Customer Ratings & Reviews

i like the sound and picture both and the many different inputs i can use

This is our first 4 k TV and we are very happy with it so far no problems

I was interested in purchasing a 4K UHD TV for a few months now and one of the models I was interested in was the Sony XBR55X800B. That model was released in early 2015 and had really good ratings on Amazon and Best Buy. But a couple of months ago I noticed this model (XBR55X810C) being available as a replacement model. The main differences between the two models are that the 810C has an X1 Processor Engine, Motionflow XR960 (800B has XR240) and Android TV. The only advantage the 800B has is that it’s thinner by about 0.5” and has silver outer edges). When the price dropped last week, I knew the time was right to buy it. My previous TV was a 50” Panasonic TC-P50X1 plasma which I bought about 6 years ago. Even though it was an entry level 720p TV, I really grew fond of it and picture was really good with deep black levels. The only issue I had with it was that one of the three HDMI ports no longer worked and it was fairly heavy and a little bulky. I still kept it but it now sits in my basement. Anyway, getting back to the Sony 810C, one of the things I noticed when I unpacked it from the box was how thin the bezels were. Even though this TV has a 55” screen, the width of it is about the same as my 50” Panasonic. However, it is fairly thick as far as depth is concerned compared to other 4K TVs. The stand it came in is pretty thin and is adequate (but barely) to hold the TV in place. However it does wobble more than I would like it to when I try to attach an HDMI cable to it. Oh, by the way, if you are unsure between choosing between a 55” and a 65”, I would recommend the 55” if your viewing distance is going to be within 8’. The 65” would be more appropriate for larger family rooms and basements. I live in a townhouse and this is plenty big in our living room. Getting back to the review, this TV has a first generation Android TV OS built in it so when you first start it up, it will ask you to read and accept a few disclaimers as well as the option to enter a Google email address/password and a Wi-Fi password. It will also ask you to perform a fairly lengthy update. The picture right out of the box with its default settings was really good but if you’re like me, you will want to adjust them to your liking. One of the first things I did was to watch a football game through my Xfinity cable box. The picture quality was impressive and looked crisper and the color was more vibrant than my old Panny’s. I then watched ‘Gotham’ on Netflix and that’s when the difference was more evident. The picture had amazing clarity and it just seems to pop out at times. However, both of the aforementioned sources were either 720p or 1080p signals which the vast majority of the people who will be buying this TV will be viewing in. There just isn’t that much content in 4K besides a few shows on Netflix and some videos on You Tube. But despite this, I would still recommend getting this TV because Sony is famous for three things: excellent color accuracy, good upscaling on HD content and deep black levels as far as LED panels are concerned. This model is an entry-level model in their XBR series and I have to admit I am very pleased with the picture when viewing it straight on. However, if you are not sitting in the sweet spot (i.e., in one of the 3 seating positions on a sofa about 7+ feet away), you will not get that same image because the side angle viewing on this TV is pretty bad. The vibrant colors fade and the picture experience just isn’t the same. Sony's 55” models uses a VA panel while the 65” models use an IPS panel. IPS panels will display a better side angle picture, although the contrast ratio won't be as good as a VA panel when viewed from the center. This is not exclusive to Sony as most LED TVs suffer from this. (Some more than others). I didn’t realize how great my plasma’s side viewing angle was until I compared it to this TV. If it’s going to be just you and your spouse watching, this shouldn’t be an issue but if you’re going to have 6 people watching then 3 will get great picture quality and 3 will get an average picture. This is my biggest gripe about this TV. Another thing that I’m not a fan of with this TV is the Android TV operating system. Since this is the first version of their OS, it is fairly buggy. I’ve had the remote control either freeze up or not work several times and the only way I could get it to work again was to reboot the TV. Also, Netflix didn’t work when I first tried it. There would be sound but the screen would be blank. I think update the latest firmware fixed that problem as it works pretty good now. (However it didn’t fix the occasional freezing of the remote while adjusting the picture settings). Another issue I had was that it didn’t recognize two of my HDMI inputs. Rebooting it fixed the problem but it was annoying. The Netflix interface is not nearly as good as Apple TV’s but overall it’s pretty decent. There are several preloaded apps like Amazon Video and YouTube along with others that you can download on the Google App Store. The TV itself has about 8 GB of storage for you to store those apps. The processor is adequate for a smart TV in this price range. The remote control is nothing to brag about and is pretty basic. I hope Sony will include a smart remote similar to LG’s Magic Remote in their future models because that is the future of browsing on a smart TV. Anyhow, despite the negatives associated with this TV, I still gave this TV 4 stars because of the price and the great picture quality. While there are cheaper 4K models out there, the picture quality isn’t nearly as good. (Samsung is the only one that comes close but their black levels/contrast isn’t as good as Sony’s. Although I have to admit their side viewing angle is a little better). If you want a significantly better image quality, you have to shell out and extra $2,000 for a similar sized 4K OLED from LG. That is simply the best TV on the market right now. I’m still debating whether I should keep this TV or wait a few months when there is a significant price drop on the OLEDs because they have excellent side angle viewing and the blacks are out of this world. But I would be foolish to get a 4K LED for $500-$1,000 more this model because the differences will not justify the price difference. If you spend a couple of hundred more, you may want to get the 850C with the Triluminos display but believe me, the colors on the 810C are plenty good. I’ve had this TV for about 3 weeks now and I think I’ll wait another week before deciding on keeping it because of the not so good off angle picture quality. But this is not an issue for you, then I would highly recommend this TV to anyone who’s looking for fantastic picture quality for around $1,000. If I do return it, the only other models I would go with are Samsung UN55JU6500 or UN55JS7000. I know Vizios are highly touted by CNET but I question their long term reliability plus their design is very bland and cheap looking.

