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To try to better understand how long a TV should last, we're running 100 TVs through an accelerated longevity test for the next two years. We've just posted our 1-year video update with our latest findings on temporary image retention, burn-in, and more!

Sony X940E TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.2
Reviewed May 19, 2017 at 09:05 am
Latest change: Retest Jun 12, 2018 at 02:51 pm
Sony X940E Picture
8.2
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
9.0
Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.5
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.6
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.8
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.9
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.1
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.9
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench

The X940E is a great large 4k HDR smart TV. It produces some of the best blacks found on LED TVs, and it can get quite bright. The excellent local dimming and ability to display a wide range of colors results in a great HDR experience. The X940E has some motion blur though, which makes it less of a good choice for sports or video games but doesn't impact the excellent movie performance.

Our Verdict

8.2 Mixed Usage

Great TV for mixed usage, the X940E has excellent picture quality in most environments. It has some motion blur that might bother people more sensitive to it though.

Pros
  • Very deep and uniform blacks
  • Very bright
  • Exceptional local dimming
Cons
  • Image degrades when viewed at an angle
  • Fast moving objects often have visible trails
9.0 Movies

Excellent TV for watching movies. The X940E has some of the best local dimming available, bringing it close to OLED for most scenes. It's also able to turn off black bars found in movies completely which is great.

8.5 TV Shows

Very good TV for TV shows. The X940E's upscaling of lower resolution content is as good as it gets, and it gets more than bright enough to be enjoyed in most environments.

7.6 Sports

Good TV for watching sports, the screen is uniform and bright, leading to no major issues with clarity, but the X940E does have some issues with motion which can cause fast moving objects to have long trails following them.

7.8 Video Games

Good TV for playing video games. Input lag is low in 4k, which is great for keeping the TV responsive. The size and picture quality helps keep the experience very immersive. Some motion blur is present though, which can cause issues with clarity, but it can somewhat be circumvented by using a flickering feature.

8.9 HDR Movies

The X940E does exceptionally well with HDR movies. It's one of the brightest TVs currently available, and the great local dimming and handling of gradients produce great dynamic range. It doesn't have the widest color gamut available, but it's wide enough to give a strong visual impact.

8.1 HDR Gaming

Very good TV for HDR gaming. Little lag is present with a 4k HDR input which is essential, and the overall HDR performance is some of the best we've seen.

7.9 PC Monitor

Good TV for use as a PC monitor. Supports all the relevant resolutions, even 120hz for better PC gaming. The input lag is also low, which makes navigating the desktop great. Unfortunately though, it does have a fairly narrow viewing angle, and long trails can be seen following moving elements such as scrolling text or the mouse cursor.

  • 8.2 Mixed Usage
  • 9.0 Movies
  • 8.5 TV Shows
  • 7.6 Sports
  • 7.8 Video Games
  • 8.9 HDR Movies
  • 8.1 HDR Gaming
  • 7.9 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Jun 12, 2018: A note for Xbox One X and Xbox One S owners: 1080p @ 120 Hz from the Xbox is only supported on this TV when the Xbox's connection type is changed from Auto-detect (Recommended) to HDMI, but unfortunately in this mode 4k and HDR aren't supported.
  2. Updated Mar 12, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
  3. Updated Jan 23, 2018: High-end Sony TVs have now been updated with Dolby Vision through a firmware update (PKG6.2818.0075NAA). The input section has been updated.
  4. Updated Dec 11, 2017: Google Assistant has now been added to Android TV on Sony TVs, and it brings a lot of new features to the voice control. The remote score has been increased to reflect the new fuctionality.
  5. Updated Nov 10, 2017: Retested input lag with the latest firmware (PKG6.2669.0070NAA); there was no significant change.
  6. Updated Oct 17, 2017: With the latest firmware (PKG6.2669.0070NAA) the judder over 60Hz signals has been fixed.
  7. Updated Sep 20, 2017: Tested 1080p @ 120 Hz input lag using our new input lag tool.
  8. Updated Sep 12, 2017: The Remote App box has been updated, replacing Google's app with Sony's better one.
  9. Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
  10. Updated Jul 19, 2017: Updated with newest firmware (PKG6.2648.0065NAA). The input lag and 24p playback have been retested and are unchanged.
  11. Updated May 19, 2017: Review published.
  12. Updated May 17, 2017: Our testers have started testing this product.
  13. Updated May 01, 2017: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 75" (XBR75X940E), the only size available at the moment. 

