Product Listing

Sony Bravia HX855 - Living On The Edge

By Andy Sim - 3 Jul 2012
Launch SRP: S$5999

SD, HD & 3D Tests

Standard-Definition Tests


X-Men: The Last Stand (DVD)

Unlike some of its HDTV rivals, the Bravia HX855 is better off without its fancy picture enhancements with the exception of its dynamic backlighting feature. For example, Sony's old-time picture density booster, Reality Creation, actually did more harm to the picture quality than good, judging by the introduction of noisy artifacts when enabled. Same goes for other attributes like Adv Contrast Enhancer, which lends an unnaturally sharp treatment to the overall picture when set to "High". Although images from the DVD leaned towards the softer side without the bells and whistles, the X-Men characters appeared more natural in the process with a rich palette of colors to boot. The best skin tones can be achieved with the TV's "Warm 2" color temperature setting since the "Neutral" value yields a slightly cooler tone instead. Black levels were superb as well, if the unblemished letterbox bars are of any indication. Contrast levels may be improved further with LED Dynamic Control if necessary. We'd advise using a "Low" setting to avoid a trade-off in darker image details. Motion processing was top notch too (as affirmed during our HQV tests earlier). On the whole, Sony's Bravia was extremely comfortable in dealing with standard definition fare on its own with hardly any tweaks, and we'll see if this carries over to their HD performance.

Minor signs of 'black crush' were evident on DVD content. Other than that, the Bravia HX855 churned out an impressive display with equally rich detail and colors despite the low-res SD source.

 

High-Definition Tests

Vantage Point (Blu-ray)

From the sepia-toned opening sequences to the colorful contents of the movie itself, Vantage Point was a pleasure to watch on the impeccable Sony Bravia HX855. We didn't spot any awkward judders, and details and black levels were exemplary from scene to scene. Dubbed as MotionFlow XR 800, Sony has injected a variety of options for their frame interpolation and backlight scanning technology to improve motion resolution in the HX855, namely Smooth, Standard, Clear, Clear Plus, and Impulse. The last option is designed for fast-moving images such as sports programs. They work reasonably well without succumbing to awkward judders or resulting in 'soap opera effects', but we must highlight that Clear, Clear Plus, and Impulse do dim the picture in intensifying degrees, with Impulse rendering the dimmest image of the lot. Sony has two settings under Cinema Drive - Auto 1 and Auto 2. Both enforce cadence detection for 24fps sources, with Auto 1 incorporating Sony's own motion-smoothing technology, while Auto 2 stays close to the film's original frame rate. The latter is also our preferred choice with its more natural presentation. In essence, the HX855 has managed to pull all the right punches with its stellar picture quality, motion rendering, black depths, and inverse telecine properties. Clouding issues were non-existent on the HX855 if we may add. One drawback, however, is the persistence of black crush attributes with the darker frames. This was noted earlier during our DVD test as well.

Strengths of the Sony HX855 include its even backlight distribution, black levels, accurate colors, and artifacts-free motion processing as we've witnessed on HD content like Vantage Point on Blu-ray.

 

Monsters vs Aliens (3D Blu-ray)

Before we take a look at the Bravia's 3D performance, let's sneak a quick peek at Sony's stereoscopic eyewear. As you can tell from the picture below, Sony will be bundling two pairs of the TDG-BR250B with the HX855 instead of the sleek and light alternative released in the UK. We won't mince our words by saying that the TDG-BR250B is undoubtedly a clunky affair. In fact, it appears that little has changed since the first few batches of Sony 3D TVs. On the up side, the active-shutter glasses were fairly comfortable, and they also offer a decent grip on the bridge of our Asian noses. The power button is also within easy reach, since it resides on the upper portion of the frame. The USB port is hidden behind a rubberized dust-cap below, and may be recharged via the HX855's USB ports as well. Those who use prescriptive lenses might have trouble with this model though, since it wasn't designed to be worn over another pair of glasses.   

Sony's TDG-BR250/B: Sony has made noticeable improvements to their line of active-shutter eyewear such as the incorporation of rechargeable features and an easy-to-reach power button.

The micro USB port (cable is supplied) is protected by a rubberized dust-cap located just below the right hinge. A 3D sync transmitter isn't required since it's integrated with the HX855.

The Sony Bravia delivered an amazing display of stereoscopic depth, clarity, and detail in its 3D outfit. Motion rendering was laudable too. Similar to our findings on the HX925, crosstalk is still present but negligible in most scenes. Observably, horizontal viewing angle is good up to 70 degrees off the center axis, before crosstalk and a loss in 3D depth are perceived. Sony has equipped the HX855 with several 3D tweaks, like '3D Depth Adjustment' and '3D Glasses Brightness'. The former option enables you to make changes to the stereoscopic depth, although we could hardly tell the difference after it's applied. To compensate for the active lenses' dimming properties, Sony's '3D Glasses Brightness' feature actually boosts the panel's brightness and not the glasses, contrary to what its name suggests. Note that the backlight setting is also pumped to the max regardless of the 3D mode you're in. One option not found on the older HX925 is the '3D Signal Notification' setting - one that updates the user whenever a 3D source is detected. 

More options are now found under Sony's 3D Settings menu. Note that increasing the 3D Glasses Brightness option actually boosts the display's brightness, and not the lenses.

Although it isn't able to enforce an entirely crosstalk-free delivery, the HX855 is still able to match up to its older HX925 when it comes to 3D depth, clarity, and overall performance.

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9.0
  • Design 9
  • 3D Performance 9
  • HD Performance 9
  • SD Performance 9
  • Features 8.5
  • Value 8
The Good
Uniform backlight distribution
Natural colors and deep blacks
Laudable SD and HD picture quality
Decent 3D performance
The Bad
Minor 'black crush' inclinations
Haphazard apps and widgets layout
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