How to choose the right sony OLED
Whether it's an action-packed movie, keeping pace with the sport or an attempt at beating your game's highest score there's a perfect Sony OLED TV for everyone to enjoy.
With Sony's 2020 line-up featuring the superb A8 and stunning Master Series AG9 models, it's hard to imagine that there's any room left for improvement.
Yet, thanks to Sony's rigorous product research and development programme, 2021's Sony Bravia OLED TV range takes things even further and sets a new benchmark for image quality.
So, if you're in the market for one of Sony's latest OLED TV sets and don't know which one will serve your viewing experience best, this guide will help put you in the picture on what the new Sony Bravia A80J, Sony Bravia A90J and Sony Bravia A9 models will deliver.
Jump To...
- Best for Movies - A90J
- A9 Vs A90J Comparison
- Good for Gaming - A9
- Best for Sports - A80J & A90J
- A9 Vs A80J Comparison
- Best for Larger Rooms - A90J
Which Sony OLED Should I Choose?
Whilst each of Sony's current OLED models offers a superb viewing experience, this section helps you find the best TV for you.
But if you're starting from scratch and unsure which screen size may be best for your room, our guide on How To Find the Best Screen Size for You is worth a read.
Best for Movies - Sony Bravia XR A90J
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Continuing from where the Sony Bravia AG9 left off, the Sony XR A90J comes in a choice of 55", 65" and 83" screen sizes and has some of Sony's best technology to date.
Whilst the outgoing AG9's X1 Ultimate processor delivered justice for picture quality, the Bravia XR Cognitive processor in the A90J takes things to a whole new level with its vast array of image processing features and enhancements. Cognitive processing technology will recognise important things on the screen such as faces or heavy movement and enhance the picture quality in this area of the screen specifically. This all makes for the ultimate cinematic experience from the comfort of your home.
And for further evidence that the A90J is the top OLED for movies, this model has access to Sony's own Bravia Core streaming service, where new blockbusters and classic movies are optimised to appear their very best on both the A80J and A90J.
Here's how the Sony A90J brings the power and the thrill of the cinema into your living room.
Movie Quality Features:✔️ XR OLED Contrast Pro - Unrivaled shade and black levels whilst preserving colour in brighter scenes ✔️ XR Motion Clarity - The A90J stays one step ahead of the action and overcomes distracting motion blur ✔️ XR Colour - The A90J's palette of colours is vivid, yet natural in appearance and rich in detail at all times ✔️ XR 4K Upscaling - Get near 4K quality by upscaling those classic movies recorded in lesser resolutions ✔️ Dolby Vision & Netflix Enhanced - Movies from streaming services are delivered in optimum playback quality. |
Whilst the A90J's stunning visuals make it the ideal choice for the most demanding home cinemas, don't forget that it caters for your audio too.
Like the AG9 series that it replaced, the A90J features Acoustic Surface Audio+ for a 3D surround sound experience from the TV, thanks to integrated audio actuators and two internal subwoofers for immersive bass.
But whilst its internal surround speakers sound great, using the A90J with a soundbar capable of Dolby Atmos sounds even more incredible still, with the Sonos Arc being a popular option for consideration.
VIEW SONOS ARC
For connecting with your various HDR sources, the A90J comes equipped with two of the latest HDMI 2.1 ports and a further pair of HDMI 2.0 ports too. One of these HDMI 2.1 ports doubles up as an eARC which can be used for connecting a soundbar or similar system.
Want to know more about the A90J? If so, check out our review on YouTube, where we put Sony's flagship 4K OLED through its paces.
VIEW SONY XR A90J
AG9 Vs A90J Comparison
| Features | Sony AG9 | Sony A90J |
| Screen Size Selection | 55”, 65", 77" | 55”, 65” & 83” |
| Processor | Sony X1 Ultimate HDR | Sony XR Cognitive Intelligence |
| Smart Platform | Android TV | Google TV |
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Good for Gaming - Sony Bravia A9
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With stunning visuals and exciting content to match, it's easy to see why gamers often opt for OLED screens for the most immersive experience possible when playing their favourite games.
However, it's also worth noting that too large a TV for gaming might not be your first choice if it's going in a secondary room or you're playing content that requires you to focus on the screen as a whole, which is why the Sony Bravia A9 48" OLED display could be your perfect choice for gaming.
Although a 2020 model, here's why the Sony Bravia A9 still scores high with gamers in 2021:✔️ Sony X1 Ultimate - 2020's flagship processor offers object-based rendering to maximise the quality of all objects and images displayed on the screen ✔️ 4K HDR Resolution - Makes the most of the ultra-high quality visuals that game studios create ✔️ HDR Game Mode - Makes light work of overcoming input lag on gaming sources ✔️ X-Wide Angle Viewing - You and your friends get the best view of the screen, regardless of where you're sitting in the room ✔️ Pixel Contrast Booster - maximises the contrast of every colour for more defined detail in scenes with high luminance. |
Is OLED the Best for Gaming?
