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Sony’s 2021 TV lineup runs Google TV and fully embraces HDMI 2.1

Kilau

Gold Member
Oh sorry I mixed you up with the other dude, for 75" I'd say £1699/1799 is the lowest it will go and £2199 is a good value price to buy it at if you cant wait until minimum price. I'm pretty sure you'll just be able to one delivered within a day or two when your current set dies, since its 75" though don't expect to be able to get one instore (This is the UK, prob different in US due to bigger stores) on the day necessarily, because they don't always keep that many 75" in stock for takeaway.

Also consider if it will even fit in your car haha, I say that because you mention wife and kids and I know even a day or two without the TV can be a massive hassle.

No problem, I appreciate the input.

It probably would fit in the car since I have that minivan life but I have a ton of points to use on Amazon and would get it there with 18 months no interest for the remainder. It's currently $2,398.00 there.
 

Kuranghi

Member
No problem, I appreciate the input.

It probably would fit in the car since I have that minivan life but I have a ton of points to use on Amazon and would get it there with 18 months no interest for the remainder. It's currently $2,398.00 there.

If its already $2400 in the US (Thats £1700) then even buying it now wouldn't be a bad deal imo. I think it could even be close to $2000 within a couple of months if its $2.4k now though.

I really didnt know it was that much cheaper in the US than UK, I thought it was dollars for pounds (UK is at £2599 right now, thats $3650!!!!!). Maybe the current UK price is a nonsense price though because it was available to preorder for £2300 before launch in the UK.

I say play it by ear and if the old set starts creaking then just jump on the X90J right then, since as I said above its a good price even now for what you are getting. I used to sell worse spec 75" models for £2299 in 2018 so the price of 75" has plummeted since then.
 
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The uniformity of the specific model I can't speak to because I've never seen it, but I doubt it will be noticeable in real content except cartoons, games with a solid colour art style like Nintendo games and ice hockey/football. Even then you'll probably only notice it when you know its there and focus on it ime.

The REC.2020 colour gamut part being under X% is not something you need to ever think about unless you are using the TV as a monitor for HDR image/video editing. It won't affect the quality of HDR video playback for you in a meaningful way imo.

Viewing angle will be bad on all FALD VA panel LCD TVs when compared to IPS panel TVs or OLEDs, but its a tradeoff for much better contrast/deeper black level and money saved respectively. If you don't think it'll matter to you then don't worry about it.

I personally don't like Samsung because the motion interpolation isn't great and causes artifacts, so if you plan to watch TV/movies on it a lot then get the Sony. If you just wait until August you'll get the X90J for the same if not less than what the Hisense is now, do that and you pay the cheaper price and get the better picture quality.
Yeah this is where oled also shines, in terms of uniformity except for very close to black which the companies are getting better and better at suppressing. I must have gotten an extremely good X900e panel though because that thing only has uniformity issues in the corners and is otherwise super clean. Still a difference between oled but I only notice when going back and forth. 49" though, the bigger you go the more uniformity issues you have and that's true for oled and LCD.

I've also stayed away from Samsung displays but have heard from pretty much all reviewers that the interpolation has really improved on the QN90A. Another weak point of Samsung has been uniformity ; they were far worse than Sony in 2017\18 but the mini led set seems to be significantly better.

Though to my eye on Rtings review the uniformity still needs improvement.

----

If I were to buy a TV this year it would be between the A90J (only oled with heatsink) on the high end, QN90A for the mid high end and Sony X90J for the entry level (entry level for enthusiasts that is). Because as much as Sony's colors and processing are superior, 32 zones is 32 zones so yeah the Sammy's going to be better.

I am getting more and more paranoid about oled usage so yeah man the use of heat sinks needs to become standard next year except on maybe the cheapest models. I'd like to see a C2 and an A80K have a heat sink, but maybe not on the lg A/B series.
 
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kyliethicc

Member
The A80J OLED has recently been price cut and seems like a very good TV. Much more affordable than the A90J, while almost just as good. Close to C1 price now. Looks like Sony wants the A80J to directly compete with the C1 in all sizes.

current prices:
Sony A80J vs LG C1
55" - $1900 vs $1800 (Sony costs $100 more)
65" - $2500 vs $2500 (same)
77" - $3500 vs $3800 (Sony costs $300 less)


Very good review of the A80J, for example:

 
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quest

Not Banned from OT
The A80J OLED has recently been price cut and seems like a very good TV. Much more affordable than the A90J, while almost just as good. Close to C1 price now. Looks like Sony wants the A80J to directly compete with the C1 in all sizes.

current prices:
Sony A80J vs LG C1
55" - $1900 vs $1800 (Sony costs $100 more)
65" - $2500 vs $2500 (same)
77" - $3500 vs $3800 (Sony costs $300 less)


Very good review of the A80J, for example:

Just wish Sony had vrr now. Not going to trust me it is coming. I really want a TV now since mine has an issue C7. I'm guessing a CX will be my best bet just don't really want to give LG my money after the crummy build quality of the c7. I looked at the LCD they are better but off viewing still not there and still issues with DSE on the Samsung. Plus the Halo on dark scenes.
 
