Sony TV Lineup 2020 – Portfolio & novelties

With the High End OLED A8, you immediately notice that it is a TV designed for the best possible home cinema atmosphere. The OLED design gives a stunning picture in dark environments that is unmatched by other technologies.

Motion handling is also excellent with almost instant response time, so even fast movements cause almost no motion blur. Any motion blur can be further minimised by the X-Motion Clarity feature, which is also possible at 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 HertzHertz 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.

In addition, the A8’s sound system has the innovative Acoustic Surface Audio feature, which makes the sound seem to come directly out of the picture, creating an immersive cinematic experience. In bright environments, however, the OLED performs worse than the XH95, as expected. The maximum brightness is simply not high enough, otherwise the organic LEDs would suffer as a result of the increased heat output.

The Automatic Brightness Limiter serves as a protection mechanism to avoid overheating and dims the intensity in large bright scenes to prevent burn-in. Like the XH95, the A8 is not really suitable for gaming. It also lacks the HDMI 2.1 connection and the benefits that come with it.

The XH90 is the entry-level model in the Full Array LED series and is therefore equipped with considerably more features. The image properties of the VAVertical Alignment, type of LCD Panel panel are very different from those of the IPSIn-Plane Switching, type of LCD Panel panel in the XH85 and are superior in almost all ambient conditions.

In bright rooms, the picture quality is better due to the higher maximum brightness, and in dark rooms, the higher contrast and deep blacks create a beautiful picture, which is further enhanced by Full Array Local Dimming. However, this may cause unsightly errors such as blooming. Furthermore, the viewing angle of the XH85 is much wider than that of the more expensive XH90 due to the IPS panel.

In addition to the better image quality, the specification is considerably more sophisticated. The XH90 has been equipped with an HDMI 2.1 interface, which supports both VRRVariable Refresh Rate – synchronizes the display’s refresh rate with the output refresh rate of the graphics card and an Auto Low Latency Mode. These extras make the XH90 great for gaming and can take full advantage of the Next Gen consoles with 4K at 120 HertzHertz 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.. There is also a twin tuner, which makes the USB recording function even more useful in terms of capturing a different programme as it is being watched.

In most categories, the XH95 is simply superior to the XH90. Like the lower-priced model, it uses a VAVertical Alignment, type of LCD Panel panel, but with an additional display layer that greatly widens the viewing angle. In addition, this layer also has a positive effect on the reflection behaviour, which means that the TV, in combination with the higher peak brightness, can be used much better in bright rooms than the XH90.

In dark environments, however, the picture quality is quite similar, as the contrast suffers due to the additional layer. With the higher peak brightness of 1180 nitsSI unit of luminance: 1 nit = 1 cd/m² – The best way of measuring and comparing a TVs brightness  , HDRHigh Dynamic Range – image/video with more dynamic range (contrast range) content can be brilliantly displayed and the image processing of the X1 Ultimate image processor ensures an extremely natural picture.

However, the more expensive XH95 does not perform quite as well in the gaming category. It lacks almost all the features to ensure a good gaming experience. It has no HDMI 2.1, no VRRVariable Refresh Rate – synchronizes the display’s refresh rate with the output refresh rate of the graphics card, no ALLMAuto Low Latency Mode – Automatically detects connected consoles and keeps input lag as low as possible. and not too good input lag. In short, the XH95, unlike the XH90, was not designed for gaming.

The Sony ZH8 is a premium TV featuring a 120 HertzHertz 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. VAVertical Alignment, type of LCD Panel panel that offers 8k resolution. It has a deep and even black level and has been equipped with an Full Array Local Dimming that features 320 zones, which really boosts the contrast. Unlike other screens, the contrast is still comparatively low at 4000:1, which is due to the X-Wide Viewing Angle layer.

In return, however, this extends the field of view, which would otherwise be narrow on the panel without this it. In dark environments, the display cannot quite keep up with OLED technology, but it performs brilliantly in brighter environments. The high peak brightness of 2100 nitsSI unit of luminance: 1 nit = 1 cd/m² – The best way of measuring and comparing a TVs brightness   makes it powerful enough to produce an excellent picture even in well-lit conditions.

Just like the OLED A8, the ZH8 has the Acoustic Surface Audio feature, which allows the TV itself to become the centre speaker of a sound system, with the sound coming directly out of the picture. The ZH8 also has an HDMI 2.1 interface. This enables 4K at 120 Hertz. 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. is also available.

The X70 is the cheapest TV in Sony’s 2020 line-up and is therefore not equipped with too many features. Thanks to the VAVertical Alignment, type of LCD Panel panel, it has a high contrast of 5700:1 and a deep black, which means good picture quality in dark environments. On the other hand, the picture is not as impressive in bright surroundings, which is due to the average reflection behaviour and the low brightness.

In addition, the viewing angle is very small – which is common with VA panels. The motion handling of the 60 HertzHertz 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. panel is quite decent with a response time of about 4ms, so there is little motion blur.

If you’re looking for an affordable gaming TV and don’t necessarily want to go all out with next-gen gaming, you’ll be very happy with the input lag of around 11ms, as the TV feels very responsive during gaming. Additional features such as ALLMAuto Low Latency Mode – Automatically detects connected consoles and keeps input lag as low as possible., VRRVariable Refresh Rate – synchronizes the display’s refresh rate with the output refresh rate of the graphics card and HDMI 2.1 are missing – though that this is quite common in this price segment.

The XH80 Bravia has completely different characteristics than the less expensive X70 due to the built-in IPSIn-Plane Switching, type of LCD Panel panel. It has a wide viewing angle and can be used especially in bright environments. In dark surroundings, however, the picture quality is rather poor, which is due to the poor contrast and the moderate black resulting in more of a greyish appearance.

Furthermore, it is brighter than the X70 with around 530 nitsSI unit of luminance: 1 nit = 1 cd/m² – The best way of measuring and comparing a TVs brightness   and has a wide colour gamut. Nevertheless, this is not enough to display HDRHigh Dynamic Range – image/video with more dynamic range (contrast range) content well. Sony also saves on most additional features with the XH80, but it has nevertheless quite a few more than the X70.

However, they have equipped it with an Auto Low Latency Mode, which automatically keeps the input lag as low as possible during gaming. In addition, Dolby VisionDynamic HDR-format with a color depth of up to 12 Bits and Mastering of up to 10,000 Nits has been implemented for the dynamic optimisation of HDR content and an HDMI eARC is also available, which supports Dolby AtmosObject-based surround sound format with 3D-Sound from any direction via Dolby True HD.

Since the XH85 is very similar to the XH80, it can almost be treated as a sales variant. Especially in terms of picture specifications, the two TVs are almost identical, which is why it is mainly suitable for bright rooms.

However, there are a few details that the XH85 does offer besides those of the XH80. These include the additional HDMI eARC connection and the 120 HertzHertz 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. display. The latter offers a higher 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., which automatically makes the motion handling much better than with the XH80. That should be particularly interesting for gamers.

On the outside, the two TVs can be identified by their different stands, which are a little closer to each other for the XH85, so that the television can be placed on a smaller piece of furniture.