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What could be better than relaxing on the couch in the evening with the latest action spectacle or your favourite series? All you need is the right television. You’ve had the same TV for years and you’re starting to think it’s time to get a new one. Suddenly, terms like Smart TV, Ultra HD, LED or OLED are popping up everywhere and you inevitably ask yourself, what does it all mean? What exactly can these Smart TVs do and what do you have to look out for?
With our big Sony Smart TV test 2023 we want to help you find the best Smart TV for you. We have prepared information on the screen diagonal, the functions and the different resolutions for you. We have also compared LED Smart TVs, FALD Smart TVs and OLED Smart TVs with each other and listed the respective advantages and disadvantages. This should make your decision as easy as possible.
Summary
- A Smart TV is a TV that also has a computer architecture, bringing features such as internet, streaming, apps and games into your living room.
- Before you choose a Sony Smart TV, you should first plan and measure exactly how much space you have available so that you can use it to the maximum.
- There are three types of Smart TVs that Sony makes: LED TVs, FALD TVs and OLED TVs. All three offer their own advantages and disadvantages and you should consider which one is right for you.
The Best Sony Smart TV: Our Choices
Guide: Questions you should ask yourself before buying a Sony Smart TV
What does Smart TV mean?
This allows the TV to access a variety of additional functions. Important additional functions are, for example, the use of streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime, the availability of apps and the playback of smartphone or laptop content on the Smart TV.
(Image source: unsplash.com / Jens Kreuter)
Which screen size is right for me?
The question of screen size is one of the most important questions you should ask yourself before buying a Smart TV, because the Smart TV has to fit into your living room.
Since every Smart TV has a different stand and the frames also vary depending on the manufacturer, we can’t give you any exact information here, but you can use the respective inch specification of the Sony Smart TV as a guideline. We have created a table for you with the common TV sizes and the approximate sizes of the screen without the stand.
| Diameter in inches | Diameter in centimetres | Screen size (height x width) |
|---|---|---|
| 40 inch | approx. 82 cm | approx. 40 x 70 cm |
| 50 inch | approx. 127 cm | approx. 63 x 110 cm |
| 55 inch | approx. 139 cm | approx. 73 x 122 cm |
| 65 inch | approx. 164 cm | approx. 85 x 145 cm |
| 75 inch | approx. 190 cm | approx. 96 x 167 cm |
| 85 inch | approx. 215 cm | approx. 110 x 191 cm |
What is the price range of Sony Smart TVs?
The prices of Sony Smart TVs vary greatly depending on the size of the device itself and the features of the TV. Prices in the lower price range are between €400 and €700. The middle price range is more widely spread and lies between €800 and €1,500. Anything above that would be in the premium range, which is between €2,000 and €5,000.
There is also the segment of televisions in which new, innovative technologies are used, currently, for example, Sony’s 8K resolution. Such a TV is priced at €16,000 at Sony – not affordable for the average consumer and (still) not very relevant.
What distinguishes Sony Smart TVs from other manufacturers?
Furthermore, Sony, like other manufacturers, is increasingly relying on OLED TVs, but more on that later. Sony is also increasingly relying on its own Triluminos displays, which ensure good colour reproduction.
(Image source: unsplash.com / Thibault Penin)
What are the alternatives to Sony Smart TVs?
The world of smart TVs is full of different vendors and brands and the sheer amount of choice can be overwhelming. Despite the many alternatives, Sony Smart TVs have a very good reputation for both picture quality and technology and have a dedicated following.
Decision: What types of Sony Smart TVs are there and which is the right one for you?
If you want to buy a Sony Smart TV, you can choose between three different screen technologies:
- LED – Light Emitting Diodes
- FALD – Full Array Local Dimming
- OLED – Organic Light Emitting Diode
In the following descriptions, we will tell you more about the differences between them and their advantages and disadvantages.
What distinguishes a Sony Smart LED TV and what are its advantages and disadvantages?
LED TVs use light-emitting diodes for backlighting or for generating the picture. In most cases, LED TVs have an LCD display that is backlit by light-emitting diodes. This technology is the most widely used in televisions – from the low-cost segment to the luxury class.
As a result, there can be some serious differences in the picture quality of LED Smart TVs. Inexpensive sets in particular can appear lacking in contrast and dynamism, and the black level tends to be a deep grey.
What distinguishes a Sony Smart Full Array LED TV with Local Dimming and what are its advantages and disadvantages?
In addition to standard LED lighting, Sony also offers its customers Smart TVs in the medium to high price range that are equipped with a full array local dimming display. With this, a large number of LEDs sit on the entire surface of the screen behind an LCD display.
Another feature of FALD TVs is local dimming, with which the LEDs are grouped into so-called dimming zones and the TV can adjust the brightness of each zone individually.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a Sony Smart OLED TV?
