- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Design
- Picture Quality
- Motion
- Inputs
- Sound Quality
- Smart Features
- Sizes and Variants
- Compared
- Conclusion
- Q&A
Sony X900E
TV REVIEW
Test Benches: test
- 1.2: Winter 2018
- 1.1: Summer 2017
- 1.0: Winter 2015
- 0.9: Winter 2014
- 0.8: Winter 2013
- 22% TV Shows
- 22% Sports
- 16% Movies
- 16% Video Games
- 10% HDR Gaming
- 9% HDR Movies
- 6% PC Monitor
- 20% Contrast
- 17% Local Dimming
- 12% 1080p Input
- 10% Black Uniformity
- 8% Gray Uniformity
- 8% 4k Input
- 6% 24p Judder
- 5% Motion Interpolation
- 5% Stutter
- 3% SDR ABL
- 3% Pre Calibration
- 2% Post Calibration
- 2% 480p Input
- 29% Reflections
- 16% SDR Peak Brightness
- 11% Viewing Angle
- 9% 1080p Input
- 7% 720p Input
- 5% Gray Uniformity
- 5% 4k Input
- 5% Sound Quality
- 5% Smart Features
- 3% Motion Interpolation
- 2% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 2% Pre Calibration
- 2% Temporary Image Retention
- 1% Post Calibration
- 25% Reflections
- 20% Response Time
- 14% SDR Peak Brightness
- 11% Viewing Angle
- 10% Gray Uniformity
- 8% 720p Input
- 5% Sound Quality
- 4% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 2% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 1% Flicker-Free
- 1% Temporary Image Retention
- 33% Input Lag
- 22% Response Time
- 6% 1080p Input
- 6% 4k Input
- 4% Contrast
- 4% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 3% Reflections
- 3% Gray Uniformity
- 3% Sound Quality
- 3% Local Dimming
- 2% Black Uniformity
- 2% SDR Peak Brightness
- 1% Flicker-Free
- 1% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 1% Pre Calibration
- 1% Stutter
- 1% Variable Refresh Rate
- 1% 4k @ 60Hz
- 1% Temporary Image Retention
- 1% Post Calibration
- 1% 1440p @ 60Hz
- 22% Contrast
- 14% Local Dimming
- 12% 4k Input
- 11% Black Uniformity
- 6% HDR Peak Brightness
- 6% Color Gamut
- 6% Color Volume
- 5% Gray Uniformity
- 4% Stutter
- 4% 24p Judder
- 3% HDR ABL
- 2% Motion Interpolation
- 2% Pre Calibration
- 2% Gradient
- 1% Post Calibration
- 1% HDR10
- 1% Dolby Vision
- 25% 4k @ 60Hz + HDR
- 15% Response Time
- 8% Contrast
- 7% Color Gamut
- 7% Color Volume
- 5% Local Dimming
- 4% 1080p Input
- 4% 4k Input
- 4% Black Uniformity
- 3% HDR ABL
- 3% HDR Peak Brightness
- 3% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 2% Gray Uniformity
- 2% Gradient
- 2% Reflections
- 1% Variable Refresh Rate
- 1% HDR10
- 1% Dolby Vision
- 1% Sound Quality
- 1% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 1% Flicker-Free
- 1% Pre Calibration
- 1% Temporary Image Retention
- 1% Post Calibration
- 28% Inputs
- 14% Viewing Angle
- 13% Response Time
- 8% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 6% Reflections
- 5% Temporary Image Retention
- 4% 4k Input
- 3% SDR Peak Brightness
- 3% 1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
- 3% 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
- 2% Contrast
- 2% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 2% Curved
- 2% Gray Uniformity
- 2% 1080p Input
- 1% Local Dimming
- 1% Black Uniformity
- 1% Flicker-Free
- 1% Pre Calibration
- 0% Post Calibration
It was replaced by the Sony X900F
The Sony X900E is a great 4k TV that offers some of the best picture quality found in an LED TV. HDR content looks particularly good on this TV since it gets very bright, and it handles motion exceptionally well. Its only real downside is the degradation of the image when viewed at an angle.