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Sony XBR-75X940E doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review.

Size Model Alternative Name UK Model
75" XBR75X940E XBR-75X940E KD-75XE9405

Compared To Other TVs

Comparison picture

Top left: Sony A1E (XBR55A1E). Bottom left: LG C7 (OLED55C7P). Middle: Sony X940E (XBR75X940E). Top right: Sony Z9D (XBR65Z9D). Bottom right: Samsung Q7F (QN55Q7F).  Unlike our other photographs, this picture wasn't taken under a controlled environment, so do not draw conclusions from it.

The X940E is a great LED TV, but it faces steep competition in its price range from OLED TVs. It does have the advantage of being larger than average though. See our recommendations for the best TVs and the best LED TVs.

Sony X900E
49" 55" 65" 75"

The Sony X940E and X900E are very similar and offer nearly identical performance. The X940E has better dark room performance due to the improved local dimming feature and better black uniformity. The X900E has a much better response time and motion looks much smoother with very little motion blur. The X940E has been updated with support for Dolby Vision.

Sony Z9D
65" 75" 100"

The Sony Z9D is marginally better than the Sony X940E. Overall performance is very similar, but the Z9D is a bit brighter and supports 3D. The Z9D handles fast moving scenes better than the X940E, since it has a faster response time and less motion blur. The Sony X940E is more consistent in its ability to remove judder from 24p sources.

Sony X930E
55" 65"

The Sony X930E is a bit better than the Sony X940E. The X940E has a more advanced full array local dimming feature and better black uniformity, so it performs better in a dark room. The X940E has a better black frame insertion feature to help clear up motion, but the X930E has a much better response time, so motion is smoother overall and has much less blur trail. The X930E is brighter with SDR and HDR content.

Sony X900F
49" 55" 65" 75" 85"

The Sony X900F is marginally better than the Sony X940E. The X900F has a much faster pixel response time, so motion looks much smoother with very little motion blur. The Sony X940E has a poor response time, but it has a better black frame insertion feature that improves motion blur. The X940E has better dark room performance, with a better local dimming feature and better black uniformity.

Test Results

Design
8.5
Design
Style
Curved No

The design of the X940E is familiar to any Sony fans due to the minimalist and industrial look. It has a small, central stand which supports the TV well and can still fit on most table tops. The TV provides excellent cable management with guidance out the back of the stand, and has excellent build quality. 

Design
Stand

The X940E has a central stand, similar to most Sony TVs such as the X930E. Despite the small footprint, it still supports the large TV well.

Footprint of the 75" TV stand: 20.1" x 12.8"

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 400x300

The back looks similar to the X930E. It has many panels which reveal a great cable management system. Due to the design of the plastic back the panels aren't noticeable when attached.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.55" (1.4 cm)

The borders have an average thickness, but look and feel good with a metal edge.

Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 2.56" (6.5 cm)

The TV is quite thick when viewed from the side. Due to the size of the TV, this isn't really noticeable if wall-mounted though.

Design
Temperature
Maximum Temperature
97 °F (36 °C)
Average Temperature
90 °F (32 °C)

The X940E never gets more than a little warm, and the heat is well distributed across its surface.

9.0
Design
Build Quality

The build quality of the X940E is excellent. The rear of the TV is all plastic but feels high-end and all of the parts fit together very well.

Picture Quality
8.9
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
4,941 : 1
Contrast with local dimming
11,634 : 1

The Sony X940E has a great native contrast ratio. Hovering near 5000:1, the X940E can display dark scenes very well with deep blacks. This high contrast ratio is especially good when the TV is set in a dark environment.

When the Local dimming is activated, the contrast ratio goes up to an outstanding 11634:1, which is one of the highest contrast ratios we have measured for an LED TV.

8.5
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
Yes
Backlight
Full-Array

The local dimming feature on the X940E works extremely well and looks about as good as the Sony Z9D when compared side-by-side. The X940E can display our moving highlight very bright while keeping the rest of the screen really dark and with limited blooming. The time reaction is also very fast and the turning on and off of the dimming zones is not really noticeable.

