Introduction

The KDL-60EX720 will be available in April, but smaller sizes in the series will start shipping in February.

Front

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The Sony KDL-60EX720 has an impressive 60-inch screen with a plain glossy black bezel. The bottom left corner has a few indicator LEDs.

Back

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We weren't able to get shots of the back of the TV due to how it was being displayed.

Sides

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The left side of the TV had a few ports, but due to Sony's setup we weren't able to get a good shot of what those ports were.

Stand/Mount

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Display Size & Technology

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The Sony KDL-60EX720 has a 60 inch LCD display that features LED backlighting.

There are other, smaller sizes that will be available two months earlier, in February. The other models in the series are: the 55-inch KDL-55EX720, the 46-inch KDL-46EX720, the 40-Inch KDL-40EX720, and 32-inch KDL-32EX720.

Formats & Resolution

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The KDL-60EX720 natively supports 1080p, which is a 1920 x 1080 resolution. Currently this is the highest resolution of HD content, but since a few manufacturers are launching 4000 x 2000 resolution displays this year, that might change.

Brightness, Blacks and Contrast Ratio

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Like other Sony HDTVs on display on the show floor, the KDL-60EX720 seemed to have deep blacks even when the black area was a minor detail. The TV didn't seem especially bright, but it was more than bright enough to ensure a good contrast ratio. Of course, this is solely based on us eyeballing a set that was 10 feet off the show floor, so there's a lot of subjective factors at work here.

Color

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We thought the KDL-60EX720 featured some decent color representation with vibrant reds, greens, and blues. We also thought the images were oversaturated and we have no idea what settings were at work. Typically Sony HDTVs have above average color test results, and we wouldn't expect any different from the KDL-60EX720. We're expecting to get a unit from the EX720 series soon, so check back in a couple weeks for a more objective analysis.

Motion & Refresh Rate

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This TV features a 240Hz refresh rate, which allows for 120Hz to beam to each eye when viewing 3D content. That should help 3D motion a bit, but we honestly can't tell the difference between 240Hz and 120Hz playback. We didn't see any huge issues here.

Viewing Angle

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The TV doesn't seem to have a great viewing angle, but then again we were on the ground looking up at it hovering about 2 feet above our heads.

3D Glasses

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It doesn't look like Sony updated their active shutter glasses design. The active shutter glasses on display at Sony's booth were the same 3D glasses we saw coupled with 2010 units: they carry the bulk of their weight at the front and are a bit heavy. They're not the most comfortable active shutter glasses, but they're also not super uncomfortable either. The main problem we found with the active shutter glasses is they don't have the best synchronization, which leads to effect-destroying stuttering.

3D Effect

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We thought the 2011 Sony HDTVs had a slightly better 3D effect than the 2010 units, but they suffered from many of the same problems. Areas of fast motion and high contrast were problem spots where the 3D would drop out, but the glasses provided a decent depth of field.

3D Motion

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Motion is rough for 3D HDTVs, but having a 240Hz refresh rate should help mitigate that somewhat. The example on the show floor wasn't necessarily the finished product, however, so we'll hold off on our judgment until we get the TV into our labs.

Audio & Video Ports

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Unfortunately, we weren't tall or spindly enough to grab shots of the ports. Tall people were very scarce at CES, and were were unable to enlist one for this venture.

Internet & Other Media

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The KDL-60EX720 has an ethernet port and is "WiFi ready." That means you can buy an adapter to provide wireless connectivity. Regardless of your connectivity choice, Sony will provide its usual stable of online content options. The new streaming content provider on the block is actually Sony itself, which will offer premium and free content through their Qriocity service.

Placement

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While we couldn't really see the ports themselves, we could see some side-facing ports. We're not sure if the ports in the back of the TV are rear-facing or back-facing.

Remote

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Other manufacturers made a big to-do over their fanciful new remotes. Since Sony didn't, we're assuming there wasn't much worth announcing; expect the same old Sony remote.

Controls

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The on-set controls run down the right side of the TV and cover the basic functionality: menu, channel up/down, volume up/down, input, and power.

Menu

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Sony didn't have their menu on display this year, but we see no reason to assume they've overhauled it. We'll take a closer look once we have it in house.

Conclusion

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The KDL-60EX720 is a mid-range HDTV that will aim to make 3D more accessible to those who want the feature and only that feature. If you want WiFi you can upgrade to it, but if not, the TV still has an ethernet port for wired connectivity. This particular model will be available in April, but the smaller sizes will be available much sooner (February). We should hopefully be getting in the smaller units soon, so check back in a few weeks for our full review of the EX720 series.

Specs

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