This TV is currently our best Mid-Range 4k UHD TV.
- Deep blacks
- Bright, which is good for HDR
- Very fluid motion
- Picture quality deteriorates at an angle
| Design | 8.5 |
| Picture Quality | 8.1 |
| Motion | 8.4 |
| Inputs | 8.4 |
| Sound Quality | 5.9 |
| Smart Features | 8.0 |
Update 3/12/2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2. Learn more about our versioned test bench system here.
Update 12/11/2017: Google Assistant has now been added to Android TV on Sony TVs, and it brings a lot of new features to the voice control. The remote score has been increased to reflect the new fuctionality.
Update 11/10/2017: Retested input lag with the latest firmware (PKG6.2669.0070NAA); there was no significant change.
Update 9/20/2017: Tested 1080p @ 120 Hz input lag using our new input lag tool.
Update 9/12/2017: The Remote App box has been updated, replacing Google's app with Sony's better one.
Update 8/10/2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.1. Learn more about our new versioned test bench system here.
Update 7/18/2017: Updated with newest firmware (PKG6.2648.0065NAA). The input lag has been retested and is unchanged.
Check Price
Design
The X900E has a very typical Sony design, with a small stand that supports the TV well and a very functional appearance. There are slots at the rear of the stand for cable management, but overall the design is quite minimalist.
The X900E is a fairly cool TV, and should never feel hot to the touch. However its power brick does get warm, up to 45 °C, though this isn't hot enough to cause any problems.
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
- 6% 4k Input
- 4% Color Gamut
- 4% Color Volume
- 2% Gradient
- 1% Temporary Image Retention
- 1% Permanent Burn-In Risk
The Sony X900E has great picture quality. The excellent contrast ratio and good black uniformity results in good performance when viewed in a dark room. The X900E is also a good option for a bright room, since it has a high peak brightness and can handle reflections pretty well. It is best suited for people who sit directly in front, since when viewed from the side the picture quality degrades considerably. When it comes to HDR this TV is a great performer; it has a great HDR peak brightness, great color reproduction and when you add local dimming to the equation, you end up with a very good movie experience.
The native contrast ratio is very good on this Sony TV. With a ratio of around 5400, this is much better than the X930D. A high contrast ratio is crucial for good dark scenes performance while watching movies in a dark room.
Note that this test is done in SDR with local dimming off to showcase the true native contrast of the panel used in this TV. With local dimming set to high with the same test pattern, the contrast ratio was around 6500 with black level of around 0.015 cd/m², which is even better.
The local dimming feature is average on the Sony X900E. When set side by side with last year's X930D, it is clearly an upgrade visually, and we recommend it for normal viewing. When set to maximum it can sometimes feel a bit aggressive. If you visually see that it too aggressive, you can set it to medium or low.
- 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
Excellent SDR peak brightness. With both 'Auto Local Dimming' and 'X-tended Dynamic Range' set to 'High', the X900e is able to make small areas like our 2% window very bright. The TV can't brighten larger areas as well as smaller areas but large areas are still very bright. The TV is able to maintain this high brightness indefinitely which is good.
- 64% 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
Good all-round brightness. Even the worst cases such as sustained 100% window remain very bright. With 'Auto Local Dimming' and 'X-tended Dynamic Range' set to 'High' the X900E is able to make small areas very bright, and maintain this high brightness over time without fading.
- 40% 50% Std. Dev.
- 40% 50% DSE
- 10% 5% Std. Dev.
- 10% 5% DSE
The overall gray uniformity of the X900E is good. The 50% standard deviation is a bit higher than what would be considered a good value, and this is cause by the darker corners and the general unevenness near the frame of the TV. Luckily for sports fans there is not too much dirty screen effect, as the center of the display is pretty even.
As for the 5% uniformity, besides some brighter areas near the bottom corners there is not much to complain about which is great.
- 20% Color Shift
- 40% Brightness
- 40% Black Level
This viewing angle is bad, but is fairly typical for a TV with a VA panel. When sitting to the side of the TV and viewing it on an angle, blacks will look gray and colors will look washed out, though the brightness will stay fairly constant.