8.8
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
650 cd/m²
SDR Peak 2% Window
975 cd/m²
SDR Peak 10% Window
1,087 cd/m²
SDR Peak 25% Window
1,096 cd/m²
SDR Peak 50% Window
725 cd/m²
SDR Peak 100% Window
537 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
949 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
1,073 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
1,087 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
724 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
536 cd/m²
SDR ABL
0.040

Outstanding SDR peak brightness. The TV's local dimming helps to make highlights in dark scenes incredibly bright, but even the TV's worst case brightness, the 100% white window where local dimming can't be used, is still pretty bright. The TV's brightness does decrease a little as it warms up; our measurements were done after the TV had warmed up. Overall the TV is a bit less bright than its cousins, the X930E and Z9D. A plot of brightness over time is shown here.

8.9
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
1,184 cd/m²
HDR Peak 2% Window
1,030 cd/m²
HDR Peak 10% Window
1,177 cd/m²
HDR Peak 25% Window
1,158 cd/m²
HDR Peak 50% Window
762 cd/m²
HDR Peak 100% Window
545 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 2% Window
1,017 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 10% Window
1,150 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 25% Window
1,147 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 50% Window
761 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 100% Window
543 cd/m²
HDR ABL
0.042

Outstanding HDR peak brightness. The TV's brightness in the real scene test is close to its best case brightness, indicating that the TV's local dimming is effective even in more realistic scenes. However the TV isn't as bright during extremely bright scenes like our 50% and 100% white window tests, because local dimming isn't as effective here, but even in these worst case scenes the TV is still pretty bright. The TV did decrease its brightness a little as it warmed up; our measurements were taken after the TV was warmed up. Overall the TV is a bit less bright than the X930E and Z9D. A plot of brightness over time is shown here.

7.1
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
3.610%
50% DSE
0.179%
5% Std. Dev.
2.068%
5% DSE
0.130%

The gray uniformity of the X940E is ordinary and it is situated in the same ballpark as the X930E and the 2016 Z9D. It suffers from the same problems with darker edges and corners. The middle of the screen is fairly free of imperfections, which is a good since dirty screen effect is kept to a minimum.

Looking at our test picture of the 5% gray, the X940E is a bit worse looking than on the X930E. The bottom edge of the screen is a lot brighter than the rest of the screen and we confirmed this by measuring the luminosity of the screen in that region and it was clearly brighter than the middle or top of the screen. There are also large horizontal bands that seem darker than the rest of the screen. Both of those issues could be noticed during dark scenes and especially when the TV is set in a dim lit room.

Surprisingly, the local dimming strongly influences the gray uniformity. When the local dimming is set to 'High', the uniformity looks much more better as you can see here, but if set to 'Low' then the large bands that are visible on our 5% gray picture (local dimming set to 'Off') are much more visible, as you can see here. We recommend not to use the 'Low' setting of the local dimming as it can introduce some banding in dark scenes.

5.7
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
Color Shift
18°
Brightness
48°
Black Level
40°

Disappointing viewing angle. Colors shift when viewed from a small angle, while brightness decreases and blacks become grey at moderate angles. This is a better viewing angle than many other TVs with VA panels, but still not as good as IPS or OLED panel TVs.

9.4
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
0.547%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
0.600%

The X940E has an excellent native black uniformity with some minimal clouding in the upper right side of the screen, but this is not really visible while looking at normal TV content.

With local dimming turned on, the black uniformity becomes almost perfect and no issues can be seen. This is a very good example of how effective the local dimming is on this TV.

9.3
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Glossy
Total Reflections
2.0%
Indirect Reflections
0.2%

The X940E is great at handling reflections. Unlike the X930E, it has a glossy finish which works well to reduce the intensity of direct reflections. Unlike the glossy A1E, it doesn't have much of a purple tint so reflections appear natural. This is a good result even for a bright room.

8.1
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
Picture Mode
Custom
White Balance dE
3.11
Color dE
1.96
Gamma
2.21
Color Temperature
6,563 K

The XBR75X940E is pretty accurate out of the box. There is a bit too much red and blue toward the higher end in the white balance, but even then we are still hovering close to a dE of 3, which it still very acceptable for home use. The gamma is almost spot on and the Color dE is very acceptable. This is in line with other Sony TVs tested before, as they tend to be very accurate out of the box.

9.5
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
Picture Mode
Custom
White Balance dE
0.30
Color dE
1.28
Gamma
2.20
Color Temperature
6,499 K

After calibration, which was pretty easy and fast to do, the X940E performed extremely well. The white balance was easily corrected via the 2 point and 10 point calibration setting and as a result, the gamma was flattened to track almost perfectly to our 2.2 target. As with other Sony TVs, there is no color management system to further correct the color accuracy even though the color dE was brought down via the corrections applied to the white balance. In the end, the Sony X940E is really accurate.

