Sony XBR-55HX950 3D LCD HDTV HT Labs Measures

HT Labs Measures

Full-On/Full-Off Contrast Ratio: Unmeasurable (LED Dynamic Control on Standard)

The 2D measurements below were taken in the Custom Picture Mode, through an HDMI input.

With the Backlight set to 4, the Picture (Contrast) control at 70, the Brightness at 53, the Gamma on 0, and the LED Dynamic Control on Standard, the peak white level was slightly below 36 foot-lamberts. The black level was unmeasurable with our Minolta LS-100 light meter—resulting in the unmeasurable full-on/full-off contrast ratio above. With the LED Dynamic Control on Low, the full-on/full-off contrast ratio measured 11,977:1 (peak white 35.93 ft-L, black 0.003 ft-L). With the LED Dynamic Control off, the corresponding results were 1,797:1, 35.94 ft-L, and 0.020 ft-L. After about 10 seconds, the latter dropped dramatically to roughly the same reading obtained in the Low setting, but the 0.02-ft-L figure is representative of the set’s performance with real program material and the LED Dynamic Control on off (local dim- ming off). I found no reason to set the LED Dynamic Control to anything but its Standard setting.

Delta E is a figure of merit indicat- ing how close the color comes to the D65 HD color standard. Values below 3 are generally considered visually indistinguishable from ideal. Pre- calibration, the set’s gray-scale Delta E averaged 4.02, with a peak of 6.56 at 100 percent brightness. The pre- calibration color point Delta E aver- aged 3.03, with blue the major offender at 5.72. Post-calibration, the average gray-scale Delta E dropped to 0.35, with a maximum of 0.47 at 20 percent brightness. Post calibration, the color Delta E averaged 1.81, with blue again the outlier at 3.71. (Though the set has no color management system, the slight color gamut improvement post calibration was due simply to careful adjustment of the Color control, which improved the luminance values enough to slightly drop the average color Delta E.)

Post calibration, the gamma averaged 2.24 in the 0 setting, with no value lower than 2.19 or higher than 2.3. But some sources worked better at the –1 settings.

As noted in the review, the color was not calibrated separately for 3D because of the 3D glasses tilt issue. But I did measure a 3D peak white level of about 24 ft-L (with both the Picture and Backlight controls at Maximum).—TJN

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COMMENTS
aleksandr's picture

wow better than VT50 ... Tom can you say than 950 is a KURO Killer?

kent harrison's picture

Its is not best television this year,it could the fourth best,plus there prone for ghosting effects in 3d,i like vt-50 from panasonic is much better.

Rob Sabin's picture
this year by far, and one that comes close to Sharp Elite performance at a much lower price. And I should point out that 3D, with the recommended alternative (and cheaper) Sony glasses, was very good, with ghosting not fully eliminated but largely tamed compared with Sony's usual recommended glasses. I would not be so quick to say it's NOT better than the Panasonics, but there are trade offs either way. The Panasonic plasmas still represent the better value.
kent harrison's picture

Some of us don't agree with you,but thats your opinion.

marcin.mycek's picture

Hi All,

thank you for very interesting review
thanks to it I have decided to buy SONY 955 and I AM VERY SATISFIED

I have tried your setting and all looks very good
thank you again for it

but I still need two points - what would you like to recommend for:
1) Contrast
2) Reality Creation

best Marcin

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