Sony Bravia KDL-EX524 40in LED TV

Media savvy?

Naturally, the set streams media, but compatibility is not comprehensive. I doubt that I’m alone in being frustrated by Sony’s ongoing refusal to support MKV content. On the plus side, AVIs, AVCHD and MPEG4 files all play, as do MP3, WMA and WAV. The set’s audio file presentation is stylish, with album art featured on-screen.

Portal menu

Those with a spare external USB hard drive are encouraged to rope it in for PVR duties. The TV will need to format the drive first, in the process locking any content it records to the host TV. Still, as a timeshift overflow – when your regular recorder is tied up – this feature is rather handy.



Picture quality is good, albeit with caveats. The EX524 has a convincing black level and colour reproduction that’s deliciously ripe. However, motion resolution is limited.

As the TV does not feature Sony’s Motionflow framerate booster, it’s unable to display moving resolution at Full HD. I measured motion detail at no more than 650 lines. For improved clarity, you’ll need to step up to the brand’s more expensive EX723 and EX724 models. On the plus side, there are no motion artefacts to speak of – nearly always a side-effect of 100Hz-200Hz picture processing.