Sony’s X950B is a class-leading 4K LED TV, but does it make sense to buy one?

By Caleb Denison Published December 15, 2014

Sony’s flagship X950B 4K LED television has a good chance at earning our recognition as the best 4K LED TV for 2014, but its top-notch performance comes at a stiff price: $7,000. In 2013, that kind of price would be considered a good deal for a 4K TV, but 2014 is a very different year for what is still thought of as a new breed of television technology. Thanks to Vizio, top-tier 4K/Ultra HD television prices are plummeting, and they’ll be even lower soon enough. That makes Sony’s 4K hero a super-premium option, and dangerously close to the cost of a 4K OLED television, which offers vastly superior picture quality over LCD-based televisions, even one as awesome as the X960B.

With all that considered, the X950B, and Sony on the whole, deserve some recognition. It’s been several years since Sony offered up a flagship that gave the other big players in the TV market a big-time run for their money. And boy does this TV compete.

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With a full array of locally-dimmed LED backlights, stellar black levels and contrast, industry-leading video processing, and access to Sony’s vast array of streaming content and games along with everything Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant, and others have to offer, this TV delivers a premium experience to back up that premium price tag. In addition, its svelte exterior design is bound to look good in any home entertainment room. Oh, and did we mention it isn’t curved?

Take a closer look at one of the best TVs this year as to offer in our hands on video, and let us know what you think about the primo price and proximity to next-gen 4K OLEDs, due out later this year.

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Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…

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What is 4K? Everything you need to know about 4K Ultra HD

LG G4 OLED

If you’ve shopped for a new TV, monitor, laptop, or game console over the last decade or so, you’ve probably seen the phrase “4K UHD” on most web pages, ads, and product boxes you’ve come across. Quite simply, this refers to a specific screen resolution -- 3840 x 2160 -- which is four times (hence the “4”) the amount of pixels you’d find on a non-4K display.

At this point in time, 4K displays have been mainstream for quite a while, to the point that most new televisions use 4K panels instead of 1080p (or 720p) ones. But this is merely scratching the surface. There’s a lot more to a 4K TV than just a boatload of pixels though, so let’s strap on the scuba gear and dive a little deeper, shall we? We may even learn a thing or two about 8K TVs as we swim toward the bottom.
What is 4K Ultra HD?
4K Ultra HD is the name assigned to a screen with a resolution that's four times that of a Full HD (1080p) TV. That translates to 8 million pixels being crammed into the same space in which a Full HD TV fits just 2 million -- achieved by making each pixel four times smaller. The result for the average viewer? A clearer image, more accurate color, and with most new TV sets, High Dynamic Range, or HDR (more on that in a bit).

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Best Walmart TV deals: 58-inch 4K TV for $248 and more

lg 55 inch oled 4k tvs deal walmart class b8 tv

There are a lot of TVs to shop among the current Best Buy TV deals and Amazon TV deals, but many of today’s best TV deals can be found at Walmart. 65-inch TV deals, 70-inch TV deals, 75-inch TV deals, 85-inch TV deals, and more are going on, and with so much to sort through we thought we’d round up all of the best Walmart TV deals to make shopping for a new TV a little more convenient. Reading onward you’ll find all of the best TV deals Walmart has to offer, and if you’d like to shop for a specific brand check out the current Samsung TV deals, Sony TV deals, LG TV deals, Vizio TV deals, and TCL TV deals.
Hisense 58-inch R6 4K TV -- $248 $298 17% off

One of the best TV brands for value, Hisense is worth checking out, particularly with its Hisense 43-inch Roku 4K TV. A great size for the price, you get all the benefits of a 4K resolution along with HDR and Motion Rate support. The latter means you won't have to worry about motion blur while you play a game or watch fast-moving action or sports. Plus, get access to the best of Roku, including the free Roku channel while using this TV. Also, the TV works with Google Assistant and Alexa so it's easy to use and control your TV and other smart home devices.

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Best Buy TV deals: Save on QLED TVs, OLED TVs, and 8K TVs

The Vizio V-Series 4K TV in the living room.

One of the best retailers to shop for a new TV at is Best Buy, as the retail giant regularly discounts popular TVs and other home theater equipment. With the holiday shopping season winding down, TV deals are ripe for the picking at Best Buy, in fact, and they range from QLED TV deals to OLED TV deals with several other picture technologies in between. We’ve rounded up all of the Best Buy TV deals worth shopping right now, and they include discounts on popular brands such as Sony TV deals, Samsung TV deals, LG TV deals, and TCL TV deals, as well as some other options. Read onward for more details, and for a little information on which TV may be best for you. And if you aren't finding what you're looking for at Best Buy you can also check out today’s Amazon TV deals and Walmart TV deals.
Insignia 50-inch F30 4K TV -- $200 $300 39% off

A 55-inch 4K TV is a good size to suit most rooms, and the Insignia F30 has almost everything you could hope for in a TV this size. It presents all of your favorite content in breathtaking 4K resolution, and HDR technology provides a wide range of color details and sharper contrast, making movies more immersive and things like sports more impactful. Versatile connectivity ports make it easy to connect home theater peripherals. This TV also offers smart features like Alexa voice control, DTS Studio Sound, and Apple AirPlay. And because the Insignia F30 is a Fire TV, it will give you instant access to over 500,000 streaming movies and TV episodes, and access to thousands of channels and apps.