PICTURE QUALITY. It did an excellent job displaying the finest detail of HD content. Color accuracy was excellent, so colors, especially flesh tones, looked very natural and lifelike. Contrast—the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites—was good, so images had depth and dimension, typical of most models we test. The brightness level was good, making it a suitable choice for most rooms. Black levels were only fair with darker areas of the image looking unnaturally illuminated. Dark scenes, in particular, were lacking in contrast. In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the model did an excellent job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. There was slight display non-uniformity that created brighter cloudy areas most noticeable on very dark scenes (or in the black bars of a letterboxed movie). We routinely see this issue with LCDs and severity can vary from model to model. The deinterlacing and film mode operations were excellent on HD content; there was little or no trace of jaggies on the edges of objects for video and film-based 1080i video content, such as from cable.
VIEWING ANGLE. This Sony has a wide viewing angle overall, better than that of most TVs. It will provide the same picture quality, with fewer problems than most TVs, for typical viewing conditions—say, if your family is seated across a long sectional or in chairs off to the sides. With brighter scenes, this model did a fine job maintaining accurate colors and contrast as we viewed it from the sides. The picture did show some dimming from the sides but not to any point we found distracting. With dark scenes this model didn't fare quite as well. When viewed from the sides, the depth of black levels varied depending on the vertical position of the viewer's head. As we moved closer to the screen this limitation became even more apparent, especially if seated on the floor looking upward where black levels brightened significantly. This model's wide horizontal viewing angle is best appreciated when the TV's picture is viewed at eye level.
ULTRA HD PERFORMANCE. Overall, excellent. This Sony UHD TV delivers full 4K picture detail, but HD-to-UHD upconversion fell short. All native 4K content we played on this model, including movies and test videos was presented in full detail with excellent image fidelity when played back via the TV's HDMI input. This TV supports HDR (High Dynamic Range), but the process of getting the TV to recognize HDR is a flawed. Only HDMI inputs 2 and 3 support HDR, and for the TV to present HDR effectively you'll have to go into the TV's menu and set the "HDMI signal format" mode to "Enhanced," which is not a friendly process (and not described in the user manual). The TV should do this automatically, and we hope a future firmware update will address this. We found HDR performance to be only mildly effective, falling short of better performing models we've seen. It did a good job reproducing a greater range of nuanced shadow detail, but there was little discernible contrast between moderately bright and very bright highlights from 4K content mastered specifically for HDR. Overall image brightness was fine for general viewing, but limited for effective HDR performance (contrast adds a greater sense of realism to content mastered for HDR). Extended color capability was not apparent on this TV. This model also supports video streaming of 4K programs via both Netflix and YouTube (among other sources), and images were finely detailed. Using the TV's USB port, we were able to play back 4K videos stored on a flash drive which were encoded in both the HEVC and VP9 formats, as well as MP4. High-resolution photos were displayed in full 4K detail, and like the videos, revealed great clarity, taking full advantage of UHD's extra resolution. When playing 1080p movie content from a Blu-ray disc, we found the TV's HD-to-UHD up-conversion processing fell short of the best we've seen, with edges along diagonals of image content showing more jaggies than we expect. All four of the TV's HDMI inputs comply with the latest HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 specifications that support play back for 4K video at 60Hz, and copy protection, a requirement for compatibility with 4K movie play back devices such as a 4K Blu-ray player. And again, support for HDR is only on HDMI inputs 2 and 3.
MOTION BLUR. This Sony TV has very good motion performance, with minimal blurring on our motion tests, thanks to Sony's "Motion flow". This feature is designed to reduce motion blur, a shortcoming of most LCD displays.
SCREEN REFLECTIVITY. Though not as mirror-like as on some models, this screen surface is glossy and therefore susceptible to reflections from a nearby lamp or window. It does a good job reducing glare from ambient light and maintains contrast in a brighter room environment.
SOUND QUALITY. This model has fair sound quality with below average performance. It's acceptable for typical programming, but shortcomings become obvious with movie soundtracks and music. With movies, dialog was generally clear but background music and other sounds were slightly recessed. Bass was lacking, but treble was nicely detailed, while the overall sound was closed in. The speakers produced good volume so this model should play sufficiently loud in typical room environments, though sound quality degraded at the highest volume settings. Also, at higher volume, dynamic compression kept the sound from distorting, but also limited the clarity of peaks in loudness, which can be a bit distracting on some audio content. If sound quality matters to you, you might want to add a soundbar or other external speaker system.
EASE OF USE. Overall, it was fairly easy to setup and fairly easy to do routine things. On first power up there is an on-screen guide that helps you through setting up the TV. The remote's major function buttons were sufficiently large and have high-contrast labeling, making them easier to see and navigate.
STAND ASSEMBLY. The TV's base does not come pre-attached, so some assembly is required. Mounting the support stand to the TV is fairly straightforward, but does use more than a few parts.
INTERNET FEATURES. This TV provides advanced Internet capabilities via its "Android TV" portal with access to a library of applications. Movie streaming services include: Netflix, Amazon, Hulu Plus, Vudu, YouTube, HBO Go, Google Play Movies & TV.
CONNECTIONS. This model has four HDMI inputs—one supports MHL (Mobile High-definition Link), one composite input, and one "component/composite shared" input (which means you can only use one type or the other at a time). It also has three USB ports, an optical digital audio out, a headphone out, an Ethernet port. WiFi wireless networking. DLNA, to access files within your home network. Casting, to control the TV from a smartphone that has the suitable app installed. Screen mirroring, where the image on your smartphone or other compatible device can also appear on the TV. Note: HDMI and other cable connections made to the rear-facing panel will protrude beyond the panel's slim depth.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX. A printed user manual. A quick start guide. An electronic manual in the TV's menu. A remote control with batteries. 1 IR Extender.
