After a year, still a great set

Bought this TV to replace 19" CRT. Wow, this set is like a new experience. The Sony BRAVIA KDL-40V2500 40" is my first foray into the world of High Definition TV. When I bought this set one year ago, I did extensive research compared to other sets (specifically the Sharp AQUOS sets) and in the end, I felt dollar for dollar the Sony was a better set. I have not been disappointed by this set. I upgraded from Comcast to Dish Network and their HD package just to experience the HD capacities of this set and I could not be more impressed. The reason I decided on the 40" set was that the size seemed adequate for our viewing area (distance back from the set), and was perfectly sized for an entertainment center we were already using in our living room.

I purchases this set the day before Super Bowl 41, when prices could not have been any lower. I bought this set at Bernie's, a chain for appliances and TV's in New England. I ended up paying $1899 which seemed to be a steal compared to Best Buy or Sears. For those interested, the Bernie's flier in the recent newspaper had the Sony KDL-46V3000 (I'm guessing this is the 46" model of this TV) along with a Sony Blue-ray player on sale for $1799. Although it makes me wish I could have waited a year, I still am not upset with my purchase.

I am most impressed by the 2 HDMI inputs. This is beneficial because it allows my HD satellite receiver to be connected to one input, and my DVD player to be connect to another. So far I have not upgraded to a Blue-ray or HD-DVD DVD player and am currently using a Sony DVD-upconverter (Sony DVP-NS75H). I have found this set up adequate until I eventually upgrade to either Blue-ray or HD-DVD. I am not a gamer, therefore, I have not used the other inputs on this set for any video games.

My biggest complaint is that it takes a while to cycle through all the video inputs. As I states, I'm only using 2 of the inputs, out of the 8 TV/Video inputs. To get from #7 back to #6 (the two HDMI inputs) it takes a while to cycle through. I guess I'm just not that patient. If I were to design this, I would make an option just to switch between the two HDMI inputs (vice all inputs).

Two other minor complaints I have on the set are 1)the remote doesn't seem to match the quality of the actual TV. After paying $1900 for a TV, the remote seems to be of no better quality then ones I received with $50 boom-boxes. This is only a minor complaint because I rarely use the supplied TV remote. With a satellite receiver, I used the satellite remote 75% of the time, and the DVD player remote probably 24.9%. The DVD player's remote (being a Sony) controls my TV. 2) The volume on DVD's seems to be very quiet. I do not attribute this to the TV, but I can not rule it out. Compared to my satellite receiver, I must really crank up the volume on DVD's to get the same level of volume. I believe this to be a lot output from the DVD player, but as stated, I can not rule out the TV as the cause.

One important thing I'd like to add to this review is an experience with the sets warranty. The warranty period is one year parts, labor and service to your home. We actually did need to use the warranty about three months ago because a very thin line appeared horizontally across the center of the set. A line of the LED's that provide the backlight went out. I called the Sony 1-800 number and they provided me with local service representatives (basically private businesses Sony contracts to repair their TV's). Unfortunately none of these service providers were close enough to service our TV. Through using Sony's website, I found a closer service provider. This repair shop came to my house, fixed my set, and brought it back under the warranty. I'm glad this happened during the warranty period and my fingers are crossed this was a one time thing as I expect to get a few more years of mileage out of this unit.