Our Verdict
This TV is for gamers who wants the lowest input lag possible and plan on using its Impulse mode. If you plan on using the TV for other things, the Samsung H7150 is superior in every way, except for the viewing angle.
- Extremely low input lag. You won't notice any delay, even in very fast games.
- Great viewing angle. The colors stay the same even when viewed from the side.
- Average amount of motion blur. However, if you don't mind a darker screen and flickering, it has a special impulse mode that reduces blur considerably, without increasing input lag.
- Low contrast ratio. The blacks appear gray in a dark room.
- Poor black uniformity. The flashlighting issue was really noticeable.
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We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests are done with specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.
Test Results
The Sony W950B is a beast. It is heavy and thick. From the side, it is shaped like a triangle. The bottom is a lot thicker than the top.
The stand has two configurations, the close one that we used, and a wide one where the two feet are placed on either side. You really need a wide table if you plan on using the wide configuration.
The Sony W950B LED TV has low contrast because it uses an IPS panel. Even if you have one or two lights on, you will notice the poor blacks.
Our unit suffered from a significant flashlighting issue. This was really noticeable as soon as the scene displayed was even a little bit dark.
At least the gray uniformity was excellent. The top and bottom edges were slightly darker, though.
The viewing angle is great. The colors stay saturated even off-axis.
The finish is glossy. It reflects about twice as much as the Samsung H7150, which is also glossy.
It can get very bright, but its glossy screen makes reflections an issue.
The input lag is the best that we've tested so far. Sony did a really great job with this.
Sony's smart features aren't very good. The W950B comes with a camera. Check out our review of Sony's 2014 Smart TV platform.
It comes with two remotes; one standard, and a special one. Unlike the remote of the Samsung H7150, it is only a touchpad; no motion control, pointer, or microphone.