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

Bo_Hazem

Banned
Definitely, didn't mean to sound so combative in my post btw, sorry about that. I'm looking forward to the 11th as well.

Bo_Hazem Bo_Hazem How about we do a CES watch party on http://cytu.be? I already have a channel set up we can use. It syncs a youtube or google drive video for everyone so we all see it at the same time and if we have to pause or go back it will sync that for everyone too.

Sounds great but not buying a TV any time soon, probably by late 2021.
 

Bo_Hazem

Banned
so all the other tv manufactures are using uncertified vrr? i had heard about what you said before but people will say "vrr has been around for a long time" didn't know the HDMi forum was seeking certification.

What's funnier is that most HDMI 2.1 cables aren't certified, the first in the world was only like 1 month ago:





Seems like Sony is more interested in paperwork than others, that's why their HDMI 2.1 capable cable shipped with the PS5 is referred to as "HDMI" only, same with the X900H ports.
 
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Bo_Hazem

Banned
X85J may be an HDMI 2.1 option for people on a budget. And in smaller sizes too, though they'll probably be edge lit. Hopefully they're not IPS.

That is an interesting TV indeed! It's the smallest HDMI 2.1 TV yet, with 43", but it's edge lit:


General specs
Year2021
DesignFlat
Sizes43", 50", 55", 65", 75", 85" (USA)
43", 50", 55", 65", 75", 85" (Europe)
Alternative model namesX89J
Marketing name
Special featuresAmbient Optimization
TunersATSC 1.0 (USA)
DVB-T2/S2/C (Europe)
- recorder
- twin tuner
WiFi(WiFi 5 – 802.11ac)
Bluetooth
Wall mountable(VESA compatible)
USB ports2
Picture
Display technologyLCD
- backlightEdge LED
- panel type
- frequency (Hz)100/120 Hz
Resolution4K
Video processorX1
HDMI standardHDMI 2.1
- number of HDMI4 (2x HDMI 2.1)
- HDMI VRR / FreeSync / G-Sync(with update) / /
- ALLM
- QMS
- HFR
3D
 

Bo_Hazem

Banned
I wouldn’t bother waiting for microled, that’s a far future tech for consumer products. I’d say a decade at least. It first needs to get much more dense to give at least 4k at reasonable sizes. It just doesn’t scale.

I think by then OLED might mature and have better cooling systems and reach near-burn-in-free state.
 

MistBreeze

Member
actually I was disappointed with sony new lineup

but after seeing samsung more than 1000 zones mini led will be to 8k TVs which are all are more expensive than oled
and the rest 4k TVs will be around 100 and 200 zones for top of the line 4k tv sets

and after knowing lg mini led TVs will be worthless IPS panels

I say sony TVs are great specially with sony top of the line processing and motion and HDR which is not overblown like samsung

mini led ill be more expensive than oled

and I think oled will be better deal to buy this year for anyone who wants to buy new tv
 
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REDRZA MWS

Member
Still a massive shame that only 2 ports on all these TVs are HDMI 2.1. Maybe this year we will have better AV receivers with more HDMI 2.1. capabilities to make it less of an issue.
All 4 ports on my LG GX are HDMI 2.1.

Would be nice if Sony would update the PS5 system software to support VRR already. Ridiculous.

Lastly, I can’t wait to see had the input lag/response time numbers are on these 2021 Sony sets.
 

Bo_Hazem

Banned
I am very happy with my X900H it does what I need it to do and very happy with its picture.

Yup, people need to see real tv's and not fall for spec sheets. Only thing held me back is spending $5,000 on Sony a7S III + 1 lens and essentials and the 120Hz blur. Now aiming for X95J or the OLED's A90J/A80J if both are cooled and less burn-in prone with good motion handling.
 

Moogle11

Banned
If you are using eARC though then its to connect a soundbar or receiver so you'd be putting the devices through the sound system and not using the TV ports at all, it would all go into HDMI 3. The exception is a soundbar with only one input and one (ARC) output, which I know do exist, like the Sony XF9000 soundbar, but at that point I'd just use a switch and strap it to the back of the soundbar or TV, but then you have wall-mounting messing things up haha.

