Sony is simplifying its home theater offerings, including OLED and mini-LED TVs and some interesting speakers - all under the Bravia brand.
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Sony fans, are you tired of the endless sequences of letters and numbers that distinguish the products? Can't figure out if the 55X800Si is better than the 55X801S? Starting with the Bravia models for 2024 that were revealed on Wednesday, including two mini-LED TVs with multiple local enhancement bands, an OLED and soundbars, Sony simplified the names of its models and unified them all under the Bravia name.
The brand name, Bravia, has clearly been used before but now the name is becoming more dominant, making it easier to tell where a product sits in Sony's overall product range - from the Bravia 3 to the 9. Sony is following a similar philosophy with its headphones.
Also, while we know what products are coming and their prices, availability for the entire line of Bravia TVs for 2024 has not yet been announced. Some models are available for pre-order as of yesterday. Most likely the rest will be available later this spring or early summer.
Sony Bravia 9
At the top of the Bravia list is the Bravia 9, a model mini-LED LCD offered in 65, 75 and 85 inch varieties. This model features a brighter backlight with more zones compared to its predecessor, the X95L.
Sony says it's the brightest 4K TV it has ever made. More information on lighting is below.
In Greece availability and therefore costing is expected but the prices in the US for the Bravia 9 are:
85″ inch: $5.499
75″ inch: $3.999
65″ inch: $3.299
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Sony Bravia 8
The next step down, in Sony's mind, is its new OLEDs. The QD-OLED A95L remains as it is, but the new Bravia 8 is simply called "OLED" and is not QD. The only significant differences compared to last year's A80 are the thinner bezels.
In Greece availability and therefore costing is expected but the prices in the US for the Bravia 8 OLED are:
75 inch: $3.899
65 inch: $2.799
55 inch: $1.999
Sony Bravia 7
The Bravia 7 is mini-LED but has a lower brightness than the 9.
In Greece availability and therefore costing is expected but the US prices for the Bravia 7 mini-LED are:
85 inch: $3.499
75 inch: $2.799
65 inch: $2.299
55 inch: $1.899
Sony Bravia 3
From there the series goes straight to the Bravia 3, which are LED LCD with direct lighting. Unlike the 9, 8 and 7, they don't have built-in Next Gen TV receivers or auto-calibration features (more on that below).
85 inch: $1.799
75 inch: $1.299
65 inch: $999
55 inch: $849
50 inch: $699
43 inch: $599
Mini LED
On the right are two of Sony's new Bravia 9s. On the left are two Samsung QN90Cs. All receive the same video format. The top TVs had their liquid crystal layer removed, so you see directly the LEDs that create the TV's light. Yes, they're all blue because that's how quantum dots work. The purpose of this demo was to show how Sony's XR Backlight MasterDrive can control more bands to improve contrast. We couldn't test exactly how the Samsung's were set up, but the demo gives a good idea of how the mini-LED backlights work.
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At a recent Sony event for the new Bravia products, we got a behind-the-scenes look at the mini-LED backlight technology, the LCD layer to be precise. Side-by-side with a Samsung QN90C, we saw how the combination of mini-LEDs and the Bravia 9's MasterDrive backlight was tackling the local band.
Note how both TVs can turn off their LEDs to create the perfect black, very similar to OLED. Sony's Bravia 9, in this demonstration, seems to have better control, theoretically offering brighter smaller objects without bubbles.
Autocalibration
The Bravia 7, 8 and 9 series have an auto calibration feature. When it's on and you're watching content from its own Netflix (Adaptive Calibrated Mode), Amazon (Prime Video Calibrated Mode) and Sony (Core Calibrated Mode) apps, the TV can change the picture settings to make the TV's picture as accurate as possible. These settings will override any settings you have adjusted, but you can turn this feature off at any time, and it will take into account the brightness in your room. You cannot, however, adjust the settings within the mode.
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Admittedly, this is a good thing. Most people don't bother to adjust their TV settings. These functions are supposed to be model-specific, so they will make your TV look pretty close to accurate. There will always be differences between units, as well as differences in the viewing environment, but this is a no-cost alternative to a professional calibration.
Audio
Alongside the new TVs is a new range of soundbars, speakers and a pair of 'neckphones'. Like the TVs, these products will also be Bravia-branded. They will be available later this spring. The top soundbar is the Bravia Theater: Bar 9 for $1.399. It has 13 guides, including two top-directional and two side-directional. It has Dolby Atmos and HDMI eARC, of course, and has optional rear surrounds and two different subwoofers.
The slightly smaller Bravia Theater: Bar 8 ($999) loses the beam tweeters and passive radiators of Bar 9. The same optional environments and subwoofers work with Bar 8.
The Bravia Theater: Quad is something a little different. These square speakers are designed to hang on a wall, with each individual speaker having four drivers. The Bravia Theater: Quad was designed to close the gap between a traditional multispeaker solution and a soundbar, but not as extensive or large as separate systems. As the Quad name suggests, you get four speakers for a retail price of $2,499.
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Finally, there is the Bravia Theatre: U. They are neck headphones with drivers similar to Bose Soundwear. The idea here is to provide you with personal sound without covering your ears. They reproduce surprisingly loud sound without being particularly inaudible to other people on the same couch. Because your ears are not covered, you can still talk normally. The U will be available for $299.
Source :: cnet
