Sony TV Range 2022 – better late than never (AV)

The Sony TV range 2022 had a few false starts, but the range is now in stock at Harvey Norman with some great pre-Xmas deals. How to tell if it is a 2022 model? The range name has a ‘K’ as the identifier (2021 is ‘J’).

Sony TVs are a premium alternative to LG and Samsung and have a few interesting features.

It uses Google Android TV Operating System versus LG webOS and Samsung Tizen. We won’t comment on the relative merits of each except to say that is one of the easiest to use with native Google Assistant and has thousands of streaming services and Apps. More later.
Most models support Dolby Vision (DV) movies and Dolby Atmos (DA) 3D spatial sound. LG does, too, but Samsung does not support Dolby Vision. This is important if you want the widest range of high-definition movies and explosive sound.
Acoustic Surface Audio+ (OLED) and Acoustic Multi-Audio (LED) means the speakers are part of the panel – not tiny little down-firing ones. It does make a difference when using TV speakers.
Like LG and Samsung, Sony uses AI to process images via its Cognitive Processor XR with foreground/background image processing. The key difference is that Sony is also a motion picture producer and knows more about what that means to viewing accuracy and pleasure.
If you use a Sony soundbar, you can also use the centre TV speaker for enhanced vocal clarity.

8K

Z95K (no details yet)

4K Bravia QD-OLED

A95K: 65” RRP $4995

This uses the Samsung hybrid Quantum Dot/OLED panel with a wide colour spectrum. It has all A-series features

4K Bravia OLED

A90K: 42/48” RRP $2495/2595
A80K: 55/65/77” RRP $1785/4099/6799

A-series features: XR cognitive processor/upscaling/smoothing/Live colour/enhancer/HDMI 2.1 and Acoustic Surface Audio+

4K Bravia Mini-LED, FALD, 10+10+10+10+10+10W

X95K: 65/75/85” RRP $4499/5495/7495

All Sony premium features

4K Bravia Full Array Local Dimming (FALD), 10+10+5+5W speakers

X90K 55/65/75/85 RRP $199/2099/2499/2995

Features: XR Cognitive Processor/Contrast booster, Motion clarity, 4K upscale

4K Direct LED 50Hz Panel, 2 x 10W speakers

X85K: 43/50/55/65/75/85 RRP $1195/1395/1495/1795/2488/3685
X80K: HDR, 55/65/75 RRP $1295/1495/2195
X75K: 43/50/55/65 RRP $895/995/995/1285

HD, Direct LED

W830K: 32” RRP $645

Google (Android) TV

Google TV is the latest version of Android TV, and It is a nice layout with more intelligence to help recommend based on what you have watched. It has OK Google, and the searches are not influenced by a store trying to sell you its content. It can act as a Google Assistant Hub for smart home integration.

Google TV has most of the popular Australian TV streaming apps – YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, Prime Video, Disney+, Stan, YouTube Music, ABC iView, 9Now, 7Plus, SBS OnDemand, and 10 play. There are hundreds more on the Google TV App store. Check before you buy if it has the apps you want, and yes, it has Foxtel, Kayo, Binge, Paramount+ and many more. The chances are that it has everything you need.

And if it does not, it supports Chromecast, so you can stream from your Android phone.

There is parental control and the ability to limit it to kid-friendly content via profiles.

Sony Soundbar range 2022

HT-A7000 All-in-one 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos capable, 500W, $1699

Being an all-in-one, it relies on bouncing the height speakers off the ceiling and the surround speakers off nearby side walls. It works well if you have the right room, but sadly most large Aussie lounges don’t.

How many homes have equidistant side walls? Most need dedicated rear speakers and Sony caters for those options.

In this case, you need the soundbar and the optional

Sub-woofer SA-SW3 ($499) 200W or SA-SW5 ($749) 300W making it 7.2.2.
SA-RS32 ($599) rear speakers (2 x 50W forward-firing) making it 9.2.2 OR
SA-RS5 ($849) rear speakers (2 x 180W forward-firing and up-firing) making it 9.2.4 – highly recommended

HT-A5000 all-in-one 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos capable 450W $1395

Similar to any all-in-one, it uses psychoacoustics to bounce signals around. If your room does not support this (and most do not), Sony recommends the same optional speakers as the HT-A7000.

Like the HT-A7000, it can use a compatible Sony TV to add a centre channel using its speakers.

HT-A3000 , all-in-one 3.1 250W $995

It is an all-in-one design that can decode Dolby Atmos and down-mix (virtual) it to the 3.1 speakers.

You can upgrade it via the same optional speakers as the HT-A7000 to become Dolby Atmos compliant.

HT-A9 $2499

This is an unusual non-soundbar design. Four wireless cylinder speakers, each with an up-firing dome, forward-firing woofer and tweeter. The theory here is a 4.0.4 (Dolby Atmos do not recognise tweeters – they are frequency cross-over devices). Dual mics in each speaker presumably are for rook tuning. Sony says that in the right room (see HT-A7000,) it can generate the equivalent of twelve phantom speakers for 3D spatial sound.

The four speakers total 504W, and an SA-SW3 $599 (200W) or SA-SW5 $849 (300W) sub-woofer is highly recommended making it a 4.1.4.

The wireless control unit has Ethernet, HDMI eARC and HDMI in, Bluetooth (SBC, AAC and LDAC), Google Assistant, and Chromecast.

CyberShack’s view – Sony TV Range 2022 looks good

With the caveat that we have not reviewed any of the 2022 range, we can only say that the 2021 range was good quality, had advanced features and with Googe TV was easy to use.

Sony has a wide range at an equally wide range of prices. In the LED area, the X90K is worth spending more to get its features. The Mini-LED X95K should be the value choice if you cannot afford the OLED, and ditto for the OLED if your budget does not stretch to QD-OLED.