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Official Sony XBR800B Thread

23K views 111 replies 42 participants last post by  jaesu 
#1 ·
Hi all just bought my new sony xbr800b. curious anyone else have one yet? the left side of mine has a brownish hue to it and the bottom lfet you can really see the edge light coming through. anyone have that?
 
#13 ·
what am i missing?



Compared to what? Are you sure you were looking at a Sony XBR-'xx'X800B?? What was the resolution of the source content being played?

You should get 850B or 900B.
Your link goes to a "Trimble Nomad" mobile computer, but I am not aware of a Sony model 900B anyway (unless you mean the model that's almost 4x the price than the 800B). There's the 950B, which is a 1080p set, or the 900A, which is also a QFHD model that's many times the money than the 800B. Different class of TV in any case, really not comparable to the 800B.

I am really surprised by these opinions. Sure full array is "better" than edge lit, but you're talking about a TV with 1/4 the resolution of the 800B.

I went with the 800B (been on the wall 6 nights now - signed up for the forum to discuss tech specs) and I am amazed that an LED TV looks this good for $1399 (best buy knocked $100 off the price. Just have to ask).

The 850 has 3D (talk about wasting your money) and the Tri-luminous processing, which does look better than *not* Tri-luminous, but I was just not going to pay more for a 3D TV and the Tri-luminous isn't that huge of a difference to justify the price increase between the two. I would have paid more for just the Tri-luminous processing alone but that TV doesn't exist (that I know of. If it does, let me know and I might return the 800B ;)

I am coming from a Panasonic plasma so I am used to high contrast and very deep black levels, and the 800B is really outstanding in both areas. It upscales 1080p incredibly. It even scales up 720p content just as well. I have a 2nd generation Apple TV, only capable of 720p output, and this TV scales it up to insane levels of detail. Watching Avatar on this thing is unbelievable.

I watched an episode of breaking bad the other night (4k UHD from netflix) and it's incredible. It is like the jump between standard and HD all over again. I'm completely stupefied that someone could consider this TV "terrible".

This is coming from a person who went to the store with the specific intent to buy one of the remaining Samsung 1080P plasmas (still the best every-day picture technology until OLED becomes more attainable, IMO) until I saw the 800B. Best buy had it set up next to a 950B, both playing the same content, and there was no comparison. I drilled the salesman on the setup thinking there must be some trickeration, but it was just playing a blu-ray DVD. Same content, 1080p from the same source, 800B next to the 950, and there was no comparison. (in my opinion). The upscaling on the 800B is amazing and it looks better than a 1080p set. Why would you buy a Full HD when a QFHD - that does 1080p better than the 1080p set - is only a little more $$???

I have not noticed any light bleed issues either. I have the 55" and sit about 15 feet away from it, and it's a bit higher on the wall so I would be able to see light bleed from the upper bezel if there were any.

Of course, it's not a perfect TV -- I find I have to tweak the settings between sources and there is a need to use the manual audio delay on my receiver (Denon AVR-591) depending on the source too, but the issues are easily correctable and the menu is simple and easy to navigate. The screen is also pretty reflective and picks up glare from windows pretty easily, so if you get this thing, have some blinds or dimmer switches for your lights.

Obviously, I'm really impressed by this TV. If it's not the best performing QFHD TV for the money (and better than any 1080p TV), please tell me what is better (be specific!)

Thanks for reading if you came this far.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Agreed...even the top-end 1080p W950B would have been a better choice than a X800B, imo.
EDIT: Not to mention, that the black level issue shouldn't be AS bad as some might think...owning a Toshiba 32" TL515U, which I believe that lineup used LG panels, too, and the blacks seem to be under control. Can't see why the W950B would be any worse than those.
 
#9 ·
Xbr 800b

I saw the model you bought at Best Buy while on a business trip. I though the 800B looked pretty darn good and I have a Samsung F8500 plasma at home. I though the Sony looked just as good as the Samsung F900 curved 4K TV on display. I was impressed by the black levels and dimming. I thought the TV might actually be fully array given what I saw in the store. The X950B was just above the X800B and the picture quality was not any better based on what I saw in Best Buy. Attached is a photo from my iPhone 4 which has a crappy camera which shows the black levels. I have not seen the X800B in a dark room setting, so I don't know if any light bleed or clouding would have been seen, but the black levels looked really good in the store. I was impressed enough with the TV that I though about getting it as a 2nd display for a bedroom. I think the silver bezel gives the TV a cool industrial design. I don't like that the TV is not 3D capable as I have a fair amount of 3D blurays.
 

