Sony Consumer Products Group, Registered Head Office: Sony United Kingdom Limited, The Heights, Brooklands, Weybridge,

Surrey, KT13 0XW Company No. 24222874. Registered in England

New BRAVIA LCD Televisions

New LCD Television

S-Series

V-Series

W-Series

3 LCD

www.sony.co.uk/bravia

Are you confused about what Television to buy?

3 6 9 10 11 12 13 LCD versus other technologies How does it work? What is Digital Broadcasting? Why Widescreen? What is High Definition (HDTV)? Sound quality Other considerations
We have designed this booklet to answer your questions regarding the right format, technology and size that best suits your needs. Mad about flat The Earth may be round, but the world is turning flat, and Sony is at the heart of a revolution in TV viewing, with a fantastic line up of LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) televisions, in sizes to suit everyone. Sony LCD TVs offer a viewing experience that everyone can enjoy, whether youre looking for a small screen for the kitchen or the bedroom, or a largescreen TV to serve as the centrepiece of a home cinema system. All Sony LCD TVs have high-resolution image processors inside that deliver an unrivalled viewing experience. The world is turning flat. Dont get left behind. The history lesson It may surprise you to learn that LCD TVs have been around for the best part of a decade. Early models came in small screen sizes, and were expensive to run. And while they offered a unique viewing experience, in truth, it fell well short of the experience most people were used to watching on a traditional Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) television. But that was then. This is now. Todays LCD TVs bear little or no resemblance to those pioneering early models. Sony has an unrivalled reputation for creating top-quality television pictures, and this experience has been brought to bear on the latest generation of Sony LCD TVs. We can now say with complete confidence that Sony LCD televisions, driven by high-resolution image processors, can more than hold their own against any other competing TV technology.

LCD versus CRT

Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) televisions have been with us for 75 years, and in that time, the technology has developed to such an extent that until recently, it was impossible to compare the best LCD TV with the best CRT. But things have moved on. Todays LCD TVs are comparable with the best CRT technology available, with high brightness and contrast, natural colour and highly detailed pictures. And all this in a package just a few inches deep, that you can hang on the wall like a picture, if thats what you want to do. In addition, you can replace your existing CRT with a larger size LCD TV and benefit from large space savings. Space Saving for Flat TV The CRT TV will be around for some years yet, but even hardened TV enthusiasts now consider LCD a viable alternative to CRT, in picture quality terms. As for design, theres simply no comparison. Even the best-looking CRT television cannot compete with a sleek, slimline LCD. They look great when theyre switched on, and almost as good when theyre switched off.

28" CRT 16:9 58cm deep Viewing distance 1.5m

42" Plasma 32cm deep (incl. stand) Viewing distance 2-3m

This diagram illustrates the space saving advantages of a flat panel TV when compared with a CRT TV.

59cm

37cm

32cm Including table stand. Depth 10cm without stand

15-20cm Dependent on wall mounted tilt angle

LCD versus Plasma

If youve done any sort of research into flat-screen TVs, youll know that LCD is not the only flat-screen technology out there. Plasma TVs offer a similar viewing experience to LCD, with giant screens just a few inches thick that look fantastic in any environment. In the longer term, however, as larger LCD TV screen sizes become possible, we see LCD emerging as the dominant format for those consumers who demand the best in picture quality. Inch for inch, LCD TVs cost more than plasma TVs. Thats principally because, in technology terms, LCD has an edge over plasma. In terms of brightness, contrast, viewing angle, power consumption and panel lifetime, whilst plasma scores highly, LCD outscores plasma every time.

Comparison of LCD and Plasma Cross-Sections

Plasma Panel

Why Sony LCD Panel Television?

So youve made your decision to go for LCD, but which brand is going to get your vote. There are lots of different products out there, some of them dirt-cheap. So what makes a Sony your best choice? Why spend a little more? When you buy into the latest technology, you tend to get what you pay for. Pick up the cheapest LCD panel television you can find, and the chances are you wont enjoy watching it all that much. But spend a little more on a Sony, and youll be glad you did. Heres why What makes a good picture?

Front Glass Dielectric Magnesium Oxide Substain Electrode Scan Electrode Red Phosphor Rear Glass Backing Plate Plasma Discharge

Address Electrode

At the heart of all Sony LCD televisions are high-resolution image processors. This delivers higher contrast, brightness and resolution, natural colours and unrivalled picture clarity and sharpness. There are several key components to Sony high-resolution image processors which include:

LCD Panel

HT

Diffuser

Gate (Row) Line

Storage Capacitor

LIG

Glass Substrate

Data (Column) Line Polarizer

Digital Reality Creation (DRC) Technology 3D Digital Comb Filter Digital Processing
Digital Signal

Tin-film Transistor Transparent Display Electrode Polarizer Transparent Common Electrode Glass Substrate Colour-filter Layer

Dynamic Contrast and IP Conversion Overdrive System (LCD only) Full Digital System
Analogue Signal

DECODER

HIGHRESOLUTION IMAGE PROCESSORS

Flat Panel

Signal is received, digitised and then improved by the high-resolution image processors.

