WIDE ANGLE

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Sony’s new Master Series UHDTVS were designed with “input from the creative community,” and bring a quality level that “approaches a professional monitor in post-production.” Both the A9F OLED and Z9F LCD models use a new X1 Ultimate picture processor with object-based HDR Remaster and Super Resolution. They also feature a Netflix Calibrated mode developed jointly with the company that’s said to deliver optimal picture quality when viewing Netflix’s original programs.

Available in 55- and 65-inch screen sizes ($4,500 and $5,500, respectively), the A9F OLED models feature Acoustic Surface Audio+, which improves on the built-in capability of Sony’s previous A1E series OLEDS through the use of an additional audio actuator at the screen’s center plus a second subwoofer channel for 3.2-channel sound. There’s also a center-speaker option that lets you use the TV’S audio system as a dedicated center-channel speaker in a full surround-sound setup.

Similar to the company’s previous top-of-line Z9D series LCD UHDTVS, the new Z9F models, which will be available in 65- and 75-inch screen sizes ($4,500 and $7,000, respectively), feature a full-array LED backlight and Triluminos extendedcolor display. The Z9F’S X-wide Angle feature incorporates a new optical design that dramatically improves color fidelity at off-axis viewing angles—a traditional Achilles’ heel of LCD display tech. (See the above picture taken at a recent Sony event for an example of X-wide Angle in action.) Another feature, X-motion Clarity, effectively reduces motion blur without brightness reduction by blinking the set’s local dimming backlight on a zone-by-zone basis.