Just wish Sony had vrr now. Not going to trust me it is coming. I really want a TV now since mine has an issue C7. I'm guessing a CX will be my best bet just don't really want to give LG my money after the crummy build quality of the c7. I looked at the LCD they are better but off viewing still not there and still issues with DSE on the Samsung. Plus the Halo on dark scenes.

Sony said winter 2021 for VRR. PS5 doesn’t even have it yet. I’ll trust Sony. Their reputation is worth the trust.
 

kyliethicc

Member
Just wish Sony had vrr now. Not going to trust me it is coming. I really want a TV now since mine has an issue C7. I'm guessing a CX will be my best bet just don't really want to give LG my money after the crummy build quality of the c7. I looked at the LCD they are better but off viewing still not there and still issues with DSE on the Samsung. Plus the Halo on dark scenes.
I'd just get the best TV in terms of value & image quality, etc. Don't worry about VRR too much, its not that important for console gaming. (Unless you are a PC gamer, then get the LG.)

I also doubt Sony would risk a lawsuit by lying about their plans to add VRR to the PS5 and their new TVs.
 

quest

Not Banned from OT
I'd just get the best TV in terms of value & image quality, etc. Don't worry about VRR too much, its not that important for console gaming. (Unless you are a PC gamer, then get the LG.)

I also doubt Sony would risk a lawsuit by lying about their plans to add VRR to the PS5 and their new TVs.
I know I should get a CX but I'm just so pissed at LG others got free replacement panels that is a slap in the face. I'm in a no win situation in my mind. The QN90 shitty DSE, view angles over priced, Sony no VRR they promised last year and didn't deliver on some models. The CX give LG money again after thier shitty customers service but 700 cheaper to cover BB warranty. My wife will be out of town 2 weeks so I can get any of the 3 going to the 77 might be pushing it lol and 7-9 foot viewing distance might be over kill. The key word is might. Usually I love buying new toys I just feel dirty replacing a 3 year old tv.
 

kyliethicc

Member
Which Sony OLED do you all think is the better more premium looking design?


A80J
- no screws required
- feet just slot into the body

yGOK4RT.jpg


or


A90J
- feet require screws to attach to body

tNFCXa0.jpg
 
I know I should get a CX but I'm just so pissed at LG others got free replacement panels that is a slap in the face. I'm in a no win situation in my mind. The QN90 shitty DSE, view angles over priced, Sony no VRR they promised last year and didn't deliver on some models. The CX give LG money again after thier shitty customers service but 700 cheaper to cover BB warranty. My wife will be out of town 2 weeks so I can get any of the 3 going to the 77 might be pushing it lol and 7-9 foot viewing distance might be over kill. The key word is might. Usually I love buying new toys I just feel dirty replacing a 3 year old tv.

Sony never promised VRR on the 2020 models until the spring of 2021. They haven’t failed to deliver on the X900H yet.
 
Which Sony OLED do you all think is the better more premium looking design?


A80J
- no screws required
- feet just slot into the body

yGOK4RT.jpg


or


A90J
- feet require screws to attach to body

tNFCXa0.jpg
I like the aesthetics of the A80J plastic better, but the cord management and feet on the A90J are much better. The A90J flush with a tv stand looks incredible. I really don’t want to go back to anything different.
 
Thus far Sony has pretty much denied there is anything wrong with my TV and said it was caused by user error... but that it is “working within specifications” which they repeated about 12 times.

Not sure what to do at this point, I guess try again and try to find a more cooperative rep to help. But their customer service is appalling.

Maybe I’ll just live with it until an lg oled with heatsink comes out and I cash my BB warranty in. Maybe next year? Samsung qned (nanorod led) would also be nice if it’s our next year or 2023 but the qn90a just isn’t good enough for me with its single 2.1 port and poor dimming in game mode.
 
