Rob Jones on Amazon 6 years ago
07/17/2016, 16:42 PM
Simple, common-sense review for this TV
I got this as a birthday gift from my father and after a month with it, here's my impressions:
1) If you're even remotely thinking of trying and returning this TV, make sure you take pictures while unpacking. It's would be crazy complicated to put this thing back in the box. It's huge and there's tons of styrofoam pieces.
2) The picture quality is AMAZING. I had a 6 year old plasma TV before this so I'm easily impressed, but the only picture I've seen better in stores is OLED. Watching some of the 4k content on Youtube is mind-blowing, though there's not much HDR content yet.
3) The remote comes from the old TV/DVD era. The navigation/back/home buttons that you use *all* the time for Netflix/Hulu are tiny, while the channel/volume buttons are huge. Super annoying, even after getting used to it. Also, it needs to be pointed *directly* at the TV. Not kidding; 1 degree off and it does nothing.
4) Android TV is a mixed bag. It's visually appealing and responsive on this TV - but unfortunately it allows marketing departments at companies like Sony to add a lot of crapware to your TV (yes, there's ways to remove this stuff, but not easily). I've used Roku for years and it's much simpler. Also, there's not strong standards for how Android TV apps should work, so some of them are less than stellar. I've had stability problems with the Amazon Prime TV app and there are some really odd interaction issues on HBO Now (but the video quality of HBO Now is stellar).
Between the frustrating remote and Android TV issues, I would recommend getting an Apple TV or a Roku. Especially if you are a cord-cutter like I am.
5) The included (non-wall-mount) stand for this looks and works great. I decided to wall-mount it with a standard VESA mount (you don't need the $150 Sony wall mount).
6) This TV is a lot more glossy than our old plasma TV. If you have a lot of bright light where the TV will be located, it may not be the best choice.
7) We don't ever watch 3D movies, but I've read there are serious 3D issues with this line of Sony TV. This might be a deal breaker for you if you're into 3D movies.
Wrapping up - this TV has amazing picture quality (albeit at a premium price), but if you're a heavy Hulu/Netflix user, you might want to use Apple TV or Roku. If you're a 3D movie buff, this might not be your TV.