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We have collected 2 reviews of the Sony Bravia KDL-32CX523. Experts rate Sony Bravia KDL-32CX523 9/10. Reviewsor.com helps you find reviews, best prices, user reviews of the Sony Bravia KDL-32CX523 and Sony LCD TV.
It seems weird to be reviewing a budget TV from Sony. After all, only a few years ago, we used to talk about the Sony tax -- the extra you paid just to have the company's badge on the front of your TV. Times have changed, though, and Sony is now pricing its TVs aggressively throughout its entire range. The 32-inch, 1080p KDL-32CX523 LCD TV is especially affordable -- you can pick it up online for around £400. Despite the low price, it packs in plenty of goodies, including impressive support for online services, such as BBC iPlayer. The KDL-32CX523 lacks an LED backlight, so the chassis is relatively chunky, at 70mm thick. It's also pretty much entirely made out of hard plastic, so it doesn't have the premium feel of some of Sony's higher-end models. It still feels like it's bolted together well, though. Viewed from the front, it's quite a handsome set, and its angular lines look clean and classy. The bezel around the screen is quite thick for a modern telly, though. Many manufacturers skimp on connectivity options on their budget models, but that's not the case here. With four HDMI ports, a set of component inputs, Scart and composite connections, as well as a VGA socket, you won't struggle to find ports to hook your AV kit up to. The CX523 also sports two USB ports, as well as an Ethernet socket.
The 2011 batch of Bravias has been kept back a little, but rather than herald the arrival of a new lineup of big, bold, competitive and cutting-edge flatscreen TVs. The Sony KDL-32CX523 32-inch LCD TV delivers purely as a good value package. And then some. A combination of a basic LCD panel with an integrated Freeview HD tuner ought to suit the mass market just fine and there are some surprising extras, such as smartphone app control, USB recording, wireless connectivity (via an add-on dongle), Bravia Internet Video (including BBC iPlayer, Sony's own Qriocity hub, and Lovefilm) and a new incarnation of the Xross Media Bar user interface (familiar to PS3 owners), alongside a full HD resolution. You won't, however, find 3D playback or 100Hz scanning. The KDL-32CX523 is joined by the 40-inch KDL-32CX523 in the CX range, the latter selling for around £700. That '3' on the end of the model number proves crucial, since Sony also sells the non-Freeview D-equipped CX520 series that, despite lacking Freeview HD, is only a shade cheaper (the 32-inch KDL-32CX520, for example, sells for around £650) and are otherwise identical in basic spec to the model reviewed here.