Sony Bravia XR A95K OLED TV review: Practically perfect. Sony Bravia core

Sony Bravia XR A95K OLED TV review: Practically perfect

Amazing in every way, and a feast for your eyes and ears alike, the Sony Bravia XR A95K OLED is as good as TVs get.

Pros

  • Superb picture quality
  • Color and brightness are outstanding, especially in HDR
  • Some of the best sound you can find from a TV
  • Includes a dizzying variety of useful, experience-enhancing features

Cons

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Price: 2,999 Screen size: 65 inches Model: XR-65A95K Resolution: 3,840×2,160 HDR: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision Refresh Rate: 120 Hz Ports: 2 HDMI 2.1, 2 HDMI 2.0, 2 USB Audio: 60W Smart TV Software: Google TV Size (without stand): 56.88x33x1.75 inches Weight (without stand): 59.5 lbs.

By any standard, the Sony Bravia XR A95K OLED is a remarkable TV — and often, it’s far better than that. This set, which sits at the top of Sony’s expansive TV lineup, unites the industry’s defining technologies and Sony’s own groundbreaking processing and picture enhancements to deliver superlative performance in every area. And our own test results back this up.

The color and brightness on the Bravia XR A95K are dazzling. Unexpected but genuinely useful Smart features transform everything from how you interact with the screen, how you make picture adjustments, and even what you do if you lose your remote control. Perhaps most important, this Sony OLED TV looks and sounds like a dream, no matter what you watch on it, making everything a transcendent viewing and listening experience.

The question with the A95K, then, isn’t whether it’s one of the best TVs you can buy. It’s whether it is the best TV you can buy.

sony, bravia, a95k, oled, review, practically

Sony Bravia XR A95K OLED review: Pricing and availability

As Sony’s flagship 4K OLED TV, the A95K does not come cheap. There are only two models in this family, the 65-inch version of which is the one we evaluated (though we expect the smaller model to perform similarly):

If neither of these is exactly what you’re looking for, other Sony TV lines do offer larger and smaller screen sizes.

Sony Bravia XR A95K OLED review: Design

Like most other TVs out there, the A95K aims for the maximum amount of screen and the minimum amount of bezel possible. Outlining the jet-black display on all sides is a metal bezel only one-sixteenth of an inch thick, though there’s an added 0.75-inch Band along the bottom for displaying the power light and, on the far left, a nearly imperceptible Sony logo. The screen is thicker than on most recent OLED sets (about 0.5 inch), but the size of the set itself (56.88x33x1.75 inches) ensures it makes a statement from any angle. That includes the back, with the rear panel protruding another inch and cut with a dynamic square pattern that emphasizes every departure, including the 300x300mm VESA mounting holes should you want to put the TV on a wall.

Choose not to wall-mount it, however, and the A95K becomes a distinctive piece of your living room. Its single-piece stand is a heavy, arc-shaped piece of metal as long as the TV and about 10.8 inches deep. To install it, you screw the two included supports onto the stand, then screw the TV into the supports. The process is somewhat cumbersome — and not practical to do alone — but there’s no question that it’s sturdy. It ups the style quotient, too: The TV may be connected to the stand so the foot is either visible from the front (and the set may stand flat against a wall) or not (so you don’t have to see it). The latter is more inherently attractive, but I preferred the overall leaner look of the former.

The power cable connects to the right side of the TV, and all the other ports are on the left. These include a coaxial cable connector, an Ethernet jack, an S/PDIF port for digital audio, an RS-232 connector, two USB ports (one maxing out at 500mA, one at 900mA), center speaker and remote IR inputs, red and black speaker terminals, and four HDMI ports.

Of those, only two support the newer HDMI 2.1 standard and thus 4K 120Hz. As it’s not uncommon to see even lower-priced TVs with all HDMI 2.1 ports, this is a little disappointing. There is also a switch for enabling or disabling the integrated far-field microphone for controlling the TV with your voice.

