Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15572 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Sony
• Model: KDL26S3000U
• Released on: 2007-09-12
• Dimensions: 23.15 pounds

Manufacturer's Description

BRAVIA S3000 Series LCD TV

Available in 20, 26, 32 & 40" Screen sizes Are you looking for an affordable but high quality, stylish HD Ready LCD? Then you should seriously consider the S3000. The BRAVIA S-Series LCD TVs are HD Ready and come fully loaded with technology plus it’s Ideal for use with a Sony Home Cinema system. The 20" version in this series, is available in Metallic Silver / Black / Light Blue / Lilac / Mocha / Silky White and Pink giving you the ability to match the TV to your lifestyle & environment

HD Ready To appreciate just how good a high definition picture is, it helps to know how TV’s, DVD’s and VHS worked in the past. Until recently, there was only one type of broadcast format – Standard definition - SD. With SD, the level of detail in the picture resolution is limited. SD has a resolution of 720 X 576, which means 576 horizontal lines of 720 pixels each. Pixels are the dots which make up a digital picture. The new HD formats boost resolution far beyond SD, giving your TV a level of clarity and detail that is absolutely breathtaking.

Integrated Digital Tuner / Freeview Having an integrated Digital Freeview Tuner means that your TV has a built in receiver that will give you access to many more channels without the need to have any additional hardware, such as a Freeview box. In 2007, the government will begin switching UK broadcasting to digital, so if your TV doesn’t have an integrated digital tuner feature you wont be able to view any channel without buying the additional hardware.

HDMI Sockets The S3000 LCD TV has 3 X HDMI sockets – 2 at the rear of the set and one at the side. Your HDMI socket provides a connection point on your TV that is able to deliver a high definition picture. Quite simply, the more HDMI sockets that you have on your BRAVIA LCD TV, the more components you are able to link up to for HD picture quality, for instance, a Blu-ray player, your camcorder and your gaming console. Having the socket located in the front of the TV means that you no longer have to get into awkward positions or move the unit in order to gain access to the connection point, great if you’re viewing your photos on your TV via your digital camera.

BRAVIA Theatre Sync A one touch control over your whole Home theatre set up. Simply press the Theatre button on the TV’s remote control, the TV’s sound turns off & the picture settings configure automatically to an optimal movie watching mode. BRAVIA Theatre Sync cuts out the complexity so that you can concentrate on enjoying your movie.

Live Colour Creation Live Colour Creation is a backlight system which produces a wider colour gamut, seen particularly with the red and green areas of the spectrum. So your TV picture will have more lifelike and natural colours with no smudging or dulling of the image.

BRAVIA Engine This picture enhancement technology ensures that the image produced on screen represents perfection. It reduces colour distortion by decreasing 'cross colour', 'dot crawl' and 'moire' the sort of distortion that you get on patterns such as a checked shirt. It cleans up the haze that you often see around lettering such as titles or text so that they appear perfectly sharp on screen. It enhances specific areas of low contrast within the image giving an overall crisp picture. It smoothes the motion, preventing jagged edges and bleeding colours on fast moving objects, ideal for sports & action sequences. It matches colours, which ensures the final image is reproduced exactly as the original source intended meaning that you see incredibly natural colours.

Dynamic Contrast Contrast ratio is improved and all shades between the brightest white and the darkest blacks are maintained, so the picture has more depth and detail. This is achieved as the backlight brightness adjusts according to the brightness of the scene. Sony’s unique dynamic contrast system features ACE (advanced contrast enhancer) which ensures all of the subtle shades of grey are maintained.

VESA Hole Spacing VESA-Standard or Video Electronics Standards Association is a perfect template for hole spacing (screw holes) in flat screens. So providing your wall bracket is also VESA standard, hanging your TV on the wall, for example, is a simple process without the frustration of drilling the holes incorrectly and in the wrong place.

Available In Various Colours The 20" version in this series, is available in Metallic Silver / Black / Light Blue / Lilac / Mocha / Silky White and Pink giving you the ability to match the TV to your lifestyle & environment

Box Contents

• Remote Commander
• Batteries
• AC power cord
• Coaxial cable
• Support belt
• Screws (for Support Belt)
• Operating Instructions and Leaflet & quick set up guide
• Warranty Card
• On-line registration card

Customer Reviews

KDL26S3000 Vs KDL26T3000
Re: KDL26S3000 Vs KDL26T3000:

As these two similar sets are often compared and pondered over by prospective buyers, I thought it would be good to base this review on their differences, and tell you why I chose this S-series model in the end:

