Sony Bravia X800H review

Our Verdict

The bright and sharp flick of the Sony Bravia X800H, along with its robust Android TV smart OS, make it one of the best midsized TVs — if you don't mind the price.

For

Bright and sharp picture
Wide viewing angles
Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

Against

Clunky remote
Average color accurateness

Tom's Guide Verdict

The bright and sharp picture of the Sony Bravia X800H, along with its robust Android TV smart OS, make it i of the best midsized TVs — if you don't mind the price.

Pros

+
Vivid and sharp picture
+
Broad viewing angles
+
Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

Cons

-
Clunky remote
-
Average color accuracy

Sony Bravia X800H: specs

Price: $598
Screen size: 43 inches
Resolution: 3840 x 2160
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG
Refresh rate: 60Hz
Ports: 4 HDMI (1 ARC)
Audio: 2 Aqueduct [x 10 watt, with Dolby Atmos]
Smart TV software: Android Telly version 4.9.125
Size: 38.25 x 22.5 x 2.25 inches [w/o stand]
Weight: 20.vii pounds [w/o stand]

If y'all're looking for a quality Television movie just don't have a lot of room, the Sony Bravia X800H could be the correct fit — if y'all have the budget. The Bravia X800H we tested (model XBR-43X800H) has a 43-inch screen that would exist at home in a bedroom or a small living room. It's very bright for a midsize Television, and delivers a crisp, detailed image. It runs Android TV, a full-featured smart Bone, and comes with support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

This 2020 model can be plant at surprisingly affordable prices, so long as you're prepared to cede a few of the effectively features that are more common on 2021's all-time TVs. For example, the Bravia X800H lacks HDMI 2.1 support, which you may want if you have an Xbox Series X or Playstation 5, and its colors expect a piddling off, especially during game play. The XBR-43X800H likewise costs about $600, or almost twice what a TCL four Series or Toshiba C350 Series in the same size goes for. But if you don't mind the price and you like the command that Android Goggle box offers, the Sony Bravia X800H is a solid fix.

Sony Bravia X800H review: Cost and availability

The Sony Bravia X800H series was released in 2020 (Sony released a newer version in 2021, the X80J). We tested the XBR-43X800H, which is the 43-inch model. It's available at All-time Purchase for $599.99 and Walmart for $598, besides as other online retailers.

The X800H comes in several sizes to fit your space, from the 43-inch model nosotros tested all the way up to 85 inches:

43 inches (model XBR-43X800H) - $598.00
49 inches (model XBR-49X800H) - $649.99
55 inches (model XBR-55X800H) - Discontinued
65 inches (model XBR-65X800H) - $999.99
75 inches (model XBR-75X800H) - $1,234.99
85 inches (model XBR-85X800H) - $one,799.99

The 55-inch appears to exist out of stock through nearly retailers, and is discontinued. But the biggest difference between our 43-inch review unit and the larger models is the addition of more than speakers in the larger 65, 75 and 85-inch sets; other than that nosotros look the performance to be like across the line.

Sony Bravia X800H review: Design

The XBR-43X800H won't attract much attention when information technology's not on — which isn't a bad thing when yous're putting information technology in a bedroom. The 38.25 10 22.5 10 ii.25-inch ready is black plastic all the mode around and features a one-half-inch bezel.

Its nigh distinguishing feature is its anxiety: they are slimmer than near, simply still provide a solid base. If you prefer to hang the TV, information technology accommodates a 100 x 200 mm VESA mount, and should piece of work with the majority of the all-time TV mounts.

Sony Bravia X800H review: Ports

The Bravia X800H has four HDMI ports — plenty to connect your cable box, game system and a couple of other external devices; however none of them support HDMI 2.1 needed for taking reward of the latest gaming applied science. The Television set has three HDMI ports on the left side, which allows easy access, and i on the dorsum. I of the side ports handles audio-render channel (ARC) for a unmarried connection to a soundbar.

In addition, there's a composite video input, an RF input and two USB ports. For sound, in addition to HDMI ARC, you can utilize an optical digital audio cable or the headphone jack. For wireless connections, the Bravia X800H includes Chromecast and Apple tree AirPlay, as well as Bluetooth for sound. You can admission your network through Wi-Fi or a wired Ethernet port.

Sony Bravia X800H review: Performance

For a smaller TV, the XBR-43X800H has a proficient overall moving picture. While information technology tin can't beat out large TVs with more features, it definitely looks better than many 43-inch TVs. It has a brilliant and consistent image beyond the screen, with wide viewing angles. Thanks to its brightness, it likewise handles HDR better than many TVs at this size.

While watching the set on on Wakanda in Avengers: Infinity War in Dolby Vision, the images had depth and good contrast. When Loki and Sylvie encounter He Who Remains, the walls behind He Who Remains showed good contrast and lite elements in the dark were more apparent. When Simon Biles flipped and twirled on the flooring routine at the Tokyo Olympics, her movements were crisp no matter how fast she went and the colors remained fairly consistent even when viewing from the side of the screen. The sequins on the USA women's gymnastics uniforms as well twinkled sharply.

When I connected an Xbox Serial 10, the Bravia X800H didn't switch automatically to game mode. And despite the unit's Dolby Vision and HDR10 support, neither engaged automatically with the Xbox. While playing Forza Horizon 4 and Apex Legends, the activeness with shine and detailed, simply the color wasn't correct — something that our lab testing showed is a flaw with the Television.

