Sony BRAVIA (2016) Launch


[Tech & Gadgets]

 
Andy Kho and I headed over to the Sony BRAVIA (2016) launch at the Sunway Putra Hotel on 14 April 2016. Sony’s new 4K HDR television series is designed to deliver a greater brightness range and higher contrast, making the best use of 4K HDR (High Dynamic Range) content with its unique backlighting technologies in a slim design. 
As HDR is a growing video standard that greatly expands the range of possible visual expression by reproducing higher brightness, higher contrast and more vibrant colours, Sony expects HDR compatible content and services to become more and more prevalent via Internet video services, TV broadcastings and Ultra HD Blu-ray titles.
Sony’s new X93D series takes picture quality to new heights by delivering the best quality from HDR content. Sony’s new Slim Backlight Drive™ technology with a new grid-array backlighting structure, which was previously only available with full-array backlighting systems, allows X-tended Dynamic Range™ PRO technology to boost peak brightness and black levels more precisely and enhance contrast levels, while maintaining a slim form factor. The 4K Processor X1™ and its precision colour mapping technology allows TRILUMINOS™ Display to reproduce a wider color range with accurate colour details at any brightness level. The X1 also improves the streaming quality of 4K HDR images provided by Internet video services, such as Netflix. 
When hung against a wall, the X93D series sits close to the wall and virtually disappears into it, leaving behind nothing but the picture itself. When the television is set on a TV rack or a cabinet, its clean cable management keeps wires out of view and looks equally elegant when viewed from behind.
This year, Sony is focusing on integrating BRAVIA TVs into the living room setting, with the notion of creating a smart living ecosystem that gives users the freedom to utilize a variety of Sony products with the TVs – by means of enhancing viewer experience. 
 

 
Some of the products that are compatible with the BRAVIA ecosystem include –

PMW-F55 CineAlta 4K Digital Cinema Camera
FDR-AXP55 4K Handycam® with Built-in projector
HT-ST9 & HT-NT5 Sound Bars
A7RM2 & A7SM2 Mirrorless Cameras
Xperia Z5 & Xperia Z5 Premium mobile phones

Each television series also runs on Android TV with Sony’s exclusive user interface. From live TV broadcasting to Internet video services, the seamless user interface Content Bar includes enhanced content navigation along with voice search.         
 

 
2016 BRAVIA® 4K TV Line-up:
X93D Series (55”, 65” Class models) 4K HDR TV
•        HDR compatible to receive and process the new video standard signal with higher brightness, higher contrast and more vibrant colors via Internet video services, HDMI and USB port.
•        Features Slim Backlight Drive with a unique grid-array backlighting structure distributes the backlight source more precisely to each specific zone of the screen, while maintaining a slim display.
•        Features 4K Processor X1 to improve clarity, color accuracy and contrast of HD, 4K and 4K HDR videos.
•        Includes X-tended Dynamic Range PRO to produce our best contrast ever, enhancing HDR and non-HDR content by boosting and dimming the backlight levels precisely for each zone of the screen with a unique backlighting algorithm.
•        Features vibrant, expanded color with TRILUMINOS Display, further enhanced for color accuracy.
•        Uses 4K X-Reality PRO to produce stunning detail with Sony’s unique algorithm of reality creation database for any content, such as TV broadcasting, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Internet video and digital photos.
•        The ultra slim design hangs very close to the wall with a sleek rear design and clean cable management for table top mount.
•        Android TV lets you explore a world of movies, music, photos, games, search, apps and more. Voice Search to find content, ask questions and control your TV. With Google Cast™, you can easily send content from your smartphone or tablet to the TV. With access to Google Play™, you can enjoy what they like to do on a smartphone or tablet, from their TV.
•        Sony’s exclusive Content Bar user interface allows you to comfortably browse content quickly and intuitively without disrupting your TV viewing.
The X93D Series will be available in Malaysia from June 2016 onwards.
 
X85D Series (55”, 65” Class models) 4K HDR TV
•        HDR compatible to receive and process the new video standard signal with higher brightness, higher contrast and more vibrant colors via Internet video services, HDMI and USB port.
•        Features 4K Processor X1 to improve clarity, color accuracy and contrast of HD, 4K and 4K HDR videos.
•        Features vibrant, expanded color with TRILUMINOS Display, further enhanced for colour accuracy.
•        Uses 4K X-Reality PRO to produce stunning detail with Sony’s unique algorithm of reality creation database for any content, such as TV broadcasting, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Internet video and digital photos.
•        The ultra slim design comes with sleek rear design and clean cable management for table top mount.
•        Android TV lets you explore a world of movies, music, photos, games, search, apps and more. Voice Search to find content, ask questions and control your TV. With Google Cast™, you can easily send content from your smartphone or tablet to the TV. With access to Google Play™, you can enjoy what they like to do on a smartphone or tablet, from their TV.
•        Sony’s exclusive Content Bar user inter face allows you to comfortably browse content quickly and intuitively without disrupting your TV viewing.
 
The X85D Series is priced at RM7,499.00 (55”) and RM10,999.00 (65”), and is now available in Malaysia at Sony Stores and selected Sony Centres.
 

 
Sony also introduced a new BRAVIA® LED television series with multiple screen size options from 40” class to 48” class. Sony expands its product line-up with X-Reality PRO which provides stunning details for any content such as TV broadcastings, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Internet video services and digital photos. Every single pixel is up-scaled beautifully by Sony’s exclusive picture processing technology. Individual parts of each scene are analyzed and matched with a special image database. Furthermore, X-Reality PRO reproduces lively colours without sacrificing any brightness, hue or saturation of the original object.
These new BRAVIA televisions are designed with sleek lines and an elegant slim display to complement the home interior and its clean cable management keeps wires out of view when you watch the screen.
The W650D series incorporate Clear Phase audio technology which analyzes and compensates for inaccuracies in the built-in loud speaker’s response, resulting in pure, natural audio with smooth, even reproduction of all frequencies. The series can connect to a wide range of Internet video services such as YouTube and Netflix* wirelessly by using built-in Wi-Fi®. Photo Sharing Plus makes it possible for up to 10 users to share photos and music from their smartphone or tablet wirelessly on the big screen.
The W650D series is priced at RM1,699.00 and is currently available at Sony Stores and Sony Centres in Malaysia.
 
2016 BRAVIA® LED TV Line-up:
W650D Series (40” and 48” Class models) Full HD LED TV
•        Features X-Reality PRO to provide stunning detail with Sony’s unique reality creation database algorithm whether you are viewing a TV broadcastings, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Internet video service or digital photos.
•        The sleek lines and an elegant slim display come with clean cable management to keep wires out of view when you watch the screen.
•        Features Clear Phase audio technology which analyzes and compensates for inaccuracies in the speaker’s response. It does this by ‘sampling’ the speaker’s frequency response with far higher precision than ever before.
•        Supports major Internet video services such as YouTube, Netflix and Opera apps* to enjoy more video content easily with built-in Wi-Fi®.
*Internet video services available vary by country.
•        Features Photo Sharing Plus which allows customer to throw photos* from their smartphone onto the big screen wirelessly, and to share their favorites photos from the TV.
*Android 2.3 and above, and iOS5 and above
•        X-Protection PRO enhances Sony TV’s durability with four protection features to guard against Dust, Lightning, Surge and Humidity.
 
Apart from the new TVs, Sony also previewed a range of other products including cameras, and audio systems.
 

As Andy and I both love cameras, we decided to try taking some shots with the RX10 mk2

 
For more info, head over to http://www.sony.com.my/
 
Photo credit: Andy Kho Photography (www.andykho.com)