Question about Sony Bravias

[Darkstorm]

Hello

In the HDTV Reviews sticky someone posted a review of the Sony Bravia KDL-26S2030, the review said it was a great tv with good picture quality on the older systems as well as through HDMI.

However when trying to find this tv the only one I could find similar was the Sony Bravia KDL-26S3020 on Play.com I was wondering is this the next model along? as I can't seem to find the first tv anywhere for sale.

if not has anyone tried one of these ^ I'm curious as to how it afres and also to what color the tv is as the pic on Play looks grey/blackish with a silver base but other sites call it metallic silver

heres the play Link http://www.play.com/Electronics/Elec...V/Product.html#

I did manage to find the 32 inch version but it's called KDL-32S2030U does the extra U on the end signify anything important? (cheaper build etc)

any help would be appreciated as I'm looking to buy my first hdtv

Thanks

[smokedog]

I had a Sony Bravia KDL-26S2030 buy sold it last week as I upgraded to a KDL-40X3000.

The 26S2030 was an outstanding tv and would highly recommend one but they have been discounted and now replaced by the 3020. 2000 series is last year, this year is 3000 series and a 4000 series is due in September.

[EvilBoris]

I think the last 2 digits refer to colour of the set

[Synthesthesia]

The U means European i think. (at least it did with my Sony Set)

[Darkstorm]

Hmmm

Well the KDL-32S3000 would be £70 cheaper then the 32 inch 2000 series (which seems odd) would I be wise to just go for the 3000? or has there been some cost cutting/cheaper parts that'd hamper performance? (reviews seem positive)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-KDL32S3000-Widescreen-Bravia-Freeview/dp/B000OQBUC2/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1207513095&sr=8-2

Also whats the sound like on these things? I had a decent tft monitor ages ago that had good little speakers but when it blew the replacement I got had awfully tinny hollow sound, are these tv's capable of fairly decent sound?

(my current is a big Sony Trintron Crt and the sound on that is fine to me, so if lcd's are similar i'd be fine)

[Mayhem]

For Sony Bravias, the number breaks down to:

aaBccdd

aa = size in inches of set
B = series letter (in general order of quality from low to high: U, S, P, V, D, W, X)
cc = model series (20, 30 etc)
dd = internal ref code relating to colour/style of the TV

[MikeRox]

Hmmm

Well the KDL-32S3000 would be ?70 cheaper then the 32 inch 2000 series (which seems odd) would I be wise to just go for the 3000? or has there been some cost cutting/cheaper parts that'd hamper performance? (reviews seem positive)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-KDL32S3000-Widescreen-Bravia-Freeview/dp/B000OQBUC2/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1207513095&sr=8-2

Also whats the sound like on these things? I had a decent tft monitor ages ago that ahd good little speakers but when it blew the replacemenet I got had awfully tinny hollow sound, are these tv's capable of fairly decent sound?

(my current is a big Sony Trintron Crt and the sound on that is fien to me, so if tft's are similar i'd be fine)

I've got the 2nd gen (2000 series) 32S can't remember what the code at the end was, but the TV is lovely, I certainly wouldn't have any problems recommending it and you can find em for under ?500 now (was ?750 when I bought mine online, or ?1200 online ooof!) so absolutely bargainlicious. The internal speakers lack a decent bass, but to be honest, they're certainly tolerable. My sound system has too much lag over digital (optical) so I get a lot of lag on Rock Band intriguingly on the audio rather than the picture meaning I need to use the internal TV speakers for it and Singstar otherwise the echo/lag is too great to make the game playable.

[Darkstorm]

Thanks for the pointers =)

I ended up getting the KDL-32S3000 and only just realised that my PS3 doesn't have an HDMI cable included >.< (teach me to assume)

I was looking at Hori's PS3 cable for &#163;17 but I keep getting mixed messages on wether the pricer cables matter or not (especially as Im using a 720p tv) is there really any difference?

[Hodge]

Seeing that a hdmi cable is digital and all it is essentially doing is transporting 0`s and 1`s, is a more expensive cable gonna transport those 0`s and 1`s any better?. In other words more expensive cable aint gonna give you a better picture.

[teddymeow]

I'm using the official Sony HDMI cables which cost ?18 each (one on PS3, one on an upscaling DVD) and the quality is amazing. A guy I know spent something like ?100 on an HDMI cable and you really can't tell the difference in picture quality.

[tom-nook]

For short cable runs (2-3m) most people seem to be of the opinion that a cheap cable costing &#163;5-10 will do an equally good job as one costing many times more. People who have just dropped &#163;100+ on a cable would probably argue otherwise....but they would, wouldn't they?

Unlike analogue cables signal degradation etc. is much less of an issue.

Play.com do a cheap-ish lead that is supposed to be very decent:

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/1112312/Linx-2-4m-Luxury-24k-Gold-Plated-HDMI-Cable/Product.html

[smokedog]

This is the cable I bought, works a treat.

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130508

[wakka]

?36 for two HDMI cables is way too much, there's no point buying it because it has Sony written on. Buy the cheapest gold plated one you can find.

Ta da, something like this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/LINX-HDMI-Cable-Premium-Plated/dp/B000H8TQL4

[teddymeow]

?36 for two HDMI cables is way too much, there's no point buying it because it has Sony written on. Buy the cheapest gold plated one you can find.

Ta da, something like this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/LINX-HDMI-Ca.../dp/B000H8TQL4

Problem for me is that I'm a little OCD when it comes to accessories and the like for my consoles. I've never used a third party cable and so the Sony ones were a natural choice for when I got my PS3.

[EvilBoris]

At least you know they are going to be made to a resonable standard and won't damage anything with wobbly pins or owt