Speaking of 4K Blu-ray, this TV really showed off its excellent processing in Movie mode and when watching a recently acquired copy of the Alfred Hitchcock film. Vertigo. The beautiful use of light and shadow was presented without harsh blooming and the colors appeared deep and well saturated. A scene where the two protagonists face the Golden Gate Bridge particularly looks like a painting on this screen, a praise that belongs to the XR chip and Sony’s excellent use of mini-LED multi-zone backlighting.
Photo: Parker Room
Streaming apps still deliver excellent quality and also work well in darker scenes on the Apple TV. To manyand in Sport mode when broadcasting F1. Colors were vibrant and the TV’s 120Hz refresh rate displayed full-screen, but not as vividly as when I plugged in Sony’s PlayStation 5 Pro. Grand Tourism looks smooth and realistic in Game mode, with the variable refresh rate keeping everything smooth, even when you’re doing hard-to-handle tasks like wet racing in shiny cars.
This screen comes in a wide variety of sizes, from 55 inches all the way up to a gargantuan 98 inches (enjoy hanging it on the wall), and I imagine the larger sizes are probably where many people will buy this model rather than a significantly more expensive option in the Bravias 7, 8, or 9.
Competitors include TCL QM6K, Hisense U8QGAnd Samsung QN80F. The TCL is cheaper, looks brighter, and has a similarly usable interface. The Sony offers better and more natural processing. The Hisense is a little tougher, but it works great in brighter rooms, making it a great choice for anyone who doesn’t want or need Sony Pictures Core and is watching more casually. Samsung offers amazing mini-LED quantum dot panels, but a boring interface and no Dolby Vision support.
Sony is clearly a premium choice in this category in terms of processing, but given that it costs significantly more than the competition and the screen isn’t as bright, it’s worth asking: How often do I plan to watch premium content on this TV?
If you’re growing your digital media, Plex server, or 4K Blu-ray collection, the Sony might be the better buy. Otherwise, more affordable brands with equally capable streaming apps (and nearly identical screens) might work just fine, especially in brighter rooms.
