Did you know that the last letter in Sony TV model names determines the production year in alphabetical order? Say goodbye to the K Models of 2022. Sony just introduced the new L lineup. We visited Sony London Headquarters and Sony New York Headquarters to untangle all the new information about the latest Bravia TVs and Sony soundbars so you don’t have to.
In total, 7 new models (each one in different sizes) were presented, four of those TVs, the highest-end ones, are fitted with the new XR image processor. The other three retain some version of the previous X1 processor. You shouldn’t have problems sorting between them, because Sony already did that with the names Bravia and Bravia XR.
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Sony introduced the XR as a cognitive processor at CES 2022. Its algorithms are supposedly programmed to mimic the human brain when trying to understand images. It is a fancy way to say that what it does is prioritize some visuals over others.
Instead of analyzing the image as a whole like the X1, the XR’s algorithms analyze color, contrast, texture, depth and detail in multiple zones; then cross-analyze this information within and between frames for brightness and contrast optimization. Sony claims 5% more efficiency in the XR over the X1 Ultimate, which was the company’s most powerful TV prior.
Ok, but... what does 5% more efficiency mean in real life? During the press events, we were able to check the XR performance compared with an X1 processor and a professional Sony Trimaster monitor. Don’t underestimate its 30 inches and 90’s retro style. Trimaster monitors are monsters worth thousands of dollars and are used in movie studios to adjust images. They are also notorious for showing contrast and color just as it was recorded, without effects, digital editing or HDR paraphernalia. Consider them the RAW version of what you can see in your TV. Now, for what matters, the XR processor TV colors were indeed more natural and closer to what you can see on a professional monitor, but not necessarily more vivid.
The biggest change is in brightness and contrast. XR chips are way better at illuminating dark areas next to bright areas. In LED and Full Array LED TVs, the XR improves both brightness and local dimming, and this translates into less bloom. As you probably know, bloom is the halo effect that occurs when light from a very bright object on the screen illuminates the dark areas around them. OLED models do not have blooming problems because each pixel lights up on its own. What the XR does for them is improve the general brightness and extend the color range.
To sum it up, yes, the image quality is better, but not enough to run to the hills for a new TV set if you already have a Sony TV with an X1 Processor, especially if it is a X1 Ultimate or X1 Pro, which was the most advanced of that generation.
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Sony unified its TV and Home Audio business groups into a single business unit in December 2022. Unsurprisingly, the changes in the new L range at audio level have a lot to do with the company’s sound bars and immersive sound satellite speakers. Now, if you connect a Sony soundbar to a Sony Bravia XR TV, the TV automatically becomes the front speaker and is dedicated to voices.
The technology is called Acoustic Center Sync, and it’s available only on the X95L, A95L, A80L, and X90L. In other words, it’s available only on models with an XR processor. The X95L model has the tweeters in a high position behind the screen. On the A95L and A80L, the entire screen is one big, vibrating speaker. Don’t worry, you won’t it moving. We didn’t.
The experience of Acoustic Center Sync is subtle. It moves where dialogue comes from so that it’s closer to your head rather than the soundbar. It sounds more natural, but it’s also hard to tell the difference if you don’t experience it side by side, and can result in slightly tinnier dialogue given the weaker speaker system it’s using. Using it in conjunction with a full surround sound setup while watching James Bond get fired upon from all angles in No Time to Die, our heart rates rose a little bit.
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Why Sony, the owner of PlayStation, does not provide its TVs with specific functions for its console is beyond me. Finally, the company is trying to make amends for that by introducing the Perfect for PlayStation 5 seal. The new L line of Sony TVs is now equipped with automatic HDR calibration and specific tone settings for PS5.
But that’s not all. The most interesting part is a new Game Mode (this one is for any game platform: Xbox, PS or PC). When Game Mode is activated, a new menu with specific functions for games shows up from the bottom of the screen. Toggling VRR and Motion Blur modes on and off is now just two clicks away. You can also adjust dark areas to make them more visible in a sort of improved version of the classic gamma correction function that’s already in many shooters. The new Game Menu also brings the ability to add a static crosshair to the center of the screen that feels almost like cheating, but it common on gaming monitors.
