Sony just announced its new 2024 BRAVIA TV lineup and there are quite a few surprises in this new generation of televisions from the Japanese tech giant. The most noticeable change is of course the modified naming scheme and there are also some huge upgrades in the mini LED department. Surprisingly enough, the company also unveiled a new OLED television which previously seemed unlikely for this year.
The names are finally less confusing as the company decided to use single-digit numbers and simply call these new television sets BRAVIA 9, BRAVIA 8, BRAVIA 7, and BRAVIA 3.
Sony's 2024 BRAVIA TV Lineup
Sony's focus for this generation is Mini-LED and the BRAVIA 9 & BRAVIA 7 are running on that particular technology. Of course, as the flagship model, the BRAVIA 9 is the only TV to get Sony's updated Mini-LED tech while the BRAVIA 7 is still using the older Mini-LED panel. The BRAVIA 8 is the company's OLED model for 2024 and the BRAVIA 3 is the regular and more budget-friendly LED TV.
BRAVIA 9 Mini-LED
For the flagship of the year, we have the BRAVIA 9, and instead of making upgrades to their top-tier OLED, this time Sony has gone all-in on creating a brand new 4K Mini-LED system. Working alongside its semiconductor team, the company has developed a new Integrated Circuit Driver that fits inside tiny Mini-LED backlight clusters. This increases the local dimming zones drastically while also improving backlight dimming levels for a more controlled and accurate picture representation on the display.
This technology also consumes less power which is amazing as the brightness also went up, now peaking at 4000 nits. Of course, the primary benefit is deeper blacks while less blooming around bright objects on the display. All of this is controlled by the new XR Backlight Master Drive technology. While OLED will still provide better contrast with its perfect black levels, the BRAVIA 9 should be close this time.
The BRAVIA 9 is available in 65-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch sizes and all of the models get the new backlight technology with 120Hz refresh rate. However, several other upgrades are flying under the radar, including support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 for better wireless network support and more seamless communication with wireless accessories. HDMI 2.1 and all its features are available, but again, you only get two of those ports (ports 3 and 4) as the other two only support HDMI 2.0.
For video, it has XR Clear Image, XR Contrast Booster 30, support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG HDR formats, Netflix Calibrated Mode, and a new Prime Video Calibrated Mode. HDR10+ is not available, and as that is the most common HDR format in Prime Video, the new calibrated mode is a welcome addition and it should work with the regular HDR10 format.
In the audio department, the TV supports Dolby Atmos alongside most of the DTS formats. New this year is something called Voice Zoom 3. It uses AI machine learning to recognize human speech/dialogue and can amplify or reduce its volume. In easy words it can make quieter dialogue sounds more audible. Another addition is the new Source-based Tone Mapping. The surround sound experience has also improved and it should be much better compared to the previous generation while using a single soundbar. There is also support for 3D surround audio via headphones.
The 65-inch BRAVIA 9 starts at $3299.99 with the 75-inch and the 85-inch costing $3999.99 and $5499.99 respectively.
BRAVIA 8 OLED
There is only one OLED TV this year from the company and that is the BRAVIA 8. If you are curious, this is an upgrade to the A80L from last year and although it's not the center of focus this time, it has certainly received some great upgrades. No, it is not using a QD-OLED panel, but WOLED just like last year, but this television has better picture quality, more features, and Acoustic Surface Audio which uses the display as a speaker.
This year the BRAVIA 8 gets Sony's latest XR processor which is also present in the BRAVIA 9 and the BRAVIA A95L (Sony's current QD-OLED flagship). Being one of the most powerful TV processes in the world, the XR enables better upscaling for both video and audio while also improving the image processing capabilities.
All of those HDMI 2.1 perks that I talked about with BRAVIA 9 are also available in the BRAVIA 8. That means you get two HDMI 2.1 ports and two HDMI 2.0 ports. For connectivity, you also get Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 enabling all the wireless features available in the flagship this year. The same goes for the HDR video formats and the audio formats.
