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Sony W650D TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.0
Review updated Mar 01, 2017 at 06:31 am
Sony W650D Picture
6.6
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
5.9
Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.6
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.1
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.6
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
5.3
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
5.0
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.0
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench

The Sony W650D LED TV has an average picture quality. It has good blacks when viewed in a dark room. Unfortunately, its screen uniformity has issues and the TV cannot get that bright. On top of that, when viewed from the side, its picture loses even more of its appeal.

Our Verdict

6.6 Mixed Usage

Decent TV for a range of usages. Picture quality in a dark room is poor for watching movies due to the low native contrast ratio, but handling of motion is good and image remains accurate when viewed at an angle.

Pros
  • Decently good for playing video games
Cons
  • Screen uniformity is bad
  • Reduced picture quality when viewed from the side
  • Can't get very bright
5.9 Movies

Bad for watching movies in a dark room. Low native contrast ratio so blacks appear gray, and uniformity is quite poor.

6.6 TV Shows

Decent for watching TV in a bright room. Image remains accurate when viewed at an angle, and the poor native contrast ratio isn't noticeable with ambient light. Reflections handling is quite good, but the TV can't get very bright to fight glare.

7.1 Sports

Okay for watching sports. Fast motion is handled well with little blur, and image remains accurate when viewed at an angle. Gray uniformity is quite bad so some dirty screen effect is visible.

7.6 Video Games

Good choice for gaming. Picture quality is poor, but TV feels responsive due to good handling of fast motion and fairly low input lag.

5.3 HDR Movies

Doesn't support any HDR formats. Poor picture quality and can't produce bright highlights or saturated colors.

5.0 HDR Gaming

Doesn't support HDR gaming. Picture quality is bad and can't benefit from HDR features such as bright highlights or saturated colors.

6.0 PC Monitor

Decent PC monitor. Supports up to a 1080p resolution with full chroma information for clear text, and the edges of the screen remain accurate even when viewed from up close. Feels responsive due to low input lag and little motion blur.

  • 6.6 Mixed Usage
  • 5.9 Movies
  • 6.6 TV Shows
  • 7.1 Sports
  • 7.6 Video Games
  • 5.3 HDR Movies
  • 5.0 HDR Gaming
  • 6.0 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Review published.
  2. Updated Jun 06, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
  3. Updated Jun 02, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 40" (KDL40W650D) and for the most part, we expect our review to be valid for the 48" (KDL48W650D) and the 55" (KDL55W650D).

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Sony W650D doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review.

Size Model UK
40" KDL-40W650D KDL-40WD653
48" KDL-48W650D KDL-48WD653
55" KDL-55W650D N/A

Compared To Other TVs

Comparison picture

Top left: Sony W600D (KDL32W600D). Bottom left: TCL FS3800 (40FS3800). Middle: Sony W650D (KDL-40W650D). Top right: Vizio D 1080p 2016 (D50-D1). Bottom right: TCL FD2700 (40FD2700).  Unlike our other photographs, this picture wasn't taken under a controlled environment, so do not draw conclusions from it.

For a 1080p TV, the Sony W650D covers the basics but faces strong competition. Some cheaper TVs offer better picture quality and performance which makes the W650D hard to recommend in some cases. See our recommendations for the best cheap TVs and the best TVs.

Test Results

Design
6.5
Design
Style
Curved No

The Sony W650D doesn't boast a high end look but appears better than some other cheaper TVs. It is entirely made of plastic and its stand has a decent finish. The edges are thin but its back becomes thicker around the middle of the TV.

Design
Stand

The stand has a small footprint and holds the TV steadily. Interestingly, cables can be routed inside the back legs of the stand for a clean setup.

Footprint of the 40" TV stand: 24.8" x 8.3"

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 200x200

The back of the TV isn't attractive but doesn't look particularly bad either. If wall mounted, the optical out input and one of the HDMI ports will be hard to access.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.75" (1.9 cm)

Borders have an average thickness.

Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 2.52" (6.4 cm)

Compared to other smaller and cheaper TVs, the W650D doesn't appear too thick. Our max thickness measurement has been taken at the bottom part of the TV where it is thicker.

Picture Quality
8.1
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
3,397 : 1

The contrast ratio is higher than average, although blacks appear slightly gray in a very dark room.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Direct

This television does not have any local dimming options.

6.8
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
207 cd/m²
SDR Peak 2% Window
234 cd/m²
SDR Peak 10% Window
235 cd/m²
SDR Peak 25% Window
236 cd/m²
SDR Peak 50% Window
237 cd/m²
SDR Peak 100% Window
236 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
234 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
235 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
236 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
237 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
236 cd/m²

Decent peak brightness values but cannot get extra bright like a TV that supports HDR.

not tested
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
N/A
HDR Peak 2% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 10% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 25% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 50% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 100% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 2% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 10% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 25% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 50% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 100% Window
N/A

This TV does not support HDR.

6.0
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
6.082%
50% DSE
0.221%

The gray uniformity on this TV is bad, not only are the corners dark but there is a black patch on the bottom of the screen. There isn't too much banding, but you'll definitely be able to see a dirty screen effect while panning over a playing field.

4.1
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
LCD Type
VA
Color Shift
20°
Brightness
30°
Black Level
13°

Even from just slightly on the side, blacks begin to become gray and colors shift. The vertical viewing angle isn't as bad due to the horizontal alignment of the pixels (see the 'Pixels' section) which makes this TV a better fit for setup where the TV is higher than viewers eye level, for example in a bedroom.

Update: We have changed the methodology of testing. Since this is an old TV which we don't have anymore, we extrapolated the results.

8.8
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
1.091%

The black uniformity is good, with only slight flashlighting. This will not be noticeable in most cases.

8.5
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
8 Bit

The Sony W650D has an 8 bit panel and processing as can be noticed in our gradient test pattern. The anomalies won't be such an issue in regular content except for some banding that can be seen in a few scenes.

7.3
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
4.51
Color dE
5.2254
Gamma
2.24

There are a lot of issues with both the white balance and the colors.

7.3
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
4.47
Color dE
5.2252
Gamma
2.24

Similar to the Sony W600D, there are no settings to get improved results. Therefore, the post-calibration is identical to the pre-calibration.

Update: After the review was done, we were made aware of the white balance setting in the service menu. To access this menu, while the TV is off, press on the remote in this order: 'Display', '5', 'Volume +' and power on.

8.0
Picture Quality
480p Input

The Sony W650D handle well the lower resolutions like 480p.

8.0
Picture Quality
720p Input

Cable TV is also handled pretty well and once upscaled it looks good without being too soft.

10
Picture Quality
1080p Input

1080p content like Blu-rays looks good and sharp. The Sony W650D also has the capability of playing 1440p and 4k content, however it is scaled down to 1080p.

0
Picture Quality
4k Input
6.7
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
No
DCI P3 xy
73.93%
DCI P3 uv
81.54%
Rec 2020 xy
53.13%
Rec 2020 uv
59.82%

The range of colors the Sony W650D can display is good enough for Rec. 709 content.

5.1
Picture Quality
Color Volume
Normalized DCI P3 Coverage
55.242%
10,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage
30.964%
Normalized Rec 2020 Coverage
40.256%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage
22.6%
10
Picture Quality
Image Retention
IR after 0 min recovery
0%
IR after 2 min recovery
0%
IR after 4 min recovery
0%
IR after 6 min recovery
0%
IR after 8 min recovery
0%
IR after 10 min recovery
0%
7.5
Picture Quality
Reflections
Reflection
2%
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss

Direct reflections aren't much of a problem but things get worse in a really bright room.

0
Picture Quality
3D
3D Type
No
2D to 3D
No
Picture Quality
Pixels
Type LED

This is the second TV we see with an horizontal pixel substructure, the other being last year Sony R510C. TVs with this kind of pixel substructure don't have a good horizontal viewing angle but have slightly better vertical viewing angle which is good for setups where the TV is mounted above eye level.

Motion
8.3
Motion
Motion Blur
Refresh Rate 60 Hz
Response Time
14.3 ms
Overshoot
2.3 ms

On average the response time for this TV is good, unfortunately, a long trail can be seen following the logo. This is due to the transition from 0% to 100% that takes considerably longer than usual. The backlight of the TV is flicker free.

10
Motion
Image Flicker
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz
BFI
Yes
BFI Frequency
60 Hz
BFI In Game Mode
Yes
7.1
Motion
24p Playback
Judder-free 24p
Yes
Judder-free 24p via 60p
No
Judder-free 24p via 60i
No

This TV is able to display 24p movies without judder, but only over 24 hz signals. You can expect to experience judder with both 60p and 60i for 24p content.

0
Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
No
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
No

There is no motion interpolation option on the Sony W650D.

Inputs
7.4
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
42.4 ms
1080p With Interpolation
N/A
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
42.4 ms
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
42.4 ms
4k @ 60Hz
N/A
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
N/A
4k @ 60Hz + HDR
N/A
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR
N/A

The Sony W650D has average input lag. It is not noticeable to most people. Game mode does not reduce the input lag any further.

2.0
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 1080p
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 30Hz @ 4:4:4
No
4k @ 60Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
No

This TV is able to handle 1080p @60Hz@4:4:4, which allows text to be sharper. Interestingly, it also supports 1440p and 4k content, however it does scale it down.

Inputs
Side Inputs
Inputs
Rear Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 2
USB 2
Digital Optical Audio Out 1
Analog Audio Out RCA 0
Component In 1 (incl. adapter, shared)
Composite In 1 (incl. adapter, shared)
Tuner (Cable/Ant) 1
Ethernet 1
DisplayPort 0
IR In 0
SD/SDHC 0
Inputs
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
No
5.1 Passthrough ARC Dolby Digital
Yes
Dolby Vision
No
5.1 Passthrough ARC DTS
Yes
5.1 Passthrough Optical Dolby Digital
Yes
5.1 Passthrough Optical DTS
Yes
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth No
ARC Yes (HDMI 1)
USB 3 No
HDCP 2.2 No
CEC Yes
MHL No
Variable Analog Audio Out Yes
Sound Quality
6.6
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Std. Dev. @ 70
4.03 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ 80
3.72 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ Max
4.8 dB SPL
Max
93.9 dB SPL
Low-end Cutoff
179.59 Hz

Average frequency response, and good maximum loudness. However, low-end cutoff is quite poor, even for a TV. There may also be compression and pumping at higher volumes.

7.2
Sound Quality
Total Harmonic Distortion
Distortion @ 70
0.044
Distortion @ 80
0.011
Distortion @ Max
0.026

Decent distortion. The overall amount of harmonic distortion is decent at all volumes, even at maximum volume.

Smart Features
Smart Features
Apps

The TV doesn't come with a wide range of pre-loaded applications, but the Opera TV store offers popular ones such as Youtube, Netflix, Amazon Video, and Hulu Plus.

6.0
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS Basic

The Sony W650D offers a reasonable smart interface, but it's definitely not something that would impress anyone. It is quite basic, but still offers highly demanded applications such as Netflix, Amazon Video, and Hulu plus which can be downloaded from the Opera TV Store. In terms of inputs, you do not get a whole lot with this television, don't expect to be able to connect all your devices to it easily.

10
Smart Features
Ads
Ad-free
Yes
Opt-out
N/A
Smart Features
TV Controls

Basic TV controls can be found underneath the TV just under the Sony logo. They can be accessed if the TV is wall mounted.

Smart Features
Remote
Remote Basic

The remote is similar to all other Sony remotes. It is basic but functional.

Smart Features
In The Box

  • Remote
  • Batteries
  • VESA spacers
  • Power brick & cable
  • Cable tie
  • Component adapter
  • Manuals

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 28 W
Power Consumption (Max) 54 W
Firmware 4.057-1.075-01