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Sony W850B TV Review

Tested using Methodology v0.9
Reviewed Jul 08, 2014 at 12:00 am
Sony W850B Picture
8.3
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
This TV was replaced by the Sony W850C

The Sony W850B LED TV is the best gaming TV you can buy in this price and size range. The downsides, which shouldn't really matter to gamers, are a narrow viewing angle and sub-par smart features.

Our Verdict

8.3 Mixed Usage

The Sony W850B LED TV is really great. If you are a gamer and are looking for a TV in 60", look no further; this Sony W850B is the one you want. For mixed usage, you can save a few hundred by going for the Samsung H6350 instead, which also has a better smart platform.

Pros
  • Very low input lag. In conjunction with the almost blur-free Impulse mode, it is the best gaming TV you can buy in this size.
  • Great overall picture quality, both in dark and bright rooms.
Cons
  • Laggy smart TV interface. Also, it only comes with a standard remote, unlike other TVs in this price range.
  • Beautiful design, but it is very heavy and thick.
  • Limited viewing angle. Like most LED TVs, the colors change when you sit at an angle.
  • 8.3 Mixed Usage
  1. Updated Jul 08, 2014: Review published.
  2. Updated Jul 06, 2014: Our testers have started testing this product.
  3. Updated Apr 07, 2014: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Video

Test Results

Design
Design
Design

The W850B is really heavy - almost twice as much as the W950B. It has the same triangular shape, which is thicker at the bottom, but with a black finish instead of an anodized finish.

Design
Stand

The stand is also the same as the W950B. It can be used in two positions, a close one (as pictured), and one as wide as the TV.

Design
Borders

1.02" (2.6 cm)

Design
Thickness

3.15" (8 cm)

Picture Quality
9.1
Picture Quality
Contrast
Black 0.026 cd/m²
White 111.1 cd/m²
Contrast 4,273 : 1

The contrast ratio is great, right in the same ballpark as most LED TVs. The color calibration out of the box was also very good.

7.0
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity

Unfortunately, our unit had a relatively severe case of clouding. It wasn't noticeable with normal content - only in dark scenes with the lights turned off.

6.5
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity

The gray uniformity is great and can't really get any better with LEDs.

6.7
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
Viewing Angle 26°

At about 25°, the picture loses contrast and saturation. If you have an L shaped sofa, you will see a difference in color depending on where you sit.

9.0
Picture Quality
Average Room
Reflection 1.7%
Surface Type Semi-gloss

The Sony W850B has a semi-gloss finish, which reflects more than the glossy one of the Samsung H7150, but slightly less than the semi-gloss of the H6350.

8.4
Picture Quality
Bright Room
Max white 305.7 cd/m²

The picture quality is also good in a bright room, as it can get very bright.

10
Picture Quality
3D
3D Yes
Picture Quality
Pixels
4k No
Motion
9.0
Motion
Motion Blur

When MotionFlow is turned off, the motion blur is very good. The motion blur trail is one of the shortest we have seen for an LED, although it doesn't insert black frames. Also, it features a strobed backlight mode called Impulse, which doesn't increase input lag (see picture in the Q&A section).

Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation Yes
Inputs
9.5
Inputs
Input Lag
Input Lag 24.3 ms

In game mode, this Sony has very low input lag. It doesn't get much better than this, and it is great for fast moving games like FPS.

Inputs
Side Inputs

2 USB
1 HDMI
1 Headphone Out

Inputs
Rear Inputs

3 HDMI
1 RF In
1 Ethernet
1 Digital Optical Audio Out
2 Component In
1 Composite In

Smart Features
7.0
Smart Features
Smart TV

Sony's smart TVs interface is laggy. It takes a while to boot when first opening the TV. Forget plugging a big USB drive in it; it took us 15+ mins to load up the list of files on ours. Check out our review of Sony's 2014 Smart TV platform.

Smart Features
Remote

The remote provided is only a basic one, which is a shame for a TV in this price range. Using it for navigating smart features like the web browser is cumbersome.