Sony Bravia XR A95K OLED review: Test results

Sony Bravia A95K OLEDInput Lag (ms)SDR Brightness (Window 10%, in nits)Delta-E (lower is better)HDR Peak Luminance (Window 10%, in nits)UHDA-P3 Color GamutBT.2020 Color Gamut
Samsung S95B OLED LG C2 OLED
16.1 9.2 12.9
296.6708 329.4563 228.2797
3.3223 3.0184 1.7009
1041.8908 1011 800.14
99.95% 98.44% 99.02%
89.7% 76.67% 74.17%

Being one of the new breed of QD-OLED TVs combining quantum dot and OLED, the A95K promises the “widest range of OLED colors ever” alongside superior brightness, the infinite contrast levels OLED affords, and best-in-class smarts thanks to its Cognitive Processor XR engine (which we first examined on the 2021 A80J model). To see how well the A95K lived up to these claims, we subjected it to our usual battery of performance tests using an X-Rite i1 Pro spectrophotometer, a SpectraCal VideoForge Pro pattern generator, and Portrait Displays’ Calman calibration software.

In our SDR tests, the A95K hovered around just under 300 nits of brightness (276 nits in its Standard picture mode, 297 nits in Custom, the closest to out-of-the-box calibration quality) — not objectively high, but good for OLEDs. As far as color reproduction, its best result was a Delta-E value (representing the difference in color between the source and what’s displayed on the screen, with lower numbers being better) of 3.3223 in Custom; that’s low, but we’ve seen plenty of other sets that were lower. (The LG C2, one of the best TVs Tom’s Guide reviewed last year, managed 1.7009 in its best picture mode.) The Sony’s coverage of the Rec. 709 color gamut was startling: 110.8% in Custom (second only to the LG B2, with 130.5%) and 151.8% in Standard, which is by far the highest we’ve seen.

If you’re thinking that all those colors with SDR suggest even more mind-blowing results with HDR, you would be correct. With its peak brightness hovering around 1,000 nits in as much as 25% of the picture, it’s definitely one of the brighter sets we’ve seen — only the Samsung QN95B and the Hisense 65U8H get consistently higher.

The A95K’s HDR color, however, was truly astounding. That it covered 99.95% of the UHDA-P3 color gamut in every mode, making it the unalloyed best we’ve tested there — the runner-up is the Samsung S95B, with 99.76% in its Filmmaker Mode — isn’t even the biggest news. It covered 89.44% of the even wider BT.2020 gamut, something no other set we’ve encountered has matched. The “closest” is the 50-inch Vizio M-Series Quantum X, which covered a relatively paltry 81.61%.

In the end, the A95K isn’t just first-rate today — it’s also sufficiently future-proof that you won’t need to worry about how it will handle next-generation content when it becomes more prevalent in the market (as will likely happen in the next few years).

Sony Bravia XR A95K OLED review: Performance

Unfortunately, there’s not much to say about the A95K’s picture quality in real-world terms.

Because it’s extraordinary.

Every movie I watched was the best version of it I’d ever seen. Top Gun: Maverick soared with excitement, capturing functionally all of the movie’s effects and spine-tingling aerial action with the same electricity it did on the IMAX theater screen. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune was realistic to the point of its desert scenes being asthma-inducing, with the tan and gray color palettes of Arrakis etched against the planet’s blinding white sky, and the picture quality so crystalline, you could make out individual grains of sand and spice.

Spider-Man: No Way Home was exciting and fiery in the seamless relationship of its special effects to its live-action shots — so much so, it almost looked better than it did in the theater.

Every drop the edginess of The Batman’s on-the-brink Gotham City oozed from the screen, with even deep blacks perfectly contrasted against blazing brights. Disney’s Encanto has never looked more magical, the floral colors of its supersaturated Columbia flawlessly rendered. Upscaled from 1080p, Mission: Impossible – Fallout was barely distinguishable from its native 4K version. A punishing 4K test pattern designed to pinpoint even the slightest flaws in a screen revealed no observable mistakes. And thanks to the OLED panel, the display loses next to none of its quality when viewed from even extreme angles.