Its very annoying for people like us, they should have 4 full ports and you don't need to mess around, but I do get it from a money saving perspective because it really doesn't apply to a large amount of the buyers of the sets, less than 1% maybe.
The other problem is last I checked the few receivers with HDMI 2.1 were expensive and all having various issues and there weren’t any HDMI 2.1 auto switchers yet.

It’s not an issue for me currently as I don’t use eArc (receiver is old so just use optical audio out to the receiver for audio for my 4k devices that are plugged into the TV) so I’m good for my PS5 and XSX currently. Will be an issue down the road whenever I get a third device that needs 2.1. Hopefully there will be auto switchers by then fir a reasonable price.

I’m still very happy with the X900h in any case. It’s a non issue for me now and will be solved with a switcher when it becomes an issue I’m sure. I honestly don’t really care much about the 2.1 features anyway. 120fps isn’t a big deal to me as someone who is fine with 30 and often opts for quality mode over 60fps even, ALLM is moot as I play in game mode with all enhancement crap turned off anyway, VRR isn’t enabled yet but I’ve never noticed much screen tearing in console games anyway and am not sensitive to judder. I mostly just bought it as it was the best name brand 65” TV I could find for under $1k.
 
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HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
Yup, people need to see real tv's and not fall for spec sheets. Only thing held me back is spending $5,000 on Sony a7S III + 1 lens and essentials and the 120Hz blur. Now aiming for X95J or the OLED's A90J/A80J if both are cooled and less burn-in prone with good motion handling.

Every year tech gets better. I knew going in buying this X900H the '21 models would likely be better.

Guess what the '22 models will likely be better then the '21s coming out.

Can always play the waiting game on whats coming next.

If I were looking at TVs this very moment sure might wait and see but I jumped on this 900H when it first launched and quite pleased with it.
 

Bo_Hazem

Banned
Every year tech gets better. I knew going in buying this X900H the '21 models would likely be better.

Guess what the '22 models will likely be better then the '21s coming out.

Can always play the waiting game on whats coming next.

If I were looking at TVs this very moment sure might wait and see but I jumped on this 900H when it first launched and quite pleased with it.

Getting the X95J though because I might need 4K@120Hz for my upcoming Sony a7S III videos at least. Need it at the best possible or I'll stick with 60Hz. Upgrading later with PS5 Pro and HDMI 2.5-3.0 to 8K.
 
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Barneyco

Member
I just saw a video on youtube that says Sony is no longer putting VRR on their x900h sets. They've been promising it for awhile and guess they gave up. That's pretty crappy business if this is true. It was a stop the FOMO video if anyone is interested.
 

Bojanglez

The Amiga Brotherhood
All 4 ports on my LG GX are HDMI 2.1.

Would be nice if Sony would update the PS5 system software to support VRR already. Ridiculous.

Lastly, I can’t wait to see had the input lag/response time numbers are on these 2021 Sony sets.
Yeah this is why I discarded getting a Sony at the end of last year and was going to get an LG CX. It looks like LG might still be the way to go.
 

Moogle11

Banned
Every year tech gets better. I knew going in buying this X900H the '21 models would likely be better.

Guess what the '22 models will likely be better then the '21s coming out.

Can always play the waiting game on whats coming next.

If I were looking at TVs this very moment sure might wait and see but I jumped on this 900H when it first launched and quite pleased with it.
Yep.

I just needed to finally take the 4K and HDR plunge, and upgrade from a 55" to a 65", for the next gen consoles. As I said above, I don't really care about the 2.1 features so I wasn't willing to wait another year. Especially when a lot of my use of the next gen consoles so far, and likely for a lot of 2021, is enjoying last gen games and cross gen games in 4K and HDR with better performance.
 
