Photo gallery: Sony Bravia KDL40ZX1Fellas, if you ever want to make the opposite sex double over in fits of apoplectic laughter, then all you need to do is say: "Hi, do you want to come to my place and watch my really, really thin television. It's as thin as a CD case."
Thin may be in, but it's not really going to impress anybody who doesn't happen to be looking at it side-on. Sony's ZX1 is 9.9mm across at its thinnest point, but what matters most to us is if it performs well…
Upside
The secret to getting a 40-inch TV screen so thin is by using LED backlighting, instead of the cathode tubes used in regular LCDs. As well as making the set more suitable for wall-mounting, this technology also makes for better black levels and image depth. Based on the unit we saw at the Uchi showcase, the TV also appeared to have an impressive viewing angle.
To further assist in mounting the television, the ZX1 comes with Sony's proprietary "Bravia 1080 Wireless" technology to beam content from a separate media box. This means you don't have to poke any holes in your walls as the media box accepts the connections from your other gear. Apart from the need for a power cable, of course… The remote control is also RF wireless.
The ZX1 also features Sony's Bravia 2 processing engine in addition to 100Hz motion compensation, and can accommodate up to four HDMI connections.
Downside
We're a little confused by the current trend for "blinging" the rear of televisions — LG does it with its Scarlet range, and now Sony's doing it with the ZX1. And guess what, it's piano black. We're just a little bemused that attaching any sort of mounting bracket to this will just scratch the crikey out of the finish.
There's been little details on how "Bravia 1080 Wireless" works, but it appears that it could use a 5GHz-plus signal so there shouldn't be any interference. Not unless you own a plethora of dual-band routers. But given that wireless HD is a new technology you can expect some teething problems...
Outlook
Given the luxury appointments of this television it's not going to be cheap; while Samsung's own LED-backlit 9-series will be from AU$5,499, we expect the ZX1 could be anywhere up to twice that. The ZX1 will be available in Australia in November.
