Sony Bravia KDL-40NX713 review

For this review we tested the 40in model in the NX713 range, but it’s also available in a 46in (KDL-46NX713) screen size. Those models have identical specifications except for their dimensions and power usage. We’re confident that image quality will be practically identical across the range.

If there’s one company we expect great styling from, it’s Sony, and its new flagship 3D TV certainly doesn’t disappoint. The Bravia KDL-40NX713 looks absolutely stunning thanks to its Monolith design, where the bezel and screen are indistinguishable from each other when the TV is off. The illuminated Sony logo adds a further touch of class.

Despite being less than 30mm thick, the KDL-40NX713 still retains all the connectivity options we would expect from a high-end TV; as well as four HDMI inputs, one component, one composite and a single D-Sub port, there are also optical S/PDIF and stereo phono audio outputs. A Freeview HD tuner, common interface (CI) slot to add a card for Pay TV channels, an Ethernet port and a single USB socket complete the set. There’s also integrated Wi-Fi, so you won’t need to run a cable from your router to your TV.

Although the USB port supports multimedia playback from an external hard disk or flash drive, we were disappointed with the poor file format support; audio and image playback is limited to MP3 and JPEG, and we could only get our AVCHD, MP4 and H.264 video files to play. DivX and XviD files refused to play and MKV files wouldn’t show up in the interface at all. The same was true when playing content across a local network; if you’ve got a lot of multimedia content, you’ll have to play it through a separate media streamer connected to the TV unless your file types are supported.

The integrated web service provides some compensation; we were impressed with the online content available on the budget Sony TVs we saw earlier in the year, but amazingly the KDL-40NX713 manages to squeeze in even more. As well as giving you access to Facebook and Twitter, you can view images on Picasa and Flickr, stream music using Sony’s proprietary Qriocity service and watch a whole host of video channels. Beyond YouTube, LoveFilm and Sony’s own 3D content channel, you can watch the latest headlines from EuroSport and Sky News, plus catch up on missed TV programmes with BBC iPlayer or Demand 5.