Thoughts on Sony 40" 1080p KDL-40V4100?

[CharlestonLion]

Best Buy has this TV on sale for $799.00 this week and I am in the market for a 40" - 42". Any thoughts on this TV? Also, for TVs $799+, there is no interest financing with the BB card for 3 years!

[mmunro2003]

Originally Posted by CharlestonLion

Best Buy has this TV on sale for $799.00 this week and I am in the market for a 40" - 42". Any thoughts on this TV? Also, for TVs $799+, there is no interest financing with the BB card for 3 years!

Saw that price earlier this week, if they have it in stock snatch it up while you still can. That model used to retail for $1699 last year before price drops/sales etc.. Awesome TV

[azereus]

Originally Posted by CharlestonLion

Best Buy has this TV on sale for $799.00 this week and I am in the market for a 40" - 42". Any thoughts on this TV? Also, for TVs $799+, there is no interest financing with the BB card for 3 years!

Sadly up here in the great white north, that same tv is currently $1399.99. I thought it was a decent price until i read this thread.

[Tru2theBlu]

This is crazy to see that you could get this TV and the new S360 together for $1,040 this week! That is insane! I paid $1,299 for my Samsung 40" 1080p a year and a half ago! WOW, simply, WOW. If you are new to Blu-ray, I would suggest jumping on this TV for $799 and the S360 @ Fry's for $239. A VERY cost friendly way to dive into Blu!

[CharlestonLion]

Just reading some past threads on this TV....what is up with the "Sparkle Problem"?

[mmunro2003]

Originally Posted by CharlestonLion

Just reading some past threads on this TV....what is up with the "Sparkle Problem"?

It was something to do with the Bravia Engine and HDMI, all solved via a firmware update available on sony esupport.

[CharlestonLion]

Originally Posted by mmunro2003

It was something to do with the Bravia Engine and HDMI, all solved via a firmware update available on sony esupport.

Is that something that I would have to do or has it already been taken care of?

[mmunro2003]

Originally Posted by CharlestonLion

Is that something that I would have to do or has it already been taken care of?

Depends, most of the current stock should have the latest firmware, depends on how long Best Buy have had them sitting in the warehouse really. But, an upgrade to that firmware came out on 3/16/09, I doubt their remaining stock levels have that firmware version because the V4100 went closeout around March. Not hard to do the firmware update either, Sony can ship you a USB Flashdrive containing the firmware, or you can download it and do it yourself.

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu...=4478&os_id=25

All the information can be read on the above link.

[CharlestonLion]

Went out and bought the TV today! I have to go back tomorrow to pick it up b/c the back of the Tahoe was filled with the kid's stuff. Although I know it is not top of the line, I was looking for an affordable 40" TV to put upstairs as a secondary TV and a TV to set the PS3 up on. Can't beat the $799 price tag with 3 years to pay it off with no interest. Our primary TV is a 50" Samsung Plasma in the TV room. I will let everyone know how it looks.

[steve1971]

It's a very good tv. The V4100 series from Sony were some of their best in my opinion.

[CharlestonLion]

Good to hear Steve! I hope it works out well for me!

The one they had set up at Best Buy looked pretty darn good.

Anyone know what the best settings are for it once I get it up and running?

Originally Posted by steve1971

It's a very good tv. The V4100 series from Sony were some of their best in my opinion.

[wafi]

Originally Posted by CharlestonLion

Good to hear Steve! I hope it works out well for me!

The one they had set up at Best Buy looked pretty darn good.

Anyone know what the best settings are for it once I get it up and running?

Congrats CharlestonLion! I have the very model you recently purchased and am very happy with it. Purchased last summer and no glitches whatsoever. You did get an awesome deal...I paid $1300 for it back when I got it. Settings imo are totally a user pref thingy.

[Fang Zei]

Sorry to bump an ancient thread, but I needed some advice.

This is the oldest tv I have. Got it in June of ‘08, downloaded and installed the firmware update not long after it was released the following year after I noticed the channel tuning problem.

There’s still one huge problem the firmware update didn’t resolve, and that’s the damnable auto-dimming issue.

