Most of the major TV manufacturers, including LG and Samsung, made their impending high-end TV announcements back at CES. Yet one significant business was absent: Sony. It is now prepared to display its newest flagship sets.
The Cognitive Processor XR from Sony powers the entire 2023 series of Bravia XR Televisions. This implies that they use the same processing and underlying technology, including compatibility for features like Sony’s XR Clear Picture innovation, which enables automatic HDR tone mapping and other features like adaptive noise reduction.
Sony’s goal for 2023 is to eliminate as much setup uncertainty as possible by designing its Televisions to look fantastic in either the basic video or cinematic modes right out of the box. This implies that you shouldn’t need to fiddle with different settings or have your TV properly calibrated. Although calibration is still the best option if you want to get the highest level of image quality, this is a good improvement for those who don’t have a colorimeter at home or don’t want to pay someone else to do it, which I believe is pretty much everyone.
Moreover, Sony has made several design changes, such as adding new tweeters that are integrated into the frames of some models. Although they aren’t actually visible, they contribute to the delivery of richer and wider-ranging audio, especially when used in conjunction with one of the company’s high-end soundbars with center sync audio. For the majority of its new televisions, Sony is also releasing an upgraded stand that offers a little more flexibility when trying to fit external speakers and soundbars.
Last but not least, Sony also included new Gaming and Eco dashboards, making it simpler to locate and modify different options. VRR, motion blur reduction, and other features are available for gaming. There is even a setting for permanently placing a crosshair to the center of the screen, replete with a variety of reticle options, for FPS enthusiasts. As an alternative, the Eco Dashboard features a straightforward guide to assist you in selecting power-saving options, as well as a cute tree that grows whenever you change settings like the brightness or allow quicker idle power-off timings.
As the entry-level model in the Bravia XR family, the X90L will probably be the most affordable of the lot, but Sony hasn’t yet disclosed specific pricing. It is a full-array LED screen that has better Clear Picture upscaling and noticeably less blooming than the X90K from last year. Even though Sony withholds the precise number of dimming zones, the company claims the X90L has up to 60% more dimming zones and is up to 30% brighter than its predecessor.
The X90L is the largest TV in Sony’s 2023 Bravia XR lineup thanks to the addition of a giant new 98-inch model and a new aluminum bezel in place of the plastic one on the X90K.
Following that, we have the A80L and A95L OLEDs. Along with enhanced contrast, both models have better shadow detail preservation than competitors like the LG C2, which I noted while comparing them side by side. The QD-OLED panel and Cognitive Processor of the A95L, which Sony claims has brightness that is now two times higher than the model from last year, were particularly striking. This is significant because OLED TV brightness has typically lagged behind that of more conventional LED televisions for a considerable amount of time. However, Sony currently claims that the A95L is brighter than all but the most expensive LED competitors.
Speaking about high-end, Sony’s two extremely premium flagship models are the X93L and X95L. The biggest distinction between the two sets is that the X93L is devoid of Sony’s XR Clear Picture technology. The X95L, on the other hand, provides a same peak brightness with 30% more local dimming zones. The X95L only comes in an 85-inch variant, which means you’ll have to choose the X93L if you need something smaller.
No matter what kind of panel you like, all of Sony’s upcoming Bravia XR sets seem excellent after seeing the new TVs. The A95L’s two times brighter brightness is really beautiful, while the X90L range offers significantly more local dimming zones. Also, finding the ideal display size for your space should be made simpler by Sony’s addition of larger screen options to practically all of its models.