You can see our recommended settings here.

8.0
Picture Quality
480p Input

Low quality content such as DVDs are upscaled well. Details are preserved and the image isn't too soft, although some halo artifacts are noticeable along edges.

8.0
Picture Quality
720p Input

720p content such as cable is upscaled well. There is no loss of details.

9.0
Picture Quality
1080p Input

1080p content such as Blu-rays look great and the image remains clear.

10
Picture Quality
4k Input

No issues can be seen with native 4k content.

7.9
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI P3 xy
86.20%
DCI P3 uv
91.56%
Rec 2020 xy
64.59%
Rec 2020 uv
73.67%

Wide color gamut, though not as wide as on some other high end TVs like the Samsung Q7F, KS8000 or Sony's A1E. The TV is fairly accurate for most of its color range, but like many other TVs it struggles with reproducing deep greens in HDR content, which also ends up hurting its cyan performance.

The TV's EOTF almost flawlessly follows the HDR PQ curve up to where it clips at its peak brightness. This EOTF was measured in the Custom picture mode, the EOTFs for the Cinema Pro and Game modes are shown here and here.

7.4
Picture Quality
Color Volume
Normalized DCI P3 Coverage ITP
82.0%
10,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
49.4%
Normalized Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
65.6%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
39.4%

Decent color volume. The TV shows its wide color gamut remarkably well for both extremely bright and dark colors, though dark P3 greens and reds become a little undersaturated. Its color volume is only really limited by its gamut.

8.9
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit
Red (Std. Dev.)
0.093
Green (Std. Dev.)
0.087
Blue (Std. Dev.)
0.085
Gray (Std. Dev.)
0.054

The Sony X940E can display our gradient test image without any problems, as you can see on our test picture. From the light to the dark shades, everything is smooth, even the grayscale. Note that this test what was done with the 'Smooth gradation' feature turned off.

9.9
Picture Quality
Temporary Image Retention
IR after 0 min recovery
0.06%
IR after 2 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 4 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 6 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 8 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 10 min recovery
0.00%

The Sony X940E does present some image retention right after the 10-minute burn-in scene of our test clip, but the retention looks very dim and it fades really fast. After 2 minutes of recovery, nothing could be picked up by our analysis process, which is a good result. Even though it has some very minor image retention, this isn't a problem.

10
Picture Quality
Permanent Burn-In Risk
Permanent Burn-In Risk
No

We don't expect VA panels to experience permanent image retention, as the VA panel in our long-term test appears immune.

Picture Quality
Pixels
Type LED
Sub-Type
VA
Motion
5.0
Motion
Response Time
80% Response Time
6.4 ms
100% Response Time
37.4 ms

The response time of the 75" X940E is bad, resulting in a long (but faint) trail following moving objects. This isn't noticeable in all content, and isn't an issue for watching movies but does cause visible blur behind 60 fps games or sports.

9.5
Motion
Flicker-Free
Flicker-Free
No
PWM Dimming Frequency
720 Hz

The Sony X940E uses PWM at 720Hz to dim the backlight, starting at 13/50 backlight setting, but at that frequency it is not noticeable. Lowering the setting reduces the amplitude, while duty cycle remains constant.

9.3
Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Optional BFI
Yes
Min Flicker for 60 fps
60 Hz
60 Hz for 60 fps
Yes
120 Hz for 120 fps
Yes
Min Flicker for 60 fps in Game Mode
60 Hz

It is possible to decrease the X940E's flicker frequency to 60Hz and clear up motion, for those who don't mind visible flicker. To do so, set 'MotionFlow' to 'Custom' and increase the 'Clearness' slider.

10
Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
Yes

The X940E can interpolate lower frame rate content up to the panel's native refresh rate of 120Hz. To do so, set 'MotionFlow' to 'Custom' and increase the 'Smoothness' slider. For 30fps content it is also necessary to set 'CineMotion' to 'Medium' or 'High'.

9.8
Motion
Stutter
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
4.3 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
0.0 ms

The Sony X940E provides extremely smooth motion, even when watching low frame rate content such as 24 fps movies. Even when watching movies the image doesn't remain static for long periods of time due to the slow response time. Higher frame rate content such as sports also appears extremely smooth.