Best in the market

I love my LG OLED 65" TV, and will be buying the 85" one a year after release when prices drop by half. But just because LG makes all the OLED panels, doesn't make it the "best in the market." Sony's CPU is #1, and cannot be beaten, which is why Sony's OLED is always a premium over everyone else. Panasonic is the leader in professional grade models, with tech in their OLED monitors that allows for a higher peek brightness than any other OLED TVs/Monitors, a technology that Sony is only now adopting for their high-end TV/monitors this year.
 
I love my LG OLED 65" TV, and will be buying the 85" one a year after release when prices drop by half. But just because LG makes all the OLED panels, doesn't make it the "best in the market." Sony's CPU is #1, and cannot be beaten, which is why Sony's OLED is always a premium over everyone else. Panasonic is the leader in professional grade models, with tech in their OLED monitors that allows for a higher peek brightness than any other OLED TVs/Monitors, a technology that Sony is only now adopting for their high-end TV/monitors this year.
I really wish Panasonic would sell their TVs in the States again. They came to Canada recently I think so maybe they will sell well and come back.
 

Futurematic

Member
I really wish Panasonic would sell their TVs in the States again. They came to Canada recently I think so maybe they will sell well and come back.
I was looking for a Panasonic but no decent deals on modern ones in Canada and spotty availability—hopefully next time I need a TV they’re around. But I was time limited, needed a TV for the PS5 since I got by on a 1080p 27” monitor for my year ago dead PS4.

I’m sure the new OLEDs are better than my A8H, but two grand Canadian w/tax was a fantastic deal and I didn’t want another year to play games again lol. Seeing all these HDMI 2.1 problems for the only feature I mildly cared about—VRR—makes me feel fine and dandy lol. (Head to head in the store with my content and settings decided Sony over LG, the picture was just plain better)
 

Kerotan

Member
Every year tech gets better. I knew going in buying this X900H the '21 models would likely be better.

Guess what the '22 models will likely be better then the '21s coming out.

Can always play the waiting game on whats coming next.

If I were looking at TVs this very moment sure might wait and see but I jumped on this 900H when it first launched and quite pleased with it.
Not always. It's a generational thing. Like the quality of the picture on the X900H is pretty much the same as the X900E. And they're like 4 years apart.
 

Bo_Hazem

Banned
Any sign of top emission panels becoming a thing?

Panasonic started it and reached 1,000 nits, Sony seems to have something similar as well now. Some other reports suggest the same from LG. They could be all reusing the Panasonic solution if it's patented.
 

Bo_Hazem

Banned
What were they hitting previously

CX seemed to reach near 750-800 nits yet with aggressive push back by the system that could make whites look gray-ish in HDR to avoid burn-in. So with better cooling and less gimmicky thin screens we should see a more consistent peak brightness and with less image retention/burn in and other problems with screen uniformity.
 

Kerotan

Member
CX seemed to reach near 750-800 nits yet with aggressive push back by the system that could make whites look gray-ish in HDR to avoid burn-in. So with better cooling and less gimmicky thin screens we should see a more consistent peak brightness and with less image retention/burn in and other problems with screen uniformity.
Thats a nice little bump.
 
They look nice. I got Sony A85 (A8H) oled from sale on december and it is really good for movies, series and gaming

While hdmi 2.1 features (VRR + 4k120) add some benefits, I would argue that they are kind of gimmicks on consoles.

VRR = most games are targeted to have locked 30/60 fps anyway, and few dropped frames here and there are nothing to care about

4k120 = 120Hz is useless gimmick that wastes limited resources, not many games will use it and 1080p/120Hz is smarter choise anyway if it means better visuals. But 4k/60 or 1080p/60 is more than enough for consoles. For PC I get the minor benefits.

eARC = useful, and 2020 Sony models have it

ALLM = Sony have their own implementation for PS5, which should switch between game - movie modes, and it is not a big hassle to do it manually anyway

Console games have been enjoyable for +40 years on TVs so these features arent essential.