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#12 ·
I saw the model you bought at Best Buy while on a business trip. I though the 800B looked pretty darn good and I have a Samsung F8500 plasma at home. I though the Sony looked just as good as the Samsung F900 curved 4K TV on display. I was impressed by the black levels and dimming. I thought the TV might actually be fully array given what I saw in the store. The X950B was just above the X800B and the picture quality was not any better based on what I saw in Best Buy. Attached is a photo from my iPhone 4 which has a crappy camera which shows the black levels. I have not seen the X800B in a dark room setting, so I don't know if any light bleed or clouding would have been seen, but the black levels looked really good in the store. I was impressed enough with the TV that I though about getting it as a 2nd display for a bedroom. I think the silver bezel gives the TV a cool industrial design. I don't like that the TV is not 3D capable as I have a fair amount of 3D blurays.
The 800B doesn't have local dimming (neither does the 850B). Both have 'frame dimming' which means that the set can adjust the intensity of the backlight for the entire panel at once, which pretty much every LCD can do.

The 950B has full array with local dimming, the 900B has edge lighting with local dimming. From what I've seen in store the 950B and 900B are close, but there's a huge gulf of difference between those two and the 850B/800B.

If this were a few years ago the 850 and 800 wouldn't even get the XBR branding. Sony used to reserve it only for their absolute top of the line products. They may be OK TVs, but there are better options for the money.
 
#11 ·
Like UFO said, a store display under bright lighting is not really a place to judge black levels. The X800B pairs Sony's excellent XReality LSI with an average IPS panel and omits their Triluminos backlight tech.
That being said, it has a great design and is a good choice for a bright room. I'd look into a W700B for dark room viewing even though it isn't 4K.
 
#18 ·
Hi all,

Have had the 50W800B for a week now, enough time to do some tweaking with the extensive user settings (previously owned the Sony KD34XBR960 and know of the importance of proper black and picture levels and with settings provided by others, had calibrated and then slightly tweaked my own in the service menu as well). Used a THX optimizer as the basis for initial eyeballing before the fine tweaking for cable, DVD, DVD-R and VHS with individual 3D settings for each as well. So after all that, can simply say.....

This is just a great set! The HD picture is simply stunning and I'm having the time of my life watching it.

Do not have bluray but the up conversion for DVD is fantastic. Know how vibrant bluray is, have seen it, but DVDs come alive with this model. Great color and most of all there is increased resolution in small objects, with no harshness on the edges or inside details. It is more than I ever expected I would get, especially because of what I read regarding the need for bluray compared to DVD on screens above 40 inches because the bigger the screen the more apparent the reduced resolution becomes.

I love to collect movies and my collection covers those from the silent era to now. Obviously could not afford to buy them all so the majority were recorded onto DVD-R from HD stations like Turner Classic Movies, HBO, Showtime, etc. using a Panasonic recorder with flexible recording with the 1080i signal obviously down converted to 480i fed into the Panny via S-video. Of course, these discs cannot be compared to regular DVDs and thus I use the "custom" mode for this and the "standard" for regular DVDs so to get precision tweaking for each format. The up conversion for these surprised me as well. I was afraid going from a 34 inch CRT to a 50 inch LCD would bring out more of the limitations of my recorded DVD-Rs but that did not happen. Compared to the original source, the recording is between a 7.5 and 8.0 out of ten, which is quite acceptable for forty cents a movie LOL.

Still have some old VHS tapes, mostly silent films that are not available on DVD or have not been broadcast on TCM. This is where one can see how well the up conversion process works. Yes, it still lags far behind the picture quality of HD but it isn't bad at all.

Now about the 3D. Since do not have bluray and have not used any of the apps or cable pay per view, can only go by the simulated 3D. Have experienced store demonstrations so familiar with the eye popping effects coming at you that true 3D provides. Also read reviews on websites which said the 3D was not that good. Was advised by Crutchfield that the simulated affects would appear from the screen going away from the viewer, like when looking out a window, not coming at you as it is with true 3D.

