Sony X85J Calibration Settings

We used the following calibration settings to review the Sony 55" X85J (KD-55X85J), and we expect them to be valid for the 43" model (KD-43X85J), 50" model (KD-50X85J), 65" model (KD-65X85J), 75" model (KD-75X85J), and 85" model (KD-85X85J). We also expect these settings to be valid for the alternate models (KD-43X89J, KD-50X89J, KD-55X89J, KD-65X89J, KD-75X89J, and KD-85X89J). 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.

One of the first things we did was disable Auto Picture Mode, and Light Sensor, as we don't want the picture settings changing during calibration.

For SDR content, there are eight preset picture modes. We recommend choosing the 'Custom' picture mode, as it is the most accurate one out of the box and allows for the most customization. We recommend leaving the Contrast to '90,' Gamma at '0,' and the Black Level at '50.' For our calibration, Black Adjust and Adv. Contrast Enhancer were disabled, but you should adjust these to your liking.

You should adjust the Brightness to your specific viewing conditions. Changing the brightness does not have any impact on the overall picture quality.

In the Clarity tab, we left Sharpness to the default value of '50,' which is the neutral setting. Reality Creation was left disabled, but you can enable it when watching lower-resolution content, as it can help improve the image quality. Random Noise Reduction and Digital Noise Reduction were also left disabled, but they can help improve the image quality of low-quality videos. We don't recommend leaving them enabled, as they can cause a loss of fine details in higher-quality content.

HDR is automatically enabled for the native apps. When you start playing HDR content, a small HDR icon appears in the picture settings menu. Once you start playing HDR content, some settings change automatically, including the Brightness, which increases to 'Max.' We recommend leaving these settings to their default settings in HDR.

For HDR to work from external devices, the Signal Format option usually has to be enabled from the 'HDMI signal format' menu for the input you are using. Older devices may have compatibility issues if this option is left enabled, so we recommend only enabling this setting for devices that require it.

If you find HDR content too dim, you can make it brighter by setting Advanced Contrast Enhancer to 'High', Contrast and Brightness to Max.

The X85J supports Dolby Vision from native apps and with most external devices. Some devices may require firmware upgrades to work with Sony's Dolby Vision firmware. As with normal HDR content, when you start playing Dolby Vision content, some settings change automatically. We recommend leaving these settings as-is, do not copy our SDR settings over. There are two additional Picture Modes for Dolby Vision: 'Dolby Vision Bright' and 'Dolby Vision Dark.' We recommend 'Dolby Vision Dark,' but the 'Bright' setting might be better if you aren't watching in a completely dark room. For Dolby Vision to work from external devices, the HDMI signal format setting must be set to 'Enhanced format (Dolby Vision). Switching to this setting disables 4k @ 120Hz.

Sony TVs usually feature great, highly customizable motion features, and the X85J is no exception. Although we disable most motion enhancing functions for most of our tests, you should adjust these to whatever looks best for you. Some settings, like motion interpolation settings, may need to be adjusted depending on the specific content you are 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 are watching.

The Clearness slider adjusts the X85J's X-Motion Clarity feature (Black Frame Insertion). We recommend this setting if you want clear motion, but you lose a bit of brightness.

The Sony X85J can remove judder from all sources, but some additional settings are required for some content. For a native 24p signal, like from a Blu-ray player, no additional motion settings are required. To remove judder from external 60p/60i sources, like a cable box, or for the native apps, set Cinemotion to 'High', Motionflow to 'Custom', and leave the Smoothness and Clearness sliders at 'Min'.

From the base SDR and HDR settings, very few changes are required for a great gaming experience. When you start gaming, it is best to switch to the 'Game' Picture Mode, to get the lowest input lag, and use the recommended settings for SDR or HDR. For HDR gaming, it is important to make sure that HDMI Signal Format is set to 'Enhanced Format' for the input you are using. If you want to enable the VRR support, set HDMI Signal Format to 'Enhanced Format (VRR)'.

Unlike TVs from most other brands, no special settings are required for PC use on the X85J. Just make sure you are using either the 'Game,' or 'Graphics' Picture Mode, and that HDMI Signal Format is set to 'Enhanced Format' for the input you are using. Both of these modes offer excellent low input lag and display Chroma 4:4:4 properly, so that text is displayed properly.

Update 08/17/2021: A previous version of this page incorrectly stated that the Sony X85J featured a Netflix Calibrated mode. It doesn't.

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.