- 75% Native Std. Dev.
- 25% Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
The X900E native black uniformity (whitout local dimming) is good and is similar to last year Sony X930D. Some clouding can be seen, especially near the corners, but with a standard deviation of 1.203, this is still a pretty good result.
With local dimming turned on, the result is equally good with a value of 1.014. This is a good sign that the local dimming is working well on the X900e
With local dimming turn on and with regular content, the faint clouding visible on our picture should not be noticeable.
The TV is great at handling reflections. The semi-gloss finish helps to diffuse light on the screen which reduces the intensity. Even in a fairly bright room, reflections aren't an issue.
- 45% White Balance dE
- 45% Color dE
- 9% Color Temperature
Out of the box in the 'Custom' picture mode the calibration of the TV is excellent and could be used without any further adjustments. The white balance is slightly too warm, but even then the white balance dE is only 2.15 which is still a good score. The color accuracy is also good, with only the green tracking a bit worse than the other colors.
- 45% White Balance dE
- 45% Color dE
- 9% Color Temperature
Calibration of the X900E is very easy and fast to do with the provided 2 and 10 points white balance calibration. The white balance was quickly brought to a negligible 0.25 dE, and the gamma curve was flattened to track more closely to the 2.2 value. The color space dE was brought down a bit, but since there is no color space management on this TV, we could not bring it down further. In any case, with a dE of 1.97 it is still an excellent result that is well under our good value of a dE of 3.
You can see our recommended settings here.
- 25% DCI P3 xy
- 25% DCI P3 uv
- 25% Rec 2020 xy
- 25% Rec 2020 uv
The X900E has a wide color gamut which is good for HDR content. Overall, deep colors will be well represented but the TV underperforms when reproducing greens.
The X900E has decent color volume. It is able to show its wide color gamut at a range of brightness values, though it does struggle at the extreme ends of this range. Its color gamut for extremely bright colors is smaller than at moderate brightness, and its blue tinted black level also prevents it from accurately showing very dark deep color.
- 25% Red (Std. Dev.)
- 25% Green (Std. Dev.)
- 25% Blue (Std. Dev.)
- 25% Gray (Std. Dev.)
The performance of this TV is excellent when displaying our gradient test image. Small imperfections can be noticed in the dark green and blue, but these are almost negligible. The TV can display gradients without any banding normally seen on an 8-bit panel and should provide excellent color reproduction, especially in sky scenes for HDR movies.
The Sony X900E has some image retention, which is pretty unusual for a TV with a VA panel. The retention is really faint and not as strong as seen on some IPS TVs. It is the first time we've seen image retention on a VA TV. Note that image retention is not a deal breaker in any way, but more a temporary annoyance, since it is not permanent.
Update 10/05/2017: We have retested the image retention on our replacement unit (see here) and there is only very faint retention. The result has been updated, but note that there may be some variance on a unit-by-unit basis.
We don't expect VA panels to experience permanent image retention, as the VA panel in our long-term test appears immune.
Motion
- 53% Response Time
- 11% Flicker-Free
- 4% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 5% Motion Interpolation
- 12% Stutter
- 11% 24p Judder
- 5% Variable Refresh Rate
Excellent motion handling. The TV's fast response time results in only a very small trail following moving objects which should be good even for fast content. The backlight does flicker at low levels, but at a high enough frequency that motion appears smooth. It is able to clear up the image with black frame insertion. Movies are played smoothly, and fans of the soap opera effect can interpolate content to 120Hz.
Update 06/27/2018: This TV experiences frame drops and cadence issues with 50Hz content. Most likely content used in broadcast television systems in countries broadcasting at 625-line/50 field per second (PAL). (Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and South America). See here for more info in our Q&A. This model is now discontinued and it's replacement, the X900F, does not have this issue.
- 50% 80% Response Time
- 50% 100% Response Time
The response time of the X900E is outstanding and results in only a short trail following moving objects. The 20%-80% and 80%-20% transitions take a bit longer than ideal, resulting in the blur visible in the moving logo image. Overall, this TV shouldn't have any problems with fast-paced content.
