Forget that the screen featured in this 32in LCD is actually sourced from rivals Samsung - it's Sony's own Wega Engine picture processing brains that we're most interested in.

By cutting out the flat-panel screen's traditional analogue to digital conversions, the presence of Wega Engine means that picture quality is immediately boosted. Several of these conversions normally take place during each signal processing phase, as normal screens go about scaling the input signal to the specific number of pixels in the display. And with each conversion, picture noise increases. By processing the picture digitally, Wega Engine drastically reduces the potential for noise.

What's more, Wega Engine works at both ends of the picture journey, first processing the source signal as it arrives and then applying secondary processing designed specifically for flat panel TVs while delivering the image to the screen.

In tune

The L32MRX1 is also one of the few LCD TVs around with a built-in digital TV tuner. Furthermore, as one of the higher-end models in Sony's new LCD range, it features a delicious floating design, whereby the screen is surrounded by a sheet of transparent glass that makes it look as if it's hovering in thin air.

Connectivity comes courtesy of a handy external multimedia tuner box. There are three Scarts (two RGB-capable), component video inputs able to take high definition or progressive sources from a DVD player, a D-Sub jack for connecting up a PC and a MemoryStick slot from which you can record two hours of video onto a 128MB stick. Sadly, however, there are no DVI-D or HDMI all-digital connections to take Sky's HDTV programming next year. Shame.

Noises off

What isn't a shame is that the picture noise that characterised past Sony flat panel offerings is completely removed on the KDL-32MRX1, leaving a picture that's blisteringly sharp, direct and natural. So when the camera dramatically changes depth of field from the neon-lit streets of Tokyo at night to a jet-lagged Charlotte perched on the window ledge of her hotel room in Lost in Translation, the amount of detail doesn't. But we're not just talking about progressive scan DVDs and highdefinition sources here; even pesky digital tuner pictures look outstanding.