LED TVs
LG 49UJ701V
LG 55SJ850V
LG 55SK8500PLA
LG OLED55B7V
Panasonic TX-58EX750B
Samsung QE55Q7C
Samsung QE55Q7F
Samsung QE55Q8C
Samsung UE49MU6500
Samsung UE49MU7000
Samsung UE49NU7100
Samsung UE50NU7400
Samsung UE50NU7470
Samsung UE55NU7400
Samsung UE65MU7000
Sony KD-55XE8596
Sony KD-55XD8599 review
| Review: April 2016 | ||
Rating: In a nutshell: The high-end Sony KD-55XD8599B is a very capable UHD(4K) HDR TV with iconic looks and impressive picture quality. Whilst undoubtedly expensive, it's a lot more affordable than many of the flagship HDR TVs on sale in 2016, and offers a good entry-point into this new technology. The XD8599 also includes the benefits of Android Smart TV, twin Freeview tuners and Youview catch-up TV. |
Design & looks
The Sony XD85 sits just below Sony's 2016 flagship XD93 TV, and shares the same ultra-slim looks. The screen is razor-thin, with a slightly thicker lower chassis than the XD93, but still very slim at just 44mm at its deepest. The screen is surrounded by a slim black bezel, with a glowing Sony logo at the bottom centre. The TV is mounted on a dark silver slate stand, which provides solid support, and includes a lift-off panel that helps to keep your AV cables neat and tidy.
Picture quality
The XD85 is a UHD (4K) TV with HDR capability. The TV has much in common with the flagship XD9305, but uses a slightly different backlighting system.
The Triluminos screen is bright, with a wide colour spectrum, and the ability to generate plenty of shadow detail. It reaches impressive black levels too, and offers excellent viewing angles. UHD source material is handled very well, and the TV meets the HDR standard, so is capable of displaying HDR video too.
Sony's 4K X-Reality PRO processing engine enhances texture, contrast, colour and edges of non-UHD video to upscale effectively to 4K resolution.
The XD8599 misses out on Sony's high-end Slim Backlight Drive, and instead is edge-lit from the bottom. The LED lighting system incorporates a level of dynamic backlight control, but it's true that there isn't quite as much shadow detail in evidence on this screen compared with Sony's flagship. The backlighting system is very energy efficient, though, if that's a feature that's important to you.
Motion handling is good, however, and the screen has a XR 1000 Hz Motionflow rating.
We'd say that overall this TV performs extremely well, and the slightly reduced dynamic range is really only noticeable when it's placed next to the XD93. Note also that the XD8505 doesn't support 3D.
Audio quality
For a TV at this price, we think that Sony might have given the KD55XD8599 a better audio system. The S-master amplifier produces just 20W of total power, and there are just two speakers fitted, giving rather average audio quality.
You'll certainly benefit from adding a subwoofer, soundbar, or better still a dedicated home cinema kit.
Android TV
Sony made the switch to Android TV in 2015, and spent most of that year desperately releasing updates to fix the multitude of bugs that were present. We're hoping that the OS has now reached an acceptable level of stability, but we're not staking our life savings on it. Be prepared for some teething problems, and be aware that you're taking a risk in choosing Android TV.
Having said that, in principle Android TV offers significant advantages over other Smart TV systems. It gives you access to Google Play apps from your TV, and you can download videos, music and other content directly from your TV. Amazon Instant Video and Netflix are probably the best ways to access 4K content at present, and both of these will be streaming HDR material during 2016.
Android also provides features such as Google Cast, which lets you mirror content such as videos or photos from an Android phone or tablet. The TV SideView app lets you use your Android phone or tablet to control the TV.
Catch-up TV is provided courtesy of Youview. A user-friendly 7-day windback with content from BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD and Demand 5 is displayed alongside future programmes in the Electronic Programme Guide.
Connectivity
The Sony XD85 includes 4 HDMI connections, Wi-Fi and ethernet, 3 USB ports, a subwoofer output, and various other A/V connections for hooking up your devices. Android TV lets you easily connect the TV wirelessly to smartphones and tablets.
Twin Freeview HD tuners are provided, so if you have an external USB drive you can watch and record different programmes at the same time.
The sales package also includes a voice-activated remote control.
Conclusion - impressive and affordable HDR capability
HDR is 2016's sexy TV feature and it doesn't come cheap. Nevertheless, an asking price of less than £1,500 makes the Sony KD55XD8599 a lot more affordable than the Sony KD55XD9305. The more basic backlighting system may be less impressive, the audio rather average, and there's no 3D support, but there's no denying that this is a fine UHD HDR TV. Taken on its own merits, it delivers excellent picture quality, has excellent Smart TV capabilities, and is a real style icon too.
We're still suspicious of Android TV, following its less-than-surefooted launch in 2015, and for this reason we're deducting one star from our rating, as we have concerns about the OS. We'll be watching Sony's range during 2016 to see if the Android bugs have been properly banished, and we're also optimistic that the price of this TV will fall in the run-up to year-end 2016. Who knows - perhaps we can find an extra star to give to the Sony Bravia 55XD8599 in time for Christmas?
The Sony KD55XD8577S is the same, but with a silver frame and stand.
