Sony has always been a leading TV brand and have carried that leadership on into the LED TV market. In fact, I was slightly surprised to find out that the first ever LED TV on the market was a Sony...the Sony Qualia way back in 2004. Surprising isn't it?

The reason all of the technology companies were racing to introduce LED technology was simply that the color brightness and density is around twice as good as the traditional Cathode Ray lighting of TV sets. Plus there is a power saving by using a LED lit TV.

There are three variations on the theme. Firstly there are RGB dynamic screens which allow "local dimming" to make blacks really dark and deep. Secondly there are Edge-Lit LEDs, the main benefit of which is to make the screen really thin and finally there are Full-Array sets where the LED lights are spread across the screen area. They offer slightly less intense colors and generally a picture with less contrast. The main benefit of Full-Array sets is the reduction in power consumption.

Sony's main LED TV brand is the Bravia which sells many millions of dollars' worth of TVs each year. And Sony are particularly popular amongst true HD TV enthusiasts. So, with this in mind I decided to do a review of the Sony Bravia range.

The 32 Inch KDL32EX600 is the starting point for the Bravia range. With a feature list that would be at home on a much larger model this amazing little TV comes with full 1080p HD. This is unusual on such a small screen. The trade-off is a lower refresh speed (60 or 120 Hz, it's not made clear), but with full HD and on the smaller screen it still leaves you with a brilliant and crisp picture. And with a price tag of around $700 for a Sony LED TV, this set is a real winner.

It's not a set for a large viewing room but if you want a second set in the kitchen, bedroom or kids room, it's absolutely ideal.

The full Sony Bravia range goes from the 32 Inch screen through the following screen sizes 40, 42, 46, 50, 52, 55 and 60 inch screens. The jewel in the crown is the new Sony XBR60LX900 60" 3D TV. This is a stunning piece of television kit there is no doubt about that! The list of features is extensive and it comes with integrated wi-fi (Samsung please take note), but the price tag is a bit severe at $4,499. This is only marginally cheaper than Samsung's top of the range 65 Inch 3D offering and LG come in quite a bit cheaper with their top end offering. Having said all that, the reviews I've read rate this particular LED very highly indeed.

In researching this article I found out that the most popular screen sizes in terms of Bravia sales are 46-52 inch. We went to see family in Vancouver recently and they've just gone up to a 55 Inch screen and to be honest, I thought it "over-powered" the viewing room. Our viewing area is similar in size and I think that 46 inches is the right screen size, but of course it is a very personal thing. In terms of the Bravia range my "best-buy" has to be the Sony Bravia EX700 52 Inch. The price versus performance equation is superb now at circa $1,750.

Indeed, if you look around the last pre 3D releases there are some absolute bargains to be had right now. I think this is for two reasons. Firstly the new range of 240Hz and 3D TVs are now being released and secondly, we're not quite out of the economic woods just yet and stores are still very keen to make any sales they can. So, it's my belief that this is probably the best possible time to get a new LED TV. In fact I wouldn't even accept the tag price...I'd ask for a deal! Although I think it would be difficult to beat online prices such as those at Amazon.

When all is said and done, you will always do well if you buy a Sony. It's a front runner brand that offers a solid track-record and their TVs always perform well in terms of both reliability and quality and of course picture quality.

So, if you decide to get one of the new Sony LEDs or even push the boat out and go 3D, do expect to pay slightly more for a Sony Bravia. My research suggests Sony and Samsung are about level on pricing and obviously quality and features are pretty common. LG are catching up fast, but I just can't see them retaining their lower prices when they get to the top level in performance and quality.

The bottom line is you can't go far wrong in you get yourself a Sony LED TV. They are definitely one of the market leaders as far as quality, performance and reliability are concerned.