Guest blog by Andy
I’ve been getting to know the Sony BRAVIA KDL32WE613. At 32”, this set is ideal for those not looking to replace their local cinema anytime soon. It works particularly well for bedrooms and kitchens, with a supplied and optional pedestal making it easy to place on furniture or a wall.
Sony televisions have had some great designs over the years, with innovative speakers or ultra slim OLED panels. The first thing that stood out about this model was that it looks very fresh and clean with its black frame and silver-finished base but also very modern. You can certainly tell that Sony have thought a lot about this TV, giving it an edge with a sleek design which is ideal for any area. I tried it in a corner; it looked particularly neat thanks to its slim design. Leads are hidden within the TV pedestal, so they don’t spoil the overall look. The set can also be wall-mounted, and as the television is very lightweight, this is easier than with bulkier, older models.
The set is slim, but packed with extras. It enables you to connect wirelessly to your Wi-Fi so you can watch shows on Netflix, YouTube, BBC iPlayer, 5 On Demand and Amazon Video from a clear menu. This is accessed with the ‘Home’ button, then ‘Apps’. If you have a subscription, there is also a dedicated Netflix button, giving instant access to it. This TV also has a web browser built in, so the web is at your fingertips enabling you to search for whatever you wish. If you thought that was not enough you can also screen mirror with this TV, allowing you to show your pictures and videos from various devices.
The television can also record – this saves on having to use another box and more cables, also making wall mounting simpler without having to deal with them. To get this working, plug in a USB hard drive with up to 2TB of capacity – to put this into context, this can record around 1000 hours of television! There is a record button on the remote, so simply press this when watching a programme – it will automatically stop recording when the show ends. The USB socket will also play back videos saved on USB sticks, as well and showing photographs and playing music – this is ideal if you have a soundbar plugged in to the set.
This TV has connections for recorders if you wanted more features, with HDMI connections. This set also has scart connectors for older equipment, so you can use older DVD players and get the VHS tapes out of these are hanging about still. A large number of sets don’t have this anymore, so it is worth making note of.
HDR is a newer development, and this TV is compatible with it. HDR is High Dynamic Range – information is added to films and TV shows to show a wider range of colour. This helps to get cinema quality picture, with better dark and light images, and added detail from this improved colour. Games consoles and streaming services utilise this, and broadcasters such as Sky are also making moves into it. Helpfully, the set is compatible with HDR10 – this standard is the most universal, so should work with more equipment a little easier.
The Bravia branding for Sony’s processors has been recognisable for years and this set comes with the newer X-Reality PRO picture engine. This helps the TV show greater detail and reduces the artificial distortion that standard definition images in particular are prone to – particularly useful for Freeview broadcasts.
Along with Bravia, Motionflow technology has been a big part of Sony televisions for some time. This set has the more recent XR400 specification – motion in sports and films will be smooth and fluid. This will help detail and clarity in general, across all sources from Youtube to Freeview.
Resolution-wise, the television is HD, so will show Freeview HD channels, Blu-ray discs and games consoles in improved clarity compared to older sets. At this size, the resolution works very well, with text such as subtitles looking clear and easy to read.
This is an excellent TV at an excellent price; buy or rent online or ask your local store about a demo.