Noise Production

How does it work?

Digital Reality Creation (DRC) With DRC you will never miss a detail again; DRC boosts the video signal, without boosting the noise, increasing the number of vertical lines and horizontal pixels by up to 4 times the original number, to dramatically increase resolution. DRC also includes a Dynamic Contrast system, which improves resolution at the black end of the contrast spectrum, and IP Conversion, which keeps fast-moving pictures looking smooth and free from motion artefacts. DRC also enhances the signal quality without increasing the noise. This means you can relax with the confidence that you are enjoying the best picture quality possible.

3D Digital Comb Filter 3D Digital Comb Filter gives you pure colour. It works by separating colours more clearly by using a motion detector and frame buffer. This gives better separation between colour and luminance, preventing cross-colour interference, which keeps the colours clean and pure even in complex patterns. We are all familiar with the example shown in the illustration, which highlights the cross colours generated by detailed patterns. This is eliminated using the 3D Digital Comb Filter. Digital Processing The high-resolution image processors are fully digital. All signal processing is carried out in the digital domain, so there is no possibility of noise being introduced into the signal by analogue-to-digital, or digital-to-analogue, signal conversion. Without Comb Filter Jazzing effect caused by complex patterning. With Comb Filter Clean image maintained by 3D Digital Comb Filter.

Without DRC Key: S = Signal, N = Noise

With DRC

This graph highlights the enhanced signal quality when using DRC. Interlaced to Progressive Conversion

Interlaced 288 lines

Progressive

VIDEO SIGNAL

Video Decoder (3D Comb)

DRC

Scaling & Video Signal Processing

Panel Driver

High-resolution image processors.

720 pixels

PAL Signal

High Resolution 1440 pixels Signal

But theres more to Sony LCD picture quality than high-resolution image processors. Compared to other brands, and other flat-screen technologies, Sony LCD offers a very bright, high-impact picture, with a wide 170-degree viewing angle, and a fast panel response time rate to prevent blurring on fast-moving images. Overall, what you get with a Sony is a more natural and more realistic-looking picture.

DRC increases resolution both vertically and horizontally by up to 4 times. Scaling Process

Progressive
576 lines

Progressive (XGA Panel)

LCD Key Figures

576 lines to 768 lines 1440 pixels Compress 1440 lines to 1024 lines

Brightness: Resolution: Viewing Angle:

500cd/m2 1280 x 768 to 1365 x 768 (today), 1920 x 1080 (future) 170 8ms 40% less than plasma (for same screen size)

Panel Response Time: Power consumption:

DRC compresses the processed higher resolution image before displaying it on the TV screen.

3LCD Television
Sony was first to invent LCD technology on Rear Projection TV in 2000, leading the way for enhanced picture quality. The LCD rear projectors feature Digital Constant Image technology, which results in a flicker-free picture. This works as the pixels are only switched in the parts of the picture where the image changes, the rest remain constant until they are changed. Sony 3LCD technology uses 3 LCD panels to create the picture. White light from the high density bulb is split into red, green and blue beams using dichroic mirrors. These beams pass through 3 LCD panels, each with a resolution of 1.08m pixels, before being reassembled by a prism and projected onto the screen, resulting in a 3.2 megapixel picture. This results in bright, naturally coloured pictures, with more detail, better contrast and a better dynamic range than other technologies such as DLP (Digital Light Processor). Sony 3LCD rear projectors, currently available in 60", 50" and 42" screen sizes, offer a fantastic viewing experience with higher resolution than some DLP models and with no rainbow effect. In recent years, 3LCD and DLP projection have become a popular alternative to traditional CRT models. Even though CRT has an edge in terms of absolute picture quality, consumers have taken to DLP micro-device projection TV because of their smaller size, making them easier to accommodate in the average living room. DLP suffers from one major drawback in terms of picture quality as these projectors use a spinning colour wheel. When light passes through the wheel, successive shots of Red, Green and Blue colour are reflected on the micro-device and once onscreen are further recombined by the viewers eyes. The system produces a colour breaking artefact, which appears as a flash of colour striping when the viewer looks to the side of an object. Its not always noticeable, but once you do notice it, its very annoying.

3LCD versus DLP (Digital Light Processor)

What is Digital Broadcasting?