Sony KD-55XD8599 features include:
- 55 inch UHD LED-backlit screen
- 3840 x 2160 resolution
- HDR (High Dynamic Range)
- Edgelit Triluminos display with dynamic backlight control
- 4K X-Reality PRO processing engine
- Advanced contrast enhancer
- Motionflow XR 1000 Hz
- 24p True Cinema
- Twin Freeview HD & Freesat HD tuners
- Android 5.0 TV
- Audio: Stereo speakers, S-Master amplifier, 10W x 2 power output
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Ethernet (LAN), screen mirroring, HDMI x 4, PC input via HDMI, USB x 3, hybrid headphone/subwoofer output, hybrid component in (Y/Pb/Pr) / composite in (AV), digital audio out, RF In (Terrestrial / Cable), Bluetooth
- RMF-TX200E voice remote control
- Energy efficiency class: A
- Typical power consumption: 103W - 157W
- Size without stand (WxHxD): 123.1 x 71.7 x 4.4 cm
- Size with stand (WxHxD): 123.1 x 77.0 x 26.3 cm
User questions
Sorry - questions and comments on this page are now closed.
Facebook icons etc. on Smart TV?
Asked by Ray Dinning
from United Kingdom
on 8th Feb 2018
I own a Sony KD-55XD8599 TV which I understand is a Smart TV. However
I cannot understand how I can get icons such as Facebook and the other
things on my screen which I believe comes with a Smart TV.
Do I need to buy an adapter or is there something I am missing. I
do not see anything to help me on the Remote control
Can
you help me please or direct me to some form of internet instructions
that would help.
Many thanks
Ray Dinning
Is there on and off switch on the back?
Asked by Joseph Vincent gauci
from Malta
on 26th Dec 2017
Well the againt got me this tv and no explain nothing, I just wanted
to check is there any switch at the back .
Previously used Sony TVs as it has function to use headphones ( I have poor hearing) whilst others in room listen to tv audio as normal ( i.e. doesn't mute the sound when headphones plugged in) does this television have this function and does it also work when using Sony soundbar?
Asked by Tony
from England
on 3rd Jan 2017
Sony KD-55XD8599 user reviews
Sorry - reviews and comments on this page are now closed.
Average rating from 9 reviews: 
Reviewed by Michael
from England
on 14th Dec 2017
If the picture is the most important feature to you then buy this tv
or its latest equivalent .all the money is put into creating a
tremendous visual experience. add a decent amp and speakers and sit
back and enjoy.
Rating: 
Reviewed by P O
from UK
on 6th Nov 2017
This is an awful TV. Good image but in use it's a nightmare,
constantly re-booting, freezing, slow to respond or unresponsive,
switching itself on etc. The worst TV i've ever had and I'll never buy
Sony again.
Rating: 
Reply by brian
from england
on 26th Nov 2018
True it is an awful t.v. takes for ever to switch on and change
channel. God forbid you want to change from the t.v. to one of the
HDMI options. Takes forever would never buy a Sony again because of
this t.v.
Reviewed by Chris
from UK
on 9th Feb 2017
Had this TV a few weeks now, I have noticed it switches it self on
rarely but if you change the timer in the settings to off it should
fix it.
Have spent ages researching and trying to
calibrate it! I believe I have found the best possible settings,
although the motionflow is a bit unclear as to what the differences
are. Normal mode I have read is an avoid at all costs although
personally its the best settings for the built in apps such as Netflix
and Lovefilm.
I personally feel likes the screen can come
across quite dull at times but if you change colour to 'neutral' it
helps.
Overall I am struggling to find much to watch and
experience in 4k as most is in HDR but quality on normal Virgin Media
and built in apps are amazing!
Rating: 
Reply by Joseph
from Malta
on 1st Jan 2018
Lol , when you put your timer to off it turns off its self when you
are waching it.
Reviewed by steve
from uk
on 20th Jan 2017
I wish I hadn't bought this tv. On three ocassions it has turned
itself on. Once we came back from holiday and it was on !
The time taken to change sources can be upto 30 seconds and is very
unresponsive.
Sony customer service is in Eygpt and are
not trained well to handle problems unless you want to keep resetting
the TV and rebuilding it each time.
Rating:
Reviewed by purecain
from uk
on 3rd Jan 2017
No.1-very low lag for gaming.
No.2- slight bleed in top edges
only noticeable on blank screen. As far as edge lit led panels go.
this was to be expected and is unnoticeable on moving pictures.
No.3- will do 1920x1080 @ 100hz. again very good for gaming.
used as a pc monitor and sat 1m from screen. no dead
pixels!
Rating:
Reviewed by wardy
from uk
on 27th Nov 2016
5 days old and very happy with it, both in sound and picture. can
mirror image all our tablets. much better than a Samsung ue55ku6470 we
sent back after two days. i will mention curry's in norwich were very
helpful in buying and returning the tv's.
Rating:
Reviewed by steve
from uk
on 14th Oct 2016
A rubbish tv and the worse customer service company I have dealt
with.
I spent a lot of time calibrating the tv and
getting it to how I wanted it.
After 10 weeks I went on holiday
for 2 weeks and when I arrived home the TV was playing to itself. The
next morning once again it was playing to itself.
I contacted
Sony whose only answer was to reset the TV which they did remotely.
As it was taking a long time to finish it they promised to call
back, two days later...nothing.
Also the mirror imaging will
only work on a new windows 10 PC, not an upgrade, Sony do not tell you
this.
The AV source changer is so fast in disapearing that you
cannot finish the selection and it also duplicates each source on the
list.
I wish I had bought elsewhere.
Rating:
Reply by Oscar francis
from England
on 20th Jan 2017
I have this tv and I use a pioneer vsx box to connect all my systems
together (PS4, sky and kodi). My tv has never had any of these
problems and works very well, looks great. Obviously the help service
was not good enough, nothing to do with the tv (which is
great).
Reviewed by Paul
from Unitedkingdom
on 22nd Aug 2016
Picture quality and sound is very good, love this product.
Rating:
Reviewed by John
from Unitedkingdom
on 19th Aug 2016
Love this product brilliant.
Rating:
