The big lines
Let’s answer the most important question first. The new flagship is the A95L QD OLED, which will now also be available in 77 inches in addition to a 55 and 65 inch version. The device is equipped with the new QD-OLED panel that, Sony claims, offers 200% brightness compared to the A95K from last year.
In addition, Sony is positioning its miniLED TV, the X95L, which has 20% more zones than its predecessor. It is available in 65, 75 and 85 inches. It is striking that the X95L miniLED was clearly positioned above the new A80L OLED. Sony cited the higher brightness as an argument for this. Although it was mentioned several times during the various demonstrations that they see miniLED as the best choice for sports, while (QD-)OLED remains the best choice for film.
The new WOLED META panel (as in the LG G3, Philips OLED908 or Panasonic MZ2000) is therefore not available to Sony, presumably in order not to compete internally with A95L. The A80L OLED will be available in 55, 65, 77 and 83 inches. Those who want a 42 or 48-inch model can still choose the A90K, that 2022 model will continue.
In addition to the A80L, Sony offers the X90L, for those who prefer more brightness. This FALD-LCD got 60% more zones and a higher brightness than the X90K. It is available in 55, 65, 75, 85 and a giant 98 inch.
One step lower we find the X85L (55, 65 and 75 inches). Where the X85K still used a direct LED backlight with global dimming, the X85L will now also have a FALD backlight. Finally, there are the X80L (43, 50, 55, 65, 75 and 85 inches) and the X75WL (75, 65, 55, 50 and 43 inches).
The Z9K, the 2022 8K model, will continue into 2023.
There is no change in terms of connections, the X85L and above have two HDMI 2.1 connections with 48Gbps bandwidth.
Audio
On the audio side, Sony continues to focus on Acoustic Center Sync in collaboration with its soundbars. By using the TV as a center speaker, the dialogue is lifted so that it seems to come out of the screen. To achieve this, Sony uses the Haas effect, or precedence effect. When you hear two sounds in quick succession, the second sound seems to come from the same place as the first sound. With Acoustic Center Sync, the audio from the TV leaves a little earlier than that from the soundbar, so that all sound really seems to come from the TV. The settings are optimized for all combinations of an A95L, X95L, A80L or X90L TV together with an A9, A7000, A5000 or A3000 soundbar.
Those who supplement their Sony TV with a Sony soundbar also enjoy 360 Spatial Sound Mapping on the same TVs. This technology creates phantom speakers, so that the sound image is wider and you seem to be in the middle of it.
Image processing
There are no major changes in image processing. The only new feature is XR Clear Image. This is an improved noise reduction and upscaling that takes into account the characteristics of the signal such as resolution, bit rate and encoding. For example, a DVD signal is processed differently than Netflix or a live TV channel. According to Sony, the technology is even smart enough to discover that the incoming signal is from a DVD, even if it has already been upscaled to 4K by the player itself. XR Clear Image is available on the A95l, X95L, A80L and X90L.
We were able to see the feature at work during the demos, but the impact seemed relatively limited to us.
Bravia Core and Crunchyroll
Sony’s exclusive streaming service, Bravia Core , remains available, even now on all models. If you buy an A95L, X95L, A90L or X90L, you will receive ten credits and 24 months of unlimited streaming. With the X85L, X80L and X75WML that is five credits and 12 months of unlimited streaming. The most important news, however, is that Bravia Core will now also offer Dolby Atmos, although that will mainly be for newer titles. That does not mean that IMAX Enhanced (with DTS) will disappear, that will also remain part of the offer.
The service will also have its own Bravia Core Calibrated Mode, an image mode that should guarantee the best home experience. Finally, there are two features that will not be available in Belgium and the Netherlands. Google Payment will be integrated (for Germany, France, Spain, Sweden and Poland) so you can purchase or rent titles. When you run out of credits and your unlimited streaming subscription ends, that’s the only option. In Germany, the Discover TV feature will be added. You can watch up to three episodes of a show (from Sony Pictures Television or Crunchyroll) for free as a preview.
Not really new, but put in the spotlight: Crunchyroll. This streaming service specifically for anime was taken over by Sony (already in 2021). The service now has its own hotkey on the remote control.
Features
There are also a few new features. For gamers, Sony now also has a Game Menu that allows you to quickly adjust a number of functions. This way you can activate VRR or adjust Motion Blur Reduction in different steps. The Black Equalizer makes black detail more visible, and a built-in crosshair is available.
The most interesting feature is the option to reduce the image size and move it around the screen. Handy if you have a very large TV at home, and still want a better overview of what is happening in the game. Another new feature is the Eco Dashboard. This groups all eco settings in one place and indicates how many eco settings you have activated using a tree and leaves. This is nothing revolutionary, but it is a useful overview.
It remains somewhat unclear to what extent certain settings interact with each other. You can set Power Saving manually, but you can also activate the light sensor at the same time. It is then not very clear what the combined effect is. Since all those settings already existed in the past, this is actually an old sore, but it could have been explained in a new dashboard.
Finally, there are two exclusive features for the A95L. It will have a multiview option (two sources next to each other on the screen, for example a game and YouTube), and will support Dolby Vision gaming in 4K120. This is probably linked to a new processor (the Mediatek Pentonic) in the A95L. Sony confirmed that TV uses a different platform, but gave no further details.
