Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2011/06/04/review_sony_bravia_kdl_40ex724_3d_led_tv/

Sony Bravia KDL-40EX724 40in LED 3D TV

Dynamic 2D, diabolical 3D

By Steve May

Posted in Personal Tech, 4th June 2011 07:00 GMT

Review I wouldn’t give Sony’s troubles to a monkey on a rock. Horrible financial results, the PSN hacked to its knees, and now the distinction of producing the worst 3D TV I think I’ve ever seen. Yep, the KDL-40EX724 reviewed here is a three dimensional suckfest. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Sony KDL-40EX724

Sony's KDL-40EX724 comes a cropper in the third dimension

Ostensibly, this 40in Freeview HD set should be a formidable proposition. The 724 designation identifies this model as the flag-bearer in Sony’s populist EX line. Aesthetically it looks great, and it has a list of desirables which includes net connectivity, Skype and low-running costs. The panel is also de rigueur thin at just 42mm and, tipping the scales at 11.2kg, weighs less than my cat.

Plumbing it into your home entertainment system shouldn’t present any problems either. There are four HDMI inputs, Scart and component video, a digital audio output and a PC mini D-sub connector.

For networking and media playback is you get an Ethernet LAN port and two USBs. Wi-Fi is integrated. Even the pedestal stand is upmarket, in that it allows the screen to be titled back by six degrees. A nice touch if you buy your TV furniture from Ikea.

Sony KDL-40EX724

Entertainment portal

To combat the new smart TV portals of its rivals, Sony offers its long-established BRAVIA Internet Video network of VOD content providers. These include the BBC iPlayer and Demand 5, YouTube, DailyMotion, Sony Entertainment TV channel and LoveFilm. There are plenty of lesser known diversions here too.

TwitBook TV

Partnered with the BIV is the brand’s subscription music and movie streaming service Qriocity. The film choice on Qriocity is wide, with titles available in both SD and hi-def. Sony may not have gone big on apps, but it does offer Facebook and Twitter clients. These are rather good. I like the way the TV window minimises, allowing you to follow along with tweets when you’re watching the #bbcapprentice.

Sony KDL-40EX724

Twitter feed

The set has a web browser, but this is centred in the screen rendering text so small it’s unreadable from the sofa. Flash is not supported. The 40EX724 can play media across your home network and from USB, however support isn’t comprehensive. If you have AVCHD home movies and plenty of AVIs you’ll be fine, but MKV wrapped content isn’t supported.

You can also set the screen up for lightweight PVR duties. Just plug in an external USB hard drive, format and marry it to your set, and you’ll be able to timeshift from the TV guide. Having a single tuner is a limitation, but it’s a useful backup to a real PVR.

2D high-def picture quality is good. I felt the brand got its PQ mojo back last year, and the momentum carries on here, courtesy of the rather exciting sounding X-Reality engine. Certainly, the set has a good black level and can deliver dynamic entertaining images. The edge-LED backlight may be a little uneven, but this doesn’t really impact general viewing.

Sony KDL-40EX724

In the Clear

Motion resolution is also good. This screen features Motionflow XR200, the 100Hz (plus flickering backlight) iteration of Sony’s fast framerate technology. Switch Motionflow off and the moving resolution of this panel is about 650 lines. There are four Motionflow modes offered (Clear, Clear Plus, Standard and Smooth) which sport a variable cocktail of de-judder and blur processing.

Sony KDL-40EX724

Double vision

The most effective is mode Clear, which pulls motion resolution back up to 1080 lines without introducing any unpleasant motion artefacts. The resulting clarity is great for sports coverage. I’m not such a fan of it for films though, as it tends to make movies look less filmic and more like a video sitcom.

However while 2D generally delights, this set’s 3D performance is unfeasibly rotten. Indeed, I’d go so far as to say it’s unwatchable. Not only is there copious crosstalk double-imaging, the set displays parallax problems I’ve never seen on other brands. Objects which should sit deep within the image, inexplicably ping forward and sit on the screen plane.

Sony KDL-40EX724

3D visuals: double imaging, colour shifting everywhere
Click for a larger image

The opening reel of Avatar has Jake Sully awakening from a cryo chamber; we see him emerge into a bay which recedes dramatically into the distance. Only on this TV, part of that receding bay actually jumps forward. Monster Vs Aliens suffers not only from double imaging, but messy colour shifts. It quickly becomes obvious that there are weird solarisation effects around objects, and images have judder.

Optical extras

The screen will convert 2D sources to 3D, but only a masochist would want to endure the results. Sony doesn’t actually include any Active Shutter 3D glasses with the set, which can only be construed as a good thing.

Sony KDL-40EX724

Stick with 2D viewing and this Bravia turns out a decent performance

Verdict

There’s much to like about the Sony Bravia KDL-40EX724, as it’s a smart looking telly with good IPTV access and fine 2D picture quality. The integration of Twitter is also neatly done. However, its 3D performance is irredeemably poor. Sad really. ®

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