Sony KDL-40W5100 LCD HDTV Review - Formats & Media

Formats & Media Summary
Editorial Note: This is a review of the Sony KDL-40W5100. Test results are for this model, but should indicate the general performance of other models in the W5100 series, which include the KDL-46W5100 (46"), the KDL-52W5100 (52"), and the KDL-65W5100 (65"). Read here for more details on series differences.
• Supports 1080p. • Has a bare-bones photo viewer. • Can play music and video files via the USB port. • The online connectivity leads to a bevvy of streaming content.
	Audio & Menus	Page 11 of 18	Power Consumption

Formats (10.0)

The Sony KDL-46W5100 can display HD in full 1080p, which is the highest HD format currently avaialable. This means all your Blu-ray discs can be played at maximum resolution. The TV can also play back the other lower-resolution formats, but doesn't support an extended color gamut. 

Photo Playback (2.5)

The KDL-46W5100 has a very basic photo viewer. From the photo menu, you can select a USB drive, then navigate through its folder hierarchy. Photos are displayed in this view as thumbnails. Selecting a thumbnail will display the picture in fullscreen mode. There aren't any fancy playback features, like slideshow transitions or the option to play back music as you browse through your photos.

Music & Video Playback (4.0)

The TV supports both music and video playback. Selecting a track or clip will close out of the menu and jump to a playback application. Re-entering the menu will drop you back where you left off, which is a nice feature (typically the menu doesn't remember what you were highlighting last). The TV supports album art for music. 

Streaming Playback (6.3)

Like the KDL-46Z5100, the KDL-40W5100 has an impressive array of streaming content available. There's currently one streaming radio provider, Slacker, which allows you to play stations based on genre. The video side of things has over 20 content providers, including YouTube, Amazon Unboxed, Yahoo, and CBS. In addition, Sony allows you to access dozens of video podcasts. Virtually all of these venues provide free content.

The TV also has a small array of widgets, with the promise of more down the road. You can currently download widgets for weather, finances, and news, courtesy of Yahoo.

Other Media (0.0)

The TV has no other media playback features, such as an integrated DVD or Blu-ray player.

Other Models in the W5100 Series
This is a review of the Sony KDL-40W5100. The other sizes of HDTVs in this series should be similar in terms of performance and usability. For details about any differences, click on the image to jump to the Series Comparison page.
KDL-46W5100 46 inches	KDL-52W5100 52 inches	KDL-65W5100 65 inches