10
Motion
24p Judder
Judder-Free 24p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60i
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
Yes

The Sony XBR75X940E can only display 24p movies playing via 24p sources like DVDs and Blu-rays player smoothly. 24p movie playing via 60p/60i sources like cable or satellite boxes play at the correct cadence with 'Motionflow' set to 'True Cinema' and 'Cinemotion' set to 'High'.

Update 07/18/2017: The TV has been tested with the newest firmware update (PKG6.2648.0065NAA). The 24p playback remains the same.

Update 10/17/2017: With the latest firmware (PKG6.2669.0070NAA) the judder over 60Hz signals has been fixed.

0
Motion
Variable Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
No
4k VRR Maximum
N/A
4k VRR Minimum
N/A
1080p VRR Maximum
N/A
1080p VRR Minimum
N/A
VRR Supported Connectors
N/A

The X940E has a 120Hz panel, and doesn't support any variable refresh rate features.

Inputs
8.4
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
40.7 ms
1080p @ 60Hz + HDR
40.5 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
103.4 ms
1080p @ 120Hz
14.2 ms
4k @ 60Hz
24.0 ms
4k @ 60Hz + HDR
23.9 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
24.0 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR
23.9 ms
4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
86.7 ms
4k With Interpolation
79.7 ms
4k @ 120 Hz
N/A
4k with Variable Refresh Rate
N/A
1080p with Variable Refresh Rate
N/A

Low input lag for a 4k input, which should please all but the most competitive gamers; but higher input lag for a 1080p input. This should be good enough for most people but may disappoint competitive gamers. Both the Game and Graphics picture modes have low input lag, and can show 4:4:4 color properly. Overall the input lag is very similar to the X930E and Z9D, which also use the Sony x1 Extreme processing engine.

Update 07/18/2017: The TV has been tested with the newest firmware update (PKG6.2648.0065NAA). The input lag remains the same.

Update 09/20/2017: Tested 1080p @ 120 Hz input lag using our new input lag tool. It is much faster than the 1080p @ 60 Hz input lag, likely due to the TV bypassing some processing when it detects such an unusual signal.

Update 11/10/2017: Retested input lag with the latest firmware (PKG6.2669.0070NAA); there was no significant change.

10
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 4k
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes (forced resolution required)
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes
4k @ 30Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
No

All the common input resolutions are supported. 4k @ 60 Hz @ 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 color is only supported on HDMI inputs 2 and 3, and only when 'HDMI Enhanced Format' is enabled. 4:4:4 color is only properly displayed in the Game or Graphics picture modes.

When using the TV as a PC monitor, 1080p is listed as the default resolution. 1080p @ 120 Hz is properly supported but must be added as a custom resolution, because it isn't listed by default.

Update 06/12/2018: A note for Xbox One X and Xbox One S owners: 1080p @ 120 Hz from the Xbox is only supported on this TV when the Xbox's connection type is changed from Auto-detect (Recommended) to HDMI: (Xbox > Settings > Display & sound > Video fidelity & overscan > Display > Connection > HDMI). Unfortunately in this mode 4k, HDR, 50 Hz and 24 Hz aren't possible, so this mode is only recommended when the higher refresh rate of 120 Hz is more important to you than these other features.

Update 06/18/2018: Correction, 24 Hz and 50 Hz are in fact possible with the Xbox's connection type set to HDMI.

Inputs
Side Inputs
Inputs
Rear Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 4
USB 3
Digital Optical Audio Out 1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 1
Analog Audio Out RCA 0
Component In 1 (shared)
Composite In 2 (shared)
Tuner (Cable/Ant) 1
Ethernet 1
DisplayPort 0
IR In 1
SD/SDHC 0

Similar to other Sony TVs such as the X930E, the TV has one component input on the side which is also shared with a composite input. There is another composite input on the side, but an adapter such as this is required.

Inputs
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
Yes
Dolby Vision
Yes
HLG
Yes
3D
No
5.1 Passthrough ARC Dolby Digital
Yes
5.1 Passthrough ARC DTS
Yes
5.1 Passthrough Optical Dolby Digital
Yes
5.1 Passthrough Optical DTS
Yes
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth
Yes (HDMI 2,3)
HDMI 2.1 Full Bandwidth
No
ARC
Yes (HDMI 3)
USB 3.0
Yes (1)
HDCP 2.2 Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
CEC Yes
MHL No
Variable Analog Audio Out Yes
Wi-Fi Support Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)

HDMI 2.0 full bandwidth is only possible on HDMI inputs 2 and 3, and only when 'HDMI Enhanced Format' is enabled.

