Rivalry is usually strong at CES, especially when it comes to televisions
, a very buoyant market which has not been impacted by the crisis (on the contrary). Despite a 2022 edition that is once again a bit special, Sony could well do well, at least in the high-end segment, with the arrival of two Mini-LED 8K and 4K UHD series, as well as a new panel. QD-OLED to support the renewal of Bravia XR televisions.
It is the big day for Sony and, without doubt, the opportune moment to bring out the big game in the face of increasingly fierce competition and a market dominated by two Korean giants that we no longer present. In addition to the showdown on innovations and high-end models, we summarize everything you need to remember from Sony’s announcements in terms of television for CES 2022.
Sony comes to CES with five Mini-LED TVs
It must be said, Sony may have missed the boat at CES 2021 by leaving out Mini-LED technology, in a context where the television market had never done so well. For 2022, the Japanese manufacturer is catching the bandwagon by unveiling two Mini-LED ranges, the Master Series Z9K with two 8K models of 85 and 75 inches, as well as the Master Series X95K, which for their part honor a 4K UHD definition with three models of 85, 75 and 65 inches.
We do not yet know the technical details relating to each of these references, we think in particular of the number of mini-LEDs constituting the backlight, their size, the number of dimming zones, the light peak, and so on. . Sony has however evoked the advantages of the Mini-LED which, coupled with its Cognitive Processor XR improved with the XR Backlight MasterDrive technology (a local dimming algorithm) will allow to precisely control the thousands of mini-LEDs and to offer “ greater brightness, impressive dynamic range, deep blacks and extremely natural midtones “.
For the rest, we do not change a winning recipe. We will thus find the various improvements and treatments of the XR processor, in particular with XR Triluminos Pro and XR Contrast Booster which combine their field of action to analyze and refine the image, thus making it more realistic, richer in nuance and in detail, at the same time. color and contrast level.
Finally, the manufacturer’s five Mini-LED references will also include the X-Anti Reflection and X-Wide Angle filters which, as their name suggests, are there to limit the reflectance of the panel and preserve colors and brightness at any angle. view.
OLED and a tip of QD-OLED
This is perhaps not a surprise, having learned a few weeks earlier that Sony like Samsung could present its first line of QD-OLED televisions. This is done for Sony with its two OLED Master Series A95K televisions, which will be available in 65 and 55-inch diagonals.
But what is the purpose of these new OLED panels? To put it simply, QD-OLED panels (developed by Samsung) use the blue light source emitted by organic diodes, a light source which is then “filtered” within the red and green sub-pixels by a dot converter. quantum, in other words the Quantum Dots.
The stated objective is obviously to erase the weaknesses of the W (hite) -OLED panels produced by LG Display; these indeed use more layers of materials thus limiting the light peak and the possibilities of obtaining an extended colorimetry. The image should therefore gain in dynamism with the QD-OLED thanks to a light peak which will perhaps be able to exceed 1000 nits, while maintaining an infinite contrast.
It’s hard to judge cookie-cutter and know if we’re really dealing with a game changer, the first tests of QD-OLED televisions, and of this Sony A95K, we will give a more precise picture of this technology and its possible weak points, starting with the management of the burn-in.
48 and 42 inch OLED panels (finally!)
Sony is diversifying its offer with QD-OLED, but is not forgetting the “traditional” OLED. The Japanese are thus renewing their two OLED ranges, with the A90K and A80K series which replace the excellent A90J and A80J. There is however a notable difference since it is now the A95K (QD-OLED) which is added to the catalog as the high-end OLED television.
Sony has thus chosen, at least we suppose, to decline its A90K series on only two small diagonals, so as not to steal the show from its QD-OLED and at the same time replace the A9 series which had not been renewed. in 2021. And surprise, in addition to a 48-inch model, Sony is launching the first 42-inch OLED TV on the market, although we suspect that LG and others will follow. No change here, however, with the A80K, which consists of three diagonals of 77, 65 and 55 inches.
Finally, even if we are only dedicating a few lines to them for the moment (we will talk about it again when discussing the prices), we must mention the renewal of the manufacturer’s three main LED ranges with, at the top of the basket, the X90K series which succeeds the X90J and includes a Full Array LED panel. It will be accompanied by the X85K and X80K LED ranges on many diagonals, which promises to leave the choice to everyone according to their budget.
Bravia Cam, Perfect for PS5, Acoustic Surface Audio +: crispy novelties
As usual, Sony has redoubled its efforts to mark the occasion of this CES 2022, with innovations, but also a lot of work to improve its exclusive technologies. And to start with good news, we might as well mention the collaboration with its subsidiary, Sony Interactive Entertainment!
“Perfect for Playstation 5” televisions
And yes, it’s hard to miss video games when your name is Sony! For 2022, the promises are strong since all the ranges that we have just presented above, with the exception of the X80K LED televisions, will be compatible with 4K at 120 Hz, VRR and ALLM. Televisions which will therefore undoubtedly be stamped “Perfect for PlayStation 5” since they also embed new features, with Auto Genre Picture Mode and Auto HDR Tone Mapping that we had already detailed in a previous article.
Improved audio systems
The sound is often the poor relation of televisions, not all can indeed embed the audio “chimney” of a Panasonic JZ2000. Sony nevertheless offers interesting improvements in terms of audio on OLED with Acoustic Multi Surface Audio + and on Mini-LED and LED televisions with Acoustic Multi Audio. We learn that the Z9K will have two subwoofers, two mid-range speakers and four tweeters for a total power of 85 W. On the A95K, Sony suggests larger coaxial actuators than those of the A90J.
Two new remote controls
The differences are obvious compared to last year. The two new remote controls from Sony focus on minimalism with a greatly reduced size, just like the number of buttons. The premium aluminum remote control will accompany high-end televisions and includes a function to find it at the back of the sofa using a sound signal. Just ask Google Assistant to find it!
Bravia Cam: a camera that performs many functions
Sony introduces its Bravia Cam, integrated into the Z9K and A95K ranges, and offered as an option on the other series. Far from sticking only to video calls, it offers a lot of features, starting with gesture commands to control the TV, automatic shutdown when no one is detected in front of the TV, proximity alerts for prevent children from looking at it too closely, and finally an option to optimize the sound thanks to the webcam.
Called “Ambiant Optimization Pro”, this technology aims to locate the viewer in order to analyze the distance between them and the television set and their position in order to adjust the sound and image parameters accordingly.
So much for this overview of Sony’s main announcements. We will not fail to inform you of the prices and the availability of these different ranges as soon as they are known!
In recent years, Japanese manufacturers have had some difficulties in facing the competition, in particular due to the international growth of certain Chinese groups. If Sony is particularly impacted, the fact remains that this emblematic manufacturer continues to establish itself as a benchmark, by offering televisions praised for their quality.
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Source: press release
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