Podcast #632: SONY 4K UHD TVs

SONY 4K UHD TVs

On the last show we read a news story that SONY announced pricing and availability for their new line for 4K TVs. This week we thought we discuss in a bit more depth the latest from SONY.  For starters there are a total of nine UHD TVs. The nine TVs are tiered on entry, mid, and high and range in price from $2,100 up to $25,000

All support HDMI 2.0 and the HEVC codec which cover two of the three must have features for a UHD TV according to HD Guru. The other being HDCP 2.2 which we couldn’t verify. The TVs are also MHL 3.0 compatible so you can watch 4K content from your smartphones or tablets. All the new TVs will support Netflix 4K streaming as it becomes available on the Netflix service.

The SONY developed X Reality PRO picture engine, TRILUMINOS color spectrum, and X-tended Dynamic Range PRO technology are marketing terms for 4K upscaling, deeper color palette, and higher contrast.

Entry Level

For the entry level 4K market are four models in the XBR-X850B series:

• 49“ for $2,099

• 55“ for $2,999

• 65“ for $3,999

• 70” for $5,499

Mid-Tier

For the Mid-Tier 4K market are three models in the XBR-X900B series:

• 55” for $3,999

• 66” for $4,999

• 79” for $8,999

These TVs use Edge lit LEDs and something SONY calls X-tended Dynamic Range technology

to achieve better contrast than the entry level TVs. One thing that many people complain about with thin TVs is that the audio is bad. On these models SONY uses wedge shape design which maintains thinness and provides for better richer sound.

Flagship

SONY’s flagship 4K UHD TVs the XBR-X950B series comes in two models:

• 65 “ for $7,999

• 85” for $24,999

The top tier SONYs use direct lit LEDs and something SONY calls X-tended Dynamic Range PRO technology for the highest contrast ratio among this year’s line of 4K TVs. SONY has developed a unique backlighting algorithm to further enhance picture quality.