The backlight does use PWM to dim, but only at very low backlight levels (at a setting of 8/50 or below). It flickers at a relatively high frequency of 720 Hz so content appears quite smooth.
Update 04/18/2018: Note that with 'Local Dimming' and 'X-tended Dynamic Range' enabled, the TV always flickers (no matter the 'Brightness' setting.
It is possible to reduce the flicker frequency to 120Hz by increasing the 'Motionflow' -> 'Clearness' slider. This does help to clear up motion, but not as well as the 60Hz flicker available on other TVs.
The TV has a 120Hz panel and is able to interpolate lower frame rate content to produce a very strong 'Soap Opera Effect' (SOE). To do so, adjust the 'Motionflow' setting and increase the 'Smoothness' slider. The 'CineMotion' option changes the threshold for interpolation. Set it to 'High' for the most SOE.
The Sony X900E is decent at displaying content smoothly, but for low frame rate content such as movies it does appear a bit stuttery, especially for wide panning shots, as each frame is static for ~30ms during periods of motion. For 60 fps content motion is smooth.
The X900E can play movies from Blu-ray players, native streaming apps and cable/satellite boxes without any judder. Note that when playing the movie from a 60p/60i source like cable TV, the 'Motionflow' option must be set to 'True Cinema' and 'CineMotion' set to 'High' to have a judder-free experience without any motion interpolation.
- 25% 4k VRR Maximum
- 25% 4k VRR Minimum
- 25% 1080p VRR Maximum
- 25% 1080p VRR Minimum
The X900E doesn't support variable refresh rate features such as HDMI Forum VRR or FreeSync.
The Sony X900E supports all common input signals and should be able to accurately display content from any device, even video output from a PC. The X900E also has low input lag in game and graphics mode and will be very responsive when playing video games and when using the TV as a PC monitor. Note: Only HDMI ports 2 & 3 support full bandwidth, but HDMI port 3 is also the audio return channel. If you have a receiver which 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.
- 35% 1080p @ 60Hz
- 3% 1080p @ 60Hz + HDR
- 37% 4k @ 60Hz
- 19% 4k @ 60Hz + HDR
- 3% 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
- 3% 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR
Very good input lag overall. In game or graphics mode the input lag is always lower than 35 ms, which should be good enough for all but the most competitive gamers. Outside of game or graphics mode though the input lag is quite high, making this TV unsuitable for gaming with interpolation enabled.
Update 05/23/2017: The TV has been retested after the update to Android TV 7.0 Nougat, and the input lag is unchanged.
Update 07/18/2017: The TV has been tested with the newest firmware update (PKG6.2648.0065NAA). The input lag remains the same.
Update 09/20/2017: Tested 1080p @ 120 Hz input lag using our new input lag tool. It is much faster than the 1080p @ 60 Hz input lag, likely due to the TV bypassing some processing when it detects such an unusual signal.
Update 11/10/2017: Retested input lag with the latest firmware (PKG6.2669.0070NAA); there was no significant change.
- 17% 1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
- 17% 1080p @ 120Hz
- 17% 1440p @ 60Hz
- 17% 4k @ 30Hz @ 4:4:4
- 17% 4k @ 60Hz
- 17% 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
This TV supports all of the common input signals. Only HDMI inputs 2 and 3 are capable of showing 4k @ 60 Hz @ 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 color, and only when 'HDMI Enhanced Format' is enabled. 4:4:4 color is supported in both game and graphics mode.
Remarkably the TV also displayed a 1080p @ 120 Hz input without showing the vertical line artifacts seen on the X930D. However when displaying this resolution while in game or graphics mode only crude upscaling was done on the 1080p image, so the image looked almost as jagged as it would on a 1080p TV. Some people may prefer this look however because it retains most of the sharpness of the original image.
Update 06/12/2018: A note for Xbox One X and Xbox One S owners: 1080p @ 120 Hz from the Xbox is only supported on this TV when the Xbox's connection type is changed from Auto-detect (Recommended) to HDMI: (Xbox > Settings > Display & sound > Video fidelity & overscan > Display > Connection > HDMI). Unfortunately in this mode 4k, HDR, 50 Hz and 24 Hz aren't possible, so this mode is only recommended when the higher refresh rate of 120 Hz is more important to you than these other features.