Sony Bravia X800H review: Exam results

Our lab test results supported our center test when it came to brightness. The Bravia X800H produced 426 nits in our test, well above the 292 that the well-regarded TCL four-Serial Roku Television receiver managed and the highest among midsized TVs we've tested. That helped it brandish HDR content better than almost small TVs.

Information technology also did very well in standard Rec 709 color spectrum examination, reproducing 99.75% of the color gamut — once more the all-time among midsized TVs we've reviewed. However, it faltered when it came to color accuracy, scoring a Delta-E of but 3.6 (lower scores are better). That's not the worst colour accuracy nosotros've seen — that dubious award goes to the Insignia Fire Television set Edition NS-32DF310NA19 and its seven.5 — and puts it in the middle of the pack in similar TVs. The Toshiba C350 Fire TV crushed the competition with a 1.7.

The Bravia X800H produced impressively low lag times at xi.2 milliseconds, which helped it handle fast activeness without blurring. That puts it amidst the lowest in midsized TVs, outpaced past only the Toshiba C350 (10.7ms) and LG 43UN7300PUF (11ms).

Sony Bravia X800H review: Sound

We don't expect much from the speakers in a Goggle box these days, especially a midsized one like the XBR-43X800H. On the other manus, Sony is known for delivering some of the best sound in TVs these days. The Bravia X800H sounds better than you'd look but not equally proficient as you'd want. The 2-channel, ten-watt speakers made it easy to understand Loki and Sylvie debating with He Who Remains, thanks in part to the presence of some bass — something almost TVs can't say. While watching Hamilton, the bass helped drive the beat, but — while it supports Dolby Atmos and has virtual surround sound — the XBR-43X800H has a adequately narrow overall soundfield.

It doesn't have any sound modes y'all tin engage to hands adjust the audio, simply you can adjust very detailed audio settings through Android TV, including the dialog level and surround sound level. At that place's fifty-fifty a five-band equalizer if y'all want to tweak the sound, but the furnishings are minimal due to the size and quality of the speakers.

Sony Bravia X800H review: Smart features

This 2020 model runs Android TV — a robust smart Boob tube OS — while the 2021 version includes Google TV, which features a slightly fancier design. But the cadre features aren't that different.

To get started, select your network to connect the TV to the Cyberspace. The Boob tube volition then walk you through a series of steps, such as telling it if you lot have cable or employ an antenna and what devices yous have connected to the HDMI ports. Presently plenty you'll find yourself gear up to start watching.

The top menu is curtailed: Search, Home, Discover and Apps. The Dwelling house screen features a long, scrolling page with suggested shows and movies, Favorite Apps (which you tin can edit), Play Next (shows in progress or the next episode in a series) and recommendations from apps you lot've installed. Since it's an Android device, yous have a lot of control over what appears — go to Settings > Device Preferences > Home Screen to arrange what you see.

Discover offers personalized recommendations for what to watch, and Apps shows your installed apps and offers access to the Google Play Store to download more. Y'all'll observe just nigh whatever app y'all want in the Google Play Store.

Android Boob tube includes Google Assistant, a powerful way to rapidly access features of the Television receiver and more. You actuate Google Assistant past pushing a push on the remote. The virtual assistant was responsive and quick to act on commands. I was able to launch Netflix, change the volume and turn off the TV with my phonation, in addition to getting the weather and controlling some smart plugs in my house.

Sony Bravia X800H review: Remote control

The remote that comes with the Bravia X800H is so long that, unless you lot have easily the size of a professional basketball thespian, it'south unlikely that you can hold it in the centre and manage to access the buttons at the top or bottom with 1 hand. It has a rough plastic back that makes it uncomfortable to hold, but at least it won't slip out of your hand.

But the size means it has infinite for buttons for just about everything. In the heart, it has the most useful features: a whorl cycle for navigating, a button for activating Google Banana and a dorsum button. Almost 1-tertiary of the fashion down it has 2 quick access buttons: one for Google Play Store and the other for Netflix. With all the space it has, information technology seemed like there should be more than quick admission buttons. Merely information technology used that space for buttons that aren't very common, such as a full number pad, four colored buttons that offer contextual features — but simply at times — and a Jump push button that switches between channels, but but if y'all're using the Boob tube. In these days of "less is more than" remotes, the Sony remote is a throwback — and not in a useful manner.

Sony Bravia X800H review: Verdict

For a midsized TV, the Sony Bravia X800H impresses. It produced a bright picture with decent contrast, and information technology runs Android TV quickly. It has a depression lag time and precipitous overall paradigm, though its color accuracy is just average. The main drawback is its price: at about $600, information technology's most twice as expensive as about 43-inch LCD TVs.

If picture quality isn't your highest priority and you like Amazon Alexa, the Toshiba C350 Fire Tv set costs less than $300, and it reproduces colour better than the Sony Bravia X800H, though information technology's non as vivid or sharp. For Roku Television set fans, the TCL 4-Series Roku TV (43S435) is one of our favorite overall sets at this size. But if you want the robust features and control that Android TV offers, the Sony Bravia X800H could be worth the premium.

Michael Gowan covers soundbars, TVs, portable speakers and other sound- and video-related topics for Tom's Guide. He's written about music and technology for more than 20 years for a raft of publications including Wired, Men's Journal, PC Globe and Macworld. When he'south non reviewing speakers, he'southward probably listening to one anyway.