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  • Introduction

  • Tour & Design

  • Blacks & Whites

  • Color Accuracy

  • Motion

  • 3D

  • Viewing Effects

  • Calibration

  • Remote Control

  • Connectivity

  • Audio & Menus

  • Multimedia & Internet

  • Power Consumption

  • Vs Samsung UN55C7000

  • Vs Vizio XVT553SV

  • Vs Panasonic TC-P50G25

  • Conclusion

  • Introduction
  • Tour & Design
  • Blacks & Whites
  • Color Accuracy
  • Motion
  • 3D
  • Viewing Effects
  • Calibration
  • Remote Control
  • Connectivity
  • Audio & Menus
  • Multimedia & Internet
  • Power Consumption
  • Vs Samsung UN55C7000
  • Vs Vizio XVT553SV
  • Vs Panasonic TC-P50G25
  • Conclusion

Introduction

Tour & Design

Front


The front of the Sony KDL-55NX810 is basically a mirror. It's a thin black bezel around its LCD screen, both of which are behind a single sheet of glass. There's a Sony logo in the bottom middle of the bezel and a few LED indicator lights off to the bottom left side. 

Back


The back of the TV is where you'll find its ports, all of which are side-facing. Some are facing inwards, which makes them awkward to access, but are helpful for hiding the cables of a wall-mounted TV.

 For information about the ports on the back of the Sony KDL-55NX810 see our Connectivity section.

 

Sides


The left side of the TV has its side-facing ports, pushed about an inch or two in from the very edge. The right side has the TV's on-set controls, which are located towards on its lower third.

For information about the ports on the sides of the Sony KDL-55NX810 see our Connectivity section.

Stand/Mount


The stand is very thin and features a brushed metal-like finish (it doesn't appear to actually be metal). It also swivels, which allows some easier access to the rear ports.

Controls


The on-set controls are located towards the bottom of the TV's right side. They cover the basic functionality.

 

Remote Control


The KDL-55NX810's remote is the basic Sony 2010 offering. It's bigger and longer than it needs to be and features a good button layout.

In The Box*(5.00)*


In the TV's box you'll find a remote, batteries, and manuals. There aren't any fun little extras.

The TV is a bit of a pain to assemble because it requires so many screws. Of course, that's fairly standard for a 55-inch HDTV, since the screen is so heavy. After all, it's probably better to turn a few extra screws rather than risk crushing the cat with a poorly-secured, 60-pound LCD screen. I mean, if you hate the cat so much, give it up for adoption or let it outside and say it ran away. Why waste the money on a TV?

Aesthetics*(7.00)*


The KDL-55NX810 is a good-looking TV. It features clean lines, a thin screen, and a snazzy base. It doesn't do anything really new with its design compared to other 2010 Sony HDTVs, but it features the simple elegance that makes most of this year's  Sony HDTVs aesthetically appealing.

Blacks & Whites

Black Level*(9.11)*


The Sony KDL-55NX810 had a very low black level: 0.06 candelas per square meter (cd/m2). Our benchmark for a good black level is 0.10 cd/m2, putting the KDL-55NX810 squarely into "great" territory. You shouldn't have any issues attaining deep blacks on your KDL-55NX810.  (More on how we test Black Level.)

 

Peak Brightness*(7.22)*


The Sony KDL-55NX810 didn't have a particularly high peak brightness. At 218.53 cd/m2, it's almost imperceptibly brighter than the 200 cd/m2 commonly considered to be the lower bound for an adequate viewing brightness. This lower brightness can lead to reduced details in the high end and exacerbates the effect of external light shining on the screen.  (More on how we test Peak Brightness.)

 

Contrast*(7.99)*


The Sony KDL-55NX810 had a fairly deep black level and a mediocre brightness, which resulted in the above-average contrast ratio of 2957:1. This is a decent contrast ratio, and definitely more than adequate for the average viewer, but hardcore cinephiles will probably want a bit more out of their HDTV.  (More on how we test Contrast.)

