Sony HTCT100 Sound Bar with Subwoofer Black

Sony HTCT100 Sound Bar with Subwoofer Black

I tried several 2.1 speaker systems to enhance the sound from our LCD HDTV. The 2.1 speaker systems used the RCA audio output from the TV but I was never satisfied with the quality of the sound, even from the Bose Companion system. I think part of the problem is with the low-level output of the TV's RCA audio connection and for this reason I decided to look for a speaker system that could take advantage of my HDTV's digital optical audio output connection.

I also didn't want to have a five-speaker system all around the room and so I focused my search on soundbar-type systems. The Sony HT-CT100, just recently introduced, fit the bill perfectly and comes at a price much lower than the Yamaha and Philips soundbar systems with optical inputs.

This amazing system brings simplicity and performance together by pairing a Center speaker that recreates a surround sound experience all by its self. Now add a powerful external subwoofer and you are ready to bring your Movies to life with the HT-CT100. With three HDMI inputs on tap, this system is tailor made for the Gamer looking for an easy, quick and great sounding solution for their Next Gen gaming system .

It can playback LPCM from the HDMI connection, plus you can listen to your favorite music from the DIGITAL MEDIA PORT that works with various accessories (sold separately). The HT-CT100 can also control a select number of BRAVIA televisions with BRAVIA Sync via the HDMI interface. With “One Touch Play,” operations that took several steps have been reduced to one.

Buy $269 Sony HTCT100 Sound Bar with Subwoofer Black

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Sony BRAVIA V Series KDL 40V5100 40 Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV

Sony BRAVIA V Series KDL 40V5100 40 Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV

My original review of the TV was negative due to a problem of dimming during dark scenes. But few days ago Sony released a software patch to correct the problem and it worked for me. Now, the auto dimming can be turned off by setting the "Adv. Contrast Enhancer" to Off. Also, even when it's turned On, it doesn't behave like it did pre- patch, it now dims gradually rather than abruptly and it doesn't dim as much as it did before. Thank you very much Sony, I'm updating my rating to 5-star.

I'm very happy with the TV now that the auto dim is fixed. If you own the TV and having problems with the dimming, go to the support section of Sony's site to download the patch and the instructions on how to apply it. You will need a USB thumb drive formatted in FAT32, but if you don't have it, Sony will mail you one if you call their customer support.

With Full HD 1080p resolution and Motionflow 120Hz technology, Sony BRAVIA V-Series HDTVs are engineered for fast-action movies, sports, and game play. Enjoy sharp, crystal clear images with the BRAVIA Engine 2 fully digital video processor on the KDL-40V5100's 40-inch screen.

Buy $767 Sony BRAVIA V Series KDL 40V5100 40 Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV

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Sony Bravia XBR KDL-55XBR8 55-Inch 1080p 120Hz Triluminos LED LCD HDTV

Sony Bravia XBR KDL-55XBR8 55-Inch 1080p 120Hz Triluminos LED LCD HDTV

We now have one (1) 55inch xbr8 and two (2) 46inch xbr8s in the house. The 55 is in the living-room with all the audio equipment. One of the 46 sets is in the den and the other in the master bedroom. We have studied hundreds of other sets over the years. The Sony xbr8 technology makes the others look like they are from "Toys Are Us". The picture is almost 3 dimentional when viewing a good blu-ray disc on a high end player. Upscaled standard definition DVDs are remarkable on this set.

Good quality Film Noir is very good with the xbr8. The blu-ray of Casablanca is nothing short of amazing on the xbr8. The den set is often on most of the day (until we switch to the living room for evening viewing) and the set runs quite cool. Even viewing standard definition cable is vastly inmproved from other sets on the xbr8. Yes, it is expensive, but worth every bit of it. If watching movies is what you do--this is worth the investment. I do not thing I will be looking for another set until they "perfect" 3D for the consumer. I suspect this will be several years in the future. Now xbr8 technology in a perfected 3D format will be something to look forward to.

Buy $2,589 Sony Bravia XBR KDL-55XBR8 55-Inch 1080p 120Hz Triluminos LED LCD HDTV

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Sharp LC22DV27UT 22-Inch LCD HDTV with Built-In DVD Player, Black Color

Sharp LC22DV27UT 22-Inch LCD HDTV with Built-In DVD Player, Black Color

Basically, if you want a small LCD TV w/DVD built-in, you can choose from Sharp, Toshiba, LG, and some lesser names and chineese brands. Since I've had good luck with Sharp and bad luck with Toshiba in the past, I waited for this model to become available (all summer). So far I am not dissappointed.

Pros: great picture, you can adjust the brightness, backlight, etc to tweak it to your delight. I like the factory settings so far. - Sound is more than adequate for this size TV - Tuner picked up every available signal with a basic, attic-mounted antennae - DVD player works very nicely - viewing angles better than I expected.

Cons: Non-adjustable base ( I don't care because I have it wall-mounted in a bedroom with a nice tiltable mount) - Remote layout ( It's probably not that bad. I'm just used to Samsung's layout and I guess i'd just have to get used to this one). The actual screen size is less than 22 inches. This TV (HxW) is smaller than my 22" Samsung (kitchen - no DVD) because the bezel is thinner and screen is about 21.5" diagonally. So if you have a tight space, that could be a good thing.

Really, I'm thinking this is the best 22" LCD w/DVD out there. The price is not bad and the picture/sound is as good as it gets in this class TV. A decent, swivel-arm, tiltable, wall-mount can be had for 30 bucks. Bought TV thru Video Audio Center without a hitch.

Sharp's LC22DV27U provides a convenient built-in DVD television solution with a distinctive design. The LC22DV27U features a side-loading progressive scan DVD player, a high-performance LCD panel for high brightness, a high contrast ratio, low-reflection glare protection and wide viewing angles. The LC22DV27UT includes ATSC/NTSC tuners to receive off-air broadcasts as well as digital cable QAM capability to receive non-scrambled digital cable programming. In addition, the LC22DV27U is PC compatible and is an HDTV monitor for greater versatility. As an HDTV monitor, it is compatible with all 1080i and 720p signals from HDTV sources.

Buy $357 Sharp LC22DV27UT 22-Inch LCD HDTV ,Black Color

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