Digital broadcasting is the biggest development in television since the introduction of colour more than forty years ago. Since its launch at the end of the nineties, there has been an explosion of consumer choice with numerous platforms (cable, satellite and terrestrial), products (Integrated Digital Televisions and set-top boxes) and programmes being launched. Broadcasters have started to produce innovative interactive programming, enhancing television with more functionality and added value for the viewer, especially as governments are moving towards analogue switch off. Digital television offers a wealth of opportunities and new experiences for the viewer. Widescreen broadcasts increase realism to films and analogue teletext is a thing of the past with new digital text delivering web-page style content. Interactive services such as games, adverts and competitions allow the viewer to become involved in the programme and play along in real time. Radio services are also offered on digital television with quality comparable or better than DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting).

3LCD

The key to digital television is compression technology, which allows four channels to be squeezed into the same space as a single analogue channel. This technology also allows for data to be transmitted alongside the main broadcast enabling the user to view text and interactive content at the press of a button. As the broadcasts are digitised, the quality of the overall picture is much more reliable, consistent and less affected by interference. A large majority of digital programmes are broadcast in widescreen format giving increased realism and intensity to the films and an increased sense of participation in sports events and concerts. Digital terrestrial television dramatically increases the viewing proposition with up to 10x more channels including radio and interactive services. Benefits of Digital: Improved picture quality crystal clear images with no noise or interference Widescreen broadcasts view the programmes as the director wanted Improved sound quality crystal clear sound Radio services digital radio channels, including new stations exclusive to digital PVR functions easily record content onto a DVD recorder using Smartlink More channel choice greater channel choice including news, sports, documentaries, home shopping (where available) Pay TV watch premium Pay TV channels (where available) Electronic Programme Guide a convenient method of viewing several days information on screen

DLP

Colour Breaking

Why 3LCD Projection Television? Higher detail Brighter picture Natural colour Greater resolution Constant Digital Image Increased contrast
3LCD Contrast and Resolution 1 Panel DLP Big colour breaking

Interactivity get more from your TV with interactive weather, news, games and entertainment IDTV Integrated Digital Television (IDTV) sets contain free-to-air digital terrestrial tuners which have the ability to be upgraded to pay TV services where applicable. In addition these TV sets benefit from better picture quality than using an analogue TV and set-top box, as analogue/digital picture conversion is minimised. IDTVs also benefit from one-touch recording via the Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) direct to a DVD Recorder or Hard Disk Drive, and multi-function remote commander to control other devices such as a DVD player and VCR.

Illustration comparing the digital constant image provided by 3LCD and the colour breaking that occurs on a DLP panel.

Why Widescreen?
Analogue TV on a 4:3 set 4:3 is the traditional format for television pictures. Widescreen programmes can be displayed on a 4:3 TV in a format known as 14:9 letterbox. This is a compromised way of displaying pictures with thin black bands on the top and bottom of the screen. The BBC broadcast a large proportion of programmes in this format.

What is High-definition Television (HDTV)?

Broadcasters around the world are moving over to high-definition broadcasts. High Definition is already established in Japan, USA and Australia. Currently in Europe there are satellite networks broadcasting in High Definition. Leading public and pay TV broadcasters, such as the BBC and BSkyB, are investing heavily in HDTV broadcasting for a European roll-out in the next couple of years. High-definition broadcasts, as the name implies, are much more detailed than regular broadcasts. The extra definition adds a new dimension to TV images. Viewed on the right display, its closer to looking through a window, than looking at a television screen. In order to show these programmes in all their high-definition glory, Sonys LCD TV range will include models capable of full 1920x1080-pixel, high-definition resolution. These models, available in 2005, can display the whole of the high-definition image without any rescaling or resizing of the image. What you see onscreen is an accurate representation of the high-definition source material. Pictures like these will take your breath away. The concept of megapixel is well known for digital photography with 5 and 7 megapixel cameras becoming commonplace. The actual resolution is less; a 6 megapixel camera only has 2 million visible pixels as each one comprises 3 sub pixels (red, green, blue). A parallel can be drawn with LCD TV as shown in the resolution diagram. Current WXGA panels (1366x768) have a combined resolution of 3 megapixels, and this will increase to 6 megapixels with the forthcoming Full HD panels (1920x1080). Therefore, Sony LCD displays have resolution comparable with the latest digital cameras.

Analogue 16:9 on a 4:3 set When a 16:9 picture is displayed on a 4:3 TV, thick black bars are visible at the top and bottom of the picture. This is to keep the aspect ratio correct.

