This TV was replaced by the Sony A80J OLED (2021)
Sony A8H OLED – The OLED model with the sharpest and clearest image?
The A8H is the second strongest model in Sony’s 2020 lineup, just after the A9H. The 4K OLED TV impresses with good picture quality and excellent motion handling and is available in two sizes, 55 and 65 inches. But is it also worth its high price?
Sony A8H OLED buy cheap
Sony A8H's attractive design
The Sony A8H OLED impresses with a rather minimalist design, which is expressed by its narrow metal frame and slim metal feet. Because the frame is hardly noticeable, an immersive picture experience is created. The feet are height-adjustable, creating space for an additional soundbar. Nevertheless, they are stable enough and ensure that the TV hardly wobbles at all. The A8H also looks good on the wall, as it is extremely flat.
The cable management is fine, but nothing new. The cables are fed through the feet to sort them.

- Minimalist design
- Narrow metal frame
- Height adjustable feet
- Very flat
- Cable management

Good OLED image quality
The 10-bit OLED panel of the Sony A8H provides the classic characteristics of an OLED, such as infinite contrast and excellent black. This is to be further enhanced by Sony’s “Pixel Contrast Booster” technology. Since OLED technology does not require any backlighting, the TV does not have a local dimming feature. The peak brightness of 780 nitsSI unit of luminance: 1 nit = 1 cd/m – The best way of measuring and comparing a TVs brightness is very good for an OLED model, but doesn’t come close to the values of Samsung’s somewhat higher priced QLEDs, for example. This can be explained by the Automatic Brightness Limiter (ABL), which dims the picture in large bright scenes to prevent damage to the panel. This makes it ideal for dark rooms. Because it doesn’t have any problems at an oblique viewing angle or with reflections, it still delivers a fairly good picture even in bright room environments. Brightness and colors can be individually calibrated with a variety of settings and customizable picture modes. The Sony A8H doesn’t support HDRHigh Dynamic Range – image/video with more dynamic range (contrast range) 10+, but offers Dolby VisionDynamic HDR-format with a color depth of up to 12 Bits and Mastering of up to 10,000 Nits instead. Upscaling also works very well.

- Contrast: ∞:1
- Perfect Blacks
- Brightness: ~780 Nits
- Automatic Brightness Limiter
- Reflection Handling
- Dolby Vision
- Great Natural Picture Processing
Excellent motion handling of the Sony A8H
Even if Sony doesn’t count it among the “Master Class”, the A8H’s motion handling couldn’t be better. With a refresh rateHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second. of 120 HzHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second. and a minimum response time of less than a millisecond, there is practically no motion blur. The built-in X1 Ultimate image processor also ensures this. The optional Black Frame InsertionProcess that inserts black “blank images” as intermediate images. This makes movements appear finer and clearer. (BFI) feature, which Sony calls “X-Motion Clarity”, works just as well as motion interpolationArtificial calculation of more frames than the source material has to offer. These ensure sharp and clear movements and hardly any artifacts. This makes the TV particularly suitable for sports programs that can also be watched in the afternoon or in a group. The X-Motion Clarity development represents the biggest difference to its predecessor. Although the A8H is completely free of judder, stutter is possible for content with a lower frequencyHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second.. To avoid this, it is recommended to deactivate the motion interpolation.

- Response time <1ms
- Black Frame Insertion
- Motion Interpolation
- No Judder
- Possible stutter
Gaming rather with old consoles
Unfortunately, the Sony A8H isn’t as future-oriented in the gaming sector as in other categories and therefore isn’t necessarily aimed at gamers who want to gamble with the upcoming consoles. As there is no HDMI 2.1 connection, a variable refresh rateHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second. and the Auto Low Latency Mode are also unfortunately missing. Instead, an analog input is available, which makes it possible to have game fun with older consoles. This is also supported by the low input lag of under 19 ms.

- Input Lag: <19ms
- No HDMI 2.1
- No VRR
- No ALLM
- No 4K@120 Hz
- Analogue input
Upgradeable sound
As with most comparable devices, the A8H’s 2.2 channel 30W speakers can get loud enough, but the bass could be even more balanced. It’s nice that the TV also provides space for a matching soundbar, which can compensate for this deficit. Dolby AtmosObject-based surround sound format with 3D-Sound from any direction is supported by the HDMI eARC connection. But DTS is also available, which distinguishes Sony from Samsung, which will completely do without this sound format in 2020.
The TV supports Sony’s Acoustic Surface Audio feature, which is designed to locate the sound in the picture and play it back via vibration at the appropriate place on the screen, instead of just through the speakers in the classic way.