If a scene is particularly dark, wherein nothing in the frame is above a certain video/contrast level for more than a couple seconds, the auto-dimming kicks in and the backlight will suddenly and noticeably drop in luminance. This can be particularly annoying during scenes where it cuts to a brighter shot just as the auto-dim kicks in, thus making the backlight fluctuate in luminance.

I never had it calibrated, but I remember finding a thread on it years ago and someone was quoted as saying that the backlight problem made it difficult to calibrate the greyscale. There’s also the bigger question of whether or not a calibration would have any effect on the backlight problem. I don’t want to pay to get a 40” 1080p sdr tv calibrated if I’m still going to have to deal with the auto-dimming.

So, I thought it was worth asking if anyone has had experience with this particular problem with this set. If there’s anyway to actually resolve it, that would be great. If not, I’ll probably just donate it. I’m also noticing vertical lines on the left and right edges of the screen. Not sure what that’s about, but if it’s another problem that a calibration wouldn’t necessarily resolve then it’s one more reason to get rid of it.

Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks!

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by Fang Zei

Sorry to bump an ancient thread, but I needed some advice.

This is the oldest tv I have. Got it in June of ‘08, downloaded and installed the firmware update not long after it was released the following year after I noticed the channel tuning problem.

There’s still one huge problem the firmware update didn’t resolve, and that’s the damnable auto-dimming issue.

If a scene is particularly dark, wherein nothing in the frame is above a certain video/contrast level for more than a couple seconds, the auto-dimming kicks in and the backlight will suddenly and noticeably drop in luminance. This can be particularly annoying during scenes where it cuts to a brighter shot just as the auto-dim kicks in, thus making the backlight fluctuate in luminance.

I never had it calibrated, but I remember finding a thread on it years ago and someone was quoted as saying that the backlight problem made it difficult to calibrate the greyscale. There’s also the bigger question of whether or not a calibration would have any effect on the backlight problem. I don’t want to pay to get a 40” 1080p sdr tv calibrated if I’m still going to have to deal with the auto-dimming.

So, I thought it was worth asking if anyone has had experience with this particular problem with this set. If there’s anyway to actually resolve it, that would be great. If not, I’ll probably just donate it. I’m also noticing vertical lines on the left and right edges of the screen. Not sure what that’s about, but if it’s another problem that a calibration wouldn’t necessarily resolve then it’s one more reason to get rid of it.

Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks!

I wouldn't pay to get a 2008 TV calibrated because it's 12 years old. Before a calibration can be performed, the TV must be repaired and in good working condition for a calibration can be done properly. Considering the age of the TV and type of damage it has, it'll be cost efficient to buy a new one because, it's going to cost just as much to buy a new TV than to have it repaired. I don't know how much you've paid for your TV 12 years ago, but I'm quite sure that you got your money's worth out it and besides, it's time for a upgrade. That will be a nice Christmas present for yourself.

[Fang Zei]

Originally Posted by slimdude

I wouldn't pay to get a 2008 TV calibrated because it's 12 years old. Before a calibration can be performed, the TV must be repaired and in good working condition for a calibration can be done properly. Considering the age of the TV and type of damage it has, it'll be cost efficient to buy a new one because, it's going to cost just as much to buy a new TV than to have it repaired. I don't know how much you've paid for your TV 12 years ago, but I'm quite sure that you got your money's worth out it and besides, it's time for a upgrade. That will be a nice Christmas present for yourself.

Yeah, I mean, pretty much what I was already thinking but maybe I just needed to hear it from someone else lol. Between the auto dimming issue (particularly annoying when I streamed the new Dune on it via HBO Max) and the brighter vertical lines at the left and right edges of the screen, I think this is an easy decision.

Last year I inherited a 2010 60” Sony 3DTV from my uncle free for nothing. He had everything except the glasses ironically enough, but said he just didn’t know where they were when I picked it up. I’ll have to ask him if they ever turned up. The only problem I’ve noticed with it so far is a slightly different color to the screen from left to right, although this might simply be an lcd perspective thing and it’s not even that noticeable after turning off the dynamic backlight and lowering the luminance. I feel like that’s the exact kinda thing a calibration is supposed to correct anyway, no?

Besides, I’d much rather get that set calibrated since it can do 3D and it’s a decently big screen, even if it isn’t 4k and can’t do hdr.