Sony Bravia KDL-40EX43B review

Let’s cut to the chase. If you’re and looking to buy a new TV and Blu-ray player, you’d be hard pushed to find a better value option than the Sony Bravia KDL-40EX43B. There, we’ve said it.

What you get is a 40in Sony LCD TV with an integrated Blu-ray player for around £569 online, including delivery. Well, the KDL-40EX43B will actually cost you about £100 more than that, but due to Sony’s “VAT back” promotion, as long as you buy before Christmas, Sony will refund you the tax, making the actual price £569. Okay, now that we’ve got that out of the way, what is this TV actually like?

There’s no getting away from the fact that you’re getting a lot for you money with this TV, but it’s also worth pointing out that that the KDL-40EX43B sits in Sony’s Essential range, which is basically the entry level. As such, the KDL-40EX43B doesn’t look quite as slick and stylish as sets found in Sony’s premium Network, or even Signature ranges. That’s not so say it’s an ugly TV – with a glossy black bezel and stand, the KDL-40EX43B manages to look reasonably sleek, as long as you remember to dust it regularly.

There’s no fancy LED backlighting here, so the KDL-40EX43B isn’t the slimmest of LCD TVs, but when you consider that Sony has squeezed a Blu-ray drive into the chassis, its profile is quite impressive. The Blu-ray drive is a slot loading device located on the right edge of the TV along with an array of controls. Don’t get excited about having an extra HDMI port because of the integrated Blu-ray, though, as this TV only has three HDMIs instead of the more common four. We’re assuming that despite being integrated, the Blu-ray player uses an internal HDMI connection.