Sony Bravia KDL-46S3000

The good: Produces relatively deep shade of black; very good standard-definition video processing; accurate Cinema preset; numerous picture controls.

The bad: Lacks user-menu fine color-temperature controls; somewhat uneven backlight uniformity; slightly cumbersome menu design.

The bottom line: Sony's entry-level LCD, the KDL-46S3000 offers fine picture quality for most viewers, but bargain shoppers and home theater sticklers alike may want something different.

Read full review

Description: The Sony Bravia KDL-46S3000 is a 46-inch, liquid crystal display television. Compared to other liquid crystal display TVs on the market, it is midpriced at around $1,595. This unit is an LCD display, which is generally the best kind of flat-panel screen for viewing in brightly-lit rooms.

Pros: Has a 46-inch screen size. This is larger than the average TV on the market today, but is to be expected for a TV of this price. This set can display images that are sharper and more realistic than analog television when hooked up to a high definition signal. The 3:2 pulldown feature of this set reduces artifacts that can occur when motion pictures are transferred to a digital format such as DVD.

Cons: Has only a rear connector location.

Suitability: Designed for those who want to enjoy an ultra-sharp picture from an ultra-thin TV. Also, a wide aspect display such as this one is well suited for DVD movies recorded in the popular 16:9 format, as well as high definition programming.

Value: Overall, this TV's features are as expected for this price. However, liquid crystal display TVs having comparable viewable size have an average cost of around $2,225.

Suggestions: (1) For assistance in shopping for a new HDTV, read CNET editors' Ultimate HDTV Buying Guide . (2) If donating or repurposing your old TV is not a viable option, CNET encourages households to recycle their electronics. Please explore the following website to find a recycling center in your area Electronics Take Back Coalition .