Sony Malaysia has finally announced the arrival of its latest range of Smart TVs for 2015. Featuring the latest 4K LCD screen technology paired with the new and powerful 4K Processor X1, a large portion of these new Smart TVs also run on Android TV, the new platform developed by Google exclusively for smart TVs.
The new smart TV lineup can be broken into three: the premium X series, the mid-range W and the entry-level R series. As the standard bearer of the Bravia TV line, the X series feature an assortment of new technologies that are packed into a new, ultra-thin design.
While the largest model in this series, the 75″ X9400C packs powerful front-facing speakers (tweeters, woofer and subwoofers) that support Hi-Res Audio, it is the X9000C models that really take the breath away. The X9000C, which comes in 55″ and 65″ models, sports the thinnest LCD panel ever made by Sony, measuring just 4.9mm at its thinnest point. The silhouette is stunning, and matches what Sony describes as a “floating design”. Finally, the X8500C (in 55″ and 65″ models) and X8300C (43″ and 49″ models) make up the rest of Sony’s premium Smart TV lineup.
Each of the TV models in the X series feature 4K LCD panels and is powered by the new 4K Processor X1, Sony’s new built-in image enhancement processor that promises unrivalled clarity, colour and contrast in every frame. The processor intelligently analyses the input video signal, matches images with an original Sony 4K database, enhancing the capability of the 4K X-Reality PRO algorithm, brings out the wide colour palette that the TRILUMINOS display can produce, and efficiently expands the dynamic range. The 4K Processor X1 also better handles 4K upscaling as well as native 4K output.
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On top of that, all 4K Smart TVs from Sony released this year will run on Android TV, the Lollipop-based platform built for smart TVs. Announced last year at Google I/O 2014, Android TV features Google Cast, which takes all the capabilities of the Google Chromecast and integrates it into the system. The new NFC One-Flick Remote also has a microphone to enable Voice Search, powered by Google’s excellent voice recognition, allowing you to effortlessly search for videos on YouTube. Using your Google account, you can also access a wealth of Google Play apps on the TV itself. Best of all, Sony says that it supports “almost all” third party peripherals from wireless keyboards and game controllers to work with the Sony Smart TVs. Sony also includes its own app called Photo Sharing Plus., which allows up to 10 users to share photos, videos and music from their smartphone to the Bravia TV.
Besides that, the 2015 Bravia TVs extend into the more affordable price ranges as well. The W series, while not powered by the 4K Processor X1 (because they are Full HD panels), does feature the X-Reality PRO engine which reduces noise in Analog/Digital TV signals, DVD and Blu-Ray discs and even digital still photos. The W series also feature a slim design, where the W850C (65″) and W800C (3D panels ranging from 43″ to 55″) are made with an aluminium frame. In fact, both the W850C and W800C models also feature Android TV with Voice Search. The W700C series, which has a 40″ and 48″ model, is not running on Android TV.
Likewise, the entry-level R550C series (40″ and 48″ models) does not have the X-Reality PRO engine, Android TV nor the 4K Processor X1 (again because this series is Full HD only). However, it does feature built-in WiFi and a native YouTube app. With a starting price of RM1,699, this would be an interesting option to pair with a Chromecast to unlock some of the Android TV features onto a more affordable TV.
Interestingly, Sony Malaysia has not broken down the actual retail prices of each of the TVs announced today. Instead, it has offered a price range for the new Bravia TVs as below:
The new 2015 Sony Bravia Smart TVs are now available in select retailers nationwide, with each model to be released in batches.
