The 46-inch Sony Bravia KDL-46EX523 doesn’t stand out from the HDTV pack in design, features, or picture quality, but once you look at its price and its range of connected features, it starts to get a little more interesting.

Priced at $990 (as of March 28, 2012), this set has a lot of features that a budget buyer might want, including an edge-lit LED display, full HD support, built-in Internet apps, and Wi-Fi capabilities that make it a good option for people who enjoy Netflix streaming. The major trade-offs include a lack of 3D, a slower-than-most 60Hz refresh rate, and good--but not great--picture quality.

Lab Tests: Picture and Sound Quality
In PCWorld's subjective tests, the Bravia KDL-46EX523 turned in decent scores across the board. Our panel of five reviewers gave it solid scores of Average, noting that colors occasionally looked a little muted and that the set had some motion issues, especially in test scenes containing a lot of panning or fine detail.

Colors on the KDL-46EX523 always seemed to be just slightly off in our tests. In our 720p NASCAR clip, which is designed to test fast-motion handling from an over-the-air broadcast, multiple judges noted that colors appeared muted and a little washed out next to other sets in our test pool. In our 1080i football clip, the field’s green grass seemed a bit too artificial, and the overall scene was noticeably less bright than it was on the other HDTVs in our test batch.

The KDL-46EX523's motion issues were most prominent in our horizontal-panning test, which is designed to bring motion problems to the forefront. All of our reviewers found the horizontal-panning test image to be blurry as it moved across the KDL-46EX523's screen, perhaps largely due to the set's low 60Hz refresh rate. Motion problems were also apparent in our Dark Knight Blu-ray clip, in which the check pattern of Morgan Freeman's suit shimmered and appeared to jump around.

In our testing, picture quality was generally okay. Off-axis viewing angles weren’t a problem up to about 45 degrees, though we did see a loss of contrast and brightness at moderate angles. In some scenes, especially in our Baraka clips, we saw some graininess, noise, and loss of detail, but nothing to be too concerned about considering the price.

The KDL-46EX523’s built-in speakers and audio options are standout features. The set sports two 10-watt rear-facing speakers, which are very loud for built-in units. When we sat approximately 8 feet away from the HDTV, the speakers offered a comfortable volume level at around 60 percent, but presented some distortion at full volume. You can adjust a few individual settings, including the treble, bass, and balance. Sound is deep and full, and the simulated surround-sound feature does a good job of imitating the real deal: In our casual tests, the simulated surround sound seemed to come from areas on either side of the set, though it didn’t exactly wrap around behind our ears.

Design and Peripherals
The Sony Bravia KDL-46EX523 has a fairly basic design, punctuated by a two-color bezel: Your typical shiny black plastic borders the top, left, and right sides of the screen, while a slate-colored brushed-aluminum finish decorates the bottom. A silver Sony logo sits in the center of the brushed aluminum, and a Bravia logo resides in the upper-left corner. A few small LEDs on the lower-right corner indicate power and whether the timer is turned on.

With a screen measuring just under 2 inches thick, the KDL-46EX523 has a slim shape that should work well for wall mounting. If you'd rather not wall-mount this HDTV, however, it does come with a wide, rectangular, shiny black plastic stand that swivels 20 degrees to either side. The HDTV sits low on the stand, and doesn’t adjust vertically.



The set's buttons are located just behind the screen, on the lower-right side. Here you can control the power, channels, volume, and input; you'll also find a Home/Menu button for maneuvering through the menus.

A few ports--two USB 2.0 ports, one HDMI-in, one RGB/PC-in (VGA), and a headphone jack--sit on the left edge of the screen. The remaining ports are on the back-left area of the set; you get three additional HDMI-out ports, a digital audio-out (optical audio), a cable/antenna hookup, audio-in, a composite video hookup, a component-in (with audio), and an ethernet port. All ports are clearly labeled.

The KDL-46EX523 comes with a large, black remote with a flat back and a scooped, concave front where the buttons reside. The flat back, shiny and peppered with matte dots, has only two features: the Sony logo and a large, green-lined power button. (The back of the remote will blend right in if you have a minimalist living room, I guess.) The remote's front buttons include dedicated media buttons (for Netflix, Internet TV, and Qriocity), four programmable hot-buttons, and basic menu buttons such as Sync Menu, Display, Guide, Options, Home, and Return.

