Related Articles
I’m a bit confused by the difference between the Sony Bravia KDL-40W2000 and the KDL-40X2000.
There seems to be a marked price difference. Can you tell me what the additional features of the 40X2000 are please?
Ed
Getting to grips with the model numbers of Sony TVs and what they mean is only slightly easier than understanding the basics of quantum physics. While there is an order, there’s a fair bit of confusion about which TV is best for your needs.
The W and X series — the letter is preceded by the screen size in inches, so 40W2000 is the 40-inch version — are both top-end Sony Bravia TVs. They both offer 1080p support, as well as the usual inputs and built-in Freeview. The X series is slightly better, and as such is priced higher. Quite a bit higher, actually — there’s around £500 difference between the two models, depending on the screen size you opt for. So does the X2000 really offer that much of an improvement over the W2000?
It’s important to remember that when it comes to LCD TVs, the picture quality is decided by a number of factors. While the panel itself is an important part of this, the electronics and the software that control it are even more crucial.
It’s the picture-processing software that explains the majority of the difference in price between the X and W models. The better picture processing on the X2000 improves the quality of Freeview pictures and standard-definition DVDs. This is important, because it’s these signals that require the most processing to remove compression artefacts and other undesirable picture elements.
There are some small differences in features too. For example, the X2000 has picture-in-picture support and Virtual Dolby Surround Pro Logic II. The X series also has more inputs, so if you have a lot of AV gear to plug in, the X might offer an advantage, as it has two component inputs and three Scart sockets, which is one more of each than the W series.
As good as the X2000 is, we also had absolutely no complaint with the W2000 — indeed, we gave it one of the highest scores of any television we’ve ever reviewed. If you can get a good deal on an X2000 and you’ll use the extra inputs, then it’s probably worth a little extra. Don’t expect an enormous performance gap between it and its little brother though.
