With regards to sports activities and films, the XF90 completely nails it.
Execs
- Full array direct LED backlight
- Dynamic HDR efficiency
- Netflix, Amazon and YouTube in 4K
Cons
- Disjointed Android/YouView person expertise
- Excessive enter lag
Key Specs
- Evaluate Value: £1699
- 4K Extremely HD decision
- Excessive dynamic vary with HDR10, HLG and Dolby Imaginative and prescient (promised)
- Android TV sensible OS with YouView catch-up
- Full-array native dimming
What’s the Sony KD-55XF9005?
The Sony KD-55XF9005 is a 55-inch, extremely specified 4K HDR TV. It has a direct LED backlight, versus edge lighting. For fans, this distinction is a giant deal, not least as a result of it addresses among the most typical points with LED LCD TVs, corresponding to tonal uniformity and HDR accuracy.
A mixed alternative for 2017’s XE90, XE93 and XE94, the XF90 enjoys various vital enhancements. The complete-array LED backlight has been uprated for higher distinction, whereas a brand new motion-handling approach referred to as X-Movement Readability has been launched. The set additionally advantages from Sony’s flagship X1 Excessive image processor, which is now trickling down the ranks.
The XF90 line is available in 4 display sizes. Along with the 55-incher featured right here, you should purchase it in 49 inches (Sony KD-49XF9005), 65 inches (Sony KD-65XF9005) and 75 inches (KD-75XF9005).
By the tip of the 12 months, I totally anticipate this mannequin to be a agency AV fan favorite.
Sony KD-55XF9005 – Design and options
Sony’s design theme for 2018 is outwardly ‘mushy minimalism’, and whereas I’m not precisely positive what meaning, the cosmetics of this set are positively premium. The ultra-thin aluminium bezel has a gunmetal sheen, and the Bravia branding on the prime left is tastefully delicate.
The TV comes with a brand new type stand. Toes edge out like Chaplin’s boots, however provide sensible stability. In addition they present a cosy match for an identical Sony soundbar.
Regardless of that direct LED backlight, the set isn’t overly deep at 69mm. A curved again panel helps disguise its fuller type issue. There aren’t any surprises relating to connectivity. We get 4 4K-ready HDCP 2.2-enabled HDMIs, plus a trio of USBs, mini-jack AV enter, digital optical audio output and ethernet. There’s additionally a headphone jack and IR blaster port. Tuner choices are twin satellite tv for pc or Freeview HD.
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Like all Sony 4K TVs, the XF90 is constructed upon an Android TV OS bedrock. There’s no Freeview Play, however a YouView app replaces the usual Freeview programme information and does a lot the identical factor, integrating key channel catch-up TV gamers with a roll-back programme information.
The person expertise is disjointed to say the least. The acquainted cluttered Android OS, Sony’s personal separate Motion Menu (dwelling to image settings, side ratio adjustment, sound), and pop-up Uncover bars, accessed through the distant’s TV button, all compete for consideration.
On the plus aspect, there’s built-in Chromecast, which permits direct casting from suitable apps, in addition to help for voice management from each Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
Along with Wi-Fi, the XF90 helps Bluetooth pairing with wi-fi headphones, for personal listening.
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Sony KD-55XF9005 – Efficiency
One factor that’s instantly noticeable in regards to the XF90 is the integrity of display tonality. Black backdrops are deep and clean; a consequence of these direct LED clusters. X-tended Dynamic Vary Professional adjustment permits the set to show up and dim down for accuracy, however there’s a restricted to the precision of the backlight dimming. Whereas I did discover blooming round brilliant objects held on a darkish background (an occasional irritant, significantly when you view off axis), there’s no acute mild pooling, and that’s an enormous image high quality win.
Throughout this analysis, X-tended Dynamic Vary was left on Medium. There’s a wealth of changes and tweaks, however Sony’s pre-calibrated settings are extraordinarily effectively judged, so there’s no want for willy nilly adjustments.
Sony affords a variety of typically effectively calibrated picture modes. The Cinema Residence preset has a barely larger APL (common image stage) than the Cinema Professional one, and have become my most popular film watching possibility. Commonplace is arguably the perfect total preset for basic content material viewing, and displays wonderful element. Vivid mode is probably the most dramatic, enhancing total sharpness with punchy distinction.
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Movement dealing with is excellent certainly. That new X-Movement Readability processor, selectively boosts LED brightness relying on the picture, bettering movement blur with out extreme dimming.
For sports activities content material, I nonetheless charge MotionFlow Commonplace the most suitable choice. It retains element, but retains artefacts to a minimal. For motion pictures go for MotionFlow TrueCinema or simply Off (similar distinction), as this provides probably the most cinematic presentation and removes any sense of that sliding cleaning soap opera impact.
The set helps HDR10 and HLG, with the promise of Dolby Imaginative and prescient touchdown through firmware replace someplace down the highway. The excellent news is that total HDR prowess is excessive. The set has the flexibility to actually ping out spectral highlights. I measured a sniff over 1000 cd/m2 (aka nits) with a 5 per cent window.
Regardless of this brilliant efficiency, HDR by no means glares, even with eye sweet like Transformers: The Final Knight on UHD Blu-ray. That film has a predisposition for backlights and halos, brilliant shafts of sunshine, indignant explosions and sparking robots, however the steadiness and depth maintained by the XF90 is impeccable. Its inherent brightness and a large color gamut imply there’s no need for errant tone mapping.
Maybe what actually stunned me is simply how good HDR Vivid mode is. The crispness of element and the depth of picture it affords is extraordinary. Color vibrancy is enhanced with out undesirable garishness. It’s an actual crowd pleaser.
The set’s audio efficiency isn’t too shabby, though I might hesitate to counsel that you simply received’t hanker for an exterior sound system. The TV has no back-panel woofer or ahead going through drivers, simply the same old stereo down-firing audio system. The facility output is restricted to 2 x 10w.
One space the place the XF90 does flounder is picture lag. This clearly isn’t optimised for gaming. With the Commonplace picture preset, I measured enter lag at 95.8ms. Within the devoted low processing Recreation mode, this solely drops to 39.3ms, which is poor in comparison with a few of its rivals.
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Why purchase the Sony KD-55XF9005?
In case you admire the vivacity of HDR and the experience of Sony’s picture processing, however end up distracted by unevenness of edge-lit LCD display, the XF90 is most assuredly value a more in-depth look. There’s a smoothness to its FALD imagery that’s actually charming. The one actual caveat is enter lag – when you’re a severe gamer searching for a quick HDR-capable UHD show, I’d most likely advise you move.
The Sony KD-55XF9005 is a prime flight mid-range LED LCD TV that makes efficient use of its full array LED backlight. Whereas it doesn’t have something just like the precision of Sony’s now legendary ZD9, the picture advantages it affords over an edge-lit panel are sufficient to place it on the watch-list of any severe cinephile. Picture readability, distinction and broad gamut color efficiency are all excellent.
Associated: Finest TVs
Verdict
With regards to sports activities and films, the XF90 completely nails it. This display is a superb begin to Sony’s 2018 TV marketing campaign.
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We take a look at each TV we evaluation totally over an prolonged time frame. We use business normal checks to match options correctly. We’ll all the time let you know what we discover. We by no means, ever, settle for cash to evaluation a product.
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Used as the primary TV for the evaluation interval
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Examined with broadcast content material (HD/SD), video streams and demo discs