Internet-Connected TV, Basic Setup, and On-Screen Menus
When you turn on the Sony Bravia KDL-46EX523 for the first time, you see an initial-setup wizard. It’s basic, but it hits all the major options: viewing environment, language/region, time, tuning for channels, network setup (wireless or wired), and automatic scanning for any software downloads.

The on-screen menus are sleek, attractive, and easy to navigate. Pressing the Home button on the remote brings up the main menu system, which resizes whatever you’re watching to about half the width of the screen; you can keep an eye on the programming while browsing the menus. From the main menu system, you can access the full boat of settings (picture and display settings, audio options, network setup, and input selection), Web applications, streaming services, and a list of customized favorites.

If you'd rather not go to the full menu system, you can press the Options button on the remote to pull up a truncated menu that lets you deal with the basics: adjusting picture and sound, adding a channel to a list of favorites, or selecting preset scene modes. From this menu, you can also program the picture-in-picture display, which lets you pick from a traditional small box or larger side-by-side viewing.

The KDL-46EX523 comes with a number of scene presets that optimize the display and audio for assorted content types (movies, sports, music, games, general, and an auto-selector among them). More-granular picture adjustments include the basic backlight, brightness, color, hue, temperature, and sharpness adjustments, as well as advanced settings for custom-mode users. Among the advanced settings are controls for black-level optimization, gamma adjustment, and white balance.

This set comes with a wide variety of Internet content, in addition to widgets, a built-in Web browser, and Skype. However, because neither a mic nor a camera is built in, you can use Skype only with a separately sold Sony microphone/camera attachment. Content-wise, the set offers Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, Netflix, and YouTube, as well as niche channels like NHL Vault and Internet radio channels such as Pandora and Slacker.

Bottom Line
As the sub-$1000 price suggests, this isn't Sony's highest-end HDTV. Its refresh rate is only 60Hz, and it doesn't have all the bells, whistles, and advanced picture-adjustment settings that hard-core videophiles may be looking for.

However, it does offer a good blend of wireless connected features and decent performance for the price. Its interface and menus are easy to use, it has a built-in on-screen manual, and its ports are clearly labeled. On top of that, it sports a sleek design and a slim profile, so it should fit nicely into any living room.

The overall picture quality is just about average, with muted colors, motion-blur issues in some panning scenes, and a moiré effect in some highly detailed patterns. But the set produces good, loud simulated surround sound. In short, the Sony Bravia KDL-46EX523 won't win any prizes for design, performance, or picture quality, but it is an affordable model for users with basic needs who like to have a little Netflix as well as spending cash on the side.

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NEW YORK, Dec. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing its 163-year history of offering the Best, the Only and the Unexpected, Hammacher Schlemmer introduces The Television Teleporter, a device that displays content from a home television anywhere in or around the house.

The included wireless transmitter connects to any television, satellite or cable set-top box, or Blu-Ray or DVD player and sends a wireless signal to The Television Teleporter up to 100' away.

"The Television Teleporter allows you to watch content from a home television on a deck, in a basement, or any room in a home that lacks a traditional television," explained Hammacher Schlemmer's general Manager Fred Berns.

The Television Teleporter displays content without requiring another set-top box or running cables, providing truly wireless, unobtrusive set up. Its 7" screen displays a sharp, clear picture without interference from other wireless devices and its rechargeable battery provides up to two hours of playback.

"The Television Teleporter also connects wirelessly to an iPod or digital camera to play music or video and display pictures from a remote location," explained Mr. Berns.

The Television Teleporter is available from Hammacher Schlemmer for $229.95. For more information about this product, please visit http://www.hammacher.com/81934 or contact Trish Hammond at (847) 581-8739 or via e-mail at pr@hammacher.com .

About Hammacher Schlemmer

Hammacher Schlemmer is America's longest running catalog, offering the Best, the Only and the Unexpected since 1848. The company provides unique products that solve problems or represent the only one of their kind, backing all products with The Hammacher Schlemmer Lifetime Guarantee. Hammacher Schlemmer's innovative offerings are available through its catalog, website, and its famed landmark store on East 57th Street in New York City.

