The Sony KDL-52EX700 ($1979 MSRP) is a solid, high-performance big-screen TV with just enough bells and whistles to tantalize your gadget fancy. The second-largest in the EX7 series, this TV impressed us with great contrast ratio, color performance, and an outstanding streaming content package.

The 52EX700 is a 52-inch edge-lit LED LCD television with a 1080p resolution. Edge-lit LED is one of the "buzzier" new technologies that people want without understanding what it means. Essentially, the backlighting comes from LED light panel arrays positioned around the edge of the LCD screen. Because they're not placed directly behind the screen, the TV's casing can be made much thinner than other types of displays. But the 52EX700 isn't that thin, and the edge-lighting (we hypothesize) may have caused some screen uniformity problems when stretched over such a large canvas.

One of the most alluring features of the Sony KDL-52EX700 is the online content that comes through the ethernet connection. Sony has put together the best package of streaming content partnerships, far surpassing Samsung, Panasonic, and others. There are over 30 channels of video and music, including Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, Slacker, and more, including a lot of free movies and TV shows. If you like the sound of these features, but don't have the money to spend on this TV, don't worry. Sony extends the same streaming content to all of its 2010 models with internet connectivity.

The Sony KDL-52EX700 has a full array of ports spread out between the back and sides of the casing. Among other connections, you'll find four HDMIs, two components and composites, a USB, and an ethernet port. The USB can be used for playing back photos, music, and audio clips. There's also the option to buy a WiFi dongle for connecting to your home network. 

Performance (Read the full lab performance results at Televisioninfo.com)

The Sony KDL-52EX700 did rather well in most of our lab tests. The black level score was good for an LCD television, though it quite expectedly failed to match the depth of a plasma. The peak brightness performance was excellent, which factored in for a great contrast ratio of approximately 4082:1 (don't let these numbers disappoint because it doesn't match up with the outrageously overinflated scores that manufacturers tout). The color performance was smooth, ensuring that gradual color gradations should look fine on your screen. The 52EX700 showed some problems with maintaining a consistent color temperature. The whites tended to warm as the signal intensity dimmed.

The motion performance was very good, thanks to the TV's special motion processing feature called Motionflow. In small doses, it was able to smooth errors associated with moving objects and maintain more fine detail. But beware of setting Motionflow too high, which can have deleterious effects. The 52EX700's viewing angle was average for an LCD display, losing a significant amount of contrast at only 52 degrees (25.6 degrees from either side of center).

Comparisons (Read more in-depth comparisons at Televisioninfo.com)

For comparison's sake, we matched the Sony KDL-52EX700 with three similar TVs. Last year's Sony KDL-52XBR9 was another great performer, though the online content package is less substantial. It's well worth looking into, and because it's a year old, it can probably be found for cheaper.  The Panasonic TC-P50VT20 ($2699) is a 50-inch plasma television capable of displaying 3D images (with accompanying glasses). It's on the vanguard of new technology, so you'll pay for the privilege.  The 3D effect is cool, but the supporting content is not quite in place yet, so sitting it out for a year might be advisable. Otherwise, the Panasonic's performance was strong (except for poor peak brightness scores). Finally, we looked at the Samsung UN55C7000 ($3299), a 55-inch LED LCD display. A marriage of style and technology, the UN55C7000 is another 3D display. It's undoubtedly the prettiest of the TVs here, but also the most expensive. Again, we advise waiting on a purchase of a 3D TV until we see where this latest craze is going.

Overall, the Sony KDL-52EX700 is a very good television. Sony dropped the price only months after its introduction, so you're almost certainly getting a good deal. You certainly won't be disappointed in the performance or the online content choices.