The Sony way is up
The firm has given its 2021 flagship OLED some fancy feet, a slick processor and a new smart TV platform… and priced it well above most of the competition
£2699 / stuff.tv/a90j
There’s nothing groundbreaking about what Sony’s trying to do with its new XR-A90J range of 4K HDR OLED tellies.
Like every other TV maker that takes things seriously, it’s shooting for great picture quality, an intuitive smart TV portal, sound the right side of ugly, a bit of style and a solid build. Looks simple, doesn’t it?
But this is a competitive market and getting more cut-throat all the time. So can Sony possibly meet all those criteria to the point that the XR-55A90J justifies its hefty asking price?
The 55in version we’re testing can be yours for £2699. Yes, that is expensive for a set this size. But from the panel itself, via the picture-processing engine to the height-adjustable feet, this TV is the result of rigorous thinking and engineering.
Only problem is, they were thinking so hard that somebody forgot to add the UK catch-up services. No, we’re not kidding.
2
Bassline chunky
Physically, it’s one of those ‘slim yet not slim’ OLEDS we’re still a little disappointed by (1). There’s a brief portion that’s 6mm deep, but the majority of the chassis is a much less exciting 41mm thick in order to house the electronics, the inputs and two rear-firing low-frequency speakers.
Feet surrender
If the depth deters you from hanging it on the wall, at least its feet earn their keep. In their first position (2), the bottom of the screen is mere nanometres from the surface it’s standing on, while in position two they raise it high enough to accommodate a soundbar.
Screen and shout
Sony has tried hard to eradicate the need for a soundbar, though. Those rear-firing drivers support its Acoustic Surface Audio+ tech, which turns the screen surface into a speaker (3). Sony has even added speaker connections so it can be used as a surround-sound centre channel.
I lost my heart to XR chip, super The latest XR picture-processing engine takes the AI capabilities of the old X1 and adds ‘cognitive intelligence’. This combines AI analysis of picture performance with more in-depth inspection across multiple zones. So the chip responds to depth of field, detail, colour and contrast (4).
My friend Goog
Google TV is clean, logical and much less pushy than Android
TV; and while its recommendation algorithms need finessing, it’s more usable overall. Sony’s exclusive Bravia Core streaming service features too, which is a genuine plus: content is extensive and super-high-quality.