LCD TV with the Best Picture Quality

When it comes to image quality, the Sony HX850 leads the pack

Sony has had a rough go of things of late on the business side, and responded by cutting its offerings of LCD TVs drastically this year. Its 2012 flagship HX950 series won't be released until later this fall, but for now, the company has to be pleased with some of the feedback its next-best HX850 series has received. Not everyone is completely sold, mind you, but most say picture quality is just about the best out there among sets aimed at mainstream users. Blacks are among the inkiest you'll find on any 2012 non-plasma TV, and colors are excellent, or can be made that way via a calibration. The set is very well equipped on the features front (though it's not as well equipped as some sets from other makers, notably Samsung). However, while many critics are pleased with 3D performance, others see ghosts (literally) caused by crosstalk -- an artifact created when one eye sees information intended for the other. We also saw some complaints that the user interface for streaming features is needlessly complex.

Some question the HX850's value, however, and the TV is subject to Sony's Unilateral Pricing Policy which restricts the minimum price it can be sold at by authorized dealers (see this for more information), but sets in the series, such as the 55-inch Sony Bravia KDL-55HX850 (*Est. $2,300), cost a touch less than flagship sets from some other makers.

Note that the company's step-down HX750 series does not rate nearly as well. It shares reviewers' concerns over the execution of some of the HX850's features, but picture quality is a notable step behind in feedback that we've seen.