Sony KD-75XD9405 review

By historical standards £5,000 isn't really a vast amount to pay for a high-quality, feature-rich 75-inch 4K LCD TV. That doesn't alter the fact, though, that it's still going to be more money than the vast majority of households are going to be able to find for a TV.

Also, perhaps more pertinently, while I understand there are major economy of scale issues when you're manufacturing screen sizes bigger than 65 inches, there's no getting round the fact that stepping up £2,200 from the £2,800 price of the 65-inch Sony 65XD9305 feels like a heck of a leap for 10 inches more screen, even when the 75-inch model also delivers significantly superior performance.

That said, with its huge screen, lengthy feature list and surprisingly attractive (considering how massive it is) design, the 75XD9405 does a pretty good job of justifying its price even before you turn it on – and when you do switch it on you just fall for it all the harder, as it produces the single best picture quality of any TV I've tested so far this year, regardless of whether you're feeding it an HDR or SDR diet.

We liked

The size of the screen is irresistible to anyone who loves movies, especially when that screen is filled with the sort of outstanding and groundbreaking picture quality the 75XD9405 serves up in almost every frame, and with almost any source. YouView, meanwhile, is always a welcome addition to any TV's smart features.

We disliked

The remote control is horrible, and Android TV continues to feel unfriendly and lacking focus. Picture-wise there's a little clouding around very bright HDR elements at times, and the price of entry is high.

Verdict

Thanks to its combination of a huge screen and often mesmerising HDR and 4K picture quality, the 75XD9405 crosses over from being a mere TV into genuine home cinema territory. It also delivers the most convincing all-round showcase of what HDR is capable of that I've seen from a TV to date, while simultaneously working wonders with all that non-HDR stuff we're still going to have to spend most of our time watching. If you've got the living room space and bank balance health to take it on, you'd be crazy not to audition one as soon as possible.