 

Tunnel Contrast*(9.72)*


Although the KDL-55NX810's black level did shift around a bit, it wasn't by an amount the average user would notice during normal viewing. You shouldn't run into any problems with unexpected losses or gains in black level.  (More on how we test Tunnel Contrast.)

White Falloff*(9.15)*


The KDL-55NX810 didn't have any real issues with white falloff. No matter how much or how little of the screen is composed of bright shades, those shades won't lose their luminance. Some TVs feature auto-dimming, which can kill the bright details in dark scenes. Fortunately, the Sony KDL-55NX810 doesn't have this annoying feature.  (More on how we test White Falloff.)

 

Uniformity*(4.50)*


The Sony KDL-55NX810 showed some distinct issues with screen uniformity. When looking at an all-black screen, we saw brighter blotches in the middle. The corners showed obvious flashlighting. When we switched to an all-white screen, it was harder to see any problems in the center, but the corners were distinctly darker. Practically speaking, unless screen uniformity is abysmal, you won't notice it when watching most programs and movies. It comes to the forefront more when watching movies with lots of black shadows.  (More on how we test Uniformity.)

Greyscale Gamma*(7.48)*


The KDL-55NX810 had a pretty decent greyscale gamma, although it was a bit aggressive. This means the greyscale has more differentiation between the blacks and whites than it does between the middle greys. This can lead to a picture with an artifically high contrast ratio, since there are more dark and light colors at the expense of middle-tone details.   (More on how we test Greyscale Gamma.)

 

Color Accuracy

Color Temperature*(8.53)*


The Sony KDL-55NX810 had nearly perfect color temperature. It never shifted out of the perceptible range. You might perceive a slight color shift throughout the greyscale spectrum, because although the KDL-55NX810 is outputting a neutral color temperature, the actual points on the color gamut are shifting a bit: they're all just shifting roughly in unison, so the overall color temperature doesn't change. These shifts aren't something the average viewer would notice, but it is the sort of thing that might bug a cinephile. (More on how we test Color Temperature.)

 

RGB Curves*(8.00)*


The KDL-55NX810 had a pretty decent color response in terms of not dropping any details. If you look at the red, green, and blue curves below, you'll see three smooth curves. There are some minor bumps here and there, but they're not significant enough to make two adjacent colors look overwhelmingly similar. There's also very little peaking, which means you aren't losing much bright detail.

The problem with the KDL-55NX810's curves is their actual shape. The curves should be bowed out considerably more, especially the red curve. This allows our eyes, which are based around contrast, the curves need to start increasing more and more rapidly in order to preserve the same ratio of difference between adjacent shades. Even with this issue, though, you should still get a good amount of differentiation: it just means the KDL-55NX810 wasn't perfect. (More on how we test RGB Curves.)

 

Below we've graphed the KDL-55NX810's red, green, and blue performances as gradients. The ideal response for the 255 intensity levels is in the first row, followed by the KDL-55NX810's actual response. We've also included the performances of some of the KDL-55NX810's competitors.

Color Gamut*(4.66)*


The KDL-55NX810 didn't have the most accurate color gamut. Below you'll find two triangles, the darker of which is the rec. 709 standard, which is the international standard for color gamuts. The green point is slightly off, but pretty close. The red point is a bit undersaturated, but not by much. The blue point is also a bit off as well, shifted slightly towards purple.  (More on how we test Color Gamut.)

 

Below is a table of where we measured the KDL-55NX810's red, blue, and green points. We've also listed where those points should fall, according to the rec. 709 international standard.

 

Motion

Motion Smoothness*(8.00)*


The Sony KDL-55NX810 didn't really have any issues with motion blur. We saw some minor loss of detail, such as around the eyes and nose of a panning portrait, but overall not many details were lost. The TV also has Motionflow, which can bump up the screen's refresh rate if you want to tweak performance slightly. Just be aware that these features can make movies look like they were filmed with a hand-held camcorder.  (More on how we test Motion.)

