Whether you’re looking to set up a home theater in your basement or simply need to upgrade your TV to a newer or larger model, make sure to read our guide to Smart TVs before diving into our reviews of some of the best Sony TVs on the market. The sound and color are outstanding, offering the closest you’ll get to a movie theater in your home. You’ll benefit from state-of-the-art features, including the X1 Ultimate Picture Processor, Dolby Vision, Pixel Contrast Booster, Acoustic Surface Audio, and X Motion Clarity, all working together to create a premium product. It also wins points for its smart home compatibility, with Google Assistant built in and support included for Alexa and HomeKit. The navigation and UX couldn’t be easier to use, and you’ve got plenty of options to personalize your screen. While it’s a fantastic purchase for just about anyone, it may not be ideal for hard-core gamers, as it’s lacking HDMI 2.1. Otherwise, we really love this one. The TV uses Sony’s HDR X1 Extreme processor, X-Tended Dynamic Range, and X-Motion Clarity, which are responsible for the X900F’s impressive contrast and color saturation, plus its low blur rate during action shots. The sound quality is just as strong as the picture, thanks to the inclusion of IMAX Enhanced audio, designed to replicate the immersive IMAX theater experience in your own home. It’s not overbearing—it creates a perfect surround sound system. As with most new Sony TVs, you can also enjoy the convenience of Android TV and Google Assistant. One last tip—consider where in your home you’ll be placing your TV, as viewing abilities can be altered if you’re watching from an angle. Otherwise, we recommend it highly. The sleek, stylish design is what you’d expect from a premium product and the design is improved with framed tweeters, placed on each side of the TV. Along with the woofing speakers, the ZBH can produce unique vibrations and sounds unlike most of its competitors. When it comes to performance, the color and imagery are world-class, especially when displaying bright HDR video. It also displays black space equally well, perfect for sci-fi and outer space scenes. Although it’s still got a way to go, we’re excited to see 8K technology becoming more and more accessible for home film enthusiasts. Sony pulled out all the stops with this TV, including Sony’s Triluminos technology, Dolby Vision HDR support, and IMAX Enhanced programming for superior color saturation, detailing, and contrast, which make images really come to life. Sony’s Acoustic Surface technology is also included, an innovative feature which actually turns the TV screen itself into a sound-emitting device, giving a more dynamic audio experience. Occasionally, OLED screens can suffer from burn-in damage, especially if you’re watching repetitive screens, like news feeds. However, if you’re set on an OLED, this is one of the best TVs you’ll find, Sony or otherwise. You’ll also see your shows and games in as much detail as possible, thanks to Sony’s X1 HDR processor. This feature removes excess noise and gives you incredibly lifelike video. The color and saturation on the X800H are fantastic as well, standing out for its bright and accurate color portrayal. It also uses Dolby Vision and Triluminos display technologies to ensure detail and color really pop. However, black hues don’t seem to have the same richness as other colors on the screen. Even if you’re new to smart TVs, the control panels are intuitive and you’ll quickly learn how to make best use of your new device. Zach Sweat is an experienced editor, writer, and photographer. He tested the Sony X900F 49-inch TV on our list and discovered its particular benefits for gaming.
What to Look For in a Sony TV
Since its founding in 1946, Sony has made itself into a reputable name in electronics, and when they introduced their first smart televisions in 2007, they were no exception. Their lines of smart TVs give you tons of features to choose from: from voice-enabled remotes and preloaded apps, to screen mirroring and some truly impressive audio and video technology, Sony smart TVs are some of the best available on the market. Sony has also introduced a line of OLED panel televisions which use cutting-edge image technology to give you the most lifelike picture available. Some Sony models also use something called Acoustic Surface Technology, turning the entire screen into a speaker for clear, crisp audio. Many models available from Sony use proprietary programming and technology like Motionflow XR to render images and master audio to create a more cinematic experience in your home theater. Whether you want to watch the big game with friends, have family movie night on the weekends, or are looking for the ultimate gaming TV, there is a Sony model to suit.
LED vs. OLED
LG was the first company to introduce OLED technology in 2012, with Sony quick to follow. An OLED panel uses several layers of organic substrates and filtering layers to produce millions of bright, lifelike colors. These types of screens also have millions of individually lit pixels to produce minute detailing and deep, inky blacks for enhanced contrast. Since they use edge lighting rather than traditional backlighting rigs, OLED televisions can be made much thinner than their LED and QLED cousins. This gives each OLED television a sleek, modern look that will complement almost any home decor. All of this amazing technology comes at a price though; OLED televisions can run upwards of thousands of dollars depending on screen size and other optional features. Sony still offers LED models at more affordable prices for budget-conscious customers. You can still find excellent 4K UHD resolution and picture quality in these kinds of televisions, but detailing and contrast pales in comparison to their OLED counterparts. One advantage traditional LED televisions have over OLED models is that they don’t carry any danger of image burn-in. Burn-in happens when a screen projects the same image over a long period of time, creating a “ghost” image when switched off. This usually happens with headline tickers on news channels or score and stat blocks when watching sports. Under normal circumstances, burn-in isn’t much of a concern, but if you plan on watching a lot of 24-hour news channels or sports, it’s something to be aware of.
Acoustic Surface Technology
Along with OLED panels, Sony further reduces bulk in their high-end televisions by using their Acoustic Surface Technology. This system forgoes traditional speakers in favor of very small vibration units mounted behind the screen which track objects on the screen and produce audio accordingly. Not only does this allow for incredibly thin televisions, it also vastly reduces the latency between audio and video; it creates nearly-simultaneous video and audio output, giving you the most accurate audio and a much more immersive experience. Since the sound units are behind the screen and must vibrate to produce sound, it’s natural to worry if this technology will distort the picture or cause visual problems. However, these actuators are designed to vibrate on an almost microscopic level, virtually eliminating image distortion. With Acoustic Surface Technology, you won’t need expensive, external audio equipment to get great 3D sound, though you can utilize Bluetooth connectivity to enhance this feature with satellite speakers and subwoofers.
Screen Resolution
Sony, along with other television manufacturers, have begun to offer 4K TVs at more and more affordable prices as the technology becomes cheaper and easier to produce. Televisions that use 4K resolution give you four times the resolution of full 1080p HD models, creating more colors, enhanced contrast, and better detailing. As more and more people buy 4K TVs, streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, and Prime Video have started offering a slew of movies and shows in 4K in order to take full advantage of the technology. Streaming services are still finding ways to reliably provide UHD content without requiring ridiculously fast internet speeds or exceptionally high data caps. Sony, along with LG, have also released a line of televisions that can produce 8K resolution. Models with 8K resolution give you four times that of 4K and 16 times that of 1080p HD. That may sound impressive, but the visual difference between 8K and 4K isn’t nearly as dramatic as that between 4K and 1080p. For an 8K television to look its best, the television would need a native refresh rate of 120Hz (120 times per second) to eliminate motion blur and muddy details. Televisions with 8K resolution are also extraordinarily expensive, costing tens of thousands of dollars; this places them well out of reach of average consumers and even some businesses, making it difficult to justify upgrading your home theater with this new technology. While it’s tempting to splurge on an 8K TV to future-proof your home theater, the lack of viable content and rapidly shifting technology makes a 4K model much more attractive as a choice.
