When plasma TVs left the scene, for some time there was no alternative to the reign of LCD panels. But the era of low contrast is still not endless - televisions with elements that independently emit light without the use of separate lamps are still gradually occupying their niches. We are talking about panels based on organic light-emitting diodes. Today they do not surprise anyone in small diagonal screens - in the same smartphones, smart bracelets or even household appliances. But large panels have been treated for childhood diseases for a long time - and are conquering the mass market very slowly. This is primarily due to the increased cost of producing OLED screens, especially large diagonals - their prices at the start of the era reached millions of rubles. Today you won’t find them in the budget segment either, but we are talking about other orders of magnitude.
Sony BRAVIA OLED A8 is just an example of a representative of the “upper middle class”. This is a model extremely close to the elite, which stops at the threshold of the branded MASTER series, but produces a picture and sound of a very high level at a relatively reasonable cost. Yes, you can raise an eyebrow when you see the words “reasonable cost” next to the price of 200-300 thousand rubles that are asked for this TV, depending on the diagonal (55 or 65 inches), but remember about flagship smartphones that easily step over the 100 zone thousand rubles - this is the current price order. Moreover, having gotten to know the A8 model better, you understand that it is well worth the money. Let's figure out how this is possible.
| Sony BRAVIA OLED A8 | |
| Panel type | OLED |
| Panel diagonal | 55/65 inches |
| Panel Resolution | 3840 × 2160 |
| Panel refresh rate | 100 Hz |
| Sound system | 2 × 10 W (speakers); 2 × 10 W (subwoofers) sound supplied through the screen |
| operating system | Android 9.0 (Android TV) |
| Interfaces | USB × 3, HDMI × 4, Composite × 1, Ethernet × 1, 3.5mm × 1, Digital Optical Audio Out × 1 |
| Wireless modules | Wi-Fi 2.4/5 GHz + Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Digital television | DVB-T2+DVB-C+DVB-S2 |
| Dimensions | 144.8 x 83.6 x 5.2 cm (without stand, 65" version) |
| Weight | 21.8 kg (without stand) |
| Price | 199,990 rubles for the 55-inch version, 299,990 rubles for the 65-inch version |
This review is about the Sony BRAVIA OLED A8 65-inch diagonal.
Sony BRAVIA OLED AF8: amazing picture. The price is lower than a year ago
The undisputed hero of the event was the BRAVIA OLED AF8 TV, which shows an amazingly clear picture with true colors.
Proprietary Acoustic Surface technology turns the entire screen area into one large panoramic speaker, so the TV design is as laconic as possible and almost frameless.
The updated 4K HDR processor X1 Extreme manages 8,000,000 pixels to produce 4K HDR images. To output the image, as many as 3 technologies are used: object-based HDR remastering, Super Bit Mapping™ 4K HDR and processing using two databases.
Since it is OLED, the viewing angle of AF8 TVs is as wide as possible, without color distortion. Among the features is an automatic system for restoring “tired” pixels, for the longest service life of TVs in this line.
The main features of Sony BRAVIA OLED AF8 are listed:
- Voice control and search for any content
- Acoustic Surface technology - high-quality sound is transmitted across the entire surface of the screen
- TRILUMINOS Display technology further enhances brightness and color accuracy
- Built-in Chromecast module for broadcasting content from a smartphone or tablet to the TV
From personal impressions, I can say that you really need to get used to such a high-quality picture.
Sales of the new BRAVIA OLED AF8 TVs with diagonals of 55″ and 65″ will begin next week. The price starts from RUB 199,990. for the 55" diagonal model.
Measurements
Although you can control dynamic picture settings, you can't actually turn them off completely. As a result, “artificial intelligence” is always trying to analyze and “improve” any image in its own way, including test tables and measurement backgrounds devoid of details.
Simple tests, such as measuring contrast on a “checkerboard” (ANSI method), he succeeds brilliantly. On black fields, it turns off the pixels, resulting in virtually zero brightness, and on white fields (50% of the screen area) it raises it to 246.9 cd/m2. The resulting contrast is infinity.
There is also no fault with the color saturation at maximum levels. The color gamut is naturally wide, even exceeding the DCI-P3 standard in area with a good margin in the red region.