Update 06/18/2018: Correction, 24 Hz and 50 Hz are in fact possible with the Xbox's connection type set to HDMI.
There is a shared component/composite port on the back, and an additional composite input on the side but an adapter is not included. An example of the correct adapter can be found here.
To enable audio passthrough, in the 'Action Menu' change the 'Speakers' to 'Audio System'.
This TV does support a variable analog audio out, which means you can control the volume of wired headphones (like the Beyerdynamic DT 770) directly with your TV remote.
Sound Quality
- 75% Frequency Response
- 25% Distortion
The Sony X900E unfortunately doesn't produce a very good sound. While it isn't unusable, it would greatly benefit from adding a soundbar or a set of speakers.
- 30% Low-Frequency Extension
- 5% Std. Dev. @ 70
- 20% Std. Dev. @ 80
- 15% Std. Dev. @ Max
- 20% Max
- 10% Dynamic Range Compression
Poor frequency response. Low-end cutoff of 160Hz means that this TV won't produce much bass. Additionally, even though this TV doesn't get very loud, pumping and compression is produced as the volume is increased.
- 40% Weighted THD @ 80
- 25% Weighted THD @ Max
- 10% IMD @ 80
- 25% IMD @ Max
Poor harmonic distortion performance. The overall amount of distortion at 70dB is very low, however, just like most of the other Sony TVs we've measured, there is a big spike in the overall harmonic distortion as volume is increased and the TV is put under heavier loads.
Smart Features
The Sony X900E uses Android TV as its smart platform. Android TV tends to be more difficult to navigate than many other smart platforms, so the interface may take some getting used to. The 'Action Menu' button on the remote helps to relieve this problem by providing a quick list of popular settings so the user doesn't have to navigate to the main settings menu. However one strength of Android TV is the Google Play Store, which contains many many apps that can be downloaded on the TV to extend its functionality. The included remote is rather large with many buttons, and has a microphone for voice search, which works well.
Note that for readers watching 50Hz content (such as in Europe) there is a bug which causes some frames to be duplicated, skipped or repeated (see here).
The Android TV interface isn't as easy to use as some other smart platforms. On this TV it also sometimes has lag and choppy animations. The remote's 'Action Menu' button helps to alleviate this by providing a quick menu with common functions and settings.
The main interface of the TV has no ads which is good. Apps themselves can still have ads, such as video ads in the YouTube app. There is an option in the TV's settings to opt out of personalized advertising for these ads.
By default the top row of the home screen is filled with suggested content, but the sources of suggested content can be disabled one by one in the settings until there is only two TV instructional videos left in the row.
Out of the box most of the popular apps are preinstalled such as Netflix, Youtube and Amazon Video. Many more apps can be downloaded from the sizable Google Play Store.
The remote is fairly large and has a dizzying array of buttons, like the remotes of the X930D and X800D. The round arrow button pad is surrounded by a circle of other often used buttons, and serves as the centerpiece of the remote. There is a microphone in the remote for Voice Search, which works well.
Update 12/11/2017: Google Assistant has now been added to Android TV on Sony TVs, and it brings a lot of new features to the voice control: commands like 'open Netflix', 'switch to HDMI 1', 'pause video', 'how's the weather' and 'turn off TV' all work well, though commands to change picture settings like 'set the brightness to 20' and 'switch to Game mode' don't work. The remote score has been increased to reflect the new fuctionality.
The Android TV remote app has fewer features than the apps of some other smart platforms, but can still be useful.
Update 09/12/2017: Sony has an app called 'Video & TV SideView' that's better than the Android TV app in most ways. It adds a few features like launching both apps and inputs, and has three different remote modes, one being a mouse cursor on the TV. The score and data fields have been updated to reflect the Sony app.
Update 07/11/2018: Sony's Video & TV SideView remote app has been retested on version 5.5.0. The remote app can now stream video files and can only directly launch apps. The data fields have been updated.
