Ever since CES 2015, we’ve been lusting over Sony’s ludicrously thin 4K TVs, the X900C and X910C. Available in 55- and 65-inches (X900C) and a monster 75-inch (X910C), this new lineup from Sony not only delivers deep blacks and rich colors, but manages to do it while being just .2-inches thick. Talk about a show stopper on your wall.
Now Sony has finally revealed their price tag and release date.
Three components help make the beautiful images you get from Sony’s 4K TV line. When mixed together, the Sony X1 processor is formed, driving color, contrast, and clarity which allows for vivid native 4K content and high quality upscaling that makes even 1080p content shine.
After the jump, you can check out a new promotional video for the X1 processor which shows off how these three things form the visuals you see from their 4K TV line. Best of all, I think Sony borrowed some unused music from a Final Fantasy game.
For its 2015 series, Sony is introducing three main 4K TV lines: the X830C/X850C, X900C/X910C, and the flagship X930C/X940C. Powered by Android TV, each line has something that’s unique to them. For example, the X900C and X910C offer a cutting edge design that’s ludicrously thin, making it appear as if you have a frame on your wall. The X930C and X940C, on the other hand, give you Hi-Res Audio and HDR, making it ready for all forms of future 4K content.
Though lacking what sets the aforementioned units apart, the X830C and X850C lineup offers a modest list of features and a starting price of $1,299, making it a great all-around TV. They include
After the jump, a video unboxing of the 65-inch X850C.
In 2015, Sony is treating home theater enthusiasts to a wide range of 4K TVs that start at just $1,299 for the 43-inch (X830C) and range all the way to the flagship 75-inch X940C. It’s already been confirmed that the XBR lineup will offer HDR later in summer via a software update, but news about the 55-inch variant has been scarce. Now we have some confirmation directly from Sony.
Many had been skeptical of Sony’s HDR ambitions for their 2015 lineup of 4K TVs coming out of CES. This was in part due to a lack of information flow from Sony but since that time, more news has trickled out of the company. In short, HDR support is coming to the X930C and X940C. While the series will launch late next month, HDR support itself will come via a software update later in the summer. Neil King, Head of Home Entertainment, Sony UK and Ireland:
Sony has always been the leader in 4K and our exclusive Sony technologies have been at the core of providing TV lovers with the best picture quality, no matter what content they are watching. Our decades of experience allow us to introduce emerging industry standard HDR to our 4K Ultra HD TV series and to reinforce contrast thanks to Sony’s unique technology X-tended Dynamic Range PRO. And now, by pairing our unrivalled picture quality with Android TV, we are setting out to provide our customers with the best user experience possible.
More from Sony, after the jump.
Starting in May, most of the 2015 Sony 4K TVs will be available for purchase with a starting price of $1,299 (43X830C), which is insane when you consider what prices were two years ago. Alongside entry level models, you can even purchase the flagship X930C and X940C which feature HDR and are up to 75-inches in size.
The only model absent from the Spring release is the insanely thin X900C and X910C. Some more details after the jump.
Along side revealing HDR support for the X930C and X940C, Sony has also announced that the majority of their 2015 4K televisions will arrive in May. Starting today, the X930C, X850C, and X930C/X940C 4K televisions are available for pre-sale (whatever that means) and will be on-sale for the masses in May with an arrival time sometime later that month.
Right after CES 2015, we’d reported on the inclusion of HDR in Sony’s 2015 fleet of XBR 4K televisions. While not every model would offer support for 4K HDR, we were told by fairly reliable sources that Sony’s flagship units would offer them. For those unfamiliar, HDR in a nutshell offers brighter whites and darker blacks at the same time. At the same time, HDR sets provide a wider range of light for the TV to display a picture.
Now, Sony has confirmed that HDR will be coming to their flagship series which means more colors with brighter whites and darker darks. More details after the jump.
Many of you, like me, are quite eager to hear about Sony’s pricing and availability guide for their 2015 fleet of 4K televisions. Revealed at CES, Sony had a TV line for almost all of us, including the ludicrously thin X900C models. Just last week, Sony announced pricing for the X83C and X85C series in the UK. Now, thanks to leaked information, we have prices to go along with all of the 2015 Sony 4K TVs, which await you after the jump.
Not likely the best day to drop product pricing but here it is. Sony has unveiled the pricing that will be attached to their 2015 4K televisions in Europe. While not the entire fleet, the new pricing covers the X83C and X85C series which are part of Sony’s new 4K TVs that will be powered by Android TV. We’d previously covered Sony’s entire 2015 4K TV and HDTV line up. As expected, this years fleet of 4K TVs while far more able than their predecessors also offer a more affordable price tag with the KD-49X8305C starting at £1,299.
More pricing after the jump.
When the 2015 Sony 4K televisions with Android TV launch later this year, expect to see a new app titled YouView that will not only make your life easier, but that of Sony’s as well. Thanks to a partnership between Sony and the new service, YouView will allow future Bravia owners to browse and view content from a host of UK providers all from one app. From a user perspective, this is brilliant as it removes the need to know which show belongs to which network.
From Sony’s point of view, all they need to do is negotiate with YouView and let them negotiate licensing with the different content providers. So which channels will you be able to access on YouView? We have the details after the jump.
Thanks to an anonymous tipster who sent us the above video, we may have our very first look at a proper marketing campaign from Sony for their 4K lineup. As you can see from the 30 second ad, Sony is highlighting their ludicrously thin X900C and X910C 4K TV. What strikes me beyond that we’re finally getting a Sony ad is how beautiful the commercial is. Unlike past Sony commercials which at times are too artsy and lose the message or too wordy and try to over sell what the device is, this ad is brilliantly simple. No voiceover, no talk about specs, and certainly not all over the place. Instead the ad focuses on one of the biggest selling points of the X900C line, their thinness.
A few more thoughts after the jump.
One of the biggest unveils from CES 2015 came from Sony’s new lineup of 4K TVs. Specifically, the X900C and X910X (which you can read about here) offer full native 4K video in an insanely thin design. Measuring at 4.9mm (1/5 inch) thin, the ultra-slim design allows for you wall-mount the units in almost an art-like fashion. Best of all, there is nothing proprietary about the TV, allowing for a normal VESA mount to be used. Having seen them at CES, I can simply state that pictures and words simply don’t do the X900C and X910C justice and luckily Sony agrees. After the jump, an in-depth video look at the latest 4K TVs with ‘floating style’ design which shows off how insanely beautiful this television is.
One of the biggest reveals from CES 2015 was the embrace of Android TV by Sony. Offered on every 2015 4K television a majority of their HD televisions as well, Android TV will be the core user interface consumers will be faced with. This will hopefully result in not only a smart TV that’s actually smart, but one that has updated apps that can continue to grow and expand our experience with TVs. Traditionally, televisions have either been plagued by poorly written and sluggish apps that are never updated or are purely dumb boxes where apps and network functionality are brought to it via other setup boxes like Apple TV and gaming consoles like the PS4.
More details after the jump.
One of the major announcements from CES was the arrival of Android TV on Sony televisions. Instead of tippy toeing around the new OS, Sony has decided to embrace Android TV in a big way and is including on its entire 2015 4K and HDTV fleet. With a UI that’s finally not horrid and a host of options like Google Cast, the smart TV we’ve always wanted may finally be here.
This of course brought to question the status of the 2014 Sony 4K televisions. Could the older Bravia 4K TVs be upgraded to Android TV? We’ve been asked this question many times on Twitter, Facebook, and our comments section so lets address it after the jump.
