- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Design
- Picture Quality
- Motion
- Inputs
- Sound Quality
- Smart Features
- Sizes and Variants
- Compared
- Conclusion
- Discussions
Sony X830F
TV REVIEW
The Sony X830F is a good 4k TV. It has a high native contrast ratio so dark scenes appear deep when viewed in a dark room, but it lacks local dimming to improve this performance further. The whole screen can get fairly bright to overcome glare, but it isn't bright enough to make highlights pop in HDR despite supporting a wide color gamut. Motion handling is excellent, and the input lag is also low for gamers. Unfortunately, the image degrades when viewed at an angle which is a consideration for those with wide seating.
| Design | 8.5 |
| Picture Quality | 7.5 |
| Motion | 8.6 |
| Inputs | 8.5 |
| Sound Quality | 5.9 |
| Smart Features | 8.0 |
- Deep and uniform dark scenes
- Excellent motion handling
- Supports a wide color gamut
- Mediocre HDR peak brightness
- Image degrades when viewed at an angle
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Design
The design of the Sony X830F is very good. It has many similarities to the X850F. It has a sturdy and wide stand that allows space for placing a soundbar in front of it. The rear part of the stand also provides some basic cable management as it allows you to pass the cables through the legs. The TV runs fairly cool and looks slightly thick when viewed from the side. The built quality is good and you should have no issues with this TV.
The Sony XBR-60X830F runs fairly cool and thus the operating temperature should not be an issue.
Picture Quality
- 11% Contrast
- 6% Local Dimming
- 6% SDR Peak Brightness
- 6% HDR Peak Brightness
- 6% Gray Uniformity
- 7% Viewing Angle
- 4% Black Uniformity
- 6% Reflections
- 4% Pre Calibration
- 1% Post Calibration
- 6% 480p Input
- 9% 720p Input
- 11% 1080p Input
- 5% 4k Input
- 4% Color Gamut
- 4% Color Volume
- 2% Gradient
- 1% Temporary Image Retention
- 1% Permanent Burn-In Risk
The picture quality is good. The native contrast is very good and the TV has deep blacks when in a dark room even though it lacks local dimming that would make it better. It is fairly bright and handles reflections decently thus it is suitable for slightly brighter rooms. It has a wide color gamut and very good color accuracy but fails to display the dark shades well and when viewing HDR content the highlights are not very bright. Also, the TV is not a great choice for a wide room as the image deteriorates when viewed from the side.
The native contrast ratio is very good. When placed in a dark room, blacks will appear deep which improves picture quality.
This Sony XBR60X830F does not support local dimming, unlike the more premium model X900F. The video is for reference only.
- 64% SDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
- 5% SDR Peak 2% Window
- 5% SDR Peak 10% Window
- 5% SDR Peak 25% Window
- 5% SDR Peak 50% Window
- 5% SDR Peak 100% Window
- 2% SDR Sustained 2% Window
- 2% SDR Sustained 10% Window
- 2% SDR Sustained 25% Window
- 2% SDR Sustained 50% Window
- 2% SDR Sustained 100% Window
- 1% SDR ABL
- 63% HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
- 5% HDR Peak 2% Window
- 5% HDR Peak 10% Window
- 5% HDR Peak 25% Window
- 5% HDR Peak 50% Window
- 5% HDR Peak 100% Window
- 2% HDR Sustained 2% Window
- 2% HDR Sustained 10% Window
- 2% HDR Sustained 25% Window
- 2% HDR Sustained 50% Window
- 2% HDR Sustained 100% Window
- 2% HDR ABL
The HDR peak brightness is decent. Again not as a bright as the X900F, but not far from the X850F. The level remains constant as the window size increases and this is great.
If you find HDR content too dim, see our recommended settings.
- 40% 50% Std. Dev.
- 40% 50% DSE
- 10% 5% Std. Dev.
- 10% 5% DSE
The gray uniformity of the Sony X830F is decent. Some clouding will be visible especially in panning shots and this might annoy sports fans.
In darker scenes (5% gray) things are better but the most meticulous ones might still be able to spot minor clouding.
- 20% Color Washout
- 16% Color Shift
- 24% Brightness Loss
- 16% Black Level Raise
- 24% Gamma Shift
The Sony X830F, like all VA panels, has disappointing viewing angles. Blacks wash out and colors shift with small movements from the center axis. Brightness is performing slightly better as fading is bad after the 45 degrees angle.