Motion Artifacting*(5.00)*


The Sony KDL-55NX810 definitely had some issues with artifacting. As images panned around the screen, fine patterns flashed very subtly and we saw some minor false coloration in areas of high contrast. Unlike the issues mentioned above, the Motionflow feature didn't do anything to reduce the artifacting.

3:2 Pulldown & 24fps*(7.00)*


The Sony KDL--55NX810 supports native 24fps video just fine, though our testing indicated that the 3:2 pulldown could stutter on the frame rate a little. (More on how we test 3:2 Pulldown and 24fps.)

Resolution Scaling*(8.27)*


The Sony KDL-55NX810 is a native 1080p television, but unless you only plan on watching Blu-Ray or a select few broadcast channels, you'll be throwing lower resolution video at it. How well the TV can handle that kind of footage is up to the internal processing. Overall, it's pretty good. Let's look at it detail.  (More on how we test Resolution Scaling.)

480p

Footage in the 480p format is pretty rare, but we test it anyway. When the Sony KDL-55NX810 displays it, the screen loses 3% on every side (top, bottom, left, and right). If it's a computer you've plugged in, this means you'll have a hard time seeing the icons and task bars. However, we didn't see any other problems.

720p

The 720p footage resulted in a 2% overscan loss, and we saw some aggravating Moire issues in certain types of high frequency patterns.

1080i

The 1080i footage also lost 2% to overscan and had even more problems with Moire patterns.

 

3D

3D Black & White


A TV's 3D mode usually causes a bit of a dip in picture quality, especially the TV's contrast ratio. When displaying 2D content, the Sony KDL-55NX810 had a black level of 0.06 candelas per square meter (cd/m2) and a peak brightness of 218.53 cd/m2. This resulted in a pretty good contrast ratio, 2597:1. Once it was displaying 3D content, however, the black level brightened to 0.14 cd/m2, and the peak brightness dropped all the way down to 44.22 cd/m2. While this might seem like a pretty significant drop, it's actually not worse than what we've seen from other 3D HDTVs.

 

 

3D Color


The KDL-55NX810's color temperature was just slightly warm towards the dark end of the spectrum. The 3D effect didn't cause much of a performance hit here.

 

The Sony's RGB graph didn't suffer much from the transition to 3D either. The lines are slightly bumpy, but they aren't too much worse than the TV's normal performance.

The TV's color gamut didn't shift much either. The red point is a bit undersaturated, but that's about it. Overall, 3D didn't harm the Sony KDL-55NX810's color performance.

Here's some handy links if you want to see how the Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony fared on these color tests.

 

 

3D Crosstalk


The KDL-55NX810 employs an active shutter system. This means your TV will flicker between images intended for your left eye and images intended for your right, and the active shutter glasses will block these images from reaching the wrong eye.

The Sony KDL-55NX810 had some serious issues with crosstalk, like most of the other Sony HDTVs we've reviewed. It's so bad it frequently causes the 3D to break down. Any time a dark object was in a bright area, it would be haloed with duplicates of itself, and creates an effect similar to looking at something with slightly crossed eyes. This effect happens because, when a dark object on a bright background gets the 3D treatment, it gets offset a bit for each eye: it gets pushed a bit to the right for your left eye and a bit to the left for your right eye. As the TV flickers between images, the middle of the object will stay more or less the same. The edges, however, will alternate rapidly between the dark object and the lighter background. The problem arises because the TV can't switch between such extreme colors rapidly, leading to the left eye's image altering the right eye's image and vice versa.

 

 

3D Effect


The KDL-55NX810's 3D effect had some good points and some bad points. Sometimes a scene wouldn't even go by without the 3D effect shifting from poor to excellent. One of the problems, as mentioned above, was the crosstalk.  the edges its edges will alternate between we found almost every combination of colors resulted in both being dramatically changed. Therefore, whenever there were high contrast edges—such as a dark building against a bright blue sky—the dark figure would be flanked with faint overlapping images of itself. The second problem is there seems to be a noticeable strobe effect from the glasses. We noticed it even when we weren't looking at the TV. We saw this effect in other TVs too, but not this noticeably.

