What Hi-Fi? Verdict
Excellent pictures and sound quality, but this screen isn't so good that it can justify its hefty price-tag
Pros
- +
Fine contrast
- +
deep blacks
- +
excellent all-round resolution
- +
slick with motion
- +
sounds good by flatscreen standards
Cons
- -
Looks could be too extrovert for some
- -
hefty price-tag
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.
The Sony '32E5500 looks a little funky to say the least. This is down to its picture frame design: the white fascia is surrounded by a black bezel to give it that 'hang me on a wall' look. Use the Picture Frame Mode and you can display your own pictures.
But first and foremost, of course, this is a Full HD flatscreen TV. The screen uses Sony's Bravia Engine 3 picture processor. It also features Sony's Motionflow 100Hz picture processing technology and comes with a very handy selection of four HDMI inputs.
The Sony's backlight is uniform, so there's no issue with clouding, and this helps to maintain decent black levels.
While the '32E5500 offers a fine picture, its Achilles heel is the steep cost. Rivals, such as Sony's own KDL-32V5500 (£600) are almost as good, but far cheaper.
Even the fancy picture frame styling can't tip the scales in favour of a five-star review.
