Sony Bravia 9 TV review: Can LED screens get even better?

The Bravia 9 also features new “calibration” modes for Amazon Prime and Netflix. The Amazon version has some interesting tweaks for different programming, though the Netflix version mostly showed the dimmer Dolby Vision dark picture mode for the HDR content I watched.

Mostly solid excavation

The TV has a lot to offer in terms of features, starting with audio that stands out from the crowd. This is one of the few TVs where I don’t mind turning off my audio system (the A95L is another great example). Sound is generally full and clear, without being too thin. There is some noticeable movement in the soundstage, and even effects like explosions come across well.

I thought Sony’s new Voice Zoom 3 dialogue booster was mostly marketing hype, but it works pretty well. Once, I passively listened to an entire Sylvester Stallone anecdote. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 Which I’ve missed the past 7,000 times, including with the soundbar and speakers included. For several days, dialogue remained mostly clear and up front, even when things got chaotic.

As expected, you’ll get the latest gaming features, including support for ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) up to 120 Hz via HDMI 2.1. Quick adjustments and ps5 Optimization features like Auto HDR tone mapping and Auto Genre picture modes. I’m not a competitive gamer, and some have noted that the TV’s input response is relatively high for its price, but I loved playing my favorite RPGs. Shading, color, and overall brightness brought out the best from games like god of war ragnarok,

It’s disappointing that Sony continues to offer HDMI 2.1 support in only two of the TV’s four inputs, unlike most TVs at this level (and below) – especially since one of them eARC where you’ll likely connect the soundbar Or receiver. The TV’s great sound means some people can’t add audio devices, but the potential need to change cables for multiple consoles is silly at this price.

The Bravia 9 also doesn’t have one of the two main dynamic HDR formats, HDR10+, offering only Dolby Vision. If you could only choose one, I’d choose the more common DV every time, but it’s nice to have both as you’ll find them in midrange models from TCL and Hisense. This is surprisingly common right now; LG and Panasonic TVs don’t support HDR10+, while Samsung won’t pay for Dolby Vision.

Sony is more inclusive with audio, offering support for both DTS:X and Dolby Atmos. Other notable Bravia 9 features include AirPlay 2 and Chromecast streaming, and Google voice search via the remote’s built-in microphone.

Consciously unrealistic

The Bravia 9 is an unrivalled brightness powerhouse. Yet, with Sony’s balanced hand, it distributes its power judiciously, delivering subtlety where needed and dazzle when the time calls for it. Using a new proprietary system that dims its backlighting with impressive accuracy, this TV is less a blunt force weapon than a mini LED laser beam, striking with white-hot precision. The result is brilliant contrast with next-generation brightness for serious thrills.

Training the Bravia 9’s fire on one of my test films, MoanaThe backlighting system feels like a proof of concept, with some clocking in at around 3,000 nits of peak brightness (or about twice as much as many OLED TVs). I’ve mentioned before how realistic the film’s Polynesian sun and surf can look Best TVBut here things took a turn for the unreal. The sunlight was so bright that it made the eyes blink, which combined with the light from the TV made it difficult for the eyes to blink. Quantum dot color And the sheer clarity of Sony’s processing gave me the almost hallucinatory feeling that I was actually on the beach with Moana and Maui. Other scenes such as the glowing golden crab or the molten lava monster reached exhilarating new heights as the light almost pierced through the panel.