Here’s a common problem with a lot of tech; the names. Apple has it locked down; iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max. It’s immediately recognisable what the latest model is and what the most powerful option is. Meanwhile, over in the realm of TVs and Monitors, you get confusing names like the ‘Hisense U7KAU’. What the heck does any of that mean to anyone? Well, Sony has recognised that this approach to names is a hot mess, and has reinvented its model names with the 2024 TV and home theatre lineup. For other companies; take notes (please).
These new names from Sony are smooth like butter, especially compared to last year’s lineup. Names like ‘KD85X80L’ are gone. The new names just roll off the press release. Here’s the TV range (pricing TBA):
- BRAVIA 3 LED
- BRAVIA 7 Mini LED
- BRAVIA 8 OLED
- BRAVIA 9 Mini LED.
The 7 and 3 will be available from May, while the 9 and 8 will be released in July.
Now, those TVs are available in different sizes, with the smallest being 43-inches (for the 3 LED), and the largest being 85-inches (available for the 3 LED, 7 Mini LED, and 9 Mini LED), with size variations across the lineup, but you can very easily tell which TVs are more powerful and what panels they’re packing.
The 9 is the Flagship, and has Mini LED. The 8 is the near-flagship, and has OLED, and so on. It’s just easy.
“Building on the decades of operating at the heart of the professional film production equipment development as well as film production and distribution, Sony is in a unique position that allows it to utilise its unparalleled film industry, professional equipment, and consumer electronics experience with its pioneering BRAVIA TVs and BRAVIA Theatre home audio devices,” head of home entertainment at Sony Australia Kei Tsuru said.
This isn’t a dig at companies like Samsung and Hisense – their TVs are typically very good! It’s just that on the consumer side, it’s so difficult to know what any of these letter and number jumbles actually mean. Even more so, when you’re trying to recite those letters and numbers to a technical support specialist on the phone, or if you’re trying to Google problems and guides specific to your TV. It’s a pain. LG noticed this issue ages ago, and lo and behold (most of) their TVs aren’t just a bunch of letters of numbers.
Meanwhile, the new Sony Bravia TVs are being released alongside an equally renamed home cinema speaker lineup:
- Bravia Theatre Quad: $3,699
- Theatre Bar 9: $1,799
- Theatre Bar 8: $1,499
- Bravia Theatre U: $499.
These new home theatre sound systems will be released in July.
Our impressions of Sony’s 2023 flagship OLED was, not good. The TV made us wish the company had just stayed with LED. Well, across most of the range, it sure seems like the Sony Bravia name is sticking to LED, and incorporating Mini LED across what will likely be its highest-uptake model (the mid-range 7 Mini LED) and the flagship (the 9 Mini LED).
If you’re concerned about Mini LED being able to master darkness like OLED, know that Sony incorporates its own in-house tech called ‘XR Backlight Master Drive’ to control the pixels and pull off better contrast than normal.
Anyway, pricing for Sony’s 2024 TV range is to be announced, but it’ll likely set you back at least almost $2,000 for a 55-inch entry-level model, if last year’s pricing is any indicator. The cheapest option from last year’s range started at $1,799, while a 75-inch option would cost $4,699, and the highest-end option cost $12,299 (83-inch OLED).
Support and sale for existing models is expected to continue through 2024.
Image: Sony, Adult Swim