Sony Bravia KD-43X75K review: A solid smart TV

I used Sony’s Bravia KD-43X75K. Of course, I did. That’s why this review exists. But, the purpose of announcing this is to draw your attention to the fact that I used a 43-inch smart TV. It wasn’t an easy move coming from a 75-inch smart TV which was huge. The large screen televisions offer a great viewing experience. There is no doubt about that. They also have a lot of disadvantages. They are massive, require you to sit at a distance and can get annoyingly bright. They are still plenty expensive too. These are some of the reasons why 43 to 55-inch screen panels are most in demand in India.

These are also the sizes in which Sony is offering its latest X75K line-up. In fact, it goes up to 65-inches, which is also pretty big. The 43-inch Ultra HD-LED variant I have is priced at Rs 53,190 (talk about awkward pricing). It’s expensive. Especially when you look at the competition. A TV with similar specifications from Xiaomi typically costs around Rs 30,000. But, then Sony TVs have always been costlier than the competition. There are enough reasons for that as well. Still, the X75K series is the company’s most affordable Ultra-HD TV line-up. Is it worth buying? Let’s have a look.

Sony Bravia KD-43X75K review: Design

It felt so refreshing to switch to a 43-inch TV, simply because it fits and blends anywhere in the house. It’s not too heavy either. I was able to setup the whole thing on my own, without any help. Picked it and moved from one table to other with ease. The TV also looks better than most 43-inch smart TVs. It has really narrow bezels around the screen, the finish looks nice and keeps things simple. There is a Sony logo at the bottom which can be easily missed. A few LED blinkers sit right under it and show up every time you turn on the TV.

It can be fixed using both a tabletop stand and a wall mount just like any other smart TV. You will have to pay separately for the wall mount. The table top comes as part of the retail package. I have been using the X75K on a tabletop stand.

Some ports are at the back while others are more easily accessible in the left corner. The rear has one HDMI-in port (with ARC), video-in sockets, Ethernet port, a digital audio-out port, and a power socket. These can be difficult to access if the TV is mounted on the wall. The left side houses two HDMI ports, two USB Type-A ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an antenna socket. Since my unit was always placed on a table, these ports were easy to access. Other connectivity options include Google Chromecast built in, support for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, AirPlay 2, and HDMI CEC which lets you control all the connected devices from the same remote.

Sony’s remote control can be polarising. While I know a lot of people that appreciate a full-function TV remote, there are many that prefer more minimalist Xiaomi or OnePlus remotes. The X75K remote comes with a lot of buttons. It has a number pad, direction pad, home button and hotkeys for Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video and YouTube Music. There are dedicated buttons to summon Google Assistant and select the input source.

It works efficiently for anyone who is familiar with modern technologies and ready to make the most of them. For others, especially elderly, the remote can be confusing.

Sony Bravia KD-43X75K review: Software

Sony says that most of its TVs from now on will run Google TV instead of the Android TV interface. It’s a welcome move, given Google TV’s clean interface and more promising updates. The X75K runs the Google TV UI on top of Android TV 11. It is fairly easy to operate even if you are coming from the Android TV UI. The overall operations remain the same, just that the Google TV UI is cleaner and nicer to look at.

It has a mobile-like control centre with plenty of options to customise and personalise the TV experience. The Google Play Movies is integrated within the user interface and is missing as a separate app. It lets you search movies and TV shows directly from the UI. All apps are well optimised for the operating system and I didn’t face any software issues during my time with the TV.

Sony Bravia KD-43X75K review: Display and performance

Design and software are two things most TV viewers are ready to compromise on as long as they can save some bucks. That’s why Sony had to justify the hefty price tag of Rs 53,190. On paper, it doesn’t. The TV only supports HLG and HDR10+ formats, lacks a high refresh rate and comes with only 20W speakers. There are plenty of options in the market from Xiaomi, Hisense, Realme and others that provide Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support for less.

It’s the experience that makes all the difference here. Sony’s picture tuning ensures that one doesn’t regret spending those extra thousands. The picture quality seems far better than most smart TVs of same size and with better technology. The HDR content on this panel looks beautiful with rich colours, deep contrast and true-to-life skin tones. I must admit that visuals don’t get too bright on the screen. In fact, the brightness changes very subtly while playing the HDR 10 content. But, it works in favour of the Bravia X75K.

I re-watched ‘The Last Dance’ and the picture quality felt better. The fast-paced sequences ran seamlessly. Even Stranger Things, with all its retro vibe, felt pleasant on that 43-inch screen. The colours popped out in a dimly lit room. The brighter surroundings don’t make much difference to the picture quality.

Games like Fifa 22 and NBA 2K21 ran equally well on the TV. It has a native refresh rate of 50Hz, Sony’s Motionflow XR 200 interpolation algorithm, and 16GB of in-built storage.

My only complaint is that the screen is slightly reflective, which can make viewing a little difficult at certain angles and at different times of the day.

The other issue could be the sound quality. While the 20W speakers are enough for certain types of content, they lack the punch or clarity for an immersive experience. The dialogues can get lost in the noise of a fan or AC. I anyway, prefer a soundbar or Bluetooth speakers while watching movies, but otherwise, the built-in speakers will serve you well in the bedroom.

The dual-band connectivity worked well for me but, the connection was surely more stable on 2.4Ghz frequency.

Sony Bravia KD-43X75K review: Final verdict

The Sony Bravia KD-43X75K is one of the better 43-inch smart televisions I have used and reviewed in the last 18 months or so. It is also the most expensive 43-inch TV I have tried in the same period. That’s the only and a major reason which makes it difficult to recommend this otherwise fantastic TV. I feel anyone who can spend over Rs 50,000 would most likely want to invest in a bigger-sized TV to address the growing needs of home entertainment and more demanding content formats.

Those who want a 43-inch smart TV have some really good options that cost significantly less. They will always be inclined to save money. I have always felt that Bravia TVs are like iPhones of the television world. They are preferred by those who like attention to detail. That’s the audience for the X75K as well, which ensures that one gets a no compromise, fine viewing experience.