The Sony Bravia KDL-65W5100 may not have generated much fanfare, but it definitely has many great features, particularly its interactive features, which, along with its semi-affordable price, set it apart from and above other models in its size range.

The Sony Bravia KDL-65W5100 starts off its interactivity suite with the usual Yahoo widgets, namely Yahoo News, Yahoo Weather and Yahoo Finance. Yahoo News displays the latest headlines of top news stories from different categories like Entertainment and Politics, along with the first two lines of the news. Yahoo Weather keeps you posted on the current weather in your area and other parts of the world, and even gives you a five-day forecast. And Yahoo Finance is a handy widget for those who want to keep tabs on the stock market and their own stock portfolios. All these take a few minutes to load, especially the Weather and Finance, but it is pretty reasonable compared to having to check the info on your computer. Unlike with most models, these widgets can be displayed anywhere on the screen of your KDL-65W5100 so you don’t have to live with them being stuck at the bottom where they might not look best.

The KDL-65W5100 also has a Twitter widget, which displays the most recent tweets, either from your own account or an account you follow, and is even updated real-time. You can even post your own tweet, although you will have to use the directional keys on the remote to navigate through the virtual keyboard, which can be quite frustrating.

Aside from these widgets, the KDL-65W5100 is also capable of video streaming, which means that unlike the case with other models, you don’t need to buy the Bravia Internet Video Link to watch your favorite videos from the internet on your HDTV screen. For example, you can watch HD content from Amazon Video on Demand, which only takes a few minutes to load.

Other channels or providers available include YouTube, Sports Illustrated On Demand, CBS, The Minisode Network, Blip.tv, FEARnet, Style.com, among others, although the videos they have available are not as clear as those on Amazon’s. Not to worry, you will have more choices once Netflix becomes available, which Sony promises it will.

You can also access the video content stored on the other computers in your home network, since the KDL-65W5100 has enhanced DLNA capability. You can access the music files you’ve downloaded on them, too, in addition to the music you can listen to from your favorite Internet Radio stations.

Finally, the KDL-65W5100 also has an interactive program guide, which means its list of television programs is regularly updated via your Internet connection for free, so you don’t miss out on your favorite shows and movies on TV.

These interactive features truly make the Sony Bravia KDL-65W5100 stand out from the rest of the HDTV models around, and with its great picture quality, energy-saving options and various picture presets, it certainly is an HDTV to consider if you want a large one for your spacious living room but don’t want to spend too much. Connectivity is not a problem either. As with most Sony Bravia models, the connectivity suite of the KDL-65W5100 offers four HDMI inputs - although for a change, you will find most of them at the side, together with the PC input and USB slot, and only one at the rear.

Edward is an electronics expert who writes HDTV Reviews. To learn more about the sony bravia kdl-65w5100, visit HDTVReviewLab.com

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Filed under: Sony HDTVs