Sony X85J 85" TV review

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The price of TVs have decreased dramatically in recently years. Once upon a time, you will need to fork out upwards of ten grand for a 50” flatscreen. 
Nowadays a quarter that same money can buy you a screen with twice the real estate. Yet you have TVs that still cost upwards of ten grand. However most consumers will baulk at that much coin and may wonder if it’s all worth it. 
Step in the Sony x85j, a 2021 model which straddles the middle ground with a price that’s nearly twice that of the most entry offerings from the budget brands. Will average Joe see any benefits?





First the specs and tech blurb: 
From the official site


Plus more info from Best Buys:

4K HDR Processor X1™

Powerful TV processing that delivers a picture that is smooth and clear, full of rich colors and detailed contrast

TRILUMINOS PRO™ Color

Reproduces more colors than a conventional TV resulting in picture quality that is natural and precise, and closer than ever to real life

GOOGLE TV

Seamlessly browse 700,000+ movies and TV episodes from across your favorite streaming services, all in one place. Watch content from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Paramount+, YouTube, Apple TV app, Peacock, HBO Max and many more. Searching is easy- just ask Google.

HDMI 2.1 for a next-gen gaming TV

Get the most out of next-gen gaming with BRAVIA XR HDMI 2.1 enabled TVs featuring 4K/120Hz and BRAVIA Game Mode for increased frame rate and reduced input lag

4K X-REALITY PRO

Our unique 4K database upscales all the HD content you love to near-4K resolution bringing back real-world detail and texture

MOTIONFLOW XR™

On-screen motion stays smooth and clear, allowing fast moving sequences in sports, action movies, and games to be seen with lifelike clarity



You get 2 USB ports, but they do not turn off when the TV is turned off. There are 4 HDMI ports, two of which are HDMI 2.1 equipped and eARC on one of them. 

All the ports are located on the left side of the TV, and face sideways, which I feel is better than some where the ports stick out of the back. They are also quite near the end, so you can locate them easily, even on a wall mounted TV.

The TV is also capable of outputting DTS and has Bluetooth and optical as well as a headphone out. 

This set is a hybrid of features with some of the latest and achieves its price tag by recycling some features from past years.

You do not get the last XR chip, but the older X1 video processor is not slouch either and Sony's processing is well known to give natural colours with excellent upscaling. I have no reason to disagree here either. I even popped in an old DVD into my player and the Sony displayed details from the early 2000s disc with great aplomb, and the details on offer were very impressive. 

On initial impression it’s another black plasticky TV, with legs that are not height or width adjustable so take note if your console is narrow or you have a soundbar. You’ll easily fit a slim one below but a full centre speaker will have issues. Build quality is decent but there’s some flex in the rear panels though there’s nothing of concern. The frame is very slim, and will fit into spaces meant for older and thicker frame TVs. In the dark, you'll think you are staring at a projector screen. The feet of the 85" model are not entirely plastic, and in fact have a metal centre for rigidity. 

The remote is standard issue Sony one.. a long full button remote without any backlight. There are quick access buttons to YouTube, Netflix and Amazon prime.  You also get a press to talk which allows you to communicate with this Google TV equipped set. 

The user interface is a standard Android one and works pretty quickly. The standard apps are all present and with 16gig ram you can add quite a few apps. 

The apps are entirely adequate, and you can get Amazon Prime, Netflix, Youtube, AppleTV built in, and it's easy to get some of the other apps. 

Setup is easy and you’re doing underway. 


How does it perform?

Screen uniformity is very decent, especially for such a large panel. It also handles reflections pretty well, even in a brightly lit living room or showroom. 





Let’s begin with free to air tv and the images are very acceptable even on a 85” panel. Digital TV reception is one of Sony’s forte and this doesn’t disappoint. I live in a low lying area behind a hill and I can still get all the local channels. 






Then let’s talk about SDR quality and I feel this is actually where the set shines most. With more than 500 nits you can overcome ambient lights in a well lit living room and it handles reflections pretty well too unless you put a spotlight onto the screen directly. Sports and motion handling are great. You will be impressed with the bright rich colours and the pre calibration out of the box settings look great. At this price point it is unlikely they buyers will get professional calibration and will rely on the in built settings for the best results and here the Sony does not disappoint. 

Moving to high definition images from Netflix and it only gets better. If you use a HDR 4k source or Dolby Vision source it will look even better. 

Due to the limitations on how bright it can get, you will see that the brightest scenes do not looks as good as the better panels from Sony and other makers, and the contrast ratio on OLEDS will still best this panel but when you are using it for a good movie, the colours, brightness and quality will still impress. 

After all, remember, this is still a middle of the range panel for Sony and lacks local dimming and does not go much brighter than 500 nits.




Motion is well handled and the response time is impressively quick too. 

As for sound, well don’t hold your breath.. the built in two full range speakers will go low but have nothing below 100hz. Voices are a little tinny but it’s acceptable for be basic use. I guess it forces you to consider a soundbar which gives Sony something to sell. But I am glad they spent more money on the picture, which it shines brightly, pun intended.


So what's the overall impression and who should get this?

I had tried and also owned some basic entry level TVs. Whilst they give decent value for money, they do not perform that well. The screens do not get bright enough, the colours are less than sterling and the operating system can be laggy. Service and support for the parallel import sets can also be patchy.

But not everyone is ready to open their wallets too widely and get the top tier panels. So here is a panel which caters to those who would like to get something a little better than the budget or entry level offerings, without spending on a top tier TV. I think Sony has succeeded here, since such buyers will still have a diet of watching SDR,  a mix of standard definition and high definition material, plus the occasional venture into ultra-high definition and some Dolby Vision material such as that available on most streaming platforms. 

As for the 85" set, I think that it will allow a certain spectacle missing from smaller panels. At 3m, it does not too big and even free to air TV looks decent. 

And with displays, size does matter. So buy the biggest size you can, and if it means getting a lower series, to get the bigger size, no regrets. I did review the X90J (here: https://peteswrite.blogspot.com/2021/05/sony-xr65x90j-tv-review.html ) but it only goes up to 75" and for similar money, I rather get the 85" X85J. In the living room where it is being used, it will be used largely for SDR content, whereas for critical high contrast and ultra high definition viewing, I will retreat to my den and use my Sony 75" Z9D, which is still my go to set for high quality content appreciation. But the newer set is remarkable at it's price point and that is the sign of progress too. 

Just as a comparison, I placed my 32" monitor in front of it:




Wall mounting is good idea, as there may be safety concerns if such a set topples especially if there are kids around. Do consider a swivel mount, which you have to pay extra for, but it is worth it to allow you to reach the back panel easily. And do add as many screws as you can because this is one heavy and large set. 

I have added a link to rtings settings:
https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/sony/x85j/settings#page-discussions 

NOTE:
At the time of writing, the X85J is the only 2021 Sony TV updated to feature VRR, but that can change later on. 
____________________________________________________________
 I have no financial interest or other interests in any of the items / events I write about.

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