For those who often watch at an angle, a TV with an IPS panel like the X850F is a better choice
- 75% Native Std. Dev.
- 25% Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
The Sony X830F has excellent black uniformity. There is almost no clouding even in the area around the test cross.
- 46% White Balance dE
- 45% Color dE
- 9% Color Temperature
Very good out-of-the-box color accuracy for this X830F, better than the X850F but not as good as the X900F. The best results are obtained when the Picture Mode is set to Custom. The white balance dE and the color dE are both below our threshold of 3 and the Gamma is almost at our target of 2.2. The colors are a little warm and thus you might notice some reddish or yellowish tone.
- 46% White Balance dE
- 45% Color dE
- 9% Color Temperature
The color accuracy after calibration is excellent. The results are close to what we managed to achieve with the X900F and even slightly better than the X850F. In fact, calibration only has options for 2-point or 10-point white balance calibration. There is no color space management, so the correction from 2.4 to 1.89 in color dE is due only to the white balance correction.
The color temperature was almost on our target of 6500K and Gamma remained at 2.21.
You can see our recommended settings here.
- 25% DCI P3 xy
- 25% DCI P3 uv
- 25% Rec 2020 xy
- 25% Rec 2020 uv
The Sony XBR60X830F has a wide color gamut. It covers almost all of the DCI P3 space and about 3/4 of the Rec 2020. This is better than competitive TVs like the Samsung NU7100 and slightly better than the TCL R617.
The EOTF in the Cinema Pro HDR picture mode follows the target PQ curve nearly perfectly up until it rolls off at the TV's peak brightness. If you find HDR content too dim, setting the Gamma setting to Max and Contrast to 100 raises the EOTF and brightens most HDR scenes. The EOTFs in the Game and Graphics picture modes are nearly identical to that of Cinema Pro, which is great.
The color volume of this Sony XBR-60X830F is decent. The TV has a wide color gamut and can show vivid bright colors, but unlike the X900F, it cannot show well very dark colors as it lacks local dimming. It performs slightly worse than the Vizio P Series 2018 but better than the Sony X850F.
- 25% Red (Std. Dev.)
- 25% Green (Std. Dev.)
- 25% Blue (Std. Dev.)
- 25% Gray (Std. Dev.)
The banding of the Sony X830F is great. As with most Sonys the grey is excellent, but the other colors have moderate banding.
The "smooth gradation" feature works really well, it's almost perfect afterwards.
When watching TV show, playing video games or when using your TV as a PC monitor.
Note that this is different to permanent burn-in, learn more about permanent burn-in here.
There is no measurable temporary image retention on the X830F, even immediately after the burn-in scene, as expected for a TV with a VA panel. This is great, especially for gamers or those who want to use the TV as a PC monitor.
We don't expect VA panels to experience permanent image retention, as the VA panel in our long-term test appears immune.
The 60" X830F we tested has an interesting sub-pixel structure which looks almost identical to the 60" X690E we tested.
Motion
- 53% Response Time
- 11% Flicker-Free
- 3% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 5% Motion Interpolation
- 12% Stutter
- 11% 24p Judder
- 5% Variable Refresh Rate
The motion handling of the Sony X830F is excellent. it has a very fast response time and does not flicker when dimming the backlight. It has excellent motion interpolation that can smooth motion of low fps content like movies for those who enjoy the soap opera effect. The TV can also remove 24p judder without requiring any action from the viewer.
- 50% 80% Response Time
- 50% 100% Response Time
Excellent response time for this Sony XBR60X830F and this is good news for sports, gaming and fast-moving content in general. There is a little overshooting on the 0-20% transition, and some might notice a little bright ghosting in dark scenes during fast motion, but nothing too serious.
The TV has no visible flicker in its backlight as it dims, which is great.
We did measure some flicker with our photodiode tool, but this will not be visible in person. This lack of visible flicker makes motion look smoother, and is an improvement over most competing TVs like the Samsung NU7100 (240 Hz flicker) and TCL R617 (480 Hz flicker).
The Sony XBR-60X830F has a mediocre black frame insertion implementation. To activate BFI: Set Motionflow to Custom and increase the Clearness slider. The minimum flicker is 120Hz.
Just like the X850F, when BFI is enabled brightness decreases, as the X830F doesn't have the new X-Motion Clarity feature of the X900F.
The Sony X830F has excellent motion interpolation and can interpolate lower frame rate content up to 120 fps. The interpolation is nearly perfect during slow-moving shots, and it stops when there is too much motion.
