KDL42W653a - Motionflow setting disappeared!

[adam_cr]

HELP!

I bought myself a KDL42W653a last week and, initially, was very impressed. The first night I popped on a DVD, fiddled with the settings and found one for 'motionflow' which made the display look super fluid. At the same time, I also changed a setting for audio delay (in ms) because the audio became slightly out of sync with the picture.

Since that night, however, both options have disappeared. The image played from the DVD player is now back to 'normal' and absolutely nothing I change can get the 'motionflow' setting back. I've noticed that a number of people on the net have asked why the motionflow setting is not included on this model (despite it being a Motionflow "00hz TV!) but trust me, IT WAS THERE! It made a wonderful difference to the quality of films and now I'm pretty annoyed that it has gone. Has an erroneous system update since the night I plugged in the TV perhaps removed the option?

If anyone could help me I'd be really grateful... including Sony officials. 

[abomb1987]

Thanks. Hopefully Sony come to their senses and enable motionflow. Its like the Linux support on PS3 when it was removed. Sony maybe making a habit of taking away features used to sell products.

[stealthinde]

Thank you for your patience. After investigation on our TVs, we could confirm that the Motionflow can be noticed only when 2 TVs are adjacent with the same content and when having different scenes, we can then get the difference. I would recommend that you check this on any of the display models available at the nearest Sony centre.

Well, I don't know anymore if I am write or just wrong, but:

Dear Support,

From your website (http://goo.gl/HIhMAv):

"Amazing things often happen fast, sometimes in the blink of an eye like a flash of lightning. Motionflow XR ensures a sharp, distinct picture, no matter how fast the action gets. It creates and inserts completely new transitional images between every frame of the TV picture."

Now, that's a bit different than:

"the Motionflow can be noticed only when 2 TVs are adjacent with the same content and when having different scenes"

I mean, I think that every customer should see instantly more motion and "amazing things [that happen] in the blink of an eye".

I would like to give you this link: http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/sony-kdl42w653-201308113237.htm
It is a quite professional review (pro tools and staff).

In the "Picture Quality" section:

"While we’re at it, we ran our custom “motion interpolation checker” pattern on the KDL42W653A, and verified that no forced motion interpolation took place in any of the [Scene Select] presets. Having no MCFI forcibly applied is particularly relevant for the [Cinema] mode which is our picture preset of choice for critical viewing – the last thing we want is for the cinematic quality of 24fps movies to be subverted by ugly soap opera effect."

Motion interpolation has certainly Pro and Cons, but we all (customers) have paid for this feature, and, I am sorry to say that, evidence just proves the opposite you are telling us.

So, please, let us explore this MotionFlow engine with a simple switch, let's just keep this "issue resolution" simple.

[abomb1987]

Come on Sony! A simple option in the menu please. Can't be that hard for your software engineers can it? Pull your fingers out.

[Kyorisan]

Yeah we want this option. We have buy this TV with the motionflow in the description !

[stealthinde]

And this is how Sony solves issues and false advertising. Great Company!

This case has been escalated to the Customer Relations Office.

I have reviewed the case and due to all the extensive investigation the Senior Technical Support have carried out, and feedback to you I am afraid there is no further assistance I can offer.

If you are totally unhappy with the quality of the product, I can only suggest that you return this to the retailer.

I appreciate this may not be the outcome your were hoping for, but am unable to assist you on this occasion.

What will the mighty Customer Relations Office do?

[MartiBee]

I have just read a review of the newer KDL42w705 on the HDTV Test website. This appears to be essentially the same set as the KDL42w653 but with 4 HDMIs and is part of the Sony 2014 range. The reviewer notes that this TV has no motionflow settings available to the user. If this is the case I cannot see Sony enabling it on the 'older' 653. Despite earlier comments in this thread it makes me wonder whether the hardware really does support motionflow / MCFI and maybe the settings were removed due to hardware limitations.

Being lead down the garden path springs to mind...

[abomb1987]

If you read a review on this model from when it was released they all cover the motionflow on this TV so yes it does have the hardware and it is described as 200Hz practically everywhere it is sold.

[CHRIS1066]

After reading all these postings I cannot help thinking, would it not have been better for Sony to explain clearly that the KDL42W653/4a range of sets do not have and never have had any way of manually setting Motionflow!!

I have myself one of these sets and have long realised its done automatically with scene control although it can be manually set if required. It may not be perfect but it is fine for most applications.

An official Sony statement and explaination would have have stopped all this and not have caused so much bad press in this forum.

[stealthinde]

Up for Sony!

[Robbo9999]

I've been trying to get to the bottom of "Motionflow XR 200Hz" with Sony support.  Boy, do they like to be vague - cynically I think to avoid the question & to fob off the customer when difficult questions are asked.  But anyway, I'm trying to tie them down into confirming that frame interpolation is used or not.  This is the crux of the Motionflow technology according to Sony's website, here is a link to a Sony website describing the Motionflow XR 200Hz that we are supposed to have on this TV:

http://www.sony-asia.com/microsite/bravia/led-backlit-lcd-tv-picture-quality.html

I've had a lot of back & forth discussions over e-mail with Sony support, and this is my latest response to them cut & pasted from my e-mail:

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Thanks for coming back to me, but I do have some questions still on this topic of Motionflow on my TV.

You say that it is "not possible to turn off the Motionflow feature or change it on your TV model". Does that mean Motionflow is always turned on & being implemented at all Picture settings & Scene Selects?

Secondly, you say that the information that I requested asking if "Motionflow XR 200Hz" uses frame interpolation is confidential by saying that "the information you have asked for regarding the technology of the Motionflow feature is confidential to Sony, and we will not be able to share it". You must be wrong in your assertion, as you openly describe how Motionflow works at this Sony webpage:

http://www.sony-asia.com/microsite/bravia/led-backlit-lcd-tv-picture-quality.html

In fact, that web page says that Motionflow XR 200 Hz is "Powered by Image Blur Reduction, Frame Interpolation, and Backlight Blinking technology, this advanced 200Hz panel delivers ultra-smooth, ultra-precise, and ultra-detailed pictures.".  The reason for me wanting to get confirmation from Sony with whether this TV uses frame interpolation is two fold:  1) Motion doesn't seem that smooth to me, indicating my suspicion that this TV does not use frame interpolation, 2) numerous reviews of this TV prove that frame interpolation is not used (at this link:  http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/sony-kdl42w653-201308113237.htm).  This all leads me to the suspicion that this TV does not use the Motionflow that it is advertised as using.  The reason for all my e-mails to Sony support have been to seek specific clarification as to whether Motionflow (as Sony describe how Motionflow works) is being used on my TV.

I'm not satisfied with your response for all the above reasons.  Please could you look carefully over my points & questions, and respond to them please.  Please confirm ifMotionflow XR 200Hz is used on this TV, and also please confirm if the Motionflow feature functions in the manner described by your Sony website described at this link (http://www.sony-asia.com/microsite/bravia/led-backlit-lcd-tv-picture-quality.html). Please use the words 'frame interpolation' in your answer, as it is my suspicion that this TV doesn't use it, even though it is advertised by Sony as using it.

I have put my main questions in bold to make them clearer to you, as those are the parts that require answers from you,

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Yep, so that's my e-mail to them, I'll probably let you know how they respond.  My suspicion is that this TV does not use Motionflow XR 200Hz in the manner described on the Sony website.  Specifically, I don't believe this TV uses frame interpolation, and it's this that I'm trying to get to the bottom of!  It's hell going through Sony support though, I'm gonna put a formal complaint in if they keep seem to be stalling & worming, being vague, etc.