Dolby Vision support will be added in a future update.

Update 01/23/2018: The update enabling Dolby Vision compatibility is now available.

Sound Quality
7.3
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Low-Frequency Extension
89.80 Hz
Std. Dev. @ 70
3.72 dB
Std. Dev. @ 80
3.56 dB
Std. Dev. @ Max
3.95 dB
Max
91.1 dB SPL
Dynamic Range Compression
4.37 dB

Decent Frequency response. The X940E produces a response relatively close to target, but it like most Sony TVs has some amounts of pumping and compression at higher volumes. Aliasing of higher frequencies is also present.

7.0
Sound Quality
Distortion
Weighted THD @ 80
0.182
Weighted THD @ Max
2.496
IMD @ 80
0.55%
IMD @ Max
4.83%

Below average distortion performance. The X940E has reasonable THD at a lower volume, but it steeply rises as levels are raised.

Smart Features
7.0
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS Android TV
Version 7.0
Ease of Use
Average
Smoothness
Not Smooth
Time Taken to Select YouTube
4 s
Time Taken to Change Backlight
7 s
Advanced Options
Many
10
Smart Features
Ad-Free
Ads
No
Opt-out
N/A
Suggested Content in Home
Yes
Opt-out of Suggested Content
Yes

The TV has no ads in its main interface, but third party apps can have ads. There is an option in the TV's settings to opt-out of personalized advertising for these ads.

The first row of the home page is filled with suggested content. In the 'Home' section of the TV's settings you can opt out of all sources of suggested content until all that's shown is a line saying 'No recommendations available at this time'. After the TV has been restarted more sources may appear but can also be disabled.

9.0
Smart Features
Apps and Features
App Selection
Very Many
App Smoothness
Average
Cast Capable
Yes
USB Drive Playback
Yes
USB Drive HDR Playback
Yes
HDR in Netflix
Yes
HDR in Amazon Video
Yes
HDR in YouTube
No

Many popular apps come preinstalled, such as Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Video. Other apps can be downloaded from the Google Play Store, which has more apps than many other smart platforms.

8.0
Smart Features
Remote
Size
Large
Voice Control
Search, Some Other Features
CEC Menu Control
Yes
Other Smart Features
No

The remote is rather large with a lot of buttons. Fortunately most of the commonly used buttons are clustered within easy reach around the navigation pad in the center, except the power and input buttons at the top which are hard to reach. The remote has a built in remote for Android's voice search, which only searches for content and lacks the advanced voice command features found on other smart platforms such as Samsung's Tizen. The remote is identical to those of the X930E and X900E (same model number).

Update 12/11/2017: Google Assistant has now been added to Android TV on Sony TVs, and it brings a lot of new features to the voice control: commands like 'open Netflix', 'switch to HDMI 1', 'pause video', 'how's the weather' and 'turn off TV' all work well, though commands to change picture settings like 'set the brightness to 20' and 'switch to Game mode' don't work. The remote score has been increased to reflect the new fuctionality.

7.0
Smart Features
Remote App
Acts as the Remote
Yes
Directly Launches Apps and Inputs
Both
Inputs Text in YouTube
No
Inputs Text in Netflix
No
Streams Device Files
Yes
Controls TV Settings
No
Voice Control
Yes

Update 09/12/2017: Sony has a remote app called 'Video & TV SideView' that's better than the Android TV app in most ways. The score and data fields have been updated to reflect the Sony app.

Update 07/11/2018: Sony's Video & TV SideView remote app has been retested on version 5.5.0. The remote app can now stream video files and can only directly launch apps. The data fields have been updated.

Update 10/12/2018: The remote app can directly launch both apps and inputs, even on version 5.5.0; "Apps Only" was a mistake. The value has been corrected to "Both".

Smart Features
TV Controls

The TV has three buttons. The center button switches between volume, channel and input, while the (+) and (-) buttons increment the setting. The center button also serves as the TV's power button.

Smart Features
In The Box

  • Manual
  • Batteries
  • Remote
  • IR Blaster

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 137 W
Power Consumption (Max) 395 W
Firmware PKG6.2414.0040NAA