OLED TVs are currently the most expensive Smart TVs available on the market. OLEDs are self-luminous organic light-emitting diodes. Each individual diode is a separate point of light that can glow red, green, blue or white. This means that OLED screens do not need any backlighting to function, as each pixel can be mixed from the four different pixel colours.
Due to the lack of a backlight, the OLED screen cannot produce as high brightness values as a FALD screen, but the colours appear richer in contrast and it delivers the best black levels.
Buying criteria: Use these factors to compare and rate Sony Smart TVs
Screen diagonal
One of the important criteria, as described above, is the screen diagonal of the Smart TV. You should bear in mind that the feet can also take up quite a bit of space. In any case, you should find out the dimensions of the Smart TV before you buy it and measure it in your own four walls.
What is much more interesting, however, is that this technical fact is thanks to the wife of a vice-president of Sony. The said wife wished that one could hear the longest version of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on one disc. This version lasts exactly 74 minutes.
The operating system
Sony Smart TVs mostly use Android for TV, which opens up the Google Play Store and its wide range of applications such as streaming services, calendars and even games.
You should definitely pay attention to what is written in the description or on the packaging of your TV, especially in the low-price range it is not a matter of course that a TV offers a good and functioning operating system with apps and games. In this price category, there are some devices that are called Smart TVs, but in the end can only connect to the WLAN.
Full HD or Ultra HD resolution
A Full HD resolution means that your TV has a display of 1920 x 1080 pixels. A 4k resolution is simply twice the number of pixels, i.e. 3840 x 2160 pixels. What exactly do you need, and for what? A Full HD resolution is absolutely sufficient for suitable picture material.
The leap from Full HD to 4K is nowhere near as impressive as the leap from tube TVs to HD sets that took place almost 15 years ago. Despite all this, a much higher number of pixels can be displayed with Ultra HD and thus significantly more details become visible.
So if you have the chance, you should go for an Ultra HD Smart TV from Sony. Also, now is the right time to get a 4K TV, as the amount of 4K material on streaming services and Blu Ray has been steadily increasing in recent years.
HDR
HDR is short for High Dynamic Range and refers to a technology that allows TVs to express colours and contrasts more strongly. HDR ensures even brightness and prevents images from being too dark or bright. As a result, HDR provides more discernible detail within the picture.
There are various HDR standards open for use by companies, such as HDR 10. Sony, however, offers Dolby Vision, an HDR technology that uses a colour depth of 12 bits and can thus display up to 68 billion different colours. Dolby Vision is considered the best HDR technology.
HDR is most worthwhile for you in connection with an Ultra HD Smart TV so that the HDR improvements are also directly noticeable.
Gaming Features
If you’re a gamer, there are a few other features you should consider when choosing your Sony Smart TV. One is the infamous input lag, which is nothing more than the delay in your input and response on the TV.
Most of the time, this is only a matter of milliseconds, but it is precisely these that can spoil your gaming experience in a game where fast reactions are important. Sony, like many other manufacturers, has already set up a Game Mode. When you activate this, various settings are made that improve your gaming experience.
(Image source: pixabay.com / Pexels)
Connections
Another important feature you should think about in advance is the number of connections you need for your respective multimedia devices. A sufficient number of HDMI connections should be available, since Blu Ray players, Playstation or a Fire TV stick, for example, all need their own HDMI connection.
One or more USB ports can’t hurt either. If you want to connect older devices, such as a video recorder or similar, to your Smart TV, you should find out beforehand whether this is possible.
Facts worth knowing about Sony Smart TV
Can I control my Sony Smart TV with Alexa?
In case you don’t know, Alexa is the name of a fictional character behind the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot devices. It is a so-called voice assistant that responds to questions and commands from you and implements them.
For example, you can ask Alexa to order something from Amazon or, in relation to the TV, to change the channel or start an app. It is possible to connect your Sony Smart TV with Alexa without any further problems. It is important to note that older Sony Smart TVs may not support Alexa.
What additional devices are compatible with my Sony Smart TV?
There are plenty of accessories available for your Sony Smart TV, ranging from remote controls and multimedia players to functional products such as wall mounts. You can also connect a home entertainment system to your Smart TV.
If you’re worried about compatibility, check out some of Sony’s own speaker systems or sound boxes. Any popular games console should also be able to connect via HDMI.
What other products does Sony offer?
Sony is the third largest electronics company in Japan and is known worldwide. One of Sony’s most successful products is the Playstation, the fourth version of which has sold more than 100 million units, making it the market leader among game consoles.
Another business area is the production of cameras for private and professional use. Another well-known division of Sony is the mobile phone division and its flagship models of the Xperia series. Sony was also significantly involved in the development of Blu Ray technology.
Image source: Popov/ 123rf.com
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