Sony XBR-X800E Series Bravia Review

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The new XBR-X900E model from Sony has a few minor picture quality downgrades from the XBR- X930E above it in Sony's 2017/2018 lineup. It has a different yet new processor included the 4K HDR X1 engine, which has been redesigned with upgrading content to look more like HDR content in mind. Video signal processing is a particular strength of Sony and has been for years. It has full array local dimming, one of the best features an LED/LCD TV can have when done right (which the X900E does). The last new feature I'll mention here is the X-tended Dynamic Range Pro 5X, which is a contrast enhancement booster mechanism, and not one of my favorite features, due the fact that it usually makes little difference to the viewer and can add flicker to the picture. All three of these features are slightly scaled down compared to the X930E, but are still very robust.
Other features included are a Triluminous display, widened color gamut for HDR, Motionflow XR technology, and 4K X-reality Pro, are all good technologies left over from last year.
How does the Sony X900E compare with an LG or Sony 4K OLED TV? We love OLED technology, so for a 4K UHD signal we give a strong edge to the LG OLED. But we believe Sony has the best processing and outer panel of the 4K TVs, so for 1080p and lower signals we believe this TV outperforms the LG 4K OLED.

Picture Quality/Contrast/Black Level

Rating: 84/100

The biggest downgrade from the X900E and X930E in the Sony lineup above are that the X800E has no full array backlighting and instead is edge lit. Full array backlighting is one of the best (and most expensive when done right) feature differences when comparing one LED-LCD TV to another but is not cost effective nor necessary in a 43” or 49” TV. A good full array backlit picture can produce more contrast in critical areas of the screen and also help with side angle viewing quality due to increased brightness. The downgrade from the X850E is that the X800E does not have the picture processing engine 4K HDR Processor X1 introduced this year. It's a big feature, but does not make as big a difference in the smaller screen size. We loved this TV last year for its exceptional picture/price combination along with good solid features and value. The same applies this year with the X800E. The X Reality Pro smoother does a great job of cleaning up and upgrading lower end picture signals.
Contrast is not a strong point of the X800E. It's very difficult for edge lit LCD TVs to display great contrast. In a dark room situation with movies this TV will not be the videophile's choice. We measure contrast around 1500:1, not bad for sure, but not in the upper echelon of TVs these days, especially with OLED TVs near perfect black levels. Of course the issue with contrast in edge lit LCD TVs is always black level. The TV can get bright enough, but the black levels cant get deep enough. That said, brightness is certainly not of the quality of the 900E or 930E in the series above due to their full array backlighting.

Uniformity/Grayscale/Color

Realistic color rendition is a staple of the high end Sony TVs. Colors are not over-saturated while grayscale uniformity looks good to the eye, yielding a smooth picture. We rarely see an LED back lit TV with such even back light uniformity especially of the side lit variety – no clouding in blacks and no dark shadows in a mid-tone gray screen. Light flow-through is not as vibrant as some TVs but this depends more on content quality. By measurement, the uniformity suffers some in the corners and on the sides of the panel.

Triluminous Display

This wide-gamut color technology has been fantastic for Sony for a couple years. It produces much more realism and true-to-life color renditions than most of Sony's competitors, and in general takes less calibration effort to obtain an enjoyable picture setup. Colors are not over-juiced as they are with some, but they still have plenty of pop and are beautiful.

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