Our Verdict
Decent TV for a mixed usage. The Sony X720E does especially well for sports and TV shows thanks to its good performance in a bright room and wide viewing angle. Unfortunately, its performance in a dark room leaves a lot to be desired due to its shallow, uneven blacks.
- Looks good even if viewed from the sides
- Low input lag is great for gaming
- Limited app selection
- Blacks aren't uniform.
Subpar TV for watching movies in a dark room. When sitting directly in front, black regions of the screen can appear blotchy which causes letterboxes to be quite distracting. The low contrast also reduces the depth of the picture which gives the image a flatter look.
Very good choice for watching TV shows in a bright room. The X720E gets decently bright to overcome reflections well, and it is free of any temporary image retention. Unfortunately, fans of the soap opera effect might be disappointed by its motion interpolation capabilities.
Good TV for watching sports. The Sony X720E's grays and colors are quite uniform, so sports fields and ice rinks look smooth and free of blotchiness. The TV's wide viewing angle is also great for game day parties with friends where people will be watching the TV from the sides.
Great TV for playing video games. The Sony X720E's low input lag and great handling of motion keep games responsive and immersive. Even if it is only 60 Hz, it can flicker to reduce motion blur even further.
Subpar choice for HDR movies. While the X720E does have some support for HDR formats, it cannot display a wide color gamut and cannot get bright enough to showcase a good HDR effect.
Mediocre for HDR gaming. While its input lag remains low across input types, the X720E's limited HDR capabilities mean that you won't see much of a difference when playing HDR games.
Great TV to use as a monitor. It supports important resolutions such as 4k@60hz with 4:4:4 for smooth text. Combined with its low input lag, low motion blur, and wide viewing angle, it makes for a PC monitor that would suit almost every uses. It's only missing support for a 120hz refresh rate for competitive gaming.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 29, 2018: The X720E was incorrectly listed as having a Direct backlight. It is actually Edge-lit.
- Updated Mar 12, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Sep 21, 2017: Added note on input lag bug
- Updated Sep 05, 2017: Review published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 43" (KD43X720E). For the most part, we expect our review to be valid for the 49" (KD49X720E) and 55" (KD55X720E).
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Sony X720E doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review. Unlike the 43" and 49" models, the 55" variant has an internal power brick.
| Size | Model |
| 43" | KD43X720E |
| 49" | KD49X720E |
| 55" | KD55X720E |
Popular TV Comparisons
The Sony X720E offers decent value overall compared to most of its competition. It doesn't have the best picture quality, but it's still a good choice for some usages. See our recommendations for the best cheap TVs and the best TVs.
The Sony X720E is slightly better than the Sony X800E. The Sony X720E has better input lag, and this is great for gaming or for use as a PC monitor. Also, the Sony X720E has slightly better gray uniformity which is great if you watch a lot of sports. The Sony X800E has better smart features and reflections that you will appreciate if you watch TV shows in a brighter room.
The Sony X690E is a bit better than the Sony X720E for most users, unless you have a wide seating arrangement. The X690E uses a VA panel, which performs better in a dark room thanks to the better contrast ratio and much better black uniformity. The X690E also has better reflection handling and a faster response time. The X720E uses an IPS panel which has much wider viewing angles and is a bit brighter.
If you have a wide seating arrangement, then the Sony X720E is a better choice since it has better viewing angles. The Sony X720E also has better 24p judder removal, which is great for movie lovers, and slightly better gray uniformity which will please sports fans. The Samsung MU6100, on the other hand, has much better contrast and somewhat better black uniformity that is great for watching movies in a dark room, and better reflections and smart features for those who enjoy TV shows in brighter rooms.
The Samsung NU7100 is a bit better than the Sony X720E, unless you have a wide seating area. The NU7100 uses a VA panel, and is better for a direct seating arrangement but has better dark performance due to the better contrast and better black uniformity. The X720E uses an IPS panel which has much wider viewing angles but isn't recommended for a dark room.
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 use 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
Older Test Bench: This product has been tested using an older TV test methodology, before a major update. Some of the test results below aren't directly comparable with other TVs. Learn more
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