But when displaying gradations in dark, bright and high-contrast scenes, it constantly tries to “improve” the contrast while protecting the panel from burn-in - that is, depending on the situation, it either reduces or increases the original brightness. As a result, the luminance response (gamma) graph looks like this:
Or like this when you turn on the bright mode (Pixel Contrast Booster is enabled):
Moreover, in none of the possible settings, the final graph coincides with the reference curve indicated by the dotted line.
The balance of color components with dynamic adjustments turned off and the warmest color temperature selected in the menu looks like this:
The actual color temperature in the range naturally turns out to be far from stable values:
And in the “Bright” mode, in order to increase the apparent “brightness” of scenes of uniform contrast, “intelligence” simply increases the blue level:
The average temperature in the range is 13,000K instead of the recommended 6,500K.
Sony BRAVIA XF90 series: for sports fans and action lovers
Available in 75-inch, 65-inch, 55-inch and 49-inch sizes, the XF90 Series 4K HDR TVs feature the industry-leading X1 Extreme processor for stunning picture quality.
To ensure the sharpest images on large-screen models, the XF90 series TVs use new X-Motion Clarity technology to deliver clear, smooth motion scenes using Sony's patented LCD Local Dimming algorithm.
This algorithm allows you to effectively control brightness, optimizing its duration. As a result, the viewer receives a clear and smooth image with virtually no loss of brightness. Fans of sports broadcasts and dynamic action films will especially appreciate this.
The main features of the Sony BRAVIA XF90 series are listed:
- X-tended Dynamic Range PRO technology improves video quality in a variety of formats, including HDR, by adjusting the backlight brightness in specific areas of the screen
- X-Motion Clarity technology improves clarity and smoothness of fast-moving scenes
- Support for HDR technology makes it possible to reproduce a new video standard with improved brightness, contrast and color reproduction
Models in the XF90 line are already available for purchase at the official Sony store. Price – from 109,990 rub. for a 49″ diagonal TV.
Description of Smart TV technology
The smart TV feature allows you to combine your smartphone and the Internet on your TV. An internet connection is required for full use.
You can start using the technology in 2 ways - purchase a Sony TV with the Smart TV function, or connect the set-top box to your old TV. You will receive the following pleasant bonuses:
- Watch any series, cartoons and films at any convenient time of the day. You just need to enter the name of the movie you need into the search bar and you will be offered all the available options. You can also install a special application for watching movies.
- You can play games on the big screen TV.
- It opens up the opportunity to use the TV like a computer. You can communicate on social networks, check email and search for information on the Internet.
- You can watch videos on YouTube in full screen and enjoy the creativity of your favorite bloggers.
Please note that for Smart TV to work properly, your TV must meet the relevant requirements. We recommend checking this in advance.
Sony BRAVIA WF80 series: these are LED TVs and they are very cool
Full HD TVs of the WF80 series provide high image quality and convenient control thanks to the Android TV operating system.
Support for the HDR format allows you to obtain an expanded range of contrast and color reproduction, that is, a higher quality image on the screen, because the HDR image contains more visual information (gradations of color, shades, depth).
This thin and stylish TV with a narrow frame that imitates an aluminum coating will not only take up a minimum of space, but will also fit harmoniously into the interior. There is a well-thought-out cable management system, they are completely invisible.
The main features of the Sony BRAVIA WF80 series are listed:
- 4K X-Reality PRO technology for maximum image detail when watching TV shows
- Android TV platform for viewing photos and videos from the Internet, as well as for installing and using applications from the Google Store
- Voice control function to search for the desired content and control the TV
- Built-in Chromecast module for broadcasting content from a smartphone or tablet to the TV
The Sony BRAVIA WF80 series TV page can be found at this link. You can follow the link and study the new product in more detail.
You can pre-order the flagship line of OLED TVs AF8, as well as other new products presented today on the Sony Store Online website
“Following market trends and trying to best meet consumer needs, in 2020 Sony is expanding its line of TVs with large screens of 55 inches or more, increasing the number of models with support for 4K HDR by 20%, and also expanding its line of BRAVIA TVs based on the Android operating system TV by 30%” – Denis Tyryshkin, Head of Product Marketing Group at Sony Electronics in Russia and the CIS countries.
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