The closest I can come to a criticism of the A95K’s picture quality is that its Vivid picture mode makes everything viewed with it look sickly. But as this is a common problem with such modes, even that’s barely a knock. Picture-wise, this is an incredible — and borderline incomparable — TV.

Sony Bravia XR A95K OLED review: Audio

It’s common for TV reviews to rhapsodize about how good the set looks and then go on to complain about how poor it sounds. Given the general state of TV audio, that’s understandable, but that doesn’t even apply to the A95K.

Don’t get me wrong: You’re not going to mistake this set’s audio for what you’d get with a full A/V system, or maybe even one of the best soundbars you can buy. TVs, these days being something like 90% flat screens with a little bit of additional hardware mixed in, can do so much.

Even so, the A95K — with sound hardware comprising two 20W actuators and two 10W subwoofers, the Cognitive Processor XR chip, and the utilization of Sony’s Acoustic Surface Audio technology to turn the screen itself into a speaker—pushes the limits.

The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” which usually highlights any set’s inability to cope with bass, came across in all its chest-resonating glory here, and maintained that booming clarity even at the set’s highest volume levels, which stop just short of being wall-shaking. A soprano vocal track I use to test the other extreme was rich and full throughout, with the sustained B-flat it crests to as affecting as if you were sitting in the front row of the Metropolitan Opera.

Action scenes in Top Gun: Maverick layering dialogue, music, and sound effects thrilled in multiple dimensions. Straight dialogue scenes in other movies and the musical numbers in Encanto were no less fully realized. Could you, by spending still more money, make the A95K sound even better? Sure. But this is one of those rare TVs where no one but the hardest-core audiophiles will see any need to bother.

Sony Bravia XR A95K OLED review: Gaming

If there’s one area where the A95K doesn’t quite rule the roost, it’s dealing with input lag. Make no mistake: Its time of 16.2ms (as measured with a Leo Bodnar lag tester) is quite good, firmly below our 20ms threshold for a satisfying gaming experience. But we’d hope that a top-of-the-line Sony like this one could get the time down to (or maybe even below?) our 10ms threshold of excellence, as is now the rule rather than the exception with Samsung’s newest sets.

But none of this is to say that the A95K isn’t excellent at gaming, too. If you hook up your console to one of the 120Hz HDMI 2.1 ports, you get all the associated benefits, including Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). Because this is Sony we’re talking about here, if that console is a Playstation 5, you also get Auto HDR Tone Mapping for still better picture quality and Auto Genre Picture Mode, what Sony calls “a more sophisticated version” of ALLM designed for non-gaming applications.

Like a lot of people, I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of time playing Elden Ring, but I’ve never been more captivated by my journeys throughout the Lands Between than I was playing it on the PS5 on the A95K — the graphics were pristine and the action maddeningly responsive in all the best ways. I had just as good a time on “just” an Xbox Series X, with the snow-choked landscapes of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla coming alive as they never had before.

Sony Bravia XR A95K OLED review: Smart TV interface and features

Google TV is in serious competition for the simplest, cleanest, and richest Smart TV interface, and it’s right at home on A95K. Simple and quick to navigate, easy to search, and adept at presenting plenty of new and recent options without overwhelming, it makes finding and watching movies, TV shows, and anything else a breeze.

It surfaces major titles right at eye level, arrays your apps below that, then lists your “Continued Watching” titles — you never have to see anything more if you don’t want. Links for Search, Live, Movies, Shows, Apps, your personal Library, and dedicated Sony offerings line the top of the screen. And Google TV’s seamless integration with Google Assistant helps still more, letting you search for things as easily on the TV as you would your phone or computer.

One perk of the A95K is a two-year membership in Bravia Core, Sony’s proprietary streaming service, along with 10 movies to redeem. It’s a mixed blessing. Bravia Core is, like all of the manufacturers’ services, unnecessary given how much else there is out there to watch, and most of its catalog isn’t inspiring. (The most prominent recent titles I noticed included Ghostbusters: Afterlife, The Woman King, Uncharted, and Morphius, if that gives you an idea.) But it does stream in 4K at 80Mbps, so it may be worth it to you.