Analogue TV on a 16:9 Widescreen set With analogue, programmes are broadcast in a 4:3 frame, even if the picture is in the 14:9 format. When viewed on a 16:9 TV, thin black bars will appear at the sides of the picture; this format is known as narrow pillar box.

HDTV
3 megapixels

6 megapixels

Digital TV on a 16:9 Widescreen set With digital widescreen, programmes are broadcast in true 16:9, which means you can view the whole picture without losing any detail. Currently all IDTVs are 16:9 format. This can also be viewed on an analogue widescreen television with a Digital set-top box.

Vertical resolution

XGA WXGA
2 mega

This graph shows the increasing improvement in picture resolution along with the development of display panel technologies.

SVGA
1.5 mega

Display HD picture

VGA
1 mega Horizontal resolution

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Sound quality
Stunning pictures are nothing without an excellent soundtrack. Sound has evolved from traditional stereo into a multichannel environment, which engulfs the viewer with sound. Sound is key to enhancing the visual experience giving audio cues for the scene. Current Sony LCD TVs use Virtual Dolby to create an enveloping cinematic soundfield without the need for additional speakers. In addition viewers can select different sound modes, including Dynamic and Natural, and adjust the sound to suit their ears. New LCD TVs will include the new Sony S-Master digital amplifier which recreates a clear soundtrack with optimum clarity and definition. Combined with Virtual Dolby and S-Force surround technology, S-Master offers sound like you have never heard before. In the future, full 5.1 Dolby surround sound will be possible with some S-Master TVs when combined with additional rear speakers.

What else should I consider?

Connectivity All Sony LCD TVs larger than 30" contain two Scart sockets, to cater for all the source equipment you might want to connect to the television, including a DVD player, DVD Recorder or DVD + Hard Disc Recorder and a cable or satellite decoder. Two of these Scart sockets can accept RGB-format (Red, Green, Blue) signals, which are of higher quality than standard, composite video. Some models also have component inputs, which means they can accept a high-definition signal from a Blu-Ray recorder, High-Definition camcorder (HDV) or set top box. In 2005, Sony will introduce LCD TVs with HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) for digital connection to set-top boxes for HDTV services. Usability Sony LCD TVs are extremely easy to use, with clear, easy-to-follow menu systems and well-designed remote controls. Some models have a slot for a Memory Stick, so you can enjoy your digital photos on your TV, without any complicated set-up. Models incorporating a tuner for digital broadcasts have an Electronic Programme Guide, with one-touch recording control for easy recording on a DVD, Hard Disc or Video Recorder.

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A Television for everyone

With LCD screen sizes ranging from 17" to 42", LCD Rear Projectors to 60" and LCD Front projectors to 300" theres a Sony LCD television for everyone, whatever and wherever you want it for. Longer-lasting TV Sonys LCD TVs have an expected lifetime of around 60,000 hours. In real terms, that means that if you watched your Sony LCD TV for eight hours, every day, you would still get more than 20 years use out of it. In reality, most people will probably get at least twice that. Wall Mounting The depth of LCD TVs is almost 1/5 of conventional CRT TVs which results in a large space saving. When combined with a table top stand the LCD can easily be positioned in the corner of the room taking up less space than a small sized CRT. It is possible to wall mount and hang LCD TVs like a picture. Many LCDs use the VESA stand for wall mounting and can be tilted at different angles.

What solution is right for you?

Below is a table that will help you to decide which is the right Sony TV for you. Simply choose which room the product is to be used in, then move down to what size and format is right for you and the room, and then select from the suggested screen options.

Which Room ?

Table Top Kitchen, Bathroom

Wall Mounting Living Room

Table Top Living Room

Ceiling Mounting Living Room

14"

15"

20"

21"

25"

29"

17"

19"

23"

24"

26"

27"

28"

30"

32"

37"

40"

42"

50"

61"

100"

200"

300"

Which Format ?

LCD Panel TV Viewing Angle 170

3LCD Rear Projection TV

3LCD Front Projection TV

Plasma TV Viewing Angle 160

14" CRT depth = 42cm 17" LCD depth = 15cm stand included

28" CRT depth = 53cm 32" LCD depth = 23cm stand included

42" RPJ depth = 37cm 42" Plasma depth = 28cm stand included

Sony, Digital Reality Creation, Memory Stick, S-Force, S-Master, BRAVIA, TruSurround, and TV Virtual Surround are trademarks of Sony Corporation, Japan. Dolby and the Double-D Symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation. Teletext and Fastext services and facilities are subject to the transmission of the necessary signals and codes by the broadcasting authorities. All other trademarks are acknowledged. Whilst the information is true at the point of printing, small production changes in the course of the Companys policy of improvement through research and design might not necessarily be indicated in the specification. Errors and omissions are accepted.

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