Well, the simulated 3D is a lot better than what I expected. It actually makes the picture appear quite natural with depth, as if one is indeed looking through a window. Yes, the picture is a slightly bit darker because it is active, however, the resolution remains superb. Though not 3D in the way intended by the producers or technicians, this is more than adequate for my purposes, since 3D was not primary reason for purchasing the set.

Finally, my thoughts about the "Soap Opera Effect". I actually like it. Watching old films makes people and objects from the past appear real life, which is is like going through memory lane or a time machine from before one was born. Even with the silent movies. Makes an emotional connection between the past and the present. Don't mind it for modern day movies at all. Combined with the simulated 3D it is actually quite a treat.

On the negative side, one notices a loss of color and contrast as the viewing angle expands and I read this might be more dramatic than on some other sets, however, because it is common with all LCDs, this is something one cannot escape from either regardless of the extent.

The remote could be better, though this should not warrant any second thoughts about purchasing the set. The direction buttons are encircled too closely by others which causes one to press the incorrect button way too often. Also, there are no direct buttons for picture settings, picture size or twin view. Instead, this requires multiple steps which is a hassle. Fortunately, I saved the remote from my KD34XBR960 which had all those direct buttons and it works with this set.

So as one can see, I am so very happy with my new toy and for $799 think it was a steal. Do know that after a while my wife and I will get used to it and the euphoria we feel at the moment will settle down.
 
#19 ·
Hi all,

Have had the 50W800B for a week now, enough time to do some tweaking with the extensive user settings (previously owned the Sony KD34XBR960 and know of the importance of proper black and picture levels and with settings provided by others, had calibrated and then slightly tweaked my own in the service menu as well). Used a THX optimizer as the basis for initial eyeballing before the fine tweaking for cable, DVD, DVD-R and VHS with individual 3D settings for each as well. So after all that, can simply say.....

This is just a great set! The HD picture is simply stunning and I'm having the time of my life watching it.

Do not have bluray but the up conversion for DVD is fantastic. Know how vibrant bluray is, have seen it, but DVDs come alive with this model. Great color and most of all there is increased resolution in small objects, with no harshness on the edges or inside details. It is more than I ever expected I would get, especially because of what I read regarding the need for bluray compared to DVD on screens above 40 inches because the bigger the screen the more apparent the reduced resolution becomes.

I love to collect movies and my collection covers those from the silent era to now. Obviously could not afford to buy them all so the majority were recorded onto DVD-R from HD stations like Turner Classic Movies, HBO, Showtime, etc. using a Panasonic recorder with flexible recording with the 1080i signal obviously down converted to 480i fed into the Panny via S-video. Of course, these discs cannot be compared to regular DVDs and thus I use the "custom" mode for this and the "standard" for regular DVDs so to get precision tweaking for each format. The up conversion for these surprised me as well. I was afraid going from a 34 inch CRT to a 50 inch LCD would bring out more of the limitations of my recorded DVD-Rs but that did not happen. Compared to the original source, the recording is between a 7.5 and 8.0 out of ten, which is quite acceptable for forty cents a movie LOL.

Still have some old VHS tapes, mostly silent films that are not available on DVD or have not been broadcast on TCM. This is where one can see how well the up conversion process works. Yes, it still lags far behind the picture quality of HD but it isn't bad at all.

Now about the 3D. Since do not have bluray and have not used any of the apps or cable pay per view, can only go by the simulated 3D. Have experienced store demonstrations so familiar with the eye popping effects coming at you that true 3D provides. Also read reviews on websites which said the 3D was not that good. Was advised by Crutchfield that the simulated affects would appear from the screen going away from the viewer, like when looking out a window, not coming at you as it is with true 3D.

Well, the simulated 3D is a lot better than what I expected. It actually makes the picture appear quite natural with depth, as if one is indeed looking through a window. Yes, the picture is a slightly bit darker because it is active, however, the resolution remains superb. Though not 3D in the way intended by the producers or technicians, this is more than adequate for my purposes, since 3D was not primary reason for purchasing the set.

