Sony KLV-MR32 Wega

Sony's WEGA Theatre series oozes class. The KLV-MR32 32" Wide Designer LCD features a floating glass design, where the silver screen is bordered by a perspex strip that supports a pair of 10W speakers. The attention to detail is top-notch; around the screen itself there are even small cutouts in the perspex border that pick up light from LEDs in the screen. These cutouts light up when the screen is in operation, but there are no cables or LEDs visible. This is very impressive, and it looks a treat. The screen runs in a 16:9 widescreen ratio, at a native resolution of 1280 x 768. The screen is 1080i compatible, but content at this resolution is scaled down to fit.

Unusually, Sony has opted to rely on a receiver unit to get the signal to the TV. The TV itself only features a DVI input, a control input (for interfacing with a receiver) and a power connector. The review model shipped with a MBT-MR2 digital receiver that included a massive range of inputs and outputs (including component, S-Video, composite, a sub-woofer input, and a Memory Stick slot for viewing photos). The receiver also includes an analog PAL tuner.

Setting up the TV was a dream. The menu is well designed and easy to navigate, and tuning was lightning-fast. The remote control fits the hand comfortably and is as well laid-out as the on-screen menu. In use, the screen offers a 170-degree viewing angle, and is clear and bright from just about anywhere in a lounge room. The displayed image is first class, and we didn't need to make many adjustments to fine-tune the picture.

The LCD panel is rated to 60,000 hours life, but the entire unit is let down by a short one-year warranty. At 105 x 64 x 23cm and a dry weight of 27kg, the 32" Sony screen is a whopper and it'll make a big splash in just about any lounge room or meeting place (a wall mount is also available if space is tight). Unfortunately, at $7999 it'll make a big hole in your bank balance.