12. The Sony KLV-S32A10E's Latency Problems

When I'm about to run a latency test on a Sony display, I'm gripped by a sense of despair - and for good reason.

It's just incredible that Sony is still using the outdated panels they put in their TV sets. Latency clocked as high as 50 ms. It just doesn't seem believable.

Video Quality

(Score: 2.5)

Despite the 50-ms latency, video was relatively fluid, but the latency was clearly visible, especially in very dark scenes - which is exactly what our measurements showed. You might think that the low pixel bandwidth would have a positive impact on video noise, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. Video was very noisy. Playing with the digital filters improved the situation, but it increased the latency even more.

Interpolation

Here again, we expected better from the KLV-S32A10E. The interpolation was acceptable, but clearly not as good as it gets.

PC Mode

PC mode was functional. The interpolation will be much better in movies if you use a software DVD player, but it won't do anything about the video noise.

Sound Quality

(Score: 3.5)

Sound reproduction was quite good. After adjustment, the sound was rich and clean. That's rare enough to deserve mention.

Conclusion

(Overall score: 3.5)

It's a real shame that the latency is so high, because it makes this set unusable for video gaming. With game consoles playing a key role in digital entertainment these days, that's distressing. And it's even more frustrating because this Sony TV set is otherwise very appealing. The video quality is really quite good, and for once the price isn't exorbitant. We look forward to the day when this generation of LCD panels becomes obsolete, because it looks as if that's the only thing that'll get Sony to deal with the issue of latency.