Sony KDL-40EX403 Review

Appreciating the Sony KDL-40EX403 TV will come easily enough after even just a casual assessment of this newest line (the EX400 series debuted in March of 2010) of liquid crystal display televisions from one of the world’s largest makers of consumer electronics. Sony’s been a player in LCD TVs almost from the beginning and it demonstrates its competency in these new models, all of which feature more than a few different ways to connect to a variety of devices.

Sony says that the TVs in the EX400 lineup are intended more for the buyer looking for a budget-priced big-screen TV but with a few modern and up-to-date features, and it succeeds in almost every respect. And though it’s supposedly a budget model (it can be found in UK online retail outlets for around 750 British pounds, including the value-added tax) it still delivers a lot of capability at a price that’s nothing to sneer at.

In general the top performance criteria used to assess an liquid crystal display TV is the ability of the unit to display a quality picture. A review of the Sony KDL-40EX403 shows that it is able to put out a good-looking picture because it makes use of a number of tried-and-true (and innovative) Sony technology suites to deliver true high-definition in 1080 pixels (1080p). Bravia Engine 3 and 50Hz motion control processor are part of the recipe to make it all happen as it does.

Bravia Engine 3 is Sony’s way of helping to keep the display looking good at all times and it largely succeeds at its task, presenting images that tend to be sharp and crisp no matter how fast they’re moving. Additionally, the Japanese TV maker uses its True Color suite to help keep the colors put on display appropriate to the action and not unusually over or under-colored. Ambient Sensor functions round out the lineup in the Sony KDL-40EX403.

Ambient Sensor is Sony’s method for making sure that the TV’s display brightness (or darkness) is always in keeping with the overall lighting ambiance of the room or other environment in which the Sony KDL-40EX403 TV’s sitting. If the room is brighter the TV will darken the screen accordingly and vice-versa. A too-dark room can detract from viewing pleasure unless the display is brightened. The Ambient Sensor will take care of things automatically.

As far as what the TV offers to its owners when it comes to content, Sony has included its Freeview tuning filter. This little convenience feature allows UK owners to access more than 100 satellite channels beamed exclusively into the UK at no cost and without need for a satellite dish. To complement its high level of convenience, the Sony KDL40EX403 TV comes with 4 separate HDMI inputs and a single USB 2.0 port. Lastly, it’s WiFi ready (just use a WiFi dongle and USB adapter).

Sound put forth by the Sony is nice enough and the TV manufacturer offers up most of its popular delivery functions in the KDL-40EX403, including True Surround sound and S-Force Surround and Dolby Digital Plus. It’s all driven by 5.1 Output sources that flow through the two nicely-hidden 10-watt speakers (they’re within the TV’s nice piano black-finish casing). Altogether, it delivers pleasing sound in a pleasing-looking package.

There would seem to be much to like about the Sony KDL40EX403 LCD TV, starting with its relative bargain-priced nature. It’s a 40-inch big-screen model that Sony has put out with many of its more popular (and tried-and-true) features, including the ability to pick up free satellite channels through its Freeview tuning filter. For around 750 British pounds, a consumer will be getting a good-looking TV that’s bound to deliver for years and years.