A more striking extra you get with the A95K is the Bravia Cam. A tiny camera that attaches to a port on the rear panel and sits atop your TV, it opens the door to lots of new, next-level possibilities. It works with the TV to adjust color, brightness, and even sound on the fly depending on conditions in the room at that moment (including the number of people and where they’re sitting). You can use it for video chatting on a screen much bigger than your laptop’s. It even has a clever form of parental controls that can prevent anyone from sitting too close to the screen. (And don’t worry: There’s an integrated sliding lens cover should you ever decide you want privacy.)

Most compelling about the Bravia Cam are its gestures, so you can control key TV functions without needing the remote. All you do is raise your hand to catch the camera’s “eye,” then move it up, down, left, or right to select something from the menu that appears on screen. The exact choices depend on what you’re doing, but they can include adjusting the volume, changing the channel, or playing or pausing a video; a closed fist turns off the power (clever); and you can use your index finger to move to another music track or fast-forward or rewind.

The gestures are fun, and they worked every time I tried them, but I found them to be more trouble than they’re worth. The camera’s range and speed are limited by the room’s brightness, and a dark room is usually what I want when I’m watching TV. They are also a bit on the slow side, taking a few seconds to register, though you can change a setting to prioritize speed rather than accuracy. Call me old-fashioned, but I find it much easier to just use the remote.

Sony Bravia XR A95K OLED review: Remote

I was a big fan of the previous Sony remote, which for my money was one of the best bundled remotes out there, but the new version is even better. All of Sony’s most recent sets have it: It measures 6.9 inches long and just under 1.5 inches wide, shorter and narrower than its all-black predecessor, but has lost little key functionality. Gone are the number pad, the color buttons, and a few specialized controls (such as for Jump, Subtitle, Record, and Fast Forward and Rewind), and everything else has been rearranged to make better use of space.

The Power, TV, Settings, Input, and number buttons are all in the top section, above the directional pad; Back and Home are conveniently located just below that. Then there’s the Google Assistant button; Volume, Channel, and Mute controls; and Play, Pause, and Guide. Finally are four shortcut buttons for Netflix, Disney, Amazon Prime Video, and Bravia Core.

That last button is replaced on other models’ remotes with a button for YouTube, but that’s not the only difference. As part of the Master Series, the A95K needs to stand out, so its remote is gunmetal gray rather than black; all of its keys are backlighted for easy use in the dark; and, should you lose it, just say “Hey Google! Find my remote!” to get help tracking it down.

Sony Bravia XR A95K OLED review: Verdict

Sony has outdone itself with the Bravia XR A95K. The company has taken its previously towering picture-enhancement technologies and supercharged them. Sound, color, speed, interface — you name it, the A95K has it. And whatever you want to do, this TV excels at it.

The LG C2 comes close to it as far as features (and may surpass it for gaming) and the Samsung QN95B’s brightness is truly a sight to behold. But I’m not convinced either beats the A95K as a package deal. Its picture quality is fantastic now and only likely to get better as Rec. 2020 gains ground, its sound is the next best thing to being there, and it is so loaded with intuitive and forward-thinking capabilities that just turning it on is like careening into the future.

I’ve been in this business for a long time, and I’ve been working with TVs for years, so I do not impress easily. But never in all that time have I encountered a TV I found myself wanting to watch more than the Sony Bravia XR A95K. It really is that good.

Sony launches new movie app Bravia Core, two high-end soundbars and home cinema speakers

As well as making Playstations and award-winning headphones and mirrorless cameras, Sony also manufactures high-end TVs will cutting-edge tech.

Now the Japanese firm has launched its own movie app Bravia Core app which offers a vast selection of some of the latest film releases, blockbusters and classics from Sony Pictures Entertainment in the highest streaming picture quality of Pure Stream.

The firm also announced two soundbars, A3000 and A5000.

Bravia Core

This exclusive app was developed to offer incredible feature films and other content in the highest quality to users of Sony TVs.

The app is pre-loaded on all new Bravia XR models, such as the recently released award-winning Bravia XR Master Series A95K QD-OLED TV.