Overall, though, if there aren't too many high contrast areas, the KDL-55NX810 does the 3D effect very well. In areas where it could establish a 3D effect, it was more consistent than many other 3D HDTVs we've seen.

 

3D Glasses


Sony's 3D glasses are big and heavy. They'll fit over prescription lenses, but if you're not wearing them, they might strike you as strangely gargantuan. They also cling a bit tightly to the sides of your head. They're definitely not what we would call 'comfortable,' but, to be fair, no 3D glasses are.

*NOTE: our 3D HDTV testing is under development, which is why these sections have no scores. Please check back for our full tests, scores and more extensive testing in the near future. *

 

 

 

Viewing Effects

 

Formats*(10.00)*


The Sony KDL-55NX810 is a 1080p HDTV, which means it supports the highest available HD content available.

 

Viewing Angle*(4.76)*


The Sony KDL-55NX810 didn't have a very wide viewing angle. Unless you're sitting dead center, you'll notice the picture gets darker overall.  (More on how we test Viewing Angle.)

 

Reflectance*(3.50)*


The KDL-55NX810 doesn't stand up particularly well to external light, as we've seen with most current-generation Sony HDTVs. A light shining directly at the TV will create a large starburst pattern that streaks across the entire screen, both diagonally and orthogonally. If the light is angled at the TV, you won't catch as much of the effect: some of the streaks will be visible, but not as perceptible as we saw with a direct light.  (More on how we test Reflectance.)

Video Processing*(4.00)*


The Sony KDL-55NX810 has a number of special processing features. Some of them are harmless, some of them can help a little, and some can make your picture look worse. The details on each are listed below.

 

 

Calibration

Calibration


[

](http://images.displaymate.com/)Most HDTVs don't come out of the box with a calibration optimized for picture quality. Typically even the Custom mode oversaturates colors or leaves a few auto-dim settings on. The Sony KDL-55NX810

 

Video Modes


The KDL-55NX810 has a handful of video modes. Nothing fancy here.

 

Remote Control

Ergonomics & Durability*(7.00)*


The Sony KDL-55NX810 remote control has a similar, but not identical, design to the remote that came with the recently reviewed Sony KDL-55NX810. We complained strongly against the EX700's cheap feel, which creaked and groaned under our touch. Part of the problem, we thought, was that unusual slider-case design for loading the batteries. But the KDL-55NX810 remote employs the same slider design and avoids the creaky case. Perhaps, like most other parts of the TV, the NX series is simply a better class of parts. 

Button Layout & Use*(6.00)*


The remote control for the Sony KDL-55NX810 is as long as an oil tanker, which can make for some awkward handling if you're trying to perform several functions in a row. For instance, the menu navigation controls are near the top, all grouped together in a neat bunch. However, the volume and channel buttons are all the way at the bottom. Say you're in the middle of mucking about in the menu, when a loud commercial yogurt commercial suddenly begins. Oh no, mom and dad might wake up! You reach down for the volume, but it's so far away your stubby fingers can't reach it. You drop the remote, dad wakes up and yells at you to go to bed already, it's 3 a.m.

Programming & Flexibility*(6.00)*


Of course, it's not all bad. Part of the reason the remote is such a lengthy member is that it doubles as a universal remote for other electronics components. A big chunk of real estate at the top is taken up by playback controls (play, stop, rewind, etc.). Then there's some special buttons just for Blu-Ray players and few more buttons for features specific to the Sony KDL-55NX810.

Connectivity

Input Ports*(5.50)*


The Sony KDL-55NX810 has all the necessary ports, plus some extra niceties, but we wouldn't call it an abundant selection. Sure, there are four HDMIs, but there's only one set of component AV ports and one set of composite AVs. That will definitely put a crimp in your style if you have a lot of older systems you'd like to plug it. There's also the issue of the awkward port placement, hidden in a little ledge in the back and very difficult to see.

The key feature here is built-in WiFi, side-stepping the need to run an yet another wire across the room to the TV, or alternately, the additional purchase of a WiFi dongle for the USB port.