- 2.2 channels with 30W
- Gets loud enough
- Bass
- HDMI eARC
- Dolby Atmos
- DTS

Smart Features of the Sony A8H
Smart TV applications on the A8H work very quickly and smoothly. The Android 9.0 Pie software works a lot better than the previous versions, but the interface is unfortunately not completely free of ads. Thanks to the Play Store there should be almost no apps missing and therefore all classic streaming providers are available. Just like the XH95 below it in the lineup, the A8H has the smart remote control with voice control and the additional Netflix Calibrated Mode, which is supposed to reproduce the original studio quality of Netflix Originals. Furthermore, Google Assistant is supported. Amazon Echo for Alexa and Google Home can also be connected.

- Android 9.0 Pie
- Large selection of apps
- Smart remote control
- Google Assistant
- Amazon Alexa
- Twin Tuner
Balanced OLED model with a clear image
The Sony A8H OLED, the second most powerful model from 2020, may not represent the manufacturer’s so-called “master class”, but its minimalist and elegant design combined with the picture quality is convincing. It offers an immersive picture experience where it’s almost a shame that the model is only available in two sizes. Sports and movie fans will get their money’s worth with the A8H, as it’s perfect in the dark, but can also deliver a pretty good picture in the afternoon without being disturbed by reflections. If you’re looking for a better picture quality for bright rooms, you should consider a QLED model. Only gamers will be rather disappointed with regard to the upcoming consoles due to the equipment lacking for this. When it comes to motion handling, the possible stutter is the only small flaw. Otherwise the A8H displays movements very sharp and clear.
- Design
- Picture Quality
- Motion Handling
- Reflection Handling
- Gaming features
- No HDMI 2.1
- No VRR, 4K@120fps
- Only two sizes