Users can enjoy some of the latest premium and classic titles and the largest IMAX Enhanced collection.

The firm said you can buy and rent selected movies in the highest streaming picture quality of Pure Stream technology, achieving near lossless UHD BD equivalent quality with streaming up to 80 Mbps.

Sony HT-A3000 Soundbar and optional speakers

The new soundbar is an all-in one which also combines perfectly with optional rear speakers to deliver an immersive 360 Spatial Sound experience

Sony said its 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology provides ultra-wide listening area.

The HT-A3000 features 3.1 channels, three front speakers including a dedicated centre speaker for clear dialogue, and a built-in dual subwoofer for deep bass.

This is coupled with Vertical Surround Engine and S-Force PRO Front Surround to create virtual surround sound that comes from multiple dimensions so you can fully enjoy the thrill of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

Adding an optional wireless subwoofer that handles low frequencies allows the system to reproduce sound with greater impact and power than before.

Two models are available, designed to bring out deeper bass, more vocal clarity, and extra fidelity in all types of audio content.

You can add the SA-SW5 subwoofer with 300W of deep, rich bass from a 180mm driver with a passive radiator or, opt for the SA-SW3 subwoofer with 200W of sound from a compact bass reflex subwoofer with a 160mm driver.

While the up-firing SA-RS5 wireless rear speakers deliver a total 180W of wider surround sound.

You can also choose the SA-RS3S wireless rear speakers which boast a total of 100W of audio.

The A3000 allows you to easily access popular music services like Spotify and stream all your favourite albums and playlists using Chromecast, Spotify Connect or Apple AirPlay 2.

The A3000 features DSEE Extreme, which uses Edge-AI to allow for real-time restoration of all your compressed digital music files.

Voice control is available for Google-assistant with Chromecast built-in and Amazon Alexa.

Sony HT-A5000 soundbar

The highly anticipated 5.1.2 channel A5000 brings the thrill of the cinema to your own home thanks to Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Sony’s renowned audio technologies, including Vertical Surround Engine and S-Force PRO Front Surround.

The A5000 additionally comes equipped with Sony’s revolutionary 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology, bringing a new frontier of surround sound to your living space.

360 Spatial Sound setup can be accessed when connecting the soundbar to SA-RS3S rear speakers or the new SA-RS5 wireless rear speaker which are mentioned above.

Pricing and availability

Sony HT-A3000 will be priced at approximately €699 and is available in Europe from October 2022.

Sony HT-A5000 will be priced at approximately €999 and will be available in Europe from October 2022.

SA-RS5 wireless rear speakers are now available for approximately €799.

SA-RS3S wireless rear speakers are now available for approximately €499.

Sony SA-SW5 subwoofer is available now for €780.

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Sony TV 2023: All the 8K, 4K, OLED and Bravia XR TVs explained

The 2021 Sony TV line-up is one of the biggest upgrades we’ve seen from the Japanese manufacturer, with a new smarter processor, upgraded UI and better gaming compatibility across the range.

We’ll be updating this list throughout the year as more information around release dates and comes to light.

New Sony TVs for 2021

The headline feature is that Sony’s 2021 TV range are the world’s first cognitive intelligence televisions on the market. You can read the section below to understand exactly what that means.

For this year, Sony has adopted the J naming designation for its TVs. That means that if the model number ends in J, it’s a new 2021 TV. We should also note that for the 2020 TVs that have carried over or are still available, they’ve been re-named from KD to KE. So, for instance, if you see the KE-48A9 OLED, that’s the same TV as the KD-48A9 but has been re-named in light of new European power regulations.

New 8K TVs, new OLEDs, new 4K Full Array LED models have launched under the Bravia XR umbrella, while beneath that are more affordable 4K LED TVs and a new 32-inch HD model.

Smart features and HDMI 2.1 compatibility are consistent across the range, while Sony’s Ambient Optimisation feature, which assesses the area around the TV and adapts the picture and sound to suit the environment, is available on nearly all the announced models (save for the HD TV).

