Sony X80K/X80CK Calibration Settings

We used the following calibration settings to review the 65-inch Sony X80K (KD-65X80K), and for the most part, we expect them to be valid for the 43" (KD-43X80K), the 50" (KD-50X80K), the 55" (KD-55X80K), and 75" (KD-75X80K) models, but not the 85" (KD-85X80K) model as it uses a different 120Hz panel. These settings should apply to most types of content, except for gaming or use as a PC monitor, which require a few additional changes, listed below.

These settings are meant to provide a starting point; they're not meant to be copied 1:1. They provide the most accurate image overall, but you should adjust them to match your preferences and viewing conditions.

For SDR content, you can choose a few different preset picture modes. We used the 'Custom' Picture Mode because it's the most accurate out of the box and allows for the most customization. The 'Vivid' Picture Mode offers a slightly brighter image, but the difference is minimal, and the image is less accurate.

We set the Brightness to '4' because we calibrate the TV at 100 cd/m², but this is too dim for most rooms. You should adjust the Brightness to your specific viewing conditions, and changing this doesn't have any impact on the overall picture quality. Note that the Brightness setting adjusts the backlight, while Black Level adjusts blacks, similar to the Brightness setting on some other TVs.

There are a few settings you can adjust in the Picture settings page to optimize the image to your preference. We set the Contrast to '90', Gamma to '0', and Black Level to '50'. We also used the 'Expert 1' Color Temperature because it's closest to the target color temperature, but use 'Cold' or 'Warm' if you prefer colder or warmer settings. For our calibration, Black Adjust and Advanced Contrast Enhancer were disabled, but you should adjust these to your liking.

In the Clarity tab, we left Sharpness to the default value of '50'. We also left Reality Creation disabled, but you can enable it when watching lower-resolution content, as it can help to improve the image quality. Random Noise Reduction and Digital Noise Reduction were also left disabled as they can cause a loss of fine details in higher quality content.

To set HDR so that it's automatically enabled, set HDR Mode to 'Auto' in the Video Signal tab. When you start playing HDR content, a small HDR icon appears in the picture settings menu. When HDR is enabled, some settings change automatically, including the Brightness, which increases to 'Max.' We used the 'Custom' Picture Mode for HDR, the 'Expert 1' Color Temperature, and left the other settings as-is but adjusted the settings to find the image you find is best.

For HDR to work from external devices, set the HDMI Signal Format to 'Enhanced Format' or 'Enhanced Format (Dolby Vision)' for the input you're using. Older devices may have compatibility issues if this option is enabled, so we recommend only enabling this setting for devices that require it.

Sony TVs usually feature great, highly customizable motion features. Although we disable most motion settings for most of our tests, you should adjust these to whatever looks best for you. Some settings, like motion interpolation, may need to be adjusted depending on the specific content you're watching.

Although we usually leave these settings disabled during testing, you should adjust the settings in the Motion tab to your liking, as different people prefer different levels of motion interpolation. If you want to enable motion interpolation, set CineMotion to 'High,' Motionflow to 'Custom,' and adjust the Smoothness slider. Most of these settings will need to be adjusted depending on the specific content you're watching.

The Clearness slider adjusts the Sony X80K's backlight strobing feature, which always flickers at 120Hz.

The Sony X80K can remove judder from native 24p sources. For a native 24p signal, like from a Blu-ray player, no additional motion settings are required. It can't remove judder completely from external 60p/60i sources that don't have a Match Frame Rate feature, like a cable box, or from the native apps, but to help smooth the image, set Motionflow to 'Custom' but leave the sliders at '0', and set Cinemotion to 'High.'

From the base SDR and HDR settings, very few changes are required for a great gaming experience. When you start gaming, it's best to switch to the 'Game' Picture Mode to get the lowest input lag and use the same settings for SDR or HDR. Enable Auto Picture Mode so that the TV automatically switches into Game Mode when you start playing a game. For HDR gaming, it's important to make sure you set HDMI Enhanced Format to 'Enhanced Format' for the input you're using, or if you want to play Dolby Vision games from the Xbox Series X, make sure you're using HDMI 3 or 4 and select 'Enhanced Format (Dolby Vision).'

Unlike TVs from most other brands, no special settings are required for PC use on the Sony X80K. Just make sure you're using either the 'Game' or 'Graphics' Picture Mode and that you set HDMI Enhanced Format to 'Enhanced Format' for the input you're using. Both of these modes offer low input lag and display chroma 4:4:4 properly, which is important for text clarity.

The Sony X80K supports eARC passthrough on HDMI 3, so you can pass high-quality audio to a compatible receiver. It supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio formats. To enable either, enable eARC Mode, set Digital Audio Out to 'Auto 1', and enable Passthrough all from the Audio Output settings.

One of the first things we did was disable Power Saving, as we didn't want the TV to adjust the image during testing. From the Picture menu, we disabled Auto Picture Mode and Light Sensor as we don't want the picture settings changing during calibration.

When watching lower-resolution content, the upscaling method may need to be adjusted depending on the specific format. The screen position and aspect ratio can be adjusted from the Screen page on each input.

The Sony X80K has a few accessibility features, and the settings are all available in the Accessibility section. You can enable Captions, Audio Description, and High Contrast Text, to name a few.

Google TV has an Ambient Mode available to display your Google Photos or pictures of art if you want the TV to display a slideshow while you're not actively using it. You can even control the slideshow speed.

The included remote has a built-in mic for voice control, and the remote needs to be connected to the TV via Bluetooth for it to work. If the voice control isn't working, make sure it's connected via Bluetooth in the Remotes & Accessories page of the settings menu.