Sony KDL-65W850A Review (KDL65W850A)

65 inch 120 Hz 1080p LED TV

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Sony KDL-65W850A 1080p LED TVThis 65 inch LED TV is the solution for those looking for a larger top tier Sony, but aren't willing to spend the money on a 4K display. The KDL-65W850A keeps all of the bells and whistles seen on the W900A, but drops the Motionflow down to 480 instead of 960. This isn't going to make a vast difference in the end. The speaker setup is also slightly different with the W850A gaining the advantage. The W850A comes at a higher price thanks to the larger screen, but expect the same picture quality performance out of this one since the Triluminous display and the X-reality Pro processing engine are both present.

Picture Quality

The KDL-65W850A is every bit as impressive as the W900A above it, but with more screen space. The Triluminous display and the X-reality Pro picture processing work together to create a rich and crisp picture. The colors come out realistic without the 'pop' of over-saturation we've seen on some other LED TVs this year. The biggest different is the lower Motionflow XR rating of 480. We've seen that the XR 960 does a great job of getting rid of motion blur and judder and the bump down to 480 won't provide an incredibly noticeable difference in picture quality. The same active 3D technology is found on the W850A as well and we like what we see. The X900A series and the lower end Sony TVs have passive 3D this year and we actually like the results better. But it is not a flaw here. 4 pairs of glasses are included.

Design and Appearance

The Sony KDL-65W850A implements the same design as the X850A 4K models. The silver circular stand protrudes out from the bottom of the screen without lifting it like the W900A stand. The black frame and profile are both thin and attractive as expected from a top tier TV. The Sony logo is placed at the center below the screen and is offset by a metallic looking rectangle. We don't really like that part of the look.

Built-in Sound Quality

Sound quality from on-board speakers has seen a great improvement this year from certain TV manufacturers. LG has really bumped thing up by including woofers in their flat panels. The W850A is no different and actually is an improvement of the W900A model above it. The total output power is 30 watts with 2.1 channels for an increased range in sound. All in all, this is a great improvement and we are happy to see Sony found it worth including on this set.

Value

As far as top tier 65 inch LED TVs go this year, the KDL-65W850A presents an solid deal at $2,699. All of the features, picture quality, and strong built-in sound expected of a Sony TV are included at a reasonable price for a TV of this size. A good comparison is the Samsung UN65F8000 that sells for a few hundred more. The picture quality is of a similar level, but the extra money gets more interaction and smart TV features. The Panasonic TC-P65VT60 provides stronger competition as a plasma TV. It comes at the same price, but beats the Sony on picture quality. This is a good consideration if a plasma TV will work for where the TV is going to go.

Specs

Dimensions and Design

  • No Stand: 57 7/8” x 34” x 2 5/8”
  • With Stand: 57 7/8” x 35 1/4” x 16”
  • Weight without Stand:  75.4 lbs
  • Weight with Stand:  78.5 lbs
  • Circle Chrome Plated Stand

Display and Picture Features

  • 16:9
  • Full HD Resolution
  • Diagonal Screen Size : 64.5"
  • X-Reality PRO video processing
  • Motionflow XR 480
  • Local Dimming
  • 3D Comb Filter
  • 4:3 Default
  • Advanced Contrast Enhancer (ACE)
  • Clear Mode
  • Deep Color
  • Intelligent MPEG Noise Reduction
  • Intelligent Picture Optimizer
  • MPEG Noise Reduction
  • Picture Modes – Vivid, Standard, Custom, Photo-Vivid, Photo-Standard, Photo-Original, Photo-Custom, Cinema1, Cinema2, Game-Standard, Game-Original, Graphics, Sports, Animation

Internet and Connectivity Features

  • Sony Entertainment Network
  • USB File Systems - USB viewer supports FAT16, FAT32, exFAT and NTFS
  • USB Play Formats : MPEG1/ MPEG2PS/ MPEG2TS/ AVCHD/ MP4Part10/ MP4Part2/ AVI(XVID)/ AVI(MotinJpeg)/ MOV/ WMV/ MKV/ WEBM/ 3GPP/ MP3/ WMA/ WAV/ JPEG/ MPO/ RAW(ARW)
  • DLNA Content Formats : MPEG1/ MPEG2PS/ MPEG2TS/ AVCHD/ MP4Part10/ MP4Part2/ AVI(XVID)/ AVI(MotinJpeg)/ MOV/ WMV/ MKV/ WEBM/ 3GPP/ MP3/ WMA/ LPCM/ JPEG/ MPO
  • Google TV Sync - US/CA/MX
  • Internet Browser Opera
  • One-touch mirroring
  • Screen mirroring
  • Seamless Streaming
  • Skype Ready
  • b/g/n Wireless LAN Built-in

3D Features

  • Active 3D
  • Auto 3D Depth Adjustment
  • Simulated 3D

Audio Specs

  • Audio Output : 10W(x3)
  • Speaker Configuration – 2.1ch Down Firing

Inputs

  • 4 HDMI
  • 3 USB 2.0
  • 1 Component Video
  • 1 Digital Audio out
  • 1 Headphone out
  • 1 Ethernet

Jack Burden Jack Burden joined the review staff of CEAG Inc. in May 2003 after finishing his graduate work at Harvard University. He has been reporting on consumer electronics and conducting product reviews for more than seven years. Focusing on the audio-visual segment of the electronics market... Read more about Jack
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