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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 X850D TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.0
Review updated Mar 01, 2017 at 06:31 am
Sony X850D Picture
7.7
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.8
Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.7
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.9
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.2
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.8
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.5
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.1
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
This TV was replaced by the Sony X850E

The Sony X850D is a good 4k LED TV for a living room. Its picture quality in a darker room isn't as good as last year's model, the X850C, but it boasts a better viewing angle and somewhat improved HDR capability. Because it doesn't have much blur, sports and video game fans will enjoy the Sony X850D.

Our Verdict

7.7 Mixed Usage

Good TV for a range of usages. Low native contrast ratio so blacks appear gray in a dark room, but image remains accurate when viewed at an angle. Motion handling is great which is good for sports or gaming but unfortunately the input lag is fairly high.

Pros
  • Great for fast motion content like sports and video games
  • Wide viewing angle
Cons
  • Blacks appear a little gray in the dark
  • Average HDR performance
6.8 Movies

Below average for watching movies in a dark room. Low native contrast ratio so blacks appear gray, but uniformity is quite good.

7.7 TV Shows

Good for watching TV in a bright room. Image remains accurate when viewed at an angle which is good for wide living rooms. Can get fairly bright to combat glare and reflection handling is decent.

7.9 Sports

Good choice for watching sports. Image remains accurate when viewed at an angle so everyone gets a good view. Motion handling is great so only a short trail can be seen following fast moving objects.

8.2 Video Games

Capable gaming TV for 1080p sources but input lag is a bit high for 4k sources, even for casual gamers. Motion handling is great but there is some temporary image retention.

7.8 HDR Movies

Supports HDR10. Can produce a wide color gamut and gets quite bright to display HDR content which is good. Unfortunately picture quality is below average due to low native contrast ratio.

7.5 HDR Gaming

Supports HDR gaming. Picture quality is below average due to low native contrast ratio, and 4k input lag is a bit high. Motion handling is great and can produce bright vivid highlights with HDR.

8.1 PC Monitor

Great PC monitor. Image remains accurate even when the sides are viewed from up close. Supports 4:4:4 for clear text across all backgrounds. Unfortunately the input lag at 4k is quite high, but motion handling is great.

  • 7.7 Mixed Usage
  • 6.8 Movies
  • 7.7 TV Shows
  • 7.9 Sports
  • 8.2 Video Games
  • 7.8 HDR Movies
  • 7.5 HDR Gaming
  • 8.1 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Review published.
  2. Updated Mar 16, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
  3. Updated Mar 14, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We reviewed the 55" (Sony XBR-55X850D). It has an IPS panel.

Update: The 65" and 75" are also IPS, so our review is also valid for that one. But the 85" has a VA panel, so it will produce better blacks directly in front, but worse color accuracy at an angle.

As an interesting note, the 55" shares a panel very similar to the 2016 LG 55UH8500 that we reviewed a few weeks ago. The response time measurements are almost the same, as well as the contrast ratio (around 1200:1, which is very good for an IPS).

Size Model UK Panel
55" XBR-55X850D KD-55XD8505 IPS
65" XBR-65X850D KD-65XD8505 IPS
75" XBR-75X850D KD-75XD8505 IPS
85" XBR-85X850D KD-85XD8505 VA

Compared To Other TVs

Comparison picture

Top row, from left: Sony X850C (XBR55X850C), Sony X850D (XBR55X850D), Vizio P Series 2016 (P65-C1). Bottom: Sony X930D (XBR55X930D), Samsung KS8000 (UN55KS8000). Unlike our other photographs, this picture wasn't taken under a controlled environment, so do not draw conclusions from it.

Compared to other TVs, the Sony X850D is a good choice for wide living rooms with seating on the side of the TV. If the main viewing position is directly in front of the TV, there are better alternatives.

Test Results

Design
8.5
Design
Style
Curved No

The designers behind the Sony 4k UHD X850D LED TV have done a decent job of making the TV look good, but it looks cheaper than last year's X850C. It still feels sturdy, but most of the metal finish is gone; its frame and stand are now entirely made of plastic. The new stand feels more solid, though. The X850D is relatively thin, but those looking to mount it flush on a wall will block some of its back connections.

Design
Stand

The plastic stand is very sturdy and the TV feels safe on it, although it can still wobble a bit if you push against it. Footprint of the 55" TV stand: 10.2" x 18.1"

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 200x200

The back of the TV looks a little blocky. Some connections on the back might be inaccessible in a setup where the TV is mounted flush on a wall. Note that the 65" has VESA 300x300, and the 75" and 85" have a VESA 400x300 mount.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.39" (1.3 cm)

The X850D has traded a metal finish for plastic.

Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 1.18" (3.8 cm)

The top part and edges are thinner and the guts of the TV are behind the thick middle part.

Picture Quality
6.4
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
1,248 : 1

Blacks aren't very deep and might appear a little gray in a dark environment. This won't be much of an issue in a room with a few lights on.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Edge

There is no local dimming feature on this TV. If you want that feature, you should go with the pricier X930D instead.

7.4
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
362 cd/m²
SDR Peak 2% Window
349 cd/m²
SDR Peak 10% Window
310 cd/m²
SDR Peak 25% Window
308 cd/m²
SDR Peak 50% Window
313 cd/m²
SDR Peak 100% Window
327 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
349 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
310 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
308 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
313 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
328 cd/m²

The SDR peak brightness is average for the Sony X850D. This TV does not have a local dimming feature, and thus the overall average is about 320cd/m², which is 100 less than what it can reach when in HDR mode. This is good for a dark room, fall a bit short for a very bright room.

7.8
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
403 cd/m²
HDR Peak 2% Window
422 cd/m²
HDR Peak 10% Window
422 cd/m²
HDR Peak 25% Window
421 cd/m²
HDR Peak 50% Window
420 cd/m²
HDR Peak 100% Window
420 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 2% Window
422 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 10% Window
422 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 25% Window
421 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 50% Window
420 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 100% Window
420 cd/m²

Since the X850D doesn't support local dimming, all % values are near the same. The maximum brightness is not enough to enjoy HDR fully.

7.4
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
3.981%
50% DSE
0.18%
5% Std. Dev.
0.641%
5% DSE
0.097%

The screen uniformity, as with most other LED TVs, isn't great, but at least it is free from obvious problems like banding. The corners appear a lot darker.

6.7
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
LCD Type
IPS (except 85")
Color Shift
26°
Brightness
39°
Black Level
75°

This is an IPS TV (except the 85"). Therefore, it has a wide viewing angle that is good for seating on the sides of the TV. Color saturation and contrast will stay good unless the TV is being viewed from wide angles.

7.5
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
1.792%

There are no obvious clouding or flashlighting issues, although with a fully black screen, the lighter blacks are more apparent.

10
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit

Our 10 Bit gradient pattern looks very good, without any of the 8 Bit gradations. This mean that HDR content should be free of any obvious color banding.

7.7
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
4.97
Color dE
3.4729
Gamma
2.11

The white balance was off to begin with and color was at an acceptable level. Gamma was just a little low.

9.6
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.31
Color dE
1.3355
Gamma
2.21

Any white balance issues could be fixed, although the X850D doesn't have separate color adjustments. The color still got better after the white balance calibration.

8.0
Picture Quality
480p Input

On the Sony X850D, details are nicely preserved, even at lower resolutions like 480p.

8.0
Picture Quality
720p Input

Cable TV looks good and sharp when upscaled, like the majority of Sony TVs.

9.0
Picture Quality
1080p Input

Blu-rays looks sharp and crisp once upscaled.

10
Picture Quality
4k Input

The Sony X850D UHD LED TV have no problem with the native 4k resolutions. Content looks very nice and sharp, even when sitting very close to the TV.

7.9
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI P3 xy
85.94%
DCI P3 uv
93.56%
Rec 2020 xy
63.75%
Rec 2020 uv
72.6%

To enable the wide color gamut option, change 'Color space' from the 'Advanced settings' picture menu to 'DCI' or 'BT.2020'. For most content, leave it set to 'sRGB/BT.709'.

6.2
Picture Quality
Color Volume
Normalized DCI P3 Coverage
68.447%
10,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage
43.278%
Normalized Rec 2020 Coverage
52.763%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage
33.447%
7.2
Picture Quality
Image Retention
IR after 0 min recovery
0.936%
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%

The Sony X850D does present some image retention, but unlike the X700D, the retention is present only right after the static scene of the test video. After 2 minutes, visually and from our computer analysis, we could not make out any image retention at all, which is pretty good for an IPS TV. This is particularly good for PC and video games enthusiasts.

7.5
Picture Quality
Reflections
Reflection
1.8%
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss

Bright objects reflected on the screen have rainbows around them. Reflections aren't going to be a big problem as long as there aren't too many lights in the room.

