Final thoughts and verdict
Sony's BRAVIA 40W5810 is the company's latest mid-range full-HD LCD television, released in October 2009, which currently etails for around £800.Steadfastedly holding on to using established CCFL technology rather than LED backlighting for its bevy of mid-range screens, the latest incarnation of the W-series range adds in integrated freesat HD support and a minor facelift when compared to last year's models.
Fed with the highest-quality source and settings tweaked to your liking, the 40W5810 can produce an excellent picture that's almost eye-poppingly crisp. Indeed, if one hasn't seen the very best LED-backlight and OLED screens in action, the W-series Sonys would instantly beguile most.
Standard-definition processing sees a bump in quality from last year's efforts, it seems, and the integrated freesat HD receiver is useful if you need it, albeit rather lacking in high-definition content, which is a shame.
All brilliant, then? Not quite. The audio's not particularly good and the styling's rather bland. Furthermore, the freesat-less W5500 can be purchased for £100 less, and LED-backlit models don't cost that much more. Then there's the thorny size vs. quality debate, and the 40W5810's outlay brings a number of big-name 46in 1080p TVs into the mix.
Ultimately, the Sony BRAVIA 40W5810 is a very good LCD that can produce excellent imagery. The integrated freesat HD is only worth it for those that really, really need it. So if you only have room for a 40in screen and don't want to spend the earth, the 40W5810 is a safe bet and worthy of being on a shortlist, especially as it's currently offered with a three-year warranty as standard.
The good
Excellent PQ from high-definition sources
Deep, luscious blacks; good contrast ratio
Easy to setup
freesat HD (may be a negative for some, given the price)
Free three-year warranty (as of December 3rd, 2009)
The not so good
CCFL lighting not quite as pin-sharp as LED's.
Audio is average at best
£800 etail price makes it rather expensive for a 40in set.
HEXUS Rating
We consider any product score above '50%' as a safe buy. The higher the score, the higher the recommendation from HEXUS to buy. Simple, straightforward buying advice.
The rating is given in relation to the category the product competes in, therefore the Sony BRAVIA 40W5810 TV is evaluated with respect to our 'high-end' criteria.
Sony BRAVIA 40W5810 LCD TV
HEXUS Awards
Sony BRAVIA 40W5810 LCD TV
HEXUS Where2Buy
The Sony BRAVIA 40W5810 LCD TV is available for £798 from Multizoneav.com and includes a three-year warranty. The 46W5810 is available for £1,092, also with a three-year warranty.
HEXUS Right2Reply
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