What is different are the available screen sizes. You can choose from 55-inch, 65-inch, and 77-inch options, but there isn’t a bigger 85-inch screen size. The base 55-inch model of the Bravia 8 starts at $1999.99, with the 65-inch and the 77-inch costing $2799.99 and $3899.99 respectively.
BRAVIA 7 Mini-LED
The BRAVIA 7 is the more mass-appealing Mini-LED television from the company this year. It didn't get the new Integrated Circuit Driver but still has a solid Mini-LED backlight system and the XR Backlight Master Drive technology. It completely replaces the Full-array LED TVs from Sony for a much-improved viewing experience. The biggest upsides of the BRAVIA 7 are a 55-inch screen size and a much lower price point.
Sony is bringing flagship performance to the BRAVIA 7 with the same XR processor available in the higher-end models enabling all the upscaling and processing improvements that come with it. The new panel is brighter and has a much better visual element for consuming content and playing games. It even has both Netflix and Prime Video calibration modes for a more cinematic experience.
Alongside being 4K 120 Hz, it also has two HDMI 2.1 ports with good stuff that comes with it, including VRR, ALLM, and Source-based Tone Mapping. Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 are also present.
For entertainment, you get support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos alongside IMAX Enhanced for a theater-like experience, just like the more expensive models. Of course, there is also support for HDR10 & HLG (for HDR video), and DTS (for audio).
The BRAVIA 7 is available in four screen sizes including 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch. The 55-inch model of the Bravia 7 starts at $1899.99 while the 65, 75, and 85-inch models cost $2299.99, $2799.99, and $3499.99 respectively. While the base model isn't winning any prizes for pricing, the bigger models have a huge price difference compared to the flagship BRAVIA 9 and that's exactly the kind of consumer base the BRAVIA 7 is targeting.
BRAVIA 3 LED
Some consumers don't care about fancy panel technologies like Mini-LED, OLED, etc., and just want a good 4K TV that can provide a nice cinematic experience at home for a much lower price. If you’re still eyeing Sony TV, that's exactly where the BRAVIA 3 (Direct LED) comes in. With support for Dynamic HDR and modern features, Sony is finally stepping up its budget TV game as it’s more capable compared to its predecessors and much cheaper than the BRAVIA 7.
For the lower price, you don’t get a Mini-LED/Full-array LED panel, the refresh rate is only 60Hz, and the processor is the older X1 which isn’t even close in capability compared to the XR which is powering the more premium models. There is no BRAVIA Cam support and the Internal Storage is only 16GB (BRAVIA 9, 8, and 7 come with 32GB of Internal Storage). You also miss out on HDMI 2.1 and get four HDMI 2.0 ports instead, but surprisingly enough, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 are available.
Something that is available even on this cheaper television is support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos which enables cinema-like experience at home. Previously, budget TVs from Sony used to skip Dynamic HDR support, so I'm happy to see them included here. There is also support for HDR10, and HLG HDR formats, but you miss out on DTS and IMAX Enhanced.
The BRAVIA 3 gives you the most versatility in screen sizes ranging from 43-inch on the way to 85-inch. The 43-inch BRAVIA 3 starts at $599.99, while the 50, 55, 65, 75, and 85-inch models cost $699.99, $849.99, $999.99, $1299.99, and $1799.99 respectively.
All BRAVIA 2024 TVs are running on the Google TV operating system and will come with a new eco-friendly backlit remote control (Backlit remote not confirmed for BRAVIA 3). The company also announced a bunch of audio products targeted at home and personal surround sound experiences. This includes the BRAVIA Theatre Bar 9 and Theatre Bar 8 soundbars, BRAVIA Theatre Quad surround speakers, and the BRAVIA Theatre U neckband speaker. Availability of TVs and Soundbars may vary based on the region you're living in.