Sony A8H OLED in comparison
- LG OLED A1 vs B1
- LG OLED B1 vs C1
- LG OLED B1 vs Sony A80J
- LG OLED B2 vs LG OLED evo C2
- LG OLED B3 vs LG OLED B2
- LG OLED C1 vs CX
- LG OLED C1 vs G1
- LG OLED C1 vs LG OLED evo C2
- LG OLED C1 vs Sony A80J
- LG OLED C1 vs Sony A90J
- LG OLED evo C2 vs LG OLED evo G2
- LG OLED evo C2 vs Samsung Neo QLED QN90B
- LG OLED evo C2 vs Samsung S95B QD OLED
- LG OLED evo C3 vs LG OLED evo C2
- LG OLED evo C3 vs Samsung S90C QD-OLED
- LG OLED evo Flex LX3 vs LG OLED evo C2
- LG OLED evo G2 vs LG OLED evo G1
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- LG OLED evo G3 vs LG OLED evo G2
- LG OLED evo G3 vs Samsung S95C QD-OLED
- LG OLED evo G3 vs Sony A95L QD-OLED
- LG OLED vs Samsung QD-OLED
- Philips OLED+936 vs LG OLED evo G2
- QLED vs OLED
- Sony A8H vs Sony A9G
Sony A8H OLED Prices
Alternatives to the Sony A8H OLED
Samsung Q90T
QLED for bright rooms
Those who prefer to watch sports or movies in a bright room in the afternoon should consider buying a higher priced QLED from Samsung. The 90T is the strongest model from the 2020 lineup and doesn’t need an automatic brightness limiter due to the LCDLCD = Liquid Crystal Display – a type of screen using liquid crystals for creating the image panel with integrated Quantum Dots layer. With an outstanding maximum brightness of 1150 nitsSI unit of luminance: 1 nit = 1 cd/m – The best way of measuring and comparing a TVs brightness it is therefore superior to the A8H OLED. Thanks to good full array local dimming, the black level and contrast are also almost as good as in an OLED model. Moreover, with an HDMI 2.1 connection, it is even better suited for gaming with new consoles than the A8.
LG OLED CX
Comparable OLED
Similar to the Sony A8H performs the CX OLED by its competitor LG. However, it is available in a choice of 4 sizes, i.e. slightly smaller and larger than the A8H. In a bright room environment, it can still deliver a slightly better picture than the Sony model due to its slightly higher brightness. The CX is particularly interesting for gamers, as it has an HDMI 2.1 port and therefore offers Auto Low Latency Mode and VRRVariable Refresh Rate – synchronizes the display’s refresh rate with the output refresh rate of the graphics card. If you want to get the right TV set for your new console, you’d better go for the CX.
Sony A9G
Home theater alternative
The Sony A8H appears as a new edition of Sony’s Master Class model or flagship model from last year – the A9G. The two models hardly differ in their technical equipment. However, Sony is pursuing two different intentions here: While the A8H is designed with its height adjustable feet so that a soundbar can be added and also has a better operating system with Android 9.0 Pie, the A9G can be seen a bit more as a complete package for home cinema. Here, a soundbar can only be added if the TV is mounted on the wall, otherwise it would cover the lower part of the picture. Instead, the available terminals allow you to add an AV receiver and satellite speakers on both sides to create the setup of a hi-fi system with integrated 4K OLED TV. For this purpose Sony has developed the Acoustic Audio Surface feature, which is also available on the A8H.
Data sheets Sony A8H OLED
Sony 55A8H OLED technical specifications
Screen diagonal | 55 Inch |
---|---|
Dimensions without stand (WxHxD) | 1227 x 712 x 52 mm |
Weight without stand | 16,8 kg |
Dimensions with stand (WxHxD) | 1227 x 733 x 326 mm |
Weight with stand | 18,6 kg |
Footprint (WxD) | 1004 x mm |
VESA Norm | 300 x 300 mm |
Removable stand | N/A |
Panel type | OLED Panel |
---|---|
Panel Manufacturer | LG Display |
Colour depth | 10 Bit |
FRC | |
Resolution | 4K |
Contrast ratio | infinitely :1 |
Color space coverage | 88 % |
REC 2020 | 66 % |
Average brightness | 620 Nits |
Maximum brightness | 830 Nits |
Backlighting | OLED |
Local dimming | OLED |
Dimming Zones | OLED |
Curved | |
Improved viewing angle |
Response Time | < 1 ms |
---|---|
Input Lag | < 19 ms |
Frequency | 120 Hz |
VRR | N/A |
HDR | |
---|---|
HDR10 | |
HLG | |
HDR10+ | N/A |
Dolby Vision |
Energy consumption standby (W) | 0.5 W |
---|---|
Energy consumption On (W) | 131 W |
Energy consumption per year (kWh) | 182 kWh |
Energy efficiency class | B (outdated) |
Operating system | Android 9.0 Pie |
---|---|
Bluetooth | |
WLAN | |
USB recording PVR | |
Timeshift | N/A |
Picture-in-picture | N/A |
Tuner | Analog (NTSC/PAL/SECAM) DVB-T DVB-T2 DVB-C DVB-S DVB-S2 |
Twin Tuner |
Audio Channels | 2.2 |
---|---|
Power (W) | 30 W |
Dolby Digital | |
DTS | |
Dolby Atmos | |
Integrated soundbar | N/A |
HDMI 2.0 | 4 |
---|---|
HDMI 2.1 | 0 |
HDMI ARC | |
USB 2.0 | 2 |
USB 3.0 | 1 |
Ethernet RJ45 | 1 |
3.5mm jack | 1 |
Digital optical | 1 |
Satellite | 1 |
Antenna | 1 |
Ci+ 1.4 | 1 |
Sony 65A8H OLED technical specifications
Screen diagonal | 65 Inch |
---|---|
Dimensions without stand (WxHxD) | 1448 x 836 x 52 mm |
Weight without stand | 21.8 kg |
Dimensions with stand (WxHxD) | 1448 x 857 x 326 mm |
Weight with stand | 23.6 kg |
Footprint (WxD) | 1004 x mm |
VESA Norm | 300 x 300 mm |
Removable stand | N/A |
Panel type | OLED Panel |
---|---|
Panel Manufacturer | LG Display |
Colour depth | 10 Bit |
FRC | |
Resolution | 4K |
Contrast ratio | infinitely :1 |
Color space coverage | 88 % |
REC 2020 | 66 % |
Average brightness | 620 Nits |
Maximum brightness | 830 Nits |
Backlighting | OLED |
Local dimming | OLED |
Dimming Zones | OLED |
Curved | |
Improved viewing angle |
Response Time | < 1 ms |
---|---|
Input Lag | < 19 ms |
Frequency | 120 Hz |
VRR | N/A |
HDR | |
---|---|
HDR10 | |
HLG | |
HDR10+ | N/A |
Dolby Vision |
Energy consumption standby (W) | 0.5 W |
---|---|
Energy consumption On (W) | 161 W |
Energy consumption per year (kWh) | 223 kWh |
Energy efficiency class | A (outdated) |
Operating system | Android 9.0 Pie |
---|---|
Bluetooth | |
WLAN | |
USB recording PVR | |
Timeshift | N/A |
Picture-in-picture | N/A |
Tuner | Analog (NTSC/PAL/SECAM) DVB-T DVB-T2 DVB-C DVB-S DVB-S2 |
Twin Tuner |
Audio Channels | 2.2 |
---|---|
Power (W) | 30 W |
Dolby Digital | |
DTS | |
Dolby Atmos | |
Integrated soundbar | N/A |
HDMI 2.0 | 4 |
---|---|
HDMI 2.1 | 0 |
HDMI ARC | |
USB 2.0 | 2 |
USB 3.0 | 1 |
Ethernet RJ45 | 1 |
3.5mm jack | 1 |
Digital optical | 1 |
Satellite | 1 |
Antenna | 1 |
Ci+ 1.4 | 1 |
Frequently asked questions about Sony A8H OLED
- 55 Inch: 1227 x 712 x 52 mm
- 65 Inch: 1448 x 836 x 52 mm
- 55 Inch: 300 x 300 mm
- 65 Inch: 300 x 300 mm
- 55 Inch:
- 65 Inch: