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We published new results of an investigative study on the long-term durability of TVs, revealing significant durability issues with popular edge-lit models. Read the full details here.

Sony W800B TV Review

Tested using Methodology v0.9
Reviewed Apr 27, 2014 at 12:00 am
Sony W800B Picture
8.0
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
This TV was replaced by the Sony W800C

The Sony W800B is a really good TV for gamers. Its only major flaw is the loss of color saturation when viewed at an angle.

Our Verdict

8.0 Mixed Usage

If you are a gamer, this is the TV for you. With its unique backlight strobing mode and very low input lag, it is a solid choice for video games. It also has very good picture quality for other uses, but if playing video games is not your primary purpose for this TV, you will be happier with either the Samsung H6350 or the Samsung H7150, depending on your budget.

Pros
  • Very good for gaming. It has one of the lowest input lag times that we measured in 2014, as well as a special Impulse mode which reduces motion blur without increasing input lag.
  • Great picture quality in dark and bright environments.
Cons
  • Limited viewing angle. The colors change when you are not sitting directly in front of the TV.
  • Poor 3D capabilities. It has some crosstalk issues.
  • 8.0 Mixed Usage
  1. Updated Apr 27, 2014: Review published.
  2. Updated Apr 25, 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 Sony W800B LED TV has a beautiful design. The frame around the screen is very thin. The top half of the TV is thin, but the bottom half is thicker.

Design
Stand

The stand is a curved stainless steel rod, which is very sturdy and has a low profile. The TV comes with brackets to hang it on the wall, so you don't need to buy an additional wall mount (unless you want one that swivels).

Design
Borders

0.47" (1.2 cm)

Design
Thickness

Top half: 0.63" (1.6 cm) Bottom half: 2.13" (5.4 cm)

Picture Quality
9.5
Picture Quality
Contrast
Black 0.02 cd/m²
White 105.2 cd/m²
Contrast 5,260 : 1

The blacks are great on this TV. It performs very well when you have the lights turned off in your room. The colors are good, and were easy to calibrate.

8.0
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity

The backlight uniformity is good, but there are some clouding spots at the bottom the screen (which can barely be seen).

6.0
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity

The uniformity of a gray screen is not that bad for an edge-lit LED, but there are still some darker spots, especially on the edges. You don't really notice it, though, when watching normal content.

6.2
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
Viewing Angle 22°

As expected with an LED TV with such great contrast, the colors change when viewed at an angle. They lose saturation and become whiter.

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

The Sony W800B has a very low amount of reflection for a semi-gloss screen. It is slightly better than the H6350 and a lot better than LG LED TVs like the LB6300.

7.7
Picture Quality
Bright Room
Max white 256.2 cd/m²

It also performs well in a bright room and can get bright, but some TVs like the Samsung H7150 can get a bit brighter. Unless you have a veranda, though, the Sony W800B can get bright enough.

10
Picture Quality
3D
3D Yes
Picture Quality
Pixels
4k No
Motion
8.0
Motion
Motion Blur

The amount of motion blur is average-good. It also features a backlight strobbing mode, which reduces the amount of blur significantly (more details and picture below in the Q&A).

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

When in game mode, the Sony W800B has the lowest input lag that we currently have measured so far. This is really one of the best gaming TVs we have ever tested.

Inputs
Side Inputs

1 HDMI
2 USB
1 Headphone Out

Inputs
Rear Inputs

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

Smart Features
7.0
Smart Features
Smart TV

Unfortunately, the smart TV features are not very good. They do the job, but they are slow. Check out our review of Sony's 2014 Smart TV platform.

Smart Features
Remote