Japanese firm Sony has finally published U.K. prices for its latest A8 OLED televisions. The Sony A8 OLED is available in two sizes, with the 55-inch version priced at £1,799, and the larger, 65-inch model available at £2,799. Both models went on sale in the U.K. this week.
The company is also selling new Sony A85 OLED TVs too, but the only real difference with these models is the feet styling, hence the prices are the same.
Sony fans have been waiting with baited breath for the company to launch its latest OLED TVs, which feature some of its most advanced technology yet. Just like Sony’s flagship ZH8 LCD TV, the Sony A8 OLEDs are powered by the firm’s new Picture Processor X1 Ultimate chip, which is capable of upscaling images using a 4K HDR database that helps to deliver the most lifelike scenes possible, the company said.
The Sony A8 is indeed the company’s flagship OLED TV this year. While the Sony A9 claims to offer a better picture performance, that model is only available in 49-inches. Moreover, the Sony A8 is the first OLED TV in its portfolio to feature its X-Motion Clarity motion processing technology, which should ensure some of the smoothest motion ever seen on an OLED screen, according to the company.
The Sony A8 should also deliver high-quality sounds too, as it features two built-in subwoofers and the company’s Acoustic Surface Audio technology, which uses actuators to vibrate the screen, effectively turning the OLED panel into a giant, additional speaker.
Both models run the Android TV platform, pre-installed with Android 9. Both Chromecast and Google Assistant are built-in, too. The TVs will also support Netflix Calibrated Mode and IMAX Enhanced, but strangely, Sony has rejected the new Filmmaker Mode that’s been embraced by most other TV manufacturers this year, without explaining why.
Another strange omission is that the Sony A8 is not equipped with HDMI 2.1 ports. That’s unusual because Sony has already said it will use HDMI 2.1 with its upcoming PlayStation 5 console. It could mean Sony is planning to launch further high-end TVs later in the year, though that’s merely speculation at this point.
The TVs do however offer a single HDMI 2.1 feature called enhanced Audio Return Channel, or eARC, which supports lossless audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA. Sony said this is possible because eARC can be supported via the older HDMI 2.0 standard.
While Sony’s OLED TVs are cheaper than last year’s equivalent models, they still might be on the pricey side for many buyers. As such, Sony fans may well want to check out the company’s excellent range of more affordable LCD TVs, which are already on sale in the U.K.