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Novak

Member
Does 50X90J have 120Hz panel?
that size would be perfect for my home office, but usually smaller panels are 60Hz (like last years Samsung 50” Q80T, LG nano,…)
 

quest

Not Banned from OT
Wow, I wasn't expecting this answer. I was just joking and taking a dig at PS5's lack of VRR out of the box. Maybe this tech befuddles Sony engineers for some reason.
Yes VRR sucks but Samsung has a ton of qc issues reading avsforum.com. LG I have zero trust in after the replacement panel lotto some get one some don't for a clear defective design in the red sub pixels. It seems they all have issues it is choosing your poison. The Sony's are the best TVs if your not a gamer. It just sucks no one has it all together right now. I might be able to wait for the 2021 to go on sale but the burn in just pisses me off seeing it. I had plasma tvs with zero issues this is LG and building those C6 and C7 like glass Joe.
 

Pull n Pray

Banned
Yes VRR sucks but Samsung has a ton of qc issues reading avsforum.com. LG I have zero trust in after the replacement panel lotto some get one some don't for a clear defective design in the red sub pixels. It seems they all have issues it is choosing your poison. The Sony's are the best TVs if your not a gamer. It just sucks no one has it all together right now. I might be able to wait for the 2021 to go on sale but the burn in just pisses me off seeing it. I had plasma tvs with zero issues this is LG and building those C6 and C7 like glass Joe.
I'm wanting to upgrade my TV too, but with my arrangement I really can't do it until I get a HDMI 2.1 AVR as well. And last I heard, none of them were working right yet.
 

TYRiAX

Member
How are you Z90J owners finding next gen gaming? I heard there was a motion issue or something that was fixed by a firmware update?

I am finally upgrading from my old kdl55-w900a set and excited to finally see what this 4k/HDR content is all about :)
 

KAL2006

Banned
I got a X900H in December on sale and don't regret it one bit. Picture quality is great. Yeah the 120fps meant to have a slight blur but to be honest I never play in 120fps. Games that have that option I always go for better graphics and 60fps. I also like that sub 4k content looks good on it. And finally finally built in Android is so convenient. Not having to turn on a android box. The android on this TV is smooth as butter, been using my dodgy streaming apps with realdebrid with uncompressed 4k content without any lag. Installed YouTube no adverts version. Installed retroarch where even PS1 games run good.
 

dolabla

Member
Just a heads up. The X90J received another price drop overnight. Gonna get refunded the difference. I look to have gotten a cleaner looking panel too :messenger_sunglasses:. I sent the one I got from Amazon back last week.

50": $998
55": $1198
65": $1498


Does 50X90J have 120Hz panel?
that size would be perfect for my home office, but usually smaller panels are 60Hz (like last years Samsung 50” Q80T, LG nano,…)
Yep, I have the 50". I've played a few games at 4k 120hz. Sony usually doesn't gimp the panel of the smaller versions of their mid/high range tvs like Samsung which is one of the reasons I like them better. In the past they may remove a feature or two like X-Wide (wide viewing angle), but they still have 120hz panels.
 
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Kilau

Gold Member
My last sticking point with one of these, the 65” or 75” is with the local dimming zones. Apparently they are really noticeable when switching and I feel it would be really distracting. Anyone with those sizes can comment?
 

Reizo Ryuu

Member
Well looks like the x90j isn't a full upgrade over the xh90, guess I'm sticking with it.
By the time the x90p comes out, it will probably be a great time to upgrade.
And on brightness, yeah mine is also set to 20, 15 for pc, but when something goes to a full white image it still burns and I have to squint a bit lol.
 

Kuranghi

Member


Interesting to hear laymen discussion about TVs but Christ he's a terrible authority on TVs, he barely knows what he's talking about* and presents things in a confusing way. He is a PC gamer who values its IQ and framerate over consoles... but then says VRR is the most important feature and for him he'd lose all the image processing advantages of the Sony just to get it.

Obviously VRR affects motion clarity, but if you're playing on PC then you can easily lock to the refresh rate by changing resolution or settings, and on console the games should be locked (for the most part) anyway. I don't think its good practice to rely on VRR to fix frame drops going forward, I'd prefer them to just optimise the res/settings of console games properly, like with RE8 (non-RT mode), Spiderman and Gears 5, as Multiplat, PS and XB examples.

*because he isn't the one studying the stuff first hand like he does with PC tech, he's getting the information from others.

edit - Just to clarify why I seem particularly "angry" at LTT: They were sponsored by Samsung and said QLED was the best gaming TV, then they were sponsored by LG and said OLED was the best gaming TV, in 2021 everyone is praising Sony's IQ (As they have since 2017 at least) but now also the A80J is cheaper than the competition somewhow and he's still like "nah you need VRR so much its worth losing all the other things".