0
Picture Quality
3D
3D
No
3D Type
No
2D to 3D
No
Picture Quality
Pixels
Type LED
Motion
9.1
Motion
Motion Blur
Refresh Rate 120 Hz
Response Time
10.3 ms
Overshoot
1.2 ms

Pixel response time is quick as a whole, but transitions to darker colors are slower. The backlight is flicker-free, so although motion appears a little blurry, it doesn't create a double effect like you see on most Samsung TVs.

8.0
Motion
Image Flicker
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz
BFI
Yes
BFI Frequency
120 Hz
BFI In Game Mode
Yes
10
Motion
24p Playback
Judder-free 24p
Yes
Judder-free 24p via 60p
Yes
Judder-free 24p via 60i
Yes

With 24p content like Blu-ray, 'Motionflow' has to be set to 'True Cinema' to remove judder. For 60Hz signals like cable and streaming, you also need to set 'CineMotion' to 'High'.

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

Since the X850D is a 120Hz TV, it is able to interpolate both 30Hz and 60Hz content.

Inputs
7.3
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
34.6 ms
1080p With Interpolation
68.7 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
71.2 ms
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
34.6 ms
4k @ 60Hz
57.4 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
57.4 ms
4k @ 60Hz + HDR
57.4 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR
57.4 ms

Lowest 1080p input lag is achieved under 'Game' picture mode. The 'Clearness' setting under 'Motionflow' can be used to clarify action some more and won't increase the input lag (although it does darken the screen). 1080p input lag also stays low enough for some slower games when image interpolation is turned on, which is something that can't be said for most TVs.

Update 11/02/2016: With the latest firmware update (PKG3.531.0108NAB), the overall 1080p and 4k SDR remain the same, but the 4k HDR input lag is now almost half than was with was before and is now the same as 4k SDR. It is still a bit high even for casual gaming, but it is definitely an upgrade over the 93ms that it was before.

10
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 4k
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
4k @ 30Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes

Most resolutions are accepted. To get chroma 4:4:4, select 'Game' or 'Graphics' picture mode. For 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4, you also need to set the HDMI input to 'Enhanced format' (under 'External inputs' menu). Just like with last year's Sony TVs, 1080p @ 120Hz produces little artifacts (lines), but this shouldn't be too bothersome while gaming. The 'Graphics' picture mode has fewer of these little artifacts.

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
Composite In 1
Tuner (Cable/Ant) 1
Ethernet 1
DisplayPort 0
IR In 1
SD/SDHC 0
Inputs
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
Yes
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 Yes
ARC Yes (HDMI 4)
USB 3 Yes (1)
HDCP 2.2 Yes
CEC Yes
MHL No
Variable Analog Audio Out Yes
Sound Quality
6.0
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Std. Dev. @ 70
4.01 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ 80
5.09 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ Max
6.25 dB SPL
Max
88.1 dB SPL
Low-end Cutoff
143 Hz

Decent frequency response. However, the low-end cutoff of 143Hz is rather high, even for a TV; this TV doesn't produce a lot of bass. It doesn't get very loud either, and pumping may be present at higher volumes.

2.8
Sound Quality
Total Harmonic Distortion
Distortion @ 70
0.041
Distortion @ 80
1.083
Distortion @ Max
4.78

This distortion pattern seems to be typical of Sony TVs: Good results at lower volumes, and then a big jump in harmonic distortion near the maximum loudness limit of the TV.

Smart Features
Smart Features
Apps

All the major apps are available, including a web browser, YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Video, HBO Go and more.

7.5
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS Android

Not much has changed from Sony's Android TV smart platform from last year, which isn't such a bad thing, though some improvements would have been nice. It still feels like Sony uses a bunch of different interfaces thrown together into one. The content and apps are there, though, and that is what really matters. The interface is faster, too. As for the TV's inputs, you probably won't need more. Just make sure you have enough space in your setup to hide the huge power brick.

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

Sony Android TVs don't have ads. They do however have a slew of app recommendations on their home screen, which some might not like.

Smart Features
TV Controls

Basic TV controls are located on the back-right side of the TV. They might not be accessible if the TV is mounted flush on a wall.

Smart Features
Remote
Remote Basic

The remote has the same familiar layout as last year's, but now has a soft finish.

Smart Features
In The Box

- Remote
- Batteries
- 2 cable ties
- Power brick with cable
- IR blaster
- Manuals

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 53 W
Power Consumption (Max) 118 W
Firmware PKG3.163.0100NAB