Home Theatre/TV: SonyKDL-52Z4500 52-inch LCD Tv – Review – 77

One of the more important developments in the quest for digital flat-panel perfection was the migration from 50Hz to 100Hz. The lower frequency allowed a measure of flicker in pictures during panning or action, which could be annoying and distracting.

The bigger the panel the worse the flicker seemed – a bummer for those with televisions larger than 50 inches.

Doubling the scan frequency to 100 frames per second and inserting a copy of each frame after the one before it largely eliminated the problem. Panels running 100Hz are now common, although 50Hz can still be found in some budget lines.

But the march of technology being what it is, if 100Hz is good then 200Hz must be even better, right? That’s certainly the point of view of a number of manufacturers, including Sony, which recently introduced a trio of 200Hz panels. The 200Hz system generates three additional ‘in-between frames’ for every original frame compared to the long-lived 50Hz technology.

Keen to see if an extra 100Hz made a meaningful difference, or whether it was more an ‘improvement’ to keep the marketing department happy, the Tone TV test team snuck one dark and rainy night from its own underground test bunker to Sony’s for some side-by-side comparisons using specially developed comparison material and our favourite reference movies, including Casino Royale on Blu-ray.

The object of attention was a 52-inch Z series with Motionflow 200Hz technology. Also available are 46- and 40-inch models.

Even without resorting to water boarding, our captive Sony person admitted the improvement we would see was more incremental than revolutionary, as it was when going from 
50Hz to 100.

As good as 100 is, there may still be signs of flicker in certain types of scene, for example when the camera moves quickly past a picket fence. True, that’s not something we’re watching every day unless you’re into Mark Twain or movies set in American suburbia, but it demonstrates the point.

Some types of fast sport action may also betray the notion that 100Hz is good enough.

Beyond the flickering, viewers of pictures delivered by 200Hz may find there’s a little more detail in action scenes; that the overall viewing experience is a little more pleasant or, as one who is experienced in the ways of 200Hz put it, less tiring.

Those familiar with hi-fi and, say, high-end cameras will 
know that when you have a fine (ie, expensive) product, paying more to upgrade tends to bring with it only small improvements. Whether that little extra is worth it pretty much depends on 
the individual.

Talking it over in the Tonemobile on the way back to base, the Tone team reckoned they’d pay the extra, partly because they’re overpaid [Eh?! - Impoverished Ed] tech nerds who must have the latest and partly because, one day, most panels will probably have 200Hz or beyond, so it’s an element of future proofing.

It’s not possible to directly compare pricing of one of Sony’s 100Hz models with the nearest equivalent 200Hz because the 200s have other improvements, such as a 10-bit panel. However, before being released unharmed the Sony man figured the extra 100Hz was probably worth about $200 at today’s prices.

As a clincher, there’s also the superb picture quality we have come to admire in Sony’s Z lineup.

PHIL HANSON

Tech Specs

SONY KDL-52Z4500
200Hz 52-inch LCD TV
$5999

ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
MAX RESOLUTION: 1920 X 1080
CONTRAST RATIO:  80,000:1
DISPLAY REFRESH RATE: 200Hz
FORMATS SUPPORTED: 
1080i (HDTV), 1080p (HDTV), 720p (HDTV)
DIMENSIONS: 1281 x 882 x 346mm (W/H/D)
WEIGHT: 41kg

Contact

www.sony.co.nz

This Review is from Tone Issue #77.