I found that, for the best results, this should be set to 'low'; in this case MotionFlow 100Hz works very well indeed, improving the clarity of movement across the screen without throwing up many significant, distracting side effects.

The smeary nightmare witnessed with Sony's W3000 models last year now looks like a distant memory.

The darker the better

When it comes to black level, a familiar Achilles' heel of CCFL-backlit LCD screens, this Sony performs well ...with caveats.

Dark patches in otherwise bright scenes provide a punchy, realistic-looking counterpoint to the exceptionally vibrant colours, and the screen's native black level response also looks good during darker moments, such as the tense No Country… night-time street shoot-out.

Sony claims a contrast ratio of 50,000:1. In our real world contrast measures, we recorded a ratio
of 32,000:1 out of the box, and 23,000:1 after calibration.

The backlight, though, is definitely uneven, which led to some demerits by the Tech Lab team. Fed a Full White field, the positioning of the backlights is clearly detectable – even at 100%. This translates to 'dull vertical ridges' through the screen. I also noted subtle grey pools in the TV's corners. However, outside of a test pattern environment these foibles disappear, effectively masked by onscreen video.

Impressive audio

Turning from the 52W4500's pictures to its audio, the massive images are joined by an impressively potent soundstage, replete with fine detail, surprisingly rich mid-bass and reasonable stereo spread.

The screen can comfortably handle a good action sequence, illustrating just how far TV audio systems have developed in recent years.

Get an audition

When all's said and done, Sony's 52W4500 is an outstanding TV which doesn't disappoint. Its picture processing is close to state-of-the-art, producing images that have a three-dimensional depth be they standard-or hi-def.

Given that this isn't one of the most expensive large screens on the market (similar sized TVs can easily command as much as a grand more with only minor differences in specification), it should be considered a bona-fide star.

With the KDL-52W4500, Sony is back with bang. This really is a brilliant Bravia.