Sony's strategy for its 2024 TV lineup is about as bold and unconventional as it gets. While practically every other manufacturer has shown off a full range of brand-new TVs with an advanced OLED model taking the flagship spot, Sony has instead put its eggs in the Mini LED basket with the Bravia 9.
It's just one of three new models for 2024, while the rest of Sony's line-up comprises TVs released either last year or even the year before. Considering Sony's near-perfect track record within the last year, we wouldn't have blamed the brand for releasing a line-up of samey sets with modest upgrades and new model numbers for 2024; but it has grander plans.
Instead, it is making a huge gamble by leveraging its experience in the production of films and using that as the philosophy behind this new Bravia range. If Sony has a hand in producing the content - think Sony Pictures as well as the cameras and mastering monitors used to shoot and edit Hollywood films - then surely it should be able to deliver the ideal screen on which to watch said content.
That's where the Bravia 9 comes in. Its heritage lies in the editing bays of multi-million-dollar movie studios, and Sony hasn't been shy in comparing this TV with its new 4000-nit mastering monitor, the BVM-HX3110. It has also made direct jabs at OLED, hinting that this new Mini LED backlight could be the next evolutionary step in panel technology. So, has Sony's big gamble paid off? Here is where we come across our first sticking point with the Bravia 9. Sony is selling this TV only in 75in (the model we have before us today) and 85in variants in the UK, priced at £4499 and £4999 respectively. A 65in version exists, but only in the US. This is problematic for those with smaller living rooms and tighter budgets, so you might want to consider another option if that applies to you.
This story is from the October 2024 edition of What Hi-Fi UK.
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This story is from the October 2024 edition of What Hi-Fi UK.
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