Sony WEGA KV-27FS13 27" Flat-Screen TV

Video Features
This set features a three-line digital comb filter, which enhances resolution by removing the blurred edges between colors and reducing dot crawl. It also sports Dynamic Focus Circuitry, which provides better-controlled picture tube rays that produce a crystal-clear picture equally across the entire flat screen. A 181-channel auto preset tuner rounds out the package.

Audio Features
This SAP-enabled set (second language decoding) also features Sony's Matrix surround sound system, backed up by enhanced stereo sound.

Other Features
The Wega KV-27FS13 comes with a component video input, two rear audio/video inputs, S-video Detection, a front audio/Video input, a RF input, and a variable/fixed audio output, as well as Sony's RM-Y180 new silver universal remote commander luminous remote control and V-chip parental control to protect young eyes from adult programming.

With bungee cords, the box barely fit in the trunk of my Caprice, but I got it home and in the door, courtesy of my trusty handcart.
Getting it up on the TV stand with no help proved harder. At 100 pounds and with few right angles for my hands to get a purchase on, it's a big'un. I'm glad I got the in-home repair plan, 'cause I ain't movin' that thing again till it's ready to go to that home theater in the sky.

But enough of all that. You want to know about the picture. Well, it's flat, and there is less glare, but it's a picture. The ugly little secret no one will admit is that picture quality is dependent on many things, none having to do with the flatness of one's TV screen.

This has been brought brutally home to me during the time I've had the set. On the stations with high quality signals, the picture is fantastically bright and clear. I can see the weave in fabrics, the blemishes, laughlines and stretchmarks on actors' skins, the veins on leaves and petals, the scratches and nicks in football players' helmets. Watching certain cable channels, old family videos or clapped-out video-store rentals, however, is an exercise in frustration. I can only compare the experience to trying to read fine print without my bifocals. Our local peacock-network affiliate has multiple ghosts and scratchy sound, as it has for the last three years.

Around back, it's got more plugs and outlets than my stereo receiver. From the looks of them, you could hook up enough speakers to start a second Northridge quake. The cable connection worked, and that's all I cared about.

A few minor quibbles. There's no flat surface on top to rest the cable guide and TV listings. Why bother putting volume, channel, and on-off controls along the top front edge of the cabinet? And the color of that cabinet can best be described as stained-with-a-few-years-worth-of-kitchen-grease-silver. Sony, please. Either make it bright silver or paint it black.

Once you OPEN AND READ THE MANUAL, this TV's onscreen menus are a joy to use. And I have a Sony VCR, so I can use its remote and the TV's remote almost interchangeably. Very nice.

Moms 'n' Dads who use TV as an electronic babysitter will be happy to know that through the use of this Sony's password-prompted parental controls, their progeny can be blocked from seeing anything but G-rated fare, so hopefully they will grow up be model students and upstanding citizens and not stand around smoking and spitting and making noise in front of my house. We shall see.

Watching old CinemaScope movies that have been letterboxed is a much more pleasant experience than on my old 1989 25" bubble-screen. If you do a lot of that, you might want to spring for a 32" flat-screen, but invite some strong friends over for pizza and beer the day you bring it home. It's close to 200 pounds (Yes, I asked while I was at the store.)

Sound? It's head-and-shoulders above that coming from my old TV, whose two integral "stereo" speakers were partially blocked by the housing. I've already tried hooking the TV up to my stereo system using both the back and front audio ports, and the sound is phenomenal. I got a pretty good idea of what surround sound would be like if I ever went that route. Again, the sound is best on newer shows that were in stereo to begin with. Old movies and TV shows(my favorite kind) didn't have clear-as-a-bell sound to begin with, and there's not much improvement in 1950's audio even on a 2001 flat-screen stereo set.

So there you are, folks. If you're going to buy a Wega or any other flat-screen TV, buy it. Wonderful picture, wonderful sound under ideal conditions. But don't expect it to be a cure-all for weak output from the aforementioned sources. If anything, the high-quality display and the relative power of the speakers will exacerbate the flaws in these sources.As we used to say in the bad old days of DOS and the bad new days of HTML, "Garbage in, garbage out."