To enable motion interpolation, set MotionFlow to Custom, increase the Smoothness slider and set Cinemotion to High.
If you find the artifacts caused by interpolation bothersome, you can lower the smoothness setting. This makes motion less smooth, but it reduces the amount of visible artifacts as the interpolation algorithm becomes more conservative.
The Sony X830F has some stutter, especially in low fps content. This is a result of the fast response time. If you are bothered by stutter you can use motion interpolation to clear it.
The Sony XBR-60X830F can remove judder from any source. You do not need to change any settings to remove 24p judder. However to remove 24p judder that is in 60p, 60i or when present in native apps you must set MotionFlow to True Cinema and set Cinemotion to High.
- 25% 4k VRR Maximum
- 25% 4k VRR Minimum
- 25% 1080p VRR Maximum
- 25% 1080p VRR Minimum
This TV does not support any variable refresh rate features.
Inputs
- 86% Input Lag
- 14% Supported Resolutions
The Sony XBR60X830F supports most common input signals. It has great low input and is very responsive when gaming. It also supports 4:4:4 chroma subsampling and the text should look clear when used as a PC monitor.
Note: Only HDMI ports 2 and 3 support full bandwidth, but HDMI port 3 is also the ARC (audio return channel). Check here what you can do, if you need both ports for HDMI2.0 compatible devices.
- 36% 1080p @ 60 Hz
- 1% 1440p @ 60 Hz
- 38% 4k @ 60 Hz
- 19% 4k @ 60 Hz + HDR
- 3% 4k @ 60 Hz @ 4:4:4
- 1% 1080p @ 120 Hz
- 1% 1080p with Variable Refresh Rate
- 1% 4k with VRR
The X830F has a very good low input lag in most resolutions. This makes it very responsive and a good choice for gamers or those who want the TV for use as a PC monitor
4:4:4 chroma subsampling is only properly shown in the Game and Graphics picture modes; both these picture modes also have the same low input lag.
- 17% 1080p @ 60 Hz @ 4:4:4
- 8% 1080p @ 120 Hz
- 8% 1440p @ 60 Hz
- 4% 1440p @ 120 Hz
- 34% 4k @ 60 Hz
- 25% 4k @ 60 Hz @ 4:4:4
- 4% 8k @ 30 Hz or 24 Hz
All common resolutions are supported.
To properly display chroma 4:4:4, the Picture mode must be set to Graphics or Game. When the TV is sent a 1080p signal in Graphics mode, the upscaling changes to the jagged nearest-neighbor upscaling type, seen here on the X900E, that some people prefer for PC use.
This TV can receive 120 Hz video from the Xbox One X and Xbox One S, but only when some settings are tweaked on the Xbox; for more information see the Additional Review Notes of the X900F.
Only HDMI ports 2 and 3 support HDMI full bandwidth, so 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 or 4:2:2 is only possible on these two ports and only when Enhanced format is enabled on the TV.
Sharpness 50 (default) means no added sharpness in Graphics mode.
Only HDMI ports 2 and 3 support full bandwidth i.e HDMI2.0, just like all other Sony TVs we have reviewed. However, HDMI 3 is also the audio return channel(ARC). Therefore, if you have a receiver that supports ARC and more than 1 device which requires the full bandwidth of HDMI then you might have some issues connecting all of your devices. In this case, it may be best to connect your receiver using an optical (Toslink) cable.
Sound Quality
- 75% Frequency Response
- 25% Distortion
The Sony X830F has a mediocre sound. This TV does get quite loud and is able to produce clear and intelligible dialogue. However, its bass is quite lacking and doesn't have any body or thump to it, and it doesn't have a room correction system either. For a better sound, dedicated speakers or soundbars are recommended.
- 30% Low-Frequency Extension
- 5% Std. Dev. @ 70
- 20% Std. Dev. @ 80
- 15% Std. Dev. @ Max
- 20% Max
- 10% Dynamic Range Compression
The frequency response is mediocre. LFE (low-frequency extension) is at 113Hz, which is below average. This means the bass of this TV won't have any thump or punch to it. The response above the LFE point is above-average so dialogue will be clear and intelligible. This TV also gets pretty loud but shows some compression and pumping artifacts under loud volumes. Additionally, this TV doesn't have a digital room correction system and wasn't able to remove the modes of our test room around 200Hz.