A new brain in the Cognitive Processor XR

The brain behind Sony’s premium sets has gotten smarter. All the new Bravia XR televisions, a list that includes the MASTER Series Z9J 8K LED, MASTER Series A90J/A80J OLED, and X95J/X90J 4K LED), are powered by the Cognitive Processor XR.

It uses a new processing method that Sony says goes beyond conventional Artificial Intelligence, working in a similar manner as our brain does. It replicates the ways humans see and hear, dividing the screen into zones to detect where the focal point of the picture is.

According to Sony, while conventional AI detects and analyses picture elements such as colour, contrast and detail individually; the new processor cross-analyses all these elements at once. By performing these tasks simultaneously (much like our brains), these elements are adjusted in conjunction with each other and that should make for an image that’s more synchronised and lifelike.

For audio, the Cognitive Processor XR analyses the sound’s position in the signal so it matches precisely with what’s on screen. Sony also claims it can also upconvert any sound to 3D surround sound for a more immersive performance.

Bravia CORE and new Google TV UI

After using Android TV in its previous models, Sony has sashayed over to the Google TV UI. This UI offers a greater FOCUS on content curation and discovery; bringing movies, TV shows, live TV, apps and subscriptions to one place. It also offers personalised recommendations, as well as the ability to keep track of content you want to see via the Watchlist.

Sony’s TVs continue to support the Netflix Calibrated Mode that serves up the Netflix library in a dedicated ‘studio quality’ picture mode. This is along with IMAX Enhanced content, so the TV can play remastered picture and sound through its IMAX Enhanced Mode.

HDMI 2.1 for gaming

In 2020 Sony was neither here nor there with its support for the HDMI 2.1 format. For 2021 stated that it’s much more committed to the format with HDMI 2.1 compatibility present on all Bravia XR TVs.

That support brings 4K/120fps, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) for a faster and better gaming experience, as well as eARC for the passing higher quality sound through the TV to a soundbar, for example. However, VRR support is still lacking, with Sony saying they’re waiting for the official specification to be released. When exactly they’ll fully jump onboard is not quite clear.

Hands-Free control

Hands-free voice control is built into Sony’s Google compatible TVs, so you don’t have to use the remote to search or to control the TV and Smart devices around the home. Simply say ‘Hey Google’ followed by a command and you’re off.

There’s also compatibility with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa devices for casting videos from YouTube to Google Nest speakers, or changing the channel and volume levels.

Sony TV 2021

Z9J Series

The Z9J is Sony’s top of the range 8K LED TV. For the money – and it’s a considerable amount – it has the Cognitive Processor XR that powers the Full Array LED panel to produce deeper black levels and brighter colours.

With upscaling necessary given the lack of native 8K content, the TV upgrades 2K and 4K signals thanks to its XR 8K Upscaling feature.

The X-Wide Angle technology aims to keep colours strong at wider viewing angles. The TV comes with Sony’s Acoustic Multi-Audio technology that uses frame tweeters to ensure high frequency sounds are placed exactly where they should be, while the front facing subwoofers produce “powerful bass”. If it’s anything like the system in the ZH8 TV, it could negate the need for a soundbar.

  • Cognitive Processor XR
  • Full Array LED
  • X-Wide Angle technology
  • Acoustic Multi-Audio
  • Dolby Vision HDR, HDR10, HLG
  • Dolby Atmos
  • 4K/120fps, ALLM, VRR, eARC
  • YouView inc. UK catch-up apps
sony, bravia, a95k, oled, review, practically

A90J Series

The A90J is Sony’s top OLED. OLED’s rich contrast performance is aided and abetted by the set’s XR OLED Contrast Pro, further adjusting brightness for higher peak performance and better black levels so details aren’t shrouded by darkness or lost in the brighter parts of an image.

Smart features are available in Google TV, AirPlay 2 and HomeKit, as well as Google Assistant and Chromecast.

The A90J is Calman Ready, offering calibrators the opportunity the fine-tune and adjust the image. Interestingly, the A90J features an RGB light sensor that adapts the image to compensate not only for changes in a room’s light levels, but changes in the hue of the light (cool to warm etc), which Sony says can adversely affect the image.

