up to quite an impressive list of inputs that should keep most people happy and provides the KDL-20S3000 with a good element of backwards compatibility whilst still looking to the future.
The KDL-20S3000 is capable of displaying several different HD resolutions, from 480p up to the 720p and 1080i standards. This means that it has the same capabilities as much larger TVs, and although you may point out that it lacks 1080p full HD support, that resolution simply isn’t possible on a screen of this size, and 1080i and 720p are more than adequate on a 20 inch display.
A viewing angle of 160 degrees means that you can sit at quite an obtuse angle to the display and still see a vivid picture. The two 5 watt speakers are pretty good considering their relatively small size and output capabilities, but the KDL-20S3000 can be hooked up to a home entertainment system including larger speakers and amps if you really want to improve the sound.
The final thing that needs to be said about the KDL-20S3000′s display is that it features the BRAVIA engine, which is Sony’s highest pedigree of display engine and world renowned for its capabilities. The KDL-20S3000 has a dynamic contrast ratio of 4000:1 – the higher the ratio the better, so this is good – and as the adverts will tell you, the BRAVIA system offers colour like no other which most other manufacturers find hard to equal, along with picture enhancements and picture noise reduction techniques you won’t find anywhere else.
Sony KDL 20S3000 More Features and Functions
The KDL-20S3000 has an impressive array of built in functionality that will appeal to most, including built in Freeview decoder which allows you to watch over 40 digital TV channels for free without the need for a separate decoder box. This is particularly important not only because it frees up plug sockets but also because by 2012 the whole of the country will be receiving digital only broadcasting.
Though the KDL-20S3000 has a native aspect ratio of 16:9 it also supports 14:9 and the old non-widescreen aspect ratio of 4:3, and with the KDL-20S3000 you can change and stretch old content to fit the widescreen format should you so choose.
Sony KDL 20S3000 Downside and Conclusion
The only downside to the Sony KDL-20S3000 is its relatively small size that may be unsuitable for medium to large size spaces, and arguably the lack of a second HDMI might be a problem for some but by no means all customers. However, if you want a small – we have one of these in our kitchen – but feature packed LCD TV that has all the market leading features you’d expect of a larger Sony display, look no further than the KDL-20S3000.
Amazon Best Price – Sony KDL 20S3000 LCD TV
Copyright Gadget Heaven™ 2009
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