The Bravia 9 additionally provides 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 Stable Digs
The TV is fairly effectively stocked on the characteristic entrance, beginning with audio that rises above the gang. This is likely one of the few TVs the place I don’t thoughts slicing my audio system (with the A95L being one other prime instance). Sound is mostly 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 and marketing hype, but it surely works fairly effectively. At one level, I passively heard all the 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 obtained chaotic.
As anticipated, you will 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 by way of 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 enjoying my favourite RPGs. The shading, the colours, and the general brightness introduced the most effective out of video games like God of Battle 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 beneath)—particularly since a type of is for eARC where you’ll likely connect a soundbar or receiver. The TV’s nice sound means some could not add an audio system, however the potential have to 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 the event you can solely choose one, I’d take the extra widespread DV each time but it surely’d be good to get each as you’ll discover in midrange fashions from TCL and Hisense. That’s surprisingly widespread proper now; LG and Panasonic TVs do not help HDR10+, whereas Samsung gained’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 embrace AirPlay 2 and Chromecast streaming, and Google Voice search by way of 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, putting with white-hot precision. The result’s fabulous distinction blended with next-gen brightness for severe thrills.
Coaching the Bravia 9’s hearth on one in all my go-to take a look at movies, Moana, felt like proof of idea for a backlighting system some have clocked at almost 3,000 nits peak brightness (or round double many OLED TVs). I’ve famous earlier than how sensible the movie’s Polynesian solar and surf can look with the best TVs, however right here issues pushed into the surreal. The solar blazed to close eye-squinting ranges which, when blended with the TV’s quantum dot colors and the stark readability of Sony’s processing, gave me an virtually hallucinatory sensation that I used to be truly on the seashore 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.