Sony says its Acoustic Surface Audio technology has also been improved to deliver a more accurate sound. With its Seamless Edge design, the A90J’s frameless look reduces distractions so the FOCUS is on the screen. Around the back is a cable clutter feature to keep the back area tidy. There are also multiple configurations for set up, which include standing it on its feet or elevating the TV to place a soundbar beneath.

  • Cognitive Processor XR
  • XR OLED Contrast Pro
  • Acoustic Surface Audio
  • Dolby Vision HDR, HDR10, HLG
  • Dolby Atmos
  • 4K/120fps, ALLM, VRR, eARC
  • YouView inc. UK catch-up apps
sony, bravia, a95k, oled, review, practically

X85J

  • KD-85X85J
  • KD-75X85J
  • KD-65X85J
  • KD-55X85J
  • KD-50X85J
  • KD-43X85J

We’re getting deep into Sony’s TV line-up with the first non-Bravia XR TV. The X85J swaps out the Cognitive XR Processor for the 4K HDR Processor X1, but still aims to offer better depth, textures and more natural colours with its images. The 4K X-Reality Pro picture processor helps to upscale sub-2K content to near 4K quality, with advanced noise reduction techniques aiming to produce a cleaner-looking image.

The panel is a native 100Hz effort, and that should result in smoother motion. HDMI 2.1 functionality is available on this model with 4K/120fps, VRR, ALLM and eARC included (two of the four HDMI inputs support the 2.1 format). The design is described as minimalist, with the ‘flush surface’ concentrating eyes on the screen.

Smart features are provided in Google TV, AirPlay 2/HomeKit, Chromecast and “works with” Alexa and Google Assistant speakers. It’s the first TV in the line-up that lacks support for the Bravia CORE streaming service, though.

  • 4K HDR Processor X1
  • Edge-lit LED
  • X-Balanced Speaker
  • Dolby Vision HDR, HDR10, HLG
  • Dolby Atmos
  • 4K/120fps, ALLM, VRR, eARC

X80J

The features for the X81J/X80J are reduced further from the X85J. You still get the 4K HDR Processor X1, 4K X-Reality PRO picture processing and advanced noise reduction techniques, as well as the X-Balanced speakers for a more immersive audio performance.

HDMI 2.1 support spans to just eARC, so this isn’t ideal for the PS5 or Xbox Series X. The panel drops down to a native 50Hz effort, so smoother motion is not on the table either.

Smart features are consistent with the rest of the range in Google TV, AirPlay and HomeKit support, as well as compatibility with Alexa and Google Assistant speakers.

  • 4K HDR Processor X1
  • Edge-lit LED
  • X-Balanced Speaker
  • Dolby Vision HDR, HDR10, HLG
  • Dolby Atmos
  • eARC

W800

Sony continues to pump out HD sets for those who just need a small TV. There’s no mention of whether it supports HDR like previous HD sets did (which likely indicates it doesn’t). The picture processor is the Bravia Engine, and Android TV offers access to apps such as Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube and Google Play Movies TV.

The Best TV Brands To Upgrade Your Display

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

If you’re shopping for a new television, you have a lot of great options from some of the best TV brands like Samsung, Sony, Hisense, LG, TCL and Amazon—all of which have models offered in a variety of sizes and different technologies that produce crisp, beautiful picture.

So, which is the best TV brand for your home? Everyone’s preferences are different, and each TV brand offers its idea of the best performance. Generally, you’ll want to take into account features like screen resolution, connectivity both in the hardware and software, screen type, screen size and more—and several brands stand out from the rest.

Here are our picks for the best TV brands, the reasons why we chose them and a selection of the most popular models from each.

Samsung: Best TV Brand Overall

For almost two decades, Samsung has been one the world’s most popular TV brands, and it’s easy to see why. The company annually introduces new TVs that are on the cutting-edge, most recently seen in its 2023 Neo QLED, QLED and OLED models. Samsung also offers a unique model: the highly popular The Frame TV. Similar to the recently launched Echo Show 15, it does double duty as a TV and a picture frame that can show off digital art.