There are three buttons on the back of the TV that allow changing the channel, volume and input. The center button selects either channel, volume or input while the (+) and (-) buttons increment the setting. The center button also serves as the power button and can power off the TV is it is held down for a few seconds.
Differences between Sizes and Variants
We tested the 55" (XBR55X900E). For the most part, we expect our review to be valid for the 49"(XBR49X900E), 65"(XBR65X900E), and 75"(XBR75X900E). Unlike the other sizes, the 75" variant has an internal power brick.
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Sony XBR-55X900E 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 | Model | Alternative Name | UK Model |
| 49" | XBR49X900E | XBR-49X900E | KD-49XE9005 |
| 55" | XBR55X900E | XBR-55X900E | KD-55XE9005 |
| 65" | XBR65X900E | XBR-65X900E | KD-65XE9005 |
| 75" | XBR75X900E | XBR-75X900E | KD-75XE9005 |
Compared to other TVs
The Sony X900E offers a compelling package that is very competitive considering its price point. Picture quality is great, and its local dimming is a strong selling point.
The X930E is a higher-end Sony TV that performs very similarly to the X900E. It's a better TV overall, with a better local dimming and much higher brightness levels, but it's hard to recommend over the X900E since the price difference is fairly large.
The Vizio P Series 2016 had the best local dimming we tested last year and will offer slightly better picture quality in a dark room than the Sony. The X900E is a better pick for watching TV shows and sports, however, thanks to its superior upscaling and more adjustable motion settings. This makes it a safer choice over the Vizio for those that are planning to use their TV for a variety of uses. Note that the 55 inch version of the Vizio P has a different type of panel that will perform worse in most of our tests.
The LG UH8500 is a rarely seen recommendation and when compared to the X900E, it falls short in almost every front. The X900E will be a much better pick with the exception of watching the TV from an angle. Most people should buy the Sony X900E.
The Samsung KS8000 was our top recommended TV last year and, if you can still find it in stores, will be a slightly better choice over the X900E. Its blacks are deeper and even more uniform, and it's able to produce colors that are even more saturated. Most people will be pleased with either TV, but the KS8000 is a slightly better pick since it is cheaper.
Conclusion
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
- 22% TV Shows
- 22% Sports
- 16% Movies
- 16% Video Games
- 10% HDR Gaming
- 9% HDR Movies
- 6% PC Monitor
- 20% Contrast
- 17% Local Dimming
- 12% 1080p Input
- 10% Black Uniformity
- 8% Gray Uniformity
- 8% 4k Input
- 6% 24p Judder
- 5% Motion Interpolation
- 5% Stutter
- 3% SDR ABL
- 3% Pre Calibration
- 2% Post Calibration
- 2% 480p Input
- 29% Reflections
- 16% SDR Peak Brightness
- 11% Viewing Angle
- 9% 1080p Input
- 7% 720p Input
- 5% Gray Uniformity
- 5% 4k Input
- 5% Sound Quality
- 5% Smart Features
- 3% Motion Interpolation
- 2% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 2% Pre Calibration
- 2% Temporary Image Retention
- 1% Post Calibration
- 25% Reflections
- 20% Response Time
- 14% SDR Peak Brightness
- 11% Viewing Angle
- 10% Gray Uniformity
- 8% 720p Input
- 5% Sound Quality
- 4% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 2% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 1% Flicker-Free
- 1% Temporary Image Retention
- 33% Input Lag
- 22% Response Time
- 6% 1080p Input
- 6% 4k Input
- 4% Contrast
- 4% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 3% Reflections
- 3% Gray Uniformity
- 3% Sound Quality
- 3% Local Dimming
- 2% Black Uniformity
- 2% SDR Peak Brightness
- 1% Flicker-Free
- 1% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 1% Pre Calibration
- 1% Stutter
- 1% Variable Refresh Rate
- 1% 4k @ 60Hz
- 1% Temporary Image Retention
- 1% Post Calibration
- 1% 1440p @ 60Hz
- 22% Contrast
- 14% Local Dimming
- 12% 4k Input
- 11% Black Uniformity
- 6% HDR Peak Brightness
- 6% Color Gamut
- 6% Color Volume
- 5% Gray Uniformity
- 4% Stutter
- 4% 24p Judder
- 3% HDR ABL
