Design and Peripherals

Sony outdid itself in designing the Bravia 46HX820. The set's very thin black bezel almost disappears when the machine is turned off, thanks to a glass screen that extends to the bezel's edges. The has a similar "bezel-less" design, but Sony's set pulls it off much more successfully because the turned-off screen is just as black as the bezel that surrounds it. At the bottom of the screen, a small Sony logo subtly lights up for a moment when you turn the TV on or off. The Bravia logo (located in the upper left corner) does cheapens the look just slightly.

A member of Sony's , the Bravia 46HX820 measures just over 1 inch thick and weighs approximately 37 pounds, two characteristics that make it easily to mount on a wall. In case you prefer a more traditional set-up, the TV also comes with a black, rectangular, brushed- aluminum swivel stand that can turn 20 degrees to either side. The stand also tilts up 6 degrees.

Sony moved all of the set's buttons and ports to locations behind the screen, so as not to disrupt the visual style. The physical buttons--including power, input, home, channel up/down, volume up/down, and an Energy Saving switch--are on the right side.

The 46HX820's ports are located on the left side of the screen, and all of them run parallel to the screen to preserve the screen's ultrathin profile. Though parallel ports are convenient for wall mounting, they can be difficult to access (especially when they face downward). On the port panel facing to the left, you'll find two USB ports, two HDMI ports, a headphone jack, an optical audio-out, a PC connection, and a PC/HDMI 4 audio-in. The downward-facing panel has two more HDMI ports, a video/component-in, a cable/antenna hookup, and an ethernet port.