- 40% Weighted THD @ 80
- 25% Weighted THD @ Max
- 10% IMD @ 80
- 25% IMD @ Max
The distortion performance of the Sony X830F is sub-par. The amount of THD produced at 80dB SPL is decent but there are spikes around 1KHz and 6KHz, which could make the sound of those frequencies a bit harsh and impure. However, at maximum volume, there is a big jump in their THD. This is typical of most Sony TVs and won't be noticeable to most people in real life situations.
Smart Features
- 42% Interface
- 2% Ad-Free
- 37% Apps and Features
- 16% Remote
- 3% Remote App
The Sony X830F uses the same Android TV found in other Sony TVs we have reviewed, like the X850F or the X900F. It has numerous built-in apps and thousands more are available on Google Play Store. It has a decent interface although it can lag at times and the animations are choppy. Through the remote, you can quickly access Google Assistant and you can perform searches for apps or content by voice.
The Sony XBR-60X830F comes equipped with the Android TV interface which is not as easy to use as some other smart platforms. It has a long home screen, and sometimes you must scroll a lot to reach your desired menu item. It also has a very inconsistent behavior that sometimes is fast, but other times lags and animations are choppy. The responsiveness of the home menu is unusually slow, and this is unfortunate considering how often you need to use it. Fortunately, the remote has plenty of buttons to get quickly where you want and a voice control feature that can also help.
Like the other 2018 Sony TVs we tested, the X830F does not have ads. The first row of the Home menu is suggested content by default, but this can be disabled in the TV's Home settings.
This Sony X830F runs the Android TV OS which gives it access to all the Google Play Store that has thousands of apps.
This TV includes the same remote as the X850F. It has a multitude of buttons and is pretty large, but with good usability. Buttons are easy to find and you can access most basic functions of the TV with ease.
The included voice button works well to access Google Assistant, but the remote must be connected to the TV via Bluetooth for this to work. Google Assistant can perform most basic actions on the TV, such as changing inputs or opening apps or even searching Netflix. However, although you can navigate to certain menus, you cannot change picture settings with your voice.
Sony's 'Video & TV SideView: Remote' is the app available on Google Play and iOS that allows video files from a smartphone to be cast on the X830F. The app can also interface with other Sony devices including Blu-ray players or home theater systems, allowing you control all from your phone. On the downside, the app can only input text in android text boxes, but not in other TV apps.
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".
Differences between Sizes and Variants
We tested the 60" (XBR60X830F). For the most part, we expect our review to be valid for the 70" (XBR70X830F).
The European variant of the TV is known as the XF8305.
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Sony X830F doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review. Note that some tests such as the gray uniformity may vary between individual units.
| Size | US Model | Alternative Name | UK Model | VESA Mount Size |
| 60" | XBR60X830F | XBR-60X830F | KD-60XF8305 | 300x300 |
| 70" | XBR70X830F | XBR-70X830F | KD-70XF8305 | 400x300 |
Compared to other TVs
The Sony X830F is a good pick for both a bright room or a dark room, but the image loses accuracy when viewed at an angle. See our picks below for how it compares to the competition.
If you've got a bright room with wide seating, then the Sony X850F is a better choice due to the IPS panel and the good viewing angles. But for a dark room with seating directly in front, the Sony X830F is better because of the higher native contrast ratio the VA panel has. The Sony X850F also has a lower input lag for those who play video games and somewhat better reflection handling if you place it in a room with many lights. The Sony X830F, on the other hand, has a slightly faster response time, and thus displays less blur on fast-moving content like sports.
The Samsung NU8000 is a bit better than the Sony X830F. The Samsung NU8000 has better native contrast ratio and local dimming support, which produce deep blacks in a dim room and offer you a very good movie and HDR movie experience. The Samsung can also get brighter and can handle reflections slightly better, so it is more suitable than the Sony for a brighter room. Finally, the Samsung NU8000 is better for gaming due to the lower input lag and FreeSync support. The Sony X830F has a faster response time and will leave a smaller blur trail in fast-moving content like sports.
The Sony X900F is much better than the Sony X830F. The Sony X900F supports local dimming and has a better native contrast ratio which produces deep blacks and thus a better SDR and HDR movie watching experience in a dark room. The Sony X900F also has better peak brightness and better reflection handling which make it more suitable for a bright room. It is also better for gaming as it has marginally better input lag.
The Sony X850E is slightly better than the Sony X830F. The Sony X850E has marginally better reflection handling when placed in a room with many lights and a slightly better native contrast ratio which is good for movies in a dark room. The Sony X830F has a faster response time that leaves a smaller blur trail in fast action.