The thing is, I saw him comparing LG and Samsungs to Sony's in the past and I know from that he can't tell the difference between Sony and LG/Samsung image processing/tonemapping quality even when they are side by side so he just doesn't have an eye for it or the difference is not meaningful to him. We all have our strengths/priorities though so not knocking him in other areas, its just I'm pretty confident from talking to tons of casual gamers than v-sync stutters are barely noticed by average people but sharpness and general tonemapping/depth of the image definitely IS noticeable by the majority as long as they have good eyesight/glasses if needed.

Plenty of people are playing RE8 with RT on right now and think its smooth enough when its actually dropping frames very often, I couldn't stop noticing it even when I just tried to play the game, ironically RE8 actually is a good case for VRR :messenger_grimmacing_.
 
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Kuranghi

Member
Well looks like the x90j isn't a full upgrade over the xh90, guess I'm sticking with it.
By the time the x90p comes out, it will probably be a great time to upgrade.
And on brightness, yeah mine is also set to 20, 15 for pc, but when something goes to a full white image it still burns and I have to squint a bit lol.

I just flick on the light sensor at night for internet browsing/non-reference viewing, in a pitch black room it makes it reduces the backlight below what 0 brightness gives you. You can even set it as a custom option in the bottom pop up menu as well I believe.
 

Warnen

Don't pass gaas, it is your Destiny!
Just bought my 1st OLED tv, a Sony A9S 48inchs. Fuck is this tv good looking. Was going to get another Qled from Samsung that was bigger but since it’s for my bed room I finured the smaller size would be ok. Don’t think I can go back to non oleds now…
 

Kuranghi

Member
Just bought my 1st OLED tv, a Sony A9S 48inchs. Fuck is this tv good looking. Was going to get another Qled from Samsung that was bigger but since it’s for my bed room I finured the smaller size would be ok. Don’t think I can go back to non oleds now…

If you have Netflix try Ozark on it, its Dolby Vision and the intro to the first episode has some amazing low light scenes that really show off OLED. Then if you check out some later episodes (When they've actually gone to the Ozarks) there are many scenes with uber bright backgrounds that look amazing too. Make sure to watch with the lights off/curtains closed though.
 
So, I’ve really enjoyed the A90J for the three months I’ve had it. Movie watching, my primary use, has been amazing. I am starting to see how people with top end home theater systems have moved away from going to theaters. Even old movies look fantastic. I watched the 4K Blu ray of Wizard of Oz, and wow! It’s is like a completely different experience. The details and colors of the set are amazing and immersive.

With respect to gaming, as great as it is, the jump from 1080p to 4K has been less impressive to me than movies. I’m a console only gamer, and none of the new games that I’ve played on my PS5 have wowed me. Demon’s Souls looks nice, but I’m not awed by it. The picture itself looks a lot nicer than my LCD, which was washed out in game mode. I also enjoy being able to play 120fps on my XSX. Maybe I’ll be more impressed when this generation kicks into full gear.

On a side note, I ended up getting a price match from Best Buy for the price drop. All in all, I was able to get $730 off, and got $120 in rewards purchasing this tv with the extended warranty. I feel really good getting the set with burn in coverage for less than retail, when including taxes.
 
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Kilau

Gold Member
So I finally ordered the 75" X90J since it dropped another $300.00 for prime day down to $2,098.00, I sure do hope they actually bring VRR update soon and I win the panel lottery.

Any suggestions on a wall mount? Don't need articulating but probably do need tilt.
 

SpokkX

Member
Which new Sony sets support VRR?

this is, by far, the best next gen feature. Their 2020 models didnt support it i think?
 

Bojanglez

The Amiga Brotherhood
Which new Sony sets support VRR?

this is, by far, the best next gen feature. Their 2020 models didnt support it i think?
I think the A90J, A80J, X90J, X95J, X80J (maybe) all will eventually.

All should get it in a firmware update later in the year. Also last years (2020) XH900 should too.
 
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Bojanglez

The Amiga Brotherhood
So I finally ordered the 75" X90J since it dropped another $300.00 for prime day down to $2,098.00, I sure do hope they actually bring VRR update soon and I win the panel lottery.

Any suggestions on a wall mount? Don't need articulating but probably do need tilt.
I'm waiting for a price drop on the 65" here in the UK, still £1,799 everywhere, which is a bit overpriced in my opinion.
 

Kilau

Gold Member
I'm waiting for a price drop on the 65" here in the UK, still £1,799 everywhere, which is a bit overpriced in my opinion.
Yeah that does seem overpriced , it's roughly £1,000 on Amazon US right now for the 65".

I think the A90J, A80J, X90J, X95J, X80J (maybe) all will eventually.