As one reviewer has pointed out, the T-series 'KDL26T3000' is available here on Amazon for a little more money than the S-series 'KDL26S3000' set. I personally used the comparison feature on Sony's website and came away thinking that I'd be happy to pay less for this S-series set, while knowing full well that it has slightly less features than the T-series. The main difference (not mentioned on the Sony site) is that this S-series uses a 'TN' panel and the T-series uses an S-PVA panel. TN panels are the cheapest LCD panels in use, and while I do accept that S-PVA panels have a wider viewing angle (178 vs 160 degrees) and an allegedly 'better' contrast ratio (I will touch on contrast ratios later on), it is an industry recognised fact that they also have a worse response time than TN panels. I think this makes TN panels better for gaming and watching fast moving action. In fact, many LAN party gamers swear by TN panel monitors for this very reason. S-PVA panels also suffer more from colour inversion - as you move your head the colours change. Some people find they don't notice this, or that it doesn't bother them, but I have noticed it on other people's sets/monitors. TN panels suffer this to a much lesser degree.

Also, I view this TV from one position, like most 'bedroom sets' I watch it from my bed - so the slight benefit of extra viewing angle is wasted on me. Besides, I think the viewing angle on this S-series (160 degrees) is perfectly sound...you really have to watch at a stupid angle before the picture grows paler..so there is another extra I need not pay for. Though I must admit, TN panels do have a much poorer vertical viewing angle, so if you like to lie/sit on the floor and look up towards the TV then you would be better off with the T-series and give this 'S' model a skip. The reason being is that if you look up towards the screen on a TN panel from a certain point (very low down), it will darken to the point of being impossible to watch. Luckily for me, I don't sit on the floor.

As for the 'better' contrast ratio on the T-series....well all I will say on this is that the whole contrast ratio numbers game is an industry con. The most common professional and very expensive cinema projector in use today has a 500:1 contrast ratio...this model has both a 800:1 'on screen' contrast ratio and a 6000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. Would you be surprised to know that this is perfectly adequate and that all these 20000:1 and such numbers banded about in the industry is a whopping big lie? just Google the famous article 'The Contrast Ratio Game'...it will certainly shock you. So again, the T-series had nothing extra I needed in this respect.

Apart from the different panel technology, the slightly dearer 'T' model includes a digital amplifier for the sound, while the S-series doesn't. Like most big gamers though, I use a dedicated surround system, so again I wasn't motivated to go with the 'T' model - besides, the sound is perfectly fine from this 'S' model set. Both sets use the same Virtual Dolby and BBE ViVA HD3D technology.

Both models also use the 'Bravia Engine©' technology, unlike the very basic 'U-series' (KDL26U3000) model which you can also find on Amazon, and is often seen as a 'mega deal' in supermarkets. Stay away from this U-series..it is Sony's entry level series and the lack of a Bravia engine processor is a huge negative. The Bravia Engine© is at the very heart of Sony TV's. It deals with colour reproduction, scaling and all sorts of weird and wonderful things...it is a must have feature. Both 'S' and 'T' include it, 'U' doesn't. This is perhaps the most important thing to remember when shopping for a Bravia TV in this lower price bracket.

So I hope you now have a more informed choice; do the few extras of the T-series set appeal to you? If so, great...for only £30 or so more it is no big deal to take that plunge. But if like me you see that £30 as one more game to buy, or perhaps a couple of Blu-Ray movies, or even an extended warranty on this S-series set, and those T-series extra features don't appeal to you, then go with this S-series model. If you still can't make up your mind, try and get to see both models demonstrated in a store before you make your choice, but I have had my KDL26S3000 for a few days now and I can honestly say to you that it is amazing. I have played upscaled DVD's through it, PS3 games and real HD Blu-Ray movies in 1080i and 720p and I can honestly say they all look absolutely amazing. You will simply not go wrong with the Sony Bravia KDL26S3000, I whole heartedly recommend it.

Stop looking now - this is a great deal
Having read lots of the reviews which seem to be written by people who are 'into TVs', I took their advice and bought one of these after scouring the web. I don't really do TVs, watching them is fine, but debating the deatil of the 'engine' doesnt exactly do it for me. I simply needed a new one for the family.

Delivery excellent, as always and the hardest bit is getting it out of the box, and that ain't exactly difficult! Thereafter it sets itself up and away you go. The picture quality is exceptional, the sound is great. It looks cool, smart, is light and doesnt take up much space. My kids plugged in their xbox with a 'high def HDMI whatever bla bla' lead and I think the result scared them with the sharpness of the image.

So, for those of you not too concerned about your dbi, HDMI, pro this, surround that, and what have you, a layperson view would be that its just a very good telly at a very good price.

Great TV at a great price!
Just bought this TV - ordered just before 2pm on Friday and it was on my doorstep at 11am the next day, due to the express delivery.

It looks great, has brilliant picture quality (as you would expect from a Sony) and the sound is great too.

The amazon price is £150 cheaper than john lewis, and with the free 3 year warranty offer you can't go wrong. Definitely recommended!