The Bravia 9 additionally affords new “Calibration” modes for Amazon Prime and Netflix. The Amazon model makes some fascinating adjustments for various programming, although the Netflix model appeared to principally simply mirror the dimmer Dolby Imaginative and prescient Darkish image mode within the HDR content material I watched.
Principally Strong Digs
The TV is fairly nicely stocked on the function entrance, beginning with audio that rises above the gang. This is likely one of the few TVs the place I don’t thoughts reducing my audio system (with the A95L being one other prime instance). Sound is usually full and clear with out getting tremendous tinny. There’s some noticeable soundstage motion, and even results like explosions come out all proper.
I believed Sony’s new Voice Zoom 3 dialog booster was principally advertising hype, however it works fairly nicely. At one level, I passively heard the whole story of a Sylvester Stallone anecdote in Guardians of the Galaxy Quantity 2 which I’d missed in about 7,000 earlier viewings, together with with soundbars and audio system. Dialog remained principally clear and out entrance over a number of days, even when issues received chaotic.
As anticipated, you may get the most recent gaming options, together with help for ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and VRR (Variable Refresh Price) at as much as 120 Hz through HDMI 2.1. There’s a devoted gaming mode for fast changes and PS5 optimization options like Auto HDR Tone Mapping and Auto Style Image Mode. I’m no aggressive gamer, and a few have famous that the TV’s enter response is comparatively excessive for its worth, however I adored taking part in my favourite RPGs. The shading, the colours, and the general brightness introduced the perfect out of video games like God of Struggle Ragnarok.
It is irritating that Sony continues to supply HDMI 2.1 help throughout solely two of the TV’s 4 inputs, in contrast to most TVs at this degree (and under)—particularly since a type of is for eARC the place you’ll probably join a soundbar or receiver. The TV’s nice sound means some might not add an audio machine, however the potential must swap cables for a number of consoles is foolish at this worth.
The Bravia 9 additionally omits one of many two important dynamic HDR codecs, HDR10+, providing solely Dolby Imaginative and prescient. In case you can solely choose one, I’d take the extra frequent DV each time however it’d be good to get each as you’ll discover in midrange fashions from TCL and Hisense. That’s surprisingly frequent proper now; LG and Panasonic TVs do not help HDR10+, whereas Samsung received’t pay for Dolby Imaginative and prescient.
Sony is extra inclusive on the audio facet, providing each DTS:X and Dolby Atmos help. Different notable Bravia 9 options embody AirPlay 2 and Chromecast streaming, and Google Voice search through the distant’s built-in microphone.
Sensibly Surreal
The Bravia 9 is an unadulterated brightness powerhouse. But, with Sony’s measured hand on the wheel, it doles out its energy judiciously, offering subtlety the place warranted and dazzlement when the second strikes. Using a brand new proprietary system that dims its backlighting with spectacular accuracy, this TV is much less a blunt power weapon as a mini LED laser beam, placing with white-hot precision. The result’s fabulous distinction combined with next-gen brightness for severe thrills.
Coaching the Bravia 9’s fireplace on considered one of my go-to check movies, Moana, felt like proof of idea for a backlighting system some have clocked at practically 3,000 nits peak brightness (or round double many OLED TVs). I’ve famous earlier than how lifelike the movie’s Polynesian solar and surf can look with the finest TVs, however right here issues pushed into the surreal. The solar blazed to close eye-squinting ranges which, when combined with the TV’s quantum dot colours and the stark readability of Sony’s processing, gave me an virtually hallucinatory sensation that I used to be truly on the seaside with Moana and Maui. Different scenes just like the glittering golden crab or the molten lava monster rose to exhilarating new heights as the sunshine appeared to almost bore by the panel.