Just saying if someone sees 2020 TV on good sale and it doesnt have hdmi 2.1 = I would not pay hundreds more for those features, if 2020 model is 1000€ and 2021 model is 1600€, it's not worth it. If prices are almost the same = then I would pay the extra for new XR + panel upgrades
 

Bo_Hazem

Banned
What?! I just bought this TV under the promise of "ps5 ready" They said they would update the tv to support VRR, is this official? I am super mad right now.

You may check this out and follow it, should give you a better insight into the matter:

 
It's a more accurate, frame by frame, original form of DV. The other one is faster and less computationally intense but less accurate.
Is that the actual name? I googled it and couldn't find much.
I have an LG C8. Do you know which version of DV that supports?
 
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Mega_Deth

Member
Is that the actual name? I googled it and couldn't find much.
I have an LG C8. Do you know which version of DV that supports?

Not the actual name. It is usually referred to as regular Dolby, TV-led or display-led Dolby Vision. The inferior method is referred to as low-latency Dolby Vision(LLDV). It's not always easy to tell which method your TV uses, some even offer both. Best to ask on a forum like Rtings.
 
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Bo_Hazem

Banned
Is that the actual name? I googled it and couldn't find much.
I have an LG C8. Do you know which version of DV that supports?

Not sure, really. But I think C9+ uses the fat one. I think C8 and HDMI 2.0 still can manage that at 4K@24Hz for movies, where it matters.

It's that Sony used to use that half-baked Dolby Vision and the processor and algorithms compensate for it. First Sony tv to have it is X900H, and has a dedicated mode from the options as well for HDMI. I think it's more related to Bluray movies? Not sure about streamable content.
 

iamvin22

Industry Verified
What?! I just bought this TV under the promise of "ps5 ready" They said they would update the tv to support VRR, is this official? I am super mad right now.
Based on their own website yes. Customer service yes. Rtings and Vincent have reached out to Sony immediately about this but because of ces going on they haven't been able to reach their contacts.

If I were you I would get in contact with your purchaser and explain what's going on. Amazon gave me a week to figure out what I want to do
 

BuffNTuff

Banned
Some of us don’t buy new TVs every 2-3 years and don’t want OLED for burn in for that reason. I’m still using a Panasonic TC-L37DT30. One of these Sony LCDs should be able to bridge the gap for me until microLED is ready.
There’s so many better options though.

These Sony LCDs with extremely low dimming zones are so bottlenecked they’re barely better than Vizio LCDs from 4-5 years ago.

Hell, even a 2020 Vizio destroys these TVs... 65 inch with like 400 dimming zones and 2500 nits brightness with hdr 10, hlg, hdr10+, Dolby vision, 120 hz, full hdmi 2.1.... and cheaper than the Sony to boot. Hell even the Roku tcls have mini led with like a thousand zones for less than the sony LCDs.

If you’re looking for a stop gap tv there’s way way better options than Sony. Sony’s business model for their LCDs is to just have huge profit margins capitalizing on their brand name, they haven’t upgraded their panel tech in mainstream lines for years now, aside from flagships like the z series - and even that line has been a regression since 2016. Let me say that again, since TWENTY SIX TEEN
 
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HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
There’s so many better options though.

These Sony LCDs with extremely low dimming zones are so bottlenecked they’re barely better than Vizio LCDs from 4-5 years ago.

Hell, even a 2020 Vizio destroys these TVs... 65 inch with like 400 dimming zones and 2500 nits brightness with hdr 10, hlg, hdr10+, Dolby vision, 120 hz, full hdmi 2.1.... and cheaper than the Sony to boot. Hell even the Roku tcls have mini led with like a thousand zones for less than the sony LCDs.

If you’re looking for a stop gap tv there’s way way better options than Sony.

I have had a couple of Vizios and they both failed on me within a few years but maybe the newer ones are better quality.

Still yet after having a 65" 1080p and a 4K that failed it makes me never wanting to try them again.

Look forward though to seeing the new lineup of all TVs as I do wish my TV was much brighter as my room has a ton of natural light
 
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