 

 

 

Output Ports*(1.00)*


The TV has one output port: a digital audio out.

Other Connections*(6.00)*


The Sony KDL-55NX810 has an ethernet port and built-in WiFi for connecting to your local network for streaming content features. The addition of built-in WiFi (as opposed to a separately purchased dongle for the USB port) is one of the premiums that makes the Sony NX series a step up from the EX series.

 

Media*(1.0)*


The Sony KDL-55NX810 includes a USB port that allows you to play back photos, music, and video clips from a thumb drive. 

 

Placement*(5.0)*


The port placement is frustrating. Several are conveniently located on the left side, but the majority are on the back, towards the left side. But the ports themselves are concealed in a ledge, facing away from the left. So if you're craning your neck around the side like most people would, you can't actually see the ports. You can only see the labels. A better view is from the opposite side of the TV, but then they're too far to reach. 

Audio & Menus

Audio Quality*(4.00)*


The audio quality of the built-in speakers on the Sony KDL-40NX700 is pretty bad. There's no feeling of depth to the sound. Of course you'll find an emulated surround sound effect in the menu, but it doesn't seem to do much but boost the tremble. Of the preset modes available – Standard, Dynamic, Custom, and Clear Voice – we liked Dynamic the best for giving it a little 'oomph.' Better yet, plug this TV into a separate speaker system. 

Menu Interface*(6.00)*


The Sony KDL-40NX700 employs the same XrossMediaBar menu system that you find on a number of Sony products across its product line, including cameras and the PlayStation 3. It's quite popular, and it's easy to see why. After just a few minutes interacting with the menu, you have a clear sense of where everything is located, and where features unseen probably live. The only potential hang-up is getting accustomed to the remote control, which (like all remotes) has a learning curve.

Instruction Manual*(3.00)*


The Sony KDL-40NX700 comes boxed with only a thin booklet to get you started. Like other Sony models, the full manual is located on the TV itself. If you can't get the TV on and need to troubleshoot, you're in rough shape. Fortunately, though, you can find the Sony KDL-55NX810's manual online here.

Multimedia & Internet

 

Internet Features*(11.00)*


For the second year in a row, Sony cannot be beat when it comes to streaming content. The Sony KDL-55NX810 can connect to Sony's incredible line-up of online content, which is far superior than the interface may be a bit rudimentary compared to what Samsung and Panasonic are offering, but Sony has, by far, the largest stable of online content currently available.

The problem occurs when you compare Sony's standard internet suite to what they're offering on their Google Internet TVs, such as the NSX-32GT1. Using that TV you can browse the entire actual internet, not just access content sponsored by Sony.

 

 

Photo Playback*(3.00)*


The Sony KDL-55NX810 can play back photos from a USB device. The TV's USB port will accept just about any flash memory drive, as well as Sony camcorders and cameras. Photo playback is fairly bare-bones, but also straightforward: there are only a few options for creating custom slideshows.

Music & Video Playback*(4.00)*


The Sony KDL-55NX810 can also play music off a USB device. The interface here is similar to the photo playback interface. There aren't many extras here, and not all file types are supported.

Other Media*(0.0)*


The KDL-55NX810 doesn't feature any other media playback options. 

Power Consumption

Power Consumption*(8.48)*


The Sony KDL-55NX810 isn't exactly cost-prohibitive, but it isn't the cheapest LCD we've reviewed, especially one with such a low peak brightness. With the backlight at max, the TV will cost about $45 per year, which is a bit pricy for an LCD, even one that's 55 inches. Interestingly enough, though, bumping down the backlight by a single notch can save you about $15 (More on how we test Power Consumption.)

Below we've compared the KDL-55NX810 to a few competing HDTVs of roughly the same size. 

Vs Samsung UN55C7000

Value Comparison Summary


The difference between these two TVs is when you spend your money. With the Samsung, you get full 3D right out of the box—but you have to pay for it. You can upgrade the Sony to 3D later on, but it'll require purchasing the transmitter and glasses separately.