All should get it in a firmware update later in the year. Also last years (2020) XH900 should too.
That's the promise, they advertise it on the current models with an * so they better come through.
 

SpokkX

Member
Yeah that does seem overpriced , it's roughly £1,000 on Amazon US right now for the 65".


That's the promise, they advertise it on the current models with an * so they better come through.
Which ones has VRR right now? None of them?!
 

Kuranghi

Member
Which ones has VRR right now? None of them?!

They probably want to wait until bugs are ironed out (gamma raised in VRR when used with other 2.1 spec features) but its most likely because the mediatek chipset they is not made by them so they don't control what spec it has, LG (and Samsung? I'm not sure) make theirs in-house apparently so they had it much earlier.

Are you waiting to buy a Sony with it for use with PC/Xbox?
 

SpokkX

Member
They probably want to wait until bugs are ironed out (gamma raised in VRR when used with other 2.1 spec features) but its most likely because the mediatek chipset they is not made by them so they don't control what spec it has, LG (and Samsung? I'm not sure) make theirs in-house apparently so they had it much earlier.

Are you waiting to buy a Sony with it for use with PC/Xbox?
Looking at a secondary tv for ps5 and figured i would go for sony

have a nice new samsung for series x and VRR is the best tv feature i have ever experienced - framedrops are pretty much invisible..

so really want a VRR set. i know ps5 does not support it yet - i am however a bit chocked their tv:s dont eithe??! frankly that makes me a bit hesistant. Are we even sure VRR support is coming? I thougt this was a basic hdmi 2.1 feature…
 

Bojanglez

The Amiga Brotherhood
Looking at a secondary tv for ps5 and figured i would go for sony

have a nice new samsung for series x and VRR is the best tv feature i have ever experienced - framedrops are pretty much invisible..

so really want a VRR set. i know ps5 does not support it yet - i am however a bit chocked their tv:s dont eithe??! frankly that makes me a bit hesistant. Are we even sure VRR support is coming? I thougt this was a basic hdmi 2.1 feature…
I think officially VRR spec for HDMI 2.1 has not been finalised, that's why Sony, Panasonic and TCL have not implemented it yet.

That could just be an excuse and maybe it is just them all waiting on mediatek to sort it out on that chip they all use, but I remember the TCL EU exec saying that it was because the official spec wasn't finalised. LG and Samsung have probably just implemented it based on Freesync and whatever is provisionally defined 🤷‍♂️

Consumers don't care though, they just see a promise that is yet to be fulfilled and are correctly, somewhat sceptical.
 

Kuranghi

Member
So getting a 75" screen up on the wall is a bit harder than a 52" lol but it's up and it looks great.

Did you watch anything on it yet? Try John Wick 3 on it if you can, (on disc preferably) it actually has a 4K DI so its super sharp and clean, plus the film is graded in an ultra contrasty way so it looks nice as a screen demo. Specifically jump to the part with Lawrence Fishburne on the roof in the rain with an umbrella in the first third, it looks freaking amazing, you can see every tiny pock on his face and the depth of the image in general is crazy.
 

Kilau

Gold Member
Did you watch anything on it yet? Try John Wick 3 on it if you can, (on disc preferably) it actually has a 4K DI so its super sharp and clean, plus the film is graded in an ultra contrasty way so it looks nice as a screen demo. Specifically jump to the part with Lawrence Fishburne on the roof in the rain with an umbrella in the first third, it looks freaking amazing, you can see every tiny pock on his face and the depth of the image in general is crazy.
Nope haven't watched anything yet really. Was up past 1am getting cables sorted and setting up the apps, PS5, XSX.

I haven't seen any John Wick movies yet but i'll check them out for sure. I have a few 4k blu-rays i've been saving for a new TV, can't wait.
 

dotnotbot

Member
They are not smart as Philips who use a customised MT9950 while Sony uses a shitty MT5895. Have fun waiting for the VRR and gaming features updates.

So it turns out that (despite all the leaks) Philips is using exact same Mediatek SOC this year - MT5895.

Lack of VRR on Sony TVs isn't Mediatek's fault though - both Panasonic and Philips support it out of box, for 60 Hz and under at least.
 
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DeepEnigma

Gold Member
So it turns out that (despite all the leaks) Philips is using exact same Mediatek SOC this year - MT5895.

Lack of VRR isn't Mediatek's fault though - both Panasonic and Philips support it out of box, for 60 Hz and under at least.
VRR is held up by Sony waiting on the 2.1 council to certify the standard. This has been said from a Sony TV rep on a vidcast and posted in this thread.

This is how Sony has always gone about things due to their motion picture ties.
 
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