Sony X93D TV review: Offers 4K viewing in superb quality

Sony's 55-inch X93D television offers stunning 4K HDR viewing for Dh7,500.

A new X93D series Bravia 4K TV sits on display at the CES International in Las Vegas. Gregory Bull / AP Photo

Sony’s X93D is a superb 4K HDR TV set, combining an elegant design, stunning viewing experience and quirky but likeable user interface. It’s not the cheapest 4K TV on the market, but it’s a high-quality piece of kit that is well worth the investment.

The set embodies Sony’s unfussy but premium design aesthetic, its 35mm black body offset by a thin gold stripe.

The X93D is built around an Android-based operating system, customisable with a series of apps. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but is fairly clean and unfussy. Google Cast is naturally baked in, enabling easy streaming from other devices.

Neflix is already present, and even has its own button on the (rather chunky) remote control, as well as a slightly pointless (in the UAE at least) button for the Google Play store.

The remote also offers a voice search function via Bluetooth, which is very handy for quickly loading up YouTube videos.

Sound quality on the X93D is as we’ve come to expect with flat screen TVs, that is, not particularly great, especially in the bass department. Those looking for a punchier audio experience should invest in a soundbar or home cinema system.

And what of the picture quality? In a word, stunning. The X93D upscales HD coverage, with football and cricket rendered beautifully in terms of colours and contrast. Likewise the definition and detail of the explosions and Chiaturi warriors on my Blu Ray of The Avengers took on a whole new life

But it’s with Netflix’s 4K content that the X93D comes into its own. The naturalistic lighting of Marco Polo’s Venice canal scenes and the glittering armour of the Mongol warriors is gobsmacking in terms of the detail on display, while the night-time rain fight scene of the pilot of Marvel’s Daredevil is utterly breathtaking.

And the price? The 55-inch model we tested retails for around Dh7,500, making it slightly more expensive than some of its 4K peers. But the clean design, elegant user interface and stunning picture quality mean that the X93D is more than worth the investment.

Q&A

What does 4K mean? What’s the difference between 4K and Ultra HD?

Nothing, they’re one and the same. In case you need your memory refreshing, 4K offers much higher resolution than a standard HD television, in theory offering much higher picture quality, hence Ultra HD.

I think I understand now. What’s the HDR bit mean?

It stands for “High Dynamic Range”, and basically promises richer colours, higher contrast, and extra detail in brightness.

Excellent. So all my DVDs will look like real life from now on?

Not so fast. Although the X93D will upscale your old DVDs, to get the full benefit from HDR requires specially developed content, which, unfortunately, is still in short supply right now.

Speaking of short supply, where’s all the 4K content for me to watch?

It’s getting there, gradually. BeIN launched the region’s first 4K satellite receiver at the end of May offering Euro 2016 games in Ultra HD. Du and Etisalat promise that 4K TV is on its way. The biggest source of 4K content in the UAE is Netflix, for shows such as Chef’s Table, Chelsea Does and Marco Polo.

So Netflix is the way to go for now then. Will it work on my regular internet connection?

Netflix recommends at least a 25 Mbps internet connection to be able to stream 4K content. You’ll still be able to see the content on a slower connection, but you won’t get the same stunning picture quality.

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