In recent years, Sony Bravia has become synonymous with high quality and technologically advanced TVs. Since 2005, most of Sony’s flat-screened, high definition LCD and OLED TVs have carried the Bravia brand in the US, and beyond.
Standing for Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture (is it any wonder they shortened it to Bravia?) the three best sellers possess the expected excellent build quality, amazing features with some really innovative ideas, and jaw-dropping visuals. So here’s our pick of the best.
1) Sony X950H 65’’ 4K UHD/LED/HDR Smart TV
As usual, Sony’s design is flawless. With a near bezel-less screen, what frame there is has an innovative two tone metal finish, which extends to the L-shaped feet. All in all, this is a good-looking beast, whether placed on a shelf or wall mounted. Another great design feature are the two down-firing speakers – the Acoustic Multi-Audio system. Coupled with two tweeters, the sound appears to emanate from the screen’s center, producing an effective and impressive audio theater. The neat cable-tidy channel keeps clutter out of sight, and the whole deal looks highly professional and stylish.
A decent choice of ports, including 4 HDMI and 2 USB ports, and Bluetooth 4.2 connections, offer a wide selection for your devices.
Performance wise, the image quality is one of the best we’ve seen. It’s an impressively natural display, with a wide color gamut and great contrasts. With Sony’s X-tended Dynamic Range Pro 6, 4K HDR Picture Processor X1, and Full Array Local Dimming and Boosting, the image is vibrant and accurate. Even the darkest scenes in Blade Runner 2049 (come on, we had to test it with something shot in near pitch black) were rich, with detailed contrasts, thanks to the Object Based Super Resolution, which provides lifelike textures and detailing. The whites have none of the irritating haloing that sometimes occurs, even in high performance screens, while the X-Wide Angle technology opens up the screen, maintaining consistency for those far outside the direct viewing range.
Sony have gone all out, developing advanced technology, and, yes, it has to be said, giving that tech power names. However, even without the addition of strong titles, the image quality is something to admire from any angle in the room!
The smart features, as you’d expect, are well designed, despite the diversive Android OS. Sony has worked hard on the hardware, offering faster and more effective accessibility, with popular services, such as Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon, apparently starting up to 60% faster. Although this is hard to measure, we certainly felt everything ran smoother and speedier than other brands. Both Google Assistant and Alexa are always on hand if you’re feeling too relaxed to move.
To conclude, the Sony Bravia X950H is a TV to be proud of, to show off to the neighbors, and to sit back, enjoying the fully immersive experience that’s offered. In a market full of snapping-at-the-heels competitors, ironically the only competition standing in Sony’s way at present is Sony. Their range of Bravia TVs is successfully filling the high spec end of the market, and rightly so, as this model proves.
2) Sony A8H 65’’ 4K UHD/OLED/HDR Smart TV
This OLED TV is part of Sony’s Master series, and we don’t think we’re far wrong by declaring this a drop-dead gorgeous TV. Design wise, it follows the same principles as the X950H – slim, sleek, and sexy, with a wide range of ports, and input/outputs, including 4 HDMI, USB, and Bluetooth options.
There is not much to choose between this display and the X950H, although the OLED does provide dramatically better cost efficiency, and a brighter, more defined picture. Blacks are a little darker, whilst the lighter colors possess a little more accuracy.
The Netflix calibrated mode combined with the 4K display, full local dimming, and Object Based Super Resolution, provide an unsurpassed ease of accessibility, amazing image quality, superb contrasts and textures, and fabulously accurate colors. Which all add to the justifiability of this TV’s price band.
As you’d expect from a Bravia, the smart platform is smugly superior, and we swear Google Assistant and Alexa are sniggering behind their metaphorical hands, at lesser competitors, as they bend to our will. With Chromecast built-in, this TV can handle streaming content from any device, and controlling your smart home is ridiculously easy.
It has to be said that the quality of the Sony A8H 65 justifies the price tag, and if you can stretch to it, you really won’t be disappointed.
3) Sony X800G 49’’ 4K UHD/LED/HDR Smart TV
Just like the X950H and A8H 65, this smaller model has the same build quality and styling, with almost non-existent bezels, neat, sturdy feet, and the option to tidy cables away. Again, it has multiple connectivity options, including 4 HDMI and 3 USB ports.
With an image quality that isn’t far behind its big brothers, Sony’s 4K X-Reality PRO offers a gloriously realistic picture, successfully eliminating any on-screen noise, allowing accurately vibrant coloring and touchable textural detailing. Although it lacks local dimming, the edge lighting provides deep, uniform blacks across the whole screen, and decent whites, thanks to the Dynamic Contrast Enhancer. The fully immersive experience is added to with Motionflow XR, which reduces any action lag to zero, and a decent response time.
The smart features are great, with this model having the latest Android 8.0 version. The interface looks and feels smooth and intuitive, and the app library, via the Google Play store, is vast. Both Google Assistant and the ever reliable Alexa are on hand to help you search, and control your smart home.
The Sony X800G is a decent TV, and whilst not as high spec as the others, provides good value for money and is well worth considering.
These Sony TVs are some of the best the manufacturer can offer, but if you’re looking for the best Sony TVs of all time, check out our review.
FAQs About Sony Bravia TVs
What is OLED TV?
An organic light-emitting diode TV provides a highly responsive resolution with each pixel controlled seperately, creating an unparalleled luminosity and vibrancy of color.
How do I download apps to my Sony Bravia TV?
Using your remote control, select Google Play Store, and download the desired app.
How do I reset my Sony Bravia TV?
On the home screen, select settings and system settings which should lead you to factory settings.
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