- Sony has announced its new line of Bravia 4K and 8K TVs ahead of CES 2021.
- The new smart TVs have a processor upgrade, HDMI 2.1 connections and the new Google TV user interface.
- Sony will announce the price and availability of the televisions in the spring.
Every year Sony announces a new line of televisions at CES, which then move to different markets throughout the year. This is Sony’s best step forward and the company’s premier premium TV to rival Samsung and LG competitors.
This year Sony announced a wide variety of 8K LED, 4K OLED and 4K LED TVs. Below is a breakdown of all model numbers and screen sizes:
- Master Series Z9J: 85-inch, 75-inch 8K LED TVs
- Master series A90J: 83-inch, 65-inch and 55-inch OLED TVs
- A80J: 77-inch, 65-inch, and 55-inch OLED 4K TVs
- X95J: 85-inch, 75-inch, and 65-inch 4K LED TVs
- X92 and X90J: 100-inch, 75-inch, 65-inch, 55-inch, and 50-inch 4K LED TVs
All new Bravias are essentially equipped with the new XR processor. Sony is finally moving from the X1 Ultimate, which powered its flagships for 2019 and 2020, to a new “cognitive processor” that promises to improve image quality in real time by focusing on specific zones in a scene.
As TV sizes increase, according to Sony, our brains don’t see the entire screen and instead focus on parts of it where the action takes place. In a close-up, the new XR processor tries hard to achieve the most realistic skin tones. With wider shots, various elements in the scene are focused and enhanced to attract viewers.
Unfortunately, we won’t get a chance to actually see this in action as CES is virtual this year, but Sony TVs are some of the best on the market when it comes to picture quality and we don’t expect these new flagships to be seen disappoint .
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The next big upgrade comes in the form of HDMI 2.1 features across the board. All five new Bravia XR models have 4K inputs with 120 fps, variable refresh rates, an automatic mode with low latency for games and e-ARC. These were previously only available for last year’s X900H 4K LED model.
Another notable addition is that of the new Google TV user interface. The updated Android TV skin is currently only available on the latest version of Google Chromecast. Sony’s new Bravia range is the first in the world to feature the Google TV user interface. So you can expect to receive personalized content recommendations, create watchlists, and have a smarter media hub in your living room compared to your current Android TV.
Otherwise, like last year, the new Sony TVs have all of the hands-free features of the Google Assistant, compatibility with smart speakers including Amazon Alexa devices, and a new Bravia Core streaming service that delivers content from Sony Pictures and some IMAX-enhanced movies .
Sony will announce the prices and availability of the new Bravia XR models in the spring.