- 2% Motion Interpolation
- 2% Pre Calibration
- 2% Gradient
- 1% Post Calibration
- 1% HDR10
- 1% Dolby Vision
- 25% 4k @ 60Hz + HDR
- 15% Response Time
- 8% Contrast
- 7% Color Gamut
- 7% Color Volume
- 5% Local Dimming
- 4% 1080p Input
- 4% 4k Input
- 4% Black Uniformity
- 3% HDR ABL
- 3% HDR Peak Brightness
- 3% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 2% Gray Uniformity
- 2% Gradient
- 2% Reflections
- 1% Variable Refresh Rate
- 1% HDR10
- 1% Dolby Vision
- 1% Sound Quality
- 1% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 1% Flicker-Free
- 1% Pre Calibration
- 1% Temporary Image Retention
- 1% Post Calibration
- 28% Inputs
- 14% Viewing Angle
- 13% Response Time
- 8% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 6% Reflections
- 5% Temporary Image Retention
- 4% 4k Input
- 3% SDR Peak Brightness
- 3% 1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
- 3% 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
- 2% Contrast
- 2% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 2% Curved
- 2% Gray Uniformity
- 2% 1080p Input
- 1% Local Dimming
- 1% Black Uniformity
- 1% Flicker-Free
- 1% Pre Calibration
- 0% Post Calibration
Questions & Answers
Update 08/10/2017: The issue has become worse, and so we have started the warranty process with Sony.
Update 08/14/2017: We have returned our old X900E unit and received a refurbished model through Sony support.
At the moment we don't have any information about the other sizes besides the one we have reviewed. We will update the review as soon that we get the information about the other sizes.
Update 04/17/2017: A reader has confirmed the 49" variation has a VA panel.
When in the graphics picture mode 1080p is displayed with very basic upscaling, just mapping one pixel to four. This is shown in the pixel picture to the right. This kind of upscaling looks more jagged but it retains all the sharpness of the original image, unlike the softer upscaling from the other picture modes. However 1080p @ 120 Hz does not show the same behavior; in both game and graphics modes it uses a different jagged upscaling that is a little softer, but is still more jagged than normal.
Update 03/27/2018: The answer has been updated to reflect current prices and availability.
Have you - in your reviews of the XE900 series - noticed any major motion artefacts (with Motionflow disabled) on 50/59.94Hz native content? (i.e. not 23.976/24 or 25p acquired stuff - but 50/59.94Hz stuff like entertainment, sports etc.) My 49XE9005 and another model I've tested are both suffering badly from frame drops and out-of-order frame pair repeats (in 720p50 or 720p59.94 domain). I've tested two TVs - and compared them with a 49X8505B previous generation model with the same test material fed via an HDMI splitter.
The test material has burned in 720p50 timecode - and I have filmed it in 720p240 slow motion for analysis using an iPhone. It is clear to see that frames are being dropped (usually on shot changes) or shown for just 1/100th of a second instead of 1/50th in some cases. These are not hugely visible to the naked eye. However these drops are having to take place because of the repetition of pairs of frames - which most definitely ARE very visible.
Example :
Frame sequence 1, 2, 3, 2, 3, 4, 5...... N, N+3
The judder of seeing frames 2 and 3 repeated after they've already been seen is really clear (it is often after shot changes - but you can still see it a a judder). The dropping of Frames N+1 and N+2 is less obvious as it is usually on a shot change as well.
It's consistent across multiple TVs with the same settings - and happens usually at the same timecode.
Thank you for contacting us and letting us know.
That’s certainly very interesting. I was able to recreate the same frame drops and cadence issues on our 55” X900E. What’s also interesting is that it appears to be specific to the X900E (our X850E and X930E don’t appear to show the same issues).
This was tested in the ‘Custom’ picture mode both with ‘MotionFlow’ set to ‘TrueCinema’ and ‘Disabled’. The issue doesn’t appear to be present when in the ‘Game’ picture mode which suggests it is some additional processing that can’t be disabled in certain picture modes.