Two of the Game Menu features will not be available at launch. They will arrive later via a software update. The first is called screen size, and it may sound strange at first, because it allows you to... reduce the image size on the screen? Wait, why? Turns out that Sony thinks our TVs are so freakishly large that, in some games, players need to move their eyes or heads to see what’s going on around them too often. Zooming out is supposed to help focus your eyes on what’s going on in-game more easily. A Sony rep told us this feature should be especially useful for fighting games, as esports professionals tend to play those on 24 inch monitors.
Also, the new Game Mode will have a split screen mode that will allow you to play in one window while watching YouTube in another. This is very useful for following tutorials or walkthroughs in games where you desperately need them. Take Elden Ring for example, since it was both the most completed and most quit game of 2022.
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In terms of content, all Sony televisions are Android TV based, so you can install virtually any streaming app on them, make voice calls with Google Meet (you must buy the Bravia Cam for that) or use Google Assistant on them. They are also compatible with Alexa, Chromecast and Apple TV. But Sony also continues to promote its own streaming app, called Bravia Core. First introduced at CES 2022, Bravia Core is a mix between a monthly fee streaming service and an a la carte movie rental site. It’s similar to what’s offered by Amazon Prime Video, although definitely with a smaller catalog.
Among Bravia Core advantages is full compatibility with Dolby Atmos, a streaming technology with speeds of up to 80Mbps (as long as your internet connection supports it, that is) and a juicy catalog of movies in IMAX Enhanced format. Payment for Bravia Core is made through Google Play, but the kicker is that the TVs come with some free subscription time for it.
Right now, Sony offers 24 months of streaming and 10 credits for renting movies on its A95L, A80L, X95L and X90L models. The X85L, X80L, and X75WL models come with 12 months of streaming on Bravia Core and 5 credits. Interestingly, Sony just added a Crunchyroll dedicated button to the remotes of the new 2023 L range. The popular anime-focused streaming service has more than 44,000 movies and series in its catalog. The new button doesn’t mean you get subscribed to Crunchyroll for free. You have to pay for that separately, although much of its content is free with ads.
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Sony TVs have long supported different power-saving modes that reduce energy consumption, but those modes are often hidden deep within the settings. To fix that, the 2023 TV Sets introduce Eco Dashboard, a standalone menu to make eco-conscious functions easier to find and activate. Also, the menu is easier to understand. As we activate different power-saving modes, a tree on the screen grow more branches. Very cute indeed.
If you have Bravia Cam (the webcam for Sony TV Sets), you can automate some of those settings. You can, for example, set the TV to go into a power saving mode or turn off completely if no one is looking at the screen.
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Sony TV remotes remain identical compared to those from 2022, except for the addition of the direct access button to Crunchyroll mentioned before. The company has two remotes, one for the high-end TVs, and one for the mid-range ones. The difference between the two, apart from the aluminum or black plastic surface finish, is that the premium version has backlit buttons.
Simply lifting the remote in your hand or pressing a button is enough to conveniently light up the buttons in the darkness of your living room. The premium controller also beeps if we ask Google Assistant to locate it for us using our voice. Useful for when the damn thing sneaks between the couch cushions.
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It’s time to briefly review the entire range of TV Sets for this year. Let’s start with Sony’s crown jewel and heir to the A95K presented at CES 2022.
The A95L has a Quantum Dot OLED panel that, without going deep into technical details, is much brighter than standard OLED panels, which can suffer in heavily lit environments. The A95L has all the top Sony technologies in terms of image and sound, and its stand can be moved in height and width to house sound bars. This model and the A80L are the only ones equipped with the speaker under the screen technology called Acoustic Audio screen (basically, the entire screen is a speaker). It will be available in 83, 77, 65 and 55 inches.
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If you downgrade the Quantum Dot panel from the XR A95L to a ba Source: Gizmodo