Finally, my thoughts about the "Soap Opera Effect". I actually like it. Watching old films makes people and objects from the past appear real life, which is is like going through memory lane or a time machine from before one was born. Even with the silent movies. Makes an emotional connection between the past and the present. Don't mind it for modern day movies at all. Combined with the simulated 3D it is actually quite a treat.

On the negative side, one notices a loss of color and contrast as the viewing angle expands and I read this might be more dramatic than on some other sets, however, because it is common with all LCDs, this is something one cannot escape from either regardless of the extent.

The remote could be better, though this should not warrant any second thoughts about purchasing the set. The direction buttons are encircled too closely by others which causes one to press the incorrect button way too often. Also, there are no direct buttons for picture settings, picture size or twin view. Instead, this requires multiple steps which is a hassle. Fortunately, I saved the remote from my KD34XBR960 which had all those direct buttons and it works with this set.

So as one can see, I am so very happy with my new toy and for $799 think it was a steal. Do know that after a while my wife and I will get used to it and the euphoria we feel at the moment will settle down.
This XBR-800B site or 4K.
 
#22 ·
Custom color settings

I just purchased a XBR65X800B. It seemed to be the best tv in my price range of $2,100. For the most part I have been happy with it. My one issue is the colors seem a little too bright. While watching a baseball game I noticed the colors of the uniforms and grass were too bright and unrealistic looking. The grass looked florescent and fake. I was just at the stadium for a game the night before and I know what they should look like. Has anyone come up with custom settings to provide a more natural color palette?
 
#23 · (Edited)
A Couple of Questions

For current owners of the XBR800B, has it been confirmed that an IPS panel is used in the 65" version? I know the 850B uses IPS but I've received conflicting information from Sony about IPS use on the 800B.

I'm also curious if anyone notices any distractiing light reflections from the screen on to the silver bezel and stand.
 
#25 ·
XBR800B and Watching UHD Content

Hello All,

I am having a go trying to watch some UHD content today for the first time. Using Amazon Prime UHD Content selection and I selected a demo type program and launched. The video quality only appears to me to be HD quality and not UHD. I have tried all Display modes that I could see without any improvement.. I have an 18MB Internet connection which I thought would be adequate. What am I missing here? Thanks!
 
#26 ·
Hello All,

I am having a go trying to watch some UHD content today for the first time. Using Amazon Prime UHD Content selection and I selected a demo type program and launched. The video quality only appears to me to be HD quality and not UHD. I have tried all Display modes that I could see without any improvement.. I have an 18MB Internet connection which I thought would be adequate. What am I missing here? Thanks!
Try Youtube
 
#31 ·
I am getting frustrated with UHD/4K content on my Sony XBR800B. Using the Sony App function from the Home menu I again tried accessing UHD content on the Amazon Video app, by clicking in the UHD content icon. I went to the video I had procured earlier and launched it. I had the picture set to Automatic. Played the content and it looked like HD, pressed the up arrow key on the remote and UHD displayed in the lower left and top of the picture. No change here :(


I loaded the Sony app for Netflix and launched. Some of the content now displayed that it was available in UHD. Launched one and the display again looked like HD quality and not UHD, pressed the Display button on the remote and 2160 displayed on the picture.


Both sources "think" they are displaying UHD content, but it is clearly HD to my eyes. Is there another step I need to take or am I missing something here?
 
#33 ·
How do you get the apps to tell you the resolution? When I hit display, unless I'm watching content OTA, nothing registers on the screen, no information is displayed.
 
#32 ·
Greetings, I just bough this tv tonight and I love it. One problem though is that when I hit the display button on the remote, when watching content, it does nothing but trigger the light under the logo, which flickers when you hit the remote. I tried my Dish Hopper with HDTV programming, my BD player, You Tube and Netflix through the the app on the TV, and none ever show me the resolution. Do I need to do something? TV has the latest firmware.
 
#34 ·
Why is there so little discussion and information regarding this TV?
 
#35 ·
bump
 
#37 ·
Is it true that when we stream "4k" off You Tube, it's only in 1080p? I heard the app is unable to accept a 4k stream, on our model. Dchantril, I'd like to see your settings.
 