Great quality at a reasonable price   December 8, 2001
23 out of 24 found this review helpful

Before I made the decision to buy this product, I read a variety of consumer reviews, including Consumer Reports. The reviews gave this product high marks. (Consumer Reports rated this among the top TVs in its category). I was looking for a reliable flat screen TV that would provide excellent picture and sound quality at a reasonable price.

With the Sony KV27FS13 I was not disappointed. After getting some help to get it in place (it is heavy), the connections and setup instructions were a breeze. I am very pleased with the variety of connection options. The S-Video input allowed me to connect my satellite receiver. I can't believe the clear, sharp images. What a difference!

The reviews I read also said that video component input was the way to go to connect a DVD player. I used this connection to hook up my DVD player. The picture quality is superb! I was surprised at the clarity of the sound too. It is the closest thing to watching movies in a theater that you can experience without actually being in a theater.

All in all, I am very pleased with my purchase. I would highly recommend this Sony Wega TV to anyone who is looking for great quality at a reasonable price.


Excellent flat-screen TV   November 18, 2001
L. Hower (Providence, RI (USA))
27 out of 29 found this review helpful

Having read a number of glowing reviews, I was not disappointed by my new Sony Wega - this TV is awesome. I compared a number of 27" flat screen TVs from Toshiba, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, & Sony. Of the five, I found the Sony to have the clearest and most vibrant picture. Also, only the Sony and the Samsung have the 16:9 picture modes to display widescreen films with the highest resolution. Digital cable (thru composite video input) looks significantly sharper and more brighter than my old TV and DVDs w/ component video input look stellar. I also have PS2 and games look awesome on the Wega.


Great 27 inch Flat Screen from SONY   November 29, 2001
hille2000 (USA)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

This is a truly great TV set. I love the flat screen and how sharp it looks. When I play pre-recorded VHS tapes on my VCR on this television you can actually read the credits on the tape! I never saw that before. Also we still play Laser Discs in my household so I really enjoy the multiple options for inputs. I was also impressed with the sound on this set. You can actually hear the bass. This is a great TV. SONY makes the best.


4.5 stars   June 4, 2003
S. sherer (new york, new york United States)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

I've had this television for probably about a year. It is a fantastic set. I am no videophile but I can tell you that it has the best picture of any set that I have owned. I'm pretty sure that it also has the best picture that I have seen on just about any television that I have sat down in front of (not including a TV store).

Pros: Great picture. Crisp and clear for television. I have a local cable company providers cable box hooked up into the S-Video input. It looks great.
I have a Sony DVD player hooked up through the component video inputs. The picture is incredible. I must add though, that some DVD's are not looking as good as I would have expected when compared to others. I think that has alot to do with the DVDs in these rare cases though. Star Wars Episod 2 looks insanely good. So do many others. Some, for some reason do not.

16x9 mode. This is also great for wide screen dvds. It increases the resolution in a very noticable way. I must add though that better instructions need to be given regarding the dvd players aspect ratio and what to do to make this feature work correctly. If done wrong, this feature makes the picture squish a little (very noticable). But when you do it correctly, it makes all the difference in the world. A very good option to have. I'm told the resolution gets to be about 33% better. It sure looks it.

Cons: I too have seen some white patches at the top left and rights sides when playing certain dvds. The only time I see them is during the intro to star trek episodes on DVD when all you see is the stars against a dark backround. The white patches are there and are noticable during this brief period. I don't watch hockey like the others and have therefore not seen the pink bars on the side they see during bright white scenes. I have had no issues with bright white scenes. The more colorful the better is the impression that I get with this TV.

One more con and that's all. Although the DVD quality is incredible for most DVDs, there are a few where during dark scenes you see what one person refered to as "hundreds of bugs running all over the place". I guess this is that grainy look that digital sometimes has. I think this comes from bad DVD's. Anyway, I do see this sometimes and am still pleased with this set. It can only be as good as what you put on it.

All in all. I Love this set and would buy it again. I paid about 500 for it and didn't find it too hard to get it in my apt. It is very versitile. It was a little heavy, but I think that that is a good sign that everything that needs to be in there, is.