Fresh off reviewing Sony’s 2022 flagship model, the A95K, I got to see most of its 2023 range and spend an extended amount of time with the mid-tier A80L which is fairly representative of the entire range.
SONY’S 2023 TV RANGE
Sony’s premium 2023 range is mainly made up of three sets all which feature the XR processor.
- X90L 4K LED: Successor to Sony’s most successful TV. It once again has a full 4K Full Array Display. It comes in sizes ranging from 55″ to a whopping 98″ edition. The 55″ ($2,495) and 65″ ($2,995) are currently available with other sizes dropping soon.
- A80L 4K OLED: The mid-tier OLED TV. It comes in sizes ranging from 55″ to a whopping 83″. The 55″ ($3,495) and 65″ ($4,495) are available now with other sizes dropping soon.
- A95L 4K QD-OLED: Sony’s 2023 flagship. It’s going to be brighter than last year’s A95K by a big margin, and it’s out later this year (we didn’t get to see this one just yet)
@shannongrixti 2023 Sony TVs have added a new game menu #Sony #PS5 #SonyBravia #OLED #OLEDTV #gamingontiktok #TV
Sony is also keeping two sets from 2022 in its line-up, so it’s important to note that these two sets won’t get the new features that I talk about beyond this point. The X95 4K Mini LED will be kept in 75″ and 85″ variations and the A90K OLED will be kept as a smaller 42″ and 48″ option. Other non XR options include the X80L which comes in 55″ and 65″ options at this time.
Let’s talk about what is new particularly in the XR models (X90L/A80L/A95L)
GAME MENU
Following in the foot steps of other manufacturers like Samsung and LG, Sony has finally added its own game menu its 2023 TVs. Whilst it’s not robust of some of the others we’ve seen, it does its job fairly well with pressing the menu button whilst in game mode bringing up a menu that displays options such as VRR, black equaliser, motion blur reduction, a crosshair with other features such as adjusting the screen size and multiview coming later this year on the A95L.
One big omission is a frame rate counter which is found on other game menu/game bars and is a feature that I like to use. Still though, if you’re a PS5 owner, having a Sony TV goes a long way with it automatically calibrating your HDR and being able to switch between game mode and regular mode by detecting a PS5 connected. The A95L will also have Dolby Vision for gaming and special FPS and RTS game modes.
Somewhat of a bummer, but not really a surprise is the fact that all of the 2023 TV line still feature only two HDMI 2.1 ports. It’s not the end of the world, but if you are connecting a PS5, Xbox Series X and and eArc soundbar, something will have to give and you’ll have to give up on one of those being connected to its optimal port.
ECO DASHBOARD
Not necessarily a sexy feature, but saving power is becoming important for emission reasons but also as any monetary savings that a household can have at the moment are absolutely appreciated.
The Eco dashboard sits in your dash and allows you to control power saving settings such as how long it’ll take before your TV auto turns off, or automatically turn on auti power saving mode when it doesn’t detect you in the room, or the ability to use a sensor in your TV to detect how bright your TV should be based on the brightness.
BRAVIA CORE STREAMING
I believe Bravia Core was introduced last year, but it’s very clear that Sony is making it a big part of its marketing strategy now.
Bravia Core is the company’s very own streaming app and there’s definitively some great benefits in using it and also a few little quirks. Firstly, you get 24 months of Bravia Core free with the purchase of any 2023 XR TV for use with Sony’s back catalogue of movies, and 10 credits to redeem on fast-tracked Sony movies that hit the service roughly six weeks after they’ve been in the cinemas.
On paper, you’d want to be using Bravia Core because of something called Pure Stream. With company’s such as Netflix limiting bitrate to 15-25 Mbps (this was well documented throughout Covid), Sony says that on its Bravia Core app, it offers an 80 Mbps bit rate which should allow for a much higher quality streaming if your internet allows for it.
If I’m being honest, during my time with the A80L, I didn’t notice a huge, huge difference (aside from the A80L itself looking fantastic), but it’s also worth mentioning that the internet wasn’t great.
There’s also a load of IMAX enhanced movies on Bravia Core, which utilise a taller aspect ratio to make use of most of the screen with minimal black bars, and this is absolutely recommended to be used.
Not something to think about right now, but beyond that two years of free inclusion of Bravia Core, there is no way to get access to that back catalogue of movies at the time of writing, but you’ll be able to activate the movies you unlock with credits on your Bravia Core app on a Sony TV.
SONY IS GOING BIG ON SOUND
Another huge emphasis on its 2023 TV line is around sound. Firstly, Sony realised that as nice as the A95K design was from a stand point of view, it wasn’t practical if you were using even a Sony soundbar, with there being literally no space between the TV bezel and your entertainment unit. This has been rectified with all XR 2023 models with them all having a seperate lower profile mode and also the ability to be raised for a soundbar, which is a really good thing because all of Sony’s new soundbars sounded fantastic.
What I really like about the range is that it’s really grab and go, so you can buy any of the soundbars on their own, add one of the subs, and then add surrounds after that, and really pick and choose based on what you can afford. I was also super impressed by the SA-RS5 wireless rear speakers, which is something I haven’t seen before. They’re Dolby Atmos speakers that last 10 hours on battery so that they can be placed anywhere, and then charged again after using.
The A80L OLED also features Acoustic Surface Audio+ which is basically the entire TV panel being used as a speaker through vibration to better match the image on screen. Sony has also taken a leaf out of Samsung’s Q Symphony book with its Acoustic Center Sync feature which syncs its soundbar with the TV in order to utilise all channels and give an even greater effect.
It has one core difference though in the sense that it uses a seperate cord in addition to HDMI to ensure that the sound is really synced up, this is a good thing as we’ve seen syncing soundbars and TV go badly when it doesn’t line up perfectly.
If you’re wanting the best of the best for sound, you’d go with the 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos HT-A7000 for $1,595, the SA-SW5 Subwoofer for $895 and the SA-RS5 wireless surrounds for $849.
IT’S A GOOD YEAR FOR SONY
Really though, it’s a good year for Sony and all TVs. The A80L OLED that I spent the day with was really solid both in terms of picture quality and performance, but all eyes will be on the QD-OLED A95L later this year as will apparently be a good amount brighter than the A95K that released late last year.
It’s good to see hardware and software really coming together in new and innovative ways, and Sony finally leaning into its dominance in the gaming space with the PS5 to bring more and more beneficial features to its TV range.
