Sony Unveils Successor to ‘King of TVs’, Updates Entire Bravia Series

Sony has introduced new models of Bravia TVs. The most interesting is the flagship model Bravia 8 II, equipped with a QD-OLED matrix. It is the successor to the A95L, the previous flagship, recognized as the “king of TVs” at last year’s Value Electronics TV Shootout.

Image Source: Sony

The new model has a higher peak brightness: 125% higher than the A95L and 150% higher than the Bravia 8, which will still be available as an OLED model. The appearance of the Bravia 8 II is largely similar to the A95L. Sony claims that the new TV will be cheaper, but its exact price has not been announced.

Sony says the Bravia line is all about delivering the most authentic viewing experience possible in the home. To demonstrate the new TV’s capabilities, the company held a demonstration at its Tokyo headquarters, pitting the Bravia 8 II against the A95L, Samsung’s S95D, LG’s G4, and a more formidable competitor, Sony’s BVM-HX3110 professional monitor, which is typically used on film sets and in studios.

Image Source: Sony

In our demo, the Bravia 8 II, predictably, couldn’t beat the 4,000-nit peak brightness, $40,000 BVM-HX3110, which delivers an almost surreal HDR experience thanks to its more precise contrast control. However, in its most accurate color mode, the Sony TV was much closer to a professional monitor than its Samsung and LG counterparts. This means that the Bravia 8 II has every chance of repeating the success of last year’s A95L and becoming the new “king of TVs.”

Image Credit: Sam Byford/The Verge

Along with the flagship, Sony unveiled several other TVs, including the mid-priced Bravia 5 with mini-LED backlighting. This model replaces the X90L, which used local dimming rather than mini-LED. According to Sony, the Bravia 5 has up to six times more dimming zones than the previous generation. Bravia 5 TVs will be available in screen sizes from 55 to 98 inches, the largest of any OLED display Sony sells.

Sony also unveiled the entry-level Bravia 2 II, an LED TV that will be available in sizes from 43 to 77 inches. The image processing and software integration in this model are similar to other Bravia TVs.

Sony also announced the Bravia Projector 7, joining the more expensive Projector 9 and Projector 8. The Projector 7 is pretty close to the flagship models in terms of specs, hitting 2,200 nits of brightness and supporting 4K at 120Hz. The only difference is that the Projector 7 has a “standard” lens, rather than the “advanced sharp focus optics” of the pricier models. It replaces the well-received VPL-XW5000ES, which costs $6,000.

Image Credit: Sam Byford/The Verge

Sony also unveiled several audio systems. The Bravia Theater Bar 6 is a 3.1.2-channel system with upward-firing speakers for surround sound. There will also be the Bravia Theater System 6, a 5.1-channel system with a less powerful soundbar, and a pair of Bravia Theater Rear 6 speakers. All of these devices are compatible with Bravia TVs and can be controlled using the Bravia Connect app. Retail prices for these new products will be announced at a later date.