We have been very happy with our tv. Picture quality, slimness, very good

The color is beautiful - easy set up - really everything that I needed

After my Samsung 60" TV went out after just a couple of years, I decided to give Sony a try. I have another Sony and it's been flawless, so I hope this one lasts a little longer.

Best 4K TV with high refresh rate before you enter the Magnolia room.

Great tv--it's worth the money I spent!! Great size, good sound!!!

This TV has a great clear, sharp picture. It was easy to set-up.

We are off the grid due to getting useless channels that we don't care for. We also do not get over the air channels due to being in a remote location in Maine. We do get Hi Speed internet and this TV with all it's apps is a godsend. We now watch what we want when we want.

I love Sony TV!!!! Excellent color and excellent picture clarity!

The only downside was the browser and also the irritating remote

this is an awesomely great tv. great picture. all around great.

Quality imagine, sound is ok, fast response. Hasn't froze yet.

The color tones, really make the pictures come to life. Skin tones are exceptional as well as outdoor scenery. Ample inputs for a variety of video and audio formats. Being a smart TV it has all the latest online services Netflix. .Etc. Very pleased with the purchase.

good picture quality , intergrated easily with sound system

Have to turn sound up high to hear. Volume isn't good. Would not purchase again due to this.

This is a very nice TV with a great picture for the price

The TV was complicated and was unable to get DVD player to work with a sound bar in HDMI 4

The Sony XBR55X810C 4K Ultra HD Smart TV is the secret Great TV of 2015 and now in 2016. I have owned SONY XBR series Trinitrons since the Glass picture tube days, and had an XBR 32” for 7 years and enjoyed it, still works passed it on to my mother in law. Needed a new one and did not think I would want 55” but saw this unit and it’s great. It is a budget-oriented TV but has great features and I can’t say too much for a unit that does exactly what its specified for It has excellent picture quality, driven with an Android engine and the X1 upscale processor is just spot on. My source is Directv HD and the output on the screen is out of this world. The Android part, well for the first week of ownership it went through about 3 updates, it’s a good thing that I have really great internet speeds, it did take quite a while BUT ended up unlocking some features that truly made it a great tv. All round great design a very skinny bezel, it’s only about an inch thick on the outside and 2.5 inches thick at the widest. If needed to be mounted no real-estate on your wall easy VESA mount setup. Connectivity is great, I ended up ordering slim line HDMI cables and the connections and quality are great. Don’t need the USB feature for myself but its there. I did use all the HDMI ports, have a computer through one of the HDMI ports and the video from an NVIDIA card is phenomenal, also if your card is HDCP 2.0 compatible the sound come through the HDMI cable. I do have Netflix and Hulu and the speeds via the Wi-Fi are not bad at all. It streams and connects with no issue at all. As Android updates come through SONY the apps respond and work better. These two providers at this writing have 4k content to watch. The TV does have marginal sound but I did end up using the 3.5mm headphone jack and hooking up powered speakers (PreSonus) and then told the tv to give me variable headphone jack sound. This combo give me better than a sound bar capability. I did see reviews about the capability to get a good viewing angle on this set, personally I watch this tv within the 70 degree angle and there is not a lot of viewing issues. This is a hidden little secret that people are passing up this is flat out a GREAT television with lots of capability.