Sony has announced U.K. pricing details for this year’s mid range OLED TV series, the Bravia XR A80J. The new TVs, which will be available in 55-inch, 65-inch and 77-inch sizes, feature the company’s new “cognitive intelligence” processor and start at just £1,999.
Sony’s Cognitive Processor XR replaces the older Picture Processor X1 chip used in last year’s high-end Sony OLED TVs, adding a layer of cognitive intelligence atop of its existing artificial intelligence processing capabilities.
The new chip helps the TVs to understand the source content in a more human way, Sony said, making it possible to come up with more effective picture and sound enhancements. More specifically what it does is it detects and enhances the focal point of the on-screen action by examining key elements in the source material, such as the colour, contrast, depth, detail and texture, in multiple zones. That information is then cross-analysed with metadata within and between each frame, in a similar way to how the human brain functions. The net effect is that Sony can increase brightness in the right parts of the picture and make the contrast appear more realistic.
Besides the new processor, the Sony Bravia XR A80J also provides access to the company’s new Bravia CORE high bitrate video streaming service that provides access to titles from the Sony Pictures Entertainment catalogue and promises lossless Blu-ray-quality streams of up to 80Mbps.
The TVs run the new Google TV operating system that’s based on Android TV, and come with advanced gaming features enabled by its HDMI 2.1 ports, including 4K at 120fps, Variable Refresh Rate, Auto Low Latency Mode and enhanced Audio Return Channel. Support for Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos surround sound is also onboard, while audio gets a boost thanks to Sony’s new Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology that adds a front-facing subwoofer for more accurate sound positioning.
The Sony Bravia XR A80J sports an improved, three-way stand that provides three options. It’s a nice new touch that enables users to set the TV up in a “narrow position” with a smaller footprint, a “hero position” that’s meant to eliminate viewing distractions or a “sound bar position” that helps to elevate the TV when users integrate a separate sound bar system with it.
Sony said the 55-inch A80J OLED TV will cost £1,999, with the 65-inch model priced at £2,699 and the 77-inch version coming in at £4,199. The company will start taking pre-orders later this month.
The Sony A80J OLED TVs sit below the company’s higher end Sony A90J Master Series OLED TVs, which are also going on sale later this month. The main difference between the two is that the A90J series sports a newer, brighter OLED panel. It’s also available in a bigger 83-inch size option. If you're debating which of the two models you should buy, our comparison video at the bottom of this post helps to explain the differences between the two models.
For those that can’t afford a Sony OLED TV but want to remain loyal to the Japanese brand, the company also announced pricing details for some of its more affordable LCD TVs this year. The Sony X81J and X80J LCD TVs start at just £699 for the smallest 43-inch option, feature Google TV and the company’s older Picture Processor X1.
We’re still waiting on pricing and availability details for Sony’s flagship 8K Master Series Sony Z9J LCD TV Sony X95J, as well as its higher-end LCD models, the Sony X95J and X90J.