SOURCE Hammacher Schlemmer

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Following the release of study results showing that four out of five consumers prefer LG CINEMA 3D over Sony and Samsung active 3D televisions,* LG Electronics launched two new LG CINEMA 3D entertainment packages, which include an LG CINEMA 3D HDTV, 3D Blu-ray Disc player and four pairs of LG's lightweight 3D glasses – all packed together in one box.

"As more and more people seek to bring the 3D viewing experience into their homes, LG is offering them an easy-to-buy and even easier-to-enjoy 3D home entertainment package," said Jay Vandenbree, senior vice president, home entertainment, LG Electronics USA. "Our LG CINEMA 3D entertainment packages are very attractive for retailers and consumers alike to bring the latest 3D movies and sporting events into your living room, delivering a theater-like, comfortable viewing experience and a superior 3D picture preferred by consumers."


The Total 3D Package
The attractively priced LG CINEMA 3D entertainment packages come with a 47- or 55-inch class (47.0- and 54.6-inch diagonals, respectively) LG CINEMA 3D HDTV, an LG 3D Blu-ray Disc™ player with the capabilities to play 3D Blu-ray Disc movies in Full HD 1080p picture quality, and four pairs of lightweight, battery-free LG CINEMA 3D glasses.  The 3D Blu-ray Disc player is perfect for playing 3D or 2D Blu-ray and DVD movies, and also has the ability to upscale DVDs to near HD quality. In addition, the TV can convert 2D content to 3D for an endless supply of entertainment options.


LG's Next Generation 3D Technology
LG's CINEMA 3D enables consumers to recreate the 3D movie theater viewing experience in their homes with lightweight eyewear, crisp, bright images and wide-angle viewing. In third party 3D TV tests commissioned by LG, four out five people chose LG CINEMA 3D over Sony and Samsung TVs using active flicker 3D glasses*. In addition, more than three quarters of the respondents preferred LG CINEMA 3D for the immersive 3D experience, 3D effect, overall 3D picture quality and 3D glasses*.

Similar to the 3D glasses used in theaters, the LG CINEMA 3D polarized glasses do not have a battery and never need charging and since the glasses do not need to sync with an emitter, viewers can watch from wide angles in the room.  The low cost of the eyewear also makes it easier to buy as many pairs as needed to host family and friends for a sporting event or 3D movie night. The Film Patterned Retarder (FPR) optimizes the separation of images for the left and right eye, which are then filtered through the glasses to give viewers a better 3D effect with minimal cross-talk. LG's 3D Light Boost, a thin film covering the screen, creates bright, crisp 3D images for a superior 3D viewing experience by helping to counteracting dimness that can occur with 3D content.


Superior Picture Quality
LED Plus with Local Dimming allows for deeper blacks and richer colors by providing even greater control of brightness through local dimming technology to deliver better contrast, amazing clarity and color detail, while TruMotion 120Hz technology brings extra sharp detail to even the fastest moving scenes, enabling consumers to view sports, video games and high-speed action with virtually no motion blur.

Picture Wizard II takes the guesswork out of picture adjustments providing easy self-calibration with on-screen reference points for key picture quality elements such as black level, color, tint, sharpness and backlight levels. Additionally, Intelligent Sensor automatically optimizes picture brightness to the lighting and color conditions in the room for a more enjoyable viewing experience.


Energy and Cost Efficient    
ENERGY STAR® qualified – which for TVs means they save energy both in standby and active modes – LG's Smart Energy Saving Features, allow consumers to conserve money and energy. In addition to using about 30 percent less energy than non-Energy Star TV units, the LED Plus with Local Dimming feature of LG's CINEMA 3D also offers greater energy efficiency compared to conventional LCD TV offerings.

The LG CINEMA 3D entertainment package (model LW5300) is available this August in 47- and 55-inch class screen sizes at manufacturer's suggested retail price of $1,399.99 and $1,899.99, respectively.
For more information, please visit www.LG.com.


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