Sony KDL-55W805C review

It's a sign of how fast the TV world is changing right now that Sony's decision to launch a premium HD TV like the 55W805C in 2015 feels like a brave move. Can such a TV really impress without a 4K resolution when there are 4K TVs around that cost less?

Fortunately it can.

Thanks to a rich specification list that includes Sony's ever-impressive X-Reality Pro processing, edge LED lighting driven by a local dimming engine, some potent motion handling and a content-rich smart TV system, it delivers a truly high-end, big-screen experience.

That's all despite the lack of 4K, average audio performance and the fact that the headline-grabbing Android TV system turns out to be more of a hindrance than a help.

We liked

The 55W805C's design is eye-catchingly slim, and the picture quality it produces is eye-catchingly brilliant - full of contrast, colour and clarity.

Some aspects of its smart TV system work well too.

We disliked

The 55W805C's slimness proves a hurdle to really convincing sound quality, and Android TV proves to be something of a mess.

The set costs a lot for a non-4K TV too, though its specification elsewhere just about justifies the price.

Verdict

So long as you don't see yourself being fussed about 4K for the next few years, the 55W805C is a compelling TV.

Its engagingly slim form plays host to a long list of features that includes everything the TV needs to produce one of the finest pictures I've seen from an HD TV. It's well connected too, and while Android TV turns out to be a bit of a chore it's still got plenty of smart TV appeal.