It's an interesting question given the number of TV variants available. OLED offers the best performance for colour and contrast, with faster image refresh rates than Sony's Full-Array TVs.
To appear their best, games need a display that has the flexibility for reproducing a vast array of colours and contrast gradients in an instant. Plus, fast-paced games require a TV with enough processing power to ensure that there's no distracting motion blur.
If you want to know more about what OLED means for gaming, check out our Top 5 best OLED TVs for Gaming 2021 Blog.
Best for Sports - Sony Bravia A80J
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The summer of 2021 is already hotting up to be a spectacular season of sport, especially given the recent drama of Euro 2020 and the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo.
Available in 55", 65" and 77" screen sizes, the A80J offers a 4K HDR OLED panel suited to all room sizes. But as we all know, there's nothing worse than a TV that struggles to keep up with the action, which is especially evident when a ball travels from one side of the screen to the other on TV sets with slow processors.
Thankfully, the A80J keeps its head in the game with its XR Cognitive processor providing a seamless viewing experience free of motion blur, all thanks to its X-Motion Clarity facilities.
When it comes to choosing a TV that puts you as close to the action as possible, here's why the Sony A80J is the clear winner.
Top Sports Specs:✔️ Bravia Cognitive XR Processor - Will enhance faces or movement on screen to give you the most vivid and true-to-life experience of sports on screen ✔️ XR Motion Clarity - Fast-paced action is smoothed to retain clarity and minimise blur ✔️ X-Wide Viewing Angle - enjoy the same level of picture quality regardless of your seating position, making it ideal for when watching sports with a roomful of friends and family. ✔️ XR OLED Contrast -Boosts screen contrast to give you enhanced detail, allowing you to better pick up details such as players on a pitch or athletes on a track. ✔️ XR Triluminos Pro -Enhances colour on the screen to make images and objects pop and bring the beauty of live sport to life. ✔️ Acoustic Surface Audio + - Pinpoints where sound emanates from on the screen, to give you the full noise of the crowd |
Meanwhile, the A80J's Triluminos Pro colour management system ensures that every colour is reproduced accurately and is free from harmful saturation or distortion of the images on-screen. This proves especially useful for scenes with a lot of the same colour, such as football pitches where lesser TV sets typically struggle to distinguish between varying shades of green.
But if you like the look of the A80J but want even more outstanding results still, then the Sony A90J doubles up as an excellent choice for sports too. The A90J features much the same tech as its A80J sibling but benefits from a more premium panel and even greater contrast control with XR OLED Contrast Pro.
Here's how the new 2021 A80J stacks up against the celebrated 2020 A8, which it replaces.
A8 Vs A80J
| Features | Sony A8 | Sony A80J |
| Screen Size Selection | 55”, 65" | 55”, 65” & 77” |
| Processor | Sony X1 Ultimate HDR | Sony XR Cognitive Intelligence |
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Best for Larger Rooms - Sony A90J
When it comes to larger rooms, it's always best to have a TV which doesn't seem out of place by being too small. And from the viewer's perspective, there's nothing worse than focussing harder than necessary on a smaller screen.
So if you're considering a large OLED TV to suit larger rooms, then the good news is that the A90J comes available in a maximum size of 83", meaning it should fill most spaces with ease.
And aside from all of the excellent benefits and abilities that the A90J takes in its stride, it also features a brighter OLED panel compared to its A80J sibling, meaning that colour, contrast and detail travel better over greater distances to the viewer.
Although we don't doubt the A90J is best for larger spaces, should you need the most extensive set that Sony currently makes, then don't forget that Sony's monster Z9J offers 8K viewing through its impressive yet vast 85" screen.
Does LG Make Sony's OLED Panels?In short, yes. LG Display is currently the only manufacturer globally that makes OLED panels but supplies brands including Panasonic, Loewe, Philips and Sony. Whilst Sony's latest range features LG's premium OLED panels, the extensive research and development that Sony invests into its models pays dividends with the resulting picture that the viewer enjoys. Both the Sony Bravia A9's X1 Ultimate Processor and the latest Bravia XR Cognitive Processor found in both the A80J and A90J extracts the very best performance out of their LG panels thanks to a host of features and enhancements for optimum image quality. |
VERDICT
We hope that all of the above information gives you all that you need to know on which 2021 Sony OLED is ideal for you, but feel free to check out our YouTube channel for all the latest reviews on our Sony Bravia range.
And should you have any questions or would like to know more, feel free to get in touch with one of our friendly team members for their knowledge and advice.
If you'd like any more information about anything that's been discussed, please reach out to info@smarthomesounds.co.uk, via Live Chat on our website or on 0800 677 1100 where one of our friendly advisors will be happy to help.