Blacks & Whites


The Sony had a much deeper black level, but it wasn't as bright. Both had similar contrast ratios, but the Sony's was slightly higher.

Color Accuracy


Both TVs were about as accurate in terms of RGB representation, but the Sony's color temperature was much more even than the Samsung's.

Motion


The Samsung had slightly better motion performance all around. 

Viewing Effects


Neither TV has a particularly good viewing angle, and both offer the same level of mediocrity.

Connectivity


The Samsung offers the same connectivity options as the Sony. The only real difference between the two is their online content: although 

Vs Vizio XVT553SV

Value Comparison Summary


This comparison is about how much you're willing to spend for an improvement. The Sony has a much deeper black level, better online content, and can be upgraded to 3D. The Vizio covers the bases with its online content, but has slightly poorer video quality and isn't 3D-ready. The Vizio will meet the needs of most users, offering good picture quality and online features for its price. If you don't mind spending extra for etras, however, the Sony is the better choice.

Blacks & Whites


The Sony had a much deeper black level than the Vizio. Even though the Vizio had a much brighter peak brightness, the Sony still had a significantly higher contrast ratio.

Color Accuracy


The Vizio had better color accuracy overall, by a small margin. 

Motion


While both TVs had the same degree of motion blur, the Sony had a bit more artifacting than the Vizio.

Viewing Effects


Both TVs had roughly the same viewing angle.

Connectivity


The Vizio has one more HDMI than the Sony and two extra USB ports—for those times when you need to connect a troupe of USB devices to your TV simultaneously. It doesn't support DLNA, however, you'll have to transfer content from your computer onto a USB memory drive. Additionally, Sony's line-up of online content is significantly better than Vizio's.

Vs Panasonic TC-P50G25

Value Comparison Summary


The Sony KDL-55NX810 is packed with features and potential. You can connect to Sony's superior line-up of online content, and as long as you don't mind buying a transmitter and some active shutter glasses, you can view 3D on the set as well. Of course, all these extras come at a premium. The Panasonic TC-P50G25 is significantly cheaper, but doesn't come with the same feature set—it's also five inches smaller, which heavily factors into purchase price. Basically, if you're just looking for a big screen and only care about the most popular online services, like Netflix, the Panasonic is a better value. If you think you might want to try out 3D—even though it's pretty bad—and you want more online functionality, the Sony will give you more for your money.

Blacks & Whites


The Panasonic has a slightly darker black level than the Sony, but it isn't a huge gulf of difference. Neither TV are particularly bright, but the Sony is a bit brighter. Even with a brighter peak white, however, the Sony didn't have a contrast ratio that's as high as the Panasonic's.

Color Accuracy


Both HDTVs had roughly the same color temperature performance. The Sony had much better RGB representation, though: the Panasonic had slightly more issues with peaking and detail loss.

Motion


Both TVs had roughly the same motion performance.

Viewing Effects


The Panasonic, a plasma, absolutely demolishes the competition in this game of viewing angles. Your angle in relation to the TV shouldn't affect picture quality at all with the Panasonic. The Sony, however, has a decent viewing angle for an LCD: expect to see contrast fall below 50% about 20° off-center.

Connectivity


The Panasonic doesn't have a built-in wifi connection, nor is it wifi-ready: you have to route your internet connection through an old fashioned physical ethernet cable. The Panasonic tries to make up for this shortcoming with its SD card slot.

Other Comparisons


The Sony is 3D-ready, meaning you can buy a transmitter and a bunch of active shutter glasses to watch 3D content. It's a nice feature to have, for all the grief we give it: it allows users who want to upgrade to 3D the opportunity to do so, but lets users who don't care opt out (for uh, a small hike to the purchase price for the option). If you don't care about 3D, just know some of your purchase price is going towards this "readiness."

Conclusion

Meet the tester

Mark Brezinski

Mark Brezinski

Senior Writer

@markbrezinski

Mark Brezinski works on the Home Team, reviewing refrigerators, minifridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners, air purifiers, and fans.

See all of Mark Brezinski's reviews

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