#38 ·
Yes, it is true, the YouTube app on this TV only supports 1080p. I downloaded a couple of 4k clips and compared playing them directly (via USB thumb drive) vs. YouTube app, and it was clear that the YouTube playback was 1080p. But Amazon and Netflix are 2160p (if you have enough bandwidth). I watched some episodes of "The Blacklist" on Netflix and saw a definite improvement over my initial viewing at 1080i on my Dish DVR.

Here are my current settings, they seem pleasing to my eye (YMMV):
Picture Mode: Custom
Backlight: 7
Picture: 90
Brightness: 50
Color: 55
Hue: 0
Color Temperature: Warm 1
Sharpness: 50
Noise Reduction: Off
MPEG Noise Reduction: Off
Dot Noise Reduction: Off
Reality Creation: Auto
Smooth Gradation: Off
Motionflow: Off
CineMotion: Auto
Black Corrector: Off
Adv. Contrast Enhancer: Low
Gamma: -2
Auto Light Limiter: Medium
Clear White: Off
Live Color: Low
Detail Enhancer: Low
Edge Enhancer: Off
Skin Naturalizer: On

Even though this particular model was a sort of interim model between the 2014 and 2015 models (and probably created specifically to garner some Christmas 2014 sales), I still feel it is an excellent value for the money.
 
#39 ·
I'm quite happy with my 800B and look forward to UltraHD Blu-Ray. Thanks for posting your settings.
 
#42 ·
Excellent question, I too would like to be able to experience more content in 4k.
 
#43 · (Edited)
i picked this tv up on Sunday and i'm really enjoying the picture quality. i'm unable to get it to connect to my home wifi network but i'm still investigating the cause (could be a setting on my router, not sure). the network connection thing is just annoying, not really an actual problem. i doubt i'd use the Smart Apps anyway it's just the principal of not being able to use all of the features of my shiny new tv. I'd at least check out 4K Amazon Instant Video.

Edit: I have the XBR55X800B
 
#44 ·
4K Downloader

I use the "4K Video Downloader" app to download 4K content from YouTube. You can read more about it and download it at 4kdownload.com. Once I have downloaded a video, I put it on a USB thumb drive and plug it into the USB port on the TV. I use the Media Player app on the TV to open the thumb drive and view the video.
 
#45 ·
I use the "4K Video Downloader" app to download 4K content from YouTube. You can read more about it and download it at 4kdownload.com. Once I have downloaded a video, I put it on a USB thumb drive and plug it into the USB port on the TV. I use the Media Player app on the TV to open the thumb drive and view the video.
Would you mind expanding on this a bit? Is it in fact as simple as they describe to D/L the 4K content from YouTube. Which format do you use to save the content? Do you then drag it to your thumb drive? What is the typical file size and what is the size of your thumb drive? I believe these files can be huge!


Appreciate your feedback, thanks
 
#47 ·
As has been pointed out before, the XBR800B is just like the XBR850B without 3D or a touchpad remote (Sony includes the same user manual for both TVs). If you are looking for more info for the XBR800B, check out the XBR850B thread here. The first post has links to some great settings info; the XBR70X850B settings work very well for my XBR65X800B.
 
#51 ·
Hey all,

Just wanted to share my experience so far with the XBR-65X800B. Other than the lack of more 4k content, I am super happy with this TV so far.

I just got it about a month ago. Perfect price range for a 4k without the 3D (not a fan of 3D). Right away I paired it up with the Denon AVR-X1200W receiver for full 4k experience. I am now Atmos ready as well.

When I initially got it hooked up, the ARC didn't work between the TV and the receiver. After frustrating 2 days of researching I went for the $20 fix. I ordered a new 10' high speed HDMI cable from Amazon (IBRA PRO GOLD). The HDMI cable I was using just didn't work for ARC (it came with the TV wall mount).

This new high speed cable remedied the ARC issue for me. Using the Bravia Sync, XBR800B found my Denon right away. I am now able to enjoy sound from the TV's apps (Netlix, YouTube, Amazon) via my receiver. No need for the extra optical cable.

At some point I am planning on playing around with the color tuning, but for now I am happy where I am at.

I am on a Fios 50/50 internet. I noticed that Netflix UHD is spotty, but does play at 2160 when it works. I have my Netflix account settings set to High, but some of the available UHD content plays at 1080 at times.

I think at this point I am going to entertain the idea of getting an UHD BluRay player when they become available later this year.
 
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