We haven't tested the 49" X900E but we believe it has a similar 120 Hz VA panel to the 55" we reviewed. The X900E's full array backlight provides much better local dimming than the KS8000's relatively crude edge lit local dimming. Though note that full array local dimming isn't always better than edge lit, the X930E's edge lit local dimming is better than the X900E's full array.
Update 04/17/2017: A reader has confirmed the 49" model has a 120Hz VA panel.
I decided to bring the Q9F back. I think such an expensive TV should not have that degree of uniformity (Samsungs price is 5.000€). My choice fell onto the Sony KD-65 XE9005. I unboxed it yesterday. The picture is much better and worth the money (Sonys price: 2.200€). But the handling is a mass. First setup took me over 90 minutes (< 20 minutes at Q9F including smart hub personalisation). First picture you see is: "Please choose your language". The Samsung started with an overwhelming QLED-Video. The system menue laggs. When I switch picture settings while a video is running, the video starts lagging. BUT - the overall system performance is okay. You can open apps with voice control, which is fine. Once the TV is running you can enjoy a great picture. It's pretty uniform, both black and gray. Cable handling is also okay, even though there is no "One Connect Box". Unfortunately I need a longer LAN cable now.
I will switch back to Samsung's High End design and customer experience, as soon as the picture is worth the money.
Even within the same PC, the applications themselves can dictate the monitor's refresh rate if they are executed in the exclusive fullscreen mode (This is how games and local video players usually work). You might want to change the refresh rate manually for web-based content which doesn't use this feature, but since 120 is a direct multiple of 24, 30 and 60 Hz, it should not be necessary to do so to enjoy it without encountering frame-rate related artifacts.
Thank you for contacting us. We've experienced this issue on older Sony models before (2016 and earlier) but not on the X900E or other 2017 models. Sometimes changing the batteries on the remote or unplugging the TV can fix it, but we don't know what it's caused by. If any others readers are experiencing this issue, then please do let us know.
Update 02/23/2018: One of our visitors did encounter the same problem with is new Sony X850E, where he had to do a 'Power Cycle' and use the physical button to turn on the TV.
I'm in New Zealand and I've seen the same complaint in website user forums in UK and Australia. Don't know if Canada or US models have the same problem.
Problem is 2017 Sony TVs cannot pause/ rewind/fast forward live TV. It's a basic function and incredibly useful...being able to pause while you go to bathroom, make a cup of tea etc...or just want to pause at the start of a program so you can FF thru the ads.
But here's what makes it really interesting.
- My previous 2013 Sony (so pre Android TV) could do this. So it's a backward step for Sony.
- I have a hard copy Sony brochure for the 2017 range and for all models the brochure states: "Record or pause live TV shows via a hard drive(32gb minimum) connected to the TV's USB port". That implies it was Sony's intention to have this functionality. But it can't. Sony have confirmed that to me, but they didn't explain the false advertising.
- The Android TV developers website says that this functionality is available and gives instructions for how to integrate it into tv software. Implies the problem is Sony did not integrate it into their software.
- You can RECORD live TV OK to a USB stick, but it's how the software is supposed to use this feature to also pause live TV that doesn't work.
- Google Sony TV Timeshift, and you'll see it's been raised in various user forums but no one seems to have fully got to the bottom of this.
Have you guys looked into this? Does it work on 2018 Sonys? Does it work on other manufacturers TVs using Android TV? So is it a Android problem or a Sony problem? Or maybe the problem is with the provider of the live TV service that has software built into the TV. In New Zealand it's Freeview. Could make for a really interesting bit of investigative journalism. Your reviews are great, but you should include this as a problem if it still is. Maybe update your review of the 2017 Sonys. Might even be worth a separate Youtube edition.
Do you have contacts at Sony you can discuss this with to find out what's going on? At the end of the day what I, and other users really need to know is can Sony push out a software update to enable this? By me telling you, and other reviewers I'll also contact I want to:
- Let other potential Sony purchasers know about it to make an informed decision
- Shame Sony into doing something about it!!