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When you purchase a Samsung TV, you’re getting a quality TV that’s packed with premium features, despite being reasonably priced. You consistently get crisp, gorgeous colors thanks to its Quantum Dot technology that features over a billion colors on-screen, plus smooth action that draws you into whatever you’re watching. Whether you choose a QLED, LED or OLED model, you’ll get a great picture that gets you a cinematic and immersive viewing experience. Here’s a small sampling of Samsung’s latest offerings.

Samsung QN900C Neo QLED 8K

If you’re looking for the best model Samsung has to offer and price doesn’t factor into your decision, the QN900C is the panel you want in your living room or home theater. The 8K resolution TV from Samsung features what the company refers to as Neo QLED technology. Its Infinity screen design provides a crystal clear picture thanks to the 33-million pixels that bring lifelike colors, intense contrast, and detail that sets itself apart from other brands on the market.

While there’s currently very little native 8K resolution programming, the QN900C uses AI-based upscaling, a Neural Quantum processor and Neo Quantum HDR to make whatever your watching appear as close to 8K as possible. All this is complemented by Dolby Atmos sound support. If you’re looking for the absolute latest and greatest TV technology that’s currently available, look no further than the Samsung Neo QLED 8K Smart TV. It’s a perfect example of why we chose Samsung as the industry leader in innovation.

What our editors say: Tech editor Rebecca Isaacs says, “Having had a chance to watch Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on this TV, I can safely say that this panel offers a new gold standard for viewing. My recommendation? Check out any David Attenborough documentary on this panel. Wildlife looks particularly stunning on the Infinity Screen.”

Samsung QN90C Neo QLED 4K

We get it—spending more than 2,000 on a cutting-edge TV is well outside most budgets. However, Samsung also offers budget-friendly TVs that offer the same innovative technologies. Case in point: This 65-inch Neo QLED 4K Smart TV. It displays more than 8-million pixels with the signature Samsung Quantum Matrix QLED technology to display a consistently sharp picture with bright, lifelike colors and impressive contrast. In this case, the TV’s Neural Quantum processor handles 4K upscaling to make whatever you’re watching appear as close to 4K resolution as possible.

Between the Neo Quantum HDR and an ultra-wide viewing angle, this TV model will suit your needs without breaking the bank. Best of all, if you prefer a different size from the 55-inch TV we’ve recommended, sizes range from 43-inches up to an 85-inch panel.

Samsung’s The Frame

Part TV, part portrait, Samsung’s The Frame TV sits flush with your wall to mimic a painting or artwork. And since we’re talking about its great design, you can choose from multiple frame colors so it matches your home’s decor. Anytime you’re not streaming TV shows or movies from the built-in Smart Tizen OS, The Frame displays your choice of famous works of art—thus transforming the room into a virtual art gallery displaying ultra-realistic looking paintings from world-renown artists. It’s also possible to showcase your own digital photos, either one at a time or as part of an animated slideshow.

Every year, Samsung releases an update to The Frame and 2023 is no exception. This model displays 4K resolution video using HDR10 and QLED technology, with more than a billion colors which showcasing impressive contrast. What you’re watching always looks as clear, detailed and authentic as possible—all from an upgraded anti-glare display with a matte finish. At the moment, only the 32-inch 2023 model is available, but you can find last year’s version at Amazon and Best Buy. It offers mostly the same specs, and the difference is that the 2023 model offers more customizable bezels and an upgraded wall mount.

Hisense: Best Value TV Brand

Hisense has developed a strong reputation for creating TVs with the very latest technology incorporated into them—offering superior picture and sound quality—and for a fraction of the price. While you can expect a smaller viewing angle, Hisense TVs, especially its U8H, offer a bright picture that’s great for sunny living rooms without sacrificing picture quality.

For those who use Google’s Smart home system, Hisense features built-in Google OS so you can easily find your shows. For gamers, many of their models offer a Game Pro mode for great versatility.

If you’re looking to get true value for every dollar you spend on a new TV—whether it’s 55-inches or 80-inches—check out what Hisense has to offer.