Sony’s 2021 TV series manages Google TV and includes HDMI 2.1 in full

Last year’s TV series from Sony drew a bit of criticism because several sets could not benefit from the next generation of game features on the PlayStation 5 that were released in November. Even if you look closely, the proliferation of HDMI 2.1 features is pretty sad. Sony never really acknowledged this as a mistake, because they believed that customers buy TVs for different reasons and that not everyone should tick off every box.

What a difference a year makes.

In 2021, Sony will correct the course: all its premium “Bravia XR” 4K (and yes, 8K) TVs support 4K at 120Hz, VRR (variable refresh rate), ALLM (automatic low latency mode) and eARC. No asterisks or gotchas or promises to add things later with firmware updates.

Besides coming on board with 4K120, Sony is making a big deal about what he calls ‘cognitive intelligence’ in these TVs. Powered by a new Cognitive Processor XR chip, Sony says its new system goes beyond traditional signal processing – for which Sony’s TVs have already excelled – and beyond the artificial intelligence analysis in most TVs. “While conventional artificial intelligence (AI) can only detect and analyze picture elements such as color, contrast and detail individually, the new processor can cross-analyze a variety of elements simultaneously, just as our brain does,” Sony’s press release on TVs . say. “By doing so, each element, in collaboration with each other, is adjusted to its best final result, so that everything is synchronized and lifelike – something that conventional AI can not achieve.”

Sony is also talking about what the XR processor can do for audio. It is claimed that a “Sound-from-Picture Reality” feature aligns the position of the sound with the images on the screen to provide a unique lifelike experience. Samsung has promised similar results for its own 2021 Neo QLED TVs.

The two main series TVs (8K LCD and 4K OLED) have a new sensor to detect the color temperature of the ambient light in your room, and this allows them to automatically adjust the white balance of the TV. (This setting can, of course, be eliminated for your purists.) More importantly, the A90J Master Series OLED also has brighter returns than Sony’s previous OLEDs, thanks to a new aluminum heat shield on the panel. Making OLEDs brighter is a big problem, as it is an important area where LCD sets are still winning.

As one of the earliest TV makers to come on board with Android TV, it seems fitting that Sony will be one of the first to switch to Google TV. All of these TVs offer a software experience very similar to the latest Chromecast: Sony still has its own settings menu settings (and for fast shortcuts like your HDMI input), but everything else – the personalized For You page, recommendations about content, etc. – is basically unchanged from Google’s latest streaming device.

Sony has also focused on small touches, such as adjustable legs that can be adjusted to allow enough space for a sound bar in front of the TV without obstructing the picture. When you get down, you lose some goodies (like an anti-reflective coating, exclusive to the 8K set), but all TVs support Dolby Vision HDR. And again, these would mean that you have to spend for these processes.

Instead of switching to new display technology like Mini LED, Sony seems to be developing its current strategy of local eclipse and repeating the excellent OLED set. The company does not share how many darkening zones its TVs have, or really talks about the brightness of the peak, and believes that the participants depend too